Excella Noa Aura (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dracomachina) wrote2019-06-01 12:02 pm
dracomachina) wrote2019-06-01 12:02 pm
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OOC INFO;
Player Name: celene
Contact Info:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
roseward
IC INFO;
Character Name: Excella Noa Aura
Canon: Shining Resonance: Refrain
Canon Information: The official website has some background information under the Story tab, but because the US doesn't really care about the Shining series as much, allow me to explain. The Lombardian Empire is currently waging war on the kingdom of Astoria to attempt to reclaim dragon souls and cement their authority in the world. These souls will allow whoever absorbs them to attain the power of dragons and effectively become immortal; if the souls are brought together, they can also bring about the Last Song, which will unmake the world. Charged with keeping the peace on the side of Astoria are two groups of people, each bestowed with blessings related to the Shining Dragon, the oldest and most powerful dragon from times of antiquity. These factions include the Dragoneers, who wield magical instrument weapons named Armonics crafted from the body of the Shining Dragon, and the Diva Magica, who use the power of their song to speak to the dragons.
Since dragons largely don't exist anymore (protagonist Yuma Ilvern has the soul of the Shining Dragon trapped within him, it's kind of a long story), the Lombardian Empire successfully recreated facsimiles of both dragons and the draconic blessings. These artificial dragons are known as Dracomachina—the Three Spears and the Twin Blades—and they obey the every command of the imperial princess Excella Noa Aura. Excella was granted the powers of a Diva Magica through significant experimentation performed with the intent to unite the country under the rule of her father. It... sort of worked.
Canon Point: After the end of Refrain
Age: Unclear, but likely around 20.
God Houses:
- Frigg: The entire motivation for Excella Noa Aura perpetuating war with Astoria is to hunt for the secret to immortality so her aging father does not have to die and her empire does not have to be plunged into chaos from the ensuing power struggle. She is a kind ruler, one who is beloved among her subjects and who treats her subordinates with respect, and she has accumulated a massive amount of esteem from the people who report to and look up to her.
- Njord: Excella has been able to control the Dracomachina since she was seven, using her powers as both a Diva Magica and a Dragoneer to command the Three Spears through her voice and her magical flute that is also a lance. Also, her first appearance in the game involves her singing her own background music while standing on a tower, backed by the full moon. She's the kind of girl who knows how to be artfully dramatic, but also knows how to use her musical talents to her own benefit.
- Mimir: As the imperial princess of Lombardia, Excella has a target on her back from many, many people, including the cabal known as Beowulf. She fails to see the full extent to which Beowulf is operating against her until it's far too late, walking directly into their schemes and ending up framed for her father's murder. Though she is a sound enough strategist to properly command an army, she's the kind of person who can get so single-minded that she won't see others' plans unfolding under her very nose.
Personality: Excella Noa Aura loves her father and the people in her country above anything else. Granted the Gravinet, the Dragon Roar Magic Flute, and given the powers of a Diva Magica both at a young age, she has used these gifts to protect and defend and serve her people since she turned seven. One of her earliest actions with these powers made use of them as tools to secure her father's claim to the Lombardian throne; however, she has spent so much time in complete service of her empire that she has become beloved by nearly every Lombardian citizen. Stories of what she has done are exciting and profitable enough to keep bards' pockets heavy in coin for entire cross-world journeys.
Despite this love of her people, the ones who actually make decisions regarding succession—the royals, the higher-ups in the empire, they would challenge her legitimacy to the throne. As one of the younger contenders (legitimate or otherwise), her age throws her into question, and a subsection of the royal menagerie known as Beowulf would rather see her removed from the line so when her father finally dies, they can take control. Her knowledge of the political situation in Lombardia does let her realize that there will be chaos when her father passes; she can read some of the writing on the wall, though knows not how deep Beowulf's disregard for her runs. In a desperate effort to save her country, she starts a war with the neighboring kingdom of Astoria to steal the secret of immortality—not for herself, but for her father. To keep him alive forever so her people can live in peace.
