Character Timeline: Kratos Path

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THE MANA LINEAGE: The mana lineage was created by Mithos. It's true purpose is to breed people together who will create offspring with mana signatures close to that of his dead sister Martel. Mithos will then remove their soul from their body and place Martel's soul inside instead. A body with a mana signature close enough to Martel's to house her soul wasn't born until Zelos was six.

Oracles of the Church of Martel (main religion in canon) receive instructions from Mithos to pair the current most likely candidate of the mana lineage (known as the Chosen One) with a person whose genes will create an even more prospective candidate when mixed. When a candidate has a high chance of success they are sent on a "journey of regeneration" where they bring mana (the essence of all life) back to the world and "save" it from the brink of death (this is a convoluted con I have detailed more in the setting section).

At the beginning of this journey the Chosen equips a Cruxis Crystal, a rock that will separate their soul from their body (more specifics on Cruxis Crystals in the powers/abilities section). Cruxis Crystals work fastest when the host experiences suffering so the journey is purposely fraught with danger. When the Chosen reaches the end location of the journey they willingly (or not so willingly in some cases) give up their soul, allowing their body to become a vessel for Martel.

In Tethe'alla (Zelos's country) the Chosen doubles as a political office second in authority only to the royal family. It also functions as one of two heads of the Church of Martel (the Pope being the second head). Because of this power struggles between the royal family, the Pope and the Chosen are exceedingly common. The Chosen is often alienated and assassination attempts on their life are a regular occurrence. Due to the fact the Chosen is regarded as being half human, half angel and thus an abnormal creature it's often hard for Chosen to build up factions of support. With the Chosen billed as a "savior" by the church many people also expect the Chosen to handle all problems on their own without assistance.

Suffice to say it kind of sucks to be the Chosen.

♦Zelos is born to the current Chosen (his father) and an Oracle selected woman named Mylene. As their only issue he automatically becomes the heir to the title of Chosen.

♦Zelos's father openly takes back up with a former half-elf lover despite the shocking impropriety of the action. Mylene is humiliated and left to raise Zelos alone.

♦Colette is born in the world of Sylvarant. A Chosen with a mana signature extremely close to Martel's, Cruxis takes her existence extremely seriously. Seeing as Cruxis doesn't accept candidates for Martel's body until they're sixteen Colette is only watched over for now. Zelos and Colette know nothing of eachother's existence.

♦Zelos's father and his lover sire a child; this is Zelos's half-sister, Seles. Seles is deemed the next in line for the title of Chosen after Zelos.

♦Seles becomes the most important thing in Zelos's life being the only person who will treat him as a human being and shower him with love. He returns her feelings and they become incredibly close.

♦Zelos's father dies. Zelos becomes the current Chosen. Seles and her mother are spurned by society and left to become not even so much as a hateful footnote in history without Zelos's father to protect them.

♦To secure a better life for Seles her mother attempts to assassinate Zelos. With Zelos gone Seles will become the Chosen thus ensuring all her needs are looked after by the state. Mylene is accidentally caught in the crossfire and dies in Zelos's place. With her last breath she informs Zelos she wished he'd never been born.

♦Seles is placed under house arrest in an abbey on an island far from society as an accessory to Mylene's murder (despite only being five at the time). Her mother is executed without trial due to her half-elf status. Zelos is left to live alone in the family mansion with only servants for company. Specifically his butler, Sebastian, takes over his care.

♦Zelos learns to navigate the poisonous politics of Tethe'alla managing to hold his own in a three-way power struggle between himself, the Pope and the King. There are numerous assassination attempts on his life over the years, but none are successful. During this time Zelos tacitly supports the Pope's discriminatory laws against half-elves as an outlet for his hatred of Seles's half-elven mother for murdering his own mother. To protect Seles from the machinations of his political opponents he pretends to detest her, much to her hurt and confusion. Their hate for one another becomes renowned.

♦Zelos meets Sheena Fujibayashi of the village of Mizuho, a clan of ninjas who work for the King to avoid state mandated genocide. She surprisingly treats him like a human being despite his status and lineage. Because of this and her noble nature (hidden far down under all the tsundere) Zelos forms a genuine fondness for her. To protect her from his political opponents he plays his feelings for her off as a joke, much to her exasperation.

♦Zelos puts off his marriage to his Oracle ordained fiance having no wish to continue the mana lineage or live a loveless marriage like his parents.

