Enki
This article is about the Fear & Hunger playable character. For the enemy of the same game, see Priest. For the religious group featured in the series, see Dark Priests.
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Warning! Spoilers ahead!
Proceed at your own risk! |
"My name is Enki. A priest of destruction. Did that feed your curiosity?"
- Enki when asked about his identity.
Enki Ankarian is a playable character and a potential party member in Fear & Hunger. A dark priest that bears no burden on such things as morality and ethics, Enki has an edge in blood magic. However, devoting himself to magic has left his physical body weak.
Lore
"One of the more notorious dark priests of the modern age. We would not be surprised if he was to rise and become the new enlightened one."
- The New Gods when asked about Enki.
Enki was born with the soul of the enlightened, driving him to endlessly pursue new knowledge and uncover secrets beyond the reach of the ordinary. The fact that Enki and his twin sister were born from a lineage that had generations long connections to the occult only cemented his connection to the Enlightened soul. Enki's innate desire for knowledge became even more apparent at a young age when he was selected to become a dark priest.
In keeping with the customs of occult ceremonies, Enki was compelled to engage in a deadly confrontation with his own sister, wielding ceremonial knives in a fight to the death. Enki's frail physique proved to be his downfall, as his sister swiftly gained the upper hand and held a blade to his throat, poised for the final strike. However, she chose to spare his life and lowered her weapon, stepping back from him while their supervising high priests looked on with perverse satisfaction.
Should the player opt to play as Enki, they will be presented with two choices following the confrontation with his sister. The first option allows Enki to seize the opportunity of his sister's mercy and strike her down with a fatal stab to the spine, thereby appeasing the high priests and enabling Enki to resurrect his sister as a ghoul during his ascension ceremony. Alternatively, if the player chooses to accept defeat, the high priests will cast Enki into an underground well where he will languish in darkness and feed on insects and other small creatures until he eventually learns to understand their language. If the player selects the second option and Enki manages to climb out of the well with the aid of his insect minions, a new decision awaits him. Enki may opt to seek retribution by setting the temple ablaze or decide to leave the cult behind and move on with his life.
Enki's pilgrimage to becoming a dark priest led him on a solitary quest of discovery, traversing the western continent to study the occult arts, diverse deities, blood magic, and a multitude of sciences. His impressive achievements were recognized by the foremost scholars of his era, and he was granted entry to the prestigious great libraries of Rondon, renowned for their vast collection of historical and scientific knowledge.
During his time at Rondon, Enki would immerse himself in his studies and acquire a great amount of knowledge, however he would end up becoming unsatisfied and frustrated, as he was unable to reach any sort of breakthrough. Eventually, Enki would come to the conclusion that he had reached his mortal limits, and he would volunteer himself as a religious sacrifice for Alll-mer, since he was unwilling to live an empty life any longer. As he lay on the cross, crucified by his fellow dark priests, Enki was given a vision by Nilvan, a vision about a prophesied man destined to usher in a new era of greatness for humanity. Frustrated and unwilling to let another bask in the glory of the gods, Enki ordered the priests to release him so that he could embark on a quest to uncover more about this prophesied figure. Eventually, Enki knew that this man, Le'garde, was being held captive in the dungeons of fear and hunger.
If not chosen as the main character, Enki will be frequently discovered engrossed in his studies, regardless of his whereabouts at the dungeon. He can be found poring over tomes in the library, meditating in the chamber by a ritual circle, and even breaking away from the group to indulge in his scholarly pursuits within the Grand Libraries of Ma'habre. Enki regards these libraries as founts of knowledge and power and displays a haughty demeanor towards the player for their lack of understanding of their significance.
Although the specifics of Enki's life following the first game are not explicitly explored, there is evidence that he managed to survive the perils of the dungeons of fear and hunger. He gained notoriety for his authorship of powerful occult literature concerning the Gods, collectively referred to as the Skin Bibles. It is possible that the Vatican may have altered or manipulated some, if not all, of these works. As one of Enki's Skin Bibles delves into the lore of the God of Fear and Hunger and provides details on the Cruel Age, it is implied that he endured a considerable span of time, witnessing the transformative impact the Ascended God had on humanity.
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Warning! Speculation ahead!
Information below is hinted on, but wasn't directly confirmed in-game. |
Enki is implied to have become similar to Nosramus, in that he took the path of enlightenment, and uncovered the secrets of immortality. This is likely the case, as his books have made an appearance in Fear & Hunger 2: Termina. It is also worth noting that while he likely managed to live long enough to see the Cruel Age, there is no information about his current condition.
