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Aranea Highwind
Player: Laena
Canon: Final Fantasy XV
Canon Point: Early Chapter 12
Alignment: Thras
Date of Entry: 01/04/2017
Canon: Final Fantasy XV
Canon Point: Early Chapter 12
Alignment: Thras
Date of Entry: 01/04/2017
Age: 30
Birthday: Unknown
Eye Color: Dark Gray
Hair Color: Dark Silver
Height: 167cm (~5'5")
Amulet: Link because it's pretty and she'd roll her eyes at it.
Appearance: Link to how she looks usually, but when in combat she also dons a crazy ass unicorn helmet.
Contact: Aside from PMing this journal,
Background: Here be wiki, but like always I'll write out more, especially more details on her in-game involvement. Needless to say, SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS.
While Aranea plays a few significant roles and has a good amount of screen time in the game, there is virtually close to nothing known about her past before game start. The only actual canonical facts known are that she is from Niflheim, honed her skills as a mercenary, and then later recruited into Niflheim Empire to become Commodore and lead the Third Army Corps 87th Airborne Unit. Her two main subordinates are Biggs and Wedge. Motivations for joining or accepting recruitment is unknown (my guess would be opportunity for better toys and better pay).
Although it's unclear when she joined the army, she was around long enough to earn a grounded reputation and to notice changes in Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt's behavior and the Empire generally. While the empire had always been militarized and set on conquering everything, things had escalated in the recent years. Another thing that could be inferred from a later dialogue is that she joined the army to ultimately help the people. It had been said that the crystal would help Niflheim, and she believed that. It's a reason why she would later become bitter at the actual results.
Now with the vague background info "established," the rest of the background will be written in order of her actual appearances in game.
Aranea is first seen as one of the high ranking officers attending a meeting with Emperor Aldercapt. The others included are Ravus Nox Flueret and Verstael. She does not speak, but as she listens to Verstael suggest that they use the Oracle, Lunafreya Nox Flueret, as a means to learn about the Astral gods and essentially use her, she has a clear look of disapproval and disgust. It's subtle, but there.
Her real introduction occurs when Noctis and his crew infiltrate an Imperial fortress to avenge a family butler friend killed by the imperials as well as to weaken the army. Turns out, it's Commander Caligo and their aim is to subdue and capture him. Aranea had been ordered by the High Chancellor, Ardyn Izunia, to keep track of Caligo, yet she does not lift a finger to help the commander when Noctis and Ignis take him down. Instead, she waits until the group reunites that she descends from above and strikes at Noctis. A tough battle ensues until she withdraws, saying that she doesn't work overtime. While not so clear in the English translation, the original Japanese dialogue does have her reference Noctis as "prince," so she know full well who she was dealing with. Even then, she doesn't try to capture and turn him in.
Aranea disappears, only to wind up having to help Noctis, Prompto, and Ignis retrieve mythril ore from the ruins in Steyliff Grove. This, too, is under Ardyn's orders, although she initially had been told she would be training new recruits. However, that's not her only reason for being there. As she would explain to the boys, the army is harvesting specimens to study—daemons. While researching daemons has been occurring for a long while, it's only recent past (ten years) that the Empire has been using them in their technology and as weapons. For example, the Magi-Tek soldiers, or "M-T"'s as Noctis's group refers them. Or unleashing them as they are in battles. It's a practice she does not really agree with, and the increase in use makes her question how much longer she'll really stay.
Noctis: It's not just lately.
Aranea: True. Maybe it's time I left.
When questioned on her own observations about the Empire's strange behavior, Aranea provides some clues. There are two individuals she mentions: the new High Commander (Ravus) and the High Chancellor (Ardyn). The latter of which she likes the least. Ravus had only recently gained rank, and she doesn't really state why she doesn't like him. If I had to guess, it might be in part of the attempt to capture his own sister, Lunafreya. Ravus has his reasons, but Aranea is unaware of them. But again, just a guess. All we know for sure is she doesn't think highly of him.
As for Ardyn, it's mostly his personality that she implies she can't stand. But another little factoid is that daemon use accelerated after Ardyn joined. In fact, he helped spur on the development. He also influenced and manipulated the Emperor to expand the Empire and eventually to attack the Crown City under false pretenses, stealing the crystal. All of these are things Aranea could have observed. At the very least, she could have easily seen how much sway Ardyn had over Aldercapt and how the Emperor was following Ardyn's advice. Thus, while Aranea would not know the full story, she can easily see that things are changing, and not for the better.
