Moon Diver/Characters

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This is a list of primary groups and characters featured in Kouichi Yotsui's Moon Diver.

Moon Divers

The Moon Divers, also known as the Arvenord (アルヴノート, possibly a combination of two words with roots in northern Germanic languages: "Arve" (legacy/heir) and "Nord" (North)) or Arvenot, are the five main characters. These five young people are descendants of an ancient race that lived on Earth before humanity, usually called either "Spirits" (精霊) or "Faeries" (妖精), which was widely spread across Northern Europe before the Middle Ages. Having a strong sense of poetry and drama, the race consigned itself to extinction by willingly crossing with humans, diluting their blood over many generations, and is currently believed extinct. The resulting hybrid sub-race is currently embedded among human society, hidden away within their everyday life much like their ancestors hid away within the forests of Europe. The Arvenord are indistinguishable from humans and, since they dislike being noticed or revealing their existence, prefer to live peacefully under the guise of normal human beings. They have also inherited part of their ancestor's powers, revealing a true form in which their powers take the appearance of differently-shaped auras surrounding them.

In ancient times, this race and humanity made a pact of mutual protection, so each race would come to the defense of the other in a time of crisis. Although humanity has long since forgotten this pact, the descendants of the Spirits didn't. When humanity is about to face total extinction at the hands of Faust, the Moon Divers come out of hiding, discarding their human appearances and picking up the weapons and armors of legend to fight back in fulfilment of their ancestor's oath.

Seyfert

Seyfert (セイファート) is a 17 years old Swedish high-school student born in the city of Kiruna, a modern city hidden within the frozen lands of the Arctic Circle. A perfectly built city whose hermeticness gives it the appearance of a spaceship, Seyfert lived a comfortable life within its walls. He was good at school and sports, always getting good scores, and was popular among both boys and girls. But he found this trivial lifestyle boring and unchallenging. However, one day as he saw the news report of cities around the world being destroyed by Faust, Seyfert had a realization: that it was his duty to stop him. He seems to have a low view of humans, saying he'll almost miss them once they are gone.

Seyfert's true form manifests as a pair of fiery wings rising over his shoulders. He wields a set of swords called Xenon, the "Bewitched Blade of the Polar Night" (極夜の妖刀・ゼノン, Demon Blade of the Polar Night: Zenon). The sword is said to be made of "Mithril", a mythical metal that was created by the accumulated wisdom and efforts of human civilization. Forged from a mysterious gem-like lump using European forging techniques that have matured from the times of alchemy and hunting all the way to the fires of the Industrial Revolution, Xenon's base steel is believed to be a perfect metal combining the highest viscosity and durability. Xenon was manufactured during the 1900's using secret techniques and polished over the following 100 years, this obsession giving it its reputation as a "bewitched sword".

Hitori

Hitori (ヒトリ, lit. Fire Bird) is a 19-years old Japanese office worker employed in the accounts department of a Tokyo trading company. She lives alone, reserved and shy among strangers, but this is a mask hiding her true self. In her daily life, Hitori is open about having "fairy blood" in her veins, and during the night she becomes a predator, wandering across the skyscrapers of Tokyo even before Faust began his war against humanity. Hitori's actions and motives to oppose Faust aren't entirely known or understood, but she's the most determined to save humanity from Faust. Although she wears an eyepatch, her right eye is perfectly functional; Hitori wears it because she would rather not see herself going through such an extreme change with it.

Hitori's true form makes two large, beautiful butterfly wings of energy to appear. She wields what looks like a large, razor-edged cudgel called Saitou, the "Heretical Samurai Sword" (異端の日本刀・サイトウ, Heretical Japanese Sword: Saitou). The steel used to forge it was refined at the Yawata Steelworks in Fukuoka Prefecture in the year 2048, using a mixture of Japanese and imported steel. This earned it the monicker of "heretic", as using foreign materials was considered a heresy among Japanese sword manufacturers. The blade was named after Noriyuki Saitou, the head of the forging team. Thanks to his rebellious nature and ingenuity, Saitou can cut with terrifying ease.

Tolby

Tolby (トルビー) is a 14-years old junior high school student from Naples. Intoxicated over his growing powers, Tolby spent his carefree days having fun in the small Italian city before Faust's attack began. He enjoys to run around Mt. Vesuvius to observe how his speed and agility increase each day, as well as deriving enjoyment from making fun of tourists and the local Mafia with which he has a mutual feud. He also enjoys meditating in absolute silence, usually breaking into an old cathedral and observing the horizon from atop its canopy, or otherwise simply lying down on the cold floor for several hours. Tolby is very introspective and obsessed with understanding the origin of his powers, believing there exists a strict structure giving order and meaning to the universe. He appears intrigued by Faust's motives and ponders humanity's lack of a higher purpose on Earth.

