Songerein App

[thegamesafoot]

HERLOCK SHOLMES | GREAT ACE ATTORNEY

Player: Stef
Age: Old enough to remember Pogs
Contact: softgarbage#3829
Current Characters: n/a

Character: Herlock Sholmes
Canon: Great Ace Attorney, played roughly a month after the events of GAA2: Resolve
Age: 34

Background Information: Much like his Conan Doyle counterpart, Sholmes is a consulting detective and pioneer of early forensics, based in London circa the late 19th century. He spent his early adulthood as a hospital chemist, before undertaking detective work with his roommate and investigative partner, Yujin Mikotoba. Sholmes garnered international acclaim after his exploits were serialized in Randst Magazine (penned by his foster daughter/assistant, Iris Wilson.) Over the course of the games, Sholmes provides lodging and consultation to Ryunosuke Naruhodo and Susato Mikotoba during their study tour in London. He's known to show up uninvited to the courtroom or crime scenes around the city, much to the chagrin of Scotland Yard.

[ GAA2 Spoilers: ] Behind the scenes, Sholmes helps reveal the international conspiracy underpinning the famed “Professor Killings” and exposes the deep corruption within the British Judiciary.

Full fandom wiki here.

Personality: In some ways, Sholmes is very like classic Holmes (eccentric, cunning, untidy, obsessive) but GAA has modified him to function as comic relief and occasional deus ex machina: Sholmes is given to absurdity, drama, forgetfulness and egotism to the point of being a nuisance to those around him. (And, thankfully, he only has a debilitating addiction to caffeine and not, you know, hard Victorian drugs.)

Sholmes also gives the impression that, were his moral compass a bit more askew, he'd have become a criminal or conman himself. He's not above a bit of burglary or blackmail to get what he wants during an investigation and he'll occasionally cheat and lie in more harmless or playful ways (i.e. games or pranks).

While his motives can often seem selfish, if not downright inscrutable, at his heart Sholmes is genuinely caring, especially when it comes to his close friends and the younger people around him. His most defining relationships include his best friend, Yujin Mikotoba, and his 10-year-old foster daughter, Iris, who he raised from infancy. I like to think those relationships helped him become (slightly) more humble and cultivate a more charming (and less debilitating) brand of eccentricity.

[ More spoilery examples of looking after folks: ] He doesn’t hesitate to adopt Iris after the death of her parents, helps the runaway ballerina Nikolina Pavlova secure asylum in the United States, strongarms Inspector Gregson into taking Gina Lestrade under his wing, later works to prevent Gregson's murder (beating himself up when he fails), and central to the premise of the game, pushes Ryunosuke to step up as Japan’s delegate for the British study tour after Kazuma beefs it disappears.

Beyond helping others, Sholmes is heavily motivated by his curiosity and the desire to uncover the truth. It's safe to assume there are multiple layers of reward involved: the intellectual pursuit itself, the notoriety involved, as well as the satisfaction of seeing justice done to those who deserve it.

Abilities & Inventory: Sholmes’ abilities are largely scientific and intellectual in nature: he’s an experienced chemist and a prolific inventor (everything from forensic equipment to holograms). He has impressive powers of observation, if somewhat obscured by his faulty memory or the wild inaccuracy of the conclusions he draws. It’s safe to assume he has experience handling a firearm and knows basic self defense. He can also play the violin (his trusty 50-shilling Stradivarius is left at home, so he won't be serenading anyone soon).

On his person, he carries some vaguely steampunk investigative accoutrements, including chemical compounds to detect finger and handprints, photographic equipment (by way of his goggles), and a whole-ass printer, apparently. He's also equipped with a revolver that doubles as a dispenser for forensic chemicals and lockpicking tools.

Suitability & Plans: Sholmes is a deeply curious, outgoing character with the kind of intellectual and scientific drive that one would expect from a man of his era. He’ll be keen to figure out what’s going on--be it unravelling the nature of Songerein itself or harnessing and applying dreamotion energy to his inventions. He’s open-minded and imaginative enough to roll with whatever occurs and annoy chat up whoever he meets. Sholmes is also enough of an adventurous snoop and a troublemaker to create his own mischief.

As mentioned above, he’s an occasional mentor to younger people (and, really, anyone who seems to need it): questioning, nudging, and helping them challenge assumptions, if not realize their own potential. If nothing else, he’s great at cheering up or distracting anyone who looks down.

The “real” Sholmes is a bit of a black box, obscured behind layers of his own outrageous performance. Over the course of his canon, it’s rare to see his serious side (although there are hints at his off screen activities taking a more serious turn.) While I love playing him as an over-dramatic goof, I’m also keen to put him in under stress or strip back some of his layers and explore his more authentic self.

Not gonna lie, I'm also pumped to adapt some of the Sherlock Holmes cases that were unused/unreferenced in GAA into silly (fairy tale?) dream episodes.

Test Drive Sample: Sample

Questions: None!