Blog exclusive! Exploring your castle, and some random NPC Dailogue

Hello all! for my first blog exclusive content, I am giving you a tour of your castle, with the design idea and scripts for the first people recruited. At the end, there are some random NPC dialogue, too. Hope you enjoy!

Your castle:

((NOTE: If anyone wants to take charge of designing the castle, I will gladly turn over the design rites. If not, I will proceed as if I am designing it.))

Your castle in the sindar ruins is on an island in the middle of the largest river in Harmonia. The river (as previously noted) flows to the north, and empties out at sea. Going up the river from where your base is, you would find the Harmonian capitol of Crystal Valley.

To imagine what your base looks like, first think of the island in the middle of the river, with water flowing on around the island on both sides, with no bridges. There is also a third stream that cuts through the island, controlled by a dam, which flows water into the castle. This third stream also provides the castle with a moat, giving you another layer of protection on the already isolated island.

At this time, your castle is more like a tower; there are ruins of what look like used to be a larger castle here, but again, they are in ruins. All that still stands intact is the central tower, the one you climbed up to clear of monsters. The tower has four floors above ground, and an untold number of floors below; you have access to one floor now, and there is a blocked off section going lower you can’t access yet.

For now, the first floor of the castle (where you enter) is a wide open space. The right wall is littered with tools and weapons, and there is a space for Gomez to have set up his storage unit. The left side has a hastily made bar for Rosalita. It is mostly some boards nailed together to form a counter, and some shelves behind her. The bar stools are mostly wooden packing crates, but no one seems to mind. Luther and Ramza are found at the bar.

On the B1 floor you can access, you find Joyce has set up her inn. The entirety of the floor is made up cots and beds for you and various soldiers. Gloria is here, relaxing in a bed.

The 2^nd floor has your meeting and strategist rooms, mostly empty but for a few tables and chairs at the moment. People are seen clearing away rubble and patching thins up all over. Caesar, Pearl, Jonah, Damien, and Dexter are all found here in the official meeting room. Lyn is standing outside the meeting room, looking excited to be here. Katherine has her own room to the side, with stuff she brought herself from her home, and it’s the most well decorated place in the castle. Sam (her son) is with her too.

The 3^rd floor is more of a mess, but cleaning still resumes here as well. Lilly, Reed, Samus, and Dale can be found here, all “working.” Though Lilly is more directing Reed and Samus than doing heavy work herself.

The fourth floor is where the flood gate control was, and is mostly empty. Lorelei can be seen here, looking over the flood gates. Xander is here as well, looking at Lorelei from the shadows.

Some conversations:

Gomez: Welcome to the vault, my friends! What can I do for you!?

Rosalita: This place is kind of rought, but you know what? It’s all mine! And I gotta say, I love the atmosphere…. Oh where was I? What can I get for you all? ((Offers Drinking game. Ask for details))

Luther: Caesar has us working hard. My breaks’ almost up, so I have to drink while I can!

Ramza: You know, Lady Pearl gives us all a salary? Even me! Which is why I’m here. You? By the way, have you heard the rumor about secret characters? I heard talk that there at least ten of them!

Joyce: Welcome! Can I show you to a room? I have saved just for you, Harold… ((Offers Free Inn))

Gloria: Ah, after years of being in jail, there is nothing like a soft bed.

Caesar: (gives next mission, TBA)

Pearl: Well, it’s not as fancy as our old base yet, but it is certainly easier to defend. Yes, we can make a stand here, once and for all, and it’s all thanks to your efforts. How can I ever thank you?

Jonah: This place has lots of ledges for lookouts and snipers. I feel right at home here.

Damien: This strategy stuff makes my head go in circles. I can’t wait to finish so I can go back to helping with the physical work.

Katherine: Ah, welcome. Can I interest you in some wine?

Sam: Why can’t I get any wine?

Lyn: Once the meeting inside is done, I’ll be the first to get the inside scoop! I can't wait to get the Union Army it's own paper!

Lilly: Come on Reed! You can do better than that!

