UGA App
Player Name: Atrament Corel
Personal LJ: white_deviling
AIM Contact: Already there.
Character Name: Nanoha Takamachi
Source Canon: Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha
Community Tag: nanoha takamachi
Notes: The information in this profile will be a mix of Movie 1st (and its manga) Nanoha and A's Nanoha. With the A's Movie coming in 2012, it's possible to get her upgraded more than once, seeing as the power levels in the movie (if it follows the trend set by the first) will be far higher than shown in the TV Series.
Regarding the plot - the suggested events list will be further revised with the other players of characters from the series. The events written here are merely a guide based on what happens in the anime. One change I'd suggest is delaying the upgrade to Raising Heart Exelion and Bardiche Assault (meaning make the first mission not a near total loss for the TSAB).
Background: Wiki link.
Personality: Nanoha starts out as a thoughtful girl who lacks direction: specifically, she is unsure of what to do with her life and future. Furthermore, she often feels like a third wheel, as her parents, two older siblings and even her two best friends often accompany each other, while she has no such close companion -- this drives her to the point of depression in the Movie 1st The Comics, even though she admits that she is surrounded by happiness in her life. Fortunately, her personality changes for the better after her meeting with Yuuno Scrya: a mage from another world, and the unleashing of her magical potential through the device Raising Heart during the Jewel Seeds incident.
Despite her stature and age, Nanoha is shown to be rather mature (and in many ways similar to her 22 year old self, as noted by Vivio in Gears of Destiny) by the beginning of the A's storyline, and possesses several qualities associated with central protagonist characters of other series, such as optimism and valor (fine, courage...that works too). She takes on seemingly impossible challenges like a super robot pilot, while possessing the pragmatic methods of a real robot pilot. She is also kind to the point of naivety, and tries her very best to be honest with others - even her enemies. This does, at times, backfire, because of how straightforward she is with it.
To expand on the last point mentioned above, she is known for her diplomatic, communicative approach to battles: preferring to talk things out and reason with her foes rather than attack them straight away, barring situations where she knows that negotiations are impossible. Make no mistake however - as much of a pacifist as she may seem by doing this, she is not beyond using (excessive) force to take down stubborn enemies who are unwilling to listen to her, and when she does - they do, more often than not, come to their senses and become her allies afterwards. Throughout the three seasons of the anime, Nanoha demonstrates this on multiple occasions against characters that started out as hostiles, most notably Fate Testarossa, who becomes her best friend after being defeated by her, and Vita, who ends up being a little sister figure of sorts. This is also the source of the pun 'befriending', which is now synonymous with her name.
Beyond that, she is depicted as a hardworking and energetic girl who strives to meet her goals. At the beginning of A's, she wakes up very early in the morning for magic practice - ending with attempts to drop a can into a rubbish bin using her guided shots alone - and willingly participates in the TSAB's affairs while continuing her studies and helping out her family's business. In a broader sense, she lets nothing stop her - being defeated in battles and sustaining injuries such as nearly losing her Linker Core are hardly enough to hold her down. To this end, she uses her treasured friends and family as motivation to keep herself going: their happiness and well being are the most important things to her.
As further emphasis on just how driven she can get; before an incident that takes place after the events of A's (where she is completely defeated by a new type of Gadget Drone and is almost crippled as a result of the strain placed on her body by the continued use of the Cartridge System), Nanoha is implied to be so focused on self-improvement that she was hardly concerned about her own safety. She also faces some difficulty holding back in battles and other serious events, and does best when she goes all out (Zenryoku Zenkai!). As she grows older, she becomes more motherly and ladylike, hence less prone to taking such actions.
But being far from self-centered, Nanoha hates being able to do nothing while others are left to suffer, whether physically, mentally, or both, and will normally take steps to help in ending said suffering by any means other than taking lives - however, some [read: a lot of] momentary pain and collateral damage is most definitely fine.
Nanoha has a preference for ranged combat when she does end up in a fight (although she does possess a balanced set of techniques); her ability to suppress targets with her Shooting ability is astounding for a mage who has not been officially trained by the Time-Space Administration Bureau. Moreover, she possesses a degree of tactical knowledge and remarkable skill in battle, both unusual for a girl her age. She knows how to combine both of the aforementioned aspects with her monstrous magical power to achieve a higher efficiency than most of the TSAB's mages, being ranked AAA on their power scale after a battle against Fate Testarossa. While not as agile as her best friend, Fate, she is armed with more defensive abilities and heavy attack options. Some of her favored attacks are the Divine Shooter (later Axel Shooter), Divine Buster (and its many variants), and the extremely powerful bombardment spell: Starlight Breaker. She is also noted to display a some amount of combat pragmatism -- use tricks like binds on her, and she'll definitely return the favor tenfold. At all times, she is confident in her ability to defeat enemies without killing them, which, given the workings of Nanohaverse magic, is implied to be a feat of incredible self-restraint.
All in all, Nanoha is far from your average, innocent third grader. It's difficult to get on her bad side due to her zest for life and generally caring personality, but if you do end up there and insist on staying despite her trying to talk you out of it, expect her to try to pull you back through a massive blast of her magic.
Capabilities and Resources: All mages in the Nanohaverse are able to communicate telepathically, and can cast spells even without the use of their Intelligent Devices, albeit with significantly reduced effects. Nanoha herself is left-handed.
Device Name: Raising Heart (The MOVIE 1st version: pre-cartridge system)
Device Description: As it is said in the movie: an Intelligent Device is a vehicle without an operator. On the other hand, an operator without a vehicle is limited to the performance of their own bodies. This relationship perfectly describes the relationship between Nanoha and Raising Heart: the two complement each other to improve their capabilities far beyond the norm.
