Rouxls Kaard

Rouxls Kaard (pronounced "rules card") is a Darkner from the Card Kingdom. He proclaims himself the "Duke of Puzzles" and is a servant of King in Chapter 1.
In Chapter 1, he challenges the party multiple times throughout Card Castle to complete his puzzles, but they are trivially easy. In Chapter 2, he enters the party's inventory and is taken to the Cyber World. In the Cyber World, he attempts to work for Queen and challenges the party to battle in Queen's Mansion, as a mini boss.
== Shop ==
Rouxls has a shop on the fifth floor of Card Castle, containing three units of equipment along with one healing item. His wares are:
* RouxlsRoux for 50 D$
* Brave Ax for 150 D$
* Dainty Scarf for 200 D$
* Amber Card for 100 D$
== Profile ==
=== Appearance ===
Rouxls Kaard is an adult-sized humanoid. His head is diamond-shaped, with long white hair parted to his left, and a face with a slightly melted appearance composed of two diamond-shaped eyes and a large mouth. He wears a royal blue suit with epaulets. In terms of color-scheme, Rouxls is a flashy deep blue except when in his shop, where he appears black.
=== Personality ===
Rouxls acts very egotistically during the events of Chapter 1. He claims to be the Duke of Puzzles, and attempts to stop the party by forcing them to solve his puzzles. However, he is an incompetent puzzle-maker: each of his puzzles consist of the bare minimum of elements – a box and a button – and he makes no attempt to obfuscate the solution in any way. He also vandalizes clues on puzzles he did not create, in order to make them "harder."
He uses Early Modern English speech patterns, presumably to appear educated, but this amounts to little more than replacing all instances of "you" with "thou," randomly adding "-est" and "-eth" suffixes, and haphazard capitalization of phrases for emphasis. When his pride is hurt, he doubles down by intensifying his misuse of Early Modern English to the point of incomprehensibility; but when surprised or stressed, he tends to drop it altogether.
Rouxls is also the shopkeeper on the fifth floor of Card Castle; initially, he says that he's merely selling the heroes items in order to raise money to defeat them. After all his puzzles are solved and K. Round is defeated, however, he proclaims he's now their ally as he's "always on the winning side," indicating a lack of loyalty in his character. After the downfall of King, he starts seeking for a new tyrant to work under.
Lancer considers Rouxls to be his "lesser dad". Rouxls is alternately irritated with and endeared by Lancer and his antics.
== Main Story ==
=== History ===
After King and the Knight got into power by locking away the other three kings, all puzzle makers were fired. King then appointed Rouxls Kaard as the new and only Duke of Puzzles to replace the old puzzle makers. Some time before Kris and Susie enter the Card Kingdom, Rouxls vandalizes already existing puzzles in Field and Forest to make them more difficult. In doing so, he purposefully breaks "the rules" of the puzzles, only to comment that "[he] makes [his] own Rules." He appeared to be one of the few Darkners who enjoyed King's rule, as he was placed into a position of power.
=== Chapter 1 ===
After the party reaches Card Castle's second floor, Rouxls traps them in a room with a puzzle, preventing them from leaving before the puzzle is solved. The party manages to solve his puzzle with a one-step solution, and he disappears, allowing the party to continue. However, he appears again on the fourth floor, under similar circumstances. He forces the party to solve his "ultimate puzzle," which simply adds another space to move the box. Upon completion, Rouxls claims that "wasn'tst REALLY [his] ultimate puzzle," and when asked to show the true puzzle, he quickly flees.
Eventually, the party reaches the fifth floor, where Rouxls's shop can be found. He claims to have set the shop up to garner funds for his schemes to defeat the heroes. After the party continues on towards King, Rouxls interrupts them, and enhances a C. Round with a Control Crown; turning it into a K. Round, which he then has the party fight. After the K. Round is defeated, Rouxls's alliance immediately shifts, as he tries to explain to the party that he was simply testing their abilities all along. After claiming that he no longer poses as an obstruction to the party, he goes away.
After King is overthrown, Rouxls can be found on Card Castle's roof, congratulating the party. He is positive that "History shall not forget - The tale of Rouxls Kaard, and the Three Heroes!" Upon mention of his loyalty against them, he attempts to sell out the heroes for their silence.
