A Sequel

[Wolf Kanno]

Thanks for the compliment

Anyway, I had another idea for a villian. A female general, from the (hopefully) Kingdom of Goltana. Her name is Maria Luvien, Her father was once the greatest military mind in her kingdom. He had many clashes with the Clans of Ivalice and in time grew to respect his enemies. He was known best for his ability to keep losses on both sides to a minimum. In his later years he traveled to the kingdom for various trade and political agreements. He fell in love with Ivalice and would bring Maria along to enjoy the foreign lands. But his oath of feality to the Royal Family kept him in his homelands. When the royal family began to set in motion the plans to invade Ivalice with the anti-law cards, he protested, wanting neither of the countries he loved to fall in ruin. He was quickly branded a traitor by his political enimies and was executed all for the sake of "His precious Ivalice"

Maria, though she loved her father, never truly understood him and his reasonings. She had become a product of the corrupted military/political machine of her country and only cared about promotions and glory for the state. She felt betrayed by her father and his death seemed to make something snap within her. She grew cold and ruthless and quickly rose to the rank her father held. Though the royal family wishes to conquer Ivalice for the prosperity of their own country, she has taken this as her own personal crusade to destroy the very thing that made her father betray his own country. The only thing that keeps her in check (though not entirely too effectively) is her tactician, Josef Strauss, the former tactician of her father and his closest friend. He tries desperately to get her to understand that her father had not betrayed his kingdom. Maria is ruthless in her campaign into Ivalice and actually burns down a few towns in her journey to the royal palace.

She has issues with Marche, a man who reminds her of her father in his youth, idealistic and naive about the true nature of the world. She becomes obsessed with proving to him that his hopes and idealism are pointless when faced with cruel reality. Ritz see's her as a rival, even secretly idolizes her for her strength. Ritz tries desperately to support Marche and help him overcome the vicious physical and psychological attacks of Maria.

She dismisses Josef from her unit and plans an attack on Cyril. She sets the city ablaze and has a showdown with Ritz and her clan. Josef, who saw the internal strife within Maria, tracks down Marche in hopes that he may talk Maria out of her insanity. Ritz and Maria have a duel in the burning city. Ritz wins the duel but refuses to kill Maria, saying it would be a waste to kill someone so strong and talented. Marai lunges while Ritz tries to walk away only for her attack to be deflected by Marche. Marche tries to talk some sense into her about her pointless revenge. Josef and her troops appear and explain that her father always put the lives of others before anyone. He didn't betray the kingdom, he tried to save both sides from the senseless carnage of war and destruction. Maria explains that she was always raised in the military and dealt heavily with the political regime of Goltana. She understood what made her father different from the others. He was "free". He was not bound by success, fame, and a need for glory like the others. He lived his life the way he wanted to live it, not the way others had told him he should have. Maria understands that she was a slave to her revenge and chained down by feelings of guilt since she herself also condemed her father. She tells Marche and Ritz how much she envy's them cause they both seem so "free" compared to her. She tells Marche that she hated her father and she hated him, with that she walks into the flames of the very inferno she created and dies peacefully.

Sorry it's so long, I'm still not completely happy with this character and would love some feedback. I'm also thinking of another character a "Merchant of Death" who hails from the snowy mountain, machine Kingdom. But I'm still trying to work out a more original idea with him that fits into the FFTA world.