World of Animals/Eredo

The fourth party member players encounter in World of Animals.

## Bio

Eredo is regarded as utter scum in the city of Rusal. He's constantly seen at the inn's bar, where he'd chug down mugs upon mugs of booze, to the point where most citizens are certain he's in a permanent state of drunkeness. And apparently he gathers money for his drinking by knocking certain patrons silly and taking it from their pockets.

Simone and Camiko can see him at the bar on any day, but they, along with Mullo, only directly speak with him during Mei 2nd, when they're trying to gather information on the location of remaining cultists. There, they find the filthy drunk, who they catch in the act of knocking some guy unconscious before robbing him. After trouncing him, the bar owner was about to toss him out, but the trio decided they may need him to gather information, so they decide to take responsibility of him, though only until he's served his purpose, at which they'll toss him like the piece of garbage he is.

## Character Description

Eredo is a 6'6" skunk, wearing arms more muscular than you'd expect of a drunk, though sporting the infamous beer gut, his shirt unable to pull down over it. He also has black fur with a white stripe running from his muzzle down his back, and all the way down his tail. Other than that, he wears dirty, baggy pants the color of a potato sack. He also wears a green long sleeve shirt. Each piece of his clothing is stained with various beverages, from whisky to beer and so on. His pants are frayed at the end of the leg holes, and the sides of his shirt are a bit torn from trying to hold back his growing mass. He has a massive tail that pokes out between his shirt and pants, before curling down.

* As a Scum - Eredo stands in a very vacant pose. He's standing upright, though he's leaning back, his legs physically quaking as if just standing still is a challenge for him. In the meantime, his head is facing up into the sky while his upper body is swaying to and fro. When he performs a normal attack, he stumbles towards a foe while balling up a fist, before delivering a haymaker to his opponent. When he crits, he suddenly breaks into a sprint at the enemy, both arms seeming to flail as he rushes, before he suddenly slams both fists on the opponent. He doesn't gain access to damaging magic, but when he casts debuffing/status ailment magic, he hunches over and turns his rear towards an opponent, before hiking up his tail.

* As a Knight - Eredo seems to be more alert, him shaking himself to his senses whenever he realizes he's dozing off. He wears armor, it boasting green highlights, boasting round, shield-like protrusions on his shoulders, while he also grasps his shields and holds them to his side, preparing for oncoming attacks. When he performs a normal attack, he turns his arm such that his shields are facing an enemy, before charging forwards to ram them. When he crits, he stretches his arms out and rushes forwards, before slamming either shield in front of him, smashing the edges together. He doesn't gain access to damaging magic, and his debuff/status animation similar to his last one.

* As a Vigilante - Eredo still seems loopy, though he's upright, back straight, his sway causing him to step to the side a little before he hobbles back into place. He wears his usual outfit, though has also tacked on a ratty black coat, where he leans his chain over his shoulder. When he performs a normal attack, he flicks his chain to the side, before flicking it forwards, the head of the chain whipping across his enemy. When he crits, he twirls the chain around, before swinging it downwards, and then flicking upwards to deliver a painful, vertical slash. When he uses a Smash skill, he rushes to the enemy, holding out his fist all the while, before ramming said fist into his enemy. His debuff/status animation are similar to before, though with access to damaging magic, he rears his hand far back, before hurling the spell forwards as if he's tossing a baseball.

## Gameplay Stats

### Scum

Eredo just wields his fists/knuckles, his normal attacks dealing smashing damage. He begins with a couple of physical skills, as well as a move that has a good chance to poison foes, and as he advances, not only does he gather other status ailments, he also gathers a passive skill that increases his chances of causing a status ailment. Scum are known for lasting longer than they're wanted, so Eredo tends to be the more defense-oriented member of the party, able to take a beating. While he does have remarkable physical power, his inability to cast much offensive magic limits his battle capabilities. He's also remarkably slow.

The below assumes that Eredo is at about Level 1. Each stat is accompanied by their growth rate, representing approximately by how much either stat goes up each level up.

