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Playable
Player character/"The New Builder"
Male voiced by: James Goins, Aldon Jacob and Ben Balmaceda
Female voiced by: Hannah Hellwig, Hayley Nelson, and Tamara Fritz
The protagonist of the game, although the name can be chosen by the player, the default names are Marco for the man and Linda for the woman. They lived in the city of Barnarock, prior to inheriting their father's workshop.
- Action Girl: Linda is a capable fighter, and for the later parts of the game, it's likely that the only female character who outclasses her is Mali.
- Age-Gap Romance: Although the player character does not have an explicit age, by dialogue and appearance is assumed that the playable character is a young adult, and even then the pc can have a romance with characters who are at least middle-aged such as Django.
- All-Loving Hero: Not only can the Builder show support and understanding towards Ack, but they can also agree to give their rival Higgins a hug.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Downplayed. Sort of. The name the player gives to them is used in written dialogue, but in spoken dialogue they are referred to as "The New Builder", at first. Once they become a more established member of the community, the citizens of Portia begins to more frequently refer to them as "Our Builder".
- Fourth-Date Marriage: Since you need 800 relationship points to marry, the Builder can potentially marry any single person in the first year. (With the exception of Ginger, even the best gifts only give 3 points)
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Linda is not very tall, so if she pursues a relationship with one of the tall bachelors like Arlo or Paulie, she will be shorter by a head.
- Nephewism: One of the few explicit details of the Builder's backstory is that their mother, Clara, died relatively early in their life, and as such they were mostly raised by their Aunt Kendra.
- Oblivious to Love: Depending on the dialogue options, the Builder does not realize that Dr. Xu is in love with them.
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Eventually the playable character ends up becoming this, being even stronger than Paulie, who is a muscular man over 6 feet 3 inches.
- Vague Age: The player character does not have an explicit age, although it is assumed that they are a young adult.
Bachelors
Aadit
Voiced by: Alejandro Saab
Aadit never talks about his past, but it seems he came to Portia as a refugee from the border area between the Empire of Duvos and Ethea - an area of constant conflict. After arriving at Portia, he found work at the Portia Tree Farm, working alongside Dawa. Aadit is softly spoken and keeps to himself.- Actual Pacifist: Unlike the other villagers in their physical prime, attempting to spar with him causes him to immediately forfeit and slightly lowers your Relationship Values.
- But Now I Must Go: After the quest "The Final Battle", after which, other NPCs propose two different (conflicting) theories that both have evidence to support them. The first is simply that, in line with well known character traits, he felt unsafe in town and left. The second theory being that he was The Rogue Knight the entire time and faking being a scared pacifist. If you married him before this, he leaves you a letter that simply says he still loves you but he must leave because of undisclosed reasons, and has left you a parting gift. His relationship on the social screen changes to BFFs (though they never appear in the game again), ending your romance and possibly opening the way for a new one.
- Left Hanging: It's never outright stated whether or not Aadit is the Rogue Knight.
- The Dog Was the Mastermind: However, various incidences seems to support the theory that Aadit was indeed the Rogue Knight. At data level, data mined from the game shows the Rogue Knight's data files all has Aadit's name, and the voice files are stored in the same folder as Aadit's. Additionally, at a game level, it's a little suspicious that Aadit's favorite items contains two swords, one of which is the Infinity -1 Sword of the game, which are strange choices given his supposedly pacifist nature. Plus, observant gamers has noticed that the gift left for the player after Aadit leaves has one clothing item that belongs to the Rogue Knight.
Albert
Voiced by: Ben Wilk
Albert came to Portia a few years ago when his friend Gust proposed setting up a construction business. As a partner in A&G Construction, Albert is always coming and going to projects all over Portia and the surrounding city-states. In his spare time, he likes to go on dates with ladies and look for love. Antoine
Voiced by: Jonathan David Bullock
A native of Portia, Antoine has always loved being pretty. He feels that even though the world is a difficult place, beauty still has its place. Antoine is also a hard worker, Presley often says that if Antoine didn't work at the Commerce Guild anymore, he wouldn't know what to do.Camp Gay: He cares very much about his appearance, sashays instead of walking, and has an unambiguous crush on Dr. Xu. The overall trope, however, is a bit Played With seeing how Everyone Is Bi.
Arlo
Voiced by: Joseph Beacham
Born in the countryside of Portia, Arlo has always had a sense of justice about him. From an early age, he earned a reputation as an excellent fighter and protector of the weak. When he joined the local Civil Corps, he quickly climbed to become the leader. Arlo's goal is to one day join the Flying Pigs, a world famous guild of adventurers based in Lucien.- Authority Equals Asskicking: He is the leader of the civilian body, and the one with the highest basic level.
- Bluff the Impostor: Arlo talks about his friend Stanza of the Council Guards to Ursula, who is also, supposedly, a high ranking member of the Council guards. Ursula says that she met him, at which point Arlo admits that he made up Stanza and accuses Ursula of not being who she claims she is. And she does, in fact turn out to be Captain Everglade of the Flying Shark Pirates.