Appearance
Enki is a man on his late twenties, although due to his upbringing and dedication to the occult, he looks far older than he should. He has grey colored hair and eyes, with a pale skin tone and a skeleton-like appearance. For clothing he wears the orthodoxical black robes, the same used by all other dark priests, alongside a pair of green gloves and a pair of green socks with sandals.
Personality
As someone born with the Enlightened soul, Enki is a scholar at heart, with a passion for books and the occult. Besides his desire for knowledge, Enki is also defined by his antisocial tendencies, being the most rude and closed-off among the playable characters. He is very confident and proud in his skill in magic and intellect, this combined with his rude behavior, makes him often come across as arrogant or condescending.
Due to his pride, he often dismisses others' concerns and even goes so far as to misinterpret them as insults. He also tends to keep his relationships to a professional level and will never show any gratitude or fondness towards the player, always seeing their relationship as nothing more than a temporary arrangement formed out of necessity.
He is also described as someone who bears no burden on such things as morality and ethics, being more than willing to pay the dark price necessary to succeed magic.
Gameplay traits
| Stat | Starting value |
|---|---|
| Attack | 30 |
| Defense | 16 |
| M.Attack | 16 |
| M.Defense | 16 |
| Agility | 10 |
| Luck | 32 |
- Has Short sword and High priest's robe equipped.
- Has x3 Torch and x2 Lucky coin in inventory (if chosen as the main character).
- Has the Enlightened soul, which unlocks the Enlightenment skill tree in the Hexen Table.
- Can only use one-handed swords and maces as weapons.
- Cannot use Plate helmet, Gaunt bascinet, Plate mail, Iron cuirass, Gaunt plate armor, Arm guards and Leg guards.
- Can be chosen to form Marriages, but will refuse to form a Marriage (Fusion).
- It is not possible to form a Marriage with Enki due to a programming error: Cahara is the only exception.
- Cannot be sacrificed at ritual circles.
- Has the Counter-magic skill learned by default.
Character History
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Enki is the best playable character when it comes to magic, having multiple choices related to magical skills in his intro and having access to the Enlightenment skill tree at the Hexen Table. While his proficiency in magic can be very useful, his weak body and inability to use certain weapons and armor can make him quite difficult to get used to, making him a bad choice for beginners.
As for the best choices one can make, if you want to start a run with the best skills and equipment, it will depend a lot on your playstyle and level of experience. Here is a set of choices that is recommended:
- "Strike your dagger to her spine while she walks away"
- "Pray for God of the Depths"
- "Stock up on magical items"
While stabbing your sister will lock you out of Dash, the skill Necromancy can be very useful to beginners, as it will allow them to recruit skeletons and ghouls to compensate for Enki's lack of combat ability.[2]
Alternately the following set of choices is recommended:
- "Accept your defeat"
- "Quietly leave and run away without revenge"
- "Pray for God of the Depths"
- "Rush straight after him"
Accepting defeat will give you Mastery over Insects, which can offer some help when dealing with insect enemies and will allow you to gain items and info by talking to the insect NPCs. Choosing "Accept your defeat" is also required to learn Dash, an skill that is very useful for locomotion and avoiding fights. As the God of the Depths is the only god who can not be prayed to at ritual circles and statues, it is recommended to pray to them at the intro, as the god's skills are very good at inflicting status effects and there are very few other ways to gain the god's affinity.[3]
As a party member
If recruited, Enki will have Hurting, Needle worm and Counter-magic. He will also be unable to learn Greater Hurting even if one teaches him Greater blood magic due to a bug. As a party member, Enki suffers from a limited equipment selection, being unable to use two-handed weapons and heavy armor. Counter Magic is arguably his most useful skill, as by the time he is available for recruitment, both Hurting and Needle worm will be outdated and you will most likely already have better skills on your arsenal.[4]
Recruitable human characters with 50 or less Mind points may attempt to leave the party in certain locations, forcing the protagonist to either leave them behind and recover their sanity through items or convince them to resume the journey without defecting. Enki, in particular, has a special interaction with Ragnvaldr, as he will prevent Enki from leaving once. The same works the other way around, as he will do the same once for Ragnvaldr when his Mind points are low.
Trying to perform a marriage with Enki while playing as either D'arce or Ragnvaldr will crash the game due to a bug. For some reason, the marriage mechanic still works normally if Cahara is the main character.
Location and recruiting
- Find him reading in the library and proceed to talk a little to him (emphasis on "little", Enki will get angered if the player continues to talk). Specifically, talk to him until the game says the message "it'd be best not to bother him anymore".
- Obtain the Eclipse Talisman, it can be acquired by either talking to an Yellow mage or using Steal on them.
- Continue your journey until you reach the library on level 7.
- Talk to him and refuse to give him the talisman.