* Healthpoints (HP) - 20 (65%)
* Spell Points (SP) - 18 (40%)
* Strength (St) - 8 (35%)
* Magic (Ma) - 5 (30%)
* Endurance (En) - 10 (40%)
* Mentality (Me) - 9 (35%)
* Agility (Ag) - 6 (20%)
* Luck (Lu) - 5 (15%)

niwloedd - fog, mist, haze

### Knight

As a Knight, Eredo gets equipped with twin shields, his normal attacks dealing Smashing damage. As a Knight, Eredo becomes extraordinarily hard to fell, gathering natural resistances against every physical attack type. He also gains access to more a lot more support magic, giving him the ability to keep other allies more prepared for battle. Just be weary, for magically, he falters.

### Vigilante

As a Vigilante, Eredo gets equipped with a chain, his normal attacks dealing Slashing damage. As a Vigilante, Eredo has access to more debuffs and ailments, while also having an increase to attack ability. He earns wind magic, as well as abilities to nullify multiple targets' buffs, making him good at interrupting foes' plans.

## Social Link Events

1. The first event occurs after Eredo is inducted into the group to help find the remaining cultists.
2. During this segment, Simone decides to hang out with Eredo. The skunk, however, acoffs and leaves the bar he's sotting at. Simone decides to follow him, leading to a similar situation as he keeps hopping table to table. Patrons are also seen leaving whatever table Eredo takes. Eventually, he gets fed up and says that Simone's chewing into his drinking time.
Simone explains that if they're working together, he'll have to get to know him. Eredo lets out a deeply exasperated sigh. He then lists out that he drinks, he burps and farts, and he beats up guys he doesn't like. He says that people get uglier just by associating with him, and says that anyone that so much as kearns his name is worse off for it. He then acts like that's a complete enough list before lwaning back and chugging more of his drink.
Simone can then either say "We learned to know our allies' soul to fight better" or "You're clearly underplaying yourself". To the former, he laughs and says that he won't see any shiny soul under his several layer thick garbage exterior. To the latter, he affirms his suspicions and says he should take a hint. Either way, Simone stays with him. Eredo sighs in annoyance and decides to work out a solution. The two can hang out more, and throughout he'll make sure that he sees every decrepit inch of his soul. Simone has nothing to gain from hanging with him, and he'll only ever be able to stop it if he decides that hanging with him is a bad idea.
Simone can either say "Bring it on" or "You'll have to dish out a lot". Either way, Eredo says it's settled, and that he will most definitely regret this.
3. Simone meets Eredo in the bar, at which the skunk reminds him he's making a huge mistake. He reminds him that all he has to do is walk away and this can all be over. Simone nods in affirmation, and follows him. The two are sat at the bar, Eredo already taking uo drinks. Simone can ask "I don't think I ever saw you drink anything else" or "Does that even do anything to you?" Either way, Eredo says that better men than him have tried to make him stop.
He keeps on drinkining, and noisily belches, befire continuing to chug down the stuff. Simone, meanwhile, is left aitting there awkwardly. He looks around, unsure of what he himself should do. Eredo asks Simone if he drinks. Simone answering "Yes" leads Eredo to say that he better oay himself then. Answering "No", however, has him say that it must be real awkward to hang out with some guy that only wants to dk what they want, and that he can leave whenever.
However, after a bit of more silence, Eredo sighs and asks for a shotglass. He turns to shield Simone's view from the glass as he pours some of the brew into it, before he sends it to the mink. He says he may or may not've spat in that glass. Now, Simone's left with staring at the glass. More time passes between the two, the skunk belching a little more before sighing.
He pats at his pockets, before standing up. Simone seems to say he can cover, only for Eredo to say that they're here for the worst performance, not for Simone to pay. So, he sets out into the main space and looks out over the many patrons. Eventually, he seems to settle on someone: a lion man that seems to be touching a canary woman's thigh, the bird shying away. Eredo comes up to him and says he'd like to talk to him outback.
Predictably, he manages to drag him towards the bathrooms, where he clocked him in the face and knocked him out. He then searched the lion's pockets and pulled uo a few gold pieces. He remarks that he was pretty loaded. Looks like he got enough for the tab and tip. He says that Jerome'll probably kick him put soon, so they got the money at just the right time.
