Relm Arrowny

リルム・アローニィ

Summoner

Summoner-Trainee

Star Prism—Desperation Attack

Cat-Ear Hood

**Relm Arrowny** is a playable character in *Final Fantasy VI: Presentiment Era*. She is a young but talented artist from Thamasa, who lives with Strago Magus, and she can make her paintings come alive with magic.

Relm is independent-minded and often disobedient. She is sassy, making biting remarks when someone acts foolishly, though she does so with a good heart. She is a sought after artist, and her ability to bring her paintings to life allows her to weaponize them. When irritated, Relm will threaten to paint the offender's portrait.

## Profile

### Appearance

Relm is a young girl from Thamasa. She has blonde hair covered by a large hat and wears a black tube top and a yellow cape. In her sprite design, her style has changed with a more aristocratic look. The color scheme has even become lighter, she has let her hair grow a bit longer, and she has taken a liking to high heeled boots.

## Story

**––—Spoiler warning: *Plot and/or ending details follow.––—***

### Veracity Kingsglaive Unveils

#### Illness in the Manse

The fourth scene in Veracity Kingsglaive Unveils, depicts a memory of Clyde. Within the manse of Balfonheim, his daughter is seen by a doctor to treat her condition. Clyde asks her how she's feeling, to her reply, "It hurts...". Although unseen by the player, it is clear of Relm by the appearance of her large hat.

#### Relm's Memories

In the post-credits scene of Veracity Kingsglaive Unveils, depicts the dreams of Relm as she rests in bed inside the manse of Balfonheim under Clyde's care.

In her first memory, she is seen exploring her mother's room in Thamasa and introduces her when she was still alive and well. While searching the room, Relm finds a book titled: *"Tale of the Summoner's Pilgrimage",* a story she remembers being read to while growing up.

After reminiscing this memory, Relm finds an old used paint brush resting on a table. She glances at it for a moment before reminiscing of another memory. She is painting a portrait of her and her mother together. When her mother asks where her father is at in the portrait, Relm simply replies *"At work.".* To this response, her mother grows a somber expression.

After reminiscing this memory, Relm turns around surprised as a cupboard slowly opens. Inside, she finds a small box, which contained a ring inside. Relm reminisces one last memory, overhearing a small fracas between her parents.

Her mother is heard warning Clyde that their daughter will grow up without a father. To Clyde's response, he cannot let his past catch up with him, he wants them to live in peace. Her mother then exclaims the many times she's heard him speak of wanting her and Relm to live in a peaceful world. Clyde insists to Relm's mother that the matter is very important and he is on the verge before being interrupted by Relm's mother, stating he is always on the verge of—noting his abandonment would destroy the family between them. Baffled by her retort, she exclaims to him that he'll miss his own daughter's childhood simply because he'd chose to flee and avoid his past from catching up to him; her mother's way of trying to metaphorically weigh out the repercussions of his actions. Leave Relm and her mother to avoid his past, or be happy with the life he has now and stay together.

Veracity Kingsglaive Unveils ends with Relm glaring at the paint brush in sorrow as her mother's voice says the final words: *"Why can't you be happy with what you have?"*

### Presentiment Era

#### Reunion in Thamasa

Terra, Locke and Clyde visit Strago in Thamasa to ask him about the espers. While Strago feigns ignorance, Relm rudely barges in on the conversation and asks the visitors if they can use magic too. She takes an immediate liking to Shadow's dog, Interceptor, seemingly confused Shadow as Interceptor does not normally like people. It is this moment Relm is introduced to her father. Not appearing to thrilled, she states she would ask him to come with her to "talk", but he might just call her liar again. Shadow, who is Clyde, confused, asks what she speaks of. Strago grows irate and demands Relm to leave their conversation and back to her room. She eventually obliges, but not first remarking her feelings towards Clyde.

Afterward, Strago explains to Terra and Locke the villagers' magic abilities were inherited from the Mage Warriors, who, after the War of the Magi, were shunned by the world and left to found their own community in Thamasa. Strago agrees to help find the espers and bars Relm from joining when she asks to come too. Irritated, Relm insists to Strago she's no longer a kid anymore and should be allowed to have more freedom, to no available from Strago. She would eventually follow anyway and catch up with the others when they fight Ultros.

#### Pictomancer's new affinity

Relm has taken an affinity to the art of summoning in the turn of events. She trains along side Strago to become a full-fledged summoner. Confusing Terra, Relm states she still enjoys painting, but her latter interests have been more on the art of summoning.

Before heading to the Esper Caves, Clyde takes off from the party, not to be misunderstood he just wanted his dog back—also confused over the turn in events. Strago insists he worry not, as he's only ever had one request from him. For Clyde to reveal his face and place reassurance within Strago, for Relm's sake. Strago thanks CLyde and they head to the Esper Caves.

At the Esper Caves, Relm is not confused at the sight of an esper. She instead also feels immense magical power from Terra, as Strago has.

#### Battle of Thamasa

Terra convinces the espers to negotiate peace with General Leo and the Gestahlian Empire. Relm takes notice of Carrière and Locke's reconcilement and is quite confused by the sight of it. To Strago's response, *"Yes, they do exist."* The peace deal is revealed to be a trap set up by Kefka Palazzo to procure more magicite. Kefka's plan is a tragic success, and Relm and Strago join the others in the fight against him.

What happens to Relm after the end of the world depends on whether the party waited for Clyde before jumping off the Floating Continent. If the party did not wait for him, Relm is found wounded in the Cave on the Veldt and the party has to defeat the Behemoth King to rescue her and take her back to Thamasa to recover. Before she can rejoin the party she disappears.