- Blood Knight: Winning a third Sparring each day gives 2 relation points instead of 1 for winning previous two each.
- Normal Fish in a Tiny Pond: Inverted, by Portia's standards, Arlo is one of the strongest warriors and the terror of criminals, but by world adventurer standards, he's not even strong enough to join the Flying Pigs guild.
- Overshadowed by Awesome: Arlo is one of the strongest people in Portia, being second only to Russo, and even in that case, he still wins by speed and skill, but is overshadowed by Mali, who is a recognized hero, and in battle she does a lot more damage than him.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: As the leader of the local Civil Corps, Arlo is the closest thing Portia has to a local chief of police or sheriff, and he takes his responsibilities seriously, always doing his best to help out and protect the citizens when they need it, and listing to their concerns.
Django
Voiced by: Calvin Kipperman
A happy go-lucky man who claims to be a former knight, although no one's sure if that's true or not. Django runs the Round Table restaurant, the biggest diner in town. He enjoys cooking and talking with his different customers, making him a popular figure in Portia. Django's also the source of most of the rumors in town, where does he source these rumors... no one knows.- Big Damn Heroes: Holds off The Rogue Knight during The Final Battle.
- Blood Knight: Winning a third Sparring each day gives 2 relation points instead of 1 for winning previous two each.
- Chef of Iron: When he is not working in his kitchen at the Round Table, Django is seen practising sword stances in front of the restaurant. And it isn't just for show, as his battle against Rogue Knight proves.
- Shock and Awe: Displays the ability to create lightning in battle. The Rogue Knight recognizes him as the Storm Knight.
- World's Best Warrior: Although in Gameplay he is not a great deal, having a base level of 15, in cinematics he proves to be this by defeating the Rogue Knight, something that not even the player character could do.
Erwa
Voiced by: Aldon Jacob
The 2nd of the Hulu Brothers, Erwa arrived at Portia when the brothers came with their grandmother. Because of his good eye sight and hearing skills, Erwa was a natural fit at the local newspaper Portia Times. There he works with Mei to one day make the paper into a respectable one.- Da Editor: Whereas Mei does the journalistic footwork, Erwa mostly stays in the Portia Times office and works the technical and business side of things, hoping that he can turn the paper into a reputable publication.
Gust
Voiced by: D.J. Horn
When he was young, Gust always blamed Ginger for his mother's death, so much so that he left home at a young age and went to study in Atara. When he returned years later, he was a different man. Still quiet and detached, Gust became very devoted to his sister and family. After returning to Portia, he started A&G Construction with his friend Albert.- Big Brother Instinct: If you date Ginger he will sometimes check in on her during the date. Raising his relationship level to "Friend" makes him trust you enough to stop doing that.
- Blood Knight: Zig-Zagged. Winning a third round of sparring costs 1 relation point, only if you talk to him to spar. If he is to spar in Ginger's stead, first two victory gives 1 relation point each and the third gives 2. (Beware: He will fight alongside Russo)
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Gust is a bit stand-offish and cold towards the player character at first, but he gradually softens up if the player puts the work in to improve his relationship stat.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Gust's long, shiny hair is commented on by several characters, and he's probably the most feminine looking of the male love interests.
- Tsundere: While at lower relationship levels, he will sound irritated and displeased when getting help, yet the game shows he likes it. For example, if the player helps Gale collect material samples for Gust's architecture model, Gust will call the player out on being nosy...while giving them a boost of 30 relationship points.
- The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: Well, son, but it still applies. Gale is a basically spherical man with a dodgy moustache, Gust is tall, slender and absolutely gorgeous.
Liuwa
Voiced by: Mike Varker
The 6th of the Hulu brothers Liuwa arrived at Portia when the brothers came with their grandmother. Never one to like attention, Liuwa always stayed in the background while his brothers grabbed all the attention. He often helps out Gale by doing all the odd jobs in city. Mint
Voiced by: James Goins (English,Portia), Alex Zhou (English, Sandrock)
Mint grew up in an orphanage in Vega 5, and from a young age he showed a natural aptitude as an engineer, which eventually secured him a formal eductation in the field. Mint was brought over by Gale to help with the road to Sandrock. Always reliable and on time, Mint is called upon for projects all over the Free Cities.
- Like a Son to Me: Mint that first met and befriended Gale in his youth, and the mayor has been something of a father-figure to him ever since.
- Required Spinoff Crossover: Mint reappears in My Time At Sandrock during the bridge rebuilding storyline, as an inspector sent to look at the new bridge the player character helps build. He's also revealed as a childhood friend of Sandrock's researcher, Qi.
- Sleepyhead: Of the "able to fall asleep anywhere, and often does" variety. He can often be found dozing off on the benches around town.
