Atleia

Atleia Liu (アトレイア・リュー) is a secondary character in Zill O'll. Depending on her relations with the protagonist, she may turn into one of the game's antagonists. Her role for the second half of the main story is interchangeable with Tiana.

Her height is 163 cm (5'3"), and she is 17 years old at the start of the game.

Role in Game
Atleia is the lone child of the former reigning king and queen of Rostorl. King Ferroher was usurped by Sermond, and the widowed queen threw in her lot with defiant nobles to reclaim the throne during Atleia's childhood. Eris ultimately foiled the internal rebellion. The queen refused to surrender to the victors and decided to commit suicide. She attempted to take the young Atleia with her by forcing her to drink a deadly poison. Eris's spies intervened and violently tried to stop the queen. They were able to barely spare the girl but the queen had lost her life.

Too young to comprehend what had transpired and forever scarred by her mother's demented visage, Atleia was traumatized into blindness. Her very existence posed a threat to the royal throne, but Eris didn't have the heart to execute the girl after learning her suffering. Instead, the Queen Consort sought to protect her. She allowed Atleia her own room within the castle and barred visitors to prevent her from being used as a political tool. Eris also privately invested into medical research to undo the poison's damage on Atleia's body. In her efforts to spare the girl further grief, the Queen Consort had simultaneously isolated her from the world. Barely anyone within the royal court is aware of Atleia's existence; those who do stay quiet to avoid another revolt. As such, she spent the majority of her life living in secluded darkness.

The protagonist can first see her at the start of the game by visiting her room through the castle's back entrance. Shali prevents his/her introduction to her until after Nemea's enthronement. He asks the protagonist to have pity on the blind Atleia and retrieve the demonic artifact, The Eyes of Dreams, to restore her sight. If the protagonist accepts and completes the request, the artifact does as Shali promised. With her sight restored, Atleia thanks him/her for the trouble. If the protagonist is a Rostorl noble (by starting with the "Shining Golden Fields" scenario or by completing Lemghon's first event), they can visit her any time through the front gate. Otherwise, they can keep visiting her through the back entrance.

Though she is not aware of it, Tiana and Atleia are dormant candidates for the Queen of Darkness, a malevolent entity prophesied to emerge on the eve of Ulugh's resurrection. When Rostorl's nobility falls in the main story, either royal maiden will awaken as the Queen of Darkness. The protagonist can only save one maiden through their interactions with them. If the protagonist ignores both of them equally, the game automatically converts Atleia to the side of darkness. Should the protagonist give her the eyes but neglect her afterwards, Atleia will note his/her heroic deed was the start of a grievous mistake.

Choosing to have a protagonist being friendly with Atleia results in her gradual introduction to the outside world. She feels she is undeserving of their company and begins to wallow in self-pity. To raise her spirits, the protagonist takes her by the hand to see the night scenery. Their first outing is ruined by Taltuba's angry ranting and insults, but their possible second outing is a peaceful one. He/She escorts the maiden to the bar in the slums and she experiences local cuisine, song, and social merriment for the first time. Atleia is especially fascinated by the written words for the bar's sign and menu, asking the protagonist to read them for her. She brings a copy of the menu back to her room as a souvenir and teaches herself how to read and write. When the protagonist visits her after this event, Atleia may show them a sample of her writing for his/her critiquing.

Sometime after Angeerdan's attempted invasion, Shali decides it's time to fully corrupt the maiden's soul. He starts by creating two life-like dolls which mimics the former queen and Eris. The Eris doll kills Atleia's mother, and the mother doll creeps closer to Atleia with crazed pleas for salvation. When the protagonist hurries to stop her torment, Shali manifests Atleia's darkness into the form of a monster to kill him/her. If the protagonist slays it, they hurt Atleia's heart doing so and drive Shali away for the day. The event will repeat itself upon their second visit. Losing to the dark entity breaks the cycle, as a frightened Atleia gains the courage to stand in the weakened protagonist's defense. Her moment of pure bravery releases the darkness's grip on her and foils Shali's scheme. Completing this event ensures that Tiana will become the Queen of Darkness.

