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{{Character
|name = Seneca
|jpname= セネカ
|roname = Seneka
|img = Seneca
|caption = Kawano Junko
|gender = Female
|race = Human
|dob = 284
|age = 26 {{ST}}
|va= [[Saiga Mitsuki]] {{ST}}
|ST= yes
}}
'''Seneca''' (セネカ, ''Seneka'') is a major character from [[Suikoden Tactics]]. Seneca was an assistant of [[Walter]] who was charged with protecting [[Kyril]] on his travels through the [[Island Nations]] and [[Kooluk Empire|Kooluk]].

She had helped to take care of Walter's son, [[Kyril]], from a young age and after Walter's death, abided by his wishes to continue to help him. As such, she would become something akin to an elder sister figure and almost a mother to the young Kyril. She would continue to accompany Kyril on his journeys throughout the [[Island Nations]] and the [[Kooluk Empire]].

==Profile==
===Appearance===
[[File:Seneca design art.png|left|250px|thumb|Seneca reference art and notes.]]
Seneca is described as a beautiful woman. Tall and slender, she wears a sleeveless, blue qipao with black and white striping on her right leg. The color of her dress is said to compliment her ice-cold attitude in battle and has red piping running along the sides of the slits as well as a single white line running down from the left armpit. She compliments her dress with black, heeled boots as well as black fingerless gloves.

She has green eyes and long brown hair, swept back and tied into a bun save for her fringe, which is brushed towards the left side of her face, almost covering her right eye.

===Personality===
Seneca held a sharp wit and had a way with words, always prepared with a snappy remark. She is also said to have had a refreshing, care-free personality, which contrasted greatly with that of the much more serious [[Andarc Bergman|Andarc]] who she would constantly tease.

She would frequently admonish Andarc for his tense nature and his over-apologetic tendencies around Kyril. She had developed feelings for Andarc, working together over the years, but managed to keep them hidden.

That said, her sharp tongue had its limits. She would act deferential to Princess [[Flare]], refusing to call her just "Flare" or even "Miss Flare".

Although she had filled the role of [[Kyril]]'s surrogate mother, especially after the loss of [[Walter]], she disliked the comparison being made opaquely as she had become somewhat sensitive about her age.

==History==
[[File:Flare and Seneca.jpg|thumb|left|220px|Seneca's plain-speaking ways would wilt in the face of royal authority.]]Seneca was a crossbow user who worked alongside [[Andarc Bergman|Andarc]] under [[Walter]] in the [[Scarlet Moon Empire]] and would later aid in his investigation of [[Rune Cannon]]s following his exile.

She accompanied Walter on his travels in [[Razril]] as well as in [[Middleport]] where she had something of a personality clash with the unhelpful [[Sigurd]]. When Walter decided to fight alongside [[Brandeau]] and [[Edgar]] against [[Steele]], he charged Seneca with protecting Kyril and with raising him if he did not return.

Kyril would manage to sneak away with his father on board Edgar's vessel, leading him to be caught in the explosion of Steele's Rune Cannon. The next three years saw Seneca, Andarc and [[Yohn]] take care of Kyril following his injuries in the explosion. Once Kyril was well enough to resume their mission, it was Seneca's search for information that brought them back to Middleport and their first encounter with [[Iskas]].

She would also back up Andarc's lie that Walter was an engineer. She would later reaffirm her desire to accompany Kyril once he stated his goal was to destroy the rune cannon that killed his father.

[[File:Seneca confronts Andarc.jpg|thumb|left|220px|Seneca would question [[Andarc Bergman|Andarc]] about lying to [[Kyril]] of [[Walter]]'s past.]] Knowing that Andarc kept a private diary of the group's travels, Seneca would imitate him by declaring her intention to keep a diary of her own, surprising him greatly. She gave up on this after only a few days, regarding the experiment as as a hassle before turning Andarc's questioning around on him by accusing him of wanting to read her work.

During their travels, she would also form a friendship with Princess [[Flare]] but found it very difficult to drop the honorific from her name, even on Flare's request. However, she found it easier to maintain a more casual friendship with [[Corselia]], likely due to Seneca not knowing of her royal lineage when they first met. The two got along really well, Seneca even teaching her how to cook, something she had never learned in in her time as a princess. 

She would continue to fight alongside Kyril, counselling him and comforting him when necessary, such as when the true reason behind Walter's search for the rune cannons was revealed in the wake of [[Heinz]]'s death. During their travels, Kyril would thank Seneca for helping to take care and raise him, although he also stated that he never saw Seneca as a direct replacement for his mother, much to her relief. 

