APPLICATION: Luceti
Mun
Mun
Name: Kyo
Livejournal Username: kyosukekusaragi
E-mail: ainsoph.aur@hotmail.com
AIM/MSN: CruxisKyosuke
Current Characters at Luceti: Stahn Aileron, Karol Capel, Gold, and Axel. YOU KNOW THIS. GOD.
Character
Name: Asbel Lhant
Fandom: Tales of Graces
Gender: Male
Age: 18
Time Period: Endgame, right before he wakes up after his mental conversation with Lambda
Wing Color: White
History: Tales of Graces
"It starts with Asbel as a young kid. He meets two new friends and shit hits the fan. Then he's older and has a burly teacher. He also meets another new friend and his brother hates him. They travel around the world for a bit, then save it. Richard is gay for him. The badguy is evil because the nice man who liked to touch him in naughty places was shot by a bitch in a wheelchair."
But seriously, This covers the events of his childhood. I'll write up adolescence.
The main bulk of the story takes place seven years later. It starts in a forest, with Asbel and his knight instructor Malik on a mission to investigate a destroyed village. After trekking through the forest, they arrive at the village, and deduce that it was a large fire that caused it. However, upon investigating, Asbel is attacked by a large, demonic wolf, which he manages to dispel thanks to a power that awakens in him during the battle. Upon defeating it, the other knights on location acknowledge that the monster was the cause of the attack, and praise him for his efforts in singlehandedly dispatching the beast.
Later, Asbel and Malik return to the capital, where they run into Asbel's childhood friend, Cheria. Unfortunately, this reunion after seven years is bittersweet, as Cheria delivers to Asbel some terrible news; relations between Lhant and Fendel have been escalating in recent times, and to add icing to this delicious drama cake, she reveals that Lord Aston, his father, passed away, and that Lady Kelly, his mother, requests for him to return home. Knowing what he must do, Asbel agrees to return to Lhant with Cheria. Along the way, Cheria gives Asbel the cold shoulder treatment, and he discovers she gained healing ability over the seven years, much to his surprise.
Upon arrival, they discover that Frederick, Asbel's butler and Cheria's grandfather was captured during a battle with Fendel. Immediately, the two rush off to rescue him. While he is taken to safety, Asbel lures the enemy to Lhant Mountain, hoping to lure the enemy tanks off the cliff. The plan doesn't work as intended, however. As death stares them in the face, Asbel cries out about once against not being able to protect anyone, prompting a mysterious light to protect them, and an unexpected face to appear; Sophie. Or, at least, a girl that looks like Sophie. After dispatching the enemy, they discover that she has amnesia. Taking her with them, they return to Lhant, where Asbel has to take care of some business as the new Lord.
Upon returning to the manor, he has a heartfelt reunion with his mother, where he is unsure if he will take his father's place as the Lord of Lhant. After all, he's being expected to take over for a man who he knows very little about and even ran from. But inside, a conversation with Sophie in front of the painting leads him to make the decision--to succeed his father. As his first order of business as new Lord, he orders an attack on the nearby Fendel base, with Asbel, Cheria, and Sophie at the front of the charge. They decide to take an undersea cavern that leads them straight to the base for a surprise attack. That proved to be futile though, as Fendel proceeded to take the other route and wage a sneak attack on Lhant first. Rushing back to Lhant, they return to find Fendel in the middle of battle with another group of soldiers. The Strata army has arrived, led by Asbel's brother, Hubert! Joining him in battle, the two drive back the enemy forces. Asbel seems relieved to see his brother again after so long, but things are less than joyous. Hubert reveals that Windol and Strata have formed an alliance, with Hubert taking over Lhant as its new head. Angered, Asbel challenges Hubert to a battle for the right to lead Lhant... and loses, being banished from the town in the process. And so, Asbel, with Sophie in tow, heads towards Balonia as their next move. Along the way, they stop at a hut to rest, where Asbel has a breakdown over everything that has happened--being unable to protect the old Sophie, being unable to protect Lhant, losing to Hubert... everything. Likely the effects of the fever he had just developed. When Sophie goes to get him water, however, a pair of mercernaries arrive, presumably after him. Sophie knocks them out and they flee to the port, boarding a ship to go to Balonia to go see Richard.
However, the mercernaries are not far behind, and upon arriving in Balonia, the mercernaries taunt Asbel, saying Richard is dead. The pair run off to the chapel to use the underground passage to flee. In there, they find an unexpected sight in the form of Prince Richard himself, weakened, from an attempted coup by his uncle Cerdic for the throne. Asbel quickly rushes to his aid, when soldiers arrive. Asbel quickly dispatches them, and he, along with Richard and Sophie escape to the outside, towards Grelsyde, where they would be able to mount a counterassault. Asbel agrees to help Richard, renewing the pact they made seven years ago. To reach Gralsyde, they have to pass through Wallbridge, which is closed off by Cerdic's orders. Any other pathway would require them to return to Balonia, which is out of the question. Thankfully, a meeting with the girl Pascal (who seems very excited to meet Sophie and is very interested in her) leads them to find the Wallbridge Underground, a series of ruins that pass under Wallbridge to the other side. The reason Pascal is so intrigued is because she saw a hologram of the girl within those ruins. Agreeing to accompany, they see this hologram, which does indeed look exactly like the genuine article, and then go to Gralsyde, Pascal continuining to accompanying them under the claim that she wants to become "good friends" with Sophie. Along the way, Richard collapses from overexerting himself with his current injuries, and so they rest. Eventually, they reach Gralsyde, where they meet with Dale, an ally of Richard's whom helps him plan his counterattack. The plan is for Asbel's group to sneak into Wallbridge from the ruins, trap Cerdic's troops inside and away from reinforcements, and then allow forces from Gralsyde to attack and secure Wallbridge.
That night, Asbel and Richard have a heart-to-heart moment outside Dale's mansion. Richard worries that he pressured Asbel into fighting for him or that he'll have to face old friends from the Knight Academy, but Asbel dispels the thought, telling him he was prepared for that the moment he agreed to help Richard. Grateful, Richard promises that he'll do his best to win quickly and take back his kingdom to restore peace.
The next morning, they depart for Wallbridge. The invasion goes off without a hitch as they execute their plan, routing Cerdic's troops as Dale's men wage an attack. Well, for the most part. There are three levers that needed to be pulled in order to execute their plan in full. After pulling the first lever, they head to the central tower of Wallbridge. Out of nowhere, suddenly a soldier appears and fatally strikes Richard, much to the anger of his comrades, especially Asbel. But surprise, Richard's alright, and he goes slasher flick on the soldier, slashing him to ribbons until Asbel stops him and snaps him back to his senses! After this event, they go about pulling the other two levers. As they go to leave, they encounter Malik, Asbel's teacher. who was sent to stop them. After a tough battle, they defeat Malik, and he stands aside, allowing them to proceed. Having gained control of Wallbridge, Asbel and co. find Cheria there, helping to heal victims of the incident that just occurred. Explaining the situation to her, she agrees to help them, and the five head off to Richard's castle via the underground tunnel, sneaking in through the dungeon below the castle. As they progress through the castle, as expected, a number of Windol knights stand in Asbel's way, including one of his other teachers, Victoria. Prevailing over anyone that stands in their way, they come face to face with Cerdic himself. He proves to be a difficult adversary, but he too is defeated, and Richard kills him.
