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bullets-and-masks · 5 years

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Krieg’s Backstory based on tips/missions/canon quotes

“Alright, y’all. Since This Post (by @necromorph-slayinglovemachine) is making some rounds, stating Krieg’s inner voice quote [ Where is she? Is she still alive? Did she get away?] refers to Dr. Samuels, the woman responsible for slag experimentations at the Exploitation Preserve, and I’m just gonna say: Yes, I agree. So, let’s explore that, and therefore the very possible option that Krieg became what he is at the Preserve, going through Quotes and game events.

In the DLC Sir Hammerlock vs the Son of Crawmerax has a optional mission called Victims of Vault Hunters, in which Sparky, the son of Captain Flynt, hires assassins to kills the Vault Hunters as a revenge plan. Each assassin is related to who the Vault Hunters are and whatever happened to them before Pandora or got them in the planet. Here is Krieg’s assassin description: “At this point, Sparky's hopes for victory have been dashed, but he reluctantly introduces Clements, a Hyperion scientist who wants Krieg.” Krieg’s assassin in a scientist, and it’s not clear wheter he plans on retrieving or killing the psycho. But, Clements is pointed as a Hyperion scientist, tying Krieg’s relation to Hyperion was one that has to do with science/research. (We’ll come back to this mission). What works most about this assumption is Krieg’s very nature, design and skills: He is a borderlands psycho, bandits made crazy by experimentations. Badass pyschos themselves are a result of slag mutation, as Jack’s voiceover at the Preserve states: “This is Handsome Jack, thanking you, loyal test subject, for helping bring Pandora into the future. The experiments you'll be put through will help us uncover new uses for Eridium, new cures for medicine, and...why are you having me read this crap? They know we're gonna mutate the hell out of them, why lie to - (static) “ This voiceline is furthered reinforced by a loader present at the preserve, made to greet the “volunteers” (subjects) that arrive there. Its quotes that prove slag, pyschos and mutations are all tied: "Eridium injections may cause side effects such as gigantism, insanity, and excess limb syndrome." All things seen both in psychos and rats - a name that could allude to them being lab rats. "Thank you for open quotes volunteering closed quotes as a test subject at Hyperion Preserve. Do not attempt to leave the grounds." Stating that people are capture to be subjected to slag experimentation. "Do NOT touch the Eridium vats unless you have alerted a Hyperion technician first, preferably one with a camera." Just furthering on that. Krieg’s Mania Skill Tree also ends up with him assuming a badass pyscho form, confirming the possibility of him being a subject of slag experiments. Krieg’s design also counts with tubes going into his hand, or the protection on his arm, and wether this might not have anything to do with experimentation, it raises the question of why he needs it (if it’s a need) as well as the bigger filter present on his mask.

(image description: a turnaround of Krieg the Psycho from Borderlands 2, showcasing his design. He has orange pants, same as psychos - enemies from the game - a gas mask and bandages. He is shirtless, sporting only a harness that carries tubes that connect to his left arm. He’s holding his buzz axe, an weapon made of an axe with a buzzsaw as its head.)

What we have so far: Slag experimentation was done at the Exploitation Preserve. Said experiments resulted in psychos, among other kinds of bandits/enemies. Krieg is a psycho, and not only his design but his sent assassin and wanted poster alude to him being tired to a scientific branch of Hyperion, as property/prisioner. Dr. Samuels was a very relevant and active scientist in said experimentations, as proved by the Doctor’s Orders side quest given by Tannis.

Going into the Quote that started this all, let’s examine ALL his quotes pertaining women:

1.“ I can't see her anymore... She was so clear and bright... but the blood is in my eyes, and now I can only watch the ocean of blood... Its waves crash against my forehead again and again, AND I JUST NEED TO LEARN HOW TO SURF!! “

2.You're gonna scream, just like she did; open mouth, open heart, blood and noise forever piercing my skull, poisoning me with its psychopathic purple liquid. We watched it all, and felt the knife edge split down the middle... CAN YOU HEAR ME?!

