Maiden Astraea

Lore

The Maiden is a tall, blonde woman who works to help the plague-stricken and diseased inhabitants of the Valley of Defilement. Her bodyguard, Garl Vinland, is her only form of offense and defense.

Maiden Astraea, also called the Sixth Saint Astraea, was raised a pure and perfect follower of God from birth to a noble home. When she travelled to the Valley in an effort of relief, she felt genuine pity for the poor and abandoned living there, working for many years in their service. However, over time, she began to lose her faith in a God who would allow such suffering to exist. She decided that the only true way to heal the pain of the people of the Valley was for her to accept demonhood herself, becoming an Archdemon and ruling over the land with her still human companion, Garl Vinland. In showing the people kindness, she had amassed a large cult of followers who worshipped her with slavish devotion, willing to offer her everything in exchange for her salvation.

Unfortunately, the Maiden, who came from a background of privlage herself, believed her vision of relief to be the only option, and her actions in turn changed the Valley for the worse. To end their pain, Maiden Astraea would perform the actions of a true Demon, taking the souls from her followers and thus their ability to properly think and feel, effectively lobotomizing them. Both evidenced by dialogue from the Filthy Woman and the many corpses of humans in the area, mainly women, Maiden Astraea's followers began to kill those not following her as they desired, offering the corpses up to the Archdemon along with the souls they carried. In her boss arena, the bodies of knights are stacked high around her, many wearing the Mirdan Scale Armor of the Church of God, from which Astraea originally hailed, as the Church refused to believe their Saint would abandon them in such a manner. Though her actions came from a place of good will and pity, they lack the empathy to understand the importance of the lives of those beneath her, and she sees her effectively wiping out the Valley's culture and population as a mercy killing. Even her repeated insistence that, if they were only left alone, the people of the Valley of Defilement would do no harm to the wider world, rings false given that the souls she collects inevitably help the Old One in destroying everything. In the end, her altruism is flawed and dangerous, creating a monster from a place of innocence and virtue. As the text for the Miracle Death Cloud that is created from her Demon Soul states, "Astraea, who willingly accepted the corrupted and corroded, naturally became the most corrupted of them all."

Theories

Maiden Astraea is a Witch

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Her Ring of Sincere Prayer states that she found it as a young child, which is what marked her as the Sixth Saint, as in the Sixth young woman to have found a revelation from God. However, we also know from the Ring of Magical Nature that witches were also marked by their being born with or finding early trinkets with magical properties, such as Yuria. Given that we know late game that Faith and Sorcery are both derived from the Old One, it is entirely possible that Astraea's wealthy status is all that protected her from being branded a witch herself - rather than her magical ability being seen as evil, it was accepted as heavenly. This would align with the general hypocrisy surrounding the Church of God in game as well.

Dialogue

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Filthy Woman

That witch Astraea came to this valley with that squid-headed knight. Those ridiculous white robes of hers… I swear I caught her glaring at my son in disgust! Yes, yes it's true! She is as nasty as they come. And she's a Demon to boot! Doesn't surprise me.

Ever since that Demon witch came here, everything has turned foul. All the men worship her like she's the Virgin Mary. The same men who would snatch my child away from me! This was a much better place before she came. I was the apple of every mans eye. You’re here to rid us of her, aren't you? Well, don't show her any mercy!

Selen Vinland

I am Selen of the West. I seek my brother Garl Vinland, the knight who accompanied Saint Astraea on her travels… I heard an unflattering rumour about Saint Astraea. Have you met that herb-peddling woman? She claims that Saint Astraea is herself a Demon. That woman has no reason to lie. Surely she must be mistaken.

So, my brother and Astraea have both strayed from the path of God… The poor souls. Perhaps their hearts were too pure.

Sources

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Blueblood Sword
A white iron straight sword born from the soul of the demon Maiden Astraea.
The sword of true nobility, endowed with the essential power humans are born with, which increases its attack power.

Death Cloud
Spell from the Demon Maiden Astraea's Soul
Generates a cloud of plague.
It is natural that those who take in all that is impure are themselves the most impure of all.

Pureblood Demon's Soul
The Soul of the Demon " Maiden Astraea "
It radiates a strong power…
Grants the holder a large number of Souls when used. Alternatively, it can be made into spells, miracles, or weapons.

Relief
Spell from the Demon Maiden Astraea's Soul
Fully recovers another by touching them.
Though Astraea is the most impure demon of all, her works are equal to those of divine beings.

Resurrection
Miracle from the Demon Maiden Astraea's Soul
Returns any Phantom near the caster back to their own world, granting them their living body.
This miracle is a countersign of the corrupted former Sixth Saint Astraea.

Ring of Sincere Prayer
Increases miracle power and vulnerability time while casting Miracles.
Said to have once been found by a young Sixth Saint Astraea as one of the Revelations of god.

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