Query's Investigations ---------------------- Acquaeous "Mr. Acquaeous works aboard Mr. Freyjadour's ship, tending the Rune Cannon shells. He is quite protective of them, especially considering there are a lot of people who want to destroy all the Rune Cannons." "Mr. Acquaeous doesn't buy into the hype that Rune Cannons are inherently evil. He claims that they, like any other weapon, can be used or abused. He works hard to make sure the cannons under his control are never abused." "He actually worked under Ms. Delilah's grandfather, Skald Egan. Mr. Acquaeous set a trap that helped Mr. Skald catch some Rune Cannon vandals that had escaped his notice for years." *** Aila "She grew up with Mr. Hugo, but they were separated when their village was burned during the Second Fire Bringer. Ms. Aila ended up falling in with Mr. Geddoe and his men, and has traveled with them ever since." "I think she and Mr. Jacques are in love! Oooh... but they won't admit it to each other. What is WRONG with the people in this stupid castle!?" "Every week she pays thousands of potch to an importer who brings her casks of some Zexen drink called 'soda'. I tried some, and it was really fruity and bubbly! Kind of made my tummy hurt though..." *** Albert "Well he's a Silverberg, so you know he's a great tactician. It's in their blood. He learned a great deal from Leon Silverberg, so some mistake his carefully calculated machinations as being cruel and heartless." "He's got a kind of rivalry with his younger brother, Mr. Caesar. Mr. Albert casts a long shadow, and Mr. Caesar is always scrambling to catch up. Mr. Albert says his brother is likely to join any opposing army, just for the chance to outmatch him." "Mr. Albert doesn't like to talk much about why he joined the Destroyers five years ago... just that he has his reasons. Upon closer examination, his style is has subtle differences from his grandfather's. I wonder if he had another mentor along the line..." *** Altheas "Mr. Altheas was only a child during the Falenan Civil War. He journeyed to Sol-Falena after the war to become a Queen's Knight to make sure nothing like that ever happened again." "He really cares for Ms. Esarai, the princess of Falena. If she's ever in danger, he's supposed to give up his life before allowing her come to harm. Man, talk about pressure." "He trained a lot with the queen's bodyguard Miakis before she died. Apparently that incident only hardened his resolve to be a knight. He really is a strong person." *** Andrina "Ms. Andrina has had a sad life... raised as a rune witch in Harmonia and forced to hone her talents for years and years. She was appointed as President Nataniel's court mage, but betrayed him and now works for us! Happy ending!" "Ms. Andrina wasn't the only girl Harmonia used like that... Mr. Albert says one of his fellow Destroyers grew up in a similar way. I'm glad Ms. Andrina didn't turn out the way she did." "Despite her considerable talents with magic, and her expertise as a teacher, Ms. Andrina has absolutely no affinity for water magic. Even with a Flowing Rune she can't do more than make a few drops appear. Strange, huh?" *** Antuon "He's one of the generals of the Toran Republic, although between you and me I think his son gives him more trouble than any enemy ever has on the battlefield." "The night after Nataniel took power in Toran, Antuon apparently got drunk and threatened to march right in the palace and murder the imposter himself. Ex-president Lepant was the one who talked him out of it." "He actually fought in General Teo's unit against the Liberation Army under a man named Grenseal. When Grenseal switched sides, so did Antuon, although he never felt right about it. He changed his mind after his idol General Kasim Hazil joined the Liberation Army, too." *** Belle "Ms. Belle is a smart lady and a self-proclaimed 'Master Trickster'. She fought alongside the Flame Champion in the Second Fire Bringer, and I've heard her mother fought in the Dunan Unification and Toran Liberation before that." "She seems to be the only one who can operate that hammer-looking device in combat. While testing it out, she says it would sometimes backfire and knock her out cold for a few hours at a time." "She says she joined our army to test Gadget Prime's abilities on the battlefield once and for all. After the war she wants to find a handsome man and settle down, to pass the trickster legacy onto a new generation." *** Ben "He's from the Cartogropher's Guild which was established in Higheast a few years ago. Mapmakers from all over the world gather there to share their information to come up with the most accurate maps possible." "Mr. Ben got a special rune from his guild which instantaneously records any perceived changes in his maps and sends the information to a corrosponding rune back at the guild's headquarters. It makes the maps that much easier to keep track of." "A man named Templeton is the leader of the Cartogropher's Guild. Because they possess eerily accurate maps of a variety of landscapes, the guild actually weilds a fair amount of political power in Dunan and beyond. Knowledge is power, after all." *** Berthe "He's Ms. Meria's father. Ms. Meria seems to have changed her thieving ways, but Mr. Berthe just can't help himself. I hope he doesn't cause too much trouble..." "He's always trying to tempt Ms. Meria back into a life of crime. I thought Karayans didn't care much for worldly posessions, but I guess Mr. Berthe just really loves the thrill of it." "I heard when he showed up in Mr. Hugo's village introducing himself as the 'father of the Flame Champion', Mr. Hugo's mother beat him silly until he apologized and promised never to do it again. Touched a nerve, maybe?" *** Bethany "Ms. Bethany and Mr. Tybalt were in the Liberation Army. They fell in love with the lake, and with each other, and spent years fishing together along the waters." "She's a sweet old lady, but she's not one to spare the rod. The other day she baked some crab cakes as a snack for some of the kids. One of the little brats tried to take more than his fair share, and Ms. Bethany swatted him right on the butt!" "Turns out Ms. Bethany was injured during the war, so she can never have children of her own. I know she misses her lake, but I think she really enjoys being here at HQ surrounded by children." *** Blaise "He loves his mother well enough, even though they disagree about Queen Lymsleia. However, he calls his uncle Euram 'Uncle Pipsqueak'! How disrespectful." "He's always playing practical jokes on people. Once he tied Flurrsh and Grey's tails together while they were eating. What? No, of course I didn't warn them! That would have compromised my investigation!" "His mother really wants him to settle down soon. That's why you don't see him talking to many girls around HQ -- I think he's afraid his mother might find out and make him marry her." *** Bolu "Mr. Bolu is a mercenary from Grasslands. He's apparently from someplace called Great Hollow, but got kicked out by the chief for some reason, and now makes a living selling his services in war." "Some of the Lizard Clan didn't like when thier chief, Dupa, joined forces with the 'ironheads' during the Second Fire Bringer. It was only a small faction of them, but Mr. Bolu was the most vocal of the bunch. I guess he gets on fine here, though. Anyway, what's an 'ironhead'?" "He really hates Ms. Chris, for being an 'ironhead', and Mr. Hugo for 'joining forces with ironheads'. He told me they should watch their backs once his contract here is up. Does that count as a threat? Should we put him in jail?" *** Brensen "He's a doctor from the Island Nations, so he was taught to use runes to heal his patient's wounds. His collection is pretty impressive: Water, Shield and Ressurection... you name it, he's got it." "He admires Mr. Inslo's skill with traditional medicine, but doesn't understand why you would do things the hard way. Still, his patients don't recover any faster than Mr. Inslo's..." "Once in a great while Mr. Brensen has a patient who is heavily guarded against rune magic, and has no choice but to defer to Mr. Inslo's technique. He's a good man who can set aside his ideals when someone's life is on the line." *** Bright "Bright is Mr. Futch's dragon. He's a very pretty dragon too... shiny silvery white! He's been with Mr. Futch ever since he was born, and is very overprotective of him." "As dragons go, Bright is an odd one. He's the only dragon in Goya who wasn't born in the dragon's den, and the only known white dragon in hundreds of years! I can't tell who is luckier: Mr. Futch, or Bright." "I learned that when Mr. Futch was very young, he had a black dragon named Black, who was killed during the Toran Liberation. I think, if nothing else, it