Welcome to Adventu, your final fantasy rp haven. adventu focuses on both canon and original characters from different worlds and timelines that have all been pulled to the world of zephon: a familiar final fantasy-styled land where all adventurers will fight, explore, and make new personal connections.
at adventu, we believe that colorful story and plots far outweigh the need for a battle system. rp should be about the writing, the fun, and the creativity. you will see that the only system on our site is the encouragement to create amazing adventures with other members. welcome to adventu... how will you arrive?
year 5, quarter 3
Welcome one and all to our beautiful new skin! This marks the visual era of Adventu 4.0, our 4th and by far best design we've had. 3.0 suited our needs for a very long time, but as things are evolving around the site (and all for the better thanks to all of you), it was time for a new, sleek change. The Resource Site celebrity Pharaoh Leep was the amazing mastermind behind this with minor collaborations from your resident moogle. It's one-of-a-kind and suited specifically for Adventu. Click the image for a super easy new skin guide for a visual tour!
Final Fantasy Adventu is a roleplaying forum inspired by the Final Fantasy series. Images on the site are edited by KUPO of FF:A with all source material belonging to their respective artists (i.e. Square Enix, Pixiv Fantasia, etc). The board lyrics are from the Final Fantasy song "Otherworld" composed by Nobuo Uematsu and arranged by The Black Mages II.
The current skin was made by Pharaoh Leap of Pixel Perfect. Outside of that, individual posts and characters belong to their creators, and we claim no ownership to what which is not ours. Thank you for stopping by.
[attr=class,bulk] The morning was quiet, more or less. It was the kind of time that Sephiroth preferred, somewhere between dawn and when the city would awaken and start its bustling towards industrious ends. He could hear the birds at this hour, twittering away in their autumn-faded trees. There was less to worry about, comparatively, when it came to unexpected and hostile encounters. That aspect was most important, he thought, as he stood on the edge of the square and watched it for suspicious activity.
Much work had been done on restoration for the central plaza of Provo. Debris had been cleared away. The road had been patched and paved. The city had healed just as Sephiroth himself had – slowly, painfully, but steadily until only scars remained. The western side of the square had taken the most damage. What had once been a three story building was nothing now but a patch of gravel and dirt. He could still see here his sword had struck the ground, cracking the street in two. It wasn’t wise to be here again. He had for months chosen less traveled paths, clothed like a civilian so as to draw fewer eyes.
That was not the case today.
Today, he was fully armed. His clothes were meant for a SOLDIER, something entirely irrelevant now, but he felt most comfortable in them, and for the first time since he’d turned this square into a battlefield, he felt as though he knew who he was. He liked the warmth of materia pulsing through his sleeve. He liked the weight of the masamune at his side. He liked what he saw in the mirror, a demon in a black leather coat. For the first time in a long time, he felt complete.
Still, he couldn’t bring himself to move further.
He’d come for a reason, not just to survey the damages. He’d come based on old information told to him by an unreliable source. He was being reckless, he knew, but it wasn’t the danger that kept him paralyzed on the edge of the square.
’Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul Pride is lost Wings stripped away, the end is nigh’
Sephiroth smirked to himself. He had spent far too much time around Genesis.
Genesis would not approve of his plan. Angeal would have approved even less. But Sephiroth needed money. He needed something to do with himself. And he had exactly one lead for both.
’And while I think I know your answer, I’ll offer anyway; if you’re ever looking for work, I can line up a couple jobs suited for your skills.’
Sephiroth started forward.The Rising Stones looked much less smashed than the mercenary had claimed.
The door wasn’t locked, and a bell chimed as he walked in. The place seemed more like a bar than a mercenaries’ guild, with a counter and tables crammed inside the space. The front room was empty at this time of morning which was advantageous for him. He took the time to note three separate escape routes that he could utilize if the mercenary chose violence.
The floorboards creaked as Sephiroth stepped further inside. He saw movement near the back of the room as something dark streaked into the hallway. A cat?
Sephiroth said nothing as he took his time examining the room and its layout. He would be noticed eventually, either from the sound of the bell or when the guild’s owner came out this way by coincidence. Sephiroth had nowhere to be and no desire to hurry this along.
And so he waited, a dark shadow on a quiet morning. Outside, the birds chittered indifferently.
