Damned Application
Jul. 18th, 2008 06:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
redcladidealistName/Handle: Nivi
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Timezone: GMT -6 (Central Time U.S.)
Player Contact: Here.
Is English your primary language?: Yes
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Series: Tales of Symphonia
Series' Medium: Video game, manga, and anime
Character: Lloyd Irving
Age: 18 in both age and appearance
Sex/Gender: Male
Canon Role: Protagonist
"Real" Name: Nigel Clarke
How long have you roleplayed your character, if at all?:
About a year and a half.
Where have you roleplayed in general and/or with this specific character?:
With Lloyd, I've only played at Somarium and Vatheon, with the occasional foray into meme communities and Dear Mun.
Are you personally familiar with your character's canon?:
I've played the first Tales of Symphonia game through completely two times and partially through a third, seen all the potential endings on YouTube, and have watched a complete playthrough of Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World (watched, not played, because I lacked a Wii at the time). I've read all of the manga and seen most of the animated episodes, too. I have not, however, had much exposure to the drama CDs that I've heard exist.
Please give us a personal history of your character's life and explain to us in detail how they grow and develop over the course of their canon: To explain where Lloyd came from, one first needs to understand the circumstances of his world. Four thousand years before the game takes place, a group of four heros set out to end a devastating war between two countries, Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. Mithos Yggdrasill, his sister, Martel Yggdrasill, Yuan Ka-Fai, and Kratos Aurion were successful, but shortly after the peace treaty was signed, a group of humans betrayed them and killed Martel. Mad with grief, Mithos took Martel's last wish, to end discrimination between humans and half-elves, and twisted it to form a plan where everyone would become the same lifeless being, incapable of the hatred that he saw as the root of all the pain people inflicted on each other.
The world was dying, though, the giant Tree of Mana that sustains life drained by the heavy use of magitechnology during the Kharlan War. He split the two countries into two separate worlds using the power of the Eternal Sword, a weapon granted to him by Origin, the king of all Summon Spirits. By forcing the two worlds to vie for what little mana remained from the Tree's seed, he hoped to prevent either side from developing that same technology again. The two worlds would be kept in a constant balancing act where, when one world gained too much mana, the dying world would be sent through the process of regeneration to tip the scales again.
At the same time that Mithos did all of this, he also tied the Cruxis Cystal, an enhanced form of the parasitic stone called an Exsphere, that contained what remained of his sister's soul, to the Great Seed from the Giant Kharlan Tree to preserve her. By carefully guiding and controlling each world through the Church of Martel that he, Yuan, and Kratos founded, and by manipulating the mana lineage that produced the Chosens who were sent out to regenerate the world, Mithos hoped to create a vessel that would accept his sister's soul and revive her - at the loss of the soul of the Chosen.
Continuing his plans to create an Age of Lifeless Beings, Mithos, then calling himself Yggdrasill, also formed Cruxis and the Desians, the former to manipulate everything behind the scenes, and the later to act more directly in the worlds' affairs. The Desians, mostly abused and disenfranchised half-elves, collected Exspheres and attached them to human subjects in their Human Ranches. Through constant suffering and abuse and eventual death of the hosts, all while the Exspheres drained their mana, the Exspheres would awaken and become capable of enhancing the abilities in others, provided they wore an appropriate Key Crest. These would be what Yggrasill would use to turn everyone into lifeless beings, into angels. As extra incentive for the Chosens to make the Journey of Regeneration, the Desians would pick up and move their operations to the other world when one world completed the Journey. The Journey was soon seen as the only way to end the cycle of Desian oppression.
This is the world that Lloyd was born into.
It's not certain how long Kratos had been having second thoughts about Yggdrasill's plans and methods, but at some point he encountered Anna, one of the captives at a Human Ranch and a test subject in the Angelus Project that was an effort to find a better way to create a Cruxis Crystal. He fell in love with Anna and turned his back on Cruxis by helping her to escape the ranch. Cruxis pursued them, though, determined to get Anna's Exsphere back. While they were on the run, Lloyd was born. Three years later, the Desians cornered them in the forest near Iselia. Kvar, one of the five Desian Grand Cardinals, removed Anna's Exsphere, and her mana went out of control, turning her into a monster, an Exbelua. She attacked Lloyd, forcing Kratos to kill her to protect him. She, Lloyd, and their pet, Noishe, fell over a cliff, while Kratos had to continue fighting the Desians. By the time he was able to look for them, though, they were gone, only blood and drag marks remaining. As far away from civilization as they were, Kratos could only assume that monsters must have come and dragged the bodies away. Broken, he returned to Cruxis.
But Lloyd wasn't dead. A dwarf named Dirk had found him at the base of the cliff. Anna regained enough lucidity to tell him very briefly what happened before she passed away. Dirk took Lloyd in and raised him as his own son, teaching him dwarven morals and values. When Lloyd was old enough, Dirk sent him to school in Iselia, where the boy made friends with Genis, a half-elf boy passing as an elf, and Colette, the next Chosen of Regeneration. Raine, Genis's older sister, taught them all. Through these friendships and upbringing, Lloyd developed a strong sense of equality, that people were people no matter what race they were.
When the time for the Journey of Regeneration came, a group of Renegade Desians attacked, and Lloyd defended Colette. Kratos, undercover as a mercenary, had been sent to ensure the Chosen completed the journey, and he arrived in time to save them all when they were about to be overwhelmed. Lloyd wanted to go with them, but he was denied. Unfortunately, when he and Genis later provoked the real Desians by assisting an old human woman named Marble who was a prisoner in the local ranch, the Desians retaliated by burning Iselia and turning Marble into an Exbelua, forcing Lloyd and Genis to fight and kill her. Marble injured the Grand Cardinal involved, which made the Desians retreat, but Lloyd and Genis were exiled from the town. With nowhere else to go, they caught up to and joined Colette, Raine, and Kratos on the Journey of Regeneration.
During the process of the Journey, Lloyd continued to come to face with the harsh reality of his world. With each seal they broke, Colette lost pieces of her humanity, and though she tried to keep it secret, Lloyd eventually found out. It horrified him that she was having to sacrifice parts of herself, though he didn't know the extent of what was going to happen. With every trial he became more determined to protect her and help her find a way to save their world.
It wasn't until they met Sheena, a woman from Tethe'alla sent to assassinate the Chosen so that Tethe'alla would not be sent into decline, that Lloyd realized that there was another world tied to his. Upon learning what would happen to Tethe'alla when Sylvarant started to flourish, he couldn't bear the thought that the worlds could only survive by vying with each other for mana. There had to be a way to save both worlds. The goddess Martel couldn't be that unfair. However, they didn't have any other clear options, so they continued the Journey, determining that they'd figure something out on the way.
After the final seal, though, Remiel the angel revealed that it had all been a lie and that Colette was meant to be a sacrifice. This infuriated Lloyd, and it broke his heart when Colette lost her soul. He vowed to get Colette's soul back, even though it meant preventing the regeneration of the world. In his mind, there had to be a way to save both worlds without sacrifice.
Things nearly ended badly right there when Kratos stepped in and revealed that he was part of Cruxis and tried to take Colette. Kratos had become a mentor to Lloyd, teaching him to fight and helping him work through character-defining challenges. When Lloyd found out that Exspheres were refined with human lives, it was Kratos who convinced him to keep using his mother's Exsphere so that her sacrifice didn't go to waste. He helped fight Kvar and avenge Lloyd's mother. He was someone Lloyd had started looking up to. His betrayal really, really hurt, and even to this point, Lloyd has a hard time forgiving him for it.
Once they'd escaped from Kratos and Yggdrasill with the help of the Renegades, then escaping from the Renegades in turn, Lloyd and his friends set out for Tethe'alla to see if the researchers there knew of a way to bring Colette's soul back and save the two worlds. They allied with Zelos Wilder, the Chosen of Tethe'alla, and befriended Presea, another victim of the Angelus Project, they discovered that Colette needed a Key Crest for her Cruxis Crystal. Lloyd found a Key Crest and repaired it using the skills he'd learned under Dirk, and though it didn't seem to work at first, she did regain her soul just in time to help prevent Yuan from capturing Lloyd.