Oaks
Voiced by: John Wesley Go
Abandoned in the woods as a baby, Oaks was found and raised by Papa Bear. As Oaks reached boyhood, Papa Bear settled down near Portia to give his adopted son a chance to go to school and interact with other humans. Oaks is very naive, but kind and hopeful. He can also talk with some animals.- Blood Knight: Downplayed. Winning a third Sparring each day gives a relation point instead of costing 1.
- Raised by Wolves: Defied example, Oaks was raised by Papa Bear, but Papa Bear realized that his human son would need human influences, and moved closer to Portia to not isolate him from his own kind. There are some aspects of civilization that Oaks doesn't quite "get", but he is generally kind, polite and well-adjusted.
Paulie
Voiced by: Chris Talanoz
Paulie was made fun of as a skinny kid when he was growing up in Portia. This pushed him to become enamored in building up his body to become the strongest man in the city. Not satisfied with that, he also opened a furniture shop, because that's the manly thing to do.- Blood Knight: Winning a third Sparring each day gives 2 relation points instead of 1 for winning previous two each.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The Manly Man to Mars's Sensitive Guy.
- Muscles Are Meaningful: He is one of the most muscular characters, which is reflected in the fact that he starts at level 30.
- Testosterone Poisoning: Averted. While his obsession with being manly does suggest this, he's actually a relatively sensible guy who's in touch with his emotions. In one side quest, Toby and Jack gets into a fight over a game of kickball. Paulie gives them a talking to, telling them that friendship ultimately is more important than sports, because if sports were the only thing men cared about, the only things society would produce would be "sweat and dust". He also tells them that a big part of being a real man is being true to both yourself and your friends. And that means being brave enough to acknowledge when your feelings have been hurt and respecting the feelings of other people.
Qiwa
Voiced by: Dan Dawson
The 7th of the Hulu brothers, Qiwa arrived at Portia when the brothers came with their grandmother. In the beautiful environment of Portia, Qiwa became attached to fishing. Now, he makes it his goal to capture as many fish in as many places as possible and taste the different fish across the land. Remington
Voiced by: Omri Rose
Remington was once part of the Lucien Civil Corps before he took an arrow in the knee in a small conflict on the border with Duvos. He returned to his hometown of Portia and joined the local Civil Corps. Always with a smile on his face, Remington takes his job of protecting Portia very seriously.- Blood Knight: Winning a third Sparring each day gives 2 relation points instead of 1 for winning previous two each.
- Guest-Star Party Member: Stays by your side the first time you explore Ingall's Mine.
Sanwa
Voiced by: Mike Varker
The 3rd of the Hulu brothers, Sanwa arrived at Portia when the brothers came with their grandmother. Due to his skills with scissors, he opened up a barbershop in Portia. The word on the street is that whatever hair style the customer wants, Sanwa can make it happen.- Color Blind Confusion: At the beginning of the game, he's given up on barbering because he thinks his colorblindness makes him unsuited for the job — it's apparently why Remington ended up with green hair (not that Remington actually seems to mind, as he keeps the hairstyle throughout the game). Once you make him a pair of colorblindness-correction glasses, he regains his confidence and resumes work.
Siwa
Voiced by: Aldon Jacob
The 4th of the Hulu brothers, Siwa arrived at Portia when the brothers came with their grandmother. Siwa had the strange ability to withstand enormous heat, people always joked he was born under the summer sun. Due to his ability to stay cool, Gale asked him to watch over Portia's power station, which burned power stones. Tody
Voiced by: Chad William Fischer
A local fisherman, Tody has always lived in Portia Harbor. His family has prowled the seas of Portia since its founding. Tody enjoys peace and quiet and mostly keeps to himself. He's very much against Gale's plan to expand the harbor.- Idiot Ball: Somehow decides it was a good idea to torch the newly built warehouse instead of talking it out with Gale.
Wuwa
Voiced by: Dan Dawson
The 5th of the Hulu Brothers, Wuwa arrived at Portia when the brothers came with their grandmother. He always loved the ocean, so it didn't come as a surprise to anyone when he chose to become a sailor. Now Wuwa runs a passenger liner that takes resident to and from Vega 5 and other countries. Xu
Voiced by: Chris M. Lewis
Dr. Xu grew up in Walnut Groove, where he met a traveling doctor from Seesai, igniting his passion for Seesaian medicine. Dr. Xu followed this master doctor back to Seesai and studied there for many years before returning to the Free Cities. Dr. Xu's goal is to use what he learned in that far away land and help the people of Portia live longer and healthier lives.- Hopeless Suitor: He falls in love with the Builder, so he can suffer from this trope if The Builder is already with someone else, or just plain uninterested.
- Love Confession: Unlike the other npcs, Dr Xu will confess his love without needing the special item.
Bachelorettes
Alice
Voiced by: Julia Sanders
A refugee from Lucien, Alice came to Portia with her brother, Jack, a few years ago. They were welcomed with open arms by the people of Portia, especially Sam, who took it upon herself to look out for the two. Alice eventually set up her own flower shop. She's thankful to be alive and hates war.- Caring Gardener: Alice love her flowers, and pretty much all of her commissions is about requests for gardening equipment or supplies. Her sadness at her flowers withering away during the polluted water crisis is palpable.
