Valuan Empire (Skies of Arcadia)
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[edit] Social Classes
The Valuan Empire is divided between the very rich and the very poor; this is exemplified by the sheer difference of the standard of living in Upper City (where the rich and nobles live) and lower city (where the common people live). Where Upper City is well lighted, clean, and well maintained; Lower City is at poverty level, dark, and the streets are always covered in trash. Lower City is home to Valua's ship producing factories and coliseum where prisoners are executed, one of (if not the only) form of entertainment for the denizens of Lower City.
[edit] Monarchy
The empire is primarily ruled by Empress Theodora I and the royal family who live in the royal place on a separate island from the city which only nobles, the admirals, or special guests are allowed to enter.
[edit] Empress Teodora I
The Empress of Valua and mother to Enrique, Teodora was said to be a kind and beautiful woman once, but is now a corrupt dictator bent on expanding her power. She listens with interest to Lord Galcian's report on the Moon Crystals and orders him to find them for her, believing that these superweapons will allow her to rule the world. However, she gives Galcian a long leash and is slow to suspect him of treason, and she ultimately dies along with Admiral Alfonso when Galcian calls the Rains of Destruction down upon Valua.
The Empress is very self-righteous and cannot bear anyone going against her wishes. Yet she cares very much for her son Enrique, and wants him to stop "worrying about the petty worries of the people" if he is to succeed her as Valuan Emperor in the future. However, Enrique has no real influence over Teodora's militaristic policies, which eventually leads to him joining Vyse and crew in direct opposition to Galcian's Armada.
[edit] Enrique
Enrique could be considered feminine in appearance, short in height and slightly-built. His blonde hair is neatly fringed in front and sleekly well-groomed in back. He has wide, bright green eyes, and wears dark violet clothing, and a breastplate. Enrique wields a rapier in combat, which he uses in his attacks and S-moves. Enrique hits precisely through weak points rather than with Vyse's powerful cutlass techniques. Despite his youthful appearance, he is the third oldest of the party characters throughout the game, at an age of 25.
In his childhood, Enrique was taken care of by servants and saw Second Admiral Gregorio, who was like an uncle to him, far more often than his mother, the Empress. As a young adult, he and Admiral Galcian conflict in their interests, to the point that Enrique eventually takes up arms against his homeland to fight against him.
Enrique has a strongly and deeply entrenched moral sense, something that puts him at odds with the indolent Valuan nobility. He is a charismatic speaker, the force of his heart filling his words with sincerity that might not otherwise be believed coming from a Valuan noble. He chose willingly the path of an outcast and Air Pirate because he believed that his path was the only way to shock Valua out of its complacency. However, the American booklet says he is "rather fainthearted" (though this may be an impression of his character "from the street" before the game begins).
Enrique is romantically involved with the Yafutoman Princess Moegi, the younger sister of the unmarried Crown Prince Daigo, who is king shortly after the end of the game. Enrique and Moegi also marry at the end of the game, making Enrique's potential first child both heir apparent to the Valuan Throne and heir presumptive to the Yafutoman Throne. Enrique's closest friends are his fellow crew members of the Delphinus: Vyse, Aika and Fina. In the Japanese language sound bites, Enrique is played by Soichiro Hoshi. In the English version Enrique is voiced by Robb McCulloch.
Enrique helps the party during their second escape from the Valuan Grand Fortress, and gives Vyse his flagship, the Delphinus prototype, to captain and use as Vyse sees fit.
[edit] Admirals
The admirals are the leaders of the Valuan armada and command a great deal of power and authority thought the empire. At the start of the game there are five admirals under Galcian's command, but later a sixth admiral is added to bolster the armada’s ranks.
[edit] Galcian
Galcian's loyalty is only to himself. He will do anything, and betray anyone, to increase his own power. He believes that only power rules, and that the weak, which is to say everybody but himself and possibly Ramirez, are fit only to serve the powerful. Since his motivations and desires revolve around power and little else, Galcian is a relatively shallow villain. He is intelligent, manipulative, and dangerous (although his underestimation of his enemies ultimately damns him). In Skies of Arcadia Legends, the Gamecube version, there is a small backstory on Galcian's ideals and his past with Ramirez, who grows to idolize him.
