As with the main page, it should be mentioned that with this game's many twists and turns, even non-spoilered text may be considered spoilers! You Have Been Warned.
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Main characters
The Bard
We should sing!
A silly little bard who wants to save the world. The Bard begins the quest to save the world upon being informed by The Angel that it will soon be destroyed. The Bard has the power of song, able to sing notes that can have magical effects on the world. Joining this unlikely hero is Miriam and The Angel, while Audrey and the Bard get into conflict a lot over their different viewpoints.
- Actual Pacifist: The Bard outright refuses to kill or hurt anyone on their quest to the point that they even refuse to step on bugs, literally jumping in the air away from them if they are in danger of landing or even stepping on one. Works out for them in the end when the bugs decide that they're trustworthy and help them, not only through the cave but also to escape after the cave-in.
- Affectionate Nickname: Miriam is the only character who calls them by the name entered in Act 2; the rest of the characters will, most of the time, call them by some sort of nickname. Some of them include: little bird, bardling, bardlet, and ghost kid in Act 5.
- All-Loving Hero: Ties in with the theme of universal love throughout the game. From trolls, to humans, to bugs, it seems like just about everybody in the world is their friend. Except Audrey, anyway.
- The Bard: As their name suggests. Their songs are actually their magic power, which they use to navigate the various puzzles of the game.
- Canon Name: When replaying the game with commentary on, in Delphi (specifically, Miriam and Saphy's house), it's stated that the Bard's canon name is Kiwi, after the novelty tea Kiwi's Big Adventure, which the game itself was nearly named after.
- Cynic–Idealist Duo: The Idealist to Miriam's Cynic.
- Combat and Support: The Support to Miriam's Combat. Later on, they play Support to Audrey's Combat in the battle against the King of Hearts. When replaying the game with commentary on, it's commented that for the battle with the King of Hearts, it was deliberately done that the Bard would play the role of Protector to the Hero's Fighter.
- Determinator: From the moment they were told by Eya's Angel that the world was ending and that they could collect the Earthsong to save it, they become dead-set on accomplishing their journey. This is exemplified when the end of Act 2 has Miriam ask them whether they want to go back to Langtree or stay in Delphi. They refuse both choices, opting instead to accompany Miriam to save the world with her, which even leaves her impressed. Unfortunately, the end of Act 3 makes a dent in this attitude, as their run-in with Audrey leaves an Overseer dead and the Angel telling them that the Earthsong wasn't going to work anyway, prompting them to give up... but then Miriam mentions that their ability to communicate with ghosts allows them to retrieve the Earthsong piece from the dead Overseer. Despite the leftover Heroic BSoD in Act 4, they become determined once again to see their journey through to its end, culminating in their success at saving the world at the end of it all.
- Even the Loving Hero Has Hated Ones: Towards the end of the game, the Bard, player character and Friend to All Living Things, and Audrey, a character who wants to fulfill her quest (which will end the world) at all costs, end up stuck with each other at the bottom of a ravine in Act 6. The Bard openly considers leaving her behind, straight to her face. While they ultimately help her after making her promise not to end the world (a promise she soon breaks) they were quite seriously considering leaving her behind.
- Friend to All Living Things: Wherever the Bard goes, expect them to befriend a majority of the population.
- Heart Is an Awesome Power: Their sole special talent is their ability to compose and sing music. It's lampshaded multiple times how useless this should be in an adventure, but it comes in handy in an absurdly wide variety of different scenarios. They're so good at what they do, that they're able to save the world with an incomplete Earthsong by convincing the rest of the world to fill in the missing part of the song with their own voices. The Angel even tells them that the music they used was NOT the Earthsong and that ad libbing the missing part shouldn't have been possible.
- Hello, [Insert Name Here]: You get the opportunity to name the Bard whatever you want in Miriam and Saphy's house. There are only four letters to work with, however.
- Heroic BSoD: Thrice, one at the end of Act 3 leading into Act 4 after being told they were actually supposed to give up by the Angel, the second after falling into the cavern trapped with the Hero, and the third after the Hero backed out of her promise to spare an Overseer.
- His Name Really Is "Barkeep": One of the possible names you can choose is "Bard".
- Immune to Fate: As the Bard finds out from Calliope the fortune teller more than halfway through Act 3, not only are they absolutely not the hero destined to save the world, but they are apparently considered so insignificant that destiny itself didn't bother giving them any fate.Calliope: Holy cow... There's...! No prophecy about you whatsoever.
(Beat)
Bard: ...None?
Calliope: None whatsoever.
Bard: What does that mean?
Calliope: I don't even know! Usually you at least see something... You're for sure NOT the hero foretold... But I guess you're not NOT a hero? Destiny just has no expectations for you at all. - Jumped at the Call: The Bard ends up doing this when the Angel, the messenger of the Goddess Eya, tells them that the Earthsong could stop the world from ending. This ends up causing them trouble as the ACTUAL Hero and even the messenger herself admit that they actually expected the Bard to give up by the time they tried to contact the third Overseer.
- Never Bareheaded: There's a grand total of one time when they're seen without their hat, and they put it on right after getting out of bed. Everywhere else, their hat never leaves their head, not even during scenes where they fall from great heights, get attacked such that they're nearly Blown or Punched Across the Room, or harassed by malevolent creatures of darkness or gusts of wind.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: They are by default an incredibly pacifistic and loving person, but in Act 6, they threaten to leave Audrey in the caves unless she stops killing Overseers. It doesn't work out.Bard: I'm serious. If I help you escape... And you kill the last Overseers... It'll be my fault. I could save the world right now. I could leave you here...
- Parental Abandonment: Their father, the Baron, left when they were a baby. When confronting the Baron during Act 4, Bard doesn't recognize him as their father. After their mom tells them that their dad came home in the playable epilogue, the Bard turns down her invitation to meet him, saying that they don't remember what he looks like anyway.
- Power-Up Food: As they, and the crew in Act 3, quickly find out, when on caffeine, their voice is strong enough to send everyone flying when the most it can do by default is things such as making plants grow, befriending wildlife, etc. However, Lou establishes they will not be getting coffee anytime again for that reason.
- Quirky Bard: The prophecy outright states that the bard has no place in the story to save the world, a fact that they are constantly reminded of whenever they face Audrey. Subverted in the end when they do end up saving the world with as much of the Earthsong as they have.
- Signature Headgear: Wears a nice little hat with a feather, invoking imagery of, well, bards. In Chaandesh, it's revealed that it's only recently that they'd started wearing the outfit they do now. It was made by their friend Marley in Langtree, as they simply wanted to have something to put a feather they found in.
