Karin

Karin

Dialogue

Karin Sauer
Default portrait With Woodsman's parasite With Gro-goroth engraving With Sylvian engraving With Alll-mer engraving With Rher engraving With Vinushka engraving With God of Fear and Hunger engraving Karin cocks the gun and takes it in a firm grip. Karin cocks the gun and takes it in a firm grip.
Aliases	The Journalist Woman with the Brown Jacket The Pretty Lady (by Marina)
Relatives	Unnamed mother Unnamed father (deceased) Unnamed brothers Unnamed stepfather
Affiliation	The Midnight Gazette

Inflicted phobias
Phobias	None

Biographical information
Date of birth	February, 1916
Date of death	1942 (determinant)
Place of birth	Bremen Empire

Physical description
Gender	Female
Age	26
Species	Human

Spiritual Information
Soul	Endless soul

Item drops
Search	(x6 9mm Bullets, Lugr Pistol and Pilot jacket)
Steal	(x8 9mm Bullets)

Overworld data
Note	Cannot be harmed in the Overworld

Battle Theme
“Breath Of The Moon”

Warning! Spoilers ahead! Proceed at your own risk!

Incomplete page ahead! This page currently lacks crucial information! Please add onto it. Reason: Skills are missing.

"I don't need some flaky eyepatched foreigner telling me what's possible and what's not."
- Karin, arguing with Daan on the events of the Termina Festival.

Karin Sauer is a playable character and a potential party member in Fear & Hunger 2: Termina. A journalist that has covered wars, coup d'etats and other disasters, she has picked up various skills that help her survive such as persuasion and lockpicking. Karin is one of the fourteen contestants arriving in Prehevil that were forced to participate in the Festival of Termina.

Lore

Karin was a curious child, often getting into mischief that her elder brothers and nanny had to prevent. Her parents, fresh aristocrats in the Bremen Empire, were too busy to spend time with her and her brothers, leaving them mostly in the care of their nursemaid, Dalia. Despite being highly respected, Karin's parents were outsiders among the noble families, lacking strong roots in Bremen's blue-blooded society.

As tensions rose within Bremen's borders, the Sauer family's lack of strong lineage made them vulnerable. When riots broke out, Karin's parents entrusted her to Dalia's care and instructed her to leave the country until things had settled down. However, Karin couldn't help but feel that Dalia had kidnapped her, as she never consulted with her parents before leaving.

Together, Karin and Dalia traveled to Jettaiah, the capital of the Eastern Sanctuaries, now part of the Eastern Union. The cultural shock was overwhelming for Karin, who had never seen such a stark contrast between poverty and wealth in the same street. Karin found herself living with Dalia in a decent building, but she suspected that Dalia's source of income was not from her parents sending money but from ransom payments.

However, living in the Eastern Union gave Karin some perspective on the oppression of those in power, and she became involved with civil rights organizations. During a protest, Karin was targeted by the local army, and after being knocked unconscious, woke up in the hospital. The Bremen embassy noticed her on television and took her into their custody, sending her back to her mother and new stepfather in Bremen. Her family manor had been burned down during the riots, and her father had died during the unrest. As she suspected, she was in fact kidnapped by Dalia, who was living on ransom money up until this point.

Karin would become a journalist, working at The Midnight Gazette and investigating the suspicious appointment of Kaiser as the chancellor of the Bremen Empire. She felt that Kaiser had played a role in her father's death and was involved in a secret society called "The New Gods." Although she found connections between Kaiser and the group, it sounded like a petty conspiracy theory. However, her sixth sense continued to tingle, as The New Gods were known for controlling different nations from behind the scenes and it was rumored that several people in modern global politics were linked to the group. The more she delved into the subject, the more evidence pointed towards The New Gods being behind the last two great wars that had devastated the world. There was no denying to Karin that something significant was brewing in Europa.

When Kaiser seized control of Prehevil, the capital of Bohemia, and then abruptly made a truce with the Eastern Union, alarm bells started ringing to Karin. As something was definitely amiss, she made the decision to travel to Bohemia personally to investigate. Karin would then become one of the contestants on the Termina festival.

Personality

Karin is recognized for her animosity towards the Kaiser and the Bremen army (whom she refers to as pigs), having written newspaper articles denouncing them in the past. She initially believes that the events in Prehevil, and the mysterious dreams, are caused entirely by the Bremens.

An assertive woman who is determined to reach her goal by any means necessary, Karin is no stranger to hostile environments and quickly ventures into Prehevil to investigate what is happening. At first, she will be dismissive toward the other contestants and refuses their offers for help. However, she will eventually relent once she realizes the dangers within Prehevil are greater than she anticipated.

Karin has an impulsive and short-fused personality and is particularly irked when the train stops. She often clashes with Daan, another Termina contestant, and their interactions are frequently marked by Karin's sharp tongue. Their clashes may stem from their diametrically opposed perspectives on life, as Karin is adamant in her rejection of any notion of occultism or divine influence shaping the world. She fervently believes in seeking rational explanations for everything and remains dismissive of magic and religion, even in the face of undeniable evidence, such as the existence of real gods and others capable of casting magic right before her eyes. Despite the truth surrounding her, Karin remains resolute in her rational approach, which fuels the tension between her and Daan.

Her outlook on herself and other war journalists is distinctive. Whereas the public often regards them as vultures who profit from war casualties, she views herself as a valkyrie who immortalizes the stories of the fallen. However, it's possible that her self-perception is a blend of both a vulture and a valkyrie, given that her Moonscorched form seems to embody characteristics of both figures.

Gameplay traits

• Has Knife and Pilot jacket equipped
• Has x4 Shillings and Lucky coin in inventory (as main character)
• Has the Endless soul, which unlocks the Endless skill tree in the Hexen
• Cannot use two-handed weapons
• Can use firearms

Character History

If skipped:
Gain Lugr Pistol, x6 9mm Bullets, x2 (x5 on Easy) Blue vials and Moldy bread. Gain Escape plan and Persuade skills.

If not skipped:

