ally or foe? maker only knows

[in_death_sacrifice]

NATIVE APPLICATION

PLAYER

Name: Lisa
Age: Over 25
Contact: vorpal
Other Characters: N/A
Interests: For a while now, I've been really interested in playing a character who's integrated into the setting and has previous CR and connections with other characters! I love the idea of twisting original canon into an AU as I'll be doing with Kain, taking the most significant bits of his story and translating them into Thedas. I especially enjoy sending him on action-oriented missions and Kain being Kain is still intensely interested in dragons, and now griffons and wyverns too. I really want to play around with the life of a Warden, as well.

CHARACTER

Name: Kain Highwind Ventfort (had to make it sound more French Orlesian)
Canon/OC: Canon AU (Final Fantasy IV)
Journal: in_death_sacrifice
Race: Human
Nationality: Orlais
Occupation: Grey Warden
Mage or Non-Mage: Non-mage
Age: 24

History

Final Fantasy IV History

• Kain's ancient ancestors were dragon cultists, but forced back into society long ago. A lot of the truth was lost over time. The family climbed the social ladder to become minor nobles (Baron level). Their legacy lives in family stories and for centuries they traditionally made a close study of Draconology despite how strange and useless it may have seemed with dragons gone. They also replaced raising dragons with raising dracolisks, and their stables were always full of them. More recently, Kain revived their ancient practice of drinking dragon blood (becoming a Reaver)


• Kain was born in 9:17 in the Orlesian Heartlands. Kain's mother died in childbirth, and his heartbroken father, Baron Richaud Ventfort, joined the Grey Wardens. Kain was mostly raised by Baron Odinne, a close family friend, but Richaud returned to train Kain often.


• Kain enjoyed beating up his friend Cecil as a boy, often bragging about his Grey Warden father.


• Kain's father died of the Calling when Kain was 13. Kain and Cecil were both raised solely by Odinne from then on.


• In his early teens, Kain fell in love with another childhood friend, Rosalie. (She was a noble-born mage with a supportive family.). Unfortunately, this love was unrequited and she was in love with Cecil.


• Kain was inspired to drink dragon blood by his Draconology studies and the old family legends, as well as seeing it as a way to become stronger and surpass even his father's greatness. After training from boyhood as a warrior, he eventually went through with becoming a Reaver.


• Although urged by Odinne to join the Templars like Cecil, Kain chose the path of a Grey Warden like Richaud, instead. This decision earned the disfavor of his adoptive father.


• Kain has been a Warden for about six years (joined in 9:35). He was stationed at Montsimmard and sent on various missions throughout Thedas.


• Kain has fought many dragonlings and wyverns, as well as some (NOT high, but lesser) dragons, showing an aptitude for battling them. He also excelled at the wyvern hunts, where his competitive side really came out.


• Kain once went alongside Cecil on a secret mission as a favor to Odinne. It resulted in the burning of a tiny, middle-of-nowhere settlement of apostate mages. These mages had been accused of demon summoning, but it was later found out that they were simply very in tune with spirits. The ordeal gave Kain a conflicted opinion on Templars, as his adoptive father had been manipulated into ordering the attack by a corrupt Templar.


• Not long after, Kain was tortured and mind controlled by a blood mage, Golbezza, who was in turn possessed by a demon calling itself Zemus. Golbezza was a survivor from the burned apostate settlement and out for revenge (he'd been doing numerous creepy experiments, unknown to the other settlers). Under the influence of this magic, Kain did terrible things, including attacking, stealing from, and generally betraying his closest friends... particularly Cecil (who was the other target of the revenge plot). He still hasn't entirely forgiven himself for this.


• Kain came willingly to Clarel's summons. Initially, he loathed her blood sacrifice plan because of his own semi-recent history with blood magic, getting uncharacteristically emotional over it. But he also realized he was unable to stop it, so he reluctantly went along with it, trying to convince himself that the ultimate good end goal of stopping all Blights justified these very hideous means. He still deeply regrets not fighting her on it. He didn't support the takeover and escaped soon after, not about to stick around after everything that happened.


• Kain was among the Wardens who fled Weisshaupt Fortress with the Inquisition, ending up in Griffon Wing Keep afterward. Very recently he got a shard from a rift incident, prompting him to head to the Inquisition.

Personality

Kain is a stubborn, serious individual who puts his duty and honor above all else. He isn't the sort to remain idle or do much "for fun" (even if his friends can coerce him into it, if the timing is right). Nor is he fond of random chatter... he just generally prefers to let his actions speak for him rather than words. He can be very intense, to the point where he's seen as cold or intimidating. He sees himself first and foremost as a warrior, and spends most of his time training. There's a certain reckless streak in him, and he's often pushing himself to improve. Despite his disdain for most of the noble culture, Kain still has a considerable pride in his nation and family name. Living up to his late father's legacy is something he devotes his life to achieving.

