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| “ | Come closer. Fear not, for though you are already dead, I still have need of you. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits giving the Lamb another chance after the latter's death. |
| “ | He was unalike the rest of his kin. While others dealt with flux; chaos, famine, pestilence, war. Things in which their constancy must transpose. And yet he was the inevitable; the obstinate and irresistible. The one who waits. Truly peculiar, 'twould then seem, has appetency to invite the novel and the new, break ancient vow and primordial bond alike. Traditions stagnate and appetites augment, nonetheless. Doubt tears faith asunder. | „ |
| ~ Haro talking about The One Who Waits. |
| “ | Bonds of familial duty, turned instead to chains. Most voracious of appetites, curbed and contained. Most infectious of ideas cut of and cauterised before given chance to rot and spread. Cruel, verily. Alas, what other recourse was given? How does one kill Death? ... Alas. One cannot. | „ |
| ~ Haro talking about The One Who Waits' imprisonment. |
Narinder, better known as The One Who Waits, is one of the main antagonists of the 2022 roguelike action-adventure game Cult of the Lamb. Formerly one of the Bishops of the Old Faith, The One Who Waits was sealed away after betraying his siblings. To obtain his revenge and freedom, he gave his crown to the Lamb.
Personality[]
The One Who Waits acts cordial towards the Lamb, even if a bit imperative. However, this kindness is a mere act as he's actually a violent and power-hungry god who's willing to sacrifice the Lamb for his own freedom, and becomes absolutely furious if the Lamb refuses to return the Red Crown to him. However, when the Lamb makes him into their follower, The One Who Waits will grow genuine respect for them.
He doesn't seem to care much about the vessels that worked under him before the Lamb, even complimenting the Lamb if the latter sacrifices Ratau to the Red Fox because the old rat was "weak". He also doesn't care for his attendants Baal and Aym.
He also clearly despises his siblings, although he does seem to like Leshy's realm. It's also shown that, despite everything, he still holds some genuine care for Shamura, and as a follower he asks the Lamb if his sibling wept when they died and if they knew it was their end, and becomes oddly quiet if the spider silk (which, in his own words, reminds him of Shamura) is given to him, seemingly showing he does at least feel some remorse for what he did to them.
Biography[]
Sometime in the past, The One Who Waits bargained with the Mystic Seller and became a god.
Back when he was still known as Narinder, The One Who Waits was the fifth Bishop of the Old Faith and ruled alongside his siblings as one of the last remaining gods in the Lands of the Old Faith. However, as centuries went by, he grew ambitious due to growing discontent with his role and beginning to question, as well as having been introduced to the ideas of change by his sibling Shamura. Furthermore, as explained by Shamura once they’re healed, Narinder’s gifts of immortality would make them popular with the mortals, granting them more followers and strength beyond their siblings’s bounds. Because of this, the other Bishops chained him in another realm, though they were all horribly wounded in the process.
In the attempt to obtain revenge against his siblings and be free once more, The One Who Waits sent various vessels against his siblings, all using the power of his Red Crown, and all failing. At some point, Forneus' children, Baal and Aym, were sacrificed to him by Shamura, and he raised them to be his servants.
When the last lamb in the Lands was killed, The One Who Wait made sure that they would reach him in the realm serving as his prison, promising the Lamb to revive them and grant them incredible power in exchange for the latter making a cult in his name. After the Lamb accepted, The One Who Waits gave the Lamb the Red Crown, making him into his new vessel.
Unlike the previous wearers of the Red Crown, the Lamb was successful in the task of killing the Four Bishops. However, when the time to return the Red Crown to The One Who Wait came, the latter kidnapped the Lamb's flock and revealed that he intends to sacrifice the Lamb to reach true freedom, and asks them to return the crown and accept their fate.
If the Lamb does return the Red Crown, The One Who Waits breaks free from himself and brutally kills the Lamb, before presumably doing the same with the rest of the flock. Should the Lamb however refuse, The One Who Waits becomes furious and, after his two servants fail to kill the Lamb, he breaks free and attempts to end them himself, even taking a monstrous form as the fight goes on. Once the Lamb defeats him, The One Who Waits loses his divinity, asking whether they will be vengeful or merciful towards them, and pointing out that the Lamb can no longer blame him for their actions.
If the Lamb decides to kill him, The One Who Waits remarks how they are no different from him before finally being killed. If the Lamb instead decides to spare him, The One Who Waits will freak out before being sent back to the Lamb's base. From here on, he will serve the Lamb as one their followers, and though no longer a god, he is still immortal.
If previously killed by the Lamb, The One Who Waits will eventually be brought back to life by the Mystic Seller after the latter defeats the Bishops a second time, meaning he inevitably ends up as a follower of the Lamb either way.
