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Characters / Steambot Chronicles
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Vanilla R. Beans
Voiced by: Spike Spencer
I'm Vanilla. Nice to meet you.
The player character. An amnesiac boy who wakes up on Seagull Beach with no memory of where he is or even who he is. He meets up with Coriander (Connie for short.) and together they travel around in a Trotmobile they found at the beach while he tries to uncover his identity.
Adventurer Archaeologist: Oh yeah. Within the first hour of gameplay Vanilla can start digging up and transporting fossils with his steam powered mech. A little later on he can even visit ruins swarming with bandits to search for treasure and ancient artifacts.
All in the Manual: His last name is only mentioned in the game's manual.
All Men Are Perverts: Its possible to ignore this trope completely or play it disturbingly straight. To name just a few examples: Vanilla can spy on Connie when she is relaxing in a hot springs, go for a private swim with Savory (who wears a pretty revealing bikini) in an oasis, and can invite his lady friends back to his place for a "Hot chocolate" minigame.
Anti-Hero: Its entirely possible to play him as one. Given that he was friends with Mallow and willing to sneak onto the Juniper Berry it is hinted he may not have always been the nice cheerful guy many players know him as.
Badass in a Nice Suit: Early in the game he can buy a fancy suit from a shop and wear it for the rest of the game.
Cloud Cuckoo Lander: You certainly have the option to play him as this. For example:
"I saw a blue thing... up on that cliff... kissing the boulder!"
"Yes, I have no bananas!"
Covert Pervert: You also have the option to play him as this. In fact, if you follow a certain questline just right you can have him peep on Connie while she's bathing with you in a hotsprings by having him peek though a hole in the wall.
Dirty Coward: During an early encounter the player can choose to hand Connie over to a bandit, all the while snivling and begging for the bandit not to hurt him. The bandit attacks you anyway, and you have to defeat him to rescue her. Connie is, of course, not very impressed with this course of action:
"Oh my god! What a wuss!"
Easy Amnesia: Wakes up on Seagull beach with no idea who he is. Later, the player gets to decide who he is through dialogue.
Extreme Doormat: Well, the standard way that this applies to RPG heroes is in play, but it's potentially confirmed as canon (at least for that playthrough) in one of the endings. In the Slave-Villain ending, Vanilla not only willingly becomes what he describes as a slave to Savory, but the credit sequence has him following her around like a dog, while shoeless, and all the other mantises laugh at him. Later, in prison, he can actually say he liked being laughed at, sealing this.
Funny Afro: Can get one of these at the barber shop along with a few other more normal hair styles.
Large Ham: Gets several chances to do this. Is a simple hello or handshake not enough of a greeting for you? Why not take a bow, give a salute, or favour an older lady with a tender kiss on the hand?
Multiple-Choice Past: So, was he a rich kid from a wealthy family? The son of a coal miner? A playboy who gets all the ladies? Its up to you to decide! And it affects nothing!
Only in It for the Money: If the player has him extort cash from everyone he meets. The game even lets him charge Connie (forcing her to write him an IOU as she had already given him all the money she had on her earlier) for beating the Big Bad at the end of the game!
Only One Name: Downplayed. While he does have a last name, it's never brought up or said in the story.
Teen Genius: For an amnesiac kid who wakes up on a beach after a shipwreck he does pretty well for himself. He can drive a giant fighting machine, manage stocks, dabble in fossil and artifact collecting, play any type of musical device he comes across, including an electric guitar.
Villain Protagonist: At first all you can do is be rude and spiteful, but by the end of the game you have the option of becoming this.
Coriander (Connie)
Voiced by: Wendee Lee (singing voice: Nadia Gifford)
My name's Coriander, but you can call me Connie. Everyone else does.
A young girl who is the lead singer of the Garland Globetrotters, a popular band that plays all over the country. For most of the game she is Vanilla's traveling companion, who tries to help him recover his lost memory while they go on adventures.