Alex sat in the back of his shop and grinned at his tomestone as he stared at the image it displayed. On its brightly lit screen was a pixelated drawing of Azem's Sun Crystal. It had been something he'd picked up when he visited Cissnei in Sonora. You see, the idea that there could be other Azems that were current but not him, bothered him more than he wanted to admit, and in the back of his mind, the desire to prove that he was the original, or a sort of Azem Prime, grew. Needless to say, when he found out about a technology that could provide an irrefutable link that he was indeed the true owner of the crystal, well, he was interested. He'd found one of these such artists, who upon understanding the situation as best they could, snapped a picture of the actual Azem crystal on their phone, and a few hours later, Alexander had the pixelated drawing, and a link to said drawing, that proved beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was the original owner on some kind of network or something. He had trouble with parts of it.
It'd cost him quite a bit of his GP.
His momentary joy was briefly interrupted as someone finally came in through the door. "Noct! The door!" He called, figuring Noctis, with his... absurd amount of charisma, could handle it. Really, he didn't get it. When he went over things objectively, some things didn't add up. But after a moment of consideration, he had chalked it up to the whole King of Light ordeal. Mystical powers. It was also at this moment, that Alex realized that he had sent Noctis out on several jobs and that meant that the Chosen King wasn't due to be back for a while. Which meant that it was up to him. Turning off his tomestone and shoving it into his pocket, Alex ran a hand through his hair as he sighed, coming around to the front as he passed through the oaken door, taking a look at the ramshackle abode with a sigh, and moving around the tables. Well, on the bright side, maybe he had work, or someone wanted to join, or maybe Cassandra had returned with Argos to beg his forgiveness. Maybe it was Caius here to throw down. Part of him was really hoping for that last one.
Instead, it was someone else. Long, flowing silver hair, a black leather coat, and a sword that identified him immediately. Alex had never actually seen the Masamune, but now that he had with his own eyes, yeah, he completely understood why this was a unique identifier for the guy. There was no sword that Alex had ever even heard of that was remotely that long. In fact, he wondered how he even swung the damn thing. It had to be incredibly unbalanced. Still, he did little to hide his enthusiasm, as this was quite the blessing, clapping his hands together with a grin. "Sephiroth! My friend!" They were not friends. But the mood changed a little as he leaned forward a bit, hands on his hips as he tapped his foot against the floor, his shoe making a soft clacking noise. The grin was still there. "You're only six months late." He said through gritted teeth.
[attr=class,bulk] There was movement. Heavy footsteps on creaking wood. Sephiroth stood by the counter, idly inspecting an open book opened from the other side. From here, he could see a few signatures, upside down from his viewpoint. At the top, there was Alexander Sorel. Then someone named Cassandra who was crossed out three times in a different color of ink.
Interesting.
A man stopped in the door. Sephiroth kept his eyes on the book. In his peripheral vision, he saw blonde hair and a red button down shirt. He tensed, ready for an attack.
Instead, Alexander Sorel clapped his hands together.
”Sephiroth! My friend!”
Sephiroth looked up, eyebrows raised. His…friend?
Alexander Sorel looked almost giddy with a strange eagerness that caught Sephiroth off guard. He’d leaned forward, hands on his hips, foot tapping. It was a strange, almost suspicious behavior. It was clear the man wanted something. He reminded him, somehow, of a used car salesman.
For a long moment, Sephiroth watched him without reply. Then his eyes drifted to the window. It was the best escape route should the man try to ambush him.
”Six months,” he repeated slowly. ”That’s how long it took to heal from my injuries.”
The scarred and broken plaza behind him was evidence to the battle that nearly took his life. The other swordsman, Cloud, had taken far worse damage. Yet in his desperation…
Sephiroth shut down that line of thought. He was in potential enemy territory. There was no room for error.
”When we last spoke, you offered me a job. I’ve come to take your offer.”
It felt strange, saying it aloud. There was some prideful part of him which recoiled at the sound. He was better than this. This place, this man was beneath him, and yet…
Nothing better had presented itself. He could only remain passive for so long.
Genesis found a seemingly endless supply of money through some wealthy and unscrupulous patron he wouldn’t identify. Angeal did minor mercenary work, protecting the weak. Sephiroth had been a drain on them both.