3.“I'll never forget the way her holes cried... The way she screamed in agony as she pushed the knife slowly into my sternum... Such a beautiful symphony of feelings, and at the end of it, she was so much greater! My operatic diva of flesh and steel!! “

4.“ (On your feet, she might still be out there.)”

5.“(Where is she? Is she still alive? Did she get away?)”

6.THE TINY ONE AND THE SAD-FACED MOTHER AND THE BLUE TATTOO FOREVER AND EVER! (when Moxxi asks about a mister-or-missus Vault Hunter in Krieg's life during the Mad Moxxi and the Wedding Day Massacre DLC )

Quote 01, 02 and 03: 01: It’s unclear the context or identity of Her. It’s possible to presume there’s more than women being referred to in all quotes, but at the same time, although only a pronoum is used, it seems to be used as the closest he can to a name. 02: Pyschopathic purple liquid: Slag. It’s unclear hear if Krieg thinks about someone that was also experimented on, or along with him. 03. her holes cried: eyes, actual crying. The screams in agony could be or not an exaggeration; but the important here is that we are aware Samuels was threated, via her wife’s life, to work on the subjects, as she did not want to. By the ECHOs during Doctor’s Orders, Samuels sounded very humane, and it’s fair to believe she’d suffer having to do this. 02 and 03: Both “knife edge split down the middle” and “my operatic diva of flesh and still” could be interpreted as alluding to the birth and inspiration of a second personality, one that thrives in pain and slag - outter Krieg. Quote 04: It’s extremely unclear what happens to Samuels, but Doctor’s Orders alludes to her possible death in the explosion caused by Tiny Tina for her escape. However, there’s solid evidence pointing she’s alive (we’ll come back to this.) It’s therefore possible Krieg believes so, and would like to find her. As a familiar face? For revenge? To thank her or just check on her? Hard to know. But as the inner voice seems to have strong morals about who to kill, and seems not to resent her, it’s safe to assume a darker opition is less likely. Quote 05: As stated previously and in the other post; Krieg worries about her. He got away from the Preserve and would like Samuels to have gotten out too. Quote 06: Finally, with couple with 02 and 03, it’s possible to read “sad faced mother” as Samuels, as she’d be sad about the situation every human is at at the Preserve, and technically, because she’d be the operator during the slag experiments, the “mother” of the Outter Krieg personality. It’s important to note this quote is Outter Krieg’s, and that the outside personality seems to have clearer access to memories, or at the very least try to stop Inside Krieg from remembering. Now, what’d I say we’d go back to Samuel’s possibility of being alive, and the Vault Hunter’s Victims mission? Well, the mission goes as follow: The Vault Hunter tries to track the assassins hired by Sparky, only to find one dead after another, all killed by assassins’ assassins related to the Vaulties somehow. Each “savior” leaves a message, and Krieg’s reads: “Krieg: (reading) SALUTATIONS PSYCHOMAN I'M SORRY AS A SLICE WOUND SINCERELY SAMMY “ Samuels is also known as Sammy, as she’s called this by Jack during the ECHOS. This can be read as Samuels looking out for Krieg, and making so he’s not taken back by Hyperion and has a chance to live a good life. So far: Krieg is a psycho, made so by slag experimentations at the preserve, performed by Doctor Samuels (forced to). Samuels is alive and watches his back, Krieg believes she’s alive too and would like to find her. Finally, specially while being revived, Krieg has Quotes that can be interpreted as him not knowing exactly the difference between pain and care anymore, specially because they’re all quotes from the Outter Krieg, someone “born” from being hurt by a woman that possibly tried her best to be kind, or showed kindness while hurting him at the same time. They also seem to make it clear he might equal pain to something good. Being revived: “What're you doing to me?!“ “Why aren't you stabbing me?” “Somebody still cares?” Salt the Wound (a skill) stacks: “Hurt me more!”

“It hurts, HAHAHAHAHA! IT HURTS!!” “Pain is LIFE!!”

Among many others.