proves that Mr. Futch isn't very imaginative when it comes to naming dragons." *** Cereo "Mr. Cereo is quite a bit more refined than his friend, Mr. Blaise. He's always cleaning up Mr. Blaise's messes and smoothing things over with the people Mr. Blaise pisses off. I think he's a natural born mediator." "He's not really a Godwin, you know... none of the Godwin line survived the Falenan Civil War. But his mother's sister's husband's grandfather was related to Marscal Godwin's cousin's half-sister by marriage, making his family the closest living relatives to the Godwins. I guess they just took the name and ran with it." "He loves to debate! One time I saw him get into an argument with Mr. Altheas about the princesses. Mr. Altheas was so mad that he didn't even notice when Mr. Cereo changed his position halfway through... and still won the debate!" *** Chadar "He lives off the land in Grasslands, but Mr. Chadar is from Zerant originally. He fought in some border skirmishes during the Second Fire Bringer, but only when they affected him directly. He prefers to keep to himself..." "There was apparently a whole clan of lycanthropes at one time in Grasslands, but that's not where Mr. Chadar is from. Something doesn't add up... will you give me more time?" "Mr. Chadar isn't really a lycanthrope! He got his skill from his father, who was cursed and turned into a leopard years and years ago. After he broke the curse he could change at will, and Mr. Chadar inherited the trait." *** Chris "Ms. Chris really hates being called the 'Silver Maiden'. I think she secretly was looking forward to getting old and wrinkled to spare her the attention. But then she went and got a True Rune and... well... you know how that goes." "She will never admit it openly, but I think she feels a stronger loyalty to Mr. Thomas and Mr. Hugo than to her country of Zexen. I don't know why she puts on airs all the time, but some people are just that way I guess." "Mr. Hix complained that a dozen of his soldiers from the Warrior's Village asked if they could name their swords 'Chris'. Ms. chris acted ambivalent about the whole thing, but after Mr. Hix left I caught her smiling for just a split second." *** Cristobal "Mr. Cristobal is a master martial artist and a good friend of Mr. Pahn. He joined Mr. Pahn in supporting the New Liberation Army, training youngsters in the fighting arts." "Unlike Mr. Pahn, Mr. Cristobal doesn't eat very much. He was a very poor child with no family, so he remembers what it was like to be close to starving. Now, he never eats to satisfaction to remind him to be constantly vigilant against complacence." "Mr. Cristobal was defeated in a duel by Ms. Kikoba's master, Long Chan Chan. He's been itching for a rematch ever since, but I guess he feels he has more important things to do at the moment." *** Cvenn "Mr. Cvenn fought in a small batallion of ducks during the Second Fire Bringer. He was especially enamoured with the ninjas Watari and Ayume, and after the war traveled south to become a ninja himself." "He's learned a lot in five years, but he still has a long way to go as a ninja. For one thing, all his feathers ruffle when he moves, so it's pretty easy to spot him." "For the longest time I thought Mr. Cvenn somehow colored his feathers black, you know, for the whole ninja thing. But it turns out they're naturally black! It's rare, but not unheard of, in the Duck Clan. Well, now I know." *** Dandy "I asked a few of the rune mages around here, and Dandy is apparently a 'personification of a Wind Rune, given life'. It doesn't talk or anything, it just kind of floats there..." "Someone got the idea to have Ms. Jeane attach a Wind Rune to it. When she did, Dandy zoomed around the room and created little tornados everywhere! I hope nobody gets it in their head to try a Cyclone Rune..." "It seems just having Dandy around increases everyone's aptitude for wind magic. I bet it would be fun to team it up with Ms. Lorelai for a while, since she has that True Wind Rune, now." *** Deedee "Ms. Deedee is a young rune witch from Falena. She apparently has incredible aptitude for all sorts of magic, although her training hasn't really been that extensive yet." "She spends her days following Ms. Jeane, Ms. Andrina or Ms. Viki around wherever they go. She says it's important to study under powerful mages with different personalities and different approaches to magic." "Apparently she has a unique skill that allows her to combo off of her own magic! ...unfortunately that skill is still highly untested. I think she has a long way to go before she'll be powerful enough to do it..." *** Delilah "She's Ms. Bernadette's daughter, so she's a pretty important lady in the Island Nations, I guess. I wish she'd do something about that crazy hair though... hasn't she ever heard of a comb!?" "She and Mr. Freyjadour have fought alongside each other for years against pirates and other unsavory types. She has arrest papers for Ms. Jenique in her room... I'm worried she might try to throw Ms. Jenique in prison after the war is over." "Ms. Delilah doesn't really like Rune Cannons for some reason, but says they're a 'necessary evil'. Rune Cannons apparently have a kind of sketchy reputation in the Island Nations, but that doesn't stop them from using them." *** Dendy "It's a fire sprite, I think... sort of like a Fire Rune come to life. It's kind of hard to investigate, since it's always on fire and therefore hard to get close to." "Dendy is a hot topic amongst our rune mages... er, no pun intended. They think that, if given a Fire Rune, it'll be able to use fire magic as though it had a Rage Rune attached. And -- get this -- with no rune at all it can still use all the Fire Rune spells." "Anyone around when Dendy's nearby will get more mileage out of their fire magic. I bet pairing him up with Mr. Hugo would make for hot times! ...okay, that time the pun was intended. I'm sorry." *** Dickerson "Mr. Dickerson is a decent guy who is almost as good at investigations as I am. We swap info sometimes, when it's handy to do so. But don't worry, I never clue him in on any of the reports you're paying for." "Someday Mr. Dickerson is going to write an amazing novel, I just know it! Have you been reading the serial he prints in his newspaper every week? I'm on the edge of my seat, for serious!" "A few people are worried about the allegations of Mr. Dickerson embellishing the truth in his articles. His reply was 'the truth is whatever I can make people believe'. Kind of a dangerous idea, when you think about it..." *** Dindy "I think they called Dindy a 'personification of the elemental nature of water', which is something like a Water Rune that came to life. It's always making soothing noises..." "Its control over water magic is exceptional, even without any rune at all. Kind of makes it a natural healer in any situation." "Because it raises the water affinity of everyone around it, I bet Dindy would be a good match with Ms. Chris in combat, since she has that True Water Rune and all." *** Dondy "It's some kind of living Lightning Rune... wait a minute, I jotted it down... ah, here it is: 'a personification of the elemental properties of lightning'. Weird." "It's always crackling and sparking. I heard someone tried to attach a Lightning Rune to it as a joke, and they got the shock of their life! I don't want to say I hope it as Mr. Blaise, but..." "Just being near Dondy makes your affinity with lightning magic go up, you know. Maybe you could try lining it up with Mr. Edge in battle, and really letting that True Lightning Rune go nuts?" *** Drexlar "He's the son of some crazy old inventor from Falena named Sorenson. Mr. Sorenson apparently heard of us up here and sent Mr. Drexlar to build us an elevator, but since we have Mr. Juhunga we didn't really need one. So he built us a state-of-the-art storage system instead!" "Mr. Drexlar is always chasing Ms. Belle away from the gears in the storage room, but she says she's just trying to retrieve the parts he stole of Gadget Prime. Are those two weirdos flirting, or something...?" "I heard Mr. Drexlar will pay 10,000 potch to the first person that can beat his mechanical arm thingie in an arm wrestling match. At first I thought it sounded crazy, but I looked into it and, yep, now Mr. Drexlar owes Mr. Viscount 10,000 potch." *** Dundy "Let's see... how did the rune mages put it? Dundy is a 'personification of the very elemental nature of earth'. I guess that means he's an Earth Rune come to life? What does that mean..." "Ah, apparently elemental sprites like Dundy can use magic belonging to their element without attaching a rune. Furthermore, they get more powerful spells out of a rune than anyone else would. That's pretty neat." "Whenever Dundy is around, everyone's