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Characters / A Very Long Rope to the Top of the Sky

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     Party Members 

Ivy

The main protagonist of the story, a young girl who tries to look after her sister after their father dies. In gameplay, Ivy is a balanced fighter who can excel in magical or physical combat. Focusing on physical combat gives her access to moves that allow her to ignore defense and inflict greater damage, while focusing on magical combat allows Ivy to take into account elemental weaknesses, and, since most magical weapons are one-handed, means she'll never need to lose a shield.
  • Action Girl: Oh hell yes. Besides her adventures as a kid, she spends the thirty year arc gap living like Lawrence of Arabia on the surface. Alone.
  • Big Brother Instinct: Well, Big Sister Instinct: Towards Mint.
  • Ineffectual Loner: Comes to realize she is this over the course of the game, though she hits her lowest point when she loses Mint. Coming out of her shell and learning to cherish her relationships with Yvette, Lief, and Gainer stand as her primary character arc throughout the mid-game, and trying to help Raccoon stop being this is a major facet of the final act of the story. With New Game +, she can also give in to the prospect of being this trope entirely based on when she tackles the final boss and decide her only recourse towards being happy is to copy Raccoon and live out an idealized life without meaning in Ubiquity to simulate the people she's lost.
  • The Leader: Quickly becomes this. Yvette doesn't enjoy leading, Lief just does what Yvette wants, and Gainer is too submissive and prone to second-guessing himself, causing all of them to look to Ivy to lead them.
  • Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: One of the few characters able to equip shields.
  • Magic Knight: Has a variety of magic skills to choose from.
  • Master Swordsman: Her weapon of choice is the sword.
  • "Not So Different" Remark: From Raccoon, they both lived most of their lives in complete isolation, are reserved in the company of others, and are self-reliant to the degree of finding living and relying on others to be strange. Ivy realizes that if she never had Mint in her life, she would have ended up being exactly like Raccoon.
    • Several Alternate Endings show Ivy remaining in Ubiquity's computer simulator for the rest of eternity like Raccoon did, abandoning her allies (even when they need her most) in favor of living with her illusion of Mint.
    • Conversely, trying to prove Raccoon wrong is typically what elicits the path to the more positive endings, generally as a result of bonding with her friends in either the past or the present.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: The blue to Mint's red. Yvette makes a suitable replacement red oni post-timeskip.
  • Sibling Team: Fights monsters alongside her sister, Mint.
  • Sinister Scythe: One of her last and best weapons is a scythe. It has the highest amount of physical power out of any weapon, but as it is two-handed, prevents Ivy from using shields.

Mint

Ivy's younger sister, a spirited and loving young girl whose optimism brings out the best in Ivy. She has great magic potential, and can be an excellent early game healer, as well.

Cyril

The Grandfather of Mint and Ivy who does his best to make up for lost time with them. Early game, he's the de-facto spell caster of the party with his unparalleled offensive spell versatility.
  • The Atoner: Regrets casting out his daughter after she revealed her love for Gram and having his granddaughters live in the wasteland instead of growing up with him.
  • Black Mage: Has almost exclusively offensive spells.
  • The Fundamentalist: Formerly was one, but realized that his fundamentalism had created a rift between his daughter and her family when it was years too late to make amends.

