Mikleo ❄ {Luzrov Rulay} (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
torrential_aegis) wrote2016-02-17 01:59 pm
torrential_aegis) wrote2016-02-17 01:59 pm
Entry tags:
Mikleo - The Far Shore Application
Player Information
Name: Ryuuto
Contact:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
redknightdistrict
Age: 23
Other Characters: N/A
Character Information
Name: Mikleo
Canon: Tales of Zestiria
Canon Point: Post Epilogue 2
Age: Unknown; looks like he's in his early 20's
History: Tales of Zestiria, Mikleo, Seraphim, Hellions
There's one detail in the wiki link for Tales of Zestiria that needs to be clarified, as it's not entirely accurate. When it says that Sorey merges with Maotelus to purge the world of malevolence, that's not what happens. He actually merges to purify the entire continent of Glenwood as well as to raise the humans' resonance in the continent, which means an increase in the amount of people with the potential to become Shepherds/Squires. The purification of the continent doesn't mean that the malevolence has completely dissipated, either. That corruption still exists, but Maotelus' restored blessing does give the protection against the malevolence an extreme boost in effectiveness. It's also been confirmed that the person Mikleo is saved by at the end of the second epilogue is, in fact, Sorey reawakened as a seraph, as seen in the official light novel depiction of the game.
Changes in the world at the time of this epilogue are ascertained by what the game hints at as well some minor details from the light novel. The first epilogue depicts a funeral for Rose, Sorey's last Squire, and someone who looks similar to Rose taking her place as either a Shepherd or Squire. Judging by his garments, he seems to invoke the image of a Shepherd. It's also made clear that the seraphim by this point are still not seen, and Rose dies at an old age, judging by how her two guild mates attending the funeral look very old in age. It's very important to note that the four seraphim attending the funeral are also unchanged in appearance, which means that Mikleo's physical changes take place long after this event.
By the second epilogue, Mikleo is shown exploring ruins that are different than the ruins previously explored during the game. He's saved from falling into a pit by Sorey, whose features are shrouded in bright light. Sorey's awakening means three things. One: it means that Maotelus has been completely purified and therefore his blessing is restored to the Glenwood continent, which may also mean that the other four seraphim as powerful as Maotelus have also been purified. Two: the natural resonance of humans has risen to a point where most, if not all, can perceive the seraphim as well as hellions. Three: Sorey is successfully 'reincarnated' as a seraph.
One minor detail given in the light novel hints at a unification of the Hyland and Rolance countries that occurs between the first and second epilogues, long after Alisha and Sergei pass on. Whether this is an alliance or total unification into a single country is left to speculation.
Personality: 'Calm,' 'logical,' and 'cautious' are good words to describe a first impression of Mikleo. He's the one people can rely on to keep a clear and level head in stressful situations. The perfect, and frankly most extreme, example of this is highlighted in the beginning. He and Sorey fall into a hole and instead of screaming his head off, Mikleo uses his water magic to save them from going splat on the unforgiving ground. Mikleo tends to think before he acts, and where Sorey is very trusting, he is more reserved on giving his trust to someone he doesn't know, especially if they give him reason to be suspicious or distrustful of them.
His true name is Luzrov Rulay, which means "Mikleo the Enforcer." It's an apt description of him. Mikleo originally only has Sorey to keep in line before he does something too reckless. However, after adding to their party, he starts doing the same for the others, too. With Zaveid trying to get Sorey to pick up chicks like he does, Mikleo usually steps in to say things like, "It's not going to work with him." There's even a skit that takes place in which Edna teases Alisha into an infinite loop. Mikleo cuts in almost immediately to tell Edna to stop, that Lailah should've stopped Edna sooner since she knew the earth seraph best, and that Alisha shouldn't trust what Edna says so blindly.
He does have his buttons, though. Mikleo doesn't appreciate nicknames, with perhaps special exception to Sorey. Yet, with most people, he's lost his temper with them on it. Much to his chagrin, he's gotten used to the ever-changing barrage of nicknames, from 'Meebo' to 'Mickey-boy.' His height is also something that can rile him up, though he adamantly denies that it's something he's sensitive about. Usually, this is in context to why he chose the staff. Dezel and Alisha both have remarked that he possibly uses the staff to compensate for the height difference between himself and Sorey. His response is a heated, "That's not it!" When Alisha tries to apologize for hitting a sensitive subject, Mikleo's response is more of a shouted, "I'm not sensitive!"
When it comes to killing, he's one to get angry at the murderer. He has a very low opinion of killing without reason, especially if it involves killing a hellion rather than purifying it. Mikleo gets visibly upset and angry at Zaveid when he kills a hellion in front of their eyes. However, after meeting Rose and seeing how she remains pure despite the fact that she's an assassin, he doesn't get as angry. The difference is that what Zaveid did is something he views as unnecessary, but what Rose does is sometimes the only way. It's thanks to Rose that he can make this distinction, though it doesn't change his opinion when he feels that it's not a necessary action to take. For example, later in the game, they find out that a serial killer in Pendrago had been a priest who thought he was bringing salvation to people through death. Mikleo's response when he hears this excuse is one of disgust.
