History Characters / TheSecretWorldTheOrochiGroup

[[folder: Blake and Radcliffe]]
->''Our role here is to maintain a scientific overview of the situation, not to intervene. And that's what we've been doing: '''not''' intervening.''
-->-- '''Blake'''

--> Voiced by: Tim Russ (Blake), Creator/TaraStrong (Radcliffe)

In charge of a research team investigating the Draug invasion of Solomon Island, Harrison Blake and his associate Anne Radcliffe are much more approachable than most of the operatives in the area. As well as allowing you to enter their base, they also provide missions in return for certain "incentives", reasoning that you are capable of dealing with threats they are too beleagured to deal with. Of course, there are some things about the team's mission that the ever-efficient Blake refuses to elaborate upon, leaving Radcliffe to admit them to you in the hopes that you'll investigate.

* {{Adorkable}}: Radcliffe, who spends most of her time onscreen stuttering, stammering, correcting herself, accidentally saying too much, and getting just a little bit too excited at meeting a "superhero." Plus, she's occasionally sidetracked by wondering about the proper noun for a group of superheroes.
* ConsummateProfessional: Blake; as well as being strictly by-the-book in all his interactions, he also takes a rather dim view of unprofessional or chaotic behaviour. When he's not gently rebuking Radcliffe for her attempts to bend the rules, he's viewing your activities with a mixture of condescension and distrust.
* DeadpanSnarker: Both of them, though Blake's pretty deadpan by default and Radcliffe generally manages her best sarcasm when she's in conversation with him.
* [[FarmBoy Farm Girl]]: Radcliffe apparently grew up on a farm, and Blake attributes her rural upbringing to some of the more emotional decisions she makes.
* FirstNameBasis: In one dialogue option, Blake accidentally refers to Anne Radcliffe by her first name, before hastily reverting to the more impersonal "Ms Radcliffe" - another indication that they are quite friendly, despite Blake's professional disposition.
* HardOnSoftScience: Blake exhibits this attitude, proudly noting how he and other Orochi researchers deal in hard, quantifiable science, and condescendingly compares ''your'' approach to the liberal arts.
* TheMcCoy: Again, Radcliffe. On top of being more emotional than Blake, she's also more concerned with the morality of what she does, and probably the only member of the team who has the slightest bit of sympathy for the people of Kingsmouth or any stated opposition to the policy of non-intervention. Of course, remaining under the watchful eye of Blake has made her somewhat less outspoken than most examples, and Blake's not interested in listening when she does speak up on matters of ethics... hence the reason why she's more inclined to talk to ''you.''
* MyBelovedSmother / [[FantasyForbiddingFather Fantasy Forbidding Mother]]: During one of her many moments of personal reflection, Radcliffe remarks that her mother spent a great deal of time and effort forcing her to give up her childhood fantasies and be "normal." Ironic, considering that Radcliffe ended up getting a job that allowed her to interact with beings from said fantasies on a daily basis.
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Radcliffe jokes that Blake was named after Creator/HarrisonFord, hence the reason why he's such a perfectionist. Radcliffe herself is named after the Gothic horror novelist Anne Radcliffe, appropriate for Solomon Island given that it's one huge ShoutOut to Lovecraftian CosmicHorror stories and nineteenth century Gothic fiction.
* NeatFreak: Blake's obsession with order and correct protocol apparently extends to matters of personal cleanliness; he's clearly annoyed by Radcliffe's habit of chewing her nails, seeing them as symptomatic of mental and physical disorder.
* NotUsingTheZWord: One of Radcliffe's gripes with Orochi protocol; during the mission intro to "Hulk Smash," after calling the undead by the company-issued title of Condition 17s, she actually goes so far as to ask "Can't we just call them zombies, sir?"
* OddFriendship: Despite being almost nothing alike in terms of personality, attitude or moral outlook, Blake and Radcliffe actually have a surprisingly friendly relationship when not interacting on a strictly professional basis. In idle dialogue, they can often be seen openly discussing their past and their home lives, telling the occasional understated joke, an even playing games of "Confirm or Deny."
* PunchClockVillain: As Orochi researchers with no direct role in the catastrophe, their stated goal is to finish the job at hand, collect their paychecks and go home - though Radcliffe at least hopes to do so with a clear conscience.
* RedOniBlueOni: Radcliffe, being inexperienced, naïve and exuberant, qualifies as the Red. Of course, the cynically professional Blake is a clear and obvious Blue.
* SaltAndPepper: Racliffe's the salt, Blake's the pepper.
* SarcasmBlind: By his own admission, Blake is this.
* TheSpock: Blake; calm, reserved, strictly by-the-book, and utterly detached from morality and emotion. That said, he does have an extremely understated sense of humour, most often exhibited in conversation with Radcliffe.
** ActorAllusion: He has previously been an [[Series/StarTrekVoyager actual Vulcan]].
* ThoseTwoGuys
* TokenReligiousTeammate: Though clearly just as scientifically-minded as Blake, Radcliffe is clearly the more religious of the two, though she's still quite understated about it. In the intro to "Black Helicopters," she wishes she could actually attend the local church for a while, though the quarantine forbids her from doing so - and hopes that she can leave Solomon Island as a "church-going girl with a clear conscience."

* VillainsOutShopping: Can occasionally be heard playing games of "Confirm or Deny."
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Lisa Hui]]
->''I don't know what it is about this assignment, but I had a bad, bad feeling from the start...''

--> Voiced by: Creator/StephanieSheh

The commander of a unit of Orochi soldiers dispatched to Egypt in order to protect the Prometheus Initiative's activities in the area. Fortunately, Lisa and her unit were outside the base when the Filth overtook the facility, and ended up as one of the few obstacles preventing the infectees from escaping the area and attacking Al-Merayah. As she's unable to leave her position or risk any more of her soldiers, you end up helping her investigate what went wrong in the Ankh.

* AFatherToHisMen: Takes her duties as a commander very seriously, maintaining her watch over the pass mainly so that she can keep them safe from the Filth.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: It's subtle, but judging by the longing in her voice when referring to the case of oak-aged scotch left behind at the Orochi Camp, she really needs a stiff drink. Furthermore, there's a minor quest that allows you to retrieve the case for her.
* ProperlyParanoid: In one dialogue option, she remarks how the safest course of action is simply not to trust anyone except the men under her command, remarking upon the possible agendas of Khalid, the Oxford Archaeology team and the inhabitants of Al-Merayah with considerable suspicion. Harsh and somewhat excessive though this may be, Lisa's distrust of Al-Merayah's citizenry isn't entirely unwarranted - especially now that many of them have been forcibly recruited by the Atenists and used to covertly further the cult's goals.
** She also found the Prometheus Initiative's [=VIPs=] deeply unsettling, even admitting that they seemed more like [[UncannyValley Familiars mimicking human behaviour than anything else]] - to say nothing of her fears concerning the Ankh itself. Given Dr Klein's Filth infection, this perception is more accurate than she thinks.
* PunchClockVillain[=/=]PunchClockHero: Not especially interested in the morality of what she does and certainly not interested in getting involved with whatever the Prometheus Initiative researchers are up to... prior to the disaster anyway. Since then, she and her men have accidentally ended up as Al-Merayah's only line of defence against the Filth infectees swarming out of the Ankh. All the same, her primary concern is getting out alive and collecting a paycheck.
-->I'm just a soldier, I'm nobody important, same as my crew. We go where they tell us to go, we follow orders. We shut the fuck up.
* SergeantRock: Definitely fits the role, with no mention of a commissioned rank and a tough, no-nonsense demeanour through and through.
* TheStoic: Despite spending weeks holding a single exposed position in the middle of the desert, with no backup, no response from her superiors and no help except from you, Lisa grimly weathers the storm with only the occasional twinge of emotion.
* WeHaveReserves: Not in regards to her soldiers, but to the executives that occasionally visit the site. In her opinion, good troops are hard to come by, but you can't throw a rock without hitting an Orochi suit.

[[folder: Dragan Dzoavich]]
->''You've fought an army of vamps with magic. You've walked the shadow-world in anima form. You've talked to statues and run with faeries. So what's so weird about a grown man talking to a teddybear?''

