Dora

Dora (キニー　Keanie) is the mother of Isaac, and a non-playable character in the series. As an NPC, she does not have a role in gameplay, and from a story standpoint is only of minor importance, compared to her husband Kyle.

Biography
Dora can be seen as typical among mothers of protagonists in RPGs: a kindred individual who is concerned for the safety of her charge. She is somewhat homely, but would rather people call her by her name than "ma'am". Dora, like the rest of the relatives of characters who hail from the town of Vale near the foot of Mt. Aleph, was presumably born and raised in Vale, and because the town contains a Psynergy formation as well as being near Mt. Aleph, she and the rest of the townsfolk have become Adepts, individuals with the ability to manipulate the sorcerous art of Psynergy. Although her element is never explicitly stated, Dora may possibly be a Venus Adept like her husband and son, especially considering how she can use the Venus-based Catch Psynergy (probably using the Catch Beads).

In Golden Sun
On the night Saturos and Menardi attempt to raid Mt. Aleph's Sol Sanctum, but fail in their objective by switching on a trap that causes a magic thunderstorm to assault the mountain and the town below, a giant boulder somewhere on Mt. Aleph called the Mt. Aleph boulder is dislodged and begins tumbling down the hillside towards the town. As several adults gather to hold the rolling boulder back with their Psynergy, Dora enters her family house and desperately gets a young Isaac out of bed, saying the Mt. Aleph boulder is going to fall. She uses the Catch Psynergy to grab Isaac's tunic and puts it on him because it is raining outside, then they leave the house, with Dora reminding that in this case a lost life cannot be replaced by whatever possessions might be lost in the impending disaster.

Outside, Dora and Isaac meet with Kyle, and the latter is helping to evacuate the villagers. Dora says she will help him because Isaac is "old enough to get to the plaza on his own." Dora and Kyle head down to the riverside house of Felix and Jenna's family, where they find that Felix is hanging on for dear life in the raging waters on a wooden pole, and Jenna and their mother and father are helpless to reach him with the little rope they have. Dora claims they need help in the form of one of the adults in the plaza who can use Psynergy, so she heads back up north to look while she has Jenna head south to look. Dora passes by Isaac, who now has Garet with him, and she tells them that when they get to the plaza they should help Jenna find somebody to help Felix.

After looking for people without success, Dora returns and sees that Isaac, Garet, and Jenna have found someone with the Psynergy reserves to help Felix, but it is right then that the Mt. Aleph boulder begins its inevitable descent through the town, crashing right through Jenna's house; in a moment, Kyle, Felix, and his and Jenna's parents have disappeared. It would not be saying much to say that Dora and the others' shock and disbelief would turn to grief in the subsequent period of time. Dora was devastated when Kyle appeared to die, and felt all alone, but three years later claims she's better now because she still has Isaac. While she respects the children's will to work themselves to the bone to study Psynergy, and is interested in seeing where life takes Isaac, Dora wonders what the use of Alchemy and Psynergy is, and states she would rather see Isaac grow up to be "a happy, ordinary man".

What would eventually happen is that Isaac, Garet, and Jenna would join Mr.Kraden in investigating Sol Sanctum in Mt. Aleph, but Saturos and Menardi would return to infiltrate the mountain a second time, accompanied by Alex and Felix, the latter formerly thought one of the victims of the storm, but was rescued by Saturos and is now indebted to serve him. They would take the Elemental Stars and take Jenna and Kraden hostage before fleeing from Mt. Aleph which is now erupting; Isaac and Garet are saved by the Wise One and are able to return to the town. The Mayor of Vale, Garet's grandfather, holds a meeting of sorts in Vale's sanctum with the Great Healer, Dora, and Isaac and Garet, discussing the circumstances, and how the Wise One claims Isaac and Garet must undertake the great responsibility to pursue Saturos' group and prevent them from restoring the force of Alchemy to the world. Dora objects to the idea of placing the fate of the world on Isaac and Garet, but the choice to do so rests solely on Isaac. Should Isaac refuse, Dora says she would never doubt his courage even though he declined, and should Isaac accept, Dora is forced to accept his decision regardless of her opinions.

Dora, having considered her son her life's pride and joy, is borderline traumatized by the concept that Isaac must go off on an epic endeavor that no one else ever thought imaginable, and he could possibly lose his life, so when Isaac and Garet are leaving Vale, Dora is not among the populace to see them off. She therefore asks Aaron (to whom she is more of an "aunt" figure) to deliver her Catch Beads to Isaac, so he can use the Catch Psynergy in his expedition. Dora locks herself up in her house, not willing to see anyone else that day. Should Isaac come right back into the village and knock on Dora's door and say it's him, Dora will exclaim that that must be a lie, because Isaac promised her previously that he would not return until he fulfills his mission, and she tells Isaac to go away without looking to see who it is outside her door.

Over the long period of time when Isaac initially journeys around the continent of Angara, Dora becomes physically sick with a cold and fever from worry and depression, and is effectively bedridden. Vale's innkeeper must now bring her meals at a regular rate. Much later on, Isaac has the opportunity to revisit Vale, and he returns to Dora. Dora is happy for a moment, but Isaac tells her he has not yet completed his mission, and Dora speaks to him harshly, saying that he shouldn't break his promise just because he was worried about her. She "just caught a cold", and says she's "fine now", jumping out of bed and hopping to demonstrate. Dora appreciates Isaac had returned to visit, of course, so she then encourages Isaac to do his best to complete his quest. The next time Isaac leaves Vale, the next time he returns would not be until the end of Golden Sun: The Lost Age.

