Post by Esdeath on Jan 30, 2018 1:31:41 GMT
Hello, Ishtaria! After a reeeeeaaaaaallllly long hiatus due to miscellaneous parts of life happening, it's time once more for you to get to know your units!
Since we just finished the Christmas season, it just makes sense that we should revive this series with some Christmas spirit. Who better than Scrooge to make it happen?
Mythological Information
Scrooge is a character based upon the main character from Charles Dickens's original story that has been adapted to film countless times, A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge is a greedy and heartless banker known for keeping all his wealth to himself and overworking (and underpaying) his employees. He saw the poor as people who did not deserve to live and despised Christmas due to its cheerful (and generous) nature.
In the story, his business partner Jacob Marley met his end 7 years prior on Christmas Eve. Marley was very similar to Scrooge in practice and was consequently left as a spirit on the earth forever.
On the Christmas Eve of the story, Scrooge is visited by Marley's ghost, who warns him that his future will be the same if he doesn't change his greedy ways. Obviously, Scrooge is such a hard-headed gentleman that he refuses to believe Marley's warning. Marley then warns him that 3 more ghosts would visit him that night: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet-To-Come.
The Ghost of Christmas Past takes him to some less-than-fond memories of Christmas experiences he's had through the years, including one featuring his true love, who left him when his greedy became the center of his life.
The Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge on a journey through London, finally ending up at the home of one of his underpaid employees, Bob Cratchit. Not only was Fred poor, but his son Tiny Tim was also terminally ill. Seeing the boy hurt Scrooge to the core, particularly because of the effect that sufficient funds could do for his health. Scrooge begins at this point to show signs of compassion for the poor. His journey wasn't done yet, though. The most painful part was, shall we say, yet to come.
Scrooge is then faced with the fearsome Ghost of Christmas Yet-To-Come, who shows him a series of grim sights that would take place the next Christmas. The first is the Cratchit family's lack of a young child. Tiny Tim didn't survive to see the next Christmas. As if that wasn't enough to torture Scrooge's soul, the visions after that became much closer to home. He was taken to a bank in which all the employees seem happy and are making jokes about the recent death of a "wretched man". Everyone is happy that he is dead, especially his servants, who made off with all his valuables. People in debt to this man are glad to no longer be under his thumb and therefore have proper time to repay their debts. Scrooge is taken to this man's grave, only to find that it's his own.
Scrooge awakes from his out-of-body experience a changed man. Guilted and terrified out of his evil ways, Scrooge turns everything around, paying his employees fairly, paying all the medical bills Tiny Tim required for his survival, and becomes well-known as a man who "knew how to keep Christmas well."
Chances are that none of this is new to you and that it served as nothing more than a refresher on the names of the characters. That, or the only version of the story you've seen is a modified rendition of it (such as the Flintstones version or the Disney version) that had some modified details.
In-Game
The Ishtarian Scrooge is similar to the original legend in that she is a greedy banker with no regard for the needs of others. She is introduced in a Tales of History event featuring a myriad of characters that seem to have nothing to do with Scrooge. Their roles in her life are fabricated in order to make it all fit.
There are some substantial differences between the original story and Ishtaria's rendition of it. For example, Scrooge is a young girl rather than an old man. Marley is her foster dad rather than business partner.
The story begins with a voice, claiming to be Marley's ghost, demanding that Scrooge be more generous, particularly with her customers. As it turns out, this is just Ruprecht trying to trick Scrooge into forgiving debts she owes by having 3 ghosts visit her that night. She utilizes people Scrooge readily recognizes to be her "ghosts". Their strategy to reform Scrooge is to beat the greed out of her. Probably not the best plan of attack, but it's the thought that counts.
The plan kinda works... I guess? When the jig is up, Ruprecht is in a panic about not having the money to pay back Scrooge. Scrooge isn't 100% reformed like the Scrooge in the source material, but she is appreciative that she was able to speak with the real ghost of Marley through the device Ruprecht used to make it seem like the 3 "ghosts" were actually using magic (it's magical ability was unknown to Ruprecht). Out of this gratitude, Scrooge allows Ruprecht to pay her debts back as she's able rather than demanding the full sum. She also agrees to be a less greedy person (emphasis on "less") thanks to the influence of her foster dad speaking with her once more.
