Eva/Lore
Profile[edit]
Introduction Dialog[edit]
From where does lights, dazzling so bright around me, shine? Where...am I? A man? Was it fate's wheels turning, or art thou the key to my journey's end? If it is mine hands you need, then do your bidding, they shall, 'til they can no more.
Character Traits[edit]
Eva speaks using formal, archaic language. She is fierce and proud, especially in her dragon form. Her pride causes her to initially refuse to accept help from others, even when her life is in danger. When Eva meets Aldo she is seeking to atone for her past actions.
Other Info[edit]
Eva in human form is a young woman with shiny violet hair, reddish pink eyes, white horns, and a long white-scaled tail. Her forearms, hands, lower legs, and feet are covered in fine white scales. She wears a short black dress with a collar that appears to be made from white bone or horn. On the collar is a black crest with a pink gem in the center. Four crystal shards float behind her like wings.
Eva in her true form is a huge four-legged dragon with white pearlescent scales. In the center of her chest she bears the same gem-encrusted black crest that is on her human form's dress. She describes herself as a dragon of the heavens.
Story[edit]
Character Quest 1: Reverberation of a Smile[edit]
Aldo and Eva meet up on Derismo Highroad, where they encounter a passerby. The passerby expresses intense fear of Eva's appearance and fled, so Aldo and Eva follow him back to Acteul, where it was made known that residents have been going missing, so did the search parties. Eva promises to help them. A young boy in Acteul is unabashed by Eva's appearance and is praised by Eva for his maturity. He decides to follow Aldo and Eva in secret.
In the Man-eating Marsh, Eva and Aldo trace the perpetrators to slime monsters who devour and steal the forms of their victims. Although Eva and Aldo become surrounded by the monsters, Aldo expresses discomfort in attacking those who look like humans. Eva transforms into a dragon and reverts the monsters back to their original form, eliminating half of them before she was forced back into human form. The young boy, who has been following them, sees Eva's true form and becomes scared.
Back at Acteul, the residents express their thanks to Eva. The young boy attempts to apologize to Eva, but Eva simply brushes him off. Aldo confronts Eva, who divulges she was cursed to a human form for devouring a child of man as a dragon of the heavens.
Character Quest 2: The Time has Come[edit]
On a heavy stormy day, a fight between the dragon of the heavens and the dragon of the underworld ensues. The dragon of the heavens, despite winning the battle, was severely injured and retreats to a cave. She is discovered by a small village girl, who runs off and returns with healing supplies. The dragon refuses to receive help from an insignificant being, but eventually loses consciousness.
Traces[edit]
Upon waking, the dragon finds herself surrounded by various medicine boxes. Lacking the strength to fly out of the cave, she laments her lack of ability. While inspecting the cave, she comes across a fallen hairpin, probably from the village girl, and finds the sweet scent repulsive. The village girl soon returns with new medicinal supplies, but the dragon vehemently rejects any help from the girl for it damages her pride and demotes her to the status of a groomed pet. Without strength, however, the dragon can only find words to say before passing out once more. Nonetheless, while in a state of rest, the dragon finds this comforting.
A similar interaction plays out the following day. The young girl returns to find the medicines taken but not the fruits. She takes the opportunity to feed the dragon and apply new wound dressings. Having observed the numerous scratches on the young girl, probably from gathering and harvesting medicinal supplies, the dragon offers little resistance to her help, and instead silently observes her.
Each day since, the young girl returns to the dragon's side without fail.
Sunshine[edit]
Slowly, the dragon's demeanor changes, and even finds the sweet scent lingering as if it is home. Though the dragon still lacks the strength to drink from the pond, she finds herself much less impatient in wanting to leave, and notes that having her bandages replaced every few days was not an unpleasant occasion. Looking at the flowers and the fruits, she feels undeserving of such care, and that the girl is a special case to be unafraid of a monster. Nevertheless, as the sun shines on both of them, the dragon feels all is good.
