Tag: Final Fantasy 6

Trope Tuesday: Belly of the Whale

The last stage in the departure phase of the hero’s journey is called the Belly of the Whale, after the Biblical story of Jonah.  After receiving the call and passing the threshold to the land of adventure, the hero faces what may quite possibly be the darkest hour of his life and dies in some way to the home he has just left behind.

I know what you’re thinking: “Huh? Why does the hero die at the beginning of the story?  Isn’t that supposed to happen later?” Well…yes, it does, but the symbolic death at this point is important, too.  At its core, the hero’s journey is a story of transformation and growth.  When the hero comes back from the lands of adventure, he isn’t the same person he was when he first left–he’s been changed in some way.  And in order for that change to take place, the hero needs to let go of who he was and move forward.

Joseph Campbell describes it like this:

The idea that the passage of the magical threshold is a transit into a sphere of rebirth is symbolized in the worldwide womb image of the belly of the whale. The hero, instead of conquering or conciliating the power of the threshold, is swallowed into the unknown and would appear to have died. This popular motif gives emphasis to the lesson that the passage of the threshold is a form of self-annihilation. Instead of passing outward, beyond the confines of the visible world, the hero goes inward, to be born again.

Of course, the death and rebirth doesn’t have to be literal (though it can be, as it was with Dionysus).  The point is to show that the hero has fully crossed the threshold, cutting all his ties with home and burning his ships on the shores of the land of adventure.  Once the hero passes through the belly of the whale, there’s no going back–it’s all or nothing now.

So how common is this trope really?  Actually, it occurs more often than you might think.  In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, it happens when Harry boards the Hogwarts Express and realizes he’s leaving his old world completely behind.  It happens in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when Peter and the others decide to go after Mr. Tumnas instead of returning to their own world through the wardrobe.  It happens in Star Wars IV when the Millennium Falcon gets sucked into the Death Star, and in Final Fantasy IV when Cecil washes up in Mysidia.

The main theme running through all these examples is that adventures are hard.  If they were easy, anyone could go on them–and no one would be changed by them.  They may be fun, and they’re definitely worth it, but to set out on one, you always have to give up something close to you–and that’s hard.

Trope Tuesday: Freudian Trio

Last week, I blogged about the Three Faces of Eve trope.  But if we’re going to discuss power trios in any depth, we first need to examine the classic Freudian Trio, one of the most prevalent combos and, in some ways, a precursor to all others.

As you might expect, the Freudian Trio borrows heavily from Sigmund Freud, specifically, his theory of the Id, the Ego, and the Superego.   The main idea is that the human mind is divided into three parts: the Id, which comprises our basest animal instincts; the Superego, which comprises our concepts of morality and social norms; and the Ego, which struggles to find a balance between the two.

In the Freudian Trio, these elements of the psyche are represented by:

Each of these character archetypes are fascinating in their own right, and deserve to be examined in much greater depth.  However, in the Freudian Trio, it’s the combination of the three that proves so fascinating.

When faced with an interesting moral dilemma, the McCoy often wants to screw the rules and run in with guns blazing, while the Spock advocates caution, reminding us of the prime directive.  Or maybe the McCoy is paralyzed by indecision, while the Spock is the only one cold enough to make the sadistic choice.  In either case, the way the Kirk manages to resolve it will almost always reveal something deeper about the world or human nature.

The thing that’s truly amazing is how prevalent this trope is in fiction.  To name a few:

  • Star Trek: McCoy (Id), Spock (Superego), and Kirk (Ego).
  • Star Wars: Han (Id), Leia (Superego), and Luke (Ego), also:
  • Star Wars: Emperor Palpatine (Id), Grand Moff Tarkin (Superego), and Darth Vader (Ego).
  • Ender’s Game: Peter (Id), Valentine (Superego), and Ender (Ego).
  • Lord of the Rings: Gollum (Id), Sam (Superego), and Frodo (Ego), also:
  • Lord of the Rings: Gimli (Id), Legolas (Superego), and Agagorn (Ego), also:
  • Lord of the Rings: Dwarves (Id), Elves (Superego), and Humans (Ego).
  • Arthurian Legend: Sir Gawain (Id), Sir Lancelot (Superego), and King Arthur (Ego) (I would argue that Guinevere fits the Id role better, but I’m not an expert).
  • The Dark Knight: The Joker (Id), Harvey Dent (Superego), and Batman (Ego).
  • The Matrix: Neo (Id), Trinity (Superego), and Morpheus (Ego).
  • Shaun of the Dead: Ed (Id), Liz (Superego), and Shaun (Ego).
  • Fullmetal Alchemist: Edward (Id), Alphonse (Superego), and Winry (Ego).
  • The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: Haruhi (Id), Yuki (Superego), and Kyon (Ego).
  • Final Fantasy VI: Kefka (Id), Leo (Superego), and Emperor Gestahl (Ego).
  • Final Fantasy VII: Barrett (Id), Cloud (Superego), and Tifa (Ego).
  • Myst: Achenar (Id), Sirrus (Superego), and Atrus (Ego).
  • Starcraft: Zerg (Id), Protoss (Superego), and Humans (Ego).
  • Homestar Runner: Strong Mad (Id), Strong Sad (Superego), and Strong Sad (Ego).
  • The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Tuco (Id), Angel Eyes (Superego), and Blondie (Ego).
  • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Ned (Id), Conseil (Superego), and Aronnax (Ego).
  • Twilight: Jacob (Id), Edward (Superego), and Bella (Ego).
  • Archie Comics: Veronica (Id), Betty (Superego), and Archie (Ego).

The Betty and Veronica one is particularly interesting because it’s also a love triangle.  In fact, most love triangles feature some kind of play on the Freudian Trio: the good girl vs. the bad girl, the nice guy vs. the jerk, the girl next door vs. forbidden love, prince charming vs. the loveable rogue.

Sometimes, the villains come from a dysfunctional or broken Freudian Trio, where one of the three died, was kicked out, or was never part of the combo in the first place.  When this happens, it’s called (aptly enough) a Evil Duo.  Examples include Pinkie and the Brain, Lex Luthor and the Joker, and Kefka and Gestahl (though that particular duo was very, very, VERY short lived).

Finally, it’s worth pointing out that the Freudian Trio is so common, it even occurs in real life.  Perhaps the best example of this would be World War II, where Churchill was the Id, Stalin was the Superego, and Roosevelt was the Ego.  With quotes like “never, never, never, never give up,” Churchill practically embodied the McCoy (his drinking penchant also helped), while Stalin, with his fanatic adherence to communism and his “million is a statistic” approach to the revolution, was as cold and calculating as you can get.  FDR was the one who held the alliance together, and it was only after his death that the Cold War really broke out.

Of course, it’s possible that we only see this trope everywhere because our brains are programmed to see it.  But if that’s true, it makes for an even stronger argument that the Freudian Trio plays on some powerful, universal archetypes.

Trope Tuesday: The Three Faces of Eve

Why do so many character combinations come in groups of three?  Unlike love triangles, where the combo is primarily a way to build conflict, the characters in power trios all build on each other in some way.  They might be foils for each other, but as complementary archetypes, they do far more to drive the story together than they ever would apart.

One of the most interesting all-female power trios is the Three Faces of Eve, which combines the archetypes of child, seductress, and wife:

The “child” (who does not have to be a child literally) will be seen as innocent, perhaps to the point of naïveté. The wife, the wiser, calmer aspect, someone around whom one could build a home life. The third, the seductress, is sexually experienced and independent.

Roughly speaking, the characters in the trio correspond to:

  • The Ingenue: A naive, innocent, childlike girl who is just setting out into the world.  In a Freudian Trio, this would be the Ego.
  • The Femme Fatale: A seductive, alluring, mysterious woman who is experienced in the ways of the world.  Unlike the Vamp, she may or may not use her feminine wiles for evil.  In a Freudian Trio, this would be the Id.
  • The Yamato Nadeshiko: A calm, steady, faithful wife, who provides the kind of marital stability and maternal strength that is ideal for settling down and raising a family.  In a Freudian Trio, this would be the Superego.

You’d be surprised to see how often this trope shows up, even in works of science fiction.  In Star Wars, Leia was the child in A New Hope, the wife/mother in Empire Strikes Back, and (what else?) the seductress in Return of the Jedi.  Just about every Star Trek series featured some alignment of these archetypes.

Squaresoft played with this trope a lot in their Final Fantasy series, which may be illustrative to examine in greater depth.  I’ve only played through FF IV, VI, VII, and Chrono Trigger, but each  of these titles features some interesting variations (warning: spoilers!).

