Happy new year, the Neocities website now has a revision of my HQ quote translations for active SF2 members, done as an interactive map. This is one of the main things I wanted to do when moving things there and it's a delight to see it in action.
The Runefaust army planning to take over the world, led by Emperor Ramladu, is organized as seen in the diagram below. They have brought suffering to peaceful countries and also to the force standing against them. The five subordinates of Ramladu listed below are also all cruel and strong opponents!
Emperor Ramladu - Emperor of Runefaust [the diagram shows Darksol and Elliot under his direct command]
Darksol - Runefaust's advisor [the diagram shows Balbazak, Mishaela and Cain under his direct command]
Balbazak - General of the Runefaust Army
Commander of the Magic Beast Corps - {Priests, Hellhounds, Brass Loaders, Skeletons, Sea Bats}
Mishaela - General of the Runefaust Army
Commander of the Monster Corps - {Dullahans, Manarina Mages, High Priests, Horsemen, Belials}
Cain - Runefaust Army
Commander of the Silver Knight Squadron - {High Priests, Dullahans, Manarina Mages, Gargoyles, Golems}
Elliot - Runefaust Army
Commander of the Cavalry Corps - {Brass Loaders, Priests, Skeletons, Pegasus Knights, Lizardmen}
[Note: the Brass Loader was localized into Artillery in the english, and Priest into Dark Priest. The change in this last one is kind of interesting and happened with other enemies so i decided to not use the localized names and point it out.
Also, there's no enemy called Manarina Mage in any version. It's either a mistake or an implication that every mage you fight in the game is from Manarina, which feels kinda nonsense.]
A being completely shrouded in mystery!
Darksol
Occupation: Runefaust Army's advisor
Species: Unknown
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown
Height: 236 cm
Weight: Unknown
Place of Origin: Unknown
Starting Level: Unknown
Starting Weapon: Unknown
The emissary of darkness who obtained Ramladu's favor and authority
One year ago, he suddenly appeared in the country of Runefaust, ruled by Emperor Ramladu, and became the real authority behind its politics and military affairs. There is pretty much no information on him, all that is known is that he is researching how to resurrect the incarnation of evil, Dark Dragon. While his whole identity is shrouded in mystery, there are rumors that he is capable of using the dark magic "Demon Breath".
The swordsman with a tragic past
Cain
Occupation: Commander of the Silver Knight Squadron
Species: Human
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown
Height: 181 cm
Weight: 83 kg
Place of Origin: Unknown
Starting Level: Unknown
Starting Weapon: Unknown
The rumored strongest swordsman among Runefaust's knights
An amazing swordsman who hinders the force in their way, challenging them to battle. He hides a power representing darkness that is necessary to stop the awakened "Legacy of the Gods". He is caught up in Darksol's plan, being controlled through the power of a cursed mask, but in reality he is someone with a huge connection to the protagonist.
He has the Sword of Darkness, and ordinary swordsmen have no chance to put up a fight against him. Remarkable skill will be needed to defeat him.
_____
Dark mage of bewitching charm
Mishaela
Occupation: Commander of the Monster Corps
Species: Dark Elf
Gender: Female
Age: 198 years old
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 55 kg
Place of Origin: Dold Forest
Starting Level: Unknown
Starting Weapon: Unknown
She attacks the force with high class techniques!
The Commander of the Monster Corps, she set off from Guardiana to monitor the movements of the Shining Force, by orders of her direct superior, Darksol. However, angered by the defeat of her "Marionette" built with a piece of her own soul, she went to face the force herself.
She's the only woman in the Runefaust army, but her magical power is among the greatest there!
A real soldier who stick to his principles of justice
Elliot
Occupation: Commander of the Cavalry Corps
Species: Dragonewt
Gender: Male
Age: 231 years old
Height: 255 cm
Weight: 324 kg
Place of Origin: Garth
Starting Level: Unknown
Starting Weapon: Unknown
A brave commander who acts thinking of his country and people!
