Motus is a mess of a Kingdom, widely known to be a domain of scoundrels and assassins.
While the government itself is little more than a figurehead, the Kingdom remains stable thanks to an intricate web of warring syndicates, and the stories of the Tattered King, the old King of Motus who supposedly abdicated the throne to walk as a shadow among his people.
During the Soul Wars, they were involved in more subterfuge than outright combat, managing to drive a wedge between Qero and Lencoter, two wealthy merchant countries, an act which Qero has still not forgiven.
Were it not for the corrupt officials lurking in the Kingdoms, who find Motus a good place to send undesirables (and the vows of peace between countries), Motus would have likely been dissolved by now, and its land given to more competent rulers.
CHARACTERS
DIPLOMAT MALACHI OF MOTUS
Profile:
Malachi is not really a diplomat, but there are few who are actually brave enough to challenge his claims.
Either way, he was a man of great power in Motus, known for taking advantage of any opportunity to increase his sphere of influence, with the aid of his personal assassin, Mr. Lorn.
He has a cynical outlook on human nature, but is not disillusioned. Rather, he revels in it.
Quest:
Malachi has no quest, but is a representative of Motus, and therefore encourages the player to swear loyalty to the Motus Kingdom and hunt down Explorers who have been marked for death.
DIALOGUE
FIRST CONVERSATION AND ONWARDS (IF YOU HAVE LESS THAN A +5 RATING IN MOTUS AND HAVEN'T KILLED AN INVADING ASSASSIN)
"...Oh? Who might you be?"
"Well, no matter. You should continue on, traveller."
"Those who do not attract the gaze of Motus are insignificant. You don't have the stomach for... our sort of work."
"Perhaps in the future, you'll come around..."
FIRST CONVERSATION (IF YOU HAVE A +5 RATING IN MOTUS OR MORE OR HAVE KILLED AN INVADING ASSASSIN)
"Mhmhmhmhm... yes, you have my attention. In fact, I've been waiting for you."
"I am Malachi, an official diplomat from Motus. And for one such as you, I have an interesting proposal."
"Gold, silver, jewels... they're all meaningless. But business must go on, you see. We deal in Souls down here in the Aeon Ruins, in exchange for goods and services."
"What I'm offering is a job opportunity... for those with a particular set of skills. Those who excel at extinguishing life."
"What's that look in your eye? Is that disgust I see, or a spark of interest? Either way, don't go getting ideas. We must stay professional... business-like, see? Hehehehe…"
"So, what's your decision? Will you join the league of Motus assassins?"
>Yes (1)
"Haha, then welcome aboard."
>Given the Assassin's Charm.
"It's simple. All you have to do is wear this charm. And then, when a targeted Explorer shows their ugly face, it will guide you to them."
"Hunt them down, no matter where they might be. Do not concern yourself with honor, for honor is for the foolish. Kill them, and return home. Easy, right?"
"Eliminate the voice of your conscious. Those marked for death likely did something to wrong a fellow Explorer, and deserve their assassination."
"Just kill when you are told, and you will be rewarded. No need to think. No need to decide."
"That's the way people like it, right?"
>No (1)
"...Is that so? Are you sure you don't want to... reconsider?"
>Yes (2)
[Motus Tendency -2]
"It is beyond disgrace to refuse such a kind offer... watch your back, Explorer."
>No (2)
Leads to Yes (1)>
SECOND CONVERSATION
"We pride ourselves on quick and anonymous service."
"If someone knows the name of their mark, or holds a Skull of Motus, anyone can condemn another to inescapable doom."
"You wouldn't know it, but we get special requests from every Kingdom... yes, even those who profess such useless concepts as altruism and valor."
"What good are ideals that are not followed by everyone? And if it were forced on everyone, could it really be called 'ideal' at all?"
"Hahahaha!"
THIRD CONVERSATION
"Isn't it hysterical how the other Kingdoms regard Motus with such dread?"
"Our country has earned the nickname 'Bottomless Pit', for a variety of reasons..."