The main purpose of the Intelligent Device, besides directly assisting its master in tactical and strategic decision-making, is to provide protection to its master and simultaneously arm them with the means to attack.
Primary defense comes in the form of the Barrier Jacket - an outfit which, true to its namesake, creates an invisible barrier around the user. In Nanoha's case, the Barrier Jacket takes a form similar to her elementary school uniform, albeit far more extravagant and with more blue trims and highlights. The Barrier Jacket protects the user's entire body from harm, though it is far from impregnable, which is why Raising Heart comes with the ability to project various types of defensive spells (barrier, field and shield) to suit different situations. Two of the defensive spells Nanoha can use at the start of A's are the Round Shield, which protects against sustained attacks from one direction, and Protection, a 360 degree barrier that is easier to penetrate in comparison. Alternatively, a stronger version of the Round Shield - the Multiple Defenser, can also be used. In the event of an emergency where even defensive spells prove to be ineffective, the Barrier Jacket can detonate itself to repel an incoming attack via the Reactor Purge; a function similar to Reactive Armor on modern tanks.
Nanoha is of course famous (or infamous) for her offensive spells while wielding Raising Heart, and indeed, she has plenty to show off in this department. Her main offensive tool is the Divine Shooter, where orbs called Divine Spheres are formed around her, launched at enemies and guided to strike the targets with precision (even from multiple directions in a manner similar to bits/funnels); Nanoha is able to fire off dozens of Divine Spheres at a time to disorient her foes while simultaneously exploiting any openings. The less speedy, but more powerful alternative to Divine Shooter is the Divine Buster: a potent beam of magical energy that was originally used to seal Jewel Seeds, but has since become one of Nanoha's signature long-range moves. For offhand bombardment, Nanoha has demonstrated (in the Movie 1st Manga) a spell called Strike Smasher: a less potent, but quicker variant of the Divine Buster launched from her palm (analogous to Fate Testarossa's Plasma Smasher). Last but not least is perhaps the most powerful spell in her arsenal, which gathers excess magical energy distributed over a wide area to be used in a devastating bombardment - the famous Starlight Breaker. A variant called Starlight Breaker Plus extends the time taken to collect magical energy within an area, thereby increasing the effect of the attack to near unbelievable levels. Although ranged combat options are abundant, Raising Heart can be used in melee combat as a regular staff, and Nanoha has used it for this purpose on more than one occasion.
Other than its defensive and offensive features, Raising Heart is able to generate other useful effects. One of the most notable are the Flier Fins - small wings of pink energy emitted from the sides of the shoes of the Barrier Jacket which enable free flight and aerial acceleration. The Flash Move is another useful spell which boosts Nanoha's movement speed temporarily (to a point where she becomes a blur to the eyes), similar to Fate's Blitz Action, allowing her to dodge incoming attacks. Area Search enables Nanoha to locate her target in hard to reach areas - extending her magical senses to pinpoint disturbances. Finally, the capture type spell Restrict Lock enables Nanoha to bind the limbs of her targets, rendering them relatively motionless for a set period of time.
It is not unusual to see combinations of the different categories of functions listed above. One example (from the MOVIE 1st Manga) is the Holding Shield - a shield-type defensive spell combined with a binding spell to trap melee attackers. Similarly, any melee attack mounted by Nanoha that is preceded by a Flash Move is called a Flash Impact.
To streamline the use of the various features and enable easy storage, Raising Heart is able to take up one of three modes:-
The first, Standby Mode, is used while the device is unactivated. In this mode, it takes up the form of a small red sphere with gem-like qualities (usually carried by Nanoha as a necklace), and can perform some simple assist spells, as well as image training.
The second, Device Mode, is Raising Heart's primary active form: a white and pink staff, capped by a red jewel suspended within a partial gold ring with two exhaust valves, with blue parts across the body and tail. This Mode enables basic spells such as Divine Shooter, Protection, Area Search, etc..
The third, Cannon Mode, is used for long range bombardment attacks such as Divine Buster, although less destructive and supportive spells can still be cast. The head of the staff takes up an angled, elongated form with two prongs, and emits long magenta-colored fins of energy from its sides. It comes complete with an adjustable firing grip and trigger, as well as an aiming mechanism for accuracy.
In all forms, Nanoha can use the command phrase "Shoot!" to trigger her attacks. And although Nanoha performs the majority of her techniques on her own, Raising Heart can sometimes step in to 'auto-cast' defensive spells (such as Multiple Defenser and Protection) in the event that its master is unable to react in time to an attack. This can even buy time for Nanoha to concentrate on other things, such as regenerating her Barrier Jacket.
Terrain Stats:
Land: A
Air: S
Sea: C
Space: -
Upgrade:
Device Name: Raising Heart Exelion (equipped with CVK792-A Belkan Cartridge System)
Device Description: After being critically damaged by Vita's Graf Eisen at the beginning of A's, the sentient Raising Heart makes a personal request to the TSAB's maintenance department: to retrofit it with the same Belkan Cartridge System used by the Wolkenritter. This improves Raising Heart's capabilities drastically, and allows it to execute powered up attacks by expending Magic Cartridges - condensed magical bullets that temporarily increase the potency of spells performed.