=== Chapter 2 ===
==== Normal Route ====
When the party decides to leave Castle Town, Rouxls will accompany them in Kris' pocket, alongside Lancer. He appears in the KEY tab of their inventory, although he can't be interacted with. When leaving Castle Town, Rouxls becomes the cards item in the Light World. Upon entering the Computer Lab Dark World, he leaves Kris's pocket to become a servant for Queen.
As revealed by Swatch, Rouxls had tried to become "Butler Supremeth" of the Color Cafe, but was kicked out accordingly, leaving the Swatchlings to have to clean up the worms he left on the floor. This suggests he was trying to use them as a form of currency.
Eventually, during Kris and Ralsei's ride through Queen's battery acid lake, Rouxls appears again, riding the rebuilt Thrash Machine the party designed and destroyed during Chapter 1, and challenges Kris and Ralsei to a game of houses. During the fight, he uses different attacks based on the parts the machine is composed of. The fight can be ended either when one player is no longer able to place houses, or when Rouxls's HP is depleted. The way the fight is ended has no long-term impact, though defeating him violently will change his dialog immediately afterwards.
Whether the game was a win, loss, or draw, the outcome is the same: All of Rouxls's body except his head turns to stone, much like Lancer does earlier, as he falls off the Thrash Machine with a "GOD. DAMMIT.", his tumble causing the middle houses and the Thrash Machine to be flung away in the process. Returning to the Color Cafe and mentioning Rouxls again after this has Swatch commend the party for defeating him.
Right before the final showdown with Queen, Rouxls offers the Thrash Machine he rebuilt to aid the party to fight her in her own mech, using the head of the machine he uses during his encounter, which unlocks different ACTs for the battle.
If all Darkners from the Cyber World were recruited, he comes in at one point during the conversation between King and Queen and claims that the latter has a "nyew Man about Towne", to which the two show confusion. This prompts Rouxls to leave with posthaste, after which King mentions about him being Lancer's "lesser father."
==== Snowgrave Route ====
In the Snowgrave Route, Rouxls Kaard has already blocking the entrance to the Color Cafe in Queen's Mansion. After Susie asks Ralsei why is there a statue of Rouxls there, Ralsei tells Susie that he's not compatible with the Cyber World so he turned to stone, and that they should take him to Castle Town.
After getting back to Castle Town, Rouxls Kaard can still be found in Kris's pocket.
==== Item Flavor Text ====
* Oh, milord. Tis I, your humblest servante, righte here where I never lefteth! [After re-entering Castle Town]
=== Chapter 3 ===
Rouxls Kaard is confirmed to appear in Chapter 3 with a currently unknown role. He was revealed to appear from screenshots of localization dialogue in the July 2024 Undertale/Deltarune Newsletter.Undertale/Deltarune Summer 2024 Newsletter - Quests to release Chapter 3&4!!
== In Battle ==
=== Attacks ===
Other than the box attack (which Rouxls can always use), his attacks depend on the parts that were used to make the Thrash Machine.
* Boxes fall from the top.
* Lasers snake around the Bullet Board, like one of Werewerewire's attacks [Laser head]
* The Thrash Machine moves into the Bullet Board shooting rockets in the air that fall down when the Thrash Machine moves back [Tread shoe]
* The Thrash Machine charges really quickly across the board then launches several wheels backward [A.Whl shoe]
* The Thrash Machine swings its head repeatedly launching a boomeranging sword each time [Sword head]
* The Thrash Machine shoots several sprays of flame (4 bullets each) onto the bullet board [Flame head]
* The Thrash machine walks forward and then backwards into the bullet board, shooting a star similar to the ones K. Round shoots at each step [Sneak shoe]
* The Thrash Machine launches a slow moving duck in a straight line into the bullet board. If it connects it deals 1 damage [Duck head]
* The Thrash Machine charges across the board. If the whole machine is a duck, this attack explodes for 1 damage if it touches the SOUL. Otherwise it continues moving for moderate damage [Duck shoe]
=== Strategy ===
While the actual method to finish the battle doesn't change the outcome in any meaningful way, for the pacifist approach the following ACTs are available:
* Kris can "Take House", from 1 to 4, the first being free, while the others having an increasing TP cost depending on the number of houses (14% for 2, 24% for 3, 32% for 4), with the last two options also requiring Ralsei's turn.
* Ralsei's R-Action is replaced by "Distract", which makes Rouxls Kaard place one house less the next turn; however, it is guaranteed to fail if selected again right after it was used in the previous turn. After the act failed, it needs to be selected two times in a row again before it can fail.
