As the resident templar expert I'm curious about your opinion on Meliadoul's position, both before The Events and after.
Like, we know that after she sees her father's bff turn into a giant mosquito she cuts herself from the whole templar thing for obvious demon-related reasons, but the line she must've been forced to toe between "absolutely devoted church arm" and "must be kept out of the demon secret thing" is ripe for interesting thoughts and stories!
That and her two summoner gal pals polycule. Something something strong-minded women with a duo of supporting ladies, looking at you, Agrias + Lavian and Alicia, Miluda + tow two green priests, and Meliadoul + two summoners.
THIS IS SUCH A TASTY ASK THANK YOU??! and thank you for bestowing me with such an honorable title, i will always strive to be a templar expert!! <33
cough-- i am a firm believer in the idea that Meliadoul had suspicions from the start (as in before/during the game's course) about how the other templars were behaving but that the scope of what Meliadoul originally suspected fell short of the full truth.
idk if I'll continue making sense but Meliadoul's tightrope walking position as a templar before joining Ramza incidentally lends credence to Hashmal's weirdly upset tone when Meliadoul confronts him in the cathedral (the "Monsters? You think us monsters?!" line that makes me giggle so much) -- he's trying to preserve the lie that what he's involved in is Clearly a Mortal Affair and do Not presume of Demons, Human Daughter that is Mine. Because Meliadoul thinking that her father is or has become corrupt in a human way rather than a "the man you knew is gone" way could have given Hashmal leeway to keep manipulating her & perhaps even return her to his side as a useful tool.
Once she firmly denies this false truth however, he tries to kill her just like he killed Isilud. I think that like Isilud and perhaps even Cletienne, Meliadoul might've been blinded by the sort of people that her associates and father used to be. a "this can't be true" mindset that she does actually give voice to during the Zalera fight and even somewhat during the wotl-only bonus encounter with Cletienne. I think even someone as badass as Meliadoul didn't want to believe that people she grew up with (or could have grown up with idk) could ever become so vile.