Being in this position of power and authority has meant that she cannot be as free with her emotions as she would like, however. The moment when she reveals her motivation for beginning this war is framed almost as a complete emotional breakdown, as though this is the first time she has allowed herself to be honest about the situation in a very long time. She protects herself from how she feels not to drive others out, but to present a strong appearance to those who look to her for stability and inspiration and their own reminder of home. (This becomes less of an issue after Beowulf frames her for the assassination of her father, forcing her out of Lombardia in shame as her claim to the throne is renounced.)
Once removed from the line of succession and forced into the position of a ward of Astoria, she continues fighting against Beowulf in the name of her people. Her primary goal once the war is over and the end of the world is averted is to return to Lombardia and prove herself to still be the kindly ruler that they have come to know and love, to become the pillar of stability in the empire once again—to claim the throne that is rightfully hers and lead the empire into a new age of peace. She is not evil, but will stop at nothing to protect those she loves, and oftentimes to an outsider there's very little difference between the two.
An additional wrinkle that is not mentioned in the supplemental material above, largely because it's a spoiler, is that this specific version of Excella comes from Shining Resonance: Refrain. This Western re-release of the game includes DLC wherein Excella Noa Aura becomes a playable character and party member from chapter 1, as opposed to the standard game where she is never allowed to be a playable character. This is justified in the narrative as this Excella being from an alternate timeline where she has already lived through the events of the game and traveled backwards into a new timeline to attempt to set things right. (It does not work.) This has afforded her the clarity she needs to view her actions from the outside, to be that outsider to whom love and malice blend together. Though she has not had the chance to act on this knowledge yet, the perspective granted through this trip will no doubt help her temper her decisions in the future.
Writing Sample:
Well. This will certainly be inconvenient, Excella found herself thinking after having received what answers she could. To mention nothing of the horrifying way she had ended up here in the first place. Were she not so certain that Yuma and his merry band had put a sharp end to Joachim's savage experimentations, she might have thought herself a captive of Beowulf once more. But the words of Frigg had washed over her sweetly, and though she was far from fool enough to be swayed by a trustworthy voice, it was difficult to believe that anyone among that gallery of imperial traitors could have affected anything halfway as convincing.
So Excella walked. She continued through the city, her eyes darting from person to person, admiring architecture dissimilar to Lombardia's yet not dissimilar enough. Her Gravinet and black armor, polished to a sheen in sharp contrast to the bloodied and battered armor of the Excella still in the timeline from which she had been so suddenly pulled, made her stand out far less than she would have expected. It seemed warriors ere in no short supply here, which would have been excellent news were she the slightest bit interested in reclaiming anything here. But her throne awaited in Lombardia, and she needed to get to work proving she held the right to take it.
But... was it her throne to reclaim? Or was it the throne of the other Excella? She'd all but given up hope of returning to her original timeline, but the one from which she had been plucked could not afford two of her. Citizens would ask questions. Why is Princess Excella living among us? Is she not guilty of atrocities against Astorian kith and kin? Did our king not dismiss her from under his ward and return her to Lombardia? No. Jumping through timelines had granted no favors. It had always been a desperate plea to change a lifetime that would not budge. Twice had her father been assassinated. Twice had she been betrayed by her countrymen. Twice had she run with her tail between her legs the very people whose livelihoods she had spent months ruining.
Excella shook her head as though coming out of reverie, then found her steps taking her to a large park with a quiet, shaded patch of grass underneath the canopy of a tree more lovely than she had seen in some time in Lombardia. Carefully sitting down at its foot, she took the Gravinet from her back and ran her hand down the joints. Devoid of magic, she assumed. Her Three Spears would not respond from such a distance; she doubted they could even sense her. She was nothing more than a common bard at this point; it made the bulky, weaponized form of her Armonic seem almost quaint, really. And that would be the true inconvenience of it all. A wrongfully deposed imperial princess with no claim, no people, no magic, and no home. Naught but what she made of it here.