Additionally, during the initial Queen's battery acid lake ride, it is possible to "graze" the little houses, turning them blue, each one adding 4.28% TP to the start of the fight (7 houses for 30% TP).
=== Quotes ===
==== Pre-Battle ====
* Ge hahahaha... Thoust WORMS reallyst thoughtst...
* Thoust had seeneth the Lasteth of Me???
* Chips Ahoyeth, Landlubbers!
* Arrrrrr-t thou ready-eth to visiteth Davith Jones' Lockre???
* [Ralsei] Could...Could you NOT speak with more than one accent?
* Yeahth, alright.
* [Ralsei] Oh, Mr. Rouxls! I just remembered! Lancer! He's not well!
* O dear. Didst thou, erm, tryeth Burpinge him???
* Perhapsth give him a sip of Medieval Ginger Ale??
* ... Waite! I hath NOT time to spare on such Frivolitese!
* I must Conquere this Islande and defeast Thou!
* Then, giftingeth her a succulent Island Presente,
* The Beautious Queene shall reward ME -
* By Makingeth Me Her Left-Hand-Man!!
* Hahaha!! Me!! The ULTIMATE Minion!!
* Now, beholdeth! The forme of thoun Destroyere!
* ... whatevereth this Thing is!
* [Ralsei] Th... This again!?
* Haha, squirming with Jealousy at my Battle Caravane!?
* 'Tis an Effigie of an Ancient God of Combate,
* I rescuedeth it from The King's Trash Heape,
* And Fixedeth it up in this Worldes' Scrap Shoppe!!
* [If the Thrash Machine is not a duck]
** [Ralsei] It's, um... It's actually a rejected, uh, design we made...
** Ha ha, and Soone, THOU shalt tasteth Rejection --
** Firsthandeth, in the form of varieth Bulletst!
* [If the Thrash Machine is a duck]
** [Ralsei] Um... that's... just a duck.
** ...
** I knoweth what it art, Ruffiane!!
** Go forth!! My Squeakie Duckie!!
==== Battle ====
* [First turn]
** The Rouxls (pronounced Rules) art Simple!
** Conquer Houses! Whoeverest has the most, Winst!
* O-oweth! The houses, thoust fool! THE HOUSES!!! [Second turn, player attacked instead of building a house]
* Soon, Victorie will be Mineth, and Queene will maketh me her Left Hande Man... [Second turn, otherwise]
* STOP HITTINGETH ME AND PLAYETH MY MINI-GAME, YOU ROGUES!!! [Third turn, player still did not build a house and attacked Rouxls]
* [Third turn, otherwise]
** [Ralsei] Umm, Mr. Kaard? What happens if WE win?
** ...
** Uh oh
* STOP!!! STOP BUILDINGETH HOUSES!!! I HAVE TO WIN!!! [Fourth turn, player built a house]
* Fly, mine Duckie! Fly! [Using Thrash Foot, if the Thrash Machine is a duck, and Rouxls has nothing else to say]
* Go forth, my caravan! [Using Thrash Foot, if the Thrash Machine is not a duck, and Rouxls has nothing else to say]
* Solveth my puzzleth, yon Maties! [Using Puzzle Blocks, if he has nothing else to say]
* Thrashst off the Porthbow! [Using Thrash Head, if he has nothing else to say]
* [Minigame ended]
** It seemseth the Game hath been Overed!
*** And lo! I haveth the moste Real Estate! [Party lost]
*** What!? Howst doth you have more Houstes?! [Party won]
*** I haveth noe idea who won or lost. [Draw]
**** CUT THE BATTLE!!!
==== Post-Battle ====
* [Party won or tied]
** [If the party built more houses]
*** Ah.... Ahh, ha ha ha...!
*** So thou hast triumphed...
** [If the party built equally many houses]
*** Ah.... Ahh, ha ha ha...! So we hath an EQUAL number of houses! I suppose thou THINKETH, that MEANSETH... Thou have matched my Abilitiese!
*** [Ralsei] What abilities?
** NOT!! You have only seen but One-Percentile of my Weapon's Abilities!! [If the machine is not a duck]
** NOT!! That plump duck art not but The Appetizemente! [If the machine is a duck]
** Watch!! Watch your growing and huge Destructione!!!
* [Party lost]
** Finally, I've WON!! GEHAHAHAHA!! How doth it feeleth, WORMS!? To be bestedeth, by the Beste? To be laid LOWE, by the Duke of Puzzles?! Ahaha... HAHAHAHAHA!!!