affinity for earth magic seems to increase. Hmm... doesn't Mr. Thomas have the True Earth Rune now? I bet putting the two together would be a decent enough idea." *** Eastanea "Ms. Eastanea is a master thief. They say nobody in the world is more skilled with a whip than she is. I heard she taught Mr. Hugo's mother everything she knows about whip-fighting." "Unlike her idiot son, who steals only for the thrill, Ms. Eastanea steals only from those who deserve to be stolen from. These days she focuses mainly on Harmonian high-ups!" "Something tells me she doesn't really approve of the union between Mr. Hugo and Ms. Meria. I hope nothing bad happens... those two are so cute together!" *** Edge "Before he joined the Second Fire Bringer he made money by challenging people to duels. Because he had the Star Dragon Sword, he usually won them... that was until Mr. Geddoe stepped up and put him in his place. That must be why he admires Mr. Geddoe so much." "I found out he's collecting information about Sierra Mikain, a runic vampire. Even though she's our ally, I think he wants to kill her... maybe we should keep this information under wraps." "That True Rune of his... he's really quite frightened of it. I guess having fought against the Destroyers he knows just how terrible the power of an unleashed True Rune can be." *** Emmett "His great-uncle was an aristocrat in the Scarlet Moon Empire named Vincent. Some of the people here fought with Mr. Vincent a few times, but when asked about him they just rolled their eyes. I wonder what's up?" "Every time I interview Mr. Emmett he gives me something called a Rose Crest to thank me for the pleasure of my company. I've got a drawer full of the things, now. Where does he get them from?" "Some of the bigger kids were picking on little Tasha the other day, and Emmett came in and gracefully fought them all off. He's kind of a snob, but I guess he's a pretty upstanding, honorable kind of snob." *** Emory "She's Mr. Emmett's twin sister, related to the aristocratic de Boule clan from Toran. She gave me a loooooong lesson in the extravagent de Boule family history, but when I tried to follow up on it I learned most of it wasn't true." "I tried to find out what lands or estates the de Boule family is attached to, but no matter where I look there doesn't seem to be any record of a family in high standing by that name dating back through the history of the Scarlet Moon Empire." "She refuses to associate with any of the 'peasant folk' in the castle... which from what I can tell means pretty much anyone except her brother. Oh well, it's her loss." *** Flurrsh "Originally Mr. Flurrsh was from the Island of Nay. He got tired of the same old flowers, though, and caught a boat north to Toran, which is where you found him." "Mr. Flurrsh's fur was originally red, but he spends so much time in the sun tending his flowers that it kind of turned dull orange." "I think Mr. Flurrsh was really scared of kobolds when he first came here, but he's cool with them now. It's weird to think of having never seen a kobold before, but I guess I'd never met a nay-kobold before I met Mr. Flurrsh either!" *** Franklin "Mr. Franklin is a famous young chef from the Toran Republic. At some time or another he has cooked for everybody who is anybody in the Republic -- including the former president and all of the great generals." "Mr. Franklin learned all he knows about cooking from a world-class chef named Antonio. However, Mr. Franklin surpassed his teacher long ago. Nobody here at HQ ever goes hungry!" "He is constantly deriding Zexen cuisine as 'bland' and 'unimaginative'. Some of our Zexen troops didn't like it at first, but I think Mr. Franklin made them eat their words... literally!" *** Fred "Mr. Fred's grandfather was a leader of great knights of considerable renown from the Scarlet Moon Empire. The Emperor forced them to disband, and they became free knights. That was the life Fred was born into, and he fights for chivalry to this day." "In the past five years Mr. Fred has managed to gather a small group of knights to his banner. Maybe he'll manage to return the Maximilian knights to the glory days they rightfully deserve! ...what? No! I'm not blushing..." "I did some digging, and it looks like there's a group calling themselves the Maximilian Knights far to the south, in the kingdom of Armes! I don't know whether they're impostors or an ofshoot of Maximilian's forces, but either way I'm scared if I tell Mr. Fred, he'll leave us to go find out..." *** Freyjadour "Mr. Freyjadour doesn't have a True Rune, so he ages like the rest of us. It's a good thing he's grown up now, because during my investigation I saw a picture of him as a child, and he looked a bit girly." "He and Ms. Lyon have a really complicated relationship. I can't tell if she's his girlfriend or his bodyguard. She might be both." "I know they're enemies, but I think Ms. Jenique has a crush on him. She's always getting into fights with Ms. Lyon when she gets caught trying to peek at him in the bath." *** Futch "Mr. Futch is a dragon knight. He fought in the Toran Liberation, Dunan Unification, and Second Fire Bringer wars! He and his dragon, Bright, are fearless on the field of battle." "He's a good friend of Ms. Milia, even though he sometimes doesn't like how she handles the dragon knights. Remember, Ms. Milia only looks younger than Mr. Futch because she has a True Rune... he's actually much younger." "During the Second Fire Bringer he would race Bright against his friend's mantor, Ruby. At first Mr. Futch never thought a mantor would be a match for a dragon, but I think he learned a valuable lesson about humility!" *** Gadget Prime "At first I was curious as to why you wanted me to investigate a barrel. I didn't know he was alive! Anyway, he was built a long time ago by Ms. Belle's great uncle, a legendary trickster named Juppo." "Ms. Belle takes him apart and puts him back together again all the time. She claims these constant reconstructions are 'improvements' but I have my doubts..." "After seeing what True Runes can do during the Second Fire Bringer, Ms. Belle had Gadget updated so he is highly resistant to rune magic. I suppose that could be pretty useful, right?" *** Glenda "Ugh... she talked my ear off for hours. Let's see... she was born and raised in Razril in the Island Nations, but moved to Obel to start a family. She has six children and twenty-four grandchildren. Her favorite thing to drink is ice cold milk. she used to have a cat named Mittens..." "She's just a non-stop gossip factory! She says Ms. Tengaar is cheating on Mr. Hix, that the Star Dragon Sword is really a disguised vampire itself, she caught Mr. Jowy and Ms. Chris making out in a closet, all our kobold troops are planning to take over our castle..." "Please please please don't make me talk to her again... listen, that crazy old bat doesn't have any secrets. If you want to learn about her just go ask her yourself! Bring earplugs though..." *** Grasen "He's the Chief-King of Kanakan. Rumor has it he can drink a whole cask of wine and not get drunk. I tried to investigate this, but passed out long before I gathered any conclusive evidence. Sorry..." "Only he and his brother, Master Haia, know the secrets to creating Falcon Runes. He said I could get one too if I went and trained with Mastar Haia for ten years, but I've got better things to do." "Every few years Mr. Grasen disappears from Kanakan for a while, leaving things to his advisors. I don't know what he does during these times, but they coincide with the Scarlet Moon War of Succession, the Dunan Unification and the Second Fire Bringer." *** Greg "Mr. Greg is really kind of a shady kobold, isn't he? He claims none of his games are ever rigged, but I never seem to be able to win. Oooh... this investigation was a net loss for me." "I waited until Mr. Greg left on business, and snooped around through some of his games. I couldn't find any evidence whatsoever that he was swindling anyone, but I'm sure if I just keep looking..." "Oooh! Mr. Greg caught me searching through his lottery machine, and threatened to have me arrested if I didn't pay him what I owe! ...say, you don't have 65,000 potch I could borrow, do you...?" *** Grey "Mr. Grey's grandfather was a general in the days of the Dunan Unification named Ridley. In his prime, Mr. Ridley could take on a hundred soldiers single-handedly. Mr. Grey's so mean and tough, I just about believe it!" "Mr. Grey's father Boris left home when he was young to study abroad. Though he worked hard his whole life, he never had Mr. Ridley's approval. Mr. Boris took a job in Tinto during a border skirmish and lost his life." "Mr. Grey always resented his grandfather. After Mr. Boris died, Mr. Grey strolled right