yinza: (video games)
Yinza ([personal profile] yinza) wrote in [personal profile] canibethemod 2014-03-06 04:08 pm (UTC)

Laharl - Disgaea: Hour of Darkness - Reserved

PLAYER INFORMATION
Name: Yinza
Contact: [plurk.com profile] yinza
Existing Characters: None!

CHARACTER INFORMATION
Name: Laharl
Species/Job/Class/Title: Half-demon, half-human Overlord
Age: 1313
Series: Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
Canon Point: Roughly one month post-game (good ending). Same time as the setting, basically.
History: Laharl's history on the Disgaea wiki.

Personality: On the surface, Laharl is arrogant, rude, and egotistical. Actually, he has a long list of personality traits that most people would find fault with. He's quick-tempered, brash, selfish, demanding, stubborn, impatient, tactless, insensitive, and at times just plain mean. As a demon--and not just any demon, but the Overlord of the Netherworld--he considers this to be the way he should act. After all, an Overlord should be powerful enough to get what he wants, either through intimidation or sheer force. He should be so feared and respected that he shouldn't have to make concessions to anyone. And so, Laharl tries to act accordingly.

He tends to put people off by acting like they're comparatively worthless, but he isn't out to make friends. He is intelligent, and certainly capable of maturity, but because he prefers to solve problems and conflicts through brute strength, he often comes off as childish. He's easily annoyed or frustrated when he doesn't get his way, and makes compromises very grudgingly. It can be difficult to get him to do things without blackmail. However, he will freely help others if he sees something in it for himself, though he'll be sure to point that out so you know he's still being selfish. If there isn't actually anything in it for him, he'll be sure to make something up.

To a certain degree, that's just how he is. But part of his behavior has been deliberately built up over centuries. In particular, he is not nearly as cruel and uncaring as he makes himself out to be. Most demons deny their own ability to feel things like love and compassion, and Laharl takes that to an extreme. His father was Overlord before him, but his mother was human, and she tried to raise him to be kind. Unfortunately, when he was still very young, Laharl contracted a fatal illness, the only cure for which was the life of someone who loved him. His mother gave her life to save him, and from that moment on he grew to hate the emotion which drove her to do it. Laharl has spent most of his 1313 years in fierce denial of "love." Deep down, he's afraid of it. He doesn't want to experience the same loss of someone he loves, and he especially doesn't want to be the cause of that loss. He's very possessive of those he considers his vassals, and anything that causes them to leave him can incur his fury. He displays little regard for others' feelings, in part because he is stubbornly trying not to care, and in part because after years of denying his own feelings, he has a hard time understanding anyone else's.

Before meeting Flonne, it's true he had made himself into a pretty cruel person. He has probably taken lives in the past. But she has been slowly healing the damage of his mother's death and drawing out the kinder side of him. Laharl is the sort of person whose actions speak louder than words, and although he continues to refute love aloud, he's grown softer in his actions: he takes his defeated enemies on as vassals instead of killing them, will no longer outright dismiss requests for help, and even managed to forgive Etna for betraying him. Most notably, he was willing to sacrifice his own life for Flonne's, and although he tries not to put too much thought into what that means, he is vaguely aware it represents a change in himself.

Abilities: Most of Laharl's strengths are, well, physical, since his personality tends to work to his detriment (at least if he wanted anything to go smoothly). One positive trait is his determination even in the face of unlikely odds; if it's important to him, Laharl does not give up on something, although you might just call it excessive stubbornness.

Of course, Laharl is also a serious powerhouse, so the odds are usually in his favor. During the first game, he overpowers all opponents, including dozens of demons contending for the throne, an entire armada of 2-million battleships, and the ruler of Celestia who theoretically should be his equal. His repertoire of abilities includes the following:
Magic - Most of his magic is unsurprisingly fire-based, ranging from flaming fists to summoning meteors. He does have some aptitude for learning other elements, including healing spells, but they don't come nearly as easily to him.
Weapons - He is most skilled with and prefers to use gigantic swords, although he's well-versed in the use of most weapons and his own two fists.
Scarfbending - His scarf is basically prehensile, and can form wings to allow him to fly. He can also store things inside of it.
High Defense - He can really take a beating. Stab him, pummel him, shoot him with a mini gun-- he'll probably just come out of it with a few bruises.
Resistance to Poison - The most deadly poisons will just put him to sleep for a while.
Sharp Senses - Laharl is frequently the first to notice anyone approaching, and he's tough to sneak up on. Unless he's sleeping, because he sleeps like a log.

Weaknesses
♦ He's "allergic" to buxom women. Being in close proximity to one can physically weaken him to the point of nausea or even paralysis. He can still fight in this weakened state if he closes his eyes, but he's significantly less effective, and he'd rather just keep his distance.
♦ He's also weak against excessive optimism and phrases like "eternal love." With Flonne around, he's developing a resistance, but being shot in the head is probably less painful for him.
♦ He's incredibly bad at understanding how people are feeling, including himself. On the rare occasion that he actually cares to know, it has to be explained to him. Sometimes repeatedly.
♦ He is not very charismatic. The potential is there and he has his moments, but the vassals who are actually loyal to him follow him more in spite of what he says or does than because of it.

Sample: Laharl being an ass and something a little more introspective.
Anything Else? As the Overlord, he will think he is in charge.

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