Quotes[]
| “ | Come closer. Fear not, for though you are already dead, I still have need of you. Those foolish Bishops thought they could keep you from me in death, but instead they sent you straight to me. I will give you LIFE again, but at a PRICE! All I ask is for you to start a Cult in my name. Do we have a deal? | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits meeting the Lamb for the first time. |
| “ | Wise choice... Take the Red Crown which I once wore. With it you shall command the loyalty of Followers and strike fear into the hearts of our enemies. Return to the land of the living, start a Cult in my name, and begin recruiting Followers. Once you have done so, you will see me again. Now, GO! | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits if the player chooses "Yes" instead of "Absolutely" to his offer. |
| “ | Fear not, for you are my chosen vessel and death cannot halt you. I shall not allow it, for I still have need of you. Take what you have gathered. Build and strengthen the Cult. This is how power is gained. Continue on, undaunted. Each time you are brought down, you rise again stronger. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits after the Lamb dies for the first time in the game. |
| “ | Death is of little consequence. Rise once more, vessel of mine. It matters not how many times you are struck down. The Cult shall continue to grow. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits after the Lamb dies for the second time. |
| “ | Very good, my vessel. It seems I chose well when I kept you from Death. I will be watching your every move. Do not disappoint me. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits after Amdusias is beaten. |
| “ | Do not make the mistake of becoming the servant of your Followers. They are for you to use to your advantage! Their faith is a resource, spend it as you would gold. For you can always regain their trust with a well placed gesture of kindness. Let it empower you, let it give you license to do unspeakable things. Bend them to your will. I grand you the power to read their feeble little minds. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits after the Lamb's second crusade. |
| “ | You see me here in chains, reduced to nothing. But it has not always been thus. I was bound to this wretched place by the Bishops of the Old Faith. They betrayed me and left me to rot. Each of the four chains that bind me are guarded by one of the Bishops. Destroy the Bishops and you break the chain. Break all four and I will be freed. I gave you life anew, vessel, and now you must repay the debt. You know what must be done. To defeat the Bishops you will need to become stronger. Sacrifice a follower to absorb more power - this will aid you in your quest to free me. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits after the Lamb's third crusade. |
| “ | So, you fed Ratau to the wolves. Your treacherous opportunism has far exceeded my expectations. Ratau was an adequate servant, yet lacked the ruthlessness you have so eloquently displayed. He renounced his position after striking a bargain that resulted in the sacrifice of a Follower. He was weak, and allowed my Temple to descend into ruin. I see that is not a problem you share. I sent Ratau to aid you, but this pleases me greatly. A great Vessel takes their master's will as their own. Very well done. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits if the Lamb has sacrificed Ratau to the Red Fox. |
| “ | Leshy fell before you like a grain of sand before a tidal wave. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits after Leshy is beaten. |
| “ | Vessel, do you not worship me? Do you not give offerings in hopes of gaining my favor? When you return to your Cult you shall find a new Offering Chest. There you can provide offerings that I, in my generosity, shall turn to gold, so that you might strengthen the Cult. But I am not easily satisfied. The same gift offered too frequently will cause the price to be lowered. Yet fear not - over time it will grow in value once more. Give me proper tribute and you shall be rewarded. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits after the Lamb's fourth crusade. |
| “ | I enjoyed watching you destroy Heket. Her arrogance was always destined to be her undoing. Your merciless crusade against the Old Faith warms my cold, unbeating heart. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waots after Heket is beaten. |
| “ | Kallamar was always a coward. This land is a better place now his pathetic, sniveling carcass is nothing more than a mound of rotting flesh. Soon I shall be freed, and the world remade in my image. All will pledge themselves to the Cult. All will bow to my name. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits after Kallamar is beaten. |
| “ | Shamura was weak, not wise. Their vision was too small to contain the multitudes of one such as I. The time has come to free me. You shall have the honour of returning the Red Crown to its true bearer. I admit, you have worn it almost as well as I could have myself. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits' first part of dialogue after Shamura is beaten. |
| “ | You sacrificed [number of sacrifices] followers to strengthen the Cult - to strengthen us. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits second part of dialogue after Shamura is beaten (if the Lamb hasn't killed any follower outside of the rituals). |
| “ | You murdered [number of murders] followers in cold blood. I believe you enjoyed it. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits second part of dialogue after Shamura is beaten (if the Lamb murdered followers outside of the rituals). |
| “ | Your appetite for death is something I can admire, Vessel. But the Crown is mine, and none - NONE - are worthy. None other than I. You shall lay down your life and return to me what is mine. After millennia, all may bask in my glory once more. But it cannot be done here. The final gate awaits. Hurry now, the time is at hand. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits' third part of dialogue after Shamura is beaten. |
