A Character Study: General Godeslas

 Ogre Battle 64 is a niche within a niche. It was a game made for a largely unpopular system, and belonging to a genre that, for its high ambitions, was never particularly popular.

It is no surprise then, that people have largely glossed over a lot of its aspects, despite it having done some remarkable things. While its execution is lacking in many aspects, especially when we focus on its storytelling, it still has quite a lot of interest here.

One such aspect is the character of General Godeslas. Initially presented as merely a rather stern, disapproving superior, Godeslas undergoes a fairly remarkable transformation into someone more humane and a bit tragic even as the story progresses.

Note that, by its very nature, this study will involve spoilers for the game. Avoid reading any further if you wish to avoid them.

Background

Godeslas starts as, and remains, the general of the southern part of Palatinus. Of late, the state has been facing rebellions in that area. The protagonist of this game, Magnus Gallant, works under him. At first, he's loyal to the army, however learning of the inequality and injustice around class lines dominant within the state makes him defect to a prominent branch of the rebellion. It must be noted that Magnus is no nobody; in fact he's a son of a powerful noble family, and even shares a friendship with one of the royal princes.

Study

The first time we meet Godeslas, Magnus is fresh off graduating from a military academy, and travels with his personal retinue to take a position in the Southern Region. He meets with the general before taking to the battlefield. Here's his dialogue:

- Godeslas gets off his throne and advances firmly to the soldiers gathered in front, before addressing them.
Godeslas: Welcome to the Palatinean Army, Southern Division.
Godeslas: I'm sure you all know that Alba is the most rugged region in Palatinus.
- Godeslas advances even further. He folds his arms behind his back and takes a closer look at the soldiers.
Godeslas: It looks like some of you are graduates from the military academy in the Central Region...
Godeslas: I have absolutely no idea why you people chose to come here, of all places.
- Godeslas then turns toward his attending knight, and away from the soldiers.
Godeslas: Did you think you could slack off? 
Godeslas: If that's the case, then I suggest you think again.
- Godeslas then walks partway back to his throne, and faces the soldiers again.
Godeslas: Don't expect any special treatment. All that counts is your ability! Remember that.
- Godeslas turns away from the soldiers again.
Godeslas: That's all I have to say at this point.

Godeslas: Now I want you to go on a training exercise.
Godeslas: Ariosh! You take care of the rest.
- Godeslas goes back to his throne and sits there. His knight, Ariosh, takes over.

Like I had mentioned earlier, this is a fairly standard portrayal of a military general here - he's stern and blunt to his subordinates, his speech is very condensed, and he tries to bring discipline through some harsh threats and assurances that none will be favored for their wealth, or social or political connections. 

From here, we need to jump a bit. The prince Magnus was friends with coincidentally gets kidnapped by a rebel group. Turns out, they had set up a distraction for the Southern Division, and then attacked and captured the prince's retinue to execute him as an example to the state. Unsurprisingly, Magnus manages to foil their plans, but things go sideways quite fast. One of the officers in his retinue, Rhade, demands that all rebels be killed. He acts rather ruthlessly, proceeding to draw his sword upon even the leader himself. Magnus protests against this and tries to save him for interrogation, but fails. However, some mysterious foreign fighters drop in and rescue him in the nick of time.

To save face, the Southern Division executed someone else in public and blamed them for the plot. However, this did nothing to placate the various rebellions, which only grew stronger by the day. It is against the backdrop of this that we run into the second appearance of General Godeslas:

He briefly greets Magnus, then proceeds to discuss the situation:

Godeslas: I'm sure you are aware that the rebels' activities have become more aggressive recently. Their strength is minimal; what concerns me is that they initiated their actions simultaneously in various parts of the kingdom.
Godeslas: This must mean that they are getting their act together.
Godeslas: So, in order to stop the uprising and suppress the rebels, we will organize the troops specifically for that purpose.
- A few moments of silence pass. Godeslas looks down pensively.
Godeslas:...Your performance at the military academy, one month of field training and actual combat...
Godeslas: I can't believe you've just recently graduated.
Godeslas: I have no idea why you came to the Southern Region, but I'm willing to test you.
- A moment of silence passes. Godeslas turns back to Magnus.
Godeslas: You are now a captain in the Southern Division.
Godeslas: I will assign you a group of men and a tactician. This will be your battalion!
Godeslas: Now head to Crenel Canyon and subdue the rebels in Fort Tuatha!
Magnus:...Sir, why did you choose me?
Godeslas: Don't get me wrong. This does not mean that your actions have been justified!
Godeslas: The abduction and attempted murder of Prince Yumil while he was in our jurisdiction...
Godeslas: We even need rookies like yourself to help clear our reputation, that's all.
Godeslas:...I want to make one thing clear, though. I'm not asking for your opinion or consent.
Godeslas: (forcefully) You hear me?! This is an order!! Just keep quiet and follow my orders!
Godeslas: You will be provided money. Organize your troops and attend to your duty.
Godeslas:...Understood?
Magnus:...Yes, sir.
- Magnus bows, and begins to leave. He is interrupted midway by Godeslas.
Godeslas: Don't ever show sympathy for them again...
Godeslas: You can't do anything about it alone.
Godeslas: Set aside your personal feelings. Focus on your regiment...

