| Alphonse Loeher | |
 | |
| Sprite(s) |  
|
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 15 |
| Birth Date | 22nd of Tierra |
| Birthplace | Galicia |
| Race | Human |
| Nationality | Lodis |
| Class | Fighter |
| Faction(s) | Order of the Sacred Flame Hand of the Pope Alphonse's Battalion |
Alphonse Loeher, formerly known as Alphonse Tartare, is the protagonist and titular character of Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis.
A young man dissatisfied with his family situation, he took the chance to leave home with his friend Rictor to go on a mission to the island nation of Ovis. Soon he discovers this mission to be much more than the simple patrol it was purported to be.
As the primary protagonist, he's the de-facto leader of the player's army.
Later in life he came to be known as Lanselot Tartaros.
Story
Click on [Expand] for full spoilers.
At a port located somewhere in Lodis, Rictor informed Alphonse of his first orders, to help alleviate the southern forces on the island of Ovis. Before they boarded on the ship that would take them to the troubled island, Alphonse gave into superstition and had his fortune read, giving him a glimpse of his destiny.
During a storm on the way to Ovis, the ship was damaged, forcing them to drift on the open sea for days before finally finding a safe shore near the island to land on. Lowering a plank onto the rocky ground, Alphonse and the knights of the Sacred Flame were attacked by pirates who recognized them as soldiers of Lodis. The pirates were later revealed to be hired by Nichart Briffaut, commander of the White Fang Troops of the north. Rictor and Alphonse defeated the would-be pirates but one emerged from the darkness and took a shot at Rictor with his crossbow. Alphonse leaped in front of the bolt and was hit, sending him into the icy waters below.
Alphonse woke up in a room with a view of the ocean, with a young girl attending to him. She revealed her name to be Eleanor and that she found him washed up on the shore. He was also introduced to Ivanna, a former knight of Rananculus that informed Alphonse that strange soldiers were in Scabellum and they were most assuredly the Lodis knights that he lost contact with.
Ivanna escorted Alphonse to Scabellum the next day and they were set upon by an ambush by a Ranaculus force led by a Sorceress named Mullin. When Alphonse began to doubt his chances of victory, Rictor and Orson the archer appeared and helped Alphonse turn the tide against the ambushers and together they routed them all.
In Scabellum, Rictor started the next phase of his plan and ordered Alphonse to attack the ruins from the flank while his forces attacked from the Gryllus Forest. Rictor wanted to capture Nichart Briffaut, the White Fang Troops commander, which would help in determining what their purpose in excavating the ruins was. Alphonse set off to Formido with Ivanna and learned that she was in actuality a Batraal and that her father William may have been murdered by her uncle Naris.
At Formido, Alphonse quickly defeated the knight and soldiers put in charge of its defense and worked his way into a small room within. There, Lethe, a female magician cast a spell on Alphonse and he fell into a deep slumber. He awoke in a dungeon, with the man he was to capture, Nichart, standing above him with a whip. Nichart questioned him about the true intentions of Lodis and brushed off the idea that they were simply there to help the south against the north. Alphonse was whipped repeatedly for not knowing the truth, until Lethe produced a potion that would garner the truth. Alphonse passed out and woke again later in the dungeon, this time with water up to his waist, as the tide came in.
A mysterious woman entered the room and told Alphonse that the knights of Rananculus had left and that she would release him if he agreed to help her on her mission. Alphonse agreed and she introduces herself as Cybil Alinda and that she enjoyed watching the battle at Formido. The ninja, Shiven Verde, appeared in the doorway and gave a report to Cybil that Rictor did not pass through the forest but retreated back to Scabellum for some reason unknown to him. Cybil gave an order to Alphonse that they would be crossing the Meleagris Mountains at dawn and that Alphonse was not to ask questions.
At Urodela, Alphonse met again with Rictor. Rictor avoided the question of his true intentions and asked Alphonse to join him, even offering him the position of the head of his knights when he ascended to be the Duke, but he refused, stating that he owed a debt to Cybil. Alphonse went on to say that he desired to cut a path to his own destiny and not have to rely on his status, family or Rictor to help him get there. Rictor then told him of Cybil's plot to restore the High Priest to power. Before he left, Rictor warned Alphonse that he would not allow him to stand in his way again.
