#OC: Virdandi

[theskylarkin]

KH OC Week Day 1 Part 1 - (Re)Introductions

Hello again! I’m back with my Scala Survivors AU OCs, although they and the AU as a whole have had some changes since last year’s entries and the Dark Road finale. (RIP 75% of my DR era headcanons lol, but I did mostly enjoy how the story played out in canon.)

Major spoilers for Dark Road ahead (for this post and the rest of my entries this week)!

The premise of this AU: Due to the meddling of a certain dark witch, the events of Dark Road played out a little differently in this worldline. TL;DR - Hermod, Urd, Vor, Vidar, Hoder, and Bragi survived Baldr’s rampage. With the exception of “Bragi” (as Luxu had to wait a while to finally swap vessels for Plot Reasons™), they lived all the way to the BBS era where they’ve taken on apprentices just like Eraqus and Xehanort. My OCs for this week are said apprentices.

(Fair Warning: This is not a fix-it AU, this is a “break more things” AU. Just throwing it out there now.)

We’ll start with the two characters that underwent the least amount of changes since the finale dropped:

Name: Sophia

Gender: Female (She/Her)

Age: 19 years old during the events of BBS

See her art and full character profile here

Biggest changes: Sophia got a redesigned keyblade with a new name and new outfits, but not that much has changed for her story-wise. Her post-timeskip design now includes matching scars with Brandr and Virdandi (but in different places for each of them) due to the attack in Traverse Town. (To go along with the emotional scarring, of course!)

Name: Ferrum

Gender: Male (He/Him)

See his art and full character profile here. (He’s gone by the time of BBS, but he haunts the narrative like it’s his job.)

Biggest changes: Besides aging up by two years, Ferrum also made it out of the rewrite relatively unscathed. Most of his changes happened as a result of fleshing out his backstory and motivation for being a keyblade wielder, as well as adding a “supporting cast” for him in the period of time before Brandr and Virdandi were apprentices.

Speaking of those two, of course my two OC fankids were the most affected by the post-DR rewrite, especially:

Name: Brandr

Gender: Male (He/Him)

Age: 18 years old during the events of BBS

See his art and full character profile here. (Note: Major spoilers for Dark Road mentioned)

Biggest changes: Oh boy. Obviously my “Bragi is just a red herring because giving him a name that’s only one letter off from Braig is way too obvious, even for Nomura” theory didn’t really pan out. (At least his cool but anachronistic jacket makes a lot more sense now.) With the timeline established by the events of DR, a lot of plot contrivances would have to occur for Brandr to exist at all now… but I did it anyway!

In his new backstory, Brandr is being raised by his single mother (a free spirit who’s into older men) and Bragi/Luxu isn’t a presence in his life at all. In fact, Luxu has no idea Brandr even exists due to being distracted by the previously mentioned Plot Reasons™ and he didn’t think to check up on the gorgeous lady from Scala that he’d had a brief fling with before finally swapping vessels.

If he had known about Brandr, Luxu would be freaked out to discover that his son has developed the same rare power that the Master of Masters had. Whether due to centuries of Luxu’s body-swapping doing weird things to his genes or just a cruel twist of cosmic irony, Brandr has the ability to glimpse visions of the future. Except Brandr doesn’t have the same level of control over his powers as the MoM and the uncontrollable visions that resulted from this socially ostracized him from most of his homeworld and basically ruined his childhood until Master Urd taught him how to (mostly) manage his condition.

Brandr’s driving motivation as a character has also changed pre and post-timeskip. When he meets Sophia, his greatest desire is social acceptance. After the events in Traverse Town, his main goal is to learn how to change the terrible futures he foresees for himself and his friends. Destiny doesn’t really work like that though. And the power of foresight alone doesn’t make one a competent chessmaster…

Design-wise, pre-timeskip Brandr has clothing more appropriate for the world and time period he lives in instead of t-shirts and sweatpants. I wanted to keep the anachronistic clothing concept for his post-timeskip look, but this time he’s dressed like someone from a past era. Due to Brandr’s newfound interest in history (as the past is the only time period he can only experience through books), Sophia and Virdandi (but mostly Sophia) got him a coat in the style of Scala’s Gothic era for his eighteenth birthday. He might’ve cried a little.

(And that’s my in-universe justification for why he’s dressed like a knockoff Bloodborne cosplayer lol.)

Brandr’s keyblade has been slightly redesigned, with the most important new detail being the Gazing Eye on the token. Brandr might not know who the eye belongs to but he knows they’re watching him, so Virdandi’s dad made him a metal cover in the shape of an apple to encase the end of the keychain.

Name: Virdandi

Gender: Gender: Female (She/Her)

Age: 17 years old during the events of BBS

See her art and full character profile here

Biggest changes: Virdandi’s story also has a lot of notable differences compared to the previous year. Due to Dark Road using the previous name for one of the upperclassmen, Virdandi’s dad is now named Magni. (Sigyn, who is now Virdandi’s little sister instead of Brandr’s, doesn’t need a name change because the Norse mythological figure she’s named after is different from Sigrun I think?) Neither he nor Urd get a statue this time due to the surviving keyblade wielders trying to cover up the details of the “Calamity” and Baldr’s corruption. (But that’s a story for another time.)

Speaking of Virdandi’s parents, due to the canon timeline established between the events of DR and BBS, the only reason Virdandi exists at all (since Urd should be old enough to be a grandmother by the time her daughter is born) is because of a helpful scientist who owed Urd a favor after she saved her from an experiment gone terribly wrong. Virdandi is biologically Urd and Magni’s daughter, just grown in a tank for the first nine months of her existence. (She’s mostly just sad she didn’t get any superpowers from it.)

Aside from Sigyn, Virdandi also took on Brandr’s burden of expectations from having a Keyblade Master as a parent and the strained parent-child relationship resulting from that. In Virdandi and Urd’s case, however, the issue is that Virdandi actually wants to be a keyblade wielder but Urd doesn’t have time to train her because she’s busy trying to help Brandr manage his powers. Virdandi’s reaction to this lack of attention from her mother is to act out, causing issues with not only Urd but Hoder as well until another keyblade master steps in.

With Bragi out of the picture due to the Dark Road finale reveal, Vidar is now Virdandi’s keyblade master (mostly because I thought it’d be interesting to see what would happen if he lived to face the consequences of his actions in DR). Their relationship is a lot less antagonistic because Virdandi admires him for having wandered the worlds as a Seeker and Vidar has the patience to deal with Virdandi’s idiosyncrasies and shut down any of her temper tantrums.

Aside from the story additions, Virdandi also got a new keyblade design and a different post-timeskip haircut. She adopted Urd’s weird turtleneck thing into her post-timeskip outfit as a sign of their relationship improving.

With all of that out of the way…

Link to Part Two

@khoc-week

#KHOCWeek2023 #KHOC Week #KHOC #KH OC #Kingdom Hearts OC #Original Characters #Long Post #Scala Survivors AU #OC: Sophia #OC: Ferrum #OC: Brandr #OC: Virdandi #KH Dark Road Spoilers

[theskylarkin]

KHOC Week Day 7 Part 2 - Order

Link to Part One

Insight Gained

Word Count: 1952

CW: Bloodborne (that’s it, that’s the content warning)

Read the fic here!

@khoc-week

#KHOCWeek2023 #KHOC Week #KHOC #KH OC #Kingdom Hearts OC #Original Characters #Long Post #Super Long Post #Fanfiction #Scala Survivors AU #OC: Sophia #OC: Virdandi #OC: Brandr #Purposefully inaccurate Bloodborne lore #My Nemus-centric fics weren't coming together like I wanted so have this instead #I'll edit the typos out when I get home from work

[theskylarkin]

KH OC Week Day 2 - X

My original fill for today’s actual prompt ended up being a better fit for one later in the week. So here’s a fic about dealing with lingering trauma instead!

Our Scars Remind Us

Word Count: 1952

CW: Mention of injuries, mentioned character death, implied emotional manipulation

Read this fic here!

