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Player: Adi
Contact:
Age: 30
Current Characters: N/A
Character: Magilou
Age: Unknown (approx. late twenties)
Canon: Tales of Berseria
Canon Point: Shortly before the events of Mt. Kilaraus
Background: Wiki Page
In addition to the link, here is further backstory translated from the official Berseria World Guidance companion book:
"Magilou had been abandoned by her parents when she was a child due to her strong resonance to malakhim, then taken in by a circus troupe who mistreated and eventually abandoned her when she was proclaimed to be practicing witchcraft, and finally ended up being taken in by Melchior to become his successor as Artorius' shadow. During her final test, she was placed in an illusion that showed her heart's desire, but instead of escaping the illusion of her loving parents, she embraced it. Her heart eventually broke from the illusion and left her in a catatonic state with an inability to feel emotions, and would then be taken care of by Bienfu. When Bienfu stopped coming to care for her, she eventually regained consciousness and set out to find him, before getting locked away in Titania."
Personality:
At first glance, Magilou appears to be an eccentric young woman with a penchant for drama. Her way of speaking can sometimes seem like the whole world is her stage, complete with dramatic gestures and hammy monologues. She will often point out that she's a witch, a claim that she can back up with her magic powers, even though a lot of her background is a mystery (to her consorts) and the things she says should always be taken with a grain of salt.
It can be said that her persona on the surface is that of an entertainer, as she quickly forms the traveling group "Magilou's Menagerie" when she joins the other characters in Tales of Berseria. Initially it's done on the fly to create a cover as stage performers for themselves as they spend most of the journey as wanted fugitives, but Magilou shows passion and dedication to her craft nonetheless. When they're tight on money, she will book shows in certain towns and actually make the party perform with her. In some cases, she'll entirely write the material or tell her performing partner exactly what to do, but sadly things never go to script. Magilou isn't entirely professional herself, because more often than not she will be the one to storm off the stage if the comedy routine doesn't go her way.
Beneath her comical persona, however, lies something much darker and sinister. It's not a part of her that she necessarily hides from anyone, but spend time with her long enough and you'll find that this is someone with truly no care in the world. Her humour is observational, usually cynical in the sense that she always expects the worst in humans. She has no problems with lightly addressing heavier or sensitive subjects, such as pointing out Velvet's hypocrisy in using Laphicet as a tool, or joking about how she could "devour" him at any moment due to Velvet's demonic nature.
Eventually, it becomes clear that Magilou doesn't particularly care about anything, nor does she care that she doesn't care. She has interests in certain things, a curiosity of sorts. She will stick around and watch the story unfold, but she has no strong care for how it will turn out. Her apathy towards the group's success has often caused them to question her loyalty, but her powers and expertise in certain things has earned her a place in the group, even if she's aware that it's the only reason they keep her around. Emotions in particular are something that fascinate her, and she questions Velvet what it's like to truly hate someone.
Magilou wasn't born without feelings however, as she slowly opens up her heart to emotions near the end of the game. The reason she's so jaded for most of the journey stems from a lifetime of heartbreak and abandonment before the group ever gets to know her. Magilou grew up knowing that her parents abandoned her as a baby, then spent her childhood being mistreated by the circus troupe that took her in. As one can guess, she has had a cynical outlook from the beginning of her life. When she was later taken in by Melchior and raised to be his successor, she was eventually abandoned by him as well for not passing her final exam. The final exam itself involved breaking out of a powerful illusion spell, but Magilou failed it by embracing the false reality because it was one of her heart's desire. The heartbreak of the reality that turned out to be false, and the subsequent abandonment by Melchior has left Magilou in a catatonic state for a long time. It's because of that very event that she has learned to cast aside her emotions, and why she is the person she is today.
Her time with Melchior wasn't a complete a failure for her, however. As a former disciple of his, she knows the way he thinks and has adopted some his own tactical approach in the form of traps and trickery. She questions everything and often is the first to point out that they are walking into a trap. Truly at her core, Magilou is very knowledgeable and savvy about a lot of topics, something that can surprise the party in some of her less comical moments. When it comes to world history and lore in particular, the role of explaining things usually falls on her or Eizen.
As far as relationships go, Magilou eventually calls the group her friends, something she wouldn't think of them at the start of the journey, although she still never develops a close relationship with anyone in particular. Ironically, the one she truly considers to be her companion is Bienfu, even though she mistreats him more than anyone. She torments him to no end, but it's observed by other characters that she has a particular attachment to the malak beyond the powers he offers to her, as he was the one who cared for her when she was at the lowest point in her life. When she believed he betrayed her, she made it her mission to seek him out, despite her claims of apathy. When it's revealed that Bienfu was forced to spy on Velvet, Magilou attempts to take the fall for him under the guise of not caring. It's these small, subtle moments, unaware to Magilou herself, that show she's always been capable of caring to an extent.
At the end of the day, Magilou is someone who's just coming to terms with her emotions, but it's going to take some time until she fully embraces them. In the meantime, she'll do what she does best, which is to observe, entertain and occasionally offer some useful piece of wisdom. If she feels like it.
Abilities: Magilou's main weapon is her Guardian Doll, which is basically a traditional "ritual paper" seen in other forms of media. She can make the item float and even expand accordingly, stretching it big enough for her to stand and "surf" on if she wishes. It comes with its limits, however, and she can't take anyone else with her when she rides it. This ability actually comes from her pact with Bienfu, a type of malak that grants her powers as long as their contract is valid.
Furthermore, this pact also grants her other malak abilities, mainly elemental spells specializing in fire and water. Defensive magic is also included in the form of healing spells.
Alignment: Daimonia. Her ultimate heartbreak (grief) at the hands of Melchior is what shaped her to be the person she is today. Furthermore, in the epilogue of Tales of Berseria, Magilou has come to accept her emotions and can be seen genuinely laughing (joy) for the first time.
Other: Magilou will be arriving with her Guardian Doll weapon and companion Bienfu.
General Sample: TDM Top Level // Eleanor // Eizen
Emotion Sample: Magilou & Bienfu (I used Bienfu in this instance if that's okay!)
Questions: Would it be okay to use a different journal for any comments that I'd have to do with Bienfu? He wouldn't be very prominent since I don't imagine everyone will be able to see him. If not, then I'm happy to just use Magilou's journal for his comments!