12 Names for 13 Tyrants (and other major Characters)

[Rathnard]

So in the M2E Core Rulebook Perdita's story gave us the names for the 13 Tyrants, and since then I've been trying to keep a record of who they are and where they're at in the story. Since it's inception I've expanded the list to include other major characters in the backstory. This list is up to date as of the Broken Promises and 2nd ed. Through the Breach Core rules. 

 

Before you go on, the following contains SPOILERS, some of them very big ones, from the stories found in Rippling Fates onwards! If you haven't read the Rippling Fates or any of the later books yet (and you really should!) then perhaps hold off reading any further until you do. Actually if you're not "up to date" with the background then you're going to cop some spoilers here. So consider this fair warning.

The Tyrants we know;

Nytemare: aka Lord Chompy Bits, the Tyrant of Nightmares (or something to that effect). Currently hanging with a young boy named "The Dreamer", partly by choice, partly because the child is somehow able exert some control over him. Dreamer's recent decision to take things more seriously, has meant that Nytemare is now playing a more pivotal role in the ongoing stories. Specifically he's now responsible for Lilith's current predicament and as of the current Homefront campaign, he's working on establishing a presence via agents on Earth.  Dreamer himself is about 12 and lives in London, or at least he did before it got trashed by monsters spilling out of various new Breaches. 

 

Obliteration: Tara's BFF. His powers being stemmed from an ability to manipulate time and remove things from reality, so he was imprisoned within a dimension constructed from his own spiritual essence. As the only being ever to travel this timeless dimension without going insane, Tara eventually freed Obliteration and the two of them are now working together. Currently they're looking either the same dimensional prison or the construct known as Talos to trap Titania and use her powers for Obliteration's ascension. 

 

Plague: Was imprisoned within a necropolis under Malifaux city until Hamelin the rat catcher found the place and was consumed/possessed by Plague. He was apparently a scientist before becoming a Tyrant but believe me, given His temperament He would have been a terrible one! In fact that's probably what led to the accident that turned Him into a Tyrant in the first place. His initial attempt to use the Red Cage to ascend was foiled by Kirai, after which he was forced to take a step back and work towards his goals with less urgency. Recently Titania's arrival has forced Plague to cast aside His careful planning and return to Plan A - recklessly accumulate power and go for broke.  

 

December: The Voice in Rasputina's head. December was the Tyrant who was found and then attempted to ascend after the opening of the first Breach. His form was killed by Kenshiro and his sword, the Masamune Nihonto. However it was this event that led the Neverborn to slaughter the humans breach-side and close the Breach itself for 100 years. December is arguably the dunce of the tyrants, having failed 4 (?) times now to manifest. With the arrival of Titania it seems to have capitulated to Rasputina for the time being, granting her more of it's powers. There's little doubt it will try to manifest again though. There's also little doubt it'll fail too, being the loser that it is.

 

Gorgon: Was trapped in the Gorgons Tear, a Soulstone that effectively contained her essence until some silly humans decided to recut it to improve its luster (and thus allow Gorgon to better influence those around it). After a series of accidents killing successive owners of the Soulstone, it was eventualy stolen by Seamus and used to resurrect Molly Squidpidge. It also spent some time in embedded in Seamus's head, although I'm not clear on the details regarding that. Gorgon seems to have a role in both Molly and Kirai's stories, making her one of the more far-reaching Tyrants in terms of Master-influence. It's not clear where the Gorgons Tear is now. It's either the bauble Seamus was given by the Carrion emissary in his vignette, or somewhere else entirely. 

 

Cherufe: The personification of pyromania. After it's prison (the Red Cage) crashed into the Bayou, Cherufe possessed Sonnia Cridd. Its trail of destruction was only halted by a Mask that bound Cherrufe within Sonnia, using the same magic Sonnia uses to capture Arcanists. Cherufe later attempted to ascend at the same time as the Guild Governor Kitchener, but it all went horribly wrong and he merged with the Kitchener to become the Burning Man: "something larger and more powerful than either".  I'll address the Burning Man in more detail below, but for the moment it seems safe to assume that Cherufe is no more. 

