APPLICATION {eachdraidh}

[idealistic]

( PLAYER ★ INFORMATION )

NAME: Moth
AGE: 22
CONTACT: ephinea // lostlorn
CURRENT CHARACTERS & LATEST AC: N/A

RESERVATION LINK: here

( CHARACTER ★ INFORMATION )

NAME & AGE: Lloyd Irving / 19
CANON & CANON POINT: Tales of Symphonia. The canon point is during Dawn of the New World, after leaving everyone behind at Cape Fortress.

In addition, I'll be using some of the extra material aside from the game (extra chapters from the manga, certain drama CDs, and side novels) to add on to his canon as they provide more insight to his past and what occurred between Tales of Symphonia and Dawn of the New World. The OVA is considered an AU and thus I will not be going near it even with a 39.5 foot pole.
CANON INFORMATION:

Lloyd
Tales of Symphonia
ToS: Dawn of the New World

As there are some slight but notable differences here and there depending on the route chosen, we'll say that Lloyd is taken from Colette's route, like the Zelos currently ingame. In addition, I will be using the extra chapters from the manga that involved him (Dirk finding Lloyd and Colette's first birthday party) as well as a couple of the drama CDs (notably A Long Time Ago-- others will be added on when I get around to listening to them) and the novel Successors of Hope to explain what had occurred between ToS and DotNW. As for any headcanon notes, the only thing I would add on is that Lloyd ended up suffering from a bout of Angel Toxicosis shortly after naming the newly planted World Tree and receiving Martel's blessing, since... you know. He turned into an angel at endgame and stuff.

PERSONALITY:

In order to properly gauge Lloyd's personality, one would have to compare him from between Tales of Symphonia and ToS: Dawn of the New World, which has a two year gap full of bullshit. Regardless of the differences between the two however, if someone had to pick a single word that accurately encompassed everything that was Lloyd Irving, that word would be "simple".

That's it. He's just simple.

Having grown up in a quaint village that's a ways away from the rest of the world, Lloyd grew up with a fairly black-and-white mindset. It's not until he's metaphorically thrown into the lake before learning to swim where he realizes that the world is not quite as simple as his mindset is. While for others, a simplistic mindset could be considered ignorance and their ultimate undoing, for Lloyd, it's his biggest weapon and his saving grace.

One thing to note about Lloyd is that he's not very smart. In fact, he's plain book dumb. He does hold a surprising amount of logic, though the way he tends to take things literally has a tendency to skew his logic ("That's weird. If one sword has a power of 100, then using two will make it 200, right?"), but there's no denying that Lloyd still gets piss poor grades (though whether it's because of his lack of knowledge or because of such disinterest in learning that he goes so far as to falling asleep during punishment for falling asleep in class) and ends up as the butt of the joke more often than not. Several examples are spread out throughout the more lighthearted parts of the game: For example, in a test where the final score was 400, Lloyd ended up with the lowest score at 25. Another prime example would be when he properly used the word "avaricious", which is a bit above his pay grade when it comes to vocabulary-- it brought Raine to a point that's very similar to her "ruin mode", exciting her and scaring the bejeesus out of Lloyd, ruining what could have been a rather serious moment. What's surprising about Lloyd is that what he lacks in brains he more than makes up for in wisdom: his logic and ability to think on his feet, with the former being a bit out-there and not quite fine-tuned, is unmatched. In fact, it was Lloyd's idea to use Tethe'alla's Summon Spirits to counteract and neutralize Sylvarant's mana flowing through the uncontrollable Giant Kharlan Tree.

In combination with his stupidity, Lloyd can be qualified as a bona fide shonen hero since he's known to be rather emotive. Unlike most of the characters that are a part of his group, he doesn't hide behind a "mask" of emotions; He wears his heart on his sleeve and if he's feeling something, he'll display it with a fierceness that could set anyone back. If he's upset or angry at something, he will let you know. If he's happy or excited about traveling through a new area, he will annoyingly let you know. If he quickly grew bored of whatever he was excited about, he will (much to others' chagrin and annoyance) let you know. His emotive nature also lends to how he's a bit of a hothead and impulsive, which often leads him into trouble. If it weren't for the other characters holding him back as he was kicking and thrashing, it's very likely that Lloyd's impulsive nature would have led him to a premature death.

Even though he has his usual flare ups, what sets Lloyd apart from other hotheads is that he's not only able to acknowledge what he did or said and where he messed up, but genuinely apologize for it and learn from it so that he (probably) won't make the same mistake again. He may be harsh in some cases, but Lloyd is genuinely a good person through and through, and seeks nothing but the protection and well-being of his friends-- which can extend to more than just the party thanks to his "make-ALL-the-friends" attitude. Though he If he discovers something that's been ailing his friends too late, he's quick to blame himself for not catching onto it sooner. A prime example of this is Colette: The guilt that he feels for not noticing what the angelic transformation is actually doing to her eats away at him so much that he breaks down into tears.