@khoc-week

#KHOCWeek2023 #KHOC Week #KHOC #KH OC #Kingdom Hearts OC #Original Characters #Fanfiction #Angst #Long Post #Super Long Post #OC: Sophia #OC: Virdandi #OC: Brandr #Scala Survivors AU #Get outta here MoM this isn't even your time period

[theskylarkin]

KH OC Week Day 6 - New World + One Choice, New Life

Sophia, Virdandi, and Brandr spend a day exploring San Fransokyo and everything is FINE.

Word Count: 1305

Three Months Before the Events of BBS

Read the fic here!

@khoc-week

#KHOCWeek2023 #KHOC Week #KHOC #KH OC #Kingdom Hearts OC #Original Characters #Fanfiction #Long Post #Super Long Post #Scala Survivors AU #OC: Sophia #OC: Virdandi #OC: Brandr

[theskylarkin]

KH OC Week Day 5 - Abilities

As all my OCs are keyblade wielders apprenticed to Scalan masters who aren’t Xehanort, I think the answer to today’s original prompt is a little too obvious. (Some characters are more susceptible to darkness than others, but that’s spoiler territory…) So here���s my OCs’ keyblades finally illustrated as well as their associated formchanges and shotlocks instead.

Detailed info on individual keyblades

More info on individual fighting styles

Ferrum

Weapon Illustrations Here

Keyblade: Taenite

Primary Formchange: Hammerscale

The most common formchange of Ferrum’s keyblade is a war hammer. It’s about as large as his normal keyblade length-wise, but the smaller impact surface of the weapon allows for more precise hits and greater damage against armored foes. Just like the normal keyblade form, the “window” in the center of the hammerhead can be lit up in dark spaces and glows when he’s charging an attack.

(Hammerscale - the byproduct of the process in which iron ore is refined and forged.)

Unique Shotlock: Ironside

This shotlock lets Ferrum become immune to all physical and magical damage for a period of time (which lasts for ten additional seconds after the shotlock ends) and rush targets repeatedly for non-elemental damage. (Bonus - Extra input causes the last target to be flung into the air, potentially setting up an aerial combo.)

The most useful aspect of this move is the brief damage immunity/I-frames it grants.

(Ironside - A person of “great strength or bravery” according to Merriam-Webster)

Sophia

Weapon Illustrations Here

Keyblade: Paradigm Shift

Primary Formchange: Episteme

The most common formchange of Sophia’s keyblade is a double-ended naginata. This form gives her more melee attack power and range than the normal, magic-focused keyblade. However, due to the differences between wielding a keyblade and a polearm, it took Sophia quite some time to learn how to use it effectively.

(Episteme - refers to a principal system of understanding/knowledge in Ancient Greek philosophy)

Unique Shotlock: Demiurge

This shotlock allows Sophia to lock on to a single enemy and fire crystal-shaped projectiles at them. These crystals surround the target, growing in size as they leach HP/MP/Focus from them before violently exploding into tiny shards. The resulting blast hits not only the initial target but any other enemy in their vicinity with non-elemental damage while Sophia harvests the rewards. (Bonus - Extra input speeds up the crystals’ growth.)

The most useful aspect of this move is the leaching effect, as that is unblockable whereas the final explosion is (by the initial target only, the splash damage can’t be blocked).

Brandr

Weapon Illustrations Here

Keyblade: Firebrand

Primary Formchange: Crossfire

Form 1: The most common formchange of Brandr’s keyblade has two stages of transformation. The initial form is a pair of double-barrel wheellock pistols. To continue with the Bloodborne reference, these guns don’t use traditional ammunition (and therefore don’t need gunpowder or reloading) but every shot fired takes away a bit of Brandr’s health. So he can’t just start blasting away indiscriminately, or there will be consequences:

Brandr, weakly: “R… for… r-resuscitation—” *flatlines*

Form 2: In the second stage of the transformation, the two double-barrel pistols combine to form a single four-barrel blunderbuss. This gun is impractical, unwieldy, and can only be fired once before a very long cooldown period (as it still has the same life-leaching effect, but doubled). However, that one shot is very powerful. Brandr only uses this form in dire emergencies because of the Gazing Eye embedded into the weapon is whole in this state, rather than split like it is between the two pistols.

(Crossfire - “Firing… from two or more points so the lines of fire cross” or a “rapid or heated exchange of words” according to Merriam-Webster. *coughIjustwantedapun*)

Unique Shotlock: Muspell

This shotlock allows Brandr to launch several salvos of tracking fireballs all at once, which deal additional damage over time after the initial hit (like the status effect Ignite) even when the target is otherwise immune to fire damage. (Bonus - Extra input causes projectiles to explode on impact for extra damage.)

The most useful aspect of the move is as a source of non-elemental damage since most of Brandr’s other attacks are fire-based.

(Muspell - another name for Muspelheim, the realm of fire in Norse mythology.)

Nemus

Weapon Illustrations Here

Keyblade: Rootstock

Primary Formchange: Severed Scion

The most common formchange of Nemus’ keyblade is a pair of hand claws. They give him an extra edge in close-quarters combat, which he doesn’t see very often and needs all the help he can get in those situations. They also allow him to finally have the one cat-like trait he never got from Dr. Moto and her team, but he does dislike how even this form of his weapon is still branded by the Morpho Biotech logo.

(Scion - Can be either the part of the plant that is attached to the rootstock during the grafting process or an heir to a powerful family, which Nemus pretends he is.)

Unique Shotlock: Heart Rot

This shotlock allows Nemus to lock on to a single enemy and summon roots up out of the ground to temporarily bind them, causing non-elemental damage. When the roots finally loosen their grip, the victim will be left with at least two of these status ailments: Confuse, Poison, Blind, Silence, Sleep, and Slow. (Bonus - Extra input will add a rare chance to also inflict Doom on the target.)

The most useful aspect of the move is temporarily freezing the enemy in place, giving Nemus a chance to reposition himself if needed.

(Heart Rot - A fungal disease that targets the center of a tree trunk, known as the heartwood, causing it to decay internally.)

Virdandi

Weapon Illustrations Here

Keyblade: Norna Dómr

Primary Formchange: Ýdalir

The most common formchange of Virdandi’s keyblade is a bow that shoots arrows made of pure energy. This form was brought about by her accepting that *sigh* fine, she really needs some form of ranged attack in her arsenal. However, her opinion on the bow changed dramatically once she got the hang of sliding past attacking enemies and shooting arrows into their backs before they could turn around.

(Ýdalir - in Norse mythology, this is the realm of Ullr, a god associated with yew trees and bows.)

Unique Shotlock: Bifröst

This shotlock lets Virdandi cloak herself in dazzling, iridescent light and then rush at targets repeatedly, dealing non-elemental damage on contact. (Something like a fusion of Prism Rain and Lightning Ray. Bonus - Extra input causes tracking light orbs to stream off of her, further damaging their targets.)

Despite the light show, the most useful aspect of this move is the I-frames it grants.

(Bifröst - in Norse mythology, this is the burning rainbow bridge connecting Earth with the realm of the gods.)

@khoc-week

#KHOCWeek2023 #KHOC Week #KHOC #KH OC #Kingdom Hearts OC #Original Characters #Long Post #Super Long Post #Scala Survivors AU #OC: Ferrum #OC: Sophia #OC: Brandr #OC: Nemus #OC: Virdandi #'But Formchanges weren't in BBS?' Shush you

[theskylarkin]

KH OC Week Day 3 - Friends or Lovers

(Mostly friends lol, only one of my OCs has a significant other.)

Here are the ten most important relationships (platonic, familial, romantic, etc.) of each of my five OCs for this week:

Sophia

Anima and Mundi - As an only child, Sophia has always had a close relationship with her parents. They were always there to cheer her on during major moments in her life prior to becoming a keyblade wielder, but having to enforce the World Order means that she’s not allowed to let them know anything about a huge part of her life now. Although she really misses their support, Sophia knows her mom and dad would want her to persevere and do her best (even when all she wants to do is quit and go back to a normal life).

Mariss and Relai - The twins are younger than Sophia by nine years but they’re still the closest in age to her within that generation of her extended family. Mariss has always been interested in science and Relai wants to be an artist, so Sophia was perfectly suited to look after both of her cousins during social events and encourage them to follow their passions. She hasn’t seen much of them or the rest of her family due to her apprenticeship, but she’s always excited to hear any news about the twins from her parents.

