Astrid

Relationships to the rest of the cast:

Hero: has a minor crush on him

Erik: tolerates him, but due to being a former knight, isn’t fond of him

Serena: believes she is very sweet and wonders how on earth she is related to Veronica 

Veronica: Astrid is often picked on by her

Sylvando: looks up to him and has a huge crush on him. They get along very well and always have the other’s back 

Rab: Astrid is creeped out by him

Jade: Astrid thinks she’s really cool

Hendrik: formerly served under him, they tend to have a very professional relationship, however Astrid will often ask him to tell her stories about when he was trained by Don Rodrigo. Hendrik sees Astrid as like his daughter.

Personality: rather cautious and socially awkward. She will often hide behind her large shield (or anything nearby if her shield isn’t available) as a way to feel safe. Astrid is a very loyal friend and takes even more precautions to keep them safe. She’s a bit of a hopeless romantic and rather easily falls for people who remind her of some mysterious old friend named Fynn. She loves her shield more than anything and would hate to be without it for any reason. With her shield, she is quite confident and prides herself in her ability to use it.

Backstory: Astrid was born in Lonalulu, however her parents are from another place. She had two childhood friends, Fynn and Kai. When she was about 10, Fynn was kidnapped by pirates, never to be heard from again. Over time, people spoke less and less about her friend, which caused Astrid to realize that she will one day be forgotten and everything she does will be for nothing. This frightened her and when she finally came of age, she left her home and headed to Costa Valor after having heard of someone being there who could train her to be a knight, a way she could snag herself a place in history if she worked hard enough. After being turned away 10 times, Don Rodrigo finally agreed to train her. She excelled greatly in using shields and while she barely got through the training, Don Rodrigo was impressed by her determination and offered to land her a spot as a knight of Heliodor. She accepted and later on realized that she wasn’t happy like this, so she quit and became a mercenary as fighting was her biggest skill. This was something she learned to love. Then one day her shield was taken by monsters...

How she joins the team: she is discovered at a campsite near where you fight the sandslayer. Upon interacting with her, you will learn that she was just a mercenary who had her special shield stolen from her last night due to thieves. She asks if you’ll help her find her shield, earlier on, you would have found a shield, having been guarded by a group of bandits. After returning it, she’ll offer her services for free out of gratitude just for the sandslayer boss fight. Later she will be encountered in Costa Valor after the tournament arc. After hearing that the party will be going out to sea, she’ll offer to come with them once again if they’ll make a stop by her hometown of Lonalulu. After helping out Michelle and Kai, she’ll join the party permanently.

After Yggdrasil falls: Astrid is discovered an old lady outside of Hotto who takes her in and nursed her back to health. In exchange, Astrid uses her abilities to protect the place. When Sylvando comes to town, she decides to join him and his soldiers of smile, making her the only female member of the band. Once, while sailing, the group is attacked by pirates and Sylvando is kidnapped. This forces Astrid to lead the rest of the band to go to his rescue. It’s then revealed that the leader of this band of pirates is her long lost childhood friend Fynn, who she is forced to fight. After the fight, Fynn recognizes Astrid’s newfound strength and decides to return Sylvando. In exchange, he asks to braid her hair one last time, like he used to when they were kids. Astrid agrees and decides to keep her hair in a braid. The two part ways with Fynn agreeing to stop attacking innocent ships. Sylvando being impressed by how Astrid led the rest of the soldiers of smile into battle decides to make her an official member rather than just their bodyguard and takes her as an apprentice in the art of performing.

Marrying Astrid:

When you get to the top of the Tor, she mentions her time as a soldier of Heliodor. She mentions how it was constantly spoken about how the existence of the Luminary brought about Mordegon. Then she says that while she does agree that light and darkness are two sides of the same coin, she doesn’t believe that the existence of the luminary is what brought about Mordegon. She believes it’s the other way around. After all, light has to keep the darkness at bay. She says that while there will always be evil in the world, there will also always be good. One can’t exist without the other. She’ll then apologize for her rambling and thanks the protagonist for listening before nervously asking if they can hold hands and watch the sunset for a bit.