Mikleo's sense of humor runs on the dry and sarcastic side. Generally, he'll tease the people he's friends with, but sometimes he'll accidentally step where he shouldn't. Mikleo usually apologizes, with an exception. After accidentally hurting Edna's feelings, she demands an apology (and some disparaging comments about himself) from Mikleo before helping the group out with clearing an obstacle. He refuses, saying that it isn't the time for that. He's a rather stubborn seraph.
Speaking of being stubborn, boy can he be stubborn! When Sorey initially refuses to let Mikleo form a pact to be Lailah's Sub-Lord, he doesn't take that well. Instead, he keeps trying to ask Lailah to form the pact with him, and eventually he makes Sorey understand his feelings about it. Feeling as though he's just a liability is something Mikleo hates with a passion. This is why he also has a goal of becoming a stronger water seraph. The last thing he wants to do is hold the group back from reaching their full potential.
He can be kind and caring, though. When he, Lailah, and Sorey in the beginning find out that Princess Alisha is being sent to a plague town, he's rather disparaging and scornful of the people who want to see her killed by a disease. When Edna is hiding the fact that it hurts her to use the strength necessary to punch through boulders, Mikleo is legitimately concerned for her health, but he keeps this from Sorey because she doesn't want him to know. Their reason for this is that neither of them want to cause him to worry so much about it that he doesn't use the ability when he needs to or feel guilty when he does use it.
On the other hand, get Mikleo talking about history and archaeology, and he'll talk for hours. It's his dream to explore all the ruins in the world and write a book about his discoveries and experiences. On multiple occasions by various members of their party, Mikleo, and Sorey as well, gets called 'dork' or 'history nerd.' Mikleo has no reaction to being called those things. If anything, he just geeks out with Sorey even more. Mikleo also gets into some heated debates with his best friend over topics like origin or who did what and for what reason. At the same time, they'll point out calmly to each other details the other missed. His love of history and archaeology prompts him to be a little competitive with Sorey. Sorey has said that whenever he discovered something, Mikleo will go out the next day and not come back until he finds the next new thing.
He also dreams of a world where seraphim and humans can live in harmony again, like in ages past. Both of these dreams are shared with Sorey, and it's something they both want to work toward, no matter how impossible. When Edna tries to say that's a goal they might never reach, Mikleo and Sorey are quick to say that there's evidence that things didn't used to be so divided between humans and seraphim. Because of that, they feel that there's a chance to reclaim that harmony for their future.
When it comes to the big picture, Mikleo sets his feelings aside to deal with it until he has the luxury of time to do so. There are three examples of this being the case. One is when he finds out that his uncle sacrifices him to place a horrible curse on Heldalf. The second is later on when he witnesses his birth mother sacrifice herself to extend the barrier around Camlann. Lastly, he and Sorey have to mercy kill Gramps, who was fused into Heldalf's body. For the first two, Mikleo doesn't talk about his thoughts and feelings about it. The last one, he cries and is brought to his knees at the end of it, but he gets right back up. This is because Mikleo knows that dealing with the Lord of Calamity is the most important thing and a threat that needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible before more people suffer. He doesn't feel that it's an appropriate time to dwell on his feelings, and it's something that can be saved for later when the threat has been neutralized.
The most important relationship he has is with Sorey. They're very close childhood friends with a shared passion for history and archaeology. To Mikleo, Sorey is the most important person in his life, save for Gramps. They know each other like the back of their hand. Mikleo is very protective over Sorey, to the point where his hackles rise whenever people drag Sorey's name through the mud. He might deny being worried about him in some circumstances, but it's evident no matter what Mikleo says to the contrary. Even when Sorey talks about a crazy plan involving fusing with Maotelus to purify the land, which would most likely put the dumb Shepard into a coma for a long time, all Mikleo says is that he'll wait for him to wake up, no matter how long that takes. The trust he has for Sorey is not something that can be broken. Once, he tells Zaveid that Sorey will never stray because that's what the rest of them are here to help with. Zaveid's response is to ask what would happen if Mikleo started to stray from the path of virtue. Mikleo says, "Sorey would never allow that."
His relationship with Gramps is one of love and respect. Between Mikleo and Sorey, Mikleo's the one who listens more attentively to the old seraph's warnings and lectures. He takes Gramps' wisdom to heart, though he isn't afraid to cut in to defend Sorey. For example, when Gramps berates Sorey for bringing a human into their village, Mikleo reminds him that Alisha is the first human he has ever seen before.
Edna and Mikleo's relationship is rather...dynamic. For the most part, it consists of Edna getting under Mikleo's skin as much as humanly (seraphically?) possible. She'll come up with different nicknames to use for him and even when she compliments him, there's a sting somewhere. In a few important ways, the two of them are similar in personality and he does have respect for Edna. When she gives advice, he listens to her and doesn't argue when it's absolutely true.
Lailah is one of the few people in the group he has normal conversations with. He respects her privacy and the advice she gives. Mikleo doesn't hesitate to ask her questions or seek advice from her. Excluding Sorey, Lailah is the one he has the most amicable relationship with.
Dezel has always been the grump of the group, but he's also been something of a mentor figure for most of them. He tries to give Mikleo advice on how to fight better with his staff, though that backfires the moment he mentions the water seraph's height. He also tries to give him advice on how to avoid dogs barking at him. Dezel says that it's because they're confused as to why Mikleo's so anxious around them. This doesn't stick with him, either, but that's mostly because he's stubborn about not having a fear of dogs.
Zaveid tries to be the mentor replacement, in that he tries to give girl advice to Mikleo and Sorey. Half the time, he either ignores Zaveid or yells at him. The exceptions are those times in which the wind seraph is actually being serious. Those are the moments when Mikleo listens, as Zaveid does have some good advice and wisdom to share. Still, it's plain that there's some affection held for the wind seraph, despite his "helpful tips."
Rose is one of those people who likes to tease people. Mikleo is no exception to this rule. She once teased him about how he gets so angry whenever people talk badly about Sorey. Yet, he's the one who helps her to see the seraphim and convince her to lend her strength to Sorey as his Squire. When she gives Sorey tough but good advice that only someone with assassination in their background can give, Mikleo warms up to her more and starts to have more trust in her judgment.
Alisha reminds Mikleo of Sorey quite a bit. It's why he's pretty quick to warm up to her after the initial caution, especially when she tries to apologize for being rude in Elysia. To Mikleo, she's a good friend, but he worries about her being too gullible, which is something he remarks on a couple of times. Yet, despite his worries, he has faith in her abilities as a leader as well as a fighter.
At this point in time, he's had to deal with the loss of his human friends and the death of his beloved caretaker mostly on his own. However, by virtue of the fact that Mikleo hasn't succumbed to bitterness or grief speaks well of his strength of character. Doing so would've meant that he'd become a hellion, rather than remain a seraph. He even keeps his faith in Sorey waking up and eventually reuniting with him. This is evidenced both by the expression on his face when he finally has this reunion and by the fact that the feather he keeps as an accessory is the exact same type of feather seen on Sorey's glove. Other than more experience with the world around him, there's no evidence of any significant personality changes. Mostly, it's just been a purely physical change.
Abilities:
Seraph - Each seraph is aligned to an element (Wind, Water, Earth, or Fire), allowing them the ability to manipulate that element and use spells specifically tied to the element. Mikleo in particular is of the water element. It's worth mentioning that the spells the seraphim utilize are called Seraphic Artes, and any human trying to learn how to use them wind up becoming one of the undead. As such, it's a taboo for humans to learn Seraphic Artes, let alone use them. They can bestow a blessing over a town or group of people or one individual person. The nature of this blessing varies between each individual seraph, but generally it's a blessing of some type of good fortune. Mikleo's, for example, has been speculated in canon to be "academic achievement."
This race is immortal and doesn't need to eat or sleep or perform any necessary biological functions. However, some do so out of habit or because they enjoy it as a hobby. While they're able to live forever, they can still be killed with conventional weapons.
They are able to sense "malevolence," which is the name of the spiritual impurity of humans that can take on monstrous form if it gets out of hand. The more malevolence or corruption in an area, the more a seraph will become physically ill. This effect can be significantly lessened if a seraph has a vessel that's very pure, which can be anything from clean water to a bell tower to a person. However, seraphim can be corrupted, too, and become a hellion. Sometimes they succumb to it in their own hearts, but there are times in which it's a forced transformation, such as their vessel becoming tainted. If a seraph remains a hellion for too long, there's a danger of them becoming a dragon. Once they become a dragon, there's no hope of saving the seraph through purification. Death is the seraph's only salvation at this point. On the flip side, seraphim are also able to sense if someone is pure or has potential resonance. They can even sense if a blessing has been bestowed.
The seraphim have a unique existence. While they're as solid as anyone else, normal humans can't see or hear them. However, there's an ability humans can be born with that will allow them to perceive the seraphim, which is called 'resonance.' Resonance also allows humans to be able to perceive hellions as they truly are rather than as a natural disaster. Another option is the Shepherd, who has the ability to allow others to hear the seraphim, but not see them. Sadly, the Shepherd has to be around and make physical contact with that person in order for that to work. On the crystal ball network, he will be 100% perceivable to normal people. I'd hate to restrict CR opportunities with Mikleo, but I will leave it up for discussion as to what my options are with this ability for in-person interactions.
Water seraphim, such as Mikleo, are immune to cold temperatures, and being wet is never a problem for them. They are very much in tune with the element of water, able to sense bodies of water, manipulate the element in all of its forms, and sense if something about it is wrong. He is also able to summon water without the use of incantations, however this ability isn't meant to be used for combat situations. The wordless form of manipulating his element is mostly only good for mundane tasks, putting out fires, dumping it on people's heads, and other assorted uses. It should be noted that if he needs to freeze/evaporate water or manipulate a lot of it, then he'll need to use his staff. Wordless healing works the same way, but for minor injuries. Anything major will require an incantation.
Mikleo has a specialty with seals. He's used protective seals to keep anything from getting to Sorey while he sleeps, and they've obviously worked very well considering the seals have been in place for many centuries.
One last thing unique to seraphim is the ability to create a pact with another seraph. Doing so allows the seraphim to share their powers, and if the leader seraph ("Prime Lord") has a vessel, then the followers ("Sub-Lords") will share that vessel.
Artes - As Mikleo is a water seraph, he is able to use the Seraphic Artes of water, ice, and single-target healing spells. All of his water Artes have a 5-7% chance to cause poison without the aid of enhancement skills. Mikleo is also able to cast a temporary invisibility spell, lasting about 5-10 seconds. A handy list of Mikleo's battle Artes for convenience's sake. Also, it should be noted that any Seraphic Artes that are either permanent or are long-lasting will take physical form, usually in glyphs that glow with elemental power. For example, in Water Temple Le Fay, there were Seraphic Artes in the shape of blue eye glyphs that would teleport you to the beginning of the temple if you crossed its field of vision without being invisible.
Staff & Bow - Mikleo's weapon of choice is a staff. He channels his offensive Artes through the staff, but he's also highly adept with it as a martial weapon. The bow is his divine weapon, something he uses when he armatizes with the Shepherd or an equally powerful Squire. Instead of regular, boring arrows, Mikleo is able to channel his water magic into the shape of an arrow. To make it even better, he's also able to make it so that the arrow can split into a volley of devastation. The staff can be summoned by Mikleo at any time, but the Shepherd and the Squire are the only ones who can summon the bow.
Miscellaneous Skills - He's a pro at making cold desserts and other cold foods. However, he's able to make literally every snack in the game, with exception to the god-tier DLC snacks. Mikleo also has skills in making medicine, cutting and styling hair, increasing movement speed outside of battle, and the ability to detect nearby treasure and herbs.
Strengths: Calm, caring, logical, mature, inquisitive
Weaknesses: Cynophobia, protective, stubborn, pure, sensitive
God/Shinki: Shinki
Why?: Mikleo has fulfilled this role before in canon. By merging with Sorey or Rose, he's able to combine their strengths and work in perfect sync with them in battle. On a more personal level, he's also fiercely protective of and loyal to Sorey. While Mikleo can be protective over other people he forms positive relationships with, they're not on the same level.
Cause Of Death: Pushing Sorey out of the way as the ceiling of the ruins they're exploring collapses.
Vessel: Recurve Bow
Name Location: Mizuki - On the inside of his wrist
Power: Empathy - He'll be able to sense the emotions of the people around him, and will only be able to project his own emotions to his god and the shinki connected to his god. Mikleo will also have the ability to take someone's physical pain and be the one to feel it instead. They'll still have the wound, though.
Writing Sample
Sample:
Mikleo came to the base of the stairs that led up to what appeared to be the front entrance of an ancient ruin. He didn't immediately walk up them, however. Instead, the water seraph glanced to the sky, gauging how much time he had before night would fall. He guessed it would only be a couple of hours. That wouldn't be nearly enough time to explore the structure at a more leisurely pace, and it wouldn't be a good idea to enter them without as much natural light as he can get. Mind made up, Mikleo walked some distance away from the stone steps to set up a temporary camp for the night. If anything alive came out of those ruins, then he wanted fair warning.
'Camp' was a very loose way of putting it, however. The fire he made was about the only thing that qualified it as such. Even then, it wasn't made for warmth, but for being a source of light. It was a new moon that night and starlight was hardly enough to help his vision. When he was done making the fire, there wasn't much left for him to really do. This was only going to be a short expedition, as the ruins were a remnant of a building he'd been in before perhaps a couple centuries ago. Really, he was only here to fact-check some details he'd forgotten over time. As a result, he hadn't packed much more than the barest essentials and medicines. The only thing Mikleo had to whittle away the hours were his own thoughts and his constant vigilance against a potential attack.
The water seraph settled himself into as good of a vantage point as he could get, laying his staff across his lap so that he could be ready to defend himself at a moment's notice. Honestly, it was moments like these that made Mikleo miss traveling in a group. At least with others around, he wouldn't have to be quite as on-edge, and there would've been conversation to distract him. He wouldn't miss Sorey's presence as keenly, either. Mikleo sighed softly as his thoughts inevitably strayed down the path of reflection.
Waiting for the person closest to him had been the most difficult thing he'd ever done. Even to that day, Mikleo still remembered the words he'd said to Sorey when he was only 18. He'd said that he'd wait however long his friend would need to do what he had to do with the confidence of a promise he could easily keep. The water seraph, so young at the time, hadn't outright stated that he was promising such a thing, but it didn't need to be. Of course Mikleo would wait for Sorey. There was no questioning it. He would endure their time apart, knowing that Sorey would come back and acknowledging that this was perhaps the only way for humans to regain the resonance they'd lost so long ago. That goal was far more important than Mikleo's personal feelings.
Still...the loneliness was hard. Even after so much time had past, it was hard. Yet, Mikleo didn't let that overcome him. The thought that Sorey would wake up and find out that the water seraph had become a hellion while he was sleeping? He couldn't allow that to happen. It was out of the question, and that kept him motivated. Though, Mikleo felt that it certainly helped that he had his three closest seraphim friends to help him cope with it. Lailah, Edna, Zaveid; each of them had their own unique way of helping him. Although, perhaps Zaveid was a little less helpful and more absolutely silly about it.
So deep was he in his memories that he hadn't noticed that the fire went out for at least a couple of minutes. Mikleo blinked as he looked around himself, and saw the barest lightening in the east as the sun started its slow ascent. After a moment, he shook his head and stood. A little more firewood was needed to last out the remainder of the night. Then, he had every intention of going through the ruins for as long as possible during the day. He had a book to finish writing for when Sorey returned, after all.
Other
Anything Else?: I'd prefer that Mikleo's assigned god be Sorey!
Name: Ryuuto
Contact:
Age: 23
Other Characters: N/A
Character Information
Name: Mikleo
Canon: Tales of Zestiria
Canon Point: Post Epilogue 2
Age: Unknown; looks like he's in his early 20's
History: Tales of Zestiria, Mikleo, Seraphim, Hellions
There's one detail in the wiki link for Tales of Zestiria that needs to be clarified, as it's not entirely accurate. When it says that Sorey merges with Maotelus to purge the world of malevolence, that's not what happens. He actually merges to purify the entire continent of Glenwood as well as to raise the humans' resonance in the continent, which means an increase in the amount of people with the potential to become Shepherds/Squires. The purification of the continent doesn't mean that the malevolence has completely dissipated, either. That corruption still exists, but Maotelus' restored blessing does give the protection against the malevolence an extreme boost in effectiveness. It's also been confirmed that the person Mikleo is saved by at the end of the second epilogue is, in fact, Sorey reawakened as a seraph, as seen in the official light novel depiction of the game.
Changes in the world at the time of this epilogue are ascertained by what the game hints at as well some minor details from the light novel. The first epilogue depicts a funeral for Rose, Sorey's last Squire, and someone who looks similar to Rose taking her place as either a Shepherd or Squire. Judging by his garments, he seems to invoke the image of a Shepherd. It's also made clear that the seraphim by this point are still not seen, and Rose dies at an old age, judging by how her two guild mates attending the funeral look very old in age. It's very important to note that the four seraphim attending the funeral are also unchanged in appearance, which means that Mikleo's physical changes take place long after this event.
By the second epilogue, Mikleo is shown exploring ruins that are different than the ruins previously explored during the game. He's saved from falling into a pit by Sorey, whose features are shrouded in bright light. Sorey's awakening means three things. One: it means that Maotelus has been completely purified and therefore his blessing is restored to the Glenwood continent, which may also mean that the other four seraphim as powerful as Maotelus have also been purified. Two: the natural resonance of humans has risen to a point where most, if not all, can perceive the seraphim as well as hellions. Three: Sorey is successfully 'reincarnated' as a seraph.
One minor detail given in the light novel hints at a unification of the Hyland and Rolance countries that occurs between the first and second epilogues, long after Alisha and Sergei pass on. Whether this is an alliance or total unification into a single country is left to speculation.
Personality: 'Calm,' 'logical,' and 'cautious' are good words to describe a first impression of Mikleo. He's the one people can rely on to keep a clear and level head in stressful situations. The perfect, and frankly most extreme, example of this is highlighted in the beginning. He and Sorey fall into a hole and instead of screaming his head off, Mikleo uses his water magic to save them from going splat on the unforgiving ground. Mikleo tends to think before he acts, and where Sorey is very trusting, he is more reserved on giving his trust to someone he doesn't know, especially if they give him reason to be suspicious or distrustful of them.
His true name is Luzrov Rulay, which means "Mikleo the Enforcer." It's an apt description of him. Mikleo originally only has Sorey to keep in line before he does something too reckless. However, after adding to their party, he starts doing the same for the others, too. With Zaveid trying to get Sorey to pick up chicks like he does, Mikleo usually steps in to say things like, "It's not going to work with him." There's even a skit that takes place in which Edna teases Alisha into an infinite loop. Mikleo cuts in almost immediately to tell Edna to stop, that Lailah should've stopped Edna sooner since she knew the earth seraph best, and that Alisha shouldn't trust what Edna says so blindly.
He does have his buttons, though. Mikleo doesn't appreciate nicknames, with perhaps special exception to Sorey. Yet, with most people, he's lost his temper with them on it. Much to his chagrin, he's gotten used to the ever-changing barrage of nicknames, from 'Meebo' to 'Mickey-boy.' His height is also something that can rile him up, though he adamantly denies that it's something he's sensitive about. Usually, this is in context to why he chose the staff. Dezel and Alisha both have remarked that he possibly uses the staff to compensate for the height difference between himself and Sorey. His response is a heated, "That's not it!" When Alisha tries to apologize for hitting a sensitive subject, Mikleo's response is more of a shouted, "I'm not sensitive!"
When it comes to killing, he's one to get angry at the murderer. He has a very low opinion of killing without reason, especially if it involves killing a hellion rather than purifying it. Mikleo gets visibly upset and angry at Zaveid when he kills a hellion in front of their eyes. However, after meeting Rose and seeing how she remains pure despite the fact that she's an assassin, he doesn't get as angry. The difference is that what Zaveid did is something he views as unnecessary, but what Rose does is sometimes the only way. It's thanks to Rose that he can make this distinction, though it doesn't change his opinion when he feels that it's not a necessary action to take. For example, later in the game, they find out that a serial killer in Pendrago had been a priest who thought he was bringing salvation to people through death. Mikleo's response when he hears this excuse is one of disgust.
Mikleo's sense of humor runs on the dry and sarcastic side. Generally, he'll tease the people he's friends with, but sometimes he'll accidentally step where he shouldn't. Mikleo usually apologizes, with an exception. After accidentally hurting Edna's feelings, she demands an apology (and some disparaging comments about himself) from Mikleo before helping the group out with clearing an obstacle. He refuses, saying that it isn't the time for that. He's a rather stubborn seraph.
Speaking of being stubborn, boy can he be stubborn! When Sorey initially refuses to let Mikleo form a pact to be Lailah's Sub-Lord, he doesn't take that well. Instead, he keeps trying to ask Lailah to form the pact with him, and eventually he makes Sorey understand his feelings about it. Feeling as though he's just a liability is something Mikleo hates with a passion. This is why he also has a goal of becoming a stronger water seraph. The last thing he wants to do is hold the group back from reaching their full potential.
He can be kind and caring, though. When he, Lailah, and Sorey in the beginning find out that Princess Alisha is being sent to a plague town, he's rather disparaging and scornful of the people who want to see her killed by a disease. When Edna is hiding the fact that it hurts her to use the strength necessary to punch through boulders, Mikleo is legitimately concerned for her health, but he keeps this from Sorey because she doesn't want him to know. Their reason for this is that neither of them want to cause him to worry so much about it that he doesn't use the ability when he needs to or feel guilty when he does use it.
On the other hand, get Mikleo talking about history and archaeology, and he'll talk for hours. It's his dream to explore all the ruins in the world and write a book about his discoveries and experiences. On multiple occasions by various members of their party, Mikleo, and Sorey as well, gets called 'dork' or 'history nerd.' Mikleo has no reaction to being called those things. If anything, he just geeks out with Sorey even more. Mikleo also gets into some heated debates with his best friend over topics like origin or who did what and for what reason. At the same time, they'll point out calmly to each other details the other missed. His love of history and archaeology prompts him to be a little competitive with Sorey. Sorey has said that whenever he discovered something, Mikleo will go out the next day and not come back until he finds the next new thing.
He also dreams of a world where seraphim and humans can live in harmony again, like in ages past. Both of these dreams are shared with Sorey, and it's something they both want to work toward, no matter how impossible. When Edna tries to say that's a goal they might never reach, Mikleo and Sorey are quick to say that there's evidence that things didn't used to be so divided between humans and seraphim. Because of that, they feel that there's a chance to reclaim that harmony for their future.
When it comes to the big picture, Mikleo sets his feelings aside to deal with it until he has the luxury of time to do so. There are three examples of this being the case. One is when he finds out that his uncle sacrifices him to place a horrible curse on Heldalf. The second is later on when he witnesses his birth mother sacrifice herself to extend the barrier around Camlann. Lastly, he and Sorey have to mercy kill Gramps, who was fused into Heldalf's body. For the first two, Mikleo doesn't talk about his thoughts and feelings about it. The last one, he cries and is brought to his knees at the end of it, but he gets right back up. This is because Mikleo knows that dealing with the Lord of Calamity is the most important thing and a threat that needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible before more people suffer. He doesn't feel that it's an appropriate time to dwell on his feelings, and it's something that can be saved for later when the threat has been neutralized.
The most important relationship he has is with Sorey. They're very close childhood friends with a shared passion for history and archaeology. To Mikleo, Sorey is the most important person in his life, save for Gramps. They know each other like the back of their hand. Mikleo is very protective over Sorey, to the point where his hackles rise whenever people drag Sorey's name through the mud. He might deny being worried about him in some circumstances, but it's evident no matter what Mikleo says to the contrary. Even when Sorey talks about a crazy plan involving fusing with Maotelus to purify the land, which would most likely put the dumb Shepard into a coma for a long time, all Mikleo says is that he'll wait for him to wake up, no matter how long that takes. The trust he has for Sorey is not something that can be broken. Once, he tells Zaveid that Sorey will never stray because that's what the rest of them are here to help with. Zaveid's response is to ask what would happen if Mikleo started to stray from the path of virtue. Mikleo says, "Sorey would never allow that."
His relationship with Gramps is one of love and respect. Between Mikleo and Sorey, Mikleo's the one who listens more attentively to the old seraph's warnings and lectures. He takes Gramps' wisdom to heart, though he isn't afraid to cut in to defend Sorey. For example, when Gramps berates Sorey for bringing a human into their village, Mikleo reminds him that Alisha is the first human he has ever seen before.
Edna and Mikleo's relationship is rather...dynamic. For the most part, it consists of Edna getting under Mikleo's skin as much as humanly (seraphically?) possible. She'll come up with different nicknames to use for him and even when she compliments him, there's a sting somewhere. In a few important ways, the two of them are similar in personality and he does have respect for Edna. When she gives advice, he listens to her and doesn't argue when it's absolutely true.
Lailah is one of the few people in the group he has normal conversations with. He respects her privacy and the advice she gives. Mikleo doesn't hesitate to ask her questions or seek advice from her. Excluding Sorey, Lailah is the one he has the most amicable relationship with.
Dezel has always been the grump of the group, but he's also been something of a mentor figure for most of them. He tries to give Mikleo advice on how to fight better with his staff, though that backfires the moment he mentions the water seraph's height. He also tries to give him advice on how to avoid dogs barking at him. Dezel says that it's because they're confused as to why Mikleo's so anxious around them. This doesn't stick with him, either, but that's mostly because he's stubborn about not having a fear of dogs.