The last important point is this quote: “ Yes, make them pay for what they did to us...”said by Inner Krieg during killing multiple enemies, which could be a hint about him having been sold by bandits as where Tiny Tina’s parents.

In Conclusion / TL; DR: Krieg’s backstory is about him being captured by Hyperion or bandits, and becoming a test subject for slag experimentation at the Exploitation Preserve. There, he build trust and care towards Doctor Samuels, that though was the one to coordinate or perform experiments; didn’t want to, being as kind as possible in the situation. The experimentations split Krieg’s mind into two, the Outter, psychotic Krieg possibly considering Samuels a mother of sorts.

Fun facts:

Krieg has a voiceline where he mentions Hera, possibly another planet. Wheter he was just an intergalatic traveler or from Hera is unclear.

Inner Krieg uses “us” to refer to himself and Outter Krieg, making it clear he separated both.

Writer Anthony Burch has described Krieg’s psychosis as a man driving an out of control truck: He cannot stop the truck, but he can try and steer it away from as many innocents as possible.

Although it was a fan-favorite theory; it has been debunked that Krieg is Tiny Tina’s dad. Personal Headcanons:

Considering only his canon Quotes - the ones that are not references or fourth wall breaks - is notable that Krieg has a vast vocabulary, and I believe he can grow to rearange the words and communicate better.

The “she” mentioned could also be two people - perhaps Samuels and a woman important to him, taken to be experimented on too

Raving Retribution skill could be named after revenge for said woman Anyway, that’s it! There’s probably a lot more, a lot wrong, who knows, but I couldn’t help myself, Let me know your takes and what you think! And sorry for the english y’all, brazilian here.

#Krieg the pyscho #krieg #borderlands #bl2 #borderlands 2 #psyren

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diveronarpg · 6 years

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Congratulations, TRIS! You’ve been accepted for the role of TITANIA. Admin Jen: Trish, your app was absolutely astonishing. I loved how deeply you unveiled Theodora, from your intricate analysis as you explained what drew you to them, to the detailed points you made in the future plots. You seem to have a grasp on infinite directions that you could take them in and it served as the best kind of prelude to the interview where they really bloomed to life before our very eyes. Your passion for them really shines through and it’s made your application very impactful to us overall. We can’t wait to see our beloved Titania on the dash! Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

WELCOME TO THE MOB.

Out of Character

Alias | Tris

Age | 22

Preferred Pronouns | he/him/his

Activity Level | 8; I’m itching to write in this universe, and barring any inconveniences, I plan to spend as much time as I can doing just that ♥ I’m waiting to hear about a job, also, but until then I can get online daily

Timezone | CST

Current/Past RP Accounts | here is my most recent account & here is my account from the first round of DV

In Character

Character | Theodora Moreau “Titania” & could I change their age to 27/their FC to Medalion Rahimi, please?

“A name is just a name,” Theodora drawls, almost sleepily and with a quiet sadness, but their eyes are wide awake and their lips are curled upwards. “Call out for your God and skin your knees, or summon the devil and bleed yourself dry. It doesn’t matter which.”They inch closer, their breath all at once so bitter and so sweet. Intoxicating. They’ve studied the vices of man for so long that they’ve learned how to become one themselves.“I’ll still arrive.” Death and life are the same being; it’s just comforting to think of them as sisters at war. Theodora knows that you have to take a breath to have it stripped from your lungs, and that you first have to be hollow if you ever wish to be whole. You have to be everything. Never limit yourself to a singular title. “Sing me your dreams, and whisper your fears. I can give you both.”

What drew you to this character? | There’s a strange sort of magic present in Theodora’s biography, something that kept drawing me back to them no matter how far I strayed while reading the rest of the cast. I spent a long time looking for that perfect muse, for that one character that was going to grip my imagination and refuse to let go, and through a process of restlessly running back and forth — I realized, without a doubt, that Titania was the endpoint of my search. Their hold on me was soft, lingering, so much so that I hardly noticed it at first; but they buried themselves in my thoughts and before long I found myself envisioning my application for them coming to life, thinking of all the metaphors I could write and the development I could experience and how I’d have the opportunity to breathe life into such a fantastic, unexplainable creature.

