Caius Ballad
HEY THERE, THEY CALL ME Caius Ballad AND I'M CURRENTLY IMMORTAL. I'M FROM THE WORLD OF PULSE WHERE I AM THE IMMORTAL GUARDIAN OF THE TIMELINE AND PROTECTOR TO THE SEERESS. I GO FOR GIRLS AND I WILL THROW MY WEIGHT BEHIND REBEL.
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Weapon:Caius's Sword: Caius's sword is rather unique in design. The handle of the weapon appears to be made of bone and is brown in color. The blade is long and jagged, resembling wings at some point and is purple and black in color. Towards the bottom of the blade, resting a couple inches above the handle rests an eye shaped cavity which according to rumor Caius has filled said cavity with the Eidolith for Bahamut. This very eye also glows red when Caius is shown to be serious.
As Chaos Bahamut, Caius fights utilizing his claws.
Abilities:Heart of Chaos: According to Fabula Nova Crystallis Mythology, this was a gift from the Goddess Etro. Using this is what allows Caius to transform into Chaos Bahamut. This also makes him immortal, as well as immune to the negative side effect of incarnate summoning feeding off his life force. Despite his immortality he has a weakness, yet it has a side effect. In order to truly kill Caius you must stab him through the Heart of Chaos. He will die, however doing so will also cause the death of the Goddess Etro.
Incarnate Summon: A far more powerful version of summoning an Eidolon. Discovered by the People of Padra. Instead of using an Eidolith to summon an Eidolon like a L’Cie normally would, the people of Padra discovered a way to manifest an Eidolon with their own body instead of using it as a partner. Due to his time as a L’Cie before being saved by Etro, Caius is the only known person at this time capable of incarnate summon. This form would normally come at the cost of the users life, however due to the immortality granted to him by the Heart of Etro, Caius is immune to this downside, and can incarnate summon at will. By merging his being with the Eidolith for Bahamut..Caius can become Chaos Bahamut.
Mastery over Swordplay and Magic: Caius in his human form is capable of expertly wielding a sword and can use rather potent magic. The two are often used hand in hand and sometimes even utilized together. Caius primarily excels in Commando/Ravager/and Synergist type attacks.
Commando Style Attacks:
Pulsar Burst-This attack is similar to the Commando Paradigm Shift's Ruin attack. A small barrage of energy projectiles are fired towards his foes. They have a homing effect however they can be blocked. He can also use this attack in his Chaos Bahamut form.
Giga-Graviton-Similar to the Ruinga attack of the Commando Paradigm shift. A large purple orb is formed either directly above, or in front of his opponents which then explodes, dealing moderate to heavy non elemental damage
Blast Wave: Caius channels magical energy into his sword before stabbing it into the ground, sending a shockwave towards his foes.
Ravager Style Attacks:
Comet: One of Caius' signature attacks. After chanting "Husk of the Wandering Comet, I summon thee!" He raises his sword into the air, summoning a purple, runed filled symbol which sends down between 6-8 comets towards the ground.
Inferno: Powerful fire based magic. Caius calls forth his magical energy into his sword once again, this time swinging the blade towards his foe to send a wave of pure raging flames towards his opponent. This can also be done in his Chaos Bahamut Form, in which case it is fired from his mouth.
Ultima: One of the most powerful spells in the Final Fantasy Universe. This spell deals moderate to heavy non elemental damage when cast. Used only when it is needed most by Caius due to its sheer destructive power.
Syngergist/Medic Style Buffs:
Body and Soul: A support magic ability for Caius. This ability when used grants him the buffs Bravery(increases his physical power), Faith(increases the power behind his magic) and Regen(heals him continuously over time), and Haste(increases his speed) The buffs are cast simultaneously. The buffs do not carry over if he uses his Incarnate Summon ability.
Chaos Bahamut Only Abilities:
Whirlwind: By conjuring wind magic into his claws, Chaos Bahamut is capable of conjuring up powerful whirlwinds to send an opponent airborne.
Megaflare: Due to being somewhat humanoid in appearance, to use this attack Chaos Bahamut transforms into the traditional Bahamut form to use this attack. By channeling pure energy into his mouth, he launches this long range stream capable of leveling several buildings if it misses from his mouth.
Personality: Caius takes his job very seriously. If something doesn't belong in the current time they belong in, he will attempt to eliminate the "Paradox" at all costs. This even goes for his student Noel. However, despite his serious demeanor, he isn't above shedding a tear. He will do so every time Yeul of any timeline dies. He believes carrying the pain of each loss will make him stronger.