- Stepford Smiler: They are a normally perky kid, but the journey starts to strain their cheerful smile. They later admit to Miriam that they are scared to voice their negative thoughts, so they simply "stop thinking about it" and end up stuffing them away.
- Rage Breaking Point: While they never attempt to hide any disapproval of Audrey's methods, they still try to reach a compromise with her throughout the story. When Audrey backs out of her promise to stop killing Overseers, they reach a breaking point and essentially gives her a What the Hell, Hero? speech, complete with their text dialogue literally shaking in anger.Bard: Then being the Hero is stupid! It's stupid and I hate it! It's stupid and I hate it, and... you didn't have to do it! You could have chosen different! We could have healed the Overseer... and fixed everything... and stopped the world from ending! But you ruined it! You ruined everything...
- Symbiotic Possession: They spend Act 5 having a Chaandesh princess' ghost trapped in their body. However, the Bard and Hala agree to assist one another in their goals and sustain an amicable friendship throughout the act; after Hala awakens and realizes their situation, anyway.
- The Unchosen One: They set out to learn the Earthsong well before they discover it isn't the way the universe is meant to be saved, and the Rainbow Girl was merely humoring them in telling them of the Earthsong to begin with. When the Bard learns the true duties of The Chosen One — to hasten the destruction of the world as cleanly as possible —they become dead-set in actively defying the will of destiny instead. A fortune teller they meet that tries to read their future even tells them that they don't have one; specifically, that fate just doesn't consider them important enough to assign them a destiny.
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: They earnestly believe that the world does not deserve to end, and try to see the good in every person in every situation. They do have limits to their optimism, as shown in their Heroic BSoD throughout Act 4 and their noticeable hesitation when reassuring the Delphi trolls about there still being good humans in the Playable Epilogue, but at the end of the day will believe in the good in everyone above all else.
Miriam
I'm a witch. With awesome magic powers. I'll use those.
A witch from Delphi who reluctantly allows the Bard to join her journey to save the world. She is more harsh in her demeanor, cynical, and frequently disapproving of the quirky Bard, though she sticks along regardless and does want to save the world for the sake of her loved ones.
- Action Girl: In contrast to the Bard, Miriam is quick to jump into combat. She manages this against Audrey, and the forest monster in Act 5, and this is after being struck down by Chaandesh witches (albeit, on accident).
- Birds of a Feather: She and the Bard bond over their experiences of being outcasts over the course of the story, specifically in acts 4 and 5.
- Boss Remix: Gains one named She's Mine!!!
at the end of Act 4, when she ambushes Audrey and fights her to prevent her from killing the Dream King. - Character Development: She spends the first half of the game incredibly cold and irritable to anyone who isn't immediately willing to help her find the Overseer songs, and this anger initially gets exacerbated when the Bard tags along with her. Their infectious happiness, their tendency to make friends without batting an eye, to go off on seemingly unneccessary "sidequests" and finding the songs anyway fuels feelings of self-doubt and uselessness in her. After the Bard has their Heroic BSoD at the hands of Audrey, they come to a mutual understanding over their feelings, realizing the two of them have more in common than she thought. This leads to Miriam being more receptive to doing "side quests" with the Bard, and this involvement grows with her increasing willingness to be more open about herself and her feelings, bonding with the Bard at moments like The Crater club in Mohabumi and the beginning of Act 7 after their seperation for the entirety of Act 6 thanks to her taking a debilitating hit from Audrey.
- Combat and Support: The Combat to the Bard's Support in the first half of Act 5 in the battle with the monster. Once she joins, she spends her time charging up her attacks in the same way the Spell Squad does throughout the fight.
- Cynic–Idealist Duo: The Cynic to the Bard's Idealist.
- Dark Is Not Evil: A dour, easily agitated, and zap-happy witch who wants to save the world.
- Deadpan Snarker: Her default state.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: She begins her journey harsh and irritable with the Bard, but over time, lets down her walls to the point where they can easily call each other best friends.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Miriam is irritable, pessimistic, yet at the same time, deeply cares for Grandma Saphy and the Bard; and at the end of the day, wants to save the world as much as the Bard does.
- I Just Want to Be Special: One of her main insecurities comes from how successful the Bard seems to be without her help.
- Knight in Sour Armor: She is very dour, rarely smiles, and makes snide remarks, but she really does want to save the world.
- Leitmotif: Miriam has her own theme simply titled "Miriam", which plays whenever you talk to her in certain places.
- Parental Abandonment: In the first half of Act 5, it's revealed that her parents left her with Saphy and simply never came back. Her feelings on it boil down to resenting them for leaving her, although at the same time, never wanting to see them again. She states beforehand that Grandma Saphy is all the family she needs anyway, and with her, never feels that she's missing something.
- Psycho Sidekick: Played with in that she isn't necessarily murder-happy, but Miriam is quite unscrupulous, especially in the beginning: often trying to compel the Bard to use blunt, violent or even illegal methods, and to ignore the plights of others in favor of the mission. However, even though her methods are in sharp contrast to their All-Loving Hero personality, and would have made it impossible to perform the Earthsong even if they did get all the pieces, she only does so because she thinks it's the only way to save the world in time, and eventually the fact that her suggestions either get ignored or simply fail to work make her begin to feel useless and unfit to be on what was her big adventure. Helping her work through these feelings eventually cause the two to become the Fire-Forged Friends they are by the story's end.
- Pragmatic Hero: Has no qualms breaking the rules in order to save the world. This extends to breaking down a section of the border wall to Rulle, along with breaking the Bard out of jail in Act 5.Miriam: Remember, [Audrey's] just following the rules. The same rules that say she's the hero. And all the rules say the planet is SUPPOSED to die... So, if we're gonna save it, we have to break the rules.
- Sacrificed Basic Skill for Awesome Training: She comments in Chaandesh that she never learned the technicalities of magic as much as she and Saphy simply went and did it. It becomes a point of insecurity when she realizes that there's so much that she does not know on it, further fueling her feelings of isolation when staying in Mohabumi.
- Squishy Witch: Her magic is very powerful and she's even able to fight Audrey to a standstill, but she goes down after one Sneak Attack. It takes her some time afterward to recover.
- Unskilled, but Strong: While her magical powers are fairly limited in scope (see Sacrificed Basic Skill for Awesome Training above), the magic that she does have packs one heck of a punch. Notably, she's able to fight Audrey to a draw by herself.
Audrey Redheart (UNMARKED SPOILERS)
You really thought you could sing some song and solve everything? How about you leave it to the real heroes?
