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PLAYER INFO
Name: Neko Sandy
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NekoSandy
Age: 45
Invite Link: Here.
CHARACTER INFO
Character Name: Ignis Scientia
Canon: FFXV
Age: 22
If Under 16, why is this character a good thematic fit for Somnia?: N/A
Canon Point: Episode Ignis (End)
Wiki Link(s): Here. Episode Ignis: Here.
SOMNIA-SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
(CW: Mentions of death, blindness, burning, and scarring.)
1. Dreams are how Sleep chooses you. What might draw your character into Somnia— a wound, a wish, a weakness? Would they follow the dream, or run from it?
Logically speaking, if you ask Ignis, why wouldn't Sleep pick now to come to him? At his current canon point, Ignis has just made a deal to trade his life (so he thought) in order to borrow a power he had no right to touch. He doesn't mind this trade as it would ensure his companion, king, and little brother lives to continue on his quest to reclaim his throne. Unfortunately, the Lucii decide to be "generous" and only take his sight instead of his life because he is willing to sacrifice so much to save their Chosen King. This presents a problem for Ignis because he has always sought perfection and clarity in doing his duty to Noctis. He even wears glasses though his vision is perfectly passable without them. How is he supposed to find clarity without his vision? This is an issue he is just starting to realize as he blacks out in Altissia and comes face-to-face with the dream that Sleep sends.
Does he regret his emotion-filled actions, especially since they are so against his usual cool, logical approach to matters? Never. The emotions he acted on are usually buried deeply so he can perform his duty perfectly, but they rage with every bit of the intensity that his name translates to from Latin: fire. Does the young man who until now never had his skills or his plans truly fail him suddenly doubt? Absolutely. It will be this doubt--of both his skills and his place with the person who has been the totality of his world for his whole life--that will be taken as the acquiescence that Sleep is looking for. Ignis may not be running, but just as he takes to wearing sunglasses after his injury to hide his blind eyes and scars, he is definitely hiding as he desperately tries to reclaim the clarity that he has strove for his whole life.
2. Somnia is a slow unraveling—of worlds, and of selves. How does your character respond to fear, transformation, and losing control? Do they fight, adapt, collapse?
Ignis responds to fear, transformation, and losing control the same way he responds to most things; he buries his emotions, remains calm, plans, adapts, and succeeds. That has been his modus operandi his whole life (literally from age six), and it has always worked for him before. Why would he change now?
Altissia. Altissia is why he's changing.
What happened in Altissia left not only a large scar on his face, but also left a large scar on his soul. For the first time, his actions have had unintended consequences. While he's not far enough in canon to see those consequences firsthand, he is smart enough to realize things are going to have to change and probably not for the better. There is no doubt he would do anything to save Noctis, but he never intended to become a burden that will sharply divide the team.
This newfound uncertainly in himself will throw Ignis off his usual methods for dealing with things like fear and transformation and will make him much more prone to losing control. Letting go of his emotions in Altissia was the easy part. Tucking them back away will be much harder to do, leading to more instances of him showing them, possible panicked reactions to transformation as he just had a very large transformation happen to himself (losing his eyesight), and an inability to immediately analyze a situation clearly leading to more instances of lost control.
He was just beginning to unravel when Sleep found him and that unraveling is going to continue; however, in that unraveling there is also a goal for Ignis to find. He will want to get himself back to his previous way of dealing with situations and his emotions. To do that, he will need to find his new self and learn to adapt again. Otherwise, he will collapse and shatter under the stress. Fortunately, Ignis has never been one to give up on anything, and he has no intention of starting now.
3. Connection is the only constant. What kind of bonds does your character form— fast and burning, slow and wary, deep and desperate? How might that shape their time in this world?
When it comes to connections, Ignis doesn't have many. As the Right Hand and Advisor of the future king, he knows very well his focus needs to be on taking care of and guiding Noctis so he can be the king he needs to be. In addition, the logical side of mind makes it very clear that having connections outside of those in the crown prince's inner circle (Gladiolus and Prompto) is dangerous because those people he has connections with may just be using him to get close to the prince. After all, Ignis is the one who advises him, guides him, cooks for him, and cleans up for him. One cannot get much closer than that. He just can't afford connections that are very deep for Noctis' sake. As a result, most connections he makes are not very deep and are definitely wary ones.