 

Despair: During the Tyrant War Despair was trapped in a "fiendishly clever puzzle box". This almost definitely refers to the box carried by Pandora, and it's clear that Despair has been influencing Pandora for some time now. It's hold on Pandora's psyche is now such that Pandora is sometimes not even sure of whether she's Pandora, or "The Box". 

At this point it seems that very few characters are aware of the true nature of what lies inside Pandora's box. Nytemare is the first to have clued in, and in fact cryptically tried to warn Pandora in an early story from first edition (Lucid Dreaming, in Twisted Fates). I believe Lilith and/or Zoraida have also wondered about the Box, but neither have realized what it is. 

 

Shez'uul: The "demon" trapped within Viktoria's Massemune Sword. After being freed by a Nephilim Shaman, Shez'uul used the blood of those it killed to sustain it's physical form. He was eventually defeated after the Nephilim transformed their blood into a toxic black ichor. Shez'uul fled to ancient Japan (Earth), where it slaughtered everyone until a hero trapped it within the a powerful sword, the Massemune Nihonto. Of note is that according to Into the Bayou, it was Shez'uul who destroyed Malifaux's twin city, Tsankor S'id (now the Sunken City located within the Bayou) and triggered the Tyrant Wars. Currently it's possible that Shez'uul holds some sway over the Viks (current holders of the Massemune Nihonto), given the more violent temperament of one of them and the fact that they're now pretty set on killing Titania.

 

The Dragon/s: Technicaly the Dragon is one Tyrant, but during the Tyrant War he split his essence in two and hurled one half through dimensions to Earth, crashing into Mt Etna and destabilising the barrier between Earth and Malifaux forever. I'll deal with the "Malifaux" Dragon later, but the Earth Dragon wandered for a time, possessing one host after another until he arrived in Tibet and was trapped on a riverside when it's host at the time died. After a few thousand years he was found by a tibetan monk, with whom he had a bit of a chat and decided to build up his temples to train new hosts that can contain his form for longer. Thanks to the Ten Thunders, Dragon has recently returned to Malifaux with his current host Shenlong, where he's presumably planning to prepare for his ascension. 

One interesting side note here is that The Dragon and Cherufe were the only Tyrants who attempted to ascend at the same time as the Governor (of the ones we know of, that is). It didn't work out well for either (Cherufe especially), and the Dragon was busted up pretty good for it's efforts. His host, Shenlong, is now having second thoughts about his role in all of this. 

 

Meridion: Meridion drew power from the leylines of her world, and her essence has been imprisoned within those same leylines since the Tyrant War. After her defeat Meridion's followers (who at the time were denizens of Malifaux) were cast into the ocean to eventually become what we know as the Gibbering Hordes. Like other imprisoned Tyrants Meridion was still able to exert some influence over her subjects, and her call can still be heard in the oceans of Malifaux. Most of the Hordes mistake it for a whisper in the ocean current but some, like the Stormsiren leading the Gibbering Hordes on Earth, worship her as a goddess. Now trapped on Earth and cut off from the whispers of Meridion, Stormsiren intends to do what she must to reconnect with her Goddess. 

From The Sandmen's description in the Homefront Campaign it seems Meridion is still subtly directing the Gibbering Hordes for some as yet unknown goal (though it likely involves ascension). Of note is that in the TTB "Under Quarantine" book there's a sidebar story about a temple beneath Malifaux dedicated to some kind of gigantic fish-frog "Water God". Given Meridion's link to the Gibbering Hordes, it's probably safe to say that she's the aforementioned Water God.

While we know she's currently worshipped as a Goddess by the Gibbering Hordes, this Temple may indicate that she was worshipped even before the Tyrant War. This is very unusual for a Tyrant. I'm not aware of any other full-on temples dedicated to the other Tyrants...maybe for December but that's still not to the scale described in Under Quarantine. Also most of the Tyrants seem to have been more interested in personal power than actually getting people to worship them. The only exceptions are arguably December and maybe Dragon (although Dragon's efforts in building up his temples are much more pragmatic). This, is arguably our only clue as to Meridion's character - she sees herself as a God and is vain enough to ensure people worship her for it. 