Final Fantasy IV: Porom (child), Rydia (seductress), Rosa (wife).

Porom is pretty solidly the child, though Rydia starts out as this and later grows up into the seductress role.  She doesn’t get the guy in the end, though: that would be Rosa, who pretty much starts out with him as well.

In terms of story, the characters don’t really seem to build much on each other, though in terms of gameplay you definitely want to have Rydia and Rosa/Porom in your party (though not Rosa and Porom together–you only need one white mage, after all).

Final Fantasy VI: Relm (child) , Celes (seductress), Terra (wife).

This is my personal favorite in the series.  Unlike IV and VII, which both center around male protagonists, Final Fantasy VI revolves around Terra (world of balance) and Celes (world of ruin) as the central protagonists.  Because they also play a role in the power trio, their characters are quite complex, especially in the second half of the game.  Relm is arguably more of a Mary Sue, but her relation to the other characters, especially Shadow, also makes her role more complex and interesting.

In the end, the romantic subplot is fulfilled by Celes, not Terra, which was something of a surprise to me in my first playthrough.  It works really well, though, because of Celes’s heel face turn and subsequent reformation (in which Locke is arguably a Manic Pixie Dream Girl Spear Counterpart).  Does that also translate into a shift from seductress to wife as well?  I’m not sure, but I’d probably say no–after all, it’s Terra who takes on the mother role in the world of ruin.

Final Fantasy VII: Yuffie (child), Aeris (seductress), Tifa (wife).

The main twist with this one is that visually, you’d think Tifa is the seductress and Aeris is the wife.  In terms of story archetypes, however, it’s just the opposite: Tifa is the one whom Cloud depends on, the one who helps him work through his problems, while Aeris is the shifty, mysterious one.

Unlike IV, where Rosa and Cecil are set up from the very beginning, for a while it actually looks like Aeris and Cloud are going to end up together.  But then, in perhaps the most tragically gut-wrenching moment in all of video game history, Aeris dies (and doesn’t come back).  Since Yuffie is kind of, well, crazy, Tifa and Cloud are pretty much garanteed to get together after that point (and as for Sephiroth…I don’t even want to go there).

Chrono Trigger: Marle (child), Ayla (seductress), Lucca (wife).

Chrono Trigger is interesting because the girl who ends up with the guy in the end (Chrono) is actually the one who fulfills the child archetype, Marle.  It works, though, because of the childlike feel of the story.  Unlike FF VI and IV, Chrono Trigger is not a dark or an edgy tale–it’s heartwarming innocence at its best.  I always did feel that Lucca got the short end of the stick, though–but she did get a cameo in Xenogears, so perhaps the last laugh was hers after all.

Ah, Xenogears. <sigh>

Anyhow, long story short, the Three Faces of Eve power trio is a fascinating way to play with feminine archetypes.  Recently, I’ve become quite interested in it because it showed up quite inadvertently in my current project, Heart of the Nebula.  It’s funny how tropes can sneak up on you like that, especially some of the more archetypal ones.

Anyhow, in its current form the novel is a piece of trash, but now that I’ve recognized the potential to set up this particular power trio, I think I can really make it shine.  If you have any insights, please share–I’m very interested in this trope right now!

Trope Tuesday: Chaotic Evil

If a character in a story scares the hell out of you, chances are he’s a Chaotic Evil.  From ax-crazy psychopaths to nightmarish clowns, from cold-hearted monsters to eldritch abominations, these guys are known for their complete lack of empathy, their nihilistic outlook on life, and their sick sense of humor.

From the easydamus character alignment page:

A chaotic evil character does whatever his greed, hatred, and lust for destruction drive him to do. He is hot-tempered, vicious, arbitrarily violent, and unpredictable. If he is simply out for whatever he can get, he is ruthless and brutal. If he is committed to the spread of evil and chaos, he is even worse…it represents the destruction not only of beauty and life but also of the order on which beauty and life depend.