With that, the two are back at the bar, where Jerome takes up the ill-gotten goods and says that he'll see the skunk tomorrow. Eredo and Simone then began to leave. Eredo says that he must be some sort of massochist to've stayed around him for this long. Wasn't he disgusted by the piece of trash he'd sat next to all day? Simone can either say "I've seen worse" or "It takes more to shake me". Eredo sighs and supposes this means he'll spend more unnecessary time with him.
He says that he'll just get worse and worse. He might let one rip next time, he might drink himself til he pisses his pants, he might even vomit over himself next time. As long as Simone stays with him, he'll be witness to darknesses he'd never thought mortals capable of. And when he does, he'll never ever forget, and it'll be all his fault.
4. Simone meets Eredo back at the bar, the skunk leaning back on a chair. He says that Simone's either really brave or really stupid. He's probably already got people angry at him just for associating with him. Eredo hops off and goes up to the bar. The two sit next to each other, when Eredo ushers the bartender towards him to get some drinks. And he already starts drinking. As he does, the skunk speaks up. He remarks that Simone could be hanging out with anybody else right now, get to know them more and more. So why him?
Simone can either say "I was curious about you" or "I wanted to see what else you'd do". To the former, Eredo seems confused and says that he's getting invested over the wrong thing. To the latter, he teases the mink for using him like a show, though admits that as long as he can do what he wants, he's ok with being fawned over. He chugs down more of the brew, and belches once more. He seems to be rocking around, before leaning over the counter, seeming to've passed out for a moment.
Simone waits for a bit, and the skunk picks himself up. He remarks that he's feeling a little extra woozy today for some reason. He then says that his stomach feels gross. He belches once more, and Jerome seems alarmed. He tells Simone to drag this guy to the bathrooms, quick! Simone takes a moment of pause, but is able to heft Eredo's massive body off his seat, and drag him off to the bathrooms.
It then cuts to the bathrooms, where he's hunched over a bowl attached to a pipe, his hands bracing the sides of it as he hurls into it, Simone staying back as the skunk does so. He can then either say "This isn't healthy" or "Jerome immediately knew this'd happen". Eredo has a pause of vomiting. To the former, he says that he doesn't have anything else, whereas to the latter, he says that this'd happened before. Eventually, he sighs and pulls himself away, before standing upright.
He says his isn't a glamorous lifestyle, but what else can he do? Does he look or smell like the kind of guy anyone wants employed? He hasn't gotten in good graces with anybody. Here, though, he can enjoy hitting the guys he likes and dulling his brain on the brew. Simone seems to latch on and question what kind of guys he likes to hit. At that, Eredo seems to give pause, before saying that it could be anyone, from the smallest dick to the biggest asshole. Either way, he says that he feels extra woozy now, and that he should probably find himself somewhere to sleep off this upset tummy. Simone seems to prop him up and walk him out, him noting at how badly Eredo smelled right now.
5. The two are back at the bar, Eredo chugging down even more drinks than before. He remarks that it takes a lot for a guy to meet back up with a guy they'd just caught vomiting. Still, he supposes that he just has to keep on showing him how awful, awful a person he is. Before he can say more, Simone can ask "Why are you like this?" or "What led you here?" Eredo takes pause at the question, as if trying to ascertain what exactly the mink means. However, he eventually realizes that he's referring to why he's at the bar.
Well, like he said, he doesn't have anything else, before admitting he isn't sure whether he said that before or not. Either way, he went through school and college and stuff, and had trained to be one of those guards. But, after all of his work, it turns out that there was a whole score of people better suited for the role of guard than him. He knew how to take a few hits, how to swing; he couldn't hold a spear or a sword, but he could just bypass the enemy's attack and clock them a lot. But it turns out that the rest of his class could do that and more.
So, he was left behind, and his family was stuck with debt over an education that wouldn't pay off any time soon. He could take some labor jobs, but he didn't know many skills that didn't involve physicality. He couldn't say how much x pounds of b.s. was worth in gold or how much fencing the beast tamer needs for their quarry, so his market was limited. Eventually, his parents decided that it wasn't worth it to keep paying for him, so they tossed his gear out with him, and wouldn't answer the door when he knocked, no matter how long. So, he's been stuck as one more disgusting stain on Rusal's streets.