Master Vor - When Sophia began her apprenticeship, she saw Master Vor as an independent and self-assured woman beholden to no one’s authority. Now that she understands the responsibilities that come with wielding a keyblade and why Vor has distanced herself from the other masters, Sophia isn’t sure that she wants to walk that path of constant vigilance and solitude for the rest of her life. Additionally, Sophia in her sheltered life in Radiant Garden never had a reason to distrust an authority figure so she’s had a hard time trusting Master Vor after the reveal of how much she (and the other Scalan masters) lied about “the Calamity” and the fate of Master Hoder’s brother.

Brandr - Unlike most people, Sophia made an effort to see past her disconcerting first impression of Brandr and found that aside from his weird oracle powers, he was just kind of an awkward book nerd like her. Even as she has put most of her old hobbies aside over the course of her apprenticeship, Sophia has still kept reading books so she has something to discuss with Brandr. (She tells herself that it’s for his benefit but really it’s one of the only things keeping both of them sane sometimes.) Sophia doesn’t have much hope for Brandr’s plans to change the future he’s seen, but she keeps quiet because she doesn’t want to discourage him.

Virdandi - Although Sophia may have found Virdandi’s rough-around-the-edges personality abrasive at first, they ended up becoming fast friends because they complement each other so well. With Virdandi planning out their goals (once she’d gotten the chance to grow up a little) and Sophia keeping everything organized, the two of them are much more effective at getting things done together. Sophia just wishes that Virdandi could see this, as lately she’s gotten into the habit of going off on her own and getting in over her head when she could’ve just asked for help…

Ferrum - In their short time together, Sophia looked up to the eldest apprentice a lot. She was devastated by his death, especially since he ended up sacrificing himself to protect her, Brandr, and Virdandi. However, after years of comparing herself to him while trying to keep the other apprentices from fighting when Ferrum had always made it look so easy, Sophia can’t help feeling some mild resentment toward him (which she absolutely hates herself for).

Ventus - Unlike Brandr and Virdandi, Sophia is actually trying to get along with Master Hermod’s new apprentice and give him a fair chance instead of comparing him to Ferrum. She feels especially bad for Ven because she remembers how intimidating it was to be the newest member of the group at first and she didn’t even have all of the expectations that he’s facing from the others. However, she hates that trying to protect him puts her into conflict with Brandr and Virdandi all the time, and try as she might there’s always a part of her that quietly resents how much extra emotional labor she has to perform because of him.

Aqua - Since they’re not allowed to leave the Land of Departure until they’ve passed their Mark of Mastery exams, Sophia doesn’t get to see either of Master Eraqus’ apprentices much. She’s always grateful for the rare chance to hang out with Aqua because she admires her steady composure as well as her skills at magic and handcrafting. Sophia was overjoyed when Aqua made wayfinders not just for her but for Brandr and Virdandi as well, taking the gesture to mean that Aqua also believes that all of them will be able to get along one day.

Terra - Sophia had a bit of a crush on Terra at first, but she soon realized that his heart belonged to someone else (even if he hadn’t realized it yet). She admires his strength, his dedication to helping others even when he doesn’t know them very well, and his pleated hakama pants which she added to her second keyblade wielder outfit. Sophia is very excited for the day when he and Aqua become masters so they’ll be able to visit more (and she won’t have to be in charge all the time).

Nemus - Urgh. Sophia tried her hardest to get along with Nemus at first, but his anti-intellectual/anti-science attitude repulses her. He never listens to anyone but Master Hoder and is always stirring up trouble for the sake of it. (Even Virdandi didn’t use to be as bad as he is!) She was more forgiving at the start but now that Sophia sees Nemus for the manipulative snake that he is, she doesn’t even bother trying to stop Brandr and Virdandi from arguing with him unless the fight turns physical.

Virdandi

Urd and Magni - Perhaps Virdandi’s parents simply waited too long to have children, as their eldest daughter got away with a lot more terrible behavior when she was young than she might have if they were still young enough to chase her around. Magni was quite the boisterous and hotheaded youth back in the day, and Virdandi shares a lot of those traits so she’s always been close to her dad. Funnily enough, despite not getting along with her mother, Virdandi also had the same goal of leaving Scala as Urd once had at that age. By the time of BBS, Urd and Virdandi’s relationship has improved significantly now that the two of them are on the same page about Virdandi’s future.

Brandr - Despite resenting him for taking up so much of her mother’s attention, Brandr was Virdandi’s only friend for most of her childhood as both of them were the biggest social pariahs of Scala ad Caelum for different reasons. With the passage of time and the shared experience/trauma of being keyblade wielders, Virdandi and Brandr are now close enough to consider each other to be practically siblings. Ever since the incident in Traverse Town, Virdandi has been seriously pissed off at the streak of overprotectiveness that Brandr has developed toward her (and Sophia). Just because she’s a year younger than him doesn’t mean that she’s not capable of protecting herself!

Sigyn and Idunn - It took some time for Virdandi to adjust to not being an only child anymore. Since the new baby took away even more of her parents’ attention, she didn’t really care about Sigyn at all until she was three years old (around the time when Virdandi started to ignore Brandr because he’d gotten a keyblade and she hadn’t). Now that she’s matured up a little, Virdandi has been trying to be a better big sister but Sigyn’s more grounded personality has her acting like she’s the older sibling at times! Despite not actually being related to her, Virdandi considers Idunn to be her cool aunt, especially since she’ll let her get away with things that Virdandi’s parents would never tolerate.

Master Vidar - Virdandi met Master Vidar at the point in her life when she wanted nothing more than to leave her homeworld behind; of course she would consider the keyblade master who’d been exiled from Scala in all but name for decades to be the coolest adult she’d ever met. Unlike the bossy and overbearing Master Hoder, Vidar had more of a freeform and hands-off approach to teaching that Virdandi appreciated…but perhaps she really could’ve used a lot more structure in her training. Master Vidar’s style of mentorship is all about letting his student learn from her own mistakes as much as possible, which has worked for Virdandi in the past but now she views asking for help as a sign of weakness.

Sophia - Virdandi didn’t think she and Sophia were gonna get along at first because they’re so different, but their opposite personalities tend to balance each other out more than they clash. As different as the two may seem, they are similar in how they have their own set of strong core values that they are prepared to defend when challenged (it’s just that Virdandi is also willing to argue over more trivial things too). Lately, however, Sophia’s been kind of a wet blanket so Virdandi has been giving the other apprentice some space so she can focus on her own training.

Ferrum - Although Virdandi hated Ferrum at first for taking Brandr away from her (even though she was the one who pushed Brandr away once he got a keyblade), she warmed up to him quickly once she finally became an apprentice and didn’t feel left behind anymore. Even though she hadn’t known Ferrum for as long, he was still the second friend she ever made and his death hurt in a way she’d never felt before. Virdandi never wants to experience that kind of pain again so aside from Brandr and Sophia she subconsciously stops herself from building deeper relationships with others.

Aqua and Terra - Virdandi was never as close to Master Eraqus’ apprentices as Ferrum and Brandr were, only having met them once or twice before Ferrum’s death. In the present, she sees Aqua and Terra as overprotective goody-two-shoes and believes that if they hadn’t coddled Ventus while he was under Master Eraqus’ care he wouldn’t be so weak. Virdandi will back off if one of them chastises her for picking on Ven but she doesn’t really respect their authority.

Master Hoder - Even though years have passed since then, Virdandi still hasn’t completely forgiven Master Hoder for deeming her unworthy to be her apprentice. (Any chance of letting that grudge die disappeared when she met the person who Hoder actually chose.) Virdandi is aware that the leader of Scala still watches her like a hawk for any signs of emerging darkness, but she hasn’t been scared of her ever since she got a keyblade. Surely the fact that the keyblade chose Virdandi is a sign that darkness will never have a chance to take root in her heart, right?

Ventus - Virdandi didn’t react as badly to Master Hermod’s new apprentice as Brandr did, but she’s still mean toward Ventus on principle. Although she mocks his naivete and sunny optimism out loud, secretly Virdandi finds these traits of his… kinda cute? (Run, Ven, run!) Whatever, Virdandi is just glad she’s not the shortest apprentice anymore. Besides, she doesn’t hate him nearly as much as…

Nemus - From the moment that they met, Virdandi has loathed Nemus with every fiber of her being. She hates that he’s an inch taller than her, that he can so easily push her buttons, and that Master Hoder picked him to be her apprentice after rejecting her. Virdandi makes sure to celebrate every petty victory against Nemus as obnoxiously as possible because she knows how much he can’t stand losing.