The highest ranking swordsman in Runefaust. Tales of his deeds as a soldier have reached all the way to the distant Guardiana. While he knows of Darksol's ambitions, he worries for the people in his country, and thus challenges the Shining Force to battle.
He is not a man of many words, but is a genius when it comes to
battles.
_____
A bio-magical beast of unknown species!
Balbazak
Occupation: Commander of the Magical Beast Corps
Species: Unknown
Gender: Male
Age: 79 years old
Height: 193 cm
Weight: 206 kg
Place of Origin: Surgo
Starting Level: Unknown
Starting Weapon: Unknown
Frenzied and merciless! A challenging powerful fighter!!
The Commander of the Magical Beast Corps, who fights with an artificial body, made several times stronger than a normal one by Darksol's magic. He came to Uranbatol, north of Guardiana, to support the invasion of West Rune building a fort. He is the strongest warrior among the Runefaust army's commanders, his fierceness in battle knows no bounds. Even his allies don't know how to deal with him.
[The other guide had no qualms claiming Balbazak was a human. But perhaps that doesn’t matter much anymore when you’ve become a bioweapon of the unholy sciences.]
Dwarves
Muscular warriors who attack with huge axes. Their distinctive beards grow independent of gender, and they strike with superior strength.
Snipers
Masters of the bow who shoot down their prey with surefire accuracy. Their precise, calculated attacks leave opponents at a loss.
Skeletons
Dead warriors brought back to life through magical arts. They attack with fast, hard to follow movements.
Huge Bats
Their strength lies in their fast movements and sharp fangs. They intimidate opponents with their huge wings, creating openings for attacks. Their area of action is very wide.
Dark Mages
Dark mages skilled with magic. Can cast high level spells with the staves in their hands. They have no physical strength, and thus only attack with magic, but since they can strike in a wide area it's tough to approach them.
Armed Skeletons
Skeletons of giants upgraded with machines. They've been remodeled for field battles. The strongest enemy soldiers, built by Darksol with technology of the Ancients.
[This is the only enemy here where I stuck with the localized name, because I can't make sense of their japanese name, ブローバー(buroobaa), and I've yet to see someone who does. As you can see the romanization given here is "biouber" which, ??????]
[translated some of these on the guide book notes anyway so why not gather them all. I avoided it because Lowe’s sexual harassment bums me out but it came up on the guide anyway so whatever at this point. I promise other characters get better stuff.
Since I did not play the JP version quotes are taken from this handy list. English screenshots are from an old playthrough of mine so Max has a different name.
Also, several active team quotes were reused (with occasional tweaks) in the GBA version and translated accurately there. I didn’t have the patience to screenshots them all but used them as reference in my own translations. That’s enough rambling so let’s go]
Luke
Active:
"Nothing to fear while I'm here! Take me to battle always!"
Rest:
"Everyone's talking about how awesome the last battle was, c'mon, take me on the next one! It won't be fun to go back home without anything to brag about."
Ken
Active:
"Getting to fight as a real knight is like a dream come true. I'll do my best!"
Rest:
"I'm sorry, Max, but traveling through all these countries is a lot of fun."
Tao
Active:
"I'll fight to my very end... I want to be of service to you!"
Rest:
"...Hmm, hmm... Mythical magic? ... I don't get it... Where could it be? ...I don't understand... but I want to."
Hans
Active: the english version is perfectly accurate, save for cutting the ellipsis
Rest:
"Max, seems like you were really fierce in the last battle… You’re brave... While I’m so, so afraid. I wonder how the others feel."
Lowe
Active:
"I'm the support so that everyone can fight with no worries... But let me fight too sometimes!"
Rest:
"Ah, I'm bored, so bored. I feel like messing with the girls now. Whoa, what! That's a scary face, man... I got it, I'll behave."
[much better]
Gong
Active: the english version is accurate.
Rest:
"Humpf, huff, huff! Hiyah!
What are you staring at so intently? I'm training so that my attacks get stronger."