Titania enchants me because that’s exactly what they are — a divine figure, the closest thing to a modern deity. Their status hadn’t been hoisted upwards on the shoulders of an ancient surname, and their influence wasn’t purchased with blood-stained money; those things were as much thrust upon them as they were fairly earned. That’s how the legends go, do they not? A babe in the woods, raised by a witch to speak in riddles and trained by the wolves to never hide their teeth. Perhaps they were a faerie changeling, left in a crib overnight and unable to adapt to human society. Maybe they drove their mother mad. Regardless of the tale, regardless of the tragedy, a child is always left alone in Verona. Hungry and abandoned and shackled by a mortality that does not suit them. Theodora knows their truth. How they bleed just the same as anyone else, how their stomach growls just as loud. What it means to be unloved and unwanted and to dig through trash. There was a never a forest, no mystical flowers in their hair.

But they’ve managed to cast an illusion on the people of Verona, their godhood is self-made, and that’s why I’m so drawn to them. Because someone that the city would have once eaten alive managed to switch the script, they were able to seduce Lady Luck and swindle her for all that she was worth; and now Titania is a myth. Now they sleep and only dream — of maidens that could breathe underwater and how their ability was shared with a kiss, of a man in the sky who plucked Theodora from the ground because he thought one of his stars had fallen. There are no more night terrors. No memories of clutching to the leg of someone who was destined to walk away, of crying in the crimson streets, of having to beg for help. Begging to be wanted and treasured and feared. I want to write Titania, not simply because there’s so much that I want to help them discover, but because I know that there’s so much for me to learn about myself while writing them. Wouldn’t it be grand? To be a god-emperor.

What is a future plot idea you have in mind for the character? | — I definitely want to explore their relationship with Orpheus, to flesh it out and discover their dynamic alongside Stass. There’s so much potential there, something that is all at once so mythical and so human; so beautiful and so tainted. Their love is not sweet, but it is not necessarily cruel. Not always. There’s respect there, a bond that sings of destiny, but there’s also a rift between them and I want to get to the bottom of it. I want to understand their similarities and confront their differences. Why does Orpheus always come back to them, as if he has a lack of meals to sate his appetite, and why does Titania allow him to creep beneath their skin and their sheets? Why do they want to kiss him as much as they want to devour him? I know this is an expected plot, and it’s not all that exciting to discuss, but it’s something that I’m so excited for. Zeus and Hera have a connection that has stood the test of time; I wonder if Theodora and Orpheus will prove to be deathless in their own right.

— What if their creations fail to deliver, what if their position backfires on them? What if they lose their divinity? I’d love to see Titania struggle with their humanity, for their many glamours to be broken. At the core of themselves, they are mortal. Try as they might to prove otherwise, they know the reality of their situation. They’re as clever as they are manipulative, equally cunning and inventive, and the people of Verona have always been quick to throne new rulers. All they had to do was bewitch their minds, embracing the mystery that surrounded their origins and playing those beneath them like the fine strings of a lute. And the music that thrums around them is soft, a melody that sinks deep and spreads through your bones, but all faerie magic has a weakness. An iron sword to their throat and salt in their wounds, and one should always remember that Verona is just as prone to dethroning their kings. Theodora can’t be useful forever, they know that their legend will someday become a petrified tree in an evergreen forest, and that inevitable fate is what terrifies them most. They don’t want to relive their abandonment again.

— Their hands are more calloused than many would believe, a rough touch that’s apt to break fragile things. Titania’s relationship with Catherine is soft, almost gentle, a warped reflection of how Lavinia had raised them; but the difference is that Theodora is nothing like their mentor. Not really. Whereas they had been sheltered behind silk drapes and fed honey, Titania wants to protect Catherine in a more savage way. And it’s not that they want the young girl to wilt her petals, to remove her skin and reveal the thorns beneath, but they would hate for her to spend an eternity trapped in a tower of her own making. Always looking down at a cruel and hungry world. While it’s true that Theodora found the blessing within their upbringing, how to wield all the shadows and splendor and to create something sharp from both, Catherine is not fit for godhood. To be a saint is not to be the backbone of an empire. Not like Theodora has become, with their magic and their mythos. They will do all that it takes to keep Catherine safe, to keep her heart from being stolen and shattered and replaced with something cold. Not like theirs had been all those years ago. Even if it that means being the thief.

