Wingul

Wingul the Nova (革命のウィンガル), formerly known as Lin Long Dau (リイン・ロンダウ), is the personal companion of Gaius and leader of the Chimeriad in Tales of Xillia.

History
Wingul was born Lin Long Dau, heir to the Long Dau Tribe, one of the more influential tribes of the time. A child prodigy, he displayed a high intelligence and aptitude for military strategy as early as the age of eight. Throughout his childhood, he was rarely not seen in the company of his best friend and retainer, Nils Frieden, four years his senior.

When he was 11-years-old, his father, Lars, the tribe chief during that time, lost his life to Gaius, making Lin the new leader of the tribe. While he possessed a brilliant mind, his three uncles frequently ignored his advice in favor of fighting against Gaius's group, Taurus, repeatedly in an attempt to avenge Lars's death. These attempts were consistently unsuccessful and resulted in the deaths of Lin's uncles, Yan and Ingo. The third uncle, Bruno, died later in an accident. After Yan and Ingo's death, Lin began to have more of a say in the tribe's movements, and he also began to prove himself more than capable as a leader, earning the title "The Little General". Though the Long Dau army was able to gain more ground on Taurus under Lin's command, they were unable to seize decisive victory, and the tribe, as a whole, was in chaos. In addition to his father and uncle's deaths, Lin's mother later committed suicide.

Finally, two years after succeeding his father, Lin was able to corner Taurus in the Mon Highlands. Gaius came to meet with him personally, informing him that if the two forces clashed there, they would both be buried in an avalanche. Though he considered killing Gaius to avenge his father, he instead listened to what he had to say. Lin was moved by the older boy's ambition and ideals, and he soon withdrew his troops as a result of this inspiration. Having similar dreams of uniting Auj Oule and seeing Gaius as worthy of being the one to do so, he surrendered to Gaius and offered his support to Gaius's cause. In turn, Gaius saw the skill and potential Lin possessed and made him his personal companion and chief strategist. It was at this point that Lin took the name Wingul, the wing of the Chimera.

After defeating King Merad at the Battle of Aklund, Gaius officially became the new king of Auj Oule. In this battle, a new technology was used: boosters. Wingul pursued researching the new technology further. When he was 21, he fought against Ortega Kitar, but was easily overwhelmed by the man's brute strength. Frustrated by this loss, Wingul volunteered to be the first human test subject in booster research, having a booster implanted directly into his brain. The side effects were severe, but he felt any pain was worth it for the power it gave him. It was during this time that he met Elize Lutus, another test subject. Six years later, a year before the events of Tales of Xillia, the booster lab was attacked by agents of Exodus, with Nils being shot and killed by Alvin. The lab was closed afterward.

Appearance and Personality
Also called the "Ebon Wing" of Auj Oule, Wingul is an intelligent and highly talented strategist, a fact noted by Rowen J. Ilbert, himself a legendary tactician. Even more than fervent than his abilities, however, he is fiercely loyal to Gaius. Wingul puts what will help Gaius and what is best for Gaius above all else, even if it concerns his own life. This is clearly shown when he continues to use his booster, knowing it will kill him, in order to stop Jude Mathis and the others from interfering with Gaius's plans. Wingul has a relatively level-headed temperament, tending toward irritable and snarky. While Gaius demonstrates a healthy respect for Jude and Milla Maxwell, Wingul clearly disdains the party and their efforts, having a particular rivalry with Rowen.

In contrast to his usual calm, when using his booster, Wingul is aggressive and difficult to reason with, in addition to becoming significantly stronger. The personality change is attributed to a side effect of the booster, having being implanted in his head. Additionally, his hair becomes white and spiked in this state, and his side-cape positions upward, resembling a wing. While under the influence of his booster, Wingul can only speak his native language, Long Dau. Long Dau was only spoken by the tribe's elite, a sign of his noble birth.

Fighting Style
In battle, Wingul utilizes his Booster to its full potential and he can utilize sword play very well. Since each member of the Chimeriad represents one of the four elememnts, Wingul utilizes the element of wind to it's full power. His artes are reminisant of those of true Tales series swordsmen, including Severing Fang and Dragon Swarm. He also utilizes wind-element spells like Arrivederci, but it does not limit him to one element, Rising Phoenix is an example of this. His arcane arte is Infernal Torrent which, when in Over Limit, serves as a trigger for his Mystic Arte, Lightning Nova.

Trivia

 * Lin Long Dau translates to reincarnation in an ancient language.
 * At one point, Wingul had the idea to create sweets themed after Gaius as a souvenir, as well as to raise the king's popularity. He even wrote a jingle to promote the treat, and despite Gaius banning the song, it made its way to the public.