Godeslas: and what you can do for your kingdom.
- Magnus silently walks away.

This scene gives us quite a bit of insight into his personality. We see that he does indeed live up to his claim, he appreciates Magus' skill greatly and grants him a promotion to captain. He even puts him in charge of suppressing the rebellion himself! However, he's not completely soft on Magnus; his insubordination bothers him greatly and he makes that pretty clear. Note also the contrast between Rhade and him - he is actually mildly sympathetic to Magus' intentions, but also points out that his actions are currently futile and make him(and the general) look bad. This is a fairly interesting use of the character, and provides some depth to the story.

Here, we again jump a bit. Magnus fights a few insurgents, but again runs into the foreign fighters. This time, they are escorting refugees back to their kingdom, Zenobia, and berate him for only focusing on his kingdom, and not caring enough for the poor and oppressed within. He accuses them of attempting to instigate war against Lodis, their prime rival and current overlord of Palatinus, by playing on the gripes of the people, but they firmly deny this and urge him to think about the state of his kingdom. Soon afterwards, he is quickly called backed to the main castle in the region by Godeslas' messenger.

Inside, we find him discussing something with Rhade, but don't get to know about it. Magus enters, and Godeslas begins to address him.

Godeslas: Magnus, you're here.
Rhade: Are you that rookie from before?
Rhade:...I see you've made a name for yourself.
Godeslas: As we all know, the Palatinean Revolutionary Army has been gathering strength.
Godeslas: We gained information from a rebel captive that they are planning to recapture the Volmus Mines and its outlying areas. We've confirmed the troop movement.
Godeslas: Leader of the Revolutionary Army, Frederick Raskin, is also heading there...
Godeslas: No doubt they will strike in the next few days...but we don't know the details.
Godeslas: We will join forces with the Central Division...
Godeslas:...assault Volmus, capture Frederick Raskin, and put an end to the Revolution!
Godeslas: But, we need time to organize the troops.
Godeslas: Since your battalion has performed well, despite its lack of experience, I want you to lead this operation. Head to the area immediately, and stop them at all costs!
Magnus: I am assigned to such an important task, sir...?

- Rhade brings up his arms in a shrugging posture.
Rhade: No worries, kid. Our troops will be right behind you.
Rhade: All you need to do is surprise the Revolutionary Army and create a diversion.
Rhade: We'll handle the rest. When their main forces attack, I'll take care of them myself.
Godeslas: Expect the Zenobians to show up, too.
Godeslas: I'm counting on you...Magnus.

Rhade: Hey, you don't have to capture any rebels, you hear me?
Rhade: It just causes us more trouble, like last time. Hahahahaha!
- Magnus turns to face Rhade.
Magnus:...
Rhade: (forcefully swinging his arm) Why are you staring at me? You have a problem?!
- Magnus turns back to Godeslas. He bows, and takes his leave. Rhade turns to Godeslas.
Rhade: What are you planning to do with him, huh?
Rhade: You're going to use his war record to your advantage, like a promotion...Am I wrong?
- A few moments of silence pass. Godeslas turns to Rhade.
Godeslas: I, I just thought he was suitable for this operation.
Godeslas: I have no such intentions...
- A moment of silence passes.
Rhade:...If you say so.
Rhade: You won't be able to keep him under control anyway.
Rhade: (turning away from Godeslas)...Look at his eyes.
Rhade: Just like his father! He is dangerous...watch out for him.
- Rhade leaves the room.

Honestly, more of a scene for Rhade than for Godeslas. We do however start to see more of his vulnerability, as he completely fails to stand up against Rhade's accusations. The bit Rhade says about Magnus' father is a short reference to how he was falsely branded as a murderer and punished a long while ago. It has little to no relation with Godeslas' character, so I didn't touch on it until now.

