App for imperial_saga
Player Name: Nerdo
Character Name: Char Aznable
Canon: Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack
Canon Background: Wikipedia
AU Background: Char was born Prince Casval Rem Deikun, first son of Duke Zeon Sum Deikun of the Grand Duchy of Zeon, situated in the archipelago southeast of continental Dagaria. Centuries beforehand, the people of the islands were violent raiders that preyed constantly on the mainland, but they were eventually united under the auspices of Char's ancestors, who pledged fealty to the Empire in order to fight the common foes of all mankind within the Rift. The unified Grand Duchy thus became the Empire's seaside Riftguard and the protector, rather than the predator, of its sea trade.
Such a beneficial alliance was not to last, however. The people of the islands were always an independence-minded group, and eventually a rival clan, the Zabis, assassinated Zeon Sum Deikun when his heir was a mere nine years old. Young Prince Casval and his little sister Artesia fled to the mainland in exile when Degwin Zabi spent a decade rapidly expanding and updating Zeon's military and, fifteen years ago, declaring independence and launching an unprecedentedly huge invasion of mainland Dagaria.
Casval, by this time nineteen and wearing a mask and the pseudonym Char Aznable, returned to Zeon to enlist in its navy shortly before the war began. He rapidly distinguished himself in early battles of the war, including one naval engagement where he sunk five Imperial warships - with a battleaxe. Given the title of "The Red Comet" and command of his own ship by Sovereign Degwin Sodo Zabi, he quickly ingratiated himself with the youngest Zabi heir, Garma, the ceremonial commander of the invasion forces. Just as quickly, he betrayed Garma by leading him into an ambush, taunting the young man as his entire unit was cut down by Imperial forces. Char, after all, wanted revenge on the Zabi clan more than he wanted Zeon to win the war.
His relationship with the leadership rockier but his commission still intact, Char continued to lead daring and destructive cavalry raids on the Imperial mainland, coming into conflict with many other heroes of the age. In particular, his rivalry with a young Imperial soldier named Amuro Ray was legendary in its time, with the young loyalist foiling several of Char's most potentially devastating assaults almost single-handedly. Their rivalry turned personal later in the war after Lalah Sune, a mage pressed into Zeon's service and deeply in love with Char, was killed in the crossfire of a duel between the two men.
Gradually, the Zeon invaders were pushed back into the sea, and the war was decided by a series of massive naval battles. Char gave his all in defense of his homeland and attempts to finish off his rival, but was eventually foiled by both. Combat and infighting during the final battles saw Sovereign Degwin and his two remaining sons killed, and Char took the time during the final rout of Zeon's navy to kill the one remaining adult Zabi heir, completing his revenge and effectively decapitating the Zabi regime. Zeon's Chancellor surrendered to the Empire days later, and Char went into hiding.
For eight years after the war, the archipelago was occupied by the forces of the Emperor's Right Hand, who were given a free hand by the emperor to oppress and murder the locals to their hearts' content in retaliation for Zeon's failed uprising. Opposing them were remnants of Zeon's armed forces under the flag of the Zabi clan, as well as unaffiliated freedom fighters who sought independence from both Imperial and Zabi oppression. One of the latter was the erstwhile prince, now under the new alias of Quattro Bajeena. Fighting personally against the Amestrian occupiers and their mercenary allies, Quattro distinguished himself in combat once again and grew as a name to be feared, though his had become more of an advisorly role for younger rebels. Eventually, daring action and sabotage by Quattro's revolutionaries destroyed the main fleets of both the Imperial occupiers and the Zabi loyalists, causing the former to withdraw and putting the revolutionaries in a bloody civil war with the latter, both more or less trapped where they were.
After another two years of conflict, to everyone's surprise, Char (going by that name rather than Quattro or Casval) appeared in the Imperial Court and offered the new Emperor, Terenas Menethil, something he could not afford to refuse. If the Emperor acknowledged Char as the rightful ruler of Zeon, and helped him eradicate the Zabis' military dictatorship once and for all, he would swear fealty to the Emperor and reform Zeon back into the vitally necessary Seaside Rift Guard. With the Emperor's own Right Hand and Landside Rift Guard bloodied and without a fleet, the Emperor had little choice but to accept the deal for the sake of finally having peace on the seas and protection from tentacle monsters again.
