Condamner - an ISaT x Doom AU

Hello once more, this is my third ISaT AU, this one crossing over with the modern era of Doom (Dark Ages, 2016 and Eternal)! As per my two previous ones, there will be FULL GAME spoilers for BOTH properties, even with this new and different narrative. Details below the cut.

The King got it in his head to seek out eternal peace far, far sooner than canon. It at first began with freezing people in time, as before. But as his wish strengthened, so too did his power. Bringing down portions of continents one after another, he was able to create a new world beneath the surface - The Spirit World, where hostile Sadnesses lurk and seek only to assimilate all they see.

A long standing war, spanning decades, was fought - the forces of the void clashing with the Defenders and monarchy of the House of Change. The Universe itself joined forces, to even the odds however possible. Many are slain, much destruction is wrought. Through Euphrasie's wish, the King would be banished to the central point of his own realm - the Heart of Tears, and in his wake, his hordes spread evermore - and with it, his power.

When even gods like the Universe begin to tremble and lose their will to the King, an outsider is rescued in the embers of war. To save their life, this unnamed person was brought to the House, where they claim the beliefs of Change and use it to better themself - to become their ideal self. At this time, sightings of another wanderer are reported. A cloaked one, caked in the blood of Sadnesses. None could find them for quite some time.

This outsider becomes devout, and soon wore the crown of the Defenders. His true name is known only to few, but would quickly become known to the world as the greatest scourge of the Spirit World. A slayer of sorrow. In a moment of desperation, when despair overcame all during an assault on the House that even the Defenders were failing to thwart, the wandering one lures the warrior down to the bowels of the House, where a concoction of the Universe laid dormant. With a wink and a smile, the wanderer leaves the hero to become empowered by this "Vibrance Craft", forever fueled with outrageous power and speed.

Setting forth beyond this point is only one man. For those who tasted the bite of his sword named him

The Condamner.

Each character is an ISaT one taking the role of a Doom character, described below.

Not pictured are Sadnesses and Change God. The latter looks the same, and the former, well there's wayyyy too many lol

The House of Change

Argent D'Nur equivalent. The shining knights of the battle against Sadnesses, this House is significantly more hardened and focused on war than it could ever be in canon. Many weathered heroes rest here, acting both before and after evil strikes. If worse comes to worst, then only One will be sent unto the weeping ones.

Isabeau - The Doom Slayer. The Condamner - living bastion of Change, the Fighter is known mostly for his ruthless prowess in protecting his beliefs and destroying the King's dark hordes. While parts of the jovial, smart and kind natured Isabeau remain, the Fighter uses his intellect tactically, hellbent on quenching his thirst for destroying the wicked and punishing the guilty. A dark past has left him mainly mute, though is capable of speaking, primarily in private with close friends. Utilizes a great deal of Armory Craft, capable of forging powerful firearms such as his mighty Kaboomstick - a double barrel blunderbuss - and is immune to all forms of Craft sickness owing to his demigod status.

Mirabelle - A combination of Thira and Valen. One of the most prominent spearheads of the House of Change, Mirabelle is still an uncertain but nonetheless determined fighter for her cause, and remains one of the King's most fiercest adversaries. Directly serving under Euphrasie, she is both an army commander and an elite combatant, having been bestowed the Heart of Change by her superior. A high profile target, she would have been corrupted into a Sadness had it not been for the Condamner's efforts. Unfortunately, amongst the fatalities of her battle was her friend - even with her issues with him, she yearned to let him live. In desperation, she wished to the Favor Tree to return him to life...however, the King had seized its power, utilizing it to restore him as a towering behemoth known only as Péché. Devastated and wracked with guilt, Mirabelle retreated into the bowels of the Spirit World, sentencing herself to isolation and eternal combat as a means to atone. Isabeau feels horrible for her and visits her on occasion. Perhaps one day...she will rise from the tears and battle alongside her allies yet again.

Euphrasie - King Novik. As Head Housemaiden of the House, Euphrasie takes leadership both in and out of the battlefield. Burdened by many hardships and losses, Euphrasie is much more solemn this time around, and often distrusts outsiders in fear they may betray her side in the future. This changed with the Condamner, upon learning of his actions to rescue Mirabelle from the clutches of The Knight. Her wish to keep the King locked away in his own creations uses an enormous amount of power, of which she knows won't last long even with her alive - her demise by the hands of the Universe may have been a result of her truly broken spirit, but even in the end she remains with enough dignity to not become a Sadness amongst hordes. Endorses the Condamner by the time she becomes a spirit.

