#ovelia atkascha

[snippity]

did you get your end in all of this, ramza?

[ethernalium]

[autopotion]

Something I noticed about this scene during my current replay: The song playing here isn't Alma's theme (which played in the scene immediately prior to the fight with Zalmo), it's the first half of Ovelia's theme (the allegro section in F sharp). We don't learn that the Virgo stone arrived at Orbonne with Ovelia until a little bit later, so the song choice is a nice bit of foreshadowing for how Alma would even know this, i.e. through their friendship.

But now I also like to read this scene in parallel to the one where Ovelia laments her role as a princess.

Ovelia's theme plays in that one as well—specifically the andante second half in B flat. B flat major is an open and bright key, but also a contemplative one; that particular arrangement of Ovelia's theme, with its slower tempo and low woodwind carrying the melody, accentuates the latter trait. Ovelia misses the only friend she's ever had, and one of the rare few that she could be certain had pure intentions towards her. Her nostalgic reminiscence of Alma is tinged with longing for the past and anxiety for the future.

In this scene, on the other hand, where Alma reveals to Ramza that she's seen Virgo at Orbonne, Ovelia's theme in F sharp major is at its brightest and most optimistic. (In classical music, F sharp major is also considered a "triumphant" key.) The music selection is a good choice in general, because it characterizes Alma well—she's humorously teasing her much more solemn brother; she's manipulating the situation so she can stop feeling useless and actually do something, and her gambit works; the higher woodwind brings to mind Alma's chirping flute from her own theme—but when you consider to whom this theme belongs, it implies that Alma isn't just conveying a fact she knows. She's actively reminiscing about Ovelia.

The use of this half of the theme suggests to me that Alma's memories of their friendship are, on their surface, more straightforwardly affectionate. I think that's partially because Alma seems to take more things in stride than Ovelia does, but also, Ovelia isn't Alma's only friend. Tietra's friendship casts a much larger shadow over Alma. For obvious reasons, sure, but as to the framing, the immediate preceding scene had Alma inquire about Tietra by name, and express fresh dismay upon learning that she did not make the same miraculous recovery Delita did, and the music used in that scene was Alma's theme, placing Tietra much closer to Alma's heart (notably, the last scene Alma's theme was used was during Tietra's introduction, at Alma's side). Alma's friendship with Ovelia must seem so uncomplicated compared to what came after, it's almost a relief to get away from all this and revisit the monastery where she grew up.

You could also say, given the arrangement's faster tempo and the surrounding story context, that thoughts of Ovelia are what drive Alma into action. Ramza and Delita have both compared Ovelia to Tietra; it's not a stretch to consider that Alma might be doing the same.

However... as Ovelia is the loneliest character in the game, I don't think you can use her theme, even the lightest part of it, without invoking loneliness. At this point in the story, Alma has been dragged to Lesalia by her brothers, the ones she's not particularly close to, while they wage a war against her childhood friend. That would feel incredibly alienating, I think.

There are so few relationships between women in FFT, and while Alma is central to most of them, she never gets a moment to talk about a really important one. Alma's the invisible connective tissue between Ovelia and Ramza, and Ovelia and Tietra. It's nice to get these little musical hints to remind us of Alma and Ovelia's importance to each other—and also of Alma's thoughts and feelings, elaborations on which are frustratingly few.

[venatohru]

I just think they're neat (and they should meet)

[adalheidis]

This 20.06 marks the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy Tactics!

[niratheraven]

The princess and her kinght.

[maiabomb]

Tactics sketches I did when I was watching a playthrough

[rhythmshock]

[jkjones21]

I don’t expect this one to make much of a splash, but I do love Final Fantasy Tactics and wanted to try adapting a couple of Akihito Yoshida’s designs in my own style. I took coloring cues from the cel-shaded style the updated cut scenes use in the War of the Lions remake, although I think I’m incapable of doing a cel-shaded rendering. Anyhow, Lady Agrias is one of my original sword ladies. She’s great and sad and has lots of regrets that she failed to protect Ovelia.

[corpsebrigadier]

Swallow (601 words) by CorpseBrigadier Fandom: Final Fantasy Tactics Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Ovelia Atkascha, Alma Beoulve, Simon Penn-Lachish Additional Tags: Animal Death Series: Part 6 of Drinking For Days Gone By Summary: Ovelia encounters a vagrant.

[farewelleugenie]

rip william shakespeare you would have loved the epilogue scene of final fantasy tactics: the war of the lions

[gaymergal]

Summary: Agrias and Ovelia walk into an inn and have vastly different responses to their simple rooming accommodations

Raiting: T

[verumleonhart]

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions

Developer: Square Enix Product Development Division 4

Director: Yasumi Matsuno

Producer: Takamasa Shiba

Composer: Hitoshi Sakimoto/Masaharu Iwata

[nutcraxker]

First attempt writing them, or perhaps that's just because I miss them so much

[eleemosynecdoche]

You: "suffer and die"

Me, less than a year from being stabbed by Ovelia Atkascha: "Blame yourself or God."

[adalheidis]

Delita & Ovelia