Following that, Richard is crowned the new king. He makes a plan to take back Lhant by force, but Asbel pleaded with him to give him time. He was sure he could return to Lhant and reason with Hubert, so Richard allowed it, sending Malik with them. Sneaking in through the river, Asbel confronts his brother again, with the same results as before. But then, suddenly, Windol troops invade Lhant, led by Richard himself! But it was clear that Richard wasn't quite himself. Sophie attacks Richard, fueled by her desire to protect her friends, and her memories awaken thanks to energy from Hubert, revealing that she is the very same Sophie from seven years ago. She smashes Richard through a wall, forcing him to be taken away by his troops. Everyone was pleased at Sophie 'awakening', especially Asbel.
Things were far from grand, though, especially with Richard's behavior. To make matters worse, Hubert was being recalled to Strata due to a false report about how he was handling Lhant. Asbel offers to go in his place, much to the dismay of Hubert's adoptive cousin, Raymond. Fiercely jealous of and questioning the loyalties of Hubert, he plots to stop Asbel from reaching Strata. Cheria overhears and is captured, but leaves behind a precious memento for Asbel to track her with; the Crosophie flower he gave her as a child, pressed and preserved. Tracking her to an old shack outside town, Asbel rescues her from a conflict with Strata soldiers. She wanted to thank her friends, but ended up just arguing with Asbel instead. Eventually, she reveals that all during those seven years, she was worried about Asbel, and upset because he never tried to contact her. She even considered going to Balonia to visit, but lost her courage to do so, not wanting to become a burden to him. Hearing this, Asbel apologized, explaining that he promised that no matter what, he wouldn't return to Lhant until he'd become a real knight. The argument died down, and Sophie forces the two to make a new vow of friendship.
After a quick return to Lhant, the group heads to Strata's capital, Yu Libelté, which proves to be a long journey. First they have to pass through Oul Raye and Sable Izollé, and then through a large desert. While trekking through the desert itself, they have a run-in with the Rockgagan, a gigantic and fiercesome (but usually friendly) monster which had become aggressive, and are swallowed whole. There were only two ways out of the monster, and Cheria refused to take the more obvious one. But thankfully, they manage to locate the cause of the monster's aggression, a bug-like monster which had taken up residence inside its stomach, and eliminate it. That, combined with a little aid they'd received from Hubert prior in the form of a bag of pepper, freed them from the monster's belly. Eventually they arrive at Yu Libelté and have a chat with the President, where they learn Strata was interested in Lhant because of its large amounts of "Criath". Pascal theorizes this must mean Strata's own Valkynes Criath must be broken if they need more, because the Valkynes Criath should be supplying them with plenty of energy. Being correct, she theorizes a plan to fix it, which is approved. Asbel leads his group to the desert ruins and has it successfully repaired, until Richard appears and drains it of all its energy. They return to the capital to inform the President of what happened, only to find Hubert, who tells them Windol's Valkynes Criath was drained as well. Hoping to cut off Richard and thwart whatever his plans were, Hubert joins them as they head to Fendel to examine the Valkynes Criath there.
To get there, however, they first must pass through the coliseum port, Riot Peak, and receive help from a spy there. The coliseum was on neutral ground. However, the spy had been captured by Fendel troops, and Asbel's group was suspected of being her accomplices. They pretend to not know her, instead competing in the coliseum's battles. After they win, the troops still try to kill the spy, but the watchman of the coliseum interferes, leaving the spy free to lead them to Fendel.
Once they arrived in Fendel's capital, Zavhert, Asbel and co. learned a pair of shocking secrets; Malik was a former soldier of the Fendel Army, and Pascal was a member of the illusive Anmarcia clan, which mostly consists of technicians and scientists. In fact, Pascal knows so much about the Criaths because she used to do research on the Valkynes Criath and how to make them more powerful. To that end, they make their way to the hidden village the Anmarcia call their home, hoping to ask the elder about the Valkynes Criath, especially who was continuing Pascal's research. Upon arriving at the village, they meet Pascal's "sister" Poisson, who informs them the chief is away, but gives them the information they wanted; the one continuing the research is Pascal's older sister, Fourier. The group travels to a research facility outside the village to reason with her, but meet with little success, with Fourier only saying to take the matter up with Kurtz Bessel, one of Malik's old associates. They return to Zavhert to speak with Kurtz, but he refuses, saying the people of Fendel needed the power of the Criath. However, they knew they couldn't give up, as not only was the research dangerous, it would attract the attention of Richard. To that end, they head to the area where the Criath was, finding Kurtz once again. This time, they do battle with him and defeat him. At that moment, the Valkynes Criath began to grow out of control, preparing to explode as the machinery attached to it when haywire. Kurtz cuts the power with his weapon, but at the cost of being electrocuted, resulting in his own death. To make matters worse, Richard then appears on the scene to drain the Valkynes Criath. Asbel tries to stop him, but is knocked away, and Richard makes his escape. Afterwards, Fendel's leader appears and tries to hold hold the group responsible for what happened to the Criath, but thanks to Poisson appearing on the scene and threatening that the Anmarcia would cut all ties with the Fendel, he backs off. Poisson tells the group to check the records in the village for more information on Sophie or Richard. In those records, they found information on on Lastaria, the planet's core, as well as an entity called "Lambda". The latter name stirs something in Sophie's memories.
The group travels to the central island, which is where they can reach the core, and also in hopes of finding out more about Richard's motives. Instead, they ran into the Mad King himself there, and it was painfully clear now that he wasn't himself, what with the dark energy surrounding him and the strange distortion in his voice. They fought him once again and won the fight, but Asbel intervened before they could lay the finishing blow, Richard laying on the ground and clutching his head in pain. Sophie goes to reach out to him, but something else is wrong with Richard, as now he seems to not even recognize her, calling her "Protos 1" and blasting her, knocking her unconscious. Matters escalate from there, with Richard wrapping the entire island in an enormous cocoon while the party escapes.
To make it worse, Sophie was "broken" thanks to Richard's attack. She glowed unnaturally, looking like she was in pain and lost her sight. After a bit of research in Sable Izollé, the party decides to go to Phodra, the neighboring planet of Efinea which exists right next to it and is the origin of life on Efinea, in the hopes of finding a cure for her. In order to do so, they need to use a shuttle built by the Anmarcia clan and break through the seal of water surrounding the planet. While they prepared to do this, Richard sent armies of monsters throughout the lands. After activating the shuttle's power from a research base in Fendel, they traveled to the caves they used earlier on to reach the Fendel base, accessing a hidden cavern. As they prepared for their departure, Asbel and Cheria step aside to have a talk. Cheria admits to Asbel she used to be jealous of Sophie and how much attention Asbel gives her. ...Asbel, of course, doesn't get it, especially what she's implying regarding her own feelings towards him. Afterwards, with the help of Poisson, the shuttle successfully launches off.
Phodra, as it turns out, was a barren planet overrun by monsters. Any inhabitants migrated long ago to Efinea. There was one "living" being there, a mysterious woman named Emeraude, whom they awaken from a slumber. Aside from her, numerous small robots called Humanoids also inhabitated the place. Emeraude recognized Sophie as Protos 1, a special Humanoid that was created and sent to Efinea a long time ago to fight a strange entity known as Lambda. To fix her, they had to travel to the Cornel Research Institute, which was the origin of Humanoids. The 'curing process' there, however, was no easy ordeal for Sophie. It had such an impact on her that her feelings started to 'materialize'. While she lay in a cocoon, illusions of her appear interacting with illusions of the other party members. Being chased by Pascal, Asbel finding her as a child, being guided by Cheria, imitating Malik's poses, being helped to her feet by Hubert, and even fighting Richard. Her 'feelings' reached a climax, eventually manifesting an ilusion of the monster that attacked everyone in the caverns and killed Sophie seven years ago. This monster was, in fact, Lambda. After defeating it, Sophie was cured. Emeraude informed them that Lambda was a demon found in the planet's core that was researched on Phodra. With that knowledge, they came to the conclusion that Lambda had taken over Richard's body. Emeraude then tried to return Sophie's memories to her with the aid of a device, but the machine broke down and holographic images of an old man, known as Cornel, appeared. He was shown to be playing with a humanoid boy called Lambda, claiming that Lambda was a person. Still, Emeraude insisted that Lambda was a demon to be destroyed. The party was now left with two opposing views of Lambda, but they side with Emeraude in the end. In order tom return to Efinea and break through Richard's dome-like structure, they needed to attach an extra part to the shuttle. They head to the Bashis Institute, which was overrun by guard Humanoids. While there, Pascal creates a pair of rings that allows herself and Malik to use Sophie's power as well. The part was acquired and Emeraude accompanies the party back to Efinea.