Change God - The Wraiths. An entity of unknown origin, it is one of the first recorded beings to exist. Devout worshippers believe in it to this day, even if some turn to the Universe instead. They are benevolent in their cause, but is not merciful - them playing a part in Siffrin's downfall and the King's incensement. It selects the Condamner as worthy enough to thwart the monarch and his idea of stagnant perfection, though has been dormant for years ever since The Knight sealed it away, using it to form Sadnesses. Perhaps one day, the Condamner may find it, and free it from its prison?

The Fallen One - Marok. Mirabelle's friend - canonically, the one who saved her from being frozen in time. Here, he was an avid combatant, if not quite impulsive and acts more on vibes than logic. He still saves Mirabelle from a decisive fate - but this time, it is death itself. Crestfallen, Mirabelle chose to make a wish to restore him...he did indeed return to life, but is clearly nothing more than a monster now, an icon of sin. Mirabelle feels as though she can never say his name again.

The Spirit World

Hell equivalent. Beneath cracks in the world lies a dark, damp and dismal biome, infested with Sadnesses of many types, both natural and former humans. In the very center lies the King, sealed within an iron stronghold forged in tears and bones.

The King - Davoth, the Dark Lord. The primary target, the main antagonist. The King had claimed his wish, and struck Vaugarde significantly earlier than canon, in no small part thanks to him learning how to manipulate Time Craft. Initially he had it in his head to try and restore the Lost Country from being erased - but was only able to bring about its ashes, a desolate and crumbling land. In his aggression, he chose to taint the entire world in his alleged perfection instead - in freezing more and more people in time, the resultant suffering and grieving whittles survivors down into Sadnesses, multiplying evermore by the minute. With how long he's been at it, even the Universe itself fell to his selfish cause, tainting the very stars with his tears. Beneath the earth lies his domain - the Spirit World - having been made possible thanks to his manipulation of the Universe's power. If left unchecked, he could break free of Euphrasie's curse, and poison all of the world with his hordes of Sadnesses - slithering amongst statues upon a barren surface. Is otherwise the same, secluded, manipulative, and cruel.

The Knight - Prince Ahzrak, with a tinge of the Hell Priests. A survivor of the Lost Country, the Knight operates by way of wrath after losing all he had loved. He worked valiantly under the King in his attempts to bring back the Lost Country, and was the one who granted him the idea to enact vengeance on the rest of the world as compensation. Spearheading the Sadness hordes, he was able to create a stronger, even deadlier breed known as The Bittered, living and breathing his rage and nothing more. He frequently abuses Armory Craft, so much so that it aches the scar along his side, and hunts the Condamner in hopes of stealing his reputation and becoming all who the world fears.

The Sadnesses - The demons. The end result of the King's work - sniveling, desperate and hopeless creatures who thrive on others' pain just to live. The canonical types return, both enemy and boss, though now that they're in even greater abundance, even more types and breeds are possible. They lurk every day, both on the surface and the Spirit World...and could easily spread even further.

The Universe / The Lost Country

Urdak equivalent. The country here is not necessarily forgotten, moreso half-remembered and fading steadily. An abandoned, cold and almost spatial seeming plane that always appears to be a moment away from disintegrating.

The Universe - The Khan Maykr. A higher power that used to be nothing more than a guiding force and an ominous granter of wishes, they have succumbed to the King's control, the wishes they frantically transforming from terrifyingly literal and extreme at worst, to outright malicious, twisted by his will. They are a major factor behind how much power the King wields at this point - and remains a high-profile target. In the wake of Odile's errors, they loom over the destroyed Lost Country, it being torn asunder by two clashing wishes - neither of which can ever truly be fulfilled.

Moonlight - Kreed Maykr. Considered to be a "satellite agent" for the Universe, operating on their own terms. Originally designed to aid in guiding their believers, they too have surrendered to the King, choosing their position of power over the wishes of the many. Using Expressions as fuel for their energy and their uniquely constructed Star Craft weaponry, Moonlight used much of this power to tether the Condamner to their control during the first battles against the Sadnesses. The tether clearly failed. Miserably. Laugh at them.