While asleep one night, however, the dragon suddenly hears a roar. Believing it to be the dragon she failed to slay, she is deplored at the notion that she is taking time to get fat while evil roams the sky.
The next day, the young girl returns to find the dragon's wounds worsening. The dragon replies that she is a Heavenly Dragon, and while darkness is not a poison, it ruins purity. There is nothing more that the girl can do, and the darkness only grows darker... It is then that the dragon decides she must feast. She manages to restrain herself from the thoughts and commands the girl to stay far away immediately. The young girl dejectedly leaves the medicine, and replies she will return on the morrow.
"Do no such thing..." the dragon thinks, and tries to make sure the girl does not come any closer by scaring her off day after day. She shouts tirelessly from her heart, yet the girl returns day after day.
One day, the girl arrived with something special – cooked meat of the highest quality. The dragon tries to get rid of the girl, but feels conflicted and wronged at her goodwill. The girl approaches and tries to comfort the dragon, "Whatever it is you wish, it is a wish I shall grant. Just cling to life a little while longer..." Despite the dragon professing hatred for the girl, the girl replies she will continue to return everyday, and if the sun is out, to have a walk together and decide on a name for her.
Maiden[edit]
In the middle of the night, the sweet scent of decay reaches deep into the dragon's lungs and burns. The flowers in the cave no longer brought her peace. The medicinal boxes are only rubbish now. Will the water from the pond quench the fire within her? She tramples on the food placed by her side. It is then, she sees the young girl enter the cave again. Her throat burns and her wounds ache, as she longs to tear the girl's heart out. As the young girl continued to approach her, she thinks, if she eats the girl, these asinine days will end. She can defeat the Dark Dragon and reclaim her throne. Why did she not think of such a simple solution?
The young girl finally reached the dragon's side. "Such a rich and luscious scent," the dragon thinks.
"...It's okay. Go ahead." said a voice. The dragon smirks.
...
The dragon becomes startled. Was it a dream? A sudden downpour occurs. The dragon decides she must leave the place before the girl returns. But as she senses the Dark Dragon, her mind becomes numb. The new day approaches and the young girl returns to find the dragon getting up, "Good morning! It's really coming down today. Hey! How many times do I have to tell you? You must rest!" Except...
Clearing[edit]
She feels warm, the dragon thought. She has been living the nightmare for far too long... and where is the girl? She should have been here by now. Either way, the thirst that tore at her has ceased and her mind is now calm. Still, she needs a drink.
...
Why does she feel light? Why does her limb not feel like her own? And why was she so hard on the young girl? The dragon could not remember why, but recognizes the sense of gratitude and regret towards the girl. She must speak with the girl, she thinks, and may they finally walk under the sun to decide on her name.
...
Looking at her reflection in the pond, the dragon is horrified. The reflection in the pond smiles, "...It's okay. Go ahead."
Character Quest 3: Traces[edit]
In Acteul, a travelling merchant calls out to Eva and Aldo for help. Sarupa has been heavily raided by monsters. Eva and Aldo agree to take a look.
Upon reaching Sarupa, Eva becomes pale. She had been to Sarupa a long time ago. Something within her stirs... a familiar feeling of "her". Aldo expresses confusion, but they are interrupted by a couple of Dark Dragons.
(The following dialogue occurs if Aldo has met Tiramisu.) Eva is surprised by Aldo's knowledge of Dark Dragons, to which Aldo replies he has a Dragon Summoner as a friend.
Eva expresses disgust at the Dark Dragons and moves to annihilate them, but more Dark Dragons reappear. Aldo rushes to her aid, but is repelled by Eva for "these are [her] prey". Transforming into a dragon, Eva attacks the Dark Dragon.
A downpour occurs soon after, and Eva is reminded of her fight with the dragon of the underworld, along with her memories of the village girl. An unknown voice calls out, "...It's okay. Go ahead." Eva cries out as Aldo attempts to help her up. "Thy hate must know no bounds... To seek forgiveness I take upon thy face...for when I smile it is thee who smilest in return... It is a forgiveness that is as real as dreams, to once again hold thy hand and walk in the sun... As real as the lie I wish were true..."