Upon returning to Efinea, they immediately break into Lambda's cocoon and travel to the center to fight Richard. By this point, Lambda had caused Richard's body to noticeably mutate, turning his hair white, his eyes red, and most notably, giving him wings. Asbel tries to reason with him, but there is virtually no trace of the old Richard left, and they are forced to battle. After defeating him, Lambda leaves his body in the form of a floating orb. Sophie steps forward, ready to use her special power, which would result in her disappearing with Lambda. Shockingly enough, however, Emeraude interferes, striking Sophie down and taking Lambda into her own body to take his power for herself. She was a difficult opponent but her plansbackfired as Lambda refuses to be controlled by her, destroying her body from the inside out. Lambda was free once more, this time taking on the form of the humanoid boy they'd seen on Phodra's projector. Surprisingly, Richard was back on his feet. He beckoned Lambda back to his body, and the two re-fused back together. Richard then destroys the dome and disappears into the planet's core. Sophie tries to pursue him, but Asbel restrains her and takes her back to the shuttle. On the shuttle, a small argument erupted, with Sophie insisting she complete her purpose, while the party tries to convince her that disappearing with Lambda is not the way to settle this.
They return to Lhant, to discuss what to do. After Cheria has a talk with Sophie and explains to her what it means to die, she arranges for Sophie to have a talk with Asbel, where he explains to her just how important she is. Later on, inside the Lhant mansion, Asbel decides that the party will head to Lastaria, the planet's core, and stop Lambda and Richard at all costs. Following that, the party disperses throughout the town, and Asbel has a heart-to-heart with each of them.
The following day, the group heads to the Ghardia Shaft, where Lambda awaited. As they progressed through the Shaft, they learned many things; the truth of Lambda's origins, Sophie's purpose, and what happened in the tunnels after Sophie 'died', involving Richard and Lambda. As noted, Lambda was a demon, who was placed in a Humanoid body to study. An incident involving Emeraude broke out and Lambda was sent to safety, crash-landing on Efinea. He shed his Humanoid body and took on a monster form. Sophie, as Protos 1, was sent by Emeraude to destroy him. They battled, and ended in a tie. Years later, Lambda had been encountered in the tunnels by the group, and the battle cost Lambda his monster body. Later, when Richard woke up, was still weakened from a poison Cerdic had given him. Lambda approached him and offered him a compromised. If the two combined, they would both live; if they stayed separate, they would both die. Seeing this, the party became more sympathetic towards Lambda, understanding what he'd experienced.
Eventually, at long last, they reach Lastaria, where they confront Lambda Richard. He proclaimed to the party that Lambda's will was his own: to create a world free of conflict by eradicating all humans. Asbel tries to reason with Richard, but to no avail, as the possessed King challenges the group to another battle. Once again, he is defeated. After losing, he admits he can no longer tell his feelings apart from Lambda's, and begs Asbel to have mercy and kill them both. Lambda refuses to accept this and retaliates, having no need for a host that has given up. It tries to destroy Richard in the same fashion it had previously destroyed Emeraude. Asbel, however, intervenes, and pulls Richard free of Lambda's control, restoring him to normal. Once more, Lambda was without a vessel. Sophie steps forward, saying her farewells, prepared to use her power to vanquish Lambda for good. Asbel, however, had other plans. As Sophie reached out to touch it, Asbel shoves her aside and makes a snatch for Lambda himself, falling into unconsciousness once he does so.
Inside his mind, Asbel has a mental battle with Lambda, in which he tries to convince Lambda there is, in fact, good in the world, while his friends crowd around his lifeless body. Finally, Asbel prevails, managing to convince Lambda to let go of his sorrowful feelings and start over, but in order to do that, he needed to 'sleep' for a while.
Asbel awakens at last, much to his friends' relief. However, he's developed purple heterochromia in his left eye, a sign that Lambda was dormant inside him. Sophie, however, ascertained that the "bad feeling" has vanished, meaning Lambda was at peace. Filled with hope and determination to show off the kindness of humans, they returned to Efinea's surface. In the ending, Asbel and Sophie are seen tending to a garden of Crosophies outside the manor, when the flowers turn into energy and float towards the sky. After the credits, there is an epilogue with a seemingly older Sophie, reading to a child on Lhant Hill who looks like a child Asbel would have had with Cheria; a young boy with pink hair in Asbel's style, and Cheria's brown eyes, with her brooch pinned to his chest.
"And then all pairing wars came to a conclusion as Graces pulls a J.K. Rowling."
and then ToGf happened but I don't care about that yet.
Personality: As a child, Asbel was... Well, he was a little boy, basically. With his behavior, you'd never think him to be the son of a noble. He was impatient and impulsive, always rushing on ahead to try and do something new and exciting, regardless of whether others were willing to do the same. He was stubborn; once he set his mind on something, it was incredibly difficult to dissuade him. His manner of speech was unbefitting of that of the son of Lord Lhant, speaking rudely and informally to anyone he talks to, including (and especially, really) his own parents. He was also mischievous and fun-loving, looking to have a good time and live life to the fullest, trying to get his friends involved in his plans. He liked to cause trouble, always teasing his little brother Hubert. But he was also energetic, enthusiastic, and optimistic about things. When there was something going on, you can bet he wanted to check it out because it was probably hella cool. This would often get him into a big mess, but he didn't care, because things would surely get better! He was a cheerful and honest boy, almost to a fault, especially when it came to telling others how it is; he was very blunt at times, in other words. He cared about his friends, and would do anything to protect them, especially if it was his own fault they were in danger. He was quite open about his feelings regarding almost anything, but was very oblivious to almost anyone else's. He was really dense, honestly. Like I said, basically, he was a boy. This behavior continued on until a tragedy occurred in a cavern beneath the city of Balonia. While waiting for their friend Richard to show up, Asbel and his friends come across this cavern when looking for him. In the depths, they discover an unconscious Richard and go to wake him. Unfortunately for them, a powerful monster appears and knocks Asbel, Cheria, and Hubert out cold, and it is up to Sophie to stop it.
When Asbel comes to, he finds himself in his house, where his father informs that Sophie died in the incident, and that Hubert has been moved to Strata, taken in by the Ozwell family to be raised by them. This information has a tremendous impact on him and shapes his future actions. Distraught by this news, Asbel turns his back on the one person still left there for him--Cheria--and decides to travel back to Windol to train in the Knights Training Academy there, resolving himself to become stronger to protect those he holds dear. He cuts off most ties with his family, embittering their strained relationship more than it was by this turn of events, and even selling off his father's treasured sword just to afford enrolling. This is all at the age of 11.