into Two River and told his grandfather what-for. They say Mr. Ridley was so impressed he stepped down as commander right then and there! Does that mean Mr. Grey is even meaner than Mr. Ridley was?" *** Hix "In the Warrior's Village, a man names his sword after his dearest loved one. That's why Mr. Hix's sword is called 'Tengaar'. I got confused the first time I heard him ask Mr. Nogroggin to 'sharpen Tengaar' for him." "Argh! That idiot made Ms. Tengaar chase him around for six years before they finally got hitched! I guess it all worked out in the end though, since now he's the chief of Warrior's Village." "Mr. Hix doesn't train much or keep in great shape, so Ms. Tengaar is always scolding him. In fact I don't think I've ever seen her say something nice to him. That must just be the way they show their love..." *** Huey "Mr. Huey is from Kanakan originally. He joined up with a theater troupe led by a trio from Falena, which traveled all across the continent putting on shows. Mr. Huey isn't a great actor, but he's good at designing costumes and writing screenplays." "Mr. Huey is always looking for people to cast in his latest masterpieces... if you know anyone who might like to sign upfor a show, let him know, okay?" "During the Dunan Unification Mr. Huey had an understudy who ran off with a replica of Mr. Riou's clothes. They never heard from him again, but he apparently tried to make some quick potch impersonating Mr. Riou during the war." *** Hugo "Even though he's the Flame Champion, he's not well known throughout Zexen or Grasslands. He and his mother, and the rest of the Karayans, do a pretty good job keeping his identity a secret." "He's never forgiven Ms. Chris for something awful she did years ago, but he respects her all the same and never passes up an opportunity to fight alongside her. I hear his mother has the same kind of relationship with President Teresa of Dunan." "He really cares for his fiance, Ms. Meria. During my interview he said, 'You can ask me questions, but if you try to flirt with me I'll let Meria beat you up.' I don't think he was joking, so I cut the interview short... for my own health!" *** Inslo "In the Island Nations, where Mr. Inslo is from, they're big on using Water Runes to help heal wounds. That wasn't enough to save Mr. Inslo's mother, though, so he traveled north and dedicated his life to studying 'real' medicine." "When they aren't bickering about how to best treat the wounded, Mr. Inslo and Mr. Brensen get along famously. I think just about the only thing they agree on is which corners of Kanakan sell the best booze." "I did some major snooping and found that Inslo keeps a Ressurection Crystal handy for those cases he simply can't handle. He has Ms. Jeane attach the rune, uses it to aid his patient, then takes it back off and hides it. He hates doing it, but he swallows his pride for the good of his patients." *** Jacques "He's a member of Harmonian Southern Frontier Defense Force, kind of a strong silent type. The force was split in half recently and, after losing their leader, Mr. Jacques decided to join up with us along with Ms. Aila and Mr. Tarot." "Mr. Jacques is an excellent shot; it's said he never misses what he aims at. He should have a contest with Mr. Richter some time!" "Yup, he definitely has a thing for Ms. Aila... but he doesn't have a romantic bone in his body! They've been comrades for so long, it only makes sense they should hook up. Oooh... why are people so clueless?" *** Jeane "I complimented Ms. Jeane on her pretty dress. She says she used to dress quite a bit more provocatively, until a little girl in Sol-Falena yelled at her for being a hussy. I find it hard to believe Ms. Jeane would listen to just some random little girl, though." "Ms. Jeane isn't just a rune sage, she is THE rune sage. She can even bind runes to people with no aptitude for them. And she always does it with a smile! That must be why all the guys love her... right?" "Mr. Lazlo and Ms. Jeane were sitting in the restaurant the other day talking about their time aboard Lino En Kuldes's ship. Um... wasn't that over 180 years ago? I know about Mr. Lazlo's past, but how does he know Ms. Jeane?" *** Jenique "They call her the 'last great pirate'. She has an alliance with the mermaids who oppose the Island Nations fleets that still use Rune Cannons, making her disturblingly hard to capture." "Her two ships, the Kika and the Brandeau, are named after famous pirates from the time of the Island Nations war against Kooluk. I guess it only makes sense, since the Island Nations Federation flagship is called the Lino En Kuldes..." "She's from the Falenan port of Estrise, originally. Piracy doesn't go over well on the Feitas thanks to Raftfleet and the Dragon Cavalry, so she sailed north for richer bounty. She found it too, antagonizing Ms. Bernadette Egan all the way." *** Jenny "They say Ms. Jenny's rune can mimic any sound. I had never heard of such a rune before! Unfortunately, all the boys who should be asking her out on dates are always asking her to make funny noises instead. I guess all runes have a curse..." "Sometimes when Ms. Jenny is bored she and Ms. Sandy will put on a show for some of the children. Their talents really compliment each other quite well." "I asked her to let me hear the sound of 'true love'. It... it was indescribable! I don't know how she did it, but I was absolutely certain she gave me what I asked for." *** Jeza "She's Mr. Bolu's partner. Back during the Second Fire Bringer, she was one of the Grasslanders who refused to ally with the Zexen Knights. I guess she's over it now, and follows Mr. Bolu around to earn a living." "I don't think she hates the Zexen Knights as much as Mr. Bolu does. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's Ms. Jeza's calm hand that keeps him out of any trouble here at HQ." "She walked in the dojo the other night while Ms. Chris was running the Zexen Knights through their training. Apparently she called Ms. Jeza up to demonstrate a sword maneuver, and found out that they two of them really fight well together. Who knew?" *** Jowy "He did some really terrible things during the Dunan Unification, but he did some really great things too. Mr. Jowy is pretty much living proof that war brings out the best and the worst in people." "I've never once seen him fight with Mr. Riou, even when the two of them disagreed about something. I guess they must have got it all out of their systems during the Dunan Unification." "Why isn't this guy on our tactician's staff!? He's a genius when it comes to battle tactics. He takes all comers in War Games on weekends, and in over a hundred games I've never seen him lose -- not even to Mr. Albert himself!" *** Juhunga "Mr. Juhunga is one of the giants who live in the mountains around here. He's Mr. Nogroggin's younger brother by 3 or 4 thousand years. He helps us out by carrying people where they want to go in HQ." "I was on my way to an unrelated investigation the other day, and noticed an 'out of order' sign hanging on Mr. Juhunga's foot. Turns out he was just sleeping; I woke him up and made him lift me up to the second floor. Later, I felt bad and apologized..." "A lot of people don't like Mr. Juhunga because he doesn't help us fight against Harmonia. What they don't realize is that the entire race made a pact to never raise arms against mortals, and Mr. Juhunga is just keeping that pact." *** Kasumi "Ms. Kasumi is now the leader of the ninjas of Rokkaku. She served a kind of dual position in Rokkaku and the Toran Army for many years until Chief Hanzo died, at which point she had to leave her post and rejoin her people full time." "While many nations employ ninjas as assassins, the Rokkaku ninjas are usually used as scouts. Ms. Kasumi's skills of stealth and observation are unrivaled, but make no mistake: she's absolutely deadly when she needs to be." "Aha! So Ms. Kasumi has been meeting with Mr. Tir for years now... she's probably the last person alive that he truly trusts. I don't know why the two of them just don't hook up, already. I mean, what are you waiting for!?" *** Kendel "Mr. Kendel is the youngest of the Knights of Zexen, under Ms. Chris. Ugh... he all but kisses the ground she walks on. What a brown-noser! Love is all well and good, but hero worship isn't love! Maybe I should tell him." "I caught Mr. Kendel picking on Mr. Thomas the other day, because he's bigger than Mr. Thomas even though he's several years younger. Mr. Thomas didn't seem to mind, but I scolded Mr. Kendel all the same. What a creep!" "Hah! I've got his number now. I found out that while Mr. Kendel talks big and acts touch... he can't even ride a horse! Some knight he is. I didn't make fun of him, of course, but just knowing it makes me feel a