The Children of Hess are, in essence, La Résistance in Paladia, fighting against the Aldoran dictatorship for the last seven centuries in Yuraisha and the Eight Sages' name. By the time Season 2 rolls, the organisation is in a ragtag state, as the Emperor has hunted down most of the cells and spared no quarter. This is a reason why their main base is holed up inside the northern mountains of Georl. Once the Sworn Eight and Lasswell's party comes to Paladia searching for Rain, their leader Milo decides to seek them as an asset to turn the tides of their war.
For information on other characters, click here.
Tropes associated with all of them:
- Cool Airship: The Yuraisha, which Lasswell's party gains free access to from the Operations Map arc on.
- La Résistance: They're the last line keeping the people of Hess from being totally hunted down to death.
Milo
The leader of the Children of Hess. An extreme pragmatist who thinks little of the collateral damage he causes with his organisation as long as Aldore takes the number as well. His extreme prejudice against Aldore, however, makes him no better than the Emperor himself, something Rain, Lasswell and Raegen take a quick note on.- Cold-Blooded Torture: Milo knows where to make it hurt. This is something he learned with the Aldoran army, having had to use it on his own compatriots.
- Hidden Depths: This man willing to wage a full-scale war is the same man that, given a chance, takes his time to write a comic book. Yes. He's the "Miles L. Maul" one who created "Fundamental Forces" and, by extension, Elena and Yoshikiri.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: If Lasswell tells him to shut up and follow his lead, he'll do so as this is an order from his king.
- The Mole: Milo reveals to Rain that he once worked as this inside the Aldoran army, even having to torture and kill his own men to keep his cover.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Rain sees him as not any different from the Aldore Empire. With good reason, considering the Destruction of Sacher was triggered by Hess insurgents. Milo is also not above using the same Weapon Monster the Emperor wants to destroy Paladia with to nuke Aldore down, which is an idea Lasswell completely objects to.
- Undying Loyalty: To Yuraisha, which also causes him to devote this same loyalty to her grandson, Lasswell.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: What he comes off as, being the leader of La Résistance and desperately fighting to end his people's slavery to Aldore. Milo however goes almost to The Unfettered levels, being willing to nuke Aldoran cities if this is what it takes to win his war.
Duke
A Dragoon who is the chief of Dragon's Village in Georl. He trained since childhood to become a Dragoon and live up to the legacy of his ancestors. Along with his friends, Charie, Mystea and Olif, he watches over a dragon sealed near the Dragon's Village, and as the village chief, he uses it as a checkpoint for the Children of Hess by Aldore's backs.
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: He's an experienced Dragoon who leads the people in Dragon's Village.
- Hero of Another Story: Duke's Story Event covers what Duke actually does outside of being the village chief, having a party of his own.
- An Ice Person: Duke mainly uses Ice as his element.
Olif
Duke's right hand in Dragon's Village. A Green Mage and the village's priest, he's often seen handing advice to Duke, being the oldest member of his party.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Olif is stated to be hard to stop should he ever get angry.
- Right Hand Man: He's almost always by Duke's side, providing both support in battle and advice for his leadership.
Mystea
A Barrier Mage who works with Duke's party in Dragon's Village. Descendant of a long line of members of her class, she uses her abilities to aid Duke in battle.
- Deadpan Snarker: She likes cracking jokes at Duke's expense.
- Dub Name Change: From "Mistair" to "Mystea".
- Like Brother and Sister: Mystea and Duke's dynamic.
- Stone Wall: She was one of the most proficient mage tanks before the 7* era kicked in full force.
Charie
A Dancer who is a childhood friend of Duke's, and also his Love Interest.
Domino
Shatal's superior, born to a rich family from Aldore. She enlisted in the army in order to appease her family's wishes, but eventually became disillusioned with the state of The Empire, which led her to ally herself with Milo and the Children of Hess as an undercover agent to spy on Aldore. She's taken to Shatal, a joking soldier who she usually lets roam around unpunished.
Shatal
A wishy-washy easy going jokester of a soldier of Aldore who only became a soldier because he assumed the job was going to be easy but has a bad habit of going easy on his enemies, who he frequently lets escape. When Hyoh allows him to live while ensuring Domino survives his hunt for her, Shatal joins the Children of Hess and becomes an important asset for Milo.
- Draw Aggro: Capable of drawing all single-target blows towards himself with Standout.