Fastforward seven years: A lot has changed for Asbel, and yet a lot hasn't. Gone is his mischievous, childish behavior, having grown into a polite and diligent swordsman. Seven years of knighthood training have led him to develop a little thing called manners, causing him to show extreme respect to those who deserve it, such as his mentor, Malik. He's confident in his abilities with a sword, but not so much when it comes to being able to use said sword abilities to protect others. True to his nature as a knight, as well as his own inherently stubborn nature, Asbel is duty-driven and bound, always sticking to his word to accomplish what he needs to do, whether that's to reclaim Lhant or to protect his friends. Speaking of which, he is fiercely protective of his friends. He's not too concerned about his own fate, but he will put himself in harm's way time and time again for their sake.
He's still not the sharpest tool in the shed, however. He's not stupid, by any means. After all, being the son of a noble, and having gone to knight school, you'd have to assume he actually has a formal education. He's just... incredibly dense, and if something's not readily apparent, it can fly right over his head. ...Especially when it comes to a certain old childhood friend's feelings towards him. He's leveled out a little with age, but he still maintains that carefree attitude of his from childhood, especially evident when having won a battle with his comrades. Possessing a strong will to the point of stubbornness, once Asbel sets his mind to accomplish something, it's rare that he'll back down, taking his promises very seriously. And it'll utterly destroy him inside if he's unable to fulfill that promise in the end (perhaps quite literally in the case of the promise he makes at the end of the game). That stubbornness is a dual-edged blade, however. Due to what happened seven years ago, he's incredibly attached to Sophie; he frequently unknowingly compares the Sophie of present day to the Sophie that died seven years ago, even though the former has no recollection of that time.
Strengths:
Physical: Asbel is really good with a sword. He's capable of using two different fighting styles, using his sword in both a sheathed state to hit the enemy with a combination of quick strikes and kicks, and a drawn state in which he delivers powerful slash attacks. He can quickly switch from the sheathed style to the drawn style and use them in tandem to deliver devastating attack combos. He can wield a variety of elements in his attacks, and strike with power, speed, and precision. It can also be assumed that he is in peak physical condition, judging by his ability to use said fighting style so effectively. He's very tenacious as well; despite getting knocked around time and time again, he'll stand right back up and fight to the last breath if it means protecting the people he cares about.
Mental: Asbel's got a very strong sense of commitment and duty, especially to his friends and his family. His purpose for joining the knights was all so he could gain the strength to protect his loved ones. Later, after receiving word that his father passed away, he willingly resigns from the knights, even though it was his dream to join in the first place, because he knows it's his duty to take his father's place. When Hubert takes that right away from him, he does everything in his power to prove he's the rightful heir to the title of Lord Lhant. In addition to that, when helping Richard reclaim his kingdom, he swears to become "Richard's sword" and fights alongside him, later fighting against him all just to save him. He's not the smartest guy around, but he's got a pretty decent intelligence and cunning. He knew how to handle bartering for items at the age of 11, and he's able to come up with pretty cunning attack strategies on his own at times. These traits will lead him to be an effective leader for his territory. ...Someday.
Emotional: Call it bullheadedness, stubbornness, what have you, but Asbel's got a very strong will. Once he starts on something, he will not back down, no matter how dangerous it may seem, all because his friends are that important to him. And hey, it says something about a guy when he willingly lets himself get possessed by the demon that was controlling his best friend, and subdues it in a mental battle. When he's not flipping his shit over something terrible that happens, he's also actually a pretty carefree guy, with more and more of that innate carefree nature of his showing itself as the game progresses.
He also acknowledges the mistakes of his past, and has a strong desire to fix them. During the first half of the game, he tries to rectify the strained relationships he has with Cheria and Hubert. In addition, in an optional sidequest, Asbel goes on a mission to retrieve his father's prized sword, which he had previously sold just so he could attend the Academy. Along the way, he learns about the sword's history and about his father, and in turn, has it repaired, revealing it to be the famed Excalibur.
Weaknesses:
Physical: Although good with the sword, Asbel's definitely no master, always possessing the capability to grow better. Some of his attacks, especially his more powerful attacks also have a slow startup time, often leaving him wide open to attacks. In addition, although he can seamlessly switch from sheathed to drawn style, the opposite doesn't hold true, often leaving himself open when trying to do so. Only with certain combinations can he get around this obvious weakness. He's also essentially middling in his "parameters", neither excelling nor failing in any particular stat. He's well-rounded, which is both good and bad. Besides that, he is still, in fact, human. He suffers injuries, bleeds, and can die if you hit him hard enough.
Mental: Asbel is dense. Like, really, really dense. He seems to miss the big picture often, and comments often fly right over his head. For instance, in a sidequest, he receives a letter from Richard after the events involving him have already happened. After reading the letter, he assumes that what Richard was saying is that he needed Asbel's help... When he actually just wanted the chance to see him again. Him remaining completely oblivious to Cheria's obvious affection for him doesn't help, either. He, like most main protagonists, also has a tendency to not always think things through, especially when his friends are involved. He will rush right into battle to protect them! ...And get smacked around.
Emotional: Hoooo boy. Let's see... Well, Asbel, for lack of a better word, doesn't have too good of a handle on his emotions. It's not especially difficult to anger him, especially when it concerns one of his friends, and he's got quite a guilt complex over not being able to protect them. He's also ridiculously stubborn, never knowing quite when to call it quits. Finally, as a note, he has a tendency to be self-sacrificial, putting himself in harm's way just so his friends aren't put into danger themselves, most especially Sophie because of what happened before. This proves itself several times during the story, but most especially during one of the final scenes of the game, where he pushes Sophie out of the way and allows Lambda to possess him just so she doesn't have to die.
Samples (ALL samples must be set in Luceti-verse.)
First Person: [The journal clicks on.] --is thing on? Ah! Good, it is... What a weird book... Err... Hello, my name is Asbel Lhant. My friend Richard tells that this village is named Luceti. Is that correct? I'm still not quite sure what to make of this situation...
He said there is a guide that should explain it better? Would someone mind sharing this with me? I would appreciate it. Thank you.
((If this isn't enough, then pass a Q&A my way.))
Third Person: There are two things one does not expect, after blacking out from a confrontation with an enemy. The first is waking up in the middle of a forest you don't recognize. The second is doing so in the middle of a snow shower, while shirtless. As a result, he awoke with a start, shivering from the drop in temperature. Standing up, he glanced around his surroundings, utterly bewildered at his situation.
"What the..." Had he gotten separated from them while he was unconscious? Worried, he began to call out. "Hey, Sophie!" Had something happened to separate them? "Richard! Hubert! ...Cheria...?"
Judging by the climate, he assumed to be in Fendel territory, but... How did he get there? Did his friends take his unconscious body and escape from the core, only to be ambushed in Fendel territory? It seemed possible, but... unlikely, and it didn't explain why he was dumped in the forest in a different set of clothes. It would make far more sense to hold him captive than to try and leave him to die, wouldn't it? It didn't seem probable, thinking about it.
...Not that he had long to think, as his thoughts were jarred when he let out a sneeze. "Ah-CHOO!" Shivering, he began to rub his arms. "It's... C-cold...", he muttered under his breath, walking forward. Granted, it probably wasn't as cold as he perceived it to be, but... The body's temperature does lower while you're sleeping. But he knew he couldn't stay out here forever, or he really would freeze to death. If he kept moving, maybe he would find civilization...?
Minutes, hours... He wasn't sure exactly how long he had been walking, just knowing that he was making progress as he followed the river. But eventually, without realizing it, perhaps in a cold-driven daze, he found himself in the middle of a village. And nearby, exiting a building, was a long, blond-haired man. Identities could be mistaken sometimes, but, no... Asbel would never mistake this man, not in his life. He began to run towards him now, calling out his name.