In-Game Description
OG
"Back then although I was poor, I was actually rather happy. For I had that special someone to keep me company. And although I have become rich, I don't feel as satisfied as I did before. Is it my greed that drives them to hate me? Will I die alone? If so, so be it. Who cares."
We're about to dive into some deep philosophical stuff right here, guys. Scrooge was once a happy girl living a humble life with her foster father Marley. After his death, she threw herself into her work, trying to forget her sorrows. Working hard as a banker has its rewards, such as getting rich. Money didn't satisfy her as well as a life with Marley, as you'd expect. She sees that her ways aren't conducive to a productive social life, but she's too calloused to really care. They say that admitting you have a problem is the hardest step in fixing it, so she's on the right track, right? Not really. She only decides to do anything about her greed after she speaks with Marley. Prior to that, she was happy with being unhappy.
Swimsuit
"Scrooge changed that Christmas. Leaving behind a cold hearted life of greed, slowly but surely the townsfolk grew to like her. Scrooge even began to support others, donating her time and money whenever she could. She has learned the meaning of not only Christmas, but of life itself. I may be far away, but I couldn't be prouder."
Ever the watchful guardian, the description of SS Scrooge is given by Marley himself. Like a good father, he's pleased with the progress Scrooge is making in her reformation. It seems like her reputation was repairable after all, and she was able to make friends with the people who used to fear her.
Quotes
OG
"Do you know what time it is?
That dream... It reminded me of -
I will change! For Marley, I will change!"
The quotes for OG Scrooge clarify what happened in the Tales of History, just in case the player needed a refresher on what happened. Unlike the original story of Scrooge, interacting with Marley changed her (the original Scrooge was annoyed and in disbelief). Ishtaria's Marley was a good person that had a positive effect on Scrooge rather than a greedy old man that fed Scrooge's greedy habits.
Swimsuit
"What are you looking at If you wanna see more, it's gonna cost you! Come on, and - Woah, I almost slipped back to my old ways!"
Whoa, girl. You need to just chill for a second. Apparently, Scrooge used to be willing to do anything for a buck, and she's prone to backsliding.
Skills
Multi Skill: One Ghostly Gift
Passive Skill: Marley's Murmurs
Rush Skill: Spirits of Summer
Passive Skill: Marley's Measures
There is a pattern here with these skills: an active skill alluding to the circumstances of the unit's existence alongside a passive unit referring to Marley. Should a 3rd Scrooge ever be released, you could expect this pattern to be followed. An interesting note is that Marley, being a banker in the original Christmas Carol, would have used measures (scales) to determine the value of something in gold.
Power Plays
Scrooge is known to be involved in 2 unique Power Plays per the wiki. One of these has 2 options to proc with Scrooge.
A Christmas Carol?- This is an attack-boosting Christmas Power Play Featuring Ruprecht and OG Scrooge
Merry 2016!- This Power Play boosts the attack of 2016 Christmas Units
used together.
There are additional Power Plays associated with SS Scrooge that are not listed on the wiki.
Pictures
OG
The first Scrooge in AoI is based upon traditional depictions of Ebenezer Scrooge. This is evident in both her base and her evolved forms.
Her base form shows her in pajamas sitting up in bed with 3 ghost-like dolls. This is where the Tales of History event begins. In the original story of Scrooge, he is always shown in his pajamas. Typically, Scrooge is shown in a bathrobe. As such, you'd expect the Ishtarian Scrooge to wear a nightgown rather than a button-down shirt and pants. The game devs threw a curveball at us this time. Even so, they made sure to include the nightcap that is typical to virtually all iterations of A Christmas Carol.
Evolved, OG Scrooge takes on more characteristics of the Scrooge of A Christmas Carol while also providing fanservice for those less interested in the lore and more interested in the plot. Again starting from the top, Scrooge dons a red version of the oh-so-famous top hat that the real Scrooge is known for, adorned with a holly/bell assembly for a festive touch. The rest of her outfit is a Santa-Schoolgirl costume you'd only be able to find in the adult section of a costume store. What's worth noticing is the holly/bell decoration on her belt and the billowy sleeves on her sleeveless top. Although I'd ground my daughter if she were to try to wear this, it's a truly innovative outfit. Another interesting detail that is unexplained is the seafoam-colored lowlights in her hair, which weren't present in her base form, which had substantially shorter hair. The 3 Christmas ghosts are arrayed in similar garb.