"However...in truth...'Tis real, yet as clear the memory in my mind, I do not recall thy taste. I did not know myself when I did what was done, but I can recall it surely." It was a madness that Eva had succumbed to completely. "A sickness. Were my heart as dark as his, it would be a virtue. But it is no virtue. It is a shadow I feel keenly the burden of. I do not deserve life... And yet I live still..." Eva proclaimed to a surprised Aldo.
"Don't...lose sight of yourself." An unknown voice calls out again. An afterimage of a girl appears, of whom Aldo recognizes as an Eva lookalike. The girl walks towards Eva and tells her, "I'll be...waiting. Come...". Without a trace, the girl then disappears. "...Why?" Eva questions. "Why art thou..."
Eva finally responds to Aldo who has been calling her name since the dawn of time. Eva admits that the girl was the "someone" she had eaten, and remarks it is a fitting punishment for cowardice. It is the girl's face that she saw in the mirror when she woke from madness. "Her bones I ground now hold my frame. Her skin I tore from muscle now mine own living flesh. Every moment I live is reminder of sin. A proof of hatred her soul beareth for me." Eva surmises.
"Live with the children of Man, walk among them, and in so doing, thou shalt regain thy true form." Eva quotes from another Heavenly Dragon. "Persist in this, and thy path shall reveal itself to thee." Though the girl has long been gone, her scent was still keenly and painfully familiar to Eva. Aldo postulates it is possible that the girl's soul has come to pay Eva a visit. Eva and Aldo plan to stop by the cave where she and the girl met. The cave where everything began and ended.
Within the cave, Eva recaps her encounter with the young girl. Her wounds were slow to heal, and over time, she came to care for the girl in a way she should not have — when the final threads of her restraint burned to dust on a stormy day, she ate the girl. The afterimage of the girl reappears, and Eva reminisces the way she smiled.
"Don't close your eyes." The afterimage comments. "Remember..."
Remember what? Her sin? Eva thinks.
"No... The sin you bear belongs not to you."
A sudden storm occurs. A memory of the past occurs. "I know thou seekest me. I sense it. Fret not! Thou needest wait no longer." The dragon in the memory speaks. "No...no! Stay away!" Eva exclaims. Aldo attempts to calm Eva, stating it's probably an illusion. Eva attempts to stop the young girl to no avail. The young girl greets the dragon who stood up, "Good morning! It's really coming down today. Hey! How many times do I have to tell you? You must rest!" The dragon pleads with the young girl, "Come no further! Please! If thou comest, I will surely devour thee."
"...I know." The girl simply replies. "...I know why which you suffer. I see it in thy eyes. Alas I could not bear to leave you... My selfish pride and a fools hope closed my ears to truth. I would not mind it...you know. If it is mine flesh you need... I offer it to you gladly. For then we may be as one as long as our two hearts do beat."
"...What a splendid idea. Then...without further ado."
...
The afterimage of the girl reappears and walks towards Eva, "Do you see? For you did not feed on my flesh, it was..."
"The Dark...Dragon..." Eva completes the sentence.
The girl fades in and out. "Oh how you must have suffered alone..." she laments, "I'm glad I was able to tell you this, before mine own end." She continues, "When to nothing I fade he will have me whole. But before I reach abyss... I froze hell's fire and welded gates divine that would have taken this soul. Deliverance I so delay that I may gaze upon thee last once more..." The girl disappears in a flutter of blue light.
"To share this final moment..."
Eva announces to Aldo she will find the Dark Dragon and save the girl's soul, if only just that. Aldo observes Eva's desperation as well as a contradiction — If Eva did not eat the girl, why does she look like the girl?
Eva and Aldo finds a faint light which Eva believes to be the girl's soul, but are attacked by the Dark Dragon. "Change your face as you will, but I know you at a glance." The Dark Dragon exclaims. "But I must ask...why do you wear the guise of the human girl I ate?"