"Richard! Richard, you're alright!"
Mun
Name: Kyo
Livejournal Username: kyosukekusaragi
E-mail: ainsoph.aur@hotmail.com
AIM/MSN: CruxisKyosuke
Current Characters at Luceti: Stahn Aileron, Karol Capel, Gold, and Axel. YOU KNOW THIS. GOD.
Character
Name: Asbel Lhant
Fandom: Tales of Graces
Gender: Male
Age: 18
Time Period: Endgame, right before he wakes up after his mental conversation with Lambda
Wing Color: White
History: Tales of Graces
"It starts with Asbel as a young kid. He meets two new friends and shit hits the fan. Then he's older and has a burly teacher. He also meets another new friend and his brother hates him. They travel around the world for a bit, then save it. Richard is gay for him. The badguy is evil because the nice man who liked to touch him in naughty places was shot by a bitch in a wheelchair."
But seriously, This covers the events of his childhood. I'll write up adolescence.
The main bulk of the story takes place seven years later. It starts in a forest, with Asbel and his knight instructor Malik on a mission to investigate a destroyed village. After trekking through the forest, they arrive at the village, and deduce that it was a large fire that caused it. However, upon investigating, Asbel is attacked by a large, demonic wolf, which he manages to dispel thanks to a power that awakens in him during the battle. Upon defeating it, the other knights on location acknowledge that the monster was the cause of the attack, and praise him for his efforts in singlehandedly dispatching the beast.
Later, Asbel and Malik return to the capital, where they run into Asbel's childhood friend, Cheria. Unfortunately, this reunion after seven years is bittersweet, as Cheria delivers to Asbel some terrible news; relations between Lhant and Fendel have been escalating in recent times, and to add icing to this delicious drama cake, she reveals that Lord Aston, his father, passed away, and that Lady Kelly, his mother, requests for him to return home. Knowing what he must do, Asbel agrees to return to Lhant with Cheria. Along the way, Cheria gives Asbel the cold shoulder treatment, and he discovers she gained healing ability over the seven years, much to his surprise.
Upon arrival, they discover that Frederick, Asbel's butler and Cheria's grandfather was captured during a battle with Fendel. Immediately, the two rush off to rescue him. While he is taken to safety, Asbel lures the enemy to Lhant Mountain, hoping to lure the enemy tanks off the cliff. The plan doesn't work as intended, however. As death stares them in the face, Asbel cries out about once against not being able to protect anyone, prompting a mysterious light to protect them, and an unexpected face to appear; Sophie. Or, at least, a girl that looks like Sophie. After dispatching the enemy, they discover that she has amnesia. Taking her with them, they return to Lhant, where Asbel has to take care of some business as the new Lord.
Upon returning to the manor, he has a heartfelt reunion with his mother, where he is unsure if he will take his father's place as the Lord of Lhant. After all, he's being expected to take over for a man who he knows very little about and even ran from. But inside, a conversation with Sophie in front of the painting leads him to make the decision--to succeed his father. As his first order of business as new Lord, he orders an attack on the nearby Fendel base, with Asbel, Cheria, and Sophie at the front of the charge. They decide to take an undersea cavern that leads them straight to the base for a surprise attack. That proved to be futile though, as Fendel proceeded to take the other route and wage a sneak attack on Lhant first. Rushing back to Lhant, they return to find Fendel in the middle of battle with another group of soldiers. The Strata army has arrived, led by Asbel's brother, Hubert! Joining him in battle, the two drive back the enemy forces. Asbel seems relieved to see his brother again after so long, but things are less than joyous. Hubert reveals that Windol and Strata have formed an alliance, with Hubert taking over Lhant as its new head. Angered, Asbel challenges Hubert to a battle for the right to lead Lhant... and loses, being banished from the town in the process. And so, Asbel, with Sophie in tow, heads towards Balonia as their next move. Along the way, they stop at a hut to rest, where Asbel has a breakdown over everything that has happened--being unable to protect the old Sophie, being unable to protect Lhant, losing to Hubert... everything. Likely the effects of the fever he had just developed. When Sophie goes to get him water, however, a pair of mercernaries arrive, presumably after him. Sophie knocks them out and they flee to the port, boarding a ship to go to Balonia to go see Richard.
However, the mercernaries are not far behind, and upon arriving in Balonia, the mercernaries taunt Asbel, saying Richard is dead. The pair run off to the chapel to use the underground passage to flee. In there, they find an unexpected sight in the form of Prince Richard himself, weakened, from an attempted coup by his uncle Cerdic for the throne. Asbel quickly rushes to his aid, when soldiers arrive. Asbel quickly dispatches them, and he, along with Richard and Sophie escape to the outside, towards Grelsyde, where they would be able to mount a counterassault. Asbel agrees to help Richard, renewing the pact they made seven years ago. To reach Gralsyde, they have to pass through Wallbridge, which is closed off by Cerdic's orders. Any other pathway would require them to return to Balonia, which is out of the question. Thankfully, a meeting with the girl Pascal (who seems very excited to meet Sophie and is very interested in her) leads them to find the Wallbridge Underground, a series of ruins that pass under Wallbridge to the other side. The reason Pascal is so intrigued is because she saw a hologram of the girl within those ruins. Agreeing to accompany, they see this hologram, which does indeed look exactly like the genuine article, and then go to Gralsyde, Pascal continuining to accompanying them under the claim that she wants to become "good friends" with Sophie. Along the way, Richard collapses from overexerting himself with his current injuries, and so they rest. Eventually, they reach Gralsyde, where they meet with Dale, an ally of Richard's whom helps him plan his counterattack. The plan is for Asbel's group to sneak into Wallbridge from the ruins, trap Cerdic's troops inside and away from reinforcements, and then allow forces from Gralsyde to attack and secure Wallbridge.
That night, Asbel and Richard have a heart-to-heart moment outside Dale's mansion. Richard worries that he pressured Asbel into fighting for him or that he'll have to face old friends from the Knight Academy, but Asbel dispels the thought, telling him he was prepared for that the moment he agreed to help Richard. Grateful, Richard promises that he'll do his best to win quickly and take back his kingdom to restore peace.
The next morning, they depart for Wallbridge. The invasion goes off without a hitch as they execute their plan, routing Cerdic's troops as Dale's men wage an attack. Well, for the most part. There are three levers that needed to be pulled in order to execute their plan in full. After pulling the first lever, they head to the central tower of Wallbridge. Out of nowhere, suddenly a soldier appears and fatally strikes Richard, much to the anger of his comrades, especially Asbel. But surprise, Richard's alright, and he goes slasher flick on the soldier, slashing him to ribbons until Asbel stops him and snaps him back to his senses! After this event, they go about pulling the other two levers. As they go to leave, they encounter Malik, Asbel's teacher. who was sent to stop them. After a tough battle, they defeat Malik, and he stands aside, allowing them to proceed. Having gained control of Wallbridge, Asbel and co. find Cheria there, helping to heal victims of the incident that just occurred. Explaining the situation to her, she agrees to help them, and the five head off to Richard's castle via the underground tunnel, sneaking in through the dungeon below the castle. As they progress through the castle, as expected, a number of Windol knights stand in Asbel's way, including one of his other teachers, Victoria. Prevailing over anyone that stands in their way, they come face to face with Cerdic himself. He proves to be a difficult adversary, but he too is defeated, and Richard kills him.
