tanagura app

[gwanga]

OOC INFO
_NAME: gsai
_PLURK: journal pm
_AGE: 30
_CURRENT/PAST CHARACTERS: n/a


IC INFO
_CHARACTER'S NAME: Hugo
_CANON: Suikoden III
_CANON POINT: Post ending, with Hugo as the Flame Champion, but before he officially accepts the position of Chief of Karaya
_CHARACTER'S (ACTUAL) AGE: 15
_CHARACTER'S (APPARENT) AGE: Hugo looks his age, however he is notably short for his age, too, standing at 5'5
_TANAGURA (elite) OR MIDAS (mongrel)?: Tanagura (elite)
_HOUSING PREFERENCE: None


_HISTORY: http://suikoden.wikia.com/wiki/Hugo_%28Suikoden_III%29

_ABILITIES: Hugo is a natural leader, in spite of his youth and impulsiveness, and naturally fit into the role of the Flame Champion, leading the unified Fire Bringer in war against Harmonia, as well as the Destroyers. In addition to that, Hugo is an incredibly competent warrior and hunter, being among the best of the Karayans, if not all of Grassland, and also possesses the True Fire Rune.

The True Fire Rune is not just a magical tattoo, but rather a sentient being on its own, although as a sort of god-like force, its thought processes cannot be comprehended by corporeal beings. But it does absolutely have a will of its own, as well as the power to control most any flame Hugo comes across.

The lower limit of the ability is as simple as keeping candles perpetually lit, but the upward limit is where it gets astounding. The True Flame can create massive fireballs and explosions, creating extraordinary heat and flame. The biggest seen in canon was a blast that took out most of both armies in a massive battle and left a giant scorched crater in the earth, with fires that burned for ten days before finally subsiding. This upper limit is unlikely to ever be seen in game.

Also, while the True Rune grants "immortality", it's really only in the form of agelessness. Hugo is still very human and very mortal, he's just sadly going to be stuck being short for a good while.

_PERSONALITY: One of the chief attributes that most strongly guides Hugo throughout the main story and his ascension to a leadership role is that he's an incredibly compassionate person. He is quick to recognize injustice, unfairness, or need for care and protection when he sees it, and is even quicker to try and do the best in his power to help. His primary motivation for taking up the banner of the Flame Champion was so that he could have the power and strength needed to save those who were under threat of Harmonian conquest, seeing a collection of hopeless faces in the shadow of an impossible challenge. Furthermore, this extends to his interpersonal dealings as well. In spite of everything that Sasarai had put himself and the people of Grassland through, he welcomed Harmonia's aid against The Destroyers. In spite of everything Luc had done and was willing to do to fulfill his ambitions, Hugo still tried to save his life at the very end.

This is something of an interesting contrast, as it is something Hugo mostly grew into, but the seeds had been planted long ago. When he was very young, he was the one that begged that Fubar be spared when Fubar's mother had been killed in a hunt. However, when confronted with the reality that Chris Lightfellow had killed his childhood friend Lulu, he was incredibly quick to draw his sword and try to avenge him. It may seem like a contradiction at first, then, when he tries to save Luc's life at the end of the story, but when paying closer attention to his character growth arc, it makes more sense. His compassion is narrow in scope early on, but it still very much exists, and as he learns more about Chris when they become allies, and learns more from Luc about his own motivations and why he was willing to sacrifice so much for his goals, Hugo comes to the realization that everyone has things they want to fight to protect, whether it's for love or loyalty or any number of motivations, and it blends well into his own views. He becomes a more whole, more mature person by the end of his journey as Flame Champion.

Of course his road is not without its faults. Early in Hugo's story, he is incredibly doubting of his own strength. At first it seems just like he's naturally humble, having grown up with high expectations as Chief Lucia's son, but it's more than that. He sees what others do around him, his mother, his idol Jimba, Chris and Geddoe, and looks into himself and for a long time doesn't quite see that same capability to be the protector he wishes he could be. For half of the game, he isn't seeking out the former Flame Champion to take his place, but instead ask him to fight on his behalf, not seeing himself as a great warrior, much less a hero of the Grasslands. And even when he comes to decision to take the True Fire Rune and become the Flame Champion himself, it's still done under the thought process that someone had to do it, and he had little choice but to do so himself if he wanted the power to protect his people. He didn't have aims of being a hero, and it just sort of happened organically around the same time he started to be able to extend his compassion outside of his originally narrow experiences. He gives a speech to the wounded, spiritually drained united forces of Zexen and Grassland urging them to fight on because they all had things they wanted to protect. Homes, precious people, memories of a free life. Because he failed to do so with Lulu, with his own home of Karaya, he didn't quite see himself as being that strong, but it was that drive and need to do so that allowed him to inspire others.