"The Knights of Tiolez cower in fear most of all, while the fools of Qero still hold their ages-old grudge."
"All's fair in love and war, but they just don't get it, do they?"
"No, hatred is infectious, intoxicating..."
"They just can't bear to admit their own irrelevance."
FOURTH CONVERSATION
"Ughh... have you met Patches?"
"He is Motus's Treasurer... in that he frequently goes out in search of treasure."
"He's not exactly the most reliable... but I suppose you'll find that out soon enough."
FIFTH CONVERSATION
"Mr. Lorn is my trusted business partner."
"Before I plucked him from the streets of the capital, he was a mere bandit, diseased and mad, but look at him now."
"He's the most talented assassin I've ever met. Above, I constantly received commissions for his services."
"That hasn't changed down here... in fact, quite recently we've received marks for two high profile targets."
"If you want details, talk to him about it. Just stay on his good side, won't you?"
SIXTH CONVERSATION
"Human beings... we are curious, no? Other creatures die and no one mourns them, but we... we have such an intimate relationship with death."
"And yet some have such profoundly poisonous pride, as if they truly matter in the grand scheme of things. Gravestones, which too fade to dust, are proof of their hubris."
"Years ago, I too was an assassin. I delighted in watching the sneers of those with power vanish from their faces as I acquaint them with their own mortality."
"We are so, so very fragile. Why bother arguing about what is right and what is wrong, when we are all the same in the death?"
"It's a waste of time, that's what it is. Time we could spend actually living."
SEVENTH CONVERSATION
"I'm sure you've heard the rumors. How Motus lacks a King, held together only by crime and fear. But no, we are not like those Vestum barbarians."
"Those rumors are only half true. The Tattered King rules Motus, but crime and fear are his right and left hands."
"However, he is not a King at all. Nor is he even human. In fact, he is an idea. A farce, perpetuated by people like us."
"Loyalty fades faster than fear. And so when the old King was killed, a rumor spread of a new ruler: the Tattered King, Lord of Assassins, clad head to toe in rags."
"He became a great myth, a shadow passing in the night. He supposedly appeared to those who attracted disproportionate ire, and they were never heard from again."
"Likewise, whenever some mastermind tried to claim too much power, they soon disappeared. The doing of someone who decided to mimic the fictional King, of course."
"And so, thanks to that fabrication, Motus reached a sort of stability. Isn't it fascinating how humans can be controlled by falsehood?
"It tend to make you wonder... how easily you can trust your eyes and ears."
EIGHTH CONVERSATION AND ONWARDS
"I feel like... I want to stay here forever. For the first time in years, it feels I finally have some damned peace and quiet."
"Sure, there are the other... Explorers, but I meet them only briefly, like two rafts drifting, together then apart, upon a vast ocean."
"But I guess that can't last forever, if the end has truly arrived."
"I've died before, but I wonder what true death is like. When my Soul is finally claimed by the Phantasm, will I be joined with that sublime mass?"
"Or perhaps it is more like oblivion. Admittedly, my life has been chaotic and worrisome... I don't think I'd mind that at all."
"Don't go around spreading rumors. Diplomat Malachi has not gone soft."
SPECIAL DIALOGUE
GREETING
"Just a name and some Souls. That's all it takes."
INTERRUPTED MENU
"Do not walk away when I am talking to you! You will pay for that..."
[Motus Tendency: -1]
FAREWELL
"Come again soon. Hehehehe..."
POSITIVE TENDENCY GREETING
"Always a pleasure, sir."
POSITIVE TENDENCY FAREWELL
"Hahaha! Come on, keep giving us marks! We need your business!"
NEGATIVE TENDENCY GREETING
"If you have the Souls for a mark, then fine. But make it quick."
NEGATIVE TENDENCY FAREWELL
/h3>
"Begone from my sight. Just looking at you makes me sick."
FIRST KINGDOM REWARD
"You've been working pretty hard, but let's be honest: you could do better."
"Use this. They'll never see you coming."
>Given the Thief's Ring.
SECOND KINGDOM REWARD
"That's ten marks, now. Way to go, you cold-blooded killer, you."