Following that, Richard is crowned the new king. He makes a plan to take back Lhant by force, but Asbel pleaded with him to give him time. He was sure he could return to Lhant and reason with Hubert, so Richard allowed it, sending Malik with them. Sneaking in through the river, Asbel confronts his brother again, with the same results as before. But then, suddenly, Windol troops invade Lhant, led by Richard himself! But it was clear that Richard wasn't quite himself. Sophie attacks Richard, fueled by her desire to protect her friends, and her memories awaken thanks to energy from Hubert, revealing that she is the very same Sophie from seven years ago. She smashes Richard through a wall, forcing him to be taken away by his troops. Everyone was pleased at Sophie 'awakening', especially Asbel.
Things were far from grand, though, especially with Richard's behavior. To make matters worse, Hubert was being recalled to Strata due to a false report about how he was handling Lhant. Asbel offers to go in his place, much to the dismay of Hubert's adoptive cousin, Raymond. Fiercely jealous of and questioning the loyalties of Hubert, he plots to stop Asbel from reaching Strata. Cheria overhears and is captured, but leaves behind a precious memento for Asbel to track her with; the Crosophie flower he gave her as a child, pressed and preserved. Tracking her to an old shack outside town, Asbel rescues her from a conflict with Strata soldiers. She wanted to thank her friends, but ended up just arguing with Asbel instead. Eventually, she reveals that all during those seven years, she was worried about Asbel, and upset because he never tried to contact her. She even considered going to Balonia to visit, but lost her courage to do so, not wanting to become a burden to him. Hearing this, Asbel apologized, explaining that he promised that no matter what, he wouldn't return to Lhant until he'd become a real knight. The argument died down, and Sophie forces the two to make a new vow of friendship.
After a quick return to Lhant, the group heads to Strata's capital, Yu Libelté, which proves to be a long journey. First they have to pass through Oul Raye and Sable Izollé, and then through a large desert. While trekking through the desert itself, they have a run-in with the Rockgagan, a gigantic and fiercesome (but usually friendly) monster which had become aggressive, and are swallowed whole. There were only two ways out of the monster, and Cheria refused to take the more obvious one. But thankfully, they manage to locate the cause of the monster's aggression, a bug-like monster which had taken up residence inside its stomach, and eliminate it. That, combined with a little aid they'd received from Hubert prior in the form of a bag of pepper, freed them from the monster's belly. Eventually they arrive at Yu Libelté and have a chat with the President, where they learn Strata was interested in Lhant because of its large amounts of "Criath". Pascal theorizes this must mean Strata's own Valkynes Criath must be broken if they need more, because the Valkynes Criath should be supplying them with plenty of energy. Being correct, she theorizes a plan to fix it, which is approved. Asbel leads his group to the desert ruins and has it successfully repaired, until Richard appears and drains it of all its energy. They return to the capital to inform the President of what happened, only to find Hubert, who tells them Windol's Valkynes Criath was drained as well. Hoping to cut off Richard and thwart whatever his plans were, Hubert joins them as they head to Fendel to examine the Valkynes Criath there.
To get there, however, they first must pass through the coliseum port, Riot Peak, and receive help from a spy there. The coliseum was on neutral ground. However, the spy had been captured by Fendel troops, and Asbel's group was suspected of being her accomplices. They pretend to not know her, instead competing in the coliseum's battles. After they win, the troops still try to kill the spy, but the watchman of the coliseum interferes, leaving the spy free to lead them to Fendel.
Once they arrived in Fendel's capital, Zavhert, Asbel and co. learned a pair of shocking secrets; Malik was a former soldier of the Fendel Army, and Pascal was a member of the illusive Anmarcia clan, which mostly consists of technicians and scientists. In fact, Pascal knows so much about the Criaths because she used to do research on the Valkynes Criath and how to make them more powerful. To that end, they make their way to the hidden village the Anmarcia call their home, hoping to ask the elder about the Valkynes Criath, especially who was continuing Pascal's research. Upon arriving at the village, they meet Pascal's "sister" Poisson, who informs them the chief is away, but gives them the information they wanted; the one continuing the research is Pascal's older sister, Fourier. The group travels to a research facility outside the village to reason with her, but meet with little success, with Fourier only saying to take the matter up with Kurtz Bessel, one of Malik's old associates. They return to Zavhert to speak with Kurtz, but he refuses, saying the people of Fendel needed the power of the Criath. However, they knew they couldn't give up, as not only was the research dangerous, it would attract the attention of Richard. To that end, they head to the area where the Criath was, finding Kurtz once again. This time, they do battle with him and defeat him. At that moment, the Valkynes Criath began to grow out of control, preparing to explode as the machinery attached to it when haywire. Kurtz cuts the power with his weapon, but at the cost of being electrocuted, resulting in his own death. To make matters worse, Richard then appears on the scene to drain the Valkynes Criath. Asbel tries to stop him, but is knocked away, and Richard makes his escape. Afterwards, Fendel's leader appears and tries to hold hold the group responsible for what happened to the Criath, but thanks to Poisson appearing on the scene and threatening that the Anmarcia would cut all ties with the Fendel, he backs off. Poisson tells the group to check the records in the village for more information on Sophie or Richard. In those records, they found information on on Lastaria, the planet's core, as well as an entity called "Lambda". The latter name stirs something in Sophie's memories.
The group travels to the central island, which is where they can reach the core, and also in hopes of finding out more about Richard's motives. Instead, they ran into the Mad King himself there, and it was painfully clear now that he wasn't himself, what with the dark energy surrounding him and the strange distortion in his voice. They fought him once again and won the fight, but Asbel intervened before they could lay the finishing blow, Richard laying on the ground and clutching his head in pain. Sophie goes to reach out to him, but something else is wrong with Richard, as now he seems to not even recognize her, calling her "Protos 1" and blasting her, knocking her unconscious. Matters escalate from there, with Richard wrapping the entire island in an enormous cocoon while the party escapes.
To make it worse, Sophie was "broken" thanks to Richard's attack. She glowed unnaturally, looking like she was in pain and lost her sight. After a bit of research in Sable Izollé, the party decides to go to Phodra, the neighboring planet of Efinea which exists right next to it and is the origin of life on Efinea, in the hopes of finding a cure for her. In order to do so, they need to use a shuttle built by the Anmarcia clan and break through the seal of water surrounding the planet. While they prepared to do this, Richard sent armies of monsters throughout the lands. After activating the shuttle's power from a research base in Fendel, they traveled to the caves they used earlier on to reach the Fendel base, accessing a hidden cavern. As they prepared for their departure, Asbel and Cheria step aside to have a talk. Cheria admits to Asbel she used to be jealous of Sophie and how much attention Asbel gives her. ...Asbel, of course, doesn't get it, especially what she's implying regarding her own feelings towards him. Afterwards, with the help of Poisson, the shuttle successfully launches off.
Phodra, as it turns out, was a barren planet overrun by monsters. Any inhabitants migrated long ago to Efinea. There was one "living" being there, a mysterious woman named Emeraude, whom they awaken from a slumber. Aside from her, numerous small robots called Humanoids also inhabitated the place. Emeraude recognized Sophie as Protos 1, a special Humanoid that was created and sent to Efinea a long time ago to fight a strange entity known as Lambda. To fix her, they had to travel to the Cornel Research Institute, which was the origin of Humanoids. The 'curing process' there, however, was no easy ordeal for Sophie. It had such an impact on her that her feelings started to 'materialize'. While she lay in a cocoon, illusions of her appear interacting with illusions of the other party members. Being chased by Pascal, Asbel finding her as a child, being guided by Cheria, imitating Malik's poses, being helped to her feet by Hubert, and even fighting Richard. Her 'feelings' reached a climax, eventually manifesting an ilusion of the monster that attacked everyone in the caverns and killed Sophie seven years ago. This monster was, in fact, Lambda. After defeating it, Sophie was cured. Emeraude informed them that Lambda was a demon found in the planet's core that was researched on Phodra. With that knowledge, they came to the conclusion that Lambda had taken over Richard's body. Emeraude then tried to return Sophie's memories to her with the aid of a device, but the machine broke down and holographic images of an old man, known as Cornel, appeared. He was shown to be playing with a humanoid boy called Lambda, claiming that Lambda was a person. Still, Emeraude insisted that Lambda was a demon to be destroyed. The party was now left with two opposing views of Lambda, but they side with Emeraude in the end. In order tom return to Efinea and break through Richard's dome-like structure, they needed to attach an extra part to the shuttle. They head to the Bashis Institute, which was overrun by guard Humanoids. While there, Pascal creates a pair of rings that allows herself and Malik to use Sophie's power as well. The part was acquired and Emeraude accompanies the party back to Efinea.