During this quest, it was revealed that Genis and Raine were half-elves. Lloyd didn't care, but he did care about the fact that half-elves who broke the law in Tethe'alla were supposed to be sentenced to death. He couldn't believe people could treat anyone that way, seeing it as just as bad as what the Desians did to humans in Sylvarant.
With Genis and Raine safe and Colette's soul returned, they once again set out on their journey. They ran into interference everywhere they turned, from Cruxis to the researchers to the Pope and the King of Tethe'alla. They ended up befriending a convict sent by the Pope to kill Zelos. Regal Bryant revealed he had connections to Presea's sister, Alicia - a girl he'd loved and who he'd had to kill with his own two hands when she'd been turned into an Exbelua, though he didn't reveal that part yet. He assisted them in finding the inhibitor ore Altessa the dwarf needed to craft a Key Crest for Presea, but not in time to prevent the near-robotic Presea from leading Colette into a trap, where she was captured by Rodyle, another Grand Cardinal. Lloyd didn't even hesitate to take Presea with them, regardless of what she'd just done. He didn't blame her because she'd barely been able to think for herself, and now that she could, he trusted her to do what was right.
In order to save Colette, they needed mana to power the Rheairds so they could fly to the dragons' nest where she was being held. To do this, Sheena needed to form a pact with the Summon Spirit, Volt, a task she had tried to do once before only to end in disaster and the deaths of many of the people from her village. Lloyd and her friends supported her despite the danger to themselves. Once they gained the Summon Spirit's aid, though, a Sylvaranti Summon Spirit Sheena had a pact with appeared to inform them that a mana link had severed. The two worlds were bound with these links of mana, and they'd be broken when two opposing Summon Spirits were both awake at the same time. This became the start of another plan to save the two worlds, which they embarked on as soon as Colette was saved: Separate the two worlds by breaking all the links so they wouldn't have to compete for mana again.
For the most part this went well enough, though the earthquakes that followed each broken link were ominous. Their efforts stalled when Cruxis attacked the town of Ozette, and when they arrived, they were too late to save anyone except for one half-elf boy named Mithos. With the town in ruins, they took him along, and Mithos and Genis quickly became friends. Lloyd never seemed to notice the somewhat aloof attitude Mithos took toward the rest of them, or when he did it was easy enough to explain it away as Mithos simply being nervous and not quite able to believe that humans and half-elves could be friends. After all, the story the boy had told was that he and his sister had been badly discriminated against by humans. Lloyd was fairly determined to prove by example that not all humans were bad.
Circumstances forced them to use an Otherworldly Gate to return to Sylvarant, where they continued their journey to separate the worlds. They allied with Yuan briefly, who no longer seemed intent on capturing Lloyd or Colette, and Yuan told them that they needed to germinate the Great Seed so that the Giant Kharlan Tree would be reborn, replenishing the supply of mana so that the two worlds could be reunited. To get to the Seed, they needed to continue to break the mana links that protected it, then expose it to mana from Derris-Kharlan, Cruxis's base, a comet made from mana.
Kratos tried to stop them, but unfortunately they succeeded, and when the Seed germinated, the Tree went out of control, wreaking havoc on the world. They had to ally with Kratos again to stop it, a fact that left Lloyd feeling torn and confused about the man. That wasn't the first time Kratos had done something that had helped them, or at least not hindered them, sometimes offered words that sounded like advice, despite being on opposite sides. The fact was, though, that he was still their enemy.
A new wrench was thrown in their plans when Colette fell ill with a toxicosis because of her Cruxis Crystal. Dirk couldn't help, despite being a dwarf, and suggested they return to Altessa, who might know more about Cruxis Crystals. Kratos parted ways with them, but offered a cryptic suggestion that ended up giving them the key to saving Colette. To collect the items they needed, they traveled to Heimdall, the restricted home of the elves, as well as Derris-Kharlan, where Lloyd witnessed what a city of lifeless angels would be like. There Lloyd learned more of the story of Mithos the Hero from 4,000 years ago, that he was Yggdrasill, and that Kratos and Yuan were also from that time, and he learned that the Eternal Sword was the key to reuniting the world.
Whatever goodwill Kratos might have earned, though, was negated when he captured Lloyd and his companions, imprisoning them in Derris-Kharlan. They escaped, and in the process Lloyd witnessed what a city of lifeless angels would be like, which only helped cement his decision to fight Yggdrasill when the leader of Cruxis revealed his plan to them. They had to fight Yggdrasill again, only barely surviving because Pronyma, another Grand Cardinal, interfered and attacked Genis, and Yggdrasill inexplicably threw himself in the way to protect Genis from the blast. Injured, he and Pronyma retreated, allowing Lloyd and the rest to escape back to Tethe'alla.
They had what they needed now to create a Rune Crest for Colette, so they returned to Altessa's home to complete her treatment. That night, unbeknownst to everyone, Zelos drugged their food. Lloyd only woke up when Yuan dragged him out of bed, assuring Lloyd's cooperation when he asked, "Do you want to meet your father?" - implying that he not only knew who Lloyd's true father was, but that he was holding him captive somewhere.
At some point during that drug-hazed trip outside, everything swam, and when Lloyd woke up again, he was in bed in Landel's Institute.
That's where this story begins.
What point in time are you taking your character from when he/she appears at Landel's and why?: I'm taking Lloyd from just after the party returns from Derris-Kharlan and Altessa makes a Rune Crest for Colette. Specifically, he'll be from the night Zelos drugged them and Yuan kidnapped Lloyd to use him as blackmail against Kratos, but before they actually see Kratos. This point in time allows Lloyd to be familiar with all the major characters in his cast, but still leaves him in the dark on several key points so that those can be explored under different circumstances, such as Zelos's treachery, the young Mithos's true identity, and Kratos's relation to Lloyd. With the pressure of Colette's sickness resolved, it won't drive Lloyd quite so insane to be stuck someplace where he can't help her, though he'll still be determined to return because the world still needs his help. He'll be able to function better and interact with others without the incredible worry for his friend eating at his mind.
Please give us a detailed description of your character's personality:
Lloyd is a cocky, stubborn, determined young man, fiercely loyal and brave, but also more than a little naive. In the quiet village of Iselia that he grew up near, where very few people had any weapons training to speak of, it was easy for him to form an inflated opinion of his sword skills. He hated having it shown how much skill he actually lacked, which didn't help with how he first took to Kratos, who so outstripped him in skill that it made him feel pathetic. Rather than refuse to admit his weaknesses, though, he took it as a personal challenge to become even stronger, and even went so far as to accept training from Kratos. This is a prime example of how Lloyd meets obstacles and challenges. He may grumble and he may complain, but in the end he will do whatever it takes to do what he feels is right.
Living an initially sheltered life with his adoptive father, Dirk, it wasn't until he was seventeen that he was really exposed to how cruel the world could be. This may also be the root of his eternal optimism, as well as his ability to see and hope for the best in almost everyone he meets. For example, even after being betrayed by Kratos, a man he'd grown to respect and look up to, he still can't quite bring himself to believe that the man is his enemy. Even things like race can't dampen his idealism. Although half-elves are notoriously hated in his canon, the revelation that his best friend, Genis, and his teacher, Raine, were actually half-elves didn't matter to him. Lloyd looks more at the whole of a person than at individual aspects.
He is very enthusiastic about new experiences - or at least he is until the novelty wears off, which happens far too quickly. Lloyd's attention span is not what it could be. This is very much reflected in his schoolwork. Unless it's arts and crafts or astronomy, Lloyd hates studying. He can also be impulsive and hotheaded and often lands himself and others in trouble without really meaning to. He forms a plan and blasts through it full steam ahead, only to realize too late that he didn't consider every perspective.
