- "An incredibly bright and gifted apothecary. She once saw Castti as a rival, though this rivalry was gradually eroded by Castti's genuine concern for her patients. She now stands beside Castti as part of Eir's Apothecaries." —Inquire
Malaya is a character in Octopath Traveler II and a member of Eir's Apothecaries. She plays a key role in Castti's storyline.
Profile[]
Appearance[]
During her life, Malaya wore a Eir's Apothecaries uniform, with a blue cloak over a dark blue tunic and brown boots.
As a figment of Castti's memory, her cloak is grey and her tunic has a faded, greyish-blue look.
Personality[]
Malaya is known to be intelligent and cool-headed, graced with strong healing skills. She was originally Castti's rival, but Castti's deep compassion for her patients won Malaya's respect. Malaya also displays a more pragmatic, cynical outlook than Castti, as she concludes earlier than Castti that Trousseau is too far gone and claims that his purity left him vulnerable to corruption.
Prior to Story[]
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(I don't think this is where I should be going at the moment...) The following section contains potential story spoilers! |
Malaya was a former rival of Castti's before she became a member of Eir's Apothecaries alongside Castti, who led the group as its chief. They were known to journey all across the world, saving many lives. One day, after returning to their base at Healeaks from a mission, she and the others discovered that two children from the village had been killed. The villagers themselves started suddenly collapsing from a mysterious illness soon after. Having reached the summit of the mountain near the village, they discovered that Trousseau, another member of the group, was burning a poison in the air that was turning the rain poisonous and take on a purple hue. When Castti began exhibiting symptoms of the illness during the confrontation, Malaya treated her with Snowdrop petals and carried her to the base of the mountain. Upon discovering that Jeyah, the group's horse, had survived thanks to Elma's efforts, she escorted Castti to a nearby harbor on his back. Believing that she'd be able to find a cure, Malaya sent her out to sea on a skiff, before succumbing to the poison herself.
Story[]
A while later, Castti—after being rescued from the sea by a ship and brought to Canalbrine—sees an illusion of Malaya while trying to help a sick boy who has collapsed. Upon getting him home and treating him, Castti and Malaya introduce themselves to each. The boy's brother, however, soon comes in, immediately recognizing Castti's uniform and demanding to know what she has done. Despite "Malaya" calmly explaining it to him, he immediately tells them to leave his home.
Outside, both apothecaries are angrily confronted by some of the townspeople, who tell them of Eir's Apothecaries and the damage they caused. As Castti asks them about the illness going around town, one of the townspeople collapses, prompting her to treat him immediately. Right after, the two apothecaries split up, with "Malaya" going to the inn to check up on the people there. After everyone has been tended to, both apothecaries are once again approached by the townsfolk, who apologize for their harsh treatment of Castti. They then reveal that those who fell ill mentioned the water "tasting funny", before Castti deduces that the water source was likely contaminated. "Malaya" stays behind to monitor the townspeople while Castti goes to the water source to investigate the problem.
Once Castti returns from the water source after solving the issue, "Malaya" asks her what she plans to do next. Castti inquires from her about Eir's Apothecaries and her role in Castti's situation is revealed in a flashback. Before Castti can learn more, "Malaya" disappears in a flash.
Later, after visiting both Sai and Winterbloom, "Malaya" appears to Castti again, asking her to meet her at a village named Healeaks. When Castti arrives, "Malaya" reveals that she is a fragment of her memory and that she, along with most of the other members of Eir's Apothecaries, have been killed by the effects of Trousseau's poison rain. With Castti's memory now fully restored and her resolve clear, the illusion of Malaya fades away.
After Castti defeats Trousseau in Timberain, "Malaya" appears to her yet again. Castti, feeling the effects of the poison rain, is reminded by her of the ingredients she used to treat her patients during her travels. This helps her create a cure for the poison rain, which Castti soon administered to the sick in town. Having managed to saved everyone, she rests in a nearby tavern, where "Malaya" appears in her dream one last time. She asks Castti to soothe her and the others, and disappears for good alongside the other memories of Eir's Apothecaries.
Gallery[]
Etymology[]
"Malaya" is a name of Filipino origin meaning "free." This name adopts special significance at the end of Castti's story, when Castti soothes Malaya's memory and sets Eir's Apothecaries free.
Trivia[]
- Hints that "Malaya" was a figment of Castti's memory are shown in the following parts prior to the truth being revealed:
- Sesque does not acknowledge her when she tries to tell him to calm down.
- In a travel banter with Osvald, the scholar notices that Castti has been talking to herself, though no one is there.
- Malaya's voice lines are noticeably muted during Castti's Chapter 1, which may be either a hint as to her imaginary nature, or a simple recording error.
- An apothecary bearing resemblance to Malaya is seen in Oresrush's tavern during Partitio's first chapter, where medicine must be purchased from her to continue the story.
- Her age at the time of her death remains a mystery, as both the inquiry during the first Healeaks flashback (which takes place 2 years prior to Castti's story), and the inquiry in Canalbrine display her age as 27, meaning that one of them contains incorrect information. However, it is likely that she was 29 when she died, since it would put her at the same age as Castti and be consistent with the Healeaks inquiry.