ooc: Contact post and extra information
This post is going to be for anyone that wants to get in contact with me for matters concerning Walter. They can be anything from plotting to character building to just dropping me a note saying "Hey, you're screwing up his character." The sky's the limit.
Name: Walter Delques
Gender: Male
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Blue
Age: 17
Height: 171 cm (5'7")
Wing Color: Black
Time Period: Post Chapter 7
Personality and Background:
Walter is one of the Ferines, the people of the water. The Ferines have long been prejudiced against and looked down upon by the Orerines, the people of the land, and Walter has grown up more than aware of the horrors that the Orerines have committed against his kind. Like many Ferines, Walter hates the Orerines and cannot see past the racial prejudices to see individual character and opinion.
In another life with different circumstances, Walter would have been the captain of the elite guard that would protect the Merines, who is praised as the savior of the Ferines. But with the Ferines population dwindling and most in hiding, Walter has largely relied on himself and his own efforts. Because of the destruction of numerous Ferines settlements by Vaclav over the years, Walter has made it his purpose in life to find the Merines and protect them until the Merines could save their entire race.
He comes across as quiet and intense around most, and is even more so around Orerines. In the latter half of the [main] storyline, he makes no attempt to hide his disgust with the Orerines and his determination to see Senel dead; to him, Senel is the greatest threat to the Merines and the prosperity of the Ferines, as Senel is the main reason Shirley does not see the Orerines race as beyond redemption. On a more personal level, Walter hates Senel for his role in Shirley's life; Shirley sees Senel as her protector and savior, a role Walter has vied for his entire life.
Walter enters the game as a mysterious man that hounds Shirley Fennes, trying to abduct her and succeeding in one case. He doesn't speak much during this time, but does briefly show a deep anger towards Senel before attacking -- or, from his view, protecting the Merines from Senel. Though seen as an antagonist, Walter shares the protectiveness of Shirley that Senel often displays, going as far as throwing himself under a huge, falling pillar to save Shirley.
Walter begins to take a more distinct personality in the Waterways, where he pursues Shirley and Fenimore. He finds the two after Senel's group tries to rescue them, and guards their rear while they look for shelter. He summons his teriques, a floating gigant well over twice his size that had previously manifested as a pair of black wings on Walter's back, to fend off the approaching soldiers, and escapes to join Shirley and Fenimore before collapsing.
When Shirley runs off to intercept Vaclav's troops, Fenimore and Walter are found by Senel's group and taken out of the waterways. Walter, though injured and barely healed, again shows his strong sense of duty by immediately taking wing and carrying Fenimore off with him. His noticeable lack of speech towards Senel and his friends may be a sign of his disgust of Orerines.
While Senel's group pursues Shirley into the Ruins of Frozen Light, Walter heads back to report to Maurits, a leader among the Ferines, and leave Fenimore to his care. He waits in Maurits' hermitage for other Ferines from the mainland to arrive, after which he heads into the Man-Eating Ruins to search for the Whisper Crystal. By the time he and his injured companions make it back to the hermitage, Senel and the others have been rescued from the Forest of No Return and brought into the tiny sanctuary for Ferines.
After Senel brings back the Whisper Crystal, the crystal is left in Walter's care. The Whisper Crystal, in the hands of someone with incredible will, can control an entire army of robots known as automata (sentinels to the Orerines). Walter heads the maintenance of the robot army and spends the majority of his time dedicated to the performance of this unit, finally bringing them into battle against Vaclav's army later on. The alliance formed against Vaclav is victorious, even with the death of Shirley's sister, Stella, and things begin to settle down on the Legacy.
That is, until Maurits starts the plan to see the Orerines' downfall through the Merines' Rite of Accession. And, of course, Walter has no reservations about turning his back on his Orerines allies to support the awakening of the Merines. He ultimately dies after pushing himself too hard to stop Senel and the others from approaching the Merines, collapsing after battling them twice -- once by himself and the other through the projection of a giant automata. He awakens in Luceti after his fall and subsequent death speech.