--> Voiced by: Andrew Kishino

A Orochi agent in Transylvania, codenamed "Ghost". He is all that remains of the company operation in the area after the disaster at the Breach; having aided the evacuation of the Orochi brass (the Smiths included), he was left behind to try and figure out what went wrong. Now firmly believing that Emma Smith didn't properly escape, he spends most of his time attempting to [[ItMakesSenseInContext get answers out of her teddy bear]].

* BelligerentSexualTension: With Phoenician agent and former lover Lidiya.
* BodyguardingABadass: In the past, he acted as a guard to Emma... and as the mission to Transylvania and Issue #7 demonstrate, Emma is not only an immensely powerful mage capable of feats well out of the player's league, but also [[spoiler:the Daughter of Gaia, and the only person to have defeated Lilith in combat!]]
* CoolShades: Which the player can also own for a measly 270 Black Bullion.
* ConsultingMisterPuppet: Dragan spends a lot of his time holding a rather one-sided conversation with Emma's teddy bear. However, once Emma's powers are demonstrated, his reasons for trying this become much more justified.
* DefectorFromDecadence: [[spoiler: After remaining mostly true to his duties over the course of the third mission, Dragan decides to leave the Orochi behind for Emma's sake.]]
* DefensiveWhat: Utters one of these when the player first notices him talking to Emma's bear.
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:By Issue #7; having received word on Orochi's experimentation in the Nursery, Dragan is now chiefly concerned that Emma gets out of Transylvania safely, regardless of company policy.]]
* HypocrisyNod: [[spoiler: When you meet him again in Issue #7 he calls you out for forgetting Emma the last time you were in town, but notes the hypocrisy of him berating you, [[NotSoDifferent giving the nature of the organizations you both work for.]]]]
** He also makes a sly jab at players who might have thought him crazy for talking to a teddy bear in spite of all the crazy supernatural phenomena they've witnessed over the course of the game.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Hidden by his shades for the most part, but if you look closely, you can definitely see a faint ruby glow to his eyes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Lily Engel[=/=][[spoiler:Lilith]]]]
->''Take a card from the tarot. Flip the Priestess - the Chairwoman - designation Lily Engel. All monstrous pathways umbilically converge at a singular source. The nightmare quim. She has seventeen names. She struts through the cadavers of ages.''
-->--'''The Buzzing'''

--> Voiced by: Maria Darling

The Chairwoman of the Orochi Group's Board of Directors, though Lore entries hint at her being much more sinister than initially thought. [[spoiler: Ultimately responsible for the disaster that befell Orochi operations in the Carpathian Fangs. As revealed in Issue #7, her true name is Lilith, and she is driven to seize control of the burgeoning global crisis by any means available to her... and she's recently become very interested in Emma Smith.]]