The Hero, ordained by Eya herself to "rid the world of evil". Unfortunately so for the Bard and Miriam, as she does not get along with them at all. She is a hotheaded, violent, arrogant glory-seeker who wants to kill the Overseers, believing them to be the source of corruption plaguing the world. This puts her in conflict with the Bard's pacifistic methods and cheery outlook, as well as with Miriam. Despite this, she is occasionally willing to put aside their rivalry and work with them to accomplish their mutual goals.
However, underneath her image of heroism lies a truly violent and cruel personality that gradually surfaces throughout the game. As it turns out, Audrey has been chosen to destroy the world rather than save it, and is fully committed to that goal, regardless of the innocents she kills in the process of fulfilling her sacred mission.
- Anti-Hero: Audrey is the chosen Hero, but is arrogant, dismissive of others, and prideful. And outright subverted as her role as the Hero is to hasten the universe's end so it can be reborn, making her more of a straight-up villain.
- Bait the Dog: Any kind acts she does are just to serve herself and her own ends, and the seeming heart-to-heart with the Bard has her completely miss the point of the conversation.
- Berserk Button: Anything that might threaten her title as the Hero. She dismisses the Angel entirely after she suggests letting the Bard try to learn the Earthsong before the Overseers are slain.
- Big Bad: She spends the story antagonizing the Bard and seeking to destroy the world by killing the Overseers, all for her own personal glory.
- Broken Ace: She's clearly incredibly talented even without her status as The Hero, but she claims that no one paid attention to her before she gained the title, and she ultimately can't handle going back to that.
- The Chosen One: The only one deemed worthy by the goddess Eya to slay the Overseers and bring the natural cycle of the universe to a close. Unfortunately, this designation feeds her desire for attention in all the wrong ways, making her arrogant and dogmatically aggressive in fulfilling her purpose.
- Corrupted Character Copy: To Link; both are The Hero who carry a legendary sword to fight against the source of evil in their worlds, and who are uplifted from humble beginnings into the position of The Chosen One. What Audrey lacks in comparison to Link, however, is that Link is a Humble Hero through and through, whereas Audrey pursues her goals for glory and admiration as she loathed being "a nobody" before becoming the hero. This makes it so that the kind of determination that would serve Link in spades as he saves the world causes Audrey to be a massive threat to the world. The reveal that her actions were meant to Mercy Kill the world instead of save it means little to her, pursuing her goals even in the face of causing the end of everything. Even Audrey's sword bears a close resemblance to the Master Sword: they both have outward facing hilts with yellow gems embedded in the center, albeit with the Master Sword's hilt being blue and Audrey's being a reddish-pink.
- Deconstructed Character Archetype: Of the (mostly single-player) RPG Hero. Much of her character can be easily compared to that of a human player going through a video game in the sense that, while she's doing heroic things such as defeating monsters and saving people, she doesn't care at all for the people she saves, using force and her legendary weapon to get her way. She is perfectly willing to be an Omnicidal Maniac if she believes it will bring her praise from Eya. Also, the game takes a jab at the tendency of focusing solely on the hero protagonist, as evidenced by her narcissism.
- Detrimental Determination: Being a walking deconstruction of the typical RPG protagonist that she is, Audrey spends the whole game being undeterred in her quest to kill the Overseers that support the world, convinced that their deaths will prevent a "nightmare on Earth" scenario and give her the glory and admiration she deserves as The Chosen One. Even when she is told that the Overseers' deaths will actually end the world, she is still dead-set on doing it the way she believes is necessary, refusing any attempt to convince her otherwise, brushing it all off with "This is just how it works". It culminates in her battle with the final Overseer; even after being defeated by the Bard and Miriam, she still uses the last of her strength to finish the Overseer off, in spite of the Bard's attempt to convince her away from her destructive path one last time.
- Establishing Character Moment: Her first real scene has her ambushing the Bard and brutally beating them while furiously accusing them of trying to steal "her" glory. It all goes downhill from there.
- Evil Counterpart: To Miriam, another girl who desperately wants to be the one to play a major role in how The End plays out. Both act like jerks to others, especially the Bard, and often clash with them on saving the world. But while Miriam is a Jerk with a Heart of Gold who ultimately becomes nicer and really likes the Bard, Audrey is a Narcissist and Jerk with a Heart of Jerk who is willing to literally damn the world and betray her allies for the sake of glory. Essentially, she represents what Miriam could have become if she allowed her desire for glory overcome her. She even fills Miriam's normal role in Act 6, to disastrous results.
- Evil Hero: She is the Hero chosen by the goddess Eya, but is an arrogant and violent Narcissist who was specifically chosen to destroy the world rather than save it.
- Fake Ultimate Hero: She is The Chosen One and has the power to back it up, but the praise she receives from everyone she meets is under the assumption that she's going to save the world when her actions will actually destroy it.
- Fatal Flaw: Seeking glory at any cost. Audrey's entire motivation for being the chosen harbinger of the end is that she hated being a nobody before her journey, and would rather "save the world" by killing the Overseers than let the Bard save it themselves. She tries eliciting empathy from the Bard by saying she is still scared of having to end the world, though judging from her actions after that point, she makes it clear that she wasn't scared enough.
- Final Boss: The final challenge before the ending is stopping her from killing the Nightmare King by stealing her sword.
- Foil: To the Bard. She is designated the Hero because she can wield the sword to destroy any obstacle in her path, whereas the Bard can barely lift it and sings their way through every obstacle. They both want to be a hero to prove they matter and can make a difference, but while Audrey is unfettered in proving it by taking out anyone in her way to destroy the world, the Bard does everything they can to avoid violence and preserve the world for all living things.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: She used to be an ordinary girl who no one paid attention to. Then Eya chose her as the Hero, and she became the Omnicidal Maniac and Big Bad of the game.
- Good Is Not Nice: Despite being the Hero, she is an arrogant and cruel character who belittles the Bard and Miriam despite them trying to help. The Good part is outright subverted as she continues through the prophecy to end the world so it could be "her story".
- Glory Hound: Everything she does is for the sake of her reputation, and she is willing to destroy the world just so she can be worshipped as a hero in the new one.
- Hate Sink: Eventually devolves into one of these after rejecting possible redemption multiple times throughout the game. She initially seems to be a noble hero but she lies to the Bard about not killing Overseers, going on to kill one right in front of them. She later ends the world so she can be a "hero".
- The Hero: She literally calls herself the hero, being chosen by the Angel to slay the Overseers that will destroy the world if unattended to. Subverted as she is actually the Big Bad who is bringing about the end herself.