A short while later, we catch Godeslas in the throne room, with a knight hurrying towards him.

Ariosh: (forcefully) G, General Godeslas!! The Re...Revolutionary A, Army...
Godeslas: (forcefully) Calm down!...So, what about the Revolutionary Army?
Ariosh: They've taken up arms all over the place, all at once!
Ariosh:...And at the same time they've captured more than half of the strongholds!
- Godeslas turns towards Ariosh.
Godeslas: (forcefully)...What!? That's not possible!
Godeslas: With their petty forces? What happened?...And what do you mean "the same time"!?
Ariosh: There were many traitors within the Southern Division...
Ariosh: The strongholds fell quickly with little bloodshed...
Godeslas:...Which...Which lands are still intact!?
Ariosh: Gunther Piedmont, Dardunnelles...
Ariosh: and the section of Alba centred here, Akka Castle.
Godeslas: At least the central route is still secure...Damn rebels...
Godeslas: We acted too slowly!?...But, what now?
- Godeslas pensively looks at Ariosh.
Godeslas: There's still time before reinforcements arrive from the Central Region.
Godeslas: Shit, what can I do?
Godeslas: (lifting his head suddenly) ...! The Blue Knights! How could I have missed them?
Godeslas: Without a leader, the Revolutionary Army will be reduced to a mob...
Godeslas: There's still hope if Frederick Raskin can be taken care of!...We can do it!

This is a much more substantial scene for him than the last one. It reveals many important details about him. To start with, it shows that while he is aware of the situation broadly, he has little awareness of the important details, like the general sympathies of his soldiers or the extent of the involvement of the Zenobians. Further, he clearly handles pressure rather poorly, and has little knowledge of dealing with insurgencies, thinking that killing the leader would stop the rebellion even though there's earlier evidence it wouldn't work. Combined with the details earlier, we can clearly see that he is a fairly complex man, one propelled as much by his sense of duty to the state as by his desire for retaining the status quo. He doesn't do this out of malice, but rather out of ignorance of the reality and out of fear of change, especially if it will attract punishment from his superiors.

Small note: The Blue Knights there refers to Magnus' battalion. He intends to send him to capture Frederick, as mentioned here and in the previous cutscene.

Moving further along, Magnus does capture Frederick, but Rhade goads him to execute him. This sits quite poorly with him, and he frees him and defects to the rebels. Godeslas has some bits of dialogue, but I will only transcribe the relevant parts, since he plays a fairly minor role in this scene.

Godeslas: (forcefully speaking to an enraged Magnus) Calm down, Magnus! Are you going to bring disgrace to yourself, just like your father?
- Magnus backs off after hearing this.
Godeslas:...Listen to me. They are the source of unwanted chaos to this kingdom. Unless we do something, this kingdom will be destroyed...
Godeslas: All Palatinus will be left in ruins!
Godeslas: I'm sure you are aware of what happened to the kingdom of Nirdam.
Godeslas:...You want to protect the kingdom, don't you?
Godeslas: Magnus, execute him. Only then will the war end.

This reveals a lot about why Godeslas wants to keep the status quo. He is mildly pragmatic about the state of the world, and knows that Lodis oversees their kingdom. He is also aware that they had forcefully subjugated another kingdom, Nirdam, earlier, and were more than capable of doing the same to Palatinus if they sensed discontent directed at them from their populace. So the issue here isn't that he doesn't understand the plight of the people, it's that he's skeptical of any revolution succeeding because he only knows of Lodis as a mighty nation and sees the rebellion as a disorganized bunch of people. Again, while he's working for the "bad" side, his actions are not out of malice. Had he merely informed himself better of the situation in his region, he could very well have been on the side of Magnus or perhaps the rebellion itself.

The revolution marches on, and Gunther Piedmont falls, thanks in part to the efforts of Magnus. They move on to Dardunnelles, and it is here that we get to see Godeslas again. He meets with Baldwin, one of the knights sent by Lodis, in his castle.

