Naomi vos Cruz

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Naomi vos Cruz (Full name, Naomi Isabella Victoria vos Cruz i Brandt) is a Esperadan noble and member of The Sacred Order of Saint Alistair. She is a skilled fighter, known for her involvement in The Lyse Incident (Brave Earth: Prologue) and other exploits.

History

Naomi was born in 396 NE, the second child and final child of Edwin vos Cruz and Victoria Brandt. Victoria had given birth to Naomi's brother, Trevor, mere months before leaving for the Danere Unification War. After barely surviving the Battle of the White, Victoria decided to retire from the Order of Saint Alistair and to raise her second child personally

• Raising kids yourself was common up in Brennik, where the Brandts come from, but was seen as low class behavior by the Esperadan nobility, especially those in the southern half of the country.
• Naomi was a surprisingly difficult child. While not outright trouble, Naomi's tomboyish tendencies and rebellious streak made her a challenge to rear for Victoria, an inexperienced mother.
• Naomi was one of those kids who behaved in front of her parents and disregarded anything any other adult said.
• Becoming friends with Sinlen, through Victoria's friendship with Sigard, Sinlen's mom, was important! Sinlen's awkward and seemingly selfish (though mostly just thoughtless) behavior was a counterpoint for Naomi, who tried to compensate for what her friend lacked.
• Even as a kid, Naomi knew she was the spare and felt she had no purpose.

Before Prologue

As a teenager, Naomi forwent many womanly studies and became obsessed with horse riding and sword fighting. Naomi seemed motivated to emulate her brother, who was training to become a Hunter (Monster slayer) for the church. Naomi seemed to take little interest in becoming a "proper woman", and was starting to get a local reputation as a bit of a wild woman.

• Victoria isn't exactly a great model for a 'proper woman'.

• Again, a lot of this flak came from the south. Leone's culture was still steeped in it's militant history that featured many strong and influential women. Madeira is just filled with haters.

• Naomi starts fucking around with boys and can convince herself she's straight, despite having no prolonged interest in any of them. Even with that though, the idea of marrying someone felt existentially terrifying to her.

To try and give her more focus, Victoria recommended that she joined the Sacred Order of Saint Alistair. The current Grand Commander was his aunt (Sabrina Brandt) and the Cruz family has always aligned themselves with the Order. Even better, Trevor often worked along side the Order, motivating Naomi further.

• At this point the unit is practically a Parade Unit. Sabrina is one of the only people regularly there who has seen combat. Most of the other survivors of the Battle of the White are no longer active members, only showing up from time to time to help train or just hang out. Like a Veterans club that also raises dumb kids.

• While frustrated as hell by her, Sabrina kinda adores Naomi cause she's one of the few noble girls who are truly driven by the actual purpose of the Order.

• Sabrina's favorites are basically Naomi and then all the commoner girls, who work like 10 times harder than anyone else. Naomi doesn't work that hard, but Sabrina can tell she's super gifted.

• She kinda sucks at magic and her magic studies go terribly. Buuuut she can generate a ton of it. It's clearly can she has "A lot of faith", right???

• Religious study gave teenage Naomi focus and purpose. Like many teens, young Naomi found a cause and directed all that unfocused energy into it, becoming an intolerable little shithead. Her world at least had some structure now.

• But she's also still trouble, sneaking in alcohol, sneaking out late with the girls, kissing girls in totally a straight ways and then hooking up with boys in town and then immediately forgetting about them. Look, she's just practicing with the girls, she's not gay okay it's normal.

• Despite all of this, Naomi is good at walking The Line and being presentable when need be. Sure she's a secret party girl, but during events, or when the Church comes to do inspections, she's charming, polite and makes a good impression. She even makes a good impression with the people she frustrates, which is why she keeps getting away with stuff.

