*SPOILERS AHEAD, MAKE SURE YOU'VE READ THE MOST RECENT CHAPTER BEFORE CONTINUING*
I don't want to lose these again, so I've decided to organize the Investigations done in this chapter.
You will also see Daunte's name absent from this list. That is because the hero is generally not investigated.
Edit: For simplicity's sake the ages listed in the profiles are the ages the characters were at when they joined the Liberation Army. And if they joined prior to Daunte joining the Army then the ages listed when they were counted as a Star of Destiny.
2. Tengou Star
Sloan
Secret #1
Name: Sloan Faakhir
Age: 37
From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea
Position: Former Sheikh of the northwestern forces
Secret #2
You might think from his previous position that Sloan came from a life of privilege, but he's actually the son of a merchant in the capital. This is still a very respectable position, but not as respected as a priest. But his skills with a sword were always amazing, and he was hailed as a prodigy at the age of eight, and his family worked hard to give him a good life. All of his accolades and his promotions were all earned with hard work, and even now he works hard at what he does.
Secret #3
You already know this, but Sloan is Tidur's estranged husband. They've actually been married since they were teenagers. Tidur is the daughter of a cleric so her rank is naturally higher than Sloan's, but when she was thirteen she was betrothed to much older cleric. Sloan saved her from this arranged marriage by challenging the man to a duel and beating him. Their marriage was a happy one, but after Sloan gained the Black/Conqueror Rune their relationship deteriorated and Tidur left him for their daughters Esther and Ciana's safety. Even now that we know that he was possessed by a Rune and now that he's back to normal, their relationship is still very tense. Hopefully things work out for them.
Secret #4
Sloan seems to be really good with children. He's been helping Jantu teach some pointers to younger recruits, and when he has some free time he's taken Esther out for walks and even got Ciana and her started on horseback riding. The contrast is truly stunning between the man we see now, and the monster he was while under the control of that Black/Conqueror Rune. Being unknowingly exposed to such awful power has completely ruined his life and forced him to commit heinous crimes. I know you have forgiven him, but I hope the tragedy that has befallen everyone from this damned rune gives you greater incentive to win this war and reform the country.
3. Tenki Star
Caesar
Secret #1
Name: Caesar Silverberg
Age: 19
From: Gregminster, Toran Republic
Position: Liberation Army Chief Strategist
Secret #2
Caesar hails from the famous Silverberg family and is a hero of the Second Fire Bringer War. His grandfather was Leon Silverberg, a hero of the Gate Rune Wars and an antagonist of the Dunan Unification War, and his father was renowned military strategist George Silverberg. Though the Silverbergs are strategists, Caesar had a first cousin once removed named Odessa. Odessa was a warrior and Tir McDohl's predecessor as Toran's Liberation Army leader. From the information I have gathered, most of Caesar's family is dead, included his parents and grandfather. His only family is his older brother, Albert.
Secret #3
Caesar spends a significant amount of time sleeping, and he sleeps in odd areas. Don't get me wrong, he works hard, but just the other day I found him behind the northwest building, twisted up in a strange position but he was comfortably asleep. He appeared to have picked up odd sleeping habits from his youth that he maintained even while as a student in Harmonia. He was quite gifted academically but only if he applies himself or has passion. Without effort or passion he doesn't bother.
Secret #4
Caesar fought on opposing sides as his brother during the Second Fire Bringer War. He was disturbed that Albert helped orchestrate genocide and aided and abetted in a plot that would have led to the destruction of the world, only to end the war considerably better off than he had before the war had even started. Indeed, Albert Silverberg currently lives in Zelant in a high government position under the country's dictatorship. Caesar was bothered greatly by how much his brother benefited from ruining lives, and thus has fully dedicated himself to be Albert's antithesis. Despite being a foreigner to Nagarea, Caesar will anything within reason to ensure the victory of the Liberation Army. I believe we are lucky to have him.
4. Tenkan Star
Leknaat
Secret #1
Name: Leknaat
Age: ?
From: Village of the Gate Rune Clan
Position: Seer, Keeper of the Tablet of Stars
Secret #2
Lady Leknaat is truly an enigma. Her name is confirmed to have been linked to five wars in the past, but she may have been involved in other wars. This is the first recorded instance of her actively participating in a war, though; previously she was mentioned in passing or in an advisory role. But this is the first time she has been acknowledge as one of the 108 Stars of Destiny. That's quite amazing, isn't it?
Secret #3 (Pre-Chapter Ten)
She has lived a long life. I don't know how old she is, but Sierra may possibly be even older than her. What is known however is that Lady Leknaat and her sister Windy split the Gate Rune in half and each took a half to protect the True Rune from falling into the hands of the Harmonian Army. Lady Leknaat lost her sight in the attack from the Holy Kingdom, but she appears to have come to peace with the tragedy inflicted upon her people. Her sister, however…Lady Leknaat once stated that Windy became very embittered by what happened to them, and they ended up becoming estranged because Lady Leknaat had become deeply disturbed by the changes in her sister. Lady Leknaat has not seen her sister since the end of the Gate Rune War, but will not say if her sister is alive or dead.
Secret #3 (Post-Chapter Ten)
She has lived a long life. I don't know how old she is, but Sierra may possibly be even older than her. What is known however is that Lady Leknaat and her sister Windy split the Gate Rune in half and each took a half to protect we the True Rune from falling into the hands of the Harmonian Army. Lady Leknaat lost her sight in the attack from the Holy Kingdom, but she appears to have come to peace with the tragedy inflicted upon her people. Her sister, however…Lady Leknaat once stated that Windy became very embittered by what happened to them, and they ended up becoming estranged because Lady Leknaat had become deeply disturbed by the changes in her sister. The fact that Windy has been revealed as the Matron—someone who has caused so much pain and chaos here in Nagarea—has been hard for Lady Leknaat. I imagine that this is not the way she wanted to reunite with her sister again.
Secret #4
Lady Leknaat is in possession of many Tablet of Stars. I do not know where she keeps all of them, but whenever a war comes up that involves the 108 Stars of Destiny she will bring a Tablet of Stars linked to that war and present it to the appropriate army, and usually someone will oversee the Tablet. I remember during the Falenan Civil War it was a woman named Zerase—very powerful sorceress but not very approachable. During both the Gate Rune War and Dunan Unification Wars the Tablet was overseen by Luc, who was the source of conflict for the Second Fire Bringer War. Ted oversaw the Tablet during the Islands Federation War, but the Tablet was more or less secluded off during the Second Fire Bringer War.
…Can you find imagine many of these Tablets Lady Leknaat has? How many have been filled…and how many still need to be filled? It's both fascinating and terrifying.
5. Tenyu Star
Viola
Secret #1
Name: Viola
Age: 25
From: South Window City, Dunan Republic
Position: Liberation Army soldier, Lieutenant in the Dunan Republic Army (currently on-leave)
Secret #2
Viola was a young child during the Dunan Unification War. She witnessed the public execution of Mayor Granmeyer and it left a lifelong impact on her. Even at her young age she was resolved that no one should ever have to suffer unjustly again. When South Window was liberated by the Dunan Army, she was inspired by Lord Riou's great leadership into becoming a soldier herself. She is a hard worker who inspires the soldiers under her command to work hard too.
Secret #3
Viola is…quite strong. I saw her grappling with a soldier as big as a mountain and not only did she handle him just fine by herself, but when this same soldiers accidentally punched her in the face she shrugged off the blow like it meant nothing. She has been classified as a "tank", which is an unusual term for a soldier. What exactly is a tank, anyway? But maybe it's because she can take a lot of phyiscal punishment and still keep fighting.
Secret #4
Viola has quite a colorful collection of…makeup. I don't ever see her wearing makeup, but she had dozens of palettes in her possession. Green seemed to be her favorite color, as I found three palettes in at least 20 shades of green. I heard she orders quite a few of them from Toran. It sounds like an expensive hobby.
6. Tenyu Star
Yuber
Secret #1
Name: Yuber
Age: ?
From: the World of Emptiness
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
He's not a good man…or a man, even. He doesn't eat or sleep. I've not seen any good information about him. He's fought for people with ill intentions in the past and he's responsible for many deaths over the years. As you are aware, the summoning ceremony for Yuber requires a human sacrifice but you were able to utilize your True Rune to summon him and bind him to your blood. He does not care for the motives of the people who make a contract with him, just so long as he can cause chaos and kill. But he will follow the rules of the contract so long as the contractor is victorious in their pursuits.
…As you can surmise, almost all of them have been failures.
Secret #3
Yuber's longest known contract was that to Lady Leknaat's sister, Windy. It is believed she summoned him as part of her quest to find the Soul Eater Rune, with the contract becoming null and void when Toran's Liberation Army won the Gate Rune War. From this information we can surmise that his contract to Windy lasted for several hundred years, but Yuber appears to not like talking about Windy. I asked him about any memories he could recall of serving Windy and he reacted quite angrily.
Secret #4
Yuber claims to be from the World of Emptiness, the realm of monsters and where the soul goes immediately after death. A monster wearing a man's skin, as he freely admitted to us. But why does he have the appearance of a human man? As he is a creature of chaos, would it not fit him better to have a more monstrous form? And he is capable of feeling emotions such as anger. So this would mean he is capable of other emotions well, right? Like guilt, or love? And what are the Black Knights? What is their purpose? I ask this because I have found no information about them. I apologize for the limited info.
7. Tenmou Star
Eamon
Secret #1
Name: Eamon Hiere
Age: 32
From: Uaminifu, Nagarea
Position: Lieutenant in Nagarea's Liberation Army, formally mayor of Uaminifu
Secret #2
Eamon grew up in a luxurious lifestyle as his father was a Cleric. From everything I've seen his father was fair and compassionate, and Eamon frequently went out with his father to help the poor. Tragically both of Eamon's parents were assassinated by the terrorist group New Dawn just for the fact that he was a Cleric and not because he had done something wrong, and Eamon's mother was collateral damage. Eamon entered politics in memory of his parents, fully committed to the zealotry commonly found in Uaminifu, and unsurprisingly he was hostile to the Liberation Army because of his prior experience with New Dawn. Despite the zealotry he once had, Eamon treated Princess Archana well in the brief time she was held hostage in his city, and overall he is living to emulate his father's fairness and compassion.
Secret #3
Eamon loves dogs. He treats Sharon's baby dragons no differently than he would treat puppies. He also gets along with Jantu pretty well. I have heard that when he was a child his family dog had a litter of twelve puppies, and he raised and trained all of them! Unfortunately it was not feasible for the family to have thirteen dogs and so he was allowed to only keep one dog and give the rest away. What's sadder is that the one he did end up keeping tragically passed away less than a year later after his neighbor foolishly gave the pup sliced onions as a snack. As an added note, never give onions to dogs as they are very toxic to them.
Secret #4
Eamon was in an arranged marriage a little over a decade ago, but the engagement was called off when his fiancée's sister was arrested for blasphemy. Per Original Sin the entire family was arrested and then later executed. Eamon was not close to his fiancée but he's carried guilt for a long time for not doing anything to save her. I can't imagine what he could have done without incurring the wrath of the Theocracy himself, though given the zealotry he once possessed I'm actually a little surprised he did not immediately dismiss his fiancée for her "sin". Part of why he hasn't gotten married yet is because he doesn't want to risk facing anything so tragic again. Perhaps that will change when we win?
8. Teni Star
Pesmerga
Secret #1
Name: Pesmerga
Age: ?
From: ?
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
Pesmerga is quite mysterious. He is not as vocal as Yuber is but he also appears to never eat nor sleep. They both wear similar armor and are called Black Knights, but they appear to not be able to stand each other. Pesmerga has been hunting Yuber for a very long time, and he fought in both the Gate Rune War and Dunan Unification War just to meet Yuber. Funny how the first opportunity he does meet Yuber it's when they're fighting on the same side.
Secret #3
Pesmerga doesn't appear to possess a True Rune like Yuber does, but he's still lived for a long time. How this is possible I don't know, but he might be from the World of Emptiness like Yuber was. If this is the case Pesmerga may also be a "monster wearing a man's skin" as Yuber claims himself to be. Monsters are not entirely immortal though, so how is it that Pesmerga maintains his longevity? I have asked Pesmerga myself but he simply walked away from me.
Secret #4
Okay, I wasn't entirely correct when I said Pesmerga doesn't eat. Apparently he participated in cooking competitions during the Dunan Unification War (that sounds like fun!) and he ate the food and judged it fairly. He had a particular fondness for foods that had negative affects on the mind, such as ones that induced Panic or Fury. So he is capable of eating food, but no one here at HQ has seen him eat. But unfortunately, this has created more questions and I feel at this point it's best we let this go. Sorry.
9. Tenei Star
Sierra
Secret #1
Name: Sierra Mikain-Latkje
Age: ?
From: Blue Moon Village
Position: Liberation Army soldier, former coven mistress of Blue Moon Village
Secret #2
For a vampire she likes to keep to herself and not bother with people. Though she can go out into sunlight it tires her and so she prefers to sleep during the day. She's also very controlled with her feeding and she take care not to feed on Liberation Army allies and she doesn't kill the person or animal she feeds on. She has a very short temper though. She caught me following her and screamed at me for a half-hour.
Secret #3
As the wielder of the Moon Rune she was turned into a vampire long ago. From what I've gathered, Sierra hid herself in a dark forest so that she wouldn't hurt anyone with her vampirism, however she ended up connecting with many lost souls who entered the forest to take their own lives. Showing pity to them, Sierra turned these people in vampires, and their numbers grew to such a degree that she founded the Blue Moon Village for her new vampire companions. They lived peaceful lives in the village until the villainous Neclord stole the Moon Rune and ran off, causing all of the vampire to go mad from not being in proximity to the True Rune and turning them into bloodsucking beasts. Only Sierra did not go mad, as she was the one chosen by the Rune, but she could not save her companions from their madness. She was forced to hunt them down and kill them all. What a terrible thing to happen, but she was apparently traveling with Nash when she met her final vampire comrade in combat and he helped Sierra stop him. What a strange way for love to form.
Secret #4
Despite her vampirism and wielding the Moon Rune, she's very responsible with her powers. She refuses to utilize the full power the Rune (which can create zombie armies) and unsurprisingly she is not quick to turn people into vampires anymore. While I'm sure immortality appeals to a lot of people, this type of immortality seems very lonesome and almost like a curse. At least she has her husband by her side, right? Right?
10. Tenki Star
Allise
Secret #1
Name: Allise
Age: 22
From: Kõrkus, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Lieutenant
Secret #2
She's had an eventful and tragic life. I know you have spoken with her about her past so I will start with a simple recap of what she has already told you. Allise's father was a runemaster, and he used a secret technique to attach a Pale Gate Rune to her forehead so that Sheikh Keha Hale could not use it to destroy a town. Allise's parents were executed for treason and Allise was sentenced to the Dark Chasm under Original Sin, but she spent most of her time in the Dark Chasm with runemasters who tried to remove the Pale Gate Rune. Whatever technique her father used has not yet been broken and no one has been able to remove the Rune from her forehead. Not even Jeane has been able to remove this simple Rune. The Sheikh then made the decision to marry Allise against her will to utilize her as a weapon. It did not work.
Secret #3
I will spare you the details but Allise had a very unpleasant marriage to Sheikh Keha Hale. It was very traumatic for her to be married to the man who killed her parents and he mistreated her terribly. I have come to discover that there are domestic violence laws on the books in Nagarea, and per the laws a convicted abuser is publicly flogged with the number of blows determined by the level of abuse they inflicted. However I am also aware that the domestic violence laws are rarely enforced in Nagarea, and no one would dream of publicly flogging a Sheikh, so Allise and even Tidur suffered in silence. After years of a miserable marriage Allise snuck to Mlkwt Alsmwat to get a divorce, which Farzin Masood granted on a technicality. After she fled the capital she was "kidnapped" by Gunther, when in actuality he saved her life. She has faithfully served in the Liberation Army ever since.
She may not say it, but she is in fact grateful to Gunther for saving her. As for the extent of her feelings for him, well…not even I could gather information on what she feels.
Secret #4
This is quite surprising. Allise loves spicy food. Yasaka made curry the other day with an ingredient he called a "ghost pepper", and a few people fainted when they ate the curry. Not even Mihr could handle the heat of this pepper! Allise however didn't even become flushed in the face and ate the whole thing in one sitting. I do not know how she could sustain such heat, but she did so effortlessly.
11. Tenfu Star
Surya
Secret #1
Name: Surya Falenas
Age: 17
From: Sol-Falena, Falena
Position: member of the Queen's Knights (currently on-leave)
Secret #2
Surya is the son of the Commander and First Lieutenant of the Queen's Knights, Freyjadour and Lyon. While they got married not long after the Falenan Civil War, Surya was born eleven years after the war. They have trained him from an early age in the art of combat and diplomacy. While technically the oldest Prince of the Falenas royal family, Falena is a Queendom and so Surya is not in line for the throne. Which suits him just fine.
Secret #3
Surya appears to be perfect content with the lot he has in life. He has no aspirations to become Commander of the Queen's Knights, and the Lord Commander is not grooming him for command. Regardless he has had to endure accusations of nepotism because he was allowed to join the Queen's Knights at the age of sixteen. There are many in the populous who believe that sixteen is far too young to allow to join such a prestigious unit, and they believe he only got the position because of his parents. Isn't it curious that people believe such things, when Prince Freyjadour himself took command of the Queen's Knights as a teenager? But this sort of gossip has not deterred Surya. It only makes him want to work harder.
Secret #4
This may surprise you, but Surya considers you to be his best friend. Even more so than Mokuren, if you can believe that. Mokuren however is okay with this and even actively encourages your friendship. Just the other day we overheard Surya talking with Mokuren about some sort of adventure he wants to go on with you after the war is over. It seems he really missed you during the time you guys were apart. It looks like, even after the war, you'll be quite busy.
12. Tenman Star
Israfil
Secret #1
Name: Israfil Raulbel
Age: 27
From: Sable, Falena
Position: Captain of the Sable Defense Corps (currently on-leave)
Secret #2
Israfil serves under his father, Lord General Dinn, in the town of Sable's Defense Force in Falena. Despite his father's position, Israfil earned his rank with hard work, as you have undoubtedly seen in battle. Interestingly, his last name of Raulbel is not from Dinn, but from Dinn's wife, the lady Salisha. As he was born a commoner, Dinn didn't have a given surname. When he married Lady Salisha he adopted her last name as his own.
Secret #3
Can you believe that Israfil is the oldest of seven brothers? Seven! Most of them have scattered to the winds across Falena, taking up various military positions in Sol-Falena, Etrise, Doraat, and the like. There's a rumor going around that the youngest brother doesn't want to follow in his father and brothers' footsteps of fighting and is planning on going to Lunas to serve the Oracle there.
Secret #4
You probably already know this, but Israfil has been in love with Princess Archana since he was a young lad. But did you know that when Archana's husband Lord Darrick died of poisoning, that Israfil stood vigil by his body all night? Apparently Darrick's father was too emotionally distraught to go through with it, so Israfil volunteered to do it in his place. And he didn't even do it to curry favor with the Falenan royal family—he honestly did it because it was the right thing to do. It's very sad though that Israfil has not moved on from his feelings, considering Lady Archana has still not let go of her loss despite the end of her mourning period drawing to an end. I wish them both the best of luck.
13. Tenko Star
Gunther
Secret #1
Name: Gunther
Age: 26
From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Lieutenant
Secret #2
With his skills with a sword, you would think Gunther came from a family of swordsmen but on the contrary, his parents were scholars. Not only were they scholars they were also pacifists. They had always wanted Gunther to follow in their footsteps but Gunther was not inclined towards scholasticism and preferred combat. This put him at odds with his parents frequently and when he made it clear that he wouldn't attend the Holy School for scholasticism they threw him out. Unfortunately not long after his parents were convicted under blasphemy laws for speaking negatively about the High Clerics, and Gunther was likewise convicted under Original Sin. Gunther fled the capital though before he could be arrested. Though he doesn't ever talk about his parents, he did love them deeply and misses them every day.
Secret #3
Gunther has an extensive criminal record with the Theocracy. In addition to his Original Sin conviction, his arrest record includes assault, grand theft, blasphemy, adultery, election fraud, and, um, jaywalking. He's been cited for jaywalking 44 times in five cities. Uaminifu has the honor of having the highest number of citations for him. I have to wonder if he doesn't like the city with how flagrantly he's broken the law there. The arrest that led to him joining the Liberation Army is quite stunning, to say the least. Bearyl Lutis saved him and spirited him away from Uaminifu, and Gunther was in his debt as a result. However, Bearyl Lutis did not have a lot of respect for him because his criminal activities and mistreated Gunther. Gunther put up with it and even now remains a valuable asset to the Liberation Army.
Secret #4
I found…love letters hidden away in Gunther's room. A literal pile of love letters in a chest in unsealed envelopes. I thought that they were for all the women he flirts with, but the name written on every single envelope was Allise's name. I freely admit I read one of them my Lord, and I must say it was one of the most sincere declarations of love I have ever read. Gunther has a flirtatious personality and he seems to have many…acquaintances, but the language he used in the letter was that of pure love. I know this is surprising, but it seems for all intents and purposes he sincerely loves Allise. …Should I deliver one of them?
14. Tensyo Star
Leto
Secret #1
Name: Leto
Age: ?
From: ?
Position: Liberation Army solider, Former Chieftain of the Sindar
Secret #2
He's the legendary Chieftain of the Sindar. I'm sorry, there's not much else I can add. Information about him is nonexistent. History books have never even printed his name; we only know his name because he told us his name. We couldn't even find out how he got the Rune of Change. What appears to be his history was that he tried to build a global empire for the Sindar and failed. Now he seems to be a wandering nomad, as to be expected of someone who wields the Rune of Change.
Secret #3
I saw Leto talking to Evarr the other day. Per Leto's request Evarr used his rune to create pile of lydia coins that was 5 meters tall! Leto was super-excited to see the coins. Was lydia a form of currency when he had power? I had heard though that lydia predates the Sindar. It's certainly left Reis with a lot of questions, but Leto constantly runs away from her.
Secret #4
I asked Leto the other day how many languages he spoke and he said it was ten! Ten! That's very impressive! I asked for the names of the languages he spoke, but six of them I've never heard of! One of the common tongue, and one was elven! Then Leto proceeded to speak in all ten languages one right after the other! The things he must have seen in his long life…I can't even imagine.
15. Tenritsu Star
Soturi
Secret #1
Name: Soturi
Age: 21
From: Yashuna Village, Falena
Position: bodyguard to Prince Freyr, member of the Queen's Knights (currently on-leave)
Secret #2
A child prodigy with a sword, Soturi was headhunted by Prince Freyjadour himself when the young man was fourteen for an apprenticeship into the Queen's Knights. Always cool under pressure and never panicking during a crisis, Soturi became a full-fledged Knight not even a year into his apprenticeship. Within two years both the Commander of the Queen's Knights and Prince Consort Shoon were training him to be the personal bodyguard to Prince Freyr, and he finally graduated from this special training with the approval of Queen Lymsleia herself and was made Prince Freyr's bodyguard two years ago. Thus far they have gotten along very well, though Prince Freyr sometimes gets annoyed with Soturi's seriousness.
Secret #3
The injury that Soturi received trying to prevent the Prince's kidnapping is technically a career-ending injury. Soturi is right-handed and he nearly lost his whole right arm in the ambush. With amazing perseverance and daily physical therapy he has regained mobility in his right hand, but it will never be as strong as it was before. Soturi however would not accept an early retirement and completely changed his fighting style focusing on his left hand to maintain his position. His accuracy has suffered slightly but his determination greatly impressed Her Majesty and he was allowed to continue being the Prince's bodyguard. Freyr for his part feels extreme guilt over what happened to Soturi, but Soturi feels his guilt is ridiculous as everything that happened was part of his job.
Secret #4 (Pre-Chapter Ten)
Soturi is engaged to a nice young lady from Lordlake named Elina. They first met when they were children when Elina's family traveled to Yashuna Village to heal her father's back, and they have had a sweet courtship for the past couple of years. Both are very introverted though, and sometimes when they are together they don't even share a conversation and just sit in silence sipping tea. But Elina stayed by Soturi's side during his entire recovery, rehabilitation, and physical therapy. She also gave him unconditional support when he made the decision to return to the Queen's Knights and join the Liberation Army. They are expected to wed once this war is over.
Secret #4 (Post-Chapter Ten)
Soturi was engaged to a nice young lady from Lordlake named Elina. They first met when they were children when Elina's family traveled to Yashuna Village to heal her father's back, and they have had a sweet courtship for the past couple of years. Both are very introverted though, and sometimes when they are together they don't even share a conversation and just sit in silence sipping tea. But Elina stayed by Soturi's side during his entire recovery, rehabilitation, and physical therapy. She also gave him unconditional support when he made the decision to return to the Queen's Knights and join the Liberation Army. Unfortunately, Elina seemed to have been more strongly affected by Soturi's previous near-death experience, as she ended their engagement when she heard that Soturi did die and was resurrected by you. I hope they can work this out.
16. Tensyo Star
Barō
Secret #1
Name: Barō
Age: 24
From: Harmonia (?)
Position: Liberation Army soldier, Knight Class Gunner of the Howling Voice Guild
Secret #2
Barō's past is an absolute mystery. I have found nothing about him. The Howling Voice Guild has been known to recruit children and train them from an early age, but they do offer "internships" for students of affluential families to receive training. Barō appears to be from the former, but it is not known how he ended up at the Guild, or if he was a citizen of Harmonia when he was recruited. But Barō's rank indicates that he's VERY skilled. Not a very sociable person though, but snipers from the Howling Voice Guild seem to have a tendency to not be sociable.
Secret #3
The gun he wields, Rotkappchen, was once wielded by a woman named Cathari during the Falenan Civil War. Catheri was a very capable fighter during that war and had a history with the Chief Strategist, Lucretia Merces. The fact that Guild Master Clive trusted him with this gun is a testament of Barō's abilities. Barō seems to hold Clive in high regards; when he speaks of Clive, he expresses more emotions than I have ever seen him express. Clive must be a good leader of the Howling Voice Guild if Barō reveres him so.
Secret #4
Barō likes to eat food with a bitter taste. When he is served food he will put his face right up to the food and inhale loudly several times in a row. From my observations, sweet-smelling food had made him dry-heave, he frowns at savory-smelling food, and food that appear to be spicy he will simply knock the plate or bowl onto the floor. I don't know if this is somehow related to training he received with poisons, but he will not eat any dish that isn't bitter. He's been banned from Yasaka's restaurant as a result.
17. Tenan Star
Roen
Secret #1
Name: Roen
Age: 17
From: Kõrkus, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army soldier, former Dark Chasm prisoner
Secret #2
As you already know, Roen is one of your best friends. He was sentenced to the Dark Chasm a year before you were, convicted under Original Sin for the Kõrkus Massacre. Over a hundred people lost their lives that day, when Roen's father utilized the power of a Rage Rune to set fire to a Chapel. Roen's father had been part of a radical liberation group called New Dawn, who did not shy away from collateral damage so long as their message got out. New Dawn was crushed into oblivion two years ago, but unfortunately their actions have caused many in Nagarea to believe the Liberation Army is no better.
Secret #3 (Pre-Liberation of the Dark Chasm)
Roen is deeply religious and believed he needed to be punished for what his father did. He still believes he needs to be punished, and part of him feels guilty he is out free when the other children of the Dark Chasm are not free. Despite your telling him the truth about Original Sin, he is convinced of his guilt and feels he must atone. He reminds me strongly of people that I know personally. Speaking from experience I can tell you that simply telling him he's not guilty won't help him. You must give him his full support and don't make him feel worthless or guilty. With time, he should feel right enough with himself to forgive himself.
Secret #3 (Post-Liberation of the Dark Chasm)
Roen is deeply religious and believed he needed to be punished for what his father did. He still believes he needs to be punished, and because he feels he didn't suffer as much as other children did in the Dark Chasm he carries a lot of guilt. Despite your telling him the truth about Original Sin, he is convinced of his guilt and feels he must atone. He reminds me strongly of people that I know personally. Speaking from experience I can tell you that simply telling him he's not guilty won't help him. You must give him his full support and don't make him feel worthless or guilty. With time, he should feel right enough with himself to forgive himself.
Secret #4
Roen has grown fond of the Dragon Horse's from Falena. He's a little embarrassed to admit it because of how the Nagarean Faith teaches that they are demonic, but apparently he'd asked Prince Surya in his letter to send him a Dragon Horse egg. Or at least that's what I overheard from Caesar and Gizli when they were reassembling his letter. They got a good laugh out of it because Prince Surya had to refuse him. Next time you go to Falena, why not take Roen with you? I'm sure he would enjoy seeing the Dragon Horse's again.
18. Tenyu Star
Freyr
Secret #1
Name: Freyr Falenas
Age: 14
From: Sol-Falena, Falena
Position: trainee for the Queen's Knights (currently on-leave)
Secret #2
Freyr is the only son of Queen Lymsleia and Prince Consort Shoon, and the twin brother of Crown Princess Farrin. Like his cousin Surya, Freyr is not eligible for the throne of Falena because of his gender. However this doesn't bother him in the slightest and the love he receives from his parents is no different than the love they give both Farrin and Signe. Shoon and Prince Freyjadour started training him in combat at an early age but his style evolved differently from his father and uncle. He aspires to eventually become the Commander of Farrin's Queen's Knights, something that his father and uncle are aware of and have been supportive of him pursuing.
Secret #3 (Pre-Chapter Five)
Freyr has made a lot of great friendships here in the Liberation Army with soldiers his own age. I saw Freyr giving advice to Lanny the other day about talking to girls, which doesn't surprise me because of how many women are in Freyr's family. He's also close to Surya and likes to see him more as an older brother than a cousin. You probably noticed that Freyr did not come with a Queen's Knight, and it appears something terrible had happened to his bodyguard when he was kidnapped to Nagarea. Even now it's something he doesn't like to talk about.
Secret #3 (Post-Chapter Five)
Freyr has made a lot of great friendships here in the Liberation Army with soldiers his own age. I saw Freyr giving advice to Lanny the other day about talking to girls, which doesn't surprise me because of how many women are in Freyr's family. He's also close to Surya and likes to see him more as an older brother than a cousin. Ever since Soturi arrived he's seems to be less tense and sad, though he's become very overly protective of his bodyguard. Soturi had almost died trying to protect him when he was kidnapped and Freyr is determined that this will never happen again.
Secret #4
I'm afraid I have some bad news for you, my Lord. Freyr has a considerable amount of respect for you, but he does not approve of Farrin's public declaration of marriage with you. And despite the teasing from the Queen and Miakis, the Crown Princess is apparently quite serious about marrying you when she comes of age. In fact, when Soturi arrived he had a few, um, letters with him that the Princess had written to you. He brought them unwillingly, but Freyr took them and possibly destroyed them. Mokuren was mad but Surya found the whole thing amusing. I hope that it doesn't offend you that Freyr doesn't accept you as his future brother-in-law. (The sentence ended with the drawing of a smiley face)
19. Tenku Star
Lorik
Secret #1
Name: Lorik Varra
Age: 31
From: Agameru, Nagarea
Position: Lieutenant in Nagarea's Liberation Army, formally mayor of Agameru
Secret #2
Lorik's lineage is very old. The Varra family is recorded as being amongst the first families to convert to the Nagarist religion, and there are at least six Varras listed among the casualties from the great battle in the Red Tundra eons ago. Agameru was founded by the Varra family and they have been the mayors of this hamlet since the foundation of the Theocracy. You can probably see from this why the people of Agameru are so fiercely loyal to Lorik and have stood by him through every trauma and tragedy they've been through. Lorik himself considers the people of Agameru as an extension of his own family and would do anything for them.
Secret #3
Lorik initially joined the Liberation Army under Bearyl Lutis because, as Agameru was located in the northwest, they were ruled by Sheikh Faakhir and began to suffer under him. Lorik had filed multiple complaints from the capital that went unheeded, and the last messenger that was sent returned to Agameru with only his head, with a letter signed from Sloan Faakhir to stop what they were doing. Lorik retaliated by joining the Liberation Army, but left after it became clear that Lutis saw both Lorik and his people as disposable. You certainly know what happened after that, but thankfully his rejoining of the Liberation Army under you was much better.
Secret #4
So I found several pages of sheet music the other day, with incredibly sappy lyrics. It appears that Lorik has songwriting as a hobby but most of the songs he's written are love ballads. I thought I heard Kakyoku singing one of the songs the other day, and it sounded good. I also discovered that it's a BAD idea to ask Lorik who the songs are about. I made the mistake of asking if Tala was the subject of the songs and he actually chased after me yelling at the top of his voice! That's quite an extreme reaction, isn't it?
20. Tensoku Star
Nash
Secret #1
Name: Nash Latkje
Age: 40 (?)
From: Harmonia
Position: Harmonian Spy, Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
Well, he's an…interesting fellow. He is a spy from Harmonia and he's spying on us, but he freely admitted to us that he was a spy. I don't know how he can report to Harmonia all the way from here, but it wouldn't surprise me if he has somehow found a way to submit reports to them. He participated in the Second Fire Bringer War and it sounds like he worked behind the scenes during the Dunan Unification War. He met Sierra during the latter, but they got married after the war. Very interesting. It also sounds like when he's not working he lives with his mom, sister, and Sierra. He almost sounds like a family guy, but it seems strange to classify him as such.
Secret #3
Doesn't it seem odd that Nash doesn't…look his age? I know the aging process is different from person to person, but though Nash is 40 he looks like he's in his mid 20s. I mean, since he married a vampire logically he would be a vampire, but vampires cannot be far from the Moon Rune or else they will go mad. But Nash doesn't seem to take Sierra everywhere he goes for his missions. Is he a vampire but can tolerate being away from the Moon Rune? Or is there something else going on?
Secret #4 (Pre-Chapter Ten)
Well this is very odd. I just witnessed a conversation between Barō and Nash where the name "Zaj Quilous" came up. That's the name of the person Barō is looking for, right? The moment Barō mentioned that name though, Nash's face sort of twisted up and he suddenly became very angry. He ended the conversation right then and there but I distinctly heard Nash tell Barō to never mention that name to him again. Whoever this Zaj Quilous is, he appears to be bad news. But is he really here in Nagarea? Are we going to meet him? And what will happen when Nash meets him?
Secret #4 (Post Chapter Ten)
Nash previously had a conversation with Barō about the whereabouts of Zaj Quilous. That's the name of the person Barō was looking for. The moment Barō mentioned that name though, Nash's face sort of twisted up and he suddenly became very angry. He ended the conversation right then and there but I distinctly heard Nash tell Barō to never mention that name to him again. Now that we know who Zaj really is, Nash seems to be on edge all the time. He certainly seems reluctant to come out the cavern. Maybe you should make sure these two don't interact?
21. Teni Star
Georg
Secret #1
Name: Georg Prime
Age: 51
From: ?
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
Your quintessential folk hero! But seriously, Sir Georg has had quite a full and extensive history. One of the Six Generals of the Scarlet Moon Empire, leader of the Ebony Knights in the Grasslands, a member of the Queen's Knights in Falena, and a solider of the Dunan Army during the Dunan Unification War. His heroics are known to all the corners of the world, and even at his age he is sought after for mercenary companies, royal armies, or even common adventurers for his skills in battle. He continues to be in high demand.
Secret #3
For some reason, Sir Georg covered his left eye during his time in Falena and acted as though he were blind in that eye. I had suspected that he wasn't truly blind in that eye because his depth perception both in and out of combat did not appear to be hindered. Apparently he took the blindfold off for Prince Frejyadour before he left Falena, and the prince wasn't happy about the deception. But I think the prince was less happy about Sir Georg leaving the country. Alas, they have yet to remove his arrest warrant and so he cannot return to Falena until they do so. Prince Surya intends to speak to Queen Lymsleia though after this war is over so that Georg can finally return to Falena.
Secret #4
For a gruff old man (laugh) Sir Georg is exceptionally fond of cheesecake. He seems to like sweets in general though and eats them frequently with meals. Shou witnessed him put away a whole vanilla cake in one sitting after he ate his supper! I suppose the sugar energizes him, and with how active he is he can burn off the sweets very easily.
22. Tensatsu Star
Jantu
Secret #1
Name: Jantu
Age: 37
From: Two River, Dunan Republic
Position: Liberation Army Combat Trainer
Secret #2
Jantu came to Nagarea all the way from the Dunan Republic four years ago out of curiosity. As there are no native Kobolds in Nagarea, Jantu caused quite a stir when he arrived. The reactions varied from fascination to fear, and he wound up in trouble multiple times. But as he's demonstrated himself to being a very capable fighter, he's always been able to get himself out of trouble.
Secret #3
Jantu fought alongside the Kobolds of Two River during the Dunan Unification War. Ever since he was young he's looked up to Lord Ridley of Two River, and has tried to follow his example. The three races that occupy Two River—the Kobolds, humans, and Wingers—have a tumultuous history, but thanks to the efforts of Dunan Army leader, Lord Riou, relations between the three races improved considerably. This is probably why Jantu feels no apprehension or animosity towards the humans that surround him.
Secret #4
Did you know Jantu is a fan of chocolate? I…don't quite understand how this is so, particularly since I had heard that chocolate is a toxin to Kobolds. But Jantu is often seen snacking on chocolate bars imported from Kanakan. His body must have exceptional endurance to it, or his metabolism might process chocolate differently than it would for other Kobolds. I would still recommend that someone speak to him about his chocolate intake though. Toxin or not, that much chocolate is not good for anyone's teeth.
23. Tenbi Star
Silvano
Secret #1
Name: Silvano Shana Ques Laviankaana Falenas
Age: 23
From: Lukiae Ende Towayo, Toran Republic
Position: Lord Consort to Princess Kaylani Falenas
Secret #2
The son of Chief Kirkis and his wife Sylvina, Silvano was raised in a home of love but also during a tumultuous time as his home village was still being rebuilt and the last surviving Toran Elves were slowly returning to the forest. During the Gate Rune War the sacred tree that house 800 elves was destroyed by the Burning Mirror and the Toran Elves were almost completely wiped out. Raised in an environment of protecting the last surviving elves and protecting their newly sprouted sacred tree instilled a strong sense of justice in Silvano, and he is incredibly protective of the people he cares about. He is the type to charge first into danger and to leave danger last, if it means protecting his comrades or loved ones.
Secret #3 (Pre-Chapter Five)
As you are aware, Silvano met Princess Kaylani when she visited the Toran Republic as Falena's Ambassador. The two fell in love during her visit, but when she returned to Falena he did not initially follow. They tried a long-distance relationship but the time apart and great distance between them proved very painful for the both of them, and maintaining their relationship seemed impossible given their different obligations in their home countries. Ultimately Silvano, who was to be the next Chief of Lukiae Ende Towayo, made the decision to forfeit his claim and move to the Southern Continent to be with Princess Kaylani. Kirkis and Sylvina both fully supported his decision and gave him their blessing, and Silvano married the Princess not long after he came to Falena. But he does not regret his decision and is very happy with his wife and his son.
Secret #3 (Post-Chapter Five)
As you are aware, Silvano met Princess Kaylani when she visited the Toran Republic as Falena's Ambassador. The two fell in love during her visit, but when she returned to Falena he did not initially follow. They tried a long-distance relationship but the time apart and great distance between them proved very painful for the both of them, and maintaining their relationship seemed impossible given their different obligations in their home countries. Ultimately Silvano, who was to be the next Chief of Lukiae Ende Towayo, made the decision to forfeit his claim and move to the Southern Continent to be with Princess Kaylani. Kirkis and Sylvina both fully supported his decision and gave him their blessing, and Silvano married the Princess not long after he came to Falena. But he does not regret his decision and is very happy with his wife and his son.
Silvano's parents however did appreciate his visit when you went to Toran. They love the time they spend with their son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. Perhaps you ought to bring all three of them with you again if you happen to go back to Toran?
Secret #4
Silvano has developed a close friendship with Israfil. Before the Falenan royals were kidnapped, the two men had never shared a conversation with each other. After traveling across Nagarea together however in search of the royals they have formed a camaraderie. They've done a few hunting trips with Prince Surya and frequently spar together, even though they have different skills. Silvano seems aware of Israfil's longstanding feelings for his sister-in-law, Princess Archana, but he doesn't push unwanted conversations because Israfil clearly doesn't want to talk about it. Instead they just talk about hunting. It's quite boring, honestly.
24. Tenkyu Star
Dylan
Secret #1
Name: Dylan
Age: 12
From: Kader, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army solider (?)
Secret #2
Dylan was born into a happy household, when Virgil and Caoimhe were still happily married. He has very few memories of his family being happy though, as Caoimhe quickly grew to be very unhappy in her married life. Virgil did what he could to shield Dylan from everything going wrong and took him on frequents trip to distract him. Caoimhe took to ignoring Dylan as her unhappiness grew. Though Dylan loved his parents greatly, he naturally became closer to his father than to his mother.
Secret #3 (Pre-Chapter Eleven)
As stated before, Dylan was not naturally close to his mother Caoimhe. This was by Caoimhe's making though, as she was frequently away from home as she wanted to escape her unhappy life. When Caoimhe accused Virgil of abuse, Dylan naturally sided against his mother as he knew the accusations to be lies. Caoimhe leaving Dylan in jail, and then later locking him in the family basement, seems to have irrevocably damaged their relationship. Even now, not knowing if his mother is alive or dead, Dylan doesn't appear to miss her. The damage this woman has done to this child is abhorrent. I hope you can help Dylan.
Secret #3 (Post-Chapter Eleven)
As stated before, Dylan was not naturally close to his mother Caoimhe. This was by Caoimhe's making though, as she was frequently away from home as she wanted to escape her unhappy life. When Caoimhe accused Virgil of abuse, Dylan naturally sided against his mother as he knew the accusations to be lies. Caoimhe leaving Dylan in jail, and then later locking him in the family basement, seems to have irrevocably damaged their relationship. Meeting his mother before her execution appears to have given Dylan necessary closure, but I have witnessed him crying by himself. Virgil has had him speak with Dr. Yulin, which has helped the child, but he finally seems to feel his mother's loss. The damage this woman has done to this child is abhorrent. I hope you can help Dylan.
Secret #4
Dylan is a BIG eater. Every eating contest this boy has entered he has won. He's won against other kids and he's won against adults. He's won against his own dad! Given how big Virgil is, it's safe to assume that Dylan will grow to be as big as his dad. I guess he's starting out early.
25. Tentai Star
Lysander
Secret #1
Name: Lysander
Age: 17
From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
Lysander's imprisonment in the Dark Chasm has shockingly been the subject of many rumors. The most popular rumor about his imprisonment was that he was sent there because he refused an arranged marriage by his aunt, and she had him tried under Original Sin because his own parents had also eloped. But while Lysander's parents had eloped, the truth was that the same aunt people had believed was the cause his conviction was caught picking her nose during the Morning Prayer in the Grand Citadel. This was seen as a grave offense and Lysander's entire family was executed. No matter the reason, what happened was cruelly excessive.
Secret #3
Lysander in the beginning was an extremely defiant prisoner of the Dark Chasm. When he was yelled at by the Matron, clerics, or guards, he would talk back to them. The "authorities" of the Dark Chasm gradually became fed up with his behavior and punished him severely. He was beaten and tortured during the course of a very long week, but the ordeal he suffered was so traumatic that he lost his voice. For two years he didn't speak or make a sound, even when he was injured. He was too afraid of making any noise. When the Dark Chasm was liberated he tried to start speaking again, but he has been left with a stutter. It's not known if the stutter is psychologically indued or a result of physical injury from his torture, but he is self-conscious about his stutter. Nether Gate still destroys lives, even after all these years.
Secret #4
Lysander has started a travel journal. After his last trip with you he's wanted to travel north and see many countries. He's been saving his money and budgeted how much everything will cost. It looks like he would like to travel with a large group of people—you in particular. Why don't you try talking to him about his plans?
26. Tenjyu Star
Varnaz
Secret #1
Name: Varnaz Behzadi
Age: 30
From: Tenaga, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Lieutenant
Secret #2
Varnaz's family was once a very affluential family in Nagarea. Both of his parents were reputable Clerics and his older sister Bara married a Cleric herself. Varnaz actually met Bearyl Lutis through his parents when Bearyl was still a Cleric, but they were barely acquaintances as Varnaz had chosen to become a soldier in the Holy Army. They didn't speak again until several years later, when Bearyl was defrocked and restarted the Liberation Army, and Varnaz was arrested under Original Sin. Bearyl himself led an attack on the transport that was escorting Varnaz, and upon rescuing Varnaz they tried to save the rest of Varnaz's family in the capital. Tragically, they arrived during the executions, and though only Bara was still alive she still died of shock from the 'cleansing' she endured. Bearyl himself administered last rites to Bara, and it was from that moment that Varnaz pledged himself to Bearyl and quickly became his best friend.
Secret #3
As you see from his title, Varnaz was demoted from the position of Lieutenant-General to simply Lieutenant. But we know that it wasn't you who demoted him; rather, Varnaz demoted himself. Having the Lieutenant-General position awarded him more authority and respect than the other lieutenants, however Varnaz felt that he was undeserving of the rank he once had because he allowed Bearyl Lutis to get away with too much. He was deeply saddened to lose his friendship with Bearyl, but he was also saddened to find out that someone he considered his best friend saw so little value in him. His loyalty to you is different than the loyalty he had to Bearyl, but his performance and attitude now are significantly better than they were before.
Secret #4
So you know how I said that Bearyl Lutis was Varnaz's best friend? Well in actuality, Bearyl was Varnaz's only friend. Varnaz ended several friendships with people who saw Bearyl in anything but a positive light, and as a result he has been largely friendless since you became Commander. He's been trying to build new friendships though, but has gone about it the wrong way. Such as joining random conversations or randomly giving advice to people. Varnaz however has such a domineering presence that he ends up scaring people or irritating them. Just the other day he snapped at Dr. Clara, but when I talked with him about it he was confused because he thought he was simply answering a question. Maybe you can give him some help with this?
27. Tenken Star
Sanji
Secret #1
Name: Sanji (Post Chapter Ten: Zaj Quilous)
Age: 36
From: ? (Post Chapter Ten:Sanadia, Harmonia)
Position: Liberation Army morning broadcaster
Secret #2
I found nothing, sorry.
Secret #3
He's allergic to vampires. And he saved Gertrude and Bax. That's all I can find out about.
Secret #4
Sorry for the delay. I finally got something. Sanji is the birth name for a very dangerous individual named Zaj Quilous. Known as Zaj of the Black Moon, he was trained by the Howling Voice Guild and fled to the Southern Continent after stealing one of their guns, Talgrund. He also has a dark history with Nash, as he had ruined Nash's life and has tried to kill him multiple times. Zaj hates a burning hatred for Harmonia and anyone who has prominent social standing in Harmonia. I don't like him. He very clearly is putting on an act that he is harmless, but his presence is comparable to a Nether Gate assassin. You would be wise to keep a close eye on him during this war.
28. Tenhei Star
Ruggiero
Secret #1
Name: Ruggiero
Age: 42
From: Fortress of Duha, Toran Republic
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
Ruggiero was a soldier of the Scarlet Moon Empire, enlisting right around the time that the Gate Rune War broke out. He served under General Kasim Hazil and was actually present at Moravia Castle when Hazil was forced to surrender to the Toran Liberation Army. Ruggiero followed his general and joined the Liberation Army, but he was displeased with how the Toran forces handled the situation (since they allowed Jowston to invade the country to force a surrender) and Ruggiero decided to depart the country rather than swear allegiance to the new president. In time though he no longer harbors any ill-will towards the Toran forces.
Secret #3
It's not clear where Ruggiero met Arisoto, but Ruggiero found his egg abandoned around fifteen years ago, and rather than destroy the egg he decided to nurture and care for the egg. He originally thought that it was a dragon's egg, but when a hippogriff hatched from the egg he was still very pleased. Arisoto naturally imprinted onto Ruggiero, and through Ruggiero's rearing the hippogriff did not turn feral and they became best of friends and close companions. During their travels of the Nameless Lands they met Lord Laszlo, and were loyal companions to him for five years. Though Ruggiero was heartbroken to depart from Lord Laszlo, he understood that their time together was only temporary and even now thinks highly of him.
Secret #4 (found after Parvati is recruited)
Ruggiero has made frequent trips to the infirmary. I thought he was sick, but he was spending time with Parvati and talking to her. He seems to think highly of her, and he's always smiling around her. I heard Parvati laugh for the first time ever at one of Ruggiero's jokes. He's also taken her for rides on Arisoto, and the hippogriff also seems to like her. I do not know how this will progress, but I wish them the best.
29. Tenzai Star
Gertrude
Secret #1
Name: Gertrude
Age: 31
From: Kanakan
Position: Liberation Army morning broadcaster
Secret #2
Gertrude fits the stereotypes of people from Kanakan to a T. Heavy drinker and hard fighter. She was a soldier who drank a lot and got into frequent fights, and after a night of drinking someone tried to assault her. She killed the man in self-defense, but as it turned out the man was the son of a magister and so she was placed under arrest for murder. Sanji happened to be in the area and he saved her from her arresting officers, and he helped her escape the country. She's been loyal to him ever since.
Secret #3
Gertrude wins all the drinking contests she gets involved. No man is able to stop her. She's also ridiculously good at arm-wrestling contests as well. She's beaten Jantu more than once and has netted quite a bit of money from bets. Which she then spends on alcohol. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Secret #4 (found after the revelations about Sanji)
Shou thinks that Gertrude has feelings for Sanji. She genuinely does not care AT ALL what Sanji has done in his past. She is loyal to him and will defend him for anything. I don't know if such blind loyalty is admirable or worrisome, especially since Sanji doesn't seem the type to reciprocate such feelings. She might end up dead as a result of this man…but she doesn't seem to care. Ah, well.
30. Tenson Star
Arisoto
Secret #1
Name: Arisoto
Age: 15
From: ?
Position: Ruggiero's hippogriff companion
Secret #2
Ruggiero found him as an unhatched egg during his travels (he doesn't remember where). Ruggiero admits that he though Arisoto was a dragon egg and decided to keep him for himself because he wanted to try raising a dragon himself. When Arisoto hatched as a hippogriff and not a dragon though, Ruggiero wasn't disappointed. He raised Arisoto from hatching and kept him from going rabid or feral. Now they are inseparable companions.
Secret #3
There is a stigma around hippogriffs that is not entirely unwarranted, because of the fact that they are generally wild monsters who attack and eat humans. Arisoto's calm temperament is a testament of Ruggiero's good rearing, but most towns are not accepting of them as visitors. And we know what happened when you two met, as you brought him back to life. Arisoto however largely is unchanged in attitude despite having been wrongfully slain, but he is fiercely protective of Ruggiero. If anyone threatens Ruggiero, Arisoto will make them pay.
Secret #4
I overheard Ruggiero say that Arisoto likes Nagarea most out of all the places they've been to. I can't tell myself because I cannot read hippogriff feelings, but Ruggiero mentioned that he's thinking of making Nagarea their permanent home because of how much Arisoto likes it here. I wonder how much of this is Arisoto's feelings or Ruggiero's feelings himself, but I think the pair would make nice naturalized citizens of Nagarea after the war.
31. Tenpai Star
Bax
Secret #1
Name: Bax
Age: 29
From: Nay Island, Islands Nation Federation
Position: Liberation Army morning broadcaster
Secret #2 (Pre-Chapter Eleven)
What a peculiar fellow, and I don't say so just because he's a Nay-Kobold. Bax has a unique sense of humor and his brain-to-mouth filter doesn't seem to function properly, as he will say any questions or statements that immediately come to his mind. This does make him entertaining and Sanji and Gertrude are quite used to him, but others seem a bit put off by him. However, by his demeanor he seems very harmless, even with his combat skills.
He appears to be on the run from the Islands Nation Federation but he insists that he's innocent of the crime he was accused of. I'm inclined to believe him.
Secret #2 (Post-Chapter Eleven)
What a peculiar fellow, and I don't say so just because he's a Nay-Kobold. Bax has a unique sense of humor and his brain-to-mouth filter doesn't seem to function properly, as he will say any questions or statements that immediately come to his mind. This does make him entertaining and Sanji and Gertrude are quite used to him, but others seem a bit put off by him. However, by his demeanor he seems very harmless, even with his combat skills.
It was nice of you to get Bax acquitted of the crime he was accused of. No one should ever have to suffer for something they didn't do. I wonder if this means that he'll go home after the war?
Secret #3
I discovered two foods Bax likes; fish and mint. Bax has become very good friends with Bohai because he's a fisherman, and Bohai in turn has given Bax discounts on any fish he's caught. He gives Bax better discounts than he does to Yasaka! And speaking of Yasaka—apparently Bax has asked for mint in a lot of his food, but the food makes him vomit! Despite this, Bax will constantly ask Yasaka for mint and drives the poor chef crazy.
Secret #4
Everyone seems to think that Bax and Jantu would not get along, but they seem to get along with each other. They had a duel the other day that Jantu naturally won, but Bax held no hard feelings and they shook hands (or paws) afterwards. I overheard Bax talking about walking to visit Two River in the future, and Jantu himself expressed interest in visiting Nay Island. Why do I have a sensing feeling that this would be a bad idea?
32. Tenrou Star
Sásta
Secret #1
Name: Sásta
Age: 14
From: Zinnia, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
Áthas's twin sister. They look almost identical, except Sásta's left eye is dark red and her left eye is dark blue. They have a good-naturedly rivalry over who is the older twin, and Sásta is the most vocal of the two in saying she is the older one. Áthas just quietly disagrees with her and insists that HE is the older one. I spoke to their mother, and she confirmed for me that Áthas is the older twin (hahaha).
Secret #3
Sásta seems to be a closeted…"girly girl". In public she announces that she's a tomboy and acts like "one of the guys" around her brother, but Umeko caught her the other day fawning over colorful dresses. Umeko for once had enough tact to leave her be, but then she was caught by Rico and she ran away crying. I think she became stressed because of how much time Áthas has been spending with his group of guy friends, but yesterday I saw Priscilla and Allise sitting with Sásta reassuring her that she could still play dress up and be a tough girl. Then they dragged her off for a "dress up" session.
Secret #4
Sásta has a crush on someone. Masaru overheard her tell Esther the other day. The girls seemed to realize that people could overhear them because they referred to Sásta's crush in coded language. From what Masaru could interpret, Sásta's crush is male and he has an 'R' in his name. I know this hardly narrows it down, but then Sásta announced that she was going to go fishing and ran off. Well, at least we know she doesn't have a crush on Bohai. Or Nash. Or Futch. Or you, my Lord.
33. Tensui Star
Áthas
Secret #1
Name: Áthas
Age: 14
From: Zinnia, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army solider
Secret #2
Sásta's twin brother. They look almost identical, except Áthas's left eye is dark blue and his left eye is dark red. They have a good-naturedly rivalry over who is the older twin, and Sásta is the most vocal of the two in saying she is the older one. Áthas just quietly disagrees with her and insists that HE is the older one. I spoke to their mother, and she confirmed for me that Áthas is the older twin (hahaha).
Secret #3
Áthas very quickly became friends with a lot of the boy soldiers here at HQ. He's gone on "foraging trips" with Freyr, Lanny, and other boys without his twin sister, which in reality are really camping trips. From what it sounds like though there were not a lot of children in Zinnia in Sásta or his's age group, so he's glad for the opportunity to expand his friend group. He still hangs out with Sásta though, as the twins are still constant companions.
Secret #4
Áthas is a very good dancer. Desiree invited him onto the stage once during one of her performances and he was able to keep pace with her effortlessly. Unfortunately Lanny was upset to see this and I saw them arguing about it later. At one point Áthas yelled, "I don't even like her like that! I like Felicity!" As you can imagine things did smooth over for them shortly after that. But isn't that cute?
34. Tenbou Star
Nigel
Secret #1
Name: Nigel
Age: 26
From: Baltas, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
Nigel joined the Holy Army when he was fifteen, and within five years he was stationed back in his hometown. He knew Thea from childhood and they were happy to work together. When the mayor of Baltas brought Priscilla to Nagarea, Nigel and Thea were assigned to be her bodyguards. Neither were happy with the reason for their job but they did it without complaint. In time he grew to genuinely like Priscilla, but when Priscilla was arrested he was still demoted despite having followed orders. Then he was transferred under the command of Tamara Nuori.
Secret #3
Nigel respects Tamara even now follows her like a dutiful soldier. He felt though that she was not ready for a position of authority and he clashed with Imbuka Liger because he felt she was taking advantage of Tamara's inexperience. He tried to do what he could to guide her though, and even now he gives her frequent advice as to what to do. He's as closest to a proper second-in-command to Tamara as anyone could be.
Secret #4 (found after Chapter Nine)
So—ah—I discovered that Thea and Nigel has a…"relationship" of sorts. It's difficult to describe because they do not appear to be dating or betrothed, however Shou nonetheless witnessed them together a few times. It started not long after they joined the Liberation Army, but they started meeting up in increasing frequently after the Battle of Winter Hill. I do not know if whatever is going on between them will evolve into something else once the war is over, but I wish them the best.
35. Tenkoku Star
Thea
Secret #1
Name: Thea
Age: 26
From: Baltas, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
Thea is a natural as a soldier. She enlisted at the age of thirteen and wowed her commanders with her skills. By her request she was assigned to Baltas, where she was later assigned to be Priscilla's bodyguard. Thea knew Nigel from childhood and their friendship quickly resumed once they reunited, but when Priscilla was outed and arrested, Thea and Nigel were also punished. Quite unfortunately, Thea was punished more severely than Nigel and she was transferred under the command of Ramiro Lažov, who routinely humiliated her for her demotion.
Secret #3
Thea started teaching Tamara Nuori basic combat when she was recruited by the Liberation Army. It has been a slow progress because Tamara has minimal hand-to-hand combat skills, but the former Sheikh is a quick learner. Thea wants to teach her ambidextrous sword-styles, and Tamara seems very excited about it. Thea has benefited a lot from joining this Army, both phyiscally and mentally. Tamara I feel needs some positive female role models in her life, and Thea fits that role well.
Secret #4 (found after Chapter Nine)
Thea and Nigel have become close, closer than they were before the Battle of Winter Hill. Umeko asked her the other day if they were in a relationship and Thea replied, "Define "relationship"." That's a peculiar response, don't you think? I wish them the best regardless.
36. Tenkou Star
Adalgiso
Secret #1
Name: Adalgiso
Age: 62
From: Farna, Nagarea
Position: Second-in-command to Sloan Faakhir
Secret #2
Adalgiso is the grandson of a former High Cleric, so even though no other kin ever attained such high social status, his family was still regarded with a high level of respect. He's very popular among infantry units because of his willingness to fight on the front lines and because of the fact he cares about his recruits. Varnaz said that not even Bearyl Lutis ever had anything bad to say about him.
Secret #3
Despite his family's high status, Adalgiso abandoned his surname. This is because of the Plague of Farna. as you already know. His wife, his children, even his grandchildren—they all succumbed to this tragic epidemic. Not surprisingly the memory of his family was very painful for him and so he found it easier to not have his family name at all. Adalgiso seems to have come to terms with their deaths, but even now I sometimes find him staring off into space with a sad look on his face.
Secret #4
Adalgiso's loyalty to Sloan is unwavering. Even when Sloan was overtaken by the Black/Conqueror Rune, Adalgiso never abandoned him. After digging into this deeper, I found out why. When Adalgiso lost his family, he tried to commit suicide. Not only did Sloan prevent him from going through with it, but he also helped Adalgiso put his life back together. If not for Sloan, then Adalgiso surely would be dead or in a terrible state of mind right now, and so Adalgiso is eternally grateful to Sloan for his care. He sees Sloan as an honorary son, and Esther and Ciana as honorary granddaughters. It's very touching.
37. Chikai Star
Peader
Secret #1
Name: Peader
Age: 39
From: Žiak, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Strategist
Secret #2
Peader has wanted to be a teacher ever since he was a child. He was accepted into both the University of Žiak and the Holy School but chose to go to the University of Žiak as it was in his hometown. This was a stunning achievement for a vassal, and he was the first in his family to get a formal education. He excelled in all of his classes, however Peader was constantly overshadowed by the brilliance of Phoebe Amirmoez. This however did not bother him and he actually seemed to enjoy being in Phoebe's shadow. His positive view of Phoebe did not change when she was branded as a traitor and became the leader of the original Liberation Army, and he mourned her when she died.
Secret #3
Peader has never married, but he saw his students as his children. He was fiercely protective of them and he supported them when they lodged their protests. He also tried to prevent them from being conscripted for the Battle of Winter Hill, but there was nothing he could do to stop the soldiers. Peader fell into a severe depression in the aftermath of the Battle. Masaru went back to the University and found a suicide note in Peader's room at the school. We found him at a good time, my Lord. While I can still sense sadness from him he is in significantly better spirits knowing that many of the students who he had heard died at Winter Hill are now alive.
Secret #4
Peader was in the library the other day talking to Blaise. Peader doesn't want to return to the University of Žiak, but rather would like to reform the Holy School in the capital and he wants to recruit Blaise to assist him with it. It sounds like Peader would like to be the headmaster of this new reformed school. I imagine this school will be one of the best schools ever.
38. Chisatsu Star
Virgil
Secret #1
Name: Virgil
Age: 40
From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
Virgil was a soldier in the Holy Army until he received the scar that now mars his face. He was discharged as it was initially thought he was going to go blind, but he didn't lose his sight but was left with that scar. This unfortunately ruined Virgil's livelihood, as being a soldier was his career. He was in a relationship with Caoimhe during this time and they decided to get marry against the wishes of her parents. Caoimhe was disowned and they struggled financially, especially after Dylan was born, but they were happy…for a little while.
Secret #3
Virgil was a victim of domestic abuse from his now ex-wife Caoimhe. He spoke candidly about how she would speak to him, and the numerous times she hit him. Because he was bigger than her she would often hit him with kitchen utensils or furniture, but sometimes it was with her hands, fists, and feet. Unfortunately I heard some women laughing when they walked by as he described the abuse, which was disheartening to say the least. Abuse is abuse, no matter the gender of the person or how much bigger or stronger they are from the person abusing them. He did what he could to protect Dylan from this abuse, but he feels that he didn't do enough.
Secret #4 (Pre-Chapter Eleven)
Virgil has kept away from women for the most part since his divorce finalized, and I have never seen him alone with one. I don't know if he's subconsciously afraid of being abuse or if he thinks he'll be accused of another crime he didn't do, but he has kept his distance. There are quite a few women here who are keen on him and have sent him gifts, but he doesn't seem interested. All of his focus is on Dylan. I guess knowing that Caoimhe is out there somewhere has not made things easy for him.
Secret #4 (Pre-Chapter Eleven)
Virgil has kept away from women for the most part since his divorce finalized, and I have never seen him alone with one. I don't know if he's subconsciously afraid of being abuse or if he thinks he'll be accused of another crime he didn't do, but he has kept his distance. There are quite a few women here who are keen on him and have sent him gifts, and he's slowly warming up to the idea of opening himself. Dylan right now is his focus, especially after they met Caoimhe before her execution. I hope they can finally be happy with closure.
39. Chiyu Star
Kin
Secret #1
Name: Kin
Age: 28
From: K'alak'i Patieba, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Trading Post Owner
Secret #2
Kin's family has been in the trading business since before the Great Earthquake. His ancestor is on record as being the last known Nagarean to have entered Armes under peaceful terms. Kin has dreamed of being a traveling trader like his ancestors have, but obviously has had little opportunity to travel due to the isolationism of Nagarea, and of course the Falenan-Nagarean land border being impassable due to the Earthquake. Perhaps that will change now?
Secret #3
I found this amongst Kin's notes when he was out of his shop:
"Rice to Tenaga. Rice to K'alak'l Patieba. Rice to Doraat. Rice to Lordlake—"
Those are cities in Falena! Kin is trading to Falena? Most impressive! Although, why is he only trading rice?
Secret #4
Ah, so I found out some more info about his fixation with rice. For a period when he was a child business was really bad and his family almost starved to death. Rice would be the only thing he could eat every day for over a year. You would think he would despise rice in his later years, but he eats it with every meal and he puts forth greater effort to make sure that it's trading well than his other resources.
…While this is noble, perhaps he should also promote other products if he wants to earn more money. Maybe you can talk to him about that?
40. Chiketsu Star
Jeane
Secret #1
Name: Jeane
Age: ?
From: ?
Position: Liberation Army Runemistress
Secret #2
Jeane? Ah yes, I remember her from the Falenan Civil War. She's done something different with her hair though, but she looks largely the same as back then. Very mysterious woman.
Secret #3
Ah, this is…strange. I thought I saw Jeane leaving HQ to go somewhere, but when I started following her suddenly I woke up on a patch of grass near the southwest building. I don't remember what happened after I walked through the gates. Is Jeane responsible?
Secret #4
We are at a loss. None of my detectives has been able to find anything about her. The most I can gather is that she is in historical books for five past wars and she has maintained her power and beauty. I think it's best we leave this alone.
41. Chiyu Star
Oisin
Secret #1
Name: Oisin
Age: 19
From: Peak's Edge, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army soldier, de facto leader of the Winger division
Secret #2
Well, what can I say about him? He's a Winger who's angry and hates humans. He tolerates you my Lord, but I've seen him snap at Liberation Army soldiers for the slightest infractions. He's gotten into numerous fights, too. I have heard that his parents were murdered by parents, but he avenged them by killing their murderers. Now he treats all humans the same as these killers. Maybe you should have a talk with him, my Lord?
Secret #3
Oisin has been selected to be the next Chief of Peak's Edge. I guess it helps that he's dating the current Chief's daughter but Oisin genuinely loves Dahlia and is very protective of her. A human soldier made the mistake of hitting on Dahlia the other day, and Oisin tossed him over the cliff into the sea. Luckily Bohai was able to rescue him, but my goodness! He needs an attitude adjustment if he wants to be a capable leader!
Secret #4
Oisin has a very good singing voice. The other day Kakyoku was playing outside and Oisin started singing along to the melody. He has a surprisingly clear tenor voice, which you wouldn't expect from such a volatile man, but the only people he seems comfortable singing around are Dahlia and Kakyoku. Well, if it helps to calm him then so be it.
42. Chii Star
Fred
Secret #1
Name: Fred Maximillian
Age: 26
From: Lenankamp, Toran Republic
Position: Liberation Army solider
Secret #2
The grandson of the legendary Maximillian, founder of the Maximillian Knights, and a hero of the Second Fire Bringer War. The goal of the Maximillian Knights is to fight for truth and justice and the eradication of ALL evil. I knew some Maximillian Knights who fought for the Loyalist Army during the Falenan Civil War; Isabel and Mathias. Fred knew them as a child before they retired and he had fond memories of them. He doesn't appear to have many memories of his grandfather though and frequently asks people questions about him.
Secret #3
Fred appears to have an ancestor who fought for Lord Laszlo during the Islands Federation War. Gary was his name, and he was a technical pacifist along with his wife Ema. Despite not being a combatant he was still a good source of support and morale, and Ema and him eventually immigrated to the Scarlet Moon Empire. They would pass along their ideology of promoting truth, justice, and the eradication of evil to future generations, thus the roots of the Maximillian Knights.
Secret #4
Fred is VERY popular with the ladies here. He is a handsome man with integrity and is chivalrous, and these appear to be traits that women find very appealing. Since his arrival here from the Northern Continent he has been given over two dozen marriage proposals from women! Even GIZLI expressed interest in him! Fred however has declined all proposals and has declared that he is not interested in a romantic relationship so long as evil exists in the world. So as you can imagine, there have been quite a few broken hearts here.
43. Chiei Star
Rico
Secret #1
Name: Rico
Age: 17
From: Lenankamp, Toran Republic
Position: Liberation Army solider
Secret #2
Fred's loyal attendant and also a hero of the Second Fire Bringer War, something that runs in her family. Her father Sancho served as the attendant of Fred's grandfather Maximillian, though Rico seems to be more grounded in reality than both Sancho and Mathias were. While Fred has fantastical views of dispensing justice, Rico works hard to keep him grounded in reality. Unfortunately she is rarely successful, and oftentimes finds herself swept up in his hijinks.
Secret #3
Rico has started to make friends with several of the girls at HQ. Sásta in particular she has become close to. However she has put her duty as Fred's attendant ahead of everything in her life, and she will drop everything to run off to join him on his (mis)adventures. Thankfully everyone has been understanding, as we are all soldiers are all. But I think these two need to relax every now and then.
Secret #4 (found after Chapter Nine)
When Rico was found after the Battle of Winter Hill, she had two possessions on her. One was a medal clutched in her fist, and the other was a letter from her father Sancho. The letter was partially destroyed but the medal was intact. It turns out that the medal was a gift from Fred and is Rico's prized possession. She has been seen polishing this medal multiple times a day. It appears that when she fell in battle she held onto this medal for comfort. I believe this to be a symbol of how much Fred means to her, and I think it's touching.
44. Chiki Star
Keiran
Secret #1
Name: Keiran Umed
Age: 24
From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea
Position: Former Sheikh of the northeastern provinces
Secret #2
Keiran is from the upper crust of Nagarean society, and he inherited his title of Sheikh from his father. But he is a very capable warrior and doesn't hesitate to fight on the front lines with his men. He's always held a very moderate perspective about the Nagarean faith, but for his own job and personal security he had to pretend to be just as radicalized as his colleagues. He also has a personal code of conduct and honor, which is why he refused to take Princess Kaylani hostage.
Secret #3
He looks like a laid-back elitist, but his swordsmanship is amazing. Did you know that Keiran and Mihr had a duel several years ago that lasted for six hours and went to a draw? People have heard of this and keep asking them to do a rematch, but both parties have refused. The other day he had a duel with Jantu though and Jantu did defeat him, but Keiran seemed to be holding himself back. I think he was trying to humble himself before the Army as repentance for everything he'd done to the Army when he was a Sheikh. People have been slow to warm up to him, but he's such a likeable guy that nobody can stay mad at him for very long.
Secret #4
Keiran was part of an arranged marriage for most of his life, but a few years ago he formally broke off the engagement. He told his betrothed that he could not marry her because he didn't love her, but he also paid back the dowry her family had bestowed upon him when the engagement had been officiated. Most elitist marriages in Nagarean society are arranged marriages, but Keiran did not want to subject his future wife to a potentially unhappy marriage. Though there are also rumors that Keiran ended the engagement because he's already fallen in love...
45. Chimou Star
Mihr
Secret #1
Name: Mihr
Age: 25
From: Warrior's Village, Toran Republic
Position: Second-in-Command to Keiran Umed
Secret #2
The Warrior's Village has a reputation for building incredible fighters. They have a coming-of-age tradition where young men have to go on a "journey of manhood" to become a true warrior. This is the reason that Mihr came to Nagarea, as part of his "reckless youth pride". When Mihr first met Keiran, the latter was attempting to arrest him for being a "heretic". They fought in a duel for six hours but it only came to a draw. In awe of his fighting prowess, Keiran offered him a position on his squad, and Mihr rapidly rose in the ranks to become his second-in-command. With this ascension, Mihr has more or less completed his journey.
Secret #3
It's a tradition amongst men of the Warrior Village that when they complete their "journey of manhood" they are allowed to officially name their weapon. It's such a big deal within this village that men generally name their weapon after their most beloved person. You've probably already noticed, but Mihr has also named his weapon. It's a very peculiar name though, "Nariek". I asked him if Nariek is anyone that we know and though he said yes, he would give me no further details.
Secret #4
Did you know that Mihr is one of Mooney's best customers? You would never guess it by looking at him, but Mihr is very fond of the figurines Mooney has created. He's already collected all the warriors that hail from the Warrior's Village, such as Hix, Tengaar, Mathias, and of course Flik, but he's also collecting more. Mooney told me he's spent almost 100,000 bits on his figurines. I guess everyone has a secret hobby.
46. Chibun Star
Mooney
Secret #1
Name: Mooney
Age: 44
From: ?
Position: Liberation Army Whittier
Secret #2
This man has certainly had a fruitful life so far! He's been to multiple countries all over the world studying the stories of wars long past. Mooney loves the stories of heroes and made it his goal to portray heroes in a visual way that would appeal to people. So he started whittling figurine images of heroes of the past to honor them. His figurines proved to be popular and he started making a profit for them. In his travels, five specific wars drew his closest interest; the Gate Rune War, the Dunan Unification War, the Second Fire Bringer War, the Islands Federation War, and the Falenan Civil War. He began to focus his whittlings on the heroes of these five wars specifically. His figurine of me is quite flattering (ha).
Secret #3
Mooney has said that his bestselling figures of all time is a two-way tie for first place between Blue Thunder Flik and Vagabond Viktor. His bestselling collection is for the Dunan Unification War; after a dismal first run it suddenly became so popular so quickly that Mooney has been unable to keep up with demand. People sell his Dunan Unification War figurines on the black market for TRIPLE the price their original selling price was! And unfortunately the Islands Federation War has sold terribly. But Mooney insists on still carving figurines of this war. He still makes a profit regardless.
Secret #4
Mooney has started creating rough drafts of figurines for the Nagarean Civil War. We will most likely not see these figurines come to fruition during this war, but Mooney has decided to officially expand his collection to six. The sketches he has drawn of our likeness's look great, and his prototype for you looks good so far. I imagine he will charge the most for his own figurine.
47. Chisei Star
Gizli
Secret #1
Name: Gizli
Age: 59
From: Zinnia, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army's Forgery Expert and Appraiser
Secret #2
This woman is…something. She's loud, abrasive, and has incredibly low patience. Sorry, but I wasn't able to find out anything about her. She refused to sit down and talk to me. Then she started throwing things at me when I didn't leave fast enough. You're our leader, can you go and talk to her and tell her that this behavior is highly inappropriate?
Secret #3
Why did you send me back to her again? Well, whatever. She's a heavy smoker. Dr. Clara has been on her case for the last couple of years about it, but Gizli ignores her for the most part. Much like how she ignores everyone unless they wanted forged documents or to get an appraisal. I don't like doing this, just save your money and please do not send me after her again.
Secret #4
Wow, okay. She actually talked to me this time. Did you know she was once married? Well it's easy to see that with her solid veil, but her husband was one of the best forgers around. He taught Gizli everything he knew. They were married for almost thirty years and she deeply loved him. She kept talking about how much she regretted that they didn't have children. Forgery is a crime though, and though it's a universal crime the penalty here in Nagarea was pretty severe. Both Gizli and her husband were arrested, but her husband sacrificed himself so that she could escape. She met up with the Liberation Army while literally fleeing from Holy Army forces. Gunther and Varnaz saved her, and that's how she joined your Army. I guess she wasn't so bad after all.
48. Chikatsu Star
Brennus
Secret #1
Name: Brennus
Age: 16
From: Kõrkus, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army solider
Secret #2
This is a boy with spirit and a good constitution. He was the greeter at Kõrkus who would check identification books and quiz travelers before they entered the city. He was always so happy doing his job and he was happy serving his country. After his father broke his back Breenus became the family breadwinner and so he worked hard. The betrayal he suffered at the Battle of Winter Hill (in addition to dying) devastated him. Since joining the Liberation Army though he's gotten much better.
Secret #3
Brennus has taken up a crafting hobby. He's created mask of different expressions, colors, and headdresses. Nāṭaka has bought a few masks off him to use for her productions, and the children have created games from the masks he's created. While it's all in good fun, some of the monstrous masks have...unique features. I know that when we die our souls temporarily rest in the World of Emptiness before passing on. It makes me wonder what Brennus saw there.
Secret #4
Brennus I feel needs to have more opportunities to be a kid. He's 16 and has been supporting his family, and he experienced horrors like we all did in the Battle of Winter Hill. The lot of you need to have more opportunities to act like kids, I think. Maybe you should take another quick trip before this war finishes? And then an extended vacation once we win? Brennus could use a vacation.
49. Chitou Star
May
Secret #1
Name: May
Age: 31
From: Barakada, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Gardener
Secret #2
May once owned a farm but she lost it during a bad drought and all of her crops died. She started wandering, planting seeds and wanting to make the world greener. She found the Red Tundra to be a depressing domain and so she tried to plant vegetables and flowers there, but as the Red Tundra was made of frozen land and permafrost, she wasn't successful. She's done all right here at HQ, though.
Secret #3
May is a widow; her husband caught cholera a year before the drought and without him she couldn't maintain their livelihood. Dr. Yulin actually came to give him care, but the cholera infection was so severe that there was nothing Dr. Yulin could do for him. Dr. Yulin later said he'd never seen a cholera infection that bad, and he admired May's husband's spirit for fighting the infection as long as he had. May loved her husband dearly and even now wears her wedding ring. She has said she has no interest in finding another partner, as her husband was the best.
Secret #4
May and Tidur have developed a nice friendship, and May has become something akin to an aunt to Tidur's daughters. May has taught all three of them gardening, and oftentimes the four of them can be seen together tending to the crops for the Army. May likewise has a VERY good working relationship with Yasaka, as she supplies him ingredients for many of his dishes. I'm glad to see her getting along with everyone.
50. Chikyou Star
Bright
Secret #1
Name: Bright
Age: 18
From: Rakutei Mountain, Dunan Republic
Position: Futch's dragon partner
Secret #2
Futch's loyal companion, almost akin to his son. Futch found Bright's egg during the Dunan Unification War and he named Bright after Lord Riou's Bright Shield Rune. Bright imprinted on Futch and is a very well-behaved dragon despite being born away from the Dragon Knight's Domain. Futch is fiercely protective of Bright though, and will often put himself in danger to keep his dragon safe. Bright however feels the same as Futch. Their minds are very much alike.
Secret #3
Bright is quite a…unique dragon, is he not? His back is large enough to carry a large group of people, but he's small enough to fit through doors and to go to the baths with Futch. I'm quite puzzled at how the physics of this should work. The Dragon Horses in Falena are significantly smaller and can only carry 1-2 people at a time, so I can understand how they can fit into rooms. But Bright shouldn't be able to fit into a room but can. I asked Futch about it, and he looked at me like I was a fool.
Secret #4
Bright is a bit of a loner, and seems to have little patience with other dragons. This is probably due to the fact that he wasn't raised around other dragons. He seems to get along with Suna just fine, but otherwise Bright seems to prefer the company of humans. He also doesn't like sharing his meat with other dragons, either. Futch has tried to curb this behavior but hasn't been successful so far.
51. Chian Star
Lanny
Secret #1
Name: Lanny
Age: 14
From: Tenaga, Nagarea
Position: Squire First-Class in Nagarea's Liberation Army, formally Squire First-Class to Keiran Umed
Secret #2
Lanny's family are vassals in Tenaga, and by the caste system are lower than indentured servants. Because of this he was doomed to having an extremely low rank when he joined the Theocratic Army, despite his natural skill with a sword. Keiran however saw potential in him despite his very low rank and thus Lanny has been privilege and treatment as though he were among the noble class. Because of this, Lanny is fiercely loyal to Keiran and will follow him wherever he goes.
Secret #3
Lanny doesn't have any friends his age because of his low social rank, and because his peers his age were jealous of him because they though he had gotten preferential treatment from Keiran. Older peers mercilessly teased him, and still do so, and though they mean no harm Lanny unfortunately takes it personally. The other day I heard Keiran express relief that the Liberation Army has young people Lanny's age in it, as it will give him the chance to actually make friends.
Secret #4
Lanny seems to have developed a…crush on Desiree. Whenever he hears that she's about to dance—even if it's just a rumor—he drops whatever it is he's doing an runs to the theatre to watch her dance. I've seen him watch her dancing and every time he looks like he's in a trance. I think some people around here get a kick out of seeing him so flustered, considering he's generally very stoic and serious. Predictably his older peers have teased him for it, but Desiree for her part seems oblivious to his crush. Which I suppose is a good thing because Lanny does NOT want her to find out about it.
52. Chiziku Star
Farzin
Secret #1
Name: Farzin Masood
Age: 44
From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army soldier, former Cleric
Secret #2
Farzin was the first Cleric in his family. Isn't that nice? Well, not necessarily. Farzin's dad was a sculptor but also incredibly lazy. He made one magnificent sculptor of Nagar once (which is in the main square of Mlkwt Alsmwat), but that ended up being the first and last time he finished a project. After that he received commissions for other sculptures, but once he started the projects he would never finish them. The family was constantly poor because they had no money (as they would have to give it back when he abandoned projects) and nothing ever motivated Farzin's dad to get a day job or try to apply himself to his work. When Farzin became a Cleric his parents hounded him for cash constantly, and his father humiliated him by using Farzin's name to get yet another commission and then eventually abandoned it and he ended up in prison for a few years for fraud. Good thing this all happened before Original Sin became law, huh?
Secret #3
As you know, Farzin made the bulk of his money by handing out quickie divorces in the capital. Traditionally when a couple wishes to divorce they have to petition the High Clerics to be granted their divorce. Farzin however found a loophole in the law and was able to grant legitimate divorces to people who didn't want to petition the High Clerics. Allise was one such person. He was eventually found out however and was defrocked, but one good thing that came from being defrocked was that after his hearing he overheard the planned massacre on Uaminifu and hurried to warn the Liberation Army about it. During his travels he met up with Shou and they traveled together until they found you. Shou didn't say much about their trip other than that Farzin likes to talk a lot.
Secret #4
Farzin has an extremely low opinion of marriage. Well this was pretty obvious with how eager he was to take up the divorce trade, but truthfully it was because of his parent's toxic marriage that he despises it so. He feels that his parents were completely incompatible and enablers of each other's negative traits and so he has no desire to marry himself. Fact is that he seems wholly uninterested in relationships in general, as his devotion continue towards the Nagarist faith even while he himself is technically no longer a Cleric. But he seems perfectly content sitting by himself reading the Scriptures for hours on end.
53. Chikai Star
Mokuren
Secret #1
Name: Mokuren
Age: 17
From: Rainfall, Falena
Position: Bodyguard to Prince Surya
Secret #2
Mokuren has a very eccentric nature that tends to put other people off. But for the most part it appears to just be a façade for people to deliberately underestimate her and to remain taken off-guard by her. She is in fact a very capable bodyguard to Surya and has saved his life on numerous occasions.
Secret #3
As you have been informed, Mokuren comes from the Barows family, which was once a prominent noble family in Falena. However, the reputation of the family was tarnished because of their treasonous actions that led to the loss of numerous lives. Mokuren's father Euram was one such individual, and to redeem himself he pledged his firstborn child to live in the service of the Falenan royal family. Mokuren was this child, and after Euram insisted on the family taking his child Queen Lymsleia gave Mokuren to baby Surya to serve as his playmate and bodyguard. The rest is history.
Secret #4
Though Surya is a member of Falena's Queen's Knights, Mokuren is not an official member. She definitely has the skill for it, and it's not a matter of sexism that excludes her from the Knights. From what it looks like, there has been some resistance from the citizens of Falena of allowing someone from the Barows family to serve on the Queen's Knights. It's a shame that Mokuren's career advancement has been stunted due to the sins of her father, but she doesn't seem to mind.
54. Chisa Star
Liron
Secret #1
Name: Liron
Age: 19
From: Zinnia, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Sound Master
Secret #2
Liron was the daughter of the Chapel choirmaster in Zinnia, but she felt that she couldn't escape her father's shadow. Her father had a such a commanding and magnificent voice and Liron was oftentimes compared to him and not in a good way. She sought out the means of improving her voice and she found a Sound Rune. Wearing the Sound Rune however didn't make her surpass her father though and she left Zinnia in search of trying to make the Sound Rune better. Little did she know that she needed a Sound Set…
Secret #3
The Sound Rune is truly one of the most unusual runes I've ever seen. It doesn't appear to be a rune rooted in reality, does it? From our research it appears that the sound rune has created "sounds" that others cannot hear. The sounds seem to only appeal to those who do not exist on this plain. I know this hardly makes sense, but that is how it feels. Liron took the rune to improve her voice, but she instead is able to change voices entirely. At least we can notice these changes, huh?
Secret #4
Liron follows a vegan diet, which means she eats no meat or animal byproducts whatsoever. Admittedly I had never heard of veganism, but Yasaka seems familiar with it and has designated a section of his kitchen specifically for those who have vegan diets. No food on this side of the kitchen touches animal byproducts. I asked Liron if this was for moral reasons or health reasons, but she has said that her "voice sounds better" since she stopped eating anything from animals.
55. Chiyu Star
Gusoku
Secret #1
Name: Gusoku
Age: 36
From: Tenaga, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Armorer
Secret #2
Nagarea is well renowned for healing items but the armor business appears to also be very competitive as well. Gosuku's family were late bloomers in Tenaga, as his grandfather was the one who started the business, but he was in fact the fifth armor shop to have been set up in Tenaga. As you can imagine the competition between the fives stores was extremely heavy. The competitiveness escalated into physical violence in the streets and Keiran's grandfather had to personally intervene as employees from different shops were being attacked and killed. By the end of it Gusoku's family curried the most favor with the Sheikh, and by the time Gusoku was born his family's shop was the sole armor shop in Tenaga.
Secret #3
Gusoku is a natural genius when it comes to owning a business. Not only did he know the Merchant's Pledge by heart (even after the Theocracy kept adding lines to it seemingly at random) but he could do inventory entirely from memory. Nāṭaka has nothing but praises for Gusoku when it comes to plays because he not only memorizes his own lines, but the lines of everyone in the play. He seems to get a lot of enjoyment from working, so it's best to keep him busy.
Secret #4
Hey, I found a letter at his shop when he was out. It's quite interesting. I'll transcribe a few lines:
"I believe you when you say that you love me, and I hope that you will believe me when I say that I love you, too. But now is not the time for us to be together."
That was a note written to Gusoku in lovely handwriting. Is Gusoku in a secret relationship?
56. Chirei Star
Yulin
Secret #1
Name: Dr. Yulin
Age: 52
From: Tenaga, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army's Chief Doctor
Secret #2
Dr. Yulin is a brillint physician and surgeon. For years he was respected in the medical community for his skills and despite his low rank on the caste system even the elites respected his skills. You probably know this, but Dr. Yulin volunteered for his position as the doctor of the Dark Chasm, because he had heard rumors about the deplorable conditions of the labor mine and wanted to do what he could to help the children. The fact that so many children have died under his care has caused him incredible guilt.
Secret #3
Dr. Yulin doesn't seem to understand the concept of 'after hours' or 'day off'. He's always in the infirmary working. I don't know when he goes to sleep. Dr. Clara is constantly reprimanding him for overworking, and just the other day she summoned Jantu to force him to go to bed. It was pretty funny, but she had a point. Dr. Yulin works way too hard. Maybe he'll take a break if you tell him to?
Secret #4
Did you know Dr. Yulin has a son? He's a cleric in the capital. Unfortunately Dr. Yulin's son stopped talking to him after Dr. Yulin took his position in the Dark Chasm, and when Dr. Yulin joined our army his son publicly renounced any kinship to him. It was probably in order to save himself from getting punished under Original Sin, but it was still devastating to Dr. Yulin. I think he gets along with you so well because you remind him of his son.
57. Chijyu Star
Clara
Secret #1
Name: Dr. Clara
Age: 21
From: Farna, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Secondary Doctor
Secret #2
Despite her young age, Dr. Clara is a very gifted doctor passionate about her work. She decided to study medicine after surviving the Plague of Farna, which took the life of her older brother. Clara studied at the University of Žiak to get her doctorate, but unfortunately she could not advance very far despite her high scores. The year she was supposed to graduate she was told she told she had failed, however she found out they didn't want to pass her because of her low caste rank, and because of the fact that her higher-ranking classmates did not qualify for graduation. Clara broke into the main offices and stole her diploma.
Secret #3
Dr. Clara was already disillusioned with the Theocracy when she was denied graduation, so when she first started hearing the rumors about the truth about the Plague of Farna she immediately believed them. This unfortunately is what got her into trouble with the government because she was asking a LOT of questions openly. That, and she was freely practicing as a doctor "unlicensed" (even though University of Žiak had her diploma ready anyway). Luckily for Clara, her arresting officer was a soldier whose wife she had previously saved when she dislocated her pelvis, so he let her escape custody. Not too long afterwards she found the Liberation Army, and Bearyl Lutis was more than happy to have her.
Secret #4
You've probably seen how much Dr. Clara idolizes Dr. Yulin, but she also has very little patience for how little the older doctor takes care of himself. Just the other day she was tying him to a bed screaming at him to sleep. Well, in general she has very little patience for anyone who doesn't take care of herself, but she herself doesn't take care of herself. I've rarely seen her leave the infirmary even for meals, and I've never seen her socialize outside of her work. She has plenty of admirers, though.
58. Chibi Star
Futch
Secret #1
Name: Futch
Age: 28
From: Dragon Knight's Domain, Toran Republic
Position: Liberation Army soldier, Dragon Knight 3rd Degree
Secret #2
A veteran of the Gate Rune War, Dunan Unification War, and the Second Fire Bringer War, Futch has been fighting on the battlefield since before he reached puberty. Despite this now being his fourth war, Futch seems to be a very well-adjusted man to his surroundings. Apparently in his youth he used to be loud, abrasive, and impatient but I don't see any of that now. I see more of that in Sharon these days, and his patience with her is admirable (ha).
Secret #3
Bright is not his first dragon. When he first became a Dragon Knight he had a dragon named, Black died protecting him. Futch was traumatized by his death, not helped when he was also immediately exiled from the Dragon Knight's Domain, and very nearly did not accept Bright when he found Bright. Now Bright is his closest friend and companion, but Futch carries around Black's scales as a memento. Futch was also close to a man named Humphrey, who retired from combat and returned to Toran. He gave Futch the sword he carries on his back now, though.
Secret #4
Futch knows many of the people who are here from past wars and is friendly towards them, but he seems selective about the people he calls friends. I asked him who his friends are and he gave me precisely ten names: Bright, Kent, Master Tir, Lord Riou, Humphrey, Hugo, Master Thomas, Sharon, Suna, and you my Lord. What an honor to be considered a friend of Futch's, huh?
59. Chikyu Star
Felicity
Secret # 1
Name: Felicity
Age: 17
From: Farna, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army soldier, former Dark Chasm prisoner
Secret #2
Felicity is one of you best friends with whom you met during your time in the Dark Chasm. In that wretched place she stood out from other children because of her optimism in the fact of the horrendous abuse you all suffered. This tended to get her into trouble a lot, because the guards didn't take kindly to seeing smiles and laughter, which Felicity frequently displayed. But it didn't stop her from behaving this way, somewhat in defiance of them.
Secret #3
This is no secret, but Felicity survived the Plague of Farna. Twelve years ago the town was struck by a plague that had been created by the Theocracy to exterminate the elves of Nagarea, but the plague accidentally spread to Farna. Eight thousand people died of the Plague, including Felicity's mother. She witnessed many horrors in that city, and this may have been why she wasn't so fazed by her experience in the Dark Chasm. I would strongly recommend talking with her about her experience sometime. It's not an easy subject for her, but she seems more relaxed when she gets it off her chest.
Secret #4
This may surprise you, but Felicity has become disillusioned with the Nagarean faith. Her father was convicted under Original Sin for adultery; he had an affair with the wife of a cleric. This is part of the reason he made many business trips to Mlkwt Alsmwat. As per the laws of Original Sin, both guilty parties should be punished. However, only Felicity's family was punished and the cheating wife was not. Felicity has expressed a lot of anger over this, because she feels it isn't fair that her family was singled out for punishment. It's probably because of this why she was so enthusiastic about joining the Liberation Army.
60. Chibaku Star
River
Secret #1
Name: River
Age: 25
From: Estel, Eryn mi Hui (East Forest), Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army soldier, leader of the Nagarean Elves
Secret #2
River is the son of the former Chief of the Nagarean Elves. When River was born, hundreds of elves lived in the East Forest. It is said that the southern lands of Nagarea used to be the territory of the elves, much like how the High Peak Mountains is the territory of the Wingers. But through many tragic circumstances—whether it be humans or whatever created the Red Tundra—the Elves in East Forest became all that was left. Then the Theocracy released a Plague to wipe them out entirely, and all but eight Elves died. River has seen many terrible things in his life but has bottled it up for the sake of his people.
Secret #3
River learned to speak the common tongue out of spite. After surviving the Plague he only ever wanted to speak Elvish, but was frustrated when they ambushed humans who trespassed in the East Forest and they could not understand the words he screamed at them. So the Elves stole language books and taught themselves the common tongue for intimidation purposes only. Then they started speaking it to each other almost exclusively. They still know Elvish and cherish the language, but maintaining the common tongue is easier for them at this time. Silvano knows Elvish and has tried to speak to speak to River in Elvish for commonality, but River refuses to reciprocate. He still considers Silvano to be a "traitor", which is a shame.
Secret #4 (found after Chapter Nine)
River considers you a good friend, my Lord. However he is ashamed that he feels friendship towards you because of his hatred for humans, and he has tried to hide this from his fellow Elves but has not been successful. I overheard Clover tell him that it was okay for River to feel friendship for a human and that he should embrace said feelings, but River vehemently denied feeling any friendship towards you. I admire your patience with River on this, my Lord.
61. Chizen Star
Eresh
Secret #1
Name: Eresh
Age: ?
From: ?
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
What a…unique young lady. She traveled to Falena as a dignitary of Nagarea for Queen Lymsleia's coronation ceremony, and this was the first contact Falena had with Nagarea in over a hundred years. We now know that the robes she wears are the robes of the High Clerics of the Nagarean Theocracy. Then she went to a cave and just…loitered there for the duration of the war. I'm not sure if Prince Freyjadour helped her or not.
Secret #3
Eresh seems to know a lot and has incredible powers. Leknaat and Jeane both know her well, but from where I don't know. I already don't know much about Jeane. Whatever Eresh's powers are, a fraction of these powers turned a man who stole said powers into a Wechuge. It is best to stay on her good side.
Secret #4
The animals here seem to fear Eresh. They do not treat her as a threat, but the dogs and the dragons have been seem to bow their heads the few times Eresh is seen walking around. Even Öt has been observed to flee in her presence. Just who is this girl, anyway? I overheard her say that her body was destroyed in the coup of the Theocracy by Nether Gate, but here she is? And she is ageless! Sorry, I ask these questions because I know nothing.
62. Chikou Star
Masaru
Secret #1
Name: Masaru
Age: 22
From: Rokakku Village
Position: Liberation Army soldier, Ninja
Secret #2
Masaru is the nephew of Hanzo, the leader of the Rokakku Hamlet, and the cousin of Umeko. His first experience with outsiders was as a toddler, when Lord Riou first arrived at Rokakku Village looking for recruits for the Dunan Unification War. Lord Riou ended up making many trips to Rokakku before he was successful, but it made Masaru intensely curious about the outisde. When Lord Riou left with his new recruits—Sasuke and Mondo, I believe were the ninja names—Masaru tried to follow them. The boy managed to make it as far as Banner Village before he was caught. But rather than be punished, Masaru was heralded for his impressive skills as a ninja by his uncle and thus his personal training was done by Hanzo himself from thereon out.
Secret #3
Masaru and Umeko do not have a good relationship. Masaru considers Umeko to be wasteful and an embarrassment to their family. Thus when Umeko was banished from Rokakku for her recklessness he was actually relieved to see her gone. I believe in time though that he has come to regret discarding his family in such a manner, and I have noticed that he has been showing her more patience and doesn't insult her with every sentence anymore. Shou found a letter he was drafting to his uncle asking that Umeko be allowed to return. I don't know if he will be successful, but it's a sweet gesture nonetheless.
Secret #4
Wow. Oh, my goodness. Apparently, Masaru is MARRIED. Did you know this, my Lord? I only found out because Umeko spilled the beans when she got drunk (yet again). If Umeko is to be believed, Masaru's wife is named Asuna and she is the youngest daughter of Mondo. Their marriage was arranged when they—
(The rest of the paragraph was blackened out. There is writing underneath, different from above.)
THIS IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.
(There is a message underneath this one, in different handwriting from the other two.)
Wow, hypocrite much Masaru? It's okay for you to pry in other people's business but nobody can pry into yours?
63. Chikyou Star
Shou
Secret #1
Name: Shou
Age: 26
From: Somewhere in Falena
Position: Liberation Army Detective
Secret #2
As you know Shou is the son of my two wards, Shigure and Sagiri. Shigure was brainwashed by Nether Gate to never show emotions, and Sagiri was brainwashed by Nether Gate to never stop smiling, but when they came together their emotions stabilized. As such I wasn't at all surprised to see them eventually fall in love and get married. Fuyo once told me that childbirth was the first time Sagiri lost her smile, and Shigure cried for the first time when he first held Shou, and so we are deeply thankful to Shou for giving us many gifts. He was babied quite a bit, but that seemed to embarrass him even at an early age and so he didn't grow up spoiled (despite our best efforts).
Secret #3
[There appears to have been a paragraph here, but whatever was written was completely scratched out. There is something written underneath]
DO NOT ASK WHAT OBORO WROTE ABOVE. IT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.
Secret #4
Ah, I must apologize for Shou. He found the last report and scribbled out what I had written about him. It was harmless really, just an observation about him that we thought was adorable. Well hopefully this gets to you before Shou finds it. Don't tell anyone, but the Oboro detectives have collectively decided that Shou will become the new leader once this war is done. He has proven himself worthy, but also Shigure, Sagiri, Crow—well, everyone, really—have no interest in taking the position. We're going to surprise him with this, isn't that wonderful?
64. Chihi Star
Tidur
Secret #1
Name: Tidur Faakhir
Age: 36
From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army's Innkeeper
Secret #2
As you know, she runs the inn for the headquarters. Despite coming from a life of privilege, being the daughter of a cleric in the capital, Tidur seems to be a very capable businesswoman. She's pretty lucky in that regard though, as she was disowned by her family when she chose to marry Sloan. But that doesn't seemed to have bothered her any, and she was content with her life with Sloan, Esther, and Ciana. Everything changed though three years ago, and she fled Sloan with her daughters. Even now there seems to be a lingering sadness in her that doesn't go away, even when she appears to be happy.
Secret #3
When Tidur was younger, her father betrothed her to an old family friend—a cleric who was over thirty years older than her. She didn't want to marry the man, but her parents were insistent. She even tried to get a hearing in the Grand Citadel to nullify the betrothal, but she was unsuccessful. Luckily for Tidur, Sloan heard about her plight and challenged her betrothed to a duel for Tidur's hand. Despite being a fourteen-year-old boy facing a trained warrior, Sloan bested him. By Nagarean law that gave him the right to Tidur's hand, but her parents did not want her marrying someone lower on the caste than her. But Tidur didn't care, and eloped with Sloan regardless.
Secret #4 (Pre-Chapter Nine)
Tidur tends to keep to herself other than when taking care of Esther and Ciana, but she loves helping May tend to the garden. She seems to really enjoy the task, and has tried to get her daughters to join her, but Esther prefers to work on her windows and Ciana prefers to play. She doesn't like to talk about her…marriage to Sloan Faakhir. When she fled she petitioned for a divorce in the capital, but her request was denied. She ultimately settled on being estranged from Sloan, and he was content to not come after her. For now.
Secret #4 (Post-Chapter Nine)
Tidur tends to keep to herself other than when taking care of Esther and Ciana, but she loves helping May tend to the garden. She seems to really enjoy the task, and has tried to get her daughters to join her, but Esther prefers to work on her windows and Ciana prefers to play. Just the other day, I saw her gardening alone and I spotted Sloan watching her. He looked like he wanted to help her, or even talk to her, but he couldn't gather up the nerve. You would think that these two would naturally come together after his spell was broken, but Tidur…whatever had happened between them when Sloan was possessed has made her very hesitant to be around him. I do wish them the best.
65. Chisou Star
Hero
Secret #1
Name: Hero
Age: 63
From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Inventor
Secret #2
This man has been credited as being one of the smartest graduates in the history of the Holy School in Mlkwt Alsmwat. However, extraordinary intelligence does not translate to extraordinary etiquette, as Hero is a VERY blunt and abrasive man. As you can surmise from his name, his parents expected him to grow to be a heroic warrior and were quite disappointed when Hero was revealed to be academically inclined. Do you know why Hero shouts when he talks? It's not because he's losing his hearing but because he grew accustomed to talking over his parents who did not approve of his life choices. He has no intention of changing.
Secret #3
Hero has put his research before everything else in life, and once he found the blueprints for the skyship then that consumed every minute of his time. His wife and kids left him but he didn't notice that they were gone for two weeks! His research took up so much of his time that when his daughter abandoned James with Hero, he hadn't even noticed that she had grown to adulthood! How can someone be so absent-minded?! But he does love his grandson and looks out for him as best as he can. Or at least, better than he did his own children!
Secret #4
Hero became a wanted fugitive from the Theocracy because of the skyship, but considering how much of his life he sacrificed to build the vehicle it's not surprising that he's so protective of it. He wants to fly to every corner of the world and see every land. Thankfully James shares in his enthusiasm, and Xi An has also expressed interest in joining them. So far he has held off on his global trip until the end of the war, but don't be surprised if he immediately departs and we never see him again once this is all done with.
66. Chikou Star
Eliasen
Secret #1
Name: Eliasen
Age: 49
From: ?
Position: Liberation Army Currency Converter
Secret #2
Eliasen is a brilliant mathematician. He may have gotten his schooling in Crystal Valley, but thus far we haven't found out anything of his life prior to coming to Nagarea as a tourist. He is obsessed with numbers and currency, and after coming to Nagarea over a decade ago he decided to stay and figure out an exchange formula between Potch and bits. As you are aware his efforts paid off, as he determined that 1 Potch is equivalent to 10 bits. You are the first who has taken him seriously though, as neither the Theocracy nor Bearyl Lutis were interested in this exchange conversion.
Secret #3
Eliasen has quite the storage of bits and Potch in his exchange shop. Endless supply of currency, really. We're quite confused as to where it all came from, or why he doesn't just give this money to you to help the Army. But he has a business to run, and he wouldn't have much of a business if he gave you free money, anyway. But it amazes me how you can walk into his shop with 1 million Potch and come out with 10 million bits. The shop isn't even that big!
Secret #4
Hey, are going to switch to Potch or keep bits as the currency of Nagarea when the war is over? Eliasen apparently is stressing over this, because if you choose Potch then his formula will be worthless and he will use his livelihood. At the same time though it would be significantly more economical for Nagarea to adapt to the universal currency of Potch. It's your decision, after all.
67. Chimei Star
Priscilla
Secret #1
Name: Priscilla
Age: 30
From: Razril, Islands Nation Federation
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
You met Priscilla after she was sentenced to death for adultery, but she's had a pretty...colorful life. She met her former lover while out fishing and she accidentally sailed into Nagarean waters. The two hit it off relatively quickly though, and instead of going back home when given the chance she decided to come to Nagarea to be with her lover. You saw the house he set her up in in Baltas, correct? It seems the man really went out of his way to take care of her, but that was pretty brazen of him to bring his mistress into the same town his wife and children were in.
Secret #3
Priscilla's certainly no pushover with a sword. That's because she use to serve in the Islands Nation Federation Navy. She joined when she was a teenager but retired after serving a decade. Then she spent most of her time doing freelance mercenary work and fishing. You would never guess all of this with her seemingly delicate appearance, but it certainly works to her advantage.
Secret #4
You know this, but Priscilla was arrested because her lover's wife found out about their relationship and filed a complaint with the Grand Citadel. In order to save his own hide the man blamed everything on Priscilla, which was pretty easy as she was a foreigner, and so only Priscilla was charged. Priscilla is unapologetically nonchalant about the whole thing, but I believe she did love the man and was hurt by the betrayal. Hopefully next time though she uses sound judgment when choosing a partner.
68. Chisin Star
Trofim
Secret #1
Name: Trofim Nabila
Age: 35
From: Lycanthrope Village, Grasslands
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
Because he has a surname, Trofim may have once come from a family of privilege. That all changed when he became a werewolf. Trofim has very few memories of what caused his transformation, but he remembers being bitten by a feral werewolf in the wild. His Alpha—the wielder of the Red Moon Rune—found him half-dead and gave him a Rabid Fang Rune birthed from the Red Moon Rune to save him from fully becoming a monster. Trofim lived in peace in the Lycanthrope Village with other werewolves until Windy destroyed the village and killed most of the werewolves. There are only three known survivors of her massacre; Trofim, Bob (who joined the Dunan Army during the Dunan Unification War), and the Alpha wielding the Red Moon Rune. Trofim has been unable to find either, but the Rabid Fang Rune has continued to help him maintain his sanity and not go feral.
Secret #3
Trofim came to Nagarea in search of his Alpha, but when he met Lady Indigo it was a mutual love at first sight. He ended up saving her from a group of bandits who intended to hold her for ransom, and in doing so he showed her his true form. Indigo however accepted him without questions and they had a VERY quick courtship. Her parents did not approve of him so they eloped and have been thus far very happy in their marriage. Trofim still wants to find his Alpha but so far he's enjoying his married life with Indigo. She appears to be the first human who has accepted him.
Secret #4
Trofim is closer friends with the nonhumans here than humans, but he does NOT get along with Sierra. It's strange, do vampires and werewolves have a relationship like cats and dogs? They both try to avoid each other as much as possible. Trofim however is a lot more sociable than Sierra is, so maybe it's also a trait of werewolves to be more extroverted?
69. Chitai Star
Indigo
Secret #1
Name: Indigo Salem-Nabila
Age: 25
From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army support member
Secret #2
Lady Indigo was engaged to Keiran Umed since childhood but then he broke off their engagement and returned her dowry. Indigo though did not mind this as she hadn't wanted to marry Keiran anyway. Her parents however were scandalized by the engagement break and blamed Indigo. It wasn't too long afterwards that she met Trofim and fell in love at first sight. He saved her from kidnappers, revealing that he was a werewolf in the process, but she loved him regardless. They married against the wishes of her parents, and you know the rest.
Secret #3
Indigo loves cooking but her skills are...somewhat lacking. Yasaka banned her from his kitchen after she accidentally set it on fire but this hasn't stopped her from trying. The only person who seems to tolerate her cooking is Trofim. He must have an iron stomach.
Secret #4
Indigo amazingly had a VERY good head for alcohol consumption. I've seen her outdrink Gertrude and even 10 glasses Indigo doesn't even look flushed! It's quite impressive for a refined lady like her.
70. Chiman Star
Vien
Secret #1
Name: Vien
Age: 45
From: Uaminifu, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Gambler
Secret #2
Vien is an avid traveler and actually left Nagarea illegally a few years ago. He financed his travels through gambling and one day he met a mysterious fellow named Mike. Mike showed him a card game called Kabu, which cost Vien all his money. Vien however saw potential in this game and he traveled with Mike for a brief period to learn more. It didn't take Vien long to master Kabu, and he departed ways with Mike to return to Nagarea and shared the game.
Secret #3
Vien and Yaman haven't liked each other for a long time. Their feud started over a woman (who neither man is currently with) and then it evolved into a rivalry over the gambling games they mastered and which one is better. With the way they act you would think they're grade-school students and not grown adults! The soldiers are undecided over which is the best game.
Secret #4
Shou went through Vien's room and found a wanted poster featuring Vien. The thing is, the wanted poster is from Zelant! How on earth did he get to Zelant from here?! Shou said the crime that was listed on the poster was "driving while intoxicated". So he rode a horse drunk? That's a crime in Zelant?
71. Chisui Star
Blaise
Secret #1
Name: Blaise Prísaha
Age: 17
From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Librarian
Secret #2
Blaise had a privileged life as a scholarly student at Holy School in the capital, the oldest son of a Cleric. But he was under a considerable amount of pressure from his family, particularly since he was expected to marry a Sheikh and be a great warrior despite not being combat-inclined. He was disowned by his family but they didn't call the authorities but allowed him to run away. I suppose that his family does care in a way?
Secret #3
Blaise has an arranged marriage with Tamara Nuori, but they started keeping close correspondence via letters so that they would not meet at the altar as strangers. I wouldn't say that they are in love, but they feel strongly for each other. When Tamara was framed as a traitor Blaise was compelled to publicly denounce her and end their engagement but he refused to do so, instead choosing to join the Liberation Army with her. They both seem very happy here and together.
Secret #4
Blaise is currently writing an anthology about the Civil War. The data he has gathered is quite impressive; he hasn't even reached the part where you become our leader and it's already 100 pages! I can imagine his book will be taught in classrooms for years to come.
72. Chisyu Star
Zander
Secret #1
Name: Zander
Age: 17
From: Agameru, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army solider
Secret #2
The horrors this boy has witnessed is heartbreaking. During the Agameru massacre he saw his parents die, but he also saw his neighbors and children be slain. Even now many months later he suffers nightmares from what he endured. His temperament is calmer now than it once was, but he is still dealing with anger and grief. Lorik Varra and Tala are both worried about him.
Secret #3
Lorik Varra has taken Zander under his wing, acting more as a surrogate father than his leader. The survivors Agameru are very protective of Zander, and I know many boys here are trying to involve him in fun activities, but he is slow to warm up to them. I do know however that he thinks very highly of you my Lord, and he is fiercely loyal to you. Maybe if you speak to him more he may start to open up and heal?
Secret #4
Well, Zander has found a healthy of unleashing his emotions; crocheting. I spotted him doing it in the library, and he said the crocheting helps to keep himself centered and clam. He said that both of his parents used to do it to relieve stress, but he had refused to do it because he thought it was embarrassing. Now he expresses regret never doing it, as it would have brought him closer to his parents. But every time I've seen him do it he's smiling, so I'm glad he found a hobby that brings him joy.
73. Chiin Star
Desiree
Secret #1
Name: Desiree
Age: 18
From: Baltas, Nagarea
Position:
Secret #2
Desiree's great-grandparents on her mother's side came to Nagarea illegally from the Islands Nation Federation, but they were able to stay in the country without issue. There's a rumor that Desiree has mermaid blood, but there's no way of knowing. The dancing passed down through her mother's side, and they danced at the tavern in Baltas for years. Desiree was carrying on the tradition, though unfortunately the patrons have become increasingly more rowdy in recent years. But Desiree likes being the center of attention and she's tough enough to hold her own against those will won't take no for an answer.
Secret #3
Desiree is admired for her beauty here, and she has been grouped together with other ladies to form a group called the Lovely Ladies. Priscilla, Jeane, Allise, and herself have a magnetizing power if they are seen walking about together, and their Unite Attack in battles is beautiful to look at but devastating to enemies. They all seem like really really good friends, which is good.
Secret #4
Desiree enjoys teasing Lanny, and has done so since they fought on opposite sides during a battle. Perhaps as a result of the attention she gave him, Lanny has developed a rather serious crush on Desiree. Several of Lanny's comrades unfortunately are very much aware of his crush and will tease him about it in Desiree's presence. It makes me feel bad for the boy, but anytime someone brings attention to Lanny's crush in front of Desiree, she acts like she didn't hear the comment and hasn't treated Lanny any differently. I think it's admirable and mature of Desiree to not contribute to the boy's humiliation. Thus far she hasn't addressed it, and Lanny hasn't confessed his crush to her. At this point I don't know if it would be best for Desiree to let him down now and get it over with, or to wait until the war is over to let him down as to not hurt his morale as a soldeir.
74. Chii Star
Sharon
Secret #1
Name: Sharon
Age: 19
From: Dragon Knight's Domain, Toran Republic
Position: Liberation Army soldier, Dragon Knight Seventh Degree
Secret #2
Sharon is the daughter of Milia, the leader of Toran's Dragon Knights. Unfortunately I have found no information about Sharon's father but Sharon doesn't talk about him either. Sharon hasn't received special treatment as the daughter of the Commander as is treated no differently than other Apprentices. She has unique features though, doesn't she? Fangs, red eyes, and Umeko said her fingernails and toenails are naturally pointed. It makes me wonder if Milia wielded the Dragon Rune while pregnant with Sharon, and if that had an impact on her physical appearance?
Secret #3 (Pre-Chapter Nine)
Futch has been watching over Sharon for several years now, going back to before the Second Fire Bringer War. Sharon seems to go out of her way to annoy him, but she does it in good fun and not maliciously. When Sharon got Suna, Futch did what he could to help her raise her dragon until it was wean. When Sharon ran away to Nagarea chasing rumors of "Nagarean dragons", Futch was the only person who defended her. It's because of this that Commander Milia sent Futch here with Sharon. Their relationship seems to get better with each year at least.
Secret #3 (Post-Chapter Nine)
Futch has been watching over Sharon for several years now, going back to before the Second Fire Bringer War. Sharon seems to go out of her way to annoy him, but she does it in good fun and not maliciously. When Sharon got Suna, Futch did what he could to help her raise her dragon until it was wean. When Sharon ran away to Nagarea chasing rumors of "Nagarean dragons", Futch was the only person who defended her. It's because of this that Commander Milia sent Futch here with Sharon. Losing Suna during the Battle of Winter Hill was traumatizing for Sharon, and she held Futch responsible for Suna's death. Futch was obviously not to blame but grief rarely allows us to think rationally.
Secret #4
Sharon's affinity for dragons is remarkable. Suna imprinted upon her quickly, but dragons in general naturally gravitate towards Sharon. And she can speak clearly to dragons; not in a way that she can understand their feelings but she can understand the breaths and snorts of a dragon as though it's speaking words to her! Given her features, and the fact that her mother wields the Dragon Rune, I know strongly suspect that Sharon has been influenced by the power of the True Rune. It makes me wonder what can happen to babes exposed to other True Runes…
75. Chiri Star
Esther
Secret #1
Name: Esther Faakhir
Age: 14
From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Window Setter
Secret #2
Esther is the oldest child of Sloan and Tidur Faakhir, and was born before Sloan became a Sheikh. She remembers a lot about her father and she believes that something happened to him. She has memories of a sweet man who participated in tea parties with her, and memories of a violent man who screamed at them and beat her mother. The change in Sloan disturbed her greatly and while she is aware he has done awful things, she cannot help but love her father and wish that things could go back to the way things were before he…changed.
Secret #3
Esther received a window set for her fifth birthday from Sloan, and she has developed a seriously good talent for window decorating. She decorated the windows at Sloan's Garrison, the inn at K'alak'i Patieba, and the inn here at HQ. She has even received requests to decorate the windows of personal rooms! It's a great form of expressing herself, I think. She could make a career out of this when the war is over.
Secret #4 (found after Chapter Eight)
Esther is around the same age Tidur was when she was forced into an arranged marriage to an adult man, but was save from it by Sloan. Esther looks very much like Tidur, so it is safe to say she will grow to look even more like Tidur. Both Sloan and Tidur are concerned about Esther receiving any unwanted attention, but everyone here has been very respectful towards them. Esther does get attention, but from boys her own age and they are respectful too. I can't imagine anyone trying to hurt Esther though. If Sloan or Adalgiso weren't to act, then Tidur would. And I know you would too, my Lord.
76. Chisyun Star
James
Secret #1
Name: James
Age: 13
From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Apprentice Inventor
Secret #2
James was dropped off at Hero's house when he was seven years old by his mother, and that was the last time James saw her. Hero is a man who put his research before his family, to the extent that not only was he not aware that his daughter had a son, but he hadn't been aware that his daughter reached adulthood! Hero's research was still his priority, but he pulled James into his research to help him. Luckily the boy showed the same level of enthusiasm and was happy to help his father. He is a bright boy, but working with Hero is his full-time job. Like grandfather, like grandson.
Secret #3
James inherited Hero's enthusiasm for inventing and flying the skyship. He has expressed interest in hunting down a Gadget Rune, but I'm not certain this rune can be wielded by humans. But his room is full of sketches and blueprints of ideas. Apparently he's trying to figure out the logistics of something he calls a "sea-carriage" — a sea vessel that can move under the surface of water! That sounds quite dangerous, doesn't it?
Secret #4
As stated before, James was abandoned by his mother with Hero and hasn't seen any other family in years. But he doesn't miss his family and is quite happy being with Hero. He's been getting along better with Xi An, who more or less inserted herself into their business, but I think it's because James was so used to it being just his grandfather and him that he saw Xi An as an "intruder". But I've been seeing them getting along better, talking about places they would like to travel in the skyship, and Xi An even gave James idea for his sea-carriage. It's good though that he's interacting with more people other than his grandfather.
77. Chiraku Star
Kakyoku
Secret #1
Name: Kakyoku
Age: 22
From: Chisha Village, Grasslands
Position: Liberation Army Musician
Secret #2
Kakyoku did not serve in the Second Fire Bringer War, but he witnessed many terrible things that occurred in his village during the war. When the battles occurred he would hide away in his home and play his sitar nonstop to cope with the situation. As a result though he has become an absolutely brilliant musician, and he frequently played in the square of Chisha Village to bring joy to his neighbors. Mostly though it simply soothed the hearts of those who would lose a lot of money in the lottery.
Secret #3
Kakyoku knows how to play over thirty instruments. I've only really seen him play the sitar, but I found multiple composition books of sheet music he created for specific instruments. He even composed an original Nagarean hymn for the kombu! What is a kombu, some sort of harmonica? (there's a small note in the margin: It's a type of horn, Shou. - Masaru)
Secret #4
Kakyoku seems aware, like the rest of us, that music follows Luciano wherever he goes. He has started conversation with Luciano to deliberately invoke this music, but when he has questioned Luciano about it Luciano didn't know what he's talking about. Kakyoku apparently heard the musical cue enough times to copy the musical composition and he played it for Luciano on his sitar. Luciano said that it was the most beautiful piece of music he'd ever heard—and the song lingered at HQ for three days. Kakyoku called the composition "Narcy's Theme".
78. Chitatsu Star
Viki
Secret #1
Name: Viki
Age: ?
From: ?
Position: Liberation Army's Teleportation Mistress
Secret #2
What a strange girl. I remember her from the Falenan Civil War and she looks largely the same as she did then, which was almost thirty years ago. What's stranger is that when I mentioned the War to her she spoke of it as if it had happened yesterday. When I checked a textbook of past wars I saw her name come up frequently. I had thought that maybe she had an ancestor with the same name, but this has caused me to second-guess it.
Secret #3
Viki has an uncanny ability to sleep while standing up, and she can teleport anyone at random around her, sometimes with just a sneeze. Her Blinking Rune is quite unlike anything I've ever seen, but when I asked her if it was a True Rune she seemed confused by the question. I mean there is no other Rune like this in the world, so logically it would be a True Rune, right?
Secret #4
Umeko managed to sneak up on her while she was asleep and checked her collar for a tag. Our goal was to see if her clothes were a specific brand that we could associate with a specific country. Umeko however said that her collar had a number printed onto it. 1-9-9-5. This doesn't help us much though because what does this number mean? Is it the price of her dress? Is it a year? And what is this "Waffu" she keep mumbling in her sleep about?
79. Chisoku Star
Reis
Secret #1
Name: Reis
Age: 26
From: Estrise, Falena
Position: Liberation Army solider, Sindar researcher
Secret #2
Reis grew up surrounded by Sindar lore in her father's laboratory. This is where her interests in Sindar research were nurtured, and she became a full-fledged scholar as an adult. She went out in search of Sindar ruins, which brought her to Nagarea. She was hired by the Theocracy to translate a Sindar tablet, and through her translations it was discovered that a True Rune was buried in a Sindar ruin in the country. She was paid handsomely by the Theocracy for her help, but she drew their ire when she refused to leave the country and tried to go see the ruins herself. The Theocracy decided not to arrest her but instead deported her back to Falena. She would eventually come back into Nagarea illegally, but you know the results of her translation my Lord.
Secret #3
Reis has a strained relationship with Zweig, her father. I was honestly shocked that Zweig had a child, considering how much of his life was devoted to Sindar research, but he appears to have raised Reis well. Reis aided her father in his research and he in turn taught her the Sindarian language, but for all intents and purposes his priority in life was his research. As soon as Reis turned 18 he packed up and took off for the Northern Continent following rumors of more ruins. My detectives have confirmed that Zweig has not returned to Nagarea since. Reis does keep correspondence with her father, but also has not seen him since he left.
Secret #4 (found after Leto is recruited)
Reis keeps to herself but she gets along well with Evarr. She asks Evarr frequently for him to produce lydia coins and he is happy to do so. And she has tried to get close to Hero due this skyship and to see his blueprints, but Hero is not forthcoming with them. When Leto arrived her, she became very excited to talk to him. Leto has tried to avoid her, but oftentimes Reis will approach him speaking the Sindar language. Leto will often respond in kind so I cannot understand their conversation, but oftentimes Reis is left frustrated. I assume she wants to get more information about the Sindar from the Sindar Chieftain himself, but thus far has been unsuccessful. I wonder what Zweig would say if he knew his daughter had met the Sindar Chieftain?
80. Chichin Star
Luciano
Secret #1
Name: Luciano
Age: 27
From: Antei, Toran Republic
Position: Liberation Army solider
Secret #2
Luciano's earliest memories of living in Antei was during the Gate Rune Wars, when Milich Oppenheimer renamed the city "Bier Blanche". Luciano, even as a young child, actually preferred Bier Blanche to Antei and for years afterwards would say he was from Bier Blanche and not Antei. This annoyed his parents considerably, but he would not be deterred. Though he was destined to join the Toran Army, Luciano prefers a life of comfort and would often sneak away to drink tea by himself. Ironically though, he proved to be the most proficient in swordsmanship in Antei, despite not wanting to be a soldier, and there was no one who could best him in dueling.
Secret #3
Around the time Luciano turned fifteen, a peculiar melody started following him around. This melody could be heard whenever he spoke, and it lingered in the air for a significant amount of time when he was finished speaking. By the time he turned seventeen, the soft melody turned into a full musical score that everyone but him seemed to hear. This is the earmark of a Narcissist; a song that follows them around that ignites the air whenever they speak. You know you are near a Narcissist when you hear this song lightly in the air, and then it overtakes all sound when the Narcissist speaks. You can still hear the song even when you walk away from the Narcissist. Having met Narcissists myself, I can confirm that this is true of all Narcissists.
Strangely though, the song doesn't trigger when they do something...artsy.
Secret #4
Luciano is quite popular, but when asked if he is in a relationship he replied that he has "many admirers". Shou didn't quite believe him and decided to go through his room. To his surprise he found two love letters addressed to Luciano from the Toran Republic. I'm amazed these letters reached here! One was signed with a woman's name, and the other was signed with a man's name. Luciano seems like an open-minded man, doesn't he?
81. Chikei Star
Xi An
Secret #1
Name: Xi An
Age: 13
From: Barakada, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army solider
Secret #2
Xi An was the first child in the history of the Dark Chasm to successfully escape from the labor camp. She was sentence there under Original Sin, but she was able to hide her Trick Rune from the guards, Clerics, and Matron. She was only there for a short while before using her Trick Rune to escape, where in which she fled to Kader and was able to pass herself off as a "wandering orphan". She was placed in an orphanage in Kader, where she remained until she escaped once again when the Dark Chasm was liberated. She's quite good at escaping precarious situations.
Secret #3 (Pre-Chapter Eleven)
Xi An hates Sheikh Keha Hale. There is no simpler way to put this. Sheikh Hale was the one who arrested her parents and ordered their executions in lieu of sending them to the capital, and he ordered Xi An to be sent to the Dark Chasm under Original Sin. As what tends to happen in these circumstances, Xi An was forced to watch their executions. Her desire for vengeance was what helped her escape the Dark Chasm and keep going all this time. I do not believe that it is healthy for someone her age to be filled with so much hate, but she fights to see him die. She doesn't care if she's the one who does it, so long as he doesn't survive the war. We will inevitably face Keha Hale on the battlefield, so we will undoubtedly get her wish.
Secret #3 (Pre-Chapter Eleven)
Xi An hates Sheikh Keha Hale. There is no simpler way to put this. Sheikh Hale was the one who arrested her parents and ordered their executions in lieu of sending them to the capital, and he ordered Xi An to be sent to the Dark Chasm under Original Sin. As what tends to happen in these circumstances, Xi An was forced to watch their executions. Her desire for vengeance was what helped her escape the Dark Chasm and keep going all this time. Ever since we took care of Keha Hale, Xi An has calmed considerably but oftentimes she has been seen crying by herself. Because she was driven by vengeance for so long she will need to find a new purpose in life. I hope that you will help her with this.
Secret #4
Xi An is a very eccentric girl and I think this is what caused her to gravitate towards Hero and James. Initially she was curious about their skyship, but then she started hanging around them so much that she spends more time at Hero's Island than here at HQ. She has started to see Hero as an uncle figure, and Hero tolerates this perception and her presence. She also seems to like James a great deal, though he has very little patience for her because she often interferes in his duties. But they are both smart children and I feel they are destined to do great things with their intellect.
82. Chima Star
Suna
Secret #1
Name: Sun
Age: 2
From: Dragon Knight's Domain, Toran Republic
Position: Sharon's dragon partner
Secret #2
Suna was born in the Dragon's Den, the first known golden dragon born in that domain. Suna naturally imprinted on Sharon and they have been inseparable ever since. Suna very clearly loves her mistress and rarely leaves her side, but the dragon also appears to be quite an enabler for Sharon. Whatever Sharon does, Suna will follow faithfully without question.
Secret #3
Suna has a very "alpha" personality it seems. Despite being younger she has a bossy demeanor towards Bright and it seems she tries to boss Bright around. Bright is an older and more mature dragon though, and he tolerates Suna's immaturity. Oftentimes though he will use his superior size and strength to keep Suna in line, which has caused problems between Sharon and Futch
(if the other dragons are recruited)
Suna is far more successful at being the alpha to the dragons we have found in the wild, but as they all have imprinted onto Sharon they all constantly compete for her attention. Suna has done will to keep them in line, but truth be told it is Sharon who is the alpha over all of them.
Secret #4
Nāṭaka has said that Suna is one of the best "beast actors" she has ever worked with. Nāṭaka said Suna takes direction and criticism very well, and Suna seems to bask in the attention she receives onstage. Maybe she can make a career as an actress when Sharon and her retire from the Dragon Knights?
83. Chiyou Star
Quasim
Secret #1
Name: Quasim
Age: 28
From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Reporter
Secret #2
Formally the Theocracy's preeminent propagandist; if they wanted a piece of misinformation or propaganda to get out quickly, they would task Quasim to do it as he could write an article and get it printed faster than anyone else. He was the one who wrote the propaganda piece that said Tamara Nuori was a traitor. However he eventually became disillusioned with the Theocracy because of their convoluted lies and ultimately refused to print a propaganda piece on the Nagarean Elves. When he found out about what the Theocracy was planning to do with the Elves he defected and came to us. Now he write propaganda for us! (ha)
Secret #3
Quasim gets along with Sanji, Gertrude, and Bax very well. He is oftentimes found up in the rotunda with them participating in their broadcasts, and while he is sometimes put off by their "color commentary" he also finds speaking with them to be mentally stimulating. The trio seems to like him, but they also keep him at a distance because he frequently asks questions of them that they find "intrusive". Their contrasting personalities tend to make for entertaining broadcasts.
Secret #4
Quasim is married, and quite tragically his wife suffered a miscarriage shortly before he was tasked to spread negative propaganda about the Elves. He was obviously not in a good mental state during this time, and when he decided to betray the Theocracy his wife was still not in good physical shape to follow him. So he was forced to leave her in the capital while he made his escape. Don't worry; we have confirmation that she is alive and well. But she is in hiding in the capital and has still not been able to reunite with her husband. Hopefully they can be together again once the war is over.
84. Chiyu Star
Oboro
Secret #1
Name: [REDACTED]
Age: [REDACTED]
From: [REDACTED]
Position: Liberation Army Lead Detective
Secret #2
[REDACTED]
Secret #3
[REDACTED]
Secret #4
Ah, I apologize for my poor attempt at humor from the previous entries. I will issue you a refund for my personal Investigation. Oh, did you know I utilize mice to help with my investigations? I train them myself, though they always seem to prefer to sleep with Shou. Shou has hated this since he was a child though (laugh).
…I'm afraid that there isn't much to say about me other than I'm a foul person who is responsible for the deaths of countless people. I do not want to burden you with my secrets, so they're best left alone.
85. Chifuku Star
Chinmaya
Secret #1
Name: Chinmaya
Age: 19
From: Barakada, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Strategist
Secret #2
Chinmaya is an intellectual prodigy who should have been destined for great things. However, despite the fact that she was a triple major at the University of Žiak, she was hampered by her lower social standing compared to her classmates. She has argued in the past that she was more qualified to be a Sheikh than Tamara Nuori was and in all honesties she was correct, but she was never going to have this position or any government position, really. She also never graduated because she was held back because her classmates were not doing as well as she was.
Secret #3
Chimaya was a triple major at the University of Žiak, majoring in history, political theory, and statistical analytics. She got along with Peader I think because of their commonality but in general she got along well with her teachers. She has a very—ah—strong personality though, which was off-putting for some of her classmates, but she had enough presence to be able to hold political rallies and protests at the University of Žiak. It was good that she fled when she did, otherwise she would have been eventually arrested for her very outspoken beliefs.
Secret #4 (found after Chapter Eleven)
Chinmaya doesn't necessarily get along with Caesar, as she feels that a native Nagarean should be the lead Strategist of the Liberation Army. However she has conceded that Caesar has more experience in war campaigns than she does, and he has given her encouragement when she has frozen and panicked. Peader has also given her help in improving her application of strategic planning. She gets better each day and she will undoubtedly be an asset to this country when we win.
86. Chihi Star
La'Ahad
Secret #1
Name: La'Ahad (Post Chapter Eleven: Nakula)
Age: ? (Post Chapter Eleven: 55)
From: ? (Post Chapter Eleven: Armes)
Position: Liberation Army soldier
(All subsequent Secrets were revealed after the revelations of Chapter Eleven)
Secret #2
So…this is your father. But you now know that. And as you know he was the son of an Armes Chieftain who was assassinated by Sagiri, Shou's mother. Nakula forsook his surviving family and life in the Darja Clan and devoted it completely to revenge. He joined The Loyalist Army during the Falenan Civil War just to keep an eye on Sagiri and to fight Nether Gate assassins. After the war he came here to Nagarea to finish off Nether Gate once and for all. I don't know if it's tragic or lucky that he abandoned his family and country in the pursuit of vengeance, because had he not done so then he wouldn't have met Phoebe Amirmoez, and you would not have existed.
Secret #3
Nakula met Phoebe Amirmoez, your mother, when she was eighteen and he was thirty-six. She was still a High Cleric during this time, and it was still a few years away before Takefute and the other former assassins of Nether Gate would execute their coup of the Theocracy. From what little information I could find, your parents came to know each other because Nakula frequently caused problems with the Theocracy trying to get information about Nether Gate. Phoebe was the only High Cleric who took his accusations seriously, and spent a year personally investigating Nether Gate with Nakula. They grew to fall in love during this time, and Phoebe's decision to marry Nakula was met with considerable opposition. But as you probably know, they didn't care if it meant they could be together. He protected and stood by Phoebe when Nether Gate struck, and got all of you out of the capital. And he supported her when she formed the Liberation Army. For all intents and purposes they had a happy marriage (you would know more about that, my Lord) but tragically their happiness wasn't to last.
Secret #4
Nakula carries wounds on his heart like they're accessories. He is still mourning his father and he is still mourning Phoebe. He will probably mourn them both for the rest of his life. It doesn't help that he witnessed both of their murders. I'm relieved to see the hate and anger that permeated his body has faded, but the profound sadness that lingers inside of him is still not healthy. It's a terrible shame that love has caused him so much pain. He still gets great joy from being with Arin and you, but he also cannot forget what you both suffered in the Dark Chasm. I think it would do him a world of good to go home to Armes after the war. Maybe Arin and you can take a trip with him, my Lord?
87. Chiku Star
Zuzanna
Secret #1
Name: Zuzanna
Age: 19
From: Vinay del Zexay, Zexan Federation
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
Zuzanna is the oldest of nine children, and her family grew up in poverty. I'm puzzled as to why a family that cannot support itself would have so many children, but I digress. Zuzanna didn't finish school because of her home situation, so she tried to join the Zexan Knights. Unfortunately she did not pass the physical exam, despite trying four times, and she was at the risk of being homeless before you recruited her. Zuzanna, ah—has very little shame, it seems. She frequently announces her problems in public for anyone who will listen to her. Umeko and her get along just fine as a result. But she makes good money serving in our Army, and she is often seen at Eliasen's shop converting her paychecks into Potch to send home to her family.
Secret #3
Zuzanna idolizes Lady Chris Lightfellow, Captain of the Zexan Knights and hero of the Second Fire Bringer War. She was inspired to get into fighting because she wants to be a great soldier like Lady Chris, but unfortunately Zuzanna is not proficient in combat or military intelligence like Chris is. Lady Chris however is fond of Zuzanna and is sympathetic to her plight, and has tried to help her in the past but within reasonable means. If Zuzanna returns to the Zexan Federation after the war, I feel that Chris may be more inclined to accept her into the Knights.
Secret #4
Zuzanna has quite the doll collection. Not Mooney's figurines but porcelain dolls. Her room has been observed to have a shelf full of beautiful dolls. She doesn't play with them but they remain on display in her room and she dusts them herself. One of her dolls has silver hair and looks like Lady Chris. Zuzanna in fact has stylized the hair of all her dolls. Priscilla was very impressed when she saw the dolls. I suppose she could make a living styling hair, but Zuzanna only wants to be a soldier.
88. Chiko Star
Baldemar
Secret #1
Name: Baldemar
Age: 20
From: Peak's Edge, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Blacksmith
Secret #2
Baldemar's family have been the blacksmiths of Peak's Edge since the founding of the village. Ah—I do not know when Peak's Edge was founded. But his family have always been very open-minded and eccentric and their neighbors have always "tolerated" them. Baldemar doesn't have the prejudices his fellow Wingers have, and will accept anyone who comes to have their weapons sharpened by him. He has a good personality and is very popular.
Secret #3
I wouldn't say that Baldemar has an obsession with his hammers, but he treasures them above all of his other possessions. He names all of his hammers, and when he breaks his hammers he tends to fall into a deep depression and mourns them as though he had lost a family member. I suppose this shouldn't be surprising though, as a blacksmith he needs a hammer to maintain his livelihood. A hammer breaking puts his livelihood at risk. But he gets quite…passionate about it.
Secret #4
Baldemar has said that he seeks a hammer called the "Legendary Hammer". Apparently it's a mythological hammer made of diamonds. I cannot conceive of a hammer being made entirely of diamonds, though; the best hammer I have seen is a hammer made of gold, not diamonds. But Baldemar insists that this hammer exists, and he wants to find and hold this hammer. He has preemptively named this hammer "Almas". I hope he will not be broken-hearted if he never finds this hammer.
89. Chizen Star
Umeko
Secret #1
Name: Umeko
Age: 21
From: Rokakku Village
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
Umeko was once a ninja of Rokkaku, but she wasn't a very good ninja. After one too many mistakes she was banished from the village by her uncle, Hanzo. Her cousin Masaru didn't stand up for her but instead encouraged her banishment, which unfortunately caused Umeko a lot of heartache. While being exiled is never a good thing, Umeko is in fact a terrible ninja. Not only can she note keep secrets, but she is not good at stealth, and—(the rest was scatched out. There is a note underneath in bold)
I GET IT! I'M A TERRIBLE NINJA! YOU DON'T NEED TO RUB IT IN, YOU JERK!
Secret #3
Umeko seems to have a drinking problem, almost rivaling that of Gertrude. The other day she—(the rest was scatched out. There is a note underneath in bold)
MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, JERK!
Secret #4
Umeko has been giving Shou a lot of attention. She has started to wear perfume and makeup in his presence, and she has stopped drinking so much after he told her off about it. I am very encouraging of this, and I think—(the rest was scatched out. There is no accompanying note)
90. Chitan Star
Nian
Secret #1
Name: Nian
Age: ?
From: ?
Position: Liberation Army Djinn
Secret #2
This is a Djinn. It grants wishes, but if you're not specific enough in your wishes it will twist your wish against you. I don't want to draw its ire, please don't send me after it again.
Secret #3
Really, my Lord? Oboro said I cannot say no, so okay. The Djinn is old and it has the appearance of a beautiful woman. But it can change itself into many forms, like a giant snake. It is powerful and dangerous. It is only here because of a wish Evarr made. I wouldn't trust it. Don't rub its bottle, it's best left alone.
Secret #4
Okay, okay. You paid, I went with Umeko and rubbed the bottle. The Djinn emerged and told me I could ask her only one question. Umeko stupidly asked, "Have you ever fallen in love?" before I could ask a logical question. Nian answered before retreating back into her bottle, and her response was surprising. "Yes." Obviously she didn't tell us who or when, and I am NOT rubbing that bottle again. You can offer me any amount of money you want, but I refuse to do it.
91. Chikaku Star
Evarr
Secret #1
Name: Evarr
Age: 46
From: K'alak'i Patieba, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
A foolish man who has made foolish mistakes, as you are aware. He found a Djinn's bottle and made two very broad wishes that cost him greatly; the first for unlimited money, and the second for a swift end to the previous civil war. His first wish granted him a Money Rune that produces lydia, a currency no longer in circulation. And the second wish, well…you saw the result of his second wish. His third wish worked out better, obviously.
Secret #3
Evarr was married during the previous war, and thankfully his wife and children were not present at HQ when the second wish was granted. But the ensuing fallout caused Evarr to fall into a deep depression, and his anxiety over the stress Nian put him under alienated him from his family. His wife ended up leaving him, and his children haven't spoken to him in two years. Evarr has also made no efforts to maintain contact with his children, due to his fear that something bad will happen to them thanks to Nian. All he has had for the last few years is Nian, and she has not been welcoming company to him.
Secret #4
My lord, I realize that you are upset with Evarr for his foolish second wish, but I must inform you that the fate that awaits Evarr at the end of the war may not be pleasant. People who make contracts with Djinn rarely have happy endings; most of them even end up dead. Nian has not been happy with Evarr for a long time, and the third wish she granted actually worked out in Evarr's favor. Something terrible may happen to Evarr as soon as you achieve victory, and by the hand of the Djinn. Is there anything we can do to stop this?
92. Chisyu Star
Arin
Secret #1
Name: Arin
Age: 9
From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army soldier (?)
Secret #2
You requested me to investigate your little brother? How very strange. I can't imagine I would be able to shed any light on Arin that you don't already know. Well, he absolutely adores you. He's rather wise beyond his years, and seems to have more self-awareness than most adults do. But I'm sure you already know all this.
Secret #3
I listed his birthplace as Mlkwt Alsmwat, but that's technically not correct. It seems your mother gave birth to him on the road while your family was fleeing Mlkwt Alsmwat. He was born premature too, and everyone was concerned that he wouldn't make it. But your parents refused to give up on him and he eventually got better. This is accurate, correct?
Secret #4
Because of his imprisonment he's never learned how to read. Oh, but that hasn't stopped him from trying. Just the other day I found him trying to read a large dictionary! Thankfully our new headquarters has a library, but make sure he doesn't push himself too hard.
He also likes ice cream. Sorry if this report sounds lackluster (especially since you spent money on it), but I honestly don't know what else I can tell you about your little brother that you don't already know.
93. Chizou Star
Yasaka
Secret #1
Name: Yasaka
Age: 22
From: Black Dragon Island
Position: Liberation Army Chef
Secret #2
Yasaka has lived his entire life on Black Dragon Island, and his stay in Nagarea was his first experience with the outside world. The exact location of the island is unknown, but it is believed to be located off the southwest coast of the Northern Continent. The Black Dragon Clan is a secret group of chefs who want to bring joy to others through their cooking. Yasaka ascribes to this philosophy and has been known to fall into deep depressions if his cooking does not make people happy. There are dark elements however to the Black Dragon Clan, which has been rumored to involve murder. Yasaka refuses to confirm or deny such rumors, though.
Secret #3
Yasaka has been looking to replicate the Moon Bird Recipe for several years now. I'm not quite sure why though, because this recipe has caused considerable trouble for the clan, but he is determined. The Moon Bird Recipe was stolen by Hai Yo, code name Seriyu and previously one of the Four Lords of the Black Dragon Clan, and it was later destroyed by him. The dish that Yasaka has created with the divine fish is absolutely wonderful, but he still does not think that it's good enough. I wish hw believed in himself more.
Secret #4
So I discovered why Yasaka is so adamant about replicating the Moon Bird Recipe. He is being groomed to take the title of Byakko and become one of the Four Lords of the Black Dragon Clan. The current Byakko is a chef named Retso, who was a chef for the Loyalist Army during the Dunan Unification War. Retso seemed to be a good man but he lost his daughter under tragic circumstances. Yasaka left the Island to make himself worthy of the title and I believe he's accomplished that.
94. Chihei Star
Tamara
Secret #1
Name: Tamara Nuori
Age: 15
From: Sheikh's Garrison, Nagarea
Position: Former Sheikh of the southeastern forces
Secret #2
Tamara's mother died in childbirth so she was raised almost entirely by her father. She was very close to her father and was absolutely devastated when he died. The circumstances of his death was very suspicious, as he was killed on route to the capital to file a complaint about the conditions of the Dark Chasm. I believe that Imbuka Liger was the one who killed him, but obviously Tamara was not told that and instead the Liberation Army was blamed.
Secret #3
Tamara was selected as Sheikh after her father died due to her young age and inexperience. It was felt that she would be easy to manipulate, but Tamara proved to have her own mind and be able to handle her authority very well. However she was in fact unqualified for the job and even Tamara herself believes herself to be an insufficient leader. I feel though that she's too hard on herself and with some time and experience she can do wonders.
Secret #4 (after Blaise is recruited)
Tamara has an arranged marriage with Blaise Prísaha, set up by their fathers when they were children. They initially did not have much of a relationship so they started writing letters to each other to get to know each other. They care for each other but they are not necessarily in love. Since Blaise joined the Army though they have been able to spend more time together and they've become much closer.
95. Chison Star
Ichirou
Secret #1
Name: Ichirou
Age: 10
From: Zinnia, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army's Vault Master
Secret #2
Ichirou comes from a long line of Vault Masters! …No, I am not joking. Ichirou's family had minded the food vaults in Zinnia for over 100 years. It was a position his family was very proud of, and Ichirou was in apprenticeship at a very young age to follow in the tradition of his family. Quite tragically however, his family lost everything two years ago because of the machinations of Sheikh Sloan Faakhir. During the Sheikh's inspection in Zinnia an irregularity was reported in the vault's inventory, which led to an immediate accusation on Ichirou's father of theft. Without initiating arrest, the Sheikh summarily executed Ichirou's father on the spot. By the end of the visit the "theft" was discovered to be nothing more than a clerical error, but Sheikh Faakhir ordered the arrest of Ichirou's family under Original Sin regardless. The Liberation Army was able to rescue Ichirou before the child was sent to the Dark Chasm and he has been with the Army ever since.
Secret #3
Ichirou is very independent for his age. Despite saving Ichirou, Bearyl Lutis more or less left the child to his own devices and he didn't take measures to make sure that he would be okay as a child in the Army. Luckily others in the Army took Ichirou under their wing, such as Jantu and Allise. As a result however Ichirou doesn't take many days off and has to be told multiple times to have a break. The other day I saw Freyr, Lanny, and a couple of other chidlren dragging Ichirou out of the vault to go fishing. He does enjoy playing with Arin though, and I've often found them in the figurines room. While it's good that people continue to look out for him, he is still a child and he should not be left alone after the war. I would recommend making provisions for him so that this does not happen.
Secret #4
I found a book of practical jokes that appears to be in Ichirou's handwriting. Hundreds of one-liners joke were crammed into this book. The jokes are not crude or mean-spirited thankfully, but some are very dry. The other day Ichirou was reciting the jokes as an opening act before a production of Beauty and the Beast, and unfortunately he did not do well. The audience however was very kind to him and laughed and cheered for him when he was finished. Luckily for Ichirou the play proved to be a disaster and he went onstage afterwards to quell the crowd and they responded more positively to him. With a little more polish, he has the potential of being an excellent comedic performer.
…On an unrelated note, I would recommend that you tell Nāṭaka to not cast Yuber in a romantic role moving forward. Or any role for that matter.
96. Chido Star
Öt
Secret #1
Name:
Age: ?
From: ?
Position: Liberation Army resident Death Worm
Secret #2
…You want me to investigate the Death Worm? Are you serious? I've seen that thing eat people, I'm not going near it!
Secret #3
I'm not getting paid enough for this. The Death Worm doesn't like us, okay? The only person he seems to tolerate is you. The Death Worm doesn't come near our headquarters unless he needs to. Otherwise he sleeps in Winter Hill…and eats the monsters there. And bandits. Oh god, I hope bandits are the only people he's eating there!
Secret #4 (Pre-Chapter Eleven)
It's weird, but Öt seems to be sad all the time. You said his mate was killed, right? He believes himself to be the last of his kind. Is there anything you can do to help him? Can I stop investigating him now?
Secret #4 (Post-Chapter Eleven)
Öt has been spending time with Amidral. I think they're getting along, because they haven't fought against each other and they seem to be sleeping side by side in Winter Hill. It's good that they're getting along, right? Just…I hope they wait if they want to have babies. And if they do, I hope they teach their offspring to stay away from settlements. Can I stop investigating him now?
97. Chisatsu Star
Dahlia
Secret #1
Name: Dahlia
Age: 19
From: Peak's Edge, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
Dahlia was raised "spoiled sweet" by her father, the Chief of Peak's Edge. Other Wingers absolutely adore her and she in turn is very sweet to them and is not demanding of them at all. She has unique features for a Winger, resembling more of a Holly Fairy, which has led to rumors that she has Fairy blood. Dahlia finds these rumors amusing.
Secret #3
Dahlia has been dating Oisin for years and though their mutually strong personalities cause frequent arguments, they are undoubtedly deep in love. Oisin is the one who usually bends the knee in arguments, but only to Dahlia. Though Oisin is going to be the future Chief of Peak's Edge, Dahlia is the one who will truly have all the power.
Secret #4
Unlike her brethren, Dahlia has a soft spot for humans. She finds human feet to be "cute and small" and she laments that humans cannot experience flying without assistance. This has been a source of contention between Dahlia and Oisin for a long time, but it's gotten better as Oisin's feelings towards humans has improved.
98. Chiaku Star
Tala
Secret #1
Name: Tala
Age: 20
From: Agameru, Nagarea
Position: bodyguard to Lorik Varra
Secret #2
Tala comes from a warrior lineage. Everyone in her family knew how to fight and served in the defense of Agameru. Tala however wasn't intended to be Lorik's bodyguard. Her older brother Denali served as Lorik's bodyguard for several years, during which time Tala was away from home training in the High Peak Mountains with her uncle. Not long after Tala's eighteenth birthday however, there was a horrifying assassination attempt on Lorik. Lorik obviously survived but his parents were killed, as were Tala's parents and Denali died shielding Lorik with his body. Being the last living child, Tala returned to Agameru to take her brother's place. She doesn't resent Lorik though for her brother or parent's deaths and is instead very protective of Lorik's life. To Tala, every day that Lorik lives proves that her family did not die in vain.
Secret #3
This is very tragic. Tala lost the remainder of her family in the massacre committed by Sheikh Sloan Faakhir, including the uncle who trained her. Tala has never publicly shed a tear about the loss of her family and no matter the circumstance she wears a stoic expression and had incredible inner strength. I have seen Dr. Yulin try to speak to her about her feelings but she refuses to talk about it any immediately shuts down any discussion about it. But she is not entirely unmoving, as the other day I did in fact witness her crying in private and Lorik was holding her. I'm glad to see that even in a time of tragedy that neither of them are alone.
Secret #4
I had read your reports about your trips to the Grasslands and it occurred to me that Tala's attire has greater similarity to Karaya than Nagarea. I did some research and discovered that Tala's great-grandparents were in fact formerly of the Karaya Clan. They had fled the Grasslands during the First Fire Bringer War with twenty other Grasslanders. The group had decided to flee the Northern Continent entirely because they thought that Harmonia was going to take over the entire continent and they didn't want to be under Harmonian rule. It was an incredibly harrowing trip across the seas, so much so that when they finally arrived at the Northern Wharf only Tala's great-grandparents were alive. The Varra family found them first and offered them refuge. Though Tala was born in Nagarea, it appears she clings to the Karayan culture she never knew. Maybe you should take her with you next time you go to the Grasslands?
99. Chisyu Star
Yaman
Secret #1
Name: Yaman
Age: 55
From: Uaminifu, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Gambler
Secret #2
Yaman's parents were con artists. He learned it from somewhere, after all. They went to prison for multiple accounts of fraud, and from what I heard they both died in prison. This did not inspire Yaman to reform himself but he does use his to try and excuse his bad behavior. He's clashed with Vien in the past and they are rivals over the most trivial things. Did you know that they started fighting over a woman neither of them ended up with?
Secret #3
Yaman is a gambler, his game of choice being a dice game called Chinchirorin that he learned from a shady fisherman. Unfortunately, Yaman is a gambling addict and frequently blows all of his savings on games. It's amazing that he's so good at hosting Chinchirorin and be so bad at holding onto money.
Secret #4
It appears that Yaman plans on leaving Nagarea entire once the war is over. From his "travel itinerary" Masaru found, Yaman wants to move to the Free State of Budehuc Castle, possibly with the intention of gambling via their lottery. Should we send a letter to Lord Thomas to warn him?
100. Chisu Star
Nāṭaka
Secret #1
Name: Nāṭaka
Age: ?
From: ?
Position: Liberation Army Theatre Director
Secret #2
Nāṭaka was once part of a traveling theatre troupe with Nadir and an unknown third person. Their performances were legendary, and Roy even performed with them at one point. They parted ways at some point and at least Nadir and Nāṭaka decided to become directors. Their solo projects though are still popular.
Secret #3
Sorry. I tried to find out if she was from Toran or Falena and found nothing. I tried to get some info from Nāṭaka herself in casual conversation, but I believe she was on to me and revealed nothing to me. She likes being mysterious I guess.
Secret #4
Unsurprisingly Nāṭaka has started drafting multiple plays based on our war. She has thirteen events that she is deciding over what will be the one to represent this war. I don't believe she will have these drafts finished before the war is over, but whichever event she chooses will make for an entertaining show.
101. Chiin Star
Parvati
Secret #1
Name: Parvati
Age: 40
From: Tenaga, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army support
Secret #2
Parvati had a simple life with a husband and son, but that all changed when they took a trip to the capital. Parvati was knocked over by a Cleric (not a High Cleric) and her fall was so forceful that it destroyed an entire merchant's stand. When Parvati said that the Cleric pushed her, she was arrested for blasphemy. Her husband and son were also convicted under Original Sin and while her son was sent to the Dark Chasm, both Parvati and her husband were sentenced to death by hot oil. It was poured directly onto her husband's entire face while Parvati only received the hot oil in her eyes. Her husband died of shock, while she survived. What a horrible thing to happen to such a loving and innocent family.
Secret #3
Parvati believes her son to be dead. Shou decided to personally investigate this himself, which I wish he hadn't done. He confirmed that Parvati's son was not amongst the refugees of the Dark Chasm who were sent to Falena, so he went back to the Dark Chasm to see if he could find anything about her son's fate. He found a ledger that was partially burned in a fire-pit, filled with the names of children who had died in the Dark Chasm and their cause of deaths. Shou…confirmed that Parvati's son was listed amongst the casualties in the ledger. His official cause of death was "suffocation".
I…do not think I will be telling Parvati this. Shou has no intention of telling her, and I feel that this revelation will not bring her closure.
Secret #4
Despite feeling that her scars would repel people, children and adults flock to Parvati. There's hardly a day where is by herself. Children play games with her, and Ruggiero likes taking her for rides on Arisoto. I can tell though that she feels guilty that she is enjoying herself here, but Dr. Yulin and Clara have been working with her to try and help her heal from the trauma she's endured. I hope she can get through this.
102. Chikei Star
Bohai
Secret #1
Name: Bohai
Age: 45
From: Zinnia, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Fisherman
Secret #2
Bohai got into fishing after tragedy befell his family. His wife and son were killed in a brutal home invasion. Bohai himself almost died and he escaped to the sea because he couldn't stand to be on land any longer. Fishing and sailing proved to be extremely therapeutic for him, and in time he has been able to put the past behind him. But he still doesn't like staying on land for too long and will jump into a boat and surround himself with the sea at the first opportunity. The fishing contests are a way for him to bring joy to the world around him, and so he himself can be surrounded by joy.
Secret #3
Bohai has catalogued over 200 species of fish in his brain. He can recite them from memory, and for the fish he has caught he can also remember the largest size he has caught for each fish. It's a fascinating skill to have as a fisherman, and his photographic memory is how he can keep track of the fish caught by numerous contestants in his contests.
Secret #4
Bohai has tattoos that cover his entire body! The bulk of the tattoos is a giant serpent monster; he called it a "leviathan", but there's also fish and shark and even crashing waves! When he was asked why he got so many tattoos, he just shrugged! Getting a tattoo is a painful process, so I admire his patience and fortitude.
103. Chisou Star
Clover
Secret #1
Name: Clover
Age: 26
From: Estel, Eryn mi Hui (East Forest), Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
Clover was deeply traumatized by the Plague. She had three younger siblings and they died along with their parents. It was difficult for her to see her younger siblings die and be unable to help them, and as a result she deeply hated humans. She thought all humans were demons. When you saved the Elves, it did alter her entire world view and her attitude towards humans has improved. I guess it also helps that humans also suffered due to the Plague...
Secret #3
The eight surviving Elves paired off in marriage for survival sake, and Clover's marriage to River was no different. But Clover and River truly and deeply love each other. Clover however is distressed by the fact that River and her have been unable to have children yet. Now is not necessarily the best time to start a family, but this does seem to bother her. If I'm to be frank, River and Clover have been under a great deal of stress and stress negatively affects fertility. I think if they were both able to learn to relax then they won't have any problems.
Secret #4
Clover is really good at making jewelry accessories. Earrings, bracelets, necklaces, even hairpins, she can do it all. The women and girls here at HQ really enjoy what she makes.
104. Chiretsu Star
Pamukkale
Secret #1
Name: Pamukkale
Age: 29
From: Žiak, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Bathhouse Master
Secret #2
Pamukkale was the son of scholars who attended the Holy School in Mlkwt Alsmwat on scholarship. His parents were plagued with health problems and he became obsessed with studying medicine. His grades did not qualify him for the medical program so he began studying the therapeutic nature of hot springs. There are no natural hot springs in Nagarea, but he was able to find out about the hot springs of Yashina Village in Falena. From there he made it his goal to replicate those springs in Nagarea. He had moderate success in his parent's home but decided to expand his knowledge throughout the country.
Secret #3
The onsen is a popular social gathering spot at HQ. The same occurred at Lunas Castle during the Falenan Civil War. Pamukkale has overheard many a conversation while supervising the baths, but he respects the privacy of the patrons and doesn't spread gossip. However, maintaining peace in the baths is important to him because he sees the onsen as therapeutic, so if any fights break out he will eject the offending parties immediately.
Secret #4
Pamukkale received two letters the other day; one addressed from Miroon and one from Goro. I remember Miroon, she was nice. Her letter was congratulatory and complementary towards Pamukkale. Goro's letter however was a direct challenge; he wants Pamukkale to come to the Northern Continent and have a "battle-off" with their bathtubs. Fred heard me mention Goro and said he was the bathhouse master during the Second Fire Bringer War. So…maybe it was a challenge in good fun? Pamukkale seemed indifferent to Goro's letter but appreciated Miroon's letter.
105. Chiken Star
Ciana
Secret #1
Name: Ciana
Age: 7
From: Sloan Faakhir's Garrison, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army soldier (?)
Secret #2
The youngest child of Sloan and Tidur Faakhir. She's naturally quiet and stays close to her family. Her eyes unsettle me. They're too somber for a child. They remind me of Sagiri's eyes when I first rescued her.
Secret #3
Ciana apparently used to be a very boisterous child, but after witnessing and experiencing abuse from her father she became very withdrawn and stoic. She also seems very hesitant to make friends, although her new puppy, Tiara, has helped her come out of her shell. Tidur has said that she's a lot like her father was when he was a child. I don't know if this is a good thing or not.
Secret #4 (found after Chapter Eight)
Ciana seems to have a general distrust of adult men. This actually doesn't surprise me, as Sloan changed so drastically after acquiring the Black Rune. The man who was supposed to love, protect, and nurture her caused her considerable pain. Then she witnessed other adult men do nothing to help her family. She seems to trust you greatly though, my Lord. I think you can help encourage her to come out of her shell and heal.
106. Chimou Star
Templeton
Secret #1
Name: Templeton
Age: 31
From: Kanakan
Position: Liberation Army Mapmaker
Secret #2
Templeton was a child prodigy, becoming a master phonologist at the age of 7! He served as a member of the 108 Stars of Destiny during the Gate Rune War and Dunan Unification War and he was a valuable asset to both armies. Though originally from Kanakan, Templeton seems to be a Toran at heart and has made frequent trips back to the Toran Republic the last few years to stay at the lake castle that Toran's Liberation Army had called home during the war. He obviously has very fond memories of the place.
Secret #3
Templeton has traveled to many countries fulfilling his lifelong dream of mapping out every feature of the known world. He came to Nagarea because the only known maps of Nagarea that exist in other countries only detailed the Northern Wharf. He unfortunately arrived in Nagarea during the civil unrest and the Theocracy were less than welcoming to him. As you know, he was on the run secretly mapping out Nagarea until you met him.
Secret #4
Templeton left Kanakan at an early age but of course he still has the stigma of being a heavy drinker, as most people from Kanakan do. Gertrude does not help with this stereotype unfortunately, and poor Templeton has been forced into drinking contests with Gertrude from time to time. But his focus is on his maps and he's made a few trips to the Red Tundra to try and continue mapping out the region. It's been difficult for him to travel because of how dangerous the Red Tundra is, but personally I think he's just trying to get away from Gertrude.
107. Chizoku Star
Rafe
Secret #1
Name: Rafe
Age: 19
From: Peak's Edge, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army soldier
Secret #2
Rafe is one of the most open-minded Wingers I ever met. He's never held an animosity towards humans and considers many of his neighbors to be hypocrites. Rafe is a self-titled treasure hunter, and has been on many expeditions. The expedition he went on with you was his most profitable one, having netted him 1 million bits after selling platinum armor to Gusoku. He still wants to go on expeditions, though.
Secret #3
Rafe wants to go the Dark Chasm and go through the Sindar ruins to find treasure. Since you found the best treasure there my Lord, I don't know what he expects to find there. But I think he likes the idea of adventure for this trip than the actual treasure aspect. He's asked Oisin and Dahlia if they want to go with him, but though Dahlia expressed interest Oisin quite vehemently said no. This hasn't deterred Rafe, however.
Secret #4
Rafe wants to visit the Northern Continent and see Two River. He's used to living in the mountains so he would like to see a village of Wingers that coexist with Kobolds and humans. He's also keen on recruiting some Wingers for a future quest and he asked Jantu if there's anyone he should look for. Jantu warned him that the Wingers who be most interested in joining him were Sid and Landis, but that Rafe should avoid these Wingers at all costs. They sound like troublemakers.
108. Chikou Star
Cairoh
Secret #1
Name: Cairoh
Age: 43
From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea
Position: Liberation Army Item Shop Owner
Secret #2
Cairoh once ran a very successful item shop in the capital, but he lost his merchant license when he couldn't remember every part of the Merchant's Pledge. It's no wonder though considering when he first got his license the Pledge had only twenty parts, and by the time he lost his license the Pledge had risen to seventy-eight parts! So until he joined the Liberation Army he peddled his wares illegally with a merchant's cart and freely did business with the Liberation Army.
Secret #3
Cairoh loves sweets. I've seen him put away a whole cake in one sitting. He also has a bit of an obsession with strawberries and has spent a considerable amount of bits to buy them weekly. He always makes sure to keep a bowl at his counter full of strawberries. Quite surprising, as he doesn't seem like the type to eat sweets.
Secret #4
Did you know that Cairoh's great-grandfather served in the Cabinet of High Clerics? That means that at one point Cairoh's family was amongst the preeminent families in all of Nagarea! Sadly his great-grandfather was defrocked and "earned the wrath of Nagar" when he broke the drinking laws and made a public spectacle of himself while drunk. Thankfully Original Sin was not a law at this point so only the great-grandfather was punished, but Cairoh's family lost their wealth and status even before he was born. And quite unfortunately, his family has been running nothing but bad luck since.