Bare Your Midriff: Her pink sleeveless shirt exposes her navel.
Color-Coded Characters: Pink, derived from a coriander plant's pale pink flowers. Her outfit and the clothing items you can gift her are or have pink on them, as well as her Trotmobile if you challenge her in the post-game.
Disappeared Dad: Her mother doesn't get a terrible amount of screen time due to being sick, but she still plays a decent role in the story. Connie's dad, however, isn't even mentioned in game.
Feminine Women Can Cook: Unless Vanilla gives her bad ingredients she can make a pretty good meal, but you'll need to show her a book if you want anything deep-fried.
Idol Singer: She does the lead vocals for the Garland Globetrotters. Despite the fact that many of the songs she sings sound upbeat and happy many actually have fairly depressing lyrics (see below).
Lyrical Dissonance: Every song she sings after the first one sounds just as upbeat and cheerful... then you listen a bit closer to the actual lyrics..
Nice Hat: You can give her one of these as a gift and she'll wear it during one of the possible endings.
Pink Means Feminine: Her normal outfit is almost all pink and later in the game she'll wear an expensive pink dress and pink lipstick if the player buys it for her.
Stepford Smiler: Is very happy and sunny on the surface, but hasn't quite gotten over Chickory's death yet.
Trademark Favorite Food: Donuts and honey. Giving her either of these items as gifts while on a date will give you a lot of hearts.
What Does She See in Him?: She'll stick with Vanilla for the whole game no matter how much he mistreats and abuses her at every turn. Even if he joins the Bloody Mantis she'll try to talk him out of it and quickly forgives him upon returning to the side of good. The game hints that the reason she instantly likes Vanilla upon meeting him and is so forgiving of his actions is because he looks just like her dead friend Chicory.
Wanna join the band?
The drummer and saxophonist for the Globetrotters. He is very kind and gentle and helps out at his parents' store when he's not touring with the band.
All Drummers Are Animals: Inverted as much as humanly possible. He is actually probably the calmest and most sensible member of the band.
Big Eater: He can even be heard talking about food in his sleep.
Color-Coded Characters: Yellow.
Nice Guy: One of the friendliest and most caring members of the band, he even helps out his parents when not working with the band.
Non-Action Guy: While he works hard for the group he serves mainly as a support role. He'll give Vanilla plenty of fuel if he needs it, but leaves defeating the games first boss to him while staying out of the way.
Team Mom: Handles most of the bands paperwork and books gigs for them to play at. He also drives a support type trotmobile rather than a combat one that can carry extra gas for his friends in case they ever run out.
Voiced by: Jessica Straus
The sexy back up vocalist who is immensely popular with the bands male fans. Is secretly working for the Bloody Mantis under Dandelion's leadership.
Anime Hair: Seriously, it almost looks like she's wearing an umbrella around her head.
Color-Coded Characters: Purple.
Dark Action Girl: Reveals herself as the second in command of the Bloody Mantis right at the end of the game and serves as a warm up boss before Vanilla takes on Dandelion.
Evil Costume Switch: Vanilla can even compliment her on this...
Face–Heel Turn: As it turns out shes a high ranking member of the Bloody Mantis.
Graceful Ladies Like Purple: She seems to only ever change out of her elegant purple dress to either go swimming or when she is about to go to bed.
Impossibly-Low Neckline: Her normal outfit as seen in the image to the right.
Karma Houdini: An ambiguous case in the Slave-Villain ending. One of the things you can say to the police while in prison indicates they know she was your superior in the Bloody Mantis, but, according to Marjoram, she's abroad studying music, as opposed to say, in prison, or on the run from the law.
Love Makes You Evil: An arguable case. While her stated motive is she's avenging Chicory's death (like Dandelion), her actions and attitudes strongly imply she's just blindly following Dandelion.
Mood Whiplash: During around the middle point of the main story she'll invite Vanilla on a date to get to know him better. One of the dialog options has Vanilla basically call her a skank to her face. She gets really pissed as you'd expect... and then thanks him for a wonderful time anyway in a cheerful tone.