Walter, as a Ferines, has a different body chemistry that gives him an advantage underwater. The Ferines can breath underwater and are adept swimmers, and most (if not all) are crystal erens -- magic users. Walter, unlike most Ferines, has a degree of physical combat experience; he uses basic martial arts to support his crystal eres attacks. His teriques (spiritual extension of himself) is a black, floating humanoid figure with a large torso and arms.
† Pretty Close to Friends | ♦ Acquaintances ♣ | Enemies ♠
† Ahiru | ducklinged
† Colette Brunel | reviverser
♦ Stella Telmes Coolidge | goldenfirefly
♦ Fenimore Xelhes | delquesxelhes
♣ Caesar Silverberg | nowarstowin
♣ Norma Beatty | yellow_straw
♠ Senel Coolidge | alliance_marine
♣ Moses Sandor | rogue_hunt
[A character journal for luceti.]
Name: Walter Delques
Fandom: Tales of Legendia
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Time Period: Post-chapter 7
Wing Color: Black
History: From the Tales wiki!
Personality: Walter comes across cold and aloof, often choosing to keep his silence during others' conversations and observe what is going on around him. Despite this ability to be quietly observant, he in fact harbors an intense hatred towards Orerines (people of the land, in his world) stemming from generations of racism. He is a member of the Ferines, the people of the water who were long ago persecuted by the newly-arrived Orerines and forced into hiding. Walter has grown up exposed to other Ferines' negative experiences and the stories of the horrors Ferines went through in the past. When faced with Orerines, Walter has a guarded attitude; even during a brief time of peace following the defeat of Vaclav, Walter is anything but friendly to the Orerines he encounters.
This racism is one of the stonger traits portrayed for Walter; he considers the Ferines the more entitled race, blessed by Nerifes and given many gifts (such as their teriques, the physical manifestations of their souls). Incidents that challenge this mindset are met with shock; when his powers blessed upon him by the Raging Nerifes are nullified by the Quiet Nerifes, Walter cannot comprehend what has happened. He believes that the Ferines deserve better, and throws himself into his duties with that goal.
Walter's particular duty, had disaster not taken the Merines (the legendary savior of the Ferines) away from her people, was to become the captain of the Merines' elite guard. He takes this role very seriously and is able to set aside his hatred for Orerines (for awhile, at least) in favor of securing the Merines' safety. This is shown during the war against Vaclav, in which Walter and the other Ferines ally themselves with Senel and the forces from Rexalia when Shirley is captured. He is loyal to the Merines and very protective of her, risking his own safety to save Shirley from perceived threats (Senel, Moses' gang, and Vaclav's army) whenever he can. He does so to an extreme degree, fighting and being injured on several occasions. If nothing else, he is very passionate about what he does and willing to lay down his life for what he believes is worth protecting.
As an antagonist in the game, there is a lot of focus on Walter's negative traits; more than the other Ferines, he comes across as stubborn and unwilling to change his ways, to the extent that he dies still lamenting about how things were not the way he had hoped they would be. He harbors a deep dislike and jealousy towards Senel Coolidge, as he feels Senel has usurped his position as the Merines' guardian by being close to Shirley. The fact that Senel is an Orerines also disgusts Senel, and he blames Shirley's hesitance and beliefs (that Orerines are not in fact all that bad) on Senel's "corruptive influence."
The main positive that can come out of this negative portrayal is that Walter is a relentless force to be reckoned with -- and an especially effective one when given the proper outlet. During the major battle against Vaclav's forces, Walter is given the duty of controlling the Whisper Crystal, an artifact that can (according to Maurits) only be used by someone with especially strong willpower. Using the Whisper Crystal, Walter is able to command dozens of ancient guardian robots called automata and send them into battle. He continues to use the Whisper Crystal later on when the Ferines turn against the Orerines, and does not seem to be affected from using the crystal.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Walter's dedication to the Merines and the Ferines people translate to a respect amongst his race. Walter issues orders with a sense of authority and is readily listened to, and he places his people's safety above certain objectives. One such example is when he led the expedition to retrieve the Whisper Crystal -- when one of the Ferines under his command was badly injured, he withdrew from the ruins and brought the man back to treat his injuries. He is also nice in his own way, suggesting that Fenimore help feed the troops if she has no technical skills to help with maintaining the automata.