** [Ralsei] Er, um... So, um, what happens now?
** What?
** [Ralsei] Umm, you had more houses... so... What... does that even do?
** Hahaha! Gladeth thou asked!
** [Ralsei] You don't have any plan, do you.
** SHUTTETH YON UPPETH! And BEHOLD... My TRUETH POWER!!!
* [Defeated violently]
** So thou hath beateneth The Crappeth out of Me.
** I supposest that means thou thinkest thoust hath Won?
** [Ralsei] Umm... morally, no. Physically... yes.
** Well shivereth my timbereth, you little Bimbo!
** For in a battle of TRUE Powere, Rouxls... shall RULE!
* [After any post battle dialogue]
** Geh ha ha ha ha!!!
** Beholde, Worms...!!
** The REALE Power of Rouxls Kaard...!!!
** GOD
** DAMMIT
=== Flavor Text ===
* Miniboss for hire. Will appear even if unhired. "I eventh do Partiese" [Check]
* Thrash Machine reluctantly fights you! [Encounter]
* You need more Residential/Commercial/Industrial Zones. [Neutral]
* Your city is lacking Parks/Public Transport/Crime. [Neutral]
* Smells like a model house set. [Neutral]
* The enemy's ship seems to have fallen in love with yours. [Thrash Machine is a duck]
* You can't help but notice the enemy's ship is very cool/elegant/lively/cute/hot/gun's. [Depending on Thrash Machine]
* Ralsei distracted! Rouxls will place one less house next turn. [Distract]
** Ralsei distracted! But it failed. [Distracting twice in a row]
* [Take House/Take House 2/Take House 3/Take House 4]
** Claim with [(CONFIRM)]!
** Press arrows to move! [No tile selected]
** You can take this tile! [Selected house can be taken]
** Too far from own territory! [Selected house not adjacent to taken house]
** Can't build on acid! [Acid tile selected]
** Can't build on enemy territory! [Enemy house selected]
** Swan is lacking structural support [Selecting own boat]
** A familiar-looking machine. [Selecting Thrash Machine (not a duck)]
** It seems to be in love with your swan. [Selecting Thrash Machine (is a duck)]
** Thoust admireth moi...? [Selecting Rouxls Kaard]
*** Finished! [After taking a house]
== Shop Dialogue ==
; Always
* Anything else? [Upon exiting a menu]
;; Buy
* What shalt thou buy? [While purchasing]
* Your funds are lacking. [Not enough D$ for purchase]
* Thou doth carry too much! [Full inventory]
* Perhaps another ware? [Refuse to buy]
;; Sell
* Showeth me your treasure! [While selling]
** What ITEM shalt thou proffer? [Items]
** What WEAPON shalt thou proffer? [Weapon]
** What ARMOR shalt thou proffer? [Armors]
*** You have none! [Empty in Items/Weapons/Armors]
* I shall make use of this! [On sell]
** Er, NO thank you. [Manual]
** That seems to be all, no? [All Items/Weapons/Armors]
* What? [Refuse sell, sell empty slot, Jevilstail/Devilsknife]
;; Talk
* Ah, what is thine Intereste?
; Before fighting K. Round
* Welcome to my shop, you ungrateful worms. [Upon entrance]
;; Buy
* Thanks, worm. [On purchase]
;; Talk
* [About Yourself]
** I amst the Duke of Puzzles, Rouxls Kaard. 
** My hobbies includest calligraphy, lawkeeping, bugkeeping, cages...
** ... and long walks in the dungeon.
** Artest thou one of my admirers, worm?
* [Why sell to us]
** Hahaha!! So I might amasseth funds, Worms! An army of funds...
** So that I may crushest thou like Fermented Grapes, into a most delicious and adult beverage -
** Vengeance!! Ahahaha!!!
** Oh, how I amuse myself!!!
* [The King]
** Our Lorde King art a cruel and terrifying Monarcke!
** However, he is also Brilliant, for he decidedesteth to appoinst ME, as Duke of Puzzles,
** After pretty mucheth everyone else was firedst or placed inside a cage.
** Truly, a benevolent ruler!
* [The King's Son]
** His Son, on the other hand, is more troublesome than a fistful of fleas!
** He alwayst asks me the Worste Queries,
** And calleth me his "Lesser Dad."
** Our relation is NONE, you little water-beetle! I placate you for your Father's sake!
** I do not Wisheth to hear your MP3's! I would rather listen to the sweet song of Death!
** ...
** How is he, anyhow?
;; Exit
* See thou in the Dungeon, Worms!