In the real world, a "Meridion" is a freshwater diatom, which is weirdly in line with her role as a Water God (I honestly didn't expect that). Also a "Meridian" is a line of longitude around the earth, which also ties nicely into her leyline prison/powers.

 

Witness: As per the TTB core rules, Witness is trapped in a massive soulstone geode beneath a frozen lake in the mountains of Malifaux. Thus far the lake has been encountered by Rasputina, Ramos and Sonnia. Of the three only Ramos failed to recognise the danger it posed, and tried unsuccessfully to drill through the lake to access the geode. Beyond that, we've had no evidence of Witness playing any further role in the story. Given the presumed links to Truth, she's most likely associated with Perdita due to the "truth-related" abilities she acquired during the Event. Lady Justice is another candidate but her association with Ressurectionists (and the fact she was/is a Necromancer herself), might rule her out. She seems to have enough plot to deal with.

The Tyrants we're not sure on:

Fortune: Not other info related to Fortune, but given the possible links to Gambling it might eventually pop up in Lynch's backstory. One theory put forward is that Fortune could be connected in some way to the Gremlins. This actually makes a lot of sense when you consider their focus on luck-based abilities like Bayou Two Card and Dumb Luck in the rules. Their “Guardian Stone” upgrade (you know, the upgrade nobody bothers taking) also hints at some deeper purpose to the Gremlins, even though by all accounts they’ve either forgotten that purpose or simply don’t care! 

 

The "Malifaux" Dragon: As per Perdita’s vision, “the Dragon” was refered to as a plural - two entities. From the TTB core rule book we now know that The Dragon split its essence in two during the Tyrant Wars, with one half fleeing to earth to become the "Dragon" currently possessing Shenlong. We have no other information on the "Malifaux" Dragon that was left behind. The only possible references I’ve found thus far are the Black Dragon (see below), and an ability on the Emberling's (Mei Feng's Totem) card - "Spawn of the Ember Dragon". However both are based purely on their names and vague links with the Ten Thunders. So it'd be drawing a pretty long bow to assume either of these are related to the "Malifaux" Dragon. 

 

The Nameless: Thus far mentioned only in Taelor’s Shifting Loyalties Story, The Nameless isn’t specifically referred to as a Tyrant, yet the language used in that story point to it being exactly that. Assuming “The Dragons” count as a single Tyrant then Perdita’s vision fits in with this theory too (as per the thread title, 12 Names for 13 Tyrants). So who is The Nameless? We don’t have a lot of info beyond the Taelor story. The creature who follows the Nameless bears a passing resemblance to the Fae – Branches for horns and eyeless sockets (albeit with Soulstones embedded). The fact that it was in possession of a Relic hammer, the supposed antithesis of a Tyrant, is interesting too.

 

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Finally, we have the other powerful characters. Most of these almost definitely aren't Tyrants, but it's worth talking about them since they're all individuals who have alot of influence in the story and may/may not have a significant role to play in the overarching story:

 

Hungering Darkness: Stated outright in both Rippling Fates and the in-game rules that it's not a Tyrant. It's nonetheless a very powerful entity, and like Nytemare has done just fine by hiding out of sight and keeping to itself. Huggy is pretty concerned about Titania though, whom it thinks will seek to destroy it regardless of its non-Tyrant status. So now it's consolidating power by spreading its Brilliance as far as possible, to new establishments across Malifaux (Franchise time!). In games terms, this seems to have been reflected by Jacob Lynch losing his Neverborn alignment and becoming a pure Ten-Thunders Master. 

 

The Grave Spirit: Was summoned/harnessed by Titania from another dimension to help destroy the Tyrants physical forms during the Tyrant Wars. It's definitely not a nice entity and despite Kythera' destruction effectively sealing the Grave Spirit out of Malifaux, it holds sway over many Resurrectionists (and at least one Gremlin tribe). Now for a long time I didn't think The Grave Spirit was a Tyrant, and it arguably still isn't in the same sense as the 13 discussed here. If nothing else it's an order of magnitude more powerful than the other Tyrants (it did, after all, destroy their original physical forms) and originates from a different dimension. But having said that, it IS referred to, and treated as, a Tyrant entity in some of the earlier stories (Most clearly in Twisting Fates and the story "The Writing on the Wall").

