Personality: Roland is kind and paternal, risking his life to save Evan when he was still a complete stranger, and pledging himself as Evan’s guardian once he learns that the child has no one left to look after him. He loves children, and is especially caring to the younger ones. He is openly affectionate with his biological son, hugging him and stroking his hair upon their reunion. He is deeply offended by injustice against the innocent (women and children in particular), and will throw himself into the thick of a fight to fix an unjust situation. He claims to have been bullied severely as a child, and as a result, hates those who prey on the weak.
Outwardly, Roland is very calm, always appearing collected and well put-together even in the face of death. He is a deep thinker, and is especially good at retaining important information. When the chips are down, Roland is able to use his calm and analytic nature to ensure his survival; he shoots several attacking guardsmen in the head without hesitation, and blends very easily into pretending to be Mausinger’s right-hand-man. When he discovers a civillian spying on him in his office, Roland pulls a gun on them (though he decides not to fire).
In public, Roland is the very picture of professionalism - he is a rousing public speaker who speaks with authority and eloquence. In private, he has a tendency towards snark, speaking frankly, and a dry sense of humor.
It is highly implied that many of the above characteristics that allow him to seem like a perfect leader are a well-groomed facade meant to hide Roland’s insecurities. His biography released by the developers explains that while Roland is well liked by his people, he has a complex over his relative youth (he is 48 at the start of the game - quite young for a president) and whether or not he is good at his job. In spite of his apparent competence, he refuses Evan’s request to become Chief Consul of Evermore, only gaining his title when Evan forces him to.
Indeed, Roland guards any emotion more complicated than polite friendliness until other’s backs are turned, where his serious persona breaks down considerably. In the epilogue of the game, when one of his bodyguards catches him daydreaming and smiling to himself, Roland stops smiling and turns away. This is also true for his negative emotions - there is a scene near the end of the game where Roland has a nightmare where he encounters the ghost of his son in the ruins of New York. Roland’s son blames his father for not being there when he died, and turns to ash in Roland’s arms as Roland tries to hug him. Roland has a panic attack, and begins screaming and sobbing. When the party wakes him and asks Roland if he is alright, Roland puts on a poker face and tells them that he is fine, and gets up and walks away without another word. He seems to carry around a great deal of guilt and grief that he keeps to himself; his biography in the game’s menu reveals that Roland’s young son was terminally ill before the missile attack, which is seemingly why he is unable to bring himself to talk about him and why he shows no interest in returning to his own world. Following a private conversation with Evan, after Evan leaves, Roland thinks to himself that Evan reminds him of his son, which seems to upset him a bit.
He is somewhat vain, having a habit of obsessing over his appearance. His first action after waking up in Ni no Kuni is to admire his young body in the mirror, and his idle animations involve him fussing over his clothes and hair. Twice after changing into a disguise, he voices concern about how he looks. He also decides to delay a confrontation with a villain so he can change into a fancy suit. He regularly describes himself as the “King” of the United States, even though presidents exist in the world of Ni no Kuni and he does not need to use this title. His ultimate armor is a fine military jacket embroidered with a fair amount of gold.
Roland wears a patient persona until he is challenged; once tested, he has a habit of becoming short with people, snapping or sniping passive-aggressively at people who disagree with him. Roland starts a verbal fight with a party member after said party member questions Roland’s decision to help Evan achieve world peace, only breaking it up after Evan asks them to stop (much later, he gets the last word in by insulting that party member in public). Once, he loses his temper with Evan after Evan ignores Roland’s warnings twice, and tells him that he’s had enough and he’d better start listening to him. When Evan endangers himself because he didn’t take Roland’s advice, Roland rubs it in by remarking to a bystander that the boy king has learned his lesson and won’t soon do it again.
Flavor Abilities: All of Roland’s magical skills have been nerfed. Runcible can occasionally generate faint balls of coloured lights, which used to heal people, but now do nothing.
Suitability: While Ni no Kuni is a family series (in spite of the T rating), there are many plotlines and events, especially in regards to Roland, that are quite dark and have sinister implications. I’d like to experiment more with Roland’s character outside of the soft-box that is the Ghibli-inspired world of Ni no Kuni and see how he would behave in a much more extreme environment.
Secondly, since Roland only acts as though he is a perfect president, I’d like to use a survival-horror setting to crack through his persona and allow the negative characteristics he tries to hide to come to the forefront. I especially want to play with the insecurities and weaknesses that Roland will not allow anyone else to see, which should be brought to a breaking point in Snowblind’s setting.
I’m especially interested in exploring what separates the paternal, gentle Roland from the selfish Doloran, since the game is vague on how the two can be the same person in spite of their apparent differences in personalities. My theory is that he is highly influenced by the people he surrounds himself with; Roland has a family back home, and the support of many friends and allies, while Doloran has had no one for decades. This is supported by Evan changing Roland’s mind after Doloran asks him to join him; Roland admits that if Evan had not done that, he isn’t sure what would have happened. I’d like to see what happens in Snowblind.