Thus far, Char has been as good as his word, expelling the remaining Zabi loyalists from the islands and turning his nation from a smoldering wreck back into an echo of the trading and naval power it once was. Char, going by the official title of Prince of Zeon, is popular as a monarch and a war hero, and the people of the islands hail him as a king and a savior. Whether that's a good or a bad thing, to be frank, depends on whether you're Char Aznable or anyone else, respectively.
Personality: Char's long and rather violent life has given him a complex personality: arrogant but charming, idealistic but cynical, kind but manipulative, dedicated but...well, a sarcastic, smug bastard. He has a great deal of natural charisma and is both an effective leader and someone whom people want to lead them. He's an effective tactician and strategist, as well as being a perfectionist on the battlefield - he loathes taking even a scratch in combat, and has the skill to usually not. Char's arrogant, in this way and others - he always believes his way is the correct way, and while he'll follow orders in situations where he has a superior, and respect capable opponents like Amuro, Bright Noa, or Haman Karn (to some extent), he won't give up his own goals for anyone.
On that subject, Char's goals seem a little unclear at times, and vary over the course of his long career, but there are two overriding principles that guide him in whatever the situation is. First, Char believes in helping guide humanity to a better future, usually by eliminating corrupt and oppressive elements by trickery, lies, or brute force. Char is an extremist, but one who believes his extremism is for the greater good of, if not everybody, than at least the human species in general. At the end of his life, i.e. now, he's willing to do anything for his ideals to win out - manipulating innocent oppressed civilians, moronic teenagers, and whole governments, and is perfectly willing to wipe out the bulk of humanity to rid it of its corruption and greed - though that will take some setup before we get to it in this game.
Char's second guiding principle, a far more personal one, is what one might call an "overdeveloped sense of vengeance" (he also believes that masks are terribly comfortable, and that everyone will be wearing them in the future). Char makes real connections rarely, due to his long-ingrained paranoia, but when he does, if you hurt the person he cares about, he will spend decades plotting homicidal revenge on you and everything you remotely care about. This ideal was first put into his mind with his father's assassination and his subsequent plot against the Zabis, and continued when Amuro Ray accidentally killed Char's subordinate and lover Lalah Sune, turning his professional rivalry with the other man into a murderous obsession; one that Char could put aside when he and Amuro had the same goal, but one that always seems to return. It gets to the point where it almost seems like all of Char's grand plans might have the sole intention of an ego-sating final duel with Amuro, but they still, in Char's mind, would also save humanity, and in his own mind, Char sees no reason why he can't do both.
Worth noting for this game in particular is that Char would much, much rather be a soldier than a politician, though he is quite good at both. He sees courtly intrigues and dealing with people and vassals as necessary evils he inflicts upon himself for the greater good of his nation and the world. Dealing with the corrupt politicians he hates disgusts him, and the blind adulation of his people rather disturbs him despite its usefulness. Indeed, he even unofficially goes by his earned rank of "Captain" rather than his proper inherited title of "Prince" (or his official military title of Supreme Admiral of the High Seas that comes with the "Prince" part), simply because he'd rather be a soldier than a court dandy. That said, he can play the game, and he will, until the time is right.
Combat Style: The most obvious and consistent point of Char's combat style is speed, speed, and more speed. Even at the ripe old age of 35ish, Char's personal combat style relies on overwhelming the enemy with rapid maneuvers and attacks. This is the basis of his strategy, and his tactics as a ship commander, cavalry commander, horseman, or on-foot duelist: get in the enemy's face (or ideally behind his back) with alacrity, and strike a decisive or crippling blow. Or three.
Other than that, Char is very much a generalist. Going on 20 years of combat experience on foot, horseback, and ship means he's capable of picking up and using nearly any weapon as appropriate for the situation, though he typically prefers a single-edged sword like his personal saber Nightingale for its speed and versatility. When fully kitted out, he usually has at hand his sword, a short bow, a small axe for climbing or property damage, a flintlock pistol (which he rarely carries extra ammo for), and a light lance and extra pistols if he's riding. Char favors cavalry fighting on land (remember: speed) and rides only the fastest red horses. He does dismount for duels or when otherwise appropriate, but overall prefers to be in the saddle. As a youth, he wore no armor at all as a means of showing off, though nowadays (after getting chewed out by Lalah shortly before her death and receiving a rather large scar on his head), he wears a light breastplate and helmet in main battle.