Unfortunately Hugo, in spite of his lofty and noble status as Flame Champion midway through the game, Hugo is still very much young and inexperienced, but with no lack of energy and gumption. He is notably reckless and doesn't quite think some of his actions through, proving to be a very poor tactician (thank goodness for Caesar's help to that end). There are multiple times throughout the story that he leaps first and looks second, getting into more than one fight with Chris Lightfellow, as well as potentially spoiling a plan of Caesar's to hold off Harmonian assault before reinforcements arrived. Though all of these worked out in the end, it was mostly due to the presence and guidance of cooler heads around him. Even at the end of the story, he has a tendency to defer to others because he knows his first reactions will usually get him, or others, into trouble. He's getting better, but he still finds himself acting recklessly from time to time.

One of the bigger issues that sets Hugo's recklessness and temper off, that ignites his flame so to speak, is social injustice. As a Karayan he has been subject to a lifetime of racism from neighboring Zexen, and imperialistic intentions of Harmonia, having been called "savage", "barbarian", and other unsavory terms even from the seemingly well meaning. Most of the Suikoden world in general look down on Grasslanders as uncivilized people not fit for a polite society, and it rubs him very raw whenever he is directly exposed to it. Of course this has developed some prejudices within his own culture against outsiders (Zexens in particular are almost constantly called "ironheads" by Grasslanders) but given the position of privilege is almost entirely on the other foot, he doesn't feel particularly guilty about buying into stereotypes about people he considers to be oppressors. His opinions on Zexen and Harmonia cool a bit by the end of the game largely in part due to his budding friendship with Chris and Sasarai, but he still carries with him the knowledge that most people in the 'civilized' world consider him culturally and racially inferior, and that never really goes away.

In spite of that, even to most Zexens, Hugo is remarkably polite in non-tense situations. A good chunk of this can be attributed to his mother hammering in good manners, but part of it is that he's just naturally respectful of others (going back to that compassion thing) if they've done him no harm. Everyday citizens of Zexen and Harmonia aren't usually subject to his prejudices against their societies. And he even has a habit of reminding people that they need to introduce themselves when conversing with strangers ("And who might YOU be?") while he is very quick to introduce himself as a habit ("Hugo, son of Lucia, Chief of Karaya"). So it's a mix of good parenting on Chief Lucia's part, and it just being an innate quirk. Considering Lucia's general lack of manners in most cases, one kind of has to assume Hugo got it from his unknown father...

Ending on a lighter, perhaps weirder, note is Hugo's complex over his height. Now, 5'5 is not necessarily a total shorty, but compared to the people around Hugo (his mother, Jimba, Chris, Geddoe, etc), he always thinks of himself as being unacceptably small. If Chris or Geddoe are chosen as Flame Champions in the game, he pesters them over how they got to be so tall (even though they aren't really that tall) rather than anything more important. And even in his own scenario, people report him hanging off the window of his room in the HQ castle in order to "stretch himself out a little". Fortunately for Hugo, being naturally small is part of what makes him such a tremendous fighter, but good luck convincing him of that.

_ITEMS: Hugo will take along with him his traditional Karayan clothing, war bands included, as well as his long-knife Luft. Fubar will not be with him as, in spite of being a griffon, Fubar has too big of a role (and just too big in general) for me to be comfortable considering him a non-appable pet.


WRITING SAMPLES

_GEN SAMPLE: multiple samples here

_SMUT SAMPLE: here


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MY CHARACTER IS THE FOLLOWING:
_SENTIENT: yes
_MENTALLY ADULT: yes
_CAPABLE OF CONSENT: yes
_CAPABLE OF SEXUAL AROUSAL: yes