Tolby's true form takes on the appearance of a large, demonic-looking black wing spreading from his back. He wields a "Carozzo Mechanical Cutting Device" he has given no name (カロッツォ工機切断器・無名, Carozzo Mechanical Cutter: Unnamed), a cutting device used in heavy industry whose actual purpose is unknown. Tolby found it at a Milanese tool shop among a large pile and bought it on impulse after getting a hold of it and finding its handling perfect. An Italian product of high performance and output, its cutting power must not be underestimated: as long as it remains undamaged, it can cut through anything.

Ourion

Ourion (オーリオン) is a 24-years old man, the prodigal son of a prestigious family living on an archipelago off the coast of Mozambique. Ourion's family is directly descended from the Spirits of ancient times, but Ourion himself has little care, and believes his family is crazy. Irresponsible and a shameless womanizer, Ourion prefers to leave on long trips aboard his cruiser seeking any excuse to abandon his home. During one of his adventures seeking a precious object discovered in mainland Asia, Ourion was dragged back home by a family steward on orders of his aged father. Ourion's father ordered him to honor their ancestor's pact with humanity and stop Faust's carnage. Ourion was the one who gathered the other Moon Divers and provided them with their armors, an ancient legacy kept by his family on their mansion.

Ourion's true form manifests as a green electric current covering his whole body. He wields a hybrid cudgel/ax weapon known as Epiphany, the "Bludgeoner of the Indian Ocean" (インド洋の棍棒斧・エピファニー, Cudgel Ax of the Indian Ocean: Epiphany). The weapon was created using the most advanced modern technology, using a so-called cosmic material refined on a zero-gravity field. Ourion's father ordered its creation, worried about the safety of his unreliable son. Epiphany has several different abilities and functions, including the ability to be as lightless as a broom but gaining incredible weight on impact. Thinking of it as a counterfeit when compared to the ancient weapons of his peers, Ourion only agreed to wield it by completely ignoring all of its functions and abilities, even in times his life is in grave danger. He does so because he believes a strong determination in the face of certain death will strengthen his weapons' power. Whether this works or not, Epiphany holds the greatest suppression power among all Moon Divers' weapons.

Owing to his like of women, Ourion named his weapon after a woman, and tends to change its name often, being originally named "Magda" the previous week.

Silence

Silence (サイレンス) is a 21-years old man from California. By day he's a college student at the Stanford Faculty of Engineering working a part-time job to sustain his tuition, but by night he's a masterful ninja performing secret government missions all across America. Having performed missions behind the scenes, he was aware of Faust and the imminent war before it began. Although Silence appears insensitive, he's actually fascinated by the many skills of humanity and how deep their fear runs. He initially joined the Moon Divers mainly to gather information, but as time passed he started doubting himself, thinking if fighting Faust was the right thing and feeling uneasy over protecting the inferior and flawed human race. Seeking answers about Faust's nature and motives as well as his and the Arvenord's reasons to fight, he becomes "Black Silence" and confronts his former allies several times.

Silence's true form powers come out as several Japanese kanji manifesting behind his back. His weapon is called Shusui, the "Plasma Blade" (プラズマの光剣・秋水, Plasma Light Sword: Shusui). Shusui is a modern plasma-based sword with a portable energy source capable of generating a focused discharge of plasma that cuts through anything in its path. The weapon is highly maneuverable thanks to its lack of weight and has high breaking power, being created specifically to perfectly suit Silence's needs as a ninja. Shusui has been Silence's weapon since the beginning and was not provided by Ourion's family. Due to his cold reasoning and indifference to traditions, he turned down using an ancient weapon because he believes a weapon needs to be efficient in only one thing: cut down enemies.

Human Resistance Army

The Human Resistance Army (人類軍, lit. Mankind Army) is a military force created following Faust's initial attack in order to protect humanity. As a militia whose goal is to oppose Faust, it has become the first and only military force in human history whose enemy is not another human force. The Human Resistance Army pulled in the most advanced weapons and equipment available and all its military power to defend the human race and attempt to kill Faust, but all plans ended up in failure. By the beginning of the game, the army is crippled and all contact with the battlefield is lost, leaving soldiers still fighting all on their own, becoming paranoid over the stress of their situation and attacking anyone, including the Moon Divers.

At the start of Act 2, the army makes a last-ditch effort to kill Faust by attacking him with the Moon Driver, a massive space cannon. The attack doesn't even phase Faust, pierces through Earth completely obliterating America and warns Faust of the cannon's existence, sending his creatures to take it over.

After Faust's demise, the Human Resistance Army not only comes forward and takes credit for his defeat, but proclaims humanity the absolute ruler of Earth from then and forever, a display of the arrogance Faust found so disgusting in the human race.

Siberian Arsenal

Siberian Arsenal (シベリア兵器廠) is a weapon manufacturer known for creating most of the machine enemies in the game. The company was formed by a group of researchers who were banished to Siberia after incurring the rage of a man "whose name must never be spoken". The company developed the generic turrets found in most stages, as well as the more advanced Shivursky 2063 automatic tracker, the SZk Space Torpedo (a machine capable of transporting bombs at the exact location of a target) and the "Reflect Laser" weapon.

