O'saa

Conversation context > O'saa is heading to Prehevil with the mission to kill Kaiser and wipe out Bremen's army

1. The Yellow Mages

   • Yellow mages are mysterious people who worship and channel the blood magic of the old god of destruction, Gro-goroth. They, practitioners of magic hailing from Eastern Sanctuaries, are known for their flamboyant and colorful attire. Unlike priests who devote themselves to worship, yellow mages use their occult powers to further their own interests and agendas, viewing Gods as simply existing in their world. Rather than finding order in the commandments of older Gods, yellow mages embrace chaos as a natural state that the world returns to periodically.

2. Nas'hrah

   • During the second age of history, which began with the reign of the so-called New Gods in the year 410, a figure named Nas'hrah emerged as a notable presence. Referred to as the "Bringer of Doom and Terror", Nas'hrah held a distinct position within this group, setting them apart from their predecessors. Although the concept of new gods existed in ancient times, Nas'hrah's inclusion elevated this particular group. Upon his ascension, he ended up succeeding Betel and assuming his position within the grand libraries in Ma'habre.

   • The exact nature of the events surrounding Nas'hrah's interaction with Betel remains unclear. However, it is acknowledged that Nas'hrah employed an act of trickery that ignited a fury among his fellow New Gods. As Nas'hrah's reign as a deity was marred by his cruelty and sadistic tendencies, he was met with abhorrence and revulsion from his peers. Simultaneously, Nas'hrah held their methods and ideologies in contempt, viewing them as weak and ineffectual and fostering a mutual disdain between them. He once held sway over the Eastern Sanctuaries as a sultan. His relentless campaigns against the Kingdom of Edo in the 8th century, although ultimately unsuccessful in expanding his dominion, exposed his lust for power and bloodshed. Nas'hrah's cultural influence permeates the Eastern Sanctuaries, leaving an imprint on its history. Unexpectedly, his observation of the prowess exhibited by his adversaries in Edo led him to forge a nation within the boundaries of the Eastern Sanctuaries, known as Yansa Aryuaban. In this endeavor, high-status war prisoners from Edo were appointed as central figures, tasked with emulating the ways of their Edo counterparts in meticulous detail. The purpose behind this endeavor was to cultivate a warrior class - though the realization of Nas'hrah's vision required the passage of centuries, his determination bore fruit in the form of the Jizamurai.

   • Nas'hrah is also responsible for the creation of the enigmatic Yellow mages. This sect of magical practitioners, shaped by their master's ideology, harnessed otherworldly powers for personal gain and the advancement of their own agendas, forsaking the path of traditional worship of the gods. While the presence of the Yellow mages has gradually diminished over time, remnants of their existence can still be found reveling in chaos, steadfast in their adherence to Nas'hrah's teachings.

   • During the events of Fear & Hunger in the 16th century, Nas'hrah's physical form has been reduced to a mere beheaded entity. He believes that restoring his body is crucial to his ultimate goal of exacting revenge upon the other New Gods who have wronged him. To this end, he is willing to offer his assistance to those who can help him achieve his aim, directing them towards a long-forgotten laboratory in the depths of Ma'habre. If the player accompanies the wizard to this location, Nas'hrah will generate a clone of himself. Yet, upon careful examination, he deems the newly formed body unworthy of becoming his vessel once more. Dismissing it as a mere substitute, Nas'hrah instead opts to rely on sheer brute force in his confrontation with the New Gods and reduce the rejected body to ashes if given the opportunity.

   • Nas'hrah's fate within the dungeons of Fear and Hunger remains shrouded in ambiguity, with little detail provided about the precise events that transpired. However, it is known that his existence was reduced to that of a burnt and mummified severed head, his eyes replaced by hollow, dark sockets. Many years later, in the year 1942, in the remnants of an archaeological expedition stumbled upon the remains of the dungeons and Ma'habre, a yellow mage named O'saa would ultimately free Nas'hrah from the rubble.

