#coa 3

basically it's like a "good ending" AU to whatever the hell the story of coa iii was (they got margie out of the abyss, norton doesnt die from abyss disease etc etc) and now they're in that slice of life aftermath where they can celebrate birthdays and eat cake together!

that bit at the end- i wasnt really sure what i was going for, but you know how in big groups people usually have their own convos with each other? it's kind of like "oh shit we didnt plan this out properly we just kinda bought aesop a cake" so they're just being silly and sing him happy birthday really badly. but aesop appreciates it anyway (they are free from worrying about the abyss, after all!)

Trailers:

COA 3 Official Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukzNGCsP32g

COA 3 Intermission video (COA 1 – 3): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oOxOUwNOEY&t=1s

COA 3 Countdown video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC3PdSzbESU

COA 2 ended with Steam Teen and the expedition defeating Evil Eye Host and the Iron Hats, after which Steam Teen gets the eye and disappears with it. The next time we hear about the eye is from the 2nd anniversary package when Auctioneer gives Pickman aka Netherwalker the evil eye. Netherwalker shows Margaretha (before she became Vile Blossom) the eye, which ends up opening and as a result corrupts Margaretha, turning her into Vile Blossom, and Pickman, who becomes Netherwalker.

2nd Anniversary Package (Netherwalker’s Offer) Information:

When the auctioneer showed me that eye, it was still closed

I was curious to see what color that lidded eye would glow, but I also wanted them to stay closed, quietly and forever, to escape any malice that might be stirring.

That night, I gave it to her.

When I framed the scene, everything changed.

It seemed to have heard my faintest wish.

I wanted to capture the most beautiful things and the things that aren’t even allowed to exist in this world on the same canvas, if only for a moment.

At that moment, my wish came true.

It opened its eyelids.

And for the first time, a smile appeared on her face.

In a moment of ecstatic madness, I had completed the masterpiece of my half-life.

The moment I put down my brush, I knew this was all I had left.

Before this happens, a few other important events occurred that I need to discuss. Specifically, events related to Margaretha and the “Snow Kingdom”.

The “Snow Kingdom” is mentioned by 3 accessories (Margaretha’s Snow Lotus, Michiko’s Edelweiss, and Yidhra’s Ice Crystal) and Murro’s Snowfear skin.

Snow Lotus: Legend has it that this flower can only grow in the holy land of Snow Kingdom. It was given as a gift to the Dancer, and although it was taken out of Snow Kingdom, it continued to bloom miraculously.

Edelweiss: Who will put this ornament from the Snow Kingdom on Geisha?

Ice Crystal: The work of the craftsman from Snow Kingdom exudes a strong chill every moment.

Snowfear: The Snow Kingdom has a legend that at the height of the storm, two huge figures will appear in the plains. People call them the Snow Monsters, but Snowfear does not buy it.

The Snow Kingdom is what happened to Steam City at the end of COA 2 after the tower’s core was “extinguished” and the expedition prevented the eye from being used to reignite the tower. This would’ve corrupted everyone and caused them to go mad, as we see with Emily’s Chemist skin.

Chemist: The severe cold delayed the Eye's awakening, but could not stop its effect on the human mind. She gained inspiration, stimulated her potential, and fell into madness.

Yidhra’s Ice Crystal mentions being created by a “craftsman” from the “Snow Kingdom”. Michiko’s Edelweiss is likely made by this same “craftsman”, as it also mentions being from the Snow Kingdom, plus there’s how it seems to hint at the idea these items are purposefully being given to people. Margaretha’s Snow Lotus is hinted to be abnormal, as it “continued to bloom mysteriously” despite being taken out of the Snow Kingdom.

Based on the Nether Flower pet, there’s a good chance Margaretha’s Snow Lotus is actually a nether flower. The Nether Flower is said to be from the Nether and has an “otherworldly beauty”. This could explain how the Snow Lotus has its abnormal behavior. Both the Nether Flower and Snow Lotus even have the same number of petals.

Nether Flower: A single blossom of flower native to the nether dimension. It brings an otherworldly beauty to this ordinary world.

Things from the Nether or abyss are capable of corrupting people (aka “erode” the mind as Trickster’s and Surveyor’s descriptions put it). This is backed up by how Margaretha as Vile Blossom and Michiko as Porcelain Doll are both on the side of the abyss, as is Murro as Bodyguard (even though he may not have received an item). This is also exactly what Netherwalker is doing with his “art museum”, as the backstory even mentions his “inspiration” is “mesmerizing all viewers” and people “attracted” by his art can’t help but step “deeper into the gallery”.

COA 3 Backstory Summary (http://id5.163.com/sshh3/index.html):

In a mysterious art museum, there are works of art on display that are shrouded in darkness, severely distorted, but full of strange charm.

The artist, who calls himself an otherworldly traveler, turns his crazy imagination far beyond human beings into endless inspiration, mesmerizing all viewers.