Lloyd tries to be honest and trustworthy in everything he does, and he wants to believe that everyone else is like this, too. Unless he is given a good reason not to, he'll generally take people at face value - a fact which has gotten him in trouble before and no doubt will again. He strongly believes that people can change if they want to. He gladly welcomes both Sheena and Regal to join his group of companions, despite both having tried to kill his friend Colette, because they'd shown to him that they were willing to reconsider their reasons for attacking in the first place. When Kratos continues to assist him in cryptic ways, it's hard for him to reconcile this with the fact that Kratos is his enemy. Some might call him naive or gullible, but somehow he still manages to make friends with people through his sheer stubborn determination to see the best in them. There are very few exceptions to this, and most of them have shown no inclination to change or any sign of regret for their actions. At the top of this list are people like Kvar and Vharley, the one who unrepentantly started the chain of events that led to the death of Lloyd's mother, and the other who sold Exspheres and people's lives for money and didn't care when the victims died.
Lloyd has been hit very hard by some of the events that have happened during the course of his journey to help save the worlds. He's had to kill and make decisions that have led to people's deaths - and he would do almost anything to keep that from ever happening again. In his mind, no one should have to sacrifice themselves or others. Everyone deserves to live. That doesn't mean he won't fight for what he believes in, though. If anything, those deaths have only made him even more determined to fight for and protect the people and things he cares about.
Please give us a physical description of your character:
Lloyd is a 5'8" teenage boy with brown hair, brown eyes, and a thin, wiry build. His hair refuses to lay flat, forming messy spikes that almost seem to defy gravity at times. Despite his youth, his muscles are fairly developed from hours training with his swords and time spent working on crafts and learning to smith with his adoptive father, Dirk.
The only truly distinguishing feature Lloyd has is an Exsphere mounted on the back of his left hand. The parasitic stone resembles a round, blue gem with a vaguely triangular metal plate surrounding it that is referred to as a Key Crest. Dwarven runes are inscribed into the metal as part of the process of preventing the Exsphere from disrupting Lloyd's mana and leeching away his life.
What kinds of otherwordly abilities does your character have, if any?: Lloyd has an Exsphere attached to his left hand which boosts his speed, endurance, reflexes, and strength. He can jump higher (perhaps as much as eight feet), push himself to keep going despite injuries (though these will get to him eventually), doesn't break every bone in his body when he does reckless things like jump off of cliffs, and can make limited use of mana when fighting. Mostly, this use of mana boils down to bursts of strength, agility, and/or speed, though he can also create narrow "shock waves" that peter out after about fifteen feet. His one defensive technique, Guardian, creates a shield of mana that lasts for only a few seconds that reduces the impact of both physical and magical attacks, but doesn't negate them completely.
A full list of his techniques can be found here, but to keep in line with the power limitations that Kratos has in place, Lloyd can only use two techniques per night, and the effects will be weakened to 25%. Each use will take a heavy toll on him, and he will be completely exhausted if he has to use two techs. Additionally, because Lloyd is not as strong or experienced as Kratos, I am going to say that level three techs are completely off limits and level two techs are twice as draining for him, so if he uses one, he cannot perform any other mana techniques for the rest of the night.
As for the latent strength and durability the Exsphere would normally grant him, this will be completely negated. He will only have the strength and speed of an average but physically fit human teen.
Beyond that, while I don't see this coming up in-game, since I'm taking him from a canon point before it occurs, it should be noted that at the end of Symphonia, Lloyd is able to summon a pair of blue-green wings due to the Exsphere on his hand, which was the product of a research experiment called the Angelus Project. I'm theorizing based on earlier comments made by Yuan and basic logic, but his ability to do this at that point may be partly a result of his evolving Exsphere and partly from his own growth and control over mana.
Summary of Lloyd's special abilities and techniques, and associated limitations:
1. Any use of mana will count as the use of a technique. Lloyd is limited to only two usages per night, except in the case of level two techniques.
2. Level two techniques count for twice the mana usage, so Lloyd cannot have used any other techniques already, and he will not be able to use any other techniques afterward.
3. Each use of mana will take a heavy toll on him, and he will be completely exhausted if he has to use two techs, or if he uses one level two technique.
4. Lloyd will only be able to access Strike-type level two techniques, further limiting which techniques he can use.
5. All techniques are weakened to 25% effectiveness in terms of any additional strength or damage that might be inflicted beyond what an average, physically fit 18 year old's strength could accomplish.
6. Tempest, Psi Tempest, and Sonic Sword Rain are being removed because I feel they would be physically unfeasible for Lloyd to perform given the limitation on the effectiveness of his mana usage.
7. Lloyd cannot use level three techniques. This includes his Guardian technique.
Edit: As of M-U during Night Shift 69, Lloyd's mana has increased to allow him to use either three level one techniques or one level two and one level one technique.
Level One Techniques
Demon Fang - This creates a shockwave of energy that travels fairly quickly across the ground, but will weaken the farther it goes. Its maximum range in Damned will be twenty feet, with an effective height of four feet, and width of three feet. Close range (not counting any impact with Lloyd's blades) a character should feel like they got hit with a solid punch. At maximum range, a light bruise is the best Lloyd can hope to inflict.
Sonic Thrust - When Lloyd thrusts one of his swords forward in this technique, some of his mana follows through with it, knocking his opponent back. Damage from the mana itself will be equivalent to a solid punch on top of whatever damage is inflicted by the blade itself.
Tiger Blade - Lloyd executes an upward slash to potentially knock his opponent off balance, then follows with a downward slash. This technique uses mana to increase his strength, but only by 25%. Mathematically, if he could inflict a damage of four, this will allow him to do a damage of five, assuming he lands a solid hit. In terms of real life, this is roughly equivalent to becoming as strong as an average adult male instead of an average eighteen year old boy.
Sword Rain - Lloyd stabs toward his opponent in four rapid strikes, followed by a stronger stab. Mana usage in this technique concentrates on making him faster. This will not be quite super-human speed, but will still make it very difficult for someone to block the first four strikes. The last strike will be at regular speed. The actual strength behind each of the first four blows will be slightly less than normal strength because Lloyd will focusing on speed.
Level Two Techniques
Fierce Demon Fang - Similar to Demon Fang, Lloyd creates a shockwave of energy ahead of him that will hit any enemy within a three foot radius of its first impact. Unlike in canon, it will not hit these enemies multiple times. This technique has a much shorter range than Demon Fang, losing all effectiveness within five feet of being unleashed. Damage inflicted to each party within the radius will be equivalent to Demon Fang.
Super Sonic Thrust - This is a stronger version of Sonic Thrust, making it much more likely to knock the opponent down. The difference in terms of damage from the mana would be like adding brass knuckles to a solid punch. There will be no boost to the damage caused by his blades.
Heavy Tiger Blade - This is a stronger version of Tiger Blade. Using the same math as before, instead of doing a damage of four, he will do a damage of six.
Beast - Mana leaps from Lloyd's blades in a visible form, seeming to take on the visage of a snarling beast a little larger than a lion, made up of translucent blue energy. Its effective range is ten feet, and should knock an enemy off their feet. Damage will be spread out across an opponent's body, leaving heavy bruising behind.
Does your character have any non-otherworldly abilities/training that surpass the norm?:
Lloyd specializes in a dual-sword fighting style. Most of his skill is self-taught, although Kratos helped train him during the Journey of World Regeneration. At this point, he's a fairly passable swordsman, even without use of mana techniques.
While most of his academic grades are abysmal, Lloyd excels when it comes to astronomy, P.E., and crafts. Being raised the son of a dwarf, he knows his way around a smithy, and can even do some metalwork, though this is mostly limited to smaller, less strength-intensive things like jewelry or figurines. He has some basic knowledge of carpentry and woodworking. Living out in the woods with only himself and Dirk meant maintaining and repairing the house themselves. He has also stated that he plans to build a boat someday, so it's safe to assume that he's spent some time learning how to apply his skills toward that.