Princess/Queen Yvette

The Princess and later Queen of the Kingdom of Avishun. She replaces Cyril as the primary offensive spellcaster, having incredibly powerful magic at her disposal, often making her and Ivy the go-to party members to damage foes. She also has some healing skills, but not on the same level as Gainer. On the other hand, she can be played as a Monk-lite character, having some skills that allow her to get physical with foes.
  • Ambiguously Gay: There are a lot of hints dropped that Yvette doesn't sleep around with men out of joy for sex, but more because she's deliberately trying to hide her sexuality. Given the ambiguity of the situation, the other main possibility hinted at is that she's not even fully aware she's a homosexual. It could also just be that she's asexual.
  • Deuteragonist: Solidifies herself as this once the adulthood arc rolls around. Though Ivy is, without argument, the leader of the group, and her personal goals frame the final sections of the game, most of the game is spent aiding Yvette as she works to liberate Avishun and Balfur from the Bandit King. Additionally, she's the second-most prominent voice in the party, and there are a few sections of gameplay devoted to her perspective, most notably a Dream Sequence. Her attempts to stop being lonely and mature a bit also parallels Ivy's own journey towards accepting others, as while she has energy Ivy lacks, she still suffers from not forming particularly strong bonds with anyone besides her knight until Ivy returns to her life and brings Gainer along.
  • Does Not Like Men: She can hang out with them easily enough, but you never meet a lay she actually enjoyed sleeping with. This only adds fuel to the idea she is homosexual or asexual.
  • Gilded Cage: Was stuck as the only child in the royal castle with no peers and little friends.
  • Number Two: Once the party forms in earnest about a quarter into the game, she firmly establishes herself as the second-in-command of the party, with her energy and exuberance pulling a lot of the weight given Ivy's stoicism. Though Ivy soldiers on easily enough, it's made abundantly clear that Yvette's passion, tempered somewhat by Lief's focus, is what keeps the team together. If anyone is deciding where the party heads next, it's typically Yvette.
  • The Pollyanna: By far her greatest strength, both as a member of Ivy's party and as the Queen of Avishun. She can be forced into slave labor and still be happy. While Lief finds this disconcerting, it nevertheless is what allows Yvette to keep going no matter how increasingly bleak things get, and helps her eventually reclaim her kingdom. As long as she can have fun - and she has an easy time making things fun for herself - her inexhaustible happiness can keep her going.
  • Red Mage: Can be equally potent in healing and offensive magic.
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: She actively aids Ivy and the others in saving the world as their main spellcaster.
  • Really Gets Around: Although somewhat exaggerated, as an adult, she has been infamous for casually dating and having sexual relations with a numerous amount of men, earning her the derogatory nickname of "Slut Queen" by her detractors.
  • Rebellious Princess: Her lack of peers and excitement as a princess entices her to run away. This carries to some degree as an adult; while she recognizes Avishun needs her to be its Queen, she finds the life of royalty more burdensome than fulfilling.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: Once she meets back up with Ivy, she firmly becomes the red to Ivy's blue.
  • Sheltered Aristocrat: Princess Yvette is rather sheltered and naive about the life outside the castle. Her lack of peers and excitement entices her to run away. She's immediately kind to Mint, Ivy, and Raccoon when she tries to escape.
  • Squishy Wizard: By far her biggest failing is that she's the frailest party member, with only Gainer possibly competing with her. Given how the party each has two 'paths' to go down in terms of how they fight with their weapons, Yvette can be made to be a bit bulkier with her claws, but she never matches Lief's potential for defense, even if Lief puts his focus on damage.
  • Wolverine Claws: Instead of using magic, she can opt to be a physical damage-based character, equipping claws and using martial arts.

Raccoon The Bandit King


  • Big Bad Wannabe: A rare instance where this trope is also the the Final Boss. By all rights, he leads his army and by extension Rutger in conquering the various sky nations. However, his goal is ultimately just incredibly selfish and doesn't directly threaten anyone but himself. The only reason he's the last boss and the story doesn't end with defeating Rutger is because Ivy's party wants to save him from his nihilistic depression.
  • Death Seeker: Post-Time Skip, he becomes nihilistic to the point of creating a decades-long scheme to achieve psuedo-immortality, then wishing to commit suicide without being able to go through with it.
  • Determinator: Was willing to spend decades to reach Ubiquity.
  • Dual Wielding: When he first joins the party, he starts with axes for both his hands.
  • From Nobody to Nightmare: From a neglected orphan to a ruthless leader of a mass-murdering militia.