Overall, while he is in fact a racist and distrusts Orerines, Walter fights for his people and has a very high degree of loyalty. His willingness to put duty over his own personal wellbeing leads to several incidents where he gets himself into trouble, but he is as reliable as one could hope for.
Strengths:
Physical: Walter is an eren, meaning that he is blessed with the power of Nerifes for use in battle. He possesses skill with both iron and crystal eres, fighting hand-to-hand in battle with base and arcane eres and casting devastating crystal eres spells when given the opportunity. He has a high degree of concentration when casting his stronger spells, allowing him to take a few hits before completely losing that concentration. He also has a fairly hearty constitution; he is fit and fast, and very sturdy for his body size, which gives him the physical strength needed to get up and retreat even after being injured.
The Ferines, as the people of the water, also have particular physical traits they do not share with Orerines. Their hair is exclusively blond, and they have the ability to breathe underwater; while breathing underwater, their blond hair glows blue. This is a sign of their close ties with Nerifes, and their hair will also glow when they are given additional strength by Nerifes (such as when Shirley accepted becoming the Merines at the Altar of the Sea).
Mental: As mentioned, he has extremely strong willpower, allowing him the determination needed to control the Whisper Crystal and stand up after taking severe beatings. This willpower of his is perhaps best shown in his teriques, the manifestation of his soul; his black teriques is large and formidable, and also capable of allowing Walter to do things most other Ferines do not demonstrate the ability to do: fly long distances by taking the form of large wings, and form a protective sphere that can cover himself or carry another person. He can also use his teriques as a scout capable of seeing things and reporting back to him, a manifestation (in the form of a black zephyr) to fight for him in battle, and as an extension with which he can attack others in battle (some of his iron eres include him throwing his teriques out to cause further damage; this is more apparent in the Quiet Lands, when his powers are largely negated by the Quiet Nerifes and his Wings of Hallowed Doom eres is reduced to his teriques being thrown as an attack).
Beyond battle, he does seem smart enough to know when to fall back and when to trust his instincts. While facing off against Senel underground, a pillar threatens to fall on top of Shirley; Walter pushes her out of the way, managing to shield himself with his teriques moments before he would have been crushed.
Emotional: For all of his anger and wariness towards Orerines, Walter is surprisingly composed. He speaks articulately and keeps his emotions fairly in check. This shows some form of discipline and self-consciousness. However, when he feels insulted or otherwise provoked, he isn't afraid to speak his mind; when first meeting Senel and "rescuing" Shirley, Walter says that Senel "has no right" to tell him to get away from Shirley.
Battle is where Walter's emotions really seem to come out, poured out into a powerful variety of eres. (Interestingly, he also counts in Relares (the ancient Ferines language) while throwing kicks and punches, like he has some form of training regimen engrained, speaking further to his level of discipline.) Even in the heat of battle, of seems to know exactly what he's fighting for -- while performing one of his strongest eres, he shouts, "Feel the hatred festering for a millennium… Feel the wrath of the Ferines!" To him, he's fighting for his people and the injustice they have suffered through.
Weaknesses:
Physical/Mental: While he is strong, Walter is still only human-sized and not yet fully grown; he will be hurt by large debris and can be picked up and thrown (as Senel demonstrates over and over in some Legendia playthroughs). He also pushes himself very hard, resulting in situations where his body has to catch up to the amount of exertion he puts it through; this is best shown when he retreats to where Shirley and Fenimore are hiding in the Waterways, clarifying who he is and walking all the way into the room … before collapsing in a heap from his injuries. This mindset of his, in which he pushes himself far more than his body can actually handle, is what eventually leads to his death; even after being greatly injured by Senel and company, Walter uses his remaining strength to control a giant automaton. His physical strength completely expended, Walter collapses and doesn't get up again; his last act is reaching out to Senel (quite possibly to punch him, but it's hard to tell in-game).