The soothing sound of the railtracks... You are not used to such peaceful and tranquil atmosphere. You can't help but let your mind wander. You reminisce what has lead you to this point in life... You were always a curious child. Your elder siblings and your nanny had to keep you out of the harm's way to the best of their abilities. Just a moment's lapse in their vigilance and you'd be running behind a corner for one of your many misadventures. Your parents were always busy. They had very little time for you and your brothers, instead you were mostly raised by Dalia, the nursemaid of the household. A tall woman in her 30s originating from the Eastern Sanctuaries. In your memories she was alright, but something always felt 'off' about her... Your parents were fresh aristocrats in the Bremen Empire. Despite being highly thought of, they were outsiders among the noble for they had risen to power by their own means and thus didn't have strong roots among the other blue blood of Bremen. This proved out to be a problem when tensions within Bremen borders were rising with different factions rising to prominence around the country. The situation looked bad for your family as you didn't have strong lineage to back you up. When the time came to throw someone at the wolves to please the general public, the Sauer family was the first to go. Certain populist factions were able to agitate the common people to start riots and a huge mob headed towards your family manor. In a hurry your parents gave you to Dalia's safe keeping and told her to leave the country. They would look you up when things had settled down. Or that's at least what Dalia told you afterwards. You were still a bit young to remember properly. But you could've sworn that Dalia never consulted your parents about your departure. In your memories Dalia just flat out kidnapped you. Whatever the case, you and Dalia traveled to Jettaiah, the capital of the Eastern Sanctuaries, recently named Eastern Union after they joined forces with the Voroniyan Republic. The culture shock was quite drastic, you had never seen such poverty and such riches, side by side in the street view. All the unfamiliar sounds and scents from spice vendors that circled your automobile... It was all too much for you as you were growing restless by the minute. Dalia struggled to contain you as you opened the car door and jumped out of the moving vehicle. Convince passersby that you've been kidnapped (Gain Persuade) Despite the language barrier, you managed to convince some of the people of your distress. Once Dalia came following with her excuses, she had a lot of convincing to do to get the people give you back to her. Dalia tried to assure you that you had nothing to worry about, but once again she gave that 'off' feeling. You didn't know what it was, but you seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to judging people's character and honesty. But there was not much you could do. You were still considered just a child after all. Run through the crowded streets and hide (Gain Escape plan) You threaded through the crowds quickly and gracefully. All the years of playing tag with your brothers paid off. You shook off Dalia with ease. However once the evening came and you grew hungry, you weren't so certain about your plan anymore. You heard Dalia yell for you tirelessly even after all these hours. You decided to give yourself in and reveal your location. You were still just a child after all, what were you going to do instead? Dalia tried to assure you that you had nothing to worry about, but once again she gave that 'off' feeling. You didn't know what it was, but you seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to judging people's character and honesty. So you ended up living with Dalia in a rather decent looking building. She was cashing cheques to maintain your lifestyle. Dalia's version of the truth was that your parents were looking after you by sending money, but you had a feeling that it was just ransom money Dalia kept spending. It wasn't all bad though. Growing up in the Eastern Union gave you some perspective at the very least. The way the local authority oppressed the locals made you wary of those in power. In your teenage years you started spending more time with various civil rights organizations that were active in Jettaiah. During one of the weekly protests the local army decided to make an example of your group. Without mercy the armored officers pummeled brutally those in the first rows of the demonstration. Help those who were wounded (Gain x4 Cloth fragments and x2 Blue vials) Lucky you had prepared for situations like this and you had various first aid item with you. You tried to bandage one of your unconscious comrades, but the army officers reached you in no time and proceeded to beat you to the ground. Grab a pistol from one of the officers and defend yourself (Gain Lugr Pistol and x6 9mm Bullets) You noticed an unconscious army officer on the ground. You picked up his pistol in a hurry, pointed the gun at the opposing forces and shot. You managed to hit one of the officers, but you only managed to shoot his thigh. In return he answered your fire with fire and shot you in the abdomen. You fell down immediately. The pain was excruciating. Run away (Gain Escape plan) You were able to push through the panicking masses that were all trying to escape from the narrow streets. You knew these alleys well and in no time you got back to you flat where you resided with Dalia. Unfortunately a foreigner like yourself stood out in the protest and soon you had army officers at your doorway. With great force they pushed you on the ground which knocked you out immediately. You woke up in the hospital. There were people from the Bremen embassy waiting for you to wake up. Apparently the protest had gained some publicity and they had noticed you on a television. You explained your situation to them and they took you in their custody. Soon you were already on a plane flight headed back to Bremen. You were returned to your mother and her new husband. The rioting mobs had burned down your family manor all those years ago and your father had died during the unrest. You never heard of Dalia again, but apparently she had indeed kidnapped you and you were living off of ransom money your new stepfather had barely been able to put together. Your sixth sense seemed to be working as intended. Your turbulent life had left a mark in you and you had trouble staying still for too long. Instead of settling down properly, you became a journalist at a very young age. The situation in Bremen seemed very suspicious to you. A mysterious person only known as 'Kaiser' was appointed the chancellor of the Bremen Empire without any prior involvement in the country's politics. He had appeared seemingly out of nowhere and taken control of the whole country. Kaiser was partly responsible for what happened to your father as it was him who had been riling up people against the nobility of the country. But it wasn't just that. You also got major 'off' vibes from this person. That's why you dug deep to uncover his past. Nothing seemed to make sense though. There were connections between Kaiser and a so-called secret society called 'The New Gods', but that started to sound like a petty conspiracy theory the more you read into it. Still, your sixth sense was tingling. The New Gods were a group that had been talked about since the Cruel Ages of history. They were the typical secret society, controlling different nations from behind the the curtain and puppeteering those seemingly in power. There were several people in modern global politics linked to this group. The more you investigated the subject, the more it started to look as if this group was behind the last two great wars that had ravaged the world. Something big was definitely brewing in Europa... When Kaiser occupied Prehevil, the capital of Bohemia only to shortly after make a truce with the Eastern Union - that's when your alarm bells started to ring loud. Something was definitely 'off'. You decided to take off and travel to Bohemia yourself. With this long trip ahead of you, how did you prepare for the trip? Stock up on medical goods (Gain x2 Blue vials and Cloth fragment) Stock up on self-defense items (Gain Lugr Pistol, x5 9mm Bullets and Fencing gambeson) Stock up on food (Gain Moldy bread and x2 Dried meat) You've felt tense since the moment you embarked on this journey. Every night you'd see nightmares of the horrors that would wait you in Prehevil... Are they just dreams? You can't help but feel that there is more to the dreams than mere logic would dictate.

