Apotheosis- A Deity Quest

[X] Plan: Rocks Fall, Nobody Dies

This seems about right to me, protect people and make sure that they don't get a powerboost, stuff they might damage can be replaced.
 
How about pure protection? Protect the people, tributes and allies. While the allies are pure offense.

The Beautiful & Faceless will attack us regardless what we do, Rocks Fall Nobody Dies already is focused on defense- all I did was specify having Samhain keep track of the more notable Beautiful & Faceless when it comes to Elimination/Capture.

@nwish425 that's not the same as outright going on the offensive right? Cause again they're going to be attacking us regardless so Self-Defense is perfectly natural.
 
The Beautiful & Faceless will attack us regardless what we do, Rocks Fall Nobody Dies already is focused on defense- all I did was specify having Samhain keep track of the more notable Beautiful & Faceless when it comes to Elimination/Capture.

@nwish425 that's not the same as outright going on the offensive right? Cause again they're going to be attacking us regardless so Self-Defense is perfectly natural.
Correct, and there will be some offensive action regardless, mostly from Manann's Revenants since they can die as many times as needed.
 
Vote closed
Scheduled vote count started by nwish425 on Apr 12, 2023 at 7:47 PM, finished with 8 posts and 4 votes.

  • [X] Plan: Rocks Fall, Nobody Dies
    -[X] You know enough about the general tactics of Baetyl and Dionysus, securing the people & your Tribute are the most important thing.
    -[X] Given you & your Nightmares possess the Redemption Domain, no mercy for the irredeemable and while your own citizens & allies are more important save whoever you can- Baetyl and Dionysus view none of their 'Followers' as special enough to care if they live or die.
    -[X] Those twisted souls won't leave without a fight though, better to group everyone together into a more defensible position than trying to safeguard 50 different locations. Perhaps the Hedge Maze where the Tests of Bravery were being conducted?
    -[X] Keep track of notable enemies, while you're not sure removing them would remove morale, at the very least it would be an inconvenience to Baetyl and Dionysus having to replace their better 'toys'.
    -[X] While only Callisto and Captain Manann would be affected by this battle, there are five other Gods present- Scrooge, Lilith, Pan, Hamelin, and whoever is with Lady Walker. Beseech their assistance if willing and coordinate however necessary.
 
Say can we propose ideas for buildings/regions with the Black Field or is it just nightmares?

You mean Shape Realm right?

@nwish425 that's a good question, I still don't understand what that actually does. Sophia, 'Echidna', Hephaestus, and Alexandros haven't had that many things to distract them from regularly taking Shape Realm.

Similarly Lilith has over ten years of being a God, and I'm not really sure how things would work for Tiamat/Atlas/Athena/Artemis. The five of them at the very least had a lot of time to spend on Shape Realm.

I know the Sacred Scales got some sort of Portal Network or something, given Atlas had no difficulty visiting Mom to update her about the Missing Dragon Egg.
 
Oh, I've been away from this awhile. Lots happening I see.
Say can we propose ideas for buildings/regions with the Black Field or is it just nightmares?
Shaping the realm is typically for that. Which if I recall we'll be doing in this turn once the event has past. Going to be pushing for taking the Township option from the last time we made our realm. Ya know, to complete the look.

Also, every time we have a new Greater Nightmare/Nightmare court they add a new location into the Black Field. Crow Father and The Children have a giant tree, Duchess of Dust and the Courtiers have a old ass mansion, The Marquess has a bank treasure fortress (which has some shops outside it, apparently), etc. So really, by far the easiest way to add a new location is to suggest and get a new Greater Nightmare.

Outside of that, I do not know. :p
 
Giants
As I'm working on the next update I'll go ahead and do another informational post, this time about Giants.

Giants are rare and enigmatic creatures usually found near the peaks of large mountains, although thanks to their propensity to enter extremally long hibernations any sufficiently large cropping of rock or massive hill could actually be the resting place of a slumbering giant. They are solitary creatures, only ever meeting with others of their kind to either reproduce or fight over territory, newborn giants are born fully capable of defending themselves and possessing the knowledge of their mothers, if not the experience.