• She's basically like a cute sweet house pet that is under-stimulated and bored. Besides the judgy religious bend she developed (which frankly, a lot of the girls in a religious order are gonna have), she's mostly a fun, friends person everyone likes. She just... also keeps getting into trouble because she's bad at sitting around.

Brave Earth: Prologue (The Lyse Incident)

In 414 ACE, Naomi is sent to retrieve a message from the San Victoria Highland Outpost. While expected to be a non-combat mission, Naomi shows up to see the Outpost destroyed. Naomi, Sinlen and Trevor end up having to stop a plot by Aistorian Nobility to use an old Karric Ritual to try and summon a god in the lost city of Lyse.

• It's the same ritual that ended the world, using texts possessed by Orsen scholars.
  • The ritual as at no risk of ending the world again, though if left unstopped it would have pulled countless daemons into the physical plane.
  • The scales were just too different. The BEP ritual goes between a church bell tower and the caves under the church. Meanwhile the ritual that rended the earth went between the far opposing sides of the earth and the moon.
  • There was no "God" to summon
• The Nobles hired a soldiers from the Black Legion, a famous mercenary army. The particular unit, Blackfire, is lead by Donovan Moore.
• While the Noble Cultists cause the incident, in many ways, the whole thing is defined more by Naomi's conflict with the mercenaries.

(This should probably be on a Prologue page at some point but it can stay here for now)

Naomi is contrasted during all this by both Sinlen and Trevor. Sinlen's academic approach to magic, and scientific approach to religion, combined with her competence makes a strong contrast vs the faithful but unsure Naomi.

Meanwhile Trevor puts on the facade of cool confidence, while he is tormented by uncertainty, anxiety, and fear.

She also gets to get her assumptions challenged by Vayn, a ""Daemon"" who is actually just a human with a daemon bound to her soul. Vayn's friendliness, frustrations and very human emotions contradict what the church has taught her, while lining up with what Sinlen tries to tell her.

By the end, thinking Trevor had fallen to his death, Naomi finds the her confidence and finishes her part of the mission. Her moral development is also aided by her battle with Vayn, who called Naomi out for her excessively mean behavior. After defeating her, Naomi spares her and the two hug.

She also cuts that dickhead Donovan of the Blackfire Brigade in half while trying to escape the collapsing church.

• Meanwhile, Trevor, at the end, gives into temptation and takes the ritual book because SUMMONING GOD sounds like the exact thing a guy with uncertain faith needs.
• Cassara and Trevor cross paths. Cassara shows up to stop the Karric ritual, and is the source of the fire
• And she gives him a warning. To play with that book was to play with his life. If he wasn't a fool, he'd let it burn away in the fire. He runs. Cassara confidently assures him that if he ever uses anything that book, she will be waiting, ready to find him.

Brave Earth: Tower in the Sky

Two to four years later (I have Trevor dead in 416 ACE, but I might move that and Tower in the Sky up yo 418 ACE), a more confident, cool, and capable Naomi has been working with Trevor. The two of them are eventually sent up north on a mission.

• Originally Tower in the Sky was going to take place in Alderville, which is where it is said to have happened in the RP timeline.
• Most likely, it will take place in Stralvarre so Ashara can show up faster and aid in Naomi's development.
• Date I gotta decide. 20 feels young for Naomi, I want her to be at least 21 I think. This might pair well with her being 18 in Prologue. This is the next major milestone of her life.

Weird monster sightings have been happening in the northern city and people suspect it might be something similar to the Lyse Incident. And it is, because Trevor and his boyfriend, Count Bauer, are trying to do the ritual in the most remote possible place, in the high mountains, to summon and see god, to end all religious uncertainty. This is a failure, and things start spiraling out of control.