Zaveid tries to be the mentor replacement, in that he tries to give girl advice to Mikleo and Sorey. Half the time, he either ignores Zaveid or yells at him. The exceptions are those times in which the wind seraph is actually being serious. Those are the moments when Mikleo listens, as Zaveid does have some good advice and wisdom to share. Still, it's plain that there's some affection held for the wind seraph, despite his "helpful tips."
Rose is one of those people who likes to tease people. Mikleo is no exception to this rule. She once teased him about how he gets so angry whenever people talk badly about Sorey. Yet, he's the one who helps her to see the seraphim and convince her to lend her strength to Sorey as his Squire. When she gives Sorey tough but good advice that only someone with assassination in their background can give, Mikleo warms up to her more and starts to have more trust in her judgment.
Alisha reminds Mikleo of Sorey quite a bit. It's why he's pretty quick to warm up to her after the initial caution, especially when she tries to apologize for being rude in Elysia. To Mikleo, she's a good friend, but he worries about her being too gullible, which is something he remarks on a couple of times. Yet, despite his worries, he has faith in her abilities as a leader as well as a fighter.
At this point in time, he's had to deal with the loss of his human friends and the death of his beloved caretaker mostly on his own. However, by virtue of the fact that Mikleo hasn't succumbed to bitterness or grief speaks well of his strength of character. Doing so would've meant that he'd become a hellion, rather than remain a seraph. He even keeps his faith in Sorey waking up and eventually reuniting with him. This is evidenced both by the expression on his face when he finally has this reunion and by the fact that the feather he keeps as an accessory is the exact same type of feather seen on Sorey's glove. Other than more experience with the world around him, there's no evidence of any significant personality changes. Mostly, it's just been a purely physical change.
Abilities:
Seraph - Each seraph is aligned to an element (Wind, Water, Earth, or Fire), allowing them the ability to manipulate that element and use spells specifically tied to the element. Mikleo in particular is of the water element. It's worth mentioning that the spells the seraphim utilize are called Seraphic Artes, and any human trying to learn how to use them wind up becoming one of the undead. As such, it's a taboo for humans to learn Seraphic Artes, let alone use them. They can bestow a blessing over a town or group of people or one individual person. The nature of this blessing varies between each individual seraph, but generally it's a blessing of some type of good fortune. Mikleo's, for example, has been speculated in canon to be "academic achievement."
This race is immortal and doesn't need to eat or sleep or perform any necessary biological functions. However, some do so out of habit or because they enjoy it as a hobby. While they're able to live forever, they can still be killed with conventional weapons.
They are able to sense "malevolence," which is the name of the spiritual impurity of humans that can take on monstrous form if it gets out of hand. The more malevolence or corruption in an area, the more a seraph will become physically ill. This effect can be significantly lessened if a seraph has a vessel that's very pure, which can be anything from clean water to a bell tower to a person. However, seraphim can be corrupted, too, and become a hellion. Sometimes they succumb to it in their own hearts, but there are times in which it's a forced transformation, such as their vessel becoming tainted. If a seraph remains a hellion for too long, there's a danger of them becoming a dragon. Once they become a dragon, there's no hope of saving the seraph through purification. Death is the seraph's only salvation at this point. On the flip side, seraphim are also able to sense if someone is pure or has potential resonance. They can even sense if a blessing has been bestowed.
The seraphim have a unique existence. While they're as solid as anyone else, normal humans can't see or hear them. However, there's an ability humans can be born with that will allow them to perceive the seraphim, which is called 'resonance.' Resonance also allows humans to be able to perceive hellions as they truly are rather than as a natural disaster. Another option is the Shepherd, who has the ability to allow others to hear the seraphim, but not see them. Sadly, the Shepherd has to be around and make physical contact with that person in order for that to work. On the crystal ball network, he will be 100% perceivable to normal people. I'd hate to restrict CR opportunities with Mikleo, but I will leave it up for discussion as to what my options are with this ability for in-person interactions.
Water seraphim, such as Mikleo, are immune to cold temperatures, and being wet is never a problem for them. They are very much in tune with the element of water, able to sense bodies of water, manipulate the element in all of its forms, and sense if something about it is wrong. He is also able to summon water without the use of incantations, however this ability isn't meant to be used for combat situations. The wordless form of manipulating his element is mostly only good for mundane tasks, putting out fires, dumping it on people's heads, and other assorted uses. It should be noted that if he needs to freeze/evaporate water or manipulate a lot of it, then he'll need to use his staff. Wordless healing works the same way, but for minor injuries. Anything major will require an incantation.
Mikleo has a specialty with seals. He's used protective seals to keep anything from getting to Sorey while he sleeps, and they've obviously worked very well considering the seals have been in place for many centuries.
One last thing unique to seraphim is the ability to create a pact with another seraph. Doing so allows the seraphim to share their powers, and if the leader seraph ("Prime Lord") has a vessel, then the followers ("Sub-Lords") will share that vessel.
