The New Touhou Character Alternate Interpretation Compendium!

I'd speculate that instead of a vampire, she is just a bat youkai but the lake of blood sure is a suspicious thing for a bat to have.

Kikuri is novel even within the series itself. That sparks fanartists' creativity, similar to Yuugen Magan and the Magic Stones.

Elis is just a bat-winged girl. Remi rolled CHA 18 and so gets most of the fanarts while Koa gets quite a bit because she has more wings.

Vampire bat youkai?

Might not be limited to 18. I'll bet the Blood-Sucking Oni species has some crazy Level Adjustment, and probably a really high bonus to CHA.

edited 1st May '13 10:31:44 PM by Durazno

Wrong PC-98 bat-winged girl

Anyway... er... I like her design?

...She has this mix of unimportance and relative blandness that makes me not interested in her

Her music is OK I guess. In LLS Magic Mirror regenerated into Maiden's Capriccio, which is arguably a better piece. Oriental Magician is fine, but Blade of Banishment (Kikuri's equivalent theme) is better.

Ah yes Elis.

She sure is a bat.

I think the reason she gets so little fanart is because she is just...generic looking. I guess she has that star on her face? I dunno.

edited 2nd May '13 5:30:55 AM by Otherarrow

Kikuri is the mirror. The bat's name is Elis.

Derp, that is completely my bad.

My god I am so stupid. I am sorry, I will shut up now.

What, for making a trifling mistake about the names of obscure PC-98 Touhou characters? Don't even worry about it.

No! No shutting up! It's going to be hard enough to carry on a discussion about Elis without people getting self-conscious.

And then I was gonna write a few sentences and got a few paragraphs instead.

The Devil of Makai

A few things catch my eye about the Innocent Devil, Elis.

First, her wings are enormous. She's got the most pronounced wings I can think of in the series (Bar perhaps Sariel). I recall it being mentioned/suggested somewhere (probably a doujin) that Remilia's wings are an abnormality and that most vampires can hide them, or something. In which case, Clearly Elis is just so proud of the bloody things she keeps them out all the time. Maybe they're a mark of status.

Second, she's a "devil" rather than "demon". I assume the "Ma" Kanji that means Demon can also be translated as Devil, and/or ZUN didn't know or care about the distinction (insofar as there even is one, which... well, yeah.) So, why is she a devil? Presumably it's a self-proclaimed title, in which case, perhaps she wises to break away from Shinki or show her independence. Perhaps she's from another realy and simply scouting in Makai.

Third, her title is "Innocence Devil". while the wiki believes this to be a misspelling (And indeed, that's likely), it could be that she's a more literal devil of innocence. A sort of incarnation of the "ignorance is bliss" mantra, spreading misinformation and lies to keep people off their path. Or, on the other hand, perhaps she acts as a sort of guardian angel to children, preserving their innocence... The "Devil" part would then come more into play when she hands over the innocent sheep to whatever dark fate is planned for them. An imaginary friend who might just steal your soul...

Or, if you prefer a more uplifting characterization, Assume ZUN meant "Innocent Devil", which changes everything. Now she's a child fighting against her dark fate, struggling to retain her innocence in a realm ruled by demons.. Perhaps Yuugen-Magan wasn't guarding Makai, but instead trying to shield Elis from Reimu's Rampaging Ruination and Razing.

Her appearance kind of reminds me of a clown, for some reason. Circus performer? I really have no difficulty seeing her as a ringleader or something.

Personally, I subscribe to the "She's a vampire" idea. It makes sense to me for some reason. Amusingly, her bat form keeps its ribbon. And changes her eye color, but w/e.

She has an interesting pattern around the hem of her dress. It almost looks like some arcane writing... it's kind of reminiscent of Eirin's Astrological patterns on her dress.

Annnnnd finally, she looks a bit derpy and crosseyed.

