✖OOC Information
CHARACTER:
Name: Princess Garnet til Alexandros 17th in her own canon, but considering the AU nature of the game her name will be Sara, and her nickname will remain Dagger to her friends.
Age: 16
Series: Final Fantasy IX
Species: Summoner (the only difference from a normal human would be a horn on her head, but that's been removed, so she appears totally human.)
Gender: Female
Occupation: Works at the Library.
Point of canon to be drawn in: Shortly after she cuts her hair and leaves Alexandria with Zidane.
Preferred level: Originally from Elysium, but runs off to Terra.
Appearance: Dagger is fairly short, around 5'1, although she appears slightly taller because she's always wearing heels. She has long brown hair with side bangs, and dark brown eyes. She's very slim and not very top-heavy at all, despite some of her outfits having cleavage-fanservice. She's used to wearing expensive things, elaborate dresses and heavy jewelry, but when trying to blend in she sticks to simple outfits and earthy colors. The only expensive item she keeps with her is the jewel of her country, a proof of her royalty.
Personality: Being royalty, Dagger is used to being commanding. When she has her mind set on something, it's almost impossible to change it and she will complete her goal, even if it may seem like a reckless idea to others (case in point - going back to Alexandria). She isn't above tricking others or using thievery if that's what her path dictate she do. She's also used to a certain level of respect when others address her. While she has learned to speak more like a "commoner" and has no problem with the way her friends in Tantalus speak to her, she becomes vexed when people order her around or speak to her as though she were a child. She strives to be independent, a real adult, and it makes it hard for her to ask for help. Dagger feels a sense of responsibility for everyone and everything and will try and literally take on the world by herself. She's slowly growing out of this habit and learning that it's okay to ask others for help, but it's still a gut instinct for her. It's the reason why she often runs off into situations by herself - because she strives for independence so badly, but this usually ends up getting her into more trouble and in a point where she has no choice but to be helped or rescued, and it frustrates her.
Dagger has a lot of compassion for her friends and her kingdom. She sees the good in people that others can't easily see. While Steiner distrusted Zidane because he was a thief (and Steiner assumed therefore he was a bad person), Dagger, while a little miffed at his antics, saw that he was a good person. While her mother was a warmonger in her last days and tried to kill her, Dagger still remembered the kind hearted woman she used to be and attempted to save her life. As a princess, and now queen, she bears a strong sense of responsibility, and she will often be harder on herself than anyone else. Due to her young age and inexperience, she is naive about many things, and sees the world with an almost childlike sense of wonder.
Despite all her good points, she can be a spitfire when she wants to be. She'll often lash out at Steiner for his smothering of her and disregard the council of others if she truly believes what she is doing is for the best. While her determination is admirable, it can end up in her getting into trouble which frustrates her even more since she strives to be independent. When angered, Dagger is very direct and harsh with the one who offended her, not wasting any words. If she's got a problem with you, she's going to say it.
Abilities: Dagger is a white mage/summoner, although unlike her counterpart Eiko, Dagger's strength lies more in summoning powerful guardians called Eidolons. She was born with a few Eidolons already attached to her, but due to them being ripped from her body she had to re-learn how to summon them. Dagger has the ability to form pacts with any Eidolon she wants. Most of the time the summon spirit itself will not appear, but it will lend her its power. Her white magic abilities include being able to cure wounds and various supernatural ailments (like being turned to stone), status altering spells (like mini or silence), and setting up barriers to shield from magical and physical attacks.
The drawback to her abilities is that she's still developing them, and she's somewhat scared of her own summoning powers, so she always holds back. Her powers are also directly related to her emotional state, so if she's in a depressed mood, her spells won't even work. However, heightened emotion like anger or anxiety will lead to an increase in her powers (the state in FFIX known as Trance). Some of her abilities have accidentally been discovered by a combination of stress and instinct.
On a non-magical level, Dagger is also a very good singer and not a bad actress when the occasion calls for it.
History: A young girl named Sara was born in the summoner’s village Madain Sari, right on the brink of a disaster. What appeared to be a hurricane tore through the village, killing nearly everyone there. Her mother escaped with her on a boat, and the only thing Sara could remember was a wall of fire and a giant eye in the sky. The two of them washed on the shores of Alexandria, but Sara's mother was injured beyond help. The royal family of Alexandria had just lost their daughter, and amazingly enough, Sara looked just like the late princess -- the only exception being a horn on her head. The King quickly ordered her horn removed and raised her as though she was his own. Taking on the name of Princess Garnet, she eventually forgot all of her old life, only clinging to a half remembered melody and the sense that somehow she didn't belong.
Around the age of 15 Garnet's father died, leaving her to look after her mother, who had becoming increasingly paranoid and power hungry. Strange people visited the house, while others like her trusted mentor left. Sensing the tension and knowing Alexandria would be on the brink of war if she didn't do something, Garnet plans to escape the castle. At the same time, a group named Tantalus has been ordered to kidnap her. Since their goals are the same, Garnet escapes with them as her mother nearly kills them all trying to stop her. On her journey she runs into a young girl named Eiko, the only other survivor of Madain Sari. They bond quickly and Garnet learns a bit more about her heritage.