Besides a slightly updated Barrier Jacket and the new Axel Fin (replacing the old Flier Fin), the upgrade grants Nanoha access to several new defensive abilities, such as Protection Powered -- a replacement for the standard Protection, which, unlike the original, is resilient enough to be able to withstand a prolonged blow from the cartridge system-equipped Graf Eisen. The same technique can be followed up by a Barrier Burst, creating an explosion in the direction of the attacker to repel them. Additionally, Nanoha is able to shield a larger area via the use of the Wide Area Protection, although this consumes more magical cartridges than Protection Powered. Her other defensive spells, like Round Shield, become far more resilient, as demonstrated when she blocks Reinforce's area-suppression spell, Diabolic Emission.
Offense-wise, Nanoha's abilities become nearly overwhelming. A new mid-range high-speed combat mode, known as Axel Mode, enhances her shooting abilities, and the Divine Shooter is transformed into the Axel Shooter - a stronger and far more accurate version of the Divine Shooter that allows Nanoha to fire off up to three times the number of shots, but comes with the drawback of her not being able to move while she guides them. Likewise, the Divine Buster's range and power is extended via the appropriately named Divine Buster Extension - available through the replacement of Cannon Mode called Buster Cannon Mode. But perhaps the most significant improvement in Raising Heart's offensive abilities comes with the integration of Exelion Mode: a high output mode, or Full Drive (where the head of the staff transforms into a new shape resembling a golden spearhead with two sets of magenta-colored energy wings portruding from its sides) that powers up all of Nanoha's spells. While this mode is active, Nanoha gains access to a number of destructive spells, and her existing attacks are augmented significantly.
One of the most notable attacks in Exelion Mode is the Exelion Buster - a much stronger, mid-range version of the Divine Buster, coupled with the use of multiple cartridges to launch up to four massive, guided beams in a target's direction. At full power - that is, with four beams present - the attack is called a Force Burst. Its unique command phrase is "Break Shoot!" Similarly, Starlight Breaker is transformed into the far more potent Starlight Breaker Ex, and consumes cartridges to eliminate the charging time required for the standard version.
Bombardment spells in Exelion Mode are normally preceded by an invisible Barrel Shot (performed in Barrel Expansion mid-range Firing Mode - an extension of the A.C.S. below), which assists in sighting, stabilizing and controlling the energy diffusion. Most importantly, the Barrel Shot binds targets that it hits, immobilizing them and leaving them open to attack.
Another new feature available in Exelion Mode is the Accelerate Charge System, or A.C.S. (though this is also available in Buster Cannon Mode). This enables the use of the Strike Flame energy bayonet which spawns at the tip of the staff. The energy wings on the sides of the staff's head are more prominent while the A.C.S. is active, and the back of the head (the side facing the length of its body) is equipped with rocket boosters to propel Nanoha forward at incredible speeds. Combined with Strike Flame, this enables Nanoha to penetrate barriers, and from there, fire off attacks such as Exelion Buster at point-blank range.
The primary disadvantage of employing Exelion Mode is that its output endangers the structural stability of Raising Heart's form. Therefore, it is to be used sparingly until Raising Heart's frame can be reinforced.
Terrain Stats:
Land: A
Air: S
Sea: B
Space: B
Job: Mahou Shoujo (Magical Girl, alternatively Demonic Cannon Girl), Civilian Collaborator/Helper of the Time Space Administration Bureau, Befriending Expert
Suggested Event List: (I'm assuming that UGA will start with A's. Because Uminari City may not even exist on this Earth, and travelling to other worlds may not be an option, the locale of the missions will be up to the mods.
As stated in the notes, the events below are merely a guide based on the anime. The events can be hastened/delayed as required.)
Mission 1 (Episode 1 and 2): While awaiting Fate's return, Nanoha is targeted by the Wolkenritter, Vita, who attacks her after trapping her in a wide-area sealing barrier. Nanoha attempts to reason with Vita, but her attempt fails and she is quickly defeated by Vita's cartridge-system equipped Graf Eisen. Fate, Yuuno and Arf arrive in time to save Nanoha, and while she remains out of action, the battle continues. Not long afterwards, two allies of Vita, the swordswoman Signum and the guardian beast Zafira, arrive. Signum overpowers Fate, while Yuuno and Arf (both replaceable by other PCs) battle Vita and Zafira respectively. Nanoha, despite her injuries, comes up with a plan to break through the Wolkenritter seal to allow everyone to escape, and begins to cast Starlight Breaker Plus. However, her Linker Core is severely damaged (and absorbed) by another of the Wolkenritter, Shamal, during the process. Starlight Breaker Plus is fired regardless due to its use of the mana in the surrounding area instead of Nanoha's own, and the plan ultimately succeeds. The Wolkenritter retreat, while Nanoha is taken in by the TSAB to have her injuries treated.
Offscreen/Log - Episode 3 and 4: The TSAB begins to work with White Chalice while the Book of Darkness case continues. Chrono is placed in charge of operations, and the function of the Book of Darkness, in addition to the goal of the Wolkenritter (or Cloud Knights) is revealed. Nanoha reunites with Fate after six months. Meanwhile, the damaged Raising Heart and Bardiche request dangerous upgrades to assist their masters against their new, stronger opponents.
Mission 2 (Episode 5): An alert is issued as the Wolkenritter are detected once again. This time, the TSAB act quickly and corner them with a sealing barrier to allow Nanoha and Fate to confront them. Now armed with improved versions of their weapons: Raising Heart Exelion and Bardiche Assault, Nanoha and Fate attempt to reason with their enemies, but it fails. Signum breaks into the sealing barrier and confronts Fate yet again. Unlike the previous battle, Nanoha and Fate gain the advantage over their opponents through the use of their upgraded Devices. At the same time, Chrono manages to find Shamal, who is on the other side of the sealing barrier. But before he is able to subdue her, a mysterious masked man arrives and incapacitates him. Shamal uses up some of the pages from the Book of Darkness to break the TSAB's sealing barrier, and the Wolkenritter escape.