| “ | Vessel, I relinquish you from your service to the Red Crown. Return it to me, and embrace the end that awaits. With this last sacrifice of my most devoted Follower, I will be freed. Finally... I will be FREE! Approach, vessel, and lay your life down at my feet. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits asking the Lamb to return the Red Crown to him. |
| “ | So you have betrayed me, Lamb. You have shunned my gospel, and claimed yourself a false idol. The crown is mine by divine right! You think to stand in the very face of death? | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits if the Lamb refuses to return the Red Crown to him. |
| “ | Even after I have slaughtered you, your pain will not end. You cannot escape me, even in death. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits just before the beginning of his boss battle. |
| “ | Did you believe me defeated? Did you think that to be all there was to a being such as I? You thought yourself above a GOD? | „ |
| ~ The One Waits at the end of his boss battle's first stage. |
| “ | You are corrupt, false idol. Your corruption has no doubt spread. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits at the beginning of his boss battle's second stage. |
| “ | You have supplanted me. A vessel no more, instead a crown bearing deity. Damned Lamb! I am at your mercy, are you to be a vengeful false idol, or a merciful coward? No longer can you blame your vile acts on me. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits after being defeated. |
| “ | You weak, snivelling, foul thing. You - wait! Waaaiiiiiiit! | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits if the Lamb decides to spare him. |
| “ | So, you are no different to me after all. You have become as I am. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits if the Lamb decides to kill him. |
| “ | Pathetic Lamb. This is what your labors have wrought? This place holds not a single candle to the magnificence of my Temple, now gone. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits' unique build Skull Candle quest. |
| “ | Hmf. Adequate. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits once the quest is completed. |
| “ | So Leshy is no more. He was a being of chaos. The unordered beauty of his realm... I wonder if the flowers still grow, now that he is gone. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits' special follower dialogue for the collecting Camellia from Darkwood quest. |
| “ | I asked not for these! You think me a soft fool!? Damned Lamb... | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits once the quest is completed. |
| “ | It is a testament to the strength of my Crown, that you should traverse Anura and emerge unscathed. Even after I cut her throat, Heket's words were more toxic and foul than the mushrooms that grew in her domain. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits' special follower dialogue for the collecting Menticide Mushrooms from Anura quest. |
| “ | Ha! Vile things, still they persist. As vile things are wont to do. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits once the quest is completed. |
| “ | Do you fear me, Lamb? My brother, Kallamar, lived in fear of me. He shook at the mere thought of death! In his temple, he thought himself safe. How I wish to see those crystal walls crumbled! | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits' special follower dialogue for the collecting Crystal Shards from Anchordeep quest. |
| “ | So this is all that persists of Kallamar's temple. It was a thing of beauty, once. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits once the quest is completed. |
| “ | ...did Shamura weep, when you killed them? Did they know it was their end? Once, they were the brightest of us, their mind gracious and strong like the spider's silk that encased their home. It reminds me of them... | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits' special follower dialogue for the collecting Spider Silk from Silk Cradle quest. |
| “ | ...... | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits once the quest is completed. |
| “ | Lamb, you bear my Crown. You wield my power. And yet I cannot call you worthy. A Follower has perished from this world. What rites is such a pathetic creature afforded? | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits' special follower dialogue for the resurrect a follower or hold a funeral for a follower quest. |
| “ | Ha! Hahahaha! I cannot begrudge supplantation by one such as yourself. Why contain death? And with none to stand in your way. You are, after all, the last God left in the Lands of the Old Faith. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits if a follower is resurrected. |
| “ | Hm. So you observe their passing from this world to the next as a ship to sea. Interesting. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits if a funeral is held. |
| “ | Lamb. Mortal life is so... fragile. So fleeting. So long did I stand at the gates between this life and the next, trapped at the nexus of what was and what wasn't. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits asking to be sent on a mission. |
| “ | ...my thanks, Lamb. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits once the quest is completed. |
| “ | Hmf. Baal and Aym? I did not take them. They were given. Intended as keepers, perhaps, but they were young and in need of guidance. Must I be blamed for my influence? Salvaged from the void, they are yours now. Do what you wish, scornful God. I care not for them. | „ |
| ~ The One Who Waits if Baal and Aym are brought back to life. |
Gallery[]
Game[]
Comic[]
Trivia[]
- Within the game's data, his follower ID is 666, with this being the Number of the Beast.
- It's common among fans to ship him (in his follower form) with the Lamb. This is because The One Who Waits can actually be married as a follower, and many players see a lot of irony in removing godhood from a powerful deity and forcing him to be their spouse.
- He represents the Horseman of Death.
- Him being chained represents the phrase "Do No Evil".
- The One Who Waits is the middle child among his siblings.[1]
External Links[]
References[]
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 Villains
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Cult of the Lamb Old Faith | ||