Galcian commands the absolute loyalty of the soldiers under his command, though not necessarily of his deputy-like admirals. In particular, Second Admiral Gregorio, Galcian's eldest deputy, neither likes nor trusts the younger Lord Admiral, though Galcian himself respects Gregorio's ability as a warrior. Though he ultimately makes it clear that he doesn't need any of them except for Ramirez, Galcian's own opinion of his Admirals depends entirely on their power and ability as warriors. To this end, he respects Gregorio and Vigoro on their own merits. Although he recognizes the usefulness of DeLoco's inventions to the Armada, it is doubtful that Galcian actually respects him as a warrior. Galcian is aware of Belleza's feelings toward him and manipulates them accordingly to his own ends, it is clear that he has little respect for her, much less a willingness to return her affections. The only member of the Armada for whom he has no use whatsoever is Alfonso, whom he regards as a cowardly, incompetent proxy for Empress Teodora. Galcian does, however, have a strong relationship with his former vice captain and eventual sixth admiral, Ramirez, who may be Galcian's only real "friend." Ramirez is possibly the only being other than himself whom Galcian truly respects as a whole, in part because he knows that not only does he need Ramirez's Silvite powers for his plans, Ramirez is the only being in the Armada more powerful than Galcian himself. Galcian has a strongly adversarial relationship with Vyse and his crew, although they seldom cross swords during the game's events.
During the Valua-Nasr War, Galcian was an ambitious officer who rose to the rank of First Admiral by his late 30s. He advanced to Lord Admiral after the death of former Lord Admiral Mendosa, about ten years prior to the start of the game. Lord Galcian plots to rule all of Arcadia himself, rather than by simply manipulating the over-aggressive and unstable Empress Teodora I. To this end, he raises the lost continent of Soltis and uses the legendary Rains of Destruction to destroy Valua, making his mother country an example to other nations that might oppose him. When Belleza questions his methods, Galcian sends her to Valua on the pretense of a diplomatic mission, but is in reality planning to obliterate Valua in the Rains while Belleza is there. Galcian intentionally sends Belleza to her death for her insolence; the fatal flaw in his plan is her unexpected survival.
Galcian's fleet sets out from Soltis to swarm the globe and demand the allegiance of all nations. During the Battle of Soltis, Galcian is confronted and defeated by Vyse and an alliance of Air Pirates, but flees in an escape pod before Vyse is able to finish him. Just as he makes his escape, Belleza arrives in her flagship. She tells Galcian that they are both equally at fault for the deaths of the Valuan people, and rams her ship into his, killing them both to Galcian's utter surprise. In the Japanese language sound bites, Galcian is played by Kinryuu Akimoto. In the English version Galcian is played by Dennis Lancaster.
[edit] The Serpant
[edit] The Hydra
[edit] Alfonso
Alfonso is one who first encounters Fina upon her descent to Arcadia and promptly manages to capture her but fails due to the timely arrival of a group of air pirates set on raiding his ship. Once he deemed the ship lost he decided to flee on a life boat with Fina and escape back to Valua, but not before killing his vice captain stating that he would not be able to tell the Empress that he lost his ship to air pirates in a fair fight, essentially making his vice captain a scapegoat and branded as a traitor. He was stopped by Vyse and Aika before fleeing; his war beast was beaten by them, and Fina was taken from him as well.
Later, at a meeting of the admirals, his lies were uncovered by Galcian and he was stripped of his position as commander of the Mid Ocean fleet and confined to Ixa' taka where he eventually had his second encounter with Vyse in the mines of Moonstone Mountain where he was defeated a second time and left crushed beneath his own war beast. After the green gigas Grendal was awoken, under the control of the Ixa' taka king, he ordered all his ships to retreat back to Valua for he felt it was impossible to win against it.
He is not seen again until Galcian calls for another meeting of the admirals on Dangral Island where he reveals his true intentions and how the armada will no longer be under Valua’s control, seeing this as treason, Alfonso reports this to the Emperess and is promptly promoted to Galcian’s former position as Lord Admiral, this however is short lived as both are killed in the rains of destruction shortly thereafter.
In the Japanese language sound bites, Alfonso is played by Ryoutarou Okiayu. In the English version Alfonso is played by Jerry Lawrence.
[edit] The Cygnus
[edit] Gregorio
He is not seen again until the party arrives at the city of Esperanza where he effectively blockades the entire cape sending a messenger to port to request Prince Enrique to return with him to Valua as per the Empresses orders, when the request was not met he declared that he would commence attacking at dawn. Vyse and crew engaged him and the second fleet in battle where Gregorio was defeated, upon his defeat he asked if there was anything he could do to change his prince’s mind only to be told that he (Enrique) felt the empire had taken the path of destruction and that he was doing what he felt was best for the empire’s future. Before Gregorio returned to Valua he wished the prince good luck in his endeavors and that he would deliver the prince’s message to his mother that he was in good health and praying for her well being.
Gregorio is not seen again until Galcian calls for another meeting of the admirals on Dangral Island. Once Galcian’s intentions are made clear Gregorio questions if he understands what it is he (Galcian) is saying and what his true objective is. Later on Gregorio sacrifices himself to buy time for Vyse and Co. to escape Galcian on Dangral Island, once he has made his peace he engages Galcian in mortal combat only to be killed, upon his death Galcian instructs his men to ensure Gregorio’s body is well preserved and to be shipped back to Valua for the funeral sating it is worth more than their (guards) lives. As a final remark on Gregorio by Galcian he stated that “You were always the kind to be the last to stay on a sinking ship”.
In the Japanese language sound bites, Gregorio is played by Takehiro Komaya. In the English version Gregorio is played by Steve Cloyes.
[edit] The Auriga
[edit] Vigoro
In his next appearance he is, along with 4th admiral, sent on a diplomatic mission to the eastern country of Yafutoma, but was really a mission to demand their unconditional surrender and submit to Valuan occupation, when that failed, a coup d'état took place in accordance to with the Valuan's palns and a military resistance was formed by Vyse and the Tenkou. During the ensuing battle, after the Delphinus is recovered, Vigoro challenges Vyse to a ship fight, partly to destroy Vyse and partly in a vain attempt to impress Aika. After his loss and the awakening of the blue gigas Blueheim the entire Valuan fleet was forced to retreat from Yafutoma and return to Valua.
Vigoro is not seen again until Galcian calls for another meeting of the admirals on Dangral Island. Once Galcian’s intentions are made clear Vigoro states the he does not care who is in charge as long as he gets to fight. He later challenges Vyse and CO. to a rematch on top of the rail car that descends into deep sky and is defeated a second time (this time he has his armor and weapons). After his second defeat in combat he leaves the armada and becomes an air pirate in hopes of becoming strong enough to defeat Vyse whom he challenges one last time in a special bonus fight only included in the Legends version of the game after the player finds all discoveries and beats every bounty head. Once he is defeated again he finally admits to himself that Vyse is stronger and decides to adopt Vyse's motto of never giving up deciding that one day he would establish a base of his own and fill it with the world's most beautiful women and tells Vyse to take good care of Aika and Fina until the next time he comes to challenge him. It is notable the Vigoro is the only admiral who is still alive at the end of the game.
In the Japanese language sound bites, Vigoro is played by Masashi Sugahara. In the English version Vigoro is played by Charles Martinet.
[edit] The Draco
[edit] Belleza
Orphaned at a young age during the Valua-Nasr War, Belleza hates warfare and unnecessary bloodshed, but believes that the best way to end such evils is for the entire world to be united under one rule. She administers diplomacy at swordpoint, tricking and outmaneuvering others whenever possible as an alternative to combat. Unfortunately, the government she serves is the oppressive Valuan Empire, and this leads to a conflict between her sense of duty and her sense of justice which expresses itself at the Battle of Solits.
Belleza infiltrates Vyse's party in Nasr and helps them find the Red Moon Crystal, then steals the crystal and summons the Red Gigas against them. In a subsequent ship battle between Vyse's Little Jack and Belleza's Lynx, Belleza loses and is forced to land, and she surrenders the Red Crystal to spare the lives of her crew. She later resurfaces in Yafutoma, where she masterminds a plot to overthrow the current Yafutoman royalty, with Vigoro's fleet providing the brawn to her brains. This plot too fails, but Belleza retains no ill will toward Vyse and even visits him at Crescent Isle, addressing him as "handsome" and advising him on how best to understand Aika and Fina.
Belleza has an unrequited love for Galcian, who would "never give (her) a second look," in her own words. She is fooled by Galcian into believing in his promise of diplomacy with Valua, and narrowly escapes death during the Rains of Destruction, having been betrayed both personally and politically by Galcian. She arrives at the Battle of Soltis in her flagship and waits on the sidelines, then rams her ship into Galcian's escape pod when Galcian tries to escape, ending both of their lives.
