Shinra Inc. employed a host of deranged people as mad scientists, but perhaps none were worse than Märchen von Friedhof. Hojo, Gast, Gillian, Hollander - all of them were focused on jenova, but Märchen’s research was on a different path. But the Jenova Project held President Shinra’s interest, and Märchen fell by the wayside, barely funded and almost forgotten. nobody looked at his reports or his research nobody cared what he was doing.
Märchen, however, would not give up. He became focused, almost obsessed with his project - a way to keep a corpse from dissolving back into the Lifestream, and then using the Lifestream itself to control it. Then his research went even further - drawing pieces of the Lifestream out to take other forms, never seen before. The Lifestream itself fought his efforts at every step, but Märchen was victories, step by agonizingly slow step.
After six years, Märchen at last stood before President Shinra and his fellow researchers… and none of them had any idea what he could do. He had fine-tuned his control; once, it had taken rooms full of equipment and massive amount of Mako energy to even control a single of his creations. But now, he had nothing more than a simple, handheld baton; and with it, he called a dozen of his creations into being from the air around them. Abhorred and rebelled against by nature itself, they were mutant beasts that barely resembled anything comprehensible, made of putrid flesh and writhing limbs.
At last, Märchen would have his revenge for being ignored and looked down upon for all this time.
The meeting instantly dissolved, and two researchers died before SOLDIER operatives burst through the door. Märchen’s beasts were cut down and he escaped, fleeing Midgar. First-class SOLDIERS Sephiroth and Genesis were sent after him.
Both operatives returned within a week, and Märchen was confirmed dead, although rumors among Shinra personnel claimed that Gensis had… changed.