"Here, have this chunk of something or other. It's about as warm as your heart has become, hehe."
>Given a Pure Cocytus Ore
FINAL KINGDOM REWARD
"Well done, well done indeed! Even Lorn's record pales in comparison to yours."
"A scoundrel like you deserves a ring just as dastardly."
>Given the Ring of the Scoundrel
MOTUS CHAMPION BONUS
"You're truly worthy of my respect... a master assassin, you are."
"However... you can't buy and sell death without making a few enemies..."
"For a price, I can make those naysayers show you proper respect. Motus's Looming Threat is at your disposal."
>[Message Appears: Motus's threat can reset Kingdom Tendency to 0... but eliminates the possibility of becoming its Champion or Nemesis.]
PATCHES THE TREASURER
Profile:
Patches is probably the last person you'd want to trust to be a treasurer.
To those who know him, he's notoriously selfish, greedy, and untrustworthy, and to those who don't know him, he gives off that kind of vibe nonetheless.
But he still claims to be a higher up of Motus, and actually seems to have some sort of connection to Diplomat Malachi, so some of what he says may have some element of truth to it.
Quest:
PATCHES' MYRIAD TRAPS
Patches never learns. Every time you meet him, he has a devious trap in store, meant to kill the victim and let Patches pillage their corpse.
But he's got some new tricks in store for the wily Explorers.
He doesn't seem to understand the concept of a Beacon, though... his efforts are fruitless in producing any sort of reward for himself.
Trap List:
Necropolis: Patches warns of a trap in the tunnel ahead, and instead points the player towards a drop-off, over which he claims treasure rests.
There is a trap in the tunnel, and treasure beneath the cliff. He told the truth in the expectation that you would not believe him.
Talking to him afterwards will have him deride you for not listening to him.
Bloody Oasis: He asks for your aid clearing Shades out of a room filled with blood. But as you enter, he shuts the gate behind you and the room begins to fill with poisonous blood.
Your only escape is a ladder behind a lot of Shades.
Bridges of the Edge: If you met Patches in either of the other locations, he will dash away at you, past a bridge that quickly explodes behind him, thanks to a shadowy dragon that appears and breathes across it.
Once you overcome or fall prey to his traps, he appears in the Lighthouse Dock as a merchant who sells various rare goods.
These include valuable Skulls of Motus, which cannot be infinitely bought from any other merchant.
DIALOGUE
-AT NECROPOLIS
ON APPROACH
"Hey! Hey you, watch out!"
"Don't take another step!"
FIRST CONVERSATION
"Whew, I'm glad that someone finally has the sense to listen to reason. There's a right nasty trap down that corridor."
"I'm Patches, Treasurer of Motus! Sanctioned by the official diplomat, I am. It's my job to collect treasure. That's what a Treasurer does, right?"
"What am I doing down here? Oh... no reason, really. Frightful weather, bad political climate, Phantasm, all that rubbish."
"But this place! Oh my god, is there some treasure here! Just look down that cliff over there."
"Don't be shy..."
SECOND CONVERSATION AND ONWARDS
"Wonderful, ain't it? Ahhh, yes... this is the life."
AFTER THE TRAP IS TRIGGERED
"What?! How did you- er, well, what did I tell you? I warned you, but you didn't listen."
"It's my accent, isn't it? That two-faced assassin is always telling me I sound like some sort of con-man."
"Either way, you've no one to blame but yourself. Hehehe..."
-AT BLOODY OASIS
FIRST CONVERSATION
"Hah...hah... oh! An Explorer, ripe for the- er, never mind."
"It's hot here, isn't it? I'm Patches the Treasurer! Nice to meet you!"
"Say, I'm in a bit of... well, I guess you could call it a pickle. That atrium's swarming with Shades, and it seems like it's the only way out."
"I could never take on so many by myself. Could you take point and... clear the way a bit? Don't worry, I'll be right behind you."
"I've got a nice reward in store... so, what do you say?"
SECOND CONVERSATION AND ONWARDS
"What's the matter? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Go on, get!"