Gort
Active:
"This great Gort isn't about to lose to any youngsters yet!"
Rest:
"Max! Want some sashimi? I and the other guys who were free caught some fish and cut them up with this sword. Oops, was that not okay?"
Mae
Active:
"I inherited my father's strength! I won't forgive you if you look down at me for being a woman!"
Rest: the english version is accurate save for cutting a "One two! One, two!" at the beginning
Khris
Active:
"Tell me when you get hurt, okay? Even a small wound can make you unable to fight if you don't care for it."
Rest:
“B-Blaaaze! ...Aww, it really doesn’t work...
Max... I think it’s impossible for a priest to use Blaze...”
Anri
Active: english version is mostly accurate but missing the end part.
"Max, thank you for your efforts. I'll do my best too, so take care of yourself as well."
Rest:
"Max! Listen here, Lowe just touched my butt! If he does it again I'll blast him with a Blaze spell."
Arthur
Active: english version is accurate
Rest:
"Once this journey is over, there’s something I want to do. I’m thinking of searching for the legendary golden Holy Grail..."
Balbaroy
Active:
"I'll fight until these wings break. With our pride as rulers of the sky..."
Rest:
"*crack* *crack* Oh, my neck is tense. I've been flying all year so this area around the neck gets stiff. It gets harder to move the wings too."
Amon
Active: english version is perfectly accurate
Rest:
"*flapflapflap* *flapflapflap*
I just can't stand still on the ground!
*flapflapflap* *flapflapflap*"
Diane
Active: english version is accurate although cutting a generic "I'll strike them all down!" at the end
Rest:
"*click* *click* *nyooooom*
Ah, this? I'm restringing my bow. Should be okay now. *nyoooom*"
Zylo
Active:
"We werewolves were born to fight. Of course I wish to be at the battlefield..."
Rest:
"*swish* *swish* *swish* *swish*
My claws are my weapons. Of course it is crucial to take care of them. Good, they look in excellent shape."
Pelle
Active:
"Don't get it wrong. I'm a real knight. I don't just go whenever the money is."
Rest:
"*clop clop* *stab!* Whoa! That was close... I might end up hurting you if you come to talk while I'm training."
Yogurt
his japanese line is the same either in the active team or not:
"...I don't get it..."
Active:
Rest:
Kokichi
Active:
"Yahoo! I'm fired up to fight! I'll make quick work of those Runefaust guys!"
Rest:
"Hey there, Max! Behold the wonders of modern life! Walking is now a thing of the past."
Vankar
Active:
"Putting me in battle means you have great eyes! As expected of a leader!"
Rest:
“(hic) Drinks, more drinks!
Keep bringing on the drinks!
Oh, if it ain’t Max!
Say, my glass’ been empty for a while now, fill it up for me, won’t ya?”
Domingo
Active:
"Ahem. Did yu know? There's thwee times more ocean than land in this wold."
Rest:
“Ahem. Did yu know? No one here believs it but, the wold isn’t flat.”
Guntz
Active: the GBA version fits perfectly
"Hssss hsssssss...
My steam engine's fired up and raring to go!"
Rest:
"*Hsssss hssssss* Everything's fine. I'm doing some maintenance right now. Ah, this is the best."
Earnest
Active: The english version is accurate save for dropping the drama ellipsis (the jp version is more like “My wish... is to fight at the front lines!”).
Rest:
"It's also good to take a break from fighting once in a while. Since I've been fighting all my life..."
Lyle
Active: english version is accurate save for cutting out the Assault Cannon's name
Rest:
"...Huh? An, an enemy attack?
...Was it a dream? This is really embarrassing. Since I had nothing to do I ended up dozing off I guess."
Bleu
Active:
"I'll fight! With my pride as a sacred dragon!"
Rest: english version is mostly accurate but i ended up retranslating anyway
"*swoosh* *swoosh* *swoosh*
Do I still lack experience? I'm not great at using my tail."