Alex followed Sephiroth's gaze, noting that it landed somewhere in the vicinity of the window. At least that's what he thought Sephiroth was looking at. Not much else interesting there. Why in the world was--did he think Alex was going to attack him?! "Six months. From when I saw you in the cafe. To heal." He answered flatly, eyes boring back to Sephiroth. "The guilt's gotten to you, hasn't it." Yeah, he totally had him nailed the moment he saw him. He was just that good. He resisted the urge to pump his fist in celebration. Doubly so when it also meant that Sephiroth was here for work, having said as much. From what he understood, Sephiroth was a swordmaster, that in itself was a massive gain for him! A competent veteran that he could trust more dangerous jobs to! Probably! He really had to figure the guy out, first.
Leaning back, he rolled his shoulders. "But, the offer stands. First," He moved, grabbing the large book that Sephiroth had noticed, along with a quill, and plopping both down in front of him. "Sign here." He pointed at the first open space. That was all, he just needed a name. Something to show that the numbers were growing, especially if they had different handwriting. He'd considered just writing names down, but then realized people would probably wise up to it. "I do need to get a feel for what you can do." Prompto had given a decent display in Sonora, and he never intended to send Prompto out to fight at first. Noctis, he already knew what Noctis could do firsthand. Sephiroth... he had ideas, but nothing concrete. "Normally, I'd just talk to you about, but you've got the social grace of a drunk Morbol, so in your case..." He felt it was an apt comparison.
He held up a single hand, as it began to glow with the soft light of magic. "We can do this the normal way, or I touch you and I get everything I need to know in a second or so." The fingers started wriggling. It'd be a simple spell, and he was certain that Sephiroth would appreciate such a shortcut, and there would be absolutely no problems with it. He seemed to be inching closer. "I must warn you, it apparently feels like being dunked in ice water." He was definitely inching closer. "And getting a static shock at the same time." Of course, he never knew for certain, he couldn't exactly use it on himself, now could he?
[attr=class,bulk] Sephiroth had no idea what to make of Alexander Sorel.
His instincts blared with suspicion at the man’s strange, overacted demeanor. What was he hiding behind that plastered on grin, the quips, or the intentional misreads of Sephiroth’s words? He was either trying (and failing) to put him at ease or he wanted something and wasn’t particularly skilled in persuasion. Sephiroth watched him carefully, scanning every movement, ready to dodge an unexpected strike. But if this wasn’t an act…If this was just how Alexander acted normally…
Then Sephiroth concluded that he disliked the man immensely.
This was not new for Sephiroth’s potential employers. He had spent his entire life working on behalf of those who he had little respect for. So long as the offer stood, Sephiroth would take it.
He said nothing as Alexander concluded something about Sephiroth’s guilt. He simply raised his eyebrows, watching him coolly. After that, Alexander finally straightened, rolling back his shoulders as he grabbed the book and set it in front of him. Sephiroth glanced at him, paused for only a moment to consider the potential ramifications if anyone chose to track him through this place, then accepted the risk and signed in his small, concise script.
’Sephiroth’
No surname. No embellishments. It was enough.
The next step was a test of skill. That was the usual standard for such work, but Alexander went on to insult him. He didn’t know what a ‘morbol’ was, but he had the social grace to read between the lines.
Alexander raised a hand, glowing with magic. Sephiroth eyed it suspiciously. His fingers wiggled with a strange and almost unseemly eagerness. To touch him. Alexander took a step forward. Then another.
”No.”
Sephiroth grabbed Alexander’s outstretched arm by the wrist, twisting it away as he dodged around him and put distance between them again. ”You can ask me questions or you can see my skills for yourself,” he said. ”That’s all.”
While Alex was, of course, overjoyed by seeing the joyless samurai sign his name, he most definitely was not expecting that vitriolic of a reaction. Grabbing his wrist and twisting his arm away while Sephiroth put some distance between himself. Alex flicked his wrist a few times, golden eyes watching for any sign of... something. He wasn't exactly sure what. "Sheesh, you act like I was going to kill you with a deathtouch or something." For someone who was so bad at expressing themselves, that really was over the top. To be fair to Sephiroth, there was a Death spell, but that only worked through extreme mental suggestion, not a death touch. ... Maybe he could find some other way to work it in the future. Just... if he could ever figure it out without the whole mentally suggesting dying thing. A man could dream.