Evolved OG Scrooge exists after the events of the Tales of History. This Scrooge is much more charitable and generous. As such, this Scrooge has taken up a bag of toys and is giving out gifts like Santa Claus. Hopefully the two won't meet on the job because that would be awkward.
Swimsuit
SS Scrooge was an unexpected addition to the SS collection, seeing how Ebenezer Scrooge is only ever shown in winter. Doing this gave the devs freedom to do whatever they wanted with this unit's artwork. They still wanted to make minor references to Christmas, so they made the colors of her outfit red and white like her OG form. Like other swimsuit units, she is adorned with tropical flowers. In this case, they replace the holly from her OG unit and appear on her hip accessories alongside jingle bells. This chick loves garters, so she put 2 on her left arm, 1 on her right leg, and 1 on each side of her hair. Garters are a method that AoI uses to add a little sexiness, again for the people who like it for the plot rather than the lore.
She's still hanging out with her best (and only) friends, who are ready for a day of relaxation, which must be rare since she makes them carry all the heavy stuff even on vacation.
Evolved SS Scrooge has removed her coverup, replaced her garters with white ones, added a headband, and added jewelry, which also includes more bells. This girl would be obnoxious to walk with on the beach with all the constant jingling. They've incorporated another of their subtly lewd tactics by having her eating a piece of watermelon in the picture.
Notice the tubular thing hanging off her umbrella? This is presumably the device through which Scrooge was able to speak to Marley in Tales of History. Like Rocky using a picture to motivate himself, Scrooge keeps this item with her, regardless of whether or not it still works, to keep her on the straight and narrow in her rehabilitation.
Bonus
Remember way back when we studied Ara, and I alluded to the connection between Ara and Ruprecht? The connection was revealed in the Tales of History featuring Scrooge. Ara, the Ghost of Christmas Future, was roped into Ruprecht's plan through blackmail. Ruprecht knew well that Ara needed to know where Semiramis was to get the cure to her curse, so she held that information (assuming she actually knew it) over her head as a way to make her participate in all of this.
That's all I have on Scrooge. If you have anything else to add or want to discuss, feel free to say it in the comments section below. Thank you for reading! It's great to be back!
Since we just finished the Christmas season, it just makes sense that we should revive this series with some Christmas spirit. Who better than Scrooge to make it happen?
Mythological Information
Scrooge is a character based upon the main character from Charles Dickens's original story that has been adapted to film countless times, A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge is a greedy and heartless banker known for keeping all his wealth to himself and overworking (and underpaying) his employees. He saw the poor as people who did not deserve to live and despised Christmas due to its cheerful (and generous) nature.
In the story, his business partner Jacob Marley met his end 7 years prior on Christmas Eve. Marley was very similar to Scrooge in practice and was consequently left as a spirit on the earth forever.
On the Christmas Eve of the story, Scrooge is visited by Marley's ghost, who warns him that his future will be the same if he doesn't change his greedy ways. Obviously, Scrooge is such a hard-headed gentleman that he refuses to believe Marley's warning. Marley then warns him that 3 more ghosts would visit him that night: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet-To-Come.
The Ghost of Christmas Past takes him to some less-than-fond memories of Christmas experiences he's had through the years, including one featuring his true love, who left him when his greedy became the center of his life.
The Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge on a journey through London, finally ending up at the home of one of his underpaid employees, Bob Cratchit. Not only was Fred poor, but his son Tiny Tim was also terminally ill. Seeing the boy hurt Scrooge to the core, particularly because of the effect that sufficient funds could do for his health. Scrooge begins at this point to show signs of compassion for the poor. His journey wasn't done yet, though. The most painful part was, shall we say, yet to come.
Scrooge is then faced with the fearsome Ghost of Christmas Yet-To-Come, who shows him a series of grim sights that would take place the next Christmas. The first is the Cratchit family's lack of a young child. Tiny Tim didn't survive to see the next Christmas. As if that wasn't enough to torture Scrooge's soul, the visions after that became much closer to home. He was taken to a bank in which all the employees seem happy and are making jokes about the recent death of a "wretched man". Everyone is happy that he is dead, especially his servants, who made off with all his valuables. People in debt to this man are glad to no longer be under his thumb and therefore have proper time to repay their debts. Scrooge is taken to this man's grave, only to find that it's his own.
