Atai Mayor (PHOA)

*For the character of the same name in Phoenotopia, see Atai Mayor (PHO).*

The **Atai Mayor** is a character in *Phoenotopia: Awakening* who is the child ruler of Atai Town.

## Description

The Atai Mayor was born into a family with a rich history of ruling over Atai Town. He was once a happy child who embraced life with joy, until one day his parents passed away and he was thrust into the position of leadership to fill the void created by his parents' demise. Since then, he has become a somber individual, although the palace staff are trying to help him preserve his childhood.

### Family History

#### Neri the First

Neri the First was one of Rhodus's most fierce warriors. Because he fought in so many battles, Rhodus decided to reward Neri by making him Lord of an unclaimed territory that would eventually become Atai. As he worked to lay the foundations for the town, many people joined Neri because he was a great leader.

#### Neri the Second

Neri the Second was timid in nature, and had great respect for life and nature. Because of this, he grew up to love agriculture, and this drove him to engineer his very own breed of beans, those being Vala Beans. Some of his other endeavors included a fertilizer made from Sand Drake shells and an unsuccessful attempt to domesticate Dragon Snares; the latter project resulted in Neri's premature death when he forgot to feed his pet Dragon Snare one day.

#### Neri the Third

Neri the Third, notably the only female down the line of Neris, was notorious for being a practical joker. During her time, it was customary to have a beard and mustache as it was believed that they gave individuals an air of importance; as such, she upheld this standard by wearing a fake beard and mustache. She pulled off all kinds of crazy escapades, but the only one that gained popularity among the people of Atai was camel racing.

#### Neri the Fourth

Neri the Fourth was Atai's most influential ruler. The current Mayor's caretaker grew up with this Neri and served as his personal guard. Because of his eye for talent and keen business sense, Neri was able to make Atai become so influential that it rivaled Rhodus itself. To celebrate Atai's rising fame, he adorned the city with gold, which in turn made it even more famous.

#### Neri the Fifth

Neri the Fifth's rule was where the Mayor's family's history, as well as that of Atai itself, took a turn for the worse. As it turns out, Neri the Fourth had also made a lot of enemies during his rule, and when Neri the Fifth became mayor all of these enemies began targeting him, placing Atai in a precarious position. Things only got worse when Neri decided to defect from Rhodus and marry a Castellan princess, against the caretaker's objections. Eventually, Neri the Fifth died, having presumably been assassinated by one of his enemies, which led to his son, the current Mayor, to gain the title.

## Events of Phoenotopia: Awakening

Gail arrives at Atai Town and finds Lisa at the Mayor's palace. She learns that Lisa has amassed a massive debt to the Mayor and thus has to work as an indentured servant to pay it off. Wanting to help her friend, Gail decides to talk to the Mayor to get him to release Lisa. Lisa protests, warning Gail that the Mayor is not reasonable and would probably make fun of her, or worse. She can't stop Gail due to being chained, though, so she resorts to giving Gail some advice, informing her that the Mayor is a child and that he hates when people dwell on this fact. Gail takes this advice into consideration and goes to talk to the Mayor.

Upon entering the Mayor's chamber, the Mayor dismissively calls Gail an old lady and complains to his servant Rufus. Rufus urges the Mayor to show Gail some respect, so the Mayor begrudgingly asks Gail what she wants. Gail asks to buy Lisa's freedom, and the Mayor responds by laughing at her. He explains that Lisa's debt is much too large for just anyone to pay off with some pocket change, but admits that he's having trouble dealing with the Ouroboros Bandits who keep attacking Atai and needs someone to take down their leader, Birdy. Technically, the bounty placed on Birdy's head would be nowhere near enough to cover Lisa's debt, but the Mayor tells Gail that he'll call it even if she manages to capture Birdy. Rufus expresses his reservations about this arrangement, but the Mayor scolds him for doubting Gail based on a first impression of her, just like how people do to the Mayor. He then orders Gail to depart, so she sets out to bring Birdy to justice.

Later, after defeating the Bandits' Great Drake and apprehending Birdy, Gail returns to the Mayor's palace, where he praises her for a job well done. He then orders a guard to set Lisa free, and tells Gail that, as per her request, he won't tell anyone who captured Birdy.