Laphicet Crowe


 * This article is about the supporting character in Tales of Berseria. For the protagonist, see Laphicet.

Laphicet Crowe (ライフィセット・クラウ) is a supporting character in Tales of Berseria. He is Velvet Crowe's younger brother who, three years prior to the events of the story, was willingly sacrificed by his half-brother Artorius Collbrande, referred to as "Arthur", during an event known as the Advent, setting the game's plot in motion and initiating Velvet's journey of vengeance.

History
During the game's prologue, Laphicet is seen as a young boy suffering from the effects of the "Twelve Year Sickness", a mysterious ailment with no cure that kills its host at the age of twelve years. Although Velvet has gone through great lengths to prevent Laphicet from knowing this, his extensive reading habit reveals the truth to him, but he chooses to keep silent about his knowledge of it. He is cared for by Velvet, who calls him "Laphi", though he finds this nickname childish. A curious mind with a thirst for knowledge and sense for adventure, Laphicet's behavior will often cause concern for Velvet, particularly when he gets out of bed to read or ventures to the cape to pick flowers for their older sister and her unborn child's graves.

One day, he decides to visit the cape to pick flowers, only for Velvet to awaken looking for him. When she finds him, she agrees to take him to the cape, where, in a tender moment, the two share insight into a significant question asked throughout the story: "Why do you think birds fly?" Suddenly, however, a daemon attacks, and despite Velvet's attempt to fend it off, she is knocked to the ground. Laphicet rushes to her defense, but the daemon manages to knock him away as well, causing him to drop a comb he bought for Velvet by transcribing one of Arthur's texts and exchanging it for the comb. Arthur then appears and rescues the two.

Prior to these events, Laphicet spoke with Arthur about the impending Scarlet Night and longing to make a world in which Velvet can be happy. Having read Arthur's book, Laphicet understood the necessity of two souls of powerful resonance and free of malevolence needing to be sacrificed in order to resurrect Innominat, the Empyrean of Suppression, and rid the world of daemons. Knowing he will not live to see the next Scarlet Night due to his illness, he volunteers himself as the second sacrifice to revive Innominat, Arthur's unborn son having been the first nine years prior. Laphicet requests that Arthur keep this information hidden from Velvet, to which Arthur agrees.

The following Scarlet Night, daemonblight sweeps through the village of Aball, and Velvet awakens during the night to find Laphicet missing. Making her way to the altar at the cape, she witnesses Arthur sacrifice Laphicet during what eventually became known as the Advent, and the events that follow ultimately steer her on the path of revenge against Arthur, unaware of Laphicet's willing sacrifice. Laphicet is then reborn as Innominat, who assumes his body as a malakhim vessel, retaining his memories and using them against Velvet on numerous occasions.