Char has some magical ability, but not nearly enough to be called a mage or wizard, if only because he's never studied. Rather, he simply has a natural hand with magically enhanced weapons and superhuman reflexes that he personally attributes to mild, instinctive flashes of prescience.
Kingdom or Faction: Leader (Prince) of the Principality of Zeon.
Primary Role: Leader with courtier/diplomat perk.
Soldier or Siege Company:
Airship Rewloola (1 Elite Navy/Siege Unit)
-Zeon's pride and joy, and Char's personal flagship, the Rewloola is an advanced airship of the zeppelin-with-propellers style. Capable of traveling anywhere, land or sea, the ship mounts a dozen navy cannons and multiple conventional anti-personnel siege weapons, as well as a contingent of Zeon marines that typically deploy through rappelling onto the enemy's heads. As airships are expensive, Rewloola has no outriders aside from small scouting balloons. If Char is serious about a campaign, he'll lead it personally aboard the Rewloola, land or sea.
Frigates Musaka and Charne (2 Regular Navy/Siege Units)
-Two of Zeon's largest ships are under the Prince's direct command. Three-masted, wooden-hulled ships mounting multiple cannons, each of these ships represent the ferocity and tenacity of Zeon's famed navy. Each is also supported by a group of marines (in addition to its capable sailing crew) and smaller brigs and sloops. As strictly blue-water ships, the frigates cannot participate in land combat except through shore bombardment and deploying their marines in longboats.
Zeon Royal Guard "1st Jagd Dogas" (1 Elite Army Unit)
-Char's personal bodyguards, as befits a ruler with trust issues, are animated steel golems. These imposing constructs, painted red and gold and ranging in height from man-sized to ten times that, are usually commanded from a safe distance by wizard handlers who are personally loyal to the Prince. They can also be released to Char';s direct command or given limited autonomy - Char privately swears they're more intelligent than peasants when you get down to it. Made of steel over magically enhanced wooden frames, the golems are surprisingly agile and tough at the same time, and come to battle with magical steel swords and shields proportionate to their size, as well as blessed crossbows (or technically, ballistae for the larger ones), all designed to put down Riftspawn, let alone anything human-made. Some particularly daring and zealous wizards even ride some of the larger ones on their backs, using them as mobile and well-armed firing platforms, but most hang back and use all their concentration on directing their golems.
2 Cavalry Companies "1st and 2nd Geara Dogas" (2 Regular Army Units)
-The Prince also personally commands two units of regular cuirassier (lightly armored) cavalry, brought up in the hit-and-run tradition of Zeonic raiders. Their equipment and tactics are designed for skirmishing and striking at flanks, and they ride some of the fastest horses in the known world simply to keep up with their ruler. While trained to fight dismounted if necessary, they are meant more for fighting running battles than occupying territory. While Char is investigating practical revolvers or other repeating firearms, for now, they are armed with bows, lances or javelins, and sabers or axes.
Tarot Cards:
Past: The Chariot.
Present: The Devil.
Future: Judgement.
Title: The Red Comet.
Artifacts: Not sure if this is an artifact per se, but I would like Char to have his sword, Nightingale, as it appeared in Romance of the Infinite Kingdoms. Effectively, this would be a magic sword that can split off energy blades that fly through the air, directed by Char's mind. Perhaps half a dozen blades at most, depending heavily on his mental focus. In this setting, I can also see this function of the sword depending on mana batteries.
Setting Considerations: Other than the politics involved in Char's background (originally discussed and approved here), it's not hard to take his canon out of space and put it on the ground seeing as it started off as World War II IN SPACE in the first place. Newtype powers can be replaced with magic and Char's "Newtype revolution" fixation will most likely be more about the much darker powers and transcendental changes that come from Rift taint. More to follow in the Ongoing Plots post, I guess.
Sample Post:
Your rival in court knows something that you do not, and this knowledge is giving them the advantage. How do you address this issue?
Everyone has a weakness, even if one must resort to slipping a knife into his or her ribs to find it. If an enemy faces me with his strength, I will find his weakness and match my strength to it before he can do too much damage. Court and the battlefield are similar dances, in that way.
Why do you deserve to rule this land?