Standing at a minimum of around 50 feet (15.24 meters) to upwards of around 80 feet (24.384 meters), their appearance varies greatly, usually influenced by their diet and preferred environment. There have been descriptions of giants possessing a single eye, or two heads, or multiple arms and with skin colors that range from general human and elven baselines to ones resembling stone or metal in color and texture. In combat giants usually rely on their immense physical strength, on par with that of an adult dragon, to either crush their foe or rip large chunks of stone and dirt from the environment to use as a ranged weapon. When pressed a giant may begin to utilize a unique form of runic magic to further enhance their physical abilities, to the point where there has been one confirmed case of an elder giant being able to physically overpower the avatar of the God Oreios until the deity merged with the mountain they were fighting on.

Giants rarely if ever worship a deity, usually amounting at most to swearing fealty to a god who has proven stronger then them in single combat.
 
Masquerade Of Stones
A/N: Welp, this is gonna be a thing @nwish425 sir so uh... please don't use this as justification to make things worse, I just figured it would be an interesting thing to do.

Masquerade Of Stones

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From 'birth', he did not possess much knowledge. Yet deep down, he knew what he is- a mask, and a mask's purpose might seem twofold but in the end share the same root... that of being protection from the world's cruelties. But, in his opinion? Masks never should have been necessary. People pretend to be that which they aren't, purely out of fear others would despise and hate them.

Others hide behind their masks, using it as nothing more than an excuse to lash out at others. Yet, it is not masks themselves responsible for either behavior... no no no, humans go on and on about how important choice is. How was having the choice to be cruel and malicious merely for 'fun' something considered desirable?

'Be Yourself', 'You have the right to choose', why should they when so many of them choose wrong? There is a difference between eliminating that which is a threat, and merely belittling others for some insignificant reason. 'Demons are the most dangerous things in existence', no... Humanity's precious 'free will' is.

If they refuse to think and behave correctly, then he'd just need to help them. The 'civilized races' like Humanity act with such confidence they have some greater purpose, but like all living creatures their one & only true purpose is simply to ensure the endless continuation of life. So, so many are insistent their 'identity' is 'who they are'...

It is not, they are nothing more than beasts who have deluded themselves into believing all manner of lies. His feelings regarding Ebenezer Scrooge are complicated, he could almost respect the man- if all Humans were more like him, he would not be needed. Unfortunately, Ebenezer Scrooge keeps insisting his actions are barbaric and monstrous, a 'fundamental' inability to understand life.

Truly a shame, so much suffering isn't even deliberate- the greed of petty men drive others to poverty, and those who are poor have little to no opportunity to be happy. While it would be nice to persuade Ebenezer Scrooge that it is he who knows the truth, he would not oppose cutting the man down if he refuses to listen to reason.

Humans were not 'miserable piles of secrets' by nature- only because they had been tricked into believing that was the proper way to live. They should make merry and enjoy themselves, not pretend they needed to be terrified & ashamed for desiring happiness. What selfishness, for any human to think they 'deserve' someone 'more' than others purely because of some measly little paper.

Still, it was difficult doing anything with Ebenezer Scrooge and 'Sepa' taking away those he was trying to help. Honestly, he had begun to believe he would have to save everyone all on his own... until the day he encountered some curious creatures. What they were before didn't really interest him, only that despite bearing the tainted fruit of 'choice' they were not allowed to act on it.

He did not want to come off as some foe, following them was difficult in that sense. Yet the closer he got, the clearer it became- the creatures were not marionettes dancing without strings, for their puppeteer was still with them. Such marvelous work, he simply needed to strike up a dialogue with the other.

----
The bond between himself and Baetyl was swift to grow, for they are similar in many ways- most importantly their understanding that Humans are an imperfect creature in need of assistance to be their best selves. While they may have tackled the issue in different ways, that mattered little compared to them both finally having someone who truly understood.

What utter fool would think Baetyl's marvelous little creatures weren't impressive? It offends him just thinking about the fact some 'fellow God' destroyed dear Baetyl's work just for not being good enough in their eyes. Still, having to struggle against their 'identities' had to be inconvenient. His precious 'Faceless' have zero desire to reject him.

Honestly, 'souls', what actual tripe- just another of the delusional lies that the 'civilized races' believe make them superior beings. They were all the same in truth, you could replace one without any issues. Even better, one can just make more of them, he had to deal with the inconvenience of waiting for the final results but his 'Faceless' have made that perfectly clear.