According to tvtropes, characters who fall under this alignment can be categorized by five types, in decreasing order of redeemability:

  • A Chaotic Good who took things a little too far and inadvertently fell into evil.  Can usually be brought back with a heel realization if they haven’t already crossed the moral event horizon.  Scar from Fullmetal Alchemist is a good example of this type (incidentally, he’s also my favorite character from that series).
  • A character with a very feral nature who believes that everyone is out to get him and thus ends up killing everyone in order to protect himself.  Often manipulated by the Big Bad to do his dirty work.  He doesn’t really kill out of malice, though, so there may still be a possibility of redemption.
  • Committed to chaos before evil.  Can be convinced to team up with the heroes, if only because they happen to share the same enemy.  For these characters, their freedom is the most important thing–though don’t trust them too much, or else you’re liable to end up with a knife in your back.
  • Committed to evil before chaos.  These guys will never team up with the heroes, but they may team up with the Big Bad, even becoming one of his mooks if it gives them more opportunities to unleash fiery mayhem of death on the world.
  • True Chaotic Evil.  These are the most dangerous, because they have absolutely no loyalties and absolutely no compunction.  The best you can hope for is to kill them before they wipe out your entire civilization.

Fortunately, the Chaotic Evil’s weakness is his inability to put together a competent organization. If he has any plans, they’ll usually fizzle out because they’re too haphazard.  When the Chaotic Evil overlaps with the Chessmaster, however, things can get really, really dangerous.

My favorite Chaotic Evil is definitely the Joker from the Dark Knight.  He is, without a doubt, the most dangerous incarnation of this trope that I’ve ever seen.  Running a close second is Kefka from Final Fantasy VI.  Best final fantasy villain of all time, hands down–he totally owns Sephiroth.

I have to admit, I haven’t used this trope much in my own work yet.  Gazan from Bringing Stella Home probably falls under this character alignment, but he’s more of the third type than a true Chaotic Evil.  As a race, the Hameji initially fall under this trope, but they have reasons for everything they do, so once they overthrow the established order, they shift more to Chaotic Neutral.

One day, though, I’m going to write a character with this alignment.  One day…

Getting back into things

Sorry I haven’t posted much lately; I just got back to Massachusetts from a cross-country train trip (after spending Christmas between Utah and Texas), and I’m still getting situated here at my parents’ house.  If all goes well, I’ll be leaving by the end of the month to teach English in Georgia; worst case scenario, I sign up for a different program and spend a few more months here than I’d bargained for.

Things on the writing front are going well, though; I’ve been pulling between 1.5k and 2.5k words per day pretty consistently, all on Stars of Blood and Glory.  It’s very refreshing to be working on a new project again, and while I don’t feel like I’m into it as much as I could, with nothing else to distract me hopefully that will soon change.

One other interesting thing I’m doing right now is keeping track of the stats for my writing sessions: how many words I write, what times I start and finish, how many words per hour I average, etc.  The data is turning out to be quite interesting, so once I get to about 50 or 100 data points, I’ll post my findings.  It’s definitely giving me some much needed insight into my writing process.

In the next couple of days, I’ll post the ebook numbers for December and my quarterly report (I might actually combine the two into one post, come to think of it).  Also, I’ll finally get around to sending out the email newsletter, with some goodies like desktop wallpaper for Desert Stars.  If you haven’t yet signed up for the newsletter, you can do that via the form on the sidebar. —>

Finally, to round things out, I’ll link you to this awesome Final Fantasy VI tribute I found on teh internets:

Man, such an awesome, awesome game. I almost did a full length novelization of FF6. Instead, I wrote my first novel. It was definitely the better choice at the time…but a part of me still wants to revisit that world through writing my own fanfic. Someday, maybe…

FF6 Werewolf Tribute: fifth day

[NOTE: this is part twelve in a series of posts lifted from the quark message boards where I recently GM’d a game of Werewolf.  The theme was Final Fantasy 6, one of my favorite RPGs.  To see the other posts in the series, click here.

WARNING: there will be spoilers here, and lots of them, so if you haven’t played Final Fantasy 6, do yourself a favor and play the game before reading on!]

Shafts of light from deep within Kefka’s tower break through as the walls and floors begin to break apart. With Kefka dead, all magic passes from the world in a great and tremendous storm. The magicite shards of the Espers disintigrate into thin air. Kefka’s tower, held aloft only by magic, begins to collapse.

Cyan makes a mad dash for the Falcon, but when he gets there, he realizes that without Setzer to pilot it, he’s lost. The upper floor of the tower collapses into ruin, and Cyan falls with the Falcon to his death.

At least he dies knowing that he helped save the world from annihilation.

The “innocents” lynch Drakon, the last surviving innocent!

