The only child of Cid Olbaurn, the leader of the Al'Bhed tribe, saying that Rikku is energetic is being lenient at best. Her brother often calls her a rubber ball made of flesh, relating to how she can never keep still. Oddly enough, she is a cunning tactican, an odd trait for someone who can barely keep a serious face.

Some of her squad mates had recently located an ancient temple that just might hold some ancient - and very profitable - machina.

Little did she knew that she was way over her head.

________________THE AL'BHED GIRL________________

Seifer was the son of a prestigious Galbadian general, Isalm Almasy. During the Sorceress War, he led the the armies of Galbadia in many victories against the hordes of Sorceress Adel. He died of heart failure the day Esthar forever trapped the vile sorceress. He never lived to see the victory he fought so hard to see. His mother, in her grief, committed suicide.

It was out of this great strife that Seifer entered the world. Abandoned by his mother, and never seeing the chance to see his father, Seifer has known only that he is destined to fight.

And fight he shall. He will rebel society - he will be greater than it. He will rise to the challenge, and never have to abide by its cruel and unnecessary laws.

He will even beat that emo boy, Squall. He will win!

For he is better. It is just that simple.

Abandoned as a child in Winhill, and abandoned again when his sister at the Kramer Orphanage disappeared without a trace, Squall has made himself to be a lone wolf. He refuses to rely on anyone, and in doing so, he will never be hurt again. Never will he the pain of someone leaving him forever.

Not that he would have the time to make friends. As a student of the prestigious mercenary force SeeD academy Balamb Garden, and as a gunblade user, he has no time for relationships of any sort. The only exception is his fierce rivalry with Seifer Almasy.

And it will be that same rivalry that will change their worlds forever.

_________________THE GUNBLADE MASTERS____________________

What can be said of the only child of Nibelheim's barkeep, Garret Lockhart? An energetic young woman, she was deeply crushed when her mother died, and even more so when Cloud, the only person who decided to stay with her as she climbed Mount Nibel, even after her 'friends' had ran off long before. To try to stay strong, or perhaps to keep her from day dreaming too much, she enlisted herself to the traveling Martial Artist master Zanban's student.

She's been waiting two full years for the blonde haired boy to return as the hero he swore he would be. What will she find when she finally finds him?

Not much can be said about Zack Isimi. Sure, he's an idiot, and he knows how to do things, but most importantly, he is an idiot that knows how to do things that has a heart. He is the joker of Sephiroth's SOLDIER unit, and manages to bring some life into the mostly dead serious band of warriors. He had met Cloud when he was escorting a man of political importance, and ever since then, the two have been like brothers. That's why Cloud managed to be found among not only SOLDIERS, but the legendary Sephiroth, when they investigated the Nibelheim makon plant

But if Zack knew what would of happened, he never would of brought Cloud. Hell, if he knew, he'd have quite SOLDIER all together!

Background Zack's last name comes from a slight alteration of the Greek word for silver, asimi. I always thought that Cloud's hair looked very much like gold, whereas Zack's looked a bit like silver. And since silver and gold are instantly recognized together, it makes perfect sense why I named Zack 'silver'.

In the realm where a makon supplier known as SHINRA rules, Cloud Strife was born. An already harsh world, where because of the polluted air it is rare for anyone below the majestic status to live beyond their forties, Cloud never truly fit in with the other children of Nibelheim. He just felt out of place - he felt like he had some sort of great difference between them. When he failed to save his crush, Tifa Lockhart from falling from Mount Nibel, he felt puny. The fact that she survived and suffered nothing other than a broken leg didn't sooth him.

To prove to himself, and perhaps, to Tifa, that he was strong, he inspired to join SOLDIER. He planned to become a great hero that would be heard throughout the world during the Wutai War.

But the war ended before he could even enlist. And even then, he never got enlisted into SOLDIER. He failed the test. He got sent into the regular army instead. He became a mere grunt.

But that was where he met Zack.

_________________SOLDIERS AND A WOMAN____________________

Beyond the oddity of Viera not only venturing out of the Wood, but partnering up with a human (and a sky pirate no less!), little is known about Fran. She is highly skilled in all sorts of weaponry, from the traditional bow to the blade.

A sky pirate that is in need of no introduction, Balthier is the captain of the airship the Strahl, whereas his Viera companion Fran is his navigator. A man of many nacks, Balthier has learned to live in Ivalice's underground for many years, and despite Archadia's invasions of anything in front of them, he plans on doing so for many more.

Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca, eldest heir to the throne of Dalmasca, was the only survivor of the invasion, despite what Marquis Halim Ondore said. In her two years of hiding, she create the Resistance, along with Basch's second in command, Vossler. Despite the tremendous odds set against her, she is intent on liberating Dalmasca from the rule of Archadia.

The Lord-General of the Order of the Knights, the elite brigade of the army of Rabanastre, Basch was the one that led Rabanastre's army into battle at Nalbina in defense of Archadia's invasion. When the fortress fell, and the King went to that same fortress to sign a peace treaty, Basch was the one to bring together the remnants of the Order to rescue the King from doing the unthinkable.

He was to be the one who would murder the King.

A Hume (or Human) dancer, Penelo has been friends with Vaan for the past five years, ever since her parents took him and Reks in. Whereas Vaan is one to get into enough trouble to boil his skin, Penelo is the type to think things carefully, more than willing to abide by the Empire's laws than be executed by them.

Background Penelo's last name comes for the Finnish word for sister, 'sisko'. Since this would describe her role in her relationship with Vaan, and it rolled off the tongue easily with her first name, it was an easy choice for me.

Vaan Iocus...a name that although not feared by the emperor, is a name that every man on the street should keep an out for. Born on the streets of Rabanastre, likely to die on the streets of Rabanastre, Vaan's parents died to the Plague, and his older brothers, Reks, died in the war that quickly followed. Minus his friend Penelo, he is alone on the harsh streets the Archadian Empire had created.

Background Since I do not believe that 'Ratsbane' is his true surname (most likely just one he earned from some odd jobs he had done on the streets), I decided to give him the name of Iocus, a Greek term meaning thief.

__________________________CITIZENS OF IVALICE________________________