Lloyd also knows the dwarven runic language well enough to inscribe the necessary runes for a Key Crest, so his grasp on that is probably fairly solid. I'm listing this as a non-otherworldly ability because, presumably, anyone could learn as much if they had a dwarf willing to teach them, and knowing the runic language does not grant Lloyd any extra power. Lloyd has stated himself that the runes don't do him any good without dwarven processed inhibitor ore to inscribe them on.
The only other ability of note he has is his ability to pick locks. Given the general lack of technology present in Sylvarant, this likely only works with low-tech locks. Any kind of digital or magical lock will be beyond him. In fact, the one time he had to get through a technology-locked door, his solution was to physically bust it open.
What do you see your character doing in the scope of the game and how do you plan to use the setting of Landel's Institute to develop them and affect their psychology in a unique, interesting way?: Lloyd's first and foremost thought will be to try to escape and return to his world. It won't matter if anyone tries to tell him how difficult or impossible it is, he will be determined to keep trying. As far as he's concerned, if there's a way in, there has to be a way out, and anything is possible if you try, especially if you have people working together toward the same goal. He will try to make friends and allies, both to help find a way to escape and because he wants to make friends. When he realizes that Kratos is there as well, he will probably try to ally with him, too, despite their rocky relationship. For all his faults, Kratos is still someone who has proven himself competent and strong, and he'll be the only familiar thing Lloyd sees in the Institute.
Having discovered that there is another world connected to his own, even traveling to that world himself, the idea that there might be other worlds out there won't be that hard for Lloyd to swallow. It will startled him at first, but he'll come to accept it fairly well, even be amazed that there are so many other worlds. It'll be a little more difficult to believe any stories that people aren't the species that they appear. He's encountered other intelligent species, certainly, and views people as people, no matter what species or race they are. Other cultures might seem weird to him, but he'll generally accept and respect them as just as valid as his own. But people claiming that they were physically changed? Outside of the angelic transformation that Colette underwent, the only times he's encountered something like that were the horrific transformations of humans into Exbelua, and Kilia the half-elf disguising herself to look like a human girl she had killed. Lloyd won't want to believe that something like that has been done in Landel's Institute. With such experiences in his past, though, it's something he can see as truth, given time and repeated insistence.
But he will definitely be upset. In fact, learning that people in the Institute are being experimented on and brainwashed will fill him with such indignation and anger that he will probably make it a personal quest to find the people responsible and make them stop. People are people, not animals. They're not meant to be treated like that. And changing someone's memories and how they see themselves and everyone else? That's almost as horrible an offense as killing them, especially if it's permanent, at least as far as Lloyd's concerned. Brainwashing to him is taking someone and erasing who they are. If they can't regain their memories, then it's like the person they were no longer even exists.
I am very interested in exploring the relationship between Kratos and Lloyd, and I do want Lloyd to learn who his father is. Given the canon point he is from, the subject of his father will be very close to his mind, close enough that I am planning on having it be one of the first things Lloyd brings up when he speaks to Kratos. How quickly Lloyd finds out, though, will depend on the interaction with Kratos, so I can only speculate about that. I doubt it will take too long, especially with the added hint of having the same "real" last name as Kratos. Canonically, Lloyd did not react well to discovering that Kratos was his father, but with his friends helping him focus on what was really important, it did not take him very long to come to a rough acceptance of it. In the Institute, however, he won't have that support from his friends to soften the initial shock. I fully plan on having him take it pretty badly, even denying it at first, and taking a longer time to come to terms with it. It's no easy thing at all to accept that it was his father who betrayed him and fought him, maybe even with deadly intent, and that he stood aside with "no objections" when Yggdrasill was about to kill Lloyd and his friends when they were helpless to stop it. Eventually he probably will, but it won't be an easy process.
Given that this RP takes place in an unsettling and outright horrific environment, how do you justify your character as being appropriate in both body and mind for this kind of setting?:
Lloyd has already had to deal with a lot of unsettling and horrific things in his canon. His world's religion is a lie, founded to help maintain oppression of humans while raising up sacrificial Chosens to become potential vessels for the "Goddess's" soul. He's seen people abused and tortured, treated like cattle, turned into monsters, killed, all to fuel the development of parasitic stones called Exspheres. He's seen racial discrimination that's led to imprisonment and death. He's had to choose to save a friend at the risk of dooming two worlds. He's had to watch helplessly as that same friend lost her soul. He's had to fight and kill. I'm pretty sure he's qualified.
Third-Person Sample:
He didn't know what woke him up. It was quiet, or as quiet as it got at night in the woods. The others were asleep, curled up in their sleeping bags, with the sole exception of Zelos, who was standing watch right then.
Well, sitting, technically. The redhead was idly tending the dying fire, poking the coals with a stick. Was that what had woken Lloyd up? The crackle of coals falling apart? He listened for another moment, but nothing else happened. It was probably nothing. He should go back to sleep. He closed his eyes, curling a little bit to try to conserve heat.
Then it happened again, and this time, awake, he noticed. Something cold and tiny had just landed on his cheek. He lifted his hand to brush it off.
"Damn it..."
The soft curse snapped Lloyd's attention back to his friend, in time to catch the last of a glare Zelos was shooting at the sky. Frowning, Lloyd sat up.
"What is it?"
Just like that, the glare disappeared, melting faster than the snowflake that had hit his cheek. Zelos tossed him his typical, careless grin and gestured with a dismissive hand.
"Nothing, bud. Go back to sleep."
Lloyd eyed the older boy. He trusted his friends. All of them. If something was really wrong, they'd tell him. Yeah, they lied sometimes when something was private, or when they thought he was better off not knowing, but if it was something that would put them all in danger, every fiber of his being trusted his friends to say whatever needed to be said. Including the Tethe'allan Chosen. He might be a jerk sometimes, and he might act a little bit weird, but in the end he'd put himself at risk to help them when they'd needed it.
So, this wasn't something like that. But Lloyd knew what he saw. That wasn't his imagination, either. Something was wrong.
But it was something Zelos wanted to keep to himself.
He could pry, but somehow he knew that wouldn't go over well, and he didn't have any evidence except his gut feeling that there was even anything to worry about. Weighing his options, it didn't take long to figure out what he was going to do. Dwarven Vow number one hundred and eight: Let sleeping dogs lie. He wouldn't poke.
But he could still help. With a mischievous grin, he climbed out of his bag.
"Lloyd..."
Lloyd ignored him, still grinning as he sat down next to him at the edge of the fire's warmth. Pulling his jacket around him to ward off the cold night air, he met Zelos's eyes.
"Hey. Wanna help me think up a really scary story to tell everyone tomorrow night?"
Zelos looked at him, trying to look reproving - and then that fake smile cracked. It became something more like a smirk.
"You? Scary? Yeah, right."
Lloyd huffed, pretending to take offense when really this was exactly what he had wanted. "Hey, I can do scary!"
"Yeah, with my help," Zelos teased. "That's why you're asking, right?"
"No way, you don't even know how scary the idea I had is! Just wait 'til I tell you!"
The smirk became real.
"Sure. You're on."
Forgotten, the lightest snowfall continued to drift through the night.
First-Person Sample:
[Note: As much as Lloyd resists even taking notes on monsters, and considering his general dislike of school and homework, writing is probably not a talent he's developed. Seriously, he scored a 25 on a general academic comprehension test with 400 possible points. I doubt he'll use his journal much, except for doodles and occasional notes, and his spelling and grammar will be... creative, to say the least.]
[The majority of the space on the first page of Lloyd's journal is filled with doodles, rough, poor drawings of a house in a forest setting. Another page has a girl with wings, a boy with some kind of stick-and-ball toy, and a woman holding something (a stick of chalk?) standing in front of a board covered with math symbols and equations that... don't actually make mathematical sense. It isn't until the third page that there's any writing.]
I'm bored
[Another page, another doodle, then...]
I'm NOT crazey!
I don't care what thay say and I wish thay'd stop calling me Nigel. I'm LLOYD
[The next page has what looks to be a map of the Institute. It's incomplete and not to scale. He's labeled his room with his name.]