However, as if to make up for his lacking of deep connections, Ignis' connections to Gladiolus, Prompto, and Noctis are all deep and lasting. His connection with Gladiolus started out as that of two colleagues who are meant to protect the same person. As time passed and they got to know each other, though, they realized they were complimentary opposites who were needed to make sure Noctis was raised as a well-rounded individual. In fact, due to their roles in the team, fans often lovingly refer to Ignis and Gladiolus as "Mom" and "Dad." Interestingly enough, if one watches how the characters' AIs act in game after Ignis' blinding and the 10 years of Darkness, Gladiolus will fall back to protect Ignis often, even though Noctis, who he is duty bound to protect, is back in the party. Gladiolus takes his duty to protect Noctis extremely seriously, so the fact that he is taking time from that to protect another is a sign of just how strong the relationship between he and Ignis is.
Ignis' connection to Prompto might be the weakest of the three, but he can still clearly see that this "commoner" brings much needed opinions and insight to their group. Prompto may have grown up outside of the tight network of those who surrounded the prince, but he gives Noctis a view into a world he otherwise would not see. It is a view he desperately needs so that he can remain in touch with the people he is supposed to rule. After Ignis is blinded, Prompto will show just how much he thinks of Ignis' acceptance of him by staying back and helping Ignis when he stumbles or loses his way. It is a kindness and patience that no one in the rest of the group shows him.
By far, Ignis' bond to Noctis is the strongest since the prince has been the center of his life since he was six. Everything Ignis learns or does is in duty to the prince who he has come to see as something of a little brother. His sense of duty is so strong that one might say it is unhealthy because it results in Ignis' sense of self being underdeveloped. He has nothing that he does just for himself. For example, he only learns to cook because he wants to recreate the dessert that Noctis had in Tenebrae. While he comes to take great pride in his cooking, he doesn't particularly enjoy it. It is not a hobby; it is just another part of his duty. When he started training and building up his strength at 15 and 16, he did it so that he could pull off the plans he was envisioning to protect Noctis. When he made the deal with the Lucii to borrow their power, it was to protect Noctis. He even says that if a Glaive can harness the power of the ring, he can too fully knowing that the Glaive in question gave his life to do so. The bond is deep, passionate, and deadly when left unchecked by his logic.
While generally wary of forming connections, in a desperate situation, it is quite likely that Ignis will listen to his logical side and reach out to others to form bonds a little more quickly than usual. In Altissia, he took Ravus on as a companion when they had been at odds before solely because they both had the same goal at the time: get to the alter. Instead of being one man against a whole city of enemies, they were now two, doubling their odds with new information, skills, and insight. This kind of bonding will likely be in full force at the beginning of the game because he will be in an unknown situation, blinded, and in need of knowledge. Anyone who can provide what he needs will be a potential ally. Anyone who can give him a sense of clarity or familiarity will also be sought out. These things will all make him much more likely to survive, and so he must find them because otherwise he will be handicapped in a way that is even worse than his loss of vision.
4. What are two major forces in your character’s personality that are often in conflict? (Ex: logic vs emotion, power vs guilt, obedience vs rage, etc.)
When it comes to forces in Ignis' personality that are often in conflict, the two sets of forces that jump out are Logic vs Emotion and Sense of Duty vs Sense of Self. As I have already mentioned how his Logic and Emotion impact his choices in other questions, I'm going to focus a little more on his Sense of Duty vs his Sense of Self here.
Because Ignis was asked to advise and take care of Noctis at such a young age, he really didn't have a chance to form a solid sense of self. Two of his other main traits--a need for both perfection and clarity--force him to focus solely on the new duty he's been given, and any development of his own wishes, dreams, and desires are cut short and twisted into becoming parts of his need to fulfill his duty to the fullest. As mentioned before, Ignis appears to have no friends outside of Noctis' inner circle. He also appears to have no hobbies outside of the things he does to fulfill his duty to Noctis. We learn in the game Prompto loves photography and Gladiolus loves reading, but we never learn anything like that about Ignis. The closest thing is his cooking, which again, he learned to do for Noctis. One might say he likes driving since he does the majority of it for the group before he is blinded, but this is also done for Noctis as he doesn't trust anyone else to safely handle the car.