- Heroes Prefer Swords: Fitting her archetype, her weapon is a legendary sword.
- Hero of Another Story: Outside of the brief moment you control her after Act 3, you only see the results of Audrey's exploits outside of the Spirit World, such as seeing giant shadow creatures defeated on the road.
- I Just Want to Be Special: The whole reason she is so obsessed with being the Hero is because, before being chosen, she was a nobody, something she resented.
- I Gave My Word: Subverted. Audrey is so committed to preserving her spot as the Hero that she is very reluctant to promise the Bard that she'll cut down on the heroics, so that they have a chance to save the world instead of letting her destroy it. It takes them threatening to leave her in the cave to die to get her to promise, and even then, it isn't genuine.Audrey: IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE!!! The CREATOR... of our entire UNIVERSE... CHOSE me to do that! I can't just PROMISE that away! That's not how that works!
- Ignored Epiphany: When the Bard tells Audrey in the final confrontation that she was special, hero or not, and that by simply letting them attempt the Earthsong would make her a hero to everyone currently existing. She mulls over it for a small moment before deciding it wasn't good enough, killing the last Overseer.
- I Lied: Audrey backs out of her promise to the Bard to let them try to save a Overseer by claiming that she was just lying to get out of being trapped in the cave.
- It's All About Me: It's pretty clear that she cares more about being the Hero than she does about actual heroics.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Her introduction has her belittling the Bard for being a pacifist, insisting that she is the real hero for being chosen by Eya. Every time she meets the Bard and Miriam, she clashes with them due to her immense narcissism. But she does prove to be willing to work with them, however temporarily, and Act 6 has her seemingly have a heart-to-heart with the Bard, expressing her fears and honest feelings, ending in her promising not to kill the Overseer at the end but to help the Bard pacify it. Then she kills it anyway and resumes her mission to destroy the world, rejects the Bard's offer of redemption, and shows that she values her ego above anything else.
- Karma Houdini: Downplayed. It's unknown what happened to her after the final act, as she's the only character to not appear in the finale's Wandersong or the epilogue, but her reputation as a hero was kept intact, which was the one thing she wanted.
- Lightning Bruiser: Literal example, as her sword can shoot lightning. When playing as her in-between Acts 3 and 4, she has notably better run and jump speeds than the Bard, and has a dash/dodge mechanic where the dance mechanic usually is for the Bard.
- Narcissist: She is obsessed with her image as the chosen hero and does everything for her own personal glory.
- No-Nonsense Nemesis: Downplayed. There are several points throughout the game where Audrey's presence isn't known until she attacks, mainly whenever she kills an Overseer or, in Act 5's case, incapacitates Miriam. She gives herself plenty to gloat or yell about after the fact, but never does so before.
- Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: She claims she's killing the Overseers for the good of the world as a whole, but it is slowly revealed that she only cares about her own image to the public, and is completely willing to destroy the world and kill everyone in it if it means she gets praised by Eya.
- Nominal Hero: She is the chosen Hero out to save the world from evil, but mainly just wants to play the part of a hero. Subverted outright when it is revealed that she is the one destroying the world, making her more of an Evil Hero.
- Offstage Villainy: In the epilogue, one of the trolls comments that the human that cursed him had a scarf and a lightning sword, all but confirming that Audrey was responsible for it.
- Omnicidal Maniac: She was specifically chosen to destroy the world by Eya, and she aims to do this by killing the Overseers so that a perfect new world can be created.
- Primary-Color Champion: Audrey wears red and yellow, in contrast to the secondary colors that are typically associated with the Bard and Miriam being green and purple respectfully. However, true to her character as a whole being a Deconstructed Character Archetype of archetypal RPG Hero tropes, she's the Big Bad playing the role of the Hero.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: Aside from a splash of yellow, this is her color scheme. Even her sword has a bright-red hilt.
- Redemption Rejection: The Bard offers her many chances to stop what she's doing and reform, even at the very end of the world, only for her to refuse every time and continue her destructive ways.
- Scarf of Asskicking: One of her defining features, along with her sword. She uses it to snatch her sword back from Miriam in their last battle.
- Shock and Awe: Her sword can shoot lightning bolts.
- Super Weapon, Average Joe: Audrey's powers come from the Sword itself- without it she's just a really physically able person. When she temporarily loses it in Act 6, she winds up having to rely on the Bard to get out of the cave, and stealing the sword is the key to defeating her in the final battle.
- Villainous Breakdown: Getting beaten by the Bard and Miriam at the climax of Act 7 does a number on her composure, making her jump into a self-serving rant towards the two of them:Audrey: You... You LOSERS!!! Ruining everything!!! And I actually mean ruining everything! This is my quest! This is MY STORY! EVERYTHING THAT EXISTS is at stake! How DARE you try to take that for yourself! How DARE you... try to make it about YOU!!! IT ISN'T!
- Villain with Good Publicity: As the chosen Hero, she is naturally beloved by everyone in the world and proclaimed a savior, even though she is actually an arrogant, narcissistic Omnicidal Maniac. Even after she is defeated, one NPC thinks that she saved the world, rather than the Bard.
- Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: The game starts out very lighthearted and has a sense of optimism throughout, but Audrey is a sinister Omnicidal Maniac who is played fully seriously. Her appearance in Act 3 marks a turning point for the game from a relatively cheery tale to one not afraid to include darker themes and elements throughout.
- Walking Spoiler: Since she is the narcissistic Big Bad rather than the Anti-Hero she was built up as.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Nothing is seen of her after she deals the killing blow to the last Overseer. None of the NPCs in the Playable Epilogue knows where she is and one even assumes she simply went into hiding to live a simpler life. Other than that, not much else is said or known about her ultimate fate.
Eya's Angel
Eya's Angel / Eyala
I'm not done believing in you!
The messenger of the goddess Eya, sent to aid the chosen hero. She is the one who appears to the Bard to explain what is going on. She will also sometimes appear to the Bard to serve as a guide of sorts. Though she aids Audrey and serves Eya, she does seem to be more inclined towards the Bard's pacifism and desire to save the world that Eya has decreed must be destroyed.
- Barbie Doll Anatomy: She appears to be nude, but lacks any anatomical features.
- Early Installment Character-Design Difference: Her design in the Kickstarter gives her thicker legs, in addition to the fact that her hair splits off into two segments instead of just being one connected piece.
- Everything's Better with Rainbows: Her hair is an ever-shifting rainbow gradient.
- Fairy Companion: Implied to act as one towards Audrey, as seen in the Intermission when she tries telling Audrey what to do in the fashion of a typical Video Game Tutorial giver.
