Roland is a minor character from Valkyrie Profile. A crippled painter, he is thrown in jail after his brother Arngrim's demise.
Storyline[]
Roland lives with his brother Arngrim in Artolia. He appears to have a crippled leg, which makes him unfit for manual labour, so he takes refuge in painting, claiming that he does not do it for money, but because it allows him to forget about his handicap. Arngrim does not understand his brother's interest in art, but respects it and works for the both of them. He even goes so far as to claim that they are alike, in that they both do what they enjoy without concern for profit, despite the fact that he is a mercenary.
Roland witnesses Arngrim's misadventures with Jelanda. However, after the Princess' kidnapping and Arngrim's attempt at revenge, he is arrested, possibly as a potential accomplice. Lawfer, Arngrim's best friend, is puzzled by his behaviour, but realizes that Roland was not involved in the events and cannot tolerate his unjust imprisonment. He decides to break him out of jail, perfectly aware that it will most likely cost him his life. He entrusts Roland to the care of two of his other friends, Kashell and Celia, despite their objections, before setting off on his mission.
Roland is last seen in-game in his prison cell, as Lawfer is about to break him out; the latter is killed in the attempt. He is not at his house if Lenneth visits it at a later time.
Etymology[]
Roland is a name of Germanic origin formed with the words hrōd (fame, glory) and land [1], thus meaning something like "glory of the land". It is also the name of a famous Frankish commander [2], which makes it incongruous for a crippled painter. The character's Japanese name, Roy, which stems from the Scottish Gaelic word ruadh (dark red, auburn) [3], is more appropriate, as it could refer to the colour of his hair.
Trivia[]
- There is some confusion as to what exactly Lawfer is referring to when he discusses his "mission" with Kashell and Celia, but the context strongly suggests that he is talking about Roland's breakout.
- In a developer interview, it was stated that Roland—like Asaka—was to have had a small cutscene showing him in the care of friendly villagers following his escape, though these smaller scenes were cut.