Brandr

Idunn - Okay, yeah, Brandr’s a bit of a mama’s boy but most people would be too if they grew up in a town where most folks were convinced that they were cursed by darkness at a young age and she was one of the only people who stood up for them. In spite of having to be a single parent of a child plagued with a condition no one understood, Idunn soldiered on and always tried to treat her son just like any other Scalan child whenever she could. Brandr’s motivation to become a keyblade master came from wanting the other inhabitants of the world to respect him so that Idunn didn’t have to be a social outcast by association anymore.

Master Urd and Magni - Long before Brandr became her apprentice, Master Urd was already a mentor figure to him as she tried to figure out a means by which he could manage his powers. As a result, they’ve been one of the closest master-apprentice pairs until recently as they’ve had a bit of a falling out over Brandr’s increasing reliance on his visions. Aside from the extra burden for Idunn, Brandr never really minded the absence of his biological father as Magni became a paternal figure to him very early on, despite the two of them being complete opposites personality-wise.

Virdandi - Regardless if she was his best friend or hated his guts at the time, Virdandi has always been a constant presence in Brandr’s life. He’s always thought of her as a sister because normal siblings are supposed to go from liking each other to fighting every other day, right? (He had to adjust this theory once Sigyn came into the picture.) They are each other’s closest confidants and worst enablers; no matter how much they argue, Brandr would go postal if anything ever happened to Virdandi.

Sigyn - Brandr and Sigyn aren’t actually related but he still thinks of her as his little sister all the same. Once his main goal shifted from becoming a keyblade master to changing the future, he would’ve stopped training with Master Urd if not for Sigyn as her parents would only allow her to begin her training once either Brandr or Virdandi had their Mark of Mastery. Brandr has had visions of Sigyn as a keyblade wielder and wants to preserve that future for her so she’ll be able to protect herself if his plans to alter fate should fail.

Ferrum - Although it took him some time to warm up to Ferrum in the beginning, Brandr considered him to be the older brother he never had. (Years later, Brandr realized that he might’ve had a bit of a crush on him as well.) Out of the trio, Brandr was the most affected by Ferrum’s death due to having known that the older apprentice would be gone someday thanks to his visions, but misinterpreting the reason for his absence in the future. Now Brandr has to live the rest of his life knowing that his last conversation with Ferrum ended with him telling Ferrum that he’d never forgive him for something that didn’t actually happen.

Sophia - In stark contrast to the other keyblade apprentices, Brandr had a much easier time befriending Sophia since the two of them share a love of books. Unbeknownst to her, Brandr has a huge crush on Sophia, which is a secret he’ll take to his grave. He’s seen glimpses of her future and he’s nowhere to be seen, but she seems much happier there than she is in the present and Brandr doesn’t want to take that away from her (and he doesn’t want a repeat of what happened with Ferrum).

Aqua - When he first met her at the start of his apprenticeship, Brandr had the biggest crush on Aqua and was unable to string more than three words together whenever he was in her presence. Those feelings faded after Ferrum died and Master Hermod got a new apprentice, disappearing altogether somewhere around the twentieth time she snapped at him for criticizing Ventus. Now Brandr dislikes how much of a stickler for the rules Aqua is and sees her as a potential obstacle to any of his plans to change the destined future.

Terra - Brandr used to be jealous of Terra and Ferrum’s friendship whenever they visited the Land of Departure together, but otherwise he didn’t really have any strong feelings towards Master Eraqus’ oldest apprentice. That changed one day when he had a vision of Terra striking down his own master. Now he’s always keeping one eye on Terra whenever he’s around Sophia or Virdandi, while also trying to drop hints to Master Eraqus that he should be on the lookout for a betrayal from an unexpected source…

Nemus - The first time they met, Brandr addressed Nemus as “the lab rat”. He still calls him that whenever he’s giving Sophia or Virdandi attitude (it’s just as effective an insult as before). Brandr finds Nemus’ attempts at attention-seeking and clout-chasing pathetic, but the real reason he’s so cruel toward Nemus is that he’s seen him in the future fighting Virdandi while Scala burns behind them. Due to this vision, Brandr can’t be bothered to pretend to be nice to someone who will end up as his enemy in the future (but really he’s just looking for an excuse).

Ventus - The first time they met, Brandr addressed Ventus as “the replacement”. He only stopped doing so because he was immediately chastised by Aqua and Terra for it. Deep down, a small part of Brandr knows his burning hatred of Ventus is unfair and that he’s taking out all of his frustration on the youngest apprentice because he’s a convenient target. And yet, just seeing Ventus standing next to Master Hermod (he doesn’t belong here, he’s not wanted, leave leave LEAVE!) is enough to set Brandr off.

Bragi/Luxu - [Data Not Found]

Ferrum

Yin - Ferrum’s boyfriend was also his best friend since childhood, although it took Ferrum’s departure from Traverse Town for both of them to realize that their feelings were more than platonic. Yin was the polar opposite of Ferrum, initially cold toward strangers and bitingly sarcastic in his speech, but there was no one in the whole universe that Ferrum trusted more. He always wondered why Ferrum never told the other apprentices that they were dating, and this secrecy ended up causing more problems for everyone in the end.

Paya - One of the other orphan kids who grew up on the streets with Ferrum and Yin, Paya was the third member of their trio responsible for looking after the younger children. She met Master Hermod at the same time as Ferrum when the keyblade master saved them both from an Invisible. (Years later, she would often wonder what could’ve been if only they hadn’t run into that heartless on that night.) As per his request, Paya kept Ferrum’s departure and new job a secret from everyone else even though she hated lying to them, Yin especially.

Master Hermod - The keyblade master was the closest thing Ferrum had to a father figure. For his part, Hermod thought of Ferrum as the closest thing he had to a son, but he was convinced that his apprentice had some kind of important destiny. Although he didn’t mean to emotionally burden his apprentice, Ferrum definitely felt the pressure to live up to Master Hermod’s grand expectations of himself. Ferrum’s death left Master Hermod devastated and he ended up being much more emotionally distant from his second apprentice, Ventus, as a result.

Zlatan - The proprietor of the First District Accessory Shop and Yin’s boss was the closest thing Ferrum had to a “father-in-law” figure. Zlatan was deeply suspicious of Ferrum because he wouldn’t tell him what he did for a living or where he went whenever he disappeared from Traverse Town, loudly remarking to Yin that maybe he should date someone more honest and reliable instead. His enmity toward Ferrum was born out of a sense of protectiveness towards his apprentice, as Zlatan had been planning for Yin to take over the business after he retired. Fate, unfortunately, had other ideas.

Ravi, Cor, and Laureen - Ferrum met these three average kids in Twilight Town shortly after the beginning of his apprenticeship. They could tell that there was something weird about him but they accepted him into their friend group anyway and taught him how to skateboard. As the three civilians had been kept out of the loop due to Ferrum’s adherence to the World Order, they never learned the true reason for his sudden disappearance.

Terra - Since they had a lot in common, Ferrum and Terra always got along splendidly on the rare occasions that Ferrum visited the Land of Departure. As Ferrum was three years older and half a foot taller, Terra jokingly vowed that one day he’d surpass Ferrum’s height. (By the time of BBS, Terra is still an inch too short to measure up.) It’s this bond that keeps Terra from giving up on getting through to Brandr and Virdandi in the present day, as he knows how much Ferrum cared about the two of them.

Aqua - Although he found her a bit too self-serious at times, Ferrum enjoyed spending time with Aqua as well but he wasn’t as close with her because they didn’t have a lot in common. However, he always remembered the time she complimented the earrings Yin made him and considered her a responsible young lady who would be a great keyblade master one day. In turn, Aqua still tries to look out for Brandr and Virdandi despite the way they treat Ventus and has vowed that none of the others will fall to the darkness on her watch.