In the Japanese language sound bites, Belleza is played by Yuri Amano. In the English version Belleza is played by Andrea Satin.
[edit] The Lynx
[edit] De Loco
While using a flame thrower mounted on his ship to clear away the forests of Ixa' taka in search of the green moon crystal he is stopped by Vyse and the Little Jack’s harpoon cannon, swearing revenge on Vyse he retreats to the Valuan base in the area: Moonstone Mountain. When Vyse and co. invaded the base De Loco set up traps all thought the mines he was in charge of hoping to have Vyse killed by one of his machines, however just when he had Vyse trapped and was about to drop a spiked ceiling on him first admiral Alfonso entered the room and had the group face his second war beast, De Loco, not amused with this, decides to drop the ceiling with Alfonso still inside the room after his war beast falls on top of him. However, thanks to the blue rouge Centime, all his machines had been sabotaged and Vyse was able to escape the mines.
Once the green gigas Grendel had been awoken, De Loco ordered his men to fire the test moonstone cannon at the king of Ixa' taka’s (the one controlling it) ship rendering him unconscious and allowing the gigas to run wild. After being defeated by Vyse a second time his fleet is forced to retreat back to Valua as well where he began perfecting his moonstone cannon based on data from the red and green gigases leading to the completion of the Delphinus.
He is not seen again until Galcian calls for another meeting of the admirals on Dangral Island where he makes it clear that he (De Loco) will stay in the armada so he can complete the ship that can go into deep sky and may get to fight Vyse again if he stays. He is later seen showing Galcian the progress made on his ship and how the hull was currently being strengthened so it can descend into deep sky without worrying about the pressure crushing it. While in deep sky he encounters Vyse, shortly after Vyse recovers Fina’s ship, for the final time and engages him in a ship battle where he is defeated yet again, not wanting to lose to Vyse he fires his special harpoon cannon (made specifically for Vyse as part of De Loco’s revenge) into the Delphinus’s hull as round two commences leading to The Chameleon being damaged so badly that it crashes in to the surface of deep sky with De Loco screaming and cursing Vyse while unable to accept his loss as his ship decompresses and then is engulfed in a massive explosion killing him and his crew.
In the Japanese language sound bites, De Loco is played by Issei Futamata. In the English version De Loco is played by Bill Broughton.
[edit] The Chameleon
[edit] Ramirez
Sometime later Ramirez herd then admiral Galcian speaking ill of Mendosa and proclaimed that Mendosa was an honorable man; Galcian stated that his trust in Mendosa was blinding him. It was this statement that caused Ramirez to start investigating the matter himself, not long after he learned that Mendosa was forcing the Ixa' takans to work a few extra hours here and there and was pocketing all the moonstones they found for himself. Appalled at this revelation Ramirez went directly to Mendosa himself to see if these accusations were true, Mendosa said that if he had asked the Empress that his operation would have been uncovered and he would have been stripped of his title. Mendosa then relents that he indeed did think of Ramirez as a son while he orders his guards to seize him in order to silence him. By the time Doc. got to the room Ramirez had already killed the admiral along with all his guards then stating that the Ramirez the he (Doc.) knew was dead and the he would now follow Galcian. It is notable that during this fight a candle was knocked over setting Mandosa’s flagship, The Aquila, on fire.
Ramirez is first introduced in the game as Galcian’s vice admiral but is later promoted by Galcian’s request to the position of Sixth Admirla of the Valuan Armada. The first time Fina is taken to the Grand Fortress and encounters the changed Ramirez she is visually shocked at how much his attitude has changed. He is next seen when the party returns to Valuan air space to look for the yellow moon crystal fighting with the enormous arc whale Rhaknam (in actuality the purple gigas Plergoth) and manages to inflict mortal wounds upon it and then firing upon the life boats of the Little Jack one it has been set a flame.
Ramirez is the admiral that leads the assault on the Nasar capital city of Nasard, although he could have taken the city unharmed he instead orders it to be burned to the ground. While attacking Nasard he captures Vyse, Aika, Fina, and Gilder taking them prisoner back to Valua. After the party escapes and sabotages one of the cannons of the Grand Fortress Ramirez goes to investigate leaving Fina to do thus unintentionally allowing Vyse to rescue her.