So yeah, we know almost nothing about her, but she's almost remarkable for being so mundane. She's not a giant oni-thing like Konngara, or a multiwinged angel like Sariel, or a bunch or eyes or a disk or a yin-yang orb or a footless spirit. In a sense, Elis is the first of the modern Touhous (possibly excepting Reimu). For all the other interesting designs and artistic directions present in HRTP... hers is the aesthetic that stuck around.

So we all have Elis to thank for paving the way for all the touhous everywhere.

edited 2nd May '13 1:14:32 PM by Antimatter625

Innocent Devil is also a thing in Castelvania: The One With the Guy Whose Pants Are Drooping Horrifingly Low.

So I wonder if its a thing. That means something.

I do like the idea that Elis is a demon representing the evils of innocence, luring people off the path by trying to keep them sheltered from reality.

If that is too negative for you, it's possible she is doing it with the best intentions in mind. Reality is scary, and sometimes ignorance really is bliss.

On another note, her design kinda reminds me of an idol singer.

I'll admit, in my convoluted reimagining of the PC-98 characters to fit into the Windows era, Elis kinda flew under my radar- I just figure she's a generic civilian from Makai, created under Shinki, etc., friendly and sweet, but not terribly remarkable.

...

Hi, everybody! Sorry for disappearing for so long...

edited 2nd May '13 1:35:02 PM by Pulse

wb, Pulse!

Especially when the rocks are sentient. You know, if I lived in a world like Makai, I think I'd love to never know that little detail.

Circus performer, said I, but she really does look like someone who should be in front of a crowd. A show-woman of sorts. She just looks... I dunno... gaudy?

Elis is easy to forget about. She's 'just another touhou girl'. As I mentioned, perhaps the most notable thing about her is that she's the only one really in HRTP.

edited 2nd May '13 3:46:38 PM by Antimatter625

Yeah, great timing! What with the avatar and all.

According to the wiki, it's the difference between akumo and mamono, for what it's worth. Now, train of thought time.

Akyuu has nothing to say about either demons or devils, but she does say that vampires are a new type of youkai from outside Gensokyo. Touhou's premier vampire is called the Scarlet Devil, and all vampires save Flandre have displayed batlike wings. Elis the devil has batlike wings, so it's possible that vampires could be a subset of, if not the same thing as, devils. Which could mean that devils originate from outside the border as well. Demons, in contrast, seem to have been created in/from Makai. So what's a devil doing in a demon world?

Well, vampires need to feed on blood to survive, but are known more for lurking in the "real" world than devils are. But if devils and vampires are related, devils may have feeding requirements as well. So what if instead of subsisting on blood, devils preferred to consume something a little less fleshy and a little more potent, such as the raw magic found in the miasma of Makai? Well, any sort of Makai-based civilization may take that about as well as humans receive vampires. And now we have a possible explanation for why Elis' stage is the Ruins of Vina: Touhou's equivalent of the Blood War.

This also may explain why a certain little devil got a job working for a magician in an arcane library.

As for where these parasitic outsiders came from, consider one of the synonyms for "devil" and who follows Elis as the route's final boss...

edited 2nd May '13 11:00:02 PM by Tacitus

...And we've run out of things to say again

I like the scenery on that train ride. Devils being parasites of some sort is something that could be good fun to play with. Elis' "Innocent" appellation may refer to the fact that she doesn't know that she's draining magic from the world around her.

Alas, this seems like a thing that's likely to be happening a lot.

Trying to think how the "devils as magic-eaters" concept would work with Elis as a magician. Would there be anything particularly exceptional about being able to wield magic if you're inherently a magic-using creature? Then again, the demons have dedicated witches despite coming from Makai. And if Remilia is able to use her consumption of blood to create some amazing magic, a "true" devil might be able to use her consumption of magic to fuel some truly, truly outrageous wizardry.

Or maybe Elis counts as a magician because she's overcome her racial hunger, allowing her to wield magic instead of merely surviving off of it. Which could be why she's considered "innocent," and even tolerated to remain in Makai unlike other devils.