Emily
Voiced by: Samantha Flowers
Emily was born in Portia, she is the granddaughter of Granny Sophie. Her parents work in the city-state of Atara, leaving her to look after her grandmother and the farm. She's a cheerful and sunny girl who took on that challenge with a smile. Emily loves her animals, one often sees her with them.- Kindhearted Cat Lover: Emily is a very sweet girl and can often be seen playing with Pinky.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: The tomboy to Sonia's girly girl.
- Tomboy with a Girly Streak: She's a farm girl who prefers practical flannel shirts and blue jeans, but she also likes girly presents such as roses and earrings. Her alternate DLC outfit has her wearing a somewhat elegant, yet practical work-dress.
Ginger
Voiced by: Victoria Wong
Ginger's mother passed away after giving birth to her. The older residents in Portia often comment on how much Ginger reminds them of her mother, both in looks and her temperament. When Ginger was twelve, she suddenly collapsed while walking around on a sunny day. Dr. Xu has tried many remedies, but none have worked so far. Since then, Ginger has been gradually getting weaker and weaker. Still, she keeps her hopes up that she'll be able to walk under the sun again one day.- Blood Knight: Zig-Zagged. She is too physically frail to fight, so Gust and Russo spar for her.
- Soap Opera Disease: Ginger's disease is never explicitly stated, and there isn't enough to go on to pin it down on something specific. When she shows up in My Time at Sandrock, Dr. Fang identifies it as an autoimmune disorder implied to be lupus.
- The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: Gale is an oblate spheroid with a sketchy moustache, Ginger is a slender, gorgeous redhead.
Lucy
Voiced by: Abigail Turner
Born in Atara, Lucy studied in Vega 5 before coming to Portia to realize her dream as a teacher. She is very good with children, always trying to show them a world that is much bigger than Portia. Mei
Voiced by: Sara Mears
Growing up in Atara, Mei had always wanted to be a reporter for the Atara Post. When she finally got in the door, she was sent to the poorly circulated affiliate Portia Times. Choosing to make some lemonade out of the lemons she was given, Mei set out to make the Portia Times a respectable newspaper.- Intrepid Reporter: Mei is frequently seen running around town in search of the latest news.
- Never Bareheaded: Never seen without her sombrero.
Nora
Voiced by: Ashe Thurman
Born to a wealthy family, Nora is a student at the prestigious University of Atara. Currently she's serving on a 2 year mission for the Church of Light in Portia. Nora is a kind soul who loves to read adventurous stories and listen to music. She strongly believes that society should forsake the use of weapons from the past.- Not a Morning Person: Most NPCs are awake by 7, the same time the player character wakes up every morning. Nora, on the other hand, will sleep in until around 9:30.
- Naughty Nuns: Nora's certainly not celibate, she's marriageable after all, and has a subplot where she falls in love with Arlo if the player doesn't date her. For how enlightened the church she works for supposedly is and the good it accomplishes, though, it's telling how she's the only character in the whole game to give affection (and a lot of it) for being given the bikini item.
- White Sheep: Nora joined the Church of Light and moved to Portia to distance herself from her family, who are industrialists and are significant players in the weapons industry.
Petra
Voiced by: Kym Farley
Originally from Ethea, Petra has been traveling all over the known world. For someone so young, she's seen and learned more than most people do in a life time. Petra has only one goal, which is to study relics left over from the past and see if they can bring telesis to society. She eventually came to Portia to study under Merlin and be closer to the Peripheries, hoping to find computer A.I.s from the past.- Gadgeteer Genius: Several quests start by providing Petra with Data Discs and waiting for her to mail you schematics.
Phyllis
Voiced by: Elissa Park
Born to a very wealthy family in Highwind, Phyllis ran away from home when her family tried to force her into an arranged marriage. Smart and refined, Phyllis chose to pursue a career in medicine. It is her dream to start her own clinic. She hates it when people only judge her by her looks.- Cleavage Window: Her uniform has a diamond-shaped one that shows off a considerable amount of her substantial bust.
- Hospital Hottie: She's the town's resident nurse and probably the most fanservicey of any bachlorette. Though she hates it when people focus on her looks rather than her intelligence and skill.
- Little Black Dress: One of her alternate DLC outfits is a black dress with light-blue pinstripes.
- Runaway Fiancé: Her backstory. Though born and raised in Highwind, Phyllis went on the run and ended up in Portia when her family tried to pressure her into an Arranged Marriage. This is reflected in her romance substory, where her previous experiences makes her reluctant to tie the knot with the player character, until they perform Grand Romantic Gesture of helping her achieve her goal of having her own clinic.
- Shipper on Deck: She encourages Dr. Xu to confess his feelings to the builder.