• Trevor falls into the trap of "If we stop, people will have died for no reason", just 100% sunk cost fallacy.
• When they arrive, their zeppelin is attacked by a giant (who is helping construct the so called "Tower in the Sky" to extend the power of the ritual)
• Being separated after the attack from Trevor and Bauer prevents Trevor from trying to protect Naomi. His plan was to try and just keep her in town and safe until everything was finished. He almost certainly tried to prevent her from being assigned to this mission to begin with.
• Bauer will probably interact more with Naomi in the early game and be less inclined to protect her. That said, whether Bauer always sucked, or sucked because of the death of Trevor is a big question yet to be decided.

So yeah, Trevor dies. While trying to meet up at a church on top the mountain, Cassara fights and kills Trevor, burning him to death. Naomi sees Trevor in his last moments, even gets a few last words, and then flies into a rage.

• Cassara is in a shit mood too. She didn't WANT to kill him, he was just so stubborn. She kept trying to get him to back down. AND he hurt her! It isn't just his blood everywhere!
• Now this stupid brat who is so far beneath her keeps coming at her god damnit.
• Naomi's religious faith is superficial. When it gets cracked by various things, it's fine. She's religious because she feels like she's supposed to be. Losing her religion does not deeply hurt her.
• ... But her faith in her brother is a lot stronger. Trevor's culpability in the events of Tower in the Sky are impossible for her to accept until years later.
• Even in Prologue, thinking he died, she is able to move on because she has that shred of hope that he'll survive the fall.
• Here, he dies in her arms. There is no hope.
• Also importantly, Trevor's role should not be presented as a surprise. It should be obvious to anyone playing, but not Naomi. Not because of dramatic irony, but because she's naive.
• Sinlen might, by the end, kinda hit to Naomi that heeeey maybe you should let this go because maaaaaybe Trevor was involved...

There is a level of irony in Trevor envying his sister's faith, even though she is no more sure than he is. But her faith in him is so much stronger. Naomi is broken an the second half of the game is her regaining her ability to focus and press on. She now has no safety net. She has to exceed her brother.

Various events here are undetermined. The events that make Naomi regain her composure to get the "True Ending" are still to be determined, but some of it will involve traveling below the tower, into the ruins of old New York City and through the Atma Layer of soul fluid.

• Part of it will probably be her realizing she's gay. Thanks Ashara.
• If Slash/Vincent, the wandering battle priest and likely merchant for the game, appears he'll probably give his religious guidance.
  • Slash isn't a REAL priest and he's not an Aistorian Catholic. He's more... religiously themed philosophy. Some of this, freeing her from the idea of a "Fixed God" could be important to.
• A big thing is Naomi realizing her power and magic does not come from God. It comes from herself. She is a raw engine of soul power/magic.

In the ending, where Naomi defeats Bauer, the ending bit has the ritual work. Scifera is, for a moment, pulled into reality. She doesn't look, but Bauer does, going insane from the guilt and pain he feels from earth's adopted God. When asked why she won't look, she gives two answers.

• The non canon answer is she doesn't need to. She has faith. If she needed proof, it wouldn't be faith.
• The canon answer is that she no longer cares. She is single minded in her mission. She knows this thing she feels doesn't want to be seen. Whether or what it is, doesn't change what she must do or what is moral to her.

Regardless, Naomi feels Sciferia and she can never go back to believing in church doctrine.

The second turning point has to do with the mercenary king, Heidrian the Storm King. Heidrian is an ancient figure, born in the old world, a giant (by human standards, like 9 feet or something probably) and is borderline indestructible. Once he unleashes his full power to fight Naomi, he becomes an unstoppable force that appears periodically and forces her to run.

At the end of the game, during the tower collapse, he shows up again. If she didn't unlock the endgame route, she can't beat him. At some point, Cassara will come flying through and tackle him off into a gorge or something This gives Naomi a very peaceful ending where she assumes (wrongly) that Cassara is dead. She can mourn her bro and move on. Maybe if she gets the second route with Bauer, but doesn't beat Heidrian herself, she can go hook up with Ashara.