He may have achieved feats that no ordinary person can, there's no denying that Lloyd is still human, both physically and mentally. He's dealt with blow after blow, falling many times and discovering that life is plain unfair. From being banished from Iselia, to discovering that Colette was slowly dying and Kratos turning on them at the Tower of Salvation, to discovering that very same traitor is also his biological father-- Lloyd has had his fair share of Heroic BSODs that could easily cause him to fall into despair just as Mithos had before him. The only difference between Lloyd and Mithos, as Kratos and Yuan pointed out, is that Mithos actually did give into despair whereas Lloyd always managed to pick himself back up regardless of how bad things looked, whether on his own or with the help of his friends, and always searched for another solution to a problem even if he had to make one himself. His stubbornness could count as one of his more endearing traits, as it was because of his stubbornness that he was able to sway Origin, who had lost all hope in humanity and refused to help them (THANKS, MITHOS), into helping their cause.

As stated several times before, Lloyd is a very chummy guy. He's impressionable in a sense, but only through what he sees and not through word of mouth. He's able to see the good (or bad) in a person, even if it takes him a while to fully acknowledge it, and is usually quick to forgive or befriend someone even if they didn't have a good reason. When Raine and Genis are revealed to be part of the scorned half-elves rather than full-blooded elves, Lloyd thinks nothing of it-- to him, Raine is still his teacher and Genis is still his best friend. When Colette approached him about how her becoming an angel made her weird or how she technically had two fathers, Lloyd reassured her that no matter her lineage or what she became, she's still Colette Brunel to him. When Zelos "betrayed" the party in order to go behind enemy lines, Lloyd quickly welcomed him back into the party with open arms. Even Kratos, who had betrayed Lloyd's trust several times over, had earned Lloyd's forgiveness and mercy ("I defeated Kratos, the angel, the one who betrayed us. And I forgive Kratos, the hero of the Ancient War, who helped us."), who in turn chastised him for being "as soft-hearted as ever". At the same time, he holds regrets if he isn't able to help a friend of if he's too late in helping them: Zelos could also be an example of this if he does honestly betray the party, for Lloyd will regret never helping Zelos when he needed it so that he wouldn't have to resort to betrayal. Mithos also applies to this: after finally destroying his Cruxis Crystal, Lloyd laments at how they could have been great friends because they shared similar ideals.

All in all, in Tales of Symphonia Lloyd is just a teenager who loves his friends, hates tomatoes with a burning passion, is kind of really stupid, and has seen more than most kids his age, yet still wants nothing more than a world where everyone is accepting of each other. In Dawn of the New World though, he's notably matured and somehow managed to hide all of what he was in the first game under a mask that is eerily similar to Kratos's attitude. For most of the game, he takes on the role as the antagonist by constantly being at odds with the game's protagonist, Emil, and racing against him for the Centurion's cores. He's distant, brooding, and keeps everyone, even his cherished friends, at arm's length. Since he was suspected of leading the Palmacosta Blood Purge and the attack on Flanoir, it's only natural to think that his ideals had changed at some point during his six month absence and that he wasn't the same Lloyd as the one from two years' past... except that's not quite the case.

Despite clearly having matured from his brash 17-year-old self and "gracefully" entering adulthood, Lloyd is still very much the same brave, idealistic boy that lived on the outskirts of Iselia... which means he's still fully capable of making stupid decisions. Having received the mission of retrieving the Centurion's cores in an attempt at stopping Ratatosk from usurping Martel, Lloyd undertook the mission on his own without telling his comrades not as a means of defecting from them, but as a means of protecting them as well as the world. Taking a page from Kratos, in order to protect both his friends and the Tree, he developed a personal agenda, keeping his friends at arm's length as he went about to retrieve the cores himself. To him, his comrades are precious and he'd much rather keep them away from a situation that could potentially put them in danger. While his actions were already irrational, it's taken a step further with the accusations of leading multiple massacres: instead of blaming another like a normal person would, he blames himself for not being able to stop the massacres from happening and distances himself further ("Not Palmacosta again..."), not having the heart to face his friends just yet, which would explain his brooding attitude.

It's only after he saves them from a harrowing situation and properly explains the situation to them along with Yuan at the World Tree that he becomes less like Kratos Aurion Jr. and more like Lloyd Irving. In the end, he hasn't really changed at all aside from somehow obtaining a cooler head and turning into a massive hypocrite. All one would need to do is a bit of coaxing and they're sure to find the very same hothead from two years' past.