- Student/Teacher Romance: Averted, she's Dr Xu's student and nothing more, but one of the things she'll tell you in her Chat action is that people assume the two of them are a couple, which she finds baffling and mildly annoying.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: She is the girly girl to with the tomboyish Sam.
Sam
Voiced by: Brenna Hines
Sam was always a tomboy, even during her younger days growing up in Portia. She was feared by all the boys her age. Due to her father's involvement in the war with Duvos, Sam always wanted to enlist in the Civil Corps to protect her city. Rumor has it she fought Arlo to a stand still during her Civil Corps test.- Blood Knight: Winning a third Sparring each day gives 2 relation points instead of 1 for winning previous two each.
- Guest-Star Party Member: Stays by your side the first time you explore WOW Industries.
- Gun Nut: The two craftable guns in the game are both very good gifts for her.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: She the tomboy to the more traditionally feminine Phyllis.
Sonia
Voiced by: Hannah Hellwig
A native of Portia and a waitress at Django's Round Table, Sonia loves to be around people. She is good friends with Emily and Antoine, often seen together discussing the latest fashion and tastes. Sonia wants to find a rich gentleman that can sweep her off her feet and take her to see the world.- Tomboy and Girly Girl: She's the girly girl to Emily's tomboy.
- Valley Girl: She has a fairly strong Valley accent in her spoken dialog, though she lacks the stereotypical speech pattern.
Other residents of Portia
Abu
Not much is known about the bear named Abu except that he adopted Oaks and everyone calls him "Papa Bear.".He's a very gentle and intelligent creature that likes to roam around Portia in his favorite bathrobe. Merlin speculates that Papa Bear was a regular bear that came into contact with some chemical agents from the past.
- Beary Friendly: He is a very nice and friendly bear, being Portia's resident Gentle Giant and is pretty much accepted as a fellow citizen by everyone in town.
- Civilized Animal: He wears a bathrobe, lives in a house, and speaks his own language (which only Oaks can understand), but for all other intents and purposes he is a bear. Most prominently, he is very fond of honey; a reliable and quick way to befriend him is gifting him a lot of it.
- Interspecies Adoption: Adopted Oaks as his surrogate son.
- Parental Substitute: To Oaks.
- The Unintelligible: While he is capable of speaking, what he says doesn't make sense to the player character, or almost anyone else. Oaks is the only one who can understand him.
Ack
- Artificial Intelligence
- Really 700 Years Old: Over three hundred years old by the time you discover him.
- Robot Butler: Essentially was he was constructed to be. His primary task is to cook food, but if the player feeds him with some of the cartridges found in the various ruins, he can be taught to function in other assistant roles.
Carol
Voiced by: Haley C. McCarthy
As a girl, Carol lived in a house on a cliff overlooking the ocean. She loved the ocean smell and the sunlight glimmering on the waves. She gave all that up though when she married Mars and moved to Portia. She still likes to go on strolls on the beach when she's not busy. To help augment Mars' income, she opened up a clothing store in town. Her three daughters look up to her as the perfect role model. Dana
Voiced by: Olivia Steele
- Seduction-Proof Marriage: Though not married, she's still one of the "undateable" characters. Why? She's happily dating Dawa already.
Dawa
Voiced by: Jonathan Cooke
The oldest of the Hulu brothers, Dawa arrived at Portia when the brothers came with their grandmother. Because of his strength, Dawa was able to get a job at the Portia Tree Farm. Dawa has helped make the tree farm a pillar of the city economy.- Seduction-Proof Marriage: He's the only Hulu brother who can't be romanced, because he's already in a happy relationship with Dana.
Dolly
Voiced by: Michelle Marie
Dolly is the youngest daughter of Mars and Carol, she follows Molly around like a shadow. Dolly doesn't like to go to school, and often gets into trouble with her teacher Lucy. Gale
Voiced by: Bruce Mohat
A native son of Portia, Gale has spent most of his life working for the telesis, or embetterment, of his hometown. As a young man, Gale joined the brief but bloody war between the Alliance of Free Cities and the Empire of Duvos. After returning from the war he married his sweetheart, Liza. Unfortunately, Liza passed away after giving birth to Ginger. After his wife's death, Gale poured all his efforts into governing his beloved city.- Gut Feeling: Has a feeling something isn't right with the Council Guards being in town. While everything checks out with the paperwork he was given, something appears off as he hasn't heard anything from the Council itself which is unusual. He is proven right as the Council Guards are really the Flying Shark Pirates.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: One of the nicest characters in the game, he fully understands everything going on and throws his full support behind anything that pops up.
Higgins
Voiced by: Allen Winter
Higgins hails from a poor family on the outskirts of Portia. From a young age, Higgins learned the connection between money and status, vowing to make as much money as he can and never let his family be poor again. Higgins became a madman workaholic Builder on a mission, which is to be number one no matter the cost or method.- Defeat Means Friendship: A non-violent example. When Higgins — after the player character has beaten him month after month in the town builder rankings and received the praise Higgins had hoped to hear from his idol Musa — tearfully admits that the protagonist is the better builder, this paves the way for him and the player character to become friends.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: While he is your rival, he isn't above wishing you a good time during Solstice and does help out the town when there is danger. He is even willing to break his own arm so the Civil Corps can save the town.
