- Not to be confused with Curse.
The current title is merely a placeholder.
The Crystal Curse is a curse that was used by the Alchemy Guild to engage their plan to bring forth demons to Earth. Developed by an unnamed alchemist after repurposing parts of his homunculus research, the curse was initiated by infusing a certain crystal in a "pure orphan" (which acts as a beacon for the summoning), who begins to attract demons, thus creating the Shardbinders.
Known infected[]
While there were many other test subjects that had been cursed by the Guild, only three are explicitly named:
- An unnamed boy: This unnamed boy accidentally came into contact with the first demonic Shard retrived by the Guild, bonding with it and wreaking havok before being forcebly separated from it. His exploits lead to the test subjects to be collectively labelled as "Shardbinders", as well as to them receiving combat training in order to learn discipline, procure more shards from demons, and keep the power of their bonded shards in check.
- Miriam: While her attunement to the crystal, and as such her potential, was noted to be extraordinarily powerful, the attempt to sacrifice her failed, as Miriam, thanks to Alfred's intervention, fell into a magical comatose state before the ritual could begin.
- Gebel: The attempt to use Gebel in the ritual succeeded. However, thanks to his hidden latent exorcist blood, he miraculously survived the sacrifice, and then used the summoned demons to destroy the remnants of the Alchemy Guild. The curse, slowed down but not stopped by his blood, continued to ravage his body for the next decade, until he succumbed to it.
- Dominique Baldwin: Was subjected to the curse in a self-inflicted manner in her mad desire to get revenge on God by unleashing Bael. She continued to suffer the curse upon being sent to Limbo until defeating Bael herself, after which the curse seemingly disappeared, but at the cost of her memories.
Abilities[]
People who were affected by the curse and still survive gain access to powerful demonic magic, enabling them to perform feats thought to be impossible for most humans. Abilities granted by the curse include casting powerful spells, creating weapons from thin air, and summon demons from hell for the wielder's purposes.
One of their most recognized powers is the ability to harness magic power from demons by absorbing crystals (known as Shards) from them. Due to that specific ability, they are also known as Shardbinders.
Side effects[]
| “ | Remember not to rely too heavily on the shards. | „ |
| ~ Dominique forewarning Miriam of the downsides of abusing demonic magic. |
Gross usage of the magical abilities granted by the curse results in the wielder's body crystallizing. It usually starts at the heart and then forms patches around the body. From said patches more crystals will grow until it completely engulfs the wielder, turning them into a solid human-shaped crystal.
Slowing the curse[]
It has been shown that the curse is able to be suspended by using the Enochian Glyphs to slow and possibly halt the curse's progress. This was discovered by Johannes and implemented upon Miriam.
However, overuse of one's powers will cause the glyphs to lose power for a short period of time. This is why Miriam is able to use abilities that would normally engulf her body in crystals, but then have them recede after using said powers.
Following Bael's defeat, Johannes reveals that Alfred had noticed how he had been able to forestall Miriam's corruption and suggested some improvements, coming to believe he could halt the curse permanently.
An alternative way to slow down the curse, as Dominique would later discover, was to expose its subject to the demonic atmosphere of Limbo, which can act as a suppressant.
Trivia[]
- The initial patches of crystals that form on people's bodies give the effect of a stained-glass rose. As the curse spreads, patches of the crystal are shaped like rose petals.
- Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the third game in recent years to use the religious language of Enochian in relation to communicating with and manipulating otherworldly forces in a video game, the first being the Bayonetta series, in which the demons and angels of the franchise speak Enochian as their primary language. The second game to use this language would be Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, in which Satan informs his acolyte, Guido Szandor, the preferred location of his summoning.
- The Enochian words that make up Miriam's seal read "COGIGARASHI", referencing the series creator Koji Igarashi.[1]