Musashi
Active:
"Any specters that appear shall be cut by my sword. Gahaha!"
[Check the notes on his bio for the specters/mononoke thing.
Also, like most samurai characters in media, Musashi uses some outdated language. Unfortunately I don't know enough old english to try to adapt that.]
Rest:
"... ...I'm awake...
Perhaps you do not know. This is a form of meditation, Zazen. It is part of my training."
Alef
Active:
"Let's do our best together to defeat Darksol."
Rest:
"What is the deal with that priest, Lowe? He's been loitering around for a while. It's quite unpleasant, could you do something about it?"
Torasu
Active: the english version is accurate, if a bit clumsy
"Please try to not be hurt badly. If your allies are hurt, leave them to me."
Rest:
"Max, you're wide open! *thump* Aah, you didn't feel it at all? Ohh, were I powerful like a monk, maybe I'd stand out more."
Adam
Active: the GBA version fits perfectly.
"I was born to serve you... I will follow wherever you lead."
Rest:
“Darksol… I cannot forgive him.
Even Chaos was used by him…
I won’t ever forgive him…”
Hanzou
Active: the GBA version fits perfectly.
"...A ninja is a man of few words. We are content to show our strength in battle..."
Rest:
"Everyone is very active. Well, it's fine by me. I am of the shadows. A bright place like this does not suit me. But should you desire, I'll lend you my power."
The princess of Guardian who uses the cold as her weapon
***
The princess of Guardiana. First in line to inherit the throne.
She went to study magic in Manarina out of her own aspirations. However once the protagonist comes to Manarina and she learns that Guardiana has fallen, she joins the Shining Force. Her specialty is the Freeze line of magic.
***
She has talent for magic, rare among the people of Guardiana.
Her mother, the queen of Guardiana, died while giving birth to her. As the king's only child, she's destined to rule the country of Guardiana in the future.
The bluish purple clothes she wears were given to her by Otrant of Manarina to honor her time studying there. The huge gems that she, Tao and Alef wear on both shoulders are not for decoration. They are called "Mage Stones", and have the ability to gather the Mana (the source of magic) in the air, convert it into magical power, and control it when the magic is cast. It is hard to use high level magic without Mage Stones.
He's an unknown lifeform but the guy's really powerful!
***
An artificial lifeform brought to life by the magic science of Manarina. Is classified as a mage.
Capable of flying, with great endurance... If you ignore the low MP, he's the greatest magic user. He's born from an egg called "Domingo Egg".
***
It seems that Domingo was created when Manarina mages were coming up with products to sell. They planned to sell them for a role much like that of guard dogs in our world.
But since incubating the Domingo Eggs is complicated, they gave up on selling them.
Domingo's size is 60 centimeters. Very small. However, what we see is Domingo's "larva" state, once he molts into his "adult" stage he'll be bigger than mountains... is what the rumors say, but it comes from Manarina mages, so it might be all fake.
______
Notes on Anri:
I've heard that other guide books were more vague on their language and left people unsure if Anri might have siblings. This one is very clear about her being an only child. I've also heard that there's a manga where she has a sister, but everything else I've heard of that manga is weird ecchi stuff, so let's not think about it too hard.
The Mage Stones are a fun piece of worldbuilding but now I will obsess over every other spellcaster design in this series to see if it works or not lmao. Perhaps other places have different materials that serve the same purpose. Kazin does have more feathers than the average man.
Notes on Domingo:
Domingo shows up again in SFCD, so if he is a larva state, he has been so for 20 years. Worth mentioning is that in the japanese versions of both games, he speaks with a very babyish accent, saying "dechu" instead of "desu" and so on. What I mean is that Domingo would say hewwo. Frequently.
Commander of Runefaust's elite group, the "Silver Knight Squadron". By Darksol's orders, he led a squad to the Gate of the Ancients and one to raid Guardiana, and overthrew Guardiana's castle.