- Men Don't Cry: Doesn't want to cry, but he starts to show tears when he admits that you are better than he is. When the player character hugs him, tears move down his face before he runs off. This event starts Higgins' friendship quests.
- Not Here To Make Friends
- Double-subverted early in the game. Higgins approaches the player character ostensibly regretting that the two of them "got off on the wrong foot." He offers to make amends by partnering with them in building his secret invention. After the player character gathers materials for him, Higgins mails them the blueprint — which turns out to be a crude cartoon of a guy sticking out his tongue. (That said, should the protagonist confront him afterwards, he generously pays them for their gofer work.)
- Subverted in postgame when Higgins, after conceding the player character is the superior builder, accepts their offer of friendship.
- Mostly played straight with other characters. The above-mentioned Jerk with a Heart of Gold moments aside, Higgins does nothing for others unless there's something in it for him. For example, Mei of the Portia Times mentions that he rudely turned down a commission when she said up front the struggling newspaper wouldn't be able to pay him. As a result, no one in town likes him. However, the player character can choose to help Higgins subvert this trope in postgame by teaching him how to make friends, whereupon other characters soon begin to speak highly of him.
- Pet the Dog: During the Solstice, Higgins wishes you a good time. He lampshades this by saying that it is a holiday, so just enjoy yourself, but you will be back to rivals tomorrow.
- Sitcom Archnemesis
Isaac
Voiced by: Omri Rose
Isaac loves philosophy. He feels that, in an age where critical thinking is lacking, he is a lone rock standing against the anarchy of chaos. An avid reader of books, Isaac wants to complete his own magnum opus, "The Oral History of the Age of Darkness", before his time's up.- Distinguished Gentleman's Pipe: While he doesn't smoke it while he is out and about in town, his character art prominently features one.
- Intergenerational Friendship: With Polly, who he views as a fellow intellectual due to their shared interest in literature. She is also his Cross Five partner.
Jack
Voiced by: Michela Gilchrist
A refugee from Lucien, Jack came to Portia with his older sister, Alice, a few years ago. They were welcomed with open arms by the people of Portia, especially Sam, who took it upon herself to look out for the two. Jack became quick friends with Toby and the other local kids at school. He is very considerate and often being seen helping his sister sell flowers. Lee
Voiced by: Omri Rose
Minister Lee was sent from the Church of the Light High Temple in Meidi to Portia when he was still a young man, to carry out the work of the Church in the Portia region. He strongly believes in the abolition of all dangerous relics from the Age of Corruption. Minister Lee also works tirelessly with the city government to help society in any way possible. He's well liked in Portia, even by those who oppose his views on relics.- Evil Luddite: Downplayed. Lee is by no means "evil", but his anti-technology stance is so fanatical that it sometimes causes harm to the Portia community. The biggest example of this being his sabotage of the robot the Research Center was attempting to restore, which inadvertently caused it to go amok and attempt to destroy the town.
- "It" Is Dehumanizing: Where everyone else refers to the chef-robot Ack as "he/him", Lee makes a point of referring to him as "it".
- Selective Enforcement: Both Tody and Lee, independently of each other, intentionally destroy property, thereby potentially endangering others' lives, on ideological grounds. Both, when found out, express sincere remorse for their actions. Tody goes to jail for the season. Lee doesn't. Indeed, the Civil Corps never even gets involved in his case.
Mars
Voiced by: Nick Bean
Mars is a native of Portia, whose family came with the first wave of settlers about 80 years ago. Continuing his family's legacy, Mars runs "Total Tools," the only tool shop in town. Hardworking and unassuming, Mars is often stressed about money and how he'll afford a better future for his three daughters.- Blood Knight: Downplayed. Winning a third round of sparring every day gives 1 RP instead of costing 1.
- The Gambling Addict: It is implied that he has a hint of this to him. Upon completing side-quest to fix the round-table's game room, Mars will thank you for doing so and it is worth a moderate relationship bonus with him. He also quickly tells you to not mention it to his wife.
- Ironic Name: Named after a god of war, but is as mild-mannered as can be. That said, he does enjoy sparring more than other characters.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The Sensitive Guy to Paulie's Manly Man.
Martha
Voiced by: Lauren Mayfield
Martha came to Portia with her husband over ten years ago. After her husband passed away on an expedition to the Peripheries, Martha decided to stay in Portia with their son Toby by herself. She worries that Toby will follow in his father's footsteps and become an adventurer one day. McDonald
Voiced by: Jonathan Cooke
McDonald's family has been raising animals on these lands since the founding of Portia. After he took over, McDonald slowly built his ranch into one of the largest in Portia. Never one to shy away from the spotlight, McDonald is always on the look out to become famous.- Stealth Pun: He's old and has a farm. He also regularly mentions that someday he'll be famous.
