“Just so we're clear, I could not care less how much trouble you're in. I'm just here to know one thing: will you bear the nightmare, or not?”
— Mare, Trails through Daybreak
Mare (メア) is an artificial intelligence residing in Van Arkride's Xipha unit.
Profile[]
Introduction[]
Trails through Daybreak[]
A unique holo core, a type of support AI, installed in Van's Xipha. It seems to be quite opinionated, but this is merely the personality configured in its programming. It has no actual consciousness of its own. Like most holo cores, it typically advises Van using speech synthesis, but a phenomenon Van encounters gives it the ability to manifest in the real world as a holographic avatar. This also gives it a will of its own, something AIs do not possess as a rule, and allows Van to "bear the nightmare" and transform into the devastating Grendel.[1]
Trails through Daybreak II[]
An unusually self-assertive holo core installed in Van's Xipha. Although she typically only displays her normal, pre-programmed personality, Mare is able to manifest physically when resonating with one of the eight Geneses. It is during these moments that she appears to possess free will—something that should be impossible for an AI. Mare is capable of surrounding Van's body with shards, thus transforming him into the Grendel. As one can imagine, its fearsome strength and great power have saved the day a fair number of times. Over the course of the incidents surrounding Almata and the Oct-Geneses, it was revealed that Mare also had the ability to overtake a human's consciousness. With such incredible power, it's clear she has a crucial role to play—what exactly that role is, however, remains unknown.[2]Appearance[]
Mare is a very small, pixie-like girl with pointed ears and a vibrant blue glow. She has violet eyes and bright green hair which is tied up into platts and braids. A large circular headpiece which resembles an aerial has two long blue sashes ending in white pointed tips which give her the appearance of having twin tails. Mare wears a skin-tight white leotard with blue elbow length gloves and thigh-high stockings with silver bands. She also wears white boots, a hood like attachment round her collar and what appears to be a blue ornament in the shape of a neck tie with a long flowing diaphanous material flowing from it. Two cords with what appear to be audio jacks hang from her hood.
Personality[]
Despite being an extremely self-assertive type, Mare initially has no "free will" and its personality is merely a facade of its artificial intelligence. After a certain incident, Mare showed a free will impossible for an artificial intelligence. She is quite arrogant and rude, but also shows concern when something threatens Van's well-being. She does not like being called 'Princess.'
Trivia[]
- Mare is a malicious entity in Germanic and Slavic folklore that rides on people's chests while they sleep, bringing on nightmares.
References[]
Sources
- ↑ Trails through Daybreak, Official Website Page (EN-JP)
- ↑ Trails through Daybreak II, Official Website Page (EN-JP)
