Lydia Kadenza
Basics |
|
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Age | 38 |
| Birthday | March 23 [2023] |
| Height | 5'10 (178 cm) |
| Build | Toned (168 lbs / 76.2 kg) |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Occupation | General |
| Religion | The Score (Tales of the Abyss) |
| Conditions | Memory Loss |
| Themes | - Mental Deterioration |
| - Honor | |
| - Loss: Of self, Of purpose, Of loved ones | |
Relationships |
|
| General | Lugubrious Kumquat |
| Advisor | Picardy III |
Symbolism |
|
| Motifs | đť„Ś(coda), Other music symbols |
| Tarot | V: The Hierophant |
| MBTI | ESTJ-A |
| Archetype | The Hero |
| Animal | Bull |
| Flower | ? |
| Alignment | Lawful Neutral |
"Quiet. I need to concentrate, if I wish to cast this wizard spell."
A stoic woman who thinks she's smarter than she is. Tends to be the first to charge into things. Self-sacrificial and overprotective, from her days as a soldier. Cares little about her own life, as she grew up learning that everyone was disposable—yet paradoxially, her underlings are not disposable to her; she tries her best to protect them.
Lydia was once capable in both mind and body, but over time, her mind has deteriorated, while keeping her same confident stubbornness. She has lost a lot, which is part of the reason why she's attached herself to what she still does have: horses and television.
She's not as fleshed out as other characters, so that's all I've got. 🤷
- She is incredibly confident in herself, and she's luckier than most about getting things right from sheer shots in the dark. (Ex: Someone asks her where something is, and she points at random, and just so happens to be correct. This feeds her already overinflated confidence.)
- She has a very poor memory and misremembers things constantly.
- Lydia often breaks the Fourth Wall, but inaccurately, because she doesn't actually know what she's talking about (it's sheer luck she even gets close to being correct).
- She'll call herself a Wizard, when she's actually a Paladin.
- She'll mention how she can cast a spell if she uses a Fifth Level Spell Slot, when it's actually Second Level.
- It'd be the same for any other game she's in.
Trivia
- Her original inspiration is from Fire Emblem (notably the "Camus" archetype), along with Tales of the Abyss (the musical themeing, and her religion, for the time being).
- Her "horns" are part of her tiara thing, but she does still say "ow" when it's hit, out of instinct.
- She carries around a pet rock, that was gifted to her by Ion.
- Her world is named Melpomene, named after one of the nine muses in Greek mythos, the patron of tragedy and lyre playing.
- The name "Lydia" references the Lydian Scale (whlie "Ion" is the Ionic Scale). Kadenza is just "Cadenza" with a "k."
Assets
- Brave
- Selfless
- Hard-Working
- Physically Strong
- Perceptive
Flaws
- Arrogant
- Blunt
- Critical
- Reckless
- Unintelligent
Likes
- Horses
- Television
- Horses on Television
- The Outdoors
- Simplicity
- War Games
- Bonfires
Dislikes
- Nuance
- Indecisive People
- Terrible Puns
Habits
- Poking things with her lance
- Staring. Hard.
- Lecturing people about things she is completely ignorant of, believing she knows better than them.
Fears
- Rejection
- Her people being hurt
- Having fears
Similar Characters
- Tales of the Abyss as a whole was my initial inspiration for a music-themed soldier, and I used Tear as a baseline.
- Lydia's rank of "Grand Maestro" is taken from Tear's superior, Grand Maestro Mohs.
- Outside of inspiration, they aren't all that similar.
Loyal to country, above all else. Some other "Camus archetype" probably works better than the actual Camus, but I'm not well-versed in these villains.
- Talks to her weapon
- Very airheaded
- Big on "honor"
- (Lydia is much less frantic.)
- Loyal soldier
- Dedicated to her ruler
- Tragic
- Lance!
Hobbies (=Enjoyment | =Skill)
Tending to Animals
She enjoys taking care of livestock, given most of humanity is dead and rarely around.
Watching TV
She has an odd soft spot for television. She watches reruns all the time, and knows quite a bit of lore.
Volunteer Work
Helping nearby villages gives her an excuse to interact with other people, while also making her feel productive.
Watching the Sunset
It's peaceful and pretty. [Her skill is only 7 because she sometimes gets distracted and misses it.]
Military Drills
It's familiar to her, and makes her feel ready for combat, should it arrive. It helps keep her sane.
Philosophy
Loyalty to One's Country
The empire/ruler above all else, no matter if you disagree. It's based off of a Fire Emblem archetype: the Camus.
History
Melpomene (Music fantasy kingdom)
[Tentative, and The Score religion is basically plucked from Tales of the Abyss, down to the name.]
Lydia hails from the Kingdom of Melpomene, a religious nation that relies on a magical set of texts called 'The Score' that lays out the timeline of the world, from past to future. Believing The Score to be the only righteous path (why else would it be written out?), the kingdom would allow atrocities mentioned in the text to go unimpeded, as to not stray from its divine message. But sanctioned atrocities don't go unnoticed. By the time Lydia reaches Colonel status, a civil war breaks out, and being taught to follow orders above all else, she fought for the kingdom, rising up the ranks as her platoons consistently came out on top.
She became a feared and respected general on the battlefield, fighting on the frontlines with her troops instead of staying in the back, though those off the battlefield were more critical of her, for siding with the crown. She did have minor reservations over whether The Score showed the only truly correct path, but fearing the chaos of the unknown, she never truly falters.
Mini-Gallery