Offscreen/Log - Episode 5 and 6: The Wolkenritters' nature as programs made to serve the Book of Darkness is shown to Fate, Nanoha and White Chalice. It is discovered that the Wolkenritter have switched from targeting TSAB mages to attacking other sources of magic (such as large magical creatures in the anime, but it could be anything with magic here).
Mission 3 (Episode 7): (Best reserved for route splits) Fate intercepts Signum on a desert world, while Nanoha cuts off Vita in the skies above a forest world. Both battles go smoothly for the heroines, but yet again they fail to flush out their opponents' motives. Nanoha gains the upper hand against Vita, but her Divine Buster Extension is stopped by the masked man who incapacitated Chrono earlier. At the same time, Fate gets her Linker Core absorbed by the same masked man. There are TWO of them?! How can this be?
(Events of Episode 8 and 9 *may* require a Hayate player (and perhaps the Wolkenritter as well). Given UGA's setting, this will be revised if the necessary players are present. Furthermore, due to the difference in between the anime and UGA's setting, as well as the lack of school activity for Nanoha and Fate, some of these have been altered to fit into the plot as best as possible.)
Offscreen/Log - Episode 8: The TSAB discover that the Book of Darkness (also known as the Tome of The Night Sky) had not always been an artifact of evil. However, in its current corrupted state, it will kill its master upon completion. Chrono's research and investigation successfully pinpoint the location of the Book of Darkness' master, Hayate Yagami, who is currently hospitalized on Earth. The Arthra/Asura's retrofit with the Arc-en-Ciel magical cannon is finished.
Mission 4 (Episode 9 and 10): A battle ensues after Nanoha and Fate attempt to visit the bedridden Hayate. The Wolkenritter trap the two Magical Girls (along with anyone who tags along) in a barrier to prevent backup from joining in. In the middle of the battle, the two masked men show up once again and trap the TSAB-supporting combatants. The masked men then proceed to absorb the Wolkenritter Linker Cores (thereby killing them due to their nature as programs), taking the last core - belonging to the knight Vita - while disguised as Nanoha and Fate, and doing so in front of the now horrified Hayate to awaken the Book of Darkness through her despair. The Book of Darkness is completed, engulfing Hayate while forcing Nanoha, Fate and White Chalice to retreat. However, a small victory is earned, as Chrono manages to defeat and capture the two masked men, who turn out to be the Liese twins: his former magical instructors and twin familiars to a well-known TSAB Admiral, Gil Graham.
Log/Offscreen - Episode 10: After being told of their plans to use Hayate to destroy the awakened Book of Darkness, Chrono acquires the Durandal, a powerful sealing device that controls ice, from Gil Graham and his familiars.
Mission 5 (Episode 11 and 12): White Chalice battles the Book of Darkness again. Fate is absorbed into the book (this is completely optional and up to the Fate mun) and trapped in a dream of an ideal life with her sister Alicia, and a sane Precia Testarossa. Outside, Nanoha and the others battle the Book's avatar, who feels the pain Hayate has felt in losing the Wolkenritter. Nanoha tries to reach out to her opponent, but the stubborn avatar continues to reject her, forcing her to activate Raising Heart's Exelion Mode and begin 'aggressive negotiations'. Fate breaks free of her dream while a calm Hayate brings the Book of Darkness under her control, seperating it from the darkness built up within and renaming it Reinforce. After Hayate restores the Wolkenritter, White Chalice, the TSAB and Hayate mount an epic team assault to finish off the growing Darkness before it engulfs the planet. What remains is teleported to an empty region of space and destroyed by the Asura's Arc-en-Ciel cannon.
Log - End of A's: Reinforce sacrifices herself to completely reset the Book's systems, as a potential for the corruption/darkness to return remains. Hayate and the Wolkenritter join the TSAB along with Nanoha.
Epilogue and PSP Games' events - to be listed.
Sample Post:
This was it. The moment she had been waiting for all this time - a chance to truly communicate with her opponent.
Her feet rested firmly on the roof of a run down skyscraper. Each breath taken was deep, but calm, and yet, many doubtful thoughts raced through her mind...
'Will I be able to reach her?'
'What if she refuses to listen?'
'Maybe...I'm being a bit too forceful?'
Standing on another building in the distance was the girl whose friendship she sought so deeply; the beautiful girl whose eyes reflected a world of sadness.
"Fate-chan..."
Then, a surge of memories. Meeting Yuuno, becoming a Magical Girl, meeting Fate, her first defeat, battle after battle for control over the Jewel Seeds -- it had all led up to this.
And in that instant, her determination was renewed. She remembered now - there was no reason to hesitate. She had been bestowed with power to create change...something she longed for as a normal girl. How could mere doubt be enough to stop her?
As she raised her staff, the prominent red jewel set in its head seemed to emit a faint glow in agreement. She only responded with a slight smile, and thought inwardly;
'Someone once said that: Even if you don't know the future of the world, the you of tomorrow knows the you of today.
Even now, I really am just a child...I definitely don't understand the future myself, but even so...there's one thing I know for sure...
The 'today' that I am in...is something I decided for myself.
For that reason, I won't fail!'
"Flier Fin," echoed the voice of her device.
With that, two pairs of small wings - angelic in appearance, but comprised entirely of pink energy - materialized from the sides of her feet.
"Let's go, Raising Heart!"
"Understood, my master."
(Additionally, some samples from the RP earlier on.)