little better." *** Kikoba "Ms. Kikoba's mother fought alongside Mr. Riou in the Dunan Unification. She learned her unique fighting style from the famous martial artist, Long Chan Chan. She's apparently only here to continue her training." "Whether sparring or in real combat, Ms. Kikoba only ever fights using her legs. She doesn't weild a weapon and never throws a punch. And she's not all that good with runes, either... I guess she'd have to kick pretty hard to make up for all that." "She's constantly frustrated that some of our senior martial artists don't have time to train with her. But what does she expect, when she wants to train 'round the clock like that? Sheesh, take a break once in a while..." *** Landeux "He's the second youngest of the Zexen Knights. Most of the Zexen Knights remained in Vinay del Zexay; since they aren't officially our allies, Ms. Chris only brought her youngest ones along with her to HQ." "Mr. Landeux uses a standard-issue Zexen sword, but he's really much better weilding a polearm. I watched him out of uniform sparring with Ms. Sanae the other day, and it was amazing the way he kept up with her." "I caught Mr. Landeux sneaking off with Ms. Sanae for drinks after sparring the other night! I was going to follow them to get you the full scoop, but decided to let them have some privacy." *** Lansel "Her mother is a powerful lady in Falena and a brilliant tactician, trained by Ms. Lucretia Merces herself. I'd say she has some pretty big shoes to fill, but she seems up to the task." "She knows quite a lot about the Silverberg family... even more than most people. My guess is that means she's much closer to Mr. Albert than either of them let on. Knowledge of the Silverbergs can be dangerous, though. I hope Ms. Lansel can handle it." "Mr. Albert never puts a strategy into action without bouncing it off Ms. Lansel first. I guess he must really trust her. I bet she's the only one, too." *** Lastwicke "Mr. Lastwicke is from Muse originally. During the Dunan Unification he bought up all sorts of anti-Highland propaganda, including a series of comics where Luca Blight was a pig in armor. Just owning those would have meant death, had he been found out." "Among Mr. Lastwicke's collection is a first edition of 'The Rose Swordsman', an account of the famous hero Schtolteheim Reinbach III, as it first appeared at the birth of the Island Nations Federation." "Some guards caught Mr. Lastwicke snooping around in Mr. Albert's room looking for 'a certain book'. I don't know what he was trying to find, but even I know better than to go into Mr. Albert's room uninvited." *** Lazlo "Over 180 years ago he was a knight-in-training for the island nation of Gaien. He ended up with a True Rune and has wandered the world ever since, testing himself and learning about all the different nations." "That rune of his... it's called the Rune of Punishment. It causes him considerable pain every time he uses it... Please don't ask Mr. Lazlo to use his rune if it's not necessary, okay?" "Details from that time period are sketchy, but there's a chance he might be the lost son of Lino En Kuldes! If that's true, it means Mr. Lazlo is Mr. Freyjadour's distant ancestor!" *** Leknaat "Grr... having a conversation with this lady is infuriating! She never gives any straight answers! 'Chiyu Star'? What's that?" "She used to work for Emperor Barbarosa of the Scarlet Moon Empire, along with a young boy named Luc. This is the same Luc who went on to lead the Destroyers! If Ms. Leknaat is so powerful, why didn't she stop him before he started a war...? She's got cards she's not showing." "I really have no idea how to go about the investigation at this point. Why not pay me to investigate Ms. Jeane instead? I think I'd have better luck..." *** Lilin "Many years ago mermaids were a playful race who lived in the oceans. As the Island Nations became more territorial, though, and increased usage of rune cannons, they were forced to defend themselves and the waters they lived in." "Ms. Lilin is very capable in combat, but she'd really rather not fight if possible. In fact, whenever she has spare time I always see her making jewelery." "She's really rather friendly with Ms. Delilah even though the two of them are enemies. And she absolutely adores Mr. Lazlo. It's pretty obvious that Ms. Lilin yearns for simpler times..." *** Lilon "It's sad... apparently mermaids were once a kind and playful race, but they've had to turn to war to defend their ocean. I'm not saying the Island Nations folks are doing anything wrong but... can't they get along somehow?" "Looks like she knows Mr. Lazlo from way back when. I didn't know mermaids could live that long! And she still looks so young." "I asked Ms. Lilon if she has a boyfriend, and she looked at me quizzically. Maybe mermaids are an all-female species, like the Alma Kinan? Ah, but a life without love... is barely life at all, is it?" *** Lilyn "Ms. Lilyn is a beautiful young mermaid. She doesn't like fighting, but she managed to find a way to combine fighting and dancing. Lots of people around here underestimate her when she wants to spar, much to their own peril." "Ms. Lilyn socializes more with humans than she does with the other mermaids... and being out of water for long periods of time doesn't seem to bother her very much." "Recently some of the young girls have started following Ms. Lilyn around, asking to learn her fighting technique. I guess she really started something!" *** Lorelai "She's a Sindar researcher, and kind of your boss, isn't she? Looks like she's on good terms with lots of people here. She'll never admit it, but she fights in these wars because she believes in the cause, not necessarily just because it will get her into more ruins." "Ms. Lorelai's philosophy is that you can never become complacent if you start over from scratch every once in a while. This is probably why she changes her preferred weapon every couple years." "Like a lot of Sindar researchers, Ms. Lorelai is from Falena. That makes sense, considering that the entire country is practically full to bursting with ruins! She helped Mr. Freyjadour explore a great deal of them during the war all those years ago." *** Lumierre "Mr. Lumierre refuses to cut corners on his merchandise, instead making a profit by dodging the labyrinthine tax laws that plague Vinay del Zexay. Of course, you knew that -- that's how you came to recruit him!" "I asked him where the best armor comes from, and he says that without a doubt it comes from the nation of Zelant. But Mr. Richard doesn't wear armor at all... that's funny." "Doing business in Zexen is hard, apparently, because Zexen Knights have their armor furnished for them, and Grasslanders don't need armor. After the war I hear he's planning to set up a shop in Toran." *** Lyon "She was apparently informally adopted by Commander Ferid when she was a small child. That sort of makes her Mr. Freyjadour's foster sister... I think. Is that weird?" "Ms. Lyon doesn't feel bad at all for leaving Falena all those years ago. I guess she's more loyal to Mr. Freyjadour himself than to her country." "Here's something: she was born into a group of assassins called Nether Gate. That's where her fighting skills come from. If she hadn't been taken in by the royal family, who knows where she might have ended up?" *** Monty "Mr. Monty is a secretive man, but I'll crack him somehow! All I know so far is that he's the most skilled Chinchrorin player anyone here has ever met." "He always closes his eyes just before he casts his dice into the bowl. What kind of strategy is that? Isn't he afraid he'll get a dead roll?" "Apparently he's a member of an underground gambling organization. People from all sorts of different places show up to play him, and usually end up owing him money. But hey, the more he makes, the more he can afford to stake in his games here. Kind of a 'trickle down' effect..." *** Meghan "Ms. Meghan claims to have better eyesight than most elves. I asked her, if that's true, then why is she working in an appraisal shop rather than in our archer unit where she can do some actual good? I think I made her mad..." "Ms. Meghan refused to talk to me again after last time, so I did some snooping around. Once she forced an old man named Jabba into retirement when she successfully appraised a so-called 'Nameless Urn'... by seeing it on his shelf ten paces away." "Ms. Meghan's still mad at me, so I did some more snooping. I stumbled across her Voodoo Doll collection. She has over 300! It's the creepiest thing I've ever seen in my entire life." *** Mephistoph "Mr. Mephistoph served as a Harmonian bishop until he decried the creation of rune-housing clones as blasphemous. Sentenced to die, he escaped Harmonia and now lives in exile." "Apparently