- Horrible Judge of Character: She's adamant that Audrey isn't that bad once you get to know her and gushes about how cool she is, when everything the player learns about Audrey is the exact opposite.
- No Name Given: When she introduces herself to the Bard, she only refers to herself as "the messenger of the goddess Eya". She doesn't mention any name of hers in any subsequent conversation. Subverted when her name is finally mentioned to be Eyala, albeit from Audrey saying it instead of herself.
- Running Both Sides: She offers advice freely to the Bard and the Hero Audrey, admitting she doesn't pick favorites and likes everyone. She switches fully to Team Bard after Audrey ditches her.
Eya (UNMARKED SPOILERS)
Eya
"There have been countless universes before ours... And there will be countless after. It is sad that we are here to witness The End... But it also marks a new beginning for another universe. This is Eya's way. It is her design. Who are we to intervene with that?"
The goddess Eya, the one true deity that created the universe by singing a magical song, and who sought out a Chosen One to destroy it.—Bhami
- Eternal Recurrence: She is the catalyst for the cycle of creation. She creates the universe by singing her Magic Music, the universe grows old and discordant, and she sends out her angel as The Chooser of the One to find a hero willing to put the universe to an end. From there, Eya sings another song of creation to replace the old universe and the cycle repeats.
- Greater-Scope Villain: She is the one who ordered Audrey to kill the Overseers, but is never confronted directly or even seen.
- Karma Houdini: Eya is never confronted at all, even after her plan to end the world fails.
- The Ghost: She is not seen at all, leaving any communication with the people of the world to the Overseers or her angel.
- Magic Music: The source of all the magic throughout the world, even as the magic evolved beyond the need for music.
- The Maker: The creator of the universe and everything within it, including the Earth that the Bard calls home.
- Omnicidal Maniac: She selected Audrey Redheart to slay the Overseers, which will reset the world. Granted, given what's implied to happen if the corrupting Overseers are ignored, this may come as more of a Mercy Kill if anything, and Eya's thoughts on the matter (whether or not she feels regret over killing off an entire world of people, for instance) are never mentioned.
Overseers
General Tropes
The symbols of the Overseersnote
Seven beings that embody the elements of reality, and who watch over their respective regions of the Earth from the esoteric Spirit World.- Ambiguous Situation: What is the purple symbol, and what does it represent? While all the symbols of the Spirit language (and by extension the Earthsong) have specific concepts and Overseers assigned to them either explicitly or through Rule of Symbolism, the purple symbol has no Overseer associated with it, nor does it get mentioned by the game at all. The only indications it even exists is its proximity to all the other symbols, being used in the Act 7 title card, and being seen in the background of the conversation with Dream King in Act 1. The only thing that could be set in stone for it is the name of Nightmare, being the opposite to Dream on the wheel and being the moniker of the fully corrupted Dream King, and even then it has a few other widely discussed names such as "Storm" or "Void". note
- Animal Motifs: All the Overseers and their fairy companions are magical animals. This includes Order, because as the Order Overseer points out, humans are a type of animal.
- Anthropomorphic Personification: Alongside each of the Overseers having their own Animal Motifs, they're also considered to be living embodiments of the concepts they represent, such as the Queen of Winds being one for freedom and independence. At least until the discord of the world starts taking over, which causes the Overseers to embody the opposite traits of their symbol even in the earliest stages of their corruption. This is foreshadowed early on through the conversation between the Bard and the Queen of Winds, where she is very indecisive on giving her Earthsong piece to the Bard before suddenly giving into their demands despite them being not very assertive about it. There's also afterwards when their fairy expresses their frustration at how the Queen is keeping them inside the castle more often and how she's supposed to embody freedom, mentioning that "whatever she is now isn't that anymore."
- Barrier Maiden: The Overseers downplay this with their respective vigil over the different regions of reality near their Nexus Points. Act 1's mayor refers to the Dream King (Langtree's Overseer) as the "spirit protector" of the town, and mentions how Ruby used to sing the Overseer song near the Tree of Slumber (Langtree's Nexus Point) "all the time". However, it's not specifically elaborated what each Overseer protects their native region from besides general grievances and minor situations like Langtree's ghost problem at the start of Act 1.
- Played straight in regards to the seven Overseers as a whole. They are the pillars that keep the universe in existence, and their deaths cause discord to take over. The less of them there are, the more adverse effects are applied to reality (mindless and violent monsters begin rampaging, the remaining Overseers becoming monsters themselves and sometimes spawning even more monsters, and the Spirit World collapsing into the material world) until all seven of them die, at which point is the end of everything.
- The Corruption: When the Overseers give up their part of the Earthsong, they start to "decay" and die, and create monsters.
- Death of Personality: Played with through the later parts of the story. It's mentioned that an Overseer's wellbeing is tied to the state of the world, and when they become overtaken by The Corruption, there is no way to fix them and they have to be physically killed, as they end up becoming a monster with no semblance of what they were before. The concepts they embody, the protection they provide, their personalities, all of them decay to nothing. Giving up their piece of the Earthsong rapidly accelerates this process, and the Dream King outright refers to it as "basically another way for me to die."
- This starts to become subverted at the climax of Act 6, where the Bard is told that the King of Hearts loved music before he turned into a beast and they may be able to be saved if the Bard sings to them. Sure enough, the fight sees them slowly revert from their corrupted form, shrinking to the size of a small dog and being pacified enough for the Bard to talk to them. It starts to look like the Overseer is able to be cured after all before Audrey deals the finishing blow, killing the Overseer before they had a chance to fully recover. Whether all the Overseers are capable of being cured in the same way or whether the King of Hearts was able to make a full recovery had they not been killed are both kept ambiguous.
- Fairy Companion: All of the Overseers have one of these accompanying them, which is a tiny winged figure of the same species. They exist to become the Overseers of the next universe after the old ones all die.
- Fisher King: The realm of each overseer is shaped by their own mind, with each world having appropriate aesthetics to match (Orderscape takes the form of a gigantic factory, Chaoscape evokes Under the Sea, etc). This also applies in part to any person who enters the spirit world, as it warps around each person's mind alongside the overseer's and forms different layouts depending on that person, like platforming puzzles for the Bard or (implicitly) monsters to get in the way of Audrey. The shifting nature of these spaces makes it impossible for anyone to find each other except at the overseer's castle, which acts as a "center" to every Spirit-scape.
- Foil: The concepts of every symbol on the wheel are the foils to those on the opposite side, such as Order Versus Chaos and Solar and Lunar.
