Karula

''"Karula" redirects here. For Garda in Saiyuki: Journey West, see Karula (Saiyuki).''

Karula Corchia (カルラ・コルキア) is an optional playable character in Zill O'll who can be recruited by the protagonist. Out of Nemea's four trusted generals, Karula is the most destructive with her conquests in the game's main story.

Notorious for her ruthless and straightforward maneuvers, she is known under the names "Tactician of Divine Haste" (神速の戦術家) or "Blue Death God" (青い死神) by her enemies. Her height is 153 cm (5') and she is 16 years old at the start of the game.

Role in Game
Karula originally lived in a rural village thought to be somewhere near Ulkarne. She lived peacefully with her parents, elder sister, older brother, and younger sister. The corrupt king of Rocen, Peuda, ordered a massacre in the east four years before the story and Karula's loved ones were oppressed by the Rocen troops. Nemea, who had already slain Balor, was ordered by Elmark to perform twelve herculean tasks to prove his loyalty to him. One of them included subjugating the troops at Ulkarne. Though everyone important to Karula –friend, lover, and family alike– perished in the ensuing warfare, the surviving Karula was amazed when she witnessed Nemea and his twenty-eight horsemen prevailing against the thousands of Rocen soldiers.

Inspired by his heroics to fight, Karula approached Nemea after the battle and swore her loyalty to him. Sensing the strength of her resolve, he agreed to the young woman's request. Karula trained to be a soldier and was appointed to be Nemea's trusted Blue Dragon General. Nemea personally gave her the armor she wears during the main story.

The protagonist first meets Karula during one of her espionage missions. She was originally spying on Rocen for the Dyneskal troops, but she immediately abandons all pretense of discretion when King Peuda kidnaps a peasant girl for his sick pleasures. She asks the passing hero/heroine to assist her rescue attempt. If the protagonist accepts her offer, they storm the underground tunnels under Rocen to reach Peuda's personal room and stop him from molesting the girl. When Karula attempts to kill Peuda for his crimes, the protagonist thinks she is being too extreme with her punishment and opposes her. While both parties argue Peuda opens a trapdoor, and his intruders and the girl are dropped down a pit to feed his carnivorous pet.

Focusing their efforts on escorting the girl to safety, Karula and company slay the pet and emerge from the underground passage unscathed. Karula insists that the girl flee with her family to Dyneskal territory to escape Peuda's influence. She gives the girl her departed mother's keepsake to ensure her safe passage into Ancient. Despite their strained argument within Rocen, Karula thanks the protagonist's party for their assistance and promises to meet them again someday.

Once Nemea proclaims himself emperor and declares war, Karula is ordered to pacify the eastern side of the continent. Shortly after she is given the order, Karula marches into Rocen and slays the corrupt king. Accusing the nobility to have been under Peuda's influence, she also executes the majority of Rocen's nobility. Her heroics are applauded by the locals in Rocen who are thankful for the liberation. A statue made in Karula's image is quickly erected within the town square. The news of her attack shocks other kingdoms, however, who fear her conquests.

If the protagonist chooses to remain loyal to her as one of her subordinates, Karula is pleased to see him/her again and introduces them to Irene. She asks them to subjugate nearby monsters and later asks them to lead the attack on Liberdam. Antinno, an influential merchant of the capital, has betrayed his brethren by opening the gate for Karula's army so she doesn't want to waste the rare opportunity. Thanks to the betrayal, Karula's forces storms Liberdam and ruins the city's once grand splendor. The free capital is quickly placed within Dyneskal's control.

She may later ask for the protagonist's help again when she fights against Xenetes at Rostorl. Although she attacks the veteran twice, both her campaigns end in failure for her troops. She is forced to withdraw back east. Though her expedition is a failure, Zagiv's tactics and the ensuing rebellion within Liberdam causes the kingdom to fall. If they follow her lead to end the Corns' rebellion, Karula and Irene may then join the protagonist's party.

Should the protagonist choose to ignore Karula and side with Rostorl, they can personally drive her troops back. Irene covers for her retreat and Karula reluctantly flees back to Rocen. If the protagonist spares Irene in the battlefield and is friendly to both women, Karula later sends him/her a letter stating that Irene is missing. Aware of their close ties together, the general asks the protagonist to look for her. If the protagonist accepts the request and succeeds, Karula is bored with conquering and war. She desires to see the world and asks to join the protagonist. The player can choose to approve or deny her wishes. If they accept her, both Karula and Irene can join. Refusing her allows only her subordinate to leave.

With the wars in Vyashion over, Karula joins the protagonist on a boat ride during her ending. The era of peace doesn't require her expertise so she wonders if she can start another war somewhere else to obtain a land of their own. Although she jokes about the prospect with him/her, Karula admits she is truly excited to leave their pasts behind them in their hopes to find a new land to explore.

In infinite's ending with the entire playable cast, Karula is part of the group of women too embarrassed to approach the protagonist directly. She sarcastically wonders if their indirect approach to block the protagonist's path will really work and questions what they will do if he/she comes their way. Like her personal ending, she hopes to see the world by his/her side. When Irene criticizes the other women's motives, Karula chides her to lighten up.

If Karula is not a party member, she and her troops later investigate the monster infested Ancient. She entrusts the task of pacifying the city to the protagonist's party and waits with her soldiers at the city's gate. The general completely heals their wounds free of charge.

Personality
To the casual observer, Karula appears to be a cheerful and whimsical woman who loves laughter. People who become intimate with her soon realize that her smiling visage has been induced by the trauma of losing her family. She adopted the habit whilst the Rocen troops harshly mocked her suffering, subconsciously thinking that a smile is a privilege reserved for the strong. The forced habit helped her overcome her grief and gave birth to her cynicism. Her will to fight is driven purely by her desire to never again experience the regret of helplessness. Her loss has steeled her nerves for war, as she half-heartedly accepts whatever travesties and criticism her tactics invokes. She even acknowledges that she is lying to herself and may even mock her own hypocrisy to pass the time. She even finds the prospect of her own death amusing.

As someone who was once a victim of their games, her heart is sympathetic for the people who are oppressed by nobility. Karula cares deeply for the safety of her troops, despite her otherwise merciless stance for waging war. She won't press them to fight in hopeless campaigns and may even personally ride into harm's way to rescue them. Karula is particularly close to Irene and likes to tease her "younger sister's" contrasting inexperience and serious approach to their duties.

Karula remains inspired by Nemea, who she feels is a true hero of their age. She eventually deems the protagonist to be of the same caliber as him. They are people whom she thinks she can never become and admires their bravery against the odds. Although she is bashful to admit it, Karula later confesses she would like to help people for a living.

Fighting Style
Karula is one of the fastest and strongest polearm users in the game. Her defenses might be behind other characters by the time she joins, but they are easy to alter in infinite. She is an overall balanced character who is a good addition to any party if the player is willing to recruit her.

Both her weapon and armor are completely unique to her. Her Death Scythe has the ability to blind and confuse opponents if she hits them, which may help against fighting multiple foes.