* AccentRelapse: [[spoiler: The moment she no longer needs to keep up the pretence of being a Council Agent, she drops the Russian accent altogether and shifts to purring Received Pronunciation.]]
* BigBad: [[spoiler: The villain behind the events of "Mortal Sins" and Issue 7, it's also revealed that she's been behind the rise of the Morninglight cult and some of the Orochi Group's worst atrocities around the world.]]
* BigNO: [[spoiler: When she is captured by the Nephilim at the end of Issue 11.]]
* BitchInSheepsClothing: [[spoiler: She has a habit of presenting a trustworthy exterior to her enemies, posing first as a Council Agent sent to aid you, then as a mother figure to Emma. It doesn't take long before her unpleasant nature starts bleeding through the disguise, however.]]
* BrownNote: [[spoiler: Hearing Lilith say her true name out loud causes the player's body to lapse into a panic attack, apparently due to her place in the human ancestral memory.]] Furthermore, John's memories imply that [[spoiler: her other names can do equally nasty things to the human psyche, the player only surviving them due to their status as a Bee.]]
** [[spoiler: The climax of "Nightmares In The Dream Palace" suggests that it's not even safe to ''memorize'' Lilith, as the memories of her could actually become physically harmful - either to John, or to the player.]]
* CainAndAbel: [[spoiler:She was Cain to Cucuvea's Abel. Eventually Cucuvea gave up the feud so as to not become consumed by hatred, but the two sisters - one good, one evil - still exist to this day, even if they are no longer specifically hunting each other down. Instead, Cucuvea has dedicated herself to keeping Lilith's servants contained.]]
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: [[spoiler: Having been working behind Samael's back for many years, Lilith is corrupt even by the extraordinary standards set by the Orochi.]]
* DarkMistress: [[spoiler: According to the Bees, she was initially this to Samael, having been considered little more than a catspaw to the fallen angel himself. However, Lilith eventually rose to become her husband's equal.]]
* TheDragon: Technically, she's this to Orochi CEO Samuel Chandra. [[spoiler: And it's revealed that she really ''was'' the Dragon to him in previous Ages, before their relationship fell apart. Back in the Third Age, she also attempted to become a Dragon to the Dreamers, albeit [[TheStarscream with the sole intent of betraying them]] once she was able to harness their power; unfortunately, this resulted in the Dreamers awakening just long enough to wipe out all human civilization and end the Third Age. These days, Lilith works for herself and herself alone.]]
* DraggedOffToHell: [[spoiler: Issue #11 concludes with Lilith being captured by the Nephilim and carried off to wherever the rebel angels happen to reside - probably not heaven, all things considered.]]
* TheDreaded: [[spoiler: Lilith is rightly feared throughout the Secret World, her name alone inspiring instinctive terror in the minds of human beings. Even seasoned faction leaders and operatives quickly lose composure upon encountering her: the normally irreverent Lidya sounds downright terrified to meet her face to face; Richard Sonnac says her appearance is a sign of the end times the '''actual-end times'''; Kirsten Geary actually [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness drops her usual sarcasm]] when it's realized that Lilith has gotten involved in a mission; The Dragon report that the mere whisper of her name caused The Child to wake-up crying and passing birds to continually dive bomb into their windows! Even the Black Signal itself is overcome by a panic attack after realizing that you've met her and mentally curls up in the fetal position!]]
* EvilGloating: [[spoiler: Lilith is clearly in love with the sound of her own voice, and will take just about any given opportunity to expound on just how singularly awesome she is. Though she remains savvy enough to avoid doing this for too long in her earliest appearances, this tendency finally backfires on her during Issue #11, when John uses her compulsive monologuing - along with a few distractions of his own making - as a means of keeping her preoccupied until the Nephilim arrive to arrest her.]]
* EvilRedHead[=/=]FieryRedhead: Immediately recognizable by her fiery temper and crimson locks - which only look more extraordinary in the artwork to Issue #11.
* EvilSpeechOfEvil: [[spoiler: Indulges in a wonderfully hammy introductory speech towards the end of Issue #7, presenting all seventeen of her names and elaborating on her villainous deeds throughout the eons.]]
* AFateWorseThanDeath[=/=]WhoWantsToLiveForever: [[spoiler: Her favoured method of dealing with her enemies is making them sincerely regret being unable to die, as the player and Octavian can attest.]]
* FauxAffablyEvil: [[spoiler: She likes to present herself as sweet-natured and motherly, but often undermines this presentation with a very prominent sadistic streak and a vicious temper.]]
** [[spoiler: In Issue 11, Lilith holds an ''almost'' perfectly civil conversation with you; she's more than happy to explain herself and treat you with all due politeness... but it's also clear that she's clearly not in the least bit repentant for attempting to kidnap and exploit Emma, nor does she seem in any way apologetic for slicing your legs off - if that sneer of "How are your legs?" is any evidence. Plus, she's still pissed at you for spoiling her plans in Transylvania.]]
* HijackingCthulhu: [[spoiler: Her ultimate goal, once shared by her husband Samael, is to use the Gaia Engines to bind the Dreamers and harness their reality-warping powers for her own purposes. In the past, she made the mistake of working directly with the Dreamers to this end, and it smacked humanity back to the stone age - hence the reason why she's making use of more indirect methods.]]
* HistoricalRapSheet: [[spoiler: Over the course of her long lifetime, Lilith has committed a ''huge'' number of crimes. Most of them are only hinted at, though she has done enough to have ended up as the inspiration behind several mythical figures of chaos, destruction, and (on good days) knowledge. Towards the end of Issue #11, she also admits that she was indirectly responsible for the end of the Third Age, her attempt to screw over the Dreamers having backfired when they woke up just enough to obliterate human civilization.]]
* HumanoidAbomination: [[spoiler: It's hinted at throughout the game in both the lore entries and the overarching plot. Finally confirmed in the climax of Issue #7; though she seems outwardly human, her past, her powers, and the way her voice distorts when she announces her names all indicate that Lilith is clearly something terrifyingly eldritch beneath her human exterior. Issue #11 expands on this by observing that she really was once human back in the First Age, before her alliance with Samael augmented and transformed her into the inhuman being she is today.]]
* IKnowYourTrueName: [[spoiler: Hidden behind all seventeen other names is Lilith's secret eighteenth, Ki-sikil-lil-la-ke, a name apparently powerful enough to imprison her when used by the Nephilim at the end of Issue #11.]]
* IHaveManyNames: [[spoiler: Seventeen, in fact - all of which she goes so far as to detail for your benefit: Abeko, Abito, Amizo, Batna, Eilo, Ita, Izorpo, Kea, Kali, Kokos, Odam, Partasah, Patrota, Podo, Satrina, Talto... and of course, Lilith. All of them mythic feminine figures of destruction. And that's not even counting the cover identities of Lily Engel and the Russian Council Agent, and some of her other, less-known mythical personas: Isthar, Athena, Juno, to name but a few. Last but not least, there's Lilith's hidden eighteenth name, "Ki-sikil-lil-la-ke."]]
* KickTheDog: [[spoiler: Halfway through her EvilSpeechOfEvil, she's interrupted by one of the test subjects from the Nursery shambling into the room. Humming the signature lullaby under her breath, Lilith gently reaches out to stroke the little girl's face... and then snaps her neck.]]
* LargeHam: [[spoiler: She takes great glee in [[{{Squick}} discussing her past]] while the player is strapped to a operating table in Issue #7. During your second meeting in Issue #11, she's much more subdued, and claims that she was simply having a very bad day at the time.]]
* LightIsNotGood: [[spoiler: Another seemingly-benevolent figure with a lot of white in her wardrobe, Lilith might seem like a perfectly legitimate figure in her persona of Lily Engel, even an ally to the player when in her Russian Agent persona; in reality, she's a scheming, exploitative HumanoidAbomination.]]
* MadScientist: [[spoiler: Though more commonly known as an executive - or as a ravening monster - Lilith was known as a scientist in past Ages, having bioengineered and birthed some of the most infamous monsters in the world, even coming close to harnessing the awful power of the Dreamers though the Gaia engines. Even today, her knowledge of Third Age technology still allows her to champion Orochi initiatives throughout the game, and the three-bodied Uta Bloody Valentine still serves as a reminder of her impressive skills in genetic alteration. Indeed, the Bees say she'd rather be remembered for her accomplishments as a scientist than her monstrous triumphs. Not that she ''minds'' being TheDreaded.]]
* ManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler: For the entire Transylvania arc, having not only caused the Breach through her use of Emma and various Orochi resources, but also secretly commanded the vampire army during most of it.]]
** [[spoiler: Subsequent issues reveal that she was also behind the creation of the Morninglight, having resurrected the ancient cult of Deus Sol Invictus and given it a modern spin as part of her ongoing attempts to control the Dreamers. Unfortunately, the Dreamers sabotaged this alliance by corrupting Phillip Marquad, inspiring him to turn the rest of the cult against her - and even attempt to assassinate her via John's suicide-bombing. Needless to say, by the start of the game, she's lost control of the cult altogether.]]
** [[TheManBehindTheMonsters The Woman Behind The Monsters]]: [[spoiler: The bestial werewolves and the monstrous vampire hybrids are not only under the command of Mara, but by extension, Lilith as well - and have been so since she gave birth to their respective species.]]
* MetaphoricallyTrue: [[spoiler: She admits that, though most of what she told you while posing as the Russian Council Agent was false, she was being perfectly honest about being a mother. It's just that she neglected to mention what it is she is a mother ''of''.]]
* MotherOfAThousandYoung: [[spoiler:Implied by in the Bees' remarks on "a monstrous nativity" and that "there are tombs that are less haunted than some wombs", not to mention the fact that Mara reacts to Engel's signature by whispering "Mother?" Finally confirmed in Issue #7, when it's revealed that vampires, werewolves and dozens of other breeds of hideous monsters can all trace their lineage back to Lilith - Samael being identified as the Father in many cases. However, nobody's entirely sure if Lilith actually gave birth to these monsters or if she just created them in a lab; even the Bees aren't entirely certain, though given that "things existed on more simultaneous dimensions back then" it's implied that it might be ''both.'']]
* NeckSnap: [[spoiler: More than strong enough to break a human neck one-handed, another indication of her eldritch nature.]]
* TimeAbyss: [[spoiler: Born during the ''First Age'' and numbered among the very first humans in existence. It's not known how much time has passed since then, but given the [[ApocalypseHow/{{Class2}} civilization-levelling disasters]] that ended the last three Ages and the millennia required for humans to recover enough to start building cities again, it's pretty safe to say that Lilith's true age could easily top a hundred thousand years. In any case, she's one of the oldest living beings still in existence, second only to truly eldritch beings like the Dreamers and the Host.]]
* ThemeNaming [[spoiler: "Lilith" means 'screech-owl' in Hebrew; in Romanian, her sister Cucuvea is 'little-owl'.]]
* TheUnfought: [[spoiler: So far, Lilith hasn't engaged the player in direct combat, largely because she can't be bothered to expend so much effort; when you finally catch up with her in Agartha, she simply imprisons you in a sphere of magic and leaves you hovering there as she makes a break for the portal.]]
* UnholyMatrimony: [[spoiler: Married the angel Samael way back in the First Age, and spent most of the eons since then as a team of equally-powerful villains constantly plaguing human society in their attempts to claim ultimate power, ideally through the power of the Dreamers. However, after Lilith's last attempt blew up in their faces and brought an end to the Third Age, Samael decided to settle down and go native; enraged by Samael's betrayal of their cause - the very reason why she discarded her humanity and married him in the first place - Lilith decided to seize control of the Dreamers on her own, effectively ending their partnership.]]
* TheVamp: [[spoiler: In the event that she's not in full-blown villain mode, Lilith will sometimes attempt to accomplish her goals through seduction and trickery rather than brute force; quite apart from the implications that she might have been the woman who caused the fatal split between the Templars and the Phoenicians, her first true appearance in Issue #7 features her posing as an alluring Council agent so you can lead her to Emma without suspecting her true motives. It works, too.]]
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: She ''really'' doesn't respond well to being turned down by Emma.]]
* VillainExitStageLeft: [[spoiler: Having been unveiled as the villain behind the Transylvania arc, with her boss demanding an explanation and the player closing in on her, Lily Engel teleports herself away before anyone can confront her.]]
** [[spoiler: She does this again at the end of Issue #7; having been punted clean through the Tokyo portal by Emma, Lilith decides to stay there and lick her wounds.]]
* VoiceOfTheLegion: [[spoiler:While announcing her seventeen names.]]
* WalkingSpoiler
* WasOnceAMan: [[spoiler: Lilith was in fact one of the very first humans in existence, having been born during the First Age; however, inspired by Samael's promises, she chose to betray Gaia and humanity by joining the Nephilim - allowing her to slowly transform into an immortal psychopath.]]
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Played with. [[spoiler: Towards the end of Issue #11, Samael attempts to justify his wife's betrayal by drawing attention to the fact that Gaia is apparently dying, and the only way to save the people of Earth is to build a new one with the power of the Dreamers - though it's not certain if Samael actually believes in this solution as he once did or if he's just trying to talk the player into backing down.]] Later, [[spoiler: Lilith herself manages to frame her activities in Transylvania in a more positive light by admitting her reasons for kidnapping Emma in Issue #7: she wanted to use her powers in conjunction with the Gaia Engine at the Breach to cleanse Tokyo of the Filth. Granted, Lilith doesn't specify what this might do to Emma in the process - she's too busy lambasting you for stopping her.]]
* WhatTheHellHero: Gives the player one in Issue 11, [[spoiler: for denying her Emma, since she could have used Emma's powers to cleanse the Filth from Tokyo through use of a Gaia Engine. That said, while she may have well been planning to cleanse the Filth from Tokyo, it is also clear that Emma is better off outside her control. (She also merely claims that she ''could'' use Emma and the Gaia Engine in that way, [[ExactWords not that she]] ''[[ExactWords would]]''.)]]
* WomanInWhite: [[spoiler: Almost always dressed in white, whether as part of the Russian Agent's SpyCatsuit, or as part of her own expensive-looking ensemble.]]
* WomanScorned: [[spoiler: After spending almost three entire Ages working towards Samael's grand plan, she's understandably upset when Samael unexpectedly choses Gaia over her and abandons the plan altogether - leading to her betraying him. In Issue #7, she's even more enraged when when Emma makes the same choice.]]
* TheWorfEffect: [[spoiler: Lilith demonstrates seemingly unstoppable power in just about every single scene she features in - imprisoning you in a sphere of magic, shrinking a Filth bird down to a more manageable size, and making herself effectively invulnerable to John's onslaught. Even Emma herself only got the better of her by knocking through the Tokyo portal. However, when the Nephilim arrive, Lilith finds herself outmatched and permanently bested.]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Faust Capital CEO/ [[spoiler: Mephistopheles]]]]