Indeed, Ignis is so tied up in doing his duty that he is willing to give up his life for Noctis without it being a part of his stated duty like it is for Gladiolus. This action lends credence to the idea that Ignis doesn't really see himself as a person--he never got a chance to develop that identity--as much as he sees himself as a tool used to complete the duty that was given to him. Seeing the vision of Noctis' future that Pryna shows him in Altissia rocks him to the core not just because he now knows his friend is going to die, but because he has no idea what he will do without Noctis there. Not long after his canon point, in fact, he will actually try to convince Noctis to abandon his quest because he doesn't want his friend to die. He knows Noctis well enough to know his prince will refuse, but he still has to try because he doesn't know what he will do without Noctis. What will his new duty be? Who will he be? He never had a chance to decide that before, and twenty-two is a pretty scary time to suddenly realize who you thought you were going to be isn't who you are going to be.
One thing that might be Ignis' and his alone is his love of Ebony, a kind of coffee. The problem with this particular trait is we are never told when or how he discovered this love. Is it possible that he started drinking it because he needed a way to stay awake so he could keep doing the work his duty required? When looking at the other examples of his personality traits, it is likely this is the case, but it is not stated anywhere like the examples of his cooking and driving are. Personally, I like to give this one to him because otherwise just how little he has for himself is truly saddening.
VESSEL SELECTION
Which Vessel Type are you choosing: Token or Offering? Token
Why does this Vessel type feel appropriate for your character?
The reason I picked Token for Ignis is because, out of all of Noctis' retinue, Ignis is the most skilled at using the magic the prince shares with them. While the others will often summon things in and out of the Armiger, Ignis uses the magic in more ways. In addition to summoning things, he heals, he imbues Noctis' weapons with elements, he uses the stored flasks of spells, and he also imbues his own weapons with elements that grant him certain extra skills during "Episode Ignis." As of his canon point, one could say that the Lucii have just blasted wide open any magical channels he had so that he could use their power. Those channels are now available for another power to use.
When I was narrowing down choices for the specific type of Token he would be, Pyromancer seemed to be an obvious choice considering his name and how passionately his emotions can burn, not to mention that he was literally being burned alive by the power the Lucii gave him right before he was drawn into the game; however, that choice did not feel right. It seemed too easy, and I wanted something that would be more challenging. That is why I eventually settled on Chronomancer instead.
The powers of a Chronomancer fit Ignis is a number of more subtle ways. After being given a vision of the future by the dying Pryna, a Messenger of the Astrals, it can be said that Ignis has now touched the future. Aside from Noctis, who will find out his true fate while within the Crystal, Ignis is the only one in the group who knows what that true fate is. He is, therefore, the only one who has the chance to change that future. Indeed, "Episode Ignis" includes a feature that neither of the episodes for Gladiolus or Prompto had: the chance to trigger an alternate ending. The only other person who gets this chance is the main antagonist, Ardyn, whose continued resistance to Bahamut in his episode leads directly to the alternate ending that is laid out in the novel, Dawn of the Future. This alternate ending in Ignis' episode means that he now has also "touched" alternate timelines.
There will be many challenges that Ignis will face when dealing with the powers of a Chronomancer, but none more cruel than the fact that a Chronomancer's powers won't allow him to change Noctis' ultimate fate no matter how hard he tries. And he will try. Many, many times. In addition, as someone who thrives on clarity and has just lost it, seeing alternate versions of the future will cloud his ability to "see" things clearly even more. He is already beginning to doubt himself and seeing so many other options may cause him to doubt further. What is the ultimate right path? Can a change so small really have such a large impact? These and many others are all questions he's going to have to face and answer in order to find his new state of clarity. Finally, with these powers, Ignis' perfectionist nature may lead him to overuse and potentially over-rely on them. It may become a crutch and excuse to not work on the harder tasks he needs to accomplish, mainly learning to live without his vision and learning who he is after losing said vision.