She raised her flute to her lips and began to play.
Player Name: celene
Contact Info:
IC INFO;
Character Name: Excella Noa Aura
Canon: Shining Resonance: Refrain
Canon Information: The official website has some background information under the Story tab, but because the US doesn't really care about the Shining series as much, allow me to explain. The Lombardian Empire is currently waging war on the kingdom of Astoria to attempt to reclaim dragon souls and cement their authority in the world. These souls will allow whoever absorbs them to attain the power of dragons and effectively become immortal; if the souls are brought together, they can also bring about the Last Song, which will unmake the world. Charged with keeping the peace on the side of Astoria are two groups of people, each bestowed with blessings related to the Shining Dragon, the oldest and most powerful dragon from times of antiquity. These factions include the Dragoneers, who wield magical instrument weapons named Armonics crafted from the body of the Shining Dragon, and the Diva Magica, who use the power of their song to speak to the dragons.
Since dragons largely don't exist anymore (protagonist Yuma Ilvern has the soul of the Shining Dragon trapped within him, it's kind of a long story), the Lombardian Empire successfully recreated facsimiles of both dragons and the draconic blessings. These artificial dragons are known as Dracomachina—the Three Spears and the Twin Blades—and they obey the every command of the imperial princess Excella Noa Aura. Excella was granted the powers of a Diva Magica through significant experimentation performed with the intent to unite the country under the rule of her father. It... sort of worked.
Canon Point: After the end of Refrain
Age: Unclear, but likely around 20.
God Houses:
- Frigg: The entire motivation for Excella Noa Aura perpetuating war with Astoria is to hunt for the secret to immortality so her aging father does not have to die and her empire does not have to be plunged into chaos from the ensuing power struggle. She is a kind ruler, one who is beloved among her subjects and who treats her subordinates with respect, and she has accumulated a massive amount of esteem from the people who report to and look up to her.
- Njord: Excella has been able to control the Dracomachina since she was seven, using her powers as both a Diva Magica and a Dragoneer to command the Three Spears through her voice and her magical flute that is also a lance. Also, her first appearance in the game involves her singing her own background music while standing on a tower, backed by the full moon. She's the kind of girl who knows how to be artfully dramatic, but also knows how to use her musical talents to her own benefit.
- Mimir: As the imperial princess of Lombardia, Excella has a target on her back from many, many people, including the cabal known as Beowulf. She fails to see the full extent to which Beowulf is operating against her until it's far too late, walking directly into their schemes and ending up framed for her father's murder. Though she is a sound enough strategist to properly command an army, she's the kind of person who can get so single-minded that she won't see others' plans unfolding under her very nose.
Personality: Excella Noa Aura loves her father and the people in her country above anything else. Granted the Gravinet, the Dragon Roar Magic Flute, and given the powers of a Diva Magica both at a young age, she has used these gifts to protect and defend and serve her people since she turned seven. One of her earliest actions with these powers made use of them as tools to secure her father's claim to the Lombardian throne; however, she has spent so much time in complete service of her empire that she has become beloved by nearly every Lombardian citizen. Stories of what she has done are exciting and profitable enough to keep bards' pockets heavy in coin for entire cross-world journeys.
Despite this love of her people, the ones who actually make decisions regarding succession—the royals, the higher-ups in the empire, they would challenge her legitimacy to the throne. As one of the younger contenders (legitimate or otherwise), her age throws her into question, and a subsection of the royal menagerie known as Beowulf would rather see her removed from the line so when her father finally dies, they can take control. Her knowledge of the political situation in Lombardia does let her realize that there will be chaos when her father passes; she can read some of the writing on the wall, though knows not how deep Beowulf's disregard for her runs. In a desperate effort to save her country, she starts a war with the neighboring kingdom of Astoria to steal the secret of immortality—not for herself, but for her father. To keep him alive forever so her people can live in peace.
