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| “ | Some calamity has struck the mortal world. What once was The River Styx has now grown to an unfathomable ocean. A million weeping souls pouring in each day that the shores can barely contain. A tearful tide spilling over at each end, bow to stern, crying for mercy, begging for safe passage. But not all souls can pay and these old hands can only take so many coins. Then one day, the current shifted. Wave after wave for minutes on end of millions, billions, as though the throat of the world was cut wide and the head wrenched back to speed the pour. I didn't have time to react. The weariness from my ceaseless work claimed me and I slipped beneath the roiling sea, into the depths of the Ocean Styx, my fate sealed by the crushing masses of endless bodies. Suddenly, there was a light as brilliant as the Lord himself, ushering me from the darkness with mighty arms that held me with such compassion and warmth as I have never known: "Be not afraid, sinner. Your devotion to God shows goodness in you; plentiful indeed. The heart is willing but the body must rest, lest you squander one of the Lord's creations." His gentle words eased the pain and mended my wounds. My face wet with tears of relief, my words muffled by the weight of my duty. I could only lay in reverence, carried in the embrace of majesty. | „ |
| ~ An excerpt from a diary belonging to the first Ferryman V1 encounters, showcasing its extreme adoration and loyalty to Gabriel. |
The Ferrymen are soul-ferrying supreme husks who serve as major antagonists in Ultrakill. First encountered in the layer of Wrath in the level "Waves of the Starless Sea", they are a group of sinners who have came to regret the crimes they committed in life.
Having reduced themselves to mere bones in self-mutilation, they used to guide souls to the layers of Hell in service of the The Council, hoping to redeem themselves enough to earn a place in Heaven. However, with humanity having been driven extinct by the machines, many now wander the layers of Hell without purpose, only stopping to fight newer members of their group who seek to become full-on ferrymen themselves.
Appearance[]
Ferrymen are beings that have reduced their human forms to glowing skeletons out of disgust of their past lives, with former ferrymen having their decapitated heads serve as the various switches found in the game. For clothing, they wear a white shroud that covers their head and torso, which is adored with jewelry. These accessories are seemingly made of pure gold, consisting of a crescent-shaped head ornament attached to a brooch and bands on their limbs. To move their ships, all ferrymen carry an oar made of an ivory-like material, with its carved head sitting above a golden ring connecting it to the rest of its body.
Biography[]
In life, those who became ferrymen had the blind faith and devotion to Heaven to almost make them angels in death, but the weight of their sins caused them to be sentenced to Hell instead. Having grown to despise their human selves due to this fact, all ferryman have mutilated themselves into being mere bones, seeking to absolve themselves of their past wrongdoings. Despite this, their holy might turns their ordinarily white bones to a radiant blue, signifying their holiness. Upon ascending to this status, new ferrymen will track down an existing member to fight them to the death, taking their ship, clothes, and role upon being victorious. After this, the freshly ascended Ferrymen will take their former foe's head as a trophy, using it as a way to travel between the layers of Hell.
Having spent much of their existence ferrying the souls of the damned, many ferrymen develop a cultish obsession with the angels they seek to please, chief among them being Gabriel. Having built holy shrines and artwork out of a desire for penance, they used to ferry damned souls in hopes to winning the favor of The Council, thus allowing them the chance to ascend to Heaven. However, as humanity was driven extinct, many ferrymen how wander the underworld without purpose, pitifully seeking to earn their redemption in whatever means they can.
Gameplay[]
The first ferryman V1 is likely to meet is found on the layer of Wrath in the level "Waves of the Starless Sea", managing the ferry seen in the level "Ship of Fools". Upon destroying the idol on its ship, the ferryman leaps down from the ship's deck to challenge V1, intent on proving itself to the angels above. During the first phase of its encounter, the Ferryman will first pursue V1 across the deck with vigor, seeking to get in close to deal an attack. These attacks consist of various physical strikes, such as swinging its oar, unleashing two kicks forward, slamming its oar onto the floor to generate an explosive blast, and thrusting its weapon forward like a rapier (with this being able to be done both on the ground and after jumping). The ferryman also has two attacks designed to deal with poor positioning, jumping back before spinning its oar rapidly should V1 get to close and summoning a homing blast of lightning should they be too far away. The space in which it tries to do these attacks noticeably comes from a translucent, square-shaped barrier, suggesting that Ferrymen may have the ability to manipulate the space around them. While fighting, the Ferryman may also roll across the ground to dodge attacks as well.
After having its first health bar depleted, the ferryman will escape to their ship's roof before summoning a chorus of lightning bolts to strike the player, requiring the player to move out of the pillar of light that warns of their appearance. Once they're able to, the player is able to climb both the barrels on the ship's deck and the stairs to reach the roof, where the ferryman and an idol can be found. Destroying this idol begins the second phase of their fight.
Following this initial encounter, ferrymen can be encountered in later levels as tough opponents for the player to fight, as well as being spawned as special enemies from Wave 23 onward of the Cyber Grind.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The original fight against the ferryman can be skipped if the player tosses a coin at it, with this being required if one wants to complete "Waves of the Starless Sea"'s secret mission. This is a reference to the Greek god Charon, who required payment from the recently deceased to ferry them across the River Styx.
- While all Ferrymen will roll out of the way of a falling Malicious Face, this action still rewards the player with the dedicated "Mauriced" bonus, which is given if an enemy is hit by a Malicious Face's corpse.
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 Villains
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Machines Demons Husks Angels Prime Souls Other |