Choose one: Token: Chronomancer
Name: Neko Sandy
Preferred Contact: PM this journal or
Age: 45
Invite Link: Here.
CHARACTER INFO
Character Name: Ignis Scientia
Canon: FFXV
Age: 22
If Under 16, why is this character a good thematic fit for Somnia?: N/A
Canon Point: Episode Ignis (End)
Wiki Link(s): Here. Episode Ignis: Here.
SOMNIA-SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
(CW: Mentions of death, blindness, burning, and scarring.)
1. Dreams are how Sleep chooses you. What might draw your character into Somnia— a wound, a wish, a weakness? Would they follow the dream, or run from it?
Logically speaking, if you ask Ignis, why wouldn't Sleep pick now to come to him? At his current canon point, Ignis has just made a deal to trade his life (so he thought) in order to borrow a power he had no right to touch. He doesn't mind this trade as it would ensure his companion, king, and little brother lives to continue on his quest to reclaim his throne. Unfortunately, the Lucii decide to be "generous" and only take his sight instead of his life because he is willing to sacrifice so much to save their Chosen King. This presents a problem for Ignis because he has always sought perfection and clarity in doing his duty to Noctis. He even wears glasses though his vision is perfectly passable without them. How is he supposed to find clarity without his vision? This is an issue he is just starting to realize as he blacks out in Altissia and comes face-to-face with the dream that Sleep sends.
Does he regret his emotion-filled actions, especially since they are so against his usual cool, logical approach to matters? Never. The emotions he acted on are usually buried deeply so he can perform his duty perfectly, but they rage with every bit of the intensity that his name translates to from Latin: fire. Does the young man who until now never had his skills or his plans truly fail him suddenly doubt? Absolutely. It will be this doubt--of both his skills and his place with the person who has been the totality of his world for his whole life--that will be taken as the acquiescence that Sleep is looking for. Ignis may not be running, but just as he takes to wearing sunglasses after his injury to hide his blind eyes and scars, he is definitely hiding as he desperately tries to reclaim the clarity that he has strove for his whole life.
2. Somnia is a slow unraveling—of worlds, and of selves. How does your character respond to fear, transformation, and losing control? Do they fight, adapt, collapse?
Ignis responds to fear, transformation, and losing control the same way he responds to most things; he buries his emotions, remains calm, plans, adapts, and succeeds. That has been his modus operandi his whole life (literally from age six), and it has always worked for him before. Why would he change now?
Altissia. Altissia is why he's changing.
What happened in Altissia left not only a large scar on his face, but also left a large scar on his soul. For the first time, his actions have had unintended consequences. While he's not far enough in canon to see those consequences firsthand, he is smart enough to realize things are going to have to change and probably not for the better. There is no doubt he would do anything to save Noctis, but he never intended to become a burden that will sharply divide the team.
This newfound uncertainly in himself will throw Ignis off his usual methods for dealing with things like fear and transformation and will make him much more prone to losing control. Letting go of his emotions in Altissia was the easy part. Tucking them back away will be much harder to do, leading to more instances of him showing them, possible panicked reactions to transformation as he just had a very large transformation happen to himself (losing his eyesight), and an inability to immediately analyze a situation clearly leading to more instances of lost control.
He was just beginning to unravel when Sleep found him and that unraveling is going to continue; however, in that unraveling there is also a goal for Ignis to find. He will want to get himself back to his previous way of dealing with situations and his emotions. To do that, he will need to find his new self and learn to adapt again. Otherwise, he will collapse and shatter under the stress. Fortunately, Ignis has never been one to give up on anything, and he has no intention of starting now.
3. Connection is the only constant. What kind of bonds does your character form— fast and burning, slow and wary, deep and desperate? How might that shape their time in this world?
When it comes to connections, Ignis doesn't have many. As the Right Hand and Advisor of the future king, he knows very well his focus needs to be on taking care of and guiding Noctis so he can be the king he needs to be. In addition, the logical side of mind makes it very clear that having connections outside of those in the crown prince's inner circle (Gladiolus and Prompto) is dangerous because those people he has connections with may just be using him to get close to the prince. After all, Ignis is the one who advises him, guides him, cooks for him, and cleans up for him. One cannot get much closer than that. He just can't afford connections that are very deep for Noctis' sake. As a result, most connections he makes are not very deep and are definitely wary ones.
