Towa Herschel

Towa Herschel (トワ・ハーシェル) is introduced as a student and student council president at Thors Military Academy's Class IV, and a member of the ARCUS test team alongside Crow Armbrust, George Nome and Angelica Rogner.

Appearance
Towa is a somewhat petite young woman, who wears her long brown hair tied in a ponytail accented with a blue ribbon. In Trails of Cold Steel and Trails of Cold Steel II, she wears the standard green Thors uniform for commoner students, with the student council armband on her left arm. This uniform is a green blazer with a large white horizontal stripe down the middle when buttoned with a bow-tie on the collar. On the bottom half, she wears a light brown plaid skirt, black tights, and brown shoes.

After returning to teach at Thors Branch Campus in Trails of Cold Steel III, she wears a white instructors' uniform consisting of a white blazer atop a black shirt, a blue neck tie, white skirt, black tights with a short military cadet cap and black gloves.

Personality
Towa is a kind, cheerful, yet serious hard-working girl. She takes her role as Student Council President very seriously and is not afraid to chide others when she thinks they are doing the wrong thing. However, Towa also shows an independent streak and has the habit of over-working herself and taking on more jobs than a ordinary person can do by herself to the point that she sometimes forgoes sleep to do it. Despite this, Towa is universally liked by both students and faculty. She is friendly, kind-hearted, and generous with her time, even though she often finds herself swamped with tasks. Many regard her as a workaholic, and her friends often express concern for her. She is modest and humble despite her academic success and invaluable work ethic.

Towa cares a lot about her friends Angelica, Crow and George, having shown worry when Angelica is pulled from the academy and wonders how she is doing before they are reunited. She was shocked by Crow's betrayal, but expressed faith that he would return, before being saddened by his eventual death. Likewise, she finds it hard to believe George is a member of the Gnomes and his claim that he killed Angelica. Though this claim is later revealed to be false, she likewise still believes George would be able to redeem himself.

In Trails of Cold Steel II, Towa shows exemplary leadership skills as captain of the Courageous. However, during the course of her Bonding Events, Towa also shows doubts about whether she could be a good captain or not, as well as, concerns over her own lack of combat ability and power.

She is quite sensitive about her height. It is also implied that she is not very tolerant to alcoholic drinks.

Background
Towa grew up in the General Store - Herschel's Shop, located in Westa Street, Heimdallr. Towa's grandfather was a famous astronomer and director of the Imperial Museum in the Leica District. Both her parents were also scholars, but died during an aircraft accident on their way back from an international congress in Crossbell. Her grandfather and aunt, Martha, took over custody over the orphaned Towa. Her grandfather passed away a couple of years before the start of.

Due to her hate for war, Towa decided to enroll at Thors Military Academy. Her decision had also been seconded by her grandfather, who had influenced her to achieve her aspirations in her life.

On her first year at Thors on S.1203, Towa was selected to take part of a 'prototype Class VII' together with Angelica Rogner, Crow Armbrust, and George Nome. She was chosen with the reason that she excels well in analytics, communication and dissemination of information such as how she figured out the conspiracy happening inside the Reinford Group around September S.1204. As a member of Prototype Class VII, she also passed the required aptitude test for the Arcus Units.

Just like the Class VII, they were thrown out into the other parts of the country for their field studies. They exceeded the expectations of the academy's Board and resulted to the establishment of the first Class VII on s. 1204. After her first year at Thors, Towa earned the seat of Student Council President due to her influence and ability to work well in extra-curricular and academics, and earned the esteem of aristocrats and commoners. She was also keenly eyed by several agencies across the empire who were waiting for her graduation to have a chance to recruit her.

Towa is first introduced as the student council president and one of Class VII's upper classmen. She has been friends with George Nome, Crow Armbrust and Angelica Rogner since their first year. She accompanies George Nome at the entrance of the academy for the Opening Ceremony in which they greet the incoming freshmen including the entire Class VII.

She was quickly established as an extremely hard worker. As Rean Schwarzer did not choose a club to spend time at, he opted to work with the Student Council. Towa quickly set him off to work fulfilling requests in both the academy and around Trista. She appreciated all the work he did for her.

On the first day of the annual Summer festival held in Heimdallr on July 26, S.1204, Towa accompanied Angelica and both rode the latter's orbal bike from Trista. They later met up with Rean's group at Dreichel's Plaza just to see the ongoing festival and Crow after he ate his fill at Vainqueur Street. As the time passed by, they noticed the rising water level of Anor River and the fountain's water overflow. The incident eventually evolved into the flooding of the plaza added by the panics of the tourists. Towa, Angelica, and Crow told the Class VII to head into the Crystal Palace to secure Princess Alfin while the trio will help evacuate the affected people at the plaza.

