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Who am I? That's what I want to know.
― Rena Lanford

Rena Lanford (レナ・ランフォード, Rena Ranfōdo?, lit. Rena Lanford) is one of the two protagonists of Star Ocean: The Second Story, its enhanced port Second Evolution and remake The Second Story R, and its sequel Blue Sphere, alongside Claude C. Kenny. Blessed with healing abilities that no one else on Expel possesses, she longs to discover who she actually is, knowing that her parents are not her biological ones.

Entries[]

Profile

Birthplace: Energy Nede
Birthday: May 13th
A young girl who helped thwart the Ten Wise Men's attempt to destroy the universe in the 360s (S.D.).
Rena has a healing ability possessed by none other. Having never known her birth parents, she always wondered where she belonged. She eventually learns the truth of her past, however, when she travels to the distant planet of Expel.
She believes Claude, with his glowing federal weapons and ability to fell enemies, to be the legendary Hero of Light.
Rena is a bit of a dreamer.

Birthplace: Energy Nede
Birthday: May 13th
A young girl who helped thwart the Ten Wise Men's attempt to destroy the universe in the 360s (S.D.).
Through her travels with Claude, she eventually finds her way back to her home planet of Energy Nede. There she meets the spirit of her birth mother from whom she had been separated at a young age.
Having been raised on the underdeveloped planet of Expel, she is not very good with technology. In fact, she once accidentaly re-set an entire library's database.

Birthplace: Energy Nede
Birthday: May 13th
A young girl who helped thwart the Ten Wise Men's attempt to destroy the universe in the 360s (S.D.).
Through her travels with Claude, Rena has gotten to know many different people. Together, they have overcome a great number of difficulties, and she has come to trust and love these friends with all of her heart.
When she was young, she spent a lot of time looking after a stray dog she found in the forest. Rena has since been a lover of dogs but recently she has also started to like cats.

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Story[]

Background[]

Rena Lanford was born to an unnamed father and Rhima, a renowned symbology researcher in the year 699,997,565 B.C. At some point Rena visited the Outer Gardens on Energy Nede, but spent most of her time in a Nedian colony on an unnamed planet in the Beta Sector. The colony was the only Nedian settlement outside of Energy Nede, enveloped by a space-time displacement shield. She would often visit the forest located just outside the Symbology Weapons Laboratory Institute.

When Rena was two years old, Rhima's experiment on Creation Energy went wrong. With no hope of shutting the project down, Rhima decided to save her daughter and transport her to safety. She gave Rena a Quadratic Key pendant and placed into a pod that would transport her into the space-time shield and shift Rena through space and time, effectively saving her life.

Westa finds Rena

Westa comes across Rena in the Sacred Forest.

Transported millions of years into the future, Rena's pod lands in the Sacred Forest on the Krosse continent of planet Expel in SD 351. Not long after, the Expellian woman Westa stumbled upon Rena. She brought the girl back to her village, Arlia, where no one was opposed to her and her husband's decision to raise Rena as their own daughter. Tragedy struck when, years later, Rena's adoptive father died. After crying herself asleep, Rena was woken by an emotional argument between her mother and the village mayor. It was then that Rena learned that she was adopted.

Growing up peacefully in Arlia, Rena became close friends with Allen Tucks, and the siblings Cecille and Dias Flac, to whom she became practically a sister. However, in S.D. 364 a group of bandits attacked Dias' family, and only Dias survived. Bereft of his parents and sister, Dias left Arlia to make a claim to fame as a traveling swordsman. Rena, who felt very close to Dias, was very hurt by his departure.

Hero's journey[]

In SD 366, Rena, who is now eighteen years of age, has become comfortable with her life in Arlia, though the arrival of the Sorcery Globe fills her with fear and gives her a yearning for the arrival of the Hero of Light. She spends most of her days daydreaming underneath the boughs of the Sacred Forest on the outskirts of town or at Bosman's house. Bosman, the village carpenter, is often in Salva doing contract work for the Tucks family and this causes him to have to leave his children home along; their loneliness causes Rena to feel sorry for them and she will try to spend as much time as possible with the boy and girl, telling them stories and playing with them.

One morning, Rena leaves for the Sacred Forest after a brief argument with Westa who tried to stop her from going. Upon arriving in the forest she felt so calm that she traveled deeper into the forest than she usually did, arriving near the spot where her pod landed—and the exact spot where the creation energy device on Milokeenia teleported Claude. At gorilla-like animal-turned-monster due to Quadratic Sphere radiation, attacked her, prompting Claude to enter combat with the beast in order to save her, breaking the Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact as he was forced to utilize his Phase Gun to slay the foe. To Rena, it looked as if he was wielding a Sword of Light, and his clothes were certainly alien; naturally, the Expellian-raised teenager thought that he was the Hero of Light, a legendary warrior come to save the world. Still reeling from the attack and the realization that this was the Hero, Rena fled when Claude stepped closer to her, but soon caught her bearings and waited for him. There they introduced themselves formally and she profusely apologized for running off after he had saved her life. When Claude asks her where they are, she is even more mesmerized by Mr. Kenny and takes him along with her back to Arlia, discussing his origins along the way.