he led the expedition into the ruins where Harmonia found the True Wind Rune. He didn't realize there were plans to place the rune in an actual body... maybe he thought he was going to get the rune for himself." "When he was a young man he was involved in the Fire Bringer War. He witnessed firsthand the awesome power of the True Fire Rune... he spent the remainder of his days in Harmonia working against those who wished to use the True Runes for personal gain." *** Meria "Ms. Meria is Mr. Hugo's fiance. They're always together, playing footsie or making kissy noises in the restaurant. It's kind of embarrassing to watch, but still refreshing to see true love blooming in front of you!" "Apparently Ms. Meria used to be a thief, and met Mr. Hugo for the first time trying to cut his purse. Mr. Hugo caught her, asked what she was going to do with the money, and then bought for her whatever it was she wanted. It must have been love at first sight!" "Ms. Meria is very protective of her man. She saw me interviewing Mr. Hugo last week and threatened to beat me up if I was flirting with him! Mr. Hugo is kind of cute and all, but I don't think he's worth a beating..." *** Milia "Ms. Milia is the leader of the dragon knights. She and her red dragon, Thrash, lead the charge when the dragons go to war. Oh, and she has the Dragon Rune on her right hand... but you knew that already, didn't you?" "In the Toran Liberation Ms. Milia fought in the Liberation Army. Her fierceness in combat and her will to never put the Dragon Knights second made her the obvious choice when the previous commander stepped down." "Ms. Milia was with Mr. Tir when his friend Ted died, causing a very powerful reaction in the Soul Eater. That was the first time Ms. Milia had ever seen a True Rune used, and developed a very deep respect for the awesome power they weild." *** Moroun "He's from the Beaver's Lodge in Falena. His idol is a 'rock star' from the Falenan Civil War who fought alongside Mr. Freyjadour with his guitar, leather jacket, and kickin' sunglasses." "Beavers have short life spans, so Mr. Moroun is three generations removed from the war his idol fought in... no wonder he's remembered as a legend rather than a historical figure." "Apparently some kids took a poll and decided Mr. Moroun wins the award for 'fluffiest member of the Kanakanian Army'. Mr. Moroun wasn't pleased with the title, and refused to comment." *** Nightengale "Ms. Nightengale is very secretive. She's still a member of Nether Gate, unlike her sister. I think she's planning to take Ms. Sparrow away after the war. I hope they can come to some peaceful solution..." "...ack! I said 'Hello, Ms. Nightengale!' the other day, and made him very angry! Honestly, I didn't know he was a boy!" "Oh no! I said 'Hello, Mr. Nightengale. I'm sorry about before,' but that just made him (her?) even MORE angry! What am I supposed to do!? You'll help me if she (he?) comes after me... right?" *** Nogroggin "Wow! Who knew there was a whole race of stone giants here in Kanakan? Anyway, Mr. Nogroggin is pretty strong even for a giant, so he works for us forging weapons and armor. Go see him if you need a weapons sharpened, okay?" "I heard from some of the seasoned veterans here that blacksmiths the world over become more skilled at forging weapons the higher quality hammer they use. But Mr. Nogroggin doesn't use hammers at all! What should we do?" "Mr. Nogroggin and Mr. Thugadreba had an arm wrestling contest the other day! That's what that weird shaking was... it wasn't an earthquake after all. By the way, Mr. Nogroggin won." *** Oglethorpe "Most dwarves in Falena are all about digging, but Mr. Oglethorpe was more of an artist. I heard he tried to make it as a sculptor in Haud Village for a while, but nobody appreciated his work. It's a shame, because he's really quite good!" "I'm worried Mr. Oglethorpe doesn't eat enough. Every time I see him sit down to dinner, he always just arranges his food into interesting shapes. He did a pretty good likeness of you using mashed potatoes." "I caught him chipping away between Mr. Juhunga's toes the other day! I was about to chase him off, but Mr. Juhunga just explained he was geting a pedicure." *** Old Joe "He works making glass wine bottles for a living here in Kanakan, but he's designed lots of really fancy things using glass. As a boy he traveled to Harmonia and was inspired by the impressive stained glass windows in the temples there." "He's never taken on a formal apprentice, but since he's been here at HQ I can tell he's really taken a liking to teaching everyone who has approached him about the glass-blowing trade." "Once Mr. Joe gave a suit of beautiful ornamental glass armor to an aristocrat as a wedding gift. That night the stupid aristocrat got drunk, tripped, and shattered the armor to pieces. Doesn't 'ornamental' mean you're not supposed to wear it?" *** Pahn "Mr. Pahn is definitely one of our strongest martial artists. Ms. Kikoba follows him around everywhere, asking if he's stronger than her master, Long Chan Chan. Pahn says he can beat 'that old fart' blindfolded! I'd love to see it." "Mr. Pahn is the last of General Teo McDohl's household... and with Mr. Tir gone all the time, it must be pretty lonely for him. He protects Mr. Tir whenever he can, though." "Mr. Pahn once faced General Teo one-on-one on a battlefield... and survived! He thought he was a goner for sure, but he beat General Teo fair and square. I knew he was strong, but..." *** Pauline "Ms. Pauline is one of Zexen's most prominent chefs. She's been in the business for over twenty years and is one of Ms. Chris's personal favorites." "After the Second Fire Bringer Ms. Pauline spent over a year travelling across the Grasslands collecting local recipes and broadening her horizons. It's said she's spearheading a revolution in Zexen cuisine by implementing tastes and techniques from Zexen's former enemy." "Ms. Pauline came here after Ms. Chris wrote her a letter about Mr. Franklin's boasting. Mr. Franklin acts all tough, but to be honest I've seen him sweat a bit in the kitchen... and not just because of the heat!' *** Pemberthy "Looks like he's been a student of Ms. Apple's since she returned to Toran five years ago. He seems to admire Mr. Caesar's style quite a bit, which puts him at odds with Mr. Albert from time to time." "He was arguing with Mr. Albert today over troop formations. He said, 'If we arrange the units this way, we can save more lives!' Mr. Albert said, 'But the war will drag out longer, costing more lives in the long run.' I don't know which one was right. They both made sense to me." "His parents paid Ms. Apple's mentor, Mathiu Silverberg, to tutor Mr. Pemberthy when he came of age. Unfortuntely Mr. Mathiu died right around the time Mr. Pemberthy was old enough to teach, so he never got the opportunity." *** Pesmerga "He seems kind of sullen now that he's finally caught up to Mr. Yuber. Of course, the people who fought with him in the past say he's always kind of sullen anyway, so maybe it's just coincidence." "He never, ever takes off his armor... although apparently he can if he wants. Mr. Yuber used to wear the same kind of armor, after all." "I think his greatest fear, above all else, is becoming the kind of monster Mr. Yuber was. Is Mr. Pesmerga really that powerful though? I mean, he doesn't even have a True Rune... does he?" *** Quentin "Poor guy, he was only four when his parents were killed when the Harmonian army marched on Grasslands and Zexen. He was cared for in a Zexen orphanage for a while, but ran away with his little sister last year." "Nobody knows how Mr. Quentin managed to convince all his guests that his parents were just 'out of town' when he decided to re-open the inn, or how he handled all the finances. But he's a smart kid who works hard!" "Mr. Quentin sheepishly approached Ms. Chris about joining the Zexen Knights, so he could better protect his little sister. Maybe after the war Ms. Chris will make him a squire? I think that would be good." *** Query "Oooh! You wanna know about me, huh? I'm flattered, really... well, I'm 17, I was born in South Window, and I can find out anything! Absolutely anything!" "Oh... all this attention on little old me... I really don't know what to say! My favorite food is grilled salmon, I moved with my family to Budehuc Castle after the Second Fire Bringer, and I hate it when in stories two people are totally in love but they awkwardly dance around it instead of hooking up. That's so frustrating!" "Look... if you like me that much, just ask me out on a date! Really! But... maybe you should wait until the war's over. Keep our relationship strictly professional for now... yeah? Oh, I'm blushing again..." *** Richard "He's the leader of the