The Merciful

Personal Info

Kind-hearted and generous, she possesses an extraordinary warmth that draws people in, a steadfast presence trusted by all who know her.
When facing injustices, she stands as a shield for the vulnerable and a voice for righteousness.
Now working with the organization Hymnus, she traverses the Abyss with twin purposes: to spread compassion, and to judge where judgment is due.

Though formidable in ability, she wields force only as a last resort.
Even the most stubborn ruffians or vicious outlaws receive her patient counsel.
She'll endure great personal risk if it means steering lost souls from ruin.
Yet, she never hesitates to act when others' safety hangs in the balance.

Chronicles

No matter what trouble you're in, you can always turn to the Merciful for help. If it's within her power, she'll lend a hand without hesitation, and even if it isn't, she'll still brainstorm solutions with you.
She never looks down on those grimy scavengers either, often visiting their settlements to take care of the sick or drive away monsters. Her kindness knows no bounds.
Though some of her approaches are... hard to endorse. Like trying to persuade criminals who are way beyond redemption. Honestly, do those deserve such gentleness?
— An Explorer

Her mother was once my beloved, but she refused to marry me, because she chose to dedicate herself to raising the child instead.
Ah, I should clarify. It's her adoptive mother who I'm talking about. Her birth mother passed away shortly after her delivery, and her adoptive mother paid a steep price to bring her out of the Abyss.
To shield her from harm, she sacrificed her own happiness, and even her very future. Forgive me, I've spoken out of turn.
I don't blame the girl. I watched her grow up, after all. The gentle strength she shows now... it's the very image of her adoptive mother.
— A Gentleman

Though we all act in the name of benevolence and justice, each of us upholds our own ideals and principles.
I may not agree with the Merciful's tenderness toward sin, but she doesn't violate the tenets of Hymnus. Thus, I won't interfere with her ways.
In fact, her naivety and compassion only reinforce my resolve to eradicate more evil, so that such purity may endure.
— ??? from Hymnus

Record

Confronting the Abyss' cruelties often paints her face with sorrow and pity.
Where others see criminals, she sees people to redeem rather than merely punish.
This radical mercy may stem from her own extraordinary past...

As the Merciful recounts, her parents perished in a monster attack when she was an infant. A fellow Explorer, also her mother's friend, carried her to safety.
Her lifesaver lost an arm and crippled a leg in the process.
Yet as a child, she resented this adoptive mother for being "different," and lashed out in anger.
Without reproach, the woman worked tirelessly, offering silent love and the best care she could provide.
Only after her mother's sudden passing did a stranger share the full story of those sacrifices...

"I want to become someone as gentle and strong as she was, to help others with the kindness she taught me."
When speaking of her mother, the Merciful's voice brims with gratitude and pride.

Anecdote

The exploration team needed a guide for their next mission, yet days of searching the Outpost yielded no suitable candidates.
Just as hope began to wane, the Merciful arrived with a hulking man in tow.

The man, named Varris, worked as a local porter. Upon hearing their destination, he burst into laughter.
"Hah! No wonder you're struggling. That place? Even seasoned Explorers avoid it—swamps, craters, poison vents, plus all the traps left behind by old bandit gangs."
"And those maze-like tunnels will swallow even the toughest ones."
"You know it that well, Mr. Varris? Did you live there?"
"Live there? Well, you could say that."
"Wait, you survived in that hellscape? With skills like that, why be a porter now?"
The question made Varris shift awkwardly. He looked at the Merciful.
A nod from the Merciful loosened his tongue.

Varris had once led the very bandits who'd infested their target zone.
For years, he'd ambushed Explorers, pillaged without remorse... until the Merciful stood in his path.
Through her relentless appeals, Varris awakened to the weight of his sins. Stricken with guilt, he chose to walk the path of atonement with his followers.
"... So we formed this porter crew. Earn honest coins and donate them to folks in need."
"We don't expect forgiveness from those we've hurt. Just trying to make amends for what we've done, bit by bit."
"Without her, we'd either still be monsters, or rotting in some ditch."
"I won't waste this second chance she gave us!"