Baldwin: It's been a while...Godeslas.
Godeslas: Sir Baldwin! It is nice to see you again.
Godeslas: What brings you here? Do you need to take care of some business?
Baldwin: The Southern Region...is in terrible condition.
Godeslas:...A, am I to be punished?
- Baldwin shrugs.
Baldwin: No, I didn't come here for that.
Baldwin: But the Triumvirate is taking the matter quite seriously...Punishment is inevitable.
- Godeslas pensively looks down.
Godeslas:...
- A few moments of silence pass. Baldwin turns away from Godeslas.
Baldwin: I personally believe it wasn't completely your fault.
Baldwin: And you have been good to me for a long time...
Baldwin: (turning to Godeslas) There is a way to put a quick end to the revolution, and to redeem yourself...
- Baldwin pulls out a fruit from his pocket. Godeslas looks at it curiously.
Baldwin:...Are you willing to try it?
Godeslas:...Wh, What is that?
Baldwin: This will grant you power.
Baldwin:...There are some risks involved, though.

A pretty brilliant introduction to Baldwin, one of the game's primary antagonists. He is shown playing on Godeslas' general sense of insecurity to great lengths. Godeslas is after all in a very desperate situation, and has known Baldwin before, so he takes up on his offer without much questioning. As we will soon see, this will have terrible consequences for many people.

The rebellion encounters strange devils fighting for the kingdom while liberating Dardunnelles. Apparently they have been a recent sight, and have been fighting the Central Division too. Everyone is understandably shocked about this, and the Central Division cuts Godeslas off with his army and brands him a traitor. It is implied that the devils emerged from sacrificing people who had ate the fruit, under the guidance of Baldwin. Of course, neither Magnus nor the state know about that, so the entire blame rests on Godeslas.

His very last scene comes a while later, when the rebellion marches onto Alba itself to defeat the Southern Division for good. Godeslas is completely devastated at this point, with nothing to believe in but the remnants of his army. He dismisses a messenger informing him of the terrible news, then comments on how even he has been branded a traitor. Baldwin then emerges out of the darkness and walks towards Godeslas.

Baldwin: I guess this is the end of your career...
Baldwin: You did quite well for yourself, don't you think?
- Godeslas turns to Baldwin.
Godeslas: (forcefully) Sir Baldwin! What have you done!?
- Godeslas steps back in disbelief.
Godeslas: No... You... You deceived me!?
- Baldwin walks forward, firmly.
Baldwin: What did I do...? You had your chance.
Baldwin: You just didn't put your power to good use.
- Godeslas runs to Baldwin, grabbing him by his chest.
Godeslas: (forcefully) For those vile abominations, I...My family was...!!
- Baldwin forcefully throws him away with his arm.
Baldwin: (forcefully) Silence! It was you who made up your mind to sacrifice your family!
Baldwin: You willingly sacrificed your family to save yourself, and now you dare blame me for your misdeeds!?
- Godeslas gets back up. Baldwin glares at him.
Baldwin: It turned out that this was all you were capable of.
Baldwin: I'm sure you're glad to know that you were of good use to us.
Baldwin: This was a very valuable case to examine.
Baldwin: We learned that someone with little desire, such as yourself, can only gain so much from the fruit of the netherworld.
- Baldwin turns away from Godeslas.
Baldwin:...I'm afraid I must be going now.
Baldwin: Did you finally realize that you can't do anything without our counsel?
Baldwin:...Are you angry at me, at yourself?
Baldwin: Channel that rage. Strike back at the Revolutionary Army!
Baldwin:...Perhaps you can gain the power, too.
- Baldwin leaves, and his guard take up positions. He walks a bit towards Magnus, who comes trudging in.
Godeslas: Magnus, if only you hadn't betrayed me...
Godeslas: What meaning did my life hold? You can't imagine what I went through for this!
Godeslas: Do you understand my pain!? Do you have anything you'd protect at all costs, even if you had to sacrifice your own family!?
- Godeslas unsheathes his sword, and is briefly covered in flames that cause him to yell in pain. He then takes battle position himself, as the rest of Magnus' formation rolls in.

A fittingly tragic scene to send off this character, as Baldwin reveals that he has been manipulating him for his own ends, and that in his eyes, Godeslas ended up being a failure. I find it interesting that a lack of ambition here is treated as a bad thing; usually it's unconstrained ambition that is cautioned against, and while a lack of ambition can potentially lead to someone underachieving, it's not really seen as a bad thing by itself... 

Godeslas is of course defeated soundly by Magnus. While in a different game, you might perhaps have been given the option to spare him, there's no such thing here - everyone thinks he's the one behind the dastardly monster invasion, and besides, he had ordered the executions of several rebel leaders. As such none of the rebels show much sympathy for him.

Thus ends Godeslas, a "standard" general who was nevertheless built up and used rather interestingly in the plot, and thus ends up being fairly memorable and humane. Please let me know what you think of him, and of this post too. Thanks for reading!