His weapon, the demon sword "Sword of Darkness" carries the magical power of "Desoul", and along with Cain's own ability can also spread the scorching flames known as "Flames of Hell". The protagonist's greatest rival.
____
Mishaela [Dark Elf]
The dark elf witch followed by monsters
The "Dollmaster". A Runefaust witch whose weapon is the "Magic of Cursed Manipulation", which lets her control cursed dolls and magical beasts.
Following Darksol's orders, she shows up against the force to gather information. Resenting the defeat of her clone, the Mishaela Doll, she goes after the protagonist.
____
Mishaela Doll [?]
Cursed living doll
A doll that has possessed a soul for hundreds of years, and became a monster by receiving part of Mishaela's own cells from her. Mishaela is fond of it for being a clone of herself. It can use high level cold spells.
____
Elliot [Dragonewt]
The dragonman general who fight for his own justice
The supreme commander for the forces conquering the west side of the continent. Head of a family of dragonmen (dragonewts) that answers to Runefaust since ancient times.
Though he knows the current Runefaust is immoral, the people of his territory were taken as hostages by Darksol, so he has no choice but to fight. He believes the protagonist is a legendary hero, and to test his power, challenges the Shining Force to battle at Pao Plains.
_____
Balbazak [Human]
The steel general who commands the great fort
A general sent alongside Elliot to conquer the western side of the continent. He commands the base of operations for this conquest, Uranbatol.
He used to be a nameless soldier, but became a subject for Darksol's human experiments and gained a strengthened body.
Contrasting with Elliot, he's a cunning and cowardly man. As soon as he heard the Shining Force had broken into the fort, he began planning his escape.
_____
Ramladu [Human]
The superhuman emperor of Runefaust's army
Arc Rei Ramladu VI. Runefaust's emperor. The greatest authority there.
He was once known as a wise king who ruled fairly, but the tactician Darksol appeared one year ago inspiring ambitions of conquering the continent on him, and thus he began running down a dark path.
In his youth he would also head into battle himself, and was known as a dauntless warrior. That power hasn't faded at all in present times.
______
Chaos [Robot]
Crazed killing machine
A mechanical soldier created by the Ancients' science. He was originally a robot created to help the heroes that would seal Dark Dragon but, by Darksol's magic, turned into a devilish machine to fight the protagonist. He is something of a big brother to Adam, but his battle skills are far greater.
______
Colossus [?]
Guardian of the Castle of the Ancients
The defense system of the Castle of the Ancients where Dark Dragon is sealed. Created by the ancients.
They eliminate those who break into the castle without following the right procedures.
______
Darksol [?]
The demon king from a world of darkness
The tactician holding the real power over Runefaust's army. Even Emperor Ramladu is dancing at the palm of his hand.
His real identity is entirely a mystery. It seems he dreams of reviving Dark Dragon and conquering this world.
______
Dark Dragon [?]
Will it awaken from its 1000 year slumber?
The ultimate living weapon that is said to be behind the collapse of the past civilization. It was sealed in the Castle of the Ancients by the ancient people, but is waking up from its long sleep. The Shining Force's final enemy.
______
Notes on Cain:
The Flames of Hell are mentioned in the japanese version (and GBA), since he uses them to kill Varios.
Notes on Mishaela & Mishaela Doll:
Mishaela Doll was called Marionette in the localization, but the info here really makes it sound like a unique creature so I kept the more specific japanese name. Despite that, several of it show up in Final Conflict later on. The strategy guide for that game even mentions that they are mass produced.
Also, while this guide only talks about cells, the japanese manual says the doll was made with Mishaela's own soul.
Notes on Balbazak:
blah blah blah the english localization cut some dialogue etc etc you know the drill by now don't you
"I rebuilt your body, gave you the blood of a dragon master, and you still betrayed me..."
The GBA version even elaborated upon this dragon master thing by giving Balbazak a Blue Dragon, which makes sense since Balbazak apparently leads the Magical Beast division of the army. However, "dragon master" is also the japanese name for Bleu's promoted class, so it's possible that the original game meant he received dragon blood.