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the tower…

SHADOW (to INTERCEPTOR): Go on, Interceptor. Take care of yourself, boy…

SHADOW (to self): Relm, Strago…….it looks like I can finally stop running…

With everything collapsing all around him, Shadow leaps from the highest parapet of the collapsing tower, falling to the earth, to his death…

But as he falls, a familiar presence envelops him…the presence of a young girl, barely ten, and an older girl, not entirely human…

With the last of her ebbing magic, the ghost of Terra wraps her glowing arms around Shadow’s body and lowers him gently to the ground. The ghost of Relm, who has followed Shadow through the power of the Momento Ring which he wears, summoned the Esper girl’s spirit to his rescue. With the last of her strength, she saves him and gives him a chance at a new life.

With Kefka’s evil, draining presence gone from the world, the clouds begin to break up, allowing the sun to shine through once more. Life and color returns to the ruined world, and with it, hope…for life, love, hope, and the promise of rebirth.

Before Relm’s spirit departs to the Phantom train with the others, her presence lifts the darkness from Shadow’s troubled heart. He takes off his mask and resolves to return from his self-imposed exile from the world and leave his dark past behind…forever.

Victory for the Assassin!

PLAYER ROLES:

Avulsion: MAFIA
Baggins: NECROMANCER (Bannon)
Barigirl: INNOCENT (Edgar)
Caysyka: INNOCENT (Sabin)
CptSqweky: INNOCENT (Gau)
Drakon: INNOCENT (Cyan)
Drek: DETECTIVE (Terra)
Fredward: INNOCENT (Celes)
Jerle: MAFIA
Locke: INNOCENT (Locke)
Lunesar: MAFIA RECRUIT (Setzer)
Onlera: ASSASSIN (Shadow)
PharaohsQueen: INNOCENT (Relm) DL ASSASSIN
sunstarr12: MAFIA
ZeroMoon17: INNOCENT (Strago)

FF6 Werewolf Tribute: fifth night

[NOTE: this is part eleven in a series of posts lifted from the quark message boards where I recently GM’d a game of Werewolf.  The theme was Final Fantasy 6, one of my favorite RPGs of all time.  To see the other posts in the series, click here.

WARNING: there will be spoilers here, and lots of them, so if you haven’t played Final Fantasy 6, do yourself a favor and play the game before reading on!]

The battle continues…

The four friends come to the second tier of Kefka’s monument to nonexistence–a pillar of half-embodied beasts and humans, melded together in chaos. Cyan, Sabin, and Shadow prepare to fight the terrible monster, but a glossy-eyed look comes over Setzer, and he holds back…

SETZER: Phew… I don’t know if I have it in me anymore…

CYAN: What are you saying?!

SETZER: I’m just a gambler… I just want to be left alone… This
world is too chaotic for me. What’s worse, I’ve lost my wings…

SABIN: But before the world collapsed you fought with all your heart!
You were absolutely fearless…

SETZER: That was then… We can never have that world back!

Setzer’s eyes roll back in his head, and he reaches for his magical cards, but before he can turn on his friends, a shuriken strikes him square in the face, right between the eyes! Blood trickling across his pale skin, mingling with his silver hair, he falls end over end to the Earth below, dead.

Assassin kills Lunesar, a mafioso!

Working together, Sabin, Cyan, and Shadow defeat the monsters of the second tier of Kefka’s monument, and progress to the third. Shrouded in clouds, this one consists of a decapitated goddess’s head floating above a muscular, reclining man, surrounded by torches. The three survivors fight long and hard, but the monsters refuse to give way.

In desperation, Shadow throws one of his skeans at the decapitated head, and it shatters into a thousand pieces–but a magical implosion sends out a shockwave that knocks Sabin off of his feet and sends him careening to the ground, far, far below.

Assassin kills Caysyka, an innocent!

Alone, Cyan and Shadow rise above the destruction to face…FINAL KEFKA.

Angel wings sprout from his back, and his skin has turned a pale, sickly purple from unnatural levels of infused magic. His face is contorted into a permanent smile, and his eyes are pale and lidless. His muscles bulge with pure energy, and every movement seethes with hatred.

KEFKA: Life… Dreams… Hope… Where did they come from?
Where are they headed? These things… I am going to destroy!