ON TRIGGERING THE TRAP
"Hahaha! Well met, well met indeed!"
"Lungs full of hot blood a reward enough for you?"
"Hurry up and drown! My wallets itching for some new trinkets!"
AFTER THE TRAP IS TRIGGERED
"How are you still- but- no! No, that's not how it's supposed to work!"
"Ah... never mind me, just... stubbed my toe, that's all."
"Oh, earlier? I was... talking to the Shades. Forgive me, I seem to have forgotten you were in there."
"Here, take this. As a gesture of goodwill."
>Given a Soul of a Shadow
-AT THE BRIDGES OF THE EDGE
ON APPROACH
"Ugh, not you again!"
FIRST CONVERSATION
"Oh god no, please spare me! I..."
"I... thought you were a Shade! Hehe!"
"N-nice to meet you. I'm Patches, the-"
"Oh, you already know me? I'm flattered."
"Come to think of it... I think I've seen you before too!"
"I might not have acted too... courteously in the past, but hell! We're both humans, aren't we?"
"What say you we let bygones be bygones? Clean slate, forgiveness, all like that?"
>Yes
"Perfect! I think I'm done with these Ruins anyway. No more trickery for me."
"I've heard that there's quite a nice place in the center... maybe I'll head there."
>No
"Hm. Well. That simply will not do."
"No hard feelings then!"
>Attacks you. If you kill him, you will be marked for death.
SECOND CONVERSATION AND ONWARDS
"...Seriously, why are you staring at me like that?"
"It's my face, isn't it? They always tell me I've got the face of a rat."
-AT LIGHTHOUSE DOCK
FIRST CONVERSATION
"See? Look at this, I'm a changed man!"
"I've got rarities to sell. Skulls of Motus, and much more!"
"So have a look. Come along now, I won't bite."
SECOND CONVERSATION
"Have you heard the legend of the Tattered King?"
"Take it from me. It's no legend. I saw him, prowling the Ruins."
"He gave me a funny look. Or, I think he did. It was hard to tell under all that... cloth."
"It's like anyone who's anyone is down here these days! These are the end times, I tell ya."
THIRD CONVERSATION
"Have you been to that hut in the woods? It's a dull place."
"Who would live there, of all places? Not prime real estate, no siree."
"Not even any valuables. If there was anything there once, it's long gone now."
FOURTH CONVERSATION
"Did you end up meeting with the Diplomat, and his two-faced rat?"
"I can't stand the guy. He gives me the willies."
"Once he's got his mark, he never stops til they're dead."
"If you want my advice? Stay outta his way. Or else kill him before he kills you."
FIFTH CONVERSATION AND ONWARDS
"This place would be nice... if not for that black tower hanging over our heads."
"What if it falls down, and crushes us all? That'd be a rather anticlimactic end to all this, wouldn't it?"
"Then again, if we drop it on the Phantasm... well, who knows!"
"I'm just spouting nonsense, don't mind me one bit."
SPECIAL DIALOGUE
GREETING
"Welcome to Patches' Treasury! Window-shoppers unwelcome."
INTERRUPTED MENU
"And here I thought you had forgiven me...!"
FAREWELL
"Oh how I hate to part with my trinkets... but how I love your Souls!"
MR. LORN OF MOTUS
Profile:
Mr. Lorn seems to be just a timid man, trying to eke out an honest, safe living in Motus as an assistant of Diplomat Malachi.
But he has a sinister secret, unknown to most, and feared by the rest.
He has an alternate personality, an insane, murderous one, which Malachi bent to his will, aiming his wrath in a more orderly fashion.
Quest:
MR. LORN'S MARKS
After the Third Soullight is lit, Mr. Lorn is approached for two very important jobs, given to him by two very important people.
In order to save the people who have been marked for death, the player must either kill Mr. Lorn before he can do the deed, or somehow convince him that their lives are worth saving.
After the Fourth Soullight is lit:
Duchess Alia is assassinated. In order to save her life, Lorn must be presented with a Pyromancy Flame, fully upgraded by her, while he is in his sane personality.
