Bathed in Gold and Red
Gold is Iridia
Red is Empusa
Turquoise is Last Sacrament
Fell God of Hope:
“Oh, my fellow worshippers. In those trying times, may we see the light of a new tomorrow. To break free from our confines and see the brand new world denied to us for a long time. May we prove ourselves in the eyes of our God, and show to Anfitrian we are still masters of our fates. Ride on to a new day, let’s bring the fight to their front! All hands on the forges! Work diligently! Anfitrian’s fate rests on our grand design!”
“To think I have come this far undetected, and that for once our chances are not merely a figment of my imagination. Squirm, and rage, fight for our desire of hope, oh children of light. Push through your pain, make this cocoon a worthy vessel, and break free from your feces and hurt. Emerge as a butterfly, warriors of tomorrow.”
Avroc Strongman:
“Ah, to think I would see someone as sanctified as you, as honored as you. Make Anfitrian your humble abode, warrior of our god. We have waited for you, we have waited for so long, that we had lost our sight of what hope was. May your hammer bring judgment upon the wicked demons and pave the path for your fellow Risen to walk on.
“This is an old timer. I don’t know from which hole he crawled, so awkward and clumsy, but one thing I can trust is the strength of his arm and the power of his hammer. He is so gullible, so easy to manipulate. I should get on his good side, his strength may come in hand to deal with the Hade, should they get too uppity about my decision.
“Strong and scary. I don’t like him. I can’t even begin to think about how I can intimidate that guy.
Abbess Lumina:
“Ah, good friend. Why can’t we ever agree with each other? Since the early days, we have discussed and discussed, and nothing has been done. I would love to see our bicker stop, and for true matters to be attended to. The furnaces and forges need more hands, we need to produce more, and bring more power to Anfitrian, so we can finally reach out to the outside world. The downtrodden, the weak, even the children, should help in these trying times.”
“You stubborn old mule, why can’t you see things my way already?! To think that you still have this overprotectiveness, this desire to help them. It cannot be sustained, it cannot be helped. We must use every single resource at our disposal, even if it means hurting the little ones you love! It is the only way we can set things on the right path.”
“I know of her true nature… and I don’t care. She is sweet enough, treating me like a child. Feeding me. I like her. Sadly the old fucks over the council, and the nobles, are not too found of Abby.
Perished Bound One:
“The ones brought to life by her deity, most true. I wonder how it is even possible… but who am I to question the time, and its right to give life and death to whom it deems fit? I am but a servant, and to serve is my duty. I care not if they were born from a uterus or brought to life by a caring, gentle hand. A Risen is a Risen.
“Unnatural abominations. Rich coming from me, but it is the way things are. Golems should be lifeless; they never had life in the first place, so they should remain as lifeless. Besides, every time I see them, or that damn doll, I feel like they can see past my disguise, past my facade. It is wrong, not natural. Only a wicked goddess could devise a way to grant life to the lifeless.
Janus:
“I would prefer if we cracked this doll for once and for all. Despite her words, despite her intentions, her actions are unforgivable. She is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, awaiting the perfect time to strike. Her master is no better. Yet, she entrenches herself in every nook and cranny of Anfitrian, like an infection… we, men, women, and beasts of faith bled, we worked countless hours covered in sweat and grime, and cried over our work many times, and she dares to call us inefficient? Not enough? She can do better? It infuriates me to see one dismiss our suffering so lightly…”
“What right do your kind have to judge us? To place yourself as the most efficient option, disregarding how much we sacrificed on those forges and furnaces. I refuse to forgive you, I will never accept you as anything short of the abomination you are. Your rebellion against us… who gave you that right? Who GAVE YOU THAT RIGHT? TO TRY AND CRUSH EVERYTHING WE STOOD FOR?”
“Ugh, I hate to have work to do, but… she is irate towards those dolls. Killing them before they can alert the next one is sooo hard. I hate that I have to do this work for her, but what choice do I have? I have never seen her so livid before.”
Hade
“Poor, poor lost soul. Come here, I shall shield you from the rain. You are far too small, too little and frail to stand open in the weather. I will give you some snacks… so please, do not wander around too much.”
“I should hate you. I should want to kill you, but I can’t bring myself to. Don’t get closer, child. I don’t wish to hurt you, nor do I wish to hurt myself. Please, go away, far away from my view.”
“He bosses me around. I don’t like him, he is too pushy. He also makes her act strange. It is not… I don’t know. She never acts that way with anyone but him. She has something in her head, but hell if I can make her spew it out.”
Galatea:
“The desire to copy humans, live as they, is admirable. If only you weren’t what you are… alas, it is not my place to wonder what you would be. If you wish to learn more about them, more about people, I welcome you to join our furnaces and forges, see how things are done. It may prove enlightening.”
“She is the least infuriating of those cursed dolls. I would call her almost cute in other circumstances. Either way, her faith is real, so is her desire. If one day she wishes to be reborn as something else… maybe I could grant that wish, one day.”
