Saint Urbain

Lore

Saint Urbain is a pilgrim of God and a devout believer in Miracles. He puts his faith in his Lord that prayer and worship will rid Boletaria of the Demons. He has many followers, a few of which accompany him in the Nexus. Saint Urbain is adorned in the white robes that a high-ranking priest wears when he goes on a pilgrimage. The only weapon he has is Faith and a Talisman of God. He is able to perform God's Wrath, one of the greatest miracles. The talisman he carries is likely how Urbain "speaks to God", through the talisman itself, which is supposedly a channel through which God works.

Saint Urbain is one of the highest ranking priests in the Church, this is signified by the white robes and Ring of Devout Prayer he wears. He has the ability to cleanse the evil from a Major Demon's soul and perform a new miracle with its power. While lower-level priests engage the Demons directly in battle, Saint Urbain is more of a spiritual leader as he constantly prays for God's protection of the Demon slayers. The Disciple of God describes him as a "true sage" as he has the ability to hear the voice of God through a Talisman of God or Pure Faintstone ore.

Miracles reappeared in Boletaria only after the rise of the Demons and black magic. Urbain believes that this is a sign from God that not only should the Church fight the Demon hordes, but that after the Demons are defeated, all practitioners of magic should be purged from Boletaria. He also believes that the souls which have been touched by Demons are so evil and all that seek them out, like King Allant and Sage Freke, will eventually be taken over by a lust for power.

It is unknown why Saint Urbain and the Acolyte traveled to the Shrine of Storms, but they eventually met the rogue Patches and Urbain found himself at the bottom of the pit below the sorcerer's altar. Urbain was likely lured to the edge by the promise of vast treasure. This may indicate Urbain sought to pillage treasures from the pagan shrine of the Shadowmen in order to fund the Church's campaign against the Demons. The loss of his teacher shattered the Acolyte's courage so he fled back to the Nexus rather than attempt to rescue Urbain. If the player does not rescue Saint Urbain, the Disciple of God will eventually leave for the Shrine of Storms to try and rescue him.

Urbain is greatly disturbed by the howl of the Old One, which echoes up into the Nexus once the five Archdemons are defeated and the seal on the Old One's chamber is broken. He believes it is not a Demon, but that it sounds more like a hungry child. It is possible the howl makes him uneasy because deep down inside he knows that it is the voice of the Old One which has been speaking to him while he has been in Boletaria. It is also revealed through the Talisman of Beasts that the source of miracles in Boletaria is not the Church's conception of "God," but that like soul magic, its power also comes from the Old One. Thus the God they worship, and perhaps have unknowingly worshiped since the establishment of their religion, is the Old One.

Theories

The God he worships does not exist.

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This is what Sage Freke believes. Instead, the God is a divinely-twisted version of the Old One itself. Evidence exists in the description of the Talisman of God, which states that it was crafted in the image of God. The Talisman of Beasts, however, was crafted in the image of the Old One. Moreover, the information for the Talisman of Beasts clearly states that "The symbol of God was nothing more than the image of the Old One".

Saint Urbain's Origin

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Saint Urbain may be named after Urbain Grandier, a Catholic priest in the 1600s who ignored his vow of celibacy and had sexual relations with many women. After heavily criticizing a powerful Cardinal, he was falsely accused of witchcraft, subjected to torture to get him to confess (he did not), and was then burned at the stake.

Dialogue

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First encounter (in the pit):
"Heavens, did you fall for that little devil's trap? Well, I did the same. He fooled me, and now I am stuck here. The reverberations seem to suggest that we are connected to the outside. But dark, fearsome souls stand between us and freedom. But have no fear, God will cleanse us of evil. Pray with me. Umbasa."

After defeating the Black Phantom guardian:
"Oh, it's you. Did you cleanse the world of another dark soul today? God has chosen you, and for that we are thankful. Umbasa."

In the Nexus (after being rescued):
"Thanks to you, I was able to seek refuge in this Nexus. Now I stay here and pray, along with my disciples, for the heroes facing the Demons. If you wish for benevolent protection in your fight against the demons, then bring me Demon Souls. I will cleanse them, and perform a miracle with their power. If you truly are a disciple, then you must have a talisman in God's image. Heavenly miracles occur in Boletaria through the talismans. God has granted this accursed land with a special power. It is God's way of telling us we must stand up to the Demons. After the dark arts spread across the land, holy miracles were witnessed once again. The will of God is clear. We must defeat the Demons, annul the curse of Boletaria, and purge the evil magicians who manipulate those accursed souls. As you know, souls are a source of evil power emanating from the Demons. King Allant was overcome by a lust for such power, and has placed Boletaria in her present predicament. Old Freke and the candle maiden are no exception…"

In the Nexus:
"Ah, Astraea of the Valley of Defilement? I am not sure, but Saint Astraea of the West was accompanied by the knight Garl Vinland. She would never turn to evil with that upstanding knight to guide her. Surely it is mere slander. Sadly, the weak are prone to such backstabbing."

In the Nexus (after 5-1):
"Bito the Moonlight Knight, Lizaia of Istarel, and Selen Vinland. Many honourable knights have ventured into Boletaria in search of the Valley of Defilement. The vicious rumours about Astraea offend our most basic sense of respect for God's name. However, none of these great knights has made it back. Could it be that the wretched valley is so infested with grime that even our Lord's voice does not resonate there? Or… perhaps it is the fate of those left behind by God…"

After all archdemons are dead (seal is opened):
"From where does that howl come?! That is no Demon. It sounds more like a poor hungry child. Do you have any idea what it might be? Something about it sets me at great unease. May God watch over us. Bless us, and all of Boletaria. Umbasa"

Greeting:
"Oh, is that you again? Do you have further gifts to offer?"

Upon leaving without learning a miracle:
"Yes, I see. I certainly cannot force you to do anything. But you must remember this. A Demon's Soul is a source of evil power."

Upon leaving after learning a miracle:
"God bless this brave warrior. Umbasa."

Upon leaving abruptly:
"Where are you going?"

When attacked:
"What are you doing? Have the souls driven you mad? Stop it. You will anger the heavens."

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PREV: Sage Freke, The Visionary

NEXT: Selen Vinland

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