#### Mansion of Illusion

The villagers in Thamasa mention that Relm had been hired by Owzer, a wealthy art collector in Jidoor, to help him remove a demon named Chadarnook that has possessed one of his prized paintings. If the party does wait for Shadow at the Floating Continent, he will be found wounded in the cave in Relm's place, and Relm will already be in Jidoor having been hired by Owzer. Relm can do nothing to exorcise the painting until the party shows up to help. Afterward, Relm rejoins.

#### Strago's despair

She goes to the Cultists' Tower where Strago has joined the Cult of Kefka out of despair. Relm awakes Strago up from his trance with a few choice words, and he rejoins, mentioning that Relm is as foul-mouthed as ever. Relm and Strago return to Thamasa where they find Strago's old friend, Gungho, injured by Hidon, a monster he and Strago used to hunt in their youth. Strago and Relm go defeat Hidon, and come back victorious.

When the party is escaping Kefka's crumbling tower following their victory, Relm says she would like to paint a traditional, non-magic painting of Strago using a real canvas. If Strago never rejoined the Returners in the World of Ruin, then Relm, stuck on a conveyor belt, is passed along by Celes/Carrière, Setzer/Steiner, and Edgar. She threatens to paint their portraits, saying, "You can't just throw me aside!" and they return to help her.

#### Relm's dreams

Through of a series of flashbacks unveiled by resting in various inns with Shadow in the party, it is revealed that Shadow is Relm's father. Shadow's dreams tell the story of him as a train robber named Clyde who fled the authorities with his partner Baram.

Baram was killed but Clyde escaped to Thamasa, where he married an unnamed woman and fathered a child before leaving the village to keep his past from catching up with him. The village dog, Interceptor, followed him. This is why Interceptor is so friendly towards Relm, and why both Shadow and Relm can use the Memento Ring, said to be empowered by the love of a departed mother—in this case, Relm's mother and Shadow's wife.

If the player allows Shadow to die on the Floating Continent, the flashback sequence viewed when the player rescues Relm changes to show Strago speaking to Relm who cries out for "Daddy" and asks where he went and if he will come back, before Interceptor leaves. This fits seamlessly with the flashback viewed if the player rescues Shadow instead of Relm, which shows him, as Clyde, walking away from Strago's home when Interceptor runs up from behind him. In the original English SNES release, he tells Interceptor to stay with *"the girl",* but the word used for *"girl"* in the Japanese release could also be used as a humble form of *"daughter".* In the Game Boy Advance release the word *"daughter"* is used instead, making it clear that Shadow fathered a child in Thamasa before fleeing the village.

Shadow and Relm's relationship was officially confirmed in developers' interviews in 1995. The developers considered having a scene in a bar (presumably in Thamasa) where Strago asks Shadow to reveal his identity. The dialogue was supposed to be as follows:

*Strago: I have one request... Show me your face. Even if you are him, I have no intention of wasting time trying to talk you into staying. I just want to know... for Relm's sake...*
*Shadow: ...... (He takes off his mask and shows Strago his face. However, his back is turned so that the player can't see.)*
*Strago: Thank you... Shadow. ...Come, let's have a drink.*
***––—Spoilers end here––—***

## Gameplay

Relm is a Summoner-Trainee whose primary role is casting Magic, as her very high Magic stat and access to female-exclusive equipment make her a powerful mage. Due to her trainee-status, her summons are limited to Esper magicite shards. This unused summon command of *Final Fantasy VI* has been fixed in Presentiment Era*.* Her Sketch ability allows her to replicate the attack of an enemy, and she can turn it into Control with the Fake Mustache relic. Relm's Sketch command is also associated with many glitches in the original SNES release.

Her Desperation Attack is Star Prism that instantly kills an enemy not immune to Death. As opposed to the rest of the party, her and Strago's Desperation Attacks inflict instant death rather than high damage.

Relm has good Speed, but her physical stats are generally low. Her equipment is limited, though her rods, maces and robes can boost her magical prowess further, and she can equip the Cat-Ear Hood, one of the strongest pieces of armor.

## Quotes

* *"She's going to grow up without a father!" (Relm's mother to Clyde)*
* *"I can't let it catch up with me, I want you to live in peace!" (Clyde to Relm's mother)*
* *"Yes. How many times have I heard you, that you want us to live in a peaceful world?" (Relm's mother to Clyde)*
* *"Maya, this is very, very important. I cannot abandon my responsibilities—just on the verge of—" (Clyde to Relm's mother)*
* *"You're always on the verge! You're abandonment would destroy this family!" (Relm's mother to Clyde)*
* *"You are missing your daughter's childhood because you'd rather flee to avoid your past from catching up to you!" (Relm's mother to Clyde)*

## Trivia

* Depicted in the SNES version of *Final Fantasy VI: Presentiment Era,* Relm is aged sixteen at time of events.
* Strago's response to Relm's puzzled reaction to Locke and Carrière gives an inkling on Carrière's orientation.
* The deleted bar scene in Thamasa between Strago and Shadow is adumbrated and included in *Final Fantasy VI: Presentiment Era.*
* The book Relm finds in her departed mother's room is titled *"Tale of the Summoner's Pilgrimage",* a possible allusion to Yuna and her pilgrimage.
* As Clyde reads the book to Relm, one of the lines he reads are: *"The path was dark and is guarded by Vasegiatta, said the red guardian.".* Given the title of the book, could be an allude to Yuna's guardian, Auron.
* The story book also alludes to the Vasegiatta, an enemy encountered around Thamasa.
* Owzer's Mansion is also *Mansion of Illusion* in *Chrono Trigger: The Zodiac Era*.
* Relm's journey to become a summoner, which has seen been dummied out in *Final Fantasy VI: Presentiment Era,* was similar to Yuna's pilgrimage.