All ages and information given reflect when they were *introduced* in the story. Information is organized as: [History] [Personality] [Author Comments] [Weapon] [Source (If it's an 'original' character)] Name: Quistis Trepe Age: 10 At age 10 she was brought to Balamb Garden, where the Headmaster has high hopes for her success in the SeeD program. Her past is something that she prefers not to recall. She was 5 when her parents were killed, making her one of the many orphans of the Sorceress War. Coming to Balamb and joining SeeD offers her an opportunity to make something of herself after such a tragic start on life. Quistis is a shy girl with an insatiable appetite for knowledge. The desire to excel is ingrained to the very core of her being and anything less leaves her feeling frustrated and unfulfilled. She expects excellence from herself at all times, even if it's in regards to a skill that she's just learned. The importance of a strong role model in her life cannot be overstated. She is still searching for a path to take and a willing guide to show her the way. To this end, Headmaster Cid has paired her with Xu -- an up-and-coming SeeD cadet with a strong will and a big heart. Weapon: Quistis' weapon is the whip. The elegance of its use was one of the reasons she selected to learn it. The fact that it isn't a close range melee weapon was another factor. Her skill with the whip will continue to grow as she does. Name: Xu (of the Anshin clan) Age: 16 Xu joined Balamb Garden when she was 13. She's a member of the Anshin clan of the Northern Centra Plains and the only child of a very traditionalist family with strong work ethics and morals. The clan holds strong beliefs regarding the fair treatment and respect of monsters. Xu doesn't agree with these beliefs after having one too many cousins killed by monsters. Her fear of them turned into rage and that rage has been turned into an asset by SeeD training. Some of her habits may seem unusual to those around her, but Xu doesn't need the approval of others to carry on in a manner she believes to be right. Her stubbornness is one of her strongest assets in addition to being a fiercely loyal person. She is capable of willing someone into submission if they can't be reasoned with (in other words, she'll out stubborn them). If that doesn't work, she might resort to more physical means if the situation demands it. She has a wry sense of humor that allows her to tease those she likes in a kind way and to be downright scathing with those she's less then fond of. Cid has had his eye on her for some time now, wishing to train her up to be one of his assistants. Her dedication and hard working attitude makes her a dependable person in any situation. Xu doesn't give up, even when the situation looks hopeless. She'll dig for a solution even if she has to unbury it with her two bare hands. Weapon: Xu uses a pair of sai. Her weapon of choice is well suited to her natural speed and aggressive fighting style. 'In your face' takes on a literal meaning when Xu's involved. She tends to rush into battle and attack relentlessly until her foe has stopped moving and death's settled in. Name: Sean (family name not given) Age: 16 Sean hails from the Galbadian capital of Deling City. He has prevailing reasons for why he joined the Balamb Garden instead of the closer Galbadia Garden. He grew up in a large family with strong ties to his extended family. While growing up he was never lacking for playmates, and as a young man he's constantly getting word of new relatives being born or married into the family. Sean has a reputation as a good-natured troublemaker. His off sense of humor lands him in trouble more often than not, though he never intends any harm. Many of his friends come from the 'rougher' crowd of students, but he's careful to keep his nose clean. He enjoys verbally sparing with Xu and trying to get under her skin. For as aggressive as she is in her approach on life, he's the exact opposite in waiting for it to come to him and then acting. Sean is a realist, though he can appreciate the importance of dreams. He has accepted the fact that he will never be a 'great' SeeD member, but will live amongst them in the forms of Xu and Quistis. This realization doesn't bother him and fits in well with his laid back views on life. It wouldn't be until years later that people realized his shrewd assessments are what made him an invaluable member of Balamb Garden. Weapon: Sean fires an automatic pistol with his left hand. He dislikes the amount of physical training associated with most weapons, so he became skilled with one that allows him to stand still. His aim is improving to the point that the Faculty are pressuring him to take up rifle work, but he knows he wouldn't be able to withstand the pressures involved. Source: Based on the Sailor Moon fanfic author Sean Gaffney. His insertion originally started out as a plotted revenge to get him back for one perverted comment too many. Physical description is as accurate as I can make it for a man I've never met in person. Weapon choice, favorite foods, and perverted comments are all true to life. Sean is probably the closest to real life as any of the 'original' characters in this fic are going to get. Sean is also very similar in both attitude and choice of weapons to Ryo Saeba, the star of City Hunter. As the author has never seen City Hunter, it can be presumed this is coincidental. It's an archetype, anyway. ^^ Name: Cid Kramer Age: "Crabby old man" (as he describes himself) Cid is a portly fellow with a tight vest reigning in his slight potbelly and the dignity to look the part of Headmaster. He treats his students fairly, if not sympathetically. He has a penchant for long, inspirational speeches, and always has an encouraging word for his students. The student body is very loyal to Cid and will show him immediate respect if he enters the room. His ultimate goal is to do all he can to draw out his student's natural talents and hone them. The better the student is, the harder he presses them. Some of the less diligent students may consider him a slave driver, but they aren't the ones he's truly concerned about. The ones on a quest for excellence will self-motivate themselves to excel -- he simply facilitates them. The Headmaster is a wily, conniving man. He will manipulate his student's schedules and use them as puppets if he sees a better good being served by it. It's important to note that he does this in their best interests, though they may not agree at the time. Cid is a long ranged planner and is already setting things up for how he wants them once certain events are set into motion. Weapon: The Headmaster uses no weapons, though he does instruct the upper classman weapons training. When he enters the Training Center, he has a whistle on him that will scare away the monsters when blown. He only uses this in extreme cases when a student is truly over their head. Name: Kei (of the Anshin clan) Age: 17 Kei is Xu's cousin who also rebelled against the ways of their clan. Her hatred for monsters is more intense then Xu's. (This is the result of losing two siblings to monsters when she was growing up). The elders were glad to see her leave the clan at the age of 13 to join SeeD. Kei refused to take her 'proper' place amongst the women by insisting on dressing as a man and performing their traditional duties. If students were to rank the most deadly cadets in the Garden, Xu would come in second only to Kei. Kei believes in being proficient and professional about the tasks set before her. She is very success orientated. She also shares Xu's hard work ethic and stubbornness. (Both are traits that are usually associated with members of the Anshin clan). The cousins are very close (in both age and as friends) though they don't usually acknowledge their relation to prevent people from discovering their lineage. Kei is very concerned about the well being of her cousin. Xu is the only real family she has in the world and is very protective of her. Kei can come off as distant or cold, but don't let that fool you. She has a warm personality that she hides behind the cool mask of professionalism. Her personality and actions often seem masculine, which is something she doesn't deny or try to hide. The inner spirit is what matters to her. The flesh is but a shell containing the spirit. Weapon: Kei uses a katana with her left hand. She isn't as fast as her cousin, but she's just as relentless. She takes great of pride in her weapon and dutifully attends to its maintenance every night. Source: Kei is a mixture of sources. The name is taken from a manga Helen Fong is writing. Kei's appearance and some of her personality come from the real life Helen. Named Minor Characters: (Or are at least still minor at this point) In order of appearance Any characters that don't appear in the game has * by their name. Many of those characters are based on real people to varying degrees or have been borrowed from other series. I've noted the sources when applicable. If the character can be found in the game, they have a + by their name. [File berf1.txt] + Matron: The woman who raised Quistis between the ages of 5 - 10 and brought her to Balamb Garden. + Faculty, The: Members of the Shumi Tribe who teach a majority of the classes at Balamb Garden -- especially the junior classman level courses. Note: Some consider my stating that they are Shumi to be a spoiler. I contend that hiding one's species from an entire student body just isn't going to happen. (Especially considering how curious students tend to be). It is also possible to piece it together early on if the person playing is *thorough* in their searching. + Doctor Kadowaki: The Doctor of Balamb Garden. She concerns herself with all aspects of a student's health: physical, mental, and emotional. She can also be scathing of the Headmaster when he presses a student too hard and then sends them to her to put back together. + Queen of Cards, The: Recognized as the best player of Triple Triad in the world. She can changed the rules of a region and is always up for a game. * Lee: Male SeeD cadet who is jealous of Quistis because of her achievements. - Source: 'Lee' is my middle name. I made him a male because a 110lbs female thumping the table just wouldn't have been intimidating enough. His accent is a thickened version of what is commonly found in this part of Oregon. ('Don't you buy no ugly truck' is a local ad campaign if that gives you any ideas.. ^^; ) [File berf2.txt] * Eugene: Male SeeD cadet who is member of the 'rougher' crowd Sean ran with before Xu started to make an honest man of him. - Source: 'Eugene' is my brother's middle name. The character bears a resemblance to my brother after he had his growth spurt in high school and before he lost the weight he put on. The character's personality and my brother's aren't related. * Jessie: Male SeeD cadet who hangs out with Eugene and LeVar. He's a bit on the naive side with a kind spirit and innocent enthusiasm. - Source: Sailor Moon fanfic author Jessie Long. The character and Jessie only share a name. * LeVar: Male SeeD cadet who completes the trio. He's the intellect of the group who makes dry comments that cut straight to the point. He wants to see Quistis succeed so that it will be a victory for bookworms everywhere. - Source: Sailor Moon fanfic LeVar Bouyer. There isn't much resemblance between the two except to say that both LeVar's love books ;) [File berf3a1.txt] * Sean's mother and father: They had 6 children together. Some of the children never moved out, bringing their families into the home as well. The family business is a junk shop (aka Weapons Smith). - Source: Their looks (and the absurdity of a tiny woman and a huge man) came from the Dean and the Program's Director when I was in high school. She couldn't have been over 5' and more then 100lbs while he was well over the 6'6" and had about three times her weight. The fact that they had children absolutely boggled the student body x.X; * Sean's unnamed cadet brother: He'll show up later.. trust me :> + Martine: The dour Headmaster of Galbadia Garden. He often feels like a Ring Master since his Garden is more like 3-ring circus than a school -- with SeeDs, officer cadets, SeeD cadets, and more personal then you can shake a stick at -- his frustrations are justified. * Summer: A shy 18-year-old SeeD cadet. She has the potential to be a SeeD if she could ever 'get a spine' as Martine puts it. * Jennifer Sakachi: A veteran Instructor at Galbadia Garden. She's also been the only female one for several years now. Her life mate is Eileen Pearcy. - Source: The fanfic 'Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Orion'. During the 4th season of the story, Jen is a teacher and all around ass whooper :> * Eileen Pearcy: Administrative assistant to Headmaster Martine. She's a foreigner just like Xu, so she can sympathize. She makes no bones about her relationship with Jen and challenges the Garden to come against her for not being from Galbadia. - Source: The fanfic 'Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Orion'. Roughly based on the 4th season Eileen, but also very much on the brasher 1st season Eileen. * Master Pan: A wandering Weapons Master who has been contracted to do combat training at Galbadia Garden. He holds no loyalty for SeeD, Galbadia, or pretty much anyone else. His personality is a bit gruff and he has nothing against pointing out stupidity when he sees it. * Kent: A well-educated son of wealthy parents. He ended up at the Garden when they decided it would be the best 'finishing' school for him. He's more of an intellectual type than fighter. * Logan: Can we say 'grunt'? I knew you could. He dislikes foreigners, women, and pretty much anyone who isn't a male, homegrown Galbadian. He has a grudging respect for Master Pan because the latter has knocked it into him. He is roommates with Kent. * Tory: The opposite of Logan in many ways. She's searching for a strong female role model and finds it in Xu. She'd drag Logan out back and throttle the crap out of him if she could... [File berf3a2.txt] + Vinzer Deling: President of Galbadia, which is a dictatorship. He and Pan go back. He is a charming man as long as one avoids politics. His support of the Weapons Guild has helped it prosper in Galbadia. + Biggs: Named for one of the wingmen in Star Wars, Biggs is a running joke in the Final Fantasy series. There's been one in the last 3 games. Biggs and Wedge are the equivalent of Star Trek's 'red shirts'. They are usually defeated at some point in the game in some humiliating fashion. [File berf3a3.txt] (Rough descriptions) * Raven Argent: He's a Weapons Journeyman under Master Lyra's 'nurturing' care. Raven is an avid Triple Triad player. He has a sort of brotherly/protective personality, and the tendency to fall in love at first sight. * Master Lyra: A hard-nosed black woman with short hair and a personality you *do not* want to cross. She'll pound anyone who calls her 'Mistress' instead of 'Master'. She trained (iow: beaten) Raven into a fine Journeyman that will make Masters rank someday. * Master Talasu: AKA 'Elf'. He's a small man that is anything but intimidating. He agrees strongly with the Fisherman Horizon's non-violence ideals. But if a man must fight (and in this world, it's unavoidable), do so defensively to cause as little harm as possible. Elf has many quirks that makes him a distinct figure in the Weapons Guild.