[hider=Gariland Varuna] [b][u]The Golden Prodigy[/u][/b] [b][u]Name:[/u][/b] Gariland Varuna. [b][u]Age:[/u][/b] Appears 27. [b][u]Race:[/u][/b] Originally human. [b][u]Hair Color:[/u][/b] Varying. [b][u]Eye Color:[/u][/b] Shifting. [b][u]Height:[/u][/b] Everchanging. [b][u]Weight:[/u][/b] Variable. [b][u]Occupation:[/u][/b] Arcane Scholar. Ambitious. Selfless. Brilliant. If there are any qualities that define an individual growing amongst the brightest minds of Ivalice, within the comfort of the Magical City of Gariland, these three would suit this genius perfectly. Christened with the name of the founder of the Akademia of Magic in the city, Gariland exhibited an astounding resonance with the aether, the energy present in every living and non-living entity and object, found within the environment. This was not entirely surprising, given that both his parents were wizards of renown in the Akademia; however, Gariland’s capacity to learn magic and the rapid development of his mind shocked the both of them. By the time he was a single year old, the young prodigy could already understand the majority of the texts in his household, committing them to memory, and even cast the three basic spells for any Black Mage studying in the city – Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder. His growth was further aided by the curious mind of his father, who nurtured Gariland’s knowledge, deciding to instill the basic tenets of magic within his mind and body. Focus, memorization of incantations, techniques to keep the mind lucid and the body light, casting methods, and a myriad other concepts were rapidly picked up and mastered throughout his childhood. While his father focused on teaching Gariland offensive magic, such as the schools of Black, Arcane, and Time Magic, his mother further expanded his knowledge by sharing her teachings of White, Green, and even Summon Magic. At the age of five, he was already attending classes at the Akademia with peers that more than tripled his age, and exhibiting nearly as much skill as each of them. Gariland spent most of his youth perfecting each and every single spell that had been taught by his parents until he was given free rein to pursue his own research at the ripe age of fourteen. This period in Gariland’s life saw him traveling all over Ivalice in order to pick up new knowledge and to master the different forms of magic found throughout the land. Geomancy from the garif tribes in the south, further expanding on this knowledge by communing with the viera elementalists found in the sacred woods of the Golmore Jungle; Arcanima from the Nymian scholars in the isles of Vylbrand, delving further into their knowledge to add more stores of data to his research on summoning; and Astrology from the wise people of Sharlayan. Martial arts were also picked up, provided they could be woven in with the very magic he possessed, such as the art of Rune Blading, and Spellweaving. A sponge for knowledge, it was clear he required more. So much knowledge and magical power, however, changes a man. Miracles were said to occur wherever he went. Dirty water was purified, monsters were driven back and annihilated, and peace reigned in locations seized by the fires of war. The legends told about Gariland are overly exaggerated in some cases, but there is little doubt in the mind of the people that he rose through the ranks of popularity until he became a veritable hero of Ivalice. As goes Light, however, so goes Darkness. Darker tales are told about this hero swathed in sacred light, teaching the ignorant, empowering the weak, and saving the oppressed. The stories, whispered in the back alleys of many a city, tell that Gariland as the people know him has ceased to exist, that he embodies a multitude of souls pulled from planes unknown to man. Some say that he is a demon walking amongst mortals. Others say he is an angel, delivering just punishment to evildoers and aiding the meek. The same was said for the famed Marquis Elmdor at some point in time, though nobody could prove the claims save for a single individual whose records have been buried by those in power. Whatever the case, it is clear that Gariland is no longer a mere human being. His knowledge has enlightened him, allowing him to transcend the universes at will by riding upon the very Lifestream of the Multiverse itself, partaking upon it, and allowing him to enhance the quality of the very aether surrounding him. One could say he had become a God in the eyes of Man, but he would never state such. As ambitious as he was, as selfless as he was, as brilliant as he was, these qualities would not only be imparted upon himself, but upon anyone who wished to learn from him. With the Multiverse waiting for him, Gariland’s quest was just getting started yet once again, to learn everything there it was to learn, and to share his knowledge with those who would like a teacher. Time, after all, was something that wouldn’t run out anytime soon. [hr] [b][i]Appearance:[/i][/b] Often changing due to his fickleness with physical vessels, Gariland’s most prized attire is a set of feathered robes gilded with blessed gold and silver thread. Several golden artifacts and pieces hang from specific sections of the robes, most notably the center of the chest and the waist, whilst his wrists are decorated with rune-etched golden wristbands. His normal appearance sports a fair complexion, golden hair, and crimson eyes, standing at five feet and nine inches and weighing approximately a hundred and fifty pounds. Although the magic coursing through his veins can be seen in the very air around him, often in the shape of faintly glowing runic writing encircling him, his physical strength is nothing to laugh about. This selfsame magic has passively strengthened his physical vessel over the years, granting him additional capabilities and force beyond belief. One particular legend talks about Garland wrestling a behemoth bare-handed, and judging by the enormous black horns hanging from the wall back at his mansion, one would be wise to avoid engaging in physical combat with him. [b][u]Skills[/u][/b] [i]Capabilities picked up through natural progression, studying, and training.