Upon returning to Efinea, they immediately break into Lambda's cocoon and travel to the center to fight Richard. By this point, Lambda had caused Richard's body to noticeably mutate, turning his hair white, his eyes red, and most notably, giving him wings. Asbel tries to reason with him, but there is virtually no trace of the old Richard left, and they are forced to battle. After defeating him, Lambda leaves his body in the form of a floating orb. Sophie steps forward, ready to use her special power, which would result in her disappearing with Lambda. Shockingly enough, however, Emeraude interferes, striking Sophie down and taking Lambda into her own body to take his power for herself. She was a difficult opponent but her plansbackfired as Lambda refuses to be controlled by her, destroying her body from the inside out. Lambda was free once more, this time taking on the form of the humanoid boy they'd seen on Phodra's projector. Surprisingly, Richard was back on his feet. He beckoned Lambda back to his body, and the two re-fused back together. Richard then destroys the dome and disappears into the planet's core. Sophie tries to pursue him, but Asbel restrains her and takes her back to the shuttle. On the shuttle, a small argument erupted, with Sophie insisting she complete her purpose, while the party tries to convince her that disappearing with Lambda is not the way to settle this.
They return to Lhant, to discuss what to do. After Cheria has a talk with Sophie and explains to her what it means to die, she arranges for Sophie to have a talk with Asbel, where he explains to her just how important she is. Later on, inside the Lhant mansion, Asbel decides that the party will head to Lastaria, the planet's core, and stop Lambda and Richard at all costs. Following that, the party disperses throughout the town, and Asbel has a heart-to-heart with each of them.
The following day, the group heads to the Ghardia Shaft, where Lambda awaited. As they progressed through the Shaft, they learned many things; the truth of Lambda's origins, Sophie's purpose, and what happened in the tunnels after Sophie 'died', involving Richard and Lambda. As noted, Lambda was a demon, who was placed in a Humanoid body to study. An incident involving Emeraude broke out and Lambda was sent to safety, crash-landing on Efinea. He shed his Humanoid body and took on a monster form. Sophie, as Protos 1, was sent by Emeraude to destroy him. They battled, and ended in a tie. Years later, Lambda had been encountered in the tunnels by the group, and the battle cost Lambda his monster body. Later, when Richard woke up, was still weakened from a poison Cerdic had given him. Lambda approached him and offered him a compromised. If the two combined, they would both live; if they stayed separate, they would both die. Seeing this, the party became more sympathetic towards Lambda, understanding what he'd experienced.
Eventually, at long last, they reach Lastaria, where they confront Lambda Richard. He proclaimed to the party that Lambda's will was his own: to create a world free of conflict by eradicating all humans. Asbel tries to reason with Richard, but to no avail, as the possessed King challenges the group to another battle. Once again, he is defeated. After losing, he admits he can no longer tell his feelings apart from Lambda's, and begs Asbel to have mercy and kill them both. Lambda refuses to accept this and retaliates, having no need for a host that has given up. It tries to destroy Richard in the same fashion it had previously destroyed Emeraude. Asbel, however, intervenes, and pulls Richard free of Lambda's control, restoring him to normal. Once more, Lambda was without a vessel. Sophie steps forward, saying her farewells, prepared to use her power to vanquish Lambda for good. Asbel, however, had other plans. As Sophie reached out to touch it, Asbel shoves her aside and makes a snatch for Lambda himself, falling into unconsciousness once he does so.
Inside his mind, Asbel has a mental battle with Lambda, in which he tries to convince Lambda there is, in fact, good in the world, while his friends crowd around his lifeless body. Finally, Asbel prevails, managing to convince Lambda to let go of his sorrowful feelings and start over, but in order to do that, he needed to 'sleep' for a while.
Asbel awakens at last, much to his friends' relief. However, he's developed purple heterochromia in his left eye, a sign that Lambda was dormant inside him. Sophie, however, ascertained that the "bad feeling" has vanished, meaning Lambda was at peace. Filled with hope and determination to show off the kindness of humans, they returned to Efinea's surface. In the ending, Asbel and Sophie are seen tending to a garden of Crosophies outside the manor, when the flowers turn into energy and float towards the sky. After the credits, there is an epilogue with a seemingly older Sophie, reading to a child on Lhant Hill who looks like a child Asbel would have had with Cheria; a young boy with pink hair in Asbel's style, and Cheria's brown eyes, with her brooch pinned to his chest.
"And then all pairing wars came to a conclusion as Graces pulls a J.K. Rowling."
and then ToGf happened but I don't care about that yet.
Personality: As a child, Asbel was... Well, he was a little boy, basically. With his behavior, you'd never think him to be the son of a noble. He was impatient and impulsive, always rushing on ahead to try and do something new and exciting, regardless of whether others were willing to do the same. He was stubborn; once he set his mind on something, it was incredibly difficult to dissuade him. His manner of speech was unbefitting of that of the son of Lord Lhant, speaking rudely and informally to anyone he talks to, including (and especially, really) his own parents. He was also mischievous and fun-loving, looking to have a good time and live life to the fullest, trying to get his friends involved in his plans. He liked to cause trouble, always teasing his little brother Hubert. But he was also energetic, enthusiastic, and optimistic about things. When there was something going on, you can bet he wanted to check it out because it was probably hella cool. This would often get him into a big mess, but he didn't care, because things would surely get better! He was a cheerful and honest boy, almost to a fault, especially when it came to telling others how it is; he was very blunt at times, in other words. He cared about his friends, and would do anything to protect them, especially if it was his own fault they were in danger. He was quite open about his feelings regarding almost anything, but was very oblivious to almost anyone else's. He was really dense, honestly. Like I said, basically, he was a boy. This behavior continued on until a tragedy occurred in a cavern beneath the city of Balonia. While waiting for their friend Richard to show up, Asbel and his friends come across this cavern when looking for him. In the depths, they discover an unconscious Richard and go to wake him. Unfortunately for them, a powerful monster appears and knocks Asbel, Cheria, and Hubert out cold, and it is up to Sophie to stop it.
When Asbel comes to, he finds himself in his house, where his father informs that Sophie died in the incident, and that Hubert has been moved to Strata, taken in by the Ozwell family to be raised by them. This information has a tremendous impact on him and shapes his future actions. Distraught by this news, Asbel turns his back on the one person still left there for him--Cheria--and decides to travel back to Windol to train in the Knights Training Academy there, resolving himself to become stronger to protect those he holds dear. He cuts off most ties with his family, embittering their strained relationship more than it was by this turn of events, and even selling off his father's treasured sword just to afford enrolling. This is all at the age of 11.