Personal LJ: white_deviling
AIM Contact: Already there.
Character Name: Nanoha Takamachi
Source Canon: Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha
Community Tag: nanoha takamachi
Notes: The information in this profile will be a mix of Movie 1st (and its manga) Nanoha and A's Nanoha. With the A's Movie coming in 2012, it's possible to get her upgraded more than once, seeing as the power levels in the movie (if it follows the trend set by the first) will be far higher than shown in the TV Series.
Regarding the plot - the suggested events list will be further revised with the other players of characters from the series. The events written here are merely a guide based on what happens in the anime. One change I'd suggest is delaying the upgrade to Raising Heart Exelion and Bardiche Assault (meaning make the first mission not a near total loss for the TSAB).
Background: Wiki link.
Personality: Nanoha starts out as a thoughtful girl who lacks direction: specifically, she is unsure of what to do with her life and future. Furthermore, she often feels like a third wheel, as her parents, two older siblings and even her two best friends often accompany each other, while she has no such close companion -- this drives her to the point of depression in the Movie 1st The Comics, even though she admits that she is surrounded by happiness in her life. Fortunately, her personality changes for the better after her meeting with Yuuno Scrya: a mage from another world, and the unleashing of her magical potential through the device Raising Heart during the Jewel Seeds incident.
Despite her stature and age, Nanoha is shown to be rather mature (and in many ways similar to her 22 year old self, as noted by Vivio in Gears of Destiny) by the beginning of the A's storyline, and possesses several qualities associated with central protagonist characters of other series, such as optimism and valor (fine, courage...that works too). She takes on seemingly impossible challenges like a super robot pilot, while possessing the pragmatic methods of a real robot pilot. She is also kind to the point of naivety, and tries her very best to be honest with others - even her enemies. This does, at times, backfire, because of how straightforward she is with it.
To expand on the last point mentioned above, she is known for her diplomatic, communicative approach to battles: preferring to talk things out and reason with her foes rather than attack them straight away, barring situations where she knows that negotiations are impossible. Make no mistake however - as much of a pacifist as she may seem by doing this, she is not beyond using (excessive) force to take down stubborn enemies who are unwilling to listen to her, and when she does - they do, more often than not, come to their senses and become her allies afterwards. Throughout the three seasons of the anime, Nanoha demonstrates this on multiple occasions against characters that started out as hostiles, most notably Fate Testarossa, who becomes her best friend after being defeated by her, and Vita, who ends up being a little sister figure of sorts. This is also the source of the pun 'befriending', which is now synonymous with her name.
Beyond that, she is depicted as a hardworking and energetic girl who strives to meet her goals. At the beginning of A's, she wakes up very early in the morning for magic practice - ending with attempts to drop a can into a rubbish bin using her guided shots alone - and willingly participates in the TSAB's affairs while continuing her studies and helping out her family's business. In a broader sense, she lets nothing stop her - being defeated in battles and sustaining injuries such as nearly losing her Linker Core are hardly enough to hold her down. To this end, she uses her treasured friends and family as motivation to keep herself going: their happiness and well being are the most important things to her.
As further emphasis on just how driven she can get; before an incident that takes place after the events of A's (where she is completely defeated by a new type of Gadget Drone and is almost crippled as a result of the strain placed on her body by the continued use of the Cartridge System), Nanoha is implied to be so focused on self-improvement that she was hardly concerned about her own safety. She also faces some difficulty holding back in battles and other serious events, and does best when she goes all out (Zenryoku Zenkai!). As she grows older, she becomes more motherly and ladylike, hence less prone to taking such actions.
But being far from self-centered, Nanoha hates being able to do nothing while others are left to suffer, whether physically, mentally, or both, and will normally take steps to help in ending said suffering by any means other than taking lives - however, some [read: a lot of] momentary pain and collateral damage is most definitely fine.
Nanoha has a preference for ranged combat when she does end up in a fight (although she does possess a balanced set of techniques); her ability to suppress targets with her Shooting ability is astounding for a mage who has not been officially trained by the Time-Space Administration Bureau. Moreover, she possesses a degree of tactical knowledge and remarkable skill in battle, both unusual for a girl her age. She knows how to combine both of the aforementioned aspects with her monstrous magical power to achieve a higher efficiency than most of the TSAB's mages, being ranked AAA on their power scale after a battle against Fate Testarossa. While not as agile as her best friend, Fate, she is armed with more defensive abilities and heavy attack options. Some of her favored attacks are the Divine Shooter (later Axel Shooter), Divine Buster (and its many variants), and the extremely powerful bombardment spell: Starlight Breaker. She is also noted to display a some amount of combat pragmatism -- use tricks like binds on her, and she'll definitely return the favor tenfold. At all times, she is confident in her ability to defeat enemies without killing them, which, given the workings of Nanohaverse magic, is implied to be a feat of incredible self-restraint.
All in all, Nanoha is far from your average, innocent third grader. It's difficult to get on her bad side due to her zest for life and generally caring personality, but if you do end up there and insist on staying despite her trying to talk you out of it, expect her to try to pull you back through a massive blast of her magic.
Capabilities and Resources: All mages in the Nanohaverse are able to communicate telepathically, and can cast spells even without the use of their Intelligent Devices, albeit with significantly reduced effects. Nanoha herself is left-handed.
Device Name: Raising Heart (The MOVIE 1st version: pre-cartridge system)
Device Description: As it is said in the movie: an Intelligent Device is a vehicle without an operator. On the other hand, an operator without a vehicle is limited to the performance of their own bodies. This relationship perfectly describes the relationship between Nanoha and Raising Heart: the two complement each other to improve their capabilities far beyond the norm.