He sighed, letting Sephiroth keep his distance as he rubbed the bridge of his nose with his glowing hand. It was at this moment he realized he still had the spell going, and quickly dismissed it, shaking his hand a bit like flinging off water. Crossing his arms, Alex spoke up. "It was a mimic spell. Aetherial Mimicry. I'd have had all the skills you learned over your lifetime, to your level. It would've given me an instantaneous understanding of your capabilities. Nothing more. I've just been told it feels unpleasant for a moment." Of course, he knew it wasn't perfect. It couldn't mimic anything inborn or you just had. But he doubted Sephiroth had anything like that. Aerith would have told him. Surely. She didn't seem like the type to send someone off to their potential doom with little to no information.
"You sure you don't want to be pointing your sword at me while you're at it? No? Might make you feel better?" It was a suggestion, anyway. That still left the matter of what Sephiroth offered, and that was fair. He had set boundaries, Alex would do his best to respect them. Well, try to anyway. "But to answer your question I suppose a bit of both. First, give me the rundown of what you got. Because I do need to gear up if we're going to do the latter." With that, he went over to the desk, leaning over it as he fished out a bastard sword from beneath said desk. Giving it a good twirl or two, he mumbled something before looking to the back. "Hey, Noct! Can you do me a favor and--wait, he's gone, right, nevermind." Second time today. Maybe he was more used to the guy hanging around.
It'd have to wait a bit, he guessed. "I'll gear up after you're done." He remarked, taking a seat, leaning forward on the pommel of his sword as its tip dug into the wooden boards. Seemed fair. He reached over, pulling the book back over to him. But well, he felt the need to add on "Second, I'm something of a fighter, myself. So, you know, like you mean to kill me." He knew Sephiroth was good with a sword, but it couldn't be that much more, right? He wanted to get a good read on the guy, after all. But for now, he waited for Sephiroth to do his best to sell his skills.
[attr=class,bulk] Alexander Sorel chastised him for his suspicion. Sephiroth ignored him. It mattered little to him if the unscrupulous mercenary thought that he was too untrusting. The man was childish, Sephiroth decided, and that trait further demonstrated itself the longer that Alexander went on.
His spell was that of a mimic, and this did nothing to warm Sephiroth to the idea. His skills were his own, honed like a sharpened blade over the course of his lifetime. He doubted that any magic could replicate it, but even so, he refused to lend even a portion of his strength to a stranger. No matter how convenient it would have been for him.
Sephiroth’s expression didn’t change as Alexander goaded him. His eyes were cold and snakelike in their sharp precision. He owed this man no concessions, and his unprofessional behavior was…discouraging.
What exactly had he signed on for?
Alexander gave him his instructions and trailed behind the counter to retrieve a sword. The blade was unremarkable in its design, a simple bastard sword with an unadorned guard and a well-balanced grip. He twirled it between his fingers expertly before setting it into the floor, leaning on it as he took a seat on a bar stool. ”I’m something of a fighter myself. So, you know, like you mean to kill me.”
Sephiroth let out a short laugh, hardly more than a breath. ”Understood.”
Even with Alexander’s insistence, he had little doubt that no lives would be lost today. Sephiroth had the restraint not to kill unless he had such a goal in mind. Should he be thrown by unexpected circumstances, there was always his Revive materia.
”I have ten years of experience in Shinra’s SOLDIER program,” he said. ”I quelled rebellions and monster uprisings across Shinra owned territory until the start of the Wutai War when I was promoted to the rank of general.” Sephiroth paused. He felt ridiculous, stating his qualifications for simple mercenarial work that he was far beneath him. It was unlikely that this man would understand the gravity of accomplishments or the controversial nature of his previous work. He wondered where Alexander stood on the topic of war crimes.
”In combat, I take a largely offensive position and rely primarily on my sword though I am also trained in the use of materia. Currently, I have lightning revive, restore, and fire materia equipped.”
He was aware that another potential recruit of Alexander’s organization might have taken the time to detail their abilities or perhaps sell them better. Sephiroth had nothing to prove, and so he kept to the basics. He had briefed him on the range of his abilities, at least, for everything except…
Sephiroth hesitated. ”...I can also fly.”