Brandr - Ferrum’s experiences taking care of the other orphans of Traverse Town helped him to gently coax Brandr out of his shell after spending more time with him and realizing that his initial frostiness was due to him not really knowing how to make friends. Once Brandr warmed up to him, Ferrum appreciated how thoughtful and observant he could be, often remembering little details that Ferrum had forgotten or overlooked. (Tragically, he didn’t realize just how much Brandr came to look up to him until it was almost too late.) Like most people, Ferrum never truly understood Brandr’s ability but he always encouraged him to live in the moment and not let his condition define him.

Virdandi - Once she had her own keyblade and less of a reason to be jealous of him, Ferrum had a much easier time befriending Virdandi. Although he did find her brash personality grating at times, Ferrum was hopeful that she’d soon grow out of it along with her anti-social behavior. He tried to encourage Virdandi not to be afraid of her own emotional vulnerability and open up to other people, as being able to let others into your heart is such an important part of being a keyblade wielder.

Sophia - Even though he didn’t know Sophia for very long, Ferrum admired her curiosity about the worlds beyond her own and her eagerness to learn new things. He tried to teach her to not fear battle so that she’d be able to defend herself and others, even if she avoided fighting as much as humanly possible. Since Sophia had bonded so quickly with Brandr and Virdandi, Ferrum was confident that the three of them would make a fine team and could handle themselves if he wasn’t around anymore. Alas…

Nemus

Master Hoder - Ever since she saved him, Nemus has been one hundred percent “ride or die” loyal to his keyblade master, acting as more of her enforcer than her apprentice at times. Although he’s been more open with her than anyone else since she’s still the only one who knows the truth about him, Nemus still doesn’t trust Hoder completely due to the similarities between her and Dr. Moto. Her cold and distant demeanor at times (the other masters claim she used to be a lot different before the death of her brother) makes it difficult for him to tell where he stands with her, discouraging him from trying to get any closer.

Dr. Rin Moto - The scientist is the closest thing Nemus ever had to a “birth mother”. She’s also the main source of his many trust issues. A part of Nemus is still trying to reconcile the maternal figure he knew her as for the first five years of his life with the mercenary researcher she was beneath the mask. Although he’d like to think that he’s left her in the past, Dr. Moto’s lasting influence on Nemus is most apparent in his decision to construct a fake persona for himself once he arrived in Scala.

Hana - Despite being just her “pet”, the young rich girl was the closest thing Nemus had to a real friend when he was growing up. Just like with Dr. Moto, his feelings toward her (and especially her uncertain fate which he could have prevented) are complicated and her influence on him still lingers on. For example, certain aspects of Nemus’ fake “Catkin” backstory are taken from one of the games that he and Hana used to play in the sprawling greenhouses of her family’s estate.

Kingsley and Akane - On the other hand, Nemus has no fond memories of Hana’s awful (to him, not to her) parents whatsoever. Abusive and cruel as they were, these two still had a significant impact on Nemus’ worldview, to the point where he has unconsciously based certain aspects of his new identity around them. In particular, Nemus’ preference for golden things and obsession with improving his social status can be attributed to Kingsley while his use of passive aggression and aesthetic obsession with trees/plants comes from Akane.

Sigyn - Virdandi’s younger sister is the only kid in Scala ad Caelum that Nemus remotely gets along with. It helps that she reminds him of the better parts of Hana and that she didn’t immediately accuse him of trying to replace someone else within seconds of meeting him for the first time. Nemus wouldn’t really consider them “friends” since they don’t have much in common, but sometimes Sigyn will show up with a snack to share and talk about her day while he tries his best not to say anything too condescending. Does that count as friendship? Nemus isn’t really sure.

Sophia - Out of the Fractured Trio, Nemus loathes Sophia the least…but that doesn’t mean that he likes her. Her scientific mindset invokes bad memories for him, making him even less inclined to do what she asks. Plus, no matter how hard she insists that she can be impartial, Nemus knows that Sophia will side with Brandr, Virdandi, and/or Ventus over him every single time.

Ferrum - As Nemus only became a wielder about a year after Ferrum’s death, he never got a chance to meet the oldest apprentice. However, Nemus has come to loathe him by association since everything he does gets compared to “how Ferrum would’ve done it” by both the other apprentices and the masters. There’s no winning when the competition is a dead guy that everyone’s put on such a high pedestal.

Brandr - Like most people, Nemus finds Brandr weird and offputting. The other apprentice doesn’t seem to care much about the things he values like attention and social status, so it’s hard for Nemus to rile Brandr up in any meaningful way (aside from targeting Virdandi or his mother, which will get Brandr to go full scorched earth and Nemus doesn’t want that smoke). Besides, Nemus is too creeped out by Brandr’s powers (and lives in fear that he’ll be able to see visions of the past one day, which would ruin the whole charade that Nemus has spent the last four years building around himself) to actually pick a fight with him.

Virdandi - Way before either of them knew they had a deeper connection to each other thanks to Morpho Biotechnical, Nemus and Virdandi absolutely despised each other. Nemus hates that she looks down on him for being a newer keyblade wielder and will take every possible opportunity to outshine her, especially in front of the masters. He has a lot of fun trying to wind her up but can only get away with it when they’re alone otherwise he will get outnumbered by the rest of the trio.

Ventus - However, the newest apprentice doesn’t have that kind of protection when he’s in Scala. Nemus bullies Ventus relentlessly because he perceives him as weaker, which has the added effect of making Ventus a more appealing target for Brandr and Virdandi (thus keeping them from ganging up on Nemus, at least in theory). Nemus’ real reason for this bullying is jealousy over Ven having a support system when he doesn’t.

(Nemus has never been to the Land of Departure just as Terra and Aqua have never been to Scala ad Caelum. Despite none of them having ever met in person, there’s a mutual dislike between him and Eraqus’ two apprentices by proxy.)

@khoc-week

#KHOCWeek2023 #KHOC Week #KHOC #KH OC #Kingdom Hearts OC #Original Characters #Long Post #Super Long Post #Scala Survivors AU #OC: Sophia #OC: Virdandi #OC: Brandr #OC: Ferrum #OC: Nemus #Ven's not having a good time in this AU poor baby

[theskylarkin]

KH OC Week Day 4 - Alternate Universes

Obligatory Dæmon AU? Obligatory Dæmon AU!

Name: Eligia (from a Latin word that means “to choose”, a variant of the name for the patron saint of metalworkers), aka “Eli”

Human: Ferrum

Settled Form: Lioness (Panthera leo)

Lions are considered to be symbols of authority, strength, and courage in many cultures. Despite being well-known as apex predators, they are also notable for spending most of the day resting and socializing with other members of their pride while only hunting in short spurts.

Eligia is a bit more reserved and openly wary of strangers at first than Ferrum. However, she is still just as adept at socializing with other dæmons as he is with people and is notably more physically affectionate. Eli makes a terrifying impression when she’s barring her teeth at serious threats, but she’s usually the one who has to tell Ferrum to calm down and not get stressed out over trivial things.

Name: Oline (variant of an Old Norse name formed from two elements meaning “ancestor” and “inheritance/legacy”)

Human: Brandr

Settled Form: Barn Owl (Tyto alba), almost pure white due to leucism (aka a lack of normal pigmentation but without the red eyes seen in true albinism)

Considered an ill omen in many cultures, barn owls are known for their piercing cry and silent flight that makes them more eerie than other owls. Despite being predators, they are also known to get picked on by smaller birds when trying to hunt outside of their nocturnal cycle. In the HDM series, certain types of bird dæmons are associated with witches and the supernatural.

No one’s sure whether Oline’s odd coloration for a barn owl is a result of Brandr’s powers or not, but her ghostly appearance is appropriate as most people never hear a word out of her even when Brandr’s in a talkative mood. She helps him keep his thoughts focused on the present as she’s only partially affected by the visions. Oline has a better grasp of what’s socially acceptable and will dig her talons into Brandr’s shoulder whenever he’s being too brutally honest to someone who doesn’t deserve it.

Name: Jarl (means “chieftain/nobleman” in Old Norse, fitting Vi’s sense of self-importance)

Human: Virdandi

Settled Form: Domestic Dog (Canis lupus familiaris), specifically a Borzoi/Russian Wolfhound, jet black with no markings

Borzois might be awkward-looking dogs but the breed’s original purpose was to aid in hunting wolves. They are typically athletic and independent, but also selective learners who quickly get bored with repetitive activity and are stubborn when not motivated properly. Black dogs are also ill omens in several cultures.

