(no subject)
Name: Sephiroth
Age: 28 at the time of Nibelhiem. One doesn’t age whilst dead or in the lifestream. So appearance is around about the same, actual age however, 35 at the end of Dirge.
Personality
Sephiroth would probably be classed medically as borderline psychotic with a touch of schizophrenia but no-one would ever be allowed that close. He is consumed by a crippling hatred for ShinRa, and by extension the entire human race or anything that would get in the way of his own goals. There are a lot of never-before-explored emotions that usually manifest in fits of rage when he is faced with a situation that he hasn’t had to deal with on an emotional level before. Either that or he will just ignore the problem completely and shut it out of his mind, classing it as irrelevant. However that being said Sephiroth can be very caring of those considered on his side, but as with any genuine emotion of his it can be excessive and therefore beyond what is comfortable for most people to accept. For example, a compassionate emotion would come across as obsessive or over-protective at best. He will stand up for others and fight if need be, especially if he considers himself to be more capable than they are. Sephiroth is very sure of his own talents and loves a challenge in which to show them off. He is not one to lie or cheat like your typical villain but will more likely use the truth to his own advantage. Not much of a talker, a part of Sephiroth craves the family he never had as a child but this is pushed to the back of his mind. Sephiroth always concentrates on what is in front of him, his next objective, revenging his past rather than dwelling too much on it. Under the façade of the antagonist is a sense of honour that never leaves SOLDIER, but it is overruled perhaps too often by the desire to accumulate more power and eventually become strong enough to fulfil the destiny passed onto him by his only ‘true’ mother- Jenova.
Strengths: Sephiroth is by-far one of the most combat-able people the Planet has ever known. His swordsmanship skills with his signature Masamune blade are legendary but that’s not to say he can’t fight without it. He has psychic ability also, telepathy, telekinesis and the ability to create complete illusions around those susceptible to his control (i.e. anyone with Jenova cells and a weak enough willpower)
Weaknesses: Sephiroth is a very driven man, and nothing tends to divert him from his goal once he has it in his sights, this can be a weakness as it can lead to narrow-mindedness. Sephiroth has very distinctive features and a evil-reputation now which would make it difficult for him to not be noticed in a crowd of people. He is quick to anger and often most resolutions to situations are sought after with violence.
History: Born to Professor Hojo and Lucretia Cresent as the result of the Jenova Project Sephiroth has never known his mother and doesn’t know the true identity of his father either. He was isolated from what would be a ‘usual’ life for a newborn as soon as he was born. Test after test followed for a few years, to prove that the experiment had been a success. Only Professor Gast appeared to be any sort of a father figure but at six years old Sephiroth lost Gast forever. Only later on in life would he learn that Gast had died. As soon as Sephiroth was of school-age he was privately tutored to a high standard of education but always under the watchful eye of Shinra’s science department, especially that annoying man with the hideous laugh and wiry glasses. Once the time came in youth for Sephiroth to start asking questions about his mother, he was always told of how special his mother “Jenova” was and how she died so that he could live, this was always a snap back to concentrating on his schooling and also the pastime he’d had started to take an interest in - sword fighting. Sephiroth developed quickly into a skilled swordfighter and combined with his inherent intellect made him a deadly opponent from as young as 10. While still undergoing his private tutoring Sephiroth joined the military academy where he would learn all the necessary discipline, stamina and reasoning that would shape the next ten years of his life. At the age of 18 Sephiroth was fighting in Wutai as 1st Class, already creating a name for himself as a hero. Then came the events in Crisis Core which shook the very foundations of everything Sephiroth believed in. After discovering his entire life was pretty much a lie Sephiroth set off to put things right and to fulfil his destiny that he had realised in the Shinra basement. Taking the head of his mother Jenova Sephiroth was defeated by Cloud at the Nibelhiem reactor and tumbled into the lifestream. Shortly afterward Sephiroth used the innate power of Jenova cells to call a Reunion, and 5 years later this was close to fruition but needed a final jolt of energy. Sephiroth used Cloud (his failed clone-turned-puppet) to obtain the mythical black material from the Temple of the Ancients and with it summoned Meteor with the intention to cause a flood of power from the lifestream to his location thus giving the Reunion the power it needed to complete and he would become a God and therefore able to recreate the world in his own vision. However he was thwarted a second time, but this was not complete. Meteor was too close to divert now and since the lifestream was used as a weapon to destroy it, Sephiroth’s legacy was transferred to a lot of people; Manifesting itself as the virus Geostigma. Sephiroth’s will itself still would not conform to the circle of life that the Lifestream dictates however and it managed only to split his will into three parts. These three avatars were used to track down the only original Jenova cells left on the Planet and the plan was to use them to resurrect himself for his next plan - to use Gaia as a means of transport to find a new planet on which to create his utopia. Again this plan was thwarted by Cloud.
But even this was not enough to stop the iron will of Sephiroth. As imparted to Cloud in the last round “I will never be a memory” is as true now as it was back then. Given the weakened barrier between living and dead it was not long before a materia-like crystal was forming again at the Northern Cave, however at an accelerated rate this time. Encased in the crystal Sephiroth patiently waits for his time to emerge from it again and take the vengeance he richly deserves on those that have dared to shatter his dreams again and again.
This crystal is deep rooted at the very bottom of the Northern Crater. It is similar in many ways to the crystal in Lucretia's cave, and is cocoon-like in nature. It's purpose to protect it's host from any premature damage before Sephiroth's regeneration is complete whilst at the same time acting as a store of mako energy to be absorbed at a steady rate. However in the final stages of this 'Reunion' being completed it seems the energy needed to finish has run dry. Sephiroth is without the bodily functions that would cause him to suffocate inside the crystal (ie, breathing) as right now the crystal maintains a half-life for him. However his sub-conscious thought has returned and this is the only tool available for him to scrape together a freedom from this prison before the energy keeping him alive runs out too...