- Glowing Eyes of Doom: Before they all reveal themselves, their eyes glow. When they become corrupted, their eyes still remain glowing.
- Layered World: The Spirit world as a whole is stated to permeate the physical world, as the two are linked and the destruction of the Spirit world spells doom for the entire world. Nexus points are places where the line between the two worlds blurs, allowing travel between the two with the appropriate song.
- Talking Animal: All the Overseers and their fairy companions take the form of magical talking animals. This technically includes the Order Overseer and fairy, because as the Order Overseer points out, humans are a type of animal.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Other than The Dream King, most of the overseers are unceremoniously killed by Audrey throughout the story.
- Wingdinglish: What the Spirit language looks and sounds like to anyone that doesn't understand it.
Dreams
The Dream King
Being awake is not my thing...
The Overseer of Langtree.- Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: His getup consists of an ill-fitting robe and a crown.
- Boss Remix: When he reaches his final corrupted form near the finale of the game, his Leitmotif becomes similarly twisted into Nightmare King.
- Cats Are Snarkers: Very snarky.
- Defiant to the End: Even on the verge of total corruption, he sees no point of giving the Bard the final piece of the Earthsong, trying to prolong his life.
- Despair Event Horizon: This is the true reason he doesn't give you his piece of the Earthsong. He crossed it long ago and believes the end is inevitable, so he never gives it to you because he's absolutely certain it would never work.
- Fatal Flaw: Stubborness. His utter refusal to give the Bard his piece of the Earthsong nearly leads to the destruction of the universe when Audrey kills him.
- Final Boss: Played With. While Audrey considers him the final challenge she has to face, the Bard wants to protect the Nightmare King from Audrey, making her the actual final boss.
- Leitmotif: Has one simply titled Dream King.
- You Can't Fight Fate: He's a firm believer of it. He's certain the universe is going to end and refuses to do anything to stop it, as he believes its continued existence will only bring more suffering and make things worse, and Eya has to end it because it's the natural course of things. He's not happy with this, but his despair has corroded his mind long before you ever met him.Dream King: You know, it almost makes me sad, realizing you will NEVER get it.Bard: Because you won't give it!Dream King: I don't mean the Earthsong. I mean... IT. You've travelled all over the world now. You must have seen yourself... Everything is falling apart. Everyone is losing hope. Those aren't just the signs of The End coming... That's what the End IS. It's inevitable. Collecting song pieces doesn't matter. And clinging onto the Earthsong... As some kind of easy answer... For all our problems... That's what's sad. This world was over before you even started.Bard: ...That's it? You want to just give up?Dream King: On the Earthsong? It's impossible. Everyone and everything are moving apart... Always have been. Ever since the universe started. Expanding. Decaying. If the whole world could still act together as one... The End wouldn't have come in the first place.Look, I don't want it to end either. I did everything I could to delay it. I broke the rules. But that made everything worse. The world outside turned ugly while I stalled. People are suffering. Making the world go on longer... just isn't natural. You need to let go of it.
Dream Fairy
Mr. Dream King is sure to help you out! ...Meowbe.
The fairy of the Dream King.- Samus Is a Girl: There's no indication of her gender until the game's end, where she ascends as the new Overseer, and gains a dress for it.
Wind
The Queen of Winds
Is that... what you think I should do?
The Overseer of Delphi.- Fully-Dressed Cartoon Animal: She's a bird wearing a dress.
- Mook Maker: The enemies seen later on in her palace are "birthed" from her, as the Wind Fairy describes it.
Wind Fairy
Guess that's what I am now. Just her little secretary.
The fairy of the Queen of Winds.- Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: All he wears is a green scarf. Even after becoming the new Overseer of Delphi, he only wears the scarf (and a crown).
Chaos
Queen Chaos
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Audrey kills her before she can even reveal herself.
Chaos Fairy
You may think I'm just a lowly fish. But I am in fact also a key.
The fairy of the Chaos Queen.- Constantly Curious: Asks the Bard many questions during their time in the Chaoscape.
- Master of Unlocking: Their tail is in the shape of a key, allowing the Bard to open the various locked doors present in the Chaoscape.
Order
Queen Order
Little Order has such a way of getting himself distracted...
The Overseer of Chismest.- Ambiguously Human: She resembles a human, but it's unclear if she even is one. The Bard even questions as much when they come face-to-face with her.Bard: So... you're an Overseer?Queen Order: Mmmmyeeeeeees...Bard: ...Huh. You seem so... normal?Queen Order: ...?Bard: All the other Overseers were like... magical... animals?Queen Order: Humans are animals, darling.Bard: Oh, yeah. I guess.
- Killed Mid-Sentence: Her last words are "YOU DO-" before she gets killed by Audrey.
Order Fairy
Wait just a second there! Do you have an appointment?
The fairy of Queen Order.- Ambiguously Human: Like the Overseer he belongs to, he closely resembles a miniature human with wings. However, it's possible he may not be human, given the strange nature of the Overseers.
Sun
Sun's King
The Overseer of Rulle.- Mook Maker: The enemies seen throughout his palace are spawned from him.
- Mutual Kill: With the Moon's Queen.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: By the time the Bard meets him, he's been twisted into a monster by the corruption.
Sun Fairy
Ayup.
The fairy of the Sun's King.- Affectionate Nickname: Sunny.
Moon
Moon's Queen
The Overseer of Chaandesh.- Bat Out of Hell: Before her corruption, she was a bat like her fairy.
- Mutual Kill: With the Sun's King.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Like the Sun's King, she's been corrupted as well. When we meet her, she's an unrecognizable blue blob with glowing eyes.
Moon Fairy
I'm not very brave... My friend is, though...
The fairy of the Moon's Queen.- Affectionate Nickname: Moony.
- Shrinking Violet: He wants to become brave like his friend, Sunny.
Heart
King of Hearts
The Overseer of Ichor Mountain.- Music Soothes the Savage Beast: Before he became corrupted, his fairy explains he loved music.
- Tragic Monster: While corrupted, he still has some semblance of who he was left. At least, until Audrey kills him.
Heart Fairy
Bark!
The fairy of the King of Hearts.- Precious Puppy: She's an adorable little puppy dog who provides the last bits of humor in the game before it gets really dark.
Others
Mask
Mask
Hey now, wanderer.
A mysterious person who always seems to run into the Bard wherever they go. If you find them in a specific area, they will teach you a dance.- Ambiguous Gender: They have an androgynous appearance and no reference to their gender is ever made.
