Rutee Katrea

Rutee Katrea (ルーティ・カトレット) is the heroine of Namco's Tales of Destiny who also makes an appearance in its sequel, Tales of Destiny 2. She is considered greedy, money hungry and always out for herself, but eventually her more noble goals and traits are made known to the party. Working as a Lens Hunter with her parther, Mary Argent (Mary Agent in Japanese), she kills monsters to acquire Lens and sell it to Oberon Corporation for Gald. When not fighting against monsters for her money, Rutee can be found combing ancient ruins for treasures to sell. Rutee is the mistress of Atwight, the Swordian of Water, who also excels at healing magic. Atwight has been with her as long as she can remember and is like a mother figure for the girl. Rutee is also the mother of the sequel's protagonist, Kyle Dunamis.

She is voiced by Yuka Imai.

Origins
Rutee was born 18 years before the main game begins to Hugo Gilchrist, President of Oberon Corporation, and Chris Katrea. Two years after, she was followed by her younger brother, Emilio. Their family was happy until one day when her father discovered what he believed to be the Swordian, Berselius. In fact, though its body was that of Berselius, the soul contained within was that of Kronos (Miktran in Japanese), the King of the Aetherians.

Kronos began to warp Hugo's mind in order to complete his goal of reviving the Aetherian civilization. It was during this time that Chris gave her daughter Atwight, another Swordian in the family's possession, to protect her in her mother's abscence. As Hugo's condition worsened, Chris ended up being killed. However, he did manage to bring Rutee to the town of Cresta and leave her at an orphanage. Thus, the child escaped the horrible fate that was in store for her father and brother.

As she grew up, Rutee began to forget these horrible events and the loss of her family. Because she was raised in the orphanage, she began to feel sensitive towards others who were without parents. She also felt a sense of duty towards those who took her in and raised her and wanted to earn the money they needed to survive. This desire led to her becoming a Lens Hunter, Atwight at her side as her weapon.

Partners
When Rutee was 16, she came across an injured woman. The woman's name was Mary and she had completely lost her memory of her past. Mary agreed to work with Rutee and became her partner. Her excellent skills with a sword and ax were of asset to Rutee, but they also shared a sisterly relationship. At times, however, people thought Rutee was using Mary's amnesiac state for her own benefits.

After some time, the Mayor of Cresta, at his wife's insistance, backed the demolition of the orphanage in favor of putting up an art museum. They used the mounting debt of the institution as an excuse to justify their actions. Rutee didn't want to see that happen and those children on the streets, so she set out to make as much money as she could as quick as she could.

When she was 18, she was hired by a man named Walt to find an Old Cane hidden within an ancient ruin near Janos. Trying to free the cane from its pedestal, Rutee was caught in a trap. Mary ran off, leaving her hanging upside-down for some time. However, Mary only left to get help and brought back a young, naive country boy named Stahn Aileron (Stan Aileron in Japanese). When he finally got Rutee down, she brushed him off, angry that her pride had been wounded. However, upon seeing his prowess in battle after soldiers came to check on the commotion and realizing he wielded a Swordian (Dymlos, the former lover of Rutee's own Atwight), she recanted and asked him to come along. Stahn, not one to abandon people in need and being semi-pushed by both Swordians, agrees.

The Mission (Tales of Destiny)
After selling the Old Cane to Walt and cheating him out of an additional 5,000 Gald, Rutee and the others spend the night at the inn in Harmentz. However, when they wake up they are confronted by the soldiers from the previous day. They want back what was stolen and brought friends along. The team defeats them easily, but then a young man named Leon Magnus (Lion Magnus in Japanese) shows up. He easily decimates the party and has them tied up. Then, the boy reveals he is the master of Chaltier, the Earth Swordian which was also in the possession of Rutee's family. Though she doesn't yet realize it, this cocky warrior is in fact her younger brother, Emilio.

Their weapons are taken and the trio is sent to Darilsheid to be locked in prison. After bickering with Stahn for a little and trying to mitigate the blame for getting tossed in jail, they are taken to see the king. It appeared like they would be executed for their actions; however, just then Hugo speaks up and tells the king they can be used to investigate the Straylize Temple. He suggests crowning them with special tiaras, which can be used to administer an electric shock if they misbehave, and sending Leon along to watch over them. The king agrees and the team is set free and equipped with the tiaras; he does, however, warn them about the Eye of Atamoni. Rutee asks for a reward for completing the mission, to which Hugo agrees because he feels it will motivate her. Then, they are all asked to come to his mansion. At the mansion, Stahn and Rutee are reunited with their Swordians and Hugo gives them a World Map. The team then leaves for the temple.

