Cipher

In the fallen city of bandits, Dolos, the 300 Rogues run wild and free. Race onward, fleet-footed Thief Star Cifera, Chrysos Heir of the "Trickery" Coreflame. May your web of lies spread with the breeze throughout all lands. —"Tryna trick me? Not a chance!"

"At the end of the Month of Weaving, bread, a bag of dried fruit, and numerous candles were stolen from the temple. Though the value of the items may be trivial, sacrilege and disorder both merit severe punishment. The suspect is gray-haired, cat-eared, slight build. Considered agile and cunning. Exercise caution. A bounty is set: 5,000 for leads. 10,000 if captured alive." —A wanted poster in Dolos "Catch her, catch her!" The square was lined with cells, reeking of raw sewage and echoing with whips and wails. A girl in tattered rags sprinted through the crowded streets, trailing golden blood in her wake. She raced past the platform, where a potbellied priest was delivering a sermon to the city's gathered faithful. "By Kephale's grace, let us praise and give thanks for this beautiful world..." "Integrity, honesty, mercy..." "—Let us water our souls with virtue, and use love to temper tragedy..." Just as the girl glanced back, the snarling hounds pursuing her lunged, carving three fresh gashes on her face. "Treasure and wealth mean naught to Titans, yet they prove your devotion..." Amid cheers, silks, delicacies, and jewels rained onto the platform, forming a small mountain. "Shun the Chrysos Heirs' raving lies. Have faith in Kephale. So long as we pray earnestly, the god shall deliver salvation..." She pushed her way through the crowd, losing the bread in her hand somewhere along the way. Desperately, she looked around, only to find condescending faces staring down at her, surging toward her like a restless tide. Her knees went weak as mocking glances and threatening smiles blurred before her eyes. But the distant voices had already burrowed into her ears, and she couldn't stop. "Thief!" "Criminal!" "Wretch!" Closing her eyes, she plunged from that three-hundred-meter-high wall. "So... hungry..." Icy waters swallowed her consciousness. And so, she claimed her first pyrrhic victory in a race with her life on the line. Character Story: Part II Unlocked at Character Level 40 Exiled to the holy city of dawn, she witnessed how the legends of the Chrysos Heirs surged through the streets. Yet when she saw its squalid alleys and filthy, cramped corners, she found the place no different from Dolos. "Hmph! What Flame-Chase? What heroes? If my experience isn't wrong, I smell shady schemes afoot!" Deeming the Chrysos Heirs glory-hungry frauds, she targeted a certain golden weaving workshop. "Honey brew? A chessboard... and a weird lyre? These have got to be stolen..." She guzzled the honey brew, devoured the dolmadakia, and toyed with the crystal chess pieces. "Heh, even the floor's spinning..." When she awoke from her drunken stupor, she found a perfumed letter in her hand. Hair standing on end, she threw off the blanket and fled to her shadowy den. "Little Glutton: Did you enjoy your fun? You treated the weaving hall like your personal playground. You tasted the honey brew, but couldn't handle it. The chessboard's a complete mess, and you didn't even spare the old lyre. But remember this: Always drink honey brew to the last drop, and no situation in this world is beyond salvation. I know you possess great skill, so fix the lyre you damaged. You're lucky a certain knight commander wasn't there, or she surely would've pinned your tail to the floor with her sword." Clutching the confidential letter, the girl felt a vague, indescribable emotion rising within her for the first time. "Big city folks... they sure got a lot of tricks, huh?" The stray cat waited day after day for a harsh reckoning, yet she wasn't held to account. So, she would whistle, tossing a coin in the air, and time and time again "accidentally" stop in front of the weaving workshop. "Ciphy, if there's anything you want to eat, just tell us!" The red-haired girls would always have a heap of food at the ready. While following the weaver at work, she often heard the stories of those heroes. "For those with golden blood, losses are a constant on the Flame-Chase journey... and even life itself holds little value." The weavers spoke of the violin's final wail, the chess pieces that fell in a doomed game, the shattered pathways splitting into a thousand fragments... "...And what's that have to do with me? I just want a full belly." She muttered, curling her fingers. A tiny bead of golden blood welled up from her pricked fingertip. That night, she silently slipped out of the weaving shop once again. "It's okay. Run, Cifera. Only you know where your path ends..." Under the moonlight, her figure vanished from sight, leaving nothing in the room but the weaver's murmured words.

Exiled to the holy city of dawn, she witnessed how the legends of the Chrysos Heirs surged through the streets. Yet when she saw its squalid alleys and filthy, cramped corners, she found the place no different from Dolos. "Hmph! What Flame-Chase? What heroes? If my experience isn't wrong, I smell shady schemes afoot!" Deeming the Chrysos Heirs glory-hungry frauds, she targeted a certain golden weaving workshop. "Honey brew? A chessboard... and a weird lyre? These have got to be stolen..." She guzzled the honey brew, devoured the dolmadakia, and toyed with the crystal chess pieces. "Heh, even the floor's spinning..." When she awoke from her drunken stupor, she found a perfumed letter in her hand. Hair standing on end, she threw off the blanket and fled to her shadowy den. "Little Glutton: Did you enjoy your fun? You treated the weaving hall like your personal playground. You tasted the honey brew, but couldn't handle it. The chessboard's a complete mess, and you didn't even spare the old lyre. But remember this: Always drink honey brew to the last drop, and no situation in this world is beyond salvation. I know you possess great skill, so fix the lyre you damaged. You're lucky a certain knight commander wasn't there, or she surely would've pinned your tail to the floor with her sword." Clutching the confidential letter, the girl felt a vague, indescribable emotion rising within her for the first time. "Big city folks... they sure got a lot of tricks, huh?" The stray cat waited day after day for a harsh reckoning, yet she wasn't held to account. So, she would whistle, tossing a coin in the air, and time and time again "accidentally" stop in front of the weaving workshop. "Ciphy, if there's anything you want to eat, just tell us!" The red-haired girls would always have a heap of food at the ready. While following the weaver at work, she often heard the stories of those heroes. "For those with golden blood, losses are a constant on the Flame-Chase journey... and even life itself holds little value." The weavers spoke of the violin's final wail, the chess pieces that fell in a doomed game, the shattered pathways splitting into a thousand fragments... "...And what's that have to do with me? I just want a full belly." She muttered, curling her fingers. A tiny bead of golden blood welled up from her pricked fingertip. That night, she silently slipped out of the weaving shop once again. "It's okay. Run, Cifera. Only you know where your path ends..." Under the moonlight, her figure vanished from sight, leaving nothing in the room but the weaver's