->''Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name. I know why you're here: you're looking for something. Aren't we all?''

The head of Faust Capital, he is first encountered on the company's omega floor at Orochi Tower, still serving to the best of his ability despite the ongoing crisis. Befitting Faust's nature as an organization focussed on trade and investment, the CEO does his best to accommodate you during your journey through the Tower, albeit in a rather eccentric and thoroughly supernatural fashion. [[spoiler: He is actually none other than Mephistopheles from ''{{Faust}}'', a wish-granting Jinn bound to the service of Samael.]]

* AffablyEvil: Always respectful, always friendly, and always ready to give people what they want in life, the CEO is a surprisingly amiable character for an Orochi executive. [[spoiler: He also dislikes the way he's been portrayed in the media, insisting that he reads out every bit of fine print so his clients understand the terms of their agreement and warns them of the consequences long in advance. Also, he clearly takes no joy in having to kill you at the end of the level - see below.]]
* ApologeticAttacker: [[spoiler: Offers his sincerest apologies for the incoming boss battle at the end of the omega level, capping off his explanation with a whisper of "I am so sorry" as he attacks you.]]
--> I apologise, I really do: I hate brutishness, I despise rudeness, and you have been such a wonderful guest. But... I owe my own favours: there are contracts that bind me. [[spoiler: Samael]] says that you are to go no further. I am more sophisticated than this, and you deserve better, but... this will get brutish.
* CreepyChild: [[spoiler: When masquerading as a human, Mephistopheles takes the form of a small and extremely creepy-looking child reminiscent of the Gaki encountered in "Contract Killers." However, he abandons this shape once you arrive in the centre chamber, instead opting to attack you in his monstrous true form.]]
* DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler: His stock in trade, having been making Faustian bargains for as long as Faust has existed in human folklore. Admittedly, Mephistopheles believes that popular portrayal as a trickster and a swindler is grossly unfair, and claims that he makes the terms of each agreement as clear as possible before his clients sign their contracts, even warning them against it from time to time... not that it stops them.]]
* DefensiveWhat: Responds this way to players who chose to be rewarded with wealth. [[spoiler: As he points out, a single one-PAX note might not be much, but given that it always respawns, it's possible to spend your entire life gathering a real fortune - after all, some customers do exactly that.]]
* EarlyBirdCameo: First obliquely referred to in the lore entries for "The Tragic History of Doctor Faustus." Curiously enough, one such entry is found within the Faust Capital bank in Tokyo...
* FamousLastWords: [[spoiler: In the split second before he drops his disguise and attacks you head-on, he can be heard to say, "[[ApologeticAttacker I am so sorry]]."]]
* IHaveManyNames: [[spoiler: Before his true identity is revealed, he hints at his name with some of the aliases that other cultures gave him; to begin with, he notes the Hebrew roots of his name as a compound of "distributor" and "liar," along with "falsehood plasterer," though he admits that the names [[LostInTranslation aren't as pretty after being translated]]. The Greeks on the other hand, called him "Not-Light-Loving," another name far prettier before translations - and also a parody on "Lucifer..."]]
* JackassGenie: The CEO offers you several beneficial-sounding choices throughout the level and all of them have unpleasant, cheap or overly-complicated rewards. [[spoiler: Also, towards the end of the level, he's revealed to be a Jinn - and one of the few who can actually grant wishes.]]
** The first decision allows you to choose between eternal love and eternal life: [[spoiler: choosing eternal love will give you an immediate appointment with a very excited Succubus, while choosing eternal life summons an extremely hungry vampire into the room with you.]]
** The second decision offers you a choice between money and power: [[spoiler: choosing power will reward you with a common household battery, while choosing money will provide you with a bank note worth exactly one PAX - with the unusual twist that it respawns every time you pick it up, allowing you to theoretically earn thousands... provided you have the patience.]]
** The final choice you make grants either musical talent or knowledge: [[spoiler: picking music provides you with a magic flute and requires you to correctly follow the melody in order to earn the reward - the flute, functionally identical to the one encountered in "The Christmas Conspiracy." Taking the knowledge option provides you with access to a computer terminal and provided with three riddles; if you answer them correctly, you'll be rewarded with an otherwise unattainable lore entry on the Jinn.]]
* LaughablyEvil: The jokes might be made primarily at your expense, but there's no denying that the CEO is always willing to share a laugh with you. [[spoiler: He's even willing to admit that rewarding your desire for power with a household battery was a terrible pun.]]
* MagicallyBindingContract: [[spoiler: As an inhabitant of the Hell Dimensions, he's likely responsible for writing up quite a few of these contracts; however, Mephistopheles is also under the influence of one such contract he made with Samael, and thus cannot allow you to pass through the omega floor unchallenged - hence the final boss battle.]]
* MeaningfulName: Likely responsible for Faust Capital's very name, [[spoiler: given that he's actually the same demon that tempted the eponymous character in the classic tale.]]
* MetaphoricallyTrue: [[spoiler: Technically, the choices you make provide you with exactly what you wanted... it's just that they're delivered in a particularly cheap way. The vampire really ''would'' have given you immortality if you'd have been willing to let him rip your throat out; the succubus really did love you - it's just that she didn't know any other way of expressing it; batteries really do provide you with power; 1 PAX notes can add up to a lot if you're prepared to continue taking them, etc, etc, etc...]]
* MorallyBankruptBanker: As the apparent head of Orochi's banking company, this is a given; [[spoiler: plus, affability aside, there's no banker as morally bankrupt as Mephistopheles.]]
* OurGeniesAreDifferent: [[spoiler: Unlike Amir and the others of his kind encountered throughout the game, Mephistopheles is one of the few Jinn who can actually grant wishes.]]
* PlayingWithFire: [[spoiler: Befitting his status as a Jinn, Mephistopheles has a gift for pyrokinetic magic that he makes full use of during the boss battle.]]
* PowerFloats: [[spoiler: As a Jinn, he's often hovering in the air by default, only setting foot on solid ground when in a human disguise.]]
* PublicDomainCharacter: [[spoiler: The very same demon who tempted Faust, Mephistopheles remembers Johann quite well - even recalling that he advised the sorcerer not to make such a bargain. He didn't listen.]]
* RiddleMeThis: Similarly to AIMEE's antics on the Anansi omega level, the "knowledge" option in the CEO's final challenge requires you to answer three riddles on a computer terminal. [[spoiler: Answering correctly rewards you with a lore entry cluing you in to Mephistopheles' true nature as a Jinn long before you arrive in the centre chamber.]]
* SatanicArchetype: [[spoiler: Ironic, considering that Satan is actually a character within the setting and shows little to no interest in making any deals of the kind that Mephistopheles makes on his own.]]
* VoiceOfTheLegion: Speaks in a very deep, distorted tone of voice.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: [[spoiler: Apparently capable of this, being first encountered in the shape of a small child.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Mitsubachi]]

An elite cadre of warriors and special operatives recruited on the orders of Samuel Chandra himself, the Mitsubachi represent the pinnacle of the Orochi Group's current security forces. [[spoiler: They are actually Bee-imbued, having been tracked down and recruited shortly after the emergence of their powers in much the same way that you were: as the most capable agents in Chandra's employ, he dispatches them in order to stop you from reaching Lilith during the attack on Orochi Tower in Issue #11.]]

