User:SilverCrono/Sandbox5

8bit
Starting this column off with a look at one of my favorite Ace characters - 8 himself. Having read his backstory but not his main story, I cannot claim to know the exact nuances of the mysterious character, but I can say that what I see is impressive. Within 8, Ace has crafted a skillful manifestation of all his good character-creating traits. A dark, even twisted villain, 8 has the sanity and the past to make anyone sympathize for him and even root for him. On the other hand... He's a magician that has no qualms with hurting others to further his own selfish health and ambition. He isn't a final boss, nor does he have memorable ideals that could change the world, but he is intensely personal and offers the onlooker a serious look at themselves and what they wouldn't do if cursed with power and a ruined life. Sometimes that's all a character needs.

Immediately after 8 comes April Augustus, main antagonist of Twilight Crystal. I would be admonished, and rightfully so, if I said I did not know April, for I have read a good portion of TC and indeed wrote the logistics of the final battle myself (an honor I have not forgotten!). It goes without saying that April is a good character in almost every sense of the word. She is not perfect, but isn't crippled with flaws, either. She has power but wants more of it, and goes about attaining it in a way that isn't laughably evil. If anything, could one even call her evil? Something I've always liked about April is how innocent she is. This isn't a dictator who rapes war orphans or a deadbeat father obsessed with chaos - our villain here is simply a blind girl who wants to better the world and herself. Her ideals of betterment might not be the best, or even remotely philanthropic, but we cannot fault her for trying. She has great lines, great motives, great interactions, and great powers. It isn't hard to be entranced by her melodies when they sound as sweet as these.

One cannot discuss April without mentioning her sister, Alexandra Augustus. Despite her lesser screen time and role, the younger Augustus sister and odd Queen has always been my favorite. Perhaps it is my fetish love for all things political/intriguing/historical, but Alexandra's struggle within her personal morals and the methods necessary to control the world around her have always been so fascinating and enjoyable to me. It is to her credit that Ace writes her dialogue, speeches, and scenarios with impeccable skill. Alexandra doesn't know exactly why her family life has crumbled so horribly, nor can she divine the extent of which her country may be doomed, but she does her best to remedy them, in her own way. Her reliant relationship on her father and her sister clash magnificently with her inherent need for independence, and when she ascends to the throne, a little part of me cheered for her harder than I did for Cynthia. With her wistfully melancholy thoughts about her lost sister and her fragile pride, it is no wonder I have constantly hinted over the years that even black-hearted Oavyce loves Alexandra.

Coming off the peak of characters comes ol' faithful: Calderone Hale. A Drakenaer whose backstory has been in production for quite a while now, he has barely two or three posts in the actual Soul of Dragons DragonSoul canon. That being said, nothing has stopped Ace from writing Hale a deeply impactful past, present, and possible future. I would be blind if I were to say that Hale doesn't have an interesting life, a nuanced personality, and tons of potential, but... He never really clicked with me. I'm not sure if its his stalwart, adamant nature or the fluctuations which an incomplete story and years of character editing, but Hale never felt quite complete and human to me (pun intended). It's almost as if he lacks the spark of sympathetic humanism that each character so far has: 8 and his mother, April and her innocence, Alexandra and her inner struggles... Hale has none of that. I understand that he is supposed to be a link between the Drakes and the Humans, but even so... Maybe he will grow more on me when DS is worked on more.