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? | Yes! Break my heart & I’ll break yours.

In Depth

In-Character Interview:

— What is your favorite place in Verona? ⦁ “My own mind.” They say it without pausing to think about their answer, not bothering to look over their shoulder and meet the gaze of the man that had asked the question. He has yet to realize that midnight affairs are meant to end before daybreak. Theodora watches as the early morning sun rises over Verona, as the shades between gold and silver blur until nothing is distinguishable, and they laugh. Turning away from the window, a soft halo of light breaking through the waves of their hair, they flash their teeth.

“Don’t mistake me. The city has many wonders, places that mean a great deal to me.” They close the distance between themselves and their lover, curling a finger beneath his chin and forcing him to stare upwards. Like he should be begging for mercy. Like he’s only just realized that he entered the chambers of a god. “Memories are fickle. Some remain, and some fade; but they’re always a part of who we are.” Theodora presses their fingers to his lips, smiling as he kisses the scarred and scented flesh. One bite of faerie food is all it takes to never hunger for anything more.

“Verona, I believe, has a mind of its own. And those buildings and all these soldiers and this war are all memories, some new and some ancient and some that have long been forgotten.” They pull away, walking backwards to where they had been standing and lifting their arms to grip the drapes that flow around them. “We have to share these things with each other. All the beauty and all the terror. And I’ve always been selfish.” They release the curtains and ward off the sunlight, plunging their room into darkness. “I don’t care about the landmarks and the gardens and all the places where blood has been shed. I want something that’s all my own.”

They tap a finger against their temple, smirking playfully. “I’m in Verona, am I not? And my thoughts are so wonderful. Why go to a museum when I can paint a masterpiece behind my eyelids? Why visit the symphony when I can conduct my own music?” They’re at his side before he realizes that they’ve been inching towards him, their arms wrapped around his torso and their lips brushing his throat. “Why spend my money at a brothel when boys like you are lining up to be eaten.” They tuck a stray lock of blonde behind his ear, moving to kiss his forehead. “I’m going to forget you, but Verona will always have your skeleton in its closet.”

— What does your typical day look like? ⦁ They scoff, rolling their eyes and disregarding the absurd question. “There’s nothing typical about me.” It’s blasphemy to assume anything about them could ever follow a routine, let alone be boring. After all, the Moreau heir has never experienced the same story twice. Yesterday they made love to a woman who sang the sweetest opera, a natural talent, but not quite; a bird had made its nest in her rib cage and she was cursed with its song. And tomorrow Theodora plans to kill a man who was born without eyes, who instead looks with his heart. He won’t even see them coming.

The mundane offends them, the thought that someone could ever relate to them and how they spend their time. Only Hera and the wolves have the right to say that they are familiar with Theodora. “I can’t answer.” They stalk off, disappearing within a matter of seconds and making their way through the shadows of Verona. There’s a bag of faerie blood in their pocket, a deal is waiting to be made around the corner; and it’s only then that they realize the one constant in their life. Outside of a particularly dangerous man and his dangerous smile, of course, but that’s a tale for another day. Zeus knows them, this is true, but he is nothing like them. (Right?)

Lucifer is always hard at work, but Theodora works harder. They invest pieces of themselves in every hour of each day, waiting until sunset to snatch them back and be complete once more. They are a true business-person, simple as that. They wear a silken dress in place of a suit, they hold their meetings in bars and kiss investors with liquor in their mouth, but the men of Wall Street could learn a thing or two from them. If anything about Theodora was going to be called average, something to be expected, it would be both their determination and their many enchantments. You can always find Theodora trying to bewitch someone.