It sounded ridiculous. Unhinged, even, and simply stating it aloud gave him an uneasy feeling of vulnerability. Still, it was relevant to the conversation and this was better, he thought, than Alexander learning it by surprise and showing disbelief later. It was best that he prepare the man beforehand.
Alex listened intently, nodding and making sounds of acknowledgement as Sephiroth explained himself. Right, right. Offensive, uses materia, even a list of spells he had. Of course, all of those made sense. Fitting for what Alex presumed was some kind of hybrid between a Samurai and a Red Mage. Where the only hiccup really was, was when Sephiroth brought up his ability to fly. Alex tilted his head sideways in a confused manner. "... Why did you hesitate? Does it hurt when you fly or--" And then it clicked. He used materia. Granted, while materia in his world couldn't quite do what Sephiroth said, the fact that he said he used materia and didn't just know spells explained plenty. "Ohhhh. You must come from one of the," He looked away, coughing slightly, as if he were about to say a slur. "Lower magic worlds. In my world, only the Garleans, tall Hyur-like people with a third eye," Alex pressed the middle finger of his right hand to his forehead, "Can't cast a single spell. Other than them, it's considered highly unusual if you have no magic affinity. So, don't feel weird about your flight, you're right at home with me." Some, like Cocobusi, were just unlucky. Others, like Thancred, lost the ability after taking a swim in the lifestream.
Overall that, it was an astounding history, with one thing in particular standing out to him. He leaned back with a whistling sound. Yes, he was very pleased. "But I gotta say; 10 years as a grunt in the army to a leading general in a war is really impressive. You've got me hooked there." Of course, the big thing he was pleased about was catastrophically wrong. At least this time in his defense, it could be considered a fair misconception. SOLDIER probably wasn't the best name, all things considered. But his eyes narrowed just as quickly, shaking his head as his mood seemed to shift just as suddenly. Nothing drastic, but there was a tinge of knowing in his voice. "Still though, quelling rebellions." In all honesty, it made sense, considering everything else swirling about the guy. That and while Sephiroth didn't really seem unhinged, he could picture the man doing some pretty horrible things with an almost serene expression. He could picture it all too easily.
But if it affected Sephiroth's prospects, it didn't show. Though he had pretty much made it clear this was a matter of formality. "Honestly, what with you supposedly trying to hurl a giant death rock at your planet, hearing that you once worked for what I am guessing is some oppressive empire doesn't surprise me at all." He paused, realizing that casually making such connections and casually acknowledging them might come off as a tad bit confusing. "Right, sorry, context. In my world, there was a Garlean woman that worked for the aptly named Garlean empire; Nael van Darnus. She tried to hurl one of our moons into the planet." There was a brief pause, visions of Cartenau flooding his mind before being banished in moments. "And while the Warrior of Light was able to strike her down, the moon was already pulled too far in to stop. My point is, I've had to experience this exact scenario before. The similarities aren't a surprise." The only saving grace had, ironically, been Bahamut. While the fragments of Dalamud exploding and the dragon's Teraflare caused catastrophic damage to the planet, at least there was still a planet.
At least he eventually fixed his mistake, he supposed. Still, that'd gone a lot better than when he normally talked about Cartenau. Maybe it helped with Sephiroth being military. One war story to another or something.
There had been others, too. But Nael fit the bill the most when it came to her actions. "Coincidentally enough, like you, she was tall and silver haired." He found that amusing, at least. But it all brought something else up. "Did you ever find out anything else about that meteor thing, by the way? It's completely irrelevant if you'd rather not answer, this is more for my own curiosity than anything." He'd at least give him an out if it was still a touchy subject. He definitely didn't believe Alex the last time it'd been brought up, and he doubted that would really change. It was more just a question that touched that sense of invasive curiosity Alex could have. But just like that, Alex had gone off topic. As usual.
[attr=class,bulk] Sephiroth blinked slowly. He showed no other signs of expression. No other signs of acknowledgement. This man, it seemed, had no filter between his thoughts and his tongue, and it was apparent that his thoughts were not of the highest quality. He told Sephiroth all manner of information that he couldn’t possibly have any use for. If Sephiroth had been an enemy spy, he wouldn’t have even needed to try around Alexander Sorel.