Loop - VEGA/The Father. An enigma amongst the stars, Loop in this continuity is a defeated soul, opting only to watch rather than act. From another, more peaceful timeline before the King garnered an outrageous level of Wish Craft, they were purported to be the one to stop him. It began similarly to SASASAP - they trapped themself in a time loop to remain with their found family, though as it continues on and as they wallow in despair, the King discovers this and takes advantage of the Favor Tree, wishing "to know". He acquired a perpetual, everlasting vision of their whereabouts, using it to crush their hopes at any and all given turns. As his ambitions grew, Loop's options dwindle, eventually begging the Universe to just make it stop. To simply free them from this horrible nightmare. That was all the reprieve they were given - for they have lost many memories, their body, their identity...and yet the horrors continue in this new timeline, where the King still remembers. Where he remains supreme. Powerless, they turn to the Condamner, deciding to aid him in his crusade - they have nothing else to do after all.

Siffrin - The Seraphim. A desperate soul on the brink of insanity, struggling to keep Mal du Pays at bay. While somewhat rational when he led Isabeau into the Vibrance Craft chambers, by this point they come only to the most radical solutions for stopping the King. They change from merely wanting to stay with someone - anyone - to wanting EVERYONE to remain in one whole world, as he believes it is the only way to stave off Mal du Pays. The Condamner feels downright miserable for him, knowing this plan would not work and would only result in destruction - he would close the rifts between time and worlds in guilt, knowing the lost one will have to be his next target. He can't help but think, that in a better world, they could have been so very close. They still lose their eye too - though instead of a Sadness attack like canon or this version of Loop, this one had their eye outright crushed by the King at one point. They had barely survived. After their transformed Sadness state and the Condamner do battle, the latter chooses to spare them, having taken an eyepatch from the VRC to outfit them with. They were never his enemy - their tormentor was.

The Vaugardian Response Coalition (VRC)

ARC equivalent, with UAC being dubbed The King's Horsemen. A battalion and relief group which serve as pivotal figures within the battle against the Sadnesses.

Odile - Dr. Samuel Hayden, being a decomposite of Samur. Founder of the agency, having formed it over a decade ago when the King's wrath started to grow. In the wake of his reign, she had switched her goals from learning of her bloodline to...actually researching things??? Specifically how Sadnesses work and the study of the King's augmented Wish Craft, desiring to use it herself for the betterment of the world. During an expedition through the Spirit World, she and a team were attacked by a Sadness ambush, her having survived though requiring Armory Craft to survive. Equipped with a cybernetic spine, arm and leg, she continues on with her work - even if the Condamner vehemently disagrees with her plans. By the time the Universe emerged, she barely escaped the new wave of Sadnesses with her life, devoting herself to make things right and join the Condamner and Loop in the crusade to end the horrors.

Petronille and Bonnie - Collectively take the role of the ARC Intern. Rescued from the crossfires of Sadness attacks, the two orphans achieved a position within the VRC with the opportunity to find justice for their deceased parents. Petronille for her part is actively helping Bonnie become stronger, although she remains quite protective of them, worried of their safety in times of crisis. On Bonnie's end they still enjoy cooking, catering to many within the league and its allies, although their anger is especially significant here owing to the horrors they've witnessed and their brushes with death. Absolutely obsessed with the Condamner and is eager to help him at every turn they can even from the sidelines - Petronille merely respects him in contrast.

Aurélie - Dr. Olivia Pierce. Former assistant to Odile turned cultist of the King, Aurélie is a living tragedy, having allowed the bitterness in her life to consume her and lead Sadness invasions, yearning for a thirst for validation of her pains. Believing she is owed promises from the King, she follows his path as he leads, devoted enough to where Odile sees through her like glass. Seeing that she is a lost cause by now, she gives Condamner a single order - end her suffering before even worse consequences befall her. And alas they would - the King wishing she transfigure into a true behemoth of a Sadness herself. The wages of treachery is suffering.

The Pool of Time

Cosmic Realm equivalent. A twisted and crushed together mesh of timelines, both new and old, swirling in what can best be described as blank space.

Comicfrin? - The Old One. Amongst the sea of shattered and lost timelines of loops past lies this entity known as Abandonné. The end product of the King's dismantling of the world, and Siffrin and Loop's meddling with Time Craft, made manifest as a powerful behemoth that is neither truly Sadness nor a deity - a simple byproduct of the crumbling earth around it. Within its cosmic realm, it seeks release and soon - so that it may demolish the waking world however it wishes for reasons even it itself has forgotten many timelines ago.