In the Tales of Legendia world, "Sea" is the element that encompasses both water and light/holy magic. As people of the water, the Ferines are associated with this sea element, and are strongly affected by the opposite element, darkness. So dark attacks and magic would hurt Walter more readily than some other people.
Mental/Emotional: Walter is not a happy fellow by any means. As has been made abundantly clear throughout this application, he is racist and believes that the injustices of the past need to be corrected in the present -- with the same violent and intolerant attitude that harmed the Ferines so much in the first place. Getting past that atittude will be a struggle in itself, and even then there have to be certain influences around to push him in the right direction. Unfortunately, in the frame of time that Walter is seen in Tales of Legendia, no such influences present themselves.
He is so focused on his duty and his racism that seeing the good in other people seems difficult to do. He paints Orerines with a broad brush, and remains so distant from them that he does not see that Senel is a very different person from, say, Vaclav. To him, they are all to blame for the Ferines' pain.
Samples
Note: These samples are made with the assumption that Walter remembers Luceti.
First Person:
I see that someone or something was kind enough to place a beach here. Did the desert become too much of an eyesore? Or maybe this was an attempt to please someone? Don't try to tell me that this was some sort of gift; I remember enough to know that there's no such thing in Luceti. [There is a pause, followed by a mutter.] At least, no gifts from those scientists.
[He continues on, the distaste evident in his lowered tone.] It's a mockery though, this "sea." I can fly over it in a matter of hours. What's the point of giving us such a small piece of the ocean?
[...] But I guess it's an improvement. I don't remember anyone wanting anything to do with the desert. [But that also meant...] There must be a lot of boats on this sad stretch of water. Wonderful.
Third Person:
Walter awoke surrounded by water, unfamiliar and calm. His hands reached out lethargically, as if instict was fighting off the effects of a long sleep, nails scraping against a flat stone surface.
His eyes opened, and he breathed. There was something strange and yet liberating about it, bringing water into his lungs and then pushing it out.
Soft blue light bathed the immediate area instantly, providing him with a limited view of his ... cage? His body felt out of sorts, not responding quickly as he righted himself to properly tread water. His feet were bare. And so was his chest.
What happened? I was...
There was an uncomfortable blank in his memory. He didn't know what had happened. His brows knitted together, and he focused on the stone he had scraped against. Walls, worn down by the water and fed upon by whatever fish decided to come within the sunken rooms. Strange etchings, though the light from his hair did not allow him to see them very well.
Where am I?
He had to get out. He fought against his lethargy, bringing his arms out to aid in his swimming through the confined space. His back hurt, and it did nothing for his temper as he continued trying to make his way out. His frustration became more apparent as the rooms didn't seem to end, twisting into larger chambers. The trapped furniture, long rotted and useless for anything, were obstacles as he swam through sunken corridors. All the while, his mind swirled.
Merines.
She was out there, wasn't she? While he was trapped down here, unable to escape, she was waiting for him. She had to be. That thought was his driving force as he sought escape, pushing aside the pain and the questions plaguing his body and mind. A moment of clarity reached him as he reached a chamber that resembled a meeting hall, a school of fish swimming off as he disturbed them.
I'm dead. I've been dead. And yet I was with the Merines...
Walter shook his head, swimming for a wide opening that could only be the exit to these strange underwater ruins; that was where the fish had gone, after all. His memories were slow to return, but he would surely remember by the time he made his way to the surface.
He paused at the entranceway, his eye having caught a rectangular object secured to the wall. It was not difficult to remove, meaning it had been placed there not too long ago. He held it up to his face, his glowing hair helping him make out what appeared to be a book wrapped in heavy-duty plastic.
His name was on the book. Tracing his fingers on the cover, Walter found a name coming to mind. The name of a place he had never visited while alive.
Luceti?
In-depth Background
Character Titles
Filial Spirits Relationships
Name: Walter Delques
Gender: Male
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Blue
Age: 17
Height: 171 cm (5'7")
Wing Color: Black
Time Period: Post Chapter 7
Personality and Background:
Walter is one of the Ferines, the people of the water. The Ferines have long been prejudiced against and looked down upon by the Orerines, the people of the land, and Walter has grown up more than aware of the horrors that the Orerines have committed against his kind. Like many Ferines, Walter hates the Orerines and cannot see past the racial prejudices to see individual character and opinion.
In another life with different circumstances, Walter would have been the captain of the elite guard that would protect the Merines, who is praised as the savior of the Ferines. But with the Ferines population dwindling and most in hiding, Walter has largely relied on himself and his own efforts. Because of the destruction of numerous Ferines settlements by Vaclav over the years, Walter has made it his purpose in life to find the Merines and protect them until the Merines could save their entire race.
He comes across as quiet and intense around most, and is even more so around Orerines. In the latter half of the [main] storyline, he makes no attempt to hide his disgust with the Orerines and his determination to see Senel dead; to him, Senel is the greatest threat to the Merines and the prosperity of the Ferines, as Senel is the main reason Shirley does not see the Orerines race as beyond redemption. On a more personal level, Walter hates Senel for his role in Shirley's life; Shirley sees Senel as her protector and savior, a role Walter has vied for his entire life.
Walter enters the game as a mysterious man that hounds Shirley Fennes, trying to abduct her and succeeding in one case. He doesn't speak much during this time, but does briefly show a deep anger towards Senel before attacking -- or, from his view, protecting the Merines from Senel. Though seen as an antagonist, Walter shares the protectiveness of Shirley that Senel often displays, going as far as throwing himself under a huge, falling pillar to save Shirley.
Walter begins to take a more distinct personality in the Waterways, where he pursues Shirley and Fenimore. He finds the two after Senel's group tries to rescue them, and guards their rear while they look for shelter. He summons his teriques, a floating gigant well over twice his size that had previously manifested as a pair of black wings on Walter's back, to fend off the approaching soldiers, and escapes to join Shirley and Fenimore before collapsing.
When Shirley runs off to intercept Vaclav's troops, Fenimore and Walter are found by Senel's group and taken out of the waterways. Walter, though injured and barely healed, again shows his strong sense of duty by immediately taking wing and carrying Fenimore off with him. His noticeable lack of speech towards Senel and his friends may be a sign of his disgust of Orerines.
While Senel's group pursues Shirley into the Ruins of Frozen Light, Walter heads back to report to Maurits, a leader among the Ferines, and leave Fenimore to his care. He waits in Maurits' hermitage for other Ferines from the mainland to arrive, after which he heads into the Man-Eating Ruins to search for the Whisper Crystal. By the time he and his injured companions make it back to the hermitage, Senel and the others have been rescued from the Forest of No Return and brought into the tiny sanctuary for Ferines.
After Senel brings back the Whisper Crystal, the crystal is left in Walter's care. The Whisper Crystal, in the hands of someone with incredible will, can control an entire army of robots known as automata (sentinels to the Orerines). Walter heads the maintenance of the robot army and spends the majority of his time dedicated to the performance of this unit, finally bringing them into battle against Vaclav's army later on. The alliance formed against Vaclav is victorious, even with the death of Shirley's sister, Stella, and things begin to settle down on the Legacy.
That is, until Maurits starts the plan to see the Orerines' downfall through the Merines' Rite of Accession. And, of course, Walter has no reservations about turning his back on his Orerines allies to support the awakening of the Merines. He ultimately dies after pushing himself too hard to stop Senel and the others from approaching the Merines, collapsing after battling them twice -- once by himself and the other through the projection of a giant automata. He awakens in Luceti after his fall and subsequent death speech.
Walter, as a Ferines, has a different body chemistry that gives him an advantage underwater. The Ferines can breath underwater and are adept swimmers, and most (if not all) are crystal erens -- magic users. Walter, unlike most Ferines, has a degree of physical combat experience; he uses basic martial arts to support his crystal eres attacks. His teriques (spiritual extension of himself) is a black, floating humanoid figure with a large torso and arms.
† Pretty Close to Friends | ♦ Acquaintances ♣ | Enemies ♠
† Ahiru | ducklinged
† Colette Brunel | reviverser
♦ Stella Telmes Coolidge | goldenfirefly
♦ Fenimore Xelhes | delquesxelhes
♣ Caesar Silverberg | nowarstowin
♣ Norma Beatty | yellow_straw
♠ Senel Coolidge | alliance_marine
♣ Moses Sandor | rogue_hunt
[A character journal for luceti.]
Name: Walter Delques
Fandom: Tales of Legendia
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Time Period: Post-chapter 7
Wing Color: Black
History: From the Tales wiki!
Personality: Walter comes across cold and aloof, often choosing to keep his silence during others' conversations and observe what is going on around him. Despite this ability to be quietly observant, he in fact harbors an intense hatred towards Orerines (people of the land, in his world) stemming from generations of racism. He is a member of the Ferines, the people of the water who were long ago persecuted by the newly-arrived Orerines and forced into hiding. Walter has grown up exposed to other Ferines' negative experiences and the stories of the horrors Ferines went through in the past. When faced with Orerines, Walter has a guarded attitude; even during a brief time of peace following the defeat of Vaclav, Walter is anything but friendly to the Orerines he encounters.
This racism is one of the stonger traits portrayed for Walter; he considers the Ferines the more entitled race, blessed by Nerifes and given many gifts (such as their teriques, the physical manifestations of their souls). Incidents that challenge this mindset are met with shock; when his powers blessed upon him by the Raging Nerifes are nullified by the Quiet Nerifes, Walter cannot comprehend what has happened. He believes that the Ferines deserve better, and throws himself into his duties with that goal.
Walter's particular duty, had disaster not taken the Merines (the legendary savior of the Ferines) away from her people, was to become the captain of the Merines' elite guard. He takes this role very seriously and is able to set aside his hatred for Orerines (for awhile, at least) in favor of securing the Merines' safety. This is shown during the war against Vaclav, in which Walter and the other Ferines ally themselves with Senel and the forces from Rexalia when Shirley is captured. He is loyal to the Merines and very protective of her, risking his own safety to save Shirley from perceived threats (Senel, Moses' gang, and Vaclav's army) whenever he can. He does so to an extreme degree, fighting and being injured on several occasions. If nothing else, he is very passionate about what he does and willing to lay down his life for what he believes is worth protecting.
As an antagonist in the game, there is a lot of focus on Walter's negative traits; more than the other Ferines, he comes across as stubborn and unwilling to change his ways, to the extent that he dies still lamenting about how things were not the way he had hoped they would be. He harbors a deep dislike and jealousy towards Senel Coolidge, as he feels Senel has usurped his position as the Merines' guardian by being close to Shirley. The fact that Senel is an Orerines also disgusts Senel, and he blames Shirley's hesitance and beliefs (that Orerines are not in fact all that bad) on Senel's "corruptive influence."
The main positive that can come out of this negative portrayal is that Walter is a relentless force to be reckoned with -- and an especially effective one when given the proper outlet. During the major battle against Vaclav's forces, Walter is given the duty of controlling the Whisper Crystal, an artifact that can (according to Maurits) only be used by someone with especially strong willpower. Using the Whisper Crystal, Walter is able to command dozens of ancient guardian robots called automata and send them into battle. He continues to use the Whisper Crystal later on when the Ferines turn against the Orerines, and does not seem to be affected from using the crystal.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Walter's dedication to the Merines and the Ferines people translate to a respect amongst his race. Walter issues orders with a sense of authority and is readily listened to, and he places his people's safety above certain objectives. One such example is when he led the expedition to retrieve the Whisper Crystal -- when one of the Ferines under his command was badly injured, he withdrew from the ruins and brought the man back to treat his injuries. He is also nice in his own way, suggesting that Fenimore help feed the troops if she has no technical skills to help with maintaining the automata.