At the sound of his voice, despair floods over the minds of the two surviving warriors, pulling them down, urging them to give up and die. But deep inside their hearts, hope shines through the darkness, hope for a new and better world, compelling them forward! They have long since given up every care for their own lives. Now, they fight on for the memory of those they love–and the love of those who still live!

Kefka readies his final attack, the consummation of his depraved monument, the explosion of pure magic that will annihilate all existence forever…

KEFKA: The end comes… beyond chaos.

At that moment, Cyan leaps into the air, and with a mighty, piercing scream, hurls the Atma Weapon at Kefka with all his strength!

Kefka screams and disintegrates into a thousand pieces!

PLAYERS:

All dead, except:

Drakon
Onlera

DAY

FF6 Werewolf Tribute: fourth day

[NOTE: this is part ten in a series of posts lifted from the quark message boards where I recently GM’d a game of Werewolf.  The theme was Final Fantasy 6, one of my favorite RPGs of all time.  To see the other posts in the series, click here.

WARNING: there will be spoilers here, and lots of them, so if you haven’t played Final Fantasy 6, do yourself a favor and play the game before reading on!]

Sabin, Setzer, and Cyan make their way to the Falcon, an airship that Setzer reconstructed many years ago for a friend. On their way, they meet up with Shadow, who offers his assistance. He, too, has decided that with nothing left to lose, the only course of action that makes sense in this ruined world is to take on the godlike Kefka.

Using the Falcon, the party makes an aerial drop on Kefka’s tower and fights their way through a series of impossible traps and monsters. Working together, they make their way through, until finally, at the heart of the hellish dungeon, they come face to face with…KEFKA.

KEFKA: Welcome, friends! I knew you’d make it here, so I’ve prepared
some suitable entertainment for you!

CYAN: How long are you going to let the destruction continue?

KEFKA: I’ve tapped into the ultimate power. Observe…!

Kefka levitates Setzer.

KEFKA: Such magnificent power! You are like insects to me!

Kefka lifts Shadow into the air with his magic and throws him against a wall.

KEFKA: I will exterminate everyone, and everything!

SABIN: People will keep rebuilding the things you take from them.

KEFKA: Then I’ll destroy those too. Why do people rebuild things they
know are going to be destroyed? Why do people cling to life when they
know they can’t live forever? Think how meaningless each of your
lives is!

CYAN: It’s not the net result of one’s life that is important. It’s
the day-to-day concerns, the personal victories, and the celebration
of life…and love! It’s enough if people are able to experience the
joy that each day can bring!

KEFKA: And have you found your “joy”, in this nearly dead world of
yours?

ALL: Yes!

CYAN: My family lives on inside of me.

SABIN: I have come to experience anew the love of my brother!

SETZER: My friend’s airship…and her love!

SHADOW: I know what friendship is…and family…

KEFKA: This is sickening… You sound like chapters from a self-help
booklet! Prepare yourselves!

KEFKA: Now, for my next trick, I will make you all…disappear!

SETZER: Kefka, you don’t know what you’re doing! Stop!

Kefka sends the Light of Judgement on the southern coast ot the
southern continent.

KEFKA: I command the greatest power in the universe! You are all
helpless before me!

Kefka rises on a tower, while other party members do the same.

KEFKA: I will destroy everything… I will create a monument to
non-existence!

CYAN: Life will go on! There will always be people, and dreams.

KEFKA: No! I will hunt them down. I will destroy it all! Destroy!
Destroy! Destroy!!

SABIN: We will not allow you to harm another living thing!

KEFKA: Hee, hee, hee!! But what fun is destruction if no “precious”
lives are lost!

Kefka sends another Light of Judgment on the northwest continent.

SHADOW: It’s over, Kefka!

With those words, the fight begins!

The ground on which Kefka stands suddenly lurches upward, and a host of monsters appear. Cyan, Sabin, Setzer, and Shadow fight their way through the first tier, a frighteningly monstrous beast with bulging muscles and a powerful physical attack. Working together, they defeat the monster and progress to the second tier!

Innocents lynch sunstarr12, a mafioso!

NIGHT

FF6 Werewolf Tribute: fourth night (continued)

[NOTE: this is part nine in a series of posts lifted from the quark message boards where I recently GM’d a game of Werewolf.  The theme was Final Fantasy 6, one of my favorite RPGs of all time.  To see the other posts in the series, click here.

WARNING: there will be spoilers, and lots of them, so if you haven’t played Final Fantasy 6, do yourself a favor and play the game before reading on!]