The main purpose of the Intelligent Device, besides directly assisting its master in tactical and strategic decision-making, is to provide protection to its master and simultaneously arm them with the means to attack.
Primary defense comes in the form of the Barrier Jacket - an outfit which, true to its namesake, creates an invisible barrier around the user. In Nanoha's case, the Barrier Jacket takes a form similar to her elementary school uniform, albeit far more extravagant and with more blue trims and highlights. The Barrier Jacket protects the user's entire body from harm, though it is far from impregnable, which is why Raising Heart comes with the ability to project various types of defensive spells (barrier, field and shield) to suit different situations. Two of the defensive spells Nanoha can use at the start of A's are the Round Shield, which protects against sustained attacks from one direction, and Protection, a 360 degree barrier that is easier to penetrate in comparison. Alternatively, a stronger version of the Round Shield - the Multiple Defenser, can also be used. In the event of an emergency where even defensive spells prove to be ineffective, the Barrier Jacket can detonate itself to repel an incoming attack via the Reactor Purge; a function similar to Reactive Armor on modern tanks.
Nanoha is of course famous (or infamous) for her offensive spells while wielding Raising Heart, and indeed, she has plenty to show off in this department. Her main offensive tool is the Divine Shooter, where orbs called Divine Spheres are formed around her, launched at enemies and guided to strike the targets with precision (even from multiple directions in a manner similar to bits/funnels); Nanoha is able to fire off dozens of Divine Spheres at a time to disorient her foes while simultaneously exploiting any openings. The less speedy, but more powerful alternative to Divine Shooter is the Divine Buster: a potent beam of magical energy that was originally used to seal Jewel Seeds, but has since become one of Nanoha's signature long-range moves. For offhand bombardment, Nanoha has demonstrated (in the Movie 1st Manga) a spell called Strike Smasher: a less potent, but quicker variant of the Divine Buster launched from her palm (analogous to Fate Testarossa's Plasma Smasher). Last but not least is perhaps the most powerful spell in her arsenal, which gathers excess magical energy distributed over a wide area to be used in a devastating bombardment - the famous Starlight Breaker. A variant called Starlight Breaker Plus extends the time taken to collect magical energy within an area, thereby increasing the effect of the attack to near unbelievable levels. Although ranged combat options are abundant, Raising Heart can be used in melee combat as a regular staff, and Nanoha has used it for this purpose on more than one occasion.
Other than its defensive and offensive features, Raising Heart is able to generate other useful effects. One of the most notable are the Flier Fins - small wings of pink energy emitted from the sides of the shoes of the Barrier Jacket which enable free flight and aerial acceleration. The Flash Move is another useful spell which boosts Nanoha's movement speed temporarily (to a point where she becomes a blur to the eyes), similar to Fate's Blitz Action, allowing her to dodge incoming attacks. Area Search enables Nanoha to locate her target in hard to reach areas - extending her magical senses to pinpoint disturbances. Finally, the capture type spell Restrict Lock enables Nanoha to bind the limbs of her targets, rendering them relatively motionless for a set period of time.
It is not unusual to see combinations of the different categories of functions listed above. One example (from the MOVIE 1st Manga) is the Holding Shield - a shield-type defensive spell combined with a binding spell to trap melee attackers. Similarly, any melee attack mounted by Nanoha that is preceded by a Flash Move is called a Flash Impact.
To streamline the use of the various features and enable easy storage, Raising Heart is able to take up one of three modes:-
The first, Standby Mode, is used while the device is unactivated. In this mode, it takes up the form of a small red sphere with gem-like qualities (usually carried by Nanoha as a necklace), and can perform some simple assist spells, as well as image training.
The second, Device Mode, is Raising Heart's primary active form: a white and pink staff, capped by a red jewel suspended within a partial gold ring with two exhaust valves, with blue parts across the body and tail. This Mode enables basic spells such as Divine Shooter, Protection, Area Search, etc..
The third, Cannon Mode, is used for long range bombardment attacks such as Divine Buster, although less destructive and supportive spells can still be cast. The head of the staff takes up an angled, elongated form with two prongs, and emits long magenta-colored fins of energy from its sides. It comes complete with an adjustable firing grip and trigger, as well as an aiming mechanism for accuracy.
In all forms, Nanoha can use the command phrase "Shoot!" to trigger her attacks. And although Nanoha performs the majority of her techniques on her own, Raising Heart can sometimes step in to 'auto-cast' defensive spells (such as Multiple Defenser and Protection) in the event that its master is unable to react in time to an attack. This can even buy time for Nanoha to concentrate on other things, such as regenerating her Barrier Jacket.
Terrain Stats:
Land: A
Air: S
Sea: C
Space: -
Upgrade:
Device Name: Raising Heart Exelion (equipped with CVK792-A Belkan Cartridge System)
Device Description: After being critically damaged by Vita's Graf Eisen at the beginning of A's, the sentient Raising Heart makes a personal request to the TSAB's maintenance department: to retrofit it with the same Belkan Cartridge System used by the Wolkenritter. This improves Raising Heart's capabilities drastically, and allows it to execute powered up attacks by expending Magic Cartridges - condensed magical bullets that temporarily increase the potency of spells performed.