This could simply be a case of retcon, where Wyrd has since changed the origin/nature of the Grave Spirit to better suit the story they're telling. But I have an alternative theory;

The Grave Spirit (IMO) is the result of a Tyrant from another dimension who has successfully ascended. At some point in the distant past it was able to ascend to godhood, gaining virtually unlimited power and claiming total dominion over it's own dimension. It's truly become an unstoppable God of Death - still technically a Tyrant but far, far more powerful than the Tyrants of Malifaux. In a sense this makes the Grave Spirit it all the more terrifying, since it represents what will happen if one of the Malifaux Tyrants succeeds in it's plans to ascend.

 

Lingxuzi: As far as I know Rippling Fates is the first time we've heard anything about this character. In Yan Lo's vignette he's referred to as a very powerful Oni who was summoned by Yan Lo for reasons unknown (back when he was mortal). Everyone thought him destroyed, but in fact he'd possessed the sages who tried to banish him, remained hidden for many centuries and eventually made his way to Malifaux. What he's up to in Malifaux is not clear. But his existence is common knowledge to the Oni. Ama no Zaku has already aligned herself to him and Amanjaku (Asami's Totem) is trying to do the same. The Oni within Wong's Three-Demon Bag is/are also trying to contact Lingxuzi. He/they got as far as the Kythera ruins, but Wong couldn't be bothered performing the required summoning ritual so they're basically stuck.  It is interesting, however, that the Oni needed to get to Kythera to perform the ritual. Does this imply a link between the Grave Spirit and Lingxuzi? Or perhaps it was just a convenient source of power for which to perform the ritual? 

As for whether Lingxuzi is a Tyrant, at this stage I'd say it's very unlikely, since the Oni are supposed to be from another dimension called "The Beyond", not Malifaux.

 

The Black Dragon: Mentioned in “Into the Bayou” as a seemingly immortal human girl who was taken in by the Gremlin Nuema family. She’s taught the Nuema how to summon spirits and bind them to physical forms, and in turn they’ve protected her for the last 100 years, remaining extremely isolationist, secretive and superstitious. The Nuema themselves are also located close to the Ten Peaks and have vague links with the Ten Thunders (albeit mostly through the other 10-T aligned Gremlin families). While this could easily just be a plot hook for Fatemasters to create adventures around, it’s also possible that this girl could be the above-mentioned "Malifaux Dragon" – the Yin to Shenlong’s Yang.

An alternative is that the "Black Dragon" is not a Tyrant, but Zoraida. Like the Black Dragon, Zoraida arrived in Malifaux at least 100 years before the current timeline (she was at least around when the first breach was closed), and has close ties with the Gremlins. However Zoraida's powers extend to manipulating fate, not binding spirits. So while I think it's a theory worth mentioning, I don't think it's a likely one at this stage.

 

The Red Cage: According to multiple sources, the Red Cage was formerly the orbital prison used to hold Cherufe and prevent him from burning everything in sight (what a nice guy!). It was held in place by a magical obelisk within the Bayou, which also happens to be where the Red Cage crashed during the Event, unleashing plenty of power and almost giving Plague the ascension He’s been after. I initially assumed that would be it for the Red Cage...yet it's still  playing a role in the story.

It seems that the impact crater (now also referred to as the "Red Cage") has opened up a series of caverns underneath, which is now teeming with the undead/mechanical abominations that have been plaguing the LaCroix and Latigo Families. As of her vignette, Perdita's recently set off to find the source of the abominations and "end the threat of the Red Cage once and for all". Furthermore, the "Into the Bayou" book includes rules for Abominations, and one of their attacks includes a Trigger that actually alters the destiny of Fated characters. The new Fate Steps refer to things like descending into the Cage, being drawn in or trapped, returning the eternal flame to its prison, being pulled by Destiny, or learning the truth that will never be known. As you'd expect for Destiny Steps it's all pretty non-specific, but it's VERY interesting that the Abominations can influence a character's fate like this. That said, the Abominations listed in TTB 2nd edition don't have the fate-altering trigger, so make of that what you will! 