---
Official illustration: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y192/Brenda-chan/con_lloyd.jpg
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Timezone: GMT -6 (Central Time U.S.)
Player Contact: Here.
Is English your primary language?: Yes
---
Series: Tales of Symphonia
Series' Medium: Video game, manga, and anime
Character: Lloyd Irving
Age: 18 in both age and appearance
Sex/Gender: Male
Canon Role: Protagonist
"Real" Name: Nigel Clarke
How long have you roleplayed your character, if at all?:
About a year and a half.
Where have you roleplayed in general and/or with this specific character?:
With Lloyd, I've only played at Somarium and Vatheon, with the occasional foray into meme communities and Dear Mun.
Are you personally familiar with your character's canon?:
I've played the first Tales of Symphonia game through completely two times and partially through a third, seen all the potential endings on YouTube, and have watched a complete playthrough of Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World (watched, not played, because I lacked a Wii at the time). I've read all of the manga and seen most of the animated episodes, too. I have not, however, had much exposure to the drama CDs that I've heard exist.
Please give us a personal history of your character's life and explain to us in detail how they grow and develop over the course of their canon: To explain where Lloyd came from, one first needs to understand the circumstances of his world. Four thousand years before the game takes place, a group of four heros set out to end a devastating war between two countries, Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. Mithos Yggdrasill, his sister, Martel Yggdrasill, Yuan Ka-Fai, and Kratos Aurion were successful, but shortly after the peace treaty was signed, a group of humans betrayed them and killed Martel. Mad with grief, Mithos took Martel's last wish, to end discrimination between humans and half-elves, and twisted it to form a plan where everyone would become the same lifeless being, incapable of the hatred that he saw as the root of all the pain people inflicted on each other.
The world was dying, though, the giant Tree of Mana that sustains life drained by the heavy use of magitechnology during the Kharlan War. He split the two countries into two separate worlds using the power of the Eternal Sword, a weapon granted to him by Origin, the king of all Summon Spirits. By forcing the two worlds to vie for what little mana remained from the Tree's seed, he hoped to prevent either side from developing that same technology again. The two worlds would be kept in a constant balancing act where, when one world gained too much mana, the dying world would be sent through the process of regeneration to tip the scales again.
At the same time that Mithos did all of this, he also tied the Cruxis Cystal, an enhanced form of the parasitic stone called an Exsphere, that contained what remained of his sister's soul, to the Great Seed from the Giant Kharlan Tree to preserve her. By carefully guiding and controlling each world through the Church of Martel that he, Yuan, and Kratos founded, and by manipulating the mana lineage that produced the Chosens who were sent out to regenerate the world, Mithos hoped to create a vessel that would accept his sister's soul and revive her - at the loss of the soul of the Chosen.
Continuing his plans to create an Age of Lifeless Beings, Mithos, then calling himself Yggdrasill, also formed Cruxis and the Desians, the former to manipulate everything behind the scenes, and the later to act more directly in the worlds' affairs. The Desians, mostly abused and disenfranchised half-elves, collected Exspheres and attached them to human subjects in their Human Ranches. Through constant suffering and abuse and eventual death of the hosts, all while the Exspheres drained their mana, the Exspheres would awaken and become capable of enhancing the abilities in others, provided they wore an appropriate Key Crest. These would be what Yggrasill would use to turn everyone into lifeless beings, into angels. As extra incentive for the Chosens to make the Journey of Regeneration, the Desians would pick up and move their operations to the other world when one world completed the Journey. The Journey was soon seen as the only way to end the cycle of Desian oppression.
This is the world that Lloyd was born into.
It's not certain how long Kratos had been having second thoughts about Yggdrasill's plans and methods, but at some point he encountered Anna, one of the captives at a Human Ranch and a test subject in the Angelus Project that was an effort to find a better way to create a Cruxis Crystal. He fell in love with Anna and turned his back on Cruxis by helping her to escape the ranch. Cruxis pursued them, though, determined to get Anna's Exsphere back. While they were on the run, Lloyd was born. Three years later, the Desians cornered them in the forest near Iselia. Kvar, one of the five Desian Grand Cardinals, removed Anna's Exsphere, and her mana went out of control, turning her into a monster, an Exbelua. She attacked Lloyd, forcing Kratos to kill her to protect him. She, Lloyd, and their pet, Noishe, fell over a cliff, while Kratos had to continue fighting the Desians. By the time he was able to look for them, though, they were gone, only blood and drag marks remaining. As far away from civilization as they were, Kratos could only assume that monsters must have come and dragged the bodies away. Broken, he returned to Cruxis.
But Lloyd wasn't dead. A dwarf named Dirk had found him at the base of the cliff. Anna regained enough lucidity to tell him very briefly what happened before she passed away. Dirk took Lloyd in and raised him as his own son, teaching him dwarven morals and values. When Lloyd was old enough, Dirk sent him to school in Iselia, where the boy made friends with Genis, a half-elf boy passing as an elf, and Colette, the next Chosen of Regeneration. Raine, Genis's older sister, taught them all. Through these friendships and upbringing, Lloyd developed a strong sense of equality, that people were people no matter what race they were.
When the time for the Journey of Regeneration came, a group of Renegade Desians attacked, and Lloyd defended Colette. Kratos, undercover as a mercenary, had been sent to ensure the Chosen completed the journey, and he arrived in time to save them all when they were about to be overwhelmed. Lloyd wanted to go with them, but he was denied. Unfortunately, when he and Genis later provoked the real Desians by assisting an old human woman named Marble who was a prisoner in the local ranch, the Desians retaliated by burning Iselia and turning Marble into an Exbelua, forcing Lloyd and Genis to fight and kill her. Marble injured the Grand Cardinal involved, which made the Desians retreat, but Lloyd and Genis were exiled from the town. With nowhere else to go, they caught up to and joined Colette, Raine, and Kratos on the Journey of Regeneration.
During the process of the Journey, Lloyd continued to come to face with the harsh reality of his world. With each seal they broke, Colette lost pieces of her humanity, and though she tried to keep it secret, Lloyd eventually found out. It horrified him that she was having to sacrifice parts of herself, though he didn't know the extent of what was going to happen. With every trial he became more determined to protect her and help her find a way to save their world.
It wasn't until they met Sheena, a woman from Tethe'alla sent to assassinate the Chosen so that Tethe'alla would not be sent into decline, that Lloyd realized that there was another world tied to his. Upon learning what would happen to Tethe'alla when Sylvarant started to flourish, he couldn't bear the thought that the worlds could only survive by vying with each other for mana. There had to be a way to save both worlds. The goddess Martel couldn't be that unfair. However, they didn't have any other clear options, so they continued the Journey, determining that they'd figure something out on the way.
After the final seal, though, Remiel the angel revealed that it had all been a lie and that Colette was meant to be a sacrifice. This infuriated Lloyd, and it broke his heart when Colette lost her soul. He vowed to get Colette's soul back, even though it meant preventing the regeneration of the world. In his mind, there had to be a way to save both worlds without sacrifice.
Things nearly ended badly right there when Kratos stepped in and revealed that he was part of Cruxis and tried to take Colette. Kratos had become a mentor to Lloyd, teaching him to fight and helping him work through character-defining challenges. When Lloyd found out that Exspheres were refined with human lives, it was Kratos who convinced him to keep using his mother's Exsphere so that her sacrifice didn't go to waste. He helped fight Kvar and avenge Lloyd's mother. He was someone Lloyd had started looking up to. His betrayal really, really hurt, and even to this point, Lloyd has a hard time forgiving him for it.
Once they'd escaped from Kratos and Yggdrasill with the help of the Renegades, then escaping from the Renegades in turn, Lloyd and his friends set out for Tethe'alla to see if the researchers there knew of a way to bring Colette's soul back and save the two worlds. They allied with Zelos Wilder, the Chosen of Tethe'alla, and befriended Presea, another victim of the Angelus Project, they discovered that Colette needed a Key Crest for her Cruxis Crystal. Lloyd found a Key Crest and repaired it using the skills he'd learned under Dirk, and though it didn't seem to work at first, she did regain her soul just in time to help prevent Yuan from capturing Lloyd.