Well, I'm not sure I'm quite enough of a politician to believe that yet (Smile). If pressed into such a position, however, I am an experienced warrior, and this kingdom will always be at war. I would do whatever I could to curb the rampant and greedy actions of mainland elites first and foremost, as they hold the people of Dagaria back even more than the creatures of the Rift I am sworn to fight.
What is love to you?
Emotional masochism. My love of my country and my dear, departed royal father are the only loves that have yet to disappoint, although I have a certain fondness for Admiral Nanai that goes beyond the physical.
...what are you giving me that look for? Is it those rumors? On my sword, that whole thing with the cadet was a misunderstanding.
You are presiding over a murder trial where both suspects claim innocence. What do you do?
Find the truth of the matter through careful investigation, as any just ruler would. If that fails to return satisfactory evidence, I find trial by combat saves time and prison space, and the people love it even more than the guillotine.
The pressures of court have become too much for you to bear, what do you do?
I'll leave and cool my head in the city as a commoner for a bit. Don't spread this around, but I am a master of disguise.
For what cause are you willing to sacrifice yourself?
A man with a smart mouth once told me you can't change the world without at least a few human sacrifices. I am willing to make myself one of them for that purpose only - changing this land into a better one and its people into better people.
What do you want people to remember about you after you are gone?
Ouch. I'm only thirty-five, you know (laugh). In seriousness, how people judge me and look on my legend in the future is of no concern to me. What matters is the changes I can make while alive. Whether I'm considered a messiah or a demon for making them is none of my concern.
What vices keep you from achieving your true potential?
No vices, although my sense of personal honor has perhaps distracted me from the greater good in the past. Sometimes, though, justice simply has to be served.
Everything you love and held dear has been taken from you in the blink of an eye. What do you do?
Destroy whatever or whomever took it from me, even if it takes the rest of my life. Obviously.
Who deserves to pass judgement upon you, and who do you deserve to judge?
No one else's judgement concerns me. I've survived worse than any mere judgement, and that itself is why I am capable of judging others. I've seen to the heart of what greed and indolence can do, and let me tell you, those slow poisons of humanity's collective soul are far, far worse than any Riftspawn. They must be exorcised if humanity, or any sapient race, is to survive.
But I've said too much. I trust this was a confidential interview, old man.
char_char_char also has some posts of interest.
Character Name: Char Aznable
Canon: Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack
Canon Background: Wikipedia
AU Background: Char was born Prince Casval Rem Deikun, first son of Duke Zeon Sum Deikun of the Grand Duchy of Zeon, situated in the archipelago southeast of continental Dagaria. Centuries beforehand, the people of the islands were violent raiders that preyed constantly on the mainland, but they were eventually united under the auspices of Char's ancestors, who pledged fealty to the Empire in order to fight the common foes of all mankind within the Rift. The unified Grand Duchy thus became the Empire's seaside Riftguard and the protector, rather than the predator, of its sea trade.
Such a beneficial alliance was not to last, however. The people of the islands were always an independence-minded group, and eventually a rival clan, the Zabis, assassinated Zeon Sum Deikun when his heir was a mere nine years old. Young Prince Casval and his little sister Artesia fled to the mainland in exile when Degwin Zabi spent a decade rapidly expanding and updating Zeon's military and, fifteen years ago, declaring independence and launching an unprecedentedly huge invasion of mainland Dagaria.
Casval, by this time nineteen and wearing a mask and the pseudonym Char Aznable, returned to Zeon to enlist in its navy shortly before the war began. He rapidly distinguished himself in early battles of the war, including one naval engagement where he sunk five Imperial warships - with a battleaxe. Given the title of "The Red Comet" and command of his own ship by Sovereign Degwin Sodo Zabi, he quickly ingratiated himself with the youngest Zabi heir, Garma, the ceremonial commander of the invasion forces. Just as quickly, he betrayed Garma by leading him into an ambush, taunting the young man as his entire unit was cut down by Imperial forces. Char, after all, wanted revenge on the Zabi clan more than he wanted Zeon to win the war.
His relationship with the leadership rockier but his commission still intact, Char continued to lead daring and destructive cavalry raids on the Imperial mainland, coming into conflict with many other heroes of the age. In particular, his rivalry with a young Imperial soldier named Amuro Ray was legendary in its time, with the young loyalist foiling several of Char's most potentially devastating assaults almost single-handedly. Their rivalry turned personal later in the war after Lalah Sune, a mage pressed into Zeon's service and deeply in love with Char, was killed in the crossfire of a duel between the two men.