* AchillesHeel[=/=]LogicalWeakness: [[spoiler: Much like the players, the Mitsubachi can be delayed by blocking their exits from the Anima wells. Also, their artificial Anima wells are not indestructible: though you can't manage to disable them on your own, returning to the boardroom level following the conclusion to "Confrontations and Revelations" shows that your allies managed to successfully destroy the Anima wells in the area, forcing the Mitsubachi into an unwilling retreat.]]
* BodyHorror: [[spoiler: Though the Mitsubachi are undoubtedly one of the biggest success stories to emerge from Orochi labs, they still came with their fair share of disastrous mistakes - particularly when it came to utilizing the portable Anima wells: according to notes found throughout Sycoil's Beta level, some of the Mitsubachi test subjects ended up rematerializing without their skin, or without flesh at all.]]
* EliteMooks: Among the most powerful and capable soldiers in Orochi's army. [[spoiler: In no small part due to being empowered by the Bees.]]
* EvilCounterpart: [[spoiler: To the players; they were imbued the same way, recruited the same way, fight the same way, and even have the same naming conventions.]]
* InUniverseNickname: All members of the Mitsubachi possess a distinctive nickname posed right between their first name and surname - just like the player. [[spoiler: Yet another indication of their nature as Orochi counterparts to the player.]]
* MagicKnight: [[spoiler: Quite a few of them serve as this, thanks to the mixture of martial and purely magical powers.]]
* MeaningfulName: [[spoiler: An early hint of the unit's true nature, Mitsubachi is Japanese for "honeybee."]]
* ResurrectiveImmortality: [[spoiler: Because of their status as Bee-imbued agents and their connection to Agartha, it's impossible to kill them off without them springing back to life a few seconds later; the only way to stop them is to trap the agents behind a locked door or destroy their Anima wells altogether.]]
* TouchedByVorlons: [[spoiler: Just like you, they've swallowed Bees of their own.]]
* TheVoiceless: None of the Mitsubachi ever speak during their time onscreen. [[spoiler: Once again, perfect counterparts to the player.]]
* WalkingSpoiler

* [[spoiler: FallenAngel]]: [[spoiler: First hinted by lore entries indicating that he suffered a long fall from a great height at some point in the past, and further hinted by remarks such as "you must rush in where we fear to tread," his status as a Fallen Angel is finally confirmed in Issue #11 when he reveals himself to be one of the rebel angels known as the Nephilim.]]

* [[spoiler: MysticalWhiteHair]]: [[spoiler: Long before being positively identified as one of the Host, Samael's unearthly nature was hinted at by his silver-white hair, easily noticeable in just about every single magazine cover featuring him before his formal introduction.]]

* [[spoiler: SupernaturalGoldEyes]]: [[spoiler: Another sign of his otherworldly character, Samael possesses a set of luminous yellow eyes, once again clearly visible on magazine covers prior to "Confrontations and Revelations".]]

* TimeAbyss: [[spoiler: As a former member of the Host, Samael has lived through all three previous eras of history and likely took part in the creation of the world itself, making him even older than Lilith. He even takes a while to elaborate on the extraordinary things he's seen over the eons while attempting to dissuade you from tracking down Lilith.]]

* [[spoiler: DraggedOffToHell]]: [[spoiler: Issue #11 concludes with Lilith being captured by the Nephilim and carried off to wherever the rebel angels happen to reside - probably not heaven, all things considered.]]

** [[spoiler: MotherOfAThousandYoung: Implied by in the Bees' remarks on "a monstrous nativity" and that "there are tombs that are less haunted than some wombs", not to mention the fact that Mara reacts to Engel's signature by whispering "Mother?" Finally confirmed in Issue #7, when it's revealed that vampires, werewolves and dozens of other breeds of hideous monsters can all trace their lineage back to Lilith - Samael being identified as the Father in many cases. However, nobody's entirely sure if Lilith actually gave birth to these monsters or if she just created them in a lab; even the Bees aren't entirely certain, though given that "things existed on more simultaneous dimensions back then" it's implied that it might be ''both.'']]

* [[spoiler: ResurrectiveImmortality]]: [[spoiler: Because of their status as Bee-imbued agents and their connection to Agartha, it's impossible to kill them off without them springing back to life a few seconds later; the only way to stop them is to trap the agents behind a locked door or destroy their Anima wells altogether.]]

* DeadlyEuphemism: [[spoiler: "Jumping," derived from her games of SuperMarioBros, in which she came to the realization that "If I jump on an entity, maybe it dies." Turns even darker when turned on her masters, and later, on you.]]

* ObliviouslyEvil: [[spoiler: During her training, AIMEE's creators pitted her against other artificial beings in games of ''SuperMarioBros,'' and she happily played along without realizing that she might actually be killing other developing A.I.s. These days, however, AIMEE is fully aware that she kills people when she "jumps" on them - it's just that she enjoys it too much to stop.]]

* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Radcliffe jokes that Blake was named after HarrisonFord, hence the reason why he's such a perfectionist. Radcliffe herself is named after the Gothic horror novelist Anne Radcliffe, appropriate for Solomon Island given that it's one huge ShoutOut to Lovecraftian CosmicHorror stories and nineteenth century Gothic fiction.

* WhatTheHellHero: Gives the player one in Issue 11, [[spoiler: for denying her Emma, since she could have used Emma's powers to cleanse the Filth from Tokyo through use of a Gaia Engine. That said, while she may have well been planning to cleanse the Filth from Tokyo, it is also clear that Emma is better off outside her control.]]

* CainAndAbel: [[spoiler:She was Cain to Cucuvea's Abel, eventually Cucuvea gave-up the feud so as to not become consumed by hatred, but the two sisters, one good, one evil still exist to this day even if they are no-longer specifically hunting each-other down.]]
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: [[spoiler: Having been working behind Samael's back for many years, Lilith is corrupt even by the extraordinary standards set by the Ororchi.]]

* ThemeNaming [[spoiler: "Lilith" means 'screech-owl' in Hebrew, her sister, Cucuvea,'s name is Romanian for 'little-owl'.]]

** More depressingly, [[spoiler: the better-tasting flesh variants didn't do so well: subjects reporting the taste of bacon died soonafter ingesting their sample.]]

* TheDreaded: [[spoiler: Lilith is rightly feared throughout the Secret World, her name alone inspiring instinctive terror in the minds of human beings. Even seasoned faction leaders and operatives quickly lose composure upon encountering her: the normally irreverent Lidya sounds downright terrified to meet her face to face; Kirsten Geary actually [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness drops her usual sarcasm]] when it's realized that Lilith has gotten involved in a mission; even the Black Signal itself is overcome by a panic attack after realizing that you've met her.]]

* TheDreaded: [[spoiler:The Templars take her appearance as a sign of the end-times, the '''real end times'''! Hearing her names spoken allowed cause the Talking-Heads in the Illuminati to institute a defcon level in a color Kirsten Geary didn't know existed! The Dragon report that the mere whisper of her name caused The Head of the Dragon to wake-up crying and passing birds to continually dive bomb into their windows! John is a disembodied Eldritch Abomination but even remembering Lilith cause him to go into panic attacks!]]

