#yaaaaal

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Berkut

Alm’s cousin who grew up with him in Ram Village. Unlike his canon counterpart, this AU’s Berkut, having been raised in the small village, does not have a prejudice for peasants. That being said, Berkut still grows up with a great deal of pride in himself, a somewhat aggravating level of arrogance and confidence in his own abilities and strength, and an unshakable belief that he is destined for greatness once he grows up and is able to leave the village to make something of himself. His personality didn’t make him very popular when he was younger, however the love and loyalty shared between him and his cousin helped to smooth things over and within a few years everyone in the village was used to Berkut’s personality, knowing he really didn’t mean any harm. Much like Alm, Berkut grew up unaware of his noble lineage, but he wears a ring that Mycen gave him that used to belong to Berkut’s mother (the Keepsake Ring from canon, only in this AU it can only be equipped by Berkut). While Berkut does love his cousin, he is no stranger to bouts of competitiveness and jealousy when it comes to him. In the war, these negative emotions give him more insecurities as Alm is the one chosen to lead the Deliverance, as Alm shows more skills and natural ability as a leader, as it becomes clearer that Alm is the one destined for greatness, further aggravated by the reveal of Alm’s true lineage. But it’s not all negative, as Berkut grows into a fine, reliable soldier in the Deliverance. Alm admires his cousin and makes it clear that he wants Berkut by his side to help all of Valentia in the future. And he even finds love in a Rigelian Saint named Rinea, the daughter of an impoverished noble house who, despite her dislike of battle, joins the Deliverance in hope of finding a way to provide relief for her household. Despite this, Berkut’s growing insecurities make him a prime target for manipulation by the Duma Faithful and possession by Duma himself. And all this comes to a head when the Deliverance must fight against Berkut, either to end him or save him.

  Starting Class: Cavalier

Berkut’s one of a handful of people in Ram Village who owns a horse. It’s only natural he’d be a Cavalier, having been set on it since hearing of Mycen’s own adventures when he was young. His horse is a tame and gentle one, although poor Alm’s hair would disagree with that notion.

  Supports: Alm, Rinea

Berkut’s supports with Alm bring up their competitive nature as well as their mutual admiration, with supports C and B also hinting at Berkut’s growing insecurities. Berkut’s supports with Rinea have Rinea growing less shy and speaking her mind more around Berkut, while Berkut himself trusts her enough to be more open about himself. The A support for both Alm’s conversation and Rinea’s isn’t available until after Berkut’s plot arc is finished, which brings a close to his character arc involving them.

  Battle Against Berkut

Like I said earlier, as a result of both Duma and the Faithful, Berkut finds himself manipulated and possessed, against his former comrades. However, unlike his canon self, this AU’s Berkut hasn’t fully surrendered to Duma. Alm and Rinea try to get through to him and promise to free him from his possession. The battle, if you wish to save Berkut, is simple: rout the enemy (made up of a bunch of Arcanists and a cantor and a Duma Faitful member probably) without killing Berkut. And it’s not like Berkut can be killed in one shot, no his stats and the extra goodies that his possession give him make sure of that. And, to showcase that he IS fighting his possession, his AI will only attack every other turn. Furthermore, his AI does halved damage against either Alm or Rinea. If you successfully rout the enemy while keeping Berkut alive, Alm and Rinea will beg him once more to come to his senses, and their words plus the death of the other enemies is enough for him to break free and land the death blow against the Duma Faithful member. He is, of course, apologetic and guilt-ridden concerning his actions and everything that happened, and I would imagine Alm and Rinea manage to get through to him that they’re happy to have him back. Alm is glad to have his beloved cousin back once more and makes it clear that no matter how strong Alm gets, he’ll always be counting on Berkut. And it would be after this event that Berkut and Rinea get a relationship upgrade. On the other hand, if you go and rout the enemy and also kill off Berkut, of course Alm and Rinea are both horrified, they didn’t want to kill him, they didn’t mean for this to happen. Berkut says there’s nothing to forgive, that it was his fault in the first place for letting his jealousy drive him so far. Berkut wishes them and the rest of his comrades good luck I the future battles, he knows they are strong enough to finish things and free Valentia. He gives Rinea his mother’s ring, having planned on using it to propose after the war (the Keepsake Ring would only be able to be equipped by Rinea form this moment forth). Of course, Alm and Rinea don’t take the death well. In this case, certain dialogue and events in future moments would be changed if Berkut died compared to if he lived. I’d try to write pre and post battle dialogue for this event, especially the special dialogue regarding Alm and Rinea versus Berkut, but I can’t settle on just how I would want it to be like, so I leave that much up to your imagination!

  Battle Quotes

First Turn Selection (Prologue)

“I won’t run!” (full health)

“I can still fight!” (medium health)

“I have to be careful…” (low health)

  Critical Hit (Prologue)

“Leave this place!”

“I won’t lose!”

“Get out!”

  Enemy Dodge (Prologue)

“No!”

  Enemy Deals 1 or No Damage (Prologue)

“Is that all?”

  Finishing Blow (Prologue)

“We’re done!”