Being in this position of power and authority has meant that she cannot be as free with her emotions as she would like, however. The moment when she reveals her motivation for beginning this war is framed almost as a complete emotional breakdown, as though this is the first time she has allowed herself to be honest about the situation in a very long time. She protects herself from how she feels not to drive others out, but to present a strong appearance to those who look to her for stability and inspiration and their own reminder of home. (This becomes less of an issue after Beowulf frames her for the assassination of her father, forcing her out of Lombardia in shame as her claim to the throne is renounced.)
Once removed from the line of succession and forced into the position of a ward of Astoria, she continues fighting against Beowulf in the name of her people. Her primary goal once the war is over and the end of the world is averted is to return to Lombardia and prove herself to still be the kindly ruler that they have come to know and love, to become the pillar of stability in the empire once again—to claim the throne that is rightfully hers and lead the empire into a new age of peace. She is not evil, but will stop at nothing to protect those she loves, and oftentimes to an outsider there's very little difference between the two.
An additional wrinkle that is not mentioned in the supplemental material above, largely because it's a spoiler, is that this specific version of Excella comes from Shining Resonance: Refrain. This Western re-release of the game includes DLC wherein Excella Noa Aura becomes a playable character and party member from chapter 1, as opposed to the standard game where she is never allowed to be a playable character. This is justified in the narrative as this Excella being from an alternate timeline where she has already lived through the events of the game and traveled backwards into a new timeline to attempt to set things right. (It does not work.) This has afforded her the clarity she needs to view her actions from the outside, to be that outsider to whom love and malice blend together. Though she has not had the chance to act on this knowledge yet, the perspective granted through this trip will no doubt help her temper her decisions in the future.
Writing Sample:
Well. This will certainly be inconvenient, Excella found herself thinking after having received what answers she could. To mention nothing of the horrifying way she had ended up here in the first place. Were she not so certain that Yuma and his merry band had put a sharp end to Joachim's savage experimentations, she might have thought herself a captive of Beowulf once more. But the words of Frigg had washed over her sweetly, and though she was far from fool enough to be swayed by a trustworthy voice, it was difficult to believe that anyone among that gallery of imperial traitors could have affected anything halfway as convincing.
So Excella walked. She continued through the city, her eyes darting from person to person, admiring architecture dissimilar to Lombardia's yet not dissimilar enough. Her Gravinet and black armor, polished to a sheen in sharp contrast to the bloodied and battered armor of the Excella still in the timeline from which she had been so suddenly pulled, made her stand out far less than she would have expected. It seemed warriors ere in no short supply here, which would have been excellent news were she the slightest bit interested in reclaiming anything here. But her throne awaited in Lombardia, and she needed to get to work proving she held the right to take it.
But... was it her throne to reclaim? Or was it the throne of the other Excella? She'd all but given up hope of returning to her original timeline, but the one from which she had been plucked could not afford two of her. Citizens would ask questions. Why is Princess Excella living among us? Is she not guilty of atrocities against Astorian kith and kin? Did our king not dismiss her from under his ward and return her to Lombardia? No. Jumping through timelines had granted no favors. It had always been a desperate plea to change a lifetime that would not budge. Twice had her father been assassinated. Twice had she been betrayed by her countrymen. Twice had she run with her tail between her legs the very people whose livelihoods she had spent months ruining.
Excella shook her head as though coming out of reverie, then found her steps taking her to a large park with a quiet, shaded patch of grass underneath the canopy of a tree more lovely than she had seen in some time in Lombardia. Carefully sitting down at its foot, she took the Gravinet from her back and ran her hand down the joints. Devoid of magic, she assumed. Her Three Spears would not respond from such a distance; she doubted they could even sense her. She was nothing more than a common bard at this point; it made the bulky, weaponized form of her Armonic seem almost quaint, really. And that would be the true inconvenience of it all. A wrongfully deposed imperial princess with no claim, no people, no magic, and no home. Naught but what she made of it here.
She raised her flute to her lips and began to play.