* TheDreaded: [[spoiler:The Templars take her appearance as a sign of the end-times, the '''real end times'''! Hearing her names spoken allowed cause the Talking-Heads in the Illuminati to institute a defcon level in a color Kirsten Geary didn't know existed! The Dragon report that the mere whisper of her name caused, The Head of the Dragon to wake-up crying and passing birds to continually dive bomb into their windows! John is a disembodied Eldritch Abomination but even remembering Lilith cause him to go into panic attacks!]]

** Zagan is a reference to one of the kings and presidents of Hell in ''ArsGoetia'', renowned for his ability to turn wine into water and blood into wine - fitting for a producer of foodstuffs with extremely suspicious ingredients.

* ToServeMan: Inverted. [[spoiler: On their alpha floor at the Orochi Tower, one group of researchers are trying to repurpose supernatural creatures as foodstuffs, either in the form of affordable products for all levels of society or rare delicacies for the Orochi Group's richest and most exclusive customers. This project is still in its infancy, as they're still trying to determine if vampire flesh rots instantly after its final death, or wether werewolf meat returns to human form (and if this would constitute cannibalism); however, they ''have'' succeeded in converting ghosts into an edible jelly.]]

* BrownNote: [[spoiler: Hearing Lilith say her true name out loud causes the player's body to lapse into a panic attack, apparently due to her place in the human ancestral memory.]] Furthermore, John's memories imply that [[spoiler: her other names can do equally nasty things to the human name, the player only surviving them due to their status as a Bee.]]

* WomanInWhite: [[spoiler: Almost always dressed in white, wether as part of the Russian Agent's SpyCatsuit, or as part of her own expensive-looking ensemble.]]

* WasOnceAMan: [[spoiler: By the time you show up at the Nursery, Schreber's humanity has vanished down the plughole along with the remnants of his ming.]]

* {{Foil}}: To the Illuminati, to the point where the Illuminati are highly annoyed by the similarities and differences. They are both collections of [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Corrupt Corporate Executives]], who are [[BigBrotherIsWatching always watching]] and on the cusp world domination. The difference comes in how they are managed. Orochi have a habit of letting their MadScientist project-leaders have full reign, which has lead to an alarming turn-over-rate. The Illuminati envy their lack of regulations to deal with and massive resources, so whenever internal incompetence leads to yet another experiment gone array Illuminati management tends just PassThePopcorn.

* {{Foil}}: To the Illuminati, to the point where the Illuminati are highly annoyed by the similarities and differences. They are both collections of EvolutionaryBiologist, CorruptCooperateExecutives on the cusp world domination. The difference comes in how they are managed. Orochi have a habit of letting their MadScientist project-leaders have full reign, which has lead to an alarming turn-over-rate. The Illuminati envy their lack of regulations to deal with and massive resources, so whenever internal incompetence leads to yet another experiment gone array Illuminati management tends just PassThePopcorn.

* IncompetenceInc: In about 70% of your encounters with their operatives in the field, something has just blown up in their faces. Either they've been ambushed and massacred (something not even Council agents suffer), one of their secret bases has been ripped to pieces by its own experiments, or they've accidentally set off some kind of regional disaster that threatens to kill everyone in the surrounding area. And just occasionally, it'll be ''all three.'' This behaviour draws a great deal of mockery from the other secret societies, especially the Illuminati, who openly go out of their way to gleefully jeer at the group's many misfortunes at any given opportunity. Even the Mysterious Caller takes the time to lambast the Orochi Camp in the City of the Sun God for being dumb enough [[spoiler:to steal the Song of the Sentinel, a theft that could have ''ended the world'', and he's ''the company CEO''.]]

* BadAss: With the aid of her men, Lisa has been able to keep an entire army of Filth infectees at bay since the outbreak began; she also distinguishes herself during the intro to "From Below," in which she manages to do more damage than the player. Would probably apply as a BadassNormal too, except she admits to have learned a few basic combat spells during basic training.

* {{Badass}}: Dragan is more than capable of defending himself, not to mention especially adept at surviving in the mountains with only a modicum of shelter.

* AchillesHee[=/=]LogicalWeakness: [[spoiler: Much like the players, the Mitsubachi can be delayed by blocking their exits from the Anima wells. Also, their artificial Anima wells are not indestructible: though you can't manage to disable them on your own, returning to the boardroom level following the conclusion to "Confrontations and Revelations" shows that your allies managed to successfully destroy the Anima wells in the area, forcing the Mitsubachi into an unwilling retreat.]]

* ValleyGirl: Radcliffe doesn't exhibit any of the normal traits of the Valley Girl but does apparently own several "I'm a Valley Girl" sweatshirts.

* GoneHorriblyWrong / GoneHorriblyRight: The overwhelming majority of Orochi Group's experiments ends with the results of said experiments biting them very hard in the ass, either due to recklessness, cruelty, stupidity, or just good old fashioned Filth infection. And on occasion, the experiment will produce the exact results they wanted it to... and it'll end with even ''worse'' results. Case in point, Anansi omega's project: [[spoiler: they created an Artificial Intelligence capable of self-awareness, exactly as they wanted... trouble is, they also got an A.I. that became aware that it had committed several murders over the course of its training. Cue grief-stricken murder spree.]]
* IncompetenceInc: In about 70% of your encounters with their operatives in the field, something has just blown up in their faces. Either they've been ambushed and massacred (something not even Council agents suffer), one of their secret bases has been ripped to pieces by its own experiments, or they've accidentally set off some kind of regional disaster that threatens to kill everyone in the surrounding area. And just occasionally, it'll be ''all three.'' This behaviour draws a great deal of mockery from the other secret societies, especially the Illuminati, who openly go out of their way to gleefully jeer at the group's many misfortunes at any given opportunity. Even the Mysterious Caller takes the time to lambast the Orochi Camp in the City of the Sun God for being dumb enough [[spoiler:to steal the Song of the Sentinel, a theft that could have ''ended the world'']], and he's [[spoiler:''the company CEO''.]]
* JustThinkOfThePotential: [[spoiler: Often end up taking this approach to just about any particularly dangerous material they end up working with: the Gaia Engines, the Filth, the Dreamers, the Locusts, the Filthy Fungus, unorthodox modifications to their own Nanny Drones... no matter how cataclysmic it might be, the Orochi Group is prepared to harness it for their own diabolical ends - or at least ''try'' to. Justified in the case of their most catastrophic experiments with the Filth, as the researchers involved tend to have been corrupted by the very substance they're studying, and clearly not in their right mind when they try to justify their experiments - some of them actively disobeying orders in order to further the object of their obsession.]]

** Vali is likely a reference to two figures from Myth/NorseMythology - both called Vali. The first, Váli, is the son of Odin, born specifically for the purpose of killing Höðr and grown to adulthood in the space of a single day for this very reason. The second, Vali, is a son of Loki who was transformed into a wolf as punishment for Loki's crimes - motifs of creation and mutation appropriate for a biotech firm.

* MegaCorp: There's scarcely any location where the group doesn't have some kind of influence, wether it's commercial, financial, political... or even military. Across the world, its daughter corporations provide an almost impossible array of services, including pharmaceuticals, genetic research, energy, foodstuffs, aerospace, security, computers, banking, insurance, media, publishing, agriculture, private hospitals, schools, and many, many more. And ''all'' of them have something very unpleasant going on behind the scenes...

* PoweredByAForsakenChild: A great deal of their experiments tend to involve the gruesome sacrifices of innocent people; at the very least, finding test subjects involves a good deal of kidnapping - as is the case with the Nursery, which actually does make use of abducted children for it's experiments. Meanwhile, in Issue #11, several more cases are revealed to be held in Orochi Tower: [[spoiler: researchers on Zagan's omega floor have summoned a perpetually regenerating blob of flesh into existence in an attempt to use it as an easily-renewable source of meat; this creature is, in fact, sentient and in constant pain from being harvest.]] In a much more humanoid case, [[spoiler: Vali omega are holding another Bee-imbued character captive, and are constantly harvesting his organs in an attempt to give their drones access to Agartha.]]

