Caius Ballad// Heart of Chaos

[caius]

grey skies & light fading ,,



"Dea Mortis, iuravi
Carissimam servaturum
Dea Mortis, servabo
Ut tempora recte ducam "

THE OOC SECTION
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CHARACTER NAME

Caius Ballad

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION

Caius is an imposing man with tanned skin and a slim frame. His purple eyes show little emotion save for a rage deeper than all of time, and despite the fact that he maintains his composure, his rage shows at nearly all times. His hair is a light violet color, and he wears a purple and black headband with several feathers emerging from it. Though he is slim, he is also muscular for his built, and despite what its size suggests he wields his massive Ragnarok with such ease it may as well be a twig comparatively.

Caius' outfit consists of a mostly black suit of light body armor with several areas of purple spaced throughout. He wears a scarf-like piece of cloth around his neck that once belonged to a Yeul, the only loose piece on the armor. It is noted that Caius' body armor bears similarities to the physical appearance of Chaos Bahamut, Caius' Eidolon. Finally, on his wrists are gauntlets that end in long points extending past his fists, presumably for melee combat. His sword Ragnarok is nearly the size he is, and its intricate design makes it appear more ceremonial than anything else; regardless, the blade is more deadly in Caius' hands than a superweapon in the hands of anyone else.

CHARACTER PERSONALITY

Caius for most of his life has been the protector of a seeress named Yeul. He has cared deeply for the young girl for all of his immortal life, ever since he became the guardian of the first Yeul at the end of the War of Transgression. His softer emotions-- Caring, compassion, even love-- exist solely in relation to the young girl, and he often thought of himself as an older brother or a father figure as time passed. Caius saw Noel Kreiss, the last human in the timeline to be born, in a similar light as Yeul. He believed there could be no more future for Yeul to predict, not unless the two fell in love. He also saw, grudgingly, that this was not so, and trained Noel to use his weapon so that the boy would be able to kill him and so destroy time. As time progressed, Caius yearned for death so that he could be freed of the painful memories of seeing Yeul die again and again, and the despair that he would be forced to endure this forever haunts him still.

To others, Caius seems cold and unfeeling, but not particularly unfriendly. He speaks only when he feels he needs to, and does not mince words. When he sets his mind to something, it will be done no matter the obstacle, specifically if it is to save the young girl he has watched live a thousand lives and die a thousand deaths. Caius' unwavering devotion and endless rage built over all of time led him to kill Etro and destroy time, only for the mist to undo his work. His determination has wavered little, and he still holds that he would tear down the heavens if it meant that he would be freed of the cycle of torment he had been locked in for an eternity.

Despite his deep wounds, Caius is not beyond help. Should Yeul be safe from harm and relieved of what he calls Etro's curse, it is possible he may decide that he does not need to continue his attack on time. Convincing him this is true, however, would be a difficult matter.

CHARACTER HISTORY

Caius Ballad was originally simply named Caius, and he was one of the survivors of the War of Transgression on Pulse, and both were members of the Farseer tribe. He killed his predecessor in combat in order to become Yeul's guardian. Later, another warrior dueled Caius for the position of guardian of the seeress; before the last blow could be struck, an invading army attacked the tribe. To defend Yeul, his opponent was killed. Believing he should have been the one to die, Caius took up his last name. As a final way of defense against the superior force, Caius used an incarnate summon to become one with his Eidolon Bahamut, an act that saved Yeul and the Farseer tribe, but cost him his life. Etro, seeing his noble sacrifice, infused him with the Heart of Chaos-- Her heart-- in to him, so that he may defend every Yeul until the end of time.

But the goddess Etro did not forsee the peril she had created for herself. Caius' heart was torn with every death Yeul went through, and after many generations Caius' rage had built to levels where his death would have saved many from what he would later do. He was forced, seemingly for the rest of eternity, to love and care for Yeul and to watch her die helplessly again and again, and each time tore Caius more than the last. He knew of Etro's control over time. He also knew that, being immortal, he would eventually have the tools to tear her down and remove time; an eternity where Yeul would not have to die and be reincarnated over and over. His moments of happiness were spent with the still living Yeuls as they came, but over the centuries Caius plotted his vengeance, despairing in the fact that it would seem Yeul's soul was forced to be killed repeatedly simply for Etro's games and tricks.

As time passed, Caius watched the human race grow smaller and smaller, and eventually he believed that there could be no time left for a Yeul to forsee. He allowed himself to think, in that apparent end of days, that the Yeul born in this time would be freed of her curse, that at last she could live a full life, find a true love, be her own person. The small tribe of the last handful of humans in the world found Caius several nights before the last Yeul he would see was born. He witnessed the birth of the last Yeul, and he witnessed the birth of the last human in time; Noel Kreiss. Caius lived in the small nomadic group as he had in his first days; they moved from place to place to find what scarce food still existed.

For a long time, it seemed to Caius that perhaps he had been right. That at least one of the lives the poor soul of Yeul lived would end with as much happiness as it possibly could. He thought perhaps she and Kreiss would fall in love, perhaps she would even have some semblance of happiness. And then, she experienced her first vision. Caius cursed himself for being so foolish as to allow himself to believe she could have been spared her fate, and begun training Noel in the art of wielding a broadsword after much pestering from him. Though Caius had taken a liking to Kreiss, he knew what would have to happen eventually. He would find his way back in time. He would kill his old, tormented teacher and bring down time. And after his death, Noel would take his place as Yeul's guardian.