Lindwurm Military Brigade, from Zelant. I learned that he fought in the Sacred Games for Queen Lymsleia's hand when he was just a boy, but didn't last the first few rounds." "The old leader of the Lindwurm Military Brigade was a man called Mueller, whom Mr. Richard looked up to as a hero. When I asked him why he didn't follow Mr. Mueller anymore, Mr. Richard just said 'I got over him'." "Can you believe Mr. Richard has never had a girlfriend!? I guess all he cares about his fighting. Come to think about it, there are lots of people here like that. But loving battle isn't the same as loving a person, is it?" *** Richter "Some kids wanted to find out if it was true that Mr. Richter never misses a target. He hit 120 clay pigeons in a row before finally quitting because it was supper time. That's pretty impressive..." "A lot of people don't like Mr. Richter because he's from Harmonia, but he doesn't seem to mind. I get the feeling the Howling Voice Guild he's a member of doesn't particular care for the bishops, either." "He said his gun has a 'soul' but I don't know what he's talking about. It looks like fire and powder and lead, to me." *** Rico "She's Mr. Fred's loyal servant. She's short and a little pudgy, but she's pretty decent with a sword, and I guess technically she's second-in-command of the Maximilian Knights." "I guess during the Second Fire Bringer Mr. Fred made Ms. Rico carry all his gear. Eventually they bought a pack mule for that purpose... does that mean that the mule is third-in-command?" "Ms. Rico seems more committed to Mr. Fred than to the cause of the Maximilian Knights. That's sweet, I suppose, but if Mr. Fred finds out she's not 100% behind the cause of destroying evil, I hope he isn't mad at her." *** Riou "He's always a real cheerful guy, even when I can tell he's upset about something. I asked him about it and he said his sister Nanami used to smack him whenever he wasn't smiling. Yeesh..." "He will eat any meal, no matter how burned or spoiled it is. He said that growing up on his sister's cooking left him with an iron stomach. I wonder, is anyone's cooking really THAT bad...?" "Mr. Riou led the last campaigns of the Dunan Unification believing his sister was dead... but she was only pretending! What kind of sicko is she!? It makes me sad to think Mr. Riou was abused so in his youth..." *** Roc "Mr. Roc isn't as creepy as most winghorde, but he's still got bat wings so... yeah. Pretty creepy. Anyway, he learned to fight from Mr. Ridley, who was commander of the kobold forces in Two River during the Dunan Unification." "Mr. Roc worked long and hard to whip the winghorde forces of Two River into something resembling an organized military force. Their first great achievement was capturing a weird vagrant named Sid and putting him in jail, presumably for being weird and a vagrant." "Mr. Roc wasn't happy when Mr. Grey took over the kobold forces, but now they're good friends and solid allies. They each know the other's every weakness and, standing back to back, are practically impossible to beat." *** Rocket "Huff... puff... you want me to... investigate this guy...? I can't even... wheeze wheeze... catch up to him...!" "He does fifty laps around HQ every morning before breakfast, then 50 more after lunch, then 50 more before bed. Nobody in the world needs that much exersize! He's just showing off." "Oooh... it seems Mr. Rocket stole a rune from an elf he was traveling with, and that's why he can run so fast! Elves have long lives and perfect memories, so Mr. Rocket will probably be running forever." *** Rowe "He says his favorite weapons to make are the unique ones. He claims it's the thrill of designing a brand new type of weapon, but I think it's really just because he can charge more for custom orders." "I heard he's really frustrated with how many people in the Kanakanian Army use swords. 'Swords are boring!' he says. I guess he's never met the Star Dragon Sword..." "He's really interested in getting his hands on Mr. Richter's gun, probably to try and reverse-engineer the technology. Mr. Richter of course does everything in his power to stay the hell away from Mr. Rowe's room." *** Sal Jr. "Mr. Sal's father, Sal Sr., owns a shop in Antei in the Toran Republic. The family made it rich smuggling illegal materials into the city during the short time General Milich Oppenheimer was in charge of it, then siphoned that into legitimate business after the Toran Liberation." "I talked to Mr. Sal a little about the Medicine he sells... he says he's been all over the place, from Grasslands to Falena and everywhere in between and, yep, no matter where you go, Medicine is pretty much the same." "Did you know Mr. Sal is making a killing buying cheap Kanakanian booze here, at cost, and smuggling it out to avoid paying import costs? By the time the war is over he'll be a hojillionaire! Um... don't tell anyone though, okay?" *** Samuel "He's a buddy of yours, right? But you didn't know he was Antuon Fasch's runaway son... I don't understand why all these rich kids want to run away from home and live like hobos. If I were a rich kid, I wouldn't do this for a living, that's for sure!" "Hmm... I guess he ran away because he couldn't stand watching his father serve that bastard Nataniel. I guess that makes sense, but he went about it kind of the wrong way, don't you think?" "He has a girlfriend back in Toran, but she's in a different social class than he is so they have to hide their relationship from their family. Ooooh, it's so unfair, to stifle love so!" *** Sanae "Ms. Sanae's parents fought in the Dunan Unification, and Ms. Sanae herself fought in the Second Fire Bringer. Heroism kind of runs in her family. She inhereted her parents' bad eyesight, though..." "She's better with a polearm than most anyone in the Kanakanian Army. She trains with Landeux sometimes, although he still carries his regular ol' sword into battle." "I guess her mother is pressuring her into settling down, but Ms. Sanae claims she hasn't seen enough of the world yet. She's a little stand-offish but deep down she just wants to help people." *** Sandy "Ms. Sandy's talent is the ability to mimic anyone's voice. Gender, age, race and nationality make no difference to her... she can do it all." "Mr. Blaise is always trying to get Ms. Sandy to help him in his pranks, but she's too mature for that. Good on her!" "I asked to hear her impression of me when I interviewed her, and I swear if I closed my eyes I thought I was talking to myself! Which I guess I do from time to time, it's not Ms. Sandy's fault..." *** Slasher "He's really not that strong at all, but I guess he felt he had to have an impressive title to go along with his friend Mr. Rocket's. Still, he's no weakling either." "Before he joined up with us he had never been outside of Greenhill. Mr. Rocket persuaded him to drop out of the academy and go adventuring. Is Mr. Rocket a bad influence?" "I guess his mom was the mayor of Greenhill at one point. This kid had it made, but instead of just going with it he threw everything away to make his way as a bandit. What a wierdo, right?" *** Sparrow "Ms. Sparrow was once a member of Nether Gate, a group of assissins originally from Falena but now taking up residence in Nagerea. Nobody knows why she quit... give me some more time." "It's really creepy the way Ms. Sparrow smirks all the time, but that's the way she was taught. As a young girl she would show her mark a smiling face to lull them into security, then stab them in the heart. How awful, to use children like that." "Ms. Sparrow was rescued from Nether Gate by a man named Oboro about ten years ago. Apparently, despite Mr. Oboro's best efforts, Nether Gate is as big now as it ever was." *** Stekland "Mr. Stekland is a member of the Duck Clan. Something happened there a long time ago and now he's not welcome back, so he's made his living manipulating the ebb and flow of commerce all through Grasslands since then." "They say his web of contacts is so vast, he can even pinpoint the cost of goods from Zelant and beyond." "He's something of a packrat... er, packduck? Anyway, his motto is 'one duck's trash is another duck's treasure', and he can usually find someone willing to pay for anything he can get his hands-- er, wings on." *** Tangle "Mr. Tangle is from Chishna Village in Grasslands. He says he met Ms. Viki during the Second Fire Bringer, where she would often teleport him around Budehuc Castle just for fun. He said teleportation gives him a 'warm, soft feeling'." "He's collected a lot of stories about Ms. Viki, going all the way back to the Falenan Civil War, and even earlier. His theory is she can teleport through both space AND time! One day he wants to go with her to the far future to see what Grasslands is