~To be continued~

TC2
Altina=


 * Name: Altina Rieveldt
 * Gender: Female
 * Age: 12
 * Race: Hume
 * Alignment: Chaotic Good
 * Height: 4'10"
 * Date of Birth: 12/11
 * Job: Spell Lancer
 * Weapon: Magic-enhancing halberd.
 * Battle Info: An unorthodox fighter trained by a notorious wizard, Altina's weapon of choice not only enhances her magic but has been customized with axe blades on either side of its point. She is quick on her feet and is especially skilled in enchanting spells, so one strike from her flaming/shocking/gale-driven halberd is usually all she needs to finish a fight. She has little defense and is notably frail, however, but can be useful from all ranges in spite of her weakness.
 * Appearance: Altina is a pale-skinned, short and slim girl who has very long and messy light blue hair and usually half-closed violet eyes. She usually wears a loose-fitting dark purple coat over a pair of very short, faded denim shorts and bandage wraps over her chest. Although she likes to go barefoot, she usually wears a pair of short black boots that aren't tied.
 * Personality: Despite her young age, or perhaps because of it, Altina is very quiet and reserved. Out of most of the main protagonists in Twilight Crystal 2, she is probably the one with the least emotional tendencies, especially when it comes to battle decisions. With her half-open sleepy eyes and slightly agape mouth, she holds a cutesy, dizzy image, especially with her young age and small size, but in actuality she is quite intelligent and has a surprisingly dark sense of humor. She enjoys macabre jokes, some of which can be quite gruesome. Although she acts quite aloof and detached, she can be clingy to those she grows close to. To her enemies, on the other hand, she can be cold, calculating, and ruthless.
 * Backstory: The only daughter of a wizard and a berserker warrior. Altina's mother, a beautiful lancer jaded by a life of recovering from the Endless War and subsequent service in the Crows, fell in love with a wizard from the city of Vadimas. When the Crows pillaged the city and killed all those they couldn't recruit into their cause, the wizard lived only because of the ranked clout of Altina's mother. The wizard's gentle manner warmed the warrior's heart, and before long, the two eloped in fear from the Crow's pseudo-fascist regime. Now on the run from two of the three major nations and with the berserker nurturing a new life within her, the two took refuge in Voskres and hoped for safety in Ashland.
 * Unfortunately, not even two years after Altina was born, the Crows found the family and let them live only with a pledge of loyalty from the mother, who was soon drafted back into service with the Crows. The wizard was pained as he had never been before and the separation from his beloved drove him mad. As a result, he raised Altina with the skills she would need to one day strike back against the Crows with incredible strength, including various dangerous spells and training her with the magic halberd her mother left behind. He died from illness not long after her 10th birthday, and after a few months of following his directions and continuing to discipline herself, Altina ironically became a child soldier for the Crows after fighting back in one of their raids. She has yet to meet her mother in their ranks, if she even still lives.

Envy=
 * Music Theme: Pristine History of God, originally Primitive Arrangement


 * Name: Lityania Immastion
 * Gender: Female
 * Age: 17 (at death)
 * Race: Canidine
 * Alignment:
 * Height: 5'3"
 * Date of Birth:
 * Job: Duelist (close range fighter specializing in one-on-one battles)
 * Weapon: Scimitar
 * Battle Info: Although she isn't the strongest warrior of the Children of Sin, and she had no battle experience in her past life, Envy gained considerable strength and instincts from her revival, which she showcases with her intensely close-ranged fighting style. She uses an exotic scimitar, and has basic skill with it, but has no special skills worth noting.
 * Limit Break:
 * Appearance: Rather short for a Canidine, Lityania is a petite and pretty girl with short orchid hair and light violet eyes. She is very vain and superficial, and as a part of the powers gifted to her from Mother's Crystal powers, she changes her outfits often. Her most favored ensemble is a sleeveless red blazer with golden buttons over a long and wide black dress. When in battle, she changes the black dress to tight-fitting black pants.
 * Personality: Manipulative, cruel, and self-vindicating, Lityania has the normal struggles that come along with a teenage girl growing up in a war-torn world, but they are amplified by her crippling anxiety, depression, and hatred for herself. She is the jealous type, and is quick to lash out at others for perceived sleights, but most of the time she is truly looking inwards on herself and disappointed with what she sees.
 * Backstory: Originally a Canidine girl orphaned due to the Endless War, Lityania's only family was an older sister who she looked up to very much. Her older sister was very popular and very beautiful; to top things off, due to her family situation and the poverty she and her sister lived in, Lityania had severe anxiety and self-loathing issues. She cared for her sister very much, so much so that it began to hurt Lityania because she saw herself as so much weaker than her strong, independent sister. This spiraled over a long amount of time into a crushing depression that was only perpetuated over time; she was a cold and cruel girl, and because of her attitude, she had no friends and her anxiety only grew worse.