It was only natural to point out to Baetyl- no doubt his friend would have figured it out eventually, but he still felt quite pleased when Baetyl created the first of the Beautiful. Technically it was his suggestion, while others might have dismissed the Beautiful as hideous monsters that was merely proof they did not understand how marvelous they really were.

Though admittedly... something did feel strange about them, but surely it would go away once Baetyl further innovates & improves on the design for them. Speaking of, while he supports the Beautiful unconditionally, Baetyl mustn't forsake variety and experimentation with his creations. After all, the Beautiful are supposed to be a standardized species- they alone couldn't be used as the testbed for new changes.

Thus, the Masterworks- one of the most special of Baetyl's creations, each relatively unique. If he remembers correctly, Baetyl mentioned 'Nightmares', though he didn't understand why nightmares were so interesting to his dear friend. Nonetheless, two in particular caught his interest.

The first, Renaissance, could perhaps pass for traditional human beauty- if one ignored her gigantic beastly lower half. Though his interest was purely in the fact her lower body could rather quickly produce other lifeforms. Sometimes as merely an extension of her reach, though some could also be detached. Truthfully there was something about Renaissance and her minions he did not understand, but it was different from the Beautiful.

It is so difficult having his 'Faceless' performers act out family dynamics when they reproduce at the normal rate for humans, perhaps Baetyl could help him figure out a solution...? Something to think about for later, there was the second Masterwork that most garnered his attention. Truly, he hadn't realized Baetyl thought so highly of him.

The Expressionst was similar to himself in appearance, having no face but adorned with numerous 'masks' made from those puppets that were used to create the Beautiful. Each was fixed into its own specific expression, yet... even though none looked sad or horrified, he was still getting this odd sensation.

They are naught but meat, those masks should not hold any kind of power. It is surely nothing of importance, and putting aside whatever that was... he is truly 'touched', he hadn't considered the idea of specialized masks before. His 'Faceless' did not need expressions to play their roles, though since Baetyl went through such an effort it is only proper he does similar to show his gratitude.

He had no real complaints for Baetyl's other two current Masterworks, they simply hadn't stuck out to him as much. The Baroque looked much like some living stone, apparently the man was a sculptor prior to being saved by his friend. Furthermore, while he hasn't gotten a demonstration yet, apparently The Baroque is supposed to be quite speedy.

The fourth was the newest, specifically given the ability to be 'reborn' when killed. She was the one he had the least information on, he wasn't even sure if she was ready yet to go out on missions. How quickly did this 'rebirth' take place and what exactly would happen? Testing such out in combat seems a bad idea, but it wasn't like his friend couldn't just make another if things went poorly.

While spending more time building up first would be nice, their 'supporter' was very insistent they wouldn't get a better opportunity to attack 'Samhain' than now. Honestly, miserable little creature, did it think itself special for providing them aid? Of all the creatures he has seen, none more desperately needed fixing.

Oh well, he was in no rush- was it not 'Samhain' that disrespected Baetyl's marvelous little creations? Then he will take great pleasure in seeing everything 'Samhain' holds dear destroyed. One who cannot comprehend such beauty and kindness has no right to exist. Such an imperfect creature would merely get in the way of the perfection they are trying to bring to the world...

----

A/N: So first things first, we haven't really gotten much regarding who Dionysus is. Given what we mainly know is that he supports stealing people's individuality and probably sees nothing wrong with his actions, him being motivated by The Evils Of Free Will makes sense to me. Give him a stance that almost makes sense, but he's a total psycho about it thus completely ruining his own point.

Also sorry for not elaborating on stuff on, like Dionysus' backstory (I could see him being exposed to the worst of humanity and assuming the only reasonable option was to take away people's choice to be anything other than 'perfect') and Dionysus & Baetyl meeting. I mainly just wanted to get around to explaining how the two are close allies.

They are pretty similar, both obsessed with 'perfecting' life and their delusional belief they are the 'real' Good Guys. Honestly, knowing Baetyl, he probably thinks attacking Samhain with lethal intent is just some cute "Notice me senpai!" action instead of, ya know, a total psychopath. That's Madness and Obsession for you.

