Lore and context Chosen Ones: Also known as Voidkin and Nightkin, are people who possess superhuman capabilities and supernatural abilities resulting from an innate link with an Other. The abilities of each individual depend on the nature of the Other bound with them. Chosen Ones all have ashy white hair, unnatural colored eyes and sclera, some with pitch black markings similar to birthmarks, can’t have children (they can get pregnant but will always result in a miscarriage, The Mother also named Lily confessed that her previous pregnancies ended in the same manner), stop aging past a certain point and have eternal longevity. Because of their special traits and abilities, Chosen Ones are feared by the population, and hunted down by organizations such as the Nostra Order. The Mother, The Daughters, The Child, and The Guide are Chosen Ones.
The Others: They are powerful supernatural entities from the realm of Unreality that lies beyond the Veil. They feed off of the human psyche, and occasionally bind with children from a young age, creating Chosen Ones with unnatural abilities. They seem to be conceptual, some are based on emotions and feed on whatever concept they are named after. For example, Memory is the embodiment of memories, Suffering is the embodiment of suffering, Curiosity is the embodiment of curiosity, and Fear is the embodiment of fear. It seems they can take on a physical form since The Suffering did by creating his grotesque body out of corpses.
Reality: This is what they refer to as the material world or Earth with people living there.
Unreality: Unreality is the name given to the dimension that is home to the Others. It is supposedly a dark and ethereal place where these beings roam free, unable to cross over into Reality and, thus, having limited influence over humans. This realm is separated from our own by the Veil, which is protected by the Nostra Order. During the events of the game, the Veil was broken and the localized merging of both worlds gave rise to the Dark Corner.
The Veil: This is the metaphysical separation between Reality, the normal world inhabited by humans, and Unreality, the nightmare world inhabited by Others. It is said that a Chosen One with a strong bond with their Other may be capable of shredding the Veil and beginning the process of merging the two worlds. At the beginning of the game, the Child uses the power of Suffering to tear the Veil and begin the merging process, as marked by the creation of the Dark Corner.
"Time and space converged.
Reality and unreality were on the edge of destruction.
For the first time, an Other was close to breaking through."
The Dark Corner: This is a transient location where Reality and Unreality converge. It was created by the Child upon tearing the Veil and beginning the merging of both worlds. The Dark Corner appears as a somber and desolate version of the City and is used as a battleground by the Mother and the forces of Suffering.
The Mother: She is one of the main characters of the game, acting as the protagonist trying to save reality and The Child from being consumed by Suffering. She is a Chosen One and the one whose story is depicted in the memories. Due to Memory being the embodiment of the concept of memories, The Mother can perfectly recall everything she’s experienced through her many, many years of living. This extends to things that would be useful for combat as well, resulting in her being the greatest warrior of all time. The game begins as she fuses with her Other, Memory, to become the Red Mother. It's eventually revealed that The Mother’s name is Lily.
I have lived for hundreds of years, and I have lost the taste of life during this immortal journey. My only goal was to protect the Veil, no matter the cost. Did all his pain and suffering lead me to this fateful moment? Was failure inevitable? My dear friend, we have gone through so much sorrow, can you even remember my name? Through death, I will guide you... - Mother
The Red Mother: She is the main character in Othercide and the one aiding the player during the course of the game. The Red Mother is the result of the fusion between the Mother and her Other (Memory). This transformation occurs at the end of Mother's story, shortly before the events shown at the beginning of the game, and it grants Mother the ability to manifest in the Dark Corner to fight the forces of Suffering. In the game, the Red Mother acts both as a narrator and as the player's guide.
What really happened I cannot say. We have "exchanged" our realities, my Dear Friend. My body is gone, but my spirit follows you. Together we can stop the Chosen One of Suffering. Sever the link that unites them. I offer you my memories: shape our Daughters and send them to stop Suffering before it is too late... - Mother
Memory: It is an Other from beyond the Veil, specifically, the one bound to the Mother. They are an absent character in the game, appearing only in the name on certain mentions or in the Lore. Gameplay-wise, Memory is represented by the Player themselves, as they would be the one aiding Mother and shaping the Daughters from her memories. The Daughters represent different periods of The Mother's life and Memory can further power them up by equipping them with memories of certain experiences The Mother had during her life. Memory can resurrect Daughters that it remembers if it has a resurrection token. Memory also has the ability to revert and undo time and return to different eras. Memory can also use certain objects with memories attached to them for various effects.
The Daughters: They are tangible manifestations of the Mother's memories of herself at some point in her long life. They are created using the powers of the Memory Other, now fused with the Red Mother. In the game, the Daughters act as individual units you command in battle. There are three classes, with a fourth class you will eventually unlock. The classes are Blademasters, Shieldbearers, Soulslingers, and Scythedancers.
Cut them down until your blade rusts with gore. Sanctify every bullet fired with the lifeblood of your enemies. Shield your souls with spear and aegis. Never stop, not for mercy nor rest, for your enemy is relentless and you must be tireless. - Mother
Blademasters: They are close-range agile sword fighters that deal extremely high damage and can overwhelm an enemy’s armor. They are quick and deadly, but also more fragile than other sisters. They are the team’s primary attackers. Blademasters represent The Mother's time training under her master, before having to make a difficult choice and killing her to protect another before taking on students of her own, during which she wielded a blade.