Sheltered from a storm inside a boat shack, Cybil told Alphonse that they should head to the Sea of Rana to find the Mermaid Sanctuary that they had heard rumors about. Alphonse shared doubts about a future battle with Rictor but Cybil encouraged him by saying that he could build his own future and that there is no right and wrong, simply differing paths towards the future. While the fisherman greeted them and told them that no one would take them to the sanctuary because of the storm, he did offer them some sound advice in that a wounded mermaid will call for help, thereby luring them into a trap.
Cybil asked Alphonse to go along with the plan and he would be free of her service but he couldn't stomach it and said he would find another way. On his way to the Mermaid Sanctuary he came across Minerva, a wounded mermaid trapped by a group of Felis knights Alphonse recognized as Dameil, Cassini and Lendanto. Alphonse handily defeated them and while helping free Minerva was attacked by Aerial. Alphonse did battle with the mermaids and was victorious. Aerial said she would rather die than give up the location of the Mermaid Sanctuary but Alphonse refused to kill her. Shiven was sent to help Alphonse to retrieve the information.
Luckily another mermaid gladly showed Alphonse the way to the sanctuary much to Aerial's chagrin. Alphonse was introduced to Chloeri, the leader of the mermaids of Ovis. She thanked Alphonse for saving Minerva and explained the story of the spear, of how it was a gift from the gods and how two lovers, Lucius, a human and Berevra, sister to Chloeri, fell in love and tried to use the spear to end the war that had plagued the two races on Ovis for centuries. Chloeri explained that only Berevra would know where the spear was and asked Alphonse to tell her that she was still welcome in the sanctuary even after her betrayal. After leaving the sanctuary Aerial joined with Alphonse to ascertain whether or not a human could be trusted.
Alphonse brought the information to Cybil and she released him from her service but Alphonse explained that he did not wish to be with Cybil because he is indebted but because he had a sincere wish to follow her. Cybil accepted under the agreement that they were equals from then on.
Remembering that Berevra had golden scales, he recalled what Eleanor said about seeing a mermaid matching the same description and headed to the church in Solea. However, when Alphonse asked her about Berevra, Eleanor accused Alphonse of using her and ran out of the church. Karcist the dragoon awaited them both outside and wished to take Eleanor in for questioning about the mermaid but both him and his dragons were killed by Alphonse. After calming down, Eleanor explained that she knew the mermaid and that she was given a necklace by Berevra. Eleanor joined shortly after, desiring to be close to Alphonse.
Later, Rictor confronted Alphonse on top of a volcano on the edge of a cliff and explained to him the true name of the spear they were after, Longicolnis, a weapon formed from the horn of a fallen angel. Alphonse refused to join him once again and Rictor's forces attacked, but before they could lay a hand on Alphonse, the magic of Eleanor's necklace knocked out Rictor and his men. Seeing more soldiers on the way, Alphonse and Eleanor decided to take their chances in the sea and jumped off the cliff together.
They ended up in a cavern beneath the cliff, where they found Berevra. When asked why he wanted the spear, Alphonse answered that he wished to have it because of a promise he made to someone, a person he had a lot of faith in. She told Alphonse he could find the spear hidden in a small shrine at a beach north of the cave and asked him not to abuse its power. Before he left he told her that the other mermaids waited for her and that they were no longer angry at her.
Sometime later at Formido Fortress, Alphonse discussed his battle plan with soldiers under his command. Alphonse knew that the Duke was working under the nose of the church and could not let his true motivations known for if his plan to steal the spear came to light there would have been severe consequences for the Duke of Felis. Not finding the spear at the northern shrine, Alphonse told his men to spread a rumor that he actually did have the spear.
Deciding on traveling to Blete to gather information, he recruited Elrik and his daughter Euphaire along the way. In Blete, Alphonse learned more about Eleanor's home town and past, and killed a former friend and comrade, Grevis, who asked him why he did not join with Rictor.