COURT ALLIANCE & REASONING:

Seelie
Since the beginning of the game, it's made clear that Lloyd is a true Seelie. Since he was a child, he has grown up learning the many Dwarven Vows from his adoptive father, which essentially sums up to "don't be a dick, know your limits, and live honestly and selflessly", and it's foundation behind everything that is Lloyd. He has a strong sense of justice, views everyone with equality, and sees only the best in everyone, the only exception being people he deems absolutely evil (see: Kvar). In tangent with his ability to see good in everyone, he's given many people the benefit of the doubt and went out of his way to help anyone he could, even if they hated him at the moment or didn't want his help in the first place.

Even Dawn of the New World, where he was viewed as an antagonist for most of the game, is clear with this. He distances himself from his dear comrades and refuses to talk to them, risking accusations and/or alienation, all to protect them from the harmful effects of the Centurion's cores. Not only did Lloyd have his friends in mind when he went solo, but the well-being of the world and the Great Tree as well: for Ratatosk to overpower the new Summon Spirit of the newly-planted Great Tree, Martel, he needs to know the true name of the Tree. Since Lloyd and co. are the only ones who know the name of the tree and Lloyd was the only one who received the blessing of Martel by naming the tree, only he was able to collect the Centurion's cores out of the group without any adverse effects. He took on this job without a word to anyone simply because he felt it was his duty to protect his friends and the world by doing this.

Granted, it was not the best way to handle it-- no one ever said that Lloyd was the brightest crayon in the box, after all.

ABILITIES:

Swordsmanship
I wouldn't exactly call Lloyd a genius at swordplay. Hell, it's a joke to call him a genius at all: his only reasoning for wielding two swords is because he believed that double the swords meant double the power. Regardless of his reasoning for wielding two swords, however, Lloyd manages to make it work. He's had a significant amount of training in dual-wielding — at first on his own and then with guidance from Kratos — and has developed into a very formidable opponent that could best even an immature ex-summon spirit with hardly a turn of his blades. It'd be a bit unfair to say that he's such a great swordsman to the point of being OP, but he can certainly hold his own in a battle, though he still has quite a bit to learn.

Exsphere
Even with his received training from Kratos — who was a knight in his prime — on his own, Lloyd's ability at swordsmanship could be described as "good" at best. The majority of Lloyd's abilities actually comes from his Exsphere: a mysterious parasitic stone that grants the wearer enhanced abilities. On its own, an Exsphere is dangerous when attached directly to the skin, as it feeds off of the host body until it is matured and gradually kills off the host-- ironically, the positive effects of an Exsphere only work if it's directly attached to the skin. Lloyd's Exsphere, however, does not feed off of Lloyd as it is also attached to a Key Crest: a dwarven accessory with a charm inscribed on it to negate the negative effects.

Artes
Lloyd's collection of artes (which can be viewed here and here) leaves him as a purely offensive fighter, allowing him to manipulate mana to enhance his attacks by allowing him to send out shock waves or things of that nature. His hidden special attack, Divine Justice, is a rendition of his first special attack (Falcon's Crest) that could only be done when he has the Material Blades equipped. Unlike Falcon's Crest, which could only activate when he's under stress (read: low on HP), Lloyd is able to perform Divine Justice at any time.

Craftsmanship
Despite his sometimes brash attitude, Lloyd is actually surprisingly good with his hands. Having grown up under the tutelage of a dwarf, Lloyd is capable of crafting some basic dwarven works, which is usually limited to simple accessories (such as necklaces or bracelets) or crude key crests. He is also shown to be able to operate basic machinery after some investigating and pick locks with ease; a skill that's been demonstrated more than once when he ended up behind bars. Under further tutelage, he may be able to craft other things such as basic weaponry, though that ability is still a ways away.

Exsphere Pt. 2 (Cruxis Crystal???)
Based on events from the end of Tales of Symphonia, it is implied that the remnants of Mithos's Cruxis Crystal allowed Lloyd's Exsphere (whose host was originally the subject used for the Angelus Project, Lloyd's mother) to fully evolve into a proper Cruxis Crystal. What this implies is that Lloyd has entered and endured the first stage of the Angelic Transformation-- having endured only the first stage, however, his abilities as an "angel" are very limited in comparison to someone like Colette, who has endured all of them. Such abilities thus far are:

- No longer required to consume nutrients (food or drink).
- Halted metabolism, meaning a prolonged (indefinite) lifespan.*
- Ability to summon large blue translucent wings to allow him to fly.