His next major appearance is when Galcian calls for another meeting of the admirals on Dangral Island where he makes it clear that he will kill anyone who gets in the way of Galcian’s plans. He leads the attack on Vyse’s base on Crescent Island defeating the party and takes possession of all five of the moon crystals they have gathered. He then reveals that a piece of the silver crystal is kept within the bodies of every silvite and before he could kill Fina to remove her crystal Gilder fires his ship’s cannons to force Ramirez to retreat. At the silver shrine he murders elder Prime for the crystal in his body and then flees back to Arcadia in order to raise the lost continent of Soltis.
During the Battle of Soltis Ramirez stays inside the core chambers of to maintain control over it while Galcian engages Vyse’s pirate armada, upon Galcian’s death Ramirez decides to uses the rains of destruction to eradicate every living thing in the world, but due to the sacrifice of the silvite elders ramming the silver shrine into the shield protecting the continent thus allowing the party to invade and defeat Ramirez in mortal combat. Upon his first defeat he merges with the silver gigas Zelos for more power, but before Zelos could achive its perfected form it was destroyed by the Delphinus and its core fused with Ramirez crashed on its deck for one last fight. After his final defeat by Vyse’s hand Ramirez’s body disintegrates leaving only the part of the silver crystal which Vyse’s give a sailors funeral to.
In the Japanese language sound bites, Ramirez is played by Hikaru Midorikawa. In the English version Ramirez is played by Ian Reddoch.
[edit] The Monoceros
[edit] Others
[edit] Piastol
Only appearing in Skies of Arcadia Legends; Piastol is a semi tall slender and quiet woman she is also a very deadly bounty hunter whose sole purpose in life is to hunt down and kill pirates which has earned her the nickname "the Angel of Death". She couldn’t care less if the pirates she killed were Blue Rogue or Black Pirates saying there all the same. Piastol appears several times after collecting the Red Moon Crystal and challenges Vyse each time. She has ties to his past, but she doesn't start to reveal them until Vyse and his friends fight her at least three times.
7 years ago when Piastol was a little girl her father was an Admiral for the Valuan Empire. One night Vyse and Aika who were10 at the time came across his ship the Aquila burning in the sky. Thinking it was a rescue mission they boarded the ship. Piastol caught them sneaking aboard and thinking that it was them who set the Aquila on fire tried to kill Aika with a thrown knife. Vyse jumped in front of Aika, resulting in the scar on his cheek. After this event her father, who was admiral Mendosa, was found; his cause of death was listed as a sword wound. But regardless of these events it all caused Piastol to develop a deep hatred against all pirates and now hunts them down.
After Piastol is defeated a 4th and final time she finally learns that Maria is still alive and well and decides to get to know here little by little hoping they can be a family again.
[edit] Doc and Maria
Like Piastol Doc and Maria only appear in Skies of Arcadia Legends; they fly around Sailor's Island in their ship and welcome Vyse and crew around any time to pay a visit. Early in the game Doc gives Vyse a special item called the Moonfish Lens which allows Vyse to detect and catch a special kind of fish called Moonfish. These Moonfish are food for the little chick that Maria has with her when you first meet them. There are 24 of them scattered throughout Arcadia.
Doc is a middle-aged man with a close-cut haircut a white coat, and a friendly disposition. Despite this, he first greets Vyse and his friends with a curt voice. Maria is a little girl with a black and white dress and platinum blonde hair tied into huge swirly ponytails. Their story is revealed as Vyse and his friends raise Maria's bird.
Doc once worked for Mendosa who was also Marias father. He was her caretaker and was also close to her family. When Mendosa was killed 7 years ago Doc took Maria and fled from Valua to escape oppression. Unfortunately they never knew what became of Maria's older sister and haven't heard from her since. Maria became distant after her family's death and hasn’t spoken to anyone since. When Vyse help her raise her bird shell slowly come out of her shell and open up again. Eventually, she'll reveal the name of her sister Piastol. Doc also reveals that it was he who found Ramirez ten years ago and took him to Admiral Mendosa of Valua. Back then Doc tells Vyse that Ramirez was kind honest and gentle much like Fina is. Raising the bird is optional in the game. Every time the bird eats it gives Vyse and his friends a new item in return. Some extremely unique items are given to Vyse and his friends only by the bird. If Vyse manages to feed the bird all 24 Moonfish in the world, the bird becomes a Moon Hamachou and also gains Vyse a final hidden Discovery.
