Ermengarde
| “ | Rest assured, as a Messenger of the Lich King's Court, I didn't make any promises to Dame Kal'tsit. Just like how I haven't made any promises with you. We Liches are never in a hurry to pick a side for ourselves. | ” |
| —-Ermengarde to Theresa |
Ermengarde is an NPC in Arknights. She is a supporting character in Act II of the Main Theme and Zwillingstürme im Herbst.
Background
Ermengarde, a young and polite Lich lady, is a student and appointed Messenger of Fremont, the Lich King of the Temple of Knowledge. Although not much is known about her, she's noted for her apolitical stance and neutrality on Kazdel's affairs. Due to Fremont initially refusing Theresis' invitation to Londinium, Ermengarde was dispatched after Manfred's constant requests.[1]
Ermengarde usually carries around some kind of black, polygonal device which she vaguely calls as her "cube-thing", a product of Sarkaz witchcraft capable of transporting her across immense distances at rapid speeds. She cherishes it like a beloved heirloom and gets upset if it gets damaged or destroyed.[2]
Ermengarde has a very close relationship with Lessing, a young Caprinae warrior who was rescued by Fremont when he was younger. She considers him to be an "unorthodox little brother", who she cares dearly for.
Story
Episode 11
Although she doesn't appear physically, Ermengarde is mentioned by Theresis, who acknowledges how she has been intercepted by Kal'tsit on her way to Londinium.[3]
Episode 12
In the outskirts of Londinium, Ermengarde is approached by a Sarkaz soldier who tells her how General Manfred said that the recent events and advancements of the Sarkaz will be the start of their victory, something on which she replies how Kal'tsit told her about how this future won't bring anything to the Sarkaz. After a small chat, the Sarkaz soldier decides to guide her to see Her Majesty, Theresa.[4]
After some inconveniences, Ermengarde finally reaches Theresa, who thanks her and the Liches for standing up to aid the Sarkaz in this situation, as well as pointing out the Liches' mastery in Dimensional space-manipulation Arts and wisdom. Ermengarde then explains that the reason why Kal'tsit approached her was to advise her to not join Theresa's side, as the conflict she and Theresis started will only bring ruin and irreversible strife to the lands of Terra. Ermengarde pointed out how her words and actions are similar to Kal'tsit's, yet she still opposes her.
Ermengarde also states than the Liches are not in the hurry to pick which side of the ongoing conflict will be on, but she won't make any promises to Kal'tsit.[5]
Episode 13
Ermengarde follows Hoederer, Ines, and W, leading them towards a strange space that seems to show visions of 7,000 years ago, where two Sarkaz were talking about the second rebuilding of Kazdel. Ermengarde notes how unusual it was for illusions to be so realistic, and that it is caused by neither Sarkaz witchcraft nor Originium Arts, but some kind of spatial Feranmut power. Ermengarde stimulates the illusion with tiny amounts of Arts, dispelling it, revealing a strange Arts Circle crafted by the Sanguinarch of Vampires.[6]
Ermengarde wanted to discuss with the group regarding what their plans were. Ermengarde mentioned that with Theresis intending to proclaim war, the Liches in Kazdel had devised a plan to evacuate its residents and hide deep in the barrens. Hoederer disagrees with this method, saying that Kazdel has faced destruction far too many times. Hoederer firmly tells Ermengarde that he will find the Military Commission's hidden transportation line, seize it, and use it to bring other Sarkaz back home to Kazdel. Ermengarde is intrigued by his stance and promises to tell this to the other Liches..[7]
Zwillingstürme im Herbst
Ermengarde arrives in Zwillingstürme after Fremont tugged on her and many other Liches' threads. They arrived to a scene of chaos in the amphitheater after the Echoes of Herkunftshorn tampered with Leithanien's Güldenesgesatz, creating a rift in space time. Ermengarde rescues Ebenholz from black flames that blasted out of the rift. She relays the situation to Ebenholz and Lessing, becoming concerned as the Echoes of Herkunftshorn turn into literal, soulless echoes, enroaching upon reality. Ebenholz wants to enter the rift in order to take on the Witch King, but Ermengarde states that sending a person into the rift needs a two-way connection.[8]
Fortunately, Ermengarde receives a message that Fremont had managed to successfully enter the rift. Ermengarde immediately contacts the Twin Empresses, saying that the space is incredibly unstable. She warns that while the Liches will assist them into entering the rift, destroying the Witch King's Spire inside may have disastrous consequences.[9]
Ermengarde and the other Liches use their threads to hold reality together, stabilising it and forcefully sending the Twin Empresses into the rift. After the empresses defeated Herkunftshorn, Collapsals started leaking through the rift, causing Ermengarde to lose track of her threads. She briefly panics when she finds Lessing on the ground, but fortunately the latter is still in fighting spirits. Unfortunately, things start to get worse as the people around them start getting affected by the Collapsal's influence. Ermengarde manages to stabilise her threads' connection to Fremont, allowing Ebenholz and the others to leave the rift.[10]
After the crisis passes, Fremont tells Ermengarde to contact her friends in Kazdel and infrom that "the keepers of the Temple of Knowledge are preparing to return home."[11]