(For a while now, I have been joking about the concept of the character of Uncle Greg, an uncle to the Sarah sisters based off the surprisingly buff White Wizard sprite of FF1
Although he has mostly existed as a joke, I have in my spare time developed a perfectly serious and compatible backstory for this character, and although he may never come to be because of the dangerous politics of introducing Sarahkin, I thought I'd share it with ya'll)
Uncle Greg, or as he was originally known, White Mage, was somewhat conflicted when he was growing up in Mysidia. His older brother, the mage later to be known as Helios, had sought a career in being a White Mage, and Greg felt the pressure of those around him to pursue the magical arts as well. He had no real idea of where he wanted to head in life, so White Magic seem just as good a future as any. However, as he learned more and more White Magic, he grew unimpressed with the magic's use in battle. It was only when he mastered the offensive spell Holy that he truly discovered his passion.
Greg liked to battle, not to sit back and heal those who fought. But at this point in his life, he had already become a master White Mage, to the point he was promoted to the position of White Wizard. With the role came his inclusion in a powerful adventuring party, where he was expected to back up his Knight and Ninja allies rather than joining in the battles themselves. He would often charge in against his allies' advice with his weak weapon solely for the sake of breaking the monotony of healing, and it came to a point where they just stopped buying him weapons.
That didn't stop Greg though. Greg would rush in with just his fists to deal final blows to near dead monsters, and soon his part became fed up with his antics. They sought a new healer, leaving the White Wizard to wander the world alone...
It was during this time of traveling on his own he found his identity. Shirking the name of his role, he finally assumed the name Gregory, although he insisted people call him Greg due to his incredibly friendly and jovial nature. Gregory, he thought, was just for sounding important when he had to intimidate opponents, whether or not that held true is debatable.
Greg spent much of his time honing his body, trying to make up for his lack of weapons by defeating weak monsters with his bare hands. One day though, he bit off more than he can chew when he stumbled across a strange machine with laser weaponry. His fists could do nothing to the metal hide of the monster, but he was saved by a strange man who fended off the machine with his fists alone.
The man turned out to be a Monk named Yang. Yang had noticed Greg's robes and figured him for a white mage whose adventuring party must have fallen in battle. Yang took Greg in, and for a while, Greg returned the favor by serving as a healer for the Monk as Yang repelled monsters from the nearby settlements. Greg was once again preoccupied during battle though, watching Yang overcome his body's limitations rather than focusing on healing. The White Wizard was slowly forgetting the magic he learned, replacing it instead with knowledge of how to use his body for battle.
One day, he admitted to Yang he no longer wished to be a mage, hoping for the Monk to train him as a pupil. Yang accepted, but the vigor with which Greg approached the training shocked him. Greg would push his body beyond its breaking point, often injuring himself during training. Greg would quickly heal himself up though, but Yang saw the self-destructive behavior of his overeager student, so the Monk claimed he had taught Greg all he could.
Greg went peacefully, believing the lie, but still believing he could push his body further. Greg would exercise and train to the point he would often break bones or tear muscles, only for him to heal himself up and continue. Soon, he had reached what seemed like his limit. Greg finally felt strong enough to outshine even Yang in the realm of hand-to-hand combat.His ability to push beyond his bodies limit with the aid of his white magic was what made him so powerful and dangerous.
Greg had kept in contact with his brother, although the letters were sparse due to the circumstances involving a wandering and training brawler. It was the news of a wedding that drew Greg homeward, where he would try to reconcile his failure as a White Wizard with the leaders of Mysidia, to the point where he was willing to renounce the title to maintain the dignity of the rarely given position.
However, Greg could not resist combat, and on the way to Mysidia, he fought nearly everything he'd see. He defeated monsters, wrestled bears, and even took on a few bets in friendly combat, but his desire to take on all comers would prove to be his undoing.
A strange man dressed in robes had heard of Greg through his conquests. This man had dark plans, and he had been systematically eliminating threats to their execution. A powerful warrior like Greg was bound to catch his eye. He challenged Greg while the former White Wizard was setting up camp during the twilight hours. Greg eagerly accepted, dropping his camping gear and allowing his challenger to get in the first punch.
A hand quickly clasped Greg's shoulder, the hood of the man's robes falling back and revealing not a face, but a strange swirl of magic and runes. Greg felt his body shifting into a similar form, and before he knew it, he had disappeared off the face of the planet.
Helios had thought Greg had avoided the wedding by choice, still wrapped up in a world of self-betterment rather than caring about those around him. The discovery of the abandoned camp site later made him regret these bitter thoughts. Mysidian officials declared Greg dead, honoring him in the halls as a great White Wizard.
But Greg had not died. His body, now a swirl of letters and magic, floated through the ether. Many other warriors floated through this world as well, but they lacked a certain trait that made Greg different. Greg had valued the betterment of his body over all else, it's true, but being warped into this formless being had caused such a great rage in the former mage that he was able to channel the magicks of his body to recreate his human form.
However, when he had returned to his body, he found that he was no longer anywhere near home. Uncle Greg began to search for a way home, but he soon found that if he lacked concentration, his body would return to its ethereal form. Greg had always skimped over Yang's lessons on meditation in favor of the physical training, and now he was forced to relearn mental discipline if he hoped to maintain his precious body.
It is hard to say where he is now, but he still journeys in search of his lost world, hoping to finally see his brother and his new bride.
(I am not sure if this completely melds with Gooper's ideas about Mysidia, but this was more a thought exercise than anything. I'd love to RP Uncle Greg, but I would hate to step on his toes and ruin the amazing things he's done with the Sarahkin)
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