Caius waged a brutal war against Etro and her chosen guardian Lightning in Valhalla for a timeless eternity, disappearing only briefly at points to create time-tearing paradoxes. Eventually, his plan came to a point. Noel and another seeress that was not Yeul had bested him, and Noel's blades were still raised. But the boy refused to finish the fight. Perhaps he looked up to his old mentor too much, but it didn't matter. Caius struck out at the seeress, and Noel countered him. Though the boy still didn't kill him, he was close enough for Caius to finish the job. The aged guardian thought of every Yeul that had been etched in to his heart and rammed Noel's blade in to the Heart of Chaos keeping him alive for so long. And Caius, along with time itself, finally felt the welcoming embrace of death.

Until he woke up in the middle of a storm on a sandy, seemingly deserted beach. His rage and despair flooded; everything he had done was for naught. He had failed to change anything; he could not save Yeul from her fate, and he could not even have death's cold embrace to comfort his soul. His shout to the heavens reached far enough that the town of Besaid was aware of some beast howling in the storm...

---

headlamps making patterns on the wall ,,

THE IC SECTION
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"Hello there. You've just arrived in the Distorted World. Why don't you tell me your name, and the first thought going through your head right now?"

"Caius Ballad. It matters little at this point what you call me."

"That's certainly interesting... forgive me if I don't know what to say to that. So tell me, where are you from?"

"I was of Pulse. Then I became of Etro. Now... I may as well be of nothing." (Caius Ballad, Final Fantasy XIII-2)

"Can't say I've ever heard of it. Well, tell me about yourself. What do you do? What are some of your likes and dislikes?"

Caius grimaces at the thought. "A failed guardian. Even death will not accept my dishonor." He doesn't seem to have heard the second question. (Likes: Yeul, being able to take action, the few friendships he keeps. | Dislikes: Etro, Yeul's fate, being powerless, anyone standing in the way of his goals)

"Ah, that's amazing! And not only do we have some things in common, you're quite the looker, too, aren't you?"

"Hmph. Save your breath. What use do you have for an immortal warrior that cannot even save the single person whose life is entrusted to him?"

"There's no need to be shy. They always say, if you've got it, flaunt it, right? Anyway, enough about that. Who are you allied with?"

"Grf... I will tear the heavens down if it means I am able to save Yeul. Does that answer your question?" Caius' eyes seem to have caught fire within once more. (Whatever he needs to be; currently Chaotist)

"I'm sure you have your reasons... Oh, on another note, how tall are you?"

"What does it matter? Five foot eleven."

"Drat! Just four inches too tall. Although... hmm, would you mind if I asked you on a date? Don't worry, I'll buy."

"I don't have time for your games. I have work to do."

"Finding a venue might be a bit difficult, anyway, since I have no idea where we are... tell me where this is, again?"

"A beach. I couldn't care less at the moment." (Besaid)

"Ah, how could I forget? I'd love to vacation here someday, when it's not so foggy... It's scenic, you know?"

"Perhaps, yes."

"Well, thank you for the lovely conversation! I'm afraid I'll have to be leaving you, though, since I'm going to explode in about three seconds anyway. Buh-bye now!"

"Then don't allow me to waste any more of your time. I have business to tend to."

---

uptown it's dead now but ,,

THE ROLEPLAYER SECTION
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ROLEPLAYER NAME

Just Aerith.

ROLEPLAYER AGE

18

EXPERIENCE

Long teim.

PASSWORD

Who needs Curaja when you have BODY AND SOUL?

---

out here no one seems to care at all ,,

THE RP SAMPLE SECTION
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RP SAMPLE

Aerith yawned and stretched her arms, mind working slowly as a curious feeling in her abdomen caused her to casually wonder what was wrong. She must have been extremely comfortable; she couldn't feel her legs quite yet. After a minute or so, it occurred to the brunette that something was wrong. The ceiling was not familiar, and neither was the bed she was laying in. The dim light sifting in through the window drew her attention to a bedstand, the Holy materia and her neatly washed and folded ribbon sitting on it. She tried to swing her legs around to sit up in the bed, but she found that the muscles would not cooperate. In fact, they didn't even move. Her hand moved over her stomach, and she felt a small ridge of raised tissue under the white night gown someone had put on her.

And then everything snapped back. Sephiroth's sword jutting from her stomach in that last moment of consciousness, and then... nothing for a while. And then the Lifestream. Aerith stared at the ceiling with a look of shock. After a few minutes, she decided that she would have to find some way to get up from where she was, without the help of her paralyzed legs. She pushed herself up as best she could with her hands, albeit with some difficulty and noted that the sheets over her were white and thick. The room was adorned similarly to that of an inn, but different in that it seemed... more advanced. It was like being in Midgar... but this would have to be the upper city if it was, and there was no green Mako glow.

Her mind slowed down, and she pressed a hand to her forehead with a light groan. This couldn't be happening. She was supposed to be dead; She was just fine with being dead. Finally, after spending a minute or so on the verge of tears, she regained her composure and decided to alert whoever had brought her here to the fact that she'd come around. Aerith took another moment to clear out her throat and look around. Sure enough, she saw her usual apparel and some other outfits laid out on a second bed in the room. "Hello...? Is anyone there? I'm awake now..."

[admin]

Good, looking very good. I like the tragic failed love story that you added into his history; the game hinted at it, but it was never explicitly stated. It gives him more dimension.
My only nitpick is he seems to be a tad bit wordier than he was in canon - since you pointed out how stoic he is in his description, this isn't a problem, as I assume it was only for the app that he answered questions.

Therefore, you are...
A P P R O V E D!
Welcome to The Warpath Home!