So like I read a post that said Stella's character was changed into Ravus cause they share a lot of similarities right? And since Stella was supposed to be a party member of Noctis's I can't help but imagine how it'd be if Ravus also traveled with the gang lol...
I can give even more validation to the changes and incorporation from Stella to Noctis, if you like too. c: Because I too saw that theory that circulated around, and the comparisons are quite valid! Developers and concept designers often find themselves recycling ideas of previous concepts and re-using them in other aspects if they didn’t make it past early stages of concepting. It’s like that with alot of designers and artists.
I think my favorite thing though that seemed to be part of Stella’s design before it made it into Ravus’s design was their fighting stance and how they hold their swords (as well as the fact that they both have similarly designed rapiers). A fun thing, after all!
But I digress! The question at hand: Ravus as a party member. Ravus, I imagine, would definitely be quite the force to be trifled with. Each of the other guest characters proved to be a force to be reckoned with, with Iris being your support character, Cor being your heavy hitter, and Aranea being a death-from-above assassin. Each one had quite a unique role to add to the party as they became a fun addition for the time being.
But Ravus… Imagine him taking part in the party! But instead of in a Chapter 13 scenario (as I had written about over HERE), what if he was a party member from the near start of the game? An alternate scenario, but think about it: Insomnia falls, Ravus is injured and he recovers. But instead of allowing himself to be subjugated to the empire, he goes to find Lunafreya instead, escaping with his newfound prosthetic arm to figure out what happened to his sister after Insomnia fell and hoping to the Astrals that she’s alive.
The part travels around, but it isn’t until they arrive at the first blockade with Cor that they sense that something is off. Shouldn’t there be more imperials there? It isn’t until the others explore the blockade and clear out the remaining Magitek soldiers that they see Ravus there, his sword threatening to pierce through the captain there as he demands information about whether or not Lunafreya had passed through somehow. Cor is the one to lash out at Ravus, attacking a Niflheim dog like Ravus, but only for the man’s magitek arm to catch onto Cor’s blade, eyes narrowing before he shouts ‘This has nothing to do with you!’ And he tosses Cor aside.
The others become more alert, Ravus getting ready to confront the wannabe prince and his posse, ready to take them down as well for trying to interfere with his search. But it isn’t until Loqi’s appearance that they sense something off. Loqi, pursuing Cor the Immortal, but also given orders by the empire to take Ravus into custody or end him once and for all. The others could only look at Ravus as the man’s eyes narrow at the general in the skies above.
“Betraying your duties to the empire, Fleuret? How bold of you!”
Ravus scoffs in response. “My only duty is to my sister!”
And so the boss-battle ensues, harder than before, but the combination of Cor and Ravus is a lethal one: the lion’s roar and the viper’s fangs. Added with the prince’s strength and skills, Loqi was no match for the overwhelming forces.
But now, it was time to confront the exiled prince of Tenebrae. Ravus was there during the fall, he witnessed the assault, helped to conceive it perhaps. Ravus didn’t deny any of it, but what he did deny was wanting to put Lunafreya in danger, and what’s what had happened. What he did was something he began to realize was wrong, but he would make damn sure that even if his wrong-doings couldn’t be forgiven by Noctis, he wouldn’t let Lunafreya be without seeking her forgiveness and bringing her to safety.
The game would definitely be different in quite a few aspects if Ravus was apart of the party as a full-time member. Imagine the banter too: the hostility between Ravus and Noctis, the snarky remarks Ravus passes to Prompto. Perhaps even Gladio and Ravus relate to each other and their need to protect their sisters while Ignis and Ravus prove to be the group’s two strategists.
You find out the silly tales Ravus can tell about Lunafreya and how Ravus grew up under Niflheim rule in the army. You hear about his fondness for music and how he used to play often, about his aversion to seafood, about that awkward moment when Ravus got the numbers of three different women and one man after they spent the evening in Lestallum. The banter between this is silly, but the pictures are even sillier as Prompto tries to take several photographs of Ravus, only to have him staring back at the camera with either A) a befuddled expression, B) a very lethal glare, or C) some sort of pastry stuffed in his face. He’d have his own silly moments with the camera though, Prompto sometimes catching Ravus smiling whenever they visit the chocobo farm and gently tending to the chocobos there. He’s remarkably well-experienced with them.
Some other little Ravus party member thoughts:
— His party skill with maybe be something like navigation. The more Ravus travels and discovers hidden items and resources around the world, the more likely new and rarer locations and resources will be marked for use.
— Ravus’s main weapons are swords. However, he is able to wield all blade-type weapons besides the armigers. Because of this feat, he cannot use magic of any kind.
— Ravus’s job class would possibly be a dark knight or a soldier class. With his magitek arm, he can unleash some pretty powerful moves and combinations with his blade, but the magitek brings him quite a bit of pain and causes him to lose health. Additionally, his blade can bring status effects to the enemies they face, allowing the others to gain an advantage as Ravus weakens them with his bladework.
— In party camps, he probably is polishing his blade around the campfire or finds himself reading a few books or the daily newspaper. The others keep trying to teach him how to play King’s Knight, but he’s still a newbie at it.