The seeker, attracted by the strange statues, stepped deeper into the gallery, only to realize the mad artist was merely using his most successful technique to express a truth that no one had ever been able to touch before. But he is only a modest evangelist. The abyss behind him is still searching for a new agent, looking for an opening to spread chaos to the world.

After the brilliance and shock, who will lift the curtain out of curiosity and look directly at the shadows that have been watching for a long time?

Speaking of this similarity, it’s possible Netherwalker might be the “craftsman” that created Yidhra’s Ice Crystal, Michiko’s Edelweiss, and gave Margaretha the Snow Lotus. We already know from Netherwalker’s description and the backstory for COA 3 that he is an artist and people “couldn’t get enough of his work”. We also know he’s seen inside the Nether according to his skin description and is involved with items from the Nether (such as Porcelain Doll with the “soul” that came from the Nether).

Netherwalker: Pickman only took what he saw in the Nether as inspiration, and somehow those fools couldn't get enough of his work. When he discovered that the Vile Blossom's deteriorating erosion can only be transferred and can't be eliminated, he chose to be the container himself. But who can ever replace her as Pickman's model?

Porcelain Doll: The porcelain doll for the Far East emerged at the auction after it went missing for a long time. The ferocious soul attached to it seemed to have come from the Nether. The fools are therefore convinced that the Pickman's art has surpassed the dimension of creation - that he has the ability to access the Nether.

Pickman and Margaretha met up at some point before Margaretha became Vile Blossom based on the 2nd Anniversary package.  From how Pickman seems familiar with Margaretha, this likely wasn’t the only time, which could mean they met up before, possibly when Pickman gave Margaretha the Snow Lotus.

One thought along with this is if Pickman could be tied to the Snow Kingdom based on Joker’s Iron Hat Commander skin. That description goes into how he saw Steam City as “their last shelter” and he would “live on here no matter what it takes”. Maybe even after things froze over, he hadn’t left, and went on creating these “ornaments”. The reason he can create these kinds of objects could relate to how Iron Hat Commander was likely corrupted by the evil eye back during COA 2 (when he worked with Evil Eye Host to reignite the tower with the eye). As a result, he could’ve been “inspired” by it the same way Chemist was, which could be how he was able to make these items (or why he became an artist).

Back to Vile Blossom. Being there when the evil eye opened is likely how she became the abyss’ “agent”. It’s possible that, when she was corrupted, this may have caused the Snow Lotus to have “blossomed into petals on her body”, possibly meaning it’s connected to the flower over her eye.

Vile Blossom: Pickman once believed that the human body was the most beautiful art, but she also believed that such beauty would eventually fade. It wasn't until the Nether's decay blossomed into petals on her body that she realized her favorite poetry had bloomed long ago, and she would become its everlasting champion.

I believe the evil eye and the flower on Vile Blossom’s eye are connected (which could mean the Snow Lotus and evil eye are also connected) due to the COA 3 official music video showing the flower having the same eye that was in Evil Eye Host.

This could relate to the title of the “poem anthology” Vile Blossom has hanging at her side, “Les Fleurs du Mal” or “Flowers of Evil”.

Design Notes for Vile Blossom (https://mobile.twitter.com/IdentityV_info/status/1244834650956193794):

As the core of the story’s conflict, we hope that the image of the "Flower of Evil" can be a combination of beauty and corruption at the same time: in terms of style, it can break the common pile of gorgeous beauty, combined with COA's Cthulhu elements, to bring players a more layered sense of beauty. In terms of specific design, there are several expectations as follows.

① Mask is an important element of the clown camp fashion design. Added a foreign flower mask to enrich the face elements of the fashion, in line with the setting of the character disfigurement at the same time point.

② Changed the bag around the waist of the dancer to the poetry book "The Flowers of Evil". The evil eye and tentacle elements on the book are the manifestation of the abyssal consciousness of the book (character).

③ Short skirt and high heel design to embody the perfect body of the dancer + model.

Vile Blossom’s official lore seems to allude to it, as it talks about her “resonance” with it, and how the “dancer felt deeply the sickness of society, and the malice in life. She determined that all ‘beauty and grandeur’ is the end result for the people, and pure beauty is fragile and short-lived, withering away in the end”. “Les Fleurs Du Mal” discusses these sorts of topics (failure to find fulfillment through love; how the only certainties are suffering and death; focus on the poor, deranged, victims, etc... who were the author’s inspiration; etc…). This poetry is about beauty existing in ugliness or being created from evil or suffering, and a beauty requiring a different kind of eye to perceive. This would explain Vile Blossom’s beliefs about beauty.

Official Lore for Vile Blossom (https://mobile.twitter.com/IdentityV_info/status/1244834650956193794):

The inspiration for Call of the Abyss III’s story came from a famous story, “Pickman’s Model”, by H.P. Lovecraft, the creator of the Cthulhu Mythos.

