Template:Ascension Wiki:Character Template Aida (full name : Aida Ethelind Fairbairn) the main protagonist of the first three chapters of the Visual Novel Series Ascension. She is known to be a half Noble and is infamous for her foul language, even as far as being told that she swears like a "dwarven sailor".
Appearance
Aida has the silver hair that is characteristic of all nobles, which she usually wears long. Unlike other nobles, her eyes are lime green rather than red due to her half-human status, and the fact she was depowered. However, for most of Chapter 3, when put under emotional stress, one eye colour changes to red, indicating that her Noble heritage has shown.
She also has a long diagonal scar on her stomach, after being stabbed by a Noble (before the events of Chapter 1). Her appearance often causes a lot of unwanted attention, as the majority of people are afraid of nobles and prefer to keep a safe distance from them.
Chapter 1
Aida's appearance and hairstyles change depending on what personality option is the highest for her. If her "goodwill" meter is the highest, light blue and white tattoos appear on her face. If her "cunning" meter is the highest, multiple piercings will appear on her face and ears; red nail polish, golden jewelry and wavy hair may also appear depending on your "cunning" level. If her "rage" meter is the highest, scars and tattoos will appear on her face and arm, respectively. Her hair will suddenly be in a ponytail and her nail-polish shall be black. Otherwise, her hair remains relatively straight. She initially wears a cream blouse with brown straps and a brown glove on her left arm with black trousers. When Aida arrives in Northcliff, the player has the option to buy a new outfit from the four that are offered at Anissa's Dresses.
Chapter 2
At the beginning of Chapter 2, the player is able to customize Aida's hairstyle as well as give her any tattoos. There are nine options for Aida's hairstyle on the top, and ten options for the style in back, generating 90 combined options. Her default hairstyle is a simple long braid. Aida has four options for tattoo patterns, including an Eagles tattoo on her chest. The starting outfit that Aida wears is a green tube top with brown halter straps and an orange wrap that she wears as a skirt. There is a pair of "Island Earrings" that can be found in the sand on the main beach of Sundrop Island. A ragged swimsuit in cream and brown is found in Sundrop Island's Winged Coast. Later, on The Savage Princess, talking to the sailor and giving him bread and salmon will get the Sailor's Earrings as a reward. When the captain sends you down to the crew quarters, the Smuggler's Earrings can be found next to some barrels. Later, in Ildis, Aida receives Ildisian robes in purple, blue and black from Tillie, and if she visits the jewelry store will be given pearl earrings. After that, the player can buy her one of two outfits that are similar to the ones from Anissa's Dresses in Chapter 1. When Aida's group returns to The Savage Princess, another outfit can be found in the cabin as a gift from Captain Nina.
Chapter 3
Personality
Aida is notably snarky and sarcastic, with a bit of a temper, but is ultimately a brave and goodhearted young woman, who is loyal to and protective of her friends. Aida is quite witty and is noted for having a "smart mouth". Aida has good survival instincts, but can sometimes behave impulsively and is a bit of rebel. Aida is not afraid to speak her mind and has no trouble standing up for herself. In spite of her often brusque manner and tough talk, Aida does have a softer side , which usually comes out around her friends or those she feels protective of. Also, although she can seem carefree and even selfish, Aida does actually take the fate of Arunia and the safety of innocents seriously, as she reveals to Faelern. It's implied that she uses humour to try and make light of potentially dark situations and keep herself positive, considering the terrible tragedies she's suffered over her young life. Aida reveals in Chapter 2 that prior to being depowered, she never really felt emotion, like most pureblood nobles, and that upon feeling for the first time, she initially found it incredibly overwhelming. She indicates she still feels afraid or insecure some of the time, and covers it up with bravado.
Although Aida apparently has no problem stealing or using violence or threats to resolve situations, she does have a sense of morality and will call out actions she sees as being cruel or unjust. She also only tends to be violent towards people who are threatening her, the people she cares about or innocents. Because the player can choose some of Aida's dialogue and responses to situations, her personality can vary somewhat. If her highest trait is goodwill, Aida is more friendly and open. If Aida's highest trait is rage, she is more aggressive and rude. If cunning is the highest trait, Aida is more sly and passive-aggressive. Aida is noted for her tendency for using profanity; she has been stated to swear like "a dwarven sailor", although she curbs this habit when she is around Seena. Her easy-going and compassionate nature also endear her to many people and allow her to make friends easily.