With that story done, Eredo keeps on drinking, at which Simone can say "Sorry that happened" or "That sucks". To either, Eredo says that it's just the way things should go. He didn't put the work in, so he gets to suffer. He's thrown out like the trash he is, and that's that. Despite that, there's a hint of sadness on his face as he drinks more and more. He says that he's spilled his guts, he's shown how worthless he is, there's no need to keep on bothering him. Simone doesn't seem quite ready to move, though the skunk tells them to scram.
6. The duo's back in the bar, Eredo already drinking. He sees Simone, and seems to groan. He tells Simone that he's shown him the depths of his black hole of a soul, what more could Simone need? Simone sits before him and looks over the drinks. There, players are prompted to either "Drink 5 shots" or "Drink 10 shots". Seeing that, the skunk seems surprised at Simone's response, the mink chugging down the drinks even if it kinda stung. He puts down the shot glasses and leans back, seeming a bit less formal than usual.
The skunk raises a brow in confusion, before going to chug another bottle. Simone looks over the spare bottle, before grabbing it, and struggling to down it himself. As he does, Eredo says that you can't just jump into the deep end like that. However, the whole glass is down, and Simone has some of the brew dripping down their chin. Eredo sighs and asks if that's meant to impress him or something? Simone can then say "I wanna sympathize" or "I wanna do something with you".
At that, Eredo scoffs, though can't help but chuckle a little. To the former, Eredo says that he isn't a sympathizable creature. To the latter, he says that he really shouldn't bother. He's, like, the worst person in this city. He's a bad influence, trash, he's the smelliest sack of trash that needs to be buried under the rest of the scrap. Simone looks over the drinks, smacks their lips a little, before seeming to nod at the skunk. Eredo seems confused, repeating Simone's assertion that it's kind of nice. Eredo seems confused, though says if Simone's willing to poison themselfves, he may as well be around to keep an eye on them.
7. Back in the bar they go, and again, they're drinking. Simone seems to be swaying, and Eredo remarks that the mink's already looking ready to conk out. Simone drinks a bit more, and burps a little. The skunk sighs and leans back, seeming limp in the chair. The skunk looks around himself, and snickers a little. He says that he can't believe this is happening, sitting with some guy and drinking himself into vulnerability before some other guy.
He pauses and swishes the contents of his drink a little more, snarling a little at the brew. He asks how he tricked Simone into hanging out with him like this. Simone can then say "You're growing on me" or "You're still a partner". Eredo shakes his head bemusedly at the reaction. The skunk says that he really can't tell how. He's done everything in his power to scare the mink off, but turns out Simone's a masochist, or really doesn't care about their public image. He drinks again, and belches after downing the drink.
Simone drinks some more, when Eredo spies some husky man approaching the flamingo couple. The skunk seems uncertain, before telling Simone to hold the drinks for a little bit. He walks off and approaches the husky, the latter of which tries to sit next to the flamingoes. Simone sees Eredo tapping the husky on the shoulder and motioning for him to come with him, away from the flamingoes. Seeing the excursion, the two flamingoes rush away, before the husky turns towards the skunk and suddenly sucker punches him in the stomach. Alarmed, Simone hops off the chair and rushes to Eredo's side, the husky having walked off already. Eredo's hunched over, and says that that guy won't be so lucky next time.
8. The duo's back at the bar, and back to drinking. Eredo actually seems to light up as Simone gets into their seat, though he quickly tries to go back down to his smug face. Eredo's chugging bottles, and Simone's drinking shots. Simone notices that the skunk's looking around the general area, and can ask "Looking for someone?" or "Looking for that guy?" Eredo says that he saw that guy back in training, he was one of the ones that passed. It's very unusual for guys like him to pop in here, unless he's after someone. And seeking out someone in a bar? That's extra shady. Simone nods in affirmation and decides to follow the skunk's sight.
They keep watching for a while, drinking as they do, before Eredo belches. He decides to peer towards some robin beside the table and ask how long they've been sitting there. The robin winces as if a smelly fish was waved in front of him and shies away from the drunkard. Simone decides to try and check out and gets up, though seems a bit wobbly. Seeing Simone like that, Eredo hops down and holds them, saying that they're still green, they're not used to walking while drunk.
