Dist

Saphir Ortion Gneiss (サフィール・ワイヨン・ネイス), better known as God-General Dist the Reaper (死神ディスト), is a major antagonist in Tales of the Abyss.

He is also called "Dist the Runny", a title mockingly conferred upon him by Jade Curtiss in reference to the fact that his nose supposedly runs when he is upset. However, Dist insists he be referred to by neither of these titles, but as "Dist the Rose". Within the Order of Lorelei, he holds the ranks of Conductor and Locrian Colonel, and is the Commander of the 2nd Division.

Past
Dist was born Saphir Wyon Gneiss in Keterburg in N.D. 1982, the same year as Jade. He was childhood friends with Jade, Nephry Osborne, Jade's sister who was then known as Nephry Balfour, and future emperor of Malkuth, Peony IX, all of which later attended Professor Gelda Nebilim's school in Keterburg. Jade performed an experiment in N.D. 1994, attempting to use the Seventh Fonon, but failed, setting the school ablaze, and killing Nebilim. Afterward, on the outskirts of town, Jade attempted to revive the professor using fomicry, but instead created a monster replica. In N.D. 1996, Dist and Jade entered Grand Chokmah's Military Academy together, focusing on fomicry research, and eventually graduating from the academy. Obsessed with fon machinery, Dist would aid Jade by building machines to create replicas. When Jade banned fomicry research in N.D. 2004, he distanced himself from Dist, who continued the experiments. Dist joined the Oracle Knights in N.D. 2009, and later served under Van Grants, became one of the six God-Generals, and changed his name, including altering his middle name to Ortion, by which the Ortion Cavern would later be named. Unlike the other God-Generals who joined Van because of his ideals, Dist joined Van so that he could continue his research. He remodeled a mechanical doll known as Tokunaga for Anise Tatlin in N.D. 2015.

Tales of the Abyss
Dist longs for the resurrection of Nebilim, his former professor, doing everything in his power to revive her. He switches alliances and works with Grand Maestro Mohs in a failed attempt to acquire Nebilim's replica data. Primarily serving as the comic relief villain, he often throws tantrums, and is responsible for saying various, outrageous quotes, many of which only further expound his personal vanity. Throughout the events of the story, he proves to possess a more sinister side to him, serving the role of a mad scientist, and performing immoral experiments, giving little thought to what harm they may cause.

Appearance and Personality
Dist is a narcissist with a flamboyant sense of style, as shown by his ostentatious chair and unique collar, and he possesses both an affectedly soft, yet haughty voice to match his vain personality. His blind dedication to the cause of reviving his childhood instructor illustrates a stubborn inability to let go of the past.

Trivia

 * Most of the God-Generals' assumed names derive from musical terms. Dist derives from dissonance.
 * Dist is the only God-General who does not fight in person against the party in battle, instead using fon-tech, robotic machines. He is also the only God-General who does not use a mystic arte.
 * Dist is the only God-General who does not die within the story.