However, as if to make up for his lacking of deep connections, Ignis' connections to Gladiolus, Prompto, and Noctis are all deep and lasting. His connection with Gladiolus started out as that of two colleagues who are meant to protect the same person. As time passed and they got to know each other, though, they realized they were complimentary opposites who were needed to make sure Noctis was raised as a well-rounded individual. In fact, due to their roles in the team, fans often lovingly refer to Ignis and Gladiolus as "Mom" and "Dad." Interestingly enough, if one watches how the characters' AIs act in game after Ignis' blinding and the 10 years of Darkness, Gladiolus will fall back to protect Ignis often, even though Noctis, who he is duty bound to protect, is back in the party. Gladiolus takes his duty to protect Noctis extremely seriously, so the fact that he is taking time from that to protect another is a sign of just how strong the relationship between he and Ignis is.
Ignis' connection to Prompto might be the weakest of the three, but he can still clearly see that this "commoner" brings much needed opinions and insight to their group. Prompto may have grown up outside of the tight network of those who surrounded the prince, but he gives Noctis a view into a world he otherwise would not see. It is a view he desperately needs so that he can remain in touch with the people he is supposed to rule. After Ignis is blinded, Prompto will show just how much he thinks of Ignis' acceptance of him by staying back and helping Ignis when he stumbles or loses his way. It is a kindness and patience that no one in the rest of the group shows him.
By far, Ignis' bond to Noctis is the strongest since the prince has been the center of his life since he was six. Everything Ignis learns or does is in duty to the prince who he has come to see as something of a little brother. His sense of duty is so strong that one might say it is unhealthy because it results in Ignis' sense of self being underdeveloped. He has nothing that he does just for himself. For example, he only learns to cook because he wants to recreate the dessert that Noctis had in Tenebrae. While he comes to take great pride in his cooking, he doesn't particularly enjoy it. It is not a hobby; it is just another part of his duty. When he started training and building up his strength at 15 and 16, he did it so that he could pull off the plans he was envisioning to protect Noctis. When he made the deal with the Lucii to borrow their power, it was to protect Noctis. He even says that if a Glaive can harness the power of the ring, he can too fully knowing that the Glaive in question gave his life to do so. The bond is deep, passionate, and deadly when left unchecked by his logic.
While generally wary of forming connections, in a desperate situation, it is quite likely that Ignis will listen to his logical side and reach out to others to form bonds a little more quickly than usual. In Altissia, he took Ravus on as a companion when they had been at odds before solely because they both had the same goal at the time: get to the alter. Instead of being one man against a whole city of enemies, they were now two, doubling their odds with new information, skills, and insight. This kind of bonding will likely be in full force at the beginning of the game because he will be in an unknown situation, blinded, and in need of knowledge. Anyone who can provide what he needs will be a potential ally. Anyone who can give him a sense of clarity or familiarity will also be sought out. These things will all make him much more likely to survive, and so he must find them because otherwise he will be handicapped in a way that is even worse than his loss of vision.
4. What are two major forces in your character’s personality that are often in conflict? (Ex: logic vs emotion, power vs guilt, obedience vs rage, etc.)
When it comes to forces in Ignis' personality that are often in conflict, the two sets of forces that jump out are Logic vs Emotion and Sense of Duty vs Sense of Self. As I have already mentioned how his Logic and Emotion impact his choices in other questions, I'm going to focus a little more on his Sense of Duty vs his Sense of Self here.
Because Ignis was asked to advise and take care of Noctis at such a young age, he really didn't have a chance to form a solid sense of self. Two of his other main traits--a need for both perfection and clarity--force him to focus solely on the new duty he's been given, and any development of his own wishes, dreams, and desires are cut short and twisted into becoming parts of his need to fulfill his duty to the fullest. As mentioned before, Ignis appears to have no friends outside of Noctis' inner circle. He also appears to have no hobbies outside of the things he does to fulfill his duty to Noctis. We learn in the game Prompto loves photography and Gladiolus loves reading, but we never learn anything like that about Ignis. The closest thing is his cooking, which again, he learned to do for Noctis. One might say he likes driving since he does the majority of it for the group before he is blinded, but this is also done for Noctis as he doesn't trust anyone else to safely handle the car.