On a small, desolate island in gray, desolate world, Setzer, Cyan, and Sabin meet up in a bar in the city that was once Maranda. The world has been reshaped by Kefka, and life is slowly ebbing away. The skies are overcast, the flowers refuse to bloom, and the few survivors of the Kefka apocalypse barely struggle to survive amid the ruins of the fallen world.

An enormous tower of stone and magic looms over the barren landscape. From atop this tower, Kefka rules the ruined world, annihilating those who oppose him with the Light of Judgment.

Off to the north, a following of the lost and despondent has come together to worship the god of the World of Ruin. Known as the Cult of Kefka, its practitioners study the arts of dark magic and the powers of destruction. Soon, their following grows to encompass a sizable portion of the survivors…

The mafia recruits a new member!

[OOC] NOTE: For gameplay purposes, this event was factored before the other events in the night. However, for the purposes of the story, I chose to wait until now to include it.  [/OOC]

A year has passed, but in the bar in Maranda, the three friends still recognize each other. With nothing left to lose, they decide to take on Kefka and end his reign of ruin!

PLAYERS:

Avulsion (mafia)
Baggins (necromancer)
Barigirl (innocent)
Caysyka
CptSqweky (innocent)
Drakon
Drek (detective)
Fredward (innocent)
Jerle (mafia)
Locke (innocent)
Lunesar
Onlera
PharaohsQueen (innocent)
sunstarr12
ZeroMoon17 (innocent)

Among them: 1 assassin (Shadow), 2 mafia (Kefka and one follower of the Cult of Kefka)

DAY

Feeble creatures, GO!!

FF6 Werewolf Tribute: fourth night

[NOTE: this is part eight in a series of posts lifted from the quark message boards where I recently GM’d a game of Werewolf.  The theme was Final Fantasy 6, one of my favorite RPGs of all time.  To see the other posts in this series, click here.

WARNING: there will be spoilers here, and lots of them, so if you haven’t played Final Fantasy 6, do yourself a favor and play the game before reading on!]

In the Empire’s Magiteck Research Facility, the party runs into Cid, the scientist unwittingly responsible for the atrocities against the Espers…

CID (to all): Kefka has used me…used the Empire. What have I done…? The
life-energy of those Espers… You’ve helped me come to a decision.
I’m going to talk to the Emperor and have this stupid war stopped!

CID (to Celes): CELES… I’ve known you since you were a baby. I raised you as
if you were my own daughter! But you were forced to become a Magitek
Knight, and have done some awful things. I…I want to apologize for
the way your life has turned out.

Maniacal laugh in the background.

CID: No! It’s Kefka! GO!!

The party hurries to the mine tunnel, but Celes is too slow. Smitten with his budding love, Locke jumps in front of Kefka, slowing him down just enough for her to escape. However, Locke was not so fortunate.

Mafia kills Locke, an innocent.

The party boards the Blackjack and fights their way through the IAF (Imperial Air Force), narrowly escaping Vector, the Imperial capitol. However, just when they think they’re out free…

The western half of the southern continent lifts into the air!

Using Terra’s corpse, which they retrieved from Zozo, Kefka and Emperor Gestahl entice the Espers to break down the Sealed Gate. Sensing Terra’s presence, the Espers emerge from the hidden realm to save the fallen girl, but Kefka and Gestahl are lying in wait…

KEFKA: Yes, I feel some incredible magic power here, today!
Wave after wave of pure, magical energy…

Other Espers break out of the sealed gate.

Wait we’re here to help!

Hurry!

Get going!

KEFKA: I’d say you’re all charged up, boys and girls…or whatever…
Say, remind me to show you my Magicite collection someday! You might
see a few familiar faces!!! Now for a little Magicite hocus-pocus…!

KEFKA: Now, little Espers… Let’s see whatcha got!

Kefka kills two Espers.

KEFKA: Imagine! Thinking you could defeat ME!! This is rich! Mwa,
ha, ha! Now, my little Magicite pretties…… come, and help me
build the magical empire of “Kefka”!

Kefka walks over and picks up the Magicite shard.

KEFKA: G’haw, haw…… Ooh! They’re warm to the touch!

Seven other Espers line up to attack.

KEFKA: What treasures! This is ridiculous! I had no idea you were
such wimps! Time to put a stop to all this.

Kefka kills the seven Espers at the same time.