With their powerful close-range attacks, give them just the support they need to make them unstoppable on the battlefield. - Codex (Characters)
Discipline is your sword. Never back off, and slay the enemy until your blade grows rusty with his blood. The Veil must be protected by any means necessary. - Mother
Shieldbearers: They are more defensive than other sisters and can control most enemies with their shields. The Shieldbearer is the team's defensive stalwart fulfilling a wide variety of defensive roles such as direct tanking duties, tactical stalling, enemy corralling and repulsion, as well as interruption cover and clean-up. They use a spear and shield. Shieldbearers represent The Mother’s time serving as a Knight to bring down a ruler who was also a Chosen One and used creatures to attack others. That conflict came down to her enduring and holding the line with her loved one until someone else finally killed him.
Units with high defense, they can inflict crowd-control effects to master the battlefield and the timeline. - Codex (Characters)
Protect your companions, consider their lives above yours. Each scar is a new medal. Your shield protects the body, your body protects the soul. - Mother
Soulslingers: They are ranged combatants of the team that uses twin revolvers and are also in charge of overall tactical control duties as well as cover fire, protection, and support and provides the team's only direct crowd control options. They are one of the most critical and versatile components of any team. Soulslingers represent The Mother's time as a hired gun for the Nostra order, where she worked with a Bounty Hunter and a Seer to find and help other Chosen Ones before finding out what they were really doing with The Chosen Ones she’s been saving, then slaughtering them all and leaving.
Dealing long-range damage, they can also support other daughters to make them even more powerful or create deadly combos. - Codex (Characters)
Remember this: nothing counts as much as blood. May each bullet be sanctified with the blood of your enemies. And, if you can, aim between the eyes. - Mother
Scythedancers: They focus on area of effect and damage over time, and specializes in destroying armor and getting stronger and stronger during battle. The Scythedancer can best be described as a jack-of-all-trades possessing some degree of competency in each of the other classes' fields of expertise while generally being somewhat inferior in some manner. They use scythes. Scythedancer is a special case, they were spawned from when The Mother used the memories of a boss called The Maid to create them. The Maid boss uses a scythe, same as the Scythedancer Daughters.
The Scythedancers specializes in destroying armor, and gets stronger and stronger during the battle. - Codex (Characters)
Your anger is ours now. Avenge those who have been slaughtered, become the reaper of the unpunished executioners. I appeal to ultimate violence, in the name of justice. - Mother
The Child: The Child is the primary antagonist in Othercide, and the Chosen One bound to Suffering. He is incapable of dying, thanks to his Other's power, and was subjected to endless torture which led to him letting Suffering through into reality.
Everyone wears a mask to hide their true nature...
Adopted and then locked up by the Deacon, the Chosen One has lived in the shadow of mankind and daylight. Dying from the plague but made immortal Suffering, The Child was caught in an infernal spiral continuous pain, strengthening his host and gaining immeasurable powers. An ideal specimen for the Surgeon and his doctors, The Child's body undergoes a thousand tortures, exploring the farthest reaches of immeasurable pain. When hope came in the form of a young servant, The Child finally perceived the human warmth that he had missed so much. An innocent love was born towards this sister who he refused to let near him, fearing she would be contaminated. How many times did The Child have to clench his fists, his forehead pressed against the clay wall of his prison, to forget the screams of his beloved, assaulted by this false, perverse priest? And yet, despite the dangers, the young servant visited The Child tirelessly every night. She descended the stairs leading to the cellar, with only a simple candle for light, in order to sing a lullaby to calm this trapped and sick infant. She promised him that one day they would be free, that there was still hope to cling to. This makeshift idyll was shattered when the Deacon discovered the schemes of his servant. Seized with black anger and pernicious jealousy, he locked the Maid in the cellar, condemning her to death. Agonizing and feverish, the young woman died in the arms of the broken Child. The last dikes of his soul gave way, and The Child drowned in a flood of hatred, fully binding himself to the Suffering Other. He swore the world would be his as he fell into obscurity. - The Mother (Codex - A Child)
Locked in a dark corner of a flooded cellar, alone in endless night, the Child grew up in a house of pain and torture until he became the Chosen One of the Suffering Other.
Capable of shaping and giving life to his own traumas, this prince of darkness has but one goal:
To give this cruel world what it deserves in return. With a shrill cry, he breaks the Veil and tears Reality, allowing his dark companion to be born into the world of the living. The Dark Corner is created, a place frozen in space and time between two worlds, where souls and flesh coexist to feed the Nucleus of Suffering. - The Mother (Codex - The Child)
The Suffering: Suffering is the final boss and antagonist of Othercide, as well as the Child's Other. Suffering embodies the concept of suffering by allowing his Chosen One, the Child, to create various monstrosities based on the traumas and suffering he’s been forced to endure during his life. These are what The Daughters fight during the game, including Infected creatures. The difference between Infected creatures and Nightmare creatures is Infected creatures are people or corpses who have been corrupted into monsters, and Nightmare creatures are the manifestations of the Child’s trauma in physical form. Even if Suffering dies, as long as there are people in pain, it will always be there. This seems to be the same for all the Others.
Suffering is a god incarnate. Most of her skills cannot be avoided, and will alternate from turn to turn. After launching a reaction and an interruption, she will change position with the Daughter farthest from her, damaging that Daughter and any surrounding allies. The skills she chooses to end her turn will alternate. As the battle rages on, Daughters will find that death is unavoidable. The only way to win is to win fast. - Codex (Characters)
Thus, the abyss creature became a god in our world. A divine being thirsting for torment and painful grace. Suffering had always wanted to taste the exciting bouquet of Reality, the tempting music of howls and the suave beauty of torture. Nourished by the Daughters sacrificed in the fight against The Child, Suffering is now ready to reign over Reality and shape the world his own way. Watch the white roses blossom. - Mother