 * But what was so painful for her was the fact that her sister continued to love her, no matter how badly Lityania hated her and herself. She wanted to be happy and to be as perfect as she her sister to be, but was always unable to reach this point. When the older Immastion sported a crush on a boy, Lityania saw a way to finally strike back at her sister, and she seduced this boy visibly, and eventually ended up pregnant from their affair. When her sister found out, the two finally confronted over the issue, and just when Lityania felt she had the upper hand, her sister confessed to loving her in a way that surpassed the love of an older sister to her younger sibling. Disgusted, guilted, and ashamed, Lityania ran away from home and attempted to give herself an abortion. She botched the operation and died alone in the middle of a ruined city.

Victoria=

Wayne=
 * Name: Victoria Kingston
 * Gender: Female
 * Age: 38
 * Race: Half-Canidine/Human
 * Alignment: Lawful Evil
 * Height: 5'6 (168cm)
 * Date of Birth:
 * Job:
 * Weapon:
 * Battle Info:
 * Limit Break:
 * Appearance: Victoria has long, curly black hair and pretty black eyes. She is a beautiful woman who does not look a day over 20 years old. Most of the time she wears a military-esque blazer buttoned shut and adorned with golden ropes, short black shorts, and almost knee-high black boots. Her favorite color is black because it compliments her long legs and her pale skin. Although it is usually not visible due to the hair covering part of her face, she wears an eyepatch over her right eye.
 * Personality:
 * Backstory: Originally a poor merchant's daughter, she led a relatively normal life until, at the ripe age of 17, she was seduced by a traveling Francis Scarmiglione. She fell in love with him fairly quickly, and after he left her small hometown on his political business, she vowed to herself that she would find him and marry the man. She began using her beauty as a way to seduce political men (and women) everywhere, knowing no borders or boundaries, and she soon began to hold onto power and influence because of her talents. After three years of living like this, she met Francis again, and the man is helpless to her charms. After just one night together, however, he is summoned to the SLAVE Factory (circa chapter 4?) and the two never meet again as he dies during the events of Twilight Crystal. Their final encounter left her pregnant, however, and after a problem-free pregnancy, she gives birth to her son Wayne Scarmiglione Kingston. Now left with a son from her love and a respectable amount of political power, she decides to continue her life and becomes a high-ranking bureaucratic officer in Asteria after years of dedication and promiscuity.


 * Name: Wayne S. Kingston
 * Gender: Male
 * Age: 18
 * Race: 3/4 Human, 1/4 Canidine
 * Alignment: True Neutral
 * Height: 5'10 (178 cm)
 * Date of Birth:
 * Job: Assassin
 * Weapon: Longsword
 * Battle Info:
 * Limit Break:
 * Appearance: Taking after his mother more than he does his father, Wayne is a tall man with long and straight black hair that he usually lets hang unchecked over his face. He usually wears a somewhat odd ensemble of a gray tank top, high-waisted navy satin shorts, black tights and a black arm sleeve, and white combat boots.
 * Personality: Quiet yet easily-angered, Wayne is a normal behaving man only outside of his mother's company. When by himself, he is hard-working, dedicated, and genuinely well-meaning, if not a little masochistic. When with his mother, however, he becomes someone who will follow any command she gives to the ends of the earth, even if it meant harming himself. She uses this side of him as a tool to further her own political ambitions, and he has no qualms with this.
 * Backstory: A bastard child born of Francis Scarmiglione and his mother Victoria Kingston. Never knowing of his mother's previous life nor his father's whereabouts/identity, he grew up with a strong love for his mother, almost to the point of a complex. Now that he is almost of age to decide his own destiny and future, he has decided that he will follow his mother in any career she chooses for him.