At the temple, they learn that Lydon (Grebaum in Japanese), a High Priest, had stolen the Eye of Atamoni. They are also joined by Philia Felice (Philia Philis in Japanese), an apprentice priestess who wishes to make up for her failure to stop the theft. She becomes the master of Clemente after traveling to the sunken Er'ther Army base, Radisrol. Together, they travel to Cavalese in search of where the Eye of Atamoni was brought. Failing to find any information reguarding its location there, they decide to go after the Lens Pirates in Fitzgald which are connected to Lydon.

There, Rutee helps a young orphan boy who is being picked on by some rich kids, showing her softer side to Stahn. She also becomes jealous when she sees Stahn flirting with Ilene, one of Oberon's Branch Managers. Though she does not know the reason why, she is angered by the fact that he agrees to go on a date with her, even if it is just a tour of the town. Dragging Mary along, the girl follows them around but loses the duo when they buy tickets and enter the arena. Rutee goes back to the mansion they're staying at for the night. When Batista, their prisoner, escapes the next morning, she jumps to conclusions and blames Philia because they had known each other back at the temple. However, Leon quickly reveals he let Batista go so they could use the homing device on his tiara, taken from Mary to help with the interrogation, to locate Lydon. Rutee apologizes to Philia for her mistake and they all head towards the docks where they charter a ship to Aquaveil.

Though they meet Lydon in Terazzi, Aquaveil's capital, he escaped to Phandaria. The team headed there immediately where they joined with Garr Kelvin (Woodrow Kelvin in Japanese), the prince of Phandaria, who wanted to reclaim his throne. They also learned that Lydon had taken Igtenos, the Swordian of Wind, which was Phandaria's royal treasure. With caution, they headed across the Frozen River and made it to Heidelberg, Phandaria's capital.

At the castle, they were confronted by a guard captain who Mary seemed to recognize as Dalis. When the guards recognized Garr, they came out in full to arrest the group, but Mary refused to leave now that she'd found someone she knew from her past. Rutee, loyal to her friend, didn't want to abandon Mary, leading to both her and Stahn's capture. Mary was taken upstairs, but the two of them were locked in jail where they argued a bit on whose fault their situation was. Leon eventualyl came and set the duo free, and the whole group went upstairs to find Mary. There, they listened in and learned about her past and the fact that she and Dalis were married. However, he was under Lydon's control, and when soldiers entered, he attacked the team (minus Mary who was knocked back). This part of the game differes whether or not you went to Cyril, Mary's former home, before the capital. If you did, Dalis will live and Rutee begs Mary to stay and take care of him. If you didn't, he will die and Rutee tries to get Mary to come with them, only to be chided by Leon. Regardless of what you do, Mary stays behind with Dalis and the team goes on to defeat Lydon and reclaim the Eye of Atamoni.

As they returned to Seinegald with the stolen Eye, Stahn confronts Rutee on the deck. She explains to him why she became a Lens Hunter and that she wanted to get the money necessary to save the people she cared about. Seeing Rutee in a new light, Stahn decides to turn down his share of Hugo's reward and allow Rutee to have it all; the others had all turned it down for their own personal reasons. Rutee is shocked by this event, but even moreso by the fact that he gives her all his money and Lens before returning home on the Draconis. She thanks him for helping her and for allowing her to become more honest and open with herself. Stahn says goodbye and returns home to his village, while Rutee returns to Cresta and presents the Mayor and his wife with the money. The orphanage is saved, and she returns to help take care of the children. However, because of the Eye of Atamoni's inactivation, later revealed to be because of the discs Leon had them insert into the Swordians, Atwight has become dormant and is left in storage.

Past Revealed
Sometime after these events, Rutee is playing with the children outside. She then hears familiar voices talking about another journey and how they would regret taking Rutee along if she's happy with these children. At the same time, other familiar voices are yelling at them to bring her. Rutee runs to the gate to see Stahn and Philia (and perhaps Garr if you got him first) arguing with Clemente and Dymlos. They prepare to leave but Rutee refuses to allow them to go without her. After yelling at the group a bit, she goes and gets Atwight out of storage. Once the four Swordian Masters are united, they all go to Darilsheid, only to find out that Leon, Hugo, the Draconis and the Eye of Atamoni all vanished at the same time. A book on Hugo's desk becomes a vital clue and they charter a ship to Libra IV, an abandoned factory.

In the factory, the team enconters Oberon Employees trying to stop them, confirming Hugo is behind the mess. They eventually discover an elevator leading underground and find Hugo and Rembrant holding Marian hostage and forcing Leon to go along with them. Hugo orders Leon to attack the team, but calls him by his real name instead. Leon then admits everything had been Hugo's plan all along and how he's fighting to save what is most important to him. When Rutee questions his heroics, Leon immediately begins to tell her the truth: she was abandoned by her father, Hugo, along with Atwight, and he is her younger brother. Rutee is crushed by these revelations, but nonetheless raises her sword against Leon to get through. However, the collapse of the cave interrupts their advance and the team must escape on the Draconis. Leon is left behind to die as the water fills the cavern.