Gradually, the Zeon invaders were pushed back into the sea, and the war was decided by a series of massive naval battles. Char gave his all in defense of his homeland and attempts to finish off his rival, but was eventually foiled by both. Combat and infighting during the final battles saw Sovereign Degwin and his two remaining sons killed, and Char took the time during the final rout of Zeon's navy to kill the one remaining adult Zabi heir, completing his revenge and effectively decapitating the Zabi regime. Zeon's Chancellor surrendered to the Empire days later, and Char went into hiding.
For eight years after the war, the archipelago was occupied by the forces of the Emperor's Right Hand, who were given a free hand by the emperor to oppress and murder the locals to their hearts' content in retaliation for Zeon's failed uprising. Opposing them were remnants of Zeon's armed forces under the flag of the Zabi clan, as well as unaffiliated freedom fighters who sought independence from both Imperial and Zabi oppression. One of the latter was the erstwhile prince, now under the new alias of Quattro Bajeena. Fighting personally against the Amestrian occupiers and their mercenary allies, Quattro distinguished himself in combat once again and grew as a name to be feared, though his had become more of an advisorly role for younger rebels. Eventually, daring action and sabotage by Quattro's revolutionaries destroyed the main fleets of both the Imperial occupiers and the Zabi loyalists, causing the former to withdraw and putting the revolutionaries in a bloody civil war with the latter, both more or less trapped where they were.
After another two years of conflict, to everyone's surprise, Char (going by that name rather than Quattro or Casval) appeared in the Imperial Court and offered the new Emperor, Terenas Menethil, something he could not afford to refuse. If the Emperor acknowledged Char as the rightful ruler of Zeon, and helped him eradicate the Zabis' military dictatorship once and for all, he would swear fealty to the Emperor and reform Zeon back into the vitally necessary Seaside Rift Guard. With the Emperor's own Right Hand and Landside Rift Guard bloodied and without a fleet, the Emperor had little choice but to accept the deal for the sake of finally having peace on the seas and protection from tentacle monsters again.
Thus far, Char has been as good as his word, expelling the remaining Zabi loyalists from the islands and turning his nation from a smoldering wreck back into an echo of the trading and naval power it once was. Char, going by the official title of Prince of Zeon, is popular as a monarch and a war hero, and the people of the islands hail him as a king and a savior. Whether that's a good or a bad thing, to be frank, depends on whether you're Char Aznable or anyone else, respectively.
Personality: Char's long and rather violent life has given him a complex personality: arrogant but charming, idealistic but cynical, kind but manipulative, dedicated but...well, a sarcastic, smug bastard. He has a great deal of natural charisma and is both an effective leader and someone whom people want to lead them. He's an effective tactician and strategist, as well as being a perfectionist on the battlefield - he loathes taking even a scratch in combat, and has the skill to usually not. Char's arrogant, in this way and others - he always believes his way is the correct way, and while he'll follow orders in situations where he has a superior, and respect capable opponents like Amuro, Bright Noa, or Haman Karn (to some extent), he won't give up his own goals for anyone.
On that subject, Char's goals seem a little unclear at times, and vary over the course of his long career, but there are two overriding principles that guide him in whatever the situation is. First, Char believes in helping guide humanity to a better future, usually by eliminating corrupt and oppressive elements by trickery, lies, or brute force. Char is an extremist, but one who believes his extremism is for the greater good of, if not everybody, than at least the human species in general. At the end of his life, i.e. now, he's willing to do anything for his ideals to win out - manipulating innocent oppressed civilians, moronic teenagers, and whole governments, and is perfectly willing to wipe out the bulk of humanity to rid it of its corruption and greed - though that will take some setup before we get to it in this game.
Char's second guiding principle, a far more personal one, is what one might call an "overdeveloped sense of vengeance" (he also believes that masks are terribly comfortable, and that everyone will be wearing them in the future). Char makes real connections rarely, due to his long-ingrained paranoia, but when he does, if you hurt the person he cares about, he will spend decades plotting homicidal revenge on you and everything you remotely care about. This ideal was first put into his mind with his father's assassination and his subsequent plot against the Zabis, and continued when Amuro Ray accidentally killed Char's subordinate and lover Lalah Sune, turning his professional rivalry with the other man into a murderous obsession; one that Char could put aside when he and Amuro had the same goal, but one that always seems to return. It gets to the point where it almost seems like all of Char's grand plans might have the sole intention of an ego-sating final duel with Amuro, but they still, in Char's mind, would also save humanity, and in his own mind, Char sees no reason why he can't do both.