After her successful involvement at the Summer Festival, Towa earned a spot as a representative assistant at the upcoming West Zemuria Trade Conference held at the former Crossbell State. She never expected it to happen and it was a source of mild anxiety. She also reveals to Rean that she had also helped out with other major government and business projects before. Towa is then later seen seated in the imperial family's train heading to Crossbell. During the terrorist attacks on Crossbell and Garrelia Fortress, Towa helps out with the evacuation at the conference.

Later on, as the ILF was attempting to fire the Railway Guns at Garrelia Fortress, the conference was interrupted by the ILF and other minor terrorist groups. The turmoil was later resolved by the Special Support Section and Class VII at Garrelia Fortress. She would later on personally thanked the Class VII especially Rean for their efforts on stopping the terrorist at the fortress. She stated that if not for them, she would not be there talking to him.

After the presumed end of the ILF, Towa focused more on the organization of the School Festival. Her expression was even seen brighter than usual since it will be their last year. When Class VII has trouble deciding on what to do, Towa shows Rean a video clip of what she and her friends did for the festival the previous year - a rock concert. During the school festival preparations, Towa later becomes shocked when a barrier suddenly erupts around the Old Schoolhouse and waits while Class VII deal with it. Yet at the end of its first day, she was prepared to shut down the festival if the anomalies at the Old Schoolhouse was not resolved before midnight, which fortunately did not happen. She then becomes one of the few privy to see the Divine Knight, Valimar. After the events with Valimar's discovery, Towa is seen as one of the audience members at Class VII's live concert and can even be one of Rean's dance partners, if the player so chooses.

Towa and George would later blockade the gate of the academy at the start of the civil war. She was ordered by the staff not to let the students go out as they intercept the Noble Alliance's forces in the west of Trista. Yet she permitted the Class VII to help their instructors, but after that, she along with the other students of the academy, was brought into custody by the Alliance.

During Giliath Osborne's national address regarding the disappearance of Garrelia Fortress, Towa along with the rest of the school watches Crow assassinates Osborne. She then becomes shocked as she sees that Crow had been working for the Imperial Liberation Front this whole time. When Trista is about to be invaded by the Noble Alliance's Panzer Soldat units, Towa and George help gather and evacuate Trista's citizens into the main school building. She is then last seen wishing Class VII good luck as they run off to help save the town.

In October 29, S.1204, Thors Military Academy was finally captured by the Noble Alliance. Towa, George, and other students and faculty were able to escape the academy. Some managed on the day of the assault while Towa and George was assisted by Principal Vandyke who somehow able to communicate with Prince Olivert and the Courageous and took the duo on board.

Towa would later assist the crew since they don't have sufficient numbers to operate the ship. On her tenure, Viscount Arseid saw her potential to commandeer the ship in his stead and she held the position momentarily on their rescue for Rean Schwarzer and Princess Alfin Reise Arnor in December 13, S.1204.

Later that day, she along with George and the Class VII were asked for what would be their role in the war. They responded and sought to eliminate it completely and then the Prince decided to hand over the Courageous to the Thors students. Victor relinquishes control of the Courageous to Towa and makes her the new captain. Towa then serves as the captain of the Courageous until she participates in the battle to reclaim Trista and Thors Military Academy. During Class VII's assault on the Infernal Castle, Towa assisted the group by distracting the Pantagruel for them.

With the conclusion of the civil war, Towa meets with Rean and has a talk with him about Crow's death. She then comforts and consoles Rean as he finally cries and lets out all of the pain and sorrow that he had been holding back since Crow's death; and also forgives Rean for not being able to save Crow. Towa then cheers him by offering him helpful advice that allows Rean to get over his problems. Calming him down, Towa reveals to Rean that while she has been given many wonderful opportunities as a result of her role in the civil war, she wants to take a year to explore her options before picking a permanent career. Towa then becomes a potential party member for the final dungeon and graduates from Thors at the end of the game.

Following her graduation, Towa is scouted by numerous organisations, starting with the Railway Military Police, hoping to make use of her brilliance. She decides to garner experience by working for numerous NGOs instead. It is the political unrest in Erebonia that motivates her to continue her professional career as the Instructor of Class IX at Thors Branch Campus, where she wishes to spread the original spirit of her own alma mater, Thors Military Academy.

Towa is the instructor of Class IX - Military Finance. She accompanies the rest of the students on board the Derfflinger on their field studies around the empire. Towa participates in the battle at the Gral of Erebos where she takes on her former friend.

Following the start of the Great Twilight, Towa was placed into custody and held at the Cayenne mansion at Ordis. She had felt a connection to Rean when Class VII reached out to him through their ARCUS orbments, but shook it off as a dream. She was relieved that Rean and the others were fine, before noticing Crow among them. After a brief fight, Rossweise returned to Angelica, and Towa was happy to see that another friend had returned to her, departing with Class VII on Gaius' Merkabah.

