Valu
With the powers of the elements in the palm of his hand, Valu has come out from the criminal underground to maintain his dominance upon the world of Aether!
Valu is a trapper with a tool for every situation. He excels in setting up situations that force his opponents to react, only for him to surprise them, having played right into his hand. While his main game plan revolves around keeping his opponents at a distance, he’s more than capable of scrapping at closer ranges with his plethora of disjointed attacks great at setting up quick combos to reset the state of the game. All this versatility comes with a few flaws though.
All of Valu’s best tools require good timing or knowledge to be used effectively, often being slow to start up or finish. He’s also a lightweight with below-average mobility and limited recovery options, so if an opponent can weave past his elaborate plans, it can be difficult for him to get back on his feet.
The core of Valu’s gameplay revolves around his ability to shift between the elements of Aether using his Neutral Special: Color Change . By selecting an element from the wheel, Valu can temporarily shift to that element, granting him new tools to allow for on-the-fly shifts in ones play style. Each element modifies his stats, Forward Special’s projectile, Down Special’s trap, and also applies a unique boost to a unique attack. The specifics of what each element changes can be found on the table below.
Aside from Neutral Special and all the moves it interacts with, there are a few other noteworthy attacks in Valu’s arsenal that should be quickly mentioned.
Up Special: Valu’s tongue is capable of grappling both opponents and the stage. If Valu gets pulled to a stage’s wall, he’s quickly launched upwards. If Valu grabs an opponent, he jumps off them, sending them away, but spiking them above 50%!
Up Strong: Valu dragging his staff along the ground has a small hitbox that links into the main attack!
Down Strong: This move functions differently depending on if it’s used on the ground or above the air, with the former have a larger sweet spot at the tip, while the latter’s a devastating spike against aerial opponents!
Down Air: Valu uses his staff to bounce off of opponents on hit, which can be used as an unconventional way to gain some height. The better you space the sweet spot, the higher you’ll bounce!
Wall Cling: Use Valu’s chameleon clinginess to mix-up your offstage game!
Valu (pronounced "vah-loo") was born as the runt of the litter among a massive family tree, with each member roaming Aether for odd jobs to help support their siblings, parents, and other relatives in any way they could. Despite his stature, he helped contribute every now and then with prize money he won playing some obscure card game, but he always felt he could do more. Then, one fateful day, his family started to speak rumors of an ancient underground temple with a grand treasure buried beneath it. Knowing this was just the opportunity he needed, Valu set out into the night towards the rumored location.
His small size and quick thinking let him navigate the temples traps and twisting hallways with ease. Eventually he reached the heart of the complex, and there he would find a mysterious purple sphere. It wasn’t a treasure that he was expecting, but the allure of its glistening darkness seemingly called to him. Upon contact he immediately felt a surge of power throughout his whole body. He screamed in pain, but this pain felt… different to others he had experienced. Eventually, it subsided, but before he had time to react, the whole of the temple began to collapse. As Valu began running towards the exit, he noticed he performed feats he couldn’t before. He lept over gaps as if he was floating on clouds, moved the earth itself to block falling debris, commanded water to flush it aside, and blasted his way out with a plume of flames. Upon reaching the surface, he knew his life was changed forever.
Initially, he kept his powers hidden and used them for simple means, such as sneaking stolen goods to help keep the family fed, or taking on harder jobs for better pay. As the years went on though, something began to shift within his mind. His actions became more brazen, his plans became more lofty, his attitude more reckless, all as his elemental abilities became even more powerful. And while he continued to help others, he made sure to expect the favor to be returned. After decades of hard work and determination, all the relationships he built, and demonstrations of elemental might, Valu had become more than a provider for just his family. He had another family now, one he lead as Aether’s very own underground mafia. From the peaceful towns like Merchant Port to the militant empires like the Fire Nation, he and his cohorts were everywhere throughout the continent, hidden in plain sight and living comfortable lives thanks to him. Finally, Valu felt he and his family, all of them, could feel at peace… But not for long.
Slowly, the nightmares began. Ones filled with nothing but all-consuming darkness, ones where everything Valu had built up around him and beyond turned to dust, ones with vile beasts that tormented him for his sins and shattered the mind to even ponder, all of which he was powerless to stop and forced to bear whiteness and suffer. As they continued, he felt his strength diminsih, and his emotions become extreme. Soon he realized this darkness was a familiar one; The source of this plague upon him was the very thing that made him who he is today. He knew not how that orb of darkness was causing all this, but knew it must be stopped. Now, he and all of his mob are in pursuit of this mysterious darkness, to find out what it is, where it is hiding, and destroy it by any means necessary. Valu will not simply let all his work be for nothing.
Game Design/Art/Basic Attack Code, Taunt SFX: Me
Special Attack Code + Additional Code: PandaBomb
Other SFX, Hit FX, & Music: Aether Studios
