Shinra Mansion

The Shinra Mansion, located on the outskirts of Nibelheim. It is a beautiful mansion where everything above the basement is nice and in shambles. However, deep within the basement is filled with secrets of the Shinra. The basement of the Shinra Mansion is where the terror starts, there is a library filled with books about the JENOVA project that Professors Hojo and Gast worked on.

In Crisis Core the mansion is well kept on the inside. It isn’t in near ruins like it is in Final Fantasy VII or Dirge of Cerberus. While in Crisis Core you cannot go into every room because the doors are locked upstairs. However, downstairs in the basement is a research facility and rooms with coffins. That pretty much stays the same between all three games. In Dirge of Cerberus a sewer system has been added that Vincent must go through. The research facility has grown as well. It looks similar to a small infirmary. The stair case in the main room is broken and I think covered in moss. While in the mansion you do learn of Vincent’s past and why he is the way he is.

After Sephiroth learned of his origin he went insane burning the town of Nibelheim, the mansion was the only building that didn’t catch alight. Zack and Cloud were present during this incident. The three and another SOLDIER were order to go to Nibelheim and check the Mako Rector on Mt. Nibel. However, when they did that Sephiroth and Zack found that Shinra was manufacturing monsters and they found JENOVA sealed in the rector. This greatly confused Sephiroth. He went to the mansion and began reading; the lights in the mansion never went out. He stayed in the basement of the mansion reading about the JENOVA project and eventually losing his mind.

Sephiroth killed the villagers of Nibelheim and at the rector Zack confront him. Unfortunately, Zack was defeated and told Cloud to stop Sephiroth. Cloud on the other hand was able to stop Sephiroth; after Cloud was stabbed he grabbed the blade and tossed Sephiroth over the side into the Mako. Both Zack and Cloud had been mortally wounded and couldn’t move. ShinRa came in along with Hojo who decided to use both men as experiments. One day they were able to escape the mansion, Zack was fine but Cloud had severe Mako poisoning. Trying to get back to Midgar with carrying Cloud the SOLDIERs finally caught up to Zack. He had hidden Cloud and went off to fight.

Vincent was sent to protect the scientist of ShinRa in Nibelheim. He fell inlove with Lucrecia Crescent, one of the scientists. Though she couldn’t return his feelings because he didn’t understand her as a scientist or at least that’s what she said. She ended up getting with Hojo and having a child that was the JENOVA Project. Vincent tried to stop them but ended up getting shot by Hojo and becoming an experiment himself. To save Vincent’s life, Lucrecia put Chaos into his body. After he woke up he went berserk because he couldn’t control Chaos, so the protomateria was also placed within him. Not wanting to hurt anyone he locked himself in a coffin and slept trying to atone for his sins.