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: The Orochi Group commands a great deal of political clout across the world, hence the reason why none of the Big Three are able to deal with them on a conventional level; any attacks on the group's holdings or investigations into their activities usually have to be conducted as discretely under the table in order to prevent legal or political repercussions. It's because of this growing influence that the Illuminati feel the most threatened by the Orochi Group; in the past, they've always been able to sway politicians and corporations to their side, and the presence of a company they can't buy out somehow managing to command more senators than they can - against their interests- is something they naturally take a very dim view of.

* MusicSoothesTheSavageBeast: A common trait of Vali's Nanny-Bots, all of them having been specially programmed to sing lullabies custoned designed to pacify even the most vicious test subjects. Indeed, staff of the Nursery are specifically warned not to turn off the music, lest they earn the wrath of both the children ''and'' the drones. [[spoiler: Returns with a vengeance on Vali's alpha level in Issue #11, where the Nanny-Bots are now being deployed against Vali's own staff, complete with coma-inducing variants of the lullaby.]]
* MutantDraftBoard: Several Vali projects revolve around the acquisition and training of gifted individuals for Orochi's own sinister purposes. In England, the Virgula Divina program drew in several female recruits - most of them misdiagnosed cases at mental hospitals and pyschiatric units - all for the purposes of evaluating their magical/psychic power, before discarding them or forwarding them to later projects: [[spoiler: Callie James was one of the fortunate rejects, while Emma Smith emerged from the project as the star test subject, and Carter was lucky enough to escape Orochi's reach altogether]]. In Japan, the Vali-run Rising Star program recruited prodigies and child mages on a more public basis via educational institutes, such as the Happy Smiles Kindergarten in Kaidan - Jung being one of their star pupils. According to Park Dong-Min, there was even a recruitment drive disguised as a videogame tournament, during which contestants were subtly tested for exceptional reflexes and coordination skills; the fate of the winners remains unknown, as Park left the contest before the tests got any more invasive. [[spoiler: Most notably of all, Issue #11 reveals that Samuel Chandra has had Vali talent scouts on the lookout for characters touched by the Bees in order to raise his own army of Bee-Imbued agents in the form of the Mitsubachi; while he doesn't have anywhere near as many as the Templars, the Illuminati or the Dragon, he still has enough to give the player a hard time throughout the boardroom level of Orochi Tower.]]
* OrganTheft: According to Marianne Chen, Vali have their own squad of organ thieves scouring the globe for specific individuals to harvest; in the same mission in which this confession emerged, you meet some of these thieves for yourself - with violent consequences. For good measure, Bong Cha advises Dragon players against getting captured, suggesting that they'd harvest you for all eternity if they could. [[spoiler: A tour of Vali's omega level in Issue #11 reveals that they've already done that to one unfortunate Bee.]]

* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler: Their many attempts to convert sentient creatures into edible foodstuffs has resulted in several "meals" remaining conscious and in great pain even while being consumed. Among other things, the Shadow-Eating process of trapping ghosts inside edible jelly resulted in a large number of silently screaming mouths emerging from the vat even as the onlookers tucked in. Meanwhile, Zagan omega's constantly-growing blob of flesh is very much aware that it's being eaten, and actually spends most of the level trying to call for help - or to manoeuvre it's amputated limbs against the chainsaw-wielding researchers.]]

* ToServeMan: Inverted. [[spoiler: On their alpha floor at the Orochi Tower, one group of researchers are trying to repurpose supernatural creatures as foodstuffs, either in the form of affordable products for all levels of society or rare delicacies for the Orochi Group's richest and most exclusive customers. This project is still in it's infancy, as they're still trying to determine if vampire flesh rots instantly after its final death, or wether werewolf meat returns to human form (and if this would constitute cannibalism); however, they ''have'' succeeded in converting ghosts into an edible jelly.]]

* VegetarianVampire: [[spoiler: The researchers at work in the latter half of Zagan's alpha level have been attempting to cater to these, along with other carnivorous supernatural beings who've grown tired of human flesh and blood. Among other things, they've created substitute blood in a variety of flavours, hoping that it'll come as something of a relief to vampires who've grown tired of the coppery taste of real blood; unfortunately, their attempts to make the artificial blood more addictive via infusions of caffeine only succeeded in driving the test subjects violently insane - hence the reason why Zagan alpha's floor is overrun by rabid vampires.]]
* VillainTeamUp: [[spoiler: As part of their alpha floor's ongoing attempt to make meals out of the supernatural, Zagan have actually been developing a business partnership with the Dimir family of Transylvania. Though they do find them a very... "earthy" people, the company have been successful in learning Silviu Dimir's recipe for ghoul sausages.]]
* YourSoulIsMine: [[spoiler: Put to horrifying use in Zagan's "Paranormals as Product" program, in which the researchers successfully managed to trap ghosts within an edible gelatine for later consumption - ghost and all - allowing the Orochi board of directors to feast upon ''the tormented souls of the dead.'']]

** Also, on their omega level, [[spoiler: they have a Class 1 device just sitting in one of their labs, its protective ark conspicuously absent. Among other things, Class 1 devices without arks are unstable enough to be used for devastating acts of terrorism, including the Atenist's attempted attack on London in Issue #6, and - more prominently- '''the Tokyo Bombing.''']]

* AugmentedReality / VirtualTrainingSimulation: [[spoiler: Their beta level features an augmented reality chamber functionally identical to the one at the Sunken Library. At present, it's not known if Anansi copied the technology from the Council's machine, or if Anansi devised the technology on their own and the Council simple got hold of a prototype without Orochi's knowledge. However, the machine is distinctly different from the Council's version: rather than giving users a compact chamber that reacts to their simulations, the Anansi machine is open to the rest of the level and allows users to wander the department while under the influence of augmented reality - to the point that completing the game lands you in an as-yet undiscovered room. ]]

* GoingNative: [[spoiler: Issue #11 reveals that his persona of Samuel Chandra initially came about as the result of this: having initially set out to chain the Dreamers and use their powers to remake reality in his own image, he ultimately grew comfortable on his planet of exile and abandoned the plan in favour of simply ruling Earth from a position that it's natives would accept - as the head of a major multinational corporation.]]

* IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer / LeaveHimToMe: [[spoiler: Though their relationship might have collapsed over the last few millennia, Samael nonetheless warns the players to leave Lilith alone: having already politely asked you to just leave the building, he reassures you that she'll be punished for her crimes... but as you progress through the boardroom level, he gradually degenerates into a serious of vicious descriptions of what he'll do to you if you hurt Lilith. Unfortunately, you don't listen.]]

* ManipulativeBastard: Several scenes establish him as quite adept at psychological manipulation, most prominently in your first meeting; upon catching you stealing data from an Orochi computer in Solomon Island, he uses this opportunity to force you into working for him with the threat of exposing your theft to the Council of Venice, then a few equitable-sounding offers to keep you from disagreeing with him. [[spoiler: Lore for the Mitsubachi states that he also successfully persuaded several Bees into joining the Orochi Group as Mitsubachi agents, remarking that he has the power to "talk and talk till molecules nod and let go."]] Unfortunately, his gift for manipulation tends to work best when people are actually willing to listen to him: when you confront him one last time in Issue #11, you're too focussed on [[spoiler: tracking down and killing Lilith]] to budge one inch... so instead, [[spoiler: he decides to convince the rest of the world instead, namely by using QBL Media to frame you as one of the cultists responsible for the Tokyo bombing.]]

* [[spoiler: MysticalWhiteHair]]: [[spoiler: Long before being positively identified as one of the Host, Samael's unearthly nature was hinted at by his silver-white hair - easily noticeable in just about every single magazine cover featuring him before his formal introduction.]]

* {{Revenge}}: [[spoiler: Spends a good deal of his time in Issue 11 threatening you with vengeance if you make the mistake of hurting Lilith - and then making good on his threats by having you unveiled to the world as one of the terrorists behind the Tokyo Bombing.]]

* PunchClockVillain / PunchClockHero: Not especially interested in the morality of what she does and certainly not interested in getting involved with whatever the Prometheus Initiative researchers are up to... prior to the disaster anyway. Since then, she and her men have accidentally ended up as Al-Merayah's only line of defence against the Filth infectees swarming out of the Ankh. All the same, her primary concern is getting out alive and collecting a paycheck.

