➽ (oo1) (info post)
NAME/HANDLE: Jules
AGE: 23
GENDER: Female
TIMEZONE: PST
PERSONAL LJ: scuttling , though I am far more often on plurk @scuttles
E-MAIL: scuttling [at] gmail [dot] com
AIM/OTHER: let me scuttle @ AIM [to see me, I must first add you], thisguyaresick @ Y!M
SERIES: Tales of the Abyss
SERIES' MEDIUM: Game first, with following manga and anime adaptations. I will be sticking to the game canon, not being familiar with the adaptations.
CHARACTER: Natalia Luzu Kimlasca-Lanvaldear
AGE: 21
(a timeline [http://hikari318.livejournal.com/29444.html] translated from a Japanese TotA data site [info from novels and I'm not sure what else?] indicates that Natalia would actually be 19 and 12 mos (of 13) at this time... however, I'm sticking with my previous estimation, in part because a) I only learned this after apping Natalia to damned the first time as 21 and I intend to keep her memories and b) I think [?] Guy's age is also based on the older estimation. Plus, it's a cool timeline and all, but TotA time makes all kinds of NO SENSE so... whatever, I'll spare the tl;dr justifying her older age).
SEX/GENDER: Female
CANON ROLE: Princess of the Kingdom of Kimlasca / Protagonist who joins the main party as an archer and seventh fonist (Healer).
"REAL" NAME: Sarah Drew
TIMELINE: Natalia is from an unseen time; roughly one month after the final battle. Though an earlier time might seem ripe for development within Landels, much of her in-game development is centered on one or two specific people, and more often than not on particular events forcing her to confront and possibly suppress her feelings. Which is to say, taking her from an earlier point would only serve to, most probably, stunt her, because of her character's dependence on those specifics. I choose not to take her from the very end so to allow her less time to come to terms with everything (this may be more clear by the end of the personality section) and thus a steady but still malleable base for Landels, and also to remove the question mark of Mr. Ending.
PERSONALITY: Natalia possesses a marked arrogance, and remains a creature of habit even when circumstances change: a month since Guy moved to live as a noble in Grand Chokmah, and she continues to instinctively boss him around. She does apologize upon realizing it. She naturally makes demands and takes command, raised to have the authority of the royal family and expect obedience and respect from it. However, she learned when such an attitude is inappropriate, and when to be humble. Her pride as a noble, and as a citizen of Kimlasca, is indeed overweening, but she is more than capable of admitting her errors and apologizing. Natalia maintains a balance between selfish and selfless; she insists on accompanying the group, and bothers Luke ceaselessly about remembering the promise, but tells him that if it would make him happy, she would not protest his fleeing to Daath. As long as he remembered his promise. The promise isn't as selfish as it first seems, as it is no mere proposal, but a pledge to Kimlasca itself. Natalia bears great pride as princess, but with it a sense of tremendous responsibility to her kingdom.
Until the big reveal, her entire identity was wrapped in her status as Princess of Kimlasca. She does not crumble when revealed to be a commoner by blood, but it shakes her to the point that she is able to continue only because of greater difficulties, because of her sense of duty, and because of the presence of others to give her the necessary push. When situations become dire, Natalia can usually confront the problem head-on, using decent strategy and absolute determination to overcome any obstacle. However, when the difficulty is more personal, she falls prey to indecision and fragility. When in doubt, depression and inaction seize her; it is doubt that proves most fatal to Natalia. When certain, little if anything can stop her.
Natalia often needs little pushes in smaller things. Had Asch not told her to leave the castle and accomplish things by walking on her own feet, looking with her own eyes, she may never (or have taken a much longer time to) become so devoted to Baticul, and so involved in public works. And she didn't take it far enough, remaining ignorant of much of her kingdom and too focused on Baticul-as Asch says, Baticul became her castle. Her willpower is great, but her direction not always so strong. Her devotion to and work for the public works, for the people, exhibits her love for and dedication to the people of Kimlasca - to Kimlasca, but also to the people everywhere. She does not consider those in Malkuth to be less deserving, and is equally enraged by any kind of mistreatment. Though the game occasionally toys with the question of the purpose and definition of the nobility, though Natalia is able to find peace as a citizen of Kimlasca and not the princess, she remains unable throughout to understand how Luke could possibly question what is to her self-evident - that nobles must rule, that that is their purpose. As such, Natalia feels obligated to serve the people, to serve people, and to lead.
She will, at times, become focused on the wrong things-on how undignified it is for a princess to sweat, and if the soldiers (read: Jade) are taking care of their appearance, she must be a failure of high society. This on the way to rescue Ion. Little things can hang her up and distract her, but not for long-the end goal will be seen to the end.
Natalia possesses an immense curiosity, her interest likely stemming from a sheltered life (easy for Asch to say get out of Baticul, when the King hardly ever allows it), and her resulting ignorance. Common sense and an ear for sarcasm aren't Natalia's strongest traits, and she proves incredibly, unbelievably gullible at various points. She believes Anise when told that Van's power lies in his beard and that his eyebrows shoot lasers, and is ready to believe that Jade's glasses can spot quality ingredients and assist in cooking. It would be all too easy to have Natalia believing even the wildest tales. She tries to cast Heal on a pot she's set on fire, while trying one of her disastrous attempts at cooking. As for her curiosity, she acquires various “titles” during the game pertaining to her quests for Knowledge (“Curious Princess”, “Adventurous Princess”, etc.), expresses enthusiasm for observation and learning, is continually intrigued/charmed/disgruntled by character traits, and possesses a love for ghost/horror stories.
To the end, the question of Asch and Luke leaves Natalia in a metaphorical Qliphoth, and her ending statement isn't as clear as she would like it to sound: “You're different [people]; Asch is inside you”. She possesses memories with both, and it was with Asch that she promised to change Kimlasca for the better, it was Asch who always pushed her to improve, who looked constantly for Kimlasca. It was a duty-bound love, and a sincere love, though it is never outright said to be love. She helped to raise Luke, and it was Luke with whom she traveled to save the world, who argued for her with the king on the basis of shared memories having greater importance than birth. She calls the promise invalid by the end; I interpret this to mean their side, as Asch rejected it (sort...of...) and Luke never made it, but for Natalia, changing Kimlasca and pursuing peace and an escape from poverty are no doubt prominent in her mind.
It is simply that she intends to no longer depend on a Luke to reach her goals and live her life. With memories of both helping to frame her path, she cuts the chains by which she had tried to bind them to her.
DESCRIPTION: No form change here. Natalia stands at 168cm / 5'6, weighing in at 53kg/117lbs. Svelte and agile, she doubtless bears strong arms from her archery training, and has been said to have the stamina of the farmhand (perhaps inherited from Largo!). With green eyes (near hazel), a fair complexian, and thick golden hair (with hints of strawberry-blonde) that bears a definite wave. Though less well-endowed than Tear, she is given the more provocative costume changes (an interview with a designer explains her lack of embarrassment as a result of having been bathed and dressed by maids her entire life, and thus accustomed to showing skin in front of others). When arguing with Luke, he calls her clothing taste tacky and gaudy, but given that Anise and Tear find it quite pretty, it's probably to each his/her own. Natalia moves and expresses herself with a notable grace, with careful steps and posture, and polite, formal words-there's an awful lot of “indeed!” and “oh my!”. At the same time, she trips and loses her footing during quakes or other surprises more than the rest, perhaps an indication more of inattention than a lack of grace.
OTHERWORLDLY ABILITIES: As a Seventh Fonist, Natalia possesses the ability to take seventh fonons into her body, join them with a fonon verse, and cast healing spells onto herself and other people. These include wound restoration, raising the defense and offense of an ally, curing status ailments, and affecting the defense of an enemy. She can also use fonic artes and strike artes via her archery, using fonic artes to perform different attacks.
TWEAKED: Natalia retains some of her healing artes. She will be able to use a healing spell three times a night, though each successive time will have less effect, and at the third she could risk becoming so weak as to faint-and if she has other injuries, absolutely will. This healing spell will only cure surface wounds. She will also have access to a spell for poison or paralysis, but only once, and not if she's already cast a healing spell, even once. Finally, she can use a barrier spell to raise defenses. The effect should last for up to five minutes per casting, but at a limit of two times a night-and only on an individual person. This will have less effect on her, in part because the barrier spell would hardly stop a blade-percent wise, it's only 10% even in game.
If Hell freezes over and a bow, as well as arrows, does turn up, Natalia will only be able to use it for normal attacks-no fonic or strike artes.
OTHER: Natalia is a master of Lanvaldear-style Archery. This is pretty self-explanatory; she's damned good with a bow. The probability of her finding a bow, of course, is next to nil. She's also a miserably bad cook. Her cooking has yet to be proved toxic, but after repeated tries and lessons, she still tries to cast Heal on a pot, so... ...
HISTORY: NOTE: The background information can be extremely confusing, and I am relying heavily on outside references to assist my explanation. I strove to phrase everything in my own words, but would like nonetheless to point out the website hidden-currents (http://hidden-currents.org/abyss/), as I am taking much of my information from there. Tales of the Abyss takes place on Auldrant, a planet composed of inorganic and organic matter, and of fonons. Fonons are elements as Aristotle understood them. They differ by being elements and vibrations together, or elements and sounds-everything and everyone on Auldrant has a specific “fonon frequency” / are composed of a number of fonons, emitting vibrations which produce sound. Fonons having/being sound vibrations becomes more confusing with the discovery of the Seventh Fonon. Originally, there were six known fonons: Shadow (darkness, 1st), Gnome (earth, 2nd, Sylph (wind, 3rd), Undine (water, 4tf), Ifrit (fire, 5th), and Rem (light, 6th). Many years before the events of TotA, Dr. Michael Southern-Cross discovered the Seventh Fonon, of fon or sound. Much as the proper names given to the other fonon classifications were the terms for a concentration of and sentient bunch of fonons, it was hypothesized that Lorelei existed, a sentient concentration of seventh fonons. Every person and thing has fon slots, which perceive fonon vibrations and are where people can take fonons into their bodies. Auldrant also possesses fon slots, the ten major being the Sephiroth, where fonons and memory particles gather.
Auldrant is composed of the fon belt, a six-layer vibration strata of the six known fonons, with Darkness the innermost layer, Light the outermost, and the rest ordered as expected. Within the planet's core are memory particles, containing the memories of the planet's past, present, and future. Dr. Southern-Cross proposed a means to produce energy for the peoples' use by propelling the planet's memory particles out one Sephiroth (the Radiation Gate), through the fon belt, and back into another Sephiroth (the Absorption Gate). This process, called the Planet Storm, produced the Seventh Fonon, which is a fonon not only of element and sound, but also of memory particles. Because of a mutation of the fonons, or combination of, or something. Emphasis on “or something” because it's implied that the seventh fonon was the first fonon, tying into Lorelei=god theories, and a general confusion between presented fact/history and mysterious reality. The Planet Storm also, unbeknownst to the people of the time, caused vibrations in the planet's crust, eventually causing it to liquify and release a poisonous gas called the miasma. When it was realized that the seventh fonon enabled reading the memory of the planet, the world erupted into turmoil, into factions for and against using this information, inciting the two ruling powers into continuous conflict over the fonstones on which the memories were printed.
Eventually, Yulia Jue read a Score (or future) that in thousands of years would lead to unprecedented prosperity, and people got pretty excited. She was able to communicate with and use Lorelei, through the Key of Lorelei (a sword and jewel), and formed a pact with Lorelei through her fonic hymns. Yulia proposed a plan to raise the land above the miasma & liquified crust by using the Sephiroth. Strengthening the memory particles into “sephiroth trees”, these trees were used to elevate the land. The reading of the Score, of Yulia's seventh fonons leaving her body during the forecasting and creating fon stones in the sky and all around the planet, caused more strife as the two powers sought the stones to read and have a better understanding of the future. Unfortunately, by TotA, the world has become dependent on the Score, following it to the point of allowing the destruction of cities and islands, and in some cases, relying on it for things as commonplace as dinner preparations.
The two ruling powers in Auldrant are: the Malkuth Empire and the Kingdom of Kimlasca. Neutral: the Order of Lorelei, located in Daath, a religious organization with a military branch. Due in great part to the Planet Storm, people have become able to use fonic artes (or magic spells) by manipulating fonons through their fon slots and joining them by a fonic verse, and also to devise fontechnology, machines run on fonons. Finally, the Score foretold the birth of a redheaded, green-eyed noble in Kimlasca who would be the scion of Lorelei's power, named Light of the Sacred Flame (Luke), who would lead Auldrant into unprecedented prosperity. Seven years before game start, Luke was kidnapped, presumably by Malkuth. When found, he had complete amnesia, and was forbidden to leave his mansion. Sixteen years before game start, the island of Hod was destroyed, and Kimlasca and Malkuth fought for a year. That covers Auldrant's mechanics.
Raised as Natalia Luzu Kimlasca-Lanvaldear, of the Lanvaldear royal family, princess of the kingdom of Kimlasca, by Natalia's introduction, she is confident in and almost entirely consumed by that role. Her introduction comes much later than most of the main cast: first, the main protagonist Luke fon Fabre is spirited across the world (into the Malkuth Empire) with Tear Grants, where he begins to learn about the outside world, comes into possession of a cheagle, is arrested by Colonel Jade Curtiss, accompanied by Fon Master Ion and Fon Master Guardian Anise Tatlin, and is entreated by all to assist in their delivery of a peace message from the Emperor of Malkuth, Peony, to King Ingobert the Sixth of Kimlasca. That group undergoes constant attack by the God-Generals of the Order of Lorelei, and is uncertain as to who controls them, as well as the alignment and motives of Grand Maestro Mohs of the Order, and General Van Grants, Tear's brother, Luke's master in swordsmanship, and he who gives orders to the Six God Generals. Fon Master Ion is also kidnapped a few times.
(To save time: Van is a villain, and Mohs does want to start a war, being willing to go to any length to ensure the war foretold in the Score occurs. When Ion is kidnapped, it is to force him to open Daathic seals on Sephiroth doors, to allow Van to manipulate the passage rings that control the Sephiroth trees, as he intends to destroy all of the Outer Lands and eventually create a replica world that is free of the Score.)
Luke and co. are able to return to Batical, the capital of Kimlasca. There Natalia has been looking after Susanne, Luke's mother who fell ill from worry overLuke's disappearance. Natalia reprimands Guy for not informing her of his departure (after Luke's disappearance they spoke, and she had insisted on going with him to search for Luke, without informing her father who would forbid it-but Guy left without her), and informs the party of Van's arrest for involvement in Luke's disappearance. She reminds Luke for the zillionth time to remember his promise: before his kidnapping and subsequent memory loss, he proposed to her. (They were also engaged at their births. Luke's mother, Susanne, is the sister of the King... royalty and incest, that's how we roll).
The message of peace requests aid, as a city of Malkuth that previously belonged to Kimlasca, Akzeriuth, is overcome by the miasma. The roads to the city from Malkuth are affected, but those from Kimlasca are clear; thus, would they assist by evacuating the citizens? Luke is sent with his group as the Goodwill Ambassador, and Natalia's request to go is denied by the King. Luke agrees to his task pending the release of Van and his accompaniment on the mission. When Luke meets with Van in the dungeons, Van begins to manipulate Luke. Natalia heads to the dungeon to ask Luke to take her along, and overhears a plan for Van and Luke to escape to Daath.
The main group is unable to take a ship to Akzeriuth due to the presence of Oracle ships watching the harbor. Van offers to take a decoy ship while they find a different route out of the city. The plan to go by land backfires due to the God Generals waiting outside, who also arranged the kidnapping of Ion in the meantime. Luckily, one more route remains: through an abandoned factory, whose water and sewage pipes lead out of the city.
In the factory Natalia makes her appearance and worms her way into the main party. Using what she overheard, she blackmails Luke to allow her to join, where she proves difficult. Bossy, arrogant, and entitled, she begins by charging ahead, having little interest in others' excuses, and thinking too much of her training in Lanvaldear-style Archery and Healing. After being saved from a beast by Tear, she becomes more considerate. It is worth noting that Natalia did not dash off into this journey as a typical rebel princess, but out of a sense of obligation to her people-how can a princess sit at home, content on her throne, while others suffer? She should enhance this gesture of peace by accompanying the ambassador.
Leaving the factory, the group receives a nasty shock: by a landship, a few God-Generals are with Fon Master Ion. The God-General Asch the Bloody shares the same face as Luke. God-General Sync the Tempest orders Asch to stand down and the Generals depart. The main party intends to cross the Zao Desert, take a ship from Chesedonia to Kaitzur, then cross the Deo Pass to Akzeriuth. Also, to recover Ion. At the oasis in the desert, Luke hears Asch's voice which tells him to go to the Zao Ruins. The party goes, battles Sync the Tempest and Largo the Black Lion, recovers Ion, and leaves. (Largo reacts upon hearing Natalia's name.) Eventually they reach Akzeriuth.
The situation in Akzeriuth is terrible. Luke is dead weight, seeking only Van as the rest of the party tries to plan how to evacuate the citizens. When Luke finds Van, Van forces him to cause a hyperresonance at the Sephiroth, causing the Sephiroth tree to vanish and Akzeriuth to be destroyed and plummet into the Qliphoth. Asch is unable to stop it, but brings Tear to the site, and Tear's fonic hymn saves the main party from death. In the Qliphoth, the Tartarus (a landship) which survived the fall (though the soldiers within did not) is used to transport the group to Yulia City, a city within the Qliphoth, of those who watch the Outer Lands to ensure the Score is fulfilled-even if cities must be destroyed. There, Asch attacks Luke, explaining that Luke is his replica-- seven years ago, Asch was kidnapped and replaced by a replica. Luke breaks down, falling into a short coma. After speaking with Tear's adoptive grandfather, the mayor of the city, Teodoro, Natalia and co. leave with Asch to the Outer Lands.
Asch requires their assistance in running the Tartarus while he investigates things away from Van. This entails a trip to Belkend, a Kimlascan city specializing in fontechnology research, and to Ortion Cavern, where fonimin are mined to assist in creating replicas. This time period, from the revelation of Asch as the original Luke onward, sends Natalia into a confusion that lasts for the rest of the game. It was Asch who promised to marry her, and together they promised to change the world. Though he denies his identity as “Luke”, stating that his kidnapping killed Luke, leaving behind only “ashes, the remnants of the sacred flame”, he slips up. Asch favors and protects her, and in various ways throughout the game reveals his softness toward her. But, nothing can erase her seven years of shared memories with Luke. She and Guy reflect on this (both claiming to have no bias or preference, while obviously lying, as Guy continues to resent Asch and favor Luke, and Natalia depends too much upon and is affected by Asch). In the cavern, an earthquake suggests the instability brought about by Azkeriuth's fall; Asch notes that soon the rest of the land supported by Akzeriuth's tree will also fall.
After this, Asch drops everyone off and leaves. At Daath, they learn war is brewing, Kimlasca blaming Malkuth for the deaths of Luke and Natalia. Natalia asks Ion to issue an edict on her behalf for peace, but they are kidnapped by the Order (the Mohs faction). Jade and Anise seek Guy, who had earlier split from the Asch-group to wait for Luke, and find Luke and Tear returned from Yulia City. They launch a rescue. Following this, they go to Grand Chokmah (capital of Malkuth) to speak with Emperor Peony, rather than to Kimlasca, as King Ingobert the Sixth trusts Mohs. Peony allows the group to evacuate St. Binah's citizens (Malkuth will not send troops, fearing that Kimlasca destroyed Akzeriuth and would do so to St. Binah, luring in troops first). Due to Dist the Reaper's attack, they cannot fully evacuate St. Binah before it begins to sink. The group travels to Sheridan to borrow a machine capable of flight, to rescue those on the sinking land. The Albiore II with a flight fonstone and hover drive is secured.
After rescuing the citizens of St. Binah, the group splits - one to evacuate Engeve before Kimlascan soliders ransack it / it sinks, one to travel to Kaitzur where Kimlasca is beginning its march, to order a ceasefire. Natalia heads to Kaitzur, to be told by General Cecille that Count Almandine, in Chesedonia with Mohs, is the one who can stop the march. Natalia and her group cross the battlefield to Chesedonia. When she tells Almandine to cease, Mohs unleashes his bombshell: do not listen to a replica, nor to a false princess. Long had Mohs heard the confessions of a man whose child had been taken from his wife after her birth to replace the stillborn princess. And the Kimlascan royal family for generations always had red hair and green eyes, not Natalia's golden hair (the Queen had black). Mohs urges Almandine on. Party intends to go to Baticul to speak with the King re:stopping hostilities. Natalia feigns, poorly, that she is all right.
(On the bright side, incest free is the way to be?)
Things happen before they can move to Baticul: Chesedonia and the Zao Desert begin to fall, and Asch summons them to the Oasis where he informs them that Engeve and the Rugnica Plains, where the armies are fighting, are also falling. The group goes to the Sephiroth at the Zao Ruins to instruct the Passage Ring to slowly lower the land, and connect it to the Shurrey Hill Sephiroth (the Rugnica area) to allow it to occur there as well. Luke uses his hyperresonance to do this, and the land is lowered. After stops in Yulia City and Daath, they mean to head to Baticul to speak with the king and urge him to cease listening to Mohs. But, Mohs, Dist, and Oracle soldiers await them at the exit to Daath, where Noelle (Albiore's pilot) is held hostage. The group is arrested and taken to Baticul.
Luke and Natalia are taken to Natalia's chambers and given poison, urged to end their own lives for being imposters and orchestrating Akzeriuth's destruction. The rest of the group rescue them first, and choose to confront the king, where Mohs, Natalia's wet nurse, and the God-Generals Dist and Largo wait. The wet-nurse confirms that the princess was stillborn, so she took her daughter's newborn child to substitute. The infant's remains were found, and the king goes with Mohs-declaring that with their deaths, the war would renew. Soldiers prepare to attack when Asch barges in and allows for the group to escape. The citizens of Baticul assist, facing off against the royal soldiers, claiming that it didn't matter if Natalia was royalty by blood-she, in charge of public works, had done much for the people, opening hospitals and ensuring jobs, and they would defend their princess. (Asch notes to Natalia that she kept her promise, failing harder at throwing away all of “Luke”; it's no wonder she's confused).
The main party escapes through the Inista Marsh, where Natalia's distracted depression endangers her. Guy manages to cheer her up, but only for the moment. Leaving the marsh, they enter Belkend. After an encounter with Van in the laboratory, they meet with Asch in the inn, and the group hatches a plan to stop the vibration of the planet's core, then visit the passage rings to inscribe commands to lower the lands slowly, all at once. First: enlist researchers in Belkend and Sheridan to create a device to measure the frequency of the core's vibrations. Second: Measure the vibrations. Third: Create a device to produce an equal contrasting vibration to cancel it out. Fourth: Lower the lands!
The first two are accomplished with only the interruption of Spinoza (a researcher at Belkend) eavesdropping on the plan. Before lowering the lands, the party decides to involve the world leaders, to gain their approval and assistance with the miasma. Thus, they must return to Baticul.
Though attempting to be strong until this point, the thought of again being rejected by her father terrifies Natalia. She's tried to act rightly as a citizen of Kimlasca, and act as if not being the princess was not a major concern, but it had deeply shaken her. While alone she is approached by Asch. He says that it's unlike her to be afraid, and recites with her their promise, the promise that was also his proposal: together, they would change the world, eradicate suffering and war, bring about peace and prosperity. He hadn't said that to her because she was the princess, but because she was herself-and she should just do what she can.
The next day, she is determined to convince the King, noting that she has no time to worry about the circumstances of her birth with the world in such peril. After a few impassioned speeches (from Luke: dude, memories! She's your daughter! From Natalia: Reject me if you want, but stop the war!) and a letter from Jade, King Ingobert accepts Natalia as his daughter. Both acknowledge that they cannot return to a time before knowing the truth.
Emperor Peony of Malkuth, King Ingobert the Sixth of Kimlasca, and Astor of Chesedonia (the independent commercial city) meet at Yulia City to discuss a peace treaty and the problem of lowering the lands, the problem of the miasma. A plan is hatched to push the miasma beneath the crust via the dividing line, a force field beneath the elevated land. The party then launches into their plan to lower the lands, with various interruptions, including: Tear's miasma infection manifesting, the God-General Legretta and Oracle soldiers slaughtering citizens and researchers at Sheridan to try to stop the main party, the God-General Sync attempting to sabotage the Tartarus within the core, a battle with the God-Generals on the snowy slopes outside the Mt. Roneal passage ring, and eventually a battle with Van himself at the Absorption Gate. Van's commands on the passage rings nearly brought their plan to ruin by messing with the path of the memory particles in the Planet Storm, threatening to increase the core's vibration.
However, all goes well- Van is defeated, and the land is lowered. A month passes, with each party member going his or her separate way. Natalia spends the month traveling as a representative of Kimlasca. After being told of reports of the Planet Storm increasing, as well as Van's sword being missing from the Absoprtion Gate, Luke eventually opts to go check on his friends (and Asch). He borrows the Albiore, hearing that Asch headed to Yulia City. Luke collects Tear there, but missed Asch. Tear has a report for Daath, and there they meet up with Anise, Ion, and Guy. Guy reports that Dist escaped, released Mohs, and that Asch headed to St. Binah. From St. Binah to Shurrey Hill, and conversations with Asch. Return to St. Binah in pursuit of Asch, find Jade and commotion, as Malkuth forces when training were attacked by badly-equipped, dead-eyed soldiers with Kimlascan armaments (replicas). Move to Grand Chokmah to inform Peony of the death of General Frings, of the increasing Planet Storm, etc. Then to Kimlasca.
At Baticul, Natalia confronts Jade, taking him by the collar to demand an explanation for the accusations made against Kimlasca. Within the King's chamber, everything is explained, including Kimlasca's innocence. Natalia proposes a conference on the Score be held between the world's rulers, to determine how to handle it and prevent action being taken on its behalf. The Fon Master is needed, and Natalia is permitted to leave for Daath with the main party.
Things don't go well at Daath: the miasma has started to seep from the land, and Anise's betrayal comes to light. From the beginning, she had spied for Mohs, who held her parents hostage. Ion is taken to read the Planet Storm's memory, which will kill him; the group is held off by replicas. They arrive to find Ion reading the Score; he reads a line for Luke, takes in Tear's miasma, and dies. Ion's reading encourages them to go to Belkend, where they encounter people dying days after having their Score read (a result of having their data extracted for replication), and speak with Spinoza re:eliminating the miasma and Asch's whereabouts. They pursue him to the Sephiroth at Mt. Roneal.
In the snow where they fought the God-Generals Luke finds a locket with a photo of a baby inside, inscribed for “Meryl” born in N.D. 1999-- Natalia's real name and birth year. Luke keeps this to himself. In the Passage Ring, Natalia's entreaties cause Asch to speak about Lorelei's condition and the Key of Lorelei. Lorelei has been trapped inside Van, who survived falling into the core, and the Key should have been sent to Asch and Luke. Asch received the sword, and has been looking in the Sephiroth for the jewel since Luke failed to receive it. Asch leaves to keep searching; the party chooses to follow the one performing illegal Score readings to Baticul.
Mohs has been sighted. At the port Dist shoves Seventh Fonons in him; Mohs mutates and flies to “Eldrant”. Luke insists on visiting the King, and prevents Natalia from accompanying him by pretending Peony entrusted him with a letter requesting her hand in marriage. Natalia becomes conflicted over this-what of Luke, or even Asch, to whom she is betrothed? In a skit, Luke notes that as a replica the betrothal must be with Asch, but Natalia refuses to pick. Inside, the King confirms the picture is Natalia, and though the obvious answer seems to be Largo (Anise has seen him with the locket), the group goes to Chesedonia to speak with Natalia's wet-nurse. Telling Natalia that the illegal Scorer has headed to Chesedonia, they travel there, to find the lie a reality: Sync the Tempest is offering to read the score, & messes with Anise's head by imitating Ion's voice (as a replica of Ion). Jade advises Natalia to take Anise to the bazaar to cheer up, and the rest proceed to Astor where they warn him of the New Order of Lorelei (lead by “Fon Master Mohs”) and ask after the wet-nurse.
Nanny, the wet-nurse, confirms that the locket belonged to Badaq Oakland, husband to Sylvia, Natalia's mother. Badaq had been employed guarding caravans across the desert, often called the Lion of the Desert-all signs pointing to Largo, the Black Lion of the God-Generals. The party keeps this still from Natalia as they move to Yulia City to speak with Teodoro about the New Order of Lorelei. Teodoro plans to restructure the actual Order of Lorelei, and informs the party about the movements of seventh fonons: overall decline, but in certain areas major expenditure. Implication: a helluva lot of replication. One source is huge and has been moving within the ocean. The party finds it, and realizes it is a replica of the island of Ferres, which had been destroyed by a tidal wave following Hod's destruction. After a confrontation with Arietta, then with a large group of replicas who protest the party's shutting down the fomicry (the process of replication) machinery there, a large island rises from the sea. The replicas are bummed, as they were supposed to go hang out there too, but decide to wait at the Tower of Rem for Mohs. The main party attempts to fly to the island, but it is protected by a barrier formed by the Planet Storm. To Grand Chokmah.
There they believe the floating landmass to be Hod. This is confirmed when islands remaining in the Hod archipelago begin to disappear: a result of their fonon frequencies interacting with those identical replicated, causing a hyperresonance that obliterates them. On the way to explain this to the Emperor, Mohs's voice comes from the sky. Able to broadcast to the world, he advises all that the miasma has returned because the ruling powers deviated from the Score, and all should obey the New Order of Lorelei, located on Eldrant / the new island of Hod. Meeting with Emperor Peony after yields this: the main party will deal with the floating isle, Malkuth and Kimlasca forces will secure land defenses, and the summit on the Score is proposed. With both Malkuth and Kimlasca in agreement to the conference, the party moves to Yulia City to propose it to Teodoro.
They are interrupted by Largo bringing news of Arietta's decision re: her and Anises's duel. After Arietta's death, Luke returns the locket to Largo, and Largo says the name Badaq died with his wife, that they are enemies, so there is no need to explain. Luke continues to refrain from telling Natalia. Yulia City. Teodoro agrees to the summit, and the group returns to Baticul to inform the king. There, confrontations with replicas are witnessed-that monster is an imposter, looks like my friend who died two weeks ago returning from his Score reading, replica mentions the Tower of Rem and leaves.
The party encounters a crowd protesting in front of the castle, demanding salvation from the New Order, a return to the Outer Lands, an escape from the miasma. Natalia urges them to be calm, and is struck to the ground. Rising, she declares herself, and attempts to explain the situation. Though they remain discontent, they profess their trust in her and disperse. With the king, the replicas are discussed and preparations for the summit begin. Natalia requests to take part; the king allows it. Luke meets with the king to inform him that Largo is Natalia's birth father; the group feels Natalia should be informed, and the king requests more time to think it over.
Things happen; in the meantime Kimlasca and Malkuth mutually agree to stop the Planet Storm, to put humanity's survival over fonic power. All leave to meet at the summit. Spinoza interrupts the main party's departure to tell that Asch intends to use his hyperresonance against the miasma, sacrificing himself and the replicas in the process. Leaving the summit, the party heads to the Tower of Rem to stop Asch.
Heading up the replica-filled tower, the party encounters the Dark Wings who urge them to stop Asch from his suicidal intention to sacrifice himself and the replicas. According to them, Asch “says he's dying anyway” and when Natalia asks why he's doing it, they say “he's doing it for you and for your kingdom, he doesn't want to see you sink into the miasma”. The party meet self-aware replicas at the top of the tower whom believe Mohs will come for them until Dist arrives to kill them. The party defeats Dist. The replicas acknowledge their lack of a place in the world, and Asch stops by to ask after their decision; 8-027 requests time to speak with the others. Asch refuses to listen to Luke or the rest of the party, and proceeds to Daath. The party follows.
At Daath, Emperor Peony reads a letter from Asch, who has moved on to search for the jewel of Lorelei at the Sephiroth. His letter explains the plan and requests that the replicas outside of the Tower of Rem be given refuge (the exchange for those in the tower agreeing to die), but it fails to mention all of the sacrifices-it becomes obvious that to stop the miasma either Asch or Luke will need to die. Natalia refuses to accept this ultimatum- she wishes for both Asch and Luke to live, and when Luke speaks with her, she emphasizes it. Don't take Asch's place for me, I hold you both dear, I want you both as members of House Fabre to support the kingdom of Kimlasca.
As Luke returns to the conference room to discuss his decision, the party comes upon Asch. Luke and Asch argue over Asch's decision, fighting when Luke offers to take his place. Natalia begs Asch not to sacrifice himself, but he leaves. Even after Guy slaps him, Luke chooses to take Asch's place. The party reports this to the summit, where the rulers reluctantly agree to allow it. The party departs for Rem.
The replicas have chosen their deaths to ensure a place for the rest of the replicas in the world. Asch arrives after the party, and Luke is able to snatch the sword and run ahead while Asch is held back. Luke is unable to do it on his own, in part because of the jewel of Lorelei reacting with the sword; it had been inside of him all along due to the contamination effect (his body, having a frequency identical to the seventh fonon, absorbed the jewel which also has that frequency). Asch breaks free and assists Luke in his hyperresonance; the replicas and miasma disappear, but Luke does not. The party splits with Asch again, despite Natalia's entreaties otherwise, to keep the jewel and sword separate (from the attacking God-Generals) until the time to fight Van.
Luke learns at Belkend that his fonons are separating and he will die, but chooses to keep it secret. Jade and Tear learn. They return to Baticul to report to the king on the miasma. An emissary from the New Order of Lorelei has arrived at the castle-Largo the Black Lion, to whom King Ingobert the Sixth relays Kimlasca's decision to abandon the Score and refuse the New Order. Largo interprets this as war against the Order and leaves. The king calls Luke and Natalia to his chamber, so that truths may be revealed.
The king tells Natalia that her father, Badaq, now serves the New Order of Lorelei, his name: Largo the Black Lion. Luke confirms this, and Natalia dashes off to catch Largo before he leaves and hear it from him. At the port, Natalia demands to know why Largo joined the God-Generals. Largo tells his story: after her child was taken from her, Sylvia killed herself in despair. The Score had said they must have a child, though Sylvia was weak. Upon learning why, Largo left Baticul and drifted until found by Van, who told Largo that the Score was a small part of the planet's memory, translated to human understanding-no matter what deviation, all paths lead to the same end. To Sylvia's death. So Largo hates the Score and he tells the party their methods are too weak. No matter what they try, without going to Van's end of destroying Lorelei, which he calls the planet's memory itself, nothing will change and the destruction foretold in the seventh fonstone will occur.
When Natalia nearly calls him father, he tells her that his daughter died eighteen years ago. (Even though-no, I won't even try to explain the many ways in which the passage of time in this game makes absolutely no sense.) Returning to King Ingobert, he tells her not to suffer anymore, that she needn't fight Largo-her role of emissary ended with the conclusion of the summit. Natalia first states that she must fight Largo because he is her blood, to overcome it, and because the others would have to fight him regardless. But she admits that she doesn't know, and needs time-which they happen to have. Asch is searching for Van, and they need to stop the Planet Storm. Natalia accompanies the main party as she considers.
To Yulia City to research a means to stop the Planet Storm. Apparently the result of a fonic glyph carved into the land by Yulia with the sword of Lorelei (except the books say Dr. Southen-Cross created the Planet Storm, and the Planet Storm created the seventh fonon, except if Lorelei is the seventh fonon -and- the memory of the planet, then it has been around since the beginning, what the hell Tales of the Abyss), the jewel should be able to disperse it. Tear suggests the group split to research the jewel in the documents of Yulia City. Luke speaks with the others, then goes to Tear's room, outside of where he eavesdrops on a conversation between Tear and Natalia.
Natalia asks Tear about her experience with Van, how it felt to learn of his dark plan, and how she reached the point of choosing to defeat him. They discuss the problem of Lorelei, and agree in their hopes being placed on Luke, on replicas not being in the score. When Natalia confides that she can understand Largo's actions, if not approve, Tear tells her not everything need be understood rationally, a surprising thing from Tear. Natalia thanks her.
The party heads to the Absorption Gate (the end of the Planet Storm). An Oracle ship has already landed there. Proceeding, Natalia looks pale; she apologizes for becoming distraught and insists that she is all right. At the gate, Largo, Sync, Legretta, Mohs, and another Ion replica wait. Asch and Largo fight until Van rematerializes and gives a fragment of the seventh fonstone to Mohs. Van entreats Asch, then Luke, for the aid of their hyperresonances, but both refuse. Van leaves with Legretta. Natalia holds her bow on Largo, asking him to lower his weapon.
Citing his hatred of the Score and that the world is rotten, Largo refuses. Before they battle, Largo tells Natalia to never show an enemy mercy, that mercy has no place between two enemies. After the battle, Largo prepares to strike Luke with his last strength, but an arrow from Natalia finishes him before he can. As he dies, he calls Natalia “Meryl”, acknowledging her as his daughter, she, in turn, calls him father.
Luke uses the jewel, witnesses memories within the core, and nullifies the glyph, leaving only the Radiation Gate to visit and nullify its glyph. The party meets with Asch, and proceeds to where Van and Mohs are making the Ion replica read the Score. The Score predicts the destruction of Auldrant by the miasma. Van reacts aversely to the jewel in Luke's hand, and the God-Generals leave for Eldrant to prepare. Asch and Luke separate, to meet again once the Planet Storm has been stopped and Eldrant can be reached.
At the Radiation Gate Luke uses the jewel to nullify the glyph and close the gate; the party is then attacked by Mohs. They defeat him and head to Grand Chokmah. They meet Asch at the entrance to the city, and Luke tries to give him the jewel and insist he be the one to defeat Van and free Lorelei. Because pretty much every time Luke opens his mouth, Asch explodes, this doesn't go well, with the result that Asch insists on a fight to prove who will go against Van-who is Luke fon Fabre. When Natalia tries to stop him, Asch tells her to shut up.
On the day before the big finale Guy and Natalia talk by the shore; they discuss the upcoming fight between Asch and Luke, and Asch's reasoning. Natalia wonders what she ought to do, when the battle finishes, when Luke and Asch stand as two separate people. Guy tells her if she cares for both, she must accept the result-and he will as well, treating even Asch as a friend once the battle has concluded and they can start over. Natalia admires Guy's maturity, admitting that she still doesn't know. Guy tells her that being Luke's friend is enough, and that when everything has finished, she can go with what she feels.
The next day it's off to Eldrant. Follow: finding Ginji and the Albiore III, a battle with Legretta, Luke falls into some hole and wins his fight with Asch, Asch stays behind to fight off Oracle soldiers, the party comes across a replica of Guy's manor, Tear remembers the last of Yulia's hymns, and Asch is killed.
When Luke shares this with Natalia, she is stunned and her inaction comes at the worst moment: a trap activates, and she does not move, trapping and nearly killing the party; but Luke activates a second-order hyperresonance. Sync's reason behind the trap, cue battle with Sync. Luke confirms for Natalia that Asch is dead, and she says nothing when he apologizes for not having stayed with him. At that, Jade slaps her, reprimanding her for her selfishness. He calls her a nuisance to them and to Asch, who had entrusted them and Luke with destroying Van-telling her she is free to care for Asch, but not at the cost of their objective. Natalia apologizes, noting that she is not the only one who has lost loved ones or suffered. As they discuss the second-order hyperresonance, she declares that Asch is inside Luke now.
Before the final battle with Van, each party member speaks regarding the situation. Natalia speaks to Luke, about Asch and Luke. She confesses that she had wanted Asch to return to Baticul, and with Luke support the king, but dismisses that want as wrong-because Luke and Asch had separate paths, and she was trying to tie them to an invalid promise. She contradicts herself, by first saying “Asch is inside you” then saying “in the past I mixed you two together in my mind, but you're you” --Luke is Luke, but Asch is inside him, huh? She urges him to live as he wants, with her support as his childhood friend.
They confront Van. Lots of talking and lots of battle. After the battle, Luke stays behind to free Lorelei as Eldrant is falling, and each party member speaks his/her last to Luke. Natalia urges him to come back, because she can't bear to lose anyone else whom she loves-he must not disappear, and live his own life. The party leaves, Luke frees Lorelei, credits roll.
AGE: 23
GENDER: Female
TIMEZONE: PST
PERSONAL LJ: scuttling , though I am far more often on plurk @scuttles
E-MAIL: scuttling [at] gmail [dot] com
AIM/OTHER: let me scuttle @ AIM [to see me, I must first add you], thisguyaresick @ Y!M
SERIES: Tales of the Abyss
SERIES' MEDIUM: Game first, with following manga and anime adaptations. I will be sticking to the game canon, not being familiar with the adaptations.
CHARACTER: Natalia Luzu Kimlasca-Lanvaldear
AGE: 21
(a timeline [http://hikari318.livejournal.com/29444.html] translated from a Japanese TotA data site [info from novels and I'm not sure what else?] indicates that Natalia would actually be 19 and 12 mos (of 13) at this time... however, I'm sticking with my previous estimation, in part because a) I only learned this after apping Natalia to damned the first time as 21 and I intend to keep her memories and b) I think [?] Guy's age is also based on the older estimation. Plus, it's a cool timeline and all, but TotA time makes all kinds of NO SENSE so... whatever, I'll spare the tl;dr justifying her older age).
SEX/GENDER: Female
CANON ROLE: Princess of the Kingdom of Kimlasca / Protagonist who joins the main party as an archer and seventh fonist (Healer).
"REAL" NAME: Sarah Drew
TIMELINE: Natalia is from an unseen time; roughly one month after the final battle. Though an earlier time might seem ripe for development within Landels, much of her in-game development is centered on one or two specific people, and more often than not on particular events forcing her to confront and possibly suppress her feelings. Which is to say, taking her from an earlier point would only serve to, most probably, stunt her, because of her character's dependence on those specifics. I choose not to take her from the very end so to allow her less time to come to terms with everything (this may be more clear by the end of the personality section) and thus a steady but still malleable base for Landels, and also to remove the question mark of Mr. Ending.
PERSONALITY: Natalia possesses a marked arrogance, and remains a creature of habit even when circumstances change: a month since Guy moved to live as a noble in Grand Chokmah, and she continues to instinctively boss him around. She does apologize upon realizing it. She naturally makes demands and takes command, raised to have the authority of the royal family and expect obedience and respect from it. However, she learned when such an attitude is inappropriate, and when to be humble. Her pride as a noble, and as a citizen of Kimlasca, is indeed overweening, but she is more than capable of admitting her errors and apologizing. Natalia maintains a balance between selfish and selfless; she insists on accompanying the group, and bothers Luke ceaselessly about remembering the promise, but tells him that if it would make him happy, she would not protest his fleeing to Daath. As long as he remembered his promise. The promise isn't as selfish as it first seems, as it is no mere proposal, but a pledge to Kimlasca itself. Natalia bears great pride as princess, but with it a sense of tremendous responsibility to her kingdom.
Until the big reveal, her entire identity was wrapped in her status as Princess of Kimlasca. She does not crumble when revealed to be a commoner by blood, but it shakes her to the point that she is able to continue only because of greater difficulties, because of her sense of duty, and because of the presence of others to give her the necessary push. When situations become dire, Natalia can usually confront the problem head-on, using decent strategy and absolute determination to overcome any obstacle. However, when the difficulty is more personal, she falls prey to indecision and fragility. When in doubt, depression and inaction seize her; it is doubt that proves most fatal to Natalia. When certain, little if anything can stop her.
Natalia often needs little pushes in smaller things. Had Asch not told her to leave the castle and accomplish things by walking on her own feet, looking with her own eyes, she may never (or have taken a much longer time to) become so devoted to Baticul, and so involved in public works. And she didn't take it far enough, remaining ignorant of much of her kingdom and too focused on Baticul-as Asch says, Baticul became her castle. Her willpower is great, but her direction not always so strong. Her devotion to and work for the public works, for the people, exhibits her love for and dedication to the people of Kimlasca - to Kimlasca, but also to the people everywhere. She does not consider those in Malkuth to be less deserving, and is equally enraged by any kind of mistreatment. Though the game occasionally toys with the question of the purpose and definition of the nobility, though Natalia is able to find peace as a citizen of Kimlasca and not the princess, she remains unable throughout to understand how Luke could possibly question what is to her self-evident - that nobles must rule, that that is their purpose. As such, Natalia feels obligated to serve the people, to serve people, and to lead.
She will, at times, become focused on the wrong things-on how undignified it is for a princess to sweat, and if the soldiers (read: Jade) are taking care of their appearance, she must be a failure of high society. This on the way to rescue Ion. Little things can hang her up and distract her, but not for long-the end goal will be seen to the end.
Natalia possesses an immense curiosity, her interest likely stemming from a sheltered life (easy for Asch to say get out of Baticul, when the King hardly ever allows it), and her resulting ignorance. Common sense and an ear for sarcasm aren't Natalia's strongest traits, and she proves incredibly, unbelievably gullible at various points. She believes Anise when told that Van's power lies in his beard and that his eyebrows shoot lasers, and is ready to believe that Jade's glasses can spot quality ingredients and assist in cooking. It would be all too easy to have Natalia believing even the wildest tales. She tries to cast Heal on a pot she's set on fire, while trying one of her disastrous attempts at cooking. As for her curiosity, she acquires various “titles” during the game pertaining to her quests for Knowledge (“Curious Princess”, “Adventurous Princess”, etc.), expresses enthusiasm for observation and learning, is continually intrigued/charmed/disgruntled by character traits, and possesses a love for ghost/horror stories.
To the end, the question of Asch and Luke leaves Natalia in a metaphorical Qliphoth, and her ending statement isn't as clear as she would like it to sound: “You're different [people]; Asch is inside you”. She possesses memories with both, and it was with Asch that she promised to change Kimlasca for the better, it was Asch who always pushed her to improve, who looked constantly for Kimlasca. It was a duty-bound love, and a sincere love, though it is never outright said to be love. She helped to raise Luke, and it was Luke with whom she traveled to save the world, who argued for her with the king on the basis of shared memories having greater importance than birth. She calls the promise invalid by the end; I interpret this to mean their side, as Asch rejected it (sort...of...) and Luke never made it, but for Natalia, changing Kimlasca and pursuing peace and an escape from poverty are no doubt prominent in her mind.
It is simply that she intends to no longer depend on a Luke to reach her goals and live her life. With memories of both helping to frame her path, she cuts the chains by which she had tried to bind them to her.
DESCRIPTION: No form change here. Natalia stands at 168cm / 5'6, weighing in at 53kg/117lbs. Svelte and agile, she doubtless bears strong arms from her archery training, and has been said to have the stamina of the farmhand (perhaps inherited from Largo!). With green eyes (near hazel), a fair complexian, and thick golden hair (with hints of strawberry-blonde) that bears a definite wave. Though less well-endowed than Tear, she is given the more provocative costume changes (an interview with a designer explains her lack of embarrassment as a result of having been bathed and dressed by maids her entire life, and thus accustomed to showing skin in front of others). When arguing with Luke, he calls her clothing taste tacky and gaudy, but given that Anise and Tear find it quite pretty, it's probably to each his/her own. Natalia moves and expresses herself with a notable grace, with careful steps and posture, and polite, formal words-there's an awful lot of “indeed!” and “oh my!”. At the same time, she trips and loses her footing during quakes or other surprises more than the rest, perhaps an indication more of inattention than a lack of grace.
OTHERWORLDLY ABILITIES: As a Seventh Fonist, Natalia possesses the ability to take seventh fonons into her body, join them with a fonon verse, and cast healing spells onto herself and other people. These include wound restoration, raising the defense and offense of an ally, curing status ailments, and affecting the defense of an enemy. She can also use fonic artes and strike artes via her archery, using fonic artes to perform different attacks.
TWEAKED: Natalia retains some of her healing artes. She will be able to use a healing spell three times a night, though each successive time will have less effect, and at the third she could risk becoming so weak as to faint-and if she has other injuries, absolutely will. This healing spell will only cure surface wounds. She will also have access to a spell for poison or paralysis, but only once, and not if she's already cast a healing spell, even once. Finally, she can use a barrier spell to raise defenses. The effect should last for up to five minutes per casting, but at a limit of two times a night-and only on an individual person. This will have less effect on her, in part because the barrier spell would hardly stop a blade-percent wise, it's only 10% even in game.
If Hell freezes over and a bow, as well as arrows, does turn up, Natalia will only be able to use it for normal attacks-no fonic or strike artes.
OTHER: Natalia is a master of Lanvaldear-style Archery. This is pretty self-explanatory; she's damned good with a bow. The probability of her finding a bow, of course, is next to nil. She's also a miserably bad cook. Her cooking has yet to be proved toxic, but after repeated tries and lessons, she still tries to cast Heal on a pot, so... ...
HISTORY: NOTE: The background information can be extremely confusing, and I am relying heavily on outside references to assist my explanation. I strove to phrase everything in my own words, but would like nonetheless to point out the website hidden-currents (http://hidden-currents.org/abyss/), as I am taking much of my information from there. Tales of the Abyss takes place on Auldrant, a planet composed of inorganic and organic matter, and of fonons. Fonons are elements as Aristotle understood them. They differ by being elements and vibrations together, or elements and sounds-everything and everyone on Auldrant has a specific “fonon frequency” / are composed of a number of fonons, emitting vibrations which produce sound. Fonons having/being sound vibrations becomes more confusing with the discovery of the Seventh Fonon. Originally, there were six known fonons: Shadow (darkness, 1st), Gnome (earth, 2nd, Sylph (wind, 3rd), Undine (water, 4tf), Ifrit (fire, 5th), and Rem (light, 6th). Many years before the events of TotA, Dr. Michael Southern-Cross discovered the Seventh Fonon, of fon or sound. Much as the proper names given to the other fonon classifications were the terms for a concentration of and sentient bunch of fonons, it was hypothesized that Lorelei existed, a sentient concentration of seventh fonons. Every person and thing has fon slots, which perceive fonon vibrations and are where people can take fonons into their bodies. Auldrant also possesses fon slots, the ten major being the Sephiroth, where fonons and memory particles gather.
Auldrant is composed of the fon belt, a six-layer vibration strata of the six known fonons, with Darkness the innermost layer, Light the outermost, and the rest ordered as expected. Within the planet's core are memory particles, containing the memories of the planet's past, present, and future. Dr. Southern-Cross proposed a means to produce energy for the peoples' use by propelling the planet's memory particles out one Sephiroth (the Radiation Gate), through the fon belt, and back into another Sephiroth (the Absorption Gate). This process, called the Planet Storm, produced the Seventh Fonon, which is a fonon not only of element and sound, but also of memory particles. Because of a mutation of the fonons, or combination of, or something. Emphasis on “or something” because it's implied that the seventh fonon was the first fonon, tying into Lorelei=god theories, and a general confusion between presented fact/history and mysterious reality. The Planet Storm also, unbeknownst to the people of the time, caused vibrations in the planet's crust, eventually causing it to liquify and release a poisonous gas called the miasma. When it was realized that the seventh fonon enabled reading the memory of the planet, the world erupted into turmoil, into factions for and against using this information, inciting the two ruling powers into continuous conflict over the fonstones on which the memories were printed.
Eventually, Yulia Jue read a Score (or future) that in thousands of years would lead to unprecedented prosperity, and people got pretty excited. She was able to communicate with and use Lorelei, through the Key of Lorelei (a sword and jewel), and formed a pact with Lorelei through her fonic hymns. Yulia proposed a plan to raise the land above the miasma & liquified crust by using the Sephiroth. Strengthening the memory particles into “sephiroth trees”, these trees were used to elevate the land. The reading of the Score, of Yulia's seventh fonons leaving her body during the forecasting and creating fon stones in the sky and all around the planet, caused more strife as the two powers sought the stones to read and have a better understanding of the future. Unfortunately, by TotA, the world has become dependent on the Score, following it to the point of allowing the destruction of cities and islands, and in some cases, relying on it for things as commonplace as dinner preparations.
The two ruling powers in Auldrant are: the Malkuth Empire and the Kingdom of Kimlasca. Neutral: the Order of Lorelei, located in Daath, a religious organization with a military branch. Due in great part to the Planet Storm, people have become able to use fonic artes (or magic spells) by manipulating fonons through their fon slots and joining them by a fonic verse, and also to devise fontechnology, machines run on fonons. Finally, the Score foretold the birth of a redheaded, green-eyed noble in Kimlasca who would be the scion of Lorelei's power, named Light of the Sacred Flame (Luke), who would lead Auldrant into unprecedented prosperity. Seven years before game start, Luke was kidnapped, presumably by Malkuth. When found, he had complete amnesia, and was forbidden to leave his mansion. Sixteen years before game start, the island of Hod was destroyed, and Kimlasca and Malkuth fought for a year. That covers Auldrant's mechanics.
Raised as Natalia Luzu Kimlasca-Lanvaldear, of the Lanvaldear royal family, princess of the kingdom of Kimlasca, by Natalia's introduction, she is confident in and almost entirely consumed by that role. Her introduction comes much later than most of the main cast: first, the main protagonist Luke fon Fabre is spirited across the world (into the Malkuth Empire) with Tear Grants, where he begins to learn about the outside world, comes into possession of a cheagle, is arrested by Colonel Jade Curtiss, accompanied by Fon Master Ion and Fon Master Guardian Anise Tatlin, and is entreated by all to assist in their delivery of a peace message from the Emperor of Malkuth, Peony, to King Ingobert the Sixth of Kimlasca. That group undergoes constant attack by the God-Generals of the Order of Lorelei, and is uncertain as to who controls them, as well as the alignment and motives of Grand Maestro Mohs of the Order, and General Van Grants, Tear's brother, Luke's master in swordsmanship, and he who gives orders to the Six God Generals. Fon Master Ion is also kidnapped a few times.
(To save time: Van is a villain, and Mohs does want to start a war, being willing to go to any length to ensure the war foretold in the Score occurs. When Ion is kidnapped, it is to force him to open Daathic seals on Sephiroth doors, to allow Van to manipulate the passage rings that control the Sephiroth trees, as he intends to destroy all of the Outer Lands and eventually create a replica world that is free of the Score.)
Luke and co. are able to return to Batical, the capital of Kimlasca. There Natalia has been looking after Susanne, Luke's mother who fell ill from worry overLuke's disappearance. Natalia reprimands Guy for not informing her of his departure (after Luke's disappearance they spoke, and she had insisted on going with him to search for Luke, without informing her father who would forbid it-but Guy left without her), and informs the party of Van's arrest for involvement in Luke's disappearance. She reminds Luke for the zillionth time to remember his promise: before his kidnapping and subsequent memory loss, he proposed to her. (They were also engaged at their births. Luke's mother, Susanne, is the sister of the King... royalty and incest, that's how we roll).
The message of peace requests aid, as a city of Malkuth that previously belonged to Kimlasca, Akzeriuth, is overcome by the miasma. The roads to the city from Malkuth are affected, but those from Kimlasca are clear; thus, would they assist by evacuating the citizens? Luke is sent with his group as the Goodwill Ambassador, and Natalia's request to go is denied by the King. Luke agrees to his task pending the release of Van and his accompaniment on the mission. When Luke meets with Van in the dungeons, Van begins to manipulate Luke. Natalia heads to the dungeon to ask Luke to take her along, and overhears a plan for Van and Luke to escape to Daath.
The main group is unable to take a ship to Akzeriuth due to the presence of Oracle ships watching the harbor. Van offers to take a decoy ship while they find a different route out of the city. The plan to go by land backfires due to the God Generals waiting outside, who also arranged the kidnapping of Ion in the meantime. Luckily, one more route remains: through an abandoned factory, whose water and sewage pipes lead out of the city.
In the factory Natalia makes her appearance and worms her way into the main party. Using what she overheard, she blackmails Luke to allow her to join, where she proves difficult. Bossy, arrogant, and entitled, she begins by charging ahead, having little interest in others' excuses, and thinking too much of her training in Lanvaldear-style Archery and Healing. After being saved from a beast by Tear, she becomes more considerate. It is worth noting that Natalia did not dash off into this journey as a typical rebel princess, but out of a sense of obligation to her people-how can a princess sit at home, content on her throne, while others suffer? She should enhance this gesture of peace by accompanying the ambassador.
Leaving the factory, the group receives a nasty shock: by a landship, a few God-Generals are with Fon Master Ion. The God-General Asch the Bloody shares the same face as Luke. God-General Sync the Tempest orders Asch to stand down and the Generals depart. The main party intends to cross the Zao Desert, take a ship from Chesedonia to Kaitzur, then cross the Deo Pass to Akzeriuth. Also, to recover Ion. At the oasis in the desert, Luke hears Asch's voice which tells him to go to the Zao Ruins. The party goes, battles Sync the Tempest and Largo the Black Lion, recovers Ion, and leaves. (Largo reacts upon hearing Natalia's name.) Eventually they reach Akzeriuth.
The situation in Akzeriuth is terrible. Luke is dead weight, seeking only Van as the rest of the party tries to plan how to evacuate the citizens. When Luke finds Van, Van forces him to cause a hyperresonance at the Sephiroth, causing the Sephiroth tree to vanish and Akzeriuth to be destroyed and plummet into the Qliphoth. Asch is unable to stop it, but brings Tear to the site, and Tear's fonic hymn saves the main party from death. In the Qliphoth, the Tartarus (a landship) which survived the fall (though the soldiers within did not) is used to transport the group to Yulia City, a city within the Qliphoth, of those who watch the Outer Lands to ensure the Score is fulfilled-even if cities must be destroyed. There, Asch attacks Luke, explaining that Luke is his replica-- seven years ago, Asch was kidnapped and replaced by a replica. Luke breaks down, falling into a short coma. After speaking with Tear's adoptive grandfather, the mayor of the city, Teodoro, Natalia and co. leave with Asch to the Outer Lands.
Asch requires their assistance in running the Tartarus while he investigates things away from Van. This entails a trip to Belkend, a Kimlascan city specializing in fontechnology research, and to Ortion Cavern, where fonimin are mined to assist in creating replicas. This time period, from the revelation of Asch as the original Luke onward, sends Natalia into a confusion that lasts for the rest of the game. It was Asch who promised to marry her, and together they promised to change the world. Though he denies his identity as “Luke”, stating that his kidnapping killed Luke, leaving behind only “ashes, the remnants of the sacred flame”, he slips up. Asch favors and protects her, and in various ways throughout the game reveals his softness toward her. But, nothing can erase her seven years of shared memories with Luke. She and Guy reflect on this (both claiming to have no bias or preference, while obviously lying, as Guy continues to resent Asch and favor Luke, and Natalia depends too much upon and is affected by Asch). In the cavern, an earthquake suggests the instability brought about by Azkeriuth's fall; Asch notes that soon the rest of the land supported by Akzeriuth's tree will also fall.
After this, Asch drops everyone off and leaves. At Daath, they learn war is brewing, Kimlasca blaming Malkuth for the deaths of Luke and Natalia. Natalia asks Ion to issue an edict on her behalf for peace, but they are kidnapped by the Order (the Mohs faction). Jade and Anise seek Guy, who had earlier split from the Asch-group to wait for Luke, and find Luke and Tear returned from Yulia City. They launch a rescue. Following this, they go to Grand Chokmah (capital of Malkuth) to speak with Emperor Peony, rather than to Kimlasca, as King Ingobert the Sixth trusts Mohs. Peony allows the group to evacuate St. Binah's citizens (Malkuth will not send troops, fearing that Kimlasca destroyed Akzeriuth and would do so to St. Binah, luring in troops first). Due to Dist the Reaper's attack, they cannot fully evacuate St. Binah before it begins to sink. The group travels to Sheridan to borrow a machine capable of flight, to rescue those on the sinking land. The Albiore II with a flight fonstone and hover drive is secured.
After rescuing the citizens of St. Binah, the group splits - one to evacuate Engeve before Kimlascan soliders ransack it / it sinks, one to travel to Kaitzur where Kimlasca is beginning its march, to order a ceasefire. Natalia heads to Kaitzur, to be told by General Cecille that Count Almandine, in Chesedonia with Mohs, is the one who can stop the march. Natalia and her group cross the battlefield to Chesedonia. When she tells Almandine to cease, Mohs unleashes his bombshell: do not listen to a replica, nor to a false princess. Long had Mohs heard the confessions of a man whose child had been taken from his wife after her birth to replace the stillborn princess. And the Kimlascan royal family for generations always had red hair and green eyes, not Natalia's golden hair (the Queen had black). Mohs urges Almandine on. Party intends to go to Baticul to speak with the King re:stopping hostilities. Natalia feigns, poorly, that she is all right.
(On the bright side, incest free is the way to be?)
Things happen before they can move to Baticul: Chesedonia and the Zao Desert begin to fall, and Asch summons them to the Oasis where he informs them that Engeve and the Rugnica Plains, where the armies are fighting, are also falling. The group goes to the Sephiroth at the Zao Ruins to instruct the Passage Ring to slowly lower the land, and connect it to the Shurrey Hill Sephiroth (the Rugnica area) to allow it to occur there as well. Luke uses his hyperresonance to do this, and the land is lowered. After stops in Yulia City and Daath, they mean to head to Baticul to speak with the king and urge him to cease listening to Mohs. But, Mohs, Dist, and Oracle soldiers await them at the exit to Daath, where Noelle (Albiore's pilot) is held hostage. The group is arrested and taken to Baticul.
Luke and Natalia are taken to Natalia's chambers and given poison, urged to end their own lives for being imposters and orchestrating Akzeriuth's destruction. The rest of the group rescue them first, and choose to confront the king, where Mohs, Natalia's wet nurse, and the God-Generals Dist and Largo wait. The wet-nurse confirms that the princess was stillborn, so she took her daughter's newborn child to substitute. The infant's remains were found, and the king goes with Mohs-declaring that with their deaths, the war would renew. Soldiers prepare to attack when Asch barges in and allows for the group to escape. The citizens of Baticul assist, facing off against the royal soldiers, claiming that it didn't matter if Natalia was royalty by blood-she, in charge of public works, had done much for the people, opening hospitals and ensuring jobs, and they would defend their princess. (Asch notes to Natalia that she kept her promise, failing harder at throwing away all of “Luke”; it's no wonder she's confused).
The main party escapes through the Inista Marsh, where Natalia's distracted depression endangers her. Guy manages to cheer her up, but only for the moment. Leaving the marsh, they enter Belkend. After an encounter with Van in the laboratory, they meet with Asch in the inn, and the group hatches a plan to stop the vibration of the planet's core, then visit the passage rings to inscribe commands to lower the lands slowly, all at once. First: enlist researchers in Belkend and Sheridan to create a device to measure the frequency of the core's vibrations. Second: Measure the vibrations. Third: Create a device to produce an equal contrasting vibration to cancel it out. Fourth: Lower the lands!
The first two are accomplished with only the interruption of Spinoza (a researcher at Belkend) eavesdropping on the plan. Before lowering the lands, the party decides to involve the world leaders, to gain their approval and assistance with the miasma. Thus, they must return to Baticul.
Though attempting to be strong until this point, the thought of again being rejected by her father terrifies Natalia. She's tried to act rightly as a citizen of Kimlasca, and act as if not being the princess was not a major concern, but it had deeply shaken her. While alone she is approached by Asch. He says that it's unlike her to be afraid, and recites with her their promise, the promise that was also his proposal: together, they would change the world, eradicate suffering and war, bring about peace and prosperity. He hadn't said that to her because she was the princess, but because she was herself-and she should just do what she can.
The next day, she is determined to convince the King, noting that she has no time to worry about the circumstances of her birth with the world in such peril. After a few impassioned speeches (from Luke: dude, memories! She's your daughter! From Natalia: Reject me if you want, but stop the war!) and a letter from Jade, King Ingobert accepts Natalia as his daughter. Both acknowledge that they cannot return to a time before knowing the truth.
Emperor Peony of Malkuth, King Ingobert the Sixth of Kimlasca, and Astor of Chesedonia (the independent commercial city) meet at Yulia City to discuss a peace treaty and the problem of lowering the lands, the problem of the miasma. A plan is hatched to push the miasma beneath the crust via the dividing line, a force field beneath the elevated land. The party then launches into their plan to lower the lands, with various interruptions, including: Tear's miasma infection manifesting, the God-General Legretta and Oracle soldiers slaughtering citizens and researchers at Sheridan to try to stop the main party, the God-General Sync attempting to sabotage the Tartarus within the core, a battle with the God-Generals on the snowy slopes outside the Mt. Roneal passage ring, and eventually a battle with Van himself at the Absorption Gate. Van's commands on the passage rings nearly brought their plan to ruin by messing with the path of the memory particles in the Planet Storm, threatening to increase the core's vibration.
However, all goes well- Van is defeated, and the land is lowered. A month passes, with each party member going his or her separate way. Natalia spends the month traveling as a representative of Kimlasca. After being told of reports of the Planet Storm increasing, as well as Van's sword being missing from the Absoprtion Gate, Luke eventually opts to go check on his friends (and Asch). He borrows the Albiore, hearing that Asch headed to Yulia City. Luke collects Tear there, but missed Asch. Tear has a report for Daath, and there they meet up with Anise, Ion, and Guy. Guy reports that Dist escaped, released Mohs, and that Asch headed to St. Binah. From St. Binah to Shurrey Hill, and conversations with Asch. Return to St. Binah in pursuit of Asch, find Jade and commotion, as Malkuth forces when training were attacked by badly-equipped, dead-eyed soldiers with Kimlascan armaments (replicas). Move to Grand Chokmah to inform Peony of the death of General Frings, of the increasing Planet Storm, etc. Then to Kimlasca.
At Baticul, Natalia confronts Jade, taking him by the collar to demand an explanation for the accusations made against Kimlasca. Within the King's chamber, everything is explained, including Kimlasca's innocence. Natalia proposes a conference on the Score be held between the world's rulers, to determine how to handle it and prevent action being taken on its behalf. The Fon Master is needed, and Natalia is permitted to leave for Daath with the main party.
Things don't go well at Daath: the miasma has started to seep from the land, and Anise's betrayal comes to light. From the beginning, she had spied for Mohs, who held her parents hostage. Ion is taken to read the Planet Storm's memory, which will kill him; the group is held off by replicas. They arrive to find Ion reading the Score; he reads a line for Luke, takes in Tear's miasma, and dies. Ion's reading encourages them to go to Belkend, where they encounter people dying days after having their Score read (a result of having their data extracted for replication), and speak with Spinoza re:eliminating the miasma and Asch's whereabouts. They pursue him to the Sephiroth at Mt. Roneal.
In the snow where they fought the God-Generals Luke finds a locket with a photo of a baby inside, inscribed for “Meryl” born in N.D. 1999-- Natalia's real name and birth year. Luke keeps this to himself. In the Passage Ring, Natalia's entreaties cause Asch to speak about Lorelei's condition and the Key of Lorelei. Lorelei has been trapped inside Van, who survived falling into the core, and the Key should have been sent to Asch and Luke. Asch received the sword, and has been looking in the Sephiroth for the jewel since Luke failed to receive it. Asch leaves to keep searching; the party chooses to follow the one performing illegal Score readings to Baticul.
Mohs has been sighted. At the port Dist shoves Seventh Fonons in him; Mohs mutates and flies to “Eldrant”. Luke insists on visiting the King, and prevents Natalia from accompanying him by pretending Peony entrusted him with a letter requesting her hand in marriage. Natalia becomes conflicted over this-what of Luke, or even Asch, to whom she is betrothed? In a skit, Luke notes that as a replica the betrothal must be with Asch, but Natalia refuses to pick. Inside, the King confirms the picture is Natalia, and though the obvious answer seems to be Largo (Anise has seen him with the locket), the group goes to Chesedonia to speak with Natalia's wet-nurse. Telling Natalia that the illegal Scorer has headed to Chesedonia, they travel there, to find the lie a reality: Sync the Tempest is offering to read the score, & messes with Anise's head by imitating Ion's voice (as a replica of Ion). Jade advises Natalia to take Anise to the bazaar to cheer up, and the rest proceed to Astor where they warn him of the New Order of Lorelei (lead by “Fon Master Mohs”) and ask after the wet-nurse.
Nanny, the wet-nurse, confirms that the locket belonged to Badaq Oakland, husband to Sylvia, Natalia's mother. Badaq had been employed guarding caravans across the desert, often called the Lion of the Desert-all signs pointing to Largo, the Black Lion of the God-Generals. The party keeps this still from Natalia as they move to Yulia City to speak with Teodoro about the New Order of Lorelei. Teodoro plans to restructure the actual Order of Lorelei, and informs the party about the movements of seventh fonons: overall decline, but in certain areas major expenditure. Implication: a helluva lot of replication. One source is huge and has been moving within the ocean. The party finds it, and realizes it is a replica of the island of Ferres, which had been destroyed by a tidal wave following Hod's destruction. After a confrontation with Arietta, then with a large group of replicas who protest the party's shutting down the fomicry (the process of replication) machinery there, a large island rises from the sea. The replicas are bummed, as they were supposed to go hang out there too, but decide to wait at the Tower of Rem for Mohs. The main party attempts to fly to the island, but it is protected by a barrier formed by the Planet Storm. To Grand Chokmah.
There they believe the floating landmass to be Hod. This is confirmed when islands remaining in the Hod archipelago begin to disappear: a result of their fonon frequencies interacting with those identical replicated, causing a hyperresonance that obliterates them. On the way to explain this to the Emperor, Mohs's voice comes from the sky. Able to broadcast to the world, he advises all that the miasma has returned because the ruling powers deviated from the Score, and all should obey the New Order of Lorelei, located on Eldrant / the new island of Hod. Meeting with Emperor Peony after yields this: the main party will deal with the floating isle, Malkuth and Kimlasca forces will secure land defenses, and the summit on the Score is proposed. With both Malkuth and Kimlasca in agreement to the conference, the party moves to Yulia City to propose it to Teodoro.
They are interrupted by Largo bringing news of Arietta's decision re: her and Anises's duel. After Arietta's death, Luke returns the locket to Largo, and Largo says the name Badaq died with his wife, that they are enemies, so there is no need to explain. Luke continues to refrain from telling Natalia. Yulia City. Teodoro agrees to the summit, and the group returns to Baticul to inform the king. There, confrontations with replicas are witnessed-that monster is an imposter, looks like my friend who died two weeks ago returning from his Score reading, replica mentions the Tower of Rem and leaves.
The party encounters a crowd protesting in front of the castle, demanding salvation from the New Order, a return to the Outer Lands, an escape from the miasma. Natalia urges them to be calm, and is struck to the ground. Rising, she declares herself, and attempts to explain the situation. Though they remain discontent, they profess their trust in her and disperse. With the king, the replicas are discussed and preparations for the summit begin. Natalia requests to take part; the king allows it. Luke meets with the king to inform him that Largo is Natalia's birth father; the group feels Natalia should be informed, and the king requests more time to think it over.
Things happen; in the meantime Kimlasca and Malkuth mutually agree to stop the Planet Storm, to put humanity's survival over fonic power. All leave to meet at the summit. Spinoza interrupts the main party's departure to tell that Asch intends to use his hyperresonance against the miasma, sacrificing himself and the replicas in the process. Leaving the summit, the party heads to the Tower of Rem to stop Asch.
Heading up the replica-filled tower, the party encounters the Dark Wings who urge them to stop Asch from his suicidal intention to sacrifice himself and the replicas. According to them, Asch “says he's dying anyway” and when Natalia asks why he's doing it, they say “he's doing it for you and for your kingdom, he doesn't want to see you sink into the miasma”. The party meet self-aware replicas at the top of the tower whom believe Mohs will come for them until Dist arrives to kill them. The party defeats Dist. The replicas acknowledge their lack of a place in the world, and Asch stops by to ask after their decision; 8-027 requests time to speak with the others. Asch refuses to listen to Luke or the rest of the party, and proceeds to Daath. The party follows.
At Daath, Emperor Peony reads a letter from Asch, who has moved on to search for the jewel of Lorelei at the Sephiroth. His letter explains the plan and requests that the replicas outside of the Tower of Rem be given refuge (the exchange for those in the tower agreeing to die), but it fails to mention all of the sacrifices-it becomes obvious that to stop the miasma either Asch or Luke will need to die. Natalia refuses to accept this ultimatum- she wishes for both Asch and Luke to live, and when Luke speaks with her, she emphasizes it. Don't take Asch's place for me, I hold you both dear, I want you both as members of House Fabre to support the kingdom of Kimlasca.
As Luke returns to the conference room to discuss his decision, the party comes upon Asch. Luke and Asch argue over Asch's decision, fighting when Luke offers to take his place. Natalia begs Asch not to sacrifice himself, but he leaves. Even after Guy slaps him, Luke chooses to take Asch's place. The party reports this to the summit, where the rulers reluctantly agree to allow it. The party departs for Rem.
The replicas have chosen their deaths to ensure a place for the rest of the replicas in the world. Asch arrives after the party, and Luke is able to snatch the sword and run ahead while Asch is held back. Luke is unable to do it on his own, in part because of the jewel of Lorelei reacting with the sword; it had been inside of him all along due to the contamination effect (his body, having a frequency identical to the seventh fonon, absorbed the jewel which also has that frequency). Asch breaks free and assists Luke in his hyperresonance; the replicas and miasma disappear, but Luke does not. The party splits with Asch again, despite Natalia's entreaties otherwise, to keep the jewel and sword separate (from the attacking God-Generals) until the time to fight Van.
Luke learns at Belkend that his fonons are separating and he will die, but chooses to keep it secret. Jade and Tear learn. They return to Baticul to report to the king on the miasma. An emissary from the New Order of Lorelei has arrived at the castle-Largo the Black Lion, to whom King Ingobert the Sixth relays Kimlasca's decision to abandon the Score and refuse the New Order. Largo interprets this as war against the Order and leaves. The king calls Luke and Natalia to his chamber, so that truths may be revealed.
The king tells Natalia that her father, Badaq, now serves the New Order of Lorelei, his name: Largo the Black Lion. Luke confirms this, and Natalia dashes off to catch Largo before he leaves and hear it from him. At the port, Natalia demands to know why Largo joined the God-Generals. Largo tells his story: after her child was taken from her, Sylvia killed herself in despair. The Score had said they must have a child, though Sylvia was weak. Upon learning why, Largo left Baticul and drifted until found by Van, who told Largo that the Score was a small part of the planet's memory, translated to human understanding-no matter what deviation, all paths lead to the same end. To Sylvia's death. So Largo hates the Score and he tells the party their methods are too weak. No matter what they try, without going to Van's end of destroying Lorelei, which he calls the planet's memory itself, nothing will change and the destruction foretold in the seventh fonstone will occur.
When Natalia nearly calls him father, he tells her that his daughter died eighteen years ago. (Even though-no, I won't even try to explain the many ways in which the passage of time in this game makes absolutely no sense.) Returning to King Ingobert, he tells her not to suffer anymore, that she needn't fight Largo-her role of emissary ended with the conclusion of the summit. Natalia first states that she must fight Largo because he is her blood, to overcome it, and because the others would have to fight him regardless. But she admits that she doesn't know, and needs time-which they happen to have. Asch is searching for Van, and they need to stop the Planet Storm. Natalia accompanies the main party as she considers.
To Yulia City to research a means to stop the Planet Storm. Apparently the result of a fonic glyph carved into the land by Yulia with the sword of Lorelei (except the books say Dr. Southen-Cross created the Planet Storm, and the Planet Storm created the seventh fonon, except if Lorelei is the seventh fonon -and- the memory of the planet, then it has been around since the beginning, what the hell Tales of the Abyss), the jewel should be able to disperse it. Tear suggests the group split to research the jewel in the documents of Yulia City. Luke speaks with the others, then goes to Tear's room, outside of where he eavesdrops on a conversation between Tear and Natalia.
Natalia asks Tear about her experience with Van, how it felt to learn of his dark plan, and how she reached the point of choosing to defeat him. They discuss the problem of Lorelei, and agree in their hopes being placed on Luke, on replicas not being in the score. When Natalia confides that she can understand Largo's actions, if not approve, Tear tells her not everything need be understood rationally, a surprising thing from Tear. Natalia thanks her.
The party heads to the Absorption Gate (the end of the Planet Storm). An Oracle ship has already landed there. Proceeding, Natalia looks pale; she apologizes for becoming distraught and insists that she is all right. At the gate, Largo, Sync, Legretta, Mohs, and another Ion replica wait. Asch and Largo fight until Van rematerializes and gives a fragment of the seventh fonstone to Mohs. Van entreats Asch, then Luke, for the aid of their hyperresonances, but both refuse. Van leaves with Legretta. Natalia holds her bow on Largo, asking him to lower his weapon.
Citing his hatred of the Score and that the world is rotten, Largo refuses. Before they battle, Largo tells Natalia to never show an enemy mercy, that mercy has no place between two enemies. After the battle, Largo prepares to strike Luke with his last strength, but an arrow from Natalia finishes him before he can. As he dies, he calls Natalia “Meryl”, acknowledging her as his daughter, she, in turn, calls him father.
Luke uses the jewel, witnesses memories within the core, and nullifies the glyph, leaving only the Radiation Gate to visit and nullify its glyph. The party meets with Asch, and proceeds to where Van and Mohs are making the Ion replica read the Score. The Score predicts the destruction of Auldrant by the miasma. Van reacts aversely to the jewel in Luke's hand, and the God-Generals leave for Eldrant to prepare. Asch and Luke separate, to meet again once the Planet Storm has been stopped and Eldrant can be reached.
At the Radiation Gate Luke uses the jewel to nullify the glyph and close the gate; the party is then attacked by Mohs. They defeat him and head to Grand Chokmah. They meet Asch at the entrance to the city, and Luke tries to give him the jewel and insist he be the one to defeat Van and free Lorelei. Because pretty much every time Luke opens his mouth, Asch explodes, this doesn't go well, with the result that Asch insists on a fight to prove who will go against Van-who is Luke fon Fabre. When Natalia tries to stop him, Asch tells her to shut up.
On the day before the big finale Guy and Natalia talk by the shore; they discuss the upcoming fight between Asch and Luke, and Asch's reasoning. Natalia wonders what she ought to do, when the battle finishes, when Luke and Asch stand as two separate people. Guy tells her if she cares for both, she must accept the result-and he will as well, treating even Asch as a friend once the battle has concluded and they can start over. Natalia admires Guy's maturity, admitting that she still doesn't know. Guy tells her that being Luke's friend is enough, and that when everything has finished, she can go with what she feels.
The next day it's off to Eldrant. Follow: finding Ginji and the Albiore III, a battle with Legretta, Luke falls into some hole and wins his fight with Asch, Asch stays behind to fight off Oracle soldiers, the party comes across a replica of Guy's manor, Tear remembers the last of Yulia's hymns, and Asch is killed.
When Luke shares this with Natalia, she is stunned and her inaction comes at the worst moment: a trap activates, and she does not move, trapping and nearly killing the party; but Luke activates a second-order hyperresonance. Sync's reason behind the trap, cue battle with Sync. Luke confirms for Natalia that Asch is dead, and she says nothing when he apologizes for not having stayed with him. At that, Jade slaps her, reprimanding her for her selfishness. He calls her a nuisance to them and to Asch, who had entrusted them and Luke with destroying Van-telling her she is free to care for Asch, but not at the cost of their objective. Natalia apologizes, noting that she is not the only one who has lost loved ones or suffered. As they discuss the second-order hyperresonance, she declares that Asch is inside Luke now.
Before the final battle with Van, each party member speaks regarding the situation. Natalia speaks to Luke, about Asch and Luke. She confesses that she had wanted Asch to return to Baticul, and with Luke support the king, but dismisses that want as wrong-because Luke and Asch had separate paths, and she was trying to tie them to an invalid promise. She contradicts herself, by first saying “Asch is inside you” then saying “in the past I mixed you two together in my mind, but you're you” --Luke is Luke, but Asch is inside him, huh? She urges him to live as he wants, with her support as his childhood friend.
They confront Van. Lots of talking and lots of battle. After the battle, Luke stays behind to free Lorelei as Eldrant is falling, and each party member speaks his/her last to Luke. Natalia urges him to come back, because she can't bear to lose anyone else whom she loves-he must not disappear, and live his own life. The party leaves, Luke frees Lorelei, credits roll.