3. Prehevil

   • Despite its medium size and relative isolation, Prehevil serves as Bohemia's capital. It appears to have been one of the first cities settled in the region, placed on the western coast of Lake Verdite and constructed around the mysterious Hollow Tower. The city flourished during the "Cruel Age", but it has since declined in power and wealth, fading into relative obscurity. Though it has tried to revitalize itself through the construction of modern business and shopping districts, much of the city still clings to its old ways.

   • From the outside, the citizens of Prehevil are known for their passionate worship of Alll-mer; however, those within the city would recognize their devotion to the old gods, which have been reflected in some of their more twisted practices. Human sacrifices still appear to be conducted within the city, as is evidenced by a large ritual crucifix in the Old Town district. The mayor seems to be at the behest of the city's clergy, who appears to exercise power over much of the city - they control the Church of Alll-mer and St. Domek's Orphanage, using both entities for their own gain, while abusing ordinary citizens through their use of occult magic and dark rituals. One visitor described Prehevil as "one of the more remote and unwelcoming cities in all of Bohemia, if not all of Europa." Scholars originating from Prehevil display a surprising amount of knowledge in astrology. Their knowledge in this field is so profound that even the New Gods have taken notice of the fact.

   • Prior to the Second Great War, the city was occupied by the Eastern Union, which constructed vast underground bunker systems with the goal of creating a mysterious communications network. Hoping to seize the project, the Bremen Empire (led by the infamous Kaiser) made an all-out push to conquer Bohemia, causing parts of the city to be bombed and destroyed, with landmines and barricades being placed to deter opponents. After occupying Prehevil, the Bremens abruptly signed a peace treaty with the Eastern Union, ending the war. During the conflict, the city became the center of some action by Nameless Liberty Underground (NLU), an organization hoping to uncover the purpose of the project.

4. Kaiser

   • The Chancellor of the Bremen Empire, Kaiser is a mysterious individual who quickly rose to prominence after the First Great War, carried by a populist movement that demanded he be put in power. Though he is said to be a great leader and a very charismatic speaker, strange and disturbing rumors surround his rule. Some have even said that when the Bremen Council refused to elect him, he personally massacred all of them, allegedly shrugging off gunfire from the military police who tried to stop him. Some claim that Kaiser is a god, others a monster; certain fringe theorists suggest that he's part of The Fellowship, an ancient conspiracy that has secretly been controlling events in Europa for centuries.

   • Under Kaiser's rule, the Bremen Empire unified with several neighboring states, ultimately attacking the Eastern Union and sparking the Second Great War. As he led his armies to victory, Kaiser became both feared and reviled throughout Europa, with even more rumors circulating about the "horrors" committed by his troops. In 1942, Kaiser ultimately signed a peace treaty after conquering the Bohemian city of Prehevil.

   • Those who know the most about Kaiser understand that he is no ordinary human; his true identity is that of Le'garde: a prophesied warrior from the Cruel Ages who ascended to near-godhood, becoming a great warlord who wished to unite Europa under a single banner. His efforts, however, were stymied by the simultaneous ascension of the God of Fear and Hunger. Many rejected Kaiser's message in favor of the new god's, causing his attempts to unify Europa to fail and fade into obscurity. By the twentieth century, he finally claimed power over the Bremen Empire; however, humbled by his previous experiences, and with his godly abilities slowly fading, he sought to find someone who could change Europa in his stead.

5. The Gods

   • Sylvian: A goddess of fertility, love, lust, and creation. She is one of the Old Gods worshipped by man, before man decided that they had enough of the old world order and wanted to supplant these ancient deities. Like Gro-goroth, the god of human sacrifices and her direct antithesis, she comes from the green hue.

   -Sylvian created men and women at the dawn of time, the creation of the world. She ordered a deity known as Vitruvia to create an architectural reprography of a man and a woman that would be the likeness of Sylvian herself. She fell in love with the results and created mankind according to Vitruvia's drawings. Because of this, she could be seen as a Mother Goddess, the one that brought life to everyone in many ways, while Gro-goroth, her opposite, brought death to everyone in many ways. A beautiful balance and duality one can say from reading about the two. Her union with Gro-goroth also spawned another old god: Vinushka, the god of nature.