As per above, the Red Cage might be linked with Meridion, although her known followers (the Gibbering Hordes) are nothing like the fate-altering abominations emerging from the crater. It's possible that there's two tyrants associated with the goings on in the crater (eg. the Red Cage with Meridian and the Abominations with...Witness maybe?). But at this point it's all just conjecture. 

 

The Burning Man:  Cherufe attempted to ascend at the same time as the former Governor General, resulting in both merging to become the Burning Man, now on Earth. The Burning Man has now appeared all over Earth, and his arrival conincides with the opening of multiple breaches between Earth and other dimensions (mostly Malifaux but sometimes others) and a bunch of people generally going insane. He's undoubtedly a central character in The Other Side, not in the least because there's an entire Allegiance dedicated to him - the Cult of the Burning Man.  

The Burning Man also shows up in Jack Daw's vignette. Exactly what's going on is unclear, but the two definitely have some significant, world-shattering magic going on between them. My own theory is that they represent two, extremely powerful yet diametrically opposed forms of magic. We know that Jack Daw was used by Zoraida to act as a "wedge" to aetheric energies and seal the first Breach. However the Burning Man is opening new (temporary?) breaches across Earth. So one was created to seal breaches between worlds, while the other tears them open. 
 

The Court of Two: The Court of Two was founded by a Doppelganger who infiltrated Earth many generations ago (so before the first breach was torn open?). Currently known as Anton De Wils, he's maneuvered behind the scenes to gain immense wealth and power, and eventually aims to seize control of Earth. From Molly and Kirai's Vignettes we know that he's been working with Kirai to summon a literal army of ghosts, in exchange for a ritual that would return a spirit to life (specifically Kirai's dead lover).

 

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Anyway, that's it for the moment. This is all gleaned from the core Malifaux Books, the rulebooks and expensions for Through the Breach and numerous bits of info from too many sources to mention. It also includes helpful advice, input and theories from some of the people on this thread, namely @Lordgimpet, @Durza @-Loki-, @Parker Barrows, @Cinnamon Bear, @Gnomezilla, @solkan, @Khyodee,  @Kaptain_Konrad, @MetaphoricDragn,@Clockwork_Fish and @Carecalmo.

[Durza]

Theres info on the red cage in Under Quarantine, it was the magical prison that held Cherufe just out of reach of the world he wants to burn, Hamelin dropped it to try and harness its power to ascend. After it dropped the crater it formed is now called the red cage. I'll double check when i get home and see if there's more info. 

[Parker Barrows]

There's also the Nameless whose follower appeared in Taelor's story in Shifting Fates.

[Cinnamon Bear]

Yeah, I don't think there are two separate Dragons. With the Nameless that makes 13, and with two dragons it's 14. Its possible The Dragon has something going on or split apart, but theres not much to indicate another Dragon. It could very well be a typo considering the others in that book. Or, I mean, Cherufe looks a lot like a Dragon in Sonnia's avatar model. 

[Parker Barrows]

I actually think there is two Dragons, but they are one Tyrant.

More or less the Yin/Yang theme brought up earlier.

[Cinnamon Bear]

Googling tells me Meridion is also a type of algae, and we've got some unexplained speckled creeper fish monsters falling out of a breach into London (is there anything more on this in Into the Bayou? Or about the Ocean that presumably rests on the other side of the Bayou?). Ley lines are probably more likely, but hey, doesn't hurt to throw out random ideas.

Edit: Also, Correct me if I'm wrong, but with the developments in the story, does this mean The Guild and The Gremlins are the only factions not harboring Tyrants or pawns of Tyrants?

[-Loki-]

Well, there's the speculation the Gremlins were guardians of a Tyrant that didn't do their job properly. If it was Fortune, that would explain their rules.

[Gnomezilla]

*enters with a guardian helping carry a stack of crockery. orders crockery to be piled in a neat stack within arm's reach. picks up the piece off the top and threatens to lob it at anyone who doesn't use a tweet-length spacer sentence in the first part of their post to avoid spoilers in the recent discussions list on the main page of the forums.*

Now, on to affairs of the Guild.