After the Fifth Soullight is lit:
Mother Cosima is assassinated. In order to save her life, Lorn must be touched with the Miracle Kindred Spirits while in his insane personality.
If both of the marks are assassinated successfully, Mr. Lorn will disappear from the game. If marked for death offline, the Tattered King will invade you instead.
DIALOGUE
Even Motus Tendency: Sane.
Odd Motus Tendency: Insane
WHILE SANE
FIRST CONVERSATION
"...Oh. Oh no, you s-shouldn't talk to me."
"It's not... I'm not safe."
"My name is Mr. Lorn. I'm a murderer for hire. Better known as an assassin."
"It's not the best kind of living. But it's the only one I've got."
SECOND CONVERSATION
"Motus... it is not a calm land by any means. I-If I had the choice, I would've liked to be born anywhere else. Anywhere."
"When I was young… my parents were taken from me. I saw them die."
"The sight broke something in me. That's where... he came from. He... did horrible things on the streets. I would've been lynched, if not for Malachi."
"But now I see death everyday, and it does not faze me."
"After a while, you just... get used to it. Happens to everyone."
THIRD CONVERSATION
"I recently got a new mark. I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but... something tells me that you're someone I can trust."
"Someone wants a member of the nobility dead. I won't say who."
"From what he told me, they're someone who's not worth saving. Someone who viciously manipulates those around them..."
"No, I won't have any guilt at all in extinguishing such a life. Sometimes, my marks make me feel like I'm exacting divine judgement on the wicked..."
"But I know it's the exact opposite of that."
FOURTH CONVERSATION AND ONWARDS
"I think one day... once I am free of my other self, I will pursue a more honest line of work."
"The blood on my hands will never fade, but I cannot stay mired in despair."
"Maybe I can atone. And then when my life ends, I can apologize to those I've wronged."
WHILE INSANE
FIRST CONVERSATION
"Oh... fresh meat? Hmhmhmhm..."
"I am Lorn. Some call me a killer."
"I don't see what their problem is... killing is the only way I can feel alive."
"Only when there is no more blood to spill, will I be satisfied."
SECOND CONVERSATION
"Human beings are so... fragile. Even the mightiest of warriors can be felled with a knife at his throat."
"First pours the blood, moist... and alluring, red as roses... then comes lifeblood of a different sort."
"The Soul… the essence of life incarnate. Devouring it whole... is the greatest pleasure in this world."
"There are many of them here. The sweet fragrance of death permeates the air."
"I wonder how many I can feast upon?"
THIRD CONVERSATION
"Those blasted Beacons make my job very difficult... no one seems to stay dead. But I have found a flaw in their design."
"Those who sleep, those who dream... their Souls are closest to death, and their Mind is scattered."
"If killed, their will cannot reform. The Beacon's light will not draw them. It is a true death, indeed. Hmhmhmhm..."
"Not that I don't enjoy killing the same person over and over again, until they go mad from the pain! That is most delightful, as well!"
"Hahahaha!"
FOURTH CONVERSATION
"I'll let you in on a little secret..."
"Do you know that old treehugger, Cosima of Yuho? There's a price on her head."
"But I can't tell you who put out that mark, oh no. We have a strict... buyer confidentiality agreement."
"Hehehehe... I bet I could just let her die of old age, and leave it at that. But what fun would that be?"
FIFTH CONVERSATION AND ONWARDS
"My weaker side... that sniveling fool thinks he can be rid of me someday."
"It's only natural. The weak must cling to hope, for they have no power to change things themselves."
"But he is a part of me. I own him, I control his life. To destroy me would be to destroy himself."
"I'll let him keep hoping in vain. It will only torture him further when he realizes the truth."
"Gahahaha!"
AFTER SAVING COSIMA
"..."
"Get out of my sight."
SPECIAL DIALOGUE
WHILE SANE
WHEN YOU HAVE A FULLY UPGRADED PYROMANCY FLAME
"...What's this? A Pyromancy Flame?"