Jarl has a slightly calmer temperament that balances out Virdandi’s heightened emotions. He keeps her from getting too focused on one thing to the detriment of everything else and has to constantly remind her to slow down and think for a second. Even though dæmons don’t usually speak in the presence of other people, it’s not uncommon for Virdandi and Jarl to start arguing out loud in public when their mental discussions get out of hand.

Name: Gnosis (means “knowledge” in Greek, with “knowledge” in this case referring to “personal awareness” compared to intellectual knowledge)

Human: Sophia

Settled Form: Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)

Crows as a whole are intelligent and sociable birds. The hooded crow, easily distinguishable from other crows due to its ash grey body that contrasts its black head and wings, is also noted for being more tolerant of other birds in its space than other crow species. In Irish mythology, however, the hooded crow is associated with a goddess of war called the Badb who appeared as a harbinger of bloodshed or to cause chaos on the battlefield.

Gnosis is much more open about his negative emotions than Sophia, glaring at people with open hostility even as she’s trying to defuse a situation. Although he shares Sophia’s distaste for violence just for the sake of it, the dæmon prefers to get fights over and done with as quickly as possible instead of trying to run from an inevitable conflict. Gnosis pushes Sophia to stand up for herself and not let others take advantage of her caring nature.

Name: Lucretia (derived from the Latin word meaning “profit, wealth”)

“Human”: Nemus

Settled Form: Jewel Scarab (Chrysina aurigans)

Chrysina aurigans is a species of scarab beetle known for its metallic golden coloring due to the unique way in which light refracts through its multi-layered elytra. In Egyptian mythology, scarabs were associated with the sun as well as rebirth and regeneration.

The scientists who created Nemus didn’t even bother to give his dæmon a name so Lucertia chose her own when she and Nemus moved to Scala ad Caelum. Due to her size and shape, she will pretend to be a piece of jewelry or ornamentation sometimes in order to spy on people. Lucretia only speaks up to help Nemus maintain the lies he tells about his past and to keep his story straight. She’s much more cautious and calculating, always watching everyone around her with suspicious eyes as she’s terrified of physical contact with humans and other dæmons.

@khoc-week

#KHOCWeek2023 #KHOC Week #KH OC #KHOC #Kingdom Hearts OC #Original Characters #Daemon AU #Dæmon AU #Scala Survivors AU #Long Post #OC: Ferrum #OC: Brandr #OC: Virdandi #OC: Sophia #OC: Nemus #*adds to the ever growing multi-fandom pile of Dæmon AUs*

[theskylarkin]

KH OC Week Day 4 - Coliseum

(I'm swapping around the prompts for Day 4-6 for, um, Reasons. Mostly, it's just to have both of my "infodump" entries in a row. Disclaimer: I've never actually played a pen and paper RPG so these would probably be terrible character builds to actually play as.)

Information on fighting styles below:

Ferrum - The Blade is Me

At first glance, Ferrum has a fighting style that shares a lot of similarities with Terra’s. Both have high Strength stats plus a focus on guarding and then countering with powerful attacks using their heavy keyblades, but that’s where the similarities end.

Ferrum is quicker but less tanky than his fellow apprentice, so his moveset relies on a lot more footwork and swordplay in comparison to Terra’s raw power. The timing of Ferrum’s guarding and counterattacks is much more precise, and he favors attacks that stun and/or disorientate his opponents so they have less opportunity to retaliate such as Collision Magnet and Magnet Spiral. His preferred method of immobilizing enemies is to launch them into the air and then hit them with a barrage of combos so they never get the chance to recover their footing. (Obviously, this doesn’t work on opponents capable of flight or teleportation.) Master Hermod wasn’t impressed by this “juggling” strategy until Ferrum could prove its effectiveness in battle.

Defense-wise, Ferrum is quick enough to pull off the Reversal maneuver and dodge behind an enemy to attack. He can also do a similar “backward flash step into a reprisal” move for larger opponents but that’s all he’s got in terms of evasion. He prefers the guard/counter strategy more, especially when on a mission with the other apprentices where he’ll usually have to block attacks directed at them (Brandr and Sophia are still getting the hang of using Barrier, and Virdandi is still insisting that the best defense is just to not get hit).

Over the years, Ferrum’s master has come to appreciate the need for good defensive maneuvers (especially when it comes to protecting one’s friends). However, Master Hermod still favors a highly offense-based style of combat, which makes Ferrum an excellent match for him as an apprentice because Magic is his worst stat. The only two spells he’s capable of casting are Magnet (perfect for getting enemies into melee range) and Spark (light magic is just easier for him to learn as opposed to another elemental spell, which is another way that he and Terra differ.)

Virdandi - Speed Demon

Virdandi’s fighting style focuses on the use of time magic, quick attacks that give her time to cartwheel away and evade any reprisals, and general “hit and run” tactics. Speed is her best stat and defense is her worst, making her the most fragile of glass cannons. Spells that slow down enemy reaction time and increase her own speed fit her strategy but Virdandi specifically likes casting Slow on her enemies so she can watch her target make amusing faces as they recoil from her flurry of strikes (as she casts Haste on herself) and take damage in slow motion. Virdandi tends to wait until she’s low on health to cast Stop because she hates the delay between attacking and the enemy actually taking damage.

At first, these time spells were the only non-melee technique in Virdandi’s moveset. Her reasoning behind this was that if she could defeat her opponent before they had a chance to land a hit then she wouldn’t need to bother learning any defensive moves or healing spells, right? Master Vidar was not impressed but he figured that Virdandi would realize the flaws in her strategy on her own as she kept training.

Post-Timeskip

It may have taken a little longer for her to gain this insight than he’d have liked, as Virdandi can be an incredibly stubborn contrarian. Eventually, she came to accept that her strategy was ill-suited for encounters with multiple targets or enemies immune to time magic, and began to adjust her tactics accordingly. By the time of BBS, she’s learned moves like Drain that give her some HP back and some that have a chance to instant-kill like Zantetsuken (although this isn’t nearly as effective as Terra’s due to her lower strength stat). With Sophia's help, she’s also added Doom to her arsenal of time magic.

To her master’s relief, Virdandi has even learned to cast a few defensive spells like Protect and Shell (if only because they were easier in comparison to learning how to properly counter attacks). Vidar’s efforts to teach her any light magic, however, have not panned out as of yet. (Ventus being a natural at light magic may have some bearing on her disinterest to learn.)

Sophia - Jack of All Trades, Master of None

At the beginning of her apprenticeship, Sophia decided that she wanted to develop a fighting style that had the perfect balance of offense, defense, speed, and magic. Since her interest was always more focused on the academic opportunities that owning a keyblade presented and had exactly zero prior combat experience, Sophia thought a generalist focus would have the most versatility and therefore the most effectiveness.

Master Vor, on the other hand, doubted that specializing in refusing to specialize would work out for Sophia in the long run. However, she held her tongue so as not to discourage her curious apprentice, at first anyway. (Vor figured that Sophia learning a little bit of everything would help her become more self-reliant. And if Sophia just so happened to learn more spells than keyblade techniques because she was assigned several heavy grimoires to read? Complete coincidence, of course.)

Post-Timeskip

Since then, Sophia has learned that studying techniques and planning things out in her head is nothing compared to actual experience on the battlefield. By the time of BBS, she has developed a varied moveset with no glaring weaknesses but no real strengths either. If the obstacle in her path is sentient, her first instinct is always to try and talk things out. When a battle ensues, Sophia is still more likely to use magic than swing her keyblade if only because Strength is her weakest stat. (This tendency made her initial refusal to focus on magic all the more confusing to Vor.)

At the start of a fight, Sophia strategically hangs back and carefully observes her enemy to determine its weaknesses before she takes action to exploit them accordingly. To accomplish this more effectively, she learned Barrier like Aqua and Brandr in order to block attacks without compromising her line of sight. Unlike them, she’s learned how to combine it with a second Reflect spell to create a shield that can take multiple hits due to her high Defense stat and lasts longer at the cost of more MP. Even with this strengthened Barrier, her fighting style is much more effective when she has others with her, a weakness that Master Vor hopes to overcome by pushing Sophia to get stronger and has led to some contention between master and apprentice.

