Gaius Worzel

Gaius Worzel (ガイウス・ウォーゼル) is a member of the nomadic people of the Nord Highlands. He is introduced as a member of Thors Military Academy's Class VII.

Appearance
Gaius is a nomad of the Nord Highlands with wavy brown hair tied into a short ponytail, tan skin and light blue eyes. he bears a strong resemblance to the rest of the members of the Worzel Family.

As a student of Thors, he wears the standard Class VII crimson uniform, in a similar alternative style to Elliot. His sleeves are kept rolled and wears sandals instead of shoes because of his homeland culture. He also has his own loose ankled trousers and wears a lavender sash around his waist.

Gaius's civil war outfit consists of a lined pattern long-sleeve shirt with the sleeves folded. Overtop is a dark crimson belted vest where his black trousers are overlayed with pants sleeves chained to his belt. He switched his sandals for normal shoes

After Gaius's long absence, he sports a more traditional fashion of a nomadic soldier. Replacing his crimson vest is a long dark crimson overcoat with white pants, boots and open-fingered gloves, with the style resembling that of his new occupation.

Personality
Gaius is a friendly yet level-headed individual, able to discern the true nature of things without prejudice. He is grateful to the wind and Aidios for the people he has been able to meet and the experiences that have come across his path. His personality is without any sense of discrimination, leading him to be heavily relied on by the members of Class VII. Within the group, he frequently acts as the voice of reason. He is a very devout follower of the Septian Church and Aidios as a result of his mentor's, Barkhorn, influence.

Background
Gaius was born in the Nomadic Settlement in Nord in S.1187, to Lacan and Fatma Worzel. As their firstborn, he is the older brother to Thoma, Sheeda, and Lily.

Raised in the Nord Highlands, Gaius came from a part of the Empire isolated from the commoner/noble dichotomy, granting him a unique perspective on the class system that divided his class and the rest of his country. A level-headed and respectful ally, Gaius fought alongside Class VII to protect Erebonia from many threats during his time as a student.

Gaius is able to 'read' the wind in the sense that he is able to discern higher elements and feel the auras of his enemies. He is later revealed as being able to sense the 'Gale of Ruin ', and ability which rarely manifests in the Empire. Gaius learnt about the world outside Nord and the geopolitical situation of his hometown through monthly Sunday School lessons held by Barkhorn. Amazed by his mentor's knowledge, Gaius vowed to learn about the world as much as possible to better protect his homeland.

After the 3rd Armored Division was transferred to the Zender Gate on the border between Erebonia and Nord, Gaius met Lieutenant General Zechs Vander. Adamant that Gaius' skill would prove useful at Erebonia's most prestigious military academy after assisting him in obliterating a flock of monsters, seeing as Erebonia's cavalry's lance and spear training has their origins rooted in both the Eisenritter and the spearmanship of Nord, he gave Gaius a recommendation to attend Thors Military Academy.

Having never left Nord before, the number of people he saw while transferring lines on his way to Trista threw him for a loop and he saw Roer was one big mass of iron. He was selected for Class VII and befriended Rean Schwarzer and Elliot Craig at the start of their orientation. Gaius joined the Art Club to improve his skills as an artist.

Offering an 'outside' view to Erebonian society, he interrupted another discussion between students born noble and commoner by pointing out fundamental problems in Erebonia's class system, which in turn served as an eye-opener for those around him. During their field trip to Legram, Gaius realized that the people of Nord and Legram worship both Aidios and the animist spirits, despite the difference in culture and tradition. Protecting those traditions by levying through taxes is worth it, he continues to argue.

During the Erebonian Civil War, he returns to the Nord Highlands to help protect the region from the conflict. After Rean Schwarzer and the rest of Class VII come looking for him, Gaius decided to team up with again and helps put an end to the civil war together with the crew on the Courageous. Although the civil war within Erebonia has ended and Gaius returns to the Nord Highlands to help the nomads recover from the war, he finds out that Erebonia's annexation of Crossbell has lead to a constant conflict between the Imperial Army of Erebonia and the Republic Army of Calvard both near the Tangram Hills east of Crossbell as well as in the neutral territory of Nord.