— What has been your biggest mistake thus far? ⦁ “Loving.” Theodora says it quietly, a soft break in their voice, and they rise up to their feet and prepare to take flight. Courage and pride are two different beasts to tame. “I regret allowing myself to love.” They don’t tell the old woman who, exactly, but their eyes betray them. The way they glance away, how the dark brown depths begin to sparkle just barely. This is the stare of an abandoned child, and the way their fists clench proves that the abandonment followed them into adulthood.

Conversing with elders on park benches is a strange hobby, but something about the act brings Theodora comfort. They’re so terrified of old age that they prefer to confront the possibility at close range. That one day their hair will grey and their shoulders will hunch, that their bed will grow cold and empty and they’ll cease to be a god and become more of a witch. Still powerful, still feared, but a caricature of themselves; a little less divine. They gather their belongings and stand.

They wonder, often, what became of their mother. Of the father they never knew. They have no memories left of the woman beyond the one that haunts them, of a hoarse voice begging her to stay and a dead gaze that refused to look down. And then Theodora thinks of Lavinia, who abandoned them a different way, but a wound is still there nonetheless. How cruel it is, to mother something in the place of another and then to make the same departure. Orpheus crosses their mind, too, but just for a moment. They never promised each other to stay faithful.

“I must go.”

— What has been the most difficult task asked of you? ⦁ They clean their face of cosmetics and stare at the plainness of their features in a vanity mirror. There’s a note-card in their hand with a series of questions, silly things that shouldn’t require much thought, but the only way to control yourself is to know all the facets of your being. They’re caught off-guard for a moment, but they quickly find their resolve and clench their jaw. “To become a god.” And they’re looking straight at their reflection when they say it, making a metaphor out of themselves like they love to do so fondly, but the tone of their voice is more aggressive than dreamy.

Theodora lifts an elixir and massages their neck with the scent of lavender. For balance and peace of mind. It’s not regret they feel, not really, but more of a heavy burden. Something akin to what Atlas has been forced to endure for centuries. And they have to wonder if he had been a mortal boy with a hunger to be special, lifting the world to prove that he could and forced to carry it for an eternity. Maybe they’re more like him than Hera, or maybe there are too many gods living in their soul for there to ever be any serenity. They clawed their way to the top of Mt. Olympus and now they have the gall to complain about the view.

No, they’d never rid themselves of their divinity, but having to always be clever and sharp and magical can be tiring; and whereas many individuals of similar standing refuse to consider their mortality, that once they had simply been alone and afraid and starving, Theodora never allows themselves to forget. Maybe because they’re not ready to reveal their true potential, to rise through the clouds and hold lightning in their palms. Are they Zeus, too? Never satisfied and always ready to lash out? Perhaps. But they’re also just a person, living in a city of blood and brick. They’re not allowed to feel weak, to cry. Otherwise they’d flood the world. “I think I cursed myself.”

— What are your thoughts on the war between the Capulets and the Montagues? ⦁ Theodora chuckles, almost blindsided by the question, but it’s hardly one that requires any thought. They lick their fingers clean and finish swallowing the remnants of their dessert, looking up at their companion and smirking with all their teeth on display. “Let them eat cake, I say.” It’s as simple as that. Regardless of their role in the chaos, how they’ve chosen a side, it’s the least of their concerns. The city of Verona will always be at war, and two men will always fight over control. It’s in the blindness of their rage, however, that the true rulers rise.

The Capulet emissary is much the same, playing their part to the best of their abilities, but only enough to keep the production going. What does it hurt if they’re a member of another cast? That they’re wearing enough masks to fund an entire masquerade ball out of only their likeness? Theodora laughs once more, caressing the cheek of the girl across from them and lifting a cherry to her lips. “Don’t you agree, darling?” A stream of red trickles down a pale chin. “Let them grow fat and complacent. Let their gluttony be the end of them.”

Let another pair of kings take their place; let Theodora continue their reign.

#accepted: titania #accepted

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