Besides a slightly updated Barrier Jacket and the new Axel Fin (replacing the old Flier Fin), the upgrade grants Nanoha access to several new defensive abilities, such as Protection Powered -- a replacement for the standard Protection, which, unlike the original, is resilient enough to be able to withstand a prolonged blow from the cartridge system-equipped Graf Eisen. The same technique can be followed up by a Barrier Burst, creating an explosion in the direction of the attacker to repel them. Additionally, Nanoha is able to shield a larger area via the use of the Wide Area Protection, although this consumes more magical cartridges than Protection Powered. Her other defensive spells, like Round Shield, become far more resilient, as demonstrated when she blocks Reinforce's area-suppression spell, Diabolic Emission.
Offense-wise, Nanoha's abilities become nearly overwhelming. A new mid-range high-speed combat mode, known as Axel Mode, enhances her shooting abilities, and the Divine Shooter is transformed into the Axel Shooter - a stronger and far more accurate version of the Divine Shooter that allows Nanoha to fire off up to three times the number of shots, but comes with the drawback of her not being able to move while she guides them. Likewise, the Divine Buster's range and power is extended via the appropriately named Divine Buster Extension - available through the replacement of Cannon Mode called Buster Cannon Mode. But perhaps the most significant improvement in Raising Heart's offensive abilities comes with the integration of Exelion Mode: a high output mode, or Full Drive (where the head of the staff transforms into a new shape resembling a golden spearhead with two sets of magenta-colored energy wings portruding from its sides) that powers up all of Nanoha's spells. While this mode is active, Nanoha gains access to a number of destructive spells, and her existing attacks are augmented significantly.
One of the most notable attacks in Exelion Mode is the Exelion Buster - a much stronger, mid-range version of the Divine Buster, coupled with the use of multiple cartridges to launch up to four massive, guided beams in a target's direction. At full power - that is, with four beams present - the attack is called a Force Burst. Its unique command phrase is "Break Shoot!" Similarly, Starlight Breaker is transformed into the far more potent Starlight Breaker Ex, and consumes cartridges to eliminate the charging time required for the standard version.
Bombardment spells in Exelion Mode are normally preceded by an invisible Barrel Shot (performed in Barrel Expansion mid-range Firing Mode - an extension of the A.C.S. below), which assists in sighting, stabilizing and controlling the energy diffusion. Most importantly, the Barrel Shot binds targets that it hits, immobilizing them and leaving them open to attack.
Another new feature available in Exelion Mode is the Accelerate Charge System, or A.C.S. (though this is also available in Buster Cannon Mode). This enables the use of the Strike Flame energy bayonet which spawns at the tip of the staff. The energy wings on the sides of the staff's head are more prominent while the A.C.S. is active, and the back of the head (the side facing the length of its body) is equipped with rocket boosters to propel Nanoha forward at incredible speeds. Combined with Strike Flame, this enables Nanoha to penetrate barriers, and from there, fire off attacks such as Exelion Buster at point-blank range.
The primary disadvantage of employing Exelion Mode is that its output endangers the structural stability of Raising Heart's form. Therefore, it is to be used sparingly until Raising Heart's frame can be reinforced.
Terrain Stats:
Land: A
Air: S
Sea: B
Space: B
Job: Mahou Shoujo (Magical Girl, alternatively Demonic Cannon Girl), Civilian Collaborator/Helper of the Time Space Administration Bureau, Befriending Expert
Suggested Event List: (I'm assuming that UGA will start with A's. Because Uminari City may not even exist on this Earth, and travelling to other worlds may not be an option, the locale of the missions will be up to the mods.
As stated in the notes, the events below are merely a guide based on the anime. The events can be hastened/delayed as required.)
Mission 1 (Episode 1 and 2): While awaiting Fate's return, Nanoha is targeted by the Wolkenritter, Vita, who attacks her after trapping her in a wide-area sealing barrier. Nanoha attempts to reason with Vita, but her attempt fails and she is quickly defeated by Vita's cartridge-system equipped Graf Eisen. Fate, Yuuno and Arf arrive in time to save Nanoha, and while she remains out of action, the battle continues. Not long afterwards, two allies of Vita, the swordswoman Signum and the guardian beast Zafira, arrive. Signum overpowers Fate, while Yuuno and Arf (both replaceable by other PCs) battle Vita and Zafira respectively. Nanoha, despite her injuries, comes up with a plan to break through the Wolkenritter seal to allow everyone to escape, and begins to cast Starlight Breaker Plus. However, her Linker Core is severely damaged (and absorbed) by another of the Wolkenritter, Shamal, during the process. Starlight Breaker Plus is fired regardless due to its use of the mana in the surrounding area instead of Nanoha's own, and the plan ultimately succeeds. The Wolkenritter retreat, while Nanoha is taken in by the TSAB to have her injuries treated.
Offscreen/Log - Episode 3 and 4: The TSAB begins to work with White Chalice while the Book of Darkness case continues. Chrono is placed in charge of operations, and the function of the Book of Darkness, in addition to the goal of the Wolkenritter (or Cloud Knights) is revealed. Nanoha reunites with Fate after six months. Meanwhile, the damaged Raising Heart and Bardiche request dangerous upgrades to assist their masters against their new, stronger opponents.
Mission 2 (Episode 5): An alert is issued as the Wolkenritter are detected once again. This time, the TSAB act quickly and corner them with a sealing barrier to allow Nanoha and Fate to confront them. Now armed with improved versions of their weapons: Raising Heart Exelion and Bardiche Assault, Nanoha and Fate attempt to reason with their enemies, but it fails. Signum breaks into the sealing barrier and confronts Fate yet again. Unlike the previous battle, Nanoha and Fate gain the advantage over their opponents through the use of their upgraded Devices. At the same time, Chrono manages to find Shamal, who is on the other side of the sealing barrier. But before he is able to subdue her, a mysterious masked man arrives and incapacitates him. Shamal uses up some of the pages from the Book of Darkness to break the TSAB's sealing barrier, and the Wolkenritter escape.