Artes - As Mikleo is a water seraph, he is able to use the Seraphic Artes of water, ice, and single-target healing spells. All of his water Artes have a 5-7% chance to cause poison without the aid of enhancement skills. Mikleo is also able to cast a temporary invisibility spell, lasting about 5-10 seconds. A handy list of Mikleo's battle Artes for convenience's sake. Also, it should be noted that any Seraphic Artes that are either permanent or are long-lasting will take physical form, usually in glyphs that glow with elemental power. For example, in Water Temple Le Fay, there were Seraphic Artes in the shape of blue eye glyphs that would teleport you to the beginning of the temple if you crossed its field of vision without being invisible.
Staff & Bow - Mikleo's weapon of choice is a staff. He channels his offensive Artes through the staff, but he's also highly adept with it as a martial weapon. The bow is his divine weapon, something he uses when he armatizes with the Shepherd or an equally powerful Squire. Instead of regular, boring arrows, Mikleo is able to channel his water magic into the shape of an arrow. To make it even better, he's also able to make it so that the arrow can split into a volley of devastation. The staff can be summoned by Mikleo at any time, but the Shepherd and the Squire are the only ones who can summon the bow.
Miscellaneous Skills - He's a pro at making cold desserts and other cold foods. However, he's able to make literally every snack in the game, with exception to the god-tier DLC snacks. Mikleo also has skills in making medicine, cutting and styling hair, increasing movement speed outside of battle, and the ability to detect nearby treasure and herbs.
Strengths: Calm, caring, logical, mature, inquisitive
Weaknesses: Cynophobia, protective, stubborn, pure, sensitive
God/Shinki: Shinki
Why?: Mikleo has fulfilled this role before in canon. By merging with Sorey or Rose, he's able to combine their strengths and work in perfect sync with them in battle. On a more personal level, he's also fiercely protective of and loyal to Sorey. While Mikleo can be protective over other people he forms positive relationships with, they're not on the same level.
Cause Of Death: Pushing Sorey out of the way as the ceiling of the ruins they're exploring collapses.
Vessel: Recurve Bow
Name Location: Mizuki - On the inside of his wrist
Power: Empathy - He'll be able to sense the emotions of the people around him, and will only be able to project his own emotions to his god and the shinki connected to his god. Mikleo will also have the ability to take someone's physical pain and be the one to feel it instead. They'll still have the wound, though.
Writing Sample
Sample:
Mikleo came to the base of the stairs that led up to what appeared to be the front entrance of an ancient ruin. He didn't immediately walk up them, however. Instead, the water seraph glanced to the sky, gauging how much time he had before night would fall. He guessed it would only be a couple of hours. That wouldn't be nearly enough time to explore the structure at a more leisurely pace, and it wouldn't be a good idea to enter them without as much natural light as he can get. Mind made up, Mikleo walked some distance away from the stone steps to set up a temporary camp for the night. If anything alive came out of those ruins, then he wanted fair warning.
'Camp' was a very loose way of putting it, however. The fire he made was about the only thing that qualified it as such. Even then, it wasn't made for warmth, but for being a source of light. It was a new moon that night and starlight was hardly enough to help his vision. When he was done making the fire, there wasn't much left for him to really do. This was only going to be a short expedition, as the ruins were a remnant of a building he'd been in before perhaps a couple centuries ago. Really, he was only here to fact-check some details he'd forgotten over time. As a result, he hadn't packed much more than the barest essentials and medicines. The only thing Mikleo had to whittle away the hours were his own thoughts and his constant vigilance against a potential attack.
The water seraph settled himself into as good of a vantage point as he could get, laying his staff across his lap so that he could be ready to defend himself at a moment's notice. Honestly, it was moments like these that made Mikleo miss traveling in a group. At least with others around, he wouldn't have to be quite as on-edge, and there would've been conversation to distract him. He wouldn't miss Sorey's presence as keenly, either. Mikleo sighed softly as his thoughts inevitably strayed down the path of reflection.
Waiting for the person closest to him had been the most difficult thing he'd ever done. Even to that day, Mikleo still remembered the words he'd said to Sorey when he was only 18. He'd said that he'd wait however long his friend would need to do what he had to do with the confidence of a promise he could easily keep. The water seraph, so young at the time, hadn't outright stated that he was promising such a thing, but it didn't need to be. Of course Mikleo would wait for Sorey. There was no questioning it. He would endure their time apart, knowing that Sorey would come back and acknowledging that this was perhaps the only way for humans to regain the resonance they'd lost so long ago. That goal was far more important than Mikleo's personal feelings.
Still...the loneliness was hard. Even after so much time had past, it was hard. Yet, Mikleo didn't let that overcome him. The thought that Sorey would wake up and find out that the water seraph had become a hellion while he was sleeping? He couldn't allow that to happen. It was out of the question, and that kept him motivated. Though, Mikleo felt that it certainly helped that he had his three closest seraphim friends to help him cope with it. Lailah, Edna, Zaveid; each of them had their own unique way of helping him. Although, perhaps Zaveid was a little less helpful and more absolutely silly about it.
So deep was he in his memories that he hadn't noticed that the fire went out for at least a couple of minutes. Mikleo blinked as he looked around himself, and saw the barest lightening in the east as the sun started its slow ascent. After a moment, he shook his head and stood. A little more firewood was needed to last out the remainder of the night. Then, he had every intention of going through the ruins for as long as possible during the day. He had a book to finish writing for when Sorey returned, after all.
Other
Anything Else?: I'd prefer that Mikleo's assigned god be Sorey!