After helping the boys through the ruins and retrieving the ore, she will offer them a lift to Lestallum. Or rather, she was ordered to do so, but it's likely she would have done so regardless as despite being enemies, they leave in good terms. Upon reaching their destination, there are signs of trouble at the power plant. However, she is unable to help them unless ordered to (sudden Imperial presence probably wouldn't be a good thing), so she has to leave them to deal with it themselves.
Then a lot of things that she's not involved with happen. However, at some point between the events in Chapter 7 and 12, Aranea leaves the empire, taking her men and her airship with her. At this point, the empire has tried and failed to attack Leviathan in Altissa; Ravus goes against the Empire in rage over Lunafreya's death; the Empire retaliates by burning Tenebrae; and sentences him to death. To make matters worse, all control has been lost in the daemon labs and they are now running loose all over the capital and beyond. Daylight has also shortened, making it even more difficult to handle the situation. Gralea, the capital of Niflheim, has basically fallen.
Because of all this fallout, Aranea has defected from the Empire entirely, along with most if not all of her men and her red airship. She now works on a search and rescue in Tenebrae, helping those who were victim to the attacks. It's during this time she will meet Noctis again, but, her canon point is before his arrival.
She will have no knowledge about the boys' current state. She will know about the aforementioned events, but not to the boys specifically.
Personality:
Aranea is your sassy, strong, badass, independent female fighter who doesn't pull punches and will say, "That sucks" in response to learning something dramatic happened to a person. Clearly, she's not the most delicate person around, but that doesn't mean she's completely uncaring. Armed with an arsenal of wit and alluring charm in one hand and a spear that can pierce the ground in the other, she is a force to be reckoned with.
Always walking with her head high, Aranea is a woman who is sure of herself and hardly ever holds any doubts of her own. She chooses her own path and will decide whether it's working or not. When it's not, it doesn't take her long to change to whatever will work best for her. This does mean she holds a lot of self-interest, but that is also what allows her to keep her independence. It also means that she has certain standards that she will follow by. Her own standards, of course, but standards all the same. She may follow orders, even those she may not wholly approve of, but she would never do anything she actually wholeheartedly disagrees with. Not without a good reason. For example, she detests the use of daemons in the Empire's military, but she doesn't really have much of a say and it's only recently that it had escalated to a point where the use no longer seemed to outweigh the benefits. She also probably wasn't wholly on board with how the crystal was taken, but it was said it would be for the good of the people. In that case, she could deal with the sacrifices. But once all that goes south, she will no longer support it and choose whatever better route there is—or make her own if need be.
Another one of her strengths is her resolve. She does not go into anything half-assed, and she will go all out if she wants to (especially if it's fun and enjoyable). As mentioned, she may waver in terms of "sides," but not her reasons. Whether it's to live her own way or to help people, or even in the face of battle, she will not back down so easily. She may look and seem like she could be reckless, and she does carry some element of that. But it's more in spirit than in actual actions. She may itch for a fight, but only one that has any merit in doing. The only way she would back down is if she realizes there's no reasonable way to win. If there isn't, she will just drop it because there's no point. Pride is not an issue there. Otherwise, she will see things through.
On that front, she does not like wasting her time. Whether it's dealing with something inconsequential or stronger than she can handle, she will quickly assess the situation and determine if it's worth the effort or not. It's not so much that she's trying to be lazy, but more of not wanting to waste time and energy on something that won't benefit her or some purpose. Those are resources spent better elsewhere. Additionally, it's not so much about a winning or losing, either. She knows she can't win every battle and that sometimes the win isn't worth it. That's why she's okay with retreating or accepting a loss. But a loss can also be beneficial if she learns something from it. For example, a fight. She may lose, but in the process she'll learn more about her opponent, be it identity or skill, and could use it again in the future. Again, it all comes down to how an outcome could benefit her.
To that end, she maintains a steady head and tries to be aware of what's going on. As a high ranking officer and in a position of leadership, she needs that kind of mindset. But even without that role, she has a very commanding presence and knows how to be a figure of authority when it calls for it. Even when there is panic around, she keeps calm and keeps moving forward, making others stand and do what they can whether they believe it or not. She'll even offer advice and be a little bit of a mentor in her own way.