- Neutral No Longer: Comes to realize that he more or less tried to avoid taking any sort of stand, despite being part of Aldore's army, late into "The Color of Heartlessness". Seeing the way Domino was being hunted by Hyoh compelled him into finally making a choice to side with her.
- Spell My Name With An S: In a more literal example, some of Domino's dialogue later into "The Color Of Heartlessness" spells his name with a C
. Because this dialogue is spoken, it can only be assumed that this is a translation error. - Stone Wall: A magic-focused version; most of his kit (as well as his Trust Master Reward) is focused around mitigating magic damage and protecting an ally.
- Taking the Bullet: Capable of covering for a single ally; he's one of the most durable single-target tanks in the game.
Franis
One of a duo of Children of Hess soldiers who present themselves to Raegen's party in Crystalis.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: He and Ishil are basically introduced to die at Zolulu and Delulu's hands.
Ishil
One of a duo of Children of Hess soldiers who present themselves to Raegen's party in Crystalis.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: He and Franis are basically introduced to die at Zolulu and Delulu's hands.
Mombert
An older man who leads four children he calls the Sages of Hess, who joins up with Raegen's squad in Season 2 in the hopes of being able to take down the Emperor of Aldore together during the Visectrum arc. As a child assassin, he attempted to assassinate Emperor Quadis and failed, watching his own four partners (who were just as young as he was) die in the process; he spent the following decades mastering Visionary Magic and made Visions out of his friends so that he can enact a new, dangerous plan to depower Quadis to the point where he can be killed.- All for Nothing: Mombert eventually reveals just how hollow he felt his life is, devoting it all to just one thing - taking down the Emperor's paling so that he could be assassinated. While the visions of the Four Sages succeed, the Emperor's power is so overwhelming that Mombert can't even touch him, and even Raegen's follow-up attacks end up bouncing harmlessly off of his hand.
- Harmful to Minors: His plan to disrupt the paling that makes the Emperor Nigh-Invulnerable involves setting up a ritual that requires the sacrifice of the Four Sages. Subverted in that the Four Sages are visions based on Mombert's original friends, who were killed before they could attempt to bring down the Emperor.
- I Did What I Had to Do and I've Come Too Far: After Sieghard gives him a What the Hell, Hero? speech for his Harmful to Minors plan, Mombert responds with these justifications, all while admitting that it doesn't forgive his actions.
- Light 'em Up: When he fights after the confrontation with Sieghard above, his main offense are holy-elemental spells.
- Summon Magic: The Four Sages are just visions that Mombert summoned to accomplish what they failed to do in Mombert's youth. He's a bit more comfortable sacrificing them because the originals are sadly long since dead.
- Tyke-Bomb: The Four Sages that Mombert leads are all preteen and wielding immense strength to take down the Emperor. Mombert reveals that they were his friends when he was their age, and that they all were raised specifically to assassinate the Emperor. He was the sole survivor and summoned the others as visions when he felt he could finish the task.
Kyanos
A stalwart Child of Hess who worked for Milo. She ended up stranded in the town of Sacher when she met Rain, recently stranded on the planet. Her death at the hands of riotous citizens in Sacher is part of the catalyst for Rain's Face–Heel Turn into Hyoh.
Crimson
A former comrade-in-arms of Raegen who undertook the operation for an immortal heart and spent the following centuries helping the Children of Hess resist the Aldoran rule. He eventually set up camp in the town of Sacher, who came to see him as its protector, and meets Rain, Raegen's son, by complete chance. He desired to meet Raegen once again before he died; he ultimately ends up dying in the riot leading to the Destruction of Sacher.
- BFS: His sword Centurio qualifies as this.
- Playing with Fire: His main element, evidenced also in his STMR being Fire-elemental.
Elmaul
A scholar who works with the Children of Hess, and the founder of the Elmaul Archives in Crystalis, who became disused when Aldore force-closed the library. He was taken prisoner by Aldore; late into the season Milo gives Lasswell the mission to rescue him, which proves to be valuable for the coming turn of events.- Character Death: The true plot of Season 3 kicks off when Physalis' team finds him dead in the Magic Library, courtesy of Spada, a Hollow Keeper.
- Mr. Exposition: He does a good job at explaining to Lasswell and Raegen about various things, mainly how the Tear of Provenance truly works.
- Even in death this guy manages to give exposition to Physalis' party by holding onto a book that describes the Hollow.