During this quest, it was revealed that Genis and Raine were half-elves. Lloyd didn't care, but he did care about the fact that half-elves who broke the law in Tethe'alla were supposed to be sentenced to death. He couldn't believe people could treat anyone that way, seeing it as just as bad as what the Desians did to humans in Sylvarant.
With Genis and Raine safe and Colette's soul returned, they once again set out on their journey. They ran into interference everywhere they turned, from Cruxis to the researchers to the Pope and the King of Tethe'alla. They ended up befriending a convict sent by the Pope to kill Zelos. Regal Bryant revealed he had connections to Presea's sister, Alicia - a girl he'd loved and who he'd had to kill with his own two hands when she'd been turned into an Exbelua, though he didn't reveal that part yet. He assisted them in finding the inhibitor ore Altessa the dwarf needed to craft a Key Crest for Presea, but not in time to prevent the near-robotic Presea from leading Colette into a trap, where she was captured by Rodyle, another Grand Cardinal. Lloyd didn't even hesitate to take Presea with them, regardless of what she'd just done. He didn't blame her because she'd barely been able to think for herself, and now that she could, he trusted her to do what was right.
In order to save Colette, they needed mana to power the Rheairds so they could fly to the dragons' nest where she was being held. To do this, Sheena needed to form a pact with the Summon Spirit, Volt, a task she had tried to do once before only to end in disaster and the deaths of many of the people from her village. Lloyd and her friends supported her despite the danger to themselves. Once they gained the Summon Spirit's aid, though, a Sylvaranti Summon Spirit Sheena had a pact with appeared to inform them that a mana link had severed. The two worlds were bound with these links of mana, and they'd be broken when two opposing Summon Spirits were both awake at the same time. This became the start of another plan to save the two worlds, which they embarked on as soon as Colette was saved: Separate the two worlds by breaking all the links so they wouldn't have to compete for mana again.
For the most part this went well enough, though the earthquakes that followed each broken link were ominous. Their efforts stalled when Cruxis attacked the town of Ozette, and when they arrived, they were too late to save anyone except for one half-elf boy named Mithos. With the town in ruins, they took him along, and Mithos and Genis quickly became friends. Lloyd never seemed to notice the somewhat aloof attitude Mithos took toward the rest of them, or when he did it was easy enough to explain it away as Mithos simply being nervous and not quite able to believe that humans and half-elves could be friends. After all, the story the boy had told was that he and his sister had been badly discriminated against by humans. Lloyd was fairly determined to prove by example that not all humans were bad.
Circumstances forced them to use an Otherworldly Gate to return to Sylvarant, where they continued their journey to separate the worlds. They allied with Yuan briefly, who no longer seemed intent on capturing Lloyd or Colette, and Yuan told them that they needed to germinate the Great Seed so that the Giant Kharlan Tree would be reborn, replenishing the supply of mana so that the two worlds could be reunited. To get to the Seed, they needed to continue to break the mana links that protected it, then expose it to mana from Derris-Kharlan, Cruxis's base, a comet made from mana.
Kratos tried to stop them, but unfortunately they succeeded, and when the Seed germinated, the Tree went out of control, wreaking havoc on the world. They had to ally with Kratos again to stop it, a fact that left Lloyd feeling torn and confused about the man. That wasn't the first time Kratos had done something that had helped them, or at least not hindered them, sometimes offered words that sounded like advice, despite being on opposite sides. The fact was, though, that he was still their enemy.
A new wrench was thrown in their plans when Colette fell ill with a toxicosis because of her Cruxis Crystal. Dirk couldn't help, despite being a dwarf, and suggested they return to Altessa, who might know more about Cruxis Crystals. Kratos parted ways with them, but offered a cryptic suggestion that ended up giving them the key to saving Colette. To collect the items they needed, they traveled to Heimdall, the restricted home of the elves, as well as Derris-Kharlan, where Lloyd witnessed what a city of lifeless angels would be like. There Lloyd learned more of the story of Mithos the Hero from 4,000 years ago, that he was Yggdrasill, and that Kratos and Yuan were also from that time, and he learned that the Eternal Sword was the key to reuniting the world.
Whatever goodwill Kratos might have earned, though, was negated when he captured Lloyd and his companions, imprisoning them in Derris-Kharlan. They escaped, and in the process Lloyd witnessed what a city of lifeless angels would be like, which only helped cement his decision to fight Yggdrasill when the leader of Cruxis revealed his plan to them. They had to fight Yggdrasill again, only barely surviving because Pronyma, another Grand Cardinal, interfered and attacked Genis, and Yggdrasill inexplicably threw himself in the way to protect Genis from the blast. Injured, he and Pronyma retreated, allowing Lloyd and the rest to escape back to Tethe'alla.
They had what they needed now to create a Rune Crest for Colette, so they returned to Altessa's home to complete her treatment. That night, unbeknownst to everyone, Zelos drugged their food. Lloyd only woke up when Yuan dragged him out of bed, assuring Lloyd's cooperation when he asked, "Do you want to meet your father?" - implying that he not only knew who Lloyd's true father was, but that he was holding him captive somewhere.
At some point during that drug-hazed trip outside, everything swam, and when Lloyd woke up again, he was in bed in Landel's Institute.
That's where this story begins.
What point in time are you taking your character from when he/she appears at Landel's and why?: I'm taking Lloyd from just after the party returns from Derris-Kharlan and Altessa makes a Rune Crest for Colette. Specifically, he'll be from the night Zelos drugged them and Yuan kidnapped Lloyd to use him as blackmail against Kratos, but before they actually see Kratos. This point in time allows Lloyd to be familiar with all the major characters in his cast, but still leaves him in the dark on several key points so that those can be explored under different circumstances, such as Zelos's treachery, the young Mithos's true identity, and Kratos's relation to Lloyd. With the pressure of Colette's sickness resolved, it won't drive Lloyd quite so insane to be stuck someplace where he can't help her, though he'll still be determined to return because the world still needs his help. He'll be able to function better and interact with others without the incredible worry for his friend eating at his mind.
Please give us a detailed description of your character's personality:
Lloyd is a cocky, stubborn, determined young man, fiercely loyal and brave, but also more than a little naive. In the quiet village of Iselia that he grew up near, where very few people had any weapons training to speak of, it was easy for him to form an inflated opinion of his sword skills. He hated having it shown how much skill he actually lacked, which didn't help with how he first took to Kratos, who so outstripped him in skill that it made him feel pathetic. Rather than refuse to admit his weaknesses, though, he took it as a personal challenge to become even stronger, and even went so far as to accept training from Kratos. This is a prime example of how Lloyd meets obstacles and challenges. He may grumble and he may complain, but in the end he will do whatever it takes to do what he feels is right.
Living an initially sheltered life with his adoptive father, Dirk, it wasn't until he was seventeen that he was really exposed to how cruel the world could be. This may also be the root of his eternal optimism, as well as his ability to see and hope for the best in almost everyone he meets. For example, even after being betrayed by Kratos, a man he'd grown to respect and look up to, he still can't quite bring himself to believe that the man is his enemy. Even things like race can't dampen his idealism. Although half-elves are notoriously hated in his canon, the revelation that his best friend, Genis, and his teacher, Raine, were actually half-elves didn't matter to him. Lloyd looks more at the whole of a person than at individual aspects.
He is very enthusiastic about new experiences - or at least he is until the novelty wears off, which happens far too quickly. Lloyd's attention span is not what it could be. This is very much reflected in his schoolwork. Unless it's arts and crafts or astronomy, Lloyd hates studying. He can also be impulsive and hotheaded and often lands himself and others in trouble without really meaning to. He forms a plan and blasts through it full steam ahead, only to realize too late that he didn't consider every perspective.
