Wednesday, September 8 2010

Narcissist

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A special class of warrior in the world who often puts honor, nobility, extravagance and/or fashion sense above more conventional traits such as practicality and usefulness. Almost all characters who follow this trend have some sort of connection to aristocracy, whether it be authentic (Schtolteheim Reinbach III, Yuma Valya), or perhaps faked (Vincent de Boule, Esmeralda). The only non-aristocrat to assume this role is Charlemagne, whom Reinbach III deemed a "noble soul" and later promoted to nobility.

The Narcissist can only find true peace and enjoyable conversation among those with similar taste, often in a quiet garden, thus alienating themselves from most of the rest of their fellow soldiers in the HQ. There is also a common musical theme that will begin when each narcissist character is addressed. The narcissists are especially fond of roses, whether it is in simple admiration (as Milich is of Zen's gardening), a symbol of undying friendship (i.e. the Rose Brooch between friends), and one man (Simone), even resorts to throwing them as a weapon in battle! Apart from roses, the Narcissists (apart from Yuma Valya) have shown themselves to be very fond of herbal tea, on multiple occasions. It is important to note that despite the Reinbach family, being a Narcissist is not always genetic, as Yuma's brother Shula Valya exhibited no similar traits despite being the direct relative of a Narcissist.

The Narcissist also has a strong love of music and the arts. Milich has shown himself to be a patron of the singer Kasios and the artist Ivanov, although it was revealed later that Milich actually had Ivanov imprisoned while under the influence of Windy's Black Rune, despite his love of the artist's work. Yuma Valya settled for conversation with the eccentric composer Cornelio, mostly because she couldn't find anyone else at Ceras Lake Castle who shared her opinions. Reinbach III was also a patron of the bard, Etienne, whose music always soothed his suffering.

One last important trait of note, is that the Narcissists have strong tendencies toward the theater, as shown by Milich's authoring of an "altered" account of the climactic end of the Toran Liberation War, titled "Imperial Love", and Augustine's strong stage presence when performing in Nadir's theater. While Nadir is not a Narcissist, his eccentric behavior makes him come very close.

Contents

The Rose Brooch

On more than one occasion, this particular accessory has proven to be a bond stronger than blood between narcissists. First seen as a symbol of companionship between Vincent and Simone, Simone was in an absolute panic until Riou eventually retrieved it. Simone could not even bear to look Vincent in the eyes until he regained the symbol of their friendship. Similarly, the extremely theatrical Augustine lost a Rose Brooch as well. It was a reward from Vincent for winning a male beauty contest. His reaction upon receiving a Rose Brooch is in every way similar to Simone. Multiple Rose Brooches have turned up in the rare find box in Banner and Iksay Villages, why this takes place in currently unknown.

A precursor to the Rose Brooch could be the Rose Crest, which was commissioned by Reinbach III from the crest maker Gareth, as a symbol of his new friendship with Charlemagne. An incident occurred when Charlemagne lost it, but it was retrieved with assistance by a boy named Kyril, whom Charlemagne then pledged to help.

Falena seems to have a different attitude toward the Rose Brooch altogether. In Falena, seemingly anyone may wear a Rose Brooch, or the extra-rare White Rose Brooch, without having any remotely Narcissistic tendencies at all.

The Red Rose Rune

A few of those who bear the coveted title of the Narcissist also share a common Rune, this is the infamous Red Rose Rune, which allows it's user to make a flashy attack on their enemies. This is done at the expense of making their "more common" companions unfriendly, perhaps by acting in a manner akin to a diva, through use of spotlights and posing for the camera. It is unknown how one achieves this Rune, but Augustine, Reinbach III and Yuma Valya have all used one.

Narcissist Attack

A co-op attack found when two Narcissist characters are placed in the same party, to date there have been three iterations of it: "Milich / Vincent", "Simone / Vincent", and "Reinbach III / Charlemagne". It is a very flashy attack, similar to that of the Red Rose Rune, and on some occasions, induces the same unfriendliness among fellow party members. Lots of roses, everywhere, so many in fact that a special item called the Rose Bouquet can be equipped as an accessory in Suikoden II to strengthen the Vincent / Simone unite.

Narcissists throughout the series

Milich Oppenheimer and Esmeralda enjoy the flowers.