History
SPOILERS
Aida is the half Noble, half human daughter of King Adrian Fairbairn and Queen Kathleen. Her father died when she was an infant and her mother sent her away to prevent her from being killed.She was raised by a maid loyal to her mother, who she was lead to believe was her grandmother, never knowing she was the princess of the land or that she had a twin brother, Kael. Aida initially showed few emotions, like most Nobles, but she began to develop a more emotions as she grew older. Aida's 'grandmother' kept her hidden from the Nobles, telling her the day she met a real Noble, she would die.
Unfortunately, six years before the events of Ascension, Aida and her guardian were eventually tracked down by a Noble (who unbeknownst to Aida, was her brother Kael). He killed Aida's 'grandmother' and then stabbed Aida through the stomach and stole her power. Her body was then dumped in the woods, so that people would assume she was a victim of bandits. Aida nearly died from her injuries, but fortunately, she was found by an alchemist, Tahn, and his daughter Sky, an aspiring thief. Tahn was able to heal Aida though she was left with a permanent scar, and let Aida live with him and his daughter at Tahn's camp.
Aida chose not to tell Tahn and Sky about her past, finding it too painful and traumatic (and potentially risky, should the nobles discover she was still alive). Despite this, she became best friends with Sky and saw the camp as a surrogate family. Along with Sky, Aida became a skilled thief.
Story
Chapter 1
Temple of Ionmarsh
Aida is still living with Sky and her father at Tahn's camp. At the beginning of the chapter, Aida and Sky start a brawl at the local tavern to steal the patrons' gold, before heading back to the camp. Tahn chides Aida for potentially endangering his daughter, though Aida assures him she would never deliberately bring Sky to harm. In the tent she shares with Sky and Tahn, Aida finds her friend reading through her late mother's journals, trying to find out why her mother was killed. When Sky reveals her mother mentioning an old temple, potentially containing a map to the Old Kingdom, in Ionmarsh, she asks Aida to accompany her there the next day and Aida agrees. Early the next morning, Aida and Sky sneak out of the camp to head to Ionmarsh. Upon entering the temple ruins, they keep finding a strange, black liquid on the ground and eventually reach a dead-end room with a statue of a ancient queen, with a red jewel embedded in the statue's forehead. Whilst trying to find a hidden passageway, Aida removes the jewel from the statue, briefly causing Aida to glow with a white light and float. The statue activates a hidden doorway. Aida and Sky are both shocked by the magical affect on Aida. They cautiously continue down the secret passage, which results in another dead end. At Sky's insistence, Aida looks for another hidden door and touches some of the black liquid. Aida passes out and has a nightmare about the day the Nobles came to her home and killed her grandmother, and attempted to kill her too. Aida eventually regains consciousness and finds Sky and two strangers, a dwarf and moon elf, hovering over her. It turned out that the liquid Aida touched was actually a creature called an incubus and she was saved thanks to the dwarf, Tillie, and the elf, Zander.
Tillie reveals they're actually standing on the map, which is carved into the floor and that they're looking for the same thing, an entrance to the Old Kingdom. Tillie and Sky think they should work together, much to the chagrin of Aida and Zander. Aida reluctantly agrees and the group decides to head back to the camp to retrieve Sky's mother's journals. During the trip back, Aida grows closer to Zander, who reveals his tragic past and the difficulties of being a moon elf and a mage to her, and she can initiate a romantic relationship with him. Upon growing closer to the camp, Aida senses something is wrong and is horrified to find everyone in the camp, including Sky's father, has been murdered. Sky's mother's journals have also been stolen. Aida vows vengeance and Tillie reveals that she believes the Eagles are responsible and were after the journals. Sky is determined to retrieve her mother's journals and Aida agrees to accompany her to Northcliff to infiltrate the Eagles. Tillie and Zander go with them.