I'm bored. Care for a duel? ((Offers: duel mini game! Ask for details))

Reed: This (huff) is not what I signed on for (huff) as a bodyguard.

Samus: As bad as this is, it still beats my last job…

Dale: Nothing’s more satisfying than a hard day’s work. I can’t wait to see the reaction of enemies when they see the job we’ve done here!

Lorelei: Sigh… I think I’m getting too old to continue searching…but I can’t give up, not while I can still breathe…

Xander: This Lorelei woman…where have I heard her name before?

You have work for me? I can do 5 investigations at once, for 200 potch a pop. What will it be? ((Offers: Detective work mini game. Ask for details!))

Soldier by the healing spring: This thing is amazing! One sip and all your ills melt away. Try it!

Soldier at entrance: Welcome back!

Solider working on clearing way to b2: This place is an island, right? How deep can place possibly go?

Soldier at the inn: That Miss Joyce sure is easy on the eyes, don’t you think? I asked her out once, but she said she already was seeing someone. You don’t know who, do you?

Solider at the bar: I don’t care if we fight Harmonia or Camaro! Bring them all on, I say!

Bandit Bill: Um, hey. The bar is fully stocked, and I’ve swept the floors. Can I get a break now? Rosalita hasn’t let me take one since she learned I was a bandit before…

And now, to add some more flavor to the game! I am going to give you all some random NPC dialogue from various towns. Why? I didn’t like only giving you the generic stuff on the nearest missions, and wanted to include some rumors/foreshadow-y type stuff to the random dialogue. So here goes!

Man: Camaro is fierce opponent for Harmonia, led by Queen Diana and her three great generals. Their names? Why, they are General Gregory leads the infantry, General Janell leads the archers, and the new General Yuber leads their calvary.

Woman: Queen Diana is quite the inspiration for us women. Her husband’s rule was just, but full of problems. The economy was bad, and his wars were filled with defeats. After his death, Queen Diana took over, and turned the country around nearly over night. She took command of the armies herself, and began the winning streak that let Camaro take over the entire area of the nameless lands, and even pushed Harmonia back! I hate that she is an enemy of our country, but it’s amazing how one person can change the course of history, isn’t it? Oh, I’m so conflicted!

Young Man: I hear ever since King Glenn of Camaro died, the country has become ten times more militaristic. It makes me wonder if the King’s mysterious illness was really that, you know?

Old Woman: My granddaughter visited from Camaro the other day. She was telling me all about this new Adviser the queen has. A shrewd military tactician skilled at troop movements. I forget her name though. I think it was Gail?

Old man: Bah, these wars are getting out of hand. If Priest General Lucius were still around, he’d never have let things get like this…

Drunk soldier at bar: Harmonia’s finished, I tell you. Dunan fighting us on side, the grasslands on another, Camaro attacking from the side, and now our own people want us killed with rebellions. It’s like a soldier can’t do anything right these days.

Soldier Coldwall Castle: Who are you!? Oh, sorry… I’m a little jumpy these days. Seems everyone is out to kill us, you know? But at least with Priest General Sasari leading the front against Camaro, you know our defenses will hold. He has a True Rune, after all. How can we fail?

(Conversation between two men) :

Man A: I can’t believe it…. They say Priest General Reginald was killed in battle with Dunan last week.

Man B: What? That means we’re down to only 11 Priest Generals?

Man A: Yea… Sasari, Wanda, and Reuben are off fighting Camaro. Nolan, Reginald and Marcus are dealing with Dunan. Zachary, Agatha, and Delilah are in the grasslands. That leaves Bryce, Faye, and Kristen on defense. I think that’s right.

Man B: Of course it is! You’d have to be an idiot to not know the 12 Priest Generals of Harmonia! That would be like not knowing there are always 12 Priest Generals to represent the 12 Regions of Harmonia! Geez! What am I, plot exposition?

Man A: I guess you’re right. But what will we do now with Reginald killed? They already promoted Marcus as the youngest Priest General ever. To say we’re spread thin is an understatement.

Man B: I’m sure the Order of God will come up with something.