Eredo leads the two of them towards Jerome, and asks how long it's been. The horse says that they've just been sitting and drinking for around 2 hours. Eredo scratches his head at that before wondering if they took too long waiting for that guy. Besides, Simone should find somewhere nicer to sit. Eredo then marches them out, to which Simone can say "I haven't seen you so focused" or "You seem a lot different". To the former, Eredo simply says that garbage is garbage and that guy is garbage, but to the latter he defensively says that Simone's acting different. Either way, he proceeds to say that he's garbage, so he got a bad hand. That one guy decided not to be garbage at *just* the right moment, so he gets a better lot in life. And there, he says that it's a good thing that people like him are around to give garbage like that the throttling they deserve. Simone then says "You're not helping by beating" or "Can't you do something else?"
Eredo says that it doesn't matter right now. He's just some smelly drunkard going around the alleys of Rusal, and he can't do nothing against a bunch of guys that dress nice. They'll get him one of these days, he swears it.
9. Once again, the two are at the bar, and Eredo's already drinking. Simone, meanwhile, is opting to keep sober for the night, to which the skunk teasingly asks if he's had enough of the scum life. Eredo drinks a little more and keeps looking around, Simone asking "Are you sure he's coming?" or "What's the plan?" Eredo says that apparently Dera and Myuu are coming by again, and that punk seems to really have the hots for them. Simone begins to feel justified in staying sober as they see Eredo crack his knuckles.
Those two flamingoes are back in, and soon later, the husky from that one day is coming. Eredo begins to tense up in his chair as he watches the husky approach. Simone puts a hand on his shoulder, though Eredo shrugs them off. Eredo marches closer and closer, when Simone begins to get up and within earshot of Eredo. And then, the time seems to freeze as players are told that "This is a life-changing decision. Choose your ally's fate". They're presented two options: "Fists down, I have a plan" - where Eredo goes down the knight path, who garners supportive abilities as well as the power to defends against a large multitude of attacks. "Kick his ass" - where Eredo goes down the vigilante path, who garners a sharp increase in damage abilities, as well as access to fire skills.
**Fists down, I have a plan** - Simone whispers into Eredo's ear, at which the skunk begins to light up with a sort of excitement. He nods at Simone, the latter of which beginning to head towards the bar's entrance. They look back and watch Simone approach the husky before he could speak with the two flamingoes, who're already looking awfully disdainful at the canine's approach. Eredo cuts off the husky and says that he can't help but notice the dude's muscles. The husky seems confused, and Eredo asks if he can check out the guy's exercise regimen sometime. The husky seems more and more grossed out as the skunk seems to fawn over him more and more, to the point where the flamingoes are starting to giggle. The husky gets fed up, and swings a hook at Eredo, though the skunk's able to brace himself now. Simone rushes away and gets the attention of a few guards, who rush in just in time to see this guardsman punching Eredo down, who refuses to raise a fist against him. The guards rush in and tackle the husky down, before carefully picking up Eredo.
-**Kick his ass** - Simone whispers into Eredo's ear, who sports a malicious grin and nods. He marches towards the husky in determination. The flamingoes see the approaching husky, and each seem ready to get out of their chairs. Before the husky gets closer, Eredo's before him. The husky asks the skunk what his problem is, before Eredo swiftly headbutts him, causing him to stumble back. The husky is alarmed, before growling and ramming forth, shoulder-bashing Eredo in the abdomen and driving him back. The patrons are immediately alarmed, and the two fight harder and harder. This man's a bit stronger than Eredo's usual punks, so it's a bit of a struggle for him to keep on fighting. Fortunately, that husky's having trouble damaging him. Some of the patrons appeared to grab a guard, and were able to bring them in, at which they swiftly tackle Eredo down, though the husky's looking worse for wear. Eredo's about to be cuffed, when Simone quickly comes in to pay his fee.
Either way, the two are able to walk away, Eredo seeming to wobble with each step. He'll say that he showed that jerk, and Simone nods at him. They keep on walking and walking, and all the while Simone's keeping a careful eye on him to make sure he doesn't fall over anytime soon.
10. Rank 10 is different depending on the Life Changing choice at 9.