Worth noting for this game in particular is that Char would much, much rather be a soldier than a politician, though he is quite good at both. He sees courtly intrigues and dealing with people and vassals as necessary evils he inflicts upon himself for the greater good of his nation and the world. Dealing with the corrupt politicians he hates disgusts him, and the blind adulation of his people rather disturbs him despite its usefulness. Indeed, he even unofficially goes by his earned rank of "Captain" rather than his proper inherited title of "Prince" (or his official military title of Supreme Admiral of the High Seas that comes with the "Prince" part), simply because he'd rather be a soldier than a court dandy. That said, he can play the game, and he will, until the time is right.
Combat Style: The most obvious and consistent point of Char's combat style is speed, speed, and more speed. Even at the ripe old age of 35ish, Char's personal combat style relies on overwhelming the enemy with rapid maneuvers and attacks. This is the basis of his strategy, and his tactics as a ship commander, cavalry commander, horseman, or on-foot duelist: get in the enemy's face (or ideally behind his back) with alacrity, and strike a decisive or crippling blow. Or three.
Other than that, Char is very much a generalist. Going on 20 years of combat experience on foot, horseback, and ship means he's capable of picking up and using nearly any weapon as appropriate for the situation, though he typically prefers a single-edged sword like his personal saber Nightingale for its speed and versatility. When fully kitted out, he usually has at hand his sword, a short bow, a small axe for climbing or property damage, a flintlock pistol (which he rarely carries extra ammo for), and a light lance and extra pistols if he's riding. Char favors cavalry fighting on land (remember: speed) and rides only the fastest red horses. He does dismount for duels or when otherwise appropriate, but overall prefers to be in the saddle. As a youth, he wore no armor at all as a means of showing off, though nowadays (after getting chewed out by Lalah shortly before her death and receiving a rather large scar on his head), he wears a light breastplate and helmet in main battle.
Char has some magical ability, but not nearly enough to be called a mage or wizard, if only because he's never studied. Rather, he simply has a natural hand with magically enhanced weapons and superhuman reflexes that he personally attributes to mild, instinctive flashes of prescience.
Kingdom or Faction: Leader (Prince) of the Principality of Zeon.
Primary Role: Leader with courtier/diplomat perk.
Soldier or Siege Company:
Airship Rewloola (1 Elite Navy/Siege Unit)
-Zeon's pride and joy, and Char's personal flagship, the Rewloola is an advanced airship of the zeppelin-with-propellers style. Capable of traveling anywhere, land or sea, the ship mounts a dozen navy cannons and multiple conventional anti-personnel siege weapons, as well as a contingent of Zeon marines that typically deploy through rappelling onto the enemy's heads. As airships are expensive, Rewloola has no outriders aside from small scouting balloons. If Char is serious about a campaign, he'll lead it personally aboard the Rewloola, land or sea.
Frigates Musaka and Charne (2 Regular Navy/Siege Units)
-Two of Zeon's largest ships are under the Prince's direct command. Three-masted, wooden-hulled ships mounting multiple cannons, each of these ships represent the ferocity and tenacity of Zeon's famed navy. Each is also supported by a group of marines (in addition to its capable sailing crew) and smaller brigs and sloops. As strictly blue-water ships, the frigates cannot participate in land combat except through shore bombardment and deploying their marines in longboats.
Zeon Royal Guard "1st Jagd Dogas" (1 Elite Army Unit)
-Char's personal bodyguards, as befits a ruler with trust issues, are animated steel golems. These imposing constructs, painted red and gold and ranging in height from man-sized to ten times that, are usually commanded from a safe distance by wizard handlers who are personally loyal to the Prince. They can also be released to Char';s direct command or given limited autonomy - Char privately swears they're more intelligent than peasants when you get down to it. Made of steel over magically enhanced wooden frames, the golems are surprisingly agile and tough at the same time, and come to battle with magical steel swords and shields proportionate to their size, as well as blessed crossbows (or technically, ballistae for the larger ones), all designed to put down Riftspawn, let alone anything human-made. Some particularly daring and zealous wizards even ride some of the larger ones on their backs, using them as mobile and well-armed firing platforms, but most hang back and use all their concentration on directing their golems.