Woman at Merridwell Castle: I wouldn’t bother going east if I were you. The castle there is known as Witchport, home of some of the most powerful magic users, and is one of the most heavily guarded forts in Harmonia. Priest General Faye is said to have the entire place on lockdown.

Boy at Lorin Castle: South of here is the Mystic woods. It used to be called the Eriwoods by the elves who lives there, but people say there are all gone now. No one knows for sure, as no one who goes in there never comes back out. Scary!

(conversation of two teen girls at Crystal Valley)

Teen girl A: Ewww, you know what I say today? A DWARF.

Teen girl B: OH GAWD. Why can’t those non humans just, like, die?

Teen girl A: I know! Dwarves and Kobolds in the west, Wingers in the east, and they even say elves lived in the Mystic woods! It’s disgusting how many of them there are.

Teen girl B: I know! Why would you even want to live if you weren’t human?

Woman at Delon: Did you hear about the commotion yesterday? Some soldiers tried to arrest this mysterious woman for spying, right on in the commons. I thought she was done for with all those soldiers, but she used magic like I’ve never seen and knocked them all down with ease! It was crazy, I tell you. Who could she be, I wonder?

Old man at Crystal Valley: Tell me, kid, have you ever wondered about the Order of God? They’ve ruled for as long as I can remember with few changes. My dad used to say they were immortal or something, but then old Lazlo up and died four years ago. That Relos guy replaced him. I guess that ruins that theory, eh?

Scholar from Soledt Academy:  The current environment is ideal for us battle tactic students.  Harmonia is in more wars than they can handle, and we strategists are reaping the benefits of this so called True Rune War. Hm? The name? Well, it’s not official, but that’s what are professors have been calling it, considering how many True Runes are said to be in play. It seems every side in this conflict has at least one, you know?

If you have any follow up questions, feel free to email me or post a comment here!

Session 9 Recap: An Exploration Explosion

Time for our first recruitment drive! We had lots of towns to visit for the first time and lots of faces to see. We visited the town of Prymount first, where our only discoveries were a Tomato Seed and Recipe #31 “Nachos”. A stop by Lorin Castle won us a Potato Seed and Recipe #24 “Omelet”, but also a barkeeper named Rosalita who was looking to open up her own place. The dangerously placed town of Delon contained only Recipe #5 “Clams” and some Whiskey, our first item for Rosalita. The town of West Hollow had Recipe #39 “Eggroll”; we also met a farmer named Zelda who seemed inclined to join us, but still needs to finish up some chores before she can join (i.e. need castle level 2).

In the kobold village of Highcrest, we discovered that Monty the trader has no interest in joining yet. We had no incentive for him, so we decided to leave him be for the time being. Also, the mayor/elder kobold may be missing; this bears more investigating in the future.

Coldwall Castle was a colorful stop, and not just because of Recipe #20 “Lasagna”. Harold made the acquaintance of another fancypants Narcissist, Roxie, who we found harassing some uniformed Harmonian soldiers about their lack of fashion sense and color. Harold hammed it up with the flamboyantly dressed woman and impressed upon her our need for a fashionista in our drab new castle. She seemed intrigued, but insisted that she can’t be tied down to one place while the whole world still needs her fashion advice and ran off. I wonder how many times we’ll meet her before she gives in?

The small town of Marid appeared to be in very poor shape. A small child sold us a duck for a high price, thanks to Harold’s soft-heartedness. We were also awarded Recipe #26 “Pie”. One of the villagers told us her daughter June is missing, and Harold remembered the name from one of his investigations. Nathan helped a girl named June escape from prison about two years ago, but all we know is that she may have gone north from there and was originally imprisoned for pickpocketing. We will be keeping an eye out for this young woman.

Our return to the Crystal Valley was brief but very entertaining. We found Ramza the drunk beggar exactly where he was sitting the first time, drinking away his troubles on the street. It didn’t take much for Daisy to persuade him to join us (free room and board tends to do that), but he still wouldn’t tell us what he used to do for a living or how he ended up where he was. Daisy assured him that he would find something useful to do around the castle soon enough. We were about to leave when we noticed a gathering near the Academy, where a woman named Lilly was regaling the crowd with a story of how she stabbed Yuber in the face. The lady adventurer and her bodyguards Reed and Samus agreed to join our effort because Lilly and Harold were old friends from their grassland days (apparently that was one crazy party). Plus, when she found out that Viktor’s daughter Daisy was involved, Lilly guessed that something big and exciting was probably going down.

With all possible exploration completed for the moment, we finally made our way back to the Sindar ruins to name our new castle. After some debate, we flipped from Unity Castle and Liberation Army and settled on Liberty Castle and the Union Army, because we “would make this war as severe as possible, and show no symptoms of tiring till [Harmonia] begs for mercy.” – William Tecumseh Sherman

After handing over the whiskey to barkeeper Rosalita and confirming that our prized healing fountain was still in place, we decided to pursue the plot and flew to Lindermill. Everyone in the factory town was talking about the disappearance of little Sam, the young son of Katherine and Luther. We learned that he had been missing for several days now, and neither the worried parents nor the one-eyed detective Xander had found any trace of where he had gone. Royce did some scouting and found tracks leading from the child’s window to the largest factory in town, which had been barred to us before. The goon guarding the door was most uncooperative, but he ran inside screaming and kindly left the door open for us when Royce threatened to feed him to his dragon. There was plenty of treasure to find and few guards, just the way I like it. We claimed a Mega Med x3, Rum, Medicine x6, Bandana, Old Book Vol. 7 “Intro to Trading” by J. Collins, and a Mega Med x3 before running into the bandit from the front door again, who was trying to steal some treasure for himself in the commotion. We started to kill him, but Daisy took pity on the single bandit and convinced him to surrender to us before he got himself killed. And that’s how Bandit Bill joined our team, not one to be held back by the absence of a face. He explained that “Bandit Bill’s boss is Bandit Bob” and that their group had kidnapped young Sam for ransom money, but the kid kept getting away from them.

With Bandit Bill in tow, we fought some bandits and collected more treasure:a Thunder God Hat (+1 MAG, +1 Lightning)(Sciath) and a Sticky Fingers accessory (used by bandits/thieves only, increases all talents by +1 grade). In the final room, we found about a dozen bandits and Bandit Leader Bob trying to capture little Sam again. One massacre later, we took Sam and the rest of the bandit treasure as our prize (Meg Medicine x3, Trickster Rune, Phoenix Plans #2, Bandit Tunic (+1 Steal skill)).

Katherine and Luther were more than happy to assist the war effort when we returned Sam to them and explained who we were, so the two of them are now recruited. Recipe #30 “Picnic Lunch” and the Play Script “William Tell” were discovered. Finally, we tracked down Xander the detective and paid 2000 potch to hire his services and recruit him to the team, in spite of his irritation that we had solved Sam’s case before he did. We will now be paying him 1000 potch per week (session) to get five extra investigations on top of what Harold gets to do, which will make gathering information on our stars that much easier.

Before ending the session, we spotted a deserted building with the name Renaldo’s Architecture posted and made a note to come back. And Harold begged a lady named Amelia to design our castle bathhouse, which we will hilariously pursue next Wednesday. You better get ready!

Session 8 Recap: Choosing a Castle

On a chilly Friday the 13^th, the team reassembled to continue our relentless search for a home. In response to our requests for tougher enemies, the first group of eels we encountered on the second floor nearly ate us alive. We finally reached our goal at the top of the base: a kraken-shaped fountain with a lever. Daisy and Royce pulled it enthusiastically, unleashing a geyser of water that carried us – and all of the base’s monsters – all the way out of the complex.

A strange party awaited us on the steps, asking for Daisy. Daisy didn’t know them, and yet they were horribly familiar – as she told her companions, groups just like this one had been popping up everywhere for some time. It was always the same: they sought to take her life. As usual, the strangers refused to identify themselves, and a fight ensued. Thanks to huge boosts in defense from Kuarjav and Harold and relentless blows from everyone else, we managed to best them, even after their leader transformed into an octopus near the end. Harold searched the bodies and found several interesting things. First, he spotted a letter addressed to George O’Brien (the Octopus Man), which promised triple the usual pay if the team managed to kill Daisy and claimed that “the future of our people is at stake.” It was signed Octavia, finally giving Daisy her first clue as to the identity of her harassers, though the name means nothing to her for now. We also noticed that each of the attackers had a variant of a strange rune bound to them: a simple octopus, squirrel, sparrow or deer, in front of a pole. These might look a bit familiar to anyone who’s taken a close look at Daisy’s rune…

That was it for the naval base, and Lynn decided to join us while she was still high on adrenaline from all the adventuring and attempted assassination. So we hopped on Vasuki and flew to the third and final piece of real estate, stopping at a couple of towns along the way to explore. The first stop was the kobold town of Highcrest, where we purchased a precious Onion Seed and some furs to trade later. The kobold in charge of the trading post was named Monty, and we made a note to visit him again later. Several kobolds around the village mentioned that they’d been seeing a black dragon with a female rider in the area, and Royce started to worry about his rival again.

Our second stop was the dwarven town of Snowview, just outside the abandoned castle we’d come to explore. After acquiring the all-important Pumpkin Seed, potato recipe and all the dwarven ale we could carry, we made the acquaintance of the dwarven elder, Cyrus, and his son Mitch. They said that Harmonia has kept the old castle off-limits to its former dwarven inhabitants lately, but a dwarf adventurer named Dale might help us get inside. We found him in the tavern, and he agreed at once.

We fought our way through several floors of forges and monsters that became increasingly dangerous for Kuarjav, who is weak to fire. Luckily, inside one of the old forges we found a set of fireproof armor, which was passed to Kuarjav without delay. The only creature waiting for us in the final chamber this time was a mad old dwarf named Ferdinand, who had named himself king of the castle and was obviously beyond all reason. So we killed him (with Dale’s approval), claimed the Brass Hammer he guarded, and reported back to the village that the castle had been cleared and was only waiting to be claimed again *wink wink*. Dale, with no adventuring left to do in the dwarven lands, opted to join the folks who were sporting twenty-one casks of dwarven ale and accompanied us back to Belhurst.

Daisy suggested that we claim the Sindar ruins as our official base of operations, keep a secret skeleton crew at the abandoned naval base in the north, and return the dwarven castle to the dwarves in exchange for their alliance. There were no objections, though Caesar pointed out that it might be some time before the dwarves were sufficiently convinced of our power to join us. And so the first recruitment drive is now officially underway. We kicked it off by picking up Gomez the Storage Guy in Belhurst for the price of a 5000 potch long-distance storage device. Dalton the dwarf was our next recruit, an armorer back in Snowview who had always wanted to leave his little village. And we finished the day in Norbank with the recruitment of Joyce the Innkeeper – though only Harold knows the full story.

When we return to the plot next week (after some serious recruiting and exploration), Caesar has requested that we try to raise some war funds to help build up the new base. He suggests that we visit the town of Lindenville near Crystal Valley and meet with a wealthy merchant named Katherine, who, as a second-class Harmonian married to a third-class, should be sympathetic to our cause. Happy recruiting, everyone!

Eulogy: George O'Brien, The Octopus Man

Alas Poor O'Brien, ye of little faith and little hair, ye who hunted like a tiger, smelled like a dire wolf, dressed like a charlatan, ye who offended our very eyes with your very existence, we thank the Runes in the sky and in the earth, and most importantly those in our souls, for your death.

Alas Poor O'Brien, ye who come from Octavia, a woman who shares your fetish with Octopuses, the cousin of the infamous Doctor Octopus, ye who worked with the hunters, the hunters after our very dainty Daisy's dazzling diaphragm, ye are thankful that ye disappear into the great abyss of time itself.

Alas Poor O'Brien, ye who work with a man who thought it would be wise to be able to turn into a squirrel instead of a dragon, ye who would work with a man who thought it would be wise to be able to turn into a sparrow instead a phoenix, ye who would work with a man who thought it would be wise to be able to turn into a deer instead of a great demon, we are thankful that we never had to work with you.

Alas Poor O'Brien it was you who dropped the letter about Octavia, Alas Poor O'Brien it was you who first told us about Daisy and her assassins and the great questions about her lineage and her rune, Alas Poor O'Brien, it was you who told us of yet another great threat to our lives via your Octopus Powers and made our lives a challenge at those ruins long ago. Alas Poor O'Brien, you win at the end.

For your contributions make us remember you despite your smell, your presence, your appearance and your tongue. It is because of you that we will triumph over Octavia and further save this land of Harmonia from its numerous ills. You have helped us bring the destined land that we all seek, bring this crumbling facade of an empire to its ending.

And thus you force us to remember you. Have your peace, old enemy, for you have won. Alas Poor O'Brien, we shall not forget you. Alas Poor O'Brien, we have made you eternal.


(Harold PS: We couldn't be bother to actually find an appearance of O'Brien, since he's so poor, so we found this picture of this random guy instead. It's close enough!

Session 7 Recap: Looting with Lorelai

And so the search for a new home continues! This session saw us finish off our inspection of the Sindar ruins and get a good start on the abandoned naval base, leaving only the old dwarven castle to explore next week before we have to make a decision.

As promised, the next floor of the Sindar ruins that we explored held two recurring characters, Killey and Lorelai, who were arguing over how to proceed. A trap door closed us in on the floor, with the only exit being the door where the two of them stood. There was a riddle on the door, which Sciath quickly dealt with, and Killey and Lorelai agreed to join us for the duration of the exploration. (Both Killey and Lorelai are noted treasure hunters and Sindar aficionados from the Suikoden games).

We hacked and slashed our way through some banshees, giant bats, and ghost armor as we headed deeper into the ruins. Royce was indispensable in getting through safely; his sharp eyes caught every trap, and his dragon flew us across a pit or two with ease (though Daisy and Harold both jumped the largest pit to show off, with Daisy flying clear over Harold’s head in a display in a rather silly show of machismo. I think Daisy and Harold will be good friends, don’t you?).

Finally, we reached the final chamber to find a very strange enemy waiting for us, guarding a chest…. Yes, it was a flaming goat, like the picture up there. Its main attack was using fire magic against us, so once Kuarjav blocked all magic with Silent Lake a few turns in, the poor creature couldn’t do much more than a headbutt. Luckily, Daisy is quickly becoming a murder machine beyond all reason, and her powerful attacks helped bring it down without too much bloodshed (though Kuarjav did almost kick the bucket, being weak to fire and all).

We were disappointed to find that the chest the goat guarded was empty, but not as much as Lorelai and Killey were. The latter took his leave of us then, pausing only to try and discourage Lorelai from her endless search (for what?) and to pay his respects to Daisy’s father Viktor. Lorelai, lured by the prospect of more ruins to be explored, agreed to officially join our party.

After a quick rest and check-in with the rebels, it was time to check out Potential Dream Home #2: the abandoned Harmonian naval base in the far north. A Harmonian woman named Lyn was waiting outside the main building, apparently considering whether or not to go inside. She told us that she was a reporter working on a story about the abandoned base, but there were too many monsters inside for her to explore safely. We offered to accompany her, and she gratefully accepted.

On the first floor, the main enemies we fought were gaggles of flying electric eels (because some of us have an odd imagination). Daisy killed one group with a massive shockwave attack, thanks to a critical attack with maximum damage. The first floor was all monsters and random treasure in chests: a water rune; ghosts who dropped a Sacrificial Buddha; a treasure hunter scarf for Sciath to go with her armor of the same type; more eels.

Next time, we will continue heading up the staircase to next level, where more treasures, monsters, and perhaps some Harmonian secrets await us. Don’t forget, we will be playing on MONDAY (1/8/12) next week! See you there!