  Retreat Quote (Prologue)

“I…I’m sorry I wasn’t better…”

  First Turn Selection (Main Story)

“Very well!” (full health)

“I won’t falter.” (medium health)

“I must tread lightly.” (low health)

  Critical Hit (Main Story)

“Pleasant dreams…”

“It’s all over!”

“Know who you’re facing!”

“Out of my sight!”

  Enemy Dodge (Main Story)

“What?!”

“Damn!”

  Enemy Deals 1 or No Damage (Main Story)

“Pitiful!”

“Was that all?”

  Finishing Blow (Main Story)

“Meet your end!”

“Begone!”

  Defeated Enemy

“The honor was all yours.”

“A disappointing display…”

“I refuse to fall behind!”

  Ally Defeats Enemy (General)

“Very good.”

“A worthy display!”

“We should train together more.”

“Leave some for the rest of us.”

“I must give you credit where it’s due.”

  Ally Defeats Enemy (Alm)

“Excellent form, cousin.”

“I won’t let you have all the glory!”

“*chuckle* You just keep improving, don’t you?”

  Ally Defeats Enemy (Rinea)

“A valiant victory, milady.”

“Keep doing that!”

“It’s a blessing to have you with us.”

  Ally in Trouble (General)

“You need to heal.”

  Ally in Trouble (Alm)

“Heal, you idiot…”

  Ally in Trouble (Rinea)

“You should heal yourself, milady.”

  Healed by Ally

“You’re too kind.”

  Using Healing Items

“What is this swill?” (disliked)

“This is…palatable…” (neutral)

“Very satisfying!” (liked)

“Oh, I do like this!” (loved)

  Summary Screen

“Victory comes naturally to me.” (easy battle)

“Ugh…That was more trouble than they were worth.” (hard battle)

“I should be…more cautious now…” (fatigued)

  Mourning (General)

“Men die…This could be your lot tomorrow…”

  Mourning (Rinea, only available after Berkut’s plot arc)

“Rinea, no! Gods please…Please…Not her…”

  Level Up Quotes

“Strength makes all the difference in battle.” (2+ stats up, HP/Attack/Defense focused)

“I challenge anyone to land a blow against me.” (2+ stats up, Speed/Skill focused)

“I have no need for divine favor.” (2+ stats up, Luck/Resistance focused)

“Hmm? I suppose it was nothing…” (1 stat up)

“It seems I’ve reached my pinnacle!” (most stats capped)

  Class Change Quote

“If I must change to get stronger, so be it.”

  Casual/Retreat Quote

“Ugh! They were…stronger than expected. You’ll have to finish thing up without me.”

  Death Quote (only available after his plot arc is finished)

“How could I be…so damn careless? Alm…It seems I must break my vow to you…Rinea…Forgive…me…”

  Final Battle Quote

“Your madness has brought you to ruin…and you nearly took me down with you. But I have found my peace. Now let me guide you to yours.”

  Others’ Quotes Referring to Him

Berkut Defeats Enemy (Alm)

“Heh…I couldn’t be prouder.”

“You trying to show me up again?”

“As expected from you!”

  Berkut Defeats Enemy (Rinea)

“That was incredible, my lord!”

“You never fail to amaze me.”

“I hope I can protect you one day.”

  Berkut in Trouble (Alm)

“Even you can’t do this forever.”

Berkut in Trouble (Rinea)

“Shall I heal you, my lord?”

  Mourning (Alm, pre-battle with Rudolf)

“Get up, Berkut! We said we’d go home together! Didn’t we?!”

  Mourning (Alm, post-battle with Rudolf)

“*sobs* Damn you, Berkut…You swore you wouldn’t die on me!”

  Mourning (Rinea, pre-end of Berkut’s plot arc)

“My lord! Open your eyes, I beg you!”

  Mourning (Rinea, post-Berkut’s plot arc)

“Berkut, no! My love, please, you can’t leave me!”

  Endings

Berkut Ending (If Rinea Survived)

“Despite having lived in Zofia his whole life, Berkut made a home for himself in Rigel following the war. His cousin appointed him as an advisor and asked for his assistance in helping to unify Valentia from the Rigelian side. Berkut’s efforts endeared him to Rigel’s people, making him quite beloved, despite his somewhat harsh nature. Berkut married Rinea soon after King Alm’s coronation, much to the disappointment of Berkut’s many admirers, the pair building a happy life for themselves and their children in the years after.”

  Berkut Ending (If Rinea Died)

“Following the war, the loss of his love wearing deep on his soul, Berkut never truly settled down in either Zofia or Rigel. Worrying for his cousin, King Alm appointed Berkut as an advisor for Rigel, hoping the position would provide some stability. Berkut took to his work rather well, easing concerns and dealing with tension from rebel groups, becoming a well-respected figure throughout Valentia. However, anyone who knew him would agree that they had rarely seen any other man surrounded by so many people yet look so lonely.”

  Rinea Ending (If Berkut Survived)

“Lady Rinea’s hard work in the war paid off for her family, her noble house saved from total ruin. This brought much more attention to Rinea than she was ever used to, and she never did grow to feel fully comfortable among the other nobility. Rinea found herself most at peace in her beloved, quiet garden, beside her dear husband, Berkut. They made a warm family for themselves in Rigel and lived out the rest of their lives in happiness.”

  Rinea Ending (If Berkut Died)