Gameplay-wise, Karin's approach revolves around the Talk skill. Persuade, in the hands of a knowledgeable player, provides debuffing and turn-skipping in various encounters throughout the game. Its utility is boosted when Karin learns Diplomacy through the Hexen Table, allowing her to use Talk without expending her first turn. This strategy proves to be very effective against certain enemies, such as Bobby. Escape plan, another useful skill, is nearly indispensable for inexperienced players.

Setting her apart from most characters, her optimal gameplay strategy might involve skipping Character Creation. This grants her the advantage of starting the game with both Persuade and Escape plan, along with a Lugr Pistol and x6 9mm Bullets for enhanced attack damage.

As a party member

If recruited, Karin will have Knife, Pilot jacket equipped and Lockpicking skill learned. Serving as a utility party member, she removes the need for Small key items or door-bashing. However, her in-battle utility is somewhat limited, given her inability to wield two-handed weapons and the absence of default combat skills.

Special event - August's journal

If the player has Karin in their party on Day 3 and takes her to the Temple District while August is alive, an altercation between them will occur. Karin accuses August of having a journal containing information about every Termina contestant, which she claims to have stolen from him. While she holds August at gunpoint, the player is presented with three dialogue options. Choosing the first two will make Karin shift her focus to the player, allowing August to try and reach for his bow and be shot dead by Karin. The third option results in August shooting an arrow into Karin's shoulder, providing him an opportunity to escape. In this case, healing Karin with a Light Blue vial becomes crucial, as pursuing August will lead to her death.

If August is killed in the altercation, Karin will urge the player to inspect the stolen journal concealed within a hiding spot located within PRHVL Bop. However, the journal will not be there; if the player remains skeptical of Karin's intentions and chooses not to believe her, she will depart from the party permanently.

Restraining the player

Karin will attempt to restrain the player character on the train and the PRHVL Bop if they kill a contestant while she is present. Karin shares this behaviour with Abella, Daan, Marcoh and Tanaka. Karin is unique in that she will hold the player at gunpoint and command them to surrender. If the player resists, she will shoot them, resulting in a game over. After surrendering, the player will wake up, tied up, and be unable to move or act. For a while, they will only have the option to struggle in the ropes. After struggling, they will be given the option to give up and rest, up until Day 3 Night, in which the ropes will have mysteriously untied themselves. The player will be free (albeit with a very low hunger status) and every remaining contestant will have moonscorched by then. This will not happen if Karin is currently in the party, as she will simply ignore any contestants the player kills.

Location and recruiting

Once the player has been introduced to the other contestants at the train entrance, they can choose to follow Karin. Her path takes her to Old Town - Mayor's Manor right outside of the Derelict House. If the player recruits Daan on Day 1 Evening and has him leave the party, Karin will appear with Daan to try to discuss the moonscorched in Old Town - Slums. Karin will remain there until Day 2 Morning.

If the player doesn't save Levi from Caligura on Day 2 Morning in the city, Karin will appear when interacting with Levi's body and begin to interrogate the player, where if they do not answer her correctly she becomes suspicious of the player.

Initially, Karin refuses to join the party on Day 1. However, on Day 2, she can be found in Prehevil - West (News Agency) taking photos outside of the News Agency, and will be willing to join the group unless she is suspicious of the player.

Alternatively, on Day 2 Evening she will be in an encounter with Weeping scope, where she can be permanently recruited after saving her from this encounter.

On Day 3 Evening, if the player has not recruited her, she will be sitting near the water at the Lake, where she will explain that while some may see war journalists as vultures that use the dead for profit, she views them as valkyries, immortalizing the memories and stories of those who have fought and fallen.

