#austuff

Why Eden the umber?

Umber is a yellow-ish or reddish-brown pigment found naturally in the earth. This color easily connects to Eden’s Cetra heritage as they are said to be connected to the Planet. The color’s name comes from the word umbra which means “shadow” in Latin. Shadows have become a symbol for Eden. The shadows have provided her shelter, comfort in being unseen by those she deems a threat. However, shadows of her past and the LifeStream’s souls haunt her at a near consistent rate. Could argue that she feels as though she is stuck in Aerith’s shadow, as Aerith proves to be the strongest Cetra.   Also the color at its darkest shade, burnt umber, can be seen in her appearance, just as other Tsviets have their colors visible (examples being Rosso’s red hair and eyes or Nero’s black hair). Eden’s hair would be a very dark, burnt umber, so it works.

Why did she become a Tsviet?

It’s been stated that those who become Tsviets show some sort of unique ability. The fact that she can hear the LifeStream is what saved her from being executed. Though Eden despises this ability, she is quick to speak of it to preserve her life. I feel with DeepGround’s goal to awaken Omega (she finds herself in DeepGround during the events of Dirge of Cerberus), they may find use in her connection to the LifeStream and decide to keep her alive if it made bringing forth Omega easier.

Abilities?

Aside from her hearing and feeling the Planet, stealth, cunning, and hunting instincts are her prime abilities. She lacks the immense strength that many Tsviets possess, however she is able to use manipulation and her learned skills as a hunter to pull her through. Survival is key in DeepGround, and what better way to learn to survive a hostile place than know how to read the potential threats/targets, mask insecurities, and when to attack? I imagine that a great many in DeepGround rely on basic instincts rather than try to reason with much of the dangers. Eden is no exception, however, she also doesn’t just blindly run that innate, primitive nature. She watches, taking note of every word, detail, and action, anything to provide her vital clues to bring about her oppressors’ downfall. She often plays to their narcissism, appealing to them just enough to earn trust. Because she’s aware that with that trust comes rewarded freedom, and with that freedom she’ll bring about her vengeance.

Savage Eden

This is connected to her abilities. Each Tsviet seems to have their own “form” and Eden would be no exception. I feel that because her Cetran abilities, the Tsviets would rush to give her an advantage of some sort to stay alive, and thus stay useful in DeepGround. This would have been done by subjecting her to the Metamorphose experiment, as it seems to be the fastest way to give her the much needed strength. This experiment’s information, such as the protocols, were likely stored in the computer Patricia. And if Shelke can find a virus and hack what once was an impenetrable computer system, I’m sure this information wouldn’t be hard for her to locate. Due to restrained time and resources, however, they could not do it in the same scale as Azul’s. She would not shapeshift into a behemoth, but rather into a Nibel wolf. This is what is called her Savage form.

Since Azul’s behemoth is obviously unique in appearance (in comparison to the natural behemoths seen in the game), I decided to take artistic liberties in Eden’s Nibel wolf form. I imagine that nibel wolves are meant to look like large dire wolves. She would look similar, however her muzzle would be broader and shorter, more similar to that of a bone-crushing hyena’s. Paws would also be large and appear more like bear paws, as she is unable to shift completely to a wolf. Her fur would be mottled with shades of brown, burnt umber, and tan, almost similar to the appearance of a merle Australian Shepherd’s fur or even an African wild dog’s fur. The deep scars on her left side, chest, and right wrist remain visible from the fur and glow a pale blue from the mako in her blood. The mane is heavy and layered, however the long, silken hair of her humanoid form seems to be maintained beneath the shaggy mane, as well as her thin braids. Though she has lost her lip and ear piercings, the remaining holes leave damage. Her ears have notches from the stretching and tearing of the former piercings. Her lips also develop two tears from where lip rings used to be and from the tension of the transformation.

In humanoid form, she looks fairly similar to how she did before the experiment, however her ears are pointed and slanted (almost elf-like in appearance). Her teeth are sharper and jaw is heavier, giving her head a slight downward tilt from the weight. The teeth in the far back left corner are missing due to her enduring jaw-breaking blow on her first day in DeepGround. Her scars and amber eyes maintain the eerie glow.