In our story, Pickman is a lofty, nameless artist, and his model is a disfigured dancer. When the evil eye of the Abyss opened before them, their interwoven fates suddenly changed.

Wandering the Abyss, Pickman abandoned his human form and became the Netherwalker. His endless creation was both a welling up of inspiration, and a release of stress under the pressure. But the intrinsic motivation behind all his actions was this model, so heavily affected by the Erosion – in resonance with the poem “Les Fleurs du mal”, the disfigured dancer felt deeply the sickness of society, and the malice in life. She determined that all “beauty and grandeur” is the end result for the people, and pure beauty is fragile and short-lived, withering away in the end.

When the twisted foreign things of the abyss began to grow petals on her body, she finally realized the beauty depicted in that poem anthology — Live in symbiosis with the deformations of malice, never to resist decay, never to fear corruption, and in the original contradiction between ugliness and beauty let your ego bloom. She faced the Nether with glee, willingly abandoned her name and identity, and returned to being but of the origin, a vile blossom.

“Flowers” of “Evil” could also help imply the flowers on Michiko’s Edelweiss and Margaretha’s Snow Lotus are from the nether and have corruptive properties (aka “evil” flowers).

Once she was corrupted after witnessing the eye open, this would’ve been when she became “Pickman’s model”. Pickman at this point used her as “inspiration” for his art or works, which is likely how he was able to create his museum later on.

It’s around this point that Pickman hires Bodyguard to protect Vile Blossom. Auctioneer takes notice as Pickman gains fame for his works and decides to help spread them around to everyone. It’s possible that Auctioneer was a “maniac admirer” due to having the eye before (and maybe longer) than Netherwalker, and we already know from COA 2 that the eye is capable of influencing and corrupting people.

Auctioneer’s auctions are when Porcelain Doll appears. The fact it was said to have been “missing for a long time” but now has a “soul attached to it” that’s from the Nether seems to imply even if Pickman didn’t create Porcelain Doll, he’s likely the one behind the soul it now has (possibly tying into Michiko’s Edelweiss, as its description is about someone asking who will give the item to her). These same auctions are also how (and where) those in the Investigation Bureau (Whiplash, Puppeteer, Trickster, and Surveyor) acquire their items, which we see at the beginning of the COA 3 official music video.

Auctioneer: He never thought that Pickman, who was ridiculed as a copycat, could utilize his imitation skills so well on things from the Nether. As a maniac admirer, the Auctioneer decided to spread the Netherwalker's work, so that the world would come to know of the Abyss' glamour and novelty.

The Investigation Bureau is mentioned by Puppeteer and Patchwork. This is the organization they plus Whiplash, Trickster, and Teleoperator work for. It likely connects to the “F.E.A.R.” badges several of them wear, namely Puppeteer, Whiplash, Patchwork, and Teleoperator. Trickster isn’t wearing one, but does have one on the papers in his briefcase.

Surveyor is the only one without this badge. I do believe Surveyor is still interested in Netherwalker the same way they are, and does help them with their mission, but I think the lack of a badge seems to imply he doesn’t work for the same organization they do. I think the reason he’s here is actually on behalf of Mr. Inference. This is due to Mr. Inference’s Carnival Party accessory, which is a literal invitation from Netherwalker that mentions the “gate to the Nether”:

Carnival Party: My customer, as you receive that invitation, the gate to Nether has opened its embrace. Welcome to my Carnival Party. - Pickman

The reason I think these 2 are connected comes from how Netease purposefully put Surveyor’s owl, Netherwalker’s mask, and Eli (as Recluse instead of Surveyor though) in the poster for Mr. Inference. This is something else that likely isn’t an accident. This would also explain Surveyor’s role with the group, as well as possibly explain his name. Unlike the others, he wasn’t ordered to take Netherwalker out or anything. He’s likely here to “survey” for Mr. Inference and investigate (Mr. Inference is a detective). The reason Mr. Inference asked Surveyor probably has to do with Surveyor’s knowledge of the abyss (aka, he’s more knowledgeable in this area than Mr. Inference likely), which is displayed well enough from Surveyor’s description (and him explaining the difference between people who say the Nether versus the Abyss).

Surveyor: The admirers call it the Nether, while the opponents call it the Abyss. To the Surveyor, this is how the indiscernible manipulate people's mind, so that the admirers become strong and the opponents shrink in fear. The erosion of mind and engraving of flesh through art is nothing but another of their hobbies.

In regards to Trickster, who wasn’t actually wearing the badge and only has it on his papers, I think could be because or imply Trickster is one of the ones at least helping run the Investigation Bureau, if not is one of the higher ups. This could relate to how he mentions “the Surveyors” which almost sounds like he doesn’t include himself as one of them. There’s also from the papers that appear from his briefcase and the typewriter could imply he has a different sort of job (at least normally) compared to people like Whiplash, Puppeteer, and Patchwork.