Merlin
Voiced by: Hannah Hellwig
Once the most promising apprentice at Vega 5, Merlin was kicked out of the city-state for doing forbidden tests. Never one to brood over her mistakes, she made a new start in Portia, becoming the director of the Research Center. Although Minister Lee often tries to engage Merlin in debates about the ethics of using dangerous relics, she doesn't really care.- Closet Key: A bit of an odd case. Dating the protagonist causes her to realize that she's actually asexual.
- Tomboyish Name: "Merlin" is usually a man's name, but this Merlin is a woman.
Molly
Voiced by: Jenna Kathleen
The eldest daughter of Mars and Carol, Molly loves to have fun. She wants to leave Portia and live in Atara one day. She takes care of her little sister and is often seen bossing around the other kids of Portia. Polly
Voiced by: Hayley Neessen
The middle child of Mars and Carol, Polly loves to read and study. She likes to go visit the Research Center and play board games with Isaac. Polly feels that her sisters need to study more to have a chance at a better life in the future, but she mostly keeps to herself. She wants to get a scholarship from the prestigious University of Atara.- Intergenerational Friendship: She is best friends with Isaac, due to their shared interest in books and Cross Five.
Presley
Originally born in Walnut Groove, Presley came to Portia with his parents when he was still a young boy. Always looking out for the people around him, Presley was well liked and quickly became a famous Builder through hard work and perseverance. In this line of work, he met and befriended the Player Character's father, and the two evidently got themselves involved in quite a few (mis)adventures together. When he finally hung up his gear, he became the commissioner of the Portia branch of the Commerce Guild.
- Mentor Archetype: He takes the Player Character under his wing, and introduces them to the local Commerce Guild.
- You Remind Me of X: If the Player Character thanks him for being their mentor and looking out for them, Presley admits that he does so because they remind him of their father, and he feels that the least he could do for an old friend was taking some time to teach their kid the ropes of the Builder business.
Russo
Voiced by: Stanley Swanson
Russo fought in the war between the Alliance of Free Cities and the Empire of Duvos. He was wounded during the Battle of Ishtara, and saved by Gale. After the war, Russo came to Portia to help Gale any way he could, to repay the life debt. When Gale's wife passed away, Russo became Gale's butler to look after his friend's kids, especially Ginger.- Battle Butler: In addition to his past fighting in wars, he has the highest base level of all the potential sparring partners in Portia.
- Blood Knight: Very subdued example. While Russo doesn't search for opponents nor boast about his skills, winning three rounds of sparring against him will grant you progresively more RP, and even more if you have him spar in Ginger's stead, allowing more RP gain every day than any other characters.
- Hidden Depths: No one would assume Russo is much of a combatant given his appearance and stature. Challenge him to a Spar, or end up as his opponent in the Martial Arts festival and you're in for a nasty surprise as his base level is a whopping Level 50.
- I Owe You My Life: Gale saved his life during the Battle of Ishtara, and as such Russo feels he owes him a life-debt, becoming staunchly loyal to him and his family as a result.
- Mighty Glacier: Russo is the strongest citizen of Portia, but he tends to be a bit slow, to the point where civilians with half his level can give him some fight during the tournament.
- World's Strongest Man: In Portia, Russo is the character with the highest starting level (50, with Arlo and Paulie coming in second at just 30), though it's likely that the Player Character will surpass him eventually.
Sophie
Voiced by: Elsie Lovelock
Sophie is one of the oldest people in Portia. She moved there almost 50 years ago. Her husband used to explore the nearby Peripheries until his passing. Because her son wanted to live in a larger city, Sophie ran her ranch by herself until Emily's birth. She's loved by the citizens of Portia and has a very special bond with her granddaughter.- Granny Classic: She is a quite lovely and friendly little old lady, and she enjoys baking. She is renowned around Portia for her pumpkin pie.
- Scatterbrained Senior: Much to Emily's outspoken worry, Sophie is getting quite forgetful in her older years. Emily frequently shares stories of her grandmother's absent-mindedness causing problems in the daily running of the farm. It is also reflected in her shop dialogue, where she forgets if the player character has just bought something from her.
Toby
Voiced by: Lizzie Freeman
The son of Martha, Toby has a brave and adventurous spirit. He's always trying to live up to his father's shadow, a region-famous adventurer. It is Toby's dream to one day explore the unknown regions beyond The Periphery. Yeye
Granny Yeye used to run an orchard deep in the mountains by Tall Sky(sic) before taking [the] Hulu Brothers to Portia, her hometown. Nowadays, she runs some of the businesses in the city, and is often seen checking on her grandsons.
Animals of Portia
Pinky
No one knows where Pinky came from, but she showed up in Portia one day and stayed. A purr-ty cat that loves interacting with people, she can be found ranging throughout Portia.
QQ
This pig is the loyal pet of Gust; you never see him too far away from his master. QQ also has a keen sense of smell.
