F. Walsingham (F・ウオルシンガム, F. Uorushingamu) is a student of Oxford Academy, member of the Chancellor's Board and Student Council, the TRUMPS and a female automaton. She is ranked #2 in the Oxford TRUMPS.
An absolute master at gravity manipulation and a professional at intelligence. Expressionless, always speaks in English. Her inherited name is the one for the head of the Intelligence Agency (諜報機関, Chōhō Kikan) and a member of the Disciplinary Committee (風紀委, Fūki-i), responsible of thwarting the supposed Elizabeth assasination plan by Mary Stuart.
Appearance[]
F. Walsingham is a girl with long wine-red hair and dark blue eyes. She wears the blue-and-red uniform of Oxford Academy, although she does not wear the lower part of the uniform.
Another detail in F. Walsingham's features are her detached arms and two large cross-like objects floating behind her. Due to extensive repairs done to her body, the specific part of her body that allows her to control gravity were relocated to the two cross-shaped accessories, which also keep her forearms close to her body. These accessories resembles the paddles used to control a marionette and, by extension, give F. Walsingham the appearance of a life-sized female puppet.
Background[]
It is implied that F. Walsingham sustained extensive damage on her body in the past, and she underwent repairs that changed her body to her current state. However, although Walsingham's gravity manipulation ability stayed intact, her vocal cords were no longer replaced. Because of this, she can only communicate using Sign Frames.
In the anime version, Walsingham can speak normally without the usage of Sign Frames, but only in English and communicating with short and simple sentences, making her still unable to perform a normal conversation.
Plot[]
Musashi on England[]
May 19, 1648 - Testament Era[]
May 29, 1648 - Testament Era[]
Mary Rescue Assault[]
June 5, 1648 - Testament Era[]
Abilities[]
Walsingham fighting style can be described as extremely versatile. As an automaton, she can use her gravitational manipulation in combination with her War of the Roses and her own detached extremities, making her a fighter that can change her own tactics very fast even in the middle of intense combat.
- Racial Ability: Gravity Manipulation (重力制御, Jūryoku Seigyo) - Ability to control gravitational forces. TRUMP #2 is an absolute master at this racial ability. As she is a model with full gravitational control, Walsingham is capable to manipulate the gravity on her own body and weapons with the utmost efficience, in both offense and evade.
- Weapon: Wars of the Roses (千本薔薇十字, Senbon Bara Juji, lit., "One Thousand Rose Crosses") - A pair of cross-shaped swords. F. Walsingham's weapon of choice. Can dismantle itself into 128 smaller knife-like blades. She can either control them using gravity manipulation or fire them through four iron tubes which are also considered as part of Wars of the Roses. The versatility of this weapon is an effective tool in surprising a foe by allowing changes of tactics on the fly, making it a difficult weapon to fight against. Apart from the flying blades, it got a Mode: Counter Attack in which both blades react to enemy attacks by deflecting them and a Burst Mode with both edges combining into a polearm-like weapon that can shoot powerful ether beams.
Inherited Names[]
Francis Walsingham (1532 - 1590)[]
Francis Walsingham (c. 1532 – 6 April 1590) was a famous Statesman, Politician and Spymaster in the Elizabethan Times. Son of a prosperous London merchant, was born in Chislehurst, Kent, in about 1530. He studied at Cambridge University where he became a strong supporter of Protestantism. He is suspected of being involved in the plot to make Lady Jane Grey Queen of England. He escaped to Europe and studied law at Padua. During his exile, he became an accomplished linguist and student of human nature.
After Elizabeth I became Queen Walsingham returned to England. Soon afterwards William Cecil arranged for Walsingham to obtain a seat in the House of Commons. In 1570 Walsingham was appointed Ambassador to France. Over the next two years his house became a refuge for Huguenots being persecuted by Catholics. On his return to England in 1573 Walsingham he became Principal Secretary. Specializing in foreign affairs he advocated an aggressive policy in favour of Protestants in Europe.
Walsingham played an important role in protecting Elizabeth from Catholic plots. Using a network of agents and informers, he exposed plots led by Robert Di Ridolfi (1570) and Francis Throckmorton (1584). In December 1585, Gilbert Clifford was arrested in Sussex. While being interviewed, Clifford confessed that he had been involved in a Catholic plot to overthrow Elizabeth I. Walsingham offered to release Clifford if he was willing to work as a double-agent.
Gilbert Clifford agreed to this plan and went to his contact in the French embassy telling him that he knew how to smuggle letters to and from Mary Stuart. He explained that every week a barrel of beer was sent from Burton to where Mary was imprisoned. Clifford arranged to have letters placed in a waterproof package inside the stopper of the barrel.
Another double-agent, Thomas Philips, who was inside the prison, told Mary how she would be receiving letters in her beer barrel. However, before they were placed inside the beer barrel, they were read by Walsingham. More importantly, Walsingham was also able to read the letters that Mary sent to her Catholic friends in France and Spain. In these letters Mary explained how she wanted France and Spain to help her become Queen by invading England.
Walsingham allowed the letters to continue to be sent because he wanted to discover who else was involved in this plot to overthrow Elizabeth. Eventually, on 25 June 1586, Mary wrote a letter to Anthony Babington. In his reply, Babington told Mary that he and a group of six friends were planning to murder Elizabeth. Walsingham was now ready to act. Babington was arrested and his home was searched for documents that would provide evidence against him. When interviewed, Babington made a confession in which he admitted that Mary had written a letter supporting the plot.
Anthony Babington and six others were executed for high treason on 18 September, 1586. An attempt to kill the monarch was the most serious crime in England and the punishment was to be hung, drawn and quartered. The men were tied face downwards on a hurdle drawn by horses. They were then dragged through the streets of London. At Tyburn they were hung for a short period. After that the men had their intestines cut out.
Another of his succeses was in 1587 he obtained details of the planned Spanish Armada, giving England the upper-hand in the coming battles against the Spain of Felipe II.
Walsingham died deeply in debt on April 6, 1590. Since 1579 he had lived mainly at Barn Elms, Barnes, maintaining an adequate establishment; but his salary did not cover his expenses, he was burdened with his son-in-law Sir Philip Sidney's debts, and he obtained few of those perquisites which Elizabeth lavished on her favourites. He had little of the courtier about him; his sombre temperament and directness of speech irritated the queen, and it says something for both of them that he retained her confidence and his office until the end of his life.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Natsuko Kuwatani replaced Yuko Goto as F. Walsingham's voice actor following the latter's temporary hiatus on voice acting due to her health condition.[1]