But the TRUE route is she fights Heidrian off the cliff herself, and after all is said and done, goes hunting for Cassara, fights her, and ultimately loses. This would be her second fight with her, but while the first mid game would be uncertain, this is a sure defeat. She is not in Cassara's league. But she is tired, hurt, and disillusioned. She goes to track down Cassara and continue her blood feud. Her time with Ashara will come, but not yet.

• Also notable during this, Vayn is back. She was Trevor's liaison to hire the Black Legion.
• Naomi also meets Makoto, who is traveling with Cassara (though neither know each others relation with the other.)
  • Makoto is Naomi's weapon blacksmith. The town blacksmith can only upgrade her armor, Makoto can do her weapons.
• Sinlen will be doing something? Possibly with Loni there
  • Loni might be styled a bit more as a research assistant than a maid. Or maybe a research maid. But more autonomy than she has in the RP Timeline.
• Ari as fast travel option???

Post Tower in the Sky / Roleplaying Timeline

Naomi and Sinlen set out to find Vayn, who has fled east. Naomi partially agrees with this because rumors say that's where Cassara (or "The woman in black") went. Naomi is all her worst traits at this point. Angry, rebellious, stubborn, judgemental. The lessons she learned from Tower in the Sky would take time to sink in.

• In RP, begrudging befriending Cassara's daughter helps diffuse things. I'm not sure if Hotaru is going to show up in any BE stuff though and a lot of Hotaru's role can fall on Cassara.
• Cass DOES have a cute tiny wife though so Hikaru might still be a perfect person to diffuse things.
• So does having her ass beat. Naomi gets humbled.

In RP it is a long road for Naomi accept things. Slowly her attitude shifts from angry and frustrated to apathetic. Post humbling, she's practically depressed, listless. She takes up surfing and just hangs out on the beach while Sinlen settles into a new home. Eventually responsibilities back home call and the responsibilities she inherits from Trevor will weigh on her.

Eventually her attitude moves to more... powerfully nihilistic. Feeling disconnected from so many things because of her experiences, Naomi becomes able to act decisively and act confidently. She developed faith in herself, and likely in Ashara.

Where might things end up?

Generally, Naomi moves from a negative nihilism to a positive one. "Nothing matters, why care about anything?" to "If nothing matters, then I choose what I want out of life".

• Naomi will at some point become Duchess, likely through the death of her father who is murdered by the twin monarchs of Esperada.
• Naomi might become Queen???
• aaaaaaaa Ashara, Naomi is so gay
• She will defeat Cassara, if not to avenge Trevor, but for pride.
• Figuring out her sexuality is hugely important, but that might take just Tower in the Sky, or might be a more... gradual process that starts there.

Arc, Progression, and Character Relations

Naomi starts as a wild, curious, fun child who gets molded into a zealous, judgemental warrior, who then has her faith in the person she holds in the highest regards shattered. From there she picks up the pieces to construct herself as what she wants, kinda in a Nietzschean arc.

Trevor's death isn't just a shattering of her faith. She inherits all the things that drove him into the ground. Shame in his sexuality, pressures to conform to political expectations, being the heir to a major title in Esperada, having to fake faith. But where Trevor tried to conform and was crushed, Naomi rebels and returns, stronger. Trevor is a pleaser, getting external validation, where Naomi eventually comes to derive purpose from herself. Even with her partner Ashara, she wants Ashara to thrive not because Ashara controls her, but because it's what Naomi wants.

Relations

Trevor

A large age gap made it really easy for Naomi to idolize her brother her whole life. He always felt on a different stratum of life, showing her the way. Trevor was always loving and seemingly open with Naomi, but he hid his more shameful feelings, sharing them only with his eventual lover, Bauer.

Sinlen

Naomi and Sinlen are unlikely friends who would never have gotten close without their mothers being close friends. But as childhood friends, their support for one another is taken as a given, almost kind a type of family. This allows them to be very... strongly themselves with each other. Which is good, cause then Sinlen can constantly challenge Naomi's worldview without it feeling as much like a personal attack as it would otherwise. Naomi sees Sinlen in an almost sisterly way, while Sinlen has a crush still on Naomi.