Scrooge awakes from his out-of-body experience a changed man. Guilted and terrified out of his evil ways, Scrooge turns everything around, paying his employees fairly, paying all the medical bills Tiny Tim required for his survival, and becomes well-known as a man who "knew how to keep Christmas well."
Chances are that none of this is new to you and that it served as nothing more than a refresher on the names of the characters. That, or the only version of the story you've seen is a modified rendition of it (such as the Flintstones version or the Disney version) that had some modified details.
In-Game
The Ishtarian Scrooge is similar to the original legend in that she is a greedy banker with no regard for the needs of others. She is introduced in a Tales of History event featuring a myriad of characters that seem to have nothing to do with Scrooge. Their roles in her life are fabricated in order to make it all fit.
There are some substantial differences between the original story and Ishtaria's rendition of it. For example, Scrooge is a young girl rather than an old man. Marley is her foster dad rather than business partner.
The story begins with a voice, claiming to be Marley's ghost, demanding that Scrooge be more generous, particularly with her customers. As it turns out, this is just Ruprecht trying to trick Scrooge into forgiving debts she owes by having 3 ghosts visit her that night. She utilizes people Scrooge readily recognizes to be her "ghosts". Their strategy to reform Scrooge is to beat the greed out of her. Probably not the best plan of attack, but it's the thought that counts.
The plan kinda works... I guess? When the jig is up, Ruprecht is in a panic about not having the money to pay back Scrooge. Scrooge isn't 100% reformed like the Scrooge in the source material, but she is appreciative that she was able to speak with the real ghost of Marley through the device Ruprecht used to make it seem like the 3 "ghosts" were actually using magic (it's magical ability was unknown to Ruprecht). Out of this gratitude, Scrooge allows Ruprecht to pay her debts back as she's able rather than demanding the full sum. She also agrees to be a less greedy person (emphasis on "less") thanks to the influence of her foster dad speaking with her once more.
In-Game Description
OG
"Back then although I was poor, I was actually rather happy. For I had that special someone to keep me company. And although I have become rich, I don't feel as satisfied as I did before. Is it my greed that drives them to hate me? Will I die alone? If so, so be it. Who cares."
We're about to dive into some deep philosophical stuff right here, guys. Scrooge was once a happy girl living a humble life with her foster father Marley. After his death, she threw herself into her work, trying to forget her sorrows. Working hard as a banker has its rewards, such as getting rich. Money didn't satisfy her as well as a life with Marley, as you'd expect. She sees that her ways aren't conducive to a productive social life, but she's too calloused to really care. They say that admitting you have a problem is the hardest step in fixing it, so she's on the right track, right? Not really. She only decides to do anything about her greed after she speaks with Marley. Prior to that, she was happy with being unhappy.
Swimsuit
"Scrooge changed that Christmas. Leaving behind a cold hearted life of greed, slowly but surely the townsfolk grew to like her. Scrooge even began to support others, donating her time and money whenever she could. She has learned the meaning of not only Christmas, but of life itself. I may be far away, but I couldn't be prouder."
Ever the watchful guardian, the description of SS Scrooge is given by Marley himself. Like a good father, he's pleased with the progress Scrooge is making in her reformation. It seems like her reputation was repairable after all, and she was able to make friends with the people who used to fear her.
Quotes
OG
"Do you know what time it is?
That dream... It reminded me of -
I will change! For Marley, I will change!"
The quotes for OG Scrooge clarify what happened in the Tales of History, just in case the player needed a refresher on what happened. Unlike the original story of Scrooge, interacting with Marley changed her (the original Scrooge was annoyed and in disbelief). Ishtaria's Marley was a good person that had a positive effect on Scrooge rather than a greedy old man that fed Scrooge's greedy habits.
Swimsuit
"What are you looking at If you wanna see more, it's gonna cost you! Come on, and - Woah, I almost slipped back to my old ways!"
Whoa, girl. You need to just chill for a second. Apparently, Scrooge used to be willing to do anything for a buck, and she's prone to backsliding.