Lief

The bodyguard to Yvette. He is a dedicated tank, able to take damage and give a bit back in turn. Oddly for such a class, as his damage output and speed put him somewhat below Ivy and Yvette in terms of damage potential, he also excels in using tricks and traps learned in his early years training to thoroughly debilitate the enemy. On the other hand, he can also forgo his tricks to go all-out and do massive damage to foes, at the cost of being unable to stop attacking until he is killed or the battle ends.
  • The Berserker: Not initially, but he can learn a skill that allows him to go into berserk mode, forcing him to use basic attacks for the rest of his turns but severely increasing his damage.
  • Combat Pragmatist: Not at first, but he can learn a variety of skills meant to incapacitate or poison enemies through the use of hidden bombs and weapons.
  • Mighty Glacier: Easily the bulkiest of all party members as well as the slowest.
  • Survivor Guilt: Before Yvette was even born, he fought in a battle alongside other Avishunian soldiers against bandits. Because the battle took place during a violent storm, Lief lost track of his way and ran away from the battle, only returning in the morning after the storm settled to find all his comrades dead. He was then thought to be a hero as the sole survivor, which lead to Magnus recommending him to Queen Claire to be Yvette's bodyguard, a role which he felt especially unequipped for.

Gainer

A young revolutionary starry-eyed with ideas of rebellion. Gainer is the best support caster in the game. He can be played as a secondary physical attacker with guns as well, able to add a little more damage with Ivy, or he can use magic and support Yvette with doing magic damage with bows. Either way, he's most often used as the impromptu healer with his amazing mutli-target healing spell, or as the buffer, keeping the party in tip-top shape.
  • The Atoner: When he realizes the Bandit King was not who he thought he was, he doesn't hesitate to risk his neck to warn the royal capitals and convince Ivy to help him.
  • Chick Magnet: Tends to attract attention from many female NPCs, much to his chagrin.
  • Embarrassing First Name: Named "Gainsford" after his grandfather from his mother, Moira's side. He prefers to go by Gainer instead.
  • The Gunslinger: He can use guns for technology-based attacks.
  • Jack of All Stats: Outside of having the best speed of the final party, Gainer roughly falls into this role. He can hit decently well, but doesn't hold a candle to Lief, let alone Ivy. His magic damage is respectable, but Ivy and Yvette still outdo him there. He takes hits better than Yvette and about as well as a physically-inclined Ivy, but can't match a magically-inclined Ivy or Lief. What keeps him from being a Master of None is that he has access to the best healing spells in the game and the best support spell list, which is aided by his speed.
  • Likes Older Women: At least Luca, who isn't much younger than his own mother (about a decade older than him, perhaps).
  • Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: Very empathetic towards the poor, but because of his wealthy and relatively sheltered upbringing, he isn't entirely aware of how the economy works and is easily swept up by ideas of abolishing class lines without being aware of the consequences.
  • Support Party Member: With his buffing and healing spells, Gainer is best suited for a support role in combat, typically only contributing damage against weaker enemies or when he doesn't have a buff to throw out.
  • White Mage: Broadly where his talents best lie. He has an massively powerful party-heal spell and can get it out quickly, making him better-suited for healing than Yvette.

Rutger


  • Big Bad: Though initially just acting in a subordinate role to the Bandit King, the Bandit King effectively leaves Avishun and Balfur to him when he leaves to enter Ubiquity. This puts him as the main threat to the floating continents that the party needs to overcome, and all crises facing the world end with his defeat. In a rare instance, however, this does not make him the Final Boss, nor is he even the strongest of the Bandit King's subordinates.
  • Climax Boss: The second act ends with his defeat.
  • Sir Swearsalot: Tends to curse a lot in contrast with other characters.
  • The Social Darwinist: Strongly values strength, which is why he considers Ivy a Worthy Opponent.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gives one to each party member before he fights you the final time. In particular, he calls out Yvette for being a middle-aged child and Gainer for being a privileged, elite revolutionary who at the end of the day can never understand the poor.

Oliver


  • Cultured Badass: Has a great appreciation for the arts and history, even staging plays in local theaters in his time.
  • Really 700 Years Old: Well over Millennia old, his existence predates the start of the current Lydian society.
  • Heal Thyself: He can heal himself in battle.
  • Life Drain: He has the Life Vacuum skill.
  • Mana Drain: He has the Mana Vacuum skill.
  • Ridiculously Human Robots: Is an android created by the preceding Lydian society. However, he displays emotions and interest in creative mediums, such as the arts. The only dead giveaway to him being a machine is his lack of pupils.