Skill tree:

Tower shield

Blockenspiel

Resilience when wielding +5

Defending champion 

Immense defense

Attack when wielding +7

Magic mirror

Critical hit chance +4%

Holy impregnable 

Back atcha

Pep chance +3%

Sword

Flame slash

Attack when wielding +3

Critical hit when wielding +2%

Sword stance 

Metal slash

Attack when wielding +6

Dragon slash

Miracle slash

Gigaslash

Pep chance +5%

Courage

Whipping boy

Natural strength +10

Whistle

Natural resilience +20

Body slam

Natural strength +30

Morale masher

Natural resilience +40

Attack attacker 

Auto counter

Virtue

Pincushion

Natural resilience +10

H-Pathy

Natural magical mending +30

M-Pathy

Natural resilience +20

Selflessness

Natural resilience +20

Forbearance 

Maximum HP +80

Solar flair

Axe (unlocked after her side story)

Helm Splitter

Attack +10

Hatchet Man

Dual Wielding

Critical hit when using axes +3%

Attack +15

Parallax

Axes of Evil

Executioner 

Attack +25

Whopper Chopper

Skills learned through story

Charm +10

Spell list

Buff

Kabuff

Magic barrier

Reheal

Remidheal

Remoreheal

Kerplunk

Kamakaze

Starting level: 25

Starting equipment:

Weapon: Astrid’s tower shield

Head: iron head gear

Armor: chain mail

Accessory 1: friendship necklace 

Held items: Steel sword, bronze shield

Starting stats:

Hp: 256

Mp: 95

Strength: 70

Resilience: 65

Agility: 40

Deftness: 39

Magical Might: 0

Magic Mending: 50

Charm: 30

Final stats:

Hp: 950

MP: 210

Strength: 350

Agility: 150

Resilience: 400

Magical might: 0

Magical mending: 310

Deftness: 120

Charm: 350

Pep powers:

Hit parade (Sylvando, hero)

Final lesson (Hendrik, Sylvando)

Royal guard (Hendrik)

(Sylvando)

Defending heroes (Hero)

Immovable object (Serena)

Slots (Jade, hero)

Costumes:

The Heliodor Knight

The Parade Participant 

The Medal Maniac

The Mega Medal Maniac

The Rugged Paladin

The Pure of Heart

The Child by the Sea

QNA:

Q: How did you feel when you found out that Erik and the Luminary stole the red orb?

A: I was appalled at first... however when I realized they had no other options, I... begrudgingly accepted their choice.

Q: What’s your relationship with Hendrik?

A: I worked under him. So because of this, I have a deep respect for him. However I doubt he respects me... after all, I did defect. Wait, he‘s not mad at me? Just... worried for me?

Q: so... Sylvando eh?

A: he.... um.... he’s a dear friend who has done a lot for me, and has helped me boost my confidence a lot... What do you mean “is that all?” What do you mean my face is all red!? I’m serious!

Q: What was your training like?

A: It was... painful to say the least. I was worked to the bone pretty much daily. But it molded me into the person I am today and I‘d say that I’m pretty resilient!

Quotes:

”Hello...? Is there anyone out there?” -when first approached, hiding behind the goddess statue at a campsite

“Travelers!? I’m saved! Oh uh... sorry... I’m Astrid. I’m a traveling mercenary, however my weapon was taken by some monsters. It’s a really big shield. You don’t have to... but I would greatly appreciate it if you were to get it back for me. I’d also be willing to offer my services for a period free of charge!” -upon choosing to interact with

”You found my shield already? That’s amazing! I truly am grateful for your assistance. What do you need my help with? It would hurt my conscious if I were to not do something to reward you and well... I live paycheck to paycheck so I can’t pay you.” -Upon returning shield 

“The Sandslayer? So you want help fighting that thing? Alright! I‘ll assist you. Just lead the way!” -when conversing with with camp set up before challenging the sandslayer