This is Jenipher Katzbalger.  She's one of several FF: the Chains of Fate characters who just happened when I was writing the latest version.  She's Armando's oldest friend and his fiancee through parental arrangement.  Her name's origin was interesting:  I was going to cash my check one day and the clerk's name was Jennipher.   Something about it clicked with me, so I decided to hack an 'n' off and use it.  Katzbalger was originally inspired by one of the swords in the Breath of Fire series (the significance of which I have not investigated yet); the fact that it includes a reference to cats and Jenipher and her family are cat demi-humans was just a little play on words that came with the package at no extra cost.

Kiyoshi: Mmmmmm...Pretty furry...

Kadessa Oeilvert, one of the Foreign Ministers who attend the High Consulate of the UEN.  She's a cold-hearted bitch, and no-one knows much about her.  But she's definitely up to something....

Qifao Lixun and his kid sister Fumiye.  The crown prince and princess of the grand trading empire south of the Hiten clan's territory, Lixun and his sister were sent to the Hiten clan for training in the arts of war.  Lixun is one helluva slacker, though, so he chose the sword style that would mean the least work for him in battle: Issen ryuu, a school that teaches you to use only one strike to defeat any opponent.

Mariah, also known as the Omega Subject of the Black Operation: Gothe.  One of the only people in the UEN capable of wielding magic, Mariah is very, very good at it.  Her skills come at a cost, of course: she can't remember anything about her life before the project got her, and she's also under their complete control.

Redesign of Aeris Gainsborough, in color.  Don't wanna give away too many story details, but as for the obvious, yes, she has been resurrected.  Again.  For the ten billionth time.  Suxx0r it, b107ch.   And a correction: it's only been 18 years since the end of FFVII (which I calculate to have been 3 years after it began).  Also, yes; that is a wedding ring on her finger.

Barret's redesign!  This one came to me toward the end of my most recent Colorado-Florida-Colorado bus trip.  The only things you need to know: he leads a private police company, and that mini-vulcan he packs spits out 1000+ depleted-makou rounds a minute

Cid's redesign!  ...kind of.  It's Cid.  Don't fix what ain't broken, right?  I added a few details, changed some colors and a few things here and there.... and we have Cid!  His old Airmaster jacket was replaced with his new, one-of-a-kind Spacemaster jacket.

Cloud, now in color.  A few short years after FFVII, Cloud swore off fighting forever.  Now, however, events in the world are conspiring to undermine his wishes.  With the world going to hell, will he be able to keep his oath?  ...Probably not.

Echo.  A newcomer to the FFVII storyline.  Her background's a mystery, but it's rumored that she is a member of the new incarnation of AVALANCHE.  What is known is that she is fiercely loyal to her cause... whatever that is.

Yufi!  Ahh, Yufi.  Thirty-something and still as energetic as ever!  Time obviously means nothing to her.  In the interceding 18 years between FFVII and my story, she has finally become a full-fledged kunoichi... and one of the most-wanted women in the world!

The Nornir, the three sisters, the goddesses of Fate.   From left, Urd, Skuld, and Verdandi.  And NO, contrary to the opinions of those less-informed among you, I did not steal the names from Ah! Megamisama.  Rather, Fujishima Kosuke took the names from actual Norse mythology.  "Belldandy" is a mistranslation by the American team, taken from the verudandi (also readable as berudandi) that Fujishimasensei must've used.  Urd goes by the name Lynn, Skuld by the name Kaeli, and Verdandi simply uses her given name.