- Ambiguously Human: While Mask looks like a human in a mask, they tend to be in fairly out-of-the-way areas, at one point appearing out of nowhere if you're behind the observatory at a specific time in Chismest, and three of the secret areas you can find them have a filter which makes the area look oversaturated and almost surreal. When the Bard asks Mask how they followed them upon meeting again in Chaandesh, Mask just says that sometimes you just shouldn't look for answers.
- Catchphrase: Whenever you find them: "Hey now, wanderer."
- Cool Mask: It's in the name, and on their face.
- Offscreen Teleportation: Mask almost always arrives in the places they're found in before the Bard gets there, and is never seen moving or walking around. Most perplexing is being found in the vertical corridor leading to Mohabumi's castle, which is closed off on both sides by solid walls that open to those who sing an old spell-song that only the witches of Chaandesh would know. Even the Bard is confused by this enough to outright ask "How did you get here??", to which Mask responds with something... not very revelatory.Mask: The real truth is... we can never know the real truth. Some questions are just too big, and sometimes the question is more important than the answer. Don't you think? A real mystery can remind us of that, even a mundane one. Don't seek answers, wanderer. Answers aren't worth a thing. Answers change all the time. What's true today may not be true tomorrow. And sometimes, what you feel's more important than what you know. You gotta seek... questions.
- Recurring Traveller: Wherever the Bard seems to be, Mask will be there too. Whether Bard can find Mask or not is a different story.
Residents of Langtree
The Mayor
Well I'll be! Guess yer singin' actually did something for once!
The Mayor of Langtree, where the Bard calls their home.- Apron Matron: She wears an apron, and acts as the resident Reasonable Authority Figure. She's even referred to as "Matriarch" within the game's files!
- Everyone Calls Her "Barkeep": Only ever referred to with her title.
Clyde
OH my goodness! Golly GEE!! Meeee oh MYY!!!
Langtree's resident doctor.- Ship Tease: It's implied he has a crush on the Mayor.
Bronson & Woody
I'm glad my boy is still with me! He's much tougher than me! I could learn a thing or two from him.
Ummm... ...hi...
A father and son duo.Ummm... ...hi...
- Mood Whiplash: Bronson talks about a conversation he had with his wife, Mary. She said he should train his heart instead of his muscles, which Bronson heartily laughs at, saying being strong is great. Then he stops laughing to say he misses his wife.
- Redhead In Green: They both have red hair, and they both have green eyes and green clothes.
- Shrinking Violet: Woody.
Marley & Francine
You're like a songbird, bringing smiles wherever you go.
I thought about getting help, but... What if something happens while I'm gone?
Two residents of Langtree who live together.I thought about getting help, but... What if something happens while I'm gone?
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Francine has pale skin and black hair.
Ruby
Do you just run singing into everyone's home?
A cranky old woman who lives off sequestered from everyone.- Eyes Always Shut: Her eyes are just little horizontal scribbles that give off this impression.
- Painting the Medium: Whenever she speaks, her font is a little crude, giving off the impression of it being hand-written.
- Perpetual Frowner: It adds to her status as a cranky senior.
- Screw Politeness, I'm a Senior!: Possibly the reason for her grumpy attitude.
Residents of Delphi
Sapphire
I'm an old lady, Miriam.note
Miriam's Grandma Saphy.- Parental Substitute: Ever since Miriam's parents abandoned her for reasons unknown, Sapphire's taken to raising her granddaughter.
- True Blue Femininity: Her hat, robe and hair are all a shade of blue.
- Wacky Parent, Serious Child: She's very jovial and welcoming, unlike her grouchy granddaughter.
Viola
You're not QUITE on my level, but... pretty good.
The violinist of Manny's band.- Iconic Item: Her violin.
- Elegant Classical Musician: She's very elegant.
- Meaningful Name: Viola is a violinist? Who would have guessed?
Ash
I'm really not sure if I'm ready for this... But... I'll do my best.
The accordion player of Manny's band.- Iconic Item: Their accordion.
- Shrinking Violet: They're very worried about messing up in front of an audience. However, they get over this stage fright.
- Small Role, Big Impact: They are only a secondary character, but Ash holds the second Overseer's song.
Manny
I been at this business a long time. It ain't easy! But if I do this right, this town'll never forget me... Don't let me down!
The manager of the band in Delphi. Also the drum player.- Cool Shades: A sick pair of sunglasses.
- Dumb and Drummer: Averted. He's not dumb at all.
The Coffee Pirates
General Tropes
- Must Have Caffeine: They all love to drink coffee. Deconstructed just a bit in the ending, where Francisco says that his love for coffee makes it hard to get any sleep.
- The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Despite being named pirates, they just seem to be merchants who make a living selling coffee beans. It's possible that they may steal the beans from somewhere else, though.
- Two Girls to a Team: Penny and Nina.
Captain Lucas
I love me some caffeine! Really gets me BUZZIN!!
The captain of the Lady Arabica.- Amazing Technicolor Population: For whatever reason, his skin is blue.
- Talk Like a Pirate: Constantly talks like this.
Penny
Sell the beans, make the deals. I'm good at it because I'm so cute.
The public face of the Coffee Pirates, and she acts as their saleswoman.- Black Bead Eyes: She has a large pair of them.
- Death Glare: Gives one to Francisco after he calls their song dumb.
Francisco
...I keep us pointed in the right direction, and that goes beyond the literal. I don't tolerate silliness.
The navigator of the Lady Arabica.- Exhausted Eye Bags: Probably due to his lack of sleep.
- Face of a Thug: He worries about having a scary face.
- The Insomniac: He mentions that the coffee he drinks keeps him awake all night, and he might want to quit drinking.
- Straight Man: Acts as a generally serious person compared to the wacky personalities of the other crewmates.
Nina
- Perpetual Smiler: Constantly is seen smiling.
- Older Than They Look: She is very short, and generally has a childish sense of enthusiasm. However, she is stated to be 19-21 on the official Tumblr.
Lou
It warms my heart to see everyone with a nice cup of coffee. Heh... All so young, and full of caffeine...
The cook of the Lady Arabica.- Eyepatch of Power: He wears a badass eyepatch.
- Team Chef: He does all the cooking on the ship.
Residents of Chismest
Mom
You'd look so much cuter with a smile!
The mother of the Bard.- Miniature Senior Citizens: She's an elderly woman who is shorter than her child.
- No Name Given: She's only reffered to as "Mom". The files in the game refer to her as Ira, however.
- Signature Laugh: "Doo hoo hoo!"
- True Blue Femininity: She wears all blue.
- Wacky Parent, Serious Child: While normally it is not like this at all, the Bard's temporary Heroic BSoD causes this dynamic between the two.