In Sotavento, Nichart confronted Alphonse yet again and was defeated, telling the young soldier that Rictor sought to take the spear back to his Felis and if he wanted answers he must seek them at Ostorea Castle. At Haena Pass, Alphonse was forced to kill Orsen when he was not allowed to pass to speak with Rictor.
Near the gates of Osterea Castle, Alphonse fought Nichart for the last time, killing him outright. Within Alphonse learned that Rictor's father learned of the spear from William Batraal, an descendant of Lucius Batraal, the man who was in love with the mermaid Berevra. Lucius had had a son with a human woman and that was how information of the spear was passed down. Alphonse asked Rictor if his father's orders were why he was on Ovis and Rictor explained that he planned to use the spear for his own, to form a country that reflected the strict nature of God. Alphonse denied Rictor his dream and told him that the spear's power transcends that of humankind and it must be safeguarded to prevent its misuse. Only within the church of Lodis may it be kept for peace to be attained.
A battle broke out between the two former friends and Alphonse was forced to kill Justin, and Lara along with wounding Rictor himself. With Rictor defeated, Alphonse pulled out an iron spear and said it was all a ruse, that he did not actually have the spear, that it was removed fifteen years ago, and he knew it was because he found a Lasanti family crest at the shrine. Malicia Batraal, the long dead sister of Ivanna entered the chamber and revealed herself to be Shaher, the fallen angel himself. Shaher then proceeded to possess Rictor to find out where the spear was. Learning that that the shard was actually within the crypts of Ostorea all along, Alphonse and the fallen angel made their way down. Shaher told Alphonse that he would grant him any wish if he returned the shard to him within the Angel's Headstone. Alphonse refused and Naris entered, stating that he would do it, and he took the shard off of Rictor's collapsed form. Naris disappeared with the shard to find the wall of ice that Shaher spoke of. As Rictor lay dying, his last words to Alphonse were to find the resting place of the fallen angel and defeat him before he could be resurrected.
First relieving the populace of Osterea of their worries, he headed out on the trail of Naris and fallen angel's icy prison. During their journey Cybil joined Alphonse and together they defeated the twins Lethe and Cirvante, who were actually two dark angels in the service of Shaher, who fled after the battle. In the icy region of Charadrius, Alphonse found Naris and killed him, taking the spear for his own. The frozen lake opened up before them, and Alphonse went down into it.
Alphonse worked his way to the tower where Shaher resided and put to rest his servants Lethe and Cirvante for good. When Shaher fully fell from grace and turned into a Sacred Demon, Alphonse used the power of the spear to break his barrier and sealed his fate once and for all. Shaher threatened Alphonse that his last act would be take him with him into the abyss but Eleanor sacrificed herself so that Alphonse could live. Together Eleanor and Shaher ascended to heaven while Alphonse and his party made their way to the surface.
Learning that the Order of the Sacred Flame was coming to arrest him with the charges of murdering Rictor Lasanti and unlawfully seizing control of strongholds on Ovis, he smuggled himself back into Lodis to meet with High Priest Sardian. There, he was blessed and given the name Lanselot and formerly came under service of the High Priest.
Personality
Overview
Due to how the game is structured, and the fact that Alphonse has to be deployed for every single story battle, he will always be a step ahead from other recruitable units, including most special characters.
It's recommended to specialize Alphonse in physical combat since his magic choices are very limited, and as the player character he's barred from classing as Lich. In theory he can do well with any physical class but Swordmaster and Dragoon take precedence as the two most popular choices for the endgame, thanks to their melee-focused growths and access to late-game weaponry such as the Zephyrus, Notos, Oracion, Longicolnis and Snapdragon.
For these reasons, he's one of the best candidates for the Atropos and Clotho skills.
He's also the only special character capable of getting the Relix's Emblem. Deneb is the only other character capable of getting her gender's equivalent, the Ripple's Emblem.
Trivia
- His family name is derived from Tartarus, the abyss of torture in Greek mythology where the titans are imprisoned, also the name of the gatekeeper of the abyss.
- He's the youngest protagonist in the series, at 15 years old.
- He's also the only protagonist with a canonical love interest (Eleanor).