The two are the type of close where they can have a nasty, screaming and shouting fight only to have no doubt they were still friends when they talk again weeks later.

Cassara

The biggest barrier between the two is their inability to communicate. They're shockingly similar. Introspective, stubborn lesbians who love their wives/girlfriends and are incredibly skilled fighters, lead by a strong personal senses of morality. But Cass isn't as well adjusted as Naomi, especially older Naomi.

Eventually, Cassara must lose, because she has too much guilt and Naomi is much more determined. This is a symbolic handoff. Humanity doesn't need the Sashni.

Despite this the two probably end up working together at a few points. They realize they're more similar and more aligned than they think they are, but they never can possibly become friends.

Parents

Naomi LOVES her mom and Victoria adores her back. As Naomi gets older, their relationship approves. Victoria also is a strong partner and political aid after the death of Naomi's dad.

Naomi and Edwin is more strained. Edwin has the same brain worms Naomi and Trevor have and the threes inability to be honest with each other about their stuff makes communicating a huge challenge. They love each other, but the responsibility Naomi has, especially after the death of Trevor, makes their relationship deeply challenging.

Ashara

The eventual bedrock for older Naomi and someone who challenges her in a lot of ways. Ashara is ambitious, kinda cold, cut throat, and a liiiiittle evil. But where Naomi can reel in her darker bits, Ashara can reel in her lack of direction and ennui. Ashara is the person who gives Naomi the confidence that she be Duchess, both by helping Naomi do better, but also just because she knows Ashara can handle almost anything. Two very different people who make each other better.

Personality

Naomi at her best has always been warm, friendly and fun, but also at times can be mean, judgemental, stubborn and distant. Over time she has drifted from very extroverted to a bit of an introvert.

• Most people probably talk about how nice she is but she's probably the meanest and most judgy with her friends?
• In her youth, Naomi had a lot of drive and energy, both in good ways and destructive ones. Older, more disillusioned Naomi tends to be more tired and introspective. She hates doing things, but will see things she starts until the end.
• Past Tower, Naomi feels progressively detached from the flow of society, which is part of what makes her "cut the knot" in situations so easily. She's seen too much to be held back by weird politics and tradition
• Naomi is totally a wife-gal.
• Principled and Stubborn, even at her lowest.

For hobbies and stuff, Naomi likes...

• Reading and Writing poetry. Also reading in general, especially fiction. This has kinda gone away as she gets older, but she still likes a good poem.
• Naomi rides horses a lot when she's younger, but later in life kinda replaces that with a love of surfing as her 'get away activity*
  • I feel at some point, Naomi stopped having a horse she was bonded too and didn't really ever fall back in love with one.
  • Also she's just totally a beach bum in general when she can get away with it when she's living in the free cities.
• Gym rat, post Prologue. Naomi continues to bulk out throughout her life.
• Loves martial studies up to Tower, after which point the glamor of fighting and war kinda fade away.
• Naomi will totally go out dancing and drinking if anyone asks her.

Appearance

Naomi has strong Leonese features. Much like her dad she has the dark skin, blue eyes, and aquiline nose but with the purple head of hair of the Brandts. Naomi is attractive, but, especially earlier in life, tends to perceive herself as plain ("If not for the hair, I'd look like any other Leonese girl").

• Younger Naomi is tall, athletic and kinda skinny, with thinner, straight-ish hair

• Prologue era Naomi is probably kinda gangly. She has the same strong frame, but hasn't filled it out yet.

• As Naomi ages, she gets broader and her body starts holding on to more, filling her out a bit more.

• Her hair also gets wavier and more wild, somewhat matching the black "Lions mane" of her father.

• Okay look, Naomi has a big butt. It's part of her character, okay?

  • (Is that a Leone girl stereotype??)