All this also goes toward her very "real world" perspective. She is very much a realist and doesn't really follow idealism very far. That isn't to say she doesn't hold any idle hopes or dreams, but she knows the chances of them being realized or the sacrifices and consequences that come with it. It's part of the reason why she has more dry, sarcastic humor. Her age and experience also helps ground her and gives her a more mature perspective. She was a mercenary for most of her life and then later a commander in the army. Having seen both the good and dark sides of humanity, pipe dreams are definitely out.
Ignis: You appear to be on good terms.
Aranea: Who, Biggs and Wedge? They're more subordinates than they are friends. I trust them all the same.
Having once been a mercenary, that kind of free roaming, living for one self type of style is something she's used to. This self-interest also transfers to her own trust of others. She doesn't completely distrust people; in fact she may hold expectations for individuals to do their job. But she doesn't consider many (if any) people friends, not even her closest subordinates. She will trust them in battle, and maybe more, but for personal matters? Not so much. While she might talk about superficial problems with others, anything that may be more personal is more likely to be kept to herself. Perhaps if someone manages to get close to her on that level she may confide in them, but until then she'll handle it on her own. It's just easier that way.
As for her own trustworthiness and sense of loyalty, because of her mercenary past and independent inclinations, some may see her morally ambiguous. She will ultimately choose what's best for her, and sometimes money can be a great contributing factor. If she finds her employer to be less than ideal, however, then yeah, she'll leave. She doesn't have any real emotional ties to the Empire at least. But while she may have been more gray in the past, after the recent events she takes on a more "morally good" route, focusing on helping others instead of saving her own skin. That doesn't mean she'll help just anyone—but if there's a threat or something going on, she'll pitch in.
Additionally, it's worth noting that her men hold in her high regard and she does appear quite relaxed around them. She already tells the boys to just call her "Aranea," but Biggs and Wedge playfully refer to her as "Lady A," a name that she doesn't seem to mind. As mentioned, while she may not see them as friends, she does place a lot of trust in them. She knows they can do whatever task she sets them up to and thus relies on them. It's this kind of "two-way street" of trust that she works with, and her bonds with her men is proof that she can not only trust others, but also be trusted and respected. After all, they don't treat her with respect just because she's a woman—they recognize her skill and character, and she makes all of that known herself.
Noctis: I...I don't know.
Aranea: Then quit moping, keep hoping. And in the meantime, handle what's at hand.
In terms of how she treats others, she will give her honest opinion, and it's usually blunt. Very blunt. Only in truly delicate situations will she water it down, although that "watered down" is sometimes still giving a blunt opinion, just offset by something more considerate or sympathetic. But one should not expect her to give hugs or comfort of that nature. If anything, she's more likely to try and push the individual forward. Or kick them to get up. Or tell them to suck it up and deal with it. It kind of depends. Sassy, sarcastic, and at times dismissive, this "rough" attitude also helps keeps some distance between her and others. Whether that's deliberate or not is uncertain. But it's not just a front, either, at least as far as we can tell. She tells it like it is, and she'll take whatever is dished at her, too. She may have her own sense of pride and arrogance, but she'll recognize when she's wrong or agree if there's hypocrisy going on.
That all said, she's not completely heartless. There's a little softness underneath those hard edges—the tough love, type. She'll be hard on someone, but she'll also give credit where it's due, especially when it's rightly earned. However, don't mistake that type of personality as her being a tough hardass. It's more that she doesn't really "deal" with those who waste her time and not doing what they should. If someone's being weak and not bettering themselves, then she'll just drop them and leave them behind. She's moving on. However, if they are working hard and she can see the effort, then she'll also stop and help. She may even give the proper gentle hand depending on the person and situation.
To be clear, all of this isn't to say she's an uptight, rigid, serious person. In fact, she's actually very casual, even when in her role as Commodore. That casualness and aforementioned blunt behavior also means that she doesn't always or readily pay respects to those who actually are higher up than her. Oh she'll do the lip service if necessary as she does know where she stands, but there's also no real polite etiquette and she would have no qualms being upfront and sarcastic. Even to those she does respect or is friendly with, she'll joke around and mess with them rather than be nice. Not that she can't or never will, but it's just more likely that it will be that way. With an arsenal of dry, witty sarcasm at her disposal, while not overly crude, it's clear she's a woman who is more street savvy.