Offscreen/Log - Episode 5 and 6: The Wolkenritters' nature as programs made to serve the Book of Darkness is shown to Fate, Nanoha and White Chalice. It is discovered that the Wolkenritter have switched from targeting TSAB mages to attacking other sources of magic (such as large magical creatures in the anime, but it could be anything with magic here).
Mission 3 (Episode 7): (Best reserved for route splits) Fate intercepts Signum on a desert world, while Nanoha cuts off Vita in the skies above a forest world. Both battles go smoothly for the heroines, but yet again they fail to flush out their opponents' motives. Nanoha gains the upper hand against Vita, but her Divine Buster Extension is stopped by the masked man who incapacitated Chrono earlier. At the same time, Fate gets her Linker Core absorbed by the same masked man. There are TWO of them?! How can this be?
(Events of Episode 8 and 9 *may* require a Hayate player (and perhaps the Wolkenritter as well). Given UGA's setting, this will be revised if the necessary players are present. Furthermore, due to the difference in between the anime and UGA's setting, as well as the lack of school activity for Nanoha and Fate, some of these have been altered to fit into the plot as best as possible.)
Offscreen/Log - Episode 8: The TSAB discover that the Book of Darkness (also known as the Tome of The Night Sky) had not always been an artifact of evil. However, in its current corrupted state, it will kill its master upon completion. Chrono's research and investigation successfully pinpoint the location of the Book of Darkness' master, Hayate Yagami, who is currently hospitalized on Earth. The Arthra/Asura's retrofit with the Arc-en-Ciel magical cannon is finished.
Mission 4 (Episode 9 and 10): A battle ensues after Nanoha and Fate attempt to visit the bedridden Hayate. The Wolkenritter trap the two Magical Girls (along with anyone who tags along) in a barrier to prevent backup from joining in. In the middle of the battle, the two masked men show up once again and trap the TSAB-supporting combatants. The masked men then proceed to absorb the Wolkenritter Linker Cores (thereby killing them due to their nature as programs), taking the last core - belonging to the knight Vita - while disguised as Nanoha and Fate, and doing so in front of the now horrified Hayate to awaken the Book of Darkness through her despair. The Book of Darkness is completed, engulfing Hayate while forcing Nanoha, Fate and White Chalice to retreat. However, a small victory is earned, as Chrono manages to defeat and capture the two masked men, who turn out to be the Liese twins: his former magical instructors and twin familiars to a well-known TSAB Admiral, Gil Graham.
Log/Offscreen - Episode 10: After being told of their plans to use Hayate to destroy the awakened Book of Darkness, Chrono acquires the Durandal, a powerful sealing device that controls ice, from Gil Graham and his familiars.
Mission 5 (Episode 11 and 12): White Chalice battles the Book of Darkness again. Fate is absorbed into the book (this is completely optional and up to the Fate mun) and trapped in a dream of an ideal life with her sister Alicia, and a sane Precia Testarossa. Outside, Nanoha and the others battle the Book's avatar, who feels the pain Hayate has felt in losing the Wolkenritter. Nanoha tries to reach out to her opponent, but the stubborn avatar continues to reject her, forcing her to activate Raising Heart's Exelion Mode and begin 'aggressive negotiations'. Fate breaks free of her dream while a calm Hayate brings the Book of Darkness under her control, seperating it from the darkness built up within and renaming it Reinforce. After Hayate restores the Wolkenritter, White Chalice, the TSAB and Hayate mount an epic team assault to finish off the growing Darkness before it engulfs the planet. What remains is teleported to an empty region of space and destroyed by the Asura's Arc-en-Ciel cannon.
Log - End of A's: Reinforce sacrifices herself to completely reset the Book's systems, as a potential for the corruption/darkness to return remains. Hayate and the Wolkenritter join the TSAB along with Nanoha.
Epilogue and PSP Games' events - to be listed.
Sample Post:
This was it. The moment she had been waiting for all this time - a chance to truly communicate with her opponent.
Her feet rested firmly on the roof of a run down skyscraper. Each breath taken was deep, but calm, and yet, many doubtful thoughts raced through her mind...
'Will I be able to reach her?'
'What if she refuses to listen?'
'Maybe...I'm being a bit too forceful?'
Standing on another building in the distance was the girl whose friendship she sought so deeply; the beautiful girl whose eyes reflected a world of sadness.
"Fate-chan..."
Then, a surge of memories. Meeting Yuuno, becoming a Magical Girl, meeting Fate, her first defeat, battle after battle for control over the Jewel Seeds -- it had all led up to this.
And in that instant, her determination was renewed. She remembered now - there was no reason to hesitate. She had been bestowed with power to create change...something she longed for as a normal girl. How could mere doubt be enough to stop her?
As she raised her staff, the prominent red jewel set in its head seemed to emit a faint glow in agreement. She only responded with a slight smile, and thought inwardly;
'Someone once said that: Even if you don't know the future of the world, the you of tomorrow knows the you of today.
Even now, I really am just a child...I definitely don't understand the future myself, but even so...there's one thing I know for sure...
The 'today' that I am in...is something I decided for myself.
For that reason, I won't fail!'
"Flier Fin," echoed the voice of her device.
With that, two pairs of small wings - angelic in appearance, but comprised entirely of pink energy - materialized from the sides of her feet.
"Let's go, Raising Heart!"
"Understood, my master."
(Additionally, some samples from the RP earlier on.)