♦Yuan, an angel of Cruxis and secret leader of the Renegades (an organization that opposes Cruxis), contacts the government. For many years the Renegades and the Tethe'allan government have had hidden agreements; in return for help with their various plans the Renegades provide Tethe'alla with lost technology. Through the Renegades the Tethe'allan government has long since been informed about the two worlds system (detailed in setting) and that Tethe'alla's continued prosperity depends on Sylvarant's decline. Zelos is brought in on the secret and given aionis; when ingested this rock grants humans the ability to use magic.

♦The King falls sick and declines in health over a long period of time. Zelos suspects the Pope of foul play in this case, but struggles to find the evidence to support his suspicions.

♦Lloyd, Raine, Genis and a soulless Colette arrive from Sylvarant, the "other world". Colette is the Chosen of Sylvarant and has nearly finished reversing the flow of mana between worlds (detailed in setting) meaning Sylvarant will begin to flourish while Tethe'alla will decline. It's the groups' wish to recall Colette's soul to her body and they hope that Tethe'alla might hold a means to help them.

─Zelos is contacted by Pronyma, a high ranking member of Cruxis, at this time. In return for spying on Lloyd's group and reporting to Cruxis, Cruxis will grant Zelos a boon. Zelos asks for the title of Chosen to be transferred from himself to his younger sister Seles (normally the only way to lose the title of Chosen is to die).
─The King and the Pope agree it'd be better for Tethe'alla if Colette were to die before she can complete her journey of regeneration. Zelos intervenes at the last moment to stop Colette's murder arguing that as long as Colette doesn't return to Sylvarant she can't complete the journey. The Pope is displeased, but agrees and releases the group into Zelos's custody. Zelos is now responsible for anything they might do in Tethe'alla meaning he will share whatever punishment they might happen to incur upon themselves.
─Zelos joins the group and gives them a place to start their investigation into curing Colette.

♦Zelos is approached by Yuan to function as a spy amongst Lloyd's group for the Renegades. Zelos agrees, hedging his bets in the event the Renegades might just overthrow Cruxis.

♦Zelos is approached by Kratos, a member of Cruxis working for his own ends (he happens to be Lloyd's father and wants to do right by his son). He, also, asks Zelos to spy on Lloyd's group and to assist the group in whatever way possible while colluding with Kratos. Zelos is feeling pretty popular and agrees in an effort to hedge his bets even further. He is now working for five different parties (the Tethe'allan government, Cruxis, the Renegades, Kratos and Lloyd's group).

♦Lloyd's group wheedles Zelos into agreeing to allow them to go back to Sylvarant (something he promised the Pope and the King he would prevent). Spies sent by the Pope overhear and Zelos is branded a traitor.

♦Colette's soul is successfully reinstated in her body. Zelos continues to play Cruxis, the Renegades, Kratos and Lloyd's group against one another. With Colette's restoration Lloyd's group decides to look for a way to save both worlds and Zelos agrees to continue tagging along (mainly to continue spying on them).

♦Mithos decides to investigate Lloyd's group personally and joins the group. He masquerades as a young half-elven orphan. Zelos is disgusted how easily the group is taken in by Mithos's display while they continue to distrust Zelos (who has risked his position, his life and is currently branded a traitor to be killed on sight throughout Tethe'alla for them). He cooperates with Mithos and continues to play all sides against one another in secret.

♦Lloyd's group decides to recombine Tethe'alla and Sylvarant into one world. To this end they begin destroying the system that allows mana to flow back and forth between worlds on the Tethe'alla side while seeking a way back to Sylvarant.

♦The church's army catches up with Lloyd's group due to a traitor (someone not Zelos amazingly). To prevent their deaths Zelos leads everyone through a portal to Sylvarant without knowing where they will end up (this is one of Zelos's most uncalculated moves in the game and a betrayal of his feelings for Sheena as he does it for her sake).

♦Rodyle, a member of Cruxis, betrays the organization and begins preparing to fire a mana cannon. Said cannon holds the power to easily destroy the world. Lloyd's group teams up with the Renegades (and some unintended help from Cruxis) to successfully put him down.

♦Lloyd's group destroys the mana system on the Sylvarant side. Rather than recombining the two worlds a giant tree grows and begins to devour Sylvarant. Lloyd's group teams up with the Renegades and Kratos to put it out of commission. In the process it's revealed Colette has had an one-in-a-million negative reaction to her Cruxis Crystal and without a cure her body will be devoured by it.