• Older Naomi cycles a lot as she builds up so sometimes she's fluffier, other times she's chiseled like a rock.

  • Naomi sadly does not always have a six pack (or at least a really defined one). But when she does, she makes sure everyone sees it.

• Also notably, Naomi, way back in the mid 2000s, was more "European Spanish" so some old art may be more "White Woman" than currently intended for the character. So if you see anything in the gallery or in old art posts where she looks real white, don't worry, it's old.

Stylistically...

• Naomi changes her hair style up a lot when she's younger. Emo hair, bangs, maybe short hair like her mom at some point. But eventually when she gets the floofy hair it kinda stays roughly there.
• Naomi likes makeup, but doesn't usually bother with it. She's okay at it!
• She also loves painting her nails and they're like, always chipped. Nothing fancy though.
• Naomi enjoys girl stuff when it doesn't feel compelled. She's excited to get made up to go out with her friends, but always hated getting all done up for Aistorian balls and stuff.
• So to go with that, Naomi often wears masculine Aistorian formal fashion when at events, even though she'll have fun in dresses in other contexts.
• Later in life, she starts taking to the classic thin flowing Leonese summer dress (Kinda a little saree-esque).
  • They fell out of fashion with the nobles in the area, but she kinda brings them into fashion. A return and modern take on a traditional look.
  • Vannaleona summers are HOT and WET and she's not gonna wear a cool boy suit in that shit.
  • Look she likes that they're a bit loose and exposing and her big arms can be out there.
  • Hers are very very nice and fancy.
• Casually she dresses like her mom a lot. Jeans and a nice shirt of blouse. Pragmatic, like Victoria.
  • Though Naomi's jeans are always notoriously tight.
• She'll dress in "modern" or "classic" styles. Her time in the Free Cities and Shiv give her eclectic fashion taste.
• Cropped hoodie after a workout is always a fan favorite.
• Loves a good pair of boots, though goes for nice sandals a lot in Vannaleona due to the weather

Combat

Naomi primary fights with a sword and shield. Even young, she wields the Sword of Brandt (a family gift, since Victoria married up so much, socially), a hand a half sword with a large kite shield. As she ages and builds muscle, she adds more armor while still getting faster. Naomi's fast speed, excessive strength and high reserve of "holy" Magic (Really just light/positive elemental energy) makes her an increasingly terrifying opponent as she gets old.

• Naomi has an on and off again relationship with shields. Sometimes trying something smaller, sometimes trying a forearm shield, sometimes no shield!
• She occasionally uses Trevor's giant cleaver like monster hunting sword, Verbanner.
• Like a complete freak, she has duel wielded with Verbanner and the Sword of Brandt
• Naomi has no utility with her magic. It's pure offensive power. She was a poor student of magic.
• By the end of everything, Naomi can stand almost toe to toe with Cassara, likely at that point the strongest of the Sashni.
  • While Naomi beats her, part of that is because of her drive vs Cassara's guilt.
  • A real fight with equal motivation might go differently but that doesn't matter cause Cassara holds that L.
• Naomi's magic field is large and strong enough to slow bullets and other projectiles, allowing her to react, even in lower magic areas like the Free Cities. She also has exceptional healing.
  • Both of these are commonish traits very strong fighters.
• Naomi has wrestling and hand to hand training, though nothing on the level of someone like Cassara.

Later in life, Naomi comes to detest fighting, but she never stops being exceptional at it.

Family Tree

Assorted Extras

Extra Info - Fun, gratuitous info, NSFW stuff, AU Versions
Old Profile Features a lot of ancient RP info.

• Food: Strawberries, mild Curry
• Likes: Horseback riding, Surfing, Writing Poetry, Working Out, Dancing, Ashara
• Dislikes: Cassara, Spicy Food, Aristocratic responsibilities, Arguing with Ari

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Gallery

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Categories: Characters : Aistorian Characters : Prologue Characters : Tower in the Sky Characters