When Class VII went to reclaim the branch campus from the main academy, Towa was contacted by Jessica and Wayne, who proceeded to contact the remaining branch students to arrive at the campus as support.

She later witnessed George and Sharon's fight against Class VII. Towa witnessed George's attempted suicide and Angelica's interception. She told George that he was her friend, and that she would restrain him to make him carry his burdens if necessary.

The day before the Great War, Towa arrived at Mishelam Wonderland with her friends, where she was annoyed with Angelica for not sharing information with her regarding Crow's disappearance. She then scolded George and Crow for not being up to shape as Thors graduates. When Crow stated that he was exempt as he had not graduated, Towa slyly told him that he could be readmitted and that it would be best if she and Rean taught him.

She later attended the wedding of Olivert Reise Arnor and Scherazard Harvey.

EN = {| class="article-table" ! colspan="4" | Towa Herschel She was given an arts gun made at ZCF by Prince Olivert, and is now secretly working at improving her skill with it. She was feeling inadequate as the ship's captain, but was cheered up and inspired by Rean's encouraging words. She intends to visit and study at NGOs in various fields in order to better decide what to do with her life. ! colspan="4" | トワ・ハーシェル オリヴァルト皇子からZCF製の《魔導銃》を渡されており、密かに練習を重ねている. 艦長代理として自分の力不足を感じていたが、リィンの励ましによって改めて自分なりに士官学院を取り戻す決意をする. 卒業後は政治・経済・技術・医療などのいくつかの分野の非政府組織で勉強し、自分自身の考えを見極めるつもりのようだ.
 * rowspan="5" |[[File:Towa Herschel Note (Sen).png]]
 * Year 2
 * Class IV
 * (Student Council)
 * colspan="3" |The Student Council president. Trusted by people across Erebonia. Appointed the Courageous' acting captain.
 * colspan="3" |Arts Gun
 * colspan="3" |The Student Council president. Trusted by people across Erebonia. Appointed the Courageous' acting captain.
 * colspan="3" |Arts Gun
 * colspan="3" |Arts Gun
 * colspan="3" |Worries
 * colspan="3" |Worries
 * colspan="3" |NGO Tour
 * colspan="3" |NGO Tour
 * }
 * -|JP={| class="article-table"
 * rowspan="5" |[[File:Towa Herschel Note (Sen).png]]
 * 2年
 * IV組
 * 【生徒会】
 * colspan="3" |士官学院関係者のみならず、多方面から全幅の信頼を寄せられる生徒会長. カレイジャスでは艦長代理に任命される.
 * colspan="3" |魔導銃
 * colspan="3" |士官学院関係者のみならず、多方面から全幅の信頼を寄せられる生徒会長. カレイジャスでは艦長代理に任命される.
 * colspan="3" |魔導銃
 * colspan="3" |魔導銃
 * colspan="3" |艦長代理の苦悩
 * colspan="3" |艦長代理の苦悩
 * colspan="3" |非政府組織巡り
 * colspan="3" |非政府組織巡り
 * }

EN = {|class="article-table" ! colspan="4" | Towa Herschel ! colspan="4" | トワ・ハーシェル 内戦時カレイジャスの臨時艦長を務めたトワ. 仲間全体に気を配り、勇気を与える人となりは今も昔も変わらないようだ. 帝国に住む以上『軍事』からは避けて通れない. だからこそ目を逸らさず知るために士官学院に入学したと打ち明けた.
 * rowspan="4" |Towa Herschel Note (Sen III).png
 * colspan="3" |Class IX: Military Finance (Political Econ.)
 * colspan="3" |A rookie teacher who is extremely capable despite her young looks. Turned down many job offers in favor of the branch campus.
 * colspan="3" |Courageous Served as the acting captain for the Courageous during the civil war. Has continued to help people since then.
 * colspan="3" |Face Reality For a citizen of the empire, there's no avoiding military affairs. She joined Thors to stay informed about current events.
 * }
 * -|JP = {| class="article-table"
 * colspan="3" |Face Reality For a citizen of the empire, there's no avoiding military affairs. She joined Thors to stay informed about current events.
 * }
 * -|JP = {| class="article-table"
 * -|JP = {| class="article-table"
 * rowspan="4" |Towa Herschel Note (Sen III).png
 * colspan="3" |Ⅸ組主計科【担当：政治経済】
 * colspan="3" |士官学院本校の卒業生で、幼い見た目に反して実力のある女性教官. 数々の勧誘を蹴って分校に就職した.
 * colspan="3" |勇気
 * colspan="3" |士官学院本校の卒業生で、幼い見た目に反して実力のある女性教官. 数々の勧誘を蹴って分校に就職した.
 * colspan="3" |勇気
 * colspan="3" |勇気
 * colspan="3" |目を逸らさずに
 * colspan="3" |目を逸らさずに
 * }