Elara
...I can't see flapping whizzbats in the sky anymore.
...Pardon my language.
A scientist who lives on the outskirts of Chismest....Pardon my language.
- Opaque Nerd Glasses: Her windows to the soul remain blocked out.
- The Smart Guy: She is the one who plots out how they'll overthrow the factory.
Peter
My love, unrequited... How can I forget her?
A jobless musician playing his balalaika on the rooftops.- Abhorrent Admirer: He loves Miriam, but she wants nothing to do with him.
- Iconic Item: His balalaika. He's seen carrying it all the time, even when working in the factory!
Winston
DAAAaaaaahh!! This town sucks. It's too cold and full of smog...
A jobless guy who just wants a friend.- Food as Bribe: You must give him food so he gives it to the dog.
- Friendless Background: Poor guy is very lonely.
- Ocular Gushers: What his tears manifest as.
The Baron
So-ho-ho...
The owner of the factory in Chismest.- Bad Santa: His appearance, his theming and his strange laugh give off this impression.
- Bait-and-Switch Tyrant: He's built up to be an antagonist, but once he learns that he's been doing more harm than good, he instantly shuts down the factory.
- Heel Realization: Once the factory workers confront him, he has a My God, What Have I Done? moment and shuts the factory down.
- Parental Abandonment: It's heavily implied he's the Bard's father, who hasn't come home for so long because he's too busy running the factory. The Bard never finds out his identity, though.
Residents of Rulle
King of Rulle
Too many secrets to keep track of. Secrets for days.
Rulle's king, obviously.- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": He's only ever referred to as Rulle's king.
- Funny Afro: The king has a large afro.
- Orange/Blue Contrast: He wears warm orange colors to further the day/night contrast between Rulle and Chaandesh.
Lee
It's my sole duty to protect the King from harm...
The Rulle King's personal guardian.- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He is very reluctant to accept that Rulle ending their war with Chaandesh is the right course of action, even after the Bard uses the Sun and Moon Earthsong pieces to sing with the voices of all the citizens of the two kingdoms. He does come around to believing otherwise if the Bard speaks to him about it, though he still swears to throw them in jail again if they ever show back up at Rulle.
- Undying Loyalty: If standing by the side of his King at the frontlines of their invasion of Chaandesh is any indication, he takes his job very seriously.
Residents of Chaandesh
Sandra & Vivian
We're... The SPELL SQUAD!!!
The self-proclaimed members of the Spell Squad. They are two witches who temporarily aid the Bard and Miriam.- Badass Longcoat: Sandra wears a large coat.
- Battle Couple: According to the official Tumblr, they are a couple.
- Guest-Star Party Member: You act as this to them, helping them take out a large monster terrorizing the forest.
- Scarf of Asskicking: The duo both wear scarves, and are witches who fight monsters.
- Shipper on Deck: When they meet Miriam and the Bard, Sandra believes that the two are a couple on their honeymoon.
Hala
Deliver this... to Rulle's king... End this war...
The late princess of Chaandesh. Hala may be dead, but she has an important message to give to the rulers of the land.- Cute Ghost Girl: When she clears up her deal with the Bard, she turns out to be quite nice.
- Giving Up the Ghost: Played With; Hala herself doesn't do this as she's already dead, but her being bound to the Bard's body lets her do this trope using theirs instead, which causes them great discomfort and even knocks them unconsious after meeting Rulle's King in particular.
- Our Ghosts Are Different: Her form initially looks similar to the ghosts seen in Act 1note , but she goes silent after entering the Bard's body and doesn't speak until after delivering her message to the king of Rulle. When she reveals herself, her appearance looks more human-like, she appears behind the Bard in reflections and her voice can be overheard by others.
- Posthumous Character: She's been dead for a while.
- Prevent the War: Hala's goal is to stop the war between Rulle and Chaandesh.
- Unfinished Business: She died running away from Chaandesh to convince the king of Rulle to put an end to the war that's plagued the two kingdoms for generations. Her spirit remained in the Frontier Inn and haunted it for an unknown length of time until the Bard found her and took her message to bring to Rulle's king. After the Bard brings her to both him and the queen of Chaandesh, she passes on and isn't seen again.
Queen of Chaandesh
Hala... My wonderful daughter... She was so intelligent... and yet, so foolish.
Chaandesh's queen, obviously.- Everyone Calls Her "Barkeep": Like Rulle's king, she is only ever called by her title.
- Orange/Blue Contrast: Chaandesh is the night to Rulle's day, so the queen is garbed in a blue and purple robe.
The Forest Monsters
The Forest Monsters
We're... not even sure it's... alive!
An unnamed scourge that reared their head in the forests of the Chaandesh-Rulle border.- The Corruption: The growling sound they emit is eerily similar to that of the evil spirits that infest the castle of the Sun Overseer, implicitly connecting them to the discord and aging that consume the Overseers as a whole.
- Hell Is That Noise: Their presence is permeated with a low rumbling sound, which only grows more intense the more of them there are.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Despite appearing to impede the Bard two times in the whole game, their presence in later scenes paint a dark picture of what's happening offscreen:
- Arriving at Xiatian has several corpses of giant monsters littering the path to the city wall, each of which have claws similar to the newborn one fought alongside the Spell Squad. Part of the city wall has a big hole torn through it, meaning the monsters would've done even more damage had Audrey not been there to fight them. This implies the monsters are not only capable of growing to incredible sizes if left unchecked, but are also much more powerful than their encounters with the Bard would suggest. There's also the fact that after the spirit world section at the end of Act 5, the Bard and Miriam emerge to find the Sky Temple nearly demolished by more giant-sized monsters. They've already been killed, though unlike at Xiatian no-one gives any mention of what happened, who fought them or how they were defeated.
- Speaking with the Delphi band in Mohabumi has them mention that monsters started appearing shortly after the Bard left the town, and their description has the Bard mention that that they've "seen those kinds of monsters". The Bard also mentions this to Miriam, saying that there's monsters in Delphi "just like here". This reinforces the fact that the witches of Chaandesh are not to blame for the monsters' creation like Rulle fears, as well as how the monsters are (possibly) appearing throughout the world wherever an Overseer was killed.
- As Hala speaks to Amaris, she reveals that she died at the hands of this abomination, which only fuelled the flames between the warring Chaandesh and Rulle as the former was led to believe that the latter kidnapped her.
- The Spook: No one knows what they are or where they came from besides emerging from the ground; what is known for certain is their hostility.
- Power of the Void: When a lot of the smaller spawn get together, they form a wave of near-impenetrable darkness.
