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| The mechanics and the metaphor converge in the fact that cloth and wood are flammable, and can be used as fuel by these superior entities to feed their flames and expand their power, reinforcing the idea that the weakest literally sustain the strength of gods and rulers. | | The mechanics and the metaphor converge in the fact that cloth and wood are flammable, and can be used as fuel by these superior entities to feed their flames and expand their power, reinforcing the idea that the weakest literally sustain the strength of gods and rulers. |
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| # '''Boss: Sparafucile & Maddalena'''
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| The fight against Sparafucile and Maddalena would be inspired by a dynamic similar to Ornstein and Smough. Sparafucile would act as the primary boss — larger, more imposing, and responsible for applying constant pressure on the player throughout the encounter. He would wield one or two crescent-shaped scythes most of the time, delivering heavy, punishing attacks, while keeping a dagger reserved for more specialized maneuvers. Despite initially appearing slow and brutish, Sparafucile would reveal himself to be surprisingly acrobatic, leaping onto walls, clinging to them, and using the momentum to strike the player with his dagger.
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| Maddalena would serve a more situational and strategic role. She would fight with a rapier and be far more agile, precise, and stealth-oriented. Throughout the battle, she would remain mostly hidden, waiting for the right moment to strike. If the player repeatedly pressures Sparafucile, the sound of swift footsteps can be heard, signaling Maddalena’s approach for a punishing parry. Should the player attempt to chase Maddalena, Sparafucile would intervene, forcibly pushing the player away to protect her.
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| Both bosses would actively protect one another, creating a tightly choreographed and dynamic encounter. The arena would be long and circular, with a single beam of light illuminating the center while the rest of the environment is swallowed by darkness, allowing Maddalena to conceal herself along the edges. Visually, Sparafucile would feature a luxurious yet decadent design, wearing a hat and exuding a roguish, sleazy charm — something evocative of Candyman and the archetype of three men locked in conflict. Maddalena’s appearance would draw inspiration from agile, predatory figures such as Hornet or the mantis lords from Hollow Knight.
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| # '''NPC: Satan — The Mysterious Stranger'''
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| Satan would be directly inspired by Mark Twain’s The Mysterious Stranger. He would appear multiple times throughout the game, offering items to the player in exchange for malicious actions. These actions could involve killing or stealing from other characters. Once the player obtains what they desire through the pact, Satan himself would later apply a debuff as a form of delayed punishment, ultimately giving the player what they truly deserve for their actions.
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| The number of deals made with Satan would directly influence the game’s ending. He would not function as a traditional villain, but rather as an observing figure who proposes bargains and only collects the price afterward, reinforcing the idea of delayed moral consequence.
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| # '''NPC: Ophelia — Spirit of the River'''
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| Ophelia would be a river spirit inspired by William Shakespeare’s character. She would offer the player items tied to flowers, symbolizing hospitality, care, and gentle aid. Unlike Satan, Ophelia would initially ask for nothing in return.
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| However, she could become a victim within pacts made with Satan, sacrificed in exchange for powerful items. This choice would reinforce the moral weight of the player’s decisions, placing Ophelia’s hospitality and fragility in direct contrast with the benefits gained through malicious actions.
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| # '''NPC: Frollo — The Scholar'''
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| Claude Frollo would be inspired by the character from The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. He could be found at the top of a dark tower, cluttered with books, chalices, and wine bottles scattered in disarray. His demeanor would be hostile, and he would initially refuse to answer any questions regarding Satan.
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| Frollo would only grant the player a portion of his time if the player proves themselves to be a true believer and a vehement disapprover of pagan religions. Such approval could be earned either through pacts or through actions taken prior to the encounter, such as venerating religious monuments or exterminating anything he deems pagan or contrary to God. Ironically, he would recognize in the player the essence of a true Christian precisely after acts of violence committed in pursuit of alliances with Satan himself.
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| Frollo’s role would be to explain which items Satan desires, where they can be found, and who possesses them — without ever directly ordering the player to kill anyone, merely outlining what would be required. He speaks entirely in conceptual terms, never declaring whether something is good or evil, and never uttering Satan’s name, as he does not even dare to speak the names of demons.
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| # '''NPC: Quasimodo'''
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| At some point, one of the required items could be tied to Quasimodo. Frollo might offer Quasimodo’s life to the player as if it were nothing, treating it as a mere resource — or, conversely, refuse to do so and choose to protect him, claiming he swore to God to care for him in atonement for his parents’ deaths.
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| This decision would directly involve Frollo’s relationship with his faith and his own vows, placing Quasimodo as a critical pivot within the world’s moral logic.
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| # '''Possibly NPC: Zarathustra'''
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| Frollo could have a dialogue in which he talks about how, once, while walking through the forests, he saw a man coming out of a cave declaring that he would show humanity how to become a ‘superman,’ and that he said he already knows how—and that it has to do with serving God. This line would be a reference to the beginning of the book, when Zarathustra awakens.
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| The reference to Zarathustra works extremely well because it does not exist merely as a literary citation, but as a point of ideological rupture within the game’s world. It introduces the idea of overcoming humanity and the creation of new values, and immediately sets this vision in conflict with Frollo’s absolute religious morality. By reinterpreting the “Übermensch” as someone who serves God, Frollo does not deny the existence of the idea but absorbs and distorts it, revealing his authoritarian posture, his erudition, and his need to subordinate any divergent thought to his own faith. This makes his morality more complex and unsettling, because he is neither ignorant nor naïve: he recognizes the danger of ideas and chooses to dominate them. At the same time, the world gains philosophical density without relying on the player’s prior knowledge, since the reference functions to expose conflicts of values rather than to explain them.
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Lore Suggestions For The Bound Ones
- “After the world was struck by the plague you could see large cracks forming and the divine fabric woven by the god seeping through them.”(This can be a cool visual element that can tie the whole world together, it could also be the source where the protagonist draws his strength from, in form of leveling and upgrading)
- Based on the materials that compose the beings of this world, directly linking physical form, social class, and degree of autonomy. The most common characters, the civilians, puppets—easily manipulated and disposable. Figures of greater social importance are made of wood, a more rigid and durable material, yet still flammable, indicating an intermediate level of power: they appear to have more control over themselves, though they remain subject to superior forces. Aristocrats and religious authorities, such as Frollo, belong to this group, believing themselves to possess moral and intellectual autonomy, while still being puppets in essence.
Kings and gods, in turn, are made of steel and powered by steam, assuming an almost mechanical form, which conveys the idea that they are masters of their own actions—no longer controlled by strings, but by internal systems—an autonomy that may be real or merely the highest form of the illusion of freedom. In this world, steam becomes a symbol of power, enabling the existence of bosses and deities that function as furnaces, machines, or even steam-driven organs of the Church.
The mechanics and the metaphor converge in the fact that cloth and wood are flammable, and can be used as fuel by these superior entities to feed their flames and expand their power, reinforcing the idea that the weakest literally sustain the strength of gods and rulers.
Bosses
NPCs