Notes on Chaos:
The big brother comment plus Adam's original HQ quote make me very emo:
"Darksol... I cannot forgive him.
Even Chaos was used by him...
I won't ever forgive him..."
He has been in as many battlefields as there are stars in the sky...
***
Long ago, he was known as the greatest warrior of Guardiana.
Even after retiring, he couldn't fully put the fighting behind him, and spent everyday on the tavern lost in grumbling and reminiscing of the past.
During Runefaust's attack, his daughter was killed, and thus he decided to join battle once more.
***
As they say, this Shining Force has more grandpas and weird creatures than girls. Gort here represents the old guys of the team. It is possible to forget to pick him, so pay attention to that.
Despite his age, his physical strength and sense for battling are not outdone by the young ones. You might think that at his age he has already peaked... but it's not like that at all, his skill grows steadily so don't worry about it. Perhaps he's a good example of how those with talent keep developing as long as they live. By the way, it seems he has also fought alongside Varios sometime in the past.
_______
Hans [Elf]
Class: Archer -> Bowmaster
The kind archer who loves peace
***
An archer of Guardiana's army. By the king's orders, he joined the party heading to the Gate of the Ancients, and therefore became one of first members of the Shining Force.
He's certainly skilled with the bow, but is a kind man that hates fighting. Because of that, his fellow soldiers at the castle look down on him.
***
Because his lines show no fighting spirit at all, you might think he won't be useful, but that's not the case. He has somehow managed to win three consecutive times at the archery category of the tournament held once every six months.
Hans here, along with Tao, Ken and Luke, were the members of the party heading to the Gate of the Ancients, that is, the Shining Force's first members, chosen directly by Varios for that specific mission. Now you can't help but imagine that, maybe Varios expected Guardiana to fall, and chose people able to see carry out their mission along the protagonist to the end, to keep them away from the castle on purpose...
______
Notes on Hans:
While his hesitance to fight still came across in the english version, the japanese version has a different HQ line for when he's not in the team that I feel like bringing up:
"Max, seems like you were really fierce in the last battle... You're brave... While I'm so, so afraid. I wonder how the others feel."
The GBA remake also adds a great line if you bring him to fight Dark Dragon:
Today I bring you Good Boy and Laundry Man. Tomorrow? Who knows. (I know. It will be very stupid stay tuned)
Ken [Centaur]
Class: Knight -> Paladin
The young knight carrying the future of the Order of Knights!
***
The youngest member of Guardiana's Order of Knights. He's still seem as only an apprentice instead of an official knight. Mae treats him like a little brother, but he secretly admires the protagonist for his swordsmanship skills. Perhaps due to the flexibility of youth, he shows surprising growth once in the real battles.
***
Little Ken who comes with that awkward flattering line "I admire you, (protagonist)!" and despite that, quickly grows stronger than the protagonist. If you use him that way you should go through the battles with ease, and yet it seems he often gets dropped off the team along the way... Perhaps people don't like his "good boy" appearance in the artwork? Maybe he still needs more training to survive among the other older knights.
_____
Arthur [Centaur]
Class: Knight -> Paladin
The knight that hides endless possibilities!
***
He hates fighting, and was taken in by Manarina. There he meets the protagonist, and decides to throw himself into battle once more.
It seems he's a noble from another continent. He's the only one among the knights who can learn to use magic if you raise him.
***
Arthur, who joins your force with the cool line "If I get in your way, you can get rid of me", and then really gets in your way...
Between his quite pathetic first appearance and his quite low initial stats, his reputation is poor, but that's a temporary state. If he gets enough experience in the battlefield, he becomes stronger than anyone else (he also learns how to use magic)! Only you can make Arthur a man!
_____
Notes about Ken:
I'm not very confident on my translation of the line on how to use him as it makes little sense, so take it with a grain of salt, sorry.