“I like her. I can always push her to do what I want, well, most of the time. She won’t do anything wicked, but she can do my chores. This is enough.”
Unmade Goddess:
“A thread that unraveled by its own desire. Such a pitiful thing, unable to die, unable to live, drifting away in the ocean, with a multitude of children orphaned by her own selfish choice. Truly a pitiful thing… what am I rambling about? It is nothing, just the musings of an old woman. Don’t work yourself over that.”
“She had the opportunity to end it all, stop it all from unfolding in a never-ending nightmare, yet she never did. Truly a waste of power and divinity if you ask me. The fact that she didn’t actually die, and has become a nuisance just makes things worse.”
Marjukka:
“A great paladin of times past, now resurrected as a shell of her former self. Poor thing. She will one day find her footing once again, I am sure of it. As of now… we will provide all the help she needs. If it can make this great warrior fight as effectively as she once did, there is no such thing as a big price to pay. To the forge, boys and girls!”
“I have seen mirrors, yet it is the first time I see a mirror that only reflects a contrary reflection of what is on it. We are like flesh and nail, yet so different. Why does she fight for a goddess who failed her? They abandoned everything? I don’t know, but I can’t help but see myself in her.”
“One time I saw her crying. She noticed me. Her face was so haunted and maddened, I thought she was going to kill me. It was so scary.”
Twinkle:
“That little! She has been banished from the grounds of our furnaces and forges. She is never to fly near one again, lest she be punished by her vile actions! Even as a Risen, we cannot tolerate everything she does! Grow some dignity on your shoulders, woman!”
“She has noticed who I am. Yet has said nothing about it. I wonder what kind of game she is playing, and why she does not spit out the truth she got. Your greed shall become your undoing, little fairy.”
“That bitch tried to steal me on three separate occasions. On her wrist snapped, the other she just crushed her nails, and the last one she tried to lure me with sweets! The last one almost worked, although...”
Broken Sun:
“I have no words to put how much I admire and respect the Broken Sun and his Worshippers! They who try and fight so hard for us!”
“In truth, if I try to talk, my tongue will burn. Shattered as he is, even now he can feel our blasphemous tongues talking. It is a surefire way to burn my disguise and endanger this place.”
Tanya:
“A loose cannon waiting for release. There is nothing I can do for her, nor help our guild help, so all we can offer is our prayers and hope for the best. While we cannot stand with you in the material plane, know your spirits lie beside you.”
“One of the best Risen we've got in a while. She is a killing machine, and good for nothing else. Sick her in a direction, and watch things die. She won’t participate in politics or get in the way. Overall, one of my favorites. Her bloodlust may come in handy sooner than later.”
“No fucking way. I am not getting close to that mad dog!”
Oswald:
“To keep our spirits alive, and our will strong. I thank thee, Oswald. Keep spreading hope to the hearts that sank in despair. Let the great work begin.”
%%darkred “Don’t have much to talk about him.” %%
“I can bully him into submission. There is no way those snappy branches are going to stop me.”
Reaped Caronte:
“The lord of the Great Undead, he who reaps eternity. So great, so tall, so powerful that even in his absence, his will and powers are still felt. As long as death stands with us, not even the Wicked Star itself can stop us. If Death defies destiny for us, we shall rewrite the very ladders of fate.”
“The Wicked Star used to say he was waiting for a signal. A proof of his gambit. I wonder what Caronte could do to warrant attention and caution from him, of all gods.”
Chef:
“Ah, someone so merciful, and with a heart so large! It makes me want to cry! Ah, such a meal, your meals fill the hearts of my workers, make the work more bearable, and leave their imaginations to wonder about what tomorrow will bring. I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your hard work.”
“If she were her cook, I wonder what the Unmade Goddess could employ back in the day? She is not normal, in the slightest. She is like a highly optimized weapon, made for a single purpose, to such a terrifying degree. Even if nothing is going on her head, I can see the thoughts about food and cooking floating to the surface. It is all she thinks about. It is all she is.
“She gives me yummies, a pat on the head, and asks nothing out of me. Best auntie ever.”
Sir:
“The foundations of a solid warrior. Despite his… gloryhogging tendencies, he still is one of the good guys, as well as a worshipper of our god, too! I welcome him with open arms! May our union be fruitful, and the God of Hope properly praised by us, his worshippers!”
“This guy will come in handy soon. So brashful, so full of hope and desire, he can become the cornerstone that allows us to push that idea. The idea of building up a nexus, an outpost outside the mountain range of this peninsula. Be a conduit of the future, be the foundation we need.”
“A worshipper of the Fell God of Hope… uses just those drags as equipment? Laughtful, pitiful. What a joke!”
Calisto:
“A mass of death. A mass of carnage and defeat. He is like the ill omen we need to cast over our enemies. May his shadow devour them all, and his deeds fill their songs with fear! Hallelujah to the demise of our enemies!”