Finally, since one interpretation of the Ni no Kuni series is that they are just elaborate fantasies that the main characters use to cope with their problems (ex. the first game is about a little boy trying to bring his mom back from the dead only to find out that that isn’t possible in real life, then the second game is about the POTUS learning how to achieve world peace), I think it might be fun to lampshade this by eventually have Roland doubt his memory of Ni no Kuni, after enough time in Norfinbury. Perhaps, after enough influence from exposure effects, he may even be pushed to doubt his own identity - after all, he’s a 21-year-old man who claims to be about 50, claims to see faeries, and says he is the President. Weird, right?
RP Samples:
[NETWORK SAMPLE - Using the Stay Hydrated/Flowey Powey prompt from the most recent TDM]
[Roland isn’t President, here. Neither is he a leader, nor someone universally liked, but he still feels somewhat obligated to keep up morale. Call it vanity, or just force of habit - regardless of the reason, Roland appears on camera with his hair a little too neat and his smile a little too cheerful, considering the environment.
He tries to seem amused; not to downplay the situation, but to put people at ease where he can.]
Fitness apps and such were commonplace where I am from, but so was Malware disguised as an ordinary program. I’d advise everyone not to go clicking on things they don’t recognize. Something may seem innocuous at first, but... well, trust me when I say that even wars have been lost for a lot less.
[“For want of a nail” and all. He wonders how many people tested out the app on behalf of their friends, only to report that it was safe... and now they’re all paying the price. Well, if the ship’s already sailed, no use giving a guilt trip.]
As for anyone afflicted with this thing...
Don’t listen to anything it tells you. While it’s natural to try and empathize, it’s just a machine. It doesn’t have feelings to hurt.
Now, has anyone developed a strategy for dealing with it, yet? I’d like to find a solution as fast as possible.
[...Sure, he’s genuinely trying to rally towards a fix, but he also installed it for investigative purposes. This flower is so irritating, and he could really go for another bottle of water...]
[PROSE PROMPT - Using my own prompt]
As Roland woke to his thirtieth day in Norfinbury, he had the sudden thought that he could never get used to squalor. It’s a selfish thing to think, given the current state of his country, and he can’t shake the guilt from his conscience as he opens his eyes. Clearing the fog from his head, Roland surveys the room. His travelling companion, who had been huddled at his right shoulder, is nowhere to be seen.
Roland calls their name; his voice echoes about the empty space and he wonders if he has been abandoned - when something shuffles outside of his peripheral vision.
Roland rounds on the corner he had his back to - and finds that the source of the noise was his own son, eyelashes coated in frost, arms tucked into the sleeves of his hospital pajamas and shivering desperately. Owen Crane, only slightly older than Roland’s time in office; a little prince too sick to grow out of his babyish innocence.
Owen’s gaze lifts to meet eyes identical to his own, his chapped lips opening in a silent gasp as recongition flashes over his face - though that shouldn’t be possible, not in the body his father is in. Roland bristles, taking a step back. The boy’s expression falls.
...Daddy?
Only once before has Roland seen his son in such a state; just before Owen started responding to treatment, on a night when the family had gathered, unsure if he would pull through. And just like then, Owen can no longer rise to latch onto his fathers’ legs - he curls deeper into himself, face disappearing into his knees. His voice comes out barely above a whisper.
Where are we? Daddy, I’m so cold...
A lump forms in Roland’s throat; he cannot stop himself from being convinced. Roland hoists himself over to the boy, shucking his own wool coat from his shoulders. The cold is immediately oppressive, but nothing relieves him more than to see Owen smile gratefully as Roland settles the coat over him. Owen curls into the residual warmth, drawing the coat around him like a heavy blanket. Roland reaches out to pull his child into his lap-
His hands pass through thin air. Owen is gone, and things are as they were before Roland fell asleep. Only, his coat is nowhere to be seen.
It takes a full minute for the truth to steep. At last a betrayed, roiling growl pushes up through Roland’s throat and he finds himself compelled to bring his fist down hard on the wall - beside him, his companion wakes with a start, fumbling towards the opposite side of the room to distance themselves from whatever threat has crept in.
‘Roland! What’s going on?!’
Roland’s haggard breath catches in his throat and he collects himself, his fist aching with a force it has never used before, the frigid air weighing down against his back. In spite of this, he manages to rise, hoisting his pack onto his shoulders as though he were in a condition to leave. He suppresses the urge to shiver.
“...Nothing. Sorry to wake you, but we should get moving.”