; After fighting K. Round
* Welcome, welcome, my Heroick Comrades! [Upon entrance]
;; Buy
* Thanks, hero! [On purchase]
;; Talk
* [About Yourself]
** I amst the Duke of Puzzles, Rouxls Kaard. 
** My hobbies includest calligraphy, lawkeeping, bugkeeping, cages...
** ... and long walks in the dungeon.
** Artest thou one of my admirers, worm?
** By the way, no hard feelingst about earlier, right?
* [Why sell to us]
** Haha, why of course I wouldst sell to my compatriarts, the Heroes of Legend!
** Earlier art but a Test of your Heroick Resolve!
** Rouxls is ALWAYS on the winning side!! Thou can bet on that!!!
* [The King]
** Yes, the King! A terrible Man! An awful Monarcke!
** Never likedeth that Guye, really!
** I just envisionethed, perhaps... If I acceptedst this High Ranking Positione...
** I could assist to overthroweth him from the Inside!
** ... What!? Cannot thou conceiveth of my plan?!?
* [The King's Son]
** Perhaps my wording art a bit Harshe earlier... The King's offspring is a Darling!
** A strange and irritating darling!
** When his father does not cook, his Son yells like a baby bird, until I feed him worms!
** Is this what it means to be High Ranking!?
;; Exit
* Come by any time, my good Worms!
== Gallery ==
 Rouxls Kaard face pirate.png | Face sprite (pirate outfit)
 Rouxls Kaard overworld appear.gif | Rouxls whenever he appears via warping.
 Rouxls Kaard battle pirate.gif | Rouxls when beginning his battle
 Rouxls Kaard overworld lamp.png | Rouxls posing as a lamp from the September 2022 update screenshots.
 Rouxls Kaard artwork LINE sticker.png | Rouxls LINE sticker
== Trivia ==
* Rouxls's name and motif are plays on "rules card," the (card shaped) instruction manual that often comes with playing card decks. This card has no purpose in playing card games and is often discarded from decks.
* Rouxls's line "Lost...? Frightened...? Confused...? GOOD!! HA HA HA!!!" is likely a reference to a line from the educational game I. M. Meen.
** Rouxls refers to the party as "worms," similar to how I. M. Meen often refers to the protagonist as "bookworm."
* Rouxls's line "Chips Ahoyeth, landlubbers!" is almost certainly a reference to Chips Ahoy!, a well-known brand of cookies, which is, in turn, a play on words "Ships ahoy," a nautical expression. There’s a chance it’s also a stealth reference to computer chips because the chapter is based on technology.
* Rouxls was originally going to have his own battle theme, but it was scrapped because Toby realized he is "not very epic at all" and felt like you would be able to defeat him in one hit. However, Rouxls has a battle in Chapter 2 with a new theme.
* Toby Fox remarked that he thought everybody was going to hate Rouxls when he made him.
* Rouxls Kaard's initial inventory flavor text is cut off at the end due to its length, with "let me speakst" not visible in-game.
* In Chapter 2, when Kris and Susie descend into the Library's Dark World, a sparkle can be seen leaving Kris. It indicates Rouxls's early escape.
* Despite having an eyepatch as part of his pirate outfit, it does not appear on his dialogue portrait. This is likely an oversight.
* In the fight with the Thrash Machine, a small text box next to Rouxls with the text "HEY" appears in time with the end of the song. This only happens during Kris and Ralsei's turns.
* Rouxls Kaard is the only Darkner with a full-length dialogue portrait not to have a unique text box sound effect.
** There are unused sound bites in the game files named snd_txtrx1 through snd_txtrx3 that, based on their filename, could have been planned as Rouxls's dialogue voice.
* In the Japanese version, Rouxls speaks in a mix of old Japanese, modern Japanese, and English loan words.
* Prior to version v1.08 (PC) / v1.04 (Console), defeating Rouxls violently in the fight against him in Chapter 2 had no impact on the dialogue afterwards.
* Rouxls Kaard posing as a pirate in Chapter 2 is likely to be a reference to piracy, a tactic used to acquire typically paid software free of charge, usually by illegal means.
== References ==
fr:Rouxls Kaard
ru:Руулс Каард
zh:Rouxls Kaard
Category:Boss Enemies