It is unclear whether the wings were a "one-time wonder" or if he still does hold the ability to summon them and simply chooses not to, as he has yet to summon them again in Dawn of the New World, where he constantly traveled using a rheiard. For simplicity's sake, let's just say that his Exsphere did properly mutate into a Cruxis Crystal and he does still have the ability to summon his wings along with having his other "angelic" abilities, but he simply chooses not to acknowledge them just yet-- which is something he will have to acknowledge when he arrives since his rheiard will no longer work and he's still trying to avoid his friends. :')


*Despite having an indefinite, near-eternal lifespan, this does not mean he is immortal. Lloyd is still susceptible to death through outside circumstances such as severe injury, poison, mana exhaustion, etc.

INVENTORY:

- Gagnrad (twin swords)
- Exsphere (+ key crest)
- Snow Rabbit Charm (there's a small hole on it somewhere, about the width of a crossbow bolt)
- Rheiard (nonfunctional :( )
- Gold mask (very tacky)
- Gels (3 Apple, 2 Lemon, 2 Orange)

( WRITING ★ SAMPLES )

NETWORK SAMPLE:

[ it's a bit of a long shot and he knows it. he'd much rather have his friends back home where they're safe and sound and it definitely made more sense than what he's about to ask, but if the fairies thought him special, then there's the likelihood that they targeted his friends as well, right? and if they didn't get to them yet, they'll get to them soon enough.

which is why he's turning to the network. normally he wouldn't ask others about his friends, but this was kind of really sudden and despite having turned his sword against them just moments ago — as much as it pained him — he's still worried. ]

im on the lukout for some peepl
there names

[ aaaaand that's as far as the text goes before he switches to audio out of frustration bECAUSE FUCK TEXT. ]

--orget this! Uhh...

[ can you taste the awkward ]

I guess this goes to anyone that's listening. I'm on the lookout for some people. If any of you has heard of anyone named Colette, Genis, Raine, Sheena, Zelos, Presea, or Regal-- [ he slows down when he lists the names-- he's aware that it's quite a hefty list but they're all precious to him all the same. ] --I'd really appreciate it if you let me know. They were hanging around a couple of kids last time I saw them: one's a boy in black and blue clothes and the other is a girl in brown clothes.

They're my friends. I don't need to know exactly where they are. I just want to make sure they didn't get caught up in all this either, and if they did... [ he pauses. it's not quite hesitation, but if something happened to any of them and he wasn't aware of it (especially if he wasn't aware of it), he'd never forgive himself. ] I want to make sure that they're okay.

Thanks.

LOG SAMPLE:

In retrospect, Lloyd probably shouldn't have fallen for the "you're special" card again. Having been told that he was a rare and important commodity should have helped him wisen up, since as far as he knew, being told he was special usually meant that something bad was going to happen. Still, it didn't stop him from listening to the fairies that gradually coaxed him into the ring of mushrooms just moments after letting himself escape from his friends and comrades. They told him he was special and that they needed him, and even though he had his own slew of problems, he couldn't resist accepting their request at aid. Not that he had much of a choice.

Dwarven Vow #2: never abandon someone in need.

Regardless, it didn't stop him from panicking the moment he noticed his surroundings changing. What was once forest as far as the eye can see became grasslands, with only a speckle of trees here and there and (what he cold only guess was) a towering castle bathed in gold in the distance. Its splendor held his attention if only for a brief moment before he eventually grew bored of the sight and looked around. His rheiard, according to its fuel gauge, was sucked dry of its mana (which was odd because he had made sure it was fueled up before making his way to the Cape Fortress) and lay pathetically in the grass. There was nobody to be seen in his immediate surroundings, and any hint of forest was all but abolished. At first, this circumstance had drawn more curiosity than ire, but it's only a moment before he realizes that he was supposed to be keeping an eye on his friends as well as collecting the Centurion's cores... and he very well can't do that if he doesn't even know where he is.

This wasn't good.

"Colette! Genis!" Lloyd called out, running towards a random direction but still keeping the castle in sight. One by one, he shouted his friends' names, hoping to get some sort of answer. He may have put some distance between himself and his friends earlier, but Colette at the least should still be able to hear him-- he's pretty sure he didn't end up that far. But even as he repeated their names once, twice, a couple of them thrice, the only answer he got back was whistling wind and animal calls. Either he was alone in this odd land or his friends were taken to a different area far from him if they were even here. He's honestly hoping it was neither of those.

He cursed under his breath, looking towards the distant castle once again. From was he was able to see, there were no nearby travelers or any sort of intelligent life: just him, the grass, and the occasional bug. Not even those pesky fairies that dropped the "you're special" bomb on him were able to be seen. His best bet would be to head to that castle and hope that someone's heard of him and his friends in this strange land.

If it weren't for the vows that were drilled into his head (Dwarven Vow #18: it is better to be deceived than to deceive), that would have been the last time anyone told him that he was special.