Having protected Ordis during the civil war, Barkhorn noticed Gaius' anxiety over the future of his homeland and decided to visit him in Nord. Gaius had only just explained that the destructive wind blowing across the highlands gave him a bad feeling, when a Republic aircraft broke through the 7th Armored Division's line of defense and began attacking the Nomadic Settlement.

Afterwards, Gaius's mentor, Barkhorn, died protecting Gaius and the Highlands from Calvardian threats. In his dying moments, Barkhorn, then the 8th Dominion of the Gralsritter wing of the Septian Church, passed his Stigma down to Gaius. This caused Gaius to inherit Barkhorn's position as the Eighth Dominion, at which point his title became the Soaring Phoenix (絶空鳳翼). Thomas Lysander, the other Dominion known to be operating in Erebonia, guided Gaius to Arteria where he would be trained for the next half year during which his friends from Class VII were unable to contact him. Along the way, Gaius settled on his alias as a Dominion which he reveals to everyone before his battle with Emma Millstein and Laura S. Arseid against Arianrhod and McBurn in the Gral of Erebos.

Throughout, Gaius offers his inherited Merkabah as Class VII's primary mode of transportation. Being a new Dominion, his Merkabah was understaffed - it is unknown if Barkhorn had other squires. To help alleviate the shortage of manpower, Thomas had his squires, among them Rosine, to help operate Gaius' Merkabah until a new crew could be found.

Gaius decides to spend his last night before the World War with Linde, with whom he participated in the Art Club as students. During the World War, like the rest of Class VII Gaius joins Prince Olivert Reise Arnor's operation Radiant Wings. His father Lacan and brother Thoma are also assisting with the operation, starting by evacuating the nomads to the comparatively safe northern area, leaving Gaius assured about the safety of his mother and younger sister.

Hearing about the disappearance of Olivert Reise Arnor and Scherazard Harvey, Gaius starts a search for them in their rumoured location- the Nord Highlands. He and his siblings greet Rean at their settlement when the latter comes to assist in the search. Gaius explains that he had been riding around the highlands but had not yet been able to determine any clues, but he had found evidence of campers from remains of fires and food packaging. Gaius accompanies them to the watchtower where they face off against a simulacrum of Arios MacLaine.

The news that a battalion of Calvardian tanks are heading for Nord spurns Gaius and the 23rd Armored Division into action, although they feel something is amiss. Gaius orders an emergency evacuation. After confronting the tanks, they find no signs of life, and the tanks seemingly automated. Zeo signals the news that the settlement is in danger and they rush back. Afterwards, they search the Highlands in a massive operation and eventually discover the Courageous II, cloaked. After freeing the crew and prince, they escape and continue the operation to stop the 23rd Armored Division's ambitions. Gaius uses his Merkabah to block a unit of Calvardian tanks. Soon after, Gaius witnesses Rean save the settlement from an automated Railway Cannon with his Tyrfing unit and the subsequent appearance of a Great white Divine Knight which disabled the Courageous II and Merkabah's engines. They are saved by Zeit.

Gaius is part of the group that infiltrates Reverse Babel in a joint effort to take out Elysium.

Hollow copies of Gaius are fought in the Infinity Corridor; once alongside hollow Wallace Bardias and once more in a group with fellow dominions Thomas Lysander and Wazy Hemisphere- both hollows.

EN = {|class="article-table" ! colspan="4" | Gaius Worzel ! colspan="4" | ガイウス・ウォーゼル 以前よりも風を読む力が研ぎ澄まされ、帝都に微かに流れる“悪しき風”を感じとれるまでになったらしい. 半年間連絡が取れなかった理由は、星杯騎士団の《吼天獅子》の跡を継いで新たな第八位として修行していた為だった.
 * rowspan="4" |Gaius Worzel Note (Sen III).png
 * colspan="3" |Old Class VII - Citizen of Nord
 * colspan="3" |A young man from Nord. He couldn't be contacted for the past six months, but the reason why is unclear.
 * colspan="3" |Reading the Wind He can read the wind even more clearly than ever before, and senses a malicious wind sweeping over the empire.
 * colspan="3" |Inherited Role Vanished for six months due to his training as the Eighth Dominion after inheriting the stigma of his mentor, Barkhorn.
 * }
 * -|JP = {| class="article-table"
 * colspan="3" |Inherited Role Vanished for six months due to his training as the Eighth Dominion after inheriting the stigma of his mentor, Barkhorn.
 * }
 * -|JP = {| class="article-table"
 * -|JP = {| class="article-table"
 * rowspan="4" |Gaius Worzel Note (Sen III).png
 * colspan="3" |旧Ⅶ組メンバー／ノルドの民
 * colspan="3" |半年ほどのあいだ音信不通となっていたノルド出身の青年. どうやら只ならぬ事情で連絡出来ずにいたようなのだが……？
 * colspan="3" |風読み
 * colspan="3" |半年ほどのあいだ音信不通となっていたノルド出身の青年. どうやら只ならぬ事情で連絡出来ずにいたようなのだが……？
 * colspan="3" |風読み
 * colspan="3" |風読み
 * colspan="3" |受け継いだ座
 * colspan="3" |受け継いだ座
 * }