like 1000 years from now." "Sometimes I've seen people take advantage of Ms. Viki's naive nature to pick on her. Mr. Tangle spends a lot of time chasing people like that off, and makes sure nobody takes advantage of her unique powers." *** Tarot "I wasn't able to find much about Mr. Tarot's history, other than he's from Harmonia somewhere and worked with Mr. Geddoe in the Harmonian Southern Frontier Defense Force." "Mr. Tarot was the only member of the Frontier Defense Force who was with Mr. Geddoe when he died. I think Mr. Tarot still blames himself, even though there was nothing he could have done..." "Like the rest of the Frontier Defense Force, Mr. Tarot doesn't really have an affiliation with Harmonia anymore. If anything, they worked against Harmonia in the past. Mr. Tarot especially hates the bishop who killed Mr. Geddoe." *** Tasha "Poor thing... she lost her parents in the Second Fire Bringer, and hated living at the Zexen orphanage. She and her older brother ran an inn all by themselves until the Kanakanian Army came along, and she still works hard to this day." "Ms. Tasha is quiet, but rune magic fascinates her. She's too shy to act all excited about it, but I think someday she'll make a good rune mage if she studies." "Sometimes the older kids pick on her when Mr. Quentin is busy with the inn. I feel bad for her, but she has to learn to stick up for herself, you know?" *** Tengaar "Ms. Tengaar claims she's not a warrior and needs Mr. Hix to protect her, but have you seen what she can do with runes? She's a natural, make no mistake!" "Once Ms. Tengaar was kidnapped by the vampire, Neclord! Of course Mr. Tir and Mr. Viktor rescued her and killed the vampire, but Ms. Tengaar refuses to acknowldge anyone but Mr. Hix as her savior." "When she heard what happened to Mr. Flik, Ms. Tengaar locked herself in her room for a few hours. I learned later that this is because women in Warrior's Village are never supposed to let anyone see them cry." *** Thomas "Mr. Thomas is the lord of Budehuc Castle, and one of the richest men in all Zexen. He still has trouble getting dates, though, because the Castle Guard chases them all off." "He doesn't look imposing, but he really is a take-charge kind of guy. He's always got ideas on how HQ can be run more efficiently." "Apparently his father put him in charge of Budehuc Castle just to get him out of the way. Boy, I bet that guy is really kicking himself about now!" *** Thrash "He's a really tempermental dragon! Whenever Ms. Milia used to get mad at him, he'd fly away. This worked to his advantage when the dragons were all poisoned during the Toran Liberation, though. He calmed down after that, seeing how much Ms. Milia truly needed him." "Ms. Milia has a daughter named Sharon who fought during the Second Fire Bringer. I don't know much about dragons, but I'm pretty sure Thrash got really jealous after the baby was born." "Thrash seems to dislike Bright because Bright is younger, faster, and prettier. Mr. Futch says that Thrash would win if the two ever really fought though, because when it comes to dragons nothing is more powerful than experience." *** Thugadreba "Until just a short while ago everyone thought Mr. Thugadreba was a hill near HQ. He didn't even wake up when a bunch of dwarves came through and mined all the ore out of his belly!" "There are a lot of people who prefer to take their baths down in the river, because it's just too weird sitting INSIDE someone else. I don't really have a problem with it myself, if Mr. Thugadreba doesn't." "He sleeps almost constantly! Does he even know we're at war, here!? Oh well, I guess it's not like he has a very taxing job, or anything..." *** Tir "His father was General Teo of the Scarlet Moon Empire. Teo was one of two generals who refused to defect during the war. Can you imagine facing your own father on a field of battle? It must have been terrible." "I found out he got the Soul Eater from a man named Ted. Apparently Mr. Lazlo knows Ted too! I see the two of them talk about him from time to time." "Even though he's come out of hiding now, he still spends every New Moon with Ms. Kasumi. Grr! It's so obvious they love each other! Just take the plunge already, idiots!" *** Tybalt "Mr. Tybalt says he fought in the Toran Liberation fell in love with the lake, and decided never to leave. He's been making a meager living fishing there ever since." "I went and interviewed Mr. Tybalt again, like you asked. He said he's a fisherman on Lake Toran. Really, I think that's all there is to him. Not everyone has an interesting, shady past, you know." "Even after all these years, he's still very much in love with his wife, Ms. Bethany. I think the two love each other even more than they love fishing... now that's real love!" *** Viki "Ms. Viki is really popular! Just about everyone here seems to know her from somewhere. Nobody seems to know where she's from or how she got here, though. When I asked her, she called me 'Fuyo'. I don't know what that means..." "A lot of people who fought in the Second Fire Bringer swear up and down there were TWO Vikis at Budehuc Castle. I had Mr. Thomas bring up a list of residents from that time and, sure enough, her name's on there twice! Ms. Viki didn't remember anything about it..." "Mr. Franklin was bragging about the huge feast he's going to make after the war is over, to celebrate our victory. Ms. Viki was walking by and overheard, and ran away crying just at the MENTION of such a feast. I wonder what upset her so..." *** Viktor "Where do you even start? This guy's like a hero a hundred times over. He was a founding member of the Toran Liberation, stood against Highland when no one else would, and killed the vampire Neclord twice. I wonder if he could beat up Georg Prime..." "Right at the start of the Dunan Unification Mr. Viktor fished Mr. Riou out of a river. Even though Mr. Riou was a Highland soldier, Mr. Viktor took care of him... mainly because he reminded him so much of Mr. Tir. Where would Dunan be if those two hadn't come together..." "Mr. Viktor really hates his sword, because it 'talks back too much'. According to Mr. Edge, Mr. Viktor just doesn't know how to handle the sword's massive ego. Am I the only one who thinks swords should be seen and not heard?" *** Viscount "Um... he's kind of a weird guy. The other day I saw him down in the restaurant, sitting on a table, eating his ramen with his toes. Is that supposed to be some kind of training?" "There's apparently nothing wrong with his arm, he just keeps it bound like that so he can constantly challenge himself in combat. Someone should tell him that the war will end quicker if he uses both arms!" "The other day I saw Ms. Kikoba hopping around, one foot bound to the other. I asked her what was up and she said she's on Mr. Viscount's new training regimen. I hope this doesn't become a widespread problem." *** Yuber "Before Mr. Albert and Mr. Pesmerga sealed his True Rune, he apparently only allied himself with those who would let him kill as many people as he wanted. So I guess he wasn't a very nice guy in the past." "He never eats or sleeps. Or talks, anymore, really. Or does much of anything except stand there waiting for orders. He's not the most interesting target for my investigations..." "I heard that during the Second Fire Bringer Mr. Yuber was finally defeated by Mr. Geddoe. Mr. Geddoe must have been a really strong guy to be able to beat Mr. Yuber in his prime!" *** Zachiah "Um... isn't he your best friend? I'm pretty sure you could tell me a few things about him even I couldn't find out. Not that there's anything I can't find out, I'm just saying..." "What is with his hair!? I see him put gel on it every morning before breakfast. Sometimes when he's fighting I think he's hurting the bad guys more with his hair than with his spear!" "During the Second Fire Bringer, a lot of third-class Harmonians took advantage of the chaos to leave the country and take up residence in Zexen, Grasslands or Tinto. Mr. Zachiah's family says they're from Tinto, but they really aren't! Hah! Betcha didn't know THAT!" *** Zou "Mr. Zou is a ninja from Rokkaku. He joined us when we persuaded Ms. Kasumi to stand against the president of Toran. I've never seen him without that mask... even in the bath, he wears it." "Okay, I followed Mr. Zou down to the restaurant, thinking he would HAVE to take the mask off to eat. He ate a whole bowl of curry by lifting a small spoonful at a time underneath his mask. I'll get him yet!" "At great personal risk, I sneaked into Mr. Zou's room while he was asleep and lifted his mask myself. He has the cutest little blonde goatee! But, no disfiguring scars or anything. He woke up and caught me, but instead of killing me, said I should have just asked. Well duh!"