   • Sylvian wishes for men and women to make love in her name. But what kind of love she wants, is interpreted differently by everyone. Some take it literally and show love to each other in a form of marriage. But not just any marriage. A beautiful Marriage of Flesh for two or for three. A holy bond and 'beautiful unison for two souls' or three souls.

   • The twisted realities of these different kinds of love are because Sylvian realized that the men and women she created would not be able to return the same amount of affection towards her as she does to them. Love from her perspective takes on a more twisted form, as shown by the example of the Marriage of Flesh. Those forms are more aligned with her own image and they manifest in her gift to people - Love Magic, also known as Flower Magic. From gentle healing whispers to the creation of demon offspring through sexual intercourse with a deceased body, Flower Magic encompasses a wide range of abilities. Those who have a strong bond with Sylvian and her offspring Vinushka may also possess the power to cultivate Brain Flowers by planting seeds within a corpse.

   • Sylvian's disappointment in humankind's inability to reciprocate the love she offers, and the distorted nature of her affection, is perhaps most apparent in the fleeting moment of history when humanity was consumed by a frenzied pursuit of carnal pleasures. A synchronized wave of naked bodies engaged in endless sexual activity, wasting their days in the process. This event bears a striking resemblance to the influence Sylvian has over humans, though the exact details of the event are unclear. It has also been stated that the use of Sylvian's gift of healing may lead to a gradual deterioration of the user's mental state over time.

   • There are certain sex cults, such as the Bunnymasks, that hold orgies in hidden courtyards as a way of honoring Sylvian. These acts are believed to be sacred and performed in her name. The rabbit masks worn by the cult members may indicate the animal's significance to Sylvian, as rabbits are known for their energetic breeding and are often associated with fertility. There are also indications of the existence of a church of Sylvian and a church of healing that authored scrolls about her magic, but further exploration of other Sylvian cults has yet to be shown.

   • Alll-mer: Alll-mer, now worshipped as a God, was not always the divine being he is today. He was born as a mortal man in the city of Jettaiah, located within the Eastern Sanctuaries. Raised by a virgin mother and sired by a 'False God,' Alll-mer was of humble origins. He gained popularity and began to rise to prominence through his teachings, which gathered his twelve Apostles to possibly bring forth a New World Order, later referred to as the Old World Order by the New Gods.

   • As Alll-mer's power grew, corrupt kings and sultans across the Eastern Sanctuaries began to take note of his influence and felt threatened by his ideal world that united people under different religions and gods. He was sentenced to death by crucifixion, marking the beginning of a new calendar with his death in the Year 0. Upon dying, he ascended to Ma'habre and became a God. His mortal remains were laid to rest within the Ancient Tomb near the ancient city of Ma'habre.

   • Alll-mer eventually returned to his Apostles and led them in his plan to save humanity from the cruelty and tyranny of the Kings and Sultans. As an Ascended God, he killed the Kings and Sultans and brought forth a New World Order, with himself as the center of worship. The bloodbath that ensued shook the world order and demolished the worship New Gods of the time had been enjoying. His tenets are still observed and followed by many, including the Eastern Sanctuaries, Jettaiah becoming a holy city, the Kingdom of Rondon, Abyssonia, Kingdom of Bohemia, Vatican City, and Kingdom of Bremen. This New World Order eventually became the Old World Order, which was later supplanted by the Fellowship of the New Gods in the Year 809.

   • Alll-mer has another origin story, written by Enki Ankarian in his Skin Bible of Alll-mer. According to this version, Alll-mer was created by a master architect named Vitruvia, who designed him to be the ultimate human being after noticing imperfections in her previous designs. He was born in the Year 0, suggesting that he immediately began working on his New World Order and displacing the Sultans and Kings of old. Though the two stories share similarities, they are still distinct.