Back to Dionysus, I don't see why the dude wouldn't shamelessly break up families and stuff, all he really cares about are his 'Faceless' feeling good about themselves. Given all the Gods present at Blackburn for the Harvest Festival, I need something to do when Lilith inevitably heads a Purification Wave or something.

Also I totally imagine Dionysus would prefer 'realism' in his stories. Look, this dude is a psycho who clearly doesn't care about anyone's opinion other than his own and his BFF- even if you didn't 'see' it happen, it probably still did anyways. Which brings me back to Baetyl actually, or rather Renaissance.

First, I absolutely imagine her being similar to a God Eater Venus (God Eater is awesome you guys) and I guess you could say some Worm Noelle elements? I mainly just thought it would be a cool base, and really I don't see why Baetyl wouldn't have at least one Mook Maker. You don't even need to get all Nightmare Fuel about it, again I just really like the design of God Eater's Venus.

Regarding The Expressionst, with the whole "Bro he looks just like me" I mainly did that to further establish how Dionysus and Baetyl get along well. I don't really have much to say regarding Baroque, I just really hope he's the type that cares way more about being a Living Statue-Man than literally anything else. Dude was a sculptor before getting snatched by Baetyl after all.

As for the fourth Masterwork, honestly I merely just wanted a fourth one to establish that Dionysus had more than Three Options for his Most Favorite Masterworks. Even so, I like the idea that when 'killed' she'd siphon off part of her body to survive despite probably needing time to regain her strength. Honestly, I'm really hoping for 'cute tiny baby', I want the Liminal Ones to adopt a child off at least one of the two.

Writing is complicated and it is kind of hard to focus when I'm definitely not comfortable. If you want any clarification or have questions, I am perfectly willing to respond. Oh right, I would say Dionysus personally doesn't like 'Faceless' and that he doesn't really respect anyone. Scrooge hasn't gotten much character development either though, so I think it is cool having Dionysus vaguely wishing that Scrooge would understand the 'truth' instead of being someone he has to put down for the salvation of life.
 
Scrooge hasn't gotten much character development either though, so I think it is cool having Dionysus vaguely wishing that Scrooge would understand the 'truth' instead of being someone he has to put down for the salvation of life.

I actually did have some character development in mind for Scrooge, but I haven't gotten around to writing it. That, and Scrooge isn't my creation.
 
Just discovered this quest, it's excellent and while I haven't fully caught up yet I have a rough idea for a nightmare

[] Gwyn ap Nudd, The All Hunter
-[] Phobia: Fear of Predation/being Hunted (the primordial fear all animals have of predators who exist to kill and consume them)
-[] Role: Hunter, Trainer, Warrior

Image from flatw00ds on tumblr, WARNING said tumblr account is occasionally NSFW

Before there were nightmares born of humans, before there were any species capable of higher cognitive capabilities, there was the fear of wild animals. While every animal has a distinct nightmare associated with it and each animal fears certain predators meant to prey upon them there is one overarching nightmare born of predation itself. It didn't have a name back then, it didn't even think to give itself a name, it was just raw hunger and the sadistic anticipation of the kill. With the advent of humans, elves, dwarves, and other intelligent creatures the nightmare began to think much like the other clever creatures did. It eventually took on the name of Gwyn ap Nudd (or Gwyn for short) and fed on the fear of hunters and animals alike. Their realm is a massive hunting lodge adorned with the skins and heads of every beast and race (including the tanned hides and severed heads of humans, elves, orcs, beastmen, etc.) that exists. In the modern era, Gwyn has a boisterous and gregarious personality reveling in the trophies of his hunts and savoring the chase of good game with others, however during moments of intense excitement or rage Gwyn can revert back to the vicious savage beast they once were.

Gywn doesn't have a definite size, their height increases or decreases as necessary so that they are always leering down at whomever they're interacting with, even if the individual in question is a giant or dragon Gywn's height will increase so that they are always taller than them.

When terrifying mortals Gywn doesn't just test their bravery, to Gywn courage is nothing without cunning, instinct, improvisation, or intelligence to back it up. It's one thing to show pluck before a predator, it's another to trick said predator into a trap or outmaneuver it.
 
