Goau

I'd like to incorporate Gaou and Varie as part of the storyline puzzle, but working with Goau has been more difficult than Varie. Perhaps partly it's because of the lack of father figures in Esca: Goau dies young, Balgus dies in ep2, Aston is more a king than a family presence, Dryden has no respect for Meiden, Leon left his family behind, and Hitomi's father was hardly mentioned--all except Freid.

Although Goau and Varie's deaths have more impact on Van's upbringing and motivations than Merle losing her entire family, in Van's memories, we only see Varie weeping at Goau's deathbed and his gravestone--never any interaction between father and son. Folken and Balgus took Goau's place in teaching and playing with Van since he was 3. So it's difficult to say what Van remember of Goau or expect him to be.

But despite all this, the most significant pressure from Goau is actually his lack of presence. As tantamount as Van's royal position and his Draconian heritage is being an orphan with all the expectancy carried over from the absent Varie and Goau. So even if I do not carry him over to DS, it's important to answer questions about Goau in order to understand Van. Two main issues: who was Goau, and how does his life and death impact Van?

I think of Goau as an older version of Van, had Van been more well adjusted. He was obviously a person with great distinction and inspiration--he was revered enough for someone like Balgus to follow into battles, generous enough to allow Balgus a training leave, and respected enough for Balgus to rush back to Fanelia in loyalty. His legacy prompted Balgus to take over Van's training and life for 10 years.

Yet he was more than leadership to his men, he was of emotions. By the time he met Varie, he was already 30, so he must have been rejecting other potential matches until he fell in love immediately with Varie at the lake. His love completely disregarded all caution, logic, and any other voices of conventional wisdom. He was a man of immediate action and reaction--and Van, at the very least in this respect, turned out to be just like his father. (Though, I must say, Goau was more charming. Sorry, Van.)

But the question remains: how did he die? There were a few clues, but none absolutely telling in its clarity: (1) It must have been a private matter--if it was death from battle or political trouble, Fanelia must have been in an uproar, and Van and Balgus would have vowed vengeance. But instead his death was lightly carried over, with only the leadership of the crown laid heavily on Folken's shoulders. (2) He died at the age of 48, hardly old, as Balgus was 70 at the start of Esca. (3) When Balgus rushed back, he had said "I was too late"--so the manner of Goau's death must have been relatively long, at least enough for Balgus to hear the news from a messenger or rumors and then transverse back from wherever he was training. (4) In opposition to #3, Goau's death must have been relatively sudden, as there is no memory of a bedridden Goau, nor did he look sick at all on his deathbed.

So many diseases and ways to die to still choose from. An acute illness, perhaps, or a severe accident. I'm undecided whether I should make it terribly shocking or romantic.

Making plans for a modified remake of this scene :3a