Following the destruction of the [[Evil Eye]], Seneca would return to the Scarlet Moon Empire with Kyril and Andarc, helping the needy. Once Kyril vanished, she would apparently continue to work with Andarc as Corselia's report on his whereabouts was addressed to them both, but it is unknown if their relationship ever changed beyond their familiar work-related partnership.

==Game info==
{{GS08 CG
|portrait=[[File:Seneca (ST PS2 portrait).png]]
|recruit= Seneca is available from the beginning of the game and officially joins you in Chapter 1.
|name= Seneca
|element= Wind
|type= Bow
|range= 2-3
|nature= Passionate
|death= No
|kangacorn= No
|owl= No
|name1= Honeybee
|name2= Wasp
|name3= Hornet
|body= Light armor
|hands= Light gloves
|accessory= Female
|runer= [[Falcon Rune]] {{h:title|This rune cannot be unequipped.|[[File:lock.png|12px|link=]]}}
|runel= Level 50
|hp= C
|str= B
|skl= S
|mag= C
|eva= A
|pdf= C
|mdf= B
|spd= S
|luc= A
|mov= 5
|jmp= 2
|skill1=Sniper
|skill2=Battle Lust
|skill3=Bull's Eye
|skill4=Critical Hit
|skill5=Dodge
|skill6=Hidden Power
|skill7=Extra Move
|skill8=Jump
|grade1=975
|grade2=1890
|grade3=1320
|grade4=2160
|grade5=1320
|grade6=1080
|grade7=720
|grade8=725
|gwill1= [[Kyril]]
|gwill2= [[Andarc Bergman|Andarc]]
|gwill3= [[Walter]]
|value3= 3
|gwill4= [[Flare]]
|gwill5= [[Frederica]]
|gwill6= [[Corselia]]
|ebody= [[Tunic]]
|ehands= [[Mittens]]
|eother= [[Medicine]]<br>[[Medicine]]<br>[[Wind Force Bead]]<br>[[Wind Force Bead]]
|unite= [[Rival Attack]]
|partner1= [[Valeria]]
}}

As an archer, Seneca can attack from a distance but is unable to attack enemies immediately adjacent to her. Since she uses a ranged weapon, she is a good choice to open treasure chests without taking her too far away from the main battle. As she is a little weak in terms of STR, a physical rune may be a good idea to offset this.

As a bow user, she can equip the [[Hawk Rune]] whose Level 2 Spell ''Strong Arm'' allows her to inflict 50% more damage with one attack with 100% accuracy. As with every character, equipping her with her [[Cyclone Sword Rune|Elemental Sword Rune]] is also a good idea. She is a versatile character with several cooperation attack options and good will partners but she should be kept out of danger due to her somewhat fragile PDF stat.

Her default skills, Sniper and Battle Lust, are good skills to prioritize as they play to her strengths, allowing her to attack with more power from a distance. Bull's Eye and Critical Hit are also skills that boost her physical strength even more. She can also learn the versatile skill Extra Move which makes Seneca usable in Hit-and-Run tactics.

Her other skills can mostly be neglected: Dodge and and Hidden Power only serve as last resorts as you should keep her from danger at all costs, and with an innate JMP stat of 2, she can reach most platforms without learning the Jump skill.

==Name and Weapon==
Seneca was the name of a Roman philosopher and politician who was a tutor and advisor to Emperor Nero before being forced to commit suicide under suspicion of conspiracy against the emperor. The name comes from the Latin cognomen "senectus" meaning "old". Seneca is also the name of a Native American nation from the Great Lakes region of North America, the name meaning "place of stones" in this instance.

Seneca's crossbow names, "Honeybee", "Wasp", and "Hornet" are each insects of the Hymenoptera order, the third largest order of insects in the animal kingdom.

==References==
# [[Rhapsodia Official Guide Complete Edition]] (ISBN 4-86155-075-0), pages 50-1
# [[Rhapsodia Final Archive]] (ISBN 4-8402-3284-9), pages 10-11, 49
# [[Marugoto! Genso Suikoden Book]] (ISBN 978-4-7577-3673-3), Character Archive page 32
# [[Genso Suikoden Kiwami Encyclopedia]], page 530

{{Navbox ST characters}} {{Short description|Companion of Walter and Kyril}}
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