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[] Gwyn ap Nudd, The All Hunter
-[] Phobia: Fear of Predation/being Hunted (the primordial fear all animals have of predators who exist to kill and consume them)
-[] Role: Hunter, Trainer, Warrior

Weirdly, I never actually thought about such a Nightmare despite how incredibly relevant it would be regarding 'Echidna' and the Golden Animals.

That out of the way, I do want to clarify I really love this idea. Did you have any particular plans for them, or was this more you presenting something cool for @nwish425 to use?
 
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Weirdly, I never actually thought about such a Nightmare despite how incredibly relevant it would be regarding 'Echidna' and the Golden Animals.

That out of the way, I do want to clarify I really love this idea. Did you have any particular plans for them, or was this more you presenting something cool for @nwish425 to use?

Thank you for the compliment, and this was more something for me to present nwish425 or anyone writing omakes to use than anything I planned to write more for (aside from maybe a scant few more clarifying sentences).
 
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Next time we get around to making more Greater Nightmares, I'd vote for this fellow.

Given that their backstory is that they've been around since the existence of predators. I would rather for them to be an ancient primordial rougue nightmare that we may befriend. Rather than something we create.

Hell, they could be friends/rivals/frenemies (with benefits?) with Traith, since thay both seem to share a love for hunting. Or be an acquaintance with other Nightmares representing Primal Fears.

But that is just me. In the end, whoever writes about them (and @Nomadic Maniac) will get to decide.
 
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Next time we get around to making more Greater Nightmares, I'd vote for this fellow.

Completely unnecessary.

Given that their backstory is that they've been around since the existence of predators. I would rather for them to be an ancient primordial rougue nightmare that we may befriend. Rather than something we create.
Before there were nightmares born of humans, before there were any species capable of higher cognitive capabilities, there was the fear of wild animals.

To be clear Nomadic, yes Gwyn ap Nudd is allowed to be a pre-existing Greater. Xenos was specifically not created by Samhain, basically he went "I suppose I could investigate the new guy" and decided to offer his services. Also, while I'm not sure if you've gotten to him yet, Lord Screamsaver is a relatively ancient Greater Nightmare as well (listed under Rogue).

Hell, they could be friends/rivals/frenemies (with benefits?) with Traith, since thay both seem to share a love for hunting. Or be an acquaintance with other Nightmares representing Primal Fears.

There is Xenos, the literal personification of Fearing the Unknown which is such an immensely deep & ancient fear there are plenty of Nightmares who are more specific/narrow interpretations of that general fear. Sure, there's probably some differences, but he's probably one of the most Ancient assuming he's not outright Primordial.

Though I do think Traith could do with more character development, I'm not really sure what's going on with them currently. Far as I'm aware, Traith only has one appearance despite getting a huge tease regarding their connection to other characters. Seriously, why has nothing followed up on that? Given the way it was portrayed makes it seem like that's not interesting.

But that is just me. In the end, whoever writes about them will get to decide.

@nwish425 just to be clear, I actually was trying to get your attention earlier specifically so you'd notice Nomadic's awesome idea. I've never gotten notifications for anything other than Reactions & OP Posts on SV, so I'm not sure if you would have gotten one.
 
Heads up people, I was in a bit of an accident and am needing to recover, thankfully nothing too serious.

A/N: Welp, this is gonna be a thing @nwish425 sir so uh... please don't use this as justification to make things worse, I just figured it would be an interesting thing to do.

Masquerade Of Stones
Nice having the Masterworks introduced early, saves me the trouble of doing it myself.
Just discovered this quest, it's excellent and while I haven't fully caught up yet I have a rough idea for a nightmare

[] Gwyn ap Nudd, The All Hunter
-[] Phobia: Fear of Predation/being Hunted (the primordial fear all animals have of predators who exist to kill and consume them)
-[] Role: Hunter, Trainer, Warrior
This is a great idea, I love it.
 
To be clear Nomadic, yes Gwyn ap Nudd is allowed to be a pre-existing Greater. Xenos was specifically not created by Samhain, basically he went "I suppose I could investigate the new guy" and decided to offer his services. Also, while I'm not sure if you've gotten to him yet, Lord Screamsaver is a relatively ancient Greater Nightmare as well (listed under Rogue).

I have gotten to the point where xenos shows up so I am aware of greater nightmares predating Samhain. I initially thought of Gywn as a greater nightmare that got involved with Samhain after seeing his battles/victories, as the greater nightmare of predation they want a piece of that glory.