Trickster: The Trickster tried his best to protect the Surveyors mind from being eroded, just so they could continue with their journey on the road of darkness with the Abyss' creation in their hands. Yet, his playful miscommunication finally took its toll on the Puppeteer.

Another random idea, but maybe Trickster acquired his ability to “protect the Surveyors mind from being eroded” the same way Netherwalker acquired his ability to “imitate” the abyss with his art. If we connect these people to their COA 2 skins, Joker as Iron Hat Commander and Aesop as Banker could’ve both gained “inspiration” and had their “potential” “stimulated” the same way Chemist did. This happened to Chemist due to being affected by the eye, which Iron Hat Commander and Banker could’ve also been affected by due to having the same proximity (if not closer) that Chemist did to the eye in Steam city (seems like anyone in the city could be affected).

Since I’m mentioning COA 2 and Banker anyways, I discussed this during my COA 2 analysis, but the idea Trickster could be on the side of the abyss (or at least seeking to do things like turn people into vessels) may relate to how he was possibly one of the ones during COA 2 who wanted to use the eye to reignite the tower. This would explain why the key to the tower he kept was said to have gone missing soon after the “core was extinguished”. So, in this case, Trickster could still be after the same sort of thing (the abyss, madness, etc..) that Banker was in COA 2.

I want to discuss Patchwork now, as I mentioned who a little bit ago. From his description, it seems to be implied that he was injured at some point in the past, and injuries from the abyss can’t be cured, and may eventually cause the person to become a “creature of the abyss”. I don’t believe this latter bit has happened yet, but in regards to the idea he was injured, it made me think about how Margaretha was referred to as “the disfigured dancer” in Vile Blossom’s official lore. “Disfigured” could imply she was injured in the past too like he was. As Teleoperator is the one to mention the land of snow, that could imply the Investigation Bureau had an interest in the place, and thus may have sent people there. Maybe this is how Margaretha wound up there to receive the Snow Lotus. Maybe she went there with Patchwork, but possibly during the trip she and Patchwork were injured. This possibly could’ve caused her or both of them to be looked down on negatively by the Investigation Bureau. Maybe she was kicked out, which maybe could be why she wound up with Pickman, and why he says seeing the evil eye open was the first time he saw her “smile”. I’ll discuss this idea more later, but what if they were sent there by Trickster? What if he wanted someone to become a “container” (as Netherwalker puts it) for the abyss?

This idea in part comes from the possibility that Trickster is also Banker. For one thing, Banker may have been influenced by the eye the same way Chemist was. Another thing is that I think Banker was on the side of wanting the eye to reignite the tower. Either way, his involvement in COA 2 is where I think Trickster would’ve acquired his interest in the abyss. I believe he could also be connected to how the Investigation Bureau even in COA 4 and people like Galatea (as Wheelchair Racer) were interested in turning someone else into a “vessel” (for the abyss) to replace Molten Hound (who’s description calls him a vessel, but Reflective Mirror explains he was “disobedient”, which was likely why they wanted a replacement). This comes from the Chinese description of Bane’s Jammed Gear accessory, which adds a part about how “When the medical company cooperated with the investigation bureau's cleanup” (the Chinese version may use the word for “recycle” here) to the rest of the description, which is “The Pharmaceutical Corporation and the Bureau of Investigation created an almost-flawless container that combines Pickman and the Puppeteer's recovered techniques - with only a tiny flaw in its design”.

Basically, Trickster like the Investigation Bureau (if he isn’t one of the ones running it) may be interested in creating a “vessel” or “container” for the abyss. We already know Puppeteer was essentially being sent on a suicide mission because they wanted her to become Vile Blossom’s replacement. We know Trickster was the one who helped cause this to happen and for her to be vulnerable to Netherwalker (as we see during the COA 3 official music video) due to his “miscommunication”, as it is said to have taken “its toll” on her. Therefore, it’s possible Trickster may have also been involved in sending Margaretha for the same reason, and essentially helped cause her to become corrupted (turn into Vile Blossom) as well.

Trickster picking people to be corrupted and turned into vessels could parallel his canon backstory and how he has standards on who he kills based on his 2nd birthday letter with Victor.

Back to Patchwork, another thing I want to mention with him is the mask he wears.

This should imply he is at least somewhat corrupted, as the only other people with these kinds of masks with tentacle designs have been on the side of the abyss (Vile Blossom doesn’t have a mask, but she does have that flower covering the left side of her face). Vile Blossom’s design notes mention masks are “an important element of Netherwalker’s camp”. These masks may be a way of imitating Vile Blossom, who Netherwalker calls his model.

Teleoperator doesn’t have a mask, but she does have tentacle designs around her left eye, plus a Cthulhu looking design on the back of her hood (not to mention the antenna thing sticking up from between her horns).