The line quoted is from Ken's introduction in the japanese version. It is basically the same in the GBA version (only even more adoring lmao) and was translated accurately there.
“I... I admire you, Max! ...I can’t let Mae know that, though.”
Unlike other guides, this one says nothing about him having a crush on Mae. The GBA version also ignores this fact. I feel this guide was the main if not only reference used by that remake.
Notes about Arthur:
I'm cringing so hard at that last line, god.
Again, the line quoted is in the japanese version, and was mostly the same in the remake, and more accurately translated.
Found scans of what I think is the best Shining Force guide in terms of lore, so I’ll be translating and discussing some stuff here for the next days. Let’s start with the two characters you’d expect:
Protagonist [Human]
Class: Swordsman -> Hero
The young hero who faces battles, spurred on by destiny
***
As protagonist of the game, he's the young hero who leads the Shining Force. One year ago, he lost his memory, and was found unconscious by Lowe in the coast near Guardiana. After that, he continued to train his swordsmanship in there. His real identity (?) is descendant of the family entrusted with the duty to protect Dark Dragon's seal.
***
As revealed in the later half of the game, he is the younger brother of Cain from the Runefaust army, and the two were fated to fight Dark Dragon.
The black armor (reinforced clothes?) he wears after changing class to "hero" were designed for this mission, much like Cain's white armor. It seems the armor itself has been among his belongings even when he was still in Guardiana, but before becoming "hero" class, he didn't know how to put it on, and thus could not use it in battle.
_____
Mae [Centaur]
Class: Knight -> Paladin
The crimson fighting spirit galloping through the battlefield! Shining Force's offense captain!
***
The only daughter of Varios, captain of the Guardiana knights. She's very proud of her class and species. At the start she was prejudiced against the protagonist because he was an outsider, but once the castle fell she realized their duty, and vowed to cooperate with him. After that she became the Shining Force's main fighting power.
***
In the game she's the focus of the event with Varios, and thus it isn't mentioned anywhere, but of course, Mae had a mother as well. Her name was Allia, and she was a female knight who fought alongside Varios in her youth. However, she died of an illness when Mae was young.
Her popular (?) strong personality is in part due to having her parents in mind. Ever since she was young, she dreamed of becoming a knight like her mother and helping Varios in battle.
_____
Notes about Max:
The armor thing is a detail mentioned only by this guide, but Max's backstory and family are explained in the original game, the english localization just did away with all of it because it is uh, Bad, to put it mildly.
"My name is Adam...
I am a mechanical soldier created to help you in battle...
You and Master Cain have the blood of the ancients in your veins...
You were fated to fight Dark Dragon since you were born...
Darksol...
He plans to resurrect Dark Dragon, and found out about the both of you.
He schemed to manipulate you in order to obtain the key to the seal and the Book of Secrets.
Master Cain fought to give you a chance to escape... But he was defeated by Darksol...
And you suffered terrible wounds. Because of that you lost even your memory."
[The official translation uses "manual of the seal" for ひでんのしょ, but "Book of Secrets" (used by the GBA version) is a more accurate translation.]
Lowe finding him at the shore is mentioned both in game and in the manual from what I recall, and the interesting thing is, the manual contains a pixel art illustration of Lowe carrying him into Guardiana. It's the only time I've seen a pixel art scene in these extra materials, so I wonder if it was made for an intro in the game itself and got cut.
Notes about Mae:
Mae's initial distaste for Max is also clearer in the japanese version.
“Don’t get too full of yourself just because you’re training with my father. You’re still an outsider!”
Mae talks about her mother in the GBA version, and it matches this backstory perfectly, with extra details on how she became a knight and married Varios. Her name was however changed to Arisa (アリサ in the JP version). I chose to romanize the original name here as Allia to avoid bad implications, but throwing アーリア in the online dictionary gave me a lot of result related to aryan race and similar things, so this might be why they changed it, and I deeply support that change. The new name might also be an homage to Alis of Phantasy Star, but that's just me speculating.