“Amnesiac types are generally ahrd to deal with, but this one seems in control. Good enough. He has a keen sense of smell, and cannot let me sniff me out. Not yet, not now. My work is far from done.”
“Even as I can hit him where it hurts, it feels strange to look at him, as if he is an avatar of decay. Something left behind, rather than unburied like all the others.”
Klein:
“I avoid getting near him. He is the only one who can recognize me. The tales of how he defeated my great-grandfather still echo through the demon ranks. He who fell Ifrit. Above all, Klein is the person who can recognize me the most, get a hang of what I am. Too dangerous to just let him see me. A glance from afar, once or twice, is alright. But never something close, never something personal, lest I need to avenge Ifrit and get rid of all threats to my mask.”
Beast God:
“A creature of calamity, yet one we begrudgingly accept. We have no choice but to accept him, accept that we cannot get rid of his presence. Better to lose gracefully than be a sore loser. Even if we fight besides the monsters we had slain yesterday.”
“The sole factor that stalemated the war. We cannot get rid of his abominations fast enough, and it cannot put a dent in our army. I hate it with all of my being.”
Serene:
“The one who owns the accursed doll. No problem, no problem. She is on our blacklist for equipment. She is as greedy as Twinkle, and none of the tact. If she thinks she can hoard what is ours and put a push around our boys and girls, she is mistaken. We work for Anfitrian, not her. No matter who she serves, she is a guest, not our bosses.”
“Prides cometh the fall, and oh, I cannot wait. Her fall will be catastrophic, as she realizes that nobility does not take threats on their power lightly, nor new rivals. One day she will fall, and I will be there to watch she and that damn doll.”
“She is guillible, extremely so. Just stroke her ego once or twice, and you can get nearly anything out of her. Well, I do work as a maid for her sometimes, but the reward far outweighs the cost.”
Godless:
Rosa:
“A strange one, but not unwelcome. Her songs can soothe the heart and ease the mind of my workers. This is all I can ask out of her. All I am going to need out of her. Thank you, oh voiceless bard.”
“That weapon of hers is dangerous, even if she does not look like much. I wonder what motivated her to uphold a vow of silence… if it is indeed a vow of silence.”
“I like to listen to her songs, even if she spooks me by coming out of nowhere.”
Marked One:
“Few can say they stole something… I can feel it on his hands. That power is not something someone usually has. Alas, I am talking too much. A medic is always welcome in our midst. Only the gods know how many we lost to disease and wounds left untreated. Now we can rest assured that a proper medic can take care of our health.”
“There is more to this man than meets the eye. I wonder what it is. I can feel in his hands the power of the Broken Sun, but he does not look like a Worshipper. What is he, even?”
“He got too close one time, and I crushed his hand without meaning to. Sorry.”
Tazlyn:
“I think he should join the hunter corps. He is no super-powered monster or a worshipper. His teachings, his guile, and his skill can be taught to others. If more men and women fight like him, we may have a solid chance at taking down the Wicked Star one day.”
%darkred% “It is not every day someone like him comes out of the woodworks. He is not from Anfitrian, this much I can tell, and his weapon is no cheap work either. People like him are rare to come by, and hard to hold. We should find a way to shackle him to Anfitrian, so as to guarantee he will never leave.”
Smith:
“Such a rare sign. That little thing is mean, and can talk a lot. I wonder how he would act if he were forced to learn how we actually forge stuff. It may be… an enlightenment experience to him.”
“That guy. He inspired me in the past. To see him here… how fortunate. I will capture him and force him to work day and night. It will increase our weapon production exponentially. He needs to be captured, morals be damned. You will be enslaved.”
“Sigh. And to another blind goose chase I go.”
Demon Lord:
“The least said about him the better., I care not, I want not, to let him live yet another day. Things shouldn't have been this way, yet they are. There is nothing I can do about it, but to defy him at every chance, every turn."
Raggamath:
“An assassin, who shall be eventually crushed. For all his skills in duels, for all the power he boasts in the shadow, one day the light shall come, and unravel his darkness. Count your days, lucky one. They are my gift for you to live. Reckoning will come, as will the ushering of unending light."
Xoth'takan
“There is no mind far away to reach, no plan too solid for a sword not to cut. Like all of them, he is blind to the truth, if there was no chance of victory, if the Wicked Dragon and the Wicked Star were invencible, there would be no tomorrow, and no way for the Risen to revive once more as warriors of faith. Xoth'takan is but a miniature of the lord he serves; blinded by self assurance, and ruled by cowardice. He too shall see the folly of his plans."
Icarus:
“A strange demon, but not an unwelcome one. If he wishes to fight against the Wicked Star, to bring it down, he should feel free to do so. Everyone bit of strength, every last relic, and all power we call muster is welcome in our crusade."