13 hours ago, Rathnard said:

Cherufe: Formerly trapped within Sonnia Criid. Was ripped out of her and somehow merged (?) against its will with the now former Governor General, becoming "something larger and more powerful than either". Its current location (if it's even still alive) isn't clear, but there's a good chance it's not happy about it.

 

The Tyrants we're not sure on:

Witness: No other info right now. Given the presumed links to Law & Order or Truth, it's likely related to Lady Justice or Perdita. The former for obvious reasons and the latter because of the "truth-related" abilities she acquired during the Event. The Rippling Fates Vignettes for both Masters give no further clues on this matter. 

Meridion: Based on the name, it may have something to do with ley lines and astrological power, or (if you take the chinese medicine route) related to life force and healing. Again, we've no info at all on this one. Even the name gives us very few Malifaux-relevant clues as to where he/she/it fits in. The one tenuous link I do have is related to the Red Cage (see below), but for the moment that's all I've got.

Finally, we have the other powerful characters who may or may not be Tyrants:

The Red Cage: Okay, so I'd always assumed it was an inanimate (albeit magical) object that held Cherufe until it crashed to the ground and triggered The Event...yet it's still somehow playing a role in the story. Right now it's the source of the abominations that have been plaguing the LaCroix and Latigo Families. And as of her vignette, Perdita's recently set off to find the source of the abominations and "end the threat of the Red Cage once and for all". Furthermore, the "Into the Bayou" book includes rules for Abominations, and one of their attacks includes a Trigger that actually alters the destiny of Fated characters. The new Fate Steps refer to things like descending into the Cage, being drawn in or trapped, returning the eternal flame to its prison, being pulled by Destiny, or learning the truth that will never be known. As you'd expect for Destiny Steps it's all pretty non-specific, but it's VERY interesting that the Abominations can influence a character's fate like this. 

So what IS the Red Cage? It could still be an especially powerful bit of magic, but if we assume that it's related to another Tyrant (aside from Cherufe), my best guess is that this could be an aspect of Meridion. Its astrological origin fits in with the dictionary definition of Meridion, as would the abominations if you equate undeath to a twisted form of life/healing.

Well, it's a good thing the Guild doesn't keep any abominations around, isn't it?...

*strained little smile that twitches at one corner*

 

I'm annoyed. I was close. I thought that the cross-pollination of the Governor-General, the effigies [known only to Zoraida], and Hoffman's avatar [known only to Lucius] in the ritual was what had re-routed more power than was healthy, a wellspring from Meridion not from Cherufe out of left field. (The ritual tugged on Lady Justice and her repairs from Ramos, on McMourning's flesh constructs and the clue's right there in the name, on Collodi I oughtn't have to explain that one, on Hamelin a[nother] Tyrant...and Lilith, flowers to anyone who explains why she was alerted.) Ah well, if the one is dedicated and entwined with the other as the guess is here, it would be simply yet another divide-by error in the folly of Meridion.

Why did I assume Meridion was queen of constructs? I only know of leylines in Malifaux via Vanessa. Vanessa's a sister and a controller of constructs. The Gorgon lays her finger on the creation of unnatural life through the undead; it was fitting that there would be another creator of unnatural life who touched constructs.

[Rathnard]

This is great feedback guys! I've editted the original post accordingly, specifically with regards to Meridion, The Nameless and the Dragons, including a clue to a possible Second Dragon that's mentioned in Into the Bayou. 

I'm still reading Into the Bayou (and still need to read some of the other TTB books) so there's likely more to come.

[The Warlock]

Since the initial post had spoilers re: Cherufe, SPOILERS I guess.

 

I'm actually keen on more fluff about the Burning Man and whether or not the old GG did become a Tyrant though his ascension was botched due to Cherufe and now they're one super-tyrant. The book states that they were like two matches flaring up next to each other at the same time and their flames became something more. Unsure if it's just Cherufe manifesting through the GG or they've become one.

Going to have to support the theory of two dragons being the one Tyrant ala Pisces being two fish yet one constellation/astrological symbol. Yin and Yang is the most obvious part of this, then there's also the introspection Shenlong does within his own vignette. 12 names for 13 is because the thirteenth is Nameless or at least, only has the title of being 'The Nameless'.

