Nel Zelpher (ネル・ゼルファー, Neru Zerufā?) is one of the main characters of Star Ocean: Till the End of Time. Leader of the Secret Legion, she faithfully serves the Queen of Aquaria and is responsible for intelligence gathering in Airyglyph territory. Intensely loyal to her queen and country, Nel is a skilled fighter who uses daggers and runology.
Entries[]
- Dictionary
- Till the End of Time: Nel Zelpher, Nel Zelpher (Part 2)
- Profile
- Birthplace: The Sacred Kingdom of Aquaria, Elicoor II
- Birthday: September 22nd, 749 S.D.
- One of the queen's personal guards in the Sacred Kingdom of Aquaria in the 700s (S.D.), and an operative active in the war between her kingdom and Airyglyph. Her talents have earned her the name Crimson Blade.
- Nel is currently accompanying Fayt and his friends in their journey, as a way of repaying them for their help in restoring peace to the two warring nations.
- She is childhood friends with Clair, who also works alongside her as one of the queen's guard.
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Story[]
Background[]
In S.D. 749, Nel was born to a woman named Reisel and Nevelle Zelpher, who served as the chief intelligence officer of the Kingdom of Aquaria and wielded the Blades of Ryusen, an Aquarian royal treasure. As leader of the Crimson Blade, Nevelle supported the kingdom's growth and prosperity alongside Adray Lasbard. Because of their fathers' close association, Nel met and befriended Clair Lasbard, Adray's daughter, during her childhood. Like their fathers before them, Nel and Clair became runologists and pledged themselves to serving Aquaria.
However, during a mission to infiltrate the Kingdom of Airyglyph during the war, Nevelle was killed in action by Count Woltar. Nevelle's responsibilities as a Crimson Blade were transferred to Nel, who became the leader of the Secret Legion despite not having finished her training as a runologist. Working as a spy, Nel started reporting to Queen Aquaria XXVII directly.
War with Airyglyph[]
In S.D. 772, Nel learns of the crash of a mysterious ship in the City of Airyglyph. She learns about the peculiar technology on it, and feels that its 'owner'—Fayt Leingod—is the person prophesied in ancient Aquarian texts. She decides to make contact with him regardless of any danger this might entail.
Thus, she infiltrates the Airyglyph dungeon where Fayt and Cliff are held. She aids Fayt and Cliff in their escape under the condition that they assist the Aquarians in the completion of a superweapon, the "Thunder Arrow"; should they refuse, she has no choice but to kill them. This way, if the Aquarians cannot avail themselves of Fayt and Cliff's expertise, at least Airyglyph could not either. After their escape, Nel, Cliff, and Fayt travel slowly towards Aquios. Early on in their journey, Nel abandons Fayt and Cliff to singlehandedly save her captured subordinates, Tynave and Farleen, who were imprisoned and scheduled for execution at the Kirlsa Training Facility. Fayt and Cliff infiltrate the Facility and save Nel, along with Tynave and Farleen, before going up against and killing Shelby. Nel, Fayt, and Cliff later take stops along the way to aid people in danger, such as Ameena.
Nel succeeds insofar as Fayt and Cliff agree to help Aquaria complete the Thunder Arrow (now more out of camaraderie than duress), though the weapon ultimately ends up being used against the Vendeeni than Airyglyph as intended.
Nel is also one of the three characters from Elicoor II who can aid Fayt against the Vendeeni at the Kirlsa Training Facility and accompany the party to Moonbase and beyond. She can be recruited if the player did not recruit Albel or Roger. If Nel is not recruited then, she can be reacquired in the Sacred City of Aquios if Peppita does not join the party. When presented with two dialog choices, the player has to choose not to stay to convince her to join. If one chooses to stay, she loses interest in joining and one cannot attempt to recruit her a second time. Also, if the player does not go to Elicoor II when it becomes available, later in the game one must choose the second choice.
Post-game[]
During Nel's solo ending, Nel is found updating Queen Aquaria XXVII on her latest missions to sabotage conspiracy efforts in Greeton. During this audience with the Queen, Nel learns that a number of wealthy Peterny merchants are planning a rebellion. Nel offers to singehandedly undertake the investigation into the rebellion's ringleader and objective, but is instructed by the Queen to delegate the mission to her subordinates. Nel begrudgingly agrees to go on a mandated vacation.
As she exits the audience chamber, she runs into Elena. Nel, now wise to the fact that Elena could be a 4D Being, asks Elena why she tries so hard to better Aquaria. Elena responds that she likes "[Nel's] world" and asks if Nel has a problem with that.
Profile[]
Nel is a workaholic and takes her job very seriously, rarely cutting corners in completing her missions, and comes across as rather ruthless. However, Clair Lasbard, who has known Nel since she was a child, remarks that before her father was killed in action, Nel was a "kind and ordinary girl" whose compassionate nature frequently gets in the way of her duties. Despite her hard working and frank manner, she still cares deeply for those that serve her, and desires for peace between her country and Airyglyph. She has difficulty in expressing her feelings as she believes that emotion cannot interfere with her work.
Once a believer in Apris, Nel’s travels to 4D Space force her to come to terms with the truth about her religion and gods as mere avatars for 4D Beings. At first, she resists this, calling 4D Beings demons on the Aquaelie, but by the time the party joins the Diplo she has come to accept it.
Seeing how her father was killed in action, Nel fully expects the possibility of a similar fate. In fact, she is prepared to sacrifice herself and others for the sake of her mission, even if she does not like it, as attested to when she went to rescue two of her subordinates alone when Fayt and Cliff were sleeping.
Nel appears to have a bit of a jealous streak, as shown in her paired ending with Fayt (where the sight of him talking with Clair is enough to put her in a bad mood for days.)
Gameplay[]
In Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, Nel is a combination of a thief or ninja-archetype and symbologist, with daggers being her weapon of choice. She initially learns damaging mid-range skills and simple attack symbols, but her attacks become more magical in nature as she progress. She has affinity for Wind, or lightning, element.
In Star Ocean: Anamnesis, Nel had nine different variants: "Nel", "Oracle Nel" (staff Healer), "Bride Nel", "Maid Nel" (Attacker), "Angel Nel" (dual blade Attacker), "Summer Nel" (scythe Defender), "Empress Nel" (rifle-wielding Sharpshooter), "Demon Nel" (Defender), and "Holiday Nel" (whip-wielding Healer). Both Nel and Bride Nel were Sharpshooters and dagger user, while both Maid and Demon Nel used blade & sheathes.
Quotes[]
Gallery[]
Other appearances[]
- Tales of the Rays
- In the collaboration with Star Ocean: Anamnesis, Rondoline E. Effenberg—a character originally from Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon X—wears an outfit based on Nel's appearance, called "Crimson Blade's Hunting Costume", and gets other Nel-based items.
Trivia[]
- Nel's mother, Reisel, is only mentioned in an interview in Star Ocean: Till the End of Time -Eternal Materials-. It is also mentioned that the inaccessible house in northeastern part of Aquios City is Nel's house and her mother currently resides there alone.
- Nel's pedigree (that is, her percentage of royal blood) is 34%, same as Clair (as indicated in the -Eternal Materials- book.)
- Nel goes by at least two aliases while undercover in Airyglyph: "Luke Breit" to buy a safe house near Airyglyph Castle, and "Scarlet Rathgrith" while infiltrating Kirlsa.
External links[]