Fastforward seven years: A lot has changed for Asbel, and yet a lot hasn't. Gone is his mischievous, childish behavior, having grown into a polite and diligent swordsman. Seven years of knighthood training have led him to develop a little thing called manners, causing him to show extreme respect to those who deserve it, such as his mentor, Malik. He's confident in his abilities with a sword, but not so much when it comes to being able to use said sword abilities to protect others. True to his nature as a knight, as well as his own inherently stubborn nature, Asbel is duty-driven and bound, always sticking to his word to accomplish what he needs to do, whether that's to reclaim Lhant or to protect his friends. Speaking of which, he is fiercely protective of his friends. He's not too concerned about his own fate, but he will put himself in harm's way time and time again for their sake.
He's still not the sharpest tool in the shed, however. He's not stupid, by any means. After all, being the son of a noble, and having gone to knight school, you'd have to assume he actually has a formal education. He's just... incredibly dense, and if something's not readily apparent, it can fly right over his head. ...Especially when it comes to a certain old childhood friend's feelings towards him. He's leveled out a little with age, but he still maintains that carefree attitude of his from childhood, especially evident when having won a battle with his comrades. Possessing a strong will to the point of stubbornness, once Asbel sets his mind to accomplish something, it's rare that he'll back down, taking his promises very seriously. And it'll utterly destroy him inside if he's unable to fulfill that promise in the end (perhaps quite literally in the case of the promise he makes at the end of the game). That stubbornness is a dual-edged blade, however. Due to what happened seven years ago, he's incredibly attached to Sophie; he frequently unknowingly compares the Sophie of present day to the Sophie that died seven years ago, even though the former has no recollection of that time.
Strengths:
Physical: Asbel is really good with a sword. He's capable of using two different fighting styles, using his sword in both a sheathed state to hit the enemy with a combination of quick strikes and kicks, and a drawn state in which he delivers powerful slash attacks. He can quickly switch from the sheathed style to the drawn style and use them in tandem to deliver devastating attack combos. He can wield a variety of elements in his attacks, and strike with power, speed, and precision. It can also be assumed that he is in peak physical condition, judging by his ability to use said fighting style so effectively. He's very tenacious as well; despite getting knocked around time and time again, he'll stand right back up and fight to the last breath if it means protecting the people he cares about.
Mental: Asbel's got a very strong sense of commitment and duty, especially to his friends and his family. His purpose for joining the knights was all so he could gain the strength to protect his loved ones. Later, after receiving word that his father passed away, he willingly resigns from the knights, even though it was his dream to join in the first place, because he knows it's his duty to take his father's place. When Hubert takes that right away from him, he does everything in his power to prove he's the rightful heir to the title of Lord Lhant. In addition to that, when helping Richard reclaim his kingdom, he swears to become "Richard's sword" and fights alongside him, later fighting against him all just to save him. He's not the smartest guy around, but he's got a pretty decent intelligence and cunning. He knew how to handle bartering for items at the age of 11, and he's able to come up with pretty cunning attack strategies on his own at times. These traits will lead him to be an effective leader for his territory. ...Someday.
Emotional: Call it bullheadedness, stubbornness, what have you, but Asbel's got a very strong will. Once he starts on something, he will not back down, no matter how dangerous it may seem, all because his friends are that important to him. And hey, it says something about a guy when he willingly lets himself get possessed by the demon that was controlling his best friend, and subdues it in a mental battle. When he's not flipping his shit over something terrible that happens, he's also actually a pretty carefree guy, with more and more of that innate carefree nature of his showing itself as the game progresses.
He also acknowledges the mistakes of his past, and has a strong desire to fix them. During the first half of the game, he tries to rectify the strained relationships he has with Cheria and Hubert. In addition, in an optional sidequest, Asbel goes on a mission to retrieve his father's prized sword, which he had previously sold just so he could attend the Academy. Along the way, he learns about the sword's history and about his father, and in turn, has it repaired, revealing it to be the famed Excalibur.
Weaknesses:
Physical: Although good with the sword, Asbel's definitely no master, always possessing the capability to grow better. Some of his attacks, especially his more powerful attacks also have a slow startup time, often leaving him wide open to attacks. In addition, although he can seamlessly switch from sheathed to drawn style, the opposite doesn't hold true, often leaving himself open when trying to do so. Only with certain combinations can he get around this obvious weakness. He's also essentially middling in his "parameters", neither excelling nor failing in any particular stat. He's well-rounded, which is both good and bad. Besides that, he is still, in fact, human. He suffers injuries, bleeds, and can die if you hit him hard enough.
Mental: Asbel is dense. Like, really, really dense. He seems to miss the big picture often, and comments often fly right over his head. For instance, in a sidequest, he receives a letter from Richard after the events involving him have already happened. After reading the letter, he assumes that what Richard was saying is that he needed Asbel's help... When he actually just wanted the chance to see him again. Him remaining completely oblivious to Cheria's obvious affection for him doesn't help, either. He, like most main protagonists, also has a tendency to not always think things through, especially when his friends are involved. He will rush right into battle to protect them! ...And get smacked around.
Emotional: Hoooo boy. Let's see... Well, Asbel, for lack of a better word, doesn't have too good of a handle on his emotions. It's not especially difficult to anger him, especially when it concerns one of his friends, and he's got quite a guilt complex over not being able to protect them. He's also ridiculously stubborn, never knowing quite when to call it quits. Finally, as a note, he has a tendency to be self-sacrificial, putting himself in harm's way just so his friends aren't put into danger themselves, most especially Sophie because of what happened before. This proves itself several times during the story, but most especially during one of the final scenes of the game, where he pushes Sophie out of the way and allows Lambda to possess him just so she doesn't have to die.
Samples (ALL samples must be set in Luceti-verse.)
First Person: [The journal clicks on.] --is thing on? Ah! Good, it is... What a weird book... Err... Hello, my name is Asbel Lhant. My friend Richard tells that this village is named Luceti. Is that correct? I'm still not quite sure what to make of this situation...
He said there is a guide that should explain it better? Would someone mind sharing this with me? I would appreciate it. Thank you.
((If this isn't enough, then pass a Q&A my way.))
Third Person: There are two things one does not expect, after blacking out from a confrontation with an enemy. The first is waking up in the middle of a forest you don't recognize. The second is doing so in the middle of a snow shower, while shirtless. As a result, he awoke with a start, shivering from the drop in temperature. Standing up, he glanced around his surroundings, utterly bewildered at his situation.
"What the..." Had he gotten separated from them while he was unconscious? Worried, he began to call out. "Hey, Sophie!" Had something happened to separate them? "Richard! Hubert! ...Cheria...?"
Judging by the climate, he assumed to be in Fendel territory, but... How did he get there? Did his friends take his unconscious body and escape from the core, only to be ambushed in Fendel territory? It seemed possible, but... unlikely, and it didn't explain why he was dumped in the forest in a different set of clothes. It would make far more sense to hold him captive than to try and leave him to die, wouldn't it? It didn't seem probable, thinking about it.
...Not that he had long to think, as his thoughts were jarred when he let out a sneeze. "Ah-CHOO!" Shivering, he began to rub his arms. "It's... C-cold...", he muttered under his breath, walking forward. Granted, it probably wasn't as cold as he perceived it to be, but... The body's temperature does lower while you're sleeping. But he knew he couldn't stay out here forever, or he really would freeze to death. If he kept moving, maybe he would find civilization...?
Minutes, hours... He wasn't sure exactly how long he had been walking, just knowing that he was making progress as he followed the river. But eventually, without realizing it, perhaps in a cold-driven daze, he found himself in the middle of a village. And nearby, exiting a building, was a long, blond-haired man. Identities could be mistaken sometimes, but, no... Asbel would never mistake this man, not in his life. He began to run towards him now, calling out his name.
"Richard! Richard, you're alright!"