A moon festival is scheduled to be held thereafter. If the protagonist visits Atleia, she receives an invite and may ask him/her to be her escort. Alternatively, she may have written an invitation for the protagonist asking to join her. When the parties arrive, they soon learn it is a set up and Shali turns Taltuba into an evil monstrosity to exact his revenge on Xenetes. If the protagonist is friendly with Atleia, she will rush into harm's way to protect Xenetes. He knows her body cannot handle the monster's strikes and shields her. As he is wounded from the blow, Lemghon and the protagonist join forces to defeat Taltuba together. An envious Tiana flees from the scene by herself.

Being friendly with Tiana changes the scenario to have Xenetes wounded while protecting the queen from danger. Both Lemghon and Atleia witness the queen's raw compassion for the warrior and become aware of her deeper affections for him. If the protagonist visits her again in private, Atleia will hysterically mutter to herself. This version of the event is a signal for her becoming the Queen of Darkness.

If Atleia is the Queen of Darkness, she lurks within the throne room during Lemghon's revolt beside Shali. The protagonist sees her after they arrive to assist the wounded Xenetes. The original game has Atleia convert Lemghon to his primitive dark side, and they leave together regardless of whether Xenetes lives or dies. infinite includes variations of the event which may result in either man's survival. If Xenetes dies, she can use her magic to have Lemghon give into his true nature, causing him to feed onto the protagonist's neck. She then leaves in boredom, thinking that he alone will suffice as the protagonist's executioner. Should Xenetes live, she attacks Lemghon. Xenetes shields him from the blow and urges the trio's swift escape. Her actions thereafter are the same as Tiana's Queen of Darkness route.

Atleia's sane versions of Karula's invasion are roughly similar to Tiana's events. The main differences between them is that the protagonist will need to save Atleia from the noble's instigation and will not receive Xenetes's written will from Vailaila and Vialiali. Afterwards, she tries her best as her home's new Queen to balance the wishes of the commoners and the remaining nobility with Est and the Gobgob Group's support. Completing her personal events leads to the protagonist additionally seeing Taltuba and Sermond's respective fates.

Her personal ending with the protagonist starts after she has finished her first day of official royal duties. She admits her nervousness at being the center of attention, but her maid praises it as a reflection of her attractiveness. Atleia timidly asks the protagonist for their opinion when they visit and is happy to hear their reply. The Queen treats him/her to cookies she personally baked in the morning and a relaxing cup of tea, sharing with them her fond wish to always have their company.

Personality
Atleia is a shrinking violet: painfully shy and quiet to those around her. She feels unworthy of attention due to her family's history, bowing her head or turning away to avoid conflict. Idolizing Tiana's natural radiance, she compares herself to her younger stepsister and feels vastly inferior to her. Atleia is calm and modest if she is forced to socialize, yet she is too scared to engage in prolonged conversations. Her withdrawn nature and her tendency to stay within her dark room has led those within the royal court to dub her the "Queen of Darkness".

Her perceptions for herself vary depending on whether her heart is corrupted by darkness. Should she fall to darkness, she feels truly unneeded and will selfishly believe there is nothing redeeming to be found in the world. She regrets regaining her sight if it occurs, as she can now see the world in all of its ugliness. Blaming others for her misfortune, Atleia believes that she is delivering retribution by cleansing it of life. If she remains sane, renewing her confidence is her greatest personal obstacle. As the royal maiden slowly becomes aware of her own talents, her natural selflessness shines through; she gingerly tries to help others prosper peacefully. Although her bashfulness remains her prominent trait, Atleia has faith that she can someday mature into the strong queen her people needs.

She appreciates the protagonist's gentle coaxing during her period of uncertainty; he/she helped give her the courage to explore her surroundings. Their kindness and unconditional reassurance help open her eyes to the world's joys. Atleia views him/her as her closest companion, the only one who she feels is truly honest to her and whose presence gives her strength to face any hardship.

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