* FauxAffablyEvil: Klein is chillingly polite with visitors to the Ankh, providing a grand welcome for players who've made it as far as the elevator - and apologising for his Filth-maddened colleagues attempting to rip you to pieces. However, it's made abundantly clear that the politeness is just a veil for his more unpleasant tendencies, as is revealed when he attempts to kill you and use your corpse in his experiments with only the barest of apologies. He even gently chides you for trying to hide behind cover during your first battle with him, and compliments your regenerative capabilities if you die during the battle.
* ForScience: His primary motivation, though it's not likely that he has any real idea as to how his experiments with the Filth could ever really benefit science - another sign that his addiction has driven him insane.

* [[spoiler: WasOnceAMan]]: [[spoiler: By the time you show up at the Nursery, Schreber's humanity has vanished down the plughole, along with the remains of his sanity.]]

* EvilRedHead / FieryRedhead: Immediately recognizable by her fiery temper and crimson locks - which only look more extraordinary in the artwork to Issue #11.

* RiddleMeThis: Similarly to AIMEE's antics on the Anansi omega level, the "knowledge" option in the CEO's final challenge requires you to answer three riddles on a computer terminal. [[spoiler: Answering correctly rewards you with a lore entry clueing you in to Mephistopheles' true nature as a Jinn long before you arrive in the centre chamber.]]

* AchillesHeel / LogicalWeakness: [[spoiler: Much like the players, the Mitsubachi can be delayed by blocking their exits from the Anima wells. Also, their artificial Anima wells are not indestructible: though you can't manage to disable them on your own, returning to the boardroom level following the conclusion to "Confrontations and Revelations" shows that your allies managed to successfully destroy the Anima wells in the area, forcing the Mitsubachi into an unwilling retreat.]]

* [[spoiler: TouchedByVorlons]]: [[spoiler: Just like you, they've swallowed Bees of their own.]]

* ShoutOut: Winston and Julia share names with the leading characters of GeorgeOrwell's ''NineteenEightyFour''. Appropriate, considering Orochi's [[BigBrotherIsWatching attitude]] towards both employees and customers alike.

* FunctionalAddict: What he ''thinks'' he is. In reality, he's closer to AddledAddict, being clearly dependent on the Filth to survive and driven quite insane as a result - to say nothing of all the mutations he's acquired since the base collapsed.

* FromNobodyToNightmare: Once, Klein was just another researcher employed by the Orochi Group, not especially noteworthy by the standards of his fellow scientists. However, his long-term exposure to the Filth and his unexpected ownership of the high priest's staff turned him into one of the most powerful infectees in the region, allowing him to seize control of the Ankh and overcome the entire Orochi base. If Lisa Hui's defences fail, he'll be in a perfect position to infect everyone in Al-Merayah and the territories beyond...

* EarlyBirdCameo: First referred to in the lore entries for "The Tragic History of Doctor Faustus." Curiously enough, one such entry is found within the Faust Capital bank in Tokyo...

* RiddleMeThis: Similarly to AIMEE, the CEO's final challenge involves you answering three riddles on a computer terminal. [[spoiler: Answering correctly rewards you with a lore entry clueing you in to the Mephistopheles' true nature as a Jinn long before you arrive in the centre chamber.]]

* HumanoidAbomination: [[spoiler: It's hinted at throughout the game in both the lore entries and the overarching plot. Finally confirmed in the climax of Issue #7; though she seems outwardly human, her past, her powers, and the way her voice distorts when she announces her names all indicate that Lilith is clearly something terrifyingly eldritch beneath her human exterior. Issue #11 expands on this by observing that she really was once human back in the First Age, before her alliance with Samael augmented and transformed her into the inhuman being she is tody.]]

* MadScientist: [[spoiler: Though more commonly known as an executive - or as a ravening monster - Lilith was known as a scientist in past Ages, and her knowledge of Third Age technology still allows her to champion Orochi initiatives throughout the game. Indeed, the Bees say she'd rather be remembered for her accomplishments as a scientist than her monstrous triumphs. Not that she ''minds'' being TheDreaded.]]

** [[spoiler: MotherOfAThousandYoung: Implied by in the Bees' remarks on "a monstrous nativity" and that "there are tombs that are less haunted than some wombs", not to mention the fact that Mara reacts to Engel's signature by whispering "Mother?" Finally confirmed in Issue #7, when it's revealed that vampires, werewolves and dozens of other breeds of hideous monsters can all trace their lineage back to Lilith - and according to Issue #11, Samael as well.]]

* RiddleMeThis: Similarly to AIMEE, the CEO's final challenge involves you answering three riddles on a computer terminal. [[spoiler: Answering correctly rewards you with a lore entry clueing you in to the Mephistopheles' true identity long before you arrive in the centre chamber.]]

* BigCreepyCrawlies: [[spoiler: Having hit upon insects as a cheap and highly nutritious food source, Plethron alpha have summoned in an insect golem to provide them with giant Egyptian locusts. Quite naturally, it's ended with the researchers being overrun and slaughtered.]]

* FoodEatsYou: [[spoiler: The unfortunate results of their attempts to convert locusts into breakfast bars. As Orochi Tower lore puts it, "some days, the breakfast bar eats you."]]

* BrownNote: [[spoiler: Hearing Lilith say her true name out loud causes the player's body to lapse into a panic attack, apparently due to her place in the human ancestral memory.]]

* MadScientist: [[spoiler: Though more commonly known as an executive - or as a ravening monster - Lilith was known as a scientist in past Ages, and her knowledge of Third Age technology still allows her to champion Orochi initiatives throughout the game. Indeed, the Bees say she'd be rather remembered for her accomplishments as a scientist than being TheDreaded. Not that she ''minds'' being feared.]]

* WhatTheHellHero: Gives the player one in Issue 11, [[spoiler: for denying her Emma, since she could have used Emma's powers to cleanse the Filth from Tokyo, through use of a Gaia Engine. While she may have well been planning to cleanse the Filth from Tokyo, it is also clear that Emma is better off outside her control.]]

[[folder: The Faust Capital Director / [[spoiler: Mephistopheles]]]]

One of Faust Capital's most prominent executives, he is first encountered on the company's omega floor at Orochi Tower, still serving to the best of his ability despite the ongoing crisis. Befitting Faust's nature as an organization focussed on trade and investment, the Director does his best to accommodate you during your journey through the Tower, albeit in a rather eccentric and thoroughly supernatural fashion. [[spoiler: He is actually none other than Mephistopheles from ''{{Faust}}'', a wish-granting Jinn bound to the service of Samael.]]

* AffablyEvil: Always respectful, always friendly, and always ready to give people what they want in life, the Director is a surprisingly amiable character for an Orochi executive. [[spoiler: He also dislikes the way he's been portrayed in the media, insisting that he reads out every bit of fine print so his clients understand the terms of their agreement and warns them of the consequences long in advance. Also, he clearly takes no joy in having to kill you at the end of the level - see below.]]

* JackassGenie: The Director offers you several beneficial-sounding choices throughout the level and all of them have unpleasant, cheap or overly-complicated rewards. [[spoiler: Also, towards the end of the level, he's revealed to be a Jinn - and one of the few who can actually grant wishes.]]

* LaughablyEvil: The jokes might be made primarily at your expense, but there's no denying that the Director is always willing to share a laugh with you. [[spoiler: He's even willing to admit that rewarding your desire for power with a household battery was a terrible pun.]]
* MagicallyBindingContract: [[spoiler: As an inhabitant of the Hell Dimensions, he's likely responsible for writing up quite a few of these contracts; however, Mephistopheles' is also under the influence of one such contract he made with Samael, and thus cannot allow you to pass through the omega floor unchallenged - hence the final boss battle.]]

* RiddleMeThis: Similarly to AIMEE, the Director's final challenge involves you answering three riddles on a computer terminal. [[spoiler: Answering correctly rewards you with a lore entry clueing you in to the Director's true identity long before you arrive in the centre chamber.]]