Character Spotlight - Mariella

Mariella joins the party late in the game, her own story beginning in between acts 2 and 3. I wanted to create a character who bases her abilities on mirroring the rest of the party, an ability that matches her social personality. The abilities our heroes can use in Walthros: Renewal are more often than not reflections of their personalities; in Mariella's case, her adaptability is her greatest strength.

Mariella has difficulties expressing emotion and can be a little more blunt than she should at times, but she doesn't see this as a weakness. Before we meet her, Mariella's village was wiped out in an attack by a giant monster and her ability to remain calm and grounded has helped her deal with the loss. Externally she remains cool, but inside she thinks about revenge every day.

A complete outsider to Bob's party, Mariella comes from a distant part of the mainland rather than the islands that Walthros: Renewal takes place in. Before meeting Bob, she worked as a monster hunter, gaining some minor celebrity for her strength and dedication to the job. She takes up wood carving as a hobby after settling into the team's new headquarters in act 3 and holds a deep admiration for Bob.

Most of the playable cast of Renewal comes from the original Walthros game, but Mariella was a new one. It was fun to bring in a character that was unfamiliar with the island culture that the rest of the crew knows and loves, and having her here helps set up a larger world outside of the archipelago. I don't know if I'll make a sequel yet, but if I do she'd be one of the central characters and would function as more of a Blue Mage type, permanently learning new spells from enemies and allies. She would be one of the few returning playable characters.