I like Klein Moretti, but I can definitely see him going the route of madness after officially joining the Evernight Goddess Nighthawk’s guild as a clerk.
Lord of the Mysteries Episode 2 Review
Wow, was this episode a treat to watch! I loved that we got more backstory on the Loen Kingdom and its three major churches: The Evernight Goddess, The God of Steam and Machinery, and The Lord of Storms. It’s interesting how these deities have played such a strong role in shaping this strange world hat Zhou has transmitigated into.
Obviously, I’m guessing (or rather hoping, least I look silly) that The God of Steam and Machinery is where the steampunk genre elements come into play. We could also say it’s an early industrial age in the city, but I don’t think that feels right given what we’ve seen of its residents.
Then we have The Lord of Storms, which we don’t know much about yet but I’m guessing (again, haha) that the Hanged Man from the Tarot Club is a member of this congregation. He was on the sea when first being summoned by Klein, and he already had accurate knowledge of the 22 pathways that the alchemist Old Neil confirmed to Klein.
I’m also going to go into this later, But I’m now wondering if each church has so many allotted potions for the pathways that became available after the fall of Emperor Roselle Gustav. Klein thinks he was another (Chinese) Beyonder who got trapped in the Loen Kingdom, and that seems to track based on the documents written in Feysac or Hermes (like Hermetic?) that Old Neil asked Klein to decipher.
We know the Evernight Goddess Nighthawks have 4 pathways and 9 sequence potions, so I’m wondering if the other two churches have the remaining 18 pathways.
Speaking of the Evernight Goddess Nighthawks, did anybody else get Skyrim: the Elder Scrolls V vibes while watching Klein enter their secret base via elevator in the pub?
Entering the pub that has bloody fights going on as a cover for the congregation reminded me of The Companions Warrior/Werewolf guild from the game. The sigil and cathedral reminded me both of The Dark Brotherhood and The Nightingales. While the deity the church worships reminded me of, again, The Nightingales and the Thieves guild.
Even the Gnostic divine tree I wrote about in my first review reminds me of the “skill tree” on the Skyrim attributes page.
Klein Joins the Evernight Goddess Nighthawks Guild
As I mentioned earlier, Klein decided to join the guild at the behest of Dunn Smith and become a Seer based on what he read in Emperor Roselle’s diary. I remembered Dunn telling Klein their powers as a Beyonder grow stronger at night, and I would reckon because their church specializes in mysticism, necromancy, and psychic prowess.
Dunn Smith’s Beyonder powers displayed alongside his female partner (whose name I obviously remember) dealt with the mind, and entering Klein’s dreams and waking state using mental manipulations and lucid dreaming.
Klein also gains Spirit Vision after ingesting the Seer potion from the alchemist and is told to tap his pineal gland (the third eye) twice to turn the ability off and on. He can also overuse the ability, and judging by his test while trying to “control” his new powers for the first time it seems like ability strain and emotional instability will lead these Beyonders straight to the chapel in a similar fashion to the teen witches in Puella Magi Madoka Magica or even the psychic “esper” children in Shin Sekai Yori.
A lot of references and alliteration aside, I am trying to make the point that I can easily see how Klein and every other Beyonder are sent to an early grave. Hence Dunn giving Klein basically hazard pay (which he used to buy a new home for his siblings Benson and Melissa) and hearing that sad little monologue in the chapel about them being guardians who in turn lead other Beyonders to their deaths.
Dunn also instructed Klein to purchase a cane and walk around Welch’s home in case any memories resurfaced about the missing book. At first, I thought Klein was instructed to buy a cane because in the olden days, metal canes and walking sticks were used as another method to ground oneself to the earth. Today, even if we did use them, the asphalt and plastic soles in our shoes interfere with the earth’s magnetic connection.
Not to mention, the canes and wood would most likely be of inferior quality when compared to the past.
I was very surprised when Klein used his silver or iron cane as a double for his dowsing rod! Usually dowsing rods are copper or forked willow, hazelnut, or witch hazel tree branches – but the metal on Klein’s cane has historically been used to banish evil. Along with his demon hunting gun, the iron or metal should help purify his body from any malicious or evil attacks, as well as banish and deter creatures like demons and even faeries if they exist in that world.
I’d expect Klein could really do some damage combining ritual magic like magical circles (think Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood), his Spirit Vision, and dowsing rod when up against any foes. His biggest problem just might be the phantom visions Dunn warned him about, and whatever lingering memories the real Klein had that would haunt him, while possibly driving him to madness.
Other than that, Klein has gained a fantastic power as a Beyonder!
But, tell me your thoughts: Do you also see Klein being driven to madness? Why didn’t Dunn explicitly tell Klein the mortality rate of the job is very high – aside from taking him to the chapel?
Leave your thoughts in the comment section below, we’d love to hear from you! Also be sure to follow us for more Lord of the Mysteries Reviews!
☆ In Asian Spaces
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