Mandragora
| NPC | Enemy | Trivia |
Mandragora is an NPC in Arknights. She is one of the antagonists of Episode 09 and a minor antagonist in Episode 10.
Background
Before becoming a Dublinn commander, the Taran Feline known only as Mandragora suffered a cruel and humiliating life of oppression from the Victorian nobles,[1] with one notable instance of her heavily implied to having been buried alive as she "managed to dig a way out through a wayside ditch."[2] This possibly explains why Mandragora hates the Victorian nobility down to the core[1] and detests their materialistic/hedonistic behavior in particular,[3] as well as harboring a misanthropic and sadistic attitude, and having no qualms in hurting or killing others. She takes pleasure on carrying out such actions while exhibiting some degree of emotional instability.
Mandragora joins Dublinn in order to carry out her long due vendetta towards the Victorian aristocracy, exhibiting fanatical loyalty to the Leader of Dublinn for being a strong, kind leader figure despite her noble blood. She also becomes acquainted with Harmonie, another pro-Dublinn Feline. Despite Harmonie's hailing from the Victorian nobility, Mandragora is willing to cast aside her hatred and works together with her, though they often do not get along well. In turn, Harmonie becomes the only one who could stop Mandragora's rampage. Despite being an active supporter, it's said that another Dublinn commander, "The Elocutionist", was secretly using her in order to fragment the organization form the inside, as an act of treachery.[4]
Mandragora utilizes geokinetic Arts in combat by surrounding herself with a cluster of floating stone shards which she can use as projectiles and a barrier from incoming attacks. She can also use the same Arts to levitate above ground, project scorching beams of energy, toppling down rock/stone constructs, and create pillars of stone from the ground to obstruct and impale enemies (although she never do this in-game). Mandragora can also create and command Tombkeeper Grotesques — Arts Creations modeled after a Gargoyle Sarkaz that have accompanied her ever since she started to learn Arts in a graveyard.[5]
Story
Episode 09
Mandragora attends the secret night meeting held by the Taran nationalist noble Baron Bolton. During the meeting, she asks Bolton regarding the invitees, but she could withstand his nonsense and quickly sends him off. After meeting Harmonie, the two discuss Dublinn's plans to rile up the Tarans of County Hillock. Mandragora is excited to see that the plan works smoothly and even wishes to see the nobles in the party burn to their deaths.[3]
During the uprising, Mandragora learns that someone has betrayed Dublinn and orders Loughshinny to bring it to her. The traitor, Saoirse Kelly, is responsible for her treachery of leaking the information about Bolton's party to Jane Willow and then Horn. Mandragora urges Loughshinny to execute Saoirse, but the Draco refuses out of her conscience. In the end, Mandragora decides to carry on the execution, and Loughshinny cremates Saoirse's body into ashes. After the trial, Mandragora voices her concerns to Harmonie about Loughshinny's demeanor and heads out to continue Dublinn's plan.[6]
At the climatic battle at Hillock's communication tower, Mandragora has a stand-off with the 2nd Tempest Platoon. Mandragora brutally kills both Oboe and Cello with her Arts, leaving Bagpipe and Horn the only survivors. On the other hand, the two demolish a column beside her to crush her stone shield. The collapse also causes Mandragora to fall into a hole. However, Mandragora climbs out of the hole unscratched. In the meantime, the force led by Harmonie has broadcasted misinformation across all of Hillock and other nearby counties. To Mandragora, the message is Dublinn's victory, and she laughs in a maniacal manner. Seeing themselves losing, Horn orders Bagpipe to survive by sending her up in the air using her lance. After that, Mandragora is happy to see Horn being ready to fight her until her last breath.[7]
Mandragora survives the battle of Hillock and holds Horn hostage at the behest of Harmonie, who believes in her value as as bargaining chip. She is implied to lead a Dublinn force in ransacking southern Victoria and the outskirts of Londinium before becoming its envoy to Theresis and Manfred.[8]
Episode 10
Mandragora arrives in Dublinn to carry out the cooperation between Dublinn and the Miltary Commission of Kazdel, as well as secretly retrieve some of their members being held captive to impress the Leader.[9] Due to the mutual enmity between her troops and the Sarkaz, she quickly gets into trouble and a fight breaks out at a Sudean port once the Sarkaz demand she hand over a captured informant, with Rhodes Island and Eartha joining the chaos as well;[10][11] Mandragora then orders her troops to retreat as Manfred begins to bombard the area, not wanting to make a bigger mess.[12]
Later, Mandragora meets with Manfred and apologizes for the earlier conflict. Manfred reminds her that as long as they stay out of each other's business, the Sarkaz will continue to keep out of each other's business; however, he also remarks that he needs a better show of sincerity from her.[13] She is tasked to defend a Sarkaz-occupied liquor plant holding prisoners, but plans to take the chance to rescue a Dublinn spy from the plant, who is also her childhood friend Cillian.[14] During the ensuing battle, she encounters Horn and her forces, but manages to suppress her hatred, ignoring them and proceeding with their own rescue, albeit demanding that Horn not die to the Sarkaz until she has the chance to personally kill her.[15]
Mandragora and her men successfully rescue Cillian,[16] but Manfred catches on to their betrayal and ambushes them, killing all of her men including Cillian, who warns her with his last breath that the Leader has abandoned them.[17] Enraged beyond reason, Mandragora snaps and attacks the Sarkaz with her geokinetic Arts, yet Manfred alone is easily able to overwhelm her while rebuffing her rant about the suffering she's gone through. Manfred offers her a chance for forgiveness, but Mandragora refuses, fusing all ten of her active Grotesques into a five-meter-tall stone colossus. But even this fails to harm Manfred, with the general destroying it with a single thrust of his sword.[18]
As Mandragora continues struggling in a blind rage, Manfred confirms Cillian's suspicions - the Leader has abandoned her. Displeased with her unauthorized actions at County Hillock and her violent instability, the Leader is unwilling to let her compromise Dublinn's relationships with Theresis and the Victorian nobility. Manfred then leaves a critically wounded and despondent Mandragora for dead, where she resigns herself to joining her Taran compatriots in death. However, Misery appears before her, offering her a second chance.[18]
What the Firelight Casts
Mandragora is presumed dead by most of Dublinn, including Harmonie, verbally declaring that she died in the sewers, during her encounter with Manfred. However, her ultimate fate is only alluded to and is left unexplained in the story. Although the Brigadier claims that the Elocutionist was trying to break Dublinn internally by using her, therefore she was meant to die in County Hillock alongside him and other five Dublinn commanders accused of betrayal.[4]
References
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