One researcher stands out within the group, Dr. Sumassedsji Kraznyj (unoficial romanization of his Japanese name, 紅狂博士). An excentric Russian researcher whose name literally translates to "Red Crazy", Kraznyj has fervently contributed to the destruction of the world as a weapon manufacturer. His particular field of expertise is in robotics, having helped in the creation of a "medium-size robot able to freely walk across the irregular-shaped cathedrals" and a "giant robot gorilla using a hydraulics system which operated like an animal". At one point he also developed the large transforming mecha "Gunder" by request of the Japanese government, in order to confront an evil organization called "Dust Corps". The American government approached him for their project of building the all-purpose battleship Independence, asking him to develop a gravity control device so it would be able to fly freely. Kraznyj, however, denied effusively it ever existed, and his reluctance to agree to its making and the large budget he requested for its development soured the relationship, and the group lost the contract to their rival company Adericoth. Kraznyj also knew of Faust well before he started his war on humanity, and was aware of his power of life creation.

During a secret meeting, Kraznyj told Silence the gravity device was forever lost after "the fall of the capital on the third moon", and thus he was ordered to eliminate the entire company, to prevent any new technology to fall in Faust's hand. It's unknown if Silence carried out his orders.

Adericoth

Adericoth (アデリコス社) is a weapon development company established in Burkina Faso, and primary rival of Siberian Arsenal. Adericoth went through rapid growth and quickly established itself as Siberian Arsenal's equal in the market of weapon development, specifically of laser-based weaponry. The company developed the Sweep Laser Cannon, a small turret capable of shooting a sustained laser beam and directing it against targets, as well as the Moon Driver, a massive laser cannon set on the Moon capable of erasing an entire continent. These weapons gained them a reputation in laser-based weaponry Siberian Arsenal couldn't match.

The American military would later entrust them to develop an engine for the All-Purpose Battleship Independence. Adericoth developed the "Recoilless Centrifugal Drive" (無反動遠心駆動), an engine capable of moving the battleship without needing fuel injection, allowing Independence to traverse any terrain effortlessly whether underground, underwater, sky high or even space. After the military got fed up with Kraznyj's demands for a gravity-manipulating engine, Adericoth was given an almost-exclusive contract to develop Independence using their engine.

Faust's Demon Army

The Demon Army at the control of Faust. Faust's miraculous power allows him to create (or "summon") new life through the simple touch of his hand, creating hideous lifeforms out of inanimate objects. All the life he creates has no independent will and acts as their slaves, instinctively feeling the desires of their creator and following it without the need of direct orders. These creatures are also capable of self-replication.

The main force in the army is made up of Zooids (ゾーン), humanoid monsters created from a handful of amino-acid powder. The Zooids have no individuality or will of their own, forming out colonies where each member have a specific function reflected in their bodies' color and shape of their arms. For example: green Zooids are basic footsoldiers, red Zooids are lone attackers and black Zooids are focused on defense.

Idols

Giant Idols (巨大な偶像) are the largest creatures created by Faust through an unconscious method he calls "Summoning". These creatures were summoned out of an unknown desire Faust felt but couldn't understand. Created out of nowhere, Faust found defects in all three and quickly discarded them. They, however, still feel complete loyalty to their Creator and follow his desires instinctively if only to be of some use to him.

The three Idols are Asterios Ruins (迷宮のアステリオス, Labyrinth of Asterios), Firebird in the Void (虚空の不死鳥, Phoenix of the Void) and the Black Horse of War (戦争の黒い馬). They serve as the giant bosses of the game.

Faust

The Demon Lord Faust (魔王ファウスト) is the main antagonist. A young boy who suddenly appeared on Earth one day, very little is known about him. He first appeared in the region of Siberia displaying his miraculous powers, although he proclaims to have been "born at the sea". He has been described as being a "child born from evil", from an "evil man" and an "evil woman" who "lived once". He's referred to as a "superhuman" and the true "Son of Man" by Silence, and is aware of the Moon Divers' descendance, referring to them as having "Elf's blood". His name is taken from the protagonist of Goethe's play, noting how in the original play it's the influence of a demon (Mephistopheles) that stands behind the character's actions, but in this case Faust has no such influence to blame for his horrible deeds, and everything he does is by his own free will.

After traveling the world and recognizing the intent of a Creator God in how it is structured, Faust concluded that God has left this Earth, and humanity has no higher purpose or destiny beyond the perpetuation of its species. Believing humans have no right to claim Earth as theirs to rule, and considering them worthless, arrogant and disgusting, Faust decided he had the freedom and right to exterminate and replace them with the race he creates with his powers, self-sufficient beings that require no society or imposed rules to survive and prosper.

When confronted, Faust reveals powers very similar to the Moon Divers' true forms, manifesting large wings of red energy behind him. Faust fights by constantly creating orb projectiles around him or by summoning Zooids into the battlefield.

References

• Square Enix (2011). Official site for Moon Diver in English and Japanese (dead links). Accessed July 16, 2017.
• Yotsui, Kouichi (May 5, 2011). Moon Diver Notes (Japanese). Translated at the Strider Citadel. Accessed July 16, 2017.