‘But- Where’s your jacket? You can’t head outside like that-‘
Roland throws a look at his companion, hoping to make it clear that his orders aren’t open to negotiation. His voice is flat and low.
“I said we’re leaving.”
As he forces open the door, reality sets in - he’ll have to do something about the coat situation, and quickly.
Roland Crane | Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom (2/2)
Outwardly, Roland is very calm, always appearing collected and well put-together even in the face of death. He is a deep thinker, and is especially good at retaining important information. When the chips are down, Roland is able to use his calm and analytic nature to ensure his survival; he shoots several attacking guardsmen in the head without hesitation, and blends very easily into pretending to be Mausinger’s right-hand-man. When he discovers a civillian spying on him in his office, Roland pulls a gun on them (though he decides not to fire).
In public, Roland is the very picture of professionalism - he is a rousing public speaker who speaks with authority and eloquence. In private, he has a tendency towards snark, speaking frankly, and a dry sense of humor.
It is highly implied that many of the above characteristics that allow him to seem like a perfect leader are a well-groomed facade meant to hide Roland’s insecurities. His biography released by the developers explains that while Roland is well liked by his people, he has a complex over his relative youth (he is 48 at the start of the game - quite young for a president) and whether or not he is good at his job. In spite of his apparent competence, he refuses Evan’s request to become Chief Consul of Evermore, only gaining his title when Evan forces him to.
Indeed, Roland guards any emotion more complicated than polite friendliness until other’s backs are turned, where his serious persona breaks down considerably. In the epilogue of the game, when one of his bodyguards catches him daydreaming and smiling to himself, Roland stops smiling and turns away. This is also true for his negative emotions - there is a scene near the end of the game where Roland has a nightmare where he encounters the ghost of his son in the ruins of New York. Roland’s son blames his father for not being there when he died, and turns to ash in Roland’s arms as Roland tries to hug him. Roland has a panic attack, and begins screaming and sobbing. When the party wakes him and asks Roland if he is alright, Roland puts on a poker face and tells them that he is fine, and gets up and walks away without another word. He seems to carry around a great deal of guilt and grief that he keeps to himself; his biography in the game’s menu reveals that Roland’s young son was terminally ill before the missile attack, which is seemingly why he is unable to bring himself to talk about him and why he shows no interest in returning to his own world. Following a private conversation with Evan, after Evan leaves, Roland thinks to himself that Evan reminds him of his son, which seems to upset him a bit.
He is somewhat vain, having a habit of obsessing over his appearance. His first action after waking up in Ni no Kuni is to admire his young body in the mirror, and his idle animations involve him fussing over his clothes and hair. Twice after changing into a disguise, he voices concern about how he looks. He also decides to delay a confrontation with a villain so he can change into a fancy suit. He regularly describes himself as the “King” of the United States, even though presidents exist in the world of Ni no Kuni and he does not need to use this title. His ultimate armor is a fine military jacket embroidered with a fair amount of gold.
Roland wears a patient persona until he is challenged; once tested, he has a habit of becoming short with people, snapping or sniping passive-aggressively at people who disagree with him. Roland starts a verbal fight with a party member after said party member questions Roland’s decision to help Evan achieve world peace, only breaking it up after Evan asks them to stop (much later, he gets the last word in by insulting that party member in public). Once, he loses his temper with Evan after Evan ignores Roland’s warnings twice, and tells him that he’s had enough and he’d better start listening to him. When Evan endangers himself because he didn’t take Roland’s advice, Roland rubs it in by remarking to a bystander that the boy king has learned his lesson and won’t soon do it again.
Flavor Abilities: All of Roland’s magical skills have been nerfed. Runcible can occasionally generate faint balls of coloured lights, which used to heal people, but now do nothing.
Suitability: While Ni no Kuni is a family series (in spite of the T rating), there are many plotlines and events, especially in regards to Roland, that are quite dark and have sinister implications. I’d like to experiment more with Roland’s character outside of the soft-box that is the Ghibli-inspired world of Ni no Kuni and see how he would behave in a much more extreme environment.
Secondly, since Roland only acts as though he is a perfect president, I’d like to use a survival-horror setting to crack through his persona and allow the negative characteristics he tries to hide to come to the forefront. I especially want to play with the insecurities and weaknesses that Roland will not allow anyone else to see, which should be brought to a breaking point in Snowblind’s setting.
I’m especially interested in exploring what separates the paternal, gentle Roland from the selfish Doloran, since the game is vague on how the two can be the same person in spite of their apparent differences in personalities. My theory is that he is highly influenced by the people he surrounds himself with; Roland has a family back home, and the support of many friends and allies, while Doloran has had no one for decades. This is supported by Evan changing Roland’s mind after Doloran asks him to join him; Roland admits that if Evan had not done that, he isn’t sure what would have happened. I’d like to see what happens in Snowblind.