Now, while gentle towards any Yeul in a timeline, this man holds some serious hatred for the Goddess Etro, and her guardian Lightning. He hates Etro because of what is destined to happen to Yeul whenever she turns fifteen. As both a paradox and an obstacle in his way towards the Goddess herself, he also holds serious hatred towards Lightning because he feels Etro should be destroyed for her "crimes." He will stop at nothing to destroy the Goddess, even if it means causing havoc in either Valhalla, or any timeline he happens to see a Paradox. He is also a very powerful warrior in his own right, able to fight one as strong as Lightning toe to toe, and to keep her on her toes as well.
History: So you want to know Caius's story eh? Well, best way to do that is to start from the beginning. You see, he is originally from the distant past of Gran Pulse. After killing his predecessor, he was turned into a L'Cie, gaining full knowledge of the timeline and taking up his predecessor's role as guardian of the Seeress Yeul. However as we all know, L'Cie are given a focus and if they fail to complete that focus they are turned into C'ieth. However, fate had a different plan for Caius.
Caius was spared the hard fate of a L'Cie by the Goddess Etro. She freed him of L'Cie status and infused him with her own heart, the Heart of Chaos. In turn, this would make Caius immortal, however this act of kindness by the Goddess would drive him mad, becoming more of a curse than the blessing that it should have been. He watches over Noel and Serah as they travel the timeline, halting the Paradox's, or problems caused by things that shouldn't be in that particular timeline.
He first decides to reveal himself to the travelling Noel and Serah in Oerba 200 AF (After Fall of Cocoon). He tells them that Yeul has informed him of what they have been doing while travelling the timeline and blames them for the problems being caused. He fights both and easily overpowers them, however he is stopped from dealing the deathblow by Yeul, but not before telling Noel that he is not the Caius the boy knows. Yeul then would inform him that time has already changed. Kneeling before her out of sheer respect, he asks her if she can truly accept that fact, and he is given a nod in response. He then suggests they leave so that they don't have to witness the future there, carrying her through a portal to travel elsewhere.
While Noel and Serah travel about, Caius takes Yeul to Augusta tower.It is here that the pair learn of his nature as her guardian. She dies not long after that, and is carried away by a weeping Caius, along with the flower she was carrying. Shedding silent tears, he states that he will now carry her pain in his heart, while sadly weeping about how short her life was, just like the memory of the other Yeul's he carried in his mind.
We now travel to about 700 AF, before(or after...timeline stuff is weird) the previous events even transpired. Caius, Noel, and Yeul are among the few living humans left on the world. He had just taken Noel under his wing to become Yeul's guardian. Upon learning Noel had just singlehandedly taken down a Behemoth, the Guardian deemed the boy worthy of being Yeul's Guardian. However, the catch to that was that Caius had to be killed in battle in order for Noel to succeed him, which the boy refused. So instead Noel informs him of a plan to travel with Yeul to find other people so that she wouldn't be lonely anymore. In turn, Caius ireprimands him, saying that the attempt would be futile and that it is nothing more than a stupid dream since they are they only three left.
Pointing out that his death is the only way to save Yeul by revealing once he dies, his Heart of Etro will be destroyed. Which in turn, would not only kill him, but ensure Etro's death as well. Etro's death would mean the release of the chaos being contained in Valhalla. Despite hearing this, Noel still refused to fight, so Caius forces him to instead. Noel is defeated easily, which in turn proves to Caius that he can't be killed by the boy as he is now. Turning to leave, he stops and leaves the boy with one final statement. He reveals that Yeul's feelings over his actions mean absolutely nothing to him, and that the only thing that mattered would be the fact upon Etro's death, Yeul would be free. Using the knowledge he'd gained from Yeul's of previous centuries, he shaped the future to suit his own plans using a series of Paradoxes.
We now travel to Valhalla, where Caius lays a lifeless Yeul to rest in the nearby ocean. Saddened, he asks her if she never wished for this kind of eternity before setting her body in the water. Suddenly, he has a vision of Cocoon crashing into both Pulse AND Etro's shrine. Angered, he challenges Lightning to battle, summoning a swarm of his own monsters to counter her own army of monsters and Eidolons. During the battle he is frozen by the Shiva Sisters he breaks free and grabs Nix and throws her right into her sister.
Turning his head, he sees Lightning charging forth towards him while riding on Odin, counterattacking her assault with a barrage of comets. She dodges the assault only to be met with a blade of energy which she deflects with ease, finally allowing the two to meet face to face. As they clash blades he admits he is impressed with her strength. The two battle and Caius gains the upper hand, only to decide to end things by grabbing her Gunblade and pointing it at his heart as it begins to glow. As Lightning would back away in shock, Caius calls forth the power of Chaos, transforming himself into Chaos Bahamut. The two battle some more and Lightning defeats him again but he swiftly strikes at her again with a surprise attack, knocking her off balance.