KEFKA: Phew… I think I have plenty of Magicite for the time
being… that is, until I make my way through your precious sealed
gate!!

Kefka is tickled by the reality.

KEFKA: I don’t believe this!

Kefka laughs maniacally.

Setzer hurriedly flies the party to the floating continent, but they arrive too late! Emperor Gestahl and Kefka have already arrived at the Statues–the petrified bodies of the three Gods whose fighting caused the War of the Magi, one thousand years ago.

GESTAHL: Ooh! I’ve got goosebumps! What power…

CELES: Emperor Gestahl! Please. stop this madness!

GESTAHL: … Come to me, my pretty! You and Kefka were given life to
server me!! It is your birthright to rule the world with me!!

KEFKA: Kill the others and we’ll overlook your treachery!

GESTAHL: CELES…together we can rule an entire world! Think of
it…!

CELES: Power only breeds war… I wish I’d never been…born.

CELES garrotes Kefka with the sword.

KEFKA: Ouch!!

KEFKA: B…blood!? You…vicious brat! Grrr… Aargh…

Kefka has a temper tantrum.

KEFKA: I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate
hate hate hate hate HATE YOU! Grrr…

KEFKA: Goddesses…you were born only to fight. I implore you…show
me your power!!

Kefka is thrown back.

KEFKA: I command you! Give me your power! Arrrgh! Curse!

Statues glow.

KEFKA: Listen to me, or you’ll regret it! Give me…POWER!

GESTAHL: Kefka, stop it! Revive those statues, and you’ll destroy the
very world we’re trying to possess!

KEFKA: Shuddap!

GESTAHL: Kefka! Are you nuts?!

KEFKA: Nuts…?! Emperor! Don’t disturb me! I’m showing them the
meaning of power!

GESTAHL: I don’t think so, friend. Your days are now over.
Now relax… …I’m simply going to put you to sleep with the
very power you unleashed……

Kefka starts laughing.

GESTAHL: What’s so funny?!

GESTAHL: Very well. It is only fitting that you go to sleep laughing!
Fire 3!!!

Nothing happens. Kefka continues to laugh

GESTAHL: Flare!!!

Kefka laughs harder.

GESTAHL: N… …noooo!! Why isn’t my magic working?!
Merton!!!

Nothing happens.

GESTAHL: K… …Kefka!!!!! H… …how…?! How are you
doing this?!

Kefka shoves Gestahl.

KEFKA: How? Simple! I’m standing within the field of the Statues!
Their strong field absorbs all magic sent their way! Or didn’t you
notice?!

GESTAHL: …………!!!

KEFKA: And now, Statues! You’ve shown me a sign! It is time you show
this old man your true power!

GESTAHL: No! KEFKA!!

KEFKA: Run! Run! Or you’ll be well done!

Lightning strikes Gestahl directly.

KEFKA: YES!!!!!

Kefka starts kicking Gestahl toward the edge.

KEFKA: Poor old…… Oh well, what a worthless excuse for an
Emperor!!

Kefka kicks Gestahl over the edge. Emperor Gestahl falls to his death.

CELES: Snap out of it, Kefka!

Kefka strikes CELES with magic, knocking her down a slope.
He begins to rearrange the statues.

CELES: Oh, that’s really smart, Kefka! Disturb their delicate
balance, and they’ll go haywire…!

KEFKA: Uwee hee hee!!

At this moment, Shadow appears. He starts to push
the statues back into their original alignment.

KEFKA: Nooo!

SHADOW (to the party): Go! There are people counting on you!

The statues’ balance is destroyed, throwing the party down. SHADOW
is still with the statues.

SHADOW: Don’t worry about me! Run!! I can’t stop this chain
reaction! I’ll see you again. Count on it!

KEFKA: You can’t escape me!!

Kefka sends a light over to the far right of the Floating Continent.

SHADOW…… Get outta here on the double!

As the floating continent begins to break apart, the party dashes back to the Blackjack. Not all of them make it, however. King Edgar falls to his death, and Celes is struck down by a stray shaft of lightning.

The assassin kills Barigirl and Fredward. Both are innocent.

Shadow struggles long and hard with Kefka, but to no avail. Inevitably, he is forced to retreat to the Blackjack with the others.

With none to stop him, Kefka usurps the godlike powers of the Statues and takes over the world!

On that day, the world was changed forever…