Arriving at Lindblum, Garnet discovers it was her uncle, the Regent, who had wanted her captured. Regent Cid had also sensed Alexandria was on the brink of war, and he knew Lindblum would be the first casualty. After being told by everyone to stay put, a defiant Garnet drugs everyone's food and leaves with her bodyguard Steiner. She searches for a way to convince her mother to stop the war. Along the way she runs into other members of Tantalus, befriending them easily and even willing to steal an item to help one of their friends (much to Steiner's dismay). Upon arriving safely in Alexandria, it becomes apparent her mother will not see reason as she captures Garnet without hesitation and extracts her Eidolons. Zidane and her friends help her escape, but she is still forced to watch her mother use her Eidolons to destroy places she and her friends held dear.
Her mother's reign is only brought to an end when she is betrayed by the "weapons dealer" Kuja, who turns Bahamut against her. A distraught Garnet assumes the throne and receives small gems so she can summon her Eidolons once more. Kuja is not done with her, however, as he summons Mist monsters to destroy Alexandria. Quick thinking, loyal soldiers, and the aid of her friends keep things under control for a time, but Kuja summons Bahamut yet again. Garnet is suddenly overcome by a strong power and is lead to the rooftop, where Eiko flies down to meet her. With their combined power, they are able to summon Alexander, the legendary Eidolon who protects the kingdom with its great wings. Kuja's enemy Garland shows up, angered at Kuja's show of defiance, and uses his ship to destroy Alexander before Kuja can take a hold of it. Alexandria is destroyed when this happens.
After this, Garnet slips into a deep depression and loses her voice. Her magical abilities also suffer during this time. However, she eventually finds the strength to regain her voice and her confidence, cutting her hair in a show of change. She leaves Alexandria once more with Zidane and her friends as they uncover the truth behind Kuja and his origins, which eventually leads them to the planet Terra. It's there that Garnet recognizes the giant eye on Garland's ship the Invincible, and realizes that he was the one behind her village’s destruction.
Back on Gaia, the team defeats Kuja and saves the planet, and is cornered by another entity called Necron. While battling, Kuja teleports the team to safety, having had a change of heart. Zidane decides to run back to the Iifa tree to save Kuja, and Garnet returns to Alexandria. She waits for a few years until Zidane finally returns to her.
False memories: Sara Ellis was born to a wealthy family in Elysium, practically given everything on a silver platter. Despite being grateful to her loving (but somewhat cold) parents, she always had the sense that she didn't belong. No matter what she did, Elysium just didn't feel like home to her. As much as she tried to make friends, everyone felt so distant.
The feeling of isolation got worse when Sara discovered some unusual abilities. She'd always had the feeling she was being watched over, but never mentioned it to anyone. While a freshman in high school, she was bullied by two of her classmates. Cornered in the bathroom after class, the girls began pestering her until Sara lost control, unknowingly unleashing Ifrit's power and setting fire to the bathroom, which was luckily put under control before the whole school was set ablaze. The two girls were saved from being burned to a crisp by Dagger casting Protect purely on instinct, but several other people were seriously injured. The two girls had seen Ifrit’s image in the flames, and rumors started to circulate of Sara controlling a demon. She only ever told her father what really happened, and he managed to pull strings to make the official story a perfectly normal accident. As long as he was alive, he promised Sara no harm would come to her. She was pulled out of high school and home tutored after that.
Feeling alone and confused, Sara eventually snuck off to Terra, the relaxed atmosphere appealing to her. She used the nickname "Dagger" when she was there, and she felt like she was able to be herself. She also began searching for answers about herself and her abilities, knowing that as much as her father loved her, he couldn't give her any answers. Eventually her parents found out about her sneaking off, and kept her in a tighter grip than ever. Her mother just didn't want her consorting with the "wrong folk", but her father was worried about her losing control again.
Despite her initial frustration, Sara was more than willing to stay home when her father fell ill. During nine months, she watched her father slowly die and her mother sink into a depression that seemed impossible to drag her out of. Sara tried to make the best of things with just the two of them, but it became clear her mother wasn't just inconsolable, she was going mad. Pleading got her nowhere - her mother insisted that she was "fine", despite an increase of liquor bottles in the house and shady characters making frequent visits. Some nights Sara would hear her mother talking to herself, and sometimes even laughing madly.
Having had enough, Sara took her belongings and the inheritance money her father gave her and ran away. The only thing she left behind was a note for her mother, promising that she'd come back one day once she figured out how to fix things. She got papers for a false identity, going by the name "Sara Hayes" now, and cut her hair shorter. A few of her friends still know her by the name "Dagger", and that is the name she prefers.