Following their ascent to the Aethersphere, the team had to find a Sky Cruiser at Mikheil in order to get to Belcrant. There, they encountered Rembrant who was holding Marian hostage. After defeating the old man and his crazy machine, Marian asks if Emilio is alive. Rutee sadly tells her that he's dead, and Marian says she was only hired by Hugo and cared about by Emilio because she resembled the boy's late mother. Knowing what Leon thought in his last moments, Rutee angrily informs the girl that he truly cared about her and gave his life for her and that thinking with such sorrow would prevent him from resting in peace. When Marian is about to get into the escape pod, Rutee thanks her for taking care of her little brother up until now. She also vows revenge against Hugo for what he did to Leon.

In Helraios, they are forced to face Ilene, and she commits suicide after realizing that Hugo's path was not the right one. Stahn, who liked Ilene, is crushed, and Rutee attempts to cheer him up. Though initially unsuccessful, she continues talking to him and mentions that she and he are alike: the world isn't their main concern, they fight to simply protect the people that they care about most. Stahn is comforted by her words and feels a lot better.

When they face Hugo in Belcrant, he tries to convince the team to join him, even enticing Rutee by using the fact that she is his daughter. Rutee is unconvinced because she saw what happened to Leon and knows she has to protect the people she cares about. She charges into the fray with her friends and defeats Hugo. After the fight, he reveals that he was controlled by Berselius for all these years and that he had abandoned Rutee in order to protect her so she could be free of the sword's slavery. Hugo's last request is to see Rutee's face one more time and she complies, screaming "Father!" as she runs over to him. After she's given him the one thing he wanted, he dies, and Rutee begins to cry over losing the last of her family. Stahn walks up to her and says that by telling her the truth, Hugo had found happiness in the end. Rutee is comforted by his words, but the scene is cut short by Kronos regaining his body and fully reviving.

The Final Battle
Though powerless to stop him, the team nonetheless prepares to assault Dycroft one more time and gain the necessary strength to defeat Kronos in combat. The night before the final battle, Rutee asks Philia what she thinks about Stahn and wonders why everything the priestess says is so positive. Philia wonders why Rutee doesn't try to look at Stahn in a positive light and tells her to be honest with herself before Rutee leaves. Stahn comes in and goes to look for her. Finding Rutee in the bar reminiscing about her past, he offers to talk with her and she says the gesture is enough. Thanking the bartender, Rutee retuns to her room.

The next day, the team heads up to Dycroft where they encounter several puzzles that split the team apart. First, they need to find the four fragments of the Delis Emblem and are teleported to a jail and split apart when they only have three. Rutee is relieved when Stahn finds her. Second, Stahn is teleported to another room all alone to find the secrets of the crystals to open a door. When he gets in contact with the others via a special tile, Rutee reads him the code so he can properly solve the puzzle. After he returns, Stahn greets Rutee with a cheerful, "Hi honey, I'm home," which embarrasses her.

Finally, the group makes it to the inner sanctums of Kronos' domain and find he's been draining the energy from the surface to revive the Aetherians. They follow the king to the chamber of the Eye of Atamoni, where he summons a zombified Leon to fight the party. Rutee is once more forced to take up her sword against her younger brother; however, he demands to be killed so he can be set free. She complies, and then they turn their wrath towards Kronos himself.

After the battle, the Eye of Atamoni goes wild and debris begin raining down and ravaging the surface. The only way to save the world is to sacrifice the Swordians to destroy the Eye of Atamoni. One by one, the team tosses their Swordians into the Eye. When it comes to Rutee's turn, she refuses to say goodbye. Atwight understands how she feels and reveals the promise she'd made long ago to Chris Katrea, the promise she's fulfilled with her death: to always protect Rutee so she might live a better life. Rutee thanks Atwight before tossing her in.

A year later, the team is reunited at Stahn's place. Rutee jumps down off the roof in order to get a rise out of Stahn and begins giggling about him getting soft living out in the country. They banter playfully for a bit but soon go inside to continue the party.

New Family (Tales of Destiny 2)
Sometime within a year after the reunion, Stahn moves in with Rutee, who is now the director of Dunamis Orphanage in Cresta. Three years following the final battle, the couple has a young son whom they name Kyle. Kyle looks exactly like his father and inherits his habit of sleeping in. Rutee finds the only way to wake either of her boys is to bang a ladle on a frying pan in a technique called "Waking the Dead."

Because they are raising the orphans and all of them go by the last name "Dunamis," the couple decide to give their son that last name as well. Kyle becomes close friends with Loni, a boy eight years his senior, who is like an older brother to him. It seems that Rutee has finally found the happiness she was denied long ago by Kronos. By this time, the four Swordian Masters are referred to as "The Four Heroes."