Lloyd tries to be honest and trustworthy in everything he does, and he wants to believe that everyone else is like this, too. Unless he is given a good reason not to, he'll generally take people at face value - a fact which has gotten him in trouble before and no doubt will again. He strongly believes that people can change if they want to. He gladly welcomes both Sheena and Regal to join his group of companions, despite both having tried to kill his friend Colette, because they'd shown to him that they were willing to reconsider their reasons for attacking in the first place. When Kratos continues to assist him in cryptic ways, it's hard for him to reconcile this with the fact that Kratos is his enemy. Some might call him naive or gullible, but somehow he still manages to make friends with people through his sheer stubborn determination to see the best in them. There are very few exceptions to this, and most of them have shown no inclination to change or any sign of regret for their actions. At the top of this list are people like Kvar and Vharley, the one who unrepentantly started the chain of events that led to the death of Lloyd's mother, and the other who sold Exspheres and people's lives for money and didn't care when the victims died.
Lloyd has been hit very hard by some of the events that have happened during the course of his journey to help save the worlds. He's had to kill and make decisions that have led to people's deaths - and he would do almost anything to keep that from ever happening again. In his mind, no one should have to sacrifice themselves or others. Everyone deserves to live. That doesn't mean he won't fight for what he believes in, though. If anything, those deaths have only made him even more determined to fight for and protect the people and things he cares about.
Please give us a physical description of your character:
Lloyd is a 5'8" teenage boy with brown hair, brown eyes, and a thin, wiry build. His hair refuses to lay flat, forming messy spikes that almost seem to defy gravity at times. Despite his youth, his muscles are fairly developed from hours training with his swords and time spent working on crafts and learning to smith with his adoptive father, Dirk.
The only truly distinguishing feature Lloyd has is an Exsphere mounted on the back of his left hand. The parasitic stone resembles a round, blue gem with a vaguely triangular metal plate surrounding it that is referred to as a Key Crest. Dwarven runes are inscribed into the metal as part of the process of preventing the Exsphere from disrupting Lloyd's mana and leeching away his life.
What kinds of otherwordly abilities does your character have, if any?: Lloyd has an Exsphere attached to his left hand which boosts his speed, endurance, reflexes, and strength. He can jump higher (perhaps as much as eight feet), push himself to keep going despite injuries (though these will get to him eventually), doesn't break every bone in his body when he does reckless things like jump off of cliffs, and can make limited use of mana when fighting. Mostly, this use of mana boils down to bursts of strength, agility, and/or speed, though he can also create narrow "shock waves" that peter out after about fifteen feet. His one defensive technique, Guardian, creates a shield of mana that lasts for only a few seconds that reduces the impact of both physical and magical attacks, but doesn't negate them completely.
A full list of his techniques can be found here, but to keep in line with the power limitations that Kratos has in place, Lloyd can only use two techniques per night, and the effects will be weakened to 25%. Each use will take a heavy toll on him, and he will be completely exhausted if he has to use two techs. Additionally, because Lloyd is not as strong or experienced as Kratos, I am going to say that level three techs are completely off limits and level two techs are twice as draining for him, so if he uses one, he cannot perform any other mana techniques for the rest of the night.
As for the latent strength and durability the Exsphere would normally grant him, this will be completely negated. He will only have the strength and speed of an average but physically fit human teen.
Beyond that, while I don't see this coming up in-game, since I'm taking him from a canon point before it occurs, it should be noted that at the end of Symphonia, Lloyd is able to summon a pair of blue-green wings due to the Exsphere on his hand, which was the product of a research experiment called the Angelus Project. I'm theorizing based on earlier comments made by Yuan and basic logic, but his ability to do this at that point may be partly a result of his evolving Exsphere and partly from his own growth and control over mana.
Summary of Lloyd's special abilities and techniques, and associated limitations:
1. Any use of mana will count as the use of a technique. Lloyd is limited to only two usages per night, except in the case of level two techniques.
2. Level two techniques count for twice the mana usage, so Lloyd cannot have used any other techniques already, and he will not be able to use any other techniques afterward.
3. Each use of mana will take a heavy toll on him, and he will be completely exhausted if he has to use two techs, or if he uses one level two technique.
4. Lloyd will only be able to access Strike-type level two techniques, further limiting which techniques he can use.
5. All techniques are weakened to 25% effectiveness in terms of any additional strength or damage that might be inflicted beyond what an average, physically fit 18 year old's strength could accomplish.
6. Tempest, Psi Tempest, and Sonic Sword Rain are being removed because I feel they would be physically unfeasible for Lloyd to perform given the limitation on the effectiveness of his mana usage.
7. Lloyd cannot use level three techniques. This includes his Guardian technique.
Edit: As of M-U during Night Shift 69, Lloyd's mana has increased to allow him to use either three level one techniques or one level two and one level one technique.
Level One Techniques
Demon Fang - This creates a shockwave of energy that travels fairly quickly across the ground, but will weaken the farther it goes. Its maximum range in Damned will be twenty feet, with an effective height of four feet, and width of three feet. Close range (not counting any impact with Lloyd's blades) a character should feel like they got hit with a solid punch. At maximum range, a light bruise is the best Lloyd can hope to inflict.
Sonic Thrust - When Lloyd thrusts one of his swords forward in this technique, some of his mana follows through with it, knocking his opponent back. Damage from the mana itself will be equivalent to a solid punch on top of whatever damage is inflicted by the blade itself.
Tiger Blade - Lloyd executes an upward slash to potentially knock his opponent off balance, then follows with a downward slash. This technique uses mana to increase his strength, but only by 25%. Mathematically, if he could inflict a damage of four, this will allow him to do a damage of five, assuming he lands a solid hit. In terms of real life, this is roughly equivalent to becoming as strong as an average adult male instead of an average eighteen year old boy.
Sword Rain - Lloyd stabs toward his opponent in four rapid strikes, followed by a stronger stab. Mana usage in this technique concentrates on making him faster. This will not be quite super-human speed, but will still make it very difficult for someone to block the first four strikes. The last strike will be at regular speed. The actual strength behind each of the first four blows will be slightly less than normal strength because Lloyd will focusing on speed.
Level Two Techniques
Fierce Demon Fang - Similar to Demon Fang, Lloyd creates a shockwave of energy ahead of him that will hit any enemy within a three foot radius of its first impact. Unlike in canon, it will not hit these enemies multiple times. This technique has a much shorter range than Demon Fang, losing all effectiveness within five feet of being unleashed. Damage inflicted to each party within the radius will be equivalent to Demon Fang.
Super Sonic Thrust - This is a stronger version of Sonic Thrust, making it much more likely to knock the opponent down. The difference in terms of damage from the mana would be like adding brass knuckles to a solid punch. There will be no boost to the damage caused by his blades.
Heavy Tiger Blade - This is a stronger version of Tiger Blade. Using the same math as before, instead of doing a damage of four, he will do a damage of six.
Beast - Mana leaps from Lloyd's blades in a visible form, seeming to take on the visage of a snarling beast a little larger than a lion, made up of translucent blue energy. Its effective range is ten feet, and should knock an enemy off their feet. Damage will be spread out across an opponent's body, leaving heavy bruising behind.
Does your character have any non-otherworldly abilities/training that surpass the norm?:
Lloyd specializes in a dual-sword fighting style. Most of his skill is self-taught, although Kratos helped train him during the Journey of World Regeneration. At this point, he's a fairly passable swordsman, even without use of mana techniques.
While most of his academic grades are abysmal, Lloyd excels when it comes to astronomy, P.E., and crafts. Being raised the son of a dwarf, he knows his way around a smithy, and can even do some metalwork, though this is mostly limited to smaller, less strength-intensive things like jewelry or figurines. He has some basic knowledge of carpentry and woodworking. Living out in the woods with only himself and Dirk meant maintaining and repairing the house themselves. He has also stated that he plans to build a boat someday, so it's safe to assume that he's spent some time learning how to apply his skills toward that.