Northcliff
In Northcliff, Aida goes to a tailors to purchase a cape and hide her white hair, due to her appearance being very noticeable. Her friends wait for her at the Fragile Falcon Inn. The seamstress tells Aida she sold the last cape to a moon elf, so Aida goes to the Wandering Tree Inn to find him. She can also ask for information on the Eagles, which will result in her being slipped a note 'from a friend' warning her to stop asking about them. In the Inn, Aida meets Jace, who lies to the innkeeper that Aida is his pregnant wife in an attempt to avoid getting kicked out. Aida can either humour him and go along with the ruse, or flat out refuse to go along with it. Either way, Jace will leave. Aida can ask around about the moon elf with the cape and can meet a Lith girl, who tells her a bit about her race and the Ileth, exiled Lith. Aida eventually locates the moon elf in the corner of the Inn and must persuade him to let her borrow the cape. To Aida's surprise, the elf gives her the cape without argument, saying she will need it more and also reveals he knows her name. However, he leaves, stating he hopes they'll meet again, before Aida can get any answers. Aida can also help resolve a family feud between a blacksmith and his daughter (the seamstress) to obtain two daggers.
As Aida heads to the Fragile Falcon to meet with her friends, she encounters Jace again. The two are then attacked by three thugs working for the eagles. Working together, the pair are able to fight off the thugs. Tillie, Zander and Sky come running after hearing the commotion, where Tillie reveals Jace is a former Knight. in the Fragile Falcon, Jace explains how the Knight Order was betrayed and massacred by the Eagles. Tillie tells Aida that in order to infiltrate the Eagles, she'll have to do things such as stealing and starting fights to get noticed by their leader, Diego. Aida can also further pursue her romantic relationship with Zander here. She will also learn from Jace that his partner in the Knight Order, Cain, was killed during the massacre, which he is clearly still devastated and angry about. He flirts a lot with Aida and she can choose whether or not to reciprocate.
Infiltrating the Eagles
Aida explores more of Northcliff and inadvertently draws the attention of the Eagles by simply trying to help people. Whilst roaming the streets, she is knocked unconscious and kidnapped by the Eagles, who bring her to their hideout. Aida is introduced to Diego, who reveals he is interested in offering her a place amongst them (he also expresses interest in sleeping with her, though Aida promptly turns him down). However, Aida must first break into a house in Northcliff and steal documents for Diego, to prove her worth. Aida is escorted to the house and manages to steal the documents, which reveal that the Silver Order, the royal guard, are actually working with the Eagles and ordered the attack on the Knight Order. After leaving the house, Aida is confronted by Jace,who followed her, seeking revenge on the Eagles for the destruction of the Knights and the murder of Cain. He tries to forcibly take the document, causing Aida to reluctantly fight him. Jace overpowers Aida, knocks her unconscious and takes the documents. She is found by the Eagles and brought back to Diego, who is displeased that Aida failed him. Jace then arrives and reveals that Diego is actually Cain. It turns out that Diego only pretended to be Cain to infiltrate the Knight Order and betrayed them all, then used a hallucinogenic potion to trick Jace into believing he was dead. He also reveals he knew all along that Tillie and Zander were behind Aida's plan to sneak into the Eagles. Diego locks captures Jace and locks both him and Aida in a cell, intending to hand them over to the Silver Order.
Whilst they are locked up, Aida expresses her fury at Jace for knocking her out and ruining the plan. Fortunately, Zander and Tillie arrive and break them out, with Zander using his fire powers to burn down the hideout. Everyone escapes unharmed and meets with Sky outside Northcliff, but Diego took the journals with him and has fled. They are briefly met by "cape guy", who is revealed to be a friend of Tillie's named Airdan, who tells them Diego is hiding at a ruined castle at Crimson River. Jace will apologise to Aida for his actions, explaining he wanted revenge for the Knight's Order and was upset to learn of 'Cain's' betrayal. Although Aida acknowledges this, she still says it wasn't okay that Jace put them all in danger. Jace agrees and the pair's friendship is restored. If Aida had romanced Jace, she can confirm her feelings for him and they kiss. If Aida romanced Zander, he will express his concern that she could've been hurt and reveal his feelings for her; Aida can reciprocate his feelings and they kiss. Alternatively, Aida can turn down a romantic relationship with either man and remain friends with them. Also, if Aida had romanced both men, she will forced to choose between at this point, becoming friends with the other.