And then she got hit in the face with a yin-yang orb.

edited 4th May '13 11:22:43 AM by Tacitus

Thus is the fate of all who exist in Reimu's flight path.

Could be worse though. Marisa could hit you with her butt. At least there's some dignity in being taken out by Reimu.

Marisa only uses her butt if laser is too difficult. Usually it's not.

Oh? I just spam the butt thrust because it's hilarious.

Oh right, Elis. She sure is blonde.

Please pardon the delay, late work night.

Sariel

Themes: "Now, Until the Moment You Die"*

"We Shall Die Together"

later remixed as "Civilization of Magic"

"The Legend of KAGE"

Signature Attack:
A pretty ineffective second form

Write-up:
The Archangel Sariel, or some misspellings thereof, pops up all over Judeo-Christian tradition. In some instances he's a benevolent angel of death known for receiving the soul of Moses, Coptic tradition names him as a patron of magic, and the Book of Enoch lists him as one of the leaders of the fallen angels who lusted after mortal women, giving rise to the giant race of Nephilim/Anakim.

Judeo-Christian tradition, however, does not explain how Sariel might end up in a Fallen Shrine within a demon world, or why he might feel compelled to destroy a Shinto shrine, picking a fight with an irate, turtle-riding, yin-yang flinging miko.

Sariel is usually as overlooked as the rest of the HRtP cast, but something about his themes makes some fans regard him as the finalest of Touhou's final bosses. Even if he did appear at the end of the first game.

Relationships:

• Shinki (???)
• God (???)

Alternate Character Interpretations:

edited 4th May '13 10:19:26 PM by Tacitus

If the god of Makai has a devil theme, then a Makaijin with an angel theme is...

Dun dun dunnnn, the secret satan of sMakai.

That's why Shinki doesn't care about the HRTP intrusion into Makai. You went and beat up her rival. She was probably laughing all the way to the bank, to ask them to readjust the interest rate for some reason.

Of Note

Sariel is the angel of death. S/he is a seraph as noted by the six wings.

Sariel's gender is under debate due to an androgynous art and a male Sariel existing in the Bible.

Music & Overview

Sariel's themes are just great. Now, Until the Moment You Die has a somewhat haunting melody for the PC-98 synth. I love it. I think it has to do with the melody being somewhat more complex than most PC-98 songs. You're faced down with an archangel in a final battle for reasons that you can't even comprehend, but you have a bouncing weapon of destruction and the ability to dodge bullets and you are going to use them. Of course, then comes the second form, and this is what I really like about Sariel. You're not treated to one song during this long danmaku shootout, but two. I really like when games do this. The fighting games do this, and I think IN did too. This second form starts up and the music changes from the haunting "Until You Die" to a determined "We Shall Die Together." You have to love that about Sariel, it's not about who wins or loses, it's making sure that no matter what sacrifices must be made, you... will... die. A lot. Of course, why are you fighting Sariel? Was Sariel the one who destroyed the shrine? What's Sariel doing in Makai? Well, Sariel does appear within a fallen shrine, and is a fallen angel. I assume that Sariel simply resides there. Makai is the perfect place for one who spreads Magic to take residence and is remote enough for one to think upon the past. Sariel may be an inhabitant of a more Western set of beliefs, but if Sariel is the one who spread magic to humanity it is quite possible that Sariel may have been responsible for the creation of Gensokyo in the first place. Not the actual border, just the magic that powers it in the end. From our discussion of Yumemi, I get the feeling that ZUN was trying to explicitly link religion and magic in the PC-98 days, compared to the non-specific belief that powers it now. Sariel is one of the most prominent figures in religious-based magic and an angel of death besides. What ever happened in HRTP Sariel is not a foe who you'd wish to cross on more serious terms.

edited 9th May '13 9:56:51 PM by Horselesshorseman