Rena in Space

Rena Lanford

After his initial viewing of the tiny hamlet, Claude proceeds to ask Rena to show him around the village, which she happily agrees to do. She shows him all the major buildings in towns and introduces him to the townsfolk who consequently all make quite a big deal about her being with her 'boyfriend.' One man even comments that this is the first time he has ever seen her walking around with a guy before. Eventually, however, they make it back to the riverbed where her and Westa's house is. Upon arriving at the front door Rena asks if Claude wouldn't mind waiting outside for a short period of time while she runs inside and cleans up a little bit; Claude agrees.

Excited, she runs inside to inform her mother that the Hero of Light has arrived on Expel. Initially suspicious of whether or not this really was the Hero, she is convinced when Rena informed her that Claude had used the Sword of Light to save her within the Sacred Forest. As they discuss him, Claude walks in the front door after tiring of waiting for Rena. She tells him that she has a little more to do and asks if he would mind waiting just a little while longer, which Claude agrees to do and informs her that he will walk around the town until she is ready. After a short dialogue with her mother, Westa tells Rena to go fetch Claude and bring him back to their house.

As she begins to search the small village for the Earthling, the villagers inform her that he was asking the strangest questions. She catches up to him towards the entrance to the Sacred Forest and brings him back to her house, where Westa has quickly cooked up a massive feast in honor of the supposed Hero of Light. An hour later it all begins to turn into pandemonium when Westa sends Rena across the way to get Mayor Regis and inform him about the arrival of the Hero. Again, Regis is easily convinced after he hears that Claude has the Sword of Light, and he follows Rena over to her house. While she was gone Westa had let slip to Claude that he was the Hero; when Claude seemed confused she ran downstairs flustered and met with Rena and Mayor Regis.

Claude descends the stairs after Westa explains what she did, and Regis quickly moves in to welcome Claude to Arlia. They sit down and Regis begins to question Claude on his journey, which ultimately boils down to Regis accusing Claude of lying and that he is the Hero of Legend. Claude denies it, even after Regis explains about the Sorcery Globe, and the mayor ultimately aggrees that Claude is not the warrior. Rena, however, can't believe that Claude is not the warrior and runs outside, unable to believe that he was not the Hero of Legend.

Allen Kidnaps Rena

Rena is kidnapped!

The next morning Rena, who is still upset, heads to the Sacred Forest in order to be alone and think. Once there she falls deep into her thoughts and reminisces about when her father died and she learned that she was not Westa's real child. She asks herself who she is right before Claude arrives to check on her. Claude talks to her and she comes to accept that he is not the Hero of Light after all. After they finish Rena asks for some privacy to which Claude complies. When she is satisfied she decides that it is time to head back and makes her way out of the Sacred Forest and towards Arlia. She makes it as far as the bridge to the town before running into Allen Tucks, her childhood friend, just outside the city limits. He informs her that he is finally ready—for their wedding... Surprised and confused, she panics, just as Allen's swords-for-hire come out of the bushes and kidnap her. With her securely held, they head for Salva, threatening to use force on any townsperson who dares try and stop him. Leaving her alone in his father's room, Allen goes to get everything ready at the alter for their wedding ceremony. Rena escapes through a secret door into the Salva Drift, where she makes her way deeper until accidentally walking straight into Allen's arms when she enters the antechamber.

Claude rescues Rena

The Hero of Light to the Rescue

Realizing the danger that she is in Rena turns and flees, only to be caught by several of Allen's guards who proceed to tie her onto the alter. Once she is secured Allen begins the forced wedding ceremony but is interrupted by Claude. The Earthling unties Rena but they are both attacked by Allen, mutated by an energy stone into a monster of some sort, and with Claude's swordmanship and Rena's restorative symbology they manage to overcome him and destroy his energy stone. At first they think that they killed Allen, but after realizing that the man is still alive Rena uses her healing powers to revive her former captor who doesn't remember anything after finding the stone. Rescued, Rena and Claude return to Arlia.

Sorcery Globe investigation[]

That night Mayor Regis requests that Claude investigate the Sorcery Globe for the people of Expel in the hopes that while on his journey he will learn how to get back home. Claude eventually agrees and Rena requests to go with him. The Mayor consents and Claude hesitantly consents on the condition that she get Westa's permission. While the Mayor talks to Westa, Rena and Claude talk on the bridge; Rena explains to Claude that she is not Westa's real daughter and informs him that she hopes to learn who she is and what happened to her real mother while they are on their journey. The next morning the duo leave Arlia for Krosse Castlebywayof the mining town of Salva.