Scraps
A starving stray dog, they named him 'Scraps'. You can feed him anything. Low maintenance.
- Cartoon Dog Breed: A stray dog of the common orange coloration. Looks a bit like a small Shiba or a corgi, but being a post-apocalyptic stray, he likely doesn't have a specific breed.
Yoyo
Yoyo the pangolin is an exclusive pet, only given to backers of the My Time at Portia Kickstarter.
Strangers
Albert Jr.
The son of Albert and Sonia, should they get married.
- Free-Range Children: His birth does not change his parents' schedules.
- Permanently Missable Content: Is never born if Albert doesn't marry Sonia.
Huss and Tuss
Voiced by: Quinn O'Quinn (Huss)
- Abhorrent Admirer: Tuss, to Sam.
- Big Damn Heroes: Save you and the Civil Corps from the Sky Pirates by knocking out Ten and untying you.
- Brains and Brawn: Tuss is the brains while Huss is the brawn, relatively speaking.
- Heel–Face Turn: As per Big Damn Heroes above, they're suddenly on your side once the Sky Pirates attacks. Their first impression on you is that they tried to scam you for a large amount of gols, and upon failing to do so, resorted to petty vandalism note . Then they vanished for a while and resurfaced to allegedly steal the All Source Locator from the Research Center.
- Minion with an F in Evil: Huss and Tuss are malicious, but so dumb. They would be Ineffectual Sympathetic Villains if they weren't annoying enough to kill any sympathy you might have for them.
J. Peach
The inventor who found a way to dispel the clouds and brought sunshine back to the world. He's celebrated everywhere. There is a statue of him in the Peach Plaza.
- Deity of Human Origin: Became recognized as godlike for saving the world from 300 years of darkness. There's nothing to suggest he Ascended to a Higher Plane of Existence though.
- Oh, My Gods!: Peach's name is often inserted into colloquialisms where people would typically say God.
- One-Man Industrial Revolution: It's suggested that the inventor J. Peach, who brought the world out of the Age of Darkness and into the current era of lush greenery, was this as well.
- Posthumous Character: He's long deceased by the start of the game.
Mali
An adventurer, member of the Flying Pigs
- Guest-Star Party Member: For the quest "Adventure on Starlight Island".
- Purple Is Powerful: The second strongest character in the game after The Rogue Knight.
- World's Best Warrior: She is officially the strongest female NPC in the game, easily surpassing Sam, and having a female PC as the only possible real rival.
Musa
Voiced by: Gary Scales
A business man, also the richest man in the Free Cities.- Jerkass Has a Point: In My Time at Sandrock, he coldly, but correctly shoots down Arvio's attempts at garnering his business, pointing out that Arvio is an amateur who isn't really serious about being an entrepreneur.
- Meaningful Name: Shares a name with Mansa Musa
, believed to be the richest person to ever live. - Pragmatic Hero: In My Time at Sandrock, he reveals that he isn't funding the tunnel to Portia purely out of the goodness of his heart. He believes that, due its strategic location, Sandrock could serve as a vital logistics hub in event of war between the Empire of Duvos and the Alliance of Free Cities.
- Wealthy Philanthropist: Arrives partway through the game to financially back the building of the Portia Harbor. In My Time at Sandrock, he also finances the construction of a tunnel and bus system to connect Portia and Sandrock.
Mysterious Man
Pa
The player character's father, who bequeathed his Workshop to the player, prompting the player's move to Portia.
Penny
Voiced by: Molly Zhang
Penny is a singer from Barnarock wearing an acoustic guitar upon her back who may be found standing outside Yeye's Motel in South Block. The Rogue Knight
A mysterious antagonist that appears in the late game.
- Big Bad: Played with. Despite the closest thing in the game to a main antagonist, his importance within the plot is very limited.
- The Dragon: He comes as a representative of the empire.
- Final Boss: He is the closest thing to this in the game, although the game does not have an ending itself.
- One-Man Army: Game stats aside, in cutscenes he is able to fight the Builder, Mali, Sam, and Arlo at the same time.
Ryder
Voiced by: Jordan Harrelson
A member of the Sky Sharks, disguised as the Council Guards.- Big, Thin, Short Trio: The tall member, with Ursula being the thin and Ten the short.
Ten
Voiced by: Luke Campbell
A member of the Sky Sharks, disguised as the Council Guards.- Big, Thin, Short Trio: The short member, with Ryder being the big and Ursula the thin.
- Dual Wielding: Wields dual scimitars in a haphazard fashion.
Ursula
Voiced by: Anairis Quiñones
Captain of the Sky Sharks, disguised as the Council Guards.- Big, Thin, Short Trio: The thin member, with Ryder being the big and Ten the short.
- Character Tic: Twirls her cane as she walks.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Arlo constantly asks her about a supposed friend, to which she always deflects the topic, saying that this is not the place to talk about unimportant things. and though the real reason she wasn't responding is because she was a fraud. She is right that a dangerous cave is not the place to talk about such things.