I also imagined them as something of a beast well chained, if Gywn conducted themselves today the same way they did during the time of before intelligent man they'd be hated and despised even more than The Jester. They relentlessly and unceasingly hounded and haunted animals until they died of exhaustion or fear induced heart attacks, then moved on to the next set of beasts to terrify them to death, Their hunger was insatiable. Interaction with humans and other thinking creatures has given them a sense of empathy and restraint, but underneath all of his control is a constant voice in the back of their head whispering hunt,kill,eat hunt,kill,eat.

In direct combat Gywn will possess about average combat capability compared to even lesser nightmares but will rapidly snowball in strength and power the longer a battle or hunt goes on as they change and adapt (both physically as well as tactically) to whatever opponent(s) they're fighting against.
 
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Oh, if Gywn is an ancient Nightmare then he probably knows some of the other ancient Nightmares. Xenos, Baron Samedi, The Wise Old Mountain, etc.

Might get along well with Samedi as fear of dead things can play into fear of predators given that if you see a freshly killed corpse then a predator is not that far off.
 
Don't forget Xenos's dear little girl, Nyx! She'd probably know Gywn too, and probably saw him a lot since she's "the fear of unknown things in the dark', aka where predators/hunters usually hide. Though never really cared to interact with him (or any Nightmares before the Quest's Story really) until now.
 
Oh, if Gywn is an ancient Nightmare then he probably knows some of the other ancient Nightmares. Xenos, Baron Samedi, The Wise Old Mountain, etc.

Might get along well with Samedi as fear of dead things can play into fear of predators given that if you see a freshly killed corpse then a predator is not that far off.

Oh, the way I think about Gywn they almost definitely get along with Samedi being a frequent member of his parties due to their sociable attitude.

Xeno probably knows Gywn well and remembers when they were little more than a mad beast, hell at Gywn's worst xeno and screamsaver more than likely had to physically restrain them from going after the radiant knight, because their desire to attempt to consume the banishing blade override any care for the consequences such an action would have. Still, he trusts their current self-control enough that he'd recommend their service to Samhain but to keep a sharp eye on him.

Of course, this is just me spitballing after JUST reading the relevant omakes for these characters.
 
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Don't forget Xenos's dear little girl, Nyx! She'd probably know Gywn too, and probably saw him a lot since she's "the fear of unknown things in the dark', aka where predators/hunters usually hide. Though never really cared to interact with him (or any Nightmares before the Quest's Story really) until now.
I forgot about Nyx! She doesn't get as much love. I wonder if she'd get along with The Butcher given that, ya know, murderers love the dark.
Of course, this is just me spitballing after JUST reading the relevant omakes for these characters.
Speaking of spitballing, if we go with my idea of his Lesser Nightmares being Lupophobia nightmares, maybe they could be werewolves that are called The Hounds. Y'know, like hunting hounds. Also werewolves because werewolves are pretty freaky.
 
I forgot about Nyx! She doesn't get as much love. I wonder if she'd get along with The Butcher given that, ya know, murderers love the dark.

What were the Butcher's appearances again? 'Cause I don't remember the personality all too well...
But Nyx is someone who doesn't do things needlessly.
She's figuring out to have fun, yeah, so that means learning to scare people, but she's not really a killer...or perhaps more appropriately, she isn't a hunter.
So I'd say, with the little memory I got, she probably is at best neutral to him, and at worst dislikes him but won't chafe if they ever need to work together.
Basically because of what she is, she's not bloodthirsty like Gywn.
 
What were the Butcher's appearances again? 'Cause I don't remember the personality all too well...
But Nyx is someone who doesn't do things needlessly.
She's figuring out to have fun, yeah, so that means learning to scare people, but she's not really a killer...or perhaps more appropriately, she isn't a hunter.
So I'd say, with the little memory I got, she probably is at best neutral to him, and at worst dislikes him but won't chafe if they ever need to work together.
Basically because of what she is, she's not bloodthirsty like Gywn.
His first appearance was in Slaughter In The Black Field and subsequent appearances were in canon main updates. In terms of personality, he doesn't talk. At all. Mostly because I based him on slasher villains like Jason. Other than that, he just acts like a big scary guy.
 
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