She can also tease and flirt like the best of them. Not exactly seeking out actual favors, she does seem to enjoy playing coy at least in front of the boys. But it's all mostly as a game to make fun of them a bit. She has a lot of sass to use and she knows how to use it. You could say she has a "mature" type of playfulness, so to speak. She also won't be entirely honest in expressing endearment. She'll readily give praise and compliment on a job well done, but for more personal matters it's a bit different. Not in a "I like you but I say hate you" kind of way, it's just that she'll more likely cover it as dismissive (example, how she refers to Biggs and Wedge). It could be inferred from the awkward pauses and responses from receiving concern and thanks from the boys that she may also be unused to other people showing or expressing such genuine statements toward her. So expressing the same thing to others and not be sarcastic may also be a little unusual for her. That said, if she were to do so, it would be direct and to the point. Nothing superfluous.
One other thing that normally wouldn't be mentioned is another reflection of her confident attitude. Or at least, my interpretation (so you could consider this headcanon since it's not actually explicitly addressed and others could have a completely take on it). She doesn't display a lot of traditional "feminine" traits, and there's not really much opportunity or chance for it. It's clear she at least cares about her looks and makes an effort to keep a certain style. That part isn't important. But if I were to guess, even if she did have a "cute" side or wasn't 100% tomboy and enjoyed other "girly" things, she wouldn't think of it a big deal. If anything, if someone were to comment about it, her response would be, "Yeah, so what?" Just like how she'll move to her own beat and walk her own path, she'll like what she wants and not give a damn about what others think. I don't think she would feel that insecure about things don't do traditionally "suit" her style or outlook. Maybe a little awkwardness, but probably more out of the situation than anything else. Otherwise, I'd think she'd own whatever she wore or did. Again, that's just my interpretation and really I'm only putting this in here because this kind of situation could arise in game so I wanted to go ahead and include it.
Abilities:
Although she has no magical abilities, Aranea's jump skills might make her seem like she has something special about her legs. As a dragoon, and considered one of the strongest if not the strongest at that, she is capable of making extremely high jumps—even straight up from the ground to her airship. No joke, she can jump down and up to it with no problem whatsoever. However, while she may have strong legs, there is indeed a trick. Or at least, this is what I believe because good lord woman. If one is to look at her character design very carefully, the heels on her boots are not your standard ones. One could say it's just a very interesting sense of fashion, but I believe that those heels are actually Magi-Tek designed, and it's those heels that allow her to jump up as high as she does and able to withstand the impact upon landing. How that works—be beats me. But given everything else that Magi-Tek can do, it's not too out there.
Additionally, her Stossl Spear is also Magi-Tek and designed especially for her. Not only is it powerful on the ground, in the air it's even deadlier. From above, she will place both feet at the base and slam it downward with enough force to pierce the ground. You don't want to imagine what happens when it hits a body. This move is called "The Highwind" and it's her signature move. Finally, it's been shown that the spear can appear and disappear at will, similar to Noctis's weapons. It's actually a bit unclear whether that's just game design or how her weapon actually works. There's a small cutscene that deliberately shows it shattering and disappearing, which seems odd to specifically show if it's just a game mechanic. For the purposes of RP, I'll have it keep that "disappearing" quality and say it's just part of the properties of the weapon.
As can be surmised, most of her skill is fighting with her spear, and she is very acrobatic. She can jump, flip around, and excels in aerial combat. Although her ground game is also not something to laugh at, most of her power does come from the air and using gravity to her advantage for those downward thrusts.
Aside from her fighting prowess, as a mercenary and Commodore, she has a lot of experience commanding others. She knows where to prioritize and how to get things done—and she will do it. So if the game ever faces another disaster, she'll be able to help and handle it. Additionally, while she might not be an engineer, she's familiar with airships.
Other: Other than her coming in with all her armor and gear, not much else to say. Goals: get a wyvern and an airship.
Permissions: Permissions for actions done to this character.
Key: ☐ (neutral; contact first) | ☑ (yes) | ☒ (no).
» Backtagging: ☑
» Threadhopping: ☑
» Hugging: ☑ (prepare to get smacked)
» Kissing: ☑ (prepare for ass kicking)
» Fighting: ☑ (and different type of ass kicking)
» Injuring: ☑
» Killing: ☒
» Fourth Wall: ☐
» Manipulation: ☐