Kain is extremely loyal, and will do anything it takes to protect those he's devoted to. He's very brave, fearless on the battlefield, not afraid to face pain and death... which shows in his choices of specialization (Reaver) and occupation (Grey Warden). There's also a gentler side to him. Under that hard shell he shows the world, there's someone who cares deeply about who and what's important to him... perhaps a little too much sometimes. He has a very strong romantic side, but because it was unfulfilled, it's caused him considerable anxiety about relationships. He's actually so guarded and stern because he doesn't want to risk anyone finding out his weaknesses. He's very private and secretive about his true feelings most of the time.

Kain has grown up in the shadow of his best friend and obsessed with an unrequited crush... so jealousy has dominated a lot of his life. He can be a bit of an ass sometimes, especially to those who he becomes envious of. This makes him the sort to develop friendly (and maybe sometimes not so friendly) rivalries. He can be rather snarky when the moment calls for it, and will openly mock his enemies. Being mind controlled has had a very negative impact on him, making him more distrustful and closed-off. He's terrified of betraying anyone again... and often struggles against his darker feelings. He's still prone to being manipulated and must be careful lest he end up being led down the wrong path. At the same time, his past has also made him a very penitent sort, as he's putting all his efforts into making up for his mistakes. He puts a lot of guilt upon his own shoulders, and gives himself unreasonable standards to live up to. His moods can very easily turn toward brooding, in which case he'll isolate himself.

Opinions & Affiliations

Kain prefers to stay out of politics, having had his fill of it when growing up under the Baron. He loathes the game and playing it, preferring the direct approach of using force instead... his one exception on occasion is trying to outdo Cecil somehow. But since he's had this upbringing, he's very much familiar with the intrigues of the nobility and the expectations and so on that go with that life. Also, despite all of that, he's actually very much prideful in his heritage. He was raised with some typical ingrained Orlesian nationalism, which still comes out sometimes. Race has never been a big deal for Kain... especially since he's had quite a mix of others he's had to get along with as a Warden. Kain isn't super devoted to the Chantry, though he does believe in the Maker and he's filled with a lot of self-guilt over his own sins.

He's got mixed opinions of Mages and Templars... he's seen some nasty things from both sides. For the most part, he's pro-circle, believing that mages need that guidance and control, so he'd lean more toward restoring them but having reforms (more freedoms for one thing, the object of his desire is a mage, after all). He despises blood magic and anything that allows someone to control someone else. He has a close friend in the Templars, so he's not against them... but he's aware that corruption does exist, he's seen it. As a Warden, Kain is deeply devoted to this order, and will be unfailingly loyal to all fellow Wardens... to the point where he would definitely betray others for the Wardens' sake. He blames Clarel and Erimond for what happened, not the order itself. He still believes strongly in the Wardens and their cause, even if they carry a heavy burden after what happened.

Adaptation

I've kept some things intact straight from canon: Kain lost his parents, chose his occupation to follow his father's footsteps, was raised alongside a friend/rival, and has unrequited love for Rosalie. All of these are ordinary things which shaped him as a person. Having a noble upbringing also explains his mannerisms (in canon, it's the King who raised them, but it makes more sense to be a lesser noble here). Orlais has a similar aggressive relation with other nations as Baron does in Kain's canon. Having a paladin friend translates well to a Templar, and Kain would forsake that more prestigious path for his own. The Wardens have a grim, serious job, which reflects Kain's grim, serious nature. Plus, they have a weakness for being controlled which is essential to Kain's character. Reaver is a specialization which is very appropriate to Kain's intensity in battle (and drinking dragon's blood is very fitting). Having a family legacy involving dragons is also important to connect with the canon dragoon thing. While he can't jump impossibly, Kain'll still have interest in dragons, as well as other creatures of the sky (yay griffons!).

There are a couple major events from his canon that I felt were essential. One is the burning of Mist: this is a real turning point early on in the game, and I think that it provides a good sense of conflict about the Templars (and his adoptive father) for Kain. The canon is a little different with a false king ordering the burning, but in this case to simplify things, the Baron is just being manipulated.

The other thing which I know will need some explanation is the blood mage mind control situation. In canon, Kain is controlled by Golbezza and forced to betray his friends. This is such a deeply critical part of who he is that it really needs to be brought over into a Thedasian version. Canonly, Kain is atoning for what he did while under mind control, and being controlled by blood magic in his history will give him that same outlook here, keeping an important part of his personality intact. Mind control is his deepest fear, on a level that wouldn't make sense to tear away from the character. It'll also mean he deeply distrusts blood magic, which will provide a good source of conflict (bit of a hypocrite since he did all that blood drinking). I switched canon a little to have "Golbezza" be a vengeful survivor of the "Mist" attack, just to simplify the story more, and make it more reasonable since these huge, dramatic events in his story are more directly connected.