Investigation Request

Heroes Surprised by Mayor's Words

By the time they make it to Krosse the sun has set and they are forced to stay at the local hotel which is managed by Rena's aunt, Rachel. Rachel gives them a room free of charge and wishes them a good night, thinking that they are a couple. The next morning she asks about Rena's "special" night with her boyfriend and Rena gets flustered and adamantly responds that Claude is not her boyfriend, prompting Claude to sigh in disappointment. When they go to reserve their audience with the King of Krosse, due to the fact that they have a special introduction from Mayor Regis they are shuffled to the front of the line, prompting a nearby treasure hunter to become insatiably curious and sneak into the throne room to see who they are and why they are being granted special treatment by the crown.

After receiving the King's blessing on their investigation of the Sorcery Globe along with travel money and a passport, they leave the castle in order to make their way to Kurik so that they may catch a boat to the continent of Ell. However, as Rena and Claude near the gates they find themselves in the middle between a dispute between two symbologists, one of whom was the treasure hunter who had snuck into the throne room during their audience with the king. After the treasure hunter forces the other symbologist to retreat, she forces Rena and Claude to accompany her to the Krosse Caverns to follow a rare treasure map which ultimately leads to some Ancient Writings, which unbeknownst to them contains details on a paradise called 'Nede.' During this time, Celine is quick to ask about Rena's healing spells and point out that there is no healing in Symbology, thereby deepening the mystery behind Rena's origins. After the spelunking is accomplished and the treasure scored, Celine learns that they are investigating the Sorcery Globe and decides to join their party.

Together the trio all travel to Kurik where their hopes of reaching Ell quickly are swept away along with the port city as an enormous tidal wave devastates the region. Barely escaping with their lives, Rena, Celine, and Claude make their way towards Harley but stop in Celine's hometown of Marze only to be entangled with a kidnapping plot and reunited with the most unlikely person from Rena's past, Dias Flac.

Battle of Marze Village[]

All of the children of Marze have been kidnapped by an unknown group of bandits who somehow managed to infiltrate the Forest of Symbols, the training grounds of Marze's symbologists which is protected by powerful symbols. The bandits demand a large sum of Fol and the a book of secret arts from the townsfolk in exchange for the safe return of the children. Due to the fact that the bandits somehow defeated the protective symbols within the forest, the townspeople haven't the slightest idea as to the power that this particular band of scumbags has at their disposal and are thus conflicted over their course of action. It is at this time that Dias Flac passes through the village on his way to the Lacuer continent in order to participate in the Lacuer Armory Contest. Upon hearing that he is a traveling swordsman, the symbologists ask Dias' aide to defeat the band of ruffians and save the children. He agrees as it would be a good warm up for the Armory Contest. The Master of Symbology, however, does not think that they should involve an outsider such as Dias.

It is at this time that Rena and her friends arrive in Marze, where they join in on the discussion in the village elder's house. Celine Jules, a budding symbologist and avid treasure hunter, is a citizen of Marze, and quickly volunteers Rena and Claude to rescue the children instead of the travelling swordsman. Rena, however, convinces Dias to work together with them, but fails to turn the mind of Claude, whose thoughts are clouded by jealousy. In the end, Rena abandons Claude and Celine and ventures into the Forest of Symbols with Dias.

The duo ultimately fights their way through the bandit sentries within the forest and arrives at an ungaurded cabin deep in the woods. This troubles the experienced warrior, who realizes that the kidnapping of the children must have been a ruse in order to empty the village of its protectors—a revelation which is confirmed by an ambush party of bandits. After neutralizing the bandit threat, Rena and Dias rescue the children and quit the forest. On their journey back to Marze village, they come across Claude and Celine in a clearing where the two stand over the beaten body of a monster similar to the beast which Allen Tucks morphed into back in the Salva Drift.

Crash on Edifice[]

Claude Rena Crash

Claude and Rena crash-land on Edifice.

Immediately after the initial storyline, Claude suggests to Rena she comes to Earth and study the science of medicine. At first Rena is reluctant, worried to leave her adoptive mother Westa behind, but decides to go upon Westa's insistance. She quickly completes a course that would normally take 4 years, with the goal of becoming an army doctor.

When Precis sends the SOS message along to Rena and Claude, the two are already on a Earth Federation mission, and cannot abandon their duty. They promise to join as soon as they are done their mission. Once the mission is complete, the two travel to Edifice when they are pulled into the planets atmosphere, and crash. Rena is seperated from Claude, who unknowingly to her, has contracted a deadly disease. She meets up with Precis and friends, and then find Claude bedridden in a nearby village. The party then goes out in search of a herb to help cure his disease.