EN={| class=article-table ! colspan=2 | Towa Hershel Towa learned the truth about what happened to her parents and went to lay flowers at their graves, giving her much-needed closure. Towa called her friends out on their habit of trying to shoulder all their burdens alone, venting feelings she'd held in for some time. ! colspan=2 | トワ・ハーシェル
 * rowspan=8 |Towa Herschel Note (Sen III).png
 * colspan=3 |Class IX: Military Finance (Political Econ.)
 * colspan=3 |A rookie teacher who is extremely capable despite her young looks. A year older than Rean, she was his Student Council president.
 * colspan=3 |Last Goodbye
 * colspan=3 |A rookie teacher who is extremely capable despite her young looks. A year older than Rean, she was his Student Council president.
 * colspan=3 |Last Goodbye
 * colspan=3 |Last Goodbye
 * colspan=3 |One for All
 * colspan=3 |One for All
 * }
 * -|JP={| class=article-table
 * rowspan=8 |Towa Herschel Note (Sen III).png
 * colspan=3 |Ⅸ組主計科【担当：政治経済】
 * colspan=3 |幼い見た目に反して実力のある女性教官. 士官学院本校の卒業生でリィンの先輩. 以前は生徒会長を務めていた.
 * colspan=3 |花を手向けて 仲間たちの協力を得て両親の事故の真相に辿り着き、ノルドから花を手向けたトワ. 両親への想いを見つめ直し、心の整理を付けた.
 * colspan=3 |先輩４人組 一人で無茶ばかりする親友達にお冠のトワ. 今まで皆の事を想い心配して来た分だけ、言いたい事は山ほどあるようだ.
 * }
 * colspan=3 |花を手向けて 仲間たちの協力を得て両親の事故の真相に辿り着き、ノルドから花を手向けたトワ. 両親への想いを見つめ直し、心の整理を付けた.
 * colspan=3 |先輩４人組 一人で無茶ばかりする親友達にお冠のトワ. 今まで皆の事を想い心配して来た分だけ、言いたい事は山ほどあるようだ.
 * }
 * }

Trivia

 * Of the group of second-year friends to Class VII in (Towa, George, Angelica and Crow), Towa is the only one who was never adversarial towards Class VII for one reason or another; she is never faced as a boss in any of the games.
 * Crow betrayed them twice, first as the secret leader of the Imperial Liberation Front, and then later when he was brainwashed into becoming Azure Siegfried.
 * George betrayed them as he was secretly a member of the Gnomes.
 * Angelica didn't consciously betray them, but was brainwashed into becoming Red Roseweisse at George's hands.
 * In the end, Crow and Angelica's brainwashing was undone, and George chose to atone for his sins, so they all reunited.
 * Towa bears the same last name as the protagonist of, Nayuta Herschel.
 * In Tokyo Xanadu, the protagonist's cousin is named "Towa Kokonoe". This Towa has the exact same Towa_Kokonoe_Render.jpgcal appearance and a largely identical personality to the Towa in the Kiseki series. Like her Kiseki counterpart, this Towa is also an instructor at a high school. In Japanese her name is written as 永遠 (see above). Tokyo Xanadu also has the fictional video game Magical Alisa in it, which contains Towa Herschel in it, so there are two Towas, for some reason.
 * During the school festival in Trails of Cold Steel, Towa states that "[stargazing] was one of [her] grandpa's hobbies, so [she] kind of picked it up from him." It is also one of Nayuta's favourite hobbies; the game even starts with him peering through a telescope at the sky.
 * Towa's ultimate weapon in Trails of Cold Steel II is called 'Boundless Trails'; in the Japanse version, the weapon's name is literally 'Nayuta' (星霊銃「那由多」).
 * Towa means 'eternity; perpetuity; immortality' in Japanese (永遠); the Buddhist term nayuta (那由他, means literally a numeral, meaning one hundred thousand, one million, or ten million) holds the same meaning conceptually.
 * In, Towa's Brave Order is called Kokonoe Formation, referring to her last name in Tokyo Xanadu.
 * The Eternity Charm (久遠の御守り) you're rewarded for maximising her bond in is a play on her name, which is phonetically identical to 'eternity' (永久).
 * Towa's bonding trophy in is titled "Mentorship".
 * Towa's bonding trophy in is titled "You're Atowable".
 * Towa's bonding trophy in is titled "Faculty Romance".
 * Towa's bonding trophy in is titled "Him & Herschel".