Weapons:

After losing her hunting knife, Eden is given twin shotels, both of which are strapped onto her hips unless a battle were to erupt. The curved, sickle-like blades are swirled with copper and silver, giving an appearance similar to mokume gane. The handles are gold with dark brown leather wrapped around the length of them, leaving the pommels bare.

Plot:

So far, there are actually two possible ways how Eden got into DeepGround. These are dependent on their respective alternate universes.

In one, Eden dares to look through ShinRa’s abandoned Headquarters in hopes to find answers of her Cetra lineage and what it really means to hear the LifeStream. Dirge of Cerberus states that many workers, soldiers, and civilians went missing as they searched through ShinRa HQ’s remains. Eden would be one of the many to dig through the ruins. Eventually, the floor gives way, and she falls to into the abyss. She wakes up and tries to find her way out, only to be found by a Tsviet.

In another, she hears the wailing of a thousand souls coming from the direction of Midgar. In a panic, Eden tries to run from where the cries are coming from, thinking the distance would stop them. This leads her into a skirmish with a Deepground troop and a small village. With the guidance of the LifeStream, she manages to avoid the major carnage (although not without enduring injuries). She manages to collide with a fight with one of the lower ranking soldiers and kills him. This gets the attention of the other Deepground fighters and she is captured like the other survivors and brought underneath Mako Reactor 0.

These are only two that have been tried out for threads. I’m open to all possibilities!

In both of these beginnings, Eden uses her identity as a Cetra and ability to hear the Planet, claiming she could make awakening and controlling Omega an easier feat. Though she still struggles with accepting her heritage and connection to the LifeStream at this point, she’s not above speaking about them in great lengths if it prevents death. She eventually reaches the Tsviets and they agree she could be useful to their plans.

Though she managed to save her life for the time being, her treatment as a prisoner doesn’t improve. Eden endures both mental and physical torture, manipulation of all types, and brutal training regimens. It wears on her already damaged psyche, but holds onto the hope of being able to learn Deepground’s system, its weaknesses, and eventual escape. With the hunt on the world going on, and time running out, she is ordered to go through a variant of the metamorphose experiment to make her abler to survive and maintain usefulness.

Her resentment towards Deepground grows after they rip away the remnants of her humanity and she vows revenge. She trains even more at that point, planning to get to the Tsviet’s level, earn their trust, and use it against them.

Over time, however (depending on who takes part on the thread and the characters’ relationship), she becomes attached to the other and begins to enjoy her newfound rank and the respect it demands from others. This only lasts a short while, however, as she watches innocent civilians get captured and realize what becomes of them in Deepground. The Planet urges her to act, to save itself and the people depending on it. She then must make a choice: Does she forget her hatred towards Deepground to embrace her power, or does she risk her own life and safety to save those who have either been her enemy for most of her life (the Planet) or unfamiliar to her?

She takes on what could be described as a suicide mission. She takes part in missions to gather civilians, however, she sabotages them in various ways. Some of these methods include allowing the targets to escape before the troop could reach them; killing off soldiers or troop officials with lies that the soldiers tried to challenge her rank, that they were the ones trying to free captives, or simply they were killed in battle or by tragic accident. These plans work for a while, but only for a while. The other Tsviets grow suspicious of the mission failures. Eden then realizes she needs to act now at that point or she would be found out and killed for treason.

Using a distraction (be it releasing the Beast soldiers and let them cause havoc in Deepground or another way), Eden makes her escape. Her fight to get to the surface is bloody and nearly kills her (especially if the one fighting her was also the one she grew closer to during her stay), but she manages to barely hang onto life long enough to drag herself to the World Regenesis Organization. There she gives them all the information she has about Deepground’s plan and the Tsviets. Though she hopes they would not only give her vengeance she fiercely desires and save the Planet and its people, she also endures the torn feelings towards the one she once put her affection in (whether it be friendship, trust, or even love) and the consequences they bring about.