- Accept his services. He will supposedly take the Eclipse Talisman from the protagonist and equip it. The player can find the talisman in Enki's accessory slot where they will be able to unequip it in case they want it back.
Note: After you reach the grand library, he will leave your party to read but he will return after you solve the mannequin's puzzle before the fight with Valteil.
If playing on Terror and Starvation difficulty then after entering Ma'habre, Enki will become a Marriage (Fusion) in Level 7 - Catacombs. Due to a bug, he will appear in this form whether or not you have recruited him, allowing you to have Enki in your party while there is a separate Marriage (Fusion) Enki. Due to another bug, he will instantly die upon entering combat in this form.
Battle
| Body Part | HP | Blunt | Slashing | Piercing | Fire | Otherwordly | Ev. Rate | Magic Ev. | Resistances |
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| Head | 20 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 125% | 100% | 55% | 40% | None |
| Torso | 1190 (1700) | 5% | None | ||||||
| Left arm | 20 | 5% | None | ||||||
| Right arm | 20 | 5% | None |
Strategy
As an enemy, Enki takes 125% damage from the Fire damage type, making it the most effective damage type. To defeat Enki, first you should cut his left arm, since it can cast Hurting, then remove his other arm. Once both arms are removed, the head will be vulnerable for a headshot. At the end of the second turn, Enki's head will use Necromancy and summon a Skeleton, as the skeleton dies when Enki does, it is best to focus on Enki instead (as the skeleton will automatically die once it's summoner is defeated).[5] It is also worth noting that Enki's right arm can use Locust swarm and Needle worm, the first spell can stun you while the second spell will allow him deal damage and then convert said damage into health.
Item drops
If the player uses the Steal skill on him, they will gain no items, making the skill useless in this fight. Once dead, Enki will drop High priest's robe and Everwatching talisman. Using a soul stone on his body will allow the player to gain his Enlightened soul, which will unlock the Enlightenment skill tree and allow the player to skip Valteil's boss fight.
Dialogue
See Enki's dialogue.
Interactions
| Action | Result | Flavour text |
|---|---|---|
| Beat him | Nothing | “No reaction. But it is satisfying.” |
| Search | (High priest's robe, Everwatching talisman) | “You undress the dark priest and take the High priest's robe with you. You also find a talisman hanging from Enki's neck. You take the Everwatching talisman with you.” |
| Leave | Success | Nothing |
| Using a Soul stone | (Enlightened soul) | “The Soul stone changed it's appearance. The stone is radiating faint blue light.” |
Dungeon Nights
Enki appears in the secret dating sim mode, Dungeon Nights, as a playable character and potential love interest.
If the player chooses not to play as Enki, they are supposed to be able to go to the prom with him if they manage to raise his relationship meter to a total of five "hearts". However, due to a mistake in the code it is impossible to gain enough affection to take him to prom and he will always reject the player.
- 1 Day
- Go to the Dungeon (lv.1) and find an Ancient book.
- 2 Day
- Show him the Ancient book. When he asks for it, choose "What is there for me?". Denying him the book or calling him rude twice will anger him and lock you out of the rest of his route.
- 3 Day
- Take him on a successful date.
Trivia
- Enki originated as an idea for a vampire character envisioned by game creator Miro Haverinen prior to developing Fear & Hunger. His primary inspiration was drawn from the figure of Nosferatu, a classic vampire character that has been featured in various forms of literature, film, and other media.
- While Enki shares his name with the Sumerian god of water, knowledge, mischief, crafts, and creation, game creator Miro Haverinen has stated that this was not intentional.
- Although enemy spellcasters will usually trigger Rhabdophobia in-battle, Enki himself will not cause this effect if encountered.
- Enki's last name is revealed in Fear & Hunger 2: Termina.
- At the moment, it is not possible to form a Marriage with Enki due to bugs in the game's script (unless the player is playing as Cahara). This bug is fixed in Frapollo94's bug fix mod.
Gallery
Enki's page in the "Book of memories"
First concept art of Enki.
Unused battle sprite art.
Enlightened Enki
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References
- ↑ [1] Flipside's graveyard: "Here lies Dark Priest 1561-1590"
- ↑ How to get overpowered early as the dark priest Enki https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkAbbBI2N1I&ab_channel=All-bonesJones
- ↑ Fear & Hunger Guide: Intro and Best Choices https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y_jsxzIqzE&list=LL&index=4&t=276s&ab_channel=Frapollo94
- ↑ Fear and Hunger Party Members Tier List https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHNUMhOF6Rg&ab_channel=All-bonesJones
- ↑ How to win against Enki in Fear and Hunger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kadirpz_lYk&ab_channel=All-bonesJones