Finally, since one interpretation of the Ni no Kuni series is that they are just elaborate fantasies that the main characters use to cope with their problems (ex. the first game is about a little boy trying to bring his mom back from the dead only to find out that that isn’t possible in real life, then the second game is about the POTUS learning how to achieve world peace), I think it might be fun to lampshade this by eventually have Roland doubt his memory of Ni no Kuni, after enough time in Norfinbury. Perhaps, after enough influence from exposure effects, he may even be pushed to doubt his own identity - after all, he’s a 21-year-old man who claims to be about 50, claims to see faeries, and says he is the President. Weird, right?
RP Samples:
[NETWORK SAMPLE - Using the Stay Hydrated/Flowey Powey prompt from the most recent TDM]
[Roland isn’t President, here. Neither is he a leader, nor someone universally liked, but he still feels somewhat obligated to keep up morale. Call it vanity, or just force of habit - regardless of the reason, Roland appears on camera with his hair a little too neat and his smile a little too cheerful, considering the environment.
He tries to seem amused; not to downplay the situation, but to put people at ease where he can.]
Fitness apps and such were commonplace where I am from, but so was Malware disguised as an ordinary program. I’d advise everyone not to go clicking on things they don’t recognize. Something may seem innocuous at first, but... well, trust me when I say that even wars have been lost for a lot less.
[“For want of a nail” and all. He wonders how many people tested out the app on behalf of their friends, only to report that it was safe... and now they’re all paying the price. Well, if the ship’s already sailed, no use giving a guilt trip.]
As for anyone afflicted with this thing...
Don’t listen to anything it tells you. While it’s natural to try and empathize, it’s just a machine. It doesn’t have feelings to hurt.
Now, has anyone developed a strategy for dealing with it, yet? I’d like to find a solution as fast as possible.
[...Sure, he’s genuinely trying to rally towards a fix, but he also installed it for investigative purposes. This flower is so irritating, and he could really go for another bottle of water...]
[PROSE PROMPT - Using my own prompt]
As Roland woke to his thirtieth day in Norfinbury, he had the sudden thought that he could never get used to squalor. It’s a selfish thing to think, given the current state of his country, and he can’t shake the guilt from his conscience as he opens his eyes. Clearing the fog from his head, Roland surveys the room. His travelling companion, who had been huddled at his right shoulder, is nowhere to be seen.
Roland calls their name; his voice echoes about the empty space and he wonders if he has been abandoned - when something shuffles outside of his peripheral vision.
Roland rounds on the corner he had his back to - and finds that the source of the noise was his own son, eyelashes coated in frost, arms tucked into the sleeves of his hospital pajamas and shivering desperately. Owen Crane, only slightly older than Roland’s time in office; a little prince too sick to grow out of his babyish innocence.
Owen’s gaze lifts to meet eyes identical to his own, his chapped lips opening in a silent gasp as recongition flashes over his face - though that shouldn’t be possible, not in the body his father is in. Roland bristles, taking a step back. The boy’s expression falls.
...Daddy?
Only once before has Roland seen his son in such a state; just before Owen started responding to treatment, on a night when the family had gathered, unsure if he would pull through. And just like then, Owen can no longer rise to latch onto his fathers’ legs - he curls deeper into himself, face disappearing into his knees. His voice comes out barely above a whisper.
Where are we? Daddy, I’m so cold...
A lump forms in Roland’s throat; he cannot stop himself from being convinced. Roland hoists himself over to the boy, shucking his own wool coat from his shoulders. The cold is immediately oppressive, but nothing relieves him more than to see Owen smile gratefully as Roland settles the coat over him. Owen curls into the residual warmth, drawing the coat around him like a heavy blanket. Roland reaches out to pull his child into his lap-
His hands pass through thin air. Owen is gone, and things are as they were before Roland fell asleep. Only, his coat is nowhere to be seen.
It takes a full minute for the truth to steep. At last a betrayed, roiling growl pushes up through Roland’s throat and he finds himself compelled to bring his fist down hard on the wall - beside him, his companion wakes with a start, fumbling towards the opposite side of the room to distance themselves from whatever threat has crept in.
‘Roland! What’s going on?!’
Roland’s haggard breath catches in his throat and he collects himself, his fist aching with a force it has never used before, the frigid air weighing down against his back. In spite of this, he manages to rise, hoisting his pack onto his shoulders as though he were in a condition to leave. He suppresses the urge to shiver.
“...Nothing. Sorry to wake you, but we should get moving.”
‘But- Where’s your jacket? You can’t head outside like that-‘
Roland throws a look at his companion, hoping to make it clear that his orders aren’t open to negotiation. His voice is flat and low.
“I said we’re leaving.”
As he forces open the door, reality sets in - he’ll have to do something about the coat situation, and quickly.