#dlanor

Also available on Sburbio “<Die the DEATH>! <Sentence to DEATH>! <Great Equalizer is the DEATH>!!”

The Maid is a class defined almost entirely by a relationship of subservience: they have a purpose to fulfill, willingly or not, and their environment will make sure that this role is fulfilled. Doom is a very self-explanatory Aspect: it governs all that is inevitable. It is the rules, restrictions and limitations of the world, including, then, also death and ruin (which are inevitable).

Thus, I believe no combination of Class and Aspect defines so well the reluctant incarnation of Knox's Decalogue. Dlanor has a single purpose: to limit and to define what rules mysteries must adhere to a tee. Since, if all is permissible, mysteries cease to be mysteries, and become fantasies.

As the daughter (literally and figuratively) of Knox, she was born for this purpose. It isn't something she chooses, but simply the role she must fulfill. Many times, we see that she doesn't even always necessarily enjoy her role: she frequently finds herself feeling enormous pity and remorse due to her work of executing witches, but even then, she never rebels against her job. Someone has to be the Eiserne Jungfrau's executor, and she was unlucky enough to be born for this.

(Death Sentence Dlanor! Meeting her is equivalent to being Doomed for certain death.)

When on the clock, Dlanor exhibits an extremely cold and calculating disposition. She tires not to let her feelings, which are very much true, interfere with her task. This behavior of swallowing what she feels and going ahead against her wishes is very characteristic of the Maid, in my opinion (see: Jane). We see that, when off the clock, Dlanor is actually a very amiable and understanding person, even when dealing with witches (her mortal enemies by profession).

The burden of having had to judge and execute her own father, to me, also reflects heavily on her relationship with the Aspect. This was a very hard thing to do for her, but she never at any moment exhibited regret for what she did. She had a task, and she cleared it, like the tool she is.

The Extended Zodiac has a perfect excerpt for Dlanor:

“It may not sound like an overly pleasant aspect to be aligned with, but it does come along with great wisdom and empathy. The Doom-bound understand that misery loves company, and they are ready and willing to provide said company. The Doom-bound won't fix you; they aren't healers. They are commiserators, aware that sometimes the only thing you can do for a person is let them know that they are not alone in their suffering. They are not the advice friend-they're the friend you go to when you need to vent about a rough day at work.”

This is 100% the role Dlanor fulfills in her free time: frequently, she finds herself accompanying others' misery and offering a shoulder to cry on, specially to Erika Furudo. We also see more of this later, when she births sympathy for Battler and Beatrice, in the last episodes. I also think the fact that she doesn't exactly go out of her way to hear others, but rather that they mostly come themselves to her, to be very relevant.

Bonus: she is always swamped with paperwork in the Eiserne Jungfrau. Being the Chief Inquisitor isn't a role that permits much agency. Very "Maid-coded", if I may.