(no subject)

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[PLAYER INFORMATION]
Name: Dragon
Are you over 18?: Oh yes
Contact: ultimaweapon
Other characters, if any: N/A


[CHARACTER INFORMATION]
Character: Nia
Canon: Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Canon point: Postgame
Original universe or Alternate universe: OU
Birthday/Age: Unknown. She looks like 16, maybe? Maybe older? Her mental maturity has been the same since she was awakened from her Core Crystal, which was at least 10 years prior, and she's existed for centuries albeit without continuity of consciousness.
Species: Blade.

Background: Nia's wiki entry. The game plot, also there.

[RECORD]
Disposition:

Comes off harsh and snarky; Bad at being open about her feelings. Nia is used to being mostly alone, persecuted, and unable to trust anyone. She's quick with snark, sass, and generally sharp behavior, and though canon has mellowed her out somewhat, even her closest partner and friend acknowledges she has a foul tongue.

A good heart. Despite her attitude, Nia really has a heart of gold. She abandoned the one place she'd ever belonged because the people in it proved cruel, and stood up for a boy she barely knew. After being saved in turn, she was an unflinching ally the entire rest of the journey.

No longer afraid; coming out of her shell. Nia has comes to terms with who and what she is, and is no longer afraid to be herself. She used to hide who and what she was, but now she shows it openly and without hesitation, thanks to the support and trust of her friends. Her deceptions have transformed into mere silence, as she refuses to speak about things she doesn't want to. She's fairly content with things, even if they haven't worked out for her perfectly.

Resilient. Nia has gotten through a hell of a lot. Despite everything she's been through and everything she endures, she still stands up strong and refuses to let herself be broken. Even fighting beside the boy she loves and the girl he loves won't diminish the fire in her spirit, no matter how rough it might be on her.

Aggressive and sometimes violent. When Nia is upset enough, she lashes out. Hard. She full-out decked Rex when he was being unforgivably stupid, and shredded a poster that portrayed her in a bad light without remorse. Even if she hasn't lapsed into violence, she doesn't hesitate to react to irritation, anger, or frustration with a comment or three about the situation. Diplomacy is not her strong suit.

Occasionally makes incredibly bad decisions when sufficiently emotional. Things like joining a terrorist organization that wanted to destroy the world because it gave her a place she felt she could belong, at long last. Falling for a guy who's blatantly in love with someone else, because he gave her strength and support. Nia at least ultimately tries to mitigate her bad choices, such as by leaving the organization when it does something horrible, or never ever making Rex have to deal with her confession after she utters it.

Ridiculous when fired up. Irritate her and she reacts like a cat, hissing and scratching. In combat, she does a silly little dance to cheer on her Blade in the middle of a Blade Art. It's completely at odds with the image she otherwise possesses.

First impression: So this is because the Conduit vanished, isn't it? Considering the tale of alternate universes created by a terrible experiment, Nia's guessing this is one of them and she's slipped into it somehow. Fate of the world? Wouldn't be the first time. She's got to knuckle under and protect Alrest, whatever that takes here. (But sidequesting is totally a thing.) But she's REALLY bothered her friends, and her Blades, aren't here.

Under pressure: Nia's not used to being a leader, but in Rex's absence and with no one else to take up the mantle (from Alrest) she's likely to try. Her newfound desire to help, to protect, to not be afraid will be at war with her old habits of laying low, keeping secrets, and looking out for herself first. The positive influences will probably prevail, but not perfectly, and Nia may be on a rocky road ahead as she tries to go it 'alone', i.e. without the friends whom she trusts.

Condition upon arrival: She's just fine.

Abilities: Hoboy. Hokay.

In Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the strongest warriors in the land are called "Drivers". A Driver is a person who is capable of resonating with a special being called a "Blade".

A Blade is an artificial lifeform that a Driver summons out of a Core Crystal by resonating with that crystal. Once the Blade is awakened by a Driver, the Blade's body appears around the Core Crystal (which is always embedded somewhere on the surface of their body), and the Blade becomes conscious and bound to their Driver. Because of their nature, Blades heal wounds almost instantly -- but if their Driver is killed, they return to their Core Crystal and forget everything but their name.

The relationship is intensely symbiotic. Blades are inherently weaponized lifeforms, and every Blade can summon a weapon from their core. They are capable of using this weapon themselves, but when their Driver wields that weapon, the Blade may transmit power and strength to them through their bond. A Driver without a Blade is no better than a normal human, but when they wield their Blade's weapon, they gain enhanced physical power, an instinctive proficiency with that weapon, and the ability to use weapon techniques known as "Driver Arts", which combined their own skill with the power and element of their Blade. Each Blade has its own element, such as Fire, Water, Light, or so forth, and their own role: Tank, Damage, or Healing.

In combat, a Driver wields the weapon and utilized Driver Arts, while the Blade provides primarily passive support by channeling power to them or shielding them from harm. However, when the Driver has 'charged up' by using enough Driver Arts, they may return the weapon to their Blade; the Blade then uses it to unleash a powerful attack called a Blade Art. The more power they have built up, the stronger the Blade Art.

The longer a Blade and a Driver fight in a battle, the more they fall into sync. When their connection reaches its peak, the power flowing to the Driver amplifies immensely, giving them additional power and strength. If they remain synced for a period of time, they are capable of reading and anticipating each other's movements enough that they may combined their powers and together unleash the most powerful attack in their repertoire.

So in RPG terms, you have your auto-attacks, your special attacks, your super attacks, and your ultimate attack.

Nia breaks a lot of these rules. Nia is a special case called a "Flesh Eater", which is a Blade that has integrated human cells into their Core Crystal. A Flesh Eater, unlike a normal Blade, does not return to their Core Crystal when their Driver dies -- although her Core Crystal is inextricably part of her, and if it is destroyed she too is killed, just like a normal Blade. It also contains a blood-red tint, which is an unmistakable sign of a Flesh Eater. Flesh Eaters are long-lived to unaging, and can become Drivers themselves.

Some Flesh Eaters gain incredible power -- in Nia's case, she possesses the power of restoration. It can heal and restore wounds of all sorts and even bring back the recently dead in canon, to the point that she is a direct counter to Malos's incredibly-strong destruction power as an Aegis, and she can also weaponize it to accelerate cellular growth in an opponent to near-immediately fatal levels. Besides this special level, Nia is a fantastically-powerful Blade anyway; when she first reveals her nature, she wipes the floor with enemies that had been giving some of the strongest Driver/Blade partners in canon difficulty.

Because of the human cells inside her, Nia is also a Driver, having resonated with Blades during the course of her time alive. She won't have a Blade when she comes to the game, though if regains ever became a thing she might acquire one. Without one, she has a reasonably proficient level of skill with her most familiar weapons, which are basically sharp discs with handles on them, but no special ability beyond that as a Driver.

As a Blade, Nia's element is Water, and her roles is Healer. Her weapon is a special sword called a 'Catalyst Scimitar'. Nia generally provides significant healing and endurance to her Driver. Most importantly, as a Flesh Eater, she can choose her Driver.

Nia can change between her Driver form and her Blade form at will. In her Driver form she appears and acts essentially human except for her Core Crystal, which is embedded in her chest (but almost always hidden beneath clothing). Her Blade form is also very humanlike, save for her ears becoming even larger and her outfit prominently displaying her Core Crystal. She cannot use the abilities of one form while in the other, so she can't equip a Blade in her own Blade form, or summon the Catalyst Scimitar or use her healing power in her Driver form.

Inventory: Nothing more than the clothes on her back, honestly.

[MISCELLANEOUS]
Sample: TDM thread! More is available if necessary.

Notes: