Sylvian
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| Sylvian | |
|---|---|
| |
| Aliases | Goddess of love and fertility Traces of Sylvian |
| Relatives | Gro-goroth (antithesis and consort) Vinushka (offspring) |
| Inflicted phobias | |
|---|---|
| Phobias | Erotophobia, Teratophobia |
| Biographical information | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | Before creation |
| Place of birth | True Ma'habre (Green Hue) |
| Physical description | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Species | Old God |
| Item drops | |
|---|---|
| Search | Nothing |
| Steal | Nothing |
| Battle Theme |
|---|
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Warning! Nudity ahead!
This page contains depictions of genitals and / or sex. |
 |
Warning! Spoilers ahead!
Proceed at your own risk! |
Sylvian, the God of love and fertility, is an Old God in the Fear & Hunger series. In Fear & Hunger, her traces are encountered in Terror & Starvation and Hard Modes as a boss.
Lore
A goddess of fertility, love, lust, and creation. She is one of the Old Gods worshipped by man, before man decided that they had enough of the old world order and wanted to supplant these ancient deities. Like Gro-goroth, the god of human sacrifices and her direct antithesis, she comes from the green hue.
Sylvian created men and women at the dawn of time, the creation of the world. She ordered a deity known as Vitruvia to create an architectural reprography of a man and a woman that would be the likeness of Sylvian herself. She fell in love with the results and created mankind according to Vitruvia's drawings. Because of this, she could be seen as a Mother Goddess, the one that brought life to everyone in many ways, while Gro-goroth, her opposite, brought death to everyone in many ways. A beautiful balance and duality one can say from reading about the two. Her union with Gro-goroth also spawned another old god: Vinushka, the god of nature.
Sylvian wishes for men and women to make love in her name. But what kind of love she wants, is interpreted differently by everyone. Some take it literally and show love to each other in a form of marriage. But not just any marriage. A beautiful Marriage of Flesh for two or for three. A holy bond and 'beautiful unison for two souls' or three souls.
The twisted realities of these different kinds of love are because Sylvian realized that the men and women she created would not be able to return the same amount of affection towards her as she does to them. Love from her perspective takes on a more twisted form, as shown by the example of the Marriage of Flesh. Those forms are more aligned with her own image and they manifest in her gift to people - Love Magic, also known as Flower Magic. From gentle healing whispers to the creation of demon offspring through sexual intercourse with a deceased body, Flower Magic encompasses a wide range of abilities. Those who have a strong bond with Sylvian and her offspring Vinushka may also possess the power to cultivate Brain Flowers by planting seeds within a corpse.
Sylvian's disappointment in humankind's inability to reciprocate the love she offers, and the distorted nature of her affection, is perhaps most apparent in the fleeting moment of history when humanity was consumed by a frenzied pursuit of carnal pleasures. A synchronized wave of naked bodies engaged in endless sexual activity, wasting their days in the process. This event bears a striking resemblance to the influence Sylvian has over humans, though the exact details of the event are unclear. It has also been stated that the use of Sylvian's gift of healing may lead to a gradual deterioration of the user's mental state over time.
Studies of Sylvian I portray the goddess with iconography associated to fertility, showcasing a head shaped like a phallus and multiple female breasts.
There are certain sex cults, such as the Bunnymasks, that hold orgies in hidden courtyards as a way of honoring Sylvian. These acts are believed to be sacred and performed in her name. The rabbit masks worn by the cult members may indicate the animal's significance to Sylvian, as rabbits are known for their energetic breeding and are often associated with fertility. There are also indications of the existence of a church of Sylvian and a church of healing that authored scrolls about her magic, but further exploration of other Sylvian cults has yet to be shown.
It is unknown when she left the world behind, but it is believed that she abandoned mankind many eons ago.
In the modern era, despite a decrease in popularity, Sylvian's cultural relevance endures. The Bunnymask cult, dedicated to her worship, can still be found across Europa, and in Prehevil, the capital of Bohemia, a town square bears her name. Notably, this same square was previously home to the city's largest brothel, which was closed down by the church in the early 20th century in an attempt to regulate human desires. This suggests that Sylvian's cult, with its focus on fertility and procreation, is viewed unfavorably by the church and associated with taboo topics.
Her symbol is the shape of an open eye. In Fear & Hunger 2: Termina, another of her symbols is introduced, a vertical slit. This icon could be interpreted as an eye, a vagina, or a rabbit head.
Location
Sylvian severed ties with humanity long ago, yet her presence continues to permeate the world. In Fear & Hunger, an unique encounter known as Traces of Sylvian serves as a manifestation of her lingering essence.
Fighting Traces of Sylvian is only possible in Terror & Starvation Mode or Hard Mode. She is found in the Void, after finding and following the wooden path. She is guarding a bridge that leads to Le'garde or the New God version of the protagonist and will arise from the green hue to fight the player. The player will be noted "The green hue is starting to make you feel dizzy..." before finding the bridge.
Battle
| Body Part | HP | Blunt | Slashing | Piercing | Fire | Otherwordly | Ev. Rate | Magic Ev. | Resistances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head | 5000 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 55% | None | Blindness, Burning, Poisoned |
| Torso | 6000 (10000) | 5% | None | Burning, Poisoned | |||||
| Left tentacle 1 | 2000 | 100% | 110% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 5% | None | Blindness, Burning, Poisoned |
| Left tentacle 2 | 1500 | 5% | None | ||||||
| Right tentacle 1 | 2000 | 5% | None | ||||||
| Right tentacle 2 | 1500 | 5% | None | ||||||
| Tumor (Blank) | 5000 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 5% | None | |
| Tumor (Transformed) | 2700 | 5% | None |
- Note: HP in parenthesis is only used for Damage-over-Time calculations.
Strategy
As one of the Old Gods and the creator of mankind, Sylvian stands as one of the strongest entities in Fear & Hunger—even her Traces hold immense power. Her body comprises numerous tentacles, each capable of delivering devastating blows individually, causing cuts and stunning effects. Additionally, these tentacles can ensnare a person, causing them to miss turns. Battling her alone is nearly impossible due to her immense strength and high health, particularly in her head. Moreover, Traces of Sylvian's attacks affect both Body and Mind of the player's party. Players must understand that defensive statistics do not mitigate any Body damage inflicted by Traces of Sylvian's physical attacks, as she employs the non-elemental attack type.
One of her body parts, the tumor, will randomly grow during turns until it transforms into a replica of one of the four main playable characters, each with its own distinct attacks:
- Cahara: The tumor has a 50% chance to utilize Critical stab, dealing 35 damage with a guaranteed bleeding debuff, a 70% chance of inflicting critical state debuff, and a 50% chance of causing arm amputation. Additionally, there's a 50% chance for Cahara's tumor to execute a regular attack with double strikes on random party members, causing 35 damage with a 95% chance of bleeding debuff and arm injury.
- D'arce: With a 50% chance, the tumor will employ the Leg sweep attack, inflicting 30 damage and a 95% chance of causing a bleeding debuff and leg amputation. Alternatively, D'arce's tumor has a 50% chance of executing a regular attack with double strikes on random party members, causing 35 damage with a 95% chance of bleeding debuff and arm amputation.
- Enki: The tumor can either use Hurting, causing bleeding debuff and arm amputation, with a 50% chance, or employ Locust swarm, inflicting 10 damage on the entire party and an 80% chance of stunning them.
- Ragnvaldr: With a 50% chance, the tumor will execute a regular attack dealing 35 damage and a 95% chance of causing a bleeding debuff. Alternatively, Ragnvaldr's tumor has a 50% chance of using Aim carefully, which involves a coin flip. Failing the coin flip results in the tumor using Marksmanship, instantly killing one party member.
At the end of the 1st turn and subsequently, at the end of every 4th turn, Traces of Sylvian will use Entangle, which completely paralyzes one party member and causes damage from negative regeneration effects if the inflicted character is using any regenerative accessories. She also has a unique attack called Color of the unknown, which causes the party members' psyche to crumble, resulting in a loss of 25~ Mind each; note that she may utilize this move twice within a single turn. When battling her, it is wise to make use of strong physical attacks or a weapon with a high critical chance as she can easily make the player run out of Ales and Elixirs by repeating Color of the unknown, making it difficult to use any spell or skill moves.
Before engaging her in battle, the player should locate their scattered party members within the Void, as Traces of Sylvian can easily overwhelm even a full party of four. If party members cannot be found for any reason or if the player is engaging in solo play, using spells such as Blood golem or Demon seed (which can be raised from a corpse of a Blight or baby-Blight in the area) can prove beneficial. Furthermore, it is recommended to gather as much strength early in the fight as possible and sever her tentacles early on. Leaving them intact may result in a barrage of consecutive attacks targeting entangled characters, causing devastating damage. Additionally, poisoning specific body parts early in the battle can be advantageous, as only her torso is immune to poison. This strategy ensures that she loses health each turn while the player focuses on combating her tentacles.
Certain skills, such as Locust swarm, will have a high chance to stun every body part, which can completely nullify Traces of Sylvian's move, while using the Leg sweep skill can have a guaranteed effect to instantly destroy the smaller tentacles.
Dialogues
Talk
- You try talking some sense to this monstrosity...
- However a primal fear prevents you from saying a thing.
Trivia
- As Traces of Sylvian's battle result text says she simply lets the player go before descending into the green hue, it is implied that Traces of Sylvian was only humoring the player's challenge. This might mean that what was seen from Traces of Sylvian's prowess was a minuscule portion of the god's true and likely limitless potential, similar to the battles with Traces of Gro-goroth in the same game and Rher in Fear & Hunger 2: Termina.
- While Sylvian is associated with advanced healing and the power of her sigil can mend wounds and even regenerate lost limbs, game creator Miro Haverinen has stated that she sees birth defects and disabilities as inherent aspects of an individual's life and chooses not to alter them. Furthermore, she will also refrain from restoring body parts sacrificed in sacred rituals to the Gods.
- In Fear & Hunger 2: Termina, this aspect becomes significant, as using Sylvian's sigil proves ineffective in healing Olivia's wheelchair-bound condition and Daan's left eye, which was sacrificed in a ritual prior to the game's events.
- Sylvian's aesthetics are deeply influenced by the statues of Artemis of Ephesus, renowned for their portrayal of the Greek goddess adorned with numerous breasts. Miro Haverinen has revealed that he derived inspiration from a photograph of an Artemis of Ephesus statue situated within a fountain, using it as the basis for crafting Sylvian's design.
- Haverinen has revealed that Sylvian's name originates from his days spent playing pencil-and-paper RPGs with his friends. During these sessions, he originally conceived the goddess, and her name was spontaneously coined on the spot, much like what happened to Gro-goroth.
Gallery
Sylvian symbol.
Book depiction of Sylvian (F&H1).
Book depiction of Sylvian (F&H2).