On Day 3 Night, Karin will moonscorch into Valkyrie on D'ábel's Island.

Battle

Stats

Body Part	HP	Blunt	Slashing	Piercing	Fire	Otherwordly	Ev. Rate	Magic Ev.	Resistances
Head	20	120%	120%	120%	120%	120%	80%	40%	None
Torso	450 (1800)						None	None
Torso (Rot)	250 (1000)						None	None
Arms	500						None	None
Right Leg	200						None	None
Left Leg	200						None	None

• Note: HP in parenthesis is only used for Damage-over-Time calculations.

Strategy

Fear & Hunger Mode

Just keep attacking the torso, no point in attacking anything else seeing that the arms have more hp than the torso.

Masoχ-S/M Mode

Karin cannot be fought in Masoχ-S/M mode - see Valkyrie.

Dialogues

→ See Karin/Dialogue

Battle start

• Karin cocks the gun and takes it in a firm grip.
• Karin: “I've killed before too. Don't think for a second that I wouldn't have guts to use this pistol.”
  • Party member: (Line about not wanting to participate in a fight, each character has a unique line) (+Hesitation)

Hesitation

• Karin: We have a couple of cavepeople here. Violence solves nothing, we can always talk this out!"

Talk

• Karin: “It's no use. We are done talking.”
  • Player: [PERSUADE] “You're a journalist, there should always be room for a talk!”
    • Karin: “... J-just shut up! I said we're done. You only get to burn bridges once with me.” You managed to shake Karin's beliefs. (+Attack drop)
  • Player: [INTIMIDATE] “You hold on to that pistol as if it's going to save you.”
    • Karin: “It's done so before, no reason to doubt why it wouldn't work here. I've seen a lot scarier people during my time. You're nothing.” Looks like your intimidation tactics don't work on Karin.
  • Player: “Wait! We don't need to do this!”
    • Karin: “You've shown your colours already. It's high time you learn that actions have consequences!”
  • Player: “Hope you're prepared to die.”
    • Karin: “I've seen a lot scarier people during my time. You're nothing.”

Run (will always fail)

• Karin: “You had your chance! Now we fight!”

Interactions

“Karin is down...”

Action	Result	Flavour text
Use Brain flower	Success	“You've laid down the seed for the flower.”
Use Heart flower	Success	“You've laid down the seed for the flower.”
Beat her	Nothing	“No reaction. She is dead.”
Medical diagnosis	Nothing	Player: “She looks to be dead.” If Daan is in the party: “Seems dead to me. Don't know what else to say...”
Search	(x6 9mm Bullets, Lugr Pistol and Pilot Jacket)	Nothing
Leave	Success	Nothing
Devour	Success	“You devoured the remains.”
Harvest an organ	Success	Nothing
Saw off her head	(Karin's head)	Nothing
Necromancy	Failure	“The soul is too corrupted and frail to be summoned back to the body. The necromancy failed.”

Trivia

• Karin works at "The Midnight Gazette" and is the author of the "Kaiser critique" article, one of the readable books the player may come across.
• Karin's name is a Swedish form of the name Katherine/Catherine, which comes from the Greek καθαρός (katharos), meaning 'pure'.
• Game creator Miro Haverinen has noted that Karin's oversized jacket has a backstory - she received it from someone. This detail seems to hold some importance to the character, but he has described it as a peculiar and unusual story element in the game that ultimately doesn't contribute to the narrative.
• Player characters in Fear & Hunger 2: Termina will have some private thoughts when equipping a gun for the first time. Karin in particular will remember the teachings of an unknown man, who taught her to use guns before. When asked if this man could be the same person that gave Karin her jacket, Miro Haverinen's reply was "good question".

Gallery

• 

  Karin's Endless soul.

• 

  Karin's Ending B photo.

• 

  Karin's sprite from Ending A screen.

• 

  Early portraits of Levi, Karin, Daan, Olivia and Marina.

• 

  Early portraits of Levi and Karin.

• 

  Early portrait art.

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