[Cinnamon Bear]

9 hours ago, Rathnard said:

This is great feedback guys! I've editted the original post accordingly, specifically with regards to Meridion, The Nameless and the Dragons, including a clue to a possible Second Dragon that's mentioned in Into the Bayou. 

I'm still reading Into the Bayou (and still need to read some of the other TTB books) so there's likely more to come.

You're doing a great job of selling Into the Bayou, by the way.

As for the other TTB books, I have all of them save Night at Rottenburg, Into the Bayou, and Bayou Games. I don't recall anything off hand that could be tyrant related, but in Under Quarantine there is a sidebar story that indicates a massive temple to some sort of gigantic "water god" somewhere underneath Malifaux. We've also got a bit of lore on those fish monsters from The Other Side in "The Ferryman"- distant relations of silurids that live in Malifaux's oceans and occasionally (rarely) get lost and travel upstream into the bayou or riverways. Theres some sort of probably tyrant-level entity thats going to be more relevant to The Other Side, I think. 

I can't think of anything else off the top of my head thats relevant to possible tyrants or other possibly big movers and shakers. I remember being a bit surprised at the lack of The Gorgon being mentioned in Under Quarantine.

[solkan]

Spoiler

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One thing I don't see brought up yet is Amanjaku's status.  There's no characteristic on the model, but everything that happens in the story is certainly following the modus operandi of a tyrant to get things done.  So if A-kun isn't a tyrant (yet?), A-kun and Hungering Darkness must have the same legal defense. 

[Rathnard]

Here's some spoiler text because that's apparently what all the cool kids are doing these days and we're talking about spoiler stuff from rippling fates so it's probably best not to ruin things for everyone who hasn't yet read the book, which they really should do as soon as possible.

 

@solkan it's unlikely. From the Asami story, Amanjaku is portrayed as cunning, ambitious, and ranked above the "regular" Oni, yet physically weak (certainly weaker than Ama No Zaku) and subordinate to the mysterious Lingxuzi character who keeps popping up. If he does turn out to be a Tyrant, I'd be very, surprised. 

@Cinnamon Bear you make a good point about the Gibbering Hordes for The Other Side. As far as we know they're *probably* from Malifaux (the flyer from Gencon this year didn't specifically say it, but it's strongly implied). In any case, it'll be interesting to see how they tie in with this Water God under Malifaux and the oceanic creatures related to the Silurid. And more specifically, do any of the Tyrants have a stake in them, or do they represent another threat altogether?

[Khyodee]

I don't know if you noted it, but the Governor General merged with Cherufe to create The Burning Man who is now reigning down fire on London. In Sonnia's bit it says that the being is larger and more powerful then a Tyrant and its earth-side.

Also the Wong story has ties to Lingxuzi whose servents live inside the three demon bag and want to summon their master.

[Kaptain_Konrad]

In Kirai's vignette she is approached by people from the cult of **** (forgot the name and I'm at work) about wanting her expertise in binding spirits to raise am army. I believe it was mentioned in hers or Molly's vignette thay they were from Ten Peaks. Maybe a connection to the black dragon.

[Rathnard]

@Khyodee Correct on both counts, although I haven't yet clarified it in the OP.  I believe the key information on the Governer/Cheruffe is in Sonnia's, Zoraida's, Jack Daw's and to a lesser extent, Dreamers Vignettes. 

 

@Kaptain_Konrad It's the Court of Two. Between Molly and Kirai's vignettes, they're a necromantic cabal who've approached Kirai about summoning a literal army of ghosts. In exchange, they're offering a ritual that would return a spirit to life. Their representative (a woman in a dark cloak) met Kirai outside of the Qi and Gong, but I don't think that implies a link with the Ten Thunders. There may be a connection with the Black Dragon, but that's based entirely on the fact that the only information we have on both, is that they deal with spirits in some fashion. 

Beyond that, the motives or possible links between the Court of Two and existing characters/organisations aren't clear. 

 

I'm going to update the OP accordingly. Probably also change the title of the thread if I can, since this has now gone beyond just talking about the Tyrants.