This could mean, besides Patchwork, that Teleoperator is potentially unwittingly helping the abyss somehow.

Back to Patchwork, he also has something silver or metallic covering part of his left arm as well as a horn coming out of a magnifying glass on the left side of his helmet/hat. Norton’s Puzzler skin also has a magnifying glass on it, except it’s intact unlike Patchwork’s. Miss Truth also has a magnifying glass on her outfit, and she’s connected to Mr. Inference. Other details that connect Puzzler to Mr. Inference are the pipe at his hip as both Mr. Inference and Miss Truth have pipes, the kind of leather outfit he wears similar to the ones Miss Truth and Mr. Inference wear, and the “?” on his head which can relate to how Mr. Inference and Miss Truth have things appear above their heads when they’re near to each other (Truth gets a light bulb, while Mr. Inference gets a lock).

Patchwork is possibly intended to be Puzzler after he was corrupted based on the pierced magnifying glass. Maybe he was sent by Mr. Inference because of the invitation from Pickman he received the same way Surveyor likely was. Or maybe Mr. Inference is invested in this abyss and Netherwalker stuff because of Puzzler, who may have gotten hurt because of the abyss.

The “Investigation Bureau”, from the name, is basically a detective agency. Maybe before the events of COA 3 it was just a regular detective agency. Puzzler is a detective, so maybe that’s why he was working there. Maybe Inference and Surveyor (or Recluse) were too. But then the events of COA 2 happen. Maybe this was when Trickster (or Banker) joined. As one of those that likely “hungered for the treasure’s power” (the eye), this may have been when he started using the Investigation Bureau for his own ends. We know that Patchwork was hurt by something abyss related. Until COA 3, the abyss seemed to be focused around the eye, which initially was in R’lyeh but was taken out and ended up in Steam City. This could mean the place where Patchwork could’ve gotten hurt, and how Puzzler could’ve become Patchwork, involved the “snow land”. Maybe he went there with Margaretha, which could’ve been when she received the Snow Lotus.

After Trickster gave the eye to Auctioneer, who gave it to Netherwalker, the abyss started to really spread and become an issue, which could’ve been when the Bureau began focusing on abyss related matters. This is likely when the Invesigation Bureau decided to fight fire with fire and realized they would need abyss weapons to deal with Netherwalker, meaning this would’ve been the first time people like Whiplash and Puppeteer acquire (and use) their items. This would also be how and why Fiona learns this is actually a bad thing, and attempts to warn them, but her warnings never get through because of Trickster.

Moving on, I want to talk about Netherwalker again.

From his description, we see that Vile Blossom’s corruption was getting worse. He didn’t want to completely lose her, so he looked to see if he could get rid of it. Unfortunately the “deteriorating erosion can only be transferred and can’t be eliminated”. As such, he “chose to be the container himself”. Also, when Pickman becomes the new “container” is when Pickman really becomes Netherwalker.

Netherwalker was using Vile Blossom, and likely her corruption and connection to the abyss as its agent as well, as “inspiration” for his art. With him now the container rather than Vile Blossom, he can’t get the inspiration (or at least as easily) anymore. That’s why he says he’s looking for a new “model” to replace what Vile Blossom was (so he can continue getting inspiration for his art).

This also shows that Margaretha is more the real “mastermind” than Netherwalker. Vile Blossom was the abyss’ “agent”, while Netherwalker simply used her and her connection to the abyss as “inspiration” for his art. COA 3’s backstory mentions the “abyss” was searching for a “new agent” because it was “looking for an opening to spread chaos to the world”. This is likely what it was using Vile Blossom for until Netherwalker began searching for a new container (or agent) for it. Maybe Vile Blossom was even the one to directly tell Netherwalker what kind of “art” he should make (or at least pointed him in the direction it wanted). She may have even been the one to “inspire” Netherwalker to make a museum to better “spread chaos”. This idea is backed up by how the Call of the Abyss III Promo Director’s Edition says essentially the same thing, calling her the “mastermind behind the scenes”, and how the battlefield between Netherwalker, Puppeteer, and Whiplash in the official music video is her music box. It even says she “looked down on the battle to indirectly express that everything was under her control”.

Anyways, Netherwalker looking for a new “model” is where Puppeteer comes in. I believe the reason Puppeteer is chosen to replace Vile Blossom is partially because of Netherwalker wanting a new “model”, while the other part is Trickster and the Investigation Bureau. Trickster’s “miscommunication” is the reason Puppeteer becomes vulnerable to Netherwalker. At the same time, I also believe Trickster and the Investigation Bureau purposefully sent Puppeteer, despite her lack of experience and being new (Whiplash calls her the “newcomer”), to Netherwalker, knowing she’d fail so she could become the new “container”. As I said before, especially when I brought up COA 4 earlier, Trickster and the Investigation Bureau seek to essentially create a vessel (possibly because they seek to control the abyss, experiment with it, use it to acquire power, or just help it spread chaos). In that sense, they agreed with Netherwalker’s goal, whether or not they were actually on the same side (which there’s not enough information to say).