Later life[]

Several years after the destruction of Energy Nede, Rena decides to record the history of Energy Nede in order for their legacy to live on. With the aide of Chisato Madison, she tells the tale of Energy Nede up until its 3,700,000,14th year where it was destroyed by the Symbol of Anihilation.

Profile[]

If you want to understand, words are never a problem.
― Rena

Rena has a vivid imagination and is known to be quite the dreamer. She fervently believes in the prophecy of the "Hero of Light", even more so when disasters befall her world. Nevertheless, she is able to focus on the task at hand and face the enemy when needed. Growing up in Arlia, she is known to be good at home cooking and the martial art of jujitsu along with her unique healing symbology. She loves the Sacred Forest and cute objects, though she harbors a distaste of objects that are not very cute. Her favorite type of guy is a man who is fun to be around as well as one who can make her feel safe.

Rena's favorite instrument is the Lyre, while her favorite food is Shortcake.

Gameplay[]

Rena is a playable character in Star Ocean: The Second Story and its remake, Second Evolution. Rena is a non-standard symbologist and healer, as she equips knuckles instead of the usual staves. She has affinity to the Light and Earth elements, and is the only character in the game who can cast reviving spells. The player can choose to follow Rena's side of the story, or Claude's. The player can permanently recruit Dias Flac, but not Leon D.S. Gehste, in Rena's scenario.

In the sequel Star Ocean: Blue Sphere, Rena is also playable, but now she is able to wield daggers as weapons and is one of the last to join the party.

In Star Ocean: Anamnesis, Rena had ten playable variants: "Rena", "Bride Rena", "Cat Rena", "Summer Rena", "Winter Rena", "Blue Sphere Rena", "Palace Rena", "Hotspring Rena", "Divine Rena", and "Idol Rena".

Quotes[]

Gallery[]

Other appearances[]

FEZ Rena clothes
  • Fantasy Earth Zero
    Rena's clothes from Second Evolution were available during a collaboration, along with those of the rest of the included cast.
LoV Rena card

LoV III card.

LoV Rena card 2

Arena card.

  • Lord of Vermilion
    Rena appears as a recruitable character in the arcade card battle game Lord of Vermilion III, alongside Ashton Anchors and the Ethereal Queen from The Last Hope. Rena also appears in Lord of Vermilion Arena with several other characters.
  • Final Fantasy Brave Exvius
    Rena appears as a playable character in the Final Fantasy spin-off due to a collaboration with Star Ocean: Anamnesis. She is 5-7★ unit. Her Trust Master reward is the weapon Knuckles of Hope, and her Super Trust reward is an accessory, the Shortcake. Her Limit Burst is "Angel Feather".
  • Tales of the Rays
    Rena appears as a playable character alongside Claude, available during the collaboration with Star Ocean: Anamnesis. She has an alternate outfit, based on Mint Adenade's appearance, called "Kindhearted Mage Costume".
  • Last Cloudia
    Rena appears as a playable character alongside Claude, available during the collaboration with Star Ocean: The Second Story R.

Trivia[]

  • When they were children, Dias gave Rena a tiara made of grass as a gift.
  • Rena numerous exclusive Private Actions, involving pairing Celine with the prince of Krosse, and rescuing Yoole from Zandor and his thugs in Harley.
  • In The Second Story, if the player gets her true romantic ending with Claude, it's revealed she's pregnant with his child.
    • It is notable that in Blue Sphere they are not a couple, implying this is not the canon ending. The ending where Claude has higher affection for Rena, resulting in her going to Earth to study, is the canon ending.
  • In the English version of The Second Story, Rena's Japanese voice plays when she casts Tractor Beam. This is most likely an oversight that was not addressed when the game was localized.
  • She is one of four protagonists in the series that are not Human, the others being Roddick Farrence, Fidel Camuze and Laeticia Aucerius.
  • Rena's backstory bears resemblance to that of Superman's. They are the only survivors of a location doomed to destruction by an experiment. Their parents placed them in an experimental pod that transports them to a distant location, where they are raised in a rural community where they has special powers that the natives don't have and ends up becoming a hero. Both their adoptive father pass away. Like kryptonite, the energy stones from Nede (also found on Expel and in Rena's pendant) are green, glow, and release radiation that affect the physiology of those near them—though in Rena's case they strengthen her symbological powers rather than weaken them. In addition, their outfits are primarily blue and red.
  • Most artwork in The Second Story, including concept art, depicts her holding a knife or short sword as her weapon of choice, yet she fights with her fists. She starts to wield knives in Blue Sphere.
  • Rena's victory pose in Tales of the Rays is loosely based on her official artwork seen in The Second Story.
  • The ancient texts found in Krosse Cave were actually sent to Expel along with Rena, unknowingly, by her mother.[1]

References[]


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