His attack looked successful, that is until she is saved by Odin. Once she is saved, he returns to his human form and fires a barrage of magical projectiles. Lightning deflects them back at him, causing him to be buried beneath a pile of rubble, but he saves himself using the power of Chaos. As Lightning is distracted by saving a falling Noel, he emerges from the rubble as Chaos Bahamut again and strikes at the both of them in the skies above Valhalla. However, he remained underneath the rubble long enough for Lightning to tell Noel how her sister can help and hand him Mog, who would be very beneficial to Serah. Beaten again, he emerges while the two are in mid conversation and summons a meteor to crash down upon Valhalla, transforming to escape the impact. Before that meteor was summoned, Lightning threw both Noel and Mog through the time portal.
We know travel to Academia in 40X AF (X meaning an alternate version of an existing world) Caius gives Alyssa an artefact, rearranging for Serah to be separated from Noel in the Void Beyond, or Valhalla's Shadow, by stabbing Noel in the back to release his Chaos and then places the boy in a dream world to relive his past. Soon after that, he appears before Serah, sitting atop Etro's crystal throne. He is impressed with her skills before slowing time to knock her down. Holding his foot atop Serah's weapon, he tells the story of how Etro's interference (regarding the end of FF XIII) has cut Yeul's lifespan short. Now since he revealed his goal to her, he stabs Serah from behind to release her Chaos as well as she enters her own dream world. Believing there to be no more interference from the two, he travels to Academia 500 AF to execute a plan of mass genocide of Cocoon's population to force the gates of the Unknown Gates to open.
Now of course, Serah and Yeul break free of Caius' spell, and approach the Academy from the building's edge. Enraged, he transforms into Chaos Bahamut and swoops at them before flying up towards the New Cocoon. By now, the duo had reunited with Sazh Katzroy, even catching an airship ride from him. Impressed, he reverts to his human form and tells Serah yet again that he is impressed with her, and that sadly despite her shortened lifespan, he has chosen to kill her first. Noel, Serah, and Caius clash atop Sazh's airship, however he easily defeats Serah. But right before he can deliver the final blow, he is stopped by Noel. He remarks about how Noel would be an impressive guardian due to his resolve to protect his friends, then goes on to say everything he did was only in attempt to save Yeul. He firmly believes that it is cruel for Yeul's to die at such a young age, he reaffirms his resolve to stop any and all who get in his way. After a nice maneuver by Sazh, Noel and Serah are propelled forth for a joint attack to knock him down.
The combined efforts of Sazh, Noel and Serah were more than enough to send him flying off of the airship. However as Etro’s Gate appeared, the gateway to Valhalla manifested itself causing Caius to become Chaos Bahamut once more and flew into the gate. Seeing Caius jump into the gate, Noel and Serah jump in after him. As all three enter Valhalla, Caius notices that Noel and Serah have been aided by Odin and blasts them onto the beach. Caius had the advantage in this battle, as the entire ocean in Valhalla was surrounded by Chaos. A fierce battle ensued here, with Caius telling Noel and Serah they can’t defeat him now. Noel, once again, tries to appeal to Caius by asking him if he thought his plan would really make Yeul happy, only for Caius to ask him which one, as he had guarded and protected several throughout the years, and that despite being reincarnated as the same being each Yeul had their own personality.
Noel continued to try to appeal to Caius, stating that Yeul’s constant reincarnating was of her own free will. He explained that each time she revived herself, it was to come back and see him. Caius however refused to listen and kept fighting. Noel finally managed to strike him down, only for Caius to use the surrounding Chaos to become Jet Bahamut. As Jet Bahamut, he attacked Noel and Serah with a blast from above which sent them hurtling into a void beneath Valhalla. The duo found themselves saved by Lightning herself and sent to a platform where the final battle concluded. Jet Bahamut, along with Amber and Garnet Bahamut were defeated in a long and fierce battle. As the battle concludes, a weakened Caius appears on the shores of the beach in Valhalla. He tells Noel it is his fault Yeul keeps needing to be reborn, and that he needs to be struck down. When Noel refuses, Caius impales himself upon Noel’s blade, seeming to die. Upon his death, the Chaos within his body erupts into the sky. However this was yet just another ploy of his. In the Void Beyond, a somehow revived Caius was sitting upon Etro’s Throne, commenting on how when Noel’s sword destroyed his Heart of Chaos, the Chaos managed to unleash itself upon the world once more. As a result of this, one final battle between Lightning and Caius ensued, with Lightning becoming the victor, saving the world from Chaos before stabilizing herself in crystal to preserve the memory of her now dead sister Serah.