After five years of training, Sophia has become more accustomed to wielding a keyblade. In addition to Barrier, she’s also accurate enough at teleporting behind an enemy when they’re about to strike to use the ability as her only form of dodging attacks. She also knows the base version of every spell (even the most obscure ones that Aqua hasn’t learned yet such as Demi, Frog, Regen, and Warp). The only higher-level spells she can cast are Curaga (necessary as Brandr and Virdandi have little to no healing spells), Graviga, Zero Graviga, and Meteor as well as Doom and Mega Flare after helping Virdandi and Brandr learn them.

Vor’s appeal to Sophia’s insatiable curiosity is not without consequence, however, as her pursuit of the magical arts has led to her learning a few dark spells. She tells herself that it’s purely for academic purposes only; she’d never use those spells on anyone but they should be studied and understood just like any other branch of magic. Yet she would never tell Master Vor or any other keyblade wielder because she knows they wouldn’t understand…

Brandr - I See Fire

Brandr has a surprisingly high Magic stat—higher than Sophia’s and almost on par with Aqua’s—for someone who can barely cast any spells. Perhaps he might have developed a knack for spellcasting if he’d been taught at an earlier age, but no one in Scala ad Caelum would’ve been willing to do so due to his strange condition until Master Urd helped him learn to somewhat manage his power. So far, the only spell Brandr can cast reliably is Barrier (which, to his credit, only two other apprentices can also cast by the time of BBS).

To keep him from growing frustrated with trying to learn too much at once, Master Urd thought it would be best to teach her apprentice how to channel his magic potential in a more indirect manner. Brandr has learned how to imbue his attacks with Fire magic for extra damage but it’s the only element he’s been able to master (ironic since Urd was known for her preference toward Ice magic when she was an apprentice). For enemies immune to fire damage, he’s also learning keyblade techniques that draw their power from magical strength rather than physical (attacks like Explosion, Magic Flash, Last Charge, and Ripple Drive) as Strength is his second-worst stat.

Brandr’s actual worst stat is Speed. As he prefers to keep his enemies at a distance, his slow reaction times don’t affect his combat style much as long as he can keep up a barrage of ranged attacks (moves like Strike Raid and shotlocks) and his opponent can’t move quickly enough to close the gap.  However, it makes his unpredictable visions all the more dangerous because he can’t quickly get to safety until they end while he’s in the midst of a battle. This was the main reason that Master Urd pushed Brandr to learn Barrier but until he learns some offensive magic he’s not allowed to fight on his own yet.

Post-Timeskip

By the time of BBS, Brandr has successfully learned some spells! And not all of them are Fire-based! For starters, he’s mastered all the variants of Barrier (minus Sophia’s reinforced version) plus a fire version. The Mine spells, Blackout, and Stopra (which Virdandi taught him) give him the crowd control options that his moveset was sorely lacking. He can also cast all four tiers of Fire spells (although the cufflink in his coat might be aiding him in casting Firaza), Crawling Fire, Ignite, and (with Sophia’s help) Mega Flare.

The biggest change in Brandr’s combat style is his use of the Sight to predict enemy movements and evade future attacks (although it’s not one hundred percent reliable). Now that he has a better grip on his powers, he feels much more confident moving around the battlefield and relies less on ranged attacks. Despite his success with this technique, Master Urd is still concerned with him relying too much on the Sight as overuse causes awful headaches, and focusing on events outside the current fight if his attention wanders leaves him wide open to attacks while he’s distracted.

Nemus - Light is Not Good

Before he got a keyblade, Nemus found that avoiding/running from his problems was usually a more effective tactic for him than fighting. It’s no wonder that his best stat is Speed (he’s even faster than Virdandi when he’s really trying) and his worst is Strength (but he’s at least a little physically stronger than Sophia due to the circumstances of his childhood). Even after gaining a keyblade, Nemus still tries to avoid fighting as much as possible. This isn’t out of avoidance of conflict like Sophia, however, as Nemus thrives on animosity and competition. It’s just that he prefers verbal sparring to physical as it’s less likely to get his clothes dirty.

When he is forced into combat, Nemus prefers long-range combat and magic over melee attacks. In particular, he’s learned Strike Raid and some of its variants (Circle Raid and Treasure Raid) in order to hit enemies with his keyblade without moving from where he stands. However, he does know Limit Storm and Salvation just in case someone does get in his bubble. Some call his preference of hanging back while in battle to be cowardice or laziness, but he calls it conserving energy.

Master Hoder’s specialty is Light Magic and consequentially all of Nemus’ offense-based spells are of that element: the Spark series of spells and Faith/Holy. However, he’s got his own tricks up his sleeve as he’s also learned Confuse and Vanish to cause chaos on the battlefield. Nemus knows the Cure spells and Esuna but he’s no White Mage-he reserves all of his healing spells for himself. And if those run out, he’s learned Energy Magnet (and Money Magnet, but for different reasons).

Despite his elemental and moral affinity, Nemus is always prepared to fight dirty. After a lifetime of being kicked around by those stronger than him, the idea of honor in battle is a joke to Nemus.

Pre-Timeskip Relative Stats Breakdown (with the Wayfinder Trio for comparison's sake):

Strength

Sophia < Ventus < Brandr < Aqua < Virdandi < Ferrum < Terra

Defense

Virdandi < Aqua < Ferrum < Ventus < Brandr < Terra < Sophia

Speed

Terra < Brandr < Sophia < Ferrum < Aqua < Virdandi < Ventus

Magic

Ferrum < Virdandi < Terra < Ventus < Sophia < Brandr < Aqua

Post-Timeskip Relative Stats Breakdown:

Strength

Sophia < Ventus < Nemus < Brandr < Aqua < Virdandi < Terra

Defense

Virdandi < Aqua < Nemus < Ventus < Brandr < Terra < Sophia

Speed

Terra < Brandr < Sophia < Aqua < Virdandi < Ventus < Nemus

Magic

Virdandi < Terra < Ventus < Nemus < Sophia < Brandr < Aqua

@khoc-week

#khocweek2022 #khoc week #khoc #Kingdom Hearts #KH #Original Characters #Long Post #Scala Survivors AU #BBS era #OC: Brandr #OC: Ferrum #OC: Sophia #OC: Virdandi #Kingdom Hearts OC #KH OC #KH OCs

[theskylarkin]

KH OC Week Day 1 - Appearance

(Author's Note - Hello, this is my first year participating! My four keykid OCs are from an AU where the rest of the Scala Squad survive all the way to the BBS era and get apprentices of their own. Please excuse the picrews; I can’t art.)

Rewrite Pending

@khoc-week

#khocweek2022 #Fanfiction #KHOC #KHOC Week #Original Characters #Kingdom Hearts #KH #Scala Survivors AU #BBS Era #Will crosspost to AO3 at a later date #Long Post #Super Long Post #OC: Brandr #OC: Ferrum #OC: Sophia #OC: Virdandi

[theskylarkin]

KH OC Week Bonus - Trinity

While I scramble to finish my Day 7 entry, here are some of the changes that Brandr, Sophia, and Virdandi (aka the Fractured Trio) have undergone during the five-year time skip:

Update: All character art and bios moved to DW

Sophia

Virdandi

Brandr

Author's Notes

The original concept of these three characters was them as a sort of dark mirror version of the Wayfinder Trio. Brandr with his fire theme is meant to be a foil to Aqua not only in terms of their elements but their personalities, priorities, and their actions when this worldline’s version of BBS happens. Although complete opposites in appearance and personality, Virdandi is Terra’s foil through their struggles with darkness and later against their respective mentor figures. That leaves Sophia as Ventus’ foil as they’re both outsiders and latecomers to their respective trios, despite Sophia being the closest thing to a normal person in this setting in contrast to Ven’s long and important role.

Ferrum was only supposed to be the traumatic catalyst in everyone’s backstory, so it was nice to get to develop him as an actual character over the course of this event before I stuff him into the fridge.

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KH OC Week Day 5 - Determination

Why do you want to become a keyblade master?