However, when Kyle is about 5, all of that changed. A mysterious stranger who would later be known as Barbatos Goetia appears at the orphanage and attacks Kyle and Loni, finally holding Loni hostage. Rutee and Stahn come out to defend the children but are told to drop their weapons if they want them to live. The man does not accept money or lens in return for leaving, all he wants is to take both of their lives. Stahn goes down first and Rutee is attacked a split second later after yelling at Loni to get Kyle out of there. Though she survives the incident, Stahn is killed. Kyle suppresses his memories of the death of his father, telling himself that Stahn simply went on a journey. Rutee is willing to let her son believe as he wants, hoping that it would be better on him.

A Mother's Prayer
When Kyle is 15, Rutee's life is still pretty much the same. She continues taking care of the children of Dunamis and trying to protect her son. Kyle is increasingly edgy, wanting to go on an adventure of his own to be a hero like his parents. After Loni, who has been working as a soldier in Atamoni, comes back with news of a gigantic lens worth 3-million Gald, Kyle wants to go along with him. Rutee flat out refuses, but the boy sneaks out to explore the Ruins of Laguna anyway.

Though initially mad at him for running off and ignoring her authority, Rutee sits under the stars that night and has a talk with the sky as if she's talking to Stahn. She concludes that he's just trying to be like his parents and can see both her and Stahn inside of him. The next day, Rutee encourages Kyle to go on his journey and find what he's looking for, even giving him some traveling money to get him started.

Near the end of the game, Kyle visits his mother again seeking advice. He has just learned about how Elraine, the enemy who sent the assassin to kill Stahn, plans to revive the goddess Fortuna and bring the world under her rule. However, if Kyle kills Fortuna, it will mean the death of Reala, the girl he is in love with, because she was a daughter of Fortuna. Kyle plans on seeking the advice of each of the surviving heroes. Rutee now knows that Kyle has realized the truth behind his father's death and apologizes for keeping it from him. Somehow, she knows exactly what his problem is and tells her son to listen to what his heart is telling him: what is best for Reala, what she knows needs to be done. Now, more than ever, Rutee knows that Kyle is Stahn's son and tells him as he leaves that both his parents are proud of him. The group of six head for the final showdown, never once letting on to Rutee that the masked swordsman traveling with them is in fact her brother; in any case, he has never told anyone that Rutee is his sister.

After the defeat of Fortuna, the timeline is brought back to its true form. In this time, Elraine does not exist so she never revived Barbatos and thus Stahn never died. Rutee was allowed to be happy with her husband and son, never knowing there was a time when he was taken from her. However, when Kyle is 15 he begs to go out on a journey of his own. Though initially reluctant, Rutee eventually agrees when Stahn sides with Kyle. What she doesn't know is that he's about to be bringing home a girlfriend because Reala will be revived in this timeline due to Kyle's strong heart.

Atwight
Rutee's Swordian, Atwight, contains the soul of Atwight Eks, a Medical Corps Colonel in the Er'ther Army. She was a physician for Laville Clemente, a hero and fellow Swordian. While in her human guise, she was also in love with Dymlos Timbre (Dimlos Timbre in the Japanese version; also romanized as Tinbar and Tumbre), a Division Commander in the 1st Er'ther Army who would later go on to become the Swordian of Rutee's future husband, Stahn. Before her death, Chris Katrea charged Atwight with watching over her daughter and protecting her, a promise Atwight kept until she was destroyed while breaking apart the Eye of Atamoni. She loves the girl as a mother would her daughter and tries her best to keep her out of trouble, though it isn't always effective. Atwight is kind and patient but will tell Rutee her true opinion on matters no matter what the girl thinks.

Atwight's natural element is Water. However, she also learns several healing as well as stat-boosting or -decreasing spells. Though Rutee uses her healing magic at several points outside of battle, and Atwight does possess a spell to revive a defeated party member, she cannot revive those who have died outside of battle, as shown when Hugo dies and Rutee begs her Swordian to help.

In the PS2 Remake, she is voiced by Emi Uwagawa.

Trivia

 * Rutee is shocked by Leon a total of three times: once in Hugo's mansion when she laughs about Rembrandt calling him a boy, once in Ilene's mansion when she calls Leon a snot-nosed brat for taking Mary's tiara off and not hers, and once when they're in Heidelberg Prison and she blames Leon for the last time they were locked up.
 * She appears as a playable character in Namco X Capcom with Stahn as her partner.
 * Rutee appears in several of the side games in the Tales series, including Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 2, Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 3, Tales of Fandom and Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology.
 * Though a cheerful person, Rutee is inexperienced in dealing with others' pain, as seen when she tries to cheer up Stahn after Ilene's death.
 * Rutee and Leon are the only left handed characters in Tales of Destiny.