It was clear that Alexander’s homeworld had an unlimited use of magic without the aid of materia. The mercenary looked almost embarrassed to point that out, as though somehow Sephiroth might take offense. Sephiroth had little interest in the man’s origins, only in his abilities which he assumed must be magical of some kind. He had first hand experience with the man’s manipulation of stone and his summoning of…aquatic life.
His lips twitched at Alexander’s assumption that he had been a mere grunt in Shinra’s private army. It was an amusing mischaracterization, but he saw no need to correct him. Unlike some people, Sephiroth preferred to tell only what was needed for the situation at hand.
Sephiroth lost his composure only when Alexander mentioned his ’supposed hurling of a giant death rock at the planet.’ He sighed. That was all. Alexander didn’t give him room to react as he launched into another needless story about his homeworld. It seemed that every possible misfortune in existence had, at some point or another, happened to Alexander Sorel.
Sephiroth let him speak. Eventually, his story circled back around to a direct question. "Did you ever find out anything else about that meteor thing, by the way?”
Sephiroth couldn’t help a short laugh. It was all so…casual.
”I came across…witnesses,” he said slowly. ”Their stories were insane, but they were consistent. I have no memory of their claims, but I have no reason to disbelieve them.”
It was a non-answer. He was aware. But the mercenary had asked only if he had learned anything new, and not the nature of what he’d learned. Sephiroth had no interest in giving excess information.
”If their claims are true then it seems I had a temporary break in sanity which was made permanent by external factors. I would have neither the motive nor the means to repeat that…unlikely event here.”
This was above all else a kind of job interview. If the mercenary had reason to suspect that Sephiroth would reap mass casualties at a whim then it was best to dispel those rumors.
”You asked to see a demonstration of my skills.” Sephiroth touched at the hilt of his sword. ”I’ll follow your lead.”
A break in his sanity that was made permanent. Alex listened intently. The state of the star was a matter of interest to him, and well, if it regarded the possibility of the fellow in front of him going on a genocidal rampage again. Allegedly. That was something that he felt was in his best interest to know. Plus, best interest of the world and all that. "That'll do it." He nodded in agreement, yeah, that made sense. Every time a madman decided to destroy the world, there was always some kind of madness plaguing them. Every time, without fail. "But it sounds like you came here before it all happened, for the best. Judging by how much you're keeping yourself aloof and collected right now, I'm guessing falling to madness would be a fate worse than death for you." Alex would keep that in mind. Well, it served no real purpose to do so, the man was obviously sane. But, well, maybe Sephiroth would've considered dying an act of mercy in such a scenario.
Alex stretched. "I hope things are working out better for you this time. Truly."
And it seemed the man was getting impatient. But, well, it was relevant, and Alex couldn't really deny that. Fine, fine, he would acquiesce on this easily enough. Finishing his stretching, Alex remarked "Let me go suit up real quick." He got up, paused for a moment as he looked thoughtfully towards the room that held his armor. "Actually, nah, it'll be fine." From everything he had heard, he doubted he'd really need it. How bad could it be? Twirling Silversnake once, Alex remarked again. "There should be a clearing not far out of town." Sephiroth was dangerous, enough to cause collateral, he knew that much. It was just, Alex was perfectly confident that he could handle him with no real fuss. What was the worst that could happen?
----------
It was pleasant enough for autumn, the trees were definitely starting to show their colors. A small clearing allowed for freedom of movement, far enough that nothing should really go awry. Unless Sephiroth lit the, admittedly highly flammable, place on fire. Dead foliage and all that. That would just result in a forest fire right now. But Alex doubted it would happen. It was for the best, as Alex took a moment to enjoy the fresh air, not in his armor, which would definitely be fine. Besides, if it got a little chilly, Alex looked to Moon-And-Star, as the crystal floated around him. He'd long figured out how to send some aether through it to produce a pleasant heating effect. Nevertheless, he lifted his bastard sword pointing it at Sephiroth as the crystal moved to just float above the palm of his left. "Remember, like you mean to kill me!" Simple enough, right? He was confident. He was in his element. And he felt good.
Maybe things were finally taking a turn for the better.