The Head Bishops

The Five Head Bishops of Harmonia have ruled ever since Hikusaak has, for all intents and purposes, "withdrawn" from service. Though Hikusaak is technically the leader, he has not been seen in over two hundred years, despite public knowledge that he has a True Rune. The Five Head Bishops have been around for so long that no one in the country can remember a time when they have not ruled. So who are they and what is known about them? Let's review:

• Head Bishop Angelo: An old man with a double chin. Nothing is known about how he became a Head Bishop,what family he is a part of, or when he was born, and no public records are known to exist.
  

• Head Bishop Rudolf: An old man with long ears. Nothing is known about how he became a Head Bishop,what family he is a part of, or when he was born, and no public records are known to exist.

• Head Bishop Ivan: An old man with a long nose. Nothing is known about how he became a Head Bishop,what family he is a part of, or when he was born, and no public records are known to exist.

• Head Bishop Dominic: An old man with a large bald spot. Nothing is known about how he became a Head Bishop,what family he is a part of, or when he was born, and no public records are known to exist.

Interestingly, all four look otherwise very familiar, old wrinkled men who look as though they could die any moment. Alas, that is all we know. How quaintly mysterious. So who's the newest recruit, the last of the Head Bishops? He's a man we know a little more about.

• Head Bishop Rodin Relos: He became a Head Bishop only recently and is middle aged and in shape. Rodin Relos is from the famed Relos family, incredibly gifted sorcerers and strategists. Rodin's younger brother, Romulus, is the current head of the Soledt Academy (where Caesar was recruited). Rodin has been in the church for many years and he was a Priest General for some time, working with the military to conquer and subdue other nations. We know that he has a way of making enemies disappear, and is rivals with Kuarjav. Unlike the others, there are public records known, and information can be found out on him if the proper people are asked. We also know that he has been involved with the taking of the True Night Rune, an heirloom of Daisy. Harold will note that Relos is surely a man to be wary of.
  

Who's That? It's Viktor the Bear!

Viktor the Bear, father of Daisy, was born in the city of North Window of the Window City State (window is not a typo btw). A headstrong lad, he was performing some chores outside the city when the Vampire Neclord came and eliminated the entire city of North Window (thousands were killed). Viktor swore vengeance against Neclord, but being powerless and unable to find him, he went south to the Scarlet Moon Empire.

While training in the Scarlet Moon Empire, he met with Blue Lightning Flik, a leader of a growing rebellion movement against the stagnant and corrupt Scarlet Moon Empire. With his strong 2-H sword skills, straight-talking ways, and cunning mind, he quickly became a leader of the movement, being the fifth highest ranking leader. When the original leader died, it was he who helped the 2nd leader of the rebellion find its strategist and home-base. In addition, Viktor found the True Night Rune, a talking sword, and used it to gain vengeance by slaying Neclord. Viktor fought in every major battle of the war, constantly leading his units to victory over the two years of war. He was in the last assault group at the capital, but when the True Sovereign Rune was defeated, the castle collapsed and Viktor was thought to be lost...

Except he went back, along with his best friend Blue Lightning Flik, to his home country, raising a mercenary army for the powerful City-State of Muse, future capital of the Dunan Republic (country of Daisy, Harold), under the banner of a badly drawn bear. He was on the vanguard against the hordes of the Highland Empire, but lost several early fights, ending with Muse being conquered. Teaming up with the eventual hero of the Republic, the son of an old disgraced general, he again helped the leader find a tactician, a capital, provided solid advice, was constantly ragging on his foes, and was consistently a valuable ally. He also killed Neclord... again (it's a long story). After a year of war, the Highland Empire was no more, the Dunan Republic replaced the Five City-States, Viktor was a high ranking general and he had a kid.

Giving up his True Night Rune Sword, he and Flik would occasionally wander to fight the good fight, though their daughters ensured that they stayed close to the Dunan Republic. Viktor has always been relied upon as a most valuable ally in times of need, who laughs at danger, drinks quite heavily and is always willing to give the good fight. Viktor may have slight anger issues, but he is as true a friend as you will ever find in the Suikoden World.