This is why they send Puppeteer on the mission to Netherwalker’s museum.

This could also be why her and the others at the Investigation Bureau use abyss items that will also “erode” their minds over time. Just like with COA 4, this seems to relate to the idea they’re experimenting with the abyss. Maybe these items and what they do relate to Trickster’s “miscommunication”. Other versions translate it as something along the lines of: “But a groundless rumor that he toyed with lives spread, taking its toll on the Puppeteer”. Teleoperator’s description mentions the investigators being “devoured” by their “own creation” (she uses the word “Surveyors” which is confusing considering that’s the name of Eli’s COA 3 skin, but she’s actually talking about the people working for the Investigation Bureau rather than specifically Eli). It’s even said she tried to send “numerous messages to her companions”. These messages could be the very papers we see fly out of Trickster’s briefcase in his showroom.

Teleoperator: Only the Abyss can confront the Abyss - when the dispute from the far away snow land came over, she finally realised this is all but another pipe dream. "The Surveyor will be devoured by his own creation." She sent numerous messages to her companions, yet she couldn't foresee this ending.

“Miscommunication” can be defined as the failure to get a message across, so it’s possible he simply prevented the message from reaching her (or maybe he changed it somehow). This way, he could purposefully cause Puppeteer to wear down until he got what he wanted from her, which is why his miscommunication is said to have “taken its toll” on Puppeteer. Maybe this “toll” involves Puppeteer’s Heart of the Machine accessory, which is said to have been created with the help of Trickster. It also talks about “imitation tentacles”. The idea of “imitating” relates to Netherwalker, as that’s exactly what he does. Therefore, this could’ve been part of the reason Puppeteer ended up getting captured or corrupted more easily (maybe the “miscommunication” more had to do with him getting her to add abyss stuff to the heart and bot, and so assist in her being handed over to Netherwalker or corrupted).

Heart of the Machine: A feature created by the Puppeteer with the help of Trickster, with imitation tentacles that enhance the Doll's mobility or can be used as disguise.

Fortunately for Puppeteer, she’s not alone. Whiplash goes with her to the museum and is committed to protecting her. She also has Surveyor, who I believe both helps find Netherwalker, as well as helps Whiplash navigate the abyss and find Puppeteer after she gets taken and/or falls into the “gate” to the nether (mentioned in Mr. Inference’s Carnival Party accessory), which we see happen at the end of the COA 3 official music video.

Regarding the timeline of these events with the museum, we have the official stages for COA 3: Invitation, Dome of Musee, Masterpiece, and Cross Dimension.

“Invitation” can connect to the developers’ notes for COA 3 when they say “a letter of commission from the dancer entrusted the four investigators, Cowboy, Mechanic, Embalmer, and Seer, to go to an art gallery to investigate the artist Joker, who is deeply influenced by Cthulhu's power, and the four of them start a fierce battle with Joker in the art gallery”. Another thing it can connect to is Mr. Inference’s invitation, aka his Carnival Party accessory, which is a direct invitation by Netherwalker that talks about his “gate to the Nether” opening (which could be that pit we see Puppeteer falling into at the end of the music video).

The beginning of the music video could also parallel this “invitation” from Vile Blossom, who they may not know is corrupted and/or working with Netherwalker, and the Bureau’s interest in Netherwalker.

Maybe the reason they didn’t suspect anything from the dancer’s invitation if my earlier theory that she used to work for the Investigation Bureau is true, as investigators like Puppeteer and Whiplash would have trusted (and worked with) her in the past.

Teleoperator says “only the abyss can confront the abyss”, so if they wanted to deal with Netherwalker, that would explain why they’d need the abyss items they acquired (from Auctioneer’s storage room).

She also says “the dispute from the far away snow land came over, she realized this is all but another pipe dream”. This “dispute” could be the events of COA 2, and when she talks about it coming over, the connection between COA 2 and COA 3 is the evil eye, which may be what Teleoperator is referring to, as we know Netherwalker received it from Auctioneer, and the eye is what corrupts him and Vile Blossom.

Next up is the “Dome of Musee”. Musée means art gallery, so this would be when the 4 (Puppeteer, Whiplash, Surveyor, and Trickster) arrive at Netherwalker’s museum, like we see in the official music video. During the video, we see Surveyor using her doll to get past security, which ties in to Heart of the Machine’s description talking about it being able to “disguise” itself. Regarding Surveyor, he seems to essentially have night vision goggles, and I already mentioned his knowledge of the abyss, both of which could help them navigate the museum and reach Netherwalker.

The next stage is Masterpiece. This refers to the large statue of Vile Blossom at the end of the museum.

