#prjmn stuff

It says "okay, the child whose kindness you let rot because you saw it as weakness has become an adult who has taken your lessons to heart, and will hunt down those who taught them to him, and enact karmic justice upon them."

And yet. And YET, Lord Hong Lu is a bad end for him. He's not evil. He isn't completely out of character.

This is a Hongyuan where he rules by fear, where the ruthless are killed, where Hong Lu himse is on borrowed time - but it's also a Hongyuan where children can play in the streets again.

Eyestrain + body horror warning

And while Carmen has become part of the Light, she did not "fade away," and has been very much a recognisable thing. People know that it's her. In Limbus, the Dawn Office Sinclair ID has him call her out by name.

Ayin, though? Not a trace. Literally, he's only mentioned by implication outside of Walpurgisnacht.

So the one who taught him the idea of fading away is out there and being remembered, while he himself is just... barely a part of the narrative anymore.

All this brought to you by me thinking how frustrating it is to be an Ayin fan when Carmen is literally in both Ruina and Limbus; she has a Ruina sprite, and she has more lines out of almost anyone in Limbus due to narrating so many of the ID stories, and I just got struck with the thought "it's like Ayin's faded out of the story- OH."

Spoilers below.

Elijah - the name of one of the Prophets of the Bible, and famously one of the only ones who ever ascended to Heaven alive. Funnily enough, Elijah is referenced in Orlando Furioso (the English knight Astolfo flies up to the moon in Elijah's flaming chariot) and Moby Dick (appearing as a character warning Ishmael and Queequeg away from the Peqod).

Gabriel - the name of the Archangel Gabriel. As per wikipedia he "is an archangel with the power to announce God's will to humankind as the messenger of God." He appears in the Books of Daniel and Enoch, and is thought to have been one of the guardian angels of the Israelites along with Michael. Gabriel is associated with communication in Islam.

According to the Four Homilies of the Missus Est by St. Bernard, "Therefore it was an opportune choice that designated Gabriel for the work he had to accomplish, or rather, because he was to accomplish it therefore he was called Gabriel." - this fits with how each of the Sephirot in the game are named for their own roles.

Michelle - feminine form of "Michael," referring to the Archangel of that same name, a warrior and protector rather than messenger. Fought the Prince of Persia (a territorial demon/being that protected a different people). Acts as commander of the Heavenly armies and acts as intermediary between God and humanity.

One could suppose that the angel acting as an intermediary is referenced by Michelle being the one to (ironically) report the lab's doings to the Head.

Giovanni - Itialian form of "John," author of the Book or Gospel of John in the New testament. Wikipedia gives two alternate readings of the name - Greek, and the Latin, "Ioannes," which is closer to the modern Giovanni. His is the gospel that refers multiple times to "the disciple whom Jesus loved" as well as John being the only one of the apostles thought to have died of natural causes.

Enoch - refers to both the Prophet and the Book of Enoch. The Book of Enoch refers to such things as "the origins of demons and Nephilim, why some angels fell from heaven, an explanation of why the Genesis flood was morally necessary, and a prophetic exposition of the thousand-year reign of the Messiah." All of those things correlate to Enoch's own far-sightedness, as well as theories that he is connected to Demian. Enoch, like Elijah, is one of the few suggested to have been taken to Heaven alive (although this is due to wording that can be differently interpreted).

From wikipedia: "Enoch was instrumental in establishing the pre-eminent place of Michael among the angels and archangels, and in later Jewish works, he is said to be their chief, mediating the Torah (the Law of God), and standing at the right hand of the throne of God."

Lisa - shortened form of Elizabeth, which is an anglicised version of the Hebrew name Elisheva, meaning "God is my Oath." "Elizabeth" appears both in the Old Testament (Aaron's wife) and the new testament (the mother of John the Baptist).

Kali - breaks the pattern by being the major goddess Kalika of death, destruction, and time. Perhaps one of the reasons why her name was chosen above others is this: "Kali is also connected with transcendental knowledge and is the first of the ten Mahavidyas, goddesses who provide liberating knowledge" - which has similarities to the ten Sephirot who provide knowledge and understanding of both God and the Self.

Daniel - his name means "God is my Judge" and he is described as being an exile living in Babylon, however he was also of noble birth. The Book of Daniel covers the Jewish people living in Babylon under its kings as a diaspora. He prayed for mercy and lenience of punishment on the king he was serving.

Garion - N/A. The only sources for Garion's name that I can find are "Belgarion" of the Belgariad by David and Leigh Eddings, and "Garion," a South Korean hip-hop band. Any of which could plausibly have been inspirations for KJH.

Benjamin - famously the youngest of Jacob and Rachel's sons, he stayed with his parents while his brothers were plotting against Joseph (yes, the one with the many-coloured coat). His name means "Son of the Right" however another reading by the Samaritan Pentateuch is "Son of Days." One of the important parts of his story is that Joseph, while not recognised by any of his other brothers, reveals himself to Benjamin in trust.

Carmen - name originates from the Hebrew "Karmel" meaning "Vineyard of God," which is also the name of a mountain range. The other origin of her name is Latin, with the same spelling, means "Song," and is the root form of the word "charm."

Carmenta was also a Roman Goddess, of "childbirth and prophecy, associated with technological innovation, specifically, the invention or adaptation of the Latin alphabet as well as the protection of mothers and children and a patron of midwives."

In modern times, her name is also associated with the Italian Opera by the same name, in which the titular Carmen seduces the "naive" Don Jose, who abandons his childhood sweetheart and abandons military duties for her. After this, however, she falls for someone else and Jose kills her in a fit of rage.

Ayin - the sixteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet which can have the meaning of "eye," but also has the larger meaning of "Nothingness" in the context of the Kabbalah, which is what the Sephirot are named for. "According to kabbalistic teachings, before the universe was created there was only Ayin, the first manifest Sephirah (Divine emanation)."

Ayin is closely associated with the term "Ein/Ayin Soph" meaning "without end" as well as "infinite" and "unending." Likewise, "Ohr Ein Sof" means "infinite Light" - this should be recognisable to Limbus players due to how all Identity cards have a 0 [Ohr Ayin Soph/Endless Light], 00 [Ayin Soph/Limitless], or 000 [Ayin/Nothing] on them.

The term "Yesh-me-Ayin" is also connected to the Kabbalah, meaning "Something from Nothing" which originated in the 16th century. Other readings/interpretations of this could be "He made that which wasn't into that which is", or "He turned His nothingness into something."

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All quoted text and referenced material comes from Wikipedia or (in certain cases) quick internet searches.