Overall, while he is in fact a racist and distrusts Orerines, Walter fights for his people and has a very high degree of loyalty. His willingness to put duty over his own personal wellbeing leads to several incidents where he gets himself into trouble, but he is as reliable as one could hope for.
Strengths:
Physical: Walter is an eren, meaning that he is blessed with the power of Nerifes for use in battle. He possesses skill with both iron and crystal eres, fighting hand-to-hand in battle with base and arcane eres and casting devastating crystal eres spells when given the opportunity. He has a high degree of concentration when casting his stronger spells, allowing him to take a few hits before completely losing that concentration. He also has a fairly hearty constitution; he is fit and fast, and very sturdy for his body size, which gives him the physical strength needed to get up and retreat even after being injured.
The Ferines, as the people of the water, also have particular physical traits they do not share with Orerines. Their hair is exclusively blond, and they have the ability to breathe underwater; while breathing underwater, their blond hair glows blue. This is a sign of their close ties with Nerifes, and their hair will also glow when they are given additional strength by Nerifes (such as when Shirley accepted becoming the Merines at the Altar of the Sea).
Mental: As mentioned, he has extremely strong willpower, allowing him the determination needed to control the Whisper Crystal and stand up after taking severe beatings. This willpower of his is perhaps best shown in his teriques, the manifestation of his soul; his black teriques is large and formidable, and also capable of allowing Walter to do things most other Ferines do not demonstrate the ability to do: fly long distances by taking the form of large wings, and form a protective sphere that can cover himself or carry another person. He can also use his teriques as a scout capable of seeing things and reporting back to him, a manifestation (in the form of a black zephyr) to fight for him in battle, and as an extension with which he can attack others in battle (some of his iron eres include him throwing his teriques out to cause further damage; this is more apparent in the Quiet Lands, when his powers are largely negated by the Quiet Nerifes and his Wings of Hallowed Doom eres is reduced to his teriques being thrown as an attack).
Beyond battle, he does seem smart enough to know when to fall back and when to trust his instincts. While facing off against Senel underground, a pillar threatens to fall on top of Shirley; Walter pushes her out of the way, managing to shield himself with his teriques moments before he would have been crushed.
Emotional: For all of his anger and wariness towards Orerines, Walter is surprisingly composed. He speaks articulately and keeps his emotions fairly in check. This shows some form of discipline and self-consciousness. However, when he feels insulted or otherwise provoked, he isn't afraid to speak his mind; when first meeting Senel and "rescuing" Shirley, Walter says that Senel "has no right" to tell him to get away from Shirley.
Battle is where Walter's emotions really seem to come out, poured out into a powerful variety of eres. (Interestingly, he also counts in Relares (the ancient Ferines language) while throwing kicks and punches, like he has some form of training regimen engrained, speaking further to his level of discipline.) Even in the heat of battle, of seems to know exactly what he's fighting for -- while performing one of his strongest eres, he shouts, "Feel the hatred festering for a millennium… Feel the wrath of the Ferines!" To him, he's fighting for his people and the injustice they have suffered through.
Weaknesses:
Physical/Mental: While he is strong, Walter is still only human-sized and not yet fully grown; he will be hurt by large debris and can be picked up and thrown (as Senel demonstrates over and over in some Legendia playthroughs). He also pushes himself very hard, resulting in situations where his body has to catch up to the amount of exertion he puts it through; this is best shown when he retreats to where Shirley and Fenimore are hiding in the Waterways, clarifying who he is and walking all the way into the room … before collapsing in a heap from his injuries. This mindset of his, in which he pushes himself far more than his body can actually handle, is what eventually leads to his death; even after being greatly injured by Senel and company, Walter uses his remaining strength to control a giant automaton. His physical strength completely expended, Walter collapses and doesn't get up again; his last act is reaching out to Senel (quite possibly to punch him, but it's hard to tell in-game).