Skills
Multi Skill: One Ghostly Gift
Passive Skill: Marley's Murmurs
Rush Skill: Spirits of Summer
Passive Skill: Marley's Measures
There is a pattern here with these skills: an active skill alluding to the circumstances of the unit's existence alongside a passive unit referring to Marley. Should a 3rd Scrooge ever be released, you could expect this pattern to be followed. An interesting note is that Marley, being a banker in the original Christmas Carol, would have used measures (scales) to determine the value of something in gold.
Power Plays
Scrooge is known to be involved in 2 unique Power Plays per the wiki. One of these has 2 options to proc with Scrooge.
A Christmas Carol?- This is an attack-boosting Christmas Power Play Featuring Ruprecht and OG Scrooge
Merry 2016!- This Power Play boosts the attack of 2016 Christmas Units
used together.
There are additional Power Plays associated with SS Scrooge that are not listed on the wiki.
Pictures
OG
The first Scrooge in AoI is based upon traditional depictions of Ebenezer Scrooge. This is evident in both her base and her evolved forms.
Her base form shows her in pajamas sitting up in bed with 3 ghost-like dolls. This is where the Tales of History event begins. In the original story of Scrooge, he is always shown in his pajamas. Typically, Scrooge is shown in a bathrobe. As such, you'd expect the Ishtarian Scrooge to wear a nightgown rather than a button-down shirt and pants. The game devs threw a curveball at us this time. Even so, they made sure to include the nightcap that is typical to virtually all iterations of A Christmas Carol.
Evolved, OG Scrooge takes on more characteristics of the Scrooge of A Christmas Carol while also providing fanservice for those less interested in the lore and more interested in the plot. Again starting from the top, Scrooge dons a red version of the oh-so-famous top hat that the real Scrooge is known for, adorned with a holly/bell assembly for a festive touch. The rest of her outfit is a Santa-Schoolgirl costume you'd only be able to find in the adult section of a costume store. What's worth noticing is the holly/bell decoration on her belt and the billowy sleeves on her sleeveless top. Although I'd ground my daughter if she were to try to wear this, it's a truly innovative outfit. Another interesting detail that is unexplained is the seafoam-colored lowlights in her hair, which weren't present in her base form, which had substantially shorter hair. The 3 Christmas ghosts are arrayed in similar garb.
Evolved OG Scrooge exists after the events of the Tales of History. This Scrooge is much more charitable and generous. As such, this Scrooge has taken up a bag of toys and is giving out gifts like Santa Claus. Hopefully the two won't meet on the job because that would be awkward.
Swimsuit
SS Scrooge was an unexpected addition to the SS collection, seeing how Ebenezer Scrooge is only ever shown in winter. Doing this gave the devs freedom to do whatever they wanted with this unit's artwork. They still wanted to make minor references to Christmas, so they made the colors of her outfit red and white like her OG form. Like other swimsuit units, she is adorned with tropical flowers. In this case, they replace the holly from her OG unit and appear on her hip accessories alongside jingle bells. This chick loves garters, so she put 2 on her left arm, 1 on her right leg, and 1 on each side of her hair. Garters are a method that AoI uses to add a little sexiness, again for the people who like it for the plot rather than the lore.
She's still hanging out with her best (and only) friends, who are ready for a day of relaxation, which must be rare since she makes them carry all the heavy stuff even on vacation.
Evolved SS Scrooge has removed her coverup, replaced her garters with white ones, added a headband, and added jewelry, which also includes more bells. This girl would be obnoxious to walk with on the beach with all the constant jingling. They've incorporated another of their subtly lewd tactics by having her eating a piece of watermelon in the picture.
Notice the tubular thing hanging off her umbrella? This is presumably the device through which Scrooge was able to speak to Marley in Tales of History. Like Rocky using a picture to motivate himself, Scrooge keeps this item with her, regardless of whether or not it still works, to keep her on the straight and narrow in her rehabilitation.
Bonus
Remember way back when we studied Ara, and I alluded to the connection between Ara and Ruprecht? The connection was revealed in the Tales of History featuring Scrooge. Ara, the Ghost of Christmas Future, was roped into Ruprecht's plan through blackmail. Ruprecht knew well that Ara needed to know where Semiramis was to get the cure to her curse, so she held that information (assuming she actually knew it) over her head as a way to make her participate in all of this.
That's all I have on Scrooge. If you have anything else to add or want to discuss, feel free to say it in the comments section below. Thank you for reading! It's great to be back!