Lloyd also knows the dwarven runic language well enough to inscribe the necessary runes for a Key Crest, so his grasp on that is probably fairly solid. I'm listing this as a non-otherworldly ability because, presumably, anyone could learn as much if they had a dwarf willing to teach them, and knowing the runic language does not grant Lloyd any extra power. Lloyd has stated himself that the runes don't do him any good without dwarven processed inhibitor ore to inscribe them on.
The only other ability of note he has is his ability to pick locks. Given the general lack of technology present in Sylvarant, this likely only works with low-tech locks. Any kind of digital or magical lock will be beyond him. In fact, the one time he had to get through a technology-locked door, his solution was to physically bust it open.
What do you see your character doing in the scope of the game and how do you plan to use the setting of Landel's Institute to develop them and affect their psychology in a unique, interesting way?: Lloyd's first and foremost thought will be to try to escape and return to his world. It won't matter if anyone tries to tell him how difficult or impossible it is, he will be determined to keep trying. As far as he's concerned, if there's a way in, there has to be a way out, and anything is possible if you try, especially if you have people working together toward the same goal. He will try to make friends and allies, both to help find a way to escape and because he wants to make friends. When he realizes that Kratos is there as well, he will probably try to ally with him, too, despite their rocky relationship. For all his faults, Kratos is still someone who has proven himself competent and strong, and he'll be the only familiar thing Lloyd sees in the Institute.
Having discovered that there is another world connected to his own, even traveling to that world himself, the idea that there might be other worlds out there won't be that hard for Lloyd to swallow. It will startled him at first, but he'll come to accept it fairly well, even be amazed that there are so many other worlds. It'll be a little more difficult to believe any stories that people aren't the species that they appear. He's encountered other intelligent species, certainly, and views people as people, no matter what species or race they are. Other cultures might seem weird to him, but he'll generally accept and respect them as just as valid as his own. But people claiming that they were physically changed? Outside of the angelic transformation that Colette underwent, the only times he's encountered something like that were the horrific transformations of humans into Exbelua, and Kilia the half-elf disguising herself to look like a human girl she had killed. Lloyd won't want to believe that something like that has been done in Landel's Institute. With such experiences in his past, though, it's something he can see as truth, given time and repeated insistence.
But he will definitely be upset. In fact, learning that people in the Institute are being experimented on and brainwashed will fill him with such indignation and anger that he will probably make it a personal quest to find the people responsible and make them stop. People are people, not animals. They're not meant to be treated like that. And changing someone's memories and how they see themselves and everyone else? That's almost as horrible an offense as killing them, especially if it's permanent, at least as far as Lloyd's concerned. Brainwashing to him is taking someone and erasing who they are. If they can't regain their memories, then it's like the person they were no longer even exists.
I am very interested in exploring the relationship between Kratos and Lloyd, and I do want Lloyd to learn who his father is. Given the canon point he is from, the subject of his father will be very close to his mind, close enough that I am planning on having it be one of the first things Lloyd brings up when he speaks to Kratos. How quickly Lloyd finds out, though, will depend on the interaction with Kratos, so I can only speculate about that. I doubt it will take too long, especially with the added hint of having the same "real" last name as Kratos. Canonically, Lloyd did not react well to discovering that Kratos was his father, but with his friends helping him focus on what was really important, it did not take him very long to come to a rough acceptance of it. In the Institute, however, he won't have that support from his friends to soften the initial shock. I fully plan on having him take it pretty badly, even denying it at first, and taking a longer time to come to terms with it. It's no easy thing at all to accept that it was his father who betrayed him and fought him, maybe even with deadly intent, and that he stood aside with "no objections" when Yggdrasill was about to kill Lloyd and his friends when they were helpless to stop it. Eventually he probably will, but it won't be an easy process.
Given that this RP takes place in an unsettling and outright horrific environment, how do you justify your character as being appropriate in both body and mind for this kind of setting?:
Lloyd has already had to deal with a lot of unsettling and horrific things in his canon. His world's religion is a lie, founded to help maintain oppression of humans while raising up sacrificial Chosens to become potential vessels for the "Goddess's" soul. He's seen people abused and tortured, treated like cattle, turned into monsters, killed, all to fuel the development of parasitic stones called Exspheres. He's seen racial discrimination that's led to imprisonment and death. He's had to choose to save a friend at the risk of dooming two worlds. He's had to watch helplessly as that same friend lost her soul. He's had to fight and kill. I'm pretty sure he's qualified.
Third-Person Sample:
He didn't know what woke him up. It was quiet, or as quiet as it got at night in the woods. The others were asleep, curled up in their sleeping bags, with the sole exception of Zelos, who was standing watch right then.
Well, sitting, technically. The redhead was idly tending the dying fire, poking the coals with a stick. Was that what had woken Lloyd up? The crackle of coals falling apart? He listened for another moment, but nothing else happened. It was probably nothing. He should go back to sleep. He closed his eyes, curling a little bit to try to conserve heat.
Then it happened again, and this time, awake, he noticed. Something cold and tiny had just landed on his cheek. He lifted his hand to brush it off.
"Damn it..."
The soft curse snapped Lloyd's attention back to his friend, in time to catch the last of a glare Zelos was shooting at the sky. Frowning, Lloyd sat up.
"What is it?"
Just like that, the glare disappeared, melting faster than the snowflake that had hit his cheek. Zelos tossed him his typical, careless grin and gestured with a dismissive hand.
"Nothing, bud. Go back to sleep."
Lloyd eyed the older boy. He trusted his friends. All of them. If something was really wrong, they'd tell him. Yeah, they lied sometimes when something was private, or when they thought he was better off not knowing, but if it was something that would put them all in danger, every fiber of his being trusted his friends to say whatever needed to be said. Including the Tethe'allan Chosen. He might be a jerk sometimes, and he might act a little bit weird, but in the end he'd put himself at risk to help them when they'd needed it.
So, this wasn't something like that. But Lloyd knew what he saw. That wasn't his imagination, either. Something was wrong.
But it was something Zelos wanted to keep to himself.
He could pry, but somehow he knew that wouldn't go over well, and he didn't have any evidence except his gut feeling that there was even anything to worry about. Weighing his options, it didn't take long to figure out what he was going to do. Dwarven Vow number one hundred and eight: Let sleeping dogs lie. He wouldn't poke.
But he could still help. With a mischievous grin, he climbed out of his bag.
"Lloyd..."
Lloyd ignored him, still grinning as he sat down next to him at the edge of the fire's warmth. Pulling his jacket around him to ward off the cold night air, he met Zelos's eyes.
"Hey. Wanna help me think up a really scary story to tell everyone tomorrow night?"
Zelos looked at him, trying to look reproving - and then that fake smile cracked. It became something more like a smirk.
"You? Scary? Yeah, right."
Lloyd huffed, pretending to take offense when really this was exactly what he had wanted. "Hey, I can do scary!"
"Yeah, with my help," Zelos teased. "That's why you're asking, right?"
"No way, you don't even know how scary the idea I had is! Just wait 'til I tell you!"
The smirk became real.
"Sure. You're on."
Forgotten, the lightest snowfall continued to drift through the night.
First-Person Sample:
[Note: As much as Lloyd resists even taking notes on monsters, and considering his general dislike of school and homework, writing is probably not a talent he's developed. Seriously, he scored a 25 on a general academic comprehension test with 400 possible points. I doubt he'll use his journal much, except for doodles and occasional notes, and his spelling and grammar will be... creative, to say the least.]
[The majority of the space on the first page of Lloyd's journal is filled with doodles, rough, poor drawings of a house in a forest setting. Another page has a girl with wings, a boy with some kind of stick-and-ball toy, and a woman holding something (a stick of chalk?) standing in front of a board covered with math symbols and equations that... don't actually make mathematical sense. It isn't until the third page that there's any writing.]
I'm bored
[Another page, another doodle, then...]
I'm NOT crazey!
I don't care what thay say and I wish thay'd stop calling me Nigel. I'm LLOYD
[The next page has what looks to be a map of the Institute. It's incomplete and not to scale. He's labeled his room with his name.]
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Official illustration: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y192/Brenda-chan/con_lloyd.jpg