Date with destiny
Aida and her gang then head for Crimson River. Tillie, Zander, Sky and Jace hold off the guards whilst Aida goes to the tower to confront Diego. If Aida is in a romantic relationship at this point, she will share a quick kiss with her lover before leaving. At the top of the tower, Aida finds Diego, but the room suddenly begins shaking. Diego reveals they are standing before one of the gates to the Old Kingdom and that he has initiated the spell to unlock it, which can only be done by a Noble. Unfortunately, any nobles who try to open a gate will be killed in the process. Powerless, Aida is caught in a white light and begins to float, as her life energy is used to open the gate. Aida's team is forced to flee the castle as it collapses, leaving Aida trapped inside. Aida's friends believe she was killed either by falling rubble or when the gate opened, but Aida is actually revealed to alive, though injured, and is found by a sun elf named Faelern.
Chapter 2
Sundrop Island
It is revealed that, after being rescued by Faelern, Aida was taken to Sundrop Island to recover. Fearing that Diego and the Eagles may target her friends if they found out she survived, Aida has been living on Sundrop Island for the past year, intending to let everyone back in Valond believe her to be dead to protect them. Faelern refers to her as 'solyn', meaning 'key', much to her annoyance. Aida suffers from vivid nightmares and seeks out the island's alchemist, Ava, for a sleeping potion. Whilst collecting the ingredients for the potion in the forest, Aida encounters an old man named Malvin, who upon learning that Aida opened one of the gates to the Old Kingdom (which he has researched for much of his life), becomes gravely concerned. Malvin, Aida and Faelern meet with Ava, where Malvin reveals that, according to legend, once the first gate has been opened, the other gates will gradually open as well, unleashing whatever destroyed the Old Kingdom onto Arunia. Aida is horrified to learn she may have inadvertently doomed everyone. Malvin tells her to go to Ildis to find out more information on how to stop whatever is lurking behind the gates; although Aida is initially reluctant, as the Eagles may spot her, Ava and Malvin insist she's the only one who could potentially stop the coming disaster. Ava orders Faelern to accompany Aida on her quest. Malvin also tells Aida to stop at the Lith village of Ratta in Taran, as its chief, Seeru, is an old friend of his who knows a great deal about the Old Kingdom, which could be helpful.
Reunion
Aida and Faelern depart Sundrop Island that night on the ship 'The Savage Princess'. Whilst aboard the ship, Aida becomes furious with Faelern's attitude towards her and snaps at him that despite what he thinks, she is still suffering from the pain of her past and the loss of her friends, and is deeply concerned for Arunia's safety. Once they reach Taran, Faelern apologises to Aida for thinking her shallow. Aida can express romantic interest in him. Once they reach the village of Ratta, the guard stops them entering, as one of the village is going through the Ileth trials. It is revealed that the Ileth is a ten year old child, Seena, Chief Seeru's daughter, who has been banished for slapping another child who called her father "weak". Aida hears a familiar voice protesting the ruling, which turns out to belong to Zander, who had come to Taran to teach Lith children. He is shocked to see Aida is alive. If Zander and Aida were in a relationship, he embraces her, then expresses anger at her for being "selfish" and hiding on Sundrop Island, letting everyone believe she was dead. If they were just friends, Zander is not as angry with Aida and remarks that he knew it would take more than a falling tower to kill her. Zander agrees to accompany Aida to Ildis, though says he must first deal with Seena. Aida is disgusted with the Ratta for throwing out a young child for such a small offence and lets them know exactly what she thinks of them. She does, however, avoid cursing in front of Seena, quickly becoming attached to the little Lith girl. It is decided that Zander will become Seena's guardian and she will accompany Aida's team to Ildis. Aida speaks with Seeru, who gives Aida his journals on the Old Kingdom to take to Ildis.
Quotes
"Vegetable thief... I'm a vegetable thief."