Rewrite Pending

Brandr, Age Thirteen

Virdandi, Age Twelve

Sophia, Age Fourteen

Ferrum, Age Sixteen

Five Years Later…

Brandr, Age Eighteen

Virdandi, Age Seventeen

Sophia, Age Nineteen

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KH OC Week Day 2 - Inventory

Tell me about your keyblade.

Answers under the cut:

Ferrum - Taenite

When Ferrum summons his keyblade, a small shockwave instantly forms at his feet, exploding outward with an AoE effect powerful enough to stun anything or anyone that happens to be in his vicinity (but not actually hurt them).

Since it's modeled after a key for a pin tumbler lock (like Fenrir and Braveheart), Taenite is much more “blade” than “key” compared to the standard keyblade. In fact, the blade is more comparable length and widthwise to a massive great sword in the vein of FFVII’s Buster Sword or Berserk’s Dragon Slayer. Despite its larger size, Taenite doesn’t actually feel any heavier to its wielder than any other keyblade would due to the magical properties of the weapon. Still, people tend to stare when they spot Ferrum holding up his solid metal slab of a keyblade effortlessly in one hand.

The wrought iron design of the frame on the guard and the half-circle above it connected to the blade are taken from one of the windows in Traverse Town’s Fifth District. Meanwhile, the “stained glass” of the half-circle is meant to represent the windows on the second level of the First District Item Shop. The keyblade’s handle is wrapped up with a rough green cloth resembling athletic tape for added grip.

The token at the end of the keychain resembles a wrought iron gas lantern one might find hanging from one of the walls in the First District.

(Taenite - a mineral found in iron meteorites, derived from the Greek word for “band, ribbon”)

Virdandi - Norna Dómr

Virdandi’s keyblade materializes in a shower of silver sparks when she summons it.

This keyblade borrows heavily from design motifs found around her homeworld as well as the keyblades canonically held by Skuld and Urd, the third upgrade of Starlight and the default Dark Road Keyblade. The shaft of the blade in black most resembles Urd’s but with a large angular spike on top and two smaller curved spikes. The eight-point star that makes up the teeth and the comet-like trail that attaches it to the shaft most resembles that of Skuld’s keyblade.

The similarities to those two keyblades end at the top of Norna Dómr’s hilt guard, where the protruding wing-like spikes resemble that of Missing Ache’s third upgrade. An ornate and vaguely arrow-shaped embellishment connects the shaft to the keyblade’s turquoise handle, which is protected by a grey hilt guard that is open on one side.

The “keychain” is made of silver threads (meant to represent the threads of fate) woven together. The token is a grey heptagram or seven-pointed star with a filled blue center but hollow at the points. Seven-pointed stars have many meanings across a variety of cultures but in Virdandi’s case, it’s meant to be a reference to the seven alchemical substances: fire, water, air, earth, sulphur, salt, and mercury.

(Norna Dómr - means Judgment of the Nornir, typically means death as the Norns decided the destinies of humans)

Brandr - Firebrand

When Brandr summons his keyblade, it materializes in a burst of deep red flame.

In terms of overall shape, Brandr’s keyblade is most similar to Divewing and the many iterations of Ultima Weapon (more specifically the KH1, Birth By Sleep, and Dream Drop Distance versions) in that there is a very obvious sword-shaped base that the rest of the keyblade is built around. The shape of the blade base (and the handle as well) is based on that of a 9th century viking longsword. However, the runes on Firebrand are written in the in-universe Scalan text found in Kingdom Hearts 3. As no official translations have been provided yet, going by attempts by a fan project to translate the text on the blade literally just says “Firebrand”. (And if that translation ends up being wrong, at least it looks cool, right?)

The inner “teeth” of the keyblade that are attached to the sword are meant to resemble the arch-shaped railings at the top of the Scala ad Caelum clock tower. As you can imagine, the image of them wreathed in flame is disconcerting to those who live there so Brandr usually doesn’t summon his weapon while out in public in his homeworld.

The shape of the hilt resembles that of Gull Wing, except that the feathers that make up the guard on Firebrand are that of a phoenix and have been made into quills as evidenced by their ink-stained tips. The sword hilt/handle, on the other hand, more resembles that of Lionheart aside from the heavy pyramid-shaped pommel. The diamond pattern at the top of the hilt guard is taken from the engraved design on the clock tower arches.

The keychain is a plain gold chain but the token is a bit more complicated. The apple-shaped token is actually something like a heavy locket that covers the real token, a yellow and orange symbol with seven points. At the token’s center is the teal eye of the Master of Masters. This emblem that allows the keyblade master from the Age of Fairytales to see far into the distant future is the reason for the token’s concealment, as Brandr has figured out its true purpose (sorta) and has no intention of acting as someone’s unwitting spy.

Art commissioned from Naabartshop on Etsy

(Firebrand -  “a piece of burning wood OR one that creates unrest or strife (as in aggressively promoting a cause)” according to Merriam-Webster)

Sophia - Paradigm Shift

Sophia’s keyblade materializes in a cloud of purple smoke. Its overall design borrows a lot of motifs from Radiant Garden's architecture, with a lot of sharp angles and a color palette consisting of purples, pinks, and blues.

The blade is wide with a short reach. The bottom half resembles the three-shaft design of the Fairy Stars keyblade (BBS) from the hilt up until they merge and form the base for the teeth. The simplistic design of the blade's lower half contrasts sharply with the much more ornate top half like Spellbinder, another magic-focused keyblade. Two features of note are the delicate crystal in the center of the blade opposite the teeth and the set of interlocking gears on each side of the blade, both of which are inspired by elements from Radiant Garden's castle. The crystal glows faintly and can be used as a compass. The gears spin when Sophia charges up a spell.

By contrast, the hilt of the keyblade is much less busy. The only eye-catching adornments on the relatively simple frame of the hilt guard are the heart at the top of the hilt (another common Radiant Garden motif) and the sharp spikes on either side, meant to act as a deterrent for anyone foolish enough to try and snatch the weapon out of Sophia's hands.

The token at the end of the woven pink "keychain" resembles a single purple iris in full bloom.

(Paradigm Shift -  “an important change that happens when the usual way of thinking about or doing something is replaced by a new and different way” according to Merriam-Webster)

Nemus - Rootstock

When Nemus summons his keyblade, it materializes with a flurry of green leaves.

Rootstock has a very clear tree/nature theme and celtic knotwork as a recurring design motif. The shaft is made up of entertwining strands of brown and bronze meant to resemble twisting roots with a golden border. Stray “roots” randomly poke out along the shaft and along the gold-lined “root tips” curved to vaguely resemble the shape of a heart as the keyblade’s teeth. The emblem at the top of the shaft is one of many seen around Scala ad Caelum, contrasting the symbol at the bottom of the hilt guard which is a stylized version of the Morpho Biotechnical Institute’s insignia.

The hilt of the keyblade is circular with a blue and gold base covered by a ring of twisting roots followed by a wreath of ivy leaves. The white handle at the center of the frame is reinforced by thin, elegant gold supports in the shape of roots—layered above the ring of brown and bronze but underneath the leaves.

Rootstock’s “keychain” is a brown leather cord tied up in a bow. The token attached to it is shaped like a dried Alkekengi/Chinese Lantern seed that looks heart-shaped at certain angles. Instead of the natural colors, it has a white outside/”cage” and a golden orb/”seed” within.

(Rootstock - The root system and base for grafted trees and other plants.)

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KH OC Week Day 7 - Wayfinder

(This event has been so much fun and it's really helped me out a lot in fleshing out these characters for my AU. Thank you to the mods for organizing all of this!)

Rewrite Pending

An Oath to Return

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KH OC Week Day 6 - Gummiship

If you could go to any world that’s ever existed at any period in time, where and when would you go?

Rewrite Pending

Sophia, Age Fourteen

Ferrum, Age Sixteen

Brandr, Age Thirteen

Virdandi, Age Twelve

Five Years Later...

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KH OC Week Day 3 - Data

I interpreted this prompt as Character Data/Profiles since I don’t think my characters would realistically have access to any Data Worlds at this point in the timeline and canonically gummiphones haven’t been invented yet.

Update: Character art and bios moved to DW

Virdandi

Brandr

Sophia

Ferrum

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