♦With details from Kratos and instructions from Cruxis, Zelos directs Lloyd's group in securing the recipe for Colette's cure.

─In the process Lloyd's group and Zelos expose the Pope as the source of the King's mysterious illness. For some time now the Pope has been poisoning him, slowly increasing the dosages to make it look like a natural death. It's the Pope's hope to become King once the current King dies.
─The Pope is routed and Zelos's status as a traitor is lifted.
─Lloyd acknowledges Zelos as actually being good at his job as Chosen, the first time anyone has said this to Zelos. His secret betrayals of the group begin to weigh heavy on his heart.

♦After much running around and dungeon crawling Lloyd's group secures all, but one final piece for Colette's cure.

♦The Pope kidnaps Princess Hilda in a bid for kingship and revenge.
─For her release the Pope agrees to trade the Princess for Zelos. In actuality he plans to trade his half-elven daughter dressed up as the Princess and kill both the Princess and Zelos.
─The Pope's daughter is poisoned when she tries to warn Zelos of her father's deception.
─Lloyd and Zelos track down the Pope, capture him and rescue the Princess.
─Seeing the abuse the Pope has put his own half-elven daughter through with the half-elf laws Zelos agreed to pass, Zelos realizes the destruction he's let his own anger cause. He lets go of the hatred of half-elves he's been using to cope with his mother's death all these years. Inwardly he promises to repeal the inhumane laws he helped bring into being in the first place.

♦Lloyd's group sets out to retrieve the last piece for Colette's cure from Cruxis's base.

─On Mithos's orders Zelos brings the group there knowing it will be a trap.
─It's at this point Zelos retrieves his Cruxis Crystal and becomes an angel on Mithos's orders.
─At the same time Zelos works out a plan with Kratos to free Lloyd's group when they're (inevitably) captured.
─Gaining the final ingredient they return to Tethe'alla and heal Colette.

♦On orders from Yuan, Zelos drugs everyone into a deep sleep with the exception of Lloyd. He doesn't inform Yuan that Mithos is currently with Lloyd's group. Nor does he inform Kratos that Yuan plans to capture him and use him as collateral against Lloyd. Essentially Zelos betrays every single person he's allied with simultaneously (it's kind of impressive). This, obviously, goes badly for all involved (except Zelos technically, but he feels bad for what happens to Lloyd).

─Lloyd discovers Kratos, who he believes to be his sworn enemy, is his father. Cue a mini breakdown.
─Mithos finds out it's been Yuan leading the Renegades all this time. Mithos literally kicks the shit out of Yuan while laughing maniacally.
─Kratos comes under (further) suspicion from Mithos as not being entirely on Mithos's side. Kratos's opportunities to act without drawing Mithos's heavy hand of retribution become incredibly limited.
─Yuan barely manages to crawl away with his life. The Renegades lose most of their advantages and become, for the most part, a non-player in the power struggle.
─Lloyd's group is surprised and hurt that Mithos turned out to be the leader of Cruxis, their ultimate enemy. (Except for Zelos who knew all along and Genis, who had his suspicions)
─Zelos comes under increased pressure from Mithos to show his true colors and bring Colette to Cruxis to become Martel's vessel. Unless he cooperates he can consider his sister's life (and his own) forfeit.

♦Lloyd decides to storm Cruxis's base and take Mithos down for good. Zelos convinces the group to bring Colette along (so he can hand her over to Mithos). At this point Zelos sets several plans into motion.

─Kratos fails to convince Zelos to betray Mithos. Zelos doesn't say what he will do, but it becomes ho to Kratos to ensure Lloyd's group's passage into Cruxis's base, retrieve the last item necessary to recombine the worlds and seriously join in the fight against Mithos.
─Zelos informs Cruxis that Lloyd's group will be coming with Colette included.
─Zelos informs the Renegades that Lloyd's group will be making an assault on Cruxis and could use some well-placed assistance.

♦Lloyd's group makes their move on Cruxis. With the assistance of Yuan they manage to evade the ambush set for them by Cruxis and make it into the ground floor. At this point Zelos betrays the group. In a show of alliance with Cruxis he hands Colette over to them and stays behind to fight Lloyd's group. Claiming all he wants is an easy life he turns his sword on his former friends, forcing them to fight him. As he lays dying from his wounds he admits his belief he never should have been born and asks them to destroy his Cruxis Crystal so he doesn't live on forever within it, slowly suffering it absorbing his consciousness piece by piece.