Vera(RD)/Marle ideas

[maggiekarp]

I think the general consensus around here is that Vera from Radical Dreamers is Marle doing some infiltration coup stuff, but what's your favorite explanation for "why she so old tho"?

I figured some kind of magical disguise made sense, but my husb likes the "Bill and Ted" style option of Marie's future grandma type self going back in time to fix shit and help the Radical Dreamers out

[Acacia Sgt]

Well, personally, I've never really bought into that theory.

Hmm, more time travel, huh... but then how so? The Epoch?

[maggiekarp]

Epoch is a good standby, but since she'd be the Chancellor of Magic for Porre, and specifically shown seeking time-travel adjacent artifacts like The Frozen Flame, and if she stilll has her OG pendant (since Kid doesn't have Schala's in RD), she's got more than enough resources to build a simple and stable loop.

[Boo the Gentleman Caller]

Gah, I'd kill for a full on hack / remake of Radical Dreamers in the Trigger engine. I remember years ago someone put together some prototypes as Radical Dreamers + or something, with even some Chrono Cross-esque stamina-based combat being implemented into the custom engine. Alas!

Regardless, I really need to play RD again. It's been ages. Since, what, 2004? Whenever the 1.0 or 1.1 of DemiForce translation was released. I should really play it now, especially with it being available in browser form.

I don't remember there being a Vera = Marle theory. I do remember Vera = Queen Zeal, though. I'm really curious to this Marle theory. Since it's been ages since I've played, can someone bring me up to speed? I remember Vera working for Porre and essentially throwing everyone for a loop once they find the Frozen Flame in the Zeal ruins; she did have healing magic and know the truth about Kid and Gil, but that's as much as I can remember that would indicate any relation to Marle.

[maggiekarp]

It's a tenuous connection at best, tbh. I think it was that she cast healing magic in the same prayer pose Marle uses, was unusually kind to the crew, and knew about Kid and who/what she really was. Gil actually hides during the scene she's in and helps Kid escape at the end so they're not captured by Porre, so that throws a wrench into the theory unless there's something EVEN MORE COMPLICATED going on.

Having her be Zeal would be interesting for it's own reasons, but I didn't get that vibe from her.

[Kodokami]

I always considered Vera to simply be someone who was taught magic, possibly by Dalton considering her high ranking in Porre. Afterall, Radical Dreamers also shows us that nobodies such as Serge can be taught magic by someone with the know-how (e.g. Magil).

She could be Marle, but that throws up so many questions, such as "Why is she so old?", "Why is she working for Porre?", "Where's Crono?", that I prefer to go with the Occam's razor route.

Vera being Queen Zeal makes no sense, personally. There's no reason to bring her back. Then again, there was probably no reason to bring Dalton back either...


Also, maggiekarp! Welcome back!

[maggiekarp]

THERE'S NO REASON TO BRING MAGGIEKARP BACK

Ultimately I'm sure she is just a character made for the story like the rest, but I'm all about streamlining stuff and think that's a good place to put her if there's a Save Guardia plot

[PrincessNadia78]

I haven't played RD yet, I'm still working on CE. I need more time to play all the games I want and to read all the books I want to read! Adulting is hard. LOL

[Prince Janus]

I had heard *a* theory floating around about Marle and Vera, but only on occasion and even then it was awhile back. If I'm not mistaken, the context I remember her in was Magil saying something about locking one's self "away in their own mind". Presumably the context was that she had secrets and abilities she chose to lock away, something Magil could relate to from his childhood.

It could be possible if perhaps Marle has been on a bit of a mission for quite awhile, herself. One particularly sad possibility is that she has been working for (relative) decades and decades trying to fix things that went wrong, only to either fail or discover that it is best left untouched. So she returns to 1020 AD, having wasted most of her life away, and Crono perhaps already passed away.

I've yet to actually play the game though. I'm still working on Chrono Cross. *shrug*

[Manly Man]

Personally, I"m still of half the mind that Vera = Queen Zeal, which is where they got the idea of Dalton having been warped to Porre instead; something may have happened that restored her sanity, and people described Queen Zeal as having been kindhearted before the events of Chrono Trigger, so her being the sort who offers to patch you up and such doesn't seem too out of character, especially since you're forwarding her plans (and her being manipulative certainly does fit with what we've seen of her in Chrono Trigger).