* **Knight Route** - This takes place if players let Eredo take the non-violent route. Here, players and the skunk hang out at the bar again, once again drinking. As they do, Eredo laughs again and says that he never woulda thought it possible. Simone seems curious, when the skunk explains that once those guys caught that husky, they recognized him, and thought to hang out with him a little longer. And in that time, despite how garbage he was, they thought that he had the chops for some guarding. Simone seems excited, though Eredo says that that means that soon, they won't have time to hang out here, as he'll soon be out on patrol.
So, he says that tonight, they'll drink up the entirety of Jerome's brew. Simone nods, and so they keep on drinking. Time passes, and the glasses left on their table is overflowing, to the point where a few have to be placed on chairs or stacked. The two of them seem positively wasted and unable to really move, Eredo belching as he's leaning back in his chair. Simone themselves are given the choice of "Do nothing", "Burp", or "Fart". Nothing really remarkable happens with the first options, but the latter two have Eredo laugh and remark that Simone's way too comfortable around them.
The skunk sighs and reaches for one of the drinks, before finding he can't muster the strength. Instead, he can only sit there and lean back, before peering towards Simone. Simone seems confused, before the skunk says that he never really understood. Simone's confused, and Eredo explains. The mink's gotten to know every inch of his tar-like soul. They've learned how rancid, how awful, how pathetic a being he is. They claim that they just wanted to learn about him because he's a teammate, but they've gone well and above the call of duty.
So why? Why's Simone done so much work to get to know him? And at this, Simone can say "You remind me of me, kinda" or "I don't want you giving up too". To the former, Eredo cocks his head curiously. To the latter, he repeats "too" in confusion. And then, suddenly, he has a flash of clarity. He then remarks that he somehow forgot: Simone's still that person that got a college education that went to waist. It's been so long since that story's come up, hasn't it?
Eredo pauses and says that just because he's a bum on the street, that doesn't mean that he isn't happy. He still got to dish out some justice, even if it wasn't from a very legal angle. Similarly, Simone may not have the benefits of a Shepherd's child, but they get to be among the most powerful people in the world. Simone can then ask "Are you happy now?" or "Do you like the guard thing?" Eredo pauses, before admitting that it is nice. Having a paying job, having permission to beat some punk, having a friend... His eyes snap open when he realizes he said that out loud, and Simone themselves seem excited at the news. Eredo blushes and turns away, saying that they will take this news to the grave. With this, the Social Link is finished, and Eredo is officially awarded with the title of **Knight**.
* **Vigilante Route** - This takes place if players let Eredo beat up the husky. Here, players and the skunk hang out at the bar again, once again drinking. He laughs and says that the more things change, the more they stay the same, don't they. Simone seems confused, and Eredo remarks that the world is changing, and here he is, still being the punk that punches guys that are jerks deep down. He drinks again, and remarks that he's not sure if that's a testament to how stagnant he is, or how unmovable he is.
Simone can then say "You can be stubborn" or "You are pretty unshakable". Either way, Eredo snickers and supposes Simone would know that better than most. He keeps drinking and supposes, still, not that he cares, obviously, but it does seem a little silly to still be a filthy drinker in this time. Simone seems confused at his revealtion, though Eredo explains.
The dragons here are supposed to fix things up, but he's had experiences with this. The moment someone big and in power has ideas on how to "change things for the better", people look past their soul and can't see the punk that's actually in charge. Julin's gotten away with that for a while: heck, the lot of those Shepherds aren't too friendly either, are they? And they each know that dragons aren't guaranteed to be good, just look at that Twisted One the church brings up.
Simone can then ask "Are you considering facing dragons?" or "Surely you don't mean what I think you mean." Eredo assures that there aren't a lot of people like him, who can tell a bunch of nobles when their crap doesn't smell like roses. Someone had to stand up to the churches of old, but when nobody did, thousands suffered. And what's to say that the same won't happen with these dragons? Is what's right to those guys the same as what's right to us mortals?
Simone can they say "Goodness you're stubborn" or "Goodness you're unshakable". Eredo asks if this is the first time they met him while laughing. He sighs and says that, even with all of that, Simone'll still hang with them, is that right. Simone nods. Eredo laughs and remarks that he's never known anyone quite like the mink. And, he has to admit, it feels kind of nice, knowing someone so willing to put up with him. They know about what he's tlaking about after all, right? Simone gives, pause, though nods. Eredo then takes up a glass in toast and says "To punching out guys others are too scared too". With this, the Social Link is finished, and Eredo is officially awarded with the title of **Vigilante**.

## Trivia

* Gwen and subsequent poisoning skills is a reference to how the welsh word for "poison" is "gwenwyn"
* Cyth and subsequent enraging skills is a reference to how the welsh word for "provoke" is "cythrudd"
* Niw and subsequent blinding skills is a reference to how the welsh word for "fog/mist/haze" is "niwloedd"