   • His ascent to godhood is intricately linked with the emergence of the Sulfur God, a relatively forgotten deity that dates back to ancient times. As Alll-mer ascended to the divine realm, he expelled his subconscious, which was steeped in hatred, into the depths of the sulfur pits. This event gave rise to the Sulfur God.

   • Alll-mer's religious cult has experienced a resurgence in popularity in modern times and has become the default religion in many parts of the world. The Fellowship, on the other hand, has largely been forgotten by the common people. Even the other Old Gods have not regained as much popularity as Alll-mer, who remains a prominent figure in the religious practices of many. Dark Priests, in particular, seem to favor his image above those of other Old Gods, at least to the public eye.

   • Like other higher deities, Alll-mer possesses a variety of supernatural phenomena associated with his presence. These include walking on water, altering the fabric of reality to a limited extent (such as changing water into wine or multiplying loaves of bread), and manipulating blood to create portals or weapons, among others. Those who have a strong affinity with him through faith may be able to access some of these abilities.

   • The iconography associated with Alll-mer exhibits significant variations influenced by the cultural perspectives of its worshipers. In Europa, the god is commonly portrayed as a muscular, bald-headed, caucasian male. In stark contrast, the Eastern Sanctuaries offer distinct depictions of Alll-mer that harken back to his mortal origins. In these portrayals, the deity is depicted as slender, reflecting a more delicate physique compared to the robust Western depiction. Furthermore, Alll-mer is depicted with long hair, closer to what he was before ascending and losing all his bodily hair. His facial features often resemble those of the region.

   • Gro-goroth: Gro-goroth is an Old God who originated from the green hue. Being the god of destruction and human sacrifices, he wishes for blood to be spilled in his name and embodies death and all it encompasses — chaos, anarchy, sacrifice, and war. Destruction is seen as a part of the natural order, with death being necessary to pave the way for nascence and growth, as described in Studies of Gro-goroth. He gifted blood magic to mankind and almost all spells that are associated with him (Hurting, Black Orb) are used offensively. Gro-goroth is a curious god, more so than many of the other older gods. To recreate the feeling of fear, he wears the bodies and skins of men and women alike.

• One can strengthen their alignment with him by sacrificing teammates in ritual circles or taking part in the Wolfmasks cult, where its participants maim each other and feast upon their own flesh in honour of Gro-goroth. He grants his followers and disciples incredible power but also corrupts them - the Black Witch and Yellow mages are incredibly powerful beings, but also fragile in body. The Black Witch is described by the New Gods as a "slave to Gro-goroth".

• Since humankind took over Ma'habre, like most other of his kin, the Old God has started to fade away, disgusted by the selfishness, narrow-mindedness, and ambition of mankind as they have no understanding of the purity and beauty of the ideas he represents, as each human interprets the pure ideas of the Gods differently. As he fades away, so does his gift of blood magic to mankind. However, there are those who believe that Gro-goroth still roams the mortal realm, concealed beneath the flesh of human beings and the macabre display of hanging bodies.

• Goddess of fear and hunger: The Ancient One is a soul created by the mating of Nilvan, a new God, and Le'garde, a prophecised man. The soul rested in the body of a little girl and had been lying dormant within her since she was born. It was this soul that would allow her to ascend to Godhood. Nilvan, wishing to fulfill her dream of humanity ascending beyond their mortal limits, tasked the player character (should they accept it) to take the girl, her daughter, to the heart of darkness - the Altar of Darkness within the body of the God of the Depths. When this place was reached, she began her ascension and proceeded to fight the player. It remains unknown which character ultimately took her to the Altar of Darkness.

• On that day, the God of Fear and Hunger took root and began to grow her influence on the surface world. Although Nilvan had hoped that her daughter would bring light to mankind, true darkness does not breed light: The God of Fear and Hunger was a pure child, a blank slate birthed from the darkest pits of human creation. She was the embodiment of fear and hunger, without even a glimmer of hope.