[/i] [b][i]Excellent Strategy:[/i][/b] Gariland’s lucid mind confers him with an uncanny capacity for combat and military strategy. He is capable of calmly analyzing the situation, concoct multiple plans and play out different scenarios in his head, and pick whatever move he deems most effective against any odds. [b][i]Master Arithmethician:[/i][/b] Arithmethicians, or Calculators, are a force to be reckoned with in Ivalice. Through analyzing the myriad variables that are found within the world around them, Calculators can afflict specific spaces with spells of their choice, able to counteract an enemy’s attack without fail or to catch an enemy entirely unaware. By performing calculations based on arcane geometries, and mixing extensive knowledge from Arithmethicians and Arcanists, Gariland can effectively maintain perfect control of the battlefield at all times. [b][i]Master Wizard:[/i][/b] Gariland can call upon the forces of nature found within Black and White Magic at will. The elements of Fire, Wind, Earth, Water, Lightning, and Ice are at his mercy. Additionally, he can delve within magic lacking elemental qualities, or pertaining to the Astral – Light, positive energy – and the Umbral – Darkness, negative energy – elements. He can also access Arcane, Green, Time, and Summoning Magic, granting him a wide array of elements and creatures to employ in the battlefield. [b][i]Master Elementalist:[/i][/b] Aside from his knowledge in Black and White Magic, Gariland also possesses access to Geomancy and Astrology, allowing him to perform different elemental feats depending on the surface he’s either standing or floating upon. These can range from the conjuring of powerful ivies wrapping around someone to the creation of micro-black holes around an individual. [b][i]Eternal Scholar:[/i][/b] The capacity to continue picking knowledge up from every single encounter, book read, or teachings imparted. Gariland’s mind is an insatiable pool of data, constantly adding more and more information to his vast stores of wisdom. [b][i]Enlightened:[/i][/b] All the magical power and knowledge Gariland has nurtured and picked up over the years has caused him to transcend the limits of his humanity. His physical body has been strengthened over the course of his life to the point that he could veritably destroy mountains with his bare hands on a physical level, or tear through the very fabric of the material plane on a supernatural level. Constantly pushing his limits, Gariland is not one to stop growing. [i][b]Aether Manipulator:[/b][/i] The capacity to grasp and mold the aether, the energy, within oneself and within the environment in order to bring about supernatural phenomena. Gariland is capable of manipulating any form of supernatural energy he comes across, and can even cleanse energy from tainted sources for his personal use. Said energy can be used up as fuel for his countless spells, or to further empower his body, mind, and soul before initiating any form of casting. [b][i]Master Incantor:[/i][/b] Having memorized all the incantations for every single spell he knows, Gariland can bolster the power of his spells by speaking out the incantations aloud, or cast them without speaking a single word. Additionally, he can perform ‘Unincanted Spells’ by merely thinking about the incantations, increasing the magical power of his spells regardless of whether he speaks the words. [b][i]Rune Fencer:[/i][/b] Gariland can apply Spellweaving and Rune Blading, and can weave spells through any martial arts he chooses to execute, allowing him to cast spells even as he engages in physical movement. [b][i]Presence of Mind:[/i][/b] Gariland’s mental processing speed is comparable to that of a futuristic state-of-the-art supercomputer. There is little that will get past his lucid mind after decades of training with Arcanima, Arithmethicks, and magic for so long. His mind has reached a point where it can come up with thousands of scenarios simultaneously, analyze each and every single variable within them and the environment, and deal with hostile situations flawlessly as they present themselves before him. [b][i]Multiversal Traveler:[/i][/b] Gariland is capable of calculating points of entry and exit within any given known universe in the Multiverse, allowing him to travel in the blink of an eye to any previously visited location. New locations must be reached through gateways or portals crafted, calculated, and analyzed exclusively when out of combat. [b][i]Chocobo Riding:[/i][/b] Gariland has found the experience therapeutic and keeps several white and black chocobos with him whenever possible. [b][i]Master Chef:[/i][/b] Although his physical body no longer requires sustenance from food and drink, Gariland enjoys cooking and tasting his culinary creations. His newfound immunities to poisons of many kinds, inability to be intoxicated, and hostile effects upon his body dealt with immediately by his strengthened biology has allowed him to experiment with ingredients from dangerous monsters in his dishes. Hellhound flesh is not advisable to consume, according to his latest creation. [/hider]