2 Cavalry Companies "1st and 2nd Geara Dogas" (2 Regular Army Units)
-The Prince also personally commands two units of regular cuirassier (lightly armored) cavalry, brought up in the hit-and-run tradition of Zeonic raiders. Their equipment and tactics are designed for skirmishing and striking at flanks, and they ride some of the fastest horses in the known world simply to keep up with their ruler. While trained to fight dismounted if necessary, they are meant more for fighting running battles than occupying territory. While Char is investigating practical revolvers or other repeating firearms, for now, they are armed with bows, lances or javelins, and sabers or axes.
Tarot Cards:
Past: The Chariot.
Present: The Devil.
Future: Judgement.
Title: The Red Comet.
Artifacts: Not sure if this is an artifact per se, but I would like Char to have his sword, Nightingale, as it appeared in Romance of the Infinite Kingdoms. Effectively, this would be a magic sword that can split off energy blades that fly through the air, directed by Char's mind. Perhaps half a dozen blades at most, depending heavily on his mental focus. In this setting, I can also see this function of the sword depending on mana batteries.
Setting Considerations: Other than the politics involved in Char's background (originally discussed and approved here), it's not hard to take his canon out of space and put it on the ground seeing as it started off as World War II IN SPACE in the first place. Newtype powers can be replaced with magic and Char's "Newtype revolution" fixation will most likely be more about the much darker powers and transcendental changes that come from Rift taint. More to follow in the Ongoing Plots post, I guess.
Sample Post:
Your rival in court knows something that you do not, and this knowledge is giving them the advantage. How do you address this issue?
Everyone has a weakness, even if one must resort to slipping a knife into his or her ribs to find it. If an enemy faces me with his strength, I will find his weakness and match my strength to it before he can do too much damage. Court and the battlefield are similar dances, in that way.
Why do you deserve to rule this land?
Well, I'm not sure I'm quite enough of a politician to believe that yet (Smile). If pressed into such a position, however, I am an experienced warrior, and this kingdom will always be at war. I would do whatever I could to curb the rampant and greedy actions of mainland elites first and foremost, as they hold the people of Dagaria back even more than the creatures of the Rift I am sworn to fight.
What is love to you?
Emotional masochism. My love of my country and my dear, departed royal father are the only loves that have yet to disappoint, although I have a certain fondness for Admiral Nanai that goes beyond the physical.
...what are you giving me that look for? Is it those rumors? On my sword, that whole thing with the cadet was a misunderstanding.
You are presiding over a murder trial where both suspects claim innocence. What do you do?
Find the truth of the matter through careful investigation, as any just ruler would. If that fails to return satisfactory evidence, I find trial by combat saves time and prison space, and the people love it even more than the guillotine.
The pressures of court have become too much for you to bear, what do you do?
I'll leave and cool my head in the city as a commoner for a bit. Don't spread this around, but I am a master of disguise.
For what cause are you willing to sacrifice yourself?
A man with a smart mouth once told me you can't change the world without at least a few human sacrifices. I am willing to make myself one of them for that purpose only - changing this land into a better one and its people into better people.
What do you want people to remember about you after you are gone?
Ouch. I'm only thirty-five, you know (laugh). In seriousness, how people judge me and look on my legend in the future is of no concern to me. What matters is the changes I can make while alive. Whether I'm considered a messiah or a demon for making them is none of my concern.
What vices keep you from achieving your true potential?
No vices, although my sense of personal honor has perhaps distracted me from the greater good in the past. Sometimes, though, justice simply has to be served.
Everything you love and held dear has been taken from you in the blink of an eye. What do you do?
Destroy whatever or whomever took it from me, even if it takes the rest of my life. Obviously.
Who deserves to pass judgement upon you, and who do you deserve to judge?
No one else's judgement concerns me. I've survived worse than any mere judgement, and that itself is why I am capable of judging others. I've seen to the heart of what greed and indolence can do, and let me tell you, those slow poisons of humanity's collective soul are far, far worse than any Riftspawn. They must be exorcised if humanity, or any sapient race, is to survive.
But I've said too much. I trust this was a confidential interview, old man.
char_char_char also has some posts of interest.