• Despite the suffering and stagnation that mankind had endured up to that point, progress came at a price. Fear motivated people while hunger kept them moving forward. People cherished hardship and drew inspiration from it, learning and growing from the difficulties they faced. This era, known as the Cruel Age, brought about advancements not seen since the forgotten ages, with the dark fumes rising from the pipes of modern cities as a direct consequence. In this context, the God of Fear and Hunger, along with the age she ushered in, stands as the catalysts propelling humanity towards technological advancement.

• Rher: A mysterious Old God and one of the last of the Old Gods that still observes mankind to this day. Reflecting his name and many titles, Rher encompasses the ideas of trickery, deceit, subterfuge, schemes, and all things associated with deviousness. In the lore of Rher's Skin Bible, he is portrayed as a god of the insane and a trickster of madness. This depiction aligns closely with the experiences of those afflicted by the Moon's influence, who often succumb to insanity. The act of engraving Rher's sigil onto one's face increases their Mind, granting them greater knowledge without plunging into complete madness from the "truth". However, the same tome hints at Rher's manipulation of this "truth" bestowed by moonlight, utilizing it as a trick against others questioning his motives. His Bible suggests that he also is a god that represents fallacies and false truths, particularly those perpetuated by humanity about itself.

• Rher is said to be of a jealous kind, not wanting to share godhood with the mortal race of humans, alongside disapproving of them taking over the old world order and replacing it with the new world order, as humans now have become this mocking and pretentious display of being New Gods. Not much is known about his plans, but his followers are always constantly scheming and meddling with mankind throughout the course of human history. Because of this act being seen as sacrilege to the Old God, he has begun plotting to reduce the influence of the New Gods. He employs his servants, Pocketcat and Lady of Moon, to go and hunt for children to keep them from being used as new vessels for a new type of God that can rival the Old Gods, the same way Alll-mer came to be an Old God: from being half man and half New God.

• However, this plan would fail in the year of 1590 as Nilvan, the New God that represents humanity's endless potential, had supposedly outsmarted the Old God and had made sure her daughter sired from the man of the prophecies, the now newly deified God of Fear and Hunger, would come to the Altar of Darkness via the help of one who delved deep into the dungeons of Fear and Hunger. The child would mature and become an Ascended God, therefore rivaling the Old Gods and carrying on humanity's dream to soar above their limitations. Yet, it remains uncertain if Rher's plan truly failed. Perhaps this turn of events is merely another stratagem devised by the Moon God, for humans do not know of his plan and his ways of intrigue.

• Vinushka: Vinushka is a product of the union between Gro-goroth and Sylvian, mirroring the cycle of destruction and creation that manifests in nature. Like humanity, the temperament of Vinushka can shift from a fiery volcano to a tranquil meadow, where a gentle breeze can lull one to slumber. These similarities between nature and humanity are fitting, as both were nourished by the many bosoms of Sylvian and born of the same lineage. Vinushka and the embodiment of humanity, Alll-mer, are regarded as equals, neither standing above the other. What belongs to Vinushka is for humanity to harvest, just as nature reclaims the old and tired remnants of humanity.

• Enki Ankarian's unedited version of Vinushka's Skin Bible reveals further details about the Old God. According to the text, the deity was originally named Ninush by Sylvian, and ancient human tribes coexisted with nature in a state of symbiosis. However, as civilization developed, humans became increasingly rapacious and hostile towards the natural world, causing Vinushka to become similarly aggressive. This eventually led to a violent conflict between humans and the Old God, culminating in Vinushka's death and the subsequent death of nature itself. The name Vinushka means "guilt," signifying humanity's culpability for the god's demise and the destruction of nature. Despite the passage of time, echoes of Vinushka remain in the form of totems and deities, which may serve as a reminder of humanity's responsibility and the grief that will come with understanding the past. Enki's Skin Bible also presents alternate iconography for the god of nature, depicting Vinushka as a humanoid pinecone-like figure.

• Although information about Vinushka's contemporary religious significance is scarce, it is acknowledged that this ancient deity is studied by botany students who are interested in the folklore aspects of the field at a university in Bremen. This might suggest that in modern times, Vinushka may be more commonly associated with folk tales rather than being worshipped as in ancient times.