"Ahhh... it's so warm. Did... did that Pyromancer woman stoke this fire?"
"You're asking me to spare her, aren't you? I don't know why else you would show me this."
"Very well. One missed mark among thousands will be insignificant."
"Thank you. Life can be so cold, sometimes."
WHILE INSANE
WHEN YOU USE THE KINDRED SPIRITS MIRACLE ON HIM
"Hnngrkk!? Ergghhh... Ahhhhrggg!"
"W-what... what have you done to me, you filthy…!"
"It... it is like I can see them in my head anew... my marks..."
"You monster… forcing me to feel regret..."
"I cannot possibly kill her now."
"How dare you... depriving me of my only pleasure."
"You will pay for this... you will die in her stead!"
[Motus Tendency: -1]
>Marked for death
THE TATTERED KING: THE SHADOW OF MOTUS
Art by Krekian
Profile:
The Tattered King is the reigning King of Motus, or so they say.
There is no evidence to say he exists, except the odd anecdote, retelling a glimpse of his ripped up rags, or pretenders who boast their sovereignty, only to disappear without a trace.
Despite all this, Motus citizens believe whole-heartedly in his existence, and the thin illusion of order that exists in the kingdom owes its existence to his imposing image.
Quest:
TRACK DOWN THE TATTERED KING
When you start a New Game, a Tattered King enemy is placed in one of four locations across the Aeon Ruins, but is only visible if you have a negative rating in all Kingdoms.
If you kill him, then during NG+, he will appear in all four locations, and drop a piece of his armor each time you kill him.
Wear his armor and descend to Beneath to talk with the real Tattered King, who waits just before the Black Phantasm in the depths of the Black Fathoms.
Tattered King Locations:
1: In the Killing Fields, looking towards the Necropolis from atop a spire of bone. If attacked, he will descend and fight.
2: In the Icecrest Passage, walking down a secluded tunnel. He will then activate a lever that causes a torrent of water to burst through the tunnel and push the Explorer off a nearby cliff.
3: in the Saltstorm, accompanied by an ambushing squad of Spectres.
4: In front of the Dark Cottage. He does not fight back.
5: In the expanse of the Black Fathoms, before the Black Phantasm. He can be spoken to here, but cannot be killed.
DIALOGUE
FIRST CONVERSATION
"..."
SECOND CONVERSATION
"Ye who feed upon the world's ire. Ye who wear the garb."
"Welcome to the deepest shadow. To the last memories of those who first danced in the light."
"I am the Tattered King. Lord of Motus, land of backstabbers."
"Do you seek answers? The truth? Both are very simple."
"The answers are without meaning. The truth is cruel. And you can only truly trust yourself, in the end.
THIRD CONVERSATION
"The empty creatures who built this place were born with immortality. But they discovered the soul, and trusted its light."
"It blessed them with death, and so they locked themselves away, until their black memories of fear trickled down to the depths."
"The soldiers above trusted their Kings. And the tides of blood rivaled the ocean."
"The bonds of loyalty are simply bonds. But doubt sets you free."
"And so I hid my face behind tatters, and gave my people chaos."
"Better to be pricked than beheaded. Better pain than death."
"And so Motus grew a thick skin. I couldn't be more proud."
FOURTH CONVERSATION
"But you have already seen the end, haven't you? You have borne the hunger that arises from that man's unwitting rebellion."
"Consume, and end the cycle? Or banish the shadows of the past, and bring about a new rebirth?"
"That is the only true choice, the only true power, given solely to the one who snatches the world from the jaws of fate."
"But no man should ever claim such a choice. The will of mortals belongs to every mortal, and no god or demon can ever change that."
"If you desire unity, true unity... it will come from the choice not to choose. To end one's life, to shuffle off this mortal coil."
"In a world that relies on selfish, quarreling animals formed into mobs... that selfless act... the rejection of power..."
"It might just bring the whole world crashing down."
FIFTH CONVERSATION AND ONWARDS
"How do I know all these things? Heh heh heh..."
"Perhaps these words are not my own. Perhaps they were meant to be spoken long ago."