"It matters not," Eva answers. "Even now she suffers in thy cursed gut, and from that darkness I will free her. Now DIE!"
The Dark Dragon laughs. "Aah, that face brings back such fond memories. The owner of that face... How she suffered and despaired as I tore her limb from limb!"
"Shut thy vile maw! Before her soul is fully absorbed, I will—"
"Her soul? What soul?" The Dark Dragon queries. "Haha! Oh child of Man. You are almost as entertaining as she was delicious. The girl you laid such loving eyes upon [in the illusion within the cave] was me. Not the barest silver of her soul yet remains. It burned out when I tore into her gut. She made a wonderful lure to drag you out of hiding, I must say. Were you relieved to repent your sin?"
A small inconvenience to shoulder to bring such misery to his hated foe, the Dark Dragon continues. He could only imagine the girl's regret, for the curse she left within him has pained him for so, so long. "It was my first time creating such a mirage, a past there never was... But truly. What was it she said? 'Wish for it, and I will grant it.'"
Darkness engulfs Eva. "THOU MUST PAY FOR THY DEEDS!" Eva transforms into a dragon, and swears solemnly and sincerely to kill, rip, and tear the Dark Dragon 'til no single shred of him remains.
"Hah! Just as I did your girl, then?" The Dark Dragon retorts.
"Thy very existence is a desecration! Thou art a defilement to her memory!"
"I wonder... Which of us is the true desecration?"
The Dark Dragon knocks out Eva, "Heavenly Dragon. Have you ever taken a look at yourself? How horrid. Neither a dragon nor human. How does it feel, wearing her face? Does the guilt ache, that you failed to protect her? Or do you yet regret that you failed to eat her?"
The Dark Dragon continues, "In the end, the prize went to me. You were merely obsessed with her. A noble dragon of the heavens, attached to a mere human, and when you lost her, you went quite insane. I have never forgotten what you said to me, that day we clashed. You called me a wretched man-eater...scum. But look at the two of us now. Myself, burdened with her dying hate, and you...a malformed freak, a monster performing a pathetic farce. And what is this I hear of you traveling, seeking to 'regain your true form'? Hmm? How far have you disgraced her memory? Does your depravity know no bounds? Which of us truly deserves death?"
"...I do." Eva releases a dark aura. "But I will not go alone. I will strike thee down, and avenge her before fate takes me. We are both desecrators. Having cast away our pride, we wallow in base greed, disgraced for eternity! Rejoice, filth. I shall perish along with thee under the darkened skies. Let all of creation witness the ugly fate of we two who brought only dishonor to our race!"
"Do you intend to breach the taboo?! For a Heavenly Dragon to exert influence upon the Dark World..."
"As I said. It matters not. Nothing has mattered to me. Not since that day."
"Stop, Eva!" Aldo yells at Eva to not take the Dark Dragon at his word.
"He speaketh only the truth. And there is no longer reason for me to remain."
Aldo rushes between the Dark Dragon and Eva. "Smile, Eva! Smile for me! I want to see you smile!"
"You must keep living! Because it's not just your smile, it's hers, too. If you die, so does she!"
Eva gets a flashback. "Thou art injured. Thou must be in pain. Yet thou smilest. Is this not an expression of happiness in humans?" The young girl in her memory giggles. "I'm smiling 'cause I'm happy. I'm happy you're doing better. And I'm also happy that— Heehee. ...Never mind. It's a secret."
"I have changed my mind. Only one of us will die this day." Eva stops and turns around. "I remember now my purpose. 'Tis to send thee back to the hells from whence thou spawned."
Eva finally defeats the Dark Dragon. Revisiting the cave, Eva regrets that she was not able to see the young girl once more. It was not just the girl's smile that she loved, but the girl's everything — and she did not manage to tell the girl of her love. It took her much too long to realise this. With Aldo's words of encouragement, however, Eva now views the "curse" she bears as a shield. She will continue to live in the form of the young girl, so that the girl too may live, and it will be the girl's smile that she sees until her end.
Character Quest AS[edit]
This character has no other versions.