     Ivy and Mint's parents 

Rose

Ivy and Mint's mother
  • All-Loving Hero: Like Mint, she was enthralled with nature and had love for all, even treating other children as her own.
  • The Heretic: Was declared as one for falling in love with Gram, a Sominian.

Gram

Ivy and Mint's father.
  • Good Parents: Greatly cared for his daughters, enough to climb a rope miles in length to bring back food and resources for them everyday.
  • Posthumous Character: His death kicks off the plot, with Ivy and Mint trying to take care of themselves after his passing.
  • Rage Against the Heavens: His tribe regarded the Lydians as Angels who punished their people for their misdeeds, after his own father dies he blames them for the suffering they've faced (until he met Rose that is).

     Terasu 

Dr. Isaac

A friend of Cyril's.
  • Secret-Keeper: Kept the existence of Mint and Ivy as Somnians a secret and helped to treat them.

Alan


  • Nice Guy: Very empathetic towards others. And was grateful towards Ivy for saving his life as a child, even though he ended up being punished by his father as a result.
  • Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: As a child, he was frustrated with his father hoarding his wealth while paying his employees (who were the parents of his friends) the bare minimum.

Toby


  • Butt-Monkey: Often the target of Jerrick and Clive's pranks when they were children.
  • Trauma Inn: Runs the Inn at Sanctuary after you recruit him.

Jerrick


Clive


Moira

The doting mother to Gainer.

Luca

A childhood friend of Gainer's.
  • Irony: Ended up living in the same house Moira, a woman who made a Rags to Riches advancement through marriage, grew up in.
  • Riches to Rags: Because of her father's spending to treat her while she was sick, and later, when he gets sick, they're forced to move from High Town to Low Town and Luca ends up becoming a maid in the house she grew up in.

     Kingdom of Avishun 

Queen Claire

Yvette's mother, and the Queen of Avishun.
  • Parental Neglect: Although not willingly, her duties as queen prevented her from interacting with Yvette consistently. Although Yvette knows that she clearly loved her.
  • Secret-Keeper: Kept Rose and Gram's relationship a secret.

Magnus

The bodyguard to Queen Clair, and Lief's commanding officer.
  • Old Soldier: Possibly a Centennial after the Time Skip, Played for Laughs through his extreme vigor, even outpacing Leif as a commander.
  • Secret Secret-Keeper: When Mint and Ivy were toddlers, he directed Gram to Rose's father, Cyril, in Terasu, when he was supposed to kill them. Upon recalling the event, he states that while it wasn't something Queen Claire ordered him directly to do, he did what he knew she wanted him to do.

     Kingdom of Balfur 

Deidre

The innkeeper of Dragon's Mouth. After the Time Skip, she moves to Avishun to help run their orphanage.
  • Replacement Goldfish: Downplayed, her son, Ben, had died the year prior to when Ivy, Mint, Yvette, and Raccoon come to Dragon's Mouth. So she allows them to stay at her inn in exchange for helping do chores, but she becomes greatly attached to them. Especially after they find the remains of Ben for her.

     The Wastelands 

Pallance


  • The Drifter: Wandered the Wastelands for at least 30 years now, only stopping when you invite him to Sanctuary after viewing his Soul Tear Scene.
  • The Gunslinger: Teaches Gainer gun-related skills.
  • Really 700 Years Old: Not obvious at first, but his Soul Tear scene reveals him to appear to be the same age as he is now 30 years ago, when Mint and Ivy were children.

     Ubiquity 

Solomon


  • The Atoner: Attempted to be one, by locking the rest of his people in a "Groundhog Day" Loop and trying to give Lydian society a fresh start by transporting Lydians from the past onto the floating continent of Terasu.
  • Racial Remnant: The last member of the previous Lydian society.

     Gods 

The Eater


The Mother


  • Holy Halo: Sports a halo in her sprite and battler picture, and is holy, since she's a worshipped goddess.
  • One Bad Mother: The religion worshipping her is the reason for Mint, Ivy and their parents' troubles.

God


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