Indeed, Ignis is so tied up in doing his duty that he is willing to give up his life for Noctis without it being a part of his stated duty like it is for Gladiolus. This action lends credence to the idea that Ignis doesn't really see himself as a person--he never got a chance to develop that identity--as much as he sees himself as a tool used to complete the duty that was given to him. Seeing the vision of Noctis' future that Pryna shows him in Altissia rocks him to the core not just because he now knows his friend is going to die, but because he has no idea what he will do without Noctis there. Not long after his canon point, in fact, he will actually try to convince Noctis to abandon his quest because he doesn't want his friend to die. He knows Noctis well enough to know his prince will refuse, but he still has to try because he doesn't know what he will do without Noctis. What will his new duty be? Who will he be? He never had a chance to decide that before, and twenty-two is a pretty scary time to suddenly realize who you thought you were going to be isn't who you are going to be.
One thing that might be Ignis' and his alone is his love of Ebony, a kind of coffee. The problem with this particular trait is we are never told when or how he discovered this love. Is it possible that he started drinking it because he needed a way to stay awake so he could keep doing the work his duty required? When looking at the other examples of his personality traits, it is likely this is the case, but it is not stated anywhere like the examples of his cooking and driving are. Personally, I like to give this one to him because otherwise just how little he has for himself is truly saddening.
VESSEL SELECTION
Which Vessel Type are you choosing: Token or Offering? Token
Why does this Vessel type feel appropriate for your character?
The reason I picked Token for Ignis is because, out of all of Noctis' retinue, Ignis is the most skilled at using the magic the prince shares with them. While the others will often summon things in and out of the Armiger, Ignis uses the magic in more ways. In addition to summoning things, he heals, he imbues Noctis' weapons with elements, he uses the stored flasks of spells, and he also imbues his own weapons with elements that grant him certain extra skills during "Episode Ignis." As of his canon point, one could say that the Lucii have just blasted wide open any magical channels he had so that he could use their power. Those channels are now available for another power to use.
When I was narrowing down choices for the specific type of Token he would be, Pyromancer seemed to be an obvious choice considering his name and how passionately his emotions can burn, not to mention that he was literally being burned alive by the power the Lucii gave him right before he was drawn into the game; however, that choice did not feel right. It seemed too easy, and I wanted something that would be more challenging. That is why I eventually settled on Chronomancer instead.
The powers of a Chronomancer fit Ignis is a number of more subtle ways. After being given a vision of the future by the dying Pryna, a Messenger of the Astrals, it can be said that Ignis has now touched the future. Aside from Noctis, who will find out his true fate while within the Crystal, Ignis is the only one in the group who knows what that true fate is. He is, therefore, the only one who has the chance to change that future. Indeed, "Episode Ignis" includes a feature that neither of the episodes for Gladiolus or Prompto had: the chance to trigger an alternate ending. The only other person who gets this chance is the main antagonist, Ardyn, whose continued resistance to Bahamut in his episode leads directly to the alternate ending that is laid out in the novel, Dawn of the Future. This alternate ending in Ignis' episode means that he now has also "touched" alternate timelines.
There will be many challenges that Ignis will face when dealing with the powers of a Chronomancer, but none more cruel than the fact that a Chronomancer's powers won't allow him to change Noctis' ultimate fate no matter how hard he tries. And he will try. Many, many times. In addition, as someone who thrives on clarity and has just lost it, seeing alternate versions of the future will cloud his ability to "see" things clearly even more. He is already beginning to doubt himself and seeing so many other options may cause him to doubt further. What is the ultimate right path? Can a change so small really have such a large impact? These and many others are all questions he's going to have to face and answer in order to find his new state of clarity. Finally, with these powers, Ignis' perfectionist nature may lead him to overuse and potentially over-rely on them. It may become a crutch and excuse to not work on the harder tasks he needs to accomplish, mainly learning to live without his vision and learning who he is after losing said vision.
Choose one: Token: Chronomancer