In the Tales of Legendia world, "Sea" is the element that encompasses both water and light/holy magic. As people of the water, the Ferines are associated with this sea element, and are strongly affected by the opposite element, darkness. So dark attacks and magic would hurt Walter more readily than some other people.
Mental/Emotional: Walter is not a happy fellow by any means. As has been made abundantly clear throughout this application, he is racist and believes that the injustices of the past need to be corrected in the present -- with the same violent and intolerant attitude that harmed the Ferines so much in the first place. Getting past that atittude will be a struggle in itself, and even then there have to be certain influences around to push him in the right direction. Unfortunately, in the frame of time that Walter is seen in Tales of Legendia, no such influences present themselves.
He is so focused on his duty and his racism that seeing the good in other people seems difficult to do. He paints Orerines with a broad brush, and remains so distant from them that he does not see that Senel is a very different person from, say, Vaclav. To him, they are all to blame for the Ferines' pain.
Samples
Note: These samples are made with the assumption that Walter remembers Luceti.
First Person:
I see that someone or something was kind enough to place a beach here. Did the desert become too much of an eyesore? Or maybe this was an attempt to please someone? Don't try to tell me that this was some sort of gift; I remember enough to know that there's no such thing in Luceti. [There is a pause, followed by a mutter.] At least, no gifts from those scientists.
[He continues on, the distaste evident in his lowered tone.] It's a mockery though, this "sea." I can fly over it in a matter of hours. What's the point of giving us such a small piece of the ocean?
[...] But I guess it's an improvement. I don't remember anyone wanting anything to do with the desert. [But that also meant...] There must be a lot of boats on this sad stretch of water. Wonderful.
Third Person:
Walter awoke surrounded by water, unfamiliar and calm. His hands reached out lethargically, as if instict was fighting off the effects of a long sleep, nails scraping against a flat stone surface.
His eyes opened, and he breathed. There was something strange and yet liberating about it, bringing water into his lungs and then pushing it out.
Soft blue light bathed the immediate area instantly, providing him with a limited view of his ... cage? His body felt out of sorts, not responding quickly as he righted himself to properly tread water. His feet were bare. And so was his chest.
What happened? I was...
There was an uncomfortable blank in his memory. He didn't know what had happened. His brows knitted together, and he focused on the stone he had scraped against. Walls, worn down by the water and fed upon by whatever fish decided to come within the sunken rooms. Strange etchings, though the light from his hair did not allow him to see them very well.
Where am I?
He had to get out. He fought against his lethargy, bringing his arms out to aid in his swimming through the confined space. His back hurt, and it did nothing for his temper as he continued trying to make his way out. His frustration became more apparent as the rooms didn't seem to end, twisting into larger chambers. The trapped furniture, long rotted and useless for anything, were obstacles as he swam through sunken corridors. All the while, his mind swirled.
Merines.
She was out there, wasn't she? While he was trapped down here, unable to escape, she was waiting for him. She had to be. That thought was his driving force as he sought escape, pushing aside the pain and the questions plaguing his body and mind. A moment of clarity reached him as he reached a chamber that resembled a meeting hall, a school of fish swimming off as he disturbed them.
I'm dead. I've been dead. And yet I was with the Merines...
Walter shook his head, swimming for a wide opening that could only be the exit to these strange underwater ruins; that was where the fish had gone, after all. His memories were slow to return, but he would surely remember by the time he made his way to the surface.
He paused at the entranceway, his eye having caught a rectangular object secured to the wall. It was not difficult to remove, meaning it had been placed there not too long ago. He held it up to his face, his glowing hair helping him make out what appeared to be a book wrapped in heavy-duty plastic.
His name was on the book. Tracing his fingers on the cover, Walter found a name coming to mind. The name of a place he had never visited while alive.
Luceti?
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