In Golden Sun: The Lost Age
Dora makes an appearance only at the epilogue sequence to this game; throughout The Lost Age, she remains in Vale, and the extent of her sickness and when and how she is able to overcome it is not specified. It is only noted that Dora has apparently become better by the time the four Elemental Lighthouses across Weyard have been lit, and the process at Mt. Aleph that initiates the return of Alchemy to Weyard begins. The Wise One appears in the dreams of the townspeople, warning them that what's about to take place will effectively erase the town of Vale, rendering it a giant crater around Mt. Aleph which will have sunk into the ground. Everyone therefore evacuates from Vale before they lose their lives along with their homes.

Isaac and Garet, meanwhile, who have previously joined up with Felix and Jenna some time ago, have found and reunited with none other then their long-lost parents, including Kyle, in the northern colony of Prox, the hometown of Saturos and Menardi. Isaac and Garet found out that Alchemy is actually a necessity for the world to survive, so they helped Felix achieve that by activating the Elemental Lighthouses. Isaac is especially worried about Dora, however, noting how she looked so sick and weak the last time he saw her, but Kyle assures him that Dora is a strong woman, so she should be fine and in wonderful shape. Kyle remarks he thinks Dora will be surprised to see him. They depart from Prox and sail back to Vale.

They return to where Vale should be, but tragically find that it is now a place where Vale once was. Everyone is taken aback, under the impression that everyone in Vale was lost when the town was erased, including Dora and the other family members of the Adepts who once lived at Vale, and Garet is especially emotional. But then Garet's family and Dora appear and reveal that they are all right, and the Adepts are elated; Dora, Kyle, and Isaac, in particular, all join in one big embrace as they exclaim how each other survived. At this ending point in the series, Dora and her husband and son are perfectly safe, healthy, and happy.

Quotations

 * Golden Sun's prologue:
 * Dora: "Have you got everything you need?" (If Isaac says yes) "Good for you, Isaac. A lost possession can be replaced; a lost life can’t."


 * Dora: "I don't suppose... Could the two of you help me?" (If Isaac says no) "You don't have to if you don't want to... Just get yourselves to the plaza." (If Isaac says yes) "Jenna has gone on to the plaza, go meet up with her there."


 * Dora: "No... It can't be. Kyle... It must be a dream..."


 * 'In Vale, before the Mt. Aleph incident:
 * Dora: "You're very reliable, Isaac...just like your father once was. What is it, Isaac? Do you still think about the accident?" (If Isaac says yes) "I thought so... Isaac... You and Garet have been working yourselves to the bone studying Psynergy. Do you think things would be any different if you'd had stronger abilities?" (If Isaac says yes) "That's what I thought. I was devastated when Kyle died... I felt all alone... It's taken some time, but I'm better now. I still have you, Isaac. You're almost seventeen. You're so much like Kyle was when he was young. I'm looking forward to seeing where life takes you."


 * Dora: "Where do you all plan to go today?"
 * Garet: "We're going to Mt. Aleph with Kraden."
 * Dora: "Mountain climbing with Kraden, eh? Kids and their games..."
 * Jenna: "No! It's part of our studies..."
 * Dora: "Ah, yes... Alchemy. Alchemy is the foundation for all Psynergy... And you all know Mt. Aleph is the greatest source of Alchemy. They say Kraden is the best teacher around. Alchemy... I wonder what use it all is? Your mother would rather see you grow up to be a happy, ordinary man. But I suppose you still want to go..." (If Isaac says yes) "Well, if that won't persuade you, I guess nothing will! You're just as stubborn as your father! Ahhh!" (Falls off the side of the house).


 * Dora: "I told that clumsy Garet it would be all right... But what am I going to do about this hole?"


 * In Vale, after the Mt. Aleph incident:
 * Dora: "And Jenna and Kraden... They're prisoners?" (If Isaac says yes) "They've been taken against their will... How awful!"


 * Mayor of Vale: "What is it, Great Healer? You have been very quiet."
 * Dora: "It's like you're a thousand miles away."


 * Dora: "Are you suggesting we place the fate of the world... in the hands of Isaac and Garet?"


 * Dora: (If Isaac has refused to accept responsibility for the fate of Weyard) "Mother would never doubt your courage just because you declined."


 * In Vale, if Isaac returns before crossing Mogall Forest:
 * Dora: "Who are you? You can't be... You're not Isaac, are you?" (If Isaac says yes) "Isaac... That's a lie! He promised not to return until he fulfills his mission. My Isaac would keep his promise. ...Go away."


 * In Vale, if Isaac returns after crossing Mogall Forest:
 * Dora: (In bed with a fever and cold) "Isaac... Are you finally home? Have you completed your mission!? You haven't, have you? Have you forgotten your promise, Isaac? You promised you wouldn't come back until your quest was complete, right?" (If Isaac says yes) "You broke your promise because you were worried about me? Who told you I was ill? The mayor? Or cough ...was it the innkeeper?" (If Isaac says no) "Are you telling me you were surprised to see me in bed? You can't get out of your promises just because you're worried about me. Cough... I.. Cough... I just caught a cold. That's all. But I'm fine now. Cough... Look!" (Gets out of bed and hops) "See? I'm fine! Don't worry about me. Go on. Do your best to complete your quest. OK?"


 * Dora: (Thinking) "I'm sorry I seemed so harsh, Isaac... I'm so happy to see you. I'll be waiting for you to come home for good..."


 * The Lost Age's epilogue:
 * Dora: "Welcome home... Kyle... Isaac..."
 * Kyle: "You survived!!!"
 * Dora: "So did you..."