Ms. Fanservice: Which the game helpfully tells you if you couldn't figure it out yourself.
Senseless Sacrifice: In the good ending, since Dandelion is executed anyway, and to rub salt in the wound, he doesn't seem to return her love (though he does like her).
Taking the Bullet: Does this for Dandelion in the good ending.
Together in Death: With Dandelion in the good ending.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Averted, like Dandelion.
A short guy who plays bass string for the Globetrotters and has a massive crush on Savory. (Which she and everyone else is heavily implied to know about.)
Butt-Monkey: He means well, but often comes off as immature and says things when he should know better.
Color-Coded Characters: Green.
Likes Older Women: He's super into Savory.
Nice Hat: Wears a brown beret.
Older Than They Look: Basil is really short and a bit immature, so the player could be forgiven for mistaking him for a young child at first. While its implied that he actually is the youngest of the group he is still old enough to accompany the band when they go on tours and is able to pilot his own trotmobile along with playing his own instrument.
Open Mouth, Insert Foot: He's prone to saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, such as bringing up Chicory right in front of everyone.
The Short Guy with Glasses: Yep, that's Basil.
The Woobie: In every ending, he is last seen living under a bridge, apparently stemming from a mental breakdown over Savory's villainy (even though in the slave-villain ending she may or may not be exposed; see her entry under Karma Houdini)
Voiced by: Kirk Thornton (singing voice: Ryan Kerwin)
I'll change the way people look at music.
The cool guitarist of the group. He leaves the Globetrotters fairly early in the story to pursue his own musical identity, but remains on good terms with the rest of the band.
Arm Cannon: One of his trotmobiles most notable features. The player is quickly led to believe that he was the one who attacked Vanilla and Connie on the beach, but it was actually Dandelion who borrowed it from him beforehand. This was likely done not just to throw anyone who saw him off the trail, but to frame Fennel and leave him with the blame for the attack.
Chekhov's Gunman: After leaving the band, he'll only pop up in the story every once in a while. But he plays a big role in the hero climax alongside Dudley.
Color-Coded Characters: Blue.
Cool Shades: Of course.
Sunglasses at Night: It dosn't matter what time of the day it is, Fennel is always seen wearing his cool guy sunglasses.
Start My Own: He leaves the Globetrotters about 1/3 of the way through the main plot to start his own band. Unlike most examples of this trope he isn't doing it out of spite or to beat the Globtrotters, but because he wants to do things his way and find his own sound. He even remains on good terms with his former bandmates for the rest of the game and will let Vanilla play in his band if he wants to.
Voiced by: Yuri Lowenthal
The former leader of the Globetrotters who left after his younger brother Chickory died in an accident. He played the violin when he toured with the band and has now moved on to crafting instruments at a small shop out in the countryside. Is also Elder the White Phantom, the leader of the Bloody Mantis and trotmobile champion.
Big Bad: At least in the good ending.
Color-Coded Characters: White.
Cool Big Bro: Both to his younger brother, as well as to the other Garland Globetrotters.
Evil Laugh: Pulls one off when he beats you in the arena.
Face–Heel Turn: He is the leader of the Bloody Mantis and serves as the final boss of the good path. This caught MANY players off guard.
Freudian Excuse: His little brother, Chicory, was hit by a car and bled out in the street. He *could* have been saved, but Bystander Syndrome kicked in...
Hypocrite: His big motive is 'machines are evil', but literally every step of his plans completely hinges around building and using machines.
Karma Houdini: In the Slave-Villain ending, he is never revealed as the leader of the Bloody Mantis, and can be seen in his instrument shop in the post-game, acting like nothing's wrong.
Light Is Not Good: Both his persona, Elder, and his Trotmobile are clad in white. He's the leader of a terrorist organization and the final boss of the hero path.