EN={| class=article-table ! colspan=3 | Gaius Worzel Gaius inherited his Stigma and the Merkabah from the previous Dominion, Barkhorn. Being ship commander is a new experience for him. Gaius was so absorbed in his Gralsritter duties that he began to lose touch with his roots. He decided to re-examine his priorities. Various members of Gaius' family joined Operation Shining Steel. His love for them remains firm, as does their mutual trust. ! colspan=3 | ガイウス・ウォーゼル
 * rowspan=8 |Gaius Worzel Note (Sen III).png
 * colspan=3 |Old Class VII - Nord / Septian Church
 * colspan=3 |8th Dominion of the Gralsritter. Hails from the North highlands and is assisted in battle by his faithful partner, a hawk named Zeo.
 * colspan=3 |Big Shoes to Fill
 * colspan=3 |8th Dominion of the Gralsritter. Hails from the North highlands and is assisted in battle by his faithful partner, a hawk named Zeo.
 * colspan=3 |Big Shoes to Fill
 * colspan=3 |Big Shoes to Fill
 * colspan=3 |Nord Heritage
 * colspan=3 |Nord Heritage
 * colspan=3 |Family Ties
 * colspan=3 |Family Ties
 * }
 * -|JP={| class=article-table
 * rowspan=8 |Gaius Worzel Note (Sen III).png
 * colspan=3 |旧Ⅶ組メンバー／ノルドの民／七耀教会
 * colspan=3 |星杯騎士団・守護騎士第八位《絶空凰翼》. ノルドの出身の青年で、鷹のゼオという相棒がいる.
 * colspan=3 |受け継いだ艦 先代バルクホルン師父から聖痕と共に受け継いだ艦《メルカバ》. 不慣れながら艦長として指揮を執ることに.
 * colspan=3 |ノルドという足場 星杯騎士としての使命を帯びた事で、ノルドという足場を見失っていたガイウス. 自分を見つめ直し全てを護る覚悟を決めた.
 * colspan=3 |故郷の家族 父や弟たちも《翼の閃き》作戦に協力、開戦に備え立ち回っていると語るガイウス. 大家族の長男として家族を信じている.
 * }
 * colspan=3 |ノルドという足場 星杯騎士としての使命を帯びた事で、ノルドという足場を見失っていたガイウス. 自分を見つめ直し全てを護る覚悟を決めた.
 * colspan=3 |故郷の家族 父や弟たちも《翼の閃き》作戦に協力、開戦に備え立ち回っていると語るガイウス. 大家族の長男として家族を信じている.
 * }
 * colspan=3 |故郷の家族 父や弟たちも《翼の閃き》作戦に協力、開戦に備え立ち回っていると語るガイウス. 大家族の長男として家族を信じている.
 * }

Trivia

 * Gaius is the only member of the original Class VII whose father and mother are both alive. The biological mothers of Rean, Jusis, Elliot, Crow, Emma, Laura and Sara are all deceased; there is no information regarding the status/identities of Fie and Machias' mothers; Millium is artificial and has no parents; and Alisa's father died (and spent most of his final years brainwashed as someone completely different).
 * Gaius' bonding trophy in is titled "Wind Beneath My Wings".
 * Gaius' bonding trophy in is titled "Winderlust".
 * Gaius' bonding trophy in is titled "Found with the Wind".
 * Gaius' bird, Zeo, is named after one of the Nord warriors who assisted Dreichels in the War of the Lions.