[Rathnard]

Original post updated with info on Cherufe, Lingxuzi, The Burning Man, Court of Two, Gibbering Hordes and the Water God.

Thanks for the help everyone!

[AverageBoss]

We really need a Malifaux fluff wiki .

[solkan]

I'm still set in my theory that...

 

Between the Pandora vignette, the Hungering Darkness vignette, the Asami vignette and the Crossroads stories, Tyrant seems to be a matter of scale or eventually taking the power projection/host thing past some limit.

After all, Hungering Darkness is running around claiming that it's not a bad whatever-it-is because it's a pacifist and doesn't want to take over the world; but it's still decided that the safest thing for it to do is start expanding its sphere of influence in Malifaux and corrupt/consume more people.   

Everything that we have reasonable confirmation for being tyrants gives us the steps:

* Choose host

* Gain more and more influence over the host

* Collect more power

* ? ? ? ?

* Try to ascend/take over the world

After all, it is still just Hungering Darkness's word that there's an important distinction to be made, and we've got the equally important evidence that people like Titania aren't going to be satisfied with that distinction.  Sort of like if Tyrant was the Prestige Class/Advanced Pursuit for whatever Amanjaku and Hungering Darkness are/the stuff Lingxuzi showed Amanjaku.

[Parker Barrows]

Theory: I think the Court of Two are the ones who set the Crossroads Seven in motion. I have no evidence. Just a gut feeling.

[Cinnamon Bear]

I have a theory, it's probably wrong, and probably not spoilers since its just what my interpretation of the story has been (granted that I haven't got my hands on the latest two books).

For me, it feels like as part of Malifaux being Faerie, Tyrant is the ascension from an individual to an archetype or idea. It may just be because I'm also a fan of postmodern Fallen London, but I feel theres a certain amount of fairy tale or story-logic thats made real in Malifaux. Frozen Heart characters literally have their hearts frozen into ice. Metaphors become real. Hungering Darkness isn't a Tyrant because he isn't trying to be the embodiment of debt. The Governor General didn't want control, he wanted to be control. December isn't a Tyrant of Winter or Hunger or Deprivation so much as he is those things personified and imbued with ambition and ill intent.

I'm probably wrong, but I like my theory.

[KuVenet]

just playing devil's advocate here, but wouldn't (if we take perdita at her word in saying "dragons" plural) be the Victorias? I say this for two reasons, 1 their abilities all have the word "dragon" in them. 2 in their lore it says that they are rarely apart which would feed into the Yin/Yang theory? 

Yes the sword does have that one demon in it. But do we know for a fact that all the "tyrants" are inherently bad? Perdita let Sonnia live sand she is possessed? Maybe the Sisters are the Dragons and are keeping the evil demon in the sword in check?

Just my thoughts. 

[AverageBoss]

Perdita let Sonnia live because Sonia is her friend. She went out of her way to help her overcome her possession. I also don't think that most humans (including Perdita) fully understand the Tyrants, what they are, and what they are capable of.

Shenlong is merged with one of the Dragons. This is 100% confirmed and Shenlong even has the "Tyrant" keyword to back it up, something the sisters lack. Their dragon moves and named as such simply for flavor. It might be possible that one of the Viks is the 2nd Dragon, only because we have no solid info on it and it could literally be anyone or anything at this point. I think its far more likely that this "Black Dragon" from Into the Bayou is the 2nd Dragon though.

We also know that Shez'uul is one of the Tyrants and is sealed with the Masamune.

[santaclaws01]

2 hours ago, KuVenet said:

just playing devil's advocate here, but wouldn't (if we take perdita at her word in saying "dragons" plural) be the Victorias? I say this for two reasons, 1 their abilities all have the word "dragon" in them. 2 in their lore it says that they are rarely apart which would feed into the Yin/Yang theory? 

Yes the sword does have that one demon in it. But do we know for a fact that all the "tyrants" are inherently bad? Perdita let Sonnia live sand she is possessed? Maybe the Sisters are the Dragons and are keeping the evil demon in the sword in check?

Just my thoughts. 

The problem with that is we already know one of the Dragons is tied to Shenlong.

[SoylentRobot]

Does Witness have anything to do with Jaw Daw at all?