Aside from those couple of really important events, this Kain obviously didn't go on some grand world-saving adventure... It would definitely be too much!

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

• Reaver: Kain favors two-handed weapons, and is a Reaver, a warrior specialization he's well-experienced in. He devotes his life to fighting and is constantly honing his skills, favoring two-handed weapons. He's very experienced and skilled, and physically in excellent shape, and is extremely confident in battle.
• Warden: Kain has immunity to the effects of the taint, making him an ideal choice to go battle Darkspawn. He can also sense their presence nearby.
• Agility: He's very light on his feet, fast and flexible in battle, incorporating a lot of jumping and evading and flipping into his fighting style. Also, he loves Whirlwind and related two-handed skills... he's often described as fighting like a tornado/windstorm.
• Loyalty and Honor: He's honorable and prideful, stubbornly dedicated to anything he sets his mind to. Kain is fiercely loyal, and will defend anyone he considers "his" in any way, whether friends or allies. He's very much devoted to the Grey Wardens.
• Draconology: Kain has studied dragons extensively and knows most all there is to know about them. He's fought a couple lesser ones and the young ones as well. He's your guy for all things dragon/wyvern. (His close secondary interest are griffons! He loves anything that flies.)
• Bravery: He fears nothing when it comes to fighting and won't hesitate in battle. He's also not in the least afraid of heights, feeling most at ease on a rooftop or cliffside.
• Wilderness Skills: Has great survival skills, and is able to go camping indefinitely
• Cool-headed: Kain keeps his cool at times when others might not, such as an emergency situation. He's the sort to be quite stable in times of strife.

Weaknesses

• Reaver Downsides:...Kain is a Reaver! Which of course, means that he walks a fine line between life and death, relying on pain to power his attacks. He often pushes himself too much, and while it's great at the time, he's often left some battles in rough shape. His confidence can become overconfidence easily.
• Bad Patient: He doesn't know when to rest, and is a general pain for healers to deal with. It also tends to take him longer than most people to heal, even with magic. It's just his luck.
• Warden Downsides: Kain is also a Warden, which comes with horrific nightmares (they got worse after the blood magic incident), decreased fertility, weakness to mind control, as well as a shortened lifespan... all thanks to that darkspawn taint. The seeming immunity comes with a very steep price.
• Personality Flaws: Kain keeps a lot inside, which often works against him... he's much too secretive for his own good. He also isolates himself far too much, going off on solo broody camping trips at times. He's quiet and not very into socialization. He can also sometimes be a snarky asshole, and his pride sometimes turns into arrogance. Also, he is by no means a diplomat or any good at stealth, for that matter.
• Mental Weakness: The mind control has really messed him up. He's got this whole darker side of himself that it unearthed which... he's trying to deal with.
• Dragons are Creepy Ok: Sometimes his fascination with dragons goes overboard, which is obviously a disturbing and dangerous thing in Thedas.
• Unrequited Love: Awkward about romance, since he's dealing with a longterm unrequited crush.
• JEALOUSY: His worst downfall, Kain always wants to be BETTER, stronger, faster, etc... and he can't always be. This fuels a strongly competitive side, which means he's likely to make rivals of others who he gets envious of.
• Low Magic Defense: His magic defense is extremely poor overall.
• Backstabber: Kain can sometimes take an "ends justify the means" approach, meaning that he'll do seemingly bad things as long as he sees them having an outcome for the greater good... This may not seem all that helpful in the short term. Also, he WILL betray someone if he's led astray. He's very prone to being taken over by a stronger force, as his history shows. Also, if it ever became a choice between the Wardens or the Inquisition... he chooses Wardens. He always chooses Wardens.

Inventory

• An ordinary two-handed sword with a dragon pommel, a family heirloom named Dragon's Fang
• A collection of dragon masks and figurines
• Things bearing his family crest, a dragon
• Grey Warden armor and amulet
• His lucky dragon claw
• A couple vials of wyvern venom
• Conscription Ale: A bottle marked "Vintage: Warden Kain. Burns like Dragon Fire."

Motivation

There are a few reasons. The immediate one prompting him to do this now is the shard in his hand: he'd like to learn more info about the shards (but being him, he'll keep his own a secret initially, he really loves wearing gloves at the moment). The other huge motivation is atonement. Kain has a very hard time facing his friends after what he was forced to do and is still seeking to redeem himself. He thinks the shard is a divine punishment from the Maker, a reminder he's still failed to redeem himself properly. ALSO GRIFFONS. Since they have them here, that's where he wants to be.

SAMPLES

• Musebox Sample
• TDM