While he’s mostly abandoned such thinking due to the lance’s influence, Valter did at one point have a code of ethics that he tried to never (well, almost never) violate:
Striking or killing a downed / surrendering enemy
Hitting below the belt
Interfering in a duel of honor (aka, jumping an opponent to help out a buddy)
Killing civilians or those who didn’t know how to fight
Disabling an opponent for life (unless it’s a life or death situation)
Killing a weaponless opponent while he’s armed
Killing mounts along with their riders, if it could be helped (yes, even horses)
Killing animals in general (unless it’s in self defense) or children
Mutilating dead bodies
Grabbing someone by the hair
The reason behind most of these are that, prior to the lance, Valter primarily fought for glory. He wanted people to be impressed with his skill as a warrior -- especially people who he similarly admired for their strength (like Glen). Not to mention, he liked fighting in order to become stronger and better himself -- not just to kill, like he does now. That being said, if he thought he wasn’t being watched, or if he was being observed by people whose opinions he already didn’t care about (prisoners of war, servants, his brother, etc), and he had a personal ax to grind, there’s a huge chance he’d go against these self imposed rules.
I guess that’s how he saw a lot of things he considered off limits, now that I think about it. Cheating in school. Following the law. Even stuff like sexual assault or pursuing minors. He always had urges to go against these perceived norms, but stuck to them, not because he was a good person. He was just worried it might make others respect him less, or stunt his own personal growth. And his ego couldn’t let THAT happen...
Also, if someone ever dares to first break a code of honor with him, he feels like it’s fair game from then on. Like hell he’s going to bother with honor if the person he’s fighting is acting like a brute.
Just some assorted hcs about Valter’s experience with weapons. Shoutout to @regaldisaster for the suggestion to make this one!
Valter has actually messed with every weapon in the triangle.
Swords were his first love, and he’s been practicing fencing since his teen years. He found them elegant with a stylish flair, and a symbol of his nobility. When he got into the military, he learned the hard way that all weapons have weaknesses, and sword’s was its short (in comparison) reach. He still used to fence for fun before the Cursed Lance turned battle into an “all or nothing” affair in his mind.
The basic ranks of wyvern riders were trained first with axes, so he has quite a bit of base knowledge with them as well. Attacking from the back of a wyvern required a long reach, so many of the recruits used long, two-handed battle axes similar in design to Tabars to strike their enemies. (But maybe without the pointed tip, because that’s kind of cheating the weapons’ triangle.)
Even the largest of these were moderately easy to handle. Contrary to popular belief, battle axes (or any type of weapons) that were actually used have never weighed more than 7 pounds (3kg) at the very most. The blades were used to cut flesh, not wood, so they were pretty thin! The handles were usually made out of hollow metal to assist with weight and balancing issues.
Despite axes being extremely popular and incredible amount of utility they afforded (they could be used to slash, chop, hammer, pierce, and hook enemies, depending on the type of attack used), Valter found them too barbaric and inelegant to continue using them. (This was before the Cursed Lance made him stop caring about such trifling matters.)
His favorite of course was the lance. It had both the strength and reach of a two-handed axe, with the nobility and flair of a sword. Also, the sensation that came with the successful thrust of a spear piercing through armor and bone was just divine. This put him at a slight disadvantage against most wyvern riders, but similar to Ephraim, he took up the lance with the knowledge that it commonly had the advantage against most noblemen and lords who used swords.
Anything blunted or that required attacking from a distance (clubs, bows, magic, etc) were largely ignored. He wanted to see BLOOD, damn it. How’s a man supposed to get any satisfaction out of defeating the enemy if you can’t see the life drain from their very eyes??? (Note: this was the case even before his cursed lance scrambled his eggs.)
Hey, guys! It’s another meta post, just like the one I did earlier on the Cursed Lance! (Though I plan for this one to be much shorter.) Sorry to those of you still waiting on me to get off my ass and do Chetak the Wyvern’s meta already. I promise, it’s on its way. I’m just not super pleased with the flow of it, so I want to spend some extra time making sure it’s not a complete slog to get through.
In the meanwhile, come join me for an illustrative look in Valter’s mind. Have you ever wondered what the difference is when he calls someone his pet vs prey? What makes someone fall under either category? Well, here’s something that make that a little more clear.
First off, it’s important to realize that the terms “pets” and “prey” aren’t mutually exclusive. In Valter’s mind, all beings on this planet are his prey. Everything was put here by the gods so he wouldn’t get bored. In that regard, Pets aren’t exactly a separate classification. More like a subclass of the more general classification of “prey” in his mind. This is a big reason why he sometimes will call someone his prey, but then treat them like a pet. It’s because you can technically be considered both.
In all types of prey, he values independence, strength, and the will to fight to stay alive, even if it’s just to defy him. But in most cases, the biggest and most defining factor of whether or not someone falls under the category of a pet or a prey is how much control he desires to have over them. Normal prey are the most common, and the ones he desires the LEAST control over. In most cases, he just wants the satisfaction of killing you in armed combat.
A special note about that “strength” requirement for good prey. Valter is obviously a man very physical in nature, and of course values actual muscular power over other types. But other types can still make a prey item seem appealing for him. For instance, the Summoner in Heroes is considered to be his most valued prey, despite the fact they can’t fucking suplex a mountain or summon a fire tornado. They’re special to him because of their superior tactical mind and their ability to make OTHERS stronger. Even him.
Obviously, since he basically considers every living, breathing organism on the planet his prey, it wouldn’t make much sense for him to try to micromanage EVERY person he comes across. It’s just not feasible. But when certain stipulations are met, certain prey items might fall into the range of “pet” territory. Pets are prey Valter has a strong desire to take, break, and utterly control.
When Valter is considering who is “worthy” to be his pet, he looks into a variety of certain qualifications:
“Is this prey item not strong enough to overpower me?” If they are, extreme caution must be exercised -- they’re probably better off just being normal prey to be defeated on the battle field, not tamed.
“Will they resist their conversion?” He tends to prefer pets that are hard to break, but some easy ones might still prove interesting to him if there are certain unique situations he has to overcome (like Henry being resistant to physical pain).
“Are they physically attractive?” Valter likes having his “needs” taken care of by his pets once they’ve been suitably trained (or when he’s trying to break them). If you’re not at least a 6 on the scale, he’d rather just kill you. But, to be fair, he’s pretty generous. (He scores Gangrel as an 8, btw.)
“Will they be strong enough to survive?” This is a tricky one. Valter’s methods are horrify, painful, and demoralizing for any rational being to have to put up with. Some resist the whole way through, but aren’t physically well enough, and succumb to infection or disease and die before he’s done. Others have their minds so thoroughly destroyed, they just give up on life entirely and commit suicide. Neither of which are very entertaining for Valter. He wants them to live until HE decides to terminate their “relationship”.
If the answer to all (or at least most) of these questions are “yes”, he might classify you a potential pet instead of just prey. Pets are definitely the most gratifying to keep and break and train, but he values normal prey for being fodder for his savage instincts as well.
It should also be worth noting that he’s crafty enough to start conditioning people to be his pets without ever having to stoop to drastic measures like the kind he’d have to stoop to in order to get someone like Niles to behave. He is incredibly cunning and manipulative, and a lot of the time knows just the right things to say to get into someone’s head. No one is safe from this man!
Hey, guys! I’ve been meaning to do a few posts like this where I kind of go in depth about something related to Valter that would kind of seem out of place, were I to try to include the details in an actual post. I like the idea of this because, while Valter is pretty much just a walking, breathing pile of trash, I think that looking around the world around him can add a bit of depth as to WHY he’s as fucked up as he is, and the effect that has on everything around him.
So I thought I’d get started on the one thing integral to understanding his character, and that’s understanding my take on his famed Cursed Lance. It gets kinda long, so I’m gonna place most of this under a cut. But if you plan on interacting with Valter in the future, I’d consider this a must-read!
Okay, first let’s get all of the canon stuff that we know out of the way, for those who aren’t privy on FE8 lore. Most of the information we have about the cursed lance comes from a conversation between Duessel and Cormag.
It’s extremely powerful
The cursed lance is a family heirloom that belongs to Duessel
You CAN touch and carry it around safely, as long as you don’t use it in battle
If you use it in battle, you’ll go insane (unless vague stipulations are met)
The insanity stays with you, even if the lance is later taken away (Valter wasn’t in possession of the lance during the in-game events of FF8 at all)
Lance apparently glitters with an unnatural light and emits a powerful aura
Valter’s eyes shine with the same light when in battle
Though Valter was never really a “good” person, the effect of the lance made him ten times worse (More on that in a later post!)
I’ll also make a quick note on the cursed lance as it appears in FE Heroes. 16 Might, which is on par with other melee legendary weapons like Armads and Raijinto, but it also has TWO effects. Not only does it accelerate the Special trigger by reducing the cool down rate by one (like the killer lance, Mystletainn, or Hauteclere), but it ALSO increases attack and speed by 2 each, at the expense of 4 health per combat phase.
In other words, it makes him more deft, more powerful, and a more savage attacker, but not at all more DURABLE. (Unlike Fury, which will sap your health each phase, but will also make you more resistant to both physical and magical damage.) In fact, it actually SAPS your health, making it harder to survive the longer you stay and fight.
Now, to be fair, Valter is already fairly chunky (having a base of 34 def and 42 health at 5* level 40 is nothing to sneeze at), but I think this says a lot about the effect the cursed lance has on Valter. He’ll always be crazy as fuck with or without it in his hands, but having the Cursed Lance directly in his grasp will actually make him even MORE reckless than he usually is. And more dangerous as well.
He knows that the lance grants him more power, which is why he’s often seen with it, even if he’s not supposed to be heading into battle any time soon. It just makes him feel… more secure. Like a nightmarish version of a comfort blanket. And the prolonged exposure to the lance has had detrimental effects on his body as a whole, but it’s hard for him to recognize that with the seducing power of the lance thrumming in his head constantly. Most notable examples being, decreased appetite and especially decreased desire for sleep.
Notice that I didn’t say the lance decreases his NEED for food or sleep – it just makes him FEEL like it does. Most days, I’d say he’d get only like 2 hours of sleep (most of which consists of really quick power-naps taken through the day – I’m talking a minute each, at most), and might go most of the day without realizing he needs to eat, only to quickly find himself in danger of passing out due to low blood sugar. Incidentally, this is why his eyes always look so… weird. Tired, almost. He’s running his body ragged and doesn’t even realize it. It won’t be long before the madness takes him completely and he ends up in a coffin.
Speaking of “madness”, perhaps calling what the lance gave him is a bit of a misnomer. He’s not insane at all – he can be incredibly cunning, manipulative, and crafty. He clearly understands basic rules of the universe and won’t try to do something that would be ACTUALLY insane, like jumping off of a cliff without his wyvern because he thinks he can fly by himself. What it DID do is strip him of basic human emotions and morality – the concepts of shame, loyalty, fear, and even empathy seem as alien to him as someone trying to explain theoretical physics to a dog.
The lance has also warped his perception of the world around him – usually in regards to his abilities. As I said before, the lance doesn’t make him invincible, or even more sturdy. It just makes him FEEL like it does, which can often make him over-estimate his abilities in relation to others (as seen when he cockily challenges the twins to a fight and admits to Cormag that he slaughtered his brother in FE8, and gets his ass handed to him in result). He thinks of himself as the strongest, toughest Wyvern Knight to ever exist, and it’s just… It’s not true.
Okay, this is already getting pretty long, so here’s another bullet point list about misc things I couldn’t seem to fit in anywhere else.
I have no idea how Valter got the lance in FE Heroes, considering that he only had the weapon in FE8 for a short time years before the in-game events ever happened
I think the most probably explanation is that he broke into Duessel’s crib and stole it from him, possibly even killing him in the resulting scuffle.
Valter’s eyes are usually bright blue, but will occasionally flash a vivid purple while in combat. This is the gleam Cormag described as Valter’s eyes and the lance sharing. (Based on his special portrait in Heroes)
The foreboding aura the lance exudes is a chilling aura – just being around it can make the air feel 10 degrees Fahrenheit (~5.55 C?) cooler
I probably describe Valter’s hands as being cold a lot. That’s a direct consequence of handling the lance.
Yearning for blood is a physically painful experience for him. When he hasn’t killed in a while, he almost feels as if the lance burns to the touch.
There’s no way to know if that’s mental or an actual, physical property of the lance. Outside observers who touch the lance during times he swears it’s burning him say it’s as cold as it usually is.
Valter is 6′7″ (~200 cm) tall. In his glory days before handling the lance, Valter was 265 pounds (120.202 kg) heavy, with most of that being muscle.
The lance tricking him into thinking he doesn’t need to eat has caused him to lose weight (and, consequently, muscle mass) over the years. He’s now 245 pounds (111.13 kg)
The lance has caused him to throw most of his self care out of the window, but he still takes absolutely meticulous care of his hair. That’s for reasons I’ll get into at a later time.
The lance has dulled his sense of touch pretty significantly, making him more pain resistant. Again, this does nothing to make him more resistant to damage -- he’s just less likely to notice it. Which can be a bad thing.
The lance also sharpens his sense of sight and hearing slightly. If he concentrates, he can hear incredibly soft noises like someone breathing a room away from him. He can make out details from farther distances and see extremely well in low light.
...you've said that valter only really takes care of his hair, yes? What's his hair care routine like? How would he react to someone touching it?
This guy is a nut when it comes to hair care secrets, and still fastidiously keeps up with a strict regimen for it to this day. He washes it every day if he can help it (which is surprising, consider he doesn’t even bathe every day – or even every week), and has quite a few products he uses to keep it looking good. These are techniques he’s found over his many years of traveling as a soldier with the army of Grado – they’re not all from where he was from, but they seem to yield the best results.
1) Washing his hair (with fermented rice water)
This is the first step. He only ever uses normal water for rinsing his hair, and doesn’t like it to get wet in most other situations, because normal water will make hair dry and brittle. He wets it with the fermented rice water, massages it gently, lets it sit for around 10 minutes, then rinses it out with normal water so it doesn’t smell. He will usually let it air-dry, as rubbing it with a cloth can sometimes damage it.
2) Leave-in Conditioner (Aloe Vera gel)
While his hair is still wet, he’ll start working the gel of this odd plant into his hair, going from the very tip of his strands and working up to massage it into his scalp. This he leaves in, even though it can be a bit sticky and unpleasant to handle at times.
3) Shine it up (castor, almond and fragrant oils)
After his hair has had a bit of time to dry, but is still somewhat damp, the last step would be to work in some healthy oils to replace what he just lost. He takes a mixture of castor, almond and citrus fruit oils, as well as a dash of vanilla just to make it smell that much better. Strangely, he does this in the reverse order as the Aloe Vera – going from his scalp down to the tips of his hair. He also does this every morning when he wakes up, which makes his hair amazingly soft and pleasantly fruity during the day.
4) Goodnight, sweet filth (wrapping)
On the off-chance that he actually decides to sleep at night, he brushes his hair and pulls it into a bun, then wraps it up in a velvety scarf to protect it from split ends. HE FUCKING HATES WEARING HIS HAIR UP MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD, but it’s a sacrifice he’s willing to make if it means the long term protection of his beloved mane. This is the ONLY time he’ll wear his hair up for any reason, and he does NOT let people see him like this. Doing so (by sneaking in and invading his privacy) will invoke his wrath like nothing you’ve ever seen before.
The result of all this hard work is hair that’s amazingly soft, bouncy, silky to the touch, and that smells AMAZING. He’s immensely proud of it, and will let anyone touch it if they ask (and sometimes even if they don’t), as long as there’s no harsh pulling or something that could threaten it (if you’ve got scissors in your hand and ask to feel his hair, he’ll tell you to fuck off). Also, don’t put it in a ponytail or a bun. Just don’t. He’ll flip out and probably try to stab you.