Love Makes You Evil: Well, platonic love felt for a sibling at any rate.
Omnicidal Maniac: His plan is to burn Happy Garland to the ground.
Science Is Bad: His motive is a combination of this and simple revenge. His final appearance literally has him screaming "machines are evil!".
Stepford Smiler: He keeps assuring the other characters that he's doing alright for himself after Chickory's death. In reality, the event crushed him and he became hellbent on bombing the country to the ground.
Together in Death: With Savory in the good ending.
Villain with Good Publicity: As both Dandelion and Elder. Dandelion is seen as a kind, peaceful owner of an instrument shop who was a former part of the Garland Globetrotters and lives disconnected from machines. Elder is seen as a legend in the Trotmobile arena with a mysterious aura, who inspires other Trotmobile fighters to reach his level and beat him. It comes as a surprise to everyone when it's discovered that not only are they the same person, but he's also the leader of a terrorist organization.
Villainous Breakdown: A pretty textbook case in the True Hero ending, complete with Vanilla shouting You're Insane! and him eventually going Laughing Mad.
Walking Spoiler: All that can really be said is that he plays a pretty major role in the main storyline.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Actually averted. He claims society is broken and needs to be fixed (in this case by giving up machine)...but all his plans would do is kill huge numbers of *civilians*, and he explicitly states his motive as avenging his brother, and never actually mentions an intent to improve the world.
Voiced by: Tara Platt
The captain of the Juniper Berry, the boat Vanilla was last seen on before the events of the game. She instructs him on piloting Trotmobiles in an optional tutorial.
Pirate Girl: While she isn't an actual pirate her character seems designed to invoke this trope. She definitely has the look and personality down and isn't afraid of getting into battles with her trotmobile.
Voiced by: Stephanie Sheh
Connie's bedridden mother.
Ill Girl: Stays confined to her bed due to her illness.
Chickory
Someone who died before the events of the game who Vanilla bears a striking resemblance to. Not much is known about him initially, except that he was loved by the Globetrotters and his death affected them greatly.
Childhood Friend Romance: It's implied that Connie may have had feelings for him, and vice-versa.
Cynicism Catalyst: For Dandelion.
The Lost Lenore: For Connie, though she never outright says it.
Posthumous Character: He died a few years before the game starts.
Someone whom the Garland Globetrotters, the Desert Hornets, and the Bloody Mantis have it out for. Has or had an amulet that looks like Vanilla's amulet. Is actually the guy who snuck onboard the Juniper Berry with Vanilla, that the player plays in the tutorial.
The Atoner
Chekhov's Gunman
Karma Houdini: Downplayed. He was never punished for causing Chickory to get hit by a car and his dad sent him out of the country to protect him. But he felt immensely guilty for the role he played and is a completely different person by the time Vanilla meets up with him again.
Offstage Villainy: Aside from him and Vanilla sneaking onboard the Juniper Berry at the beginning of the game all of his Jerkass behavior and heinous acts happen off screen. When he finally does show up he is very kind and polite and shows remorse for all the bad things he has done.
Spoiled Brat: Prior to leaving Happy Garland. He bullied Chickory and Dandelion for being poor and was directly responsible for Chickory's accident.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: He is responsible for everything bad that happened, by getting Chickory killed, which drove Dandelion insane and led to him forming the Bloody Mantis.
Dr. Nutmeg
A brilliant scientist and doctor who invented the trotmobiles but laments the fact that they, like any other machine, can be used for good or evil depending on the person driving them.
Bonus Boss: He can be challenged and fought by Vanilla after the main story is complete. His trotmobile doesn't have too much health but hits REALLY HARD.
Gadgeteer Genius: He somehow managed to create a way to make giant robots that are powered by steam. The man even turned his own garage into a giant trotmobile that he uses to battle Vanilla.
Glass Cannon: His trotmobile.
Mr Fix It: He himself states that he could never ignore a broken machine, trotmobile or otherwise.
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