This is where the battle between Netherwalker and the investigators occurs, the one I referenced Vile Blossom was “looking down on” before. As we see during the official music video, as well as from the COA 3 Promo Director’s Edition notes, Puppeteer is taken by Netherwalker and falls into the Nether. He has her become the new “model” and the new container for the abyss.

Call of the Abyss III Promo Director’s Edition (https://www.zcool.com.cn/work/ZNDI5NjI2Mjg=.html)

The short film needs to show a story with a complex background and full of turning points in a limited time. We used a lot of metaphors and clues to express the plot, leaving the audience ample room for reasoning and imagination.

The story is based on the work of H.P. Lovecraft's work "Pickman's Model" under the Cthulhu mythology system: a letter of commission from the dancer entrusted the four investigators, Cowboy, Mechanic, Embalmer, and Seer, to go to an art gallery to investigate the artist Joker, who is deeply influenced by Cthulhu's power, and the four of them start a fierce battle with Joker in the art gallery. The truth is that the dancer is the ultimate boss possessed by Cthulhu’s power.

In the end, Cthulhu's power was unfortunately transferred to the captured Mechanic, and the Cowboy was also caught in a dilemma in order to save the Mechanic.

We have spent a lot of thought on how to imply who is the mastermind behind the scenes. And in this especially important scene, an Easter egg was buried for the player.

The battlefield is the dancing girl's weapon-the music box. The dancer looked down on the battle to indirectly express that everything was under her control...

This is where the last stage “Cross Dimension” comes in, which in other versions essentially is referring to the Nether. I actually think the idea that Puppeteer fell into the “gate to the Nether” Netherwalker mentions in Mr. Inference’s Carnival Party could somewhat parallel one of the official art pieces for COA 3. In this piece, we see the 4 falling into a gateway to the abyss (based on the tentacles coming out).

Once Puppeteer fell into the abyss, this is when Whiplash’s description comes into play. It mentions that he “stands at the exit on the other side”. This could parallel the end of the music video when Whiplash is seen watching Puppeteer fall into the abyss.

It then adds that she had a choice: “take on everything alone and stay behind, or accept the horrible price and leave”. This could tie into Puppeteer’s description, which mentions she didn’t understand why the “Investigation Bureau sealed off the Secrets of the Abyss, until the Netherwalker’s existence made her realize the catastrophe if it is ever revealed”.

Whiplash: At the exit on the other side, the veteran's last lesson for the newcomer is about choice: take on everything alone and stay behind, or accept the horrible price and leave. No matter which choice is made, it will only bring him closer to the Netherwalker.

Puppeteer: She never figured out why the Investigation Bureau sealed off the Secrets of the Abyss, until the Netherwalker's existence made her realize the catastrophe if it is ever revealed. But the Abyss will no doubt find a way to show itself, and just when she's willing to step up...

This choice may involve these “Secrets of the Abyss” that were sealed off, and the “catastrophe” if they’re ever revealed may be the “horrible price”. She likely understood what these sealed off “Secrets of the Abyss” were once she was Netherwalker’s new “model” and new container for the abyss (as she would now be the abyss’ new “agent”). Her choice was probably to either to leave (the Nether and/or the museum and Netherwalker) and allow these “secrets” to be “revealed”, thus causing this “catastrophe”, or take on the burden of preventing this catastrophe, the reveal of these “secrets”, and allowing the abyss to spread chaos, but be forced to stay behind.

Based on the COA 3 Countdown video, I believe she chose to deal with everything herself, as we see a statue of her in a glass case.

There’s also Connoisseur’s description, which mentions Connoisseur capturing “that blood and desire-soaked blossom” and placing her “within the glass encasing she had designed”. This “blossom” would be Puppeteer, as Puppeteer was to be the replacement for Vile Blossom. Her fight with Netherwalker alongside Whiplash could be where the “blood” comes from. Finally, the desire could relate to her desire to be with Whiplash, as the end of the music video shows her reaching out to him. Another thought is it could relate to her desire to defeat the abyss, as her description does say “and just when she’s willing to step up” right after mentioning a “catastrophe” if the “secrets” were revealed.

Connoisseur: She didn't care about how the artwork was created. Even that blood and desire-soaked blossom she'd be willing to capture herself and place within the glass encasing she had designed.

After she was “captured” is when I think Whiplash comes in again.

From Whiplash’s description, it mentions that “no matter which choice is made, it will only bring him closer to the Netherwalker.” This could mean Netherwalker hadn’t been beaten before Puppeteer fell into the abyss, which could parallel what we see in the music video (it shows him dealing a blow to Puppeteer before she falls into the abyss, and we don’t see Netherwalker afterwards). Therefore, the meaning of this part is probably to show Whiplash is targeting Netherwalker, which also may help imply he hasn’t given up on Puppeteer and still wants to rescue her. This is backed up by how, before breaking the glass case Puppeteer is in during the COA 3 Countdown video, he sees flashbacks of when she was captured and fell into the abyss. The significance of him breaking her case is he wants to free her (aka, rescue her) from her predicament.

Based on this plus how we see (only) Netherwalker’s mask in the Mr. Inference poster, not to mention his Bladeless Hilt accessory, I believe this may imply Whiplash could’ve beaten Netherwalker to help Puppeteer. This would go along with how it’s said the earlier choice would only “bring him closer to the Netherwalker”, not to mention how the COA 3 music video and COA 3 Countdown video both show Whiplash’s willingness to fight Netherwalker (not to mention his strong desire to protect Puppeteer). The fact Netherwalker transferred the corruption from him (Pickman) to Puppeteer could imply he’s weaker, and so therefore easier for Whiplash to defeat (as now Pickman doesn’t as many abyss powers).

At this point, I think Whiplash decided to help Puppeteer by transferring the corruption from her to himself (the same way Netherwalker transferred it from Vile Blossom to himself). Bladeless Hilt’s description, which talks about a “mind at peace” may help back up this idea. The fact it was essentially saying he wasn’t going to let his mind “shatter” like a sword is to imply he was going to resist the corruption and refuse to allow it to completely erode his mind.

Bladeless Hilt: Hold your whip as if you're holding a sword. A tempered blade can be shattered, but a mind in peace cannot.

I don’t think he died or anything after this. Maybe he left (separated from) Puppeteer so he didn’t hurt her after he became the new container. There’s also how he appears in the poster for Season 10 Essence 1 (with Desolate Sands). Either way, the fact his accessory mentions he wouldn’t “shatter” I think is symbolic as to imply he wouldn’t die either.

The idea both Puppeteer and Whiplash were the container at some point could connect to how both of them have roses on their outfits similar to the one Vile Blossom had on her face.

Actually, now that I mention it, this is mostly a random idea (crack theory/headcanon), but what if the 2 of them dealt with the abyss and its corruption by splitting the role? As in, they each sort of received half of it? That way neither would completely lose themselves (share the burden). It could also tie in to how they both still have flowers on their outfits (at the same time, and on opposite sides of their chest from each other).

The last thing I have to discuss is COA 3’s connection to COA 4.

This comes mainly from Bane’s Jammed Gear accessory, which implies the Pharmaceutical Corporation and Bureau of Investigation are connected. It talks about them using “Pickman and the Puppeteer’s recovered techniques” to create “an almost flawless container”. The creation of a “container” is exactly what Netherwalker (and Trickster, based on my theories) were doing in COA 3 with Vile Blossom and Puppeteer (This is also what happened to Netherwalker when he took the corruption from Vile Blossom to keep her condition from deteriorating further, and what happened to Whiplash when he transferred the corruption from Puppeteer to himself).  

Jammed Gear: The Pharmaceutical Corporation and the Bureau of Investigation created an almost-flawless container that combines Pickman and the Puppeteer's recovered techniques - with only a tiny flaw in its design.

The fact they were trying to create a “flawless” container could relate to how Vile Blossom’s condition was deteriorating to the point Netherwalker wanted to save her by making himself the container, or how Puppeteer (and Whiplash) attempted to resist the corruption. The latter point could be why they were trying to “create” something that they could control (I mention this in a bit, but Molten Hound is an artificial creation). But their creation ended up having a “flaw” despite their attempts. This “flaw” could relate to why the gear is “jammed”, or it could relate to why Molten Hound in the backstory and by Reflective Mirror is referenced to have gone “out of control” and described as “disobedient”.

Regarding the “techniques” of Netherwalker and Puppeteer, this could be referring to the “imitation” technique. Auctioneer is the one to state Pickman has “imitation skills’ which he utilizes “so well on things from the Nether”. The other mention comes from Puppeteer’s Heart of the Machine accessory, which is said to have “imitation tentacles that enhance the Doll’s mobility or can be used as a disguise”. As Trickster was the one to help her, and Trickster wanted her to be captured by Netherwalker and become the container to replace Vile Blossom, maybe these “imitation tentacles” also came from Netherwalker. Therefore, this “imitation” ability and/or imitation tentacles may be the “technique” they took from Netherwalker. This could relate to how the Parasiticraft pet from COA 4 has tentacles and an eye on it that is the exact same eye as Netherwalker. Both of their eyes even have the same flower image in them. Even the tentacles on Parasiticraft have the same bluish eyes on them Netherwalker has.

The technique they took from Puppeteer may involve her doll. Molten Hound, according to the (expanded) backstory for COA 4, is said to be something along the lines of an “artificial sculpture” made by the Pharmaceutical company. This likely means he was made using the same techniques Puppeteer used to create her doll, which could be backed up by how Jammed Gear and Heart of the Machine appear to have a similar design/feel to them.