Final Fantasy Comment Thread

[OutlawTorn]

I thought I would start a thread where you can comment on the story, give feedback and constructive criticism, or engage conversations with yourselves and myself once it really gets started.

Thanks so much to everyone who has taken the time to read Final Fantasy, and comment here.

I look forward to hearing from you.

-peace-

[OutlawTorn]

Let me start things off, guys.


I'm taking this project more seriously than I've ever taken one before. Final Fantasy is a part of who I am as a writer, story teller, and as silly as it might sound, a person. I remember back in like '97, '98, how much VII inspired me as a person. It's subtexts, themes and messages couldn't have rang more true an relevant at the time, and even today.

My Final Fantasy is about some similar themes you'll find in Four, Six, Seven, and Eight. A big theme in the games has always been standing alone on the brink, facing adversity with courage and willpower. A fools errand to save the world, and often times it's those with nothing to lose, who fight for that cause. I wanted to capture that, if nothing else with this.

At the heart of this story is a young lady, a victim of her condition and her circumstances. The role Anastasia Grace will play in this story is vital. In many ways, Ana is the main character of the story, and she will hopefully reach, and inspire you by the time the story draws to a conclusion.

The concept for this story was born in the form of a highly advanced metropolis called, Zenobia, and a shady, clandestine technology powerhouse, Zenobia Prime. The basic concept is, the inner most section, or core of this massive city is lightyears ahead of even our modern day technology. While the core and it's residents thrive and flourish, the gigantic area surrounding the core, known as The Slums suffers in filth, poverty, corruption, violence, and third world conditions in general.

Ana Maria Grace is a victim of The Zenobian Way. She is a resident of the slums, and a resistance fighter. She and three friends have been organized and plotting against the system, and Zenobia Prime for years, and are about to execute a plan of action that has been in the works for over three years; infiltrate Zenobia Prime Headquarters, and detonate a large amount of explosives, crippling Zenobia Prime, and the core of the city.

It is here that we meet the mysterious, badass, Edge Widowmaker. A name renowned in the slums, spoken with caution, and associated with words like, mercenary, assassin, thief, outlaw, and dangerous.

But Edge hides a dark secret, a ghost among the skeletons which inhabit his closet. Weighing heavy on his mind and heart, he carries a secret that eats away at him, but also feeds him strength. Courage and power to press on, moving forward in a world so cold and void of compassion, it pushes you backward with every waking moment.

Edge will rescue Ana, saving Zenobia's only hope for justice and redemption. This is a pivotal moment for Ana, and it will prove to be her strength and motivation for the rest of the story, and ultimately, the catalyst for Zenobia's freedom.

Ana's travels will take her outside Zenobia for the first time. A city surrounded by a vast and unforgiving desert. Through her travels, she will meet Casius Magnus, a mysterious, but gentle, and righteous Black Mage.

Casius(and Shae'elle) has become one of my favorite characters early on. I loved Shae'elle from the time I created her, because she's a Chocobo, and the relationship between her and Juakeem is awesome, but Casius has been the most fun, and the most rewarding so far. As an artist, he is a dream-character for me. There's so much going on with him, above and below the surface, and that's without even doing anything with him. When I started fooling around with some ideas, it became clear pretty quickly that he would be one of the most important, memorable characters in this story. And I've already made his role in this story one of the most important, right behind Ana Grace.

Cid was a character that resonated with me in every game. And Cid from Seven is one of my all time favorite Final Fantasy characters.

My Cid is a dreamy, dashing airship captain, much like Seven's, but his foul mouth and rugged style are replaced with a mature, intellectual personality that makes him an excellent leader, and ally to the group. Cid Armstrong will become the leader of the protagonists in many ways, and that'll be very visible.

His nephews, Biggs Armstrong, and Wedge Armstrong will be playing a bigger role than any other Biggs or Wedge have in the past. You're used to seeing them as backdrop characters, simpleminded cronies, or Blitz Ball players(Wedge was awesome!), but in debating their role, I decided it was time they have a bigger impact on the bigger picture, and step up to take a bigger hand in the plot, by giving them depth, personality, and a protagonist role that will reach beyond what their predecessors have left behind.

This story is not anchored to Zenobia, although it certainly revolves around it. We will get to know Zenobia a little bit, leave it to explore the primitive continent, and continue to dive deeper into the underbelly of Zenobia.

The end will justify the means, and what an end it will be...


There was only one way to end this thing, and it's not your fairy tale, storybook ending. But there is a level of hope and redemption achieved. There is triumph, and failure, sacrifice and gain, and a bitter sweet conclusion to a beautiful, and epic story.

I really can't wait to introduce all of these characters, and get the better half of this story underway. =D

Thank you so much to anyone who has or will read this, and or Final Fantasy. It's for you, the fans and readers. So thank you for your time, and I sincerely hope you enjoy the story.

Please leave any and all comments, suggestions, questions, opinions, etc. =D

Thank you, once again!

-peace-

[OutlawTorn]

What the hell. Let's talk Casius Magnus?

I'm sure that in time, this spell of shiness will be broken.

I don't bite.


Casius has become the second most important character to the plot and story. He's directly behind Ana, only because Ana is at the heart of the story.

His character has become the most complex, rewarding and moving of them all by far. He is the strongest, most intelligent protagonist character.*His role is steady, very artistic, and consistently vital. He's one of my favorite characters.

You may be picturing a taller, leaner shade in a blue robe with a funny wizard hat. But he wears a hood, with a cloak, and dark, baggy clothing. He's a large, mucular shadow of a man, with the features of a bald-headed male.

He flips the traditional sense and image of what a "mage" or "wizard" is in almost every respect, not just the sense of the black mage like we've seen it before.

Casius is a nomadic mage, who travels, functions and survives on his own off of the land. He was born and raised among the heart of the Black Mage tribes. He left his home against the will of the Tribal Counsil, in search of... More. More knowledge, wisdom, power... A higher calling and form of existence (as opposed to growing old within the bias, closed off tribes).

His choice has left him an exile. Unable to return to the tribes. An outcast recognized, like many mages before and after him, as choosing the outside world over his people. The world that chastised his people, ignored and outcasted them.

He walks a lonely road, and has no fear, regret, doubt or homesickness. Because Black Mages lack the kind of furious, passionate emotions that define both the strength and weaknesses of mankind.

They feel, but not as brightly, and uncontrollably and irrationally.
It's partly biological, partly taught from birth. But it was also refined and mastered by his ancestors. A way of dulling down and snuffing out emotions. It was not only recognized as a tool for mental and spiritual ascension. But it also ties into the deep emotional damage the ancient Black Mages suffered at the hands of humans. They held deep feelings of abandonment, ridicule, and betrayal collectively as a race. They began purging emotions, to quell the pain, and seek a higher level of existence, free from the weakness and bias of emotions, relying on wisdom and knowledge alone to guide their senses, choices and way of life.

This will play a large role in the development and storyline of Casius. Because it's assumed they naturally don't feel, that they just aren't capable. But by the end of the story, Casius will connect with his emotions a little bit. He's not going to have a full-on break through, but he will learn that he IS capable of feeling, very real emotions. Ana will be instrumental in this change within him. Seto will also help reach Casius, but not nearly as much as Ana. Ana will touch and inspire everyone, but the impact she leaves on Casius is in fact the deepest, and most profound, despite the relationship that develops between Seto and Ana.

But his decision to aid, befriend, and fight for and beside humans, lands him in deep shit with his people, and The Counsil.

He is put on trial for aiding humans, and betraying his people. This happens after he helps Seto to break the others out of a Zenobian prison. The process leads to Casius being saved from execution, branded a traitor, and fully exiled.

This leaves him feeling like his only allies, and cause is with the protagonists. He continues to fight, until finally, he will return to his home, and confront the counsil. This will prove to be the most profound moment in the story.

=P

He is a powerful mage, warrior, and will also become a powerful summoner.*Wielding both Doomtrain and Diablos without issue, and wielding others such as Ifrit.

His calm, logical and wise style can be humorous, but it's mainly deep and profound. He is a man of few words, but when he speaks, not much is left unsaid or open for analysis, despite his words usually being short and sweet.

He is a multilayered, complex man, who is both beautiful and tragic, but also powerful and inspiring.

He's just a gravitating character. His presence will be captivating and intriguing from beginning to end. I think people will connect to, relate with, and be drawn to him the most, even though he has such a strange, cold way about him, you see this ray of light, this pureness and beauty trapped within him, suffocated by darkness.

I love him!! Best character in the story by far. He's going to be, and prep bold shields, my favorite FF character, period. =O

Thank you for your time. It means everything to me!

-peace-

[OutlawTorn]

My pad wa torched this evening, and it looked like a bomb went off. I have the cloths on my back, and the breath in my lungs. ... Here we go again...

19 on a train from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Belleville Ontario with a bag of cloths and albums, pitstick, weed, cigarettes, and vodka.

Fresh out of prison with nothing but memories of my beautiful pad in Barrie Ontario I shared with my ex of 4 years and a bag full of cloths and personal effects from prison...

But I always bounce back and rebuild my life better than before.

I still have my Nike Shox, my 59-Fifty Jays hat, my Levis belt buckle, my favorite jeans, favorite dress shirt, my Jordan Ballers, and my iPod.

Everything else was vertually incitrigrated. My wallet, AA Book and coins, my TV, computers, furniture, domuments, memorabilia, pictures, albums, DVD, just... 4 years of a life I built for myself here... Gone.

No one was hurt, thank god. But the damage from hoses made it rain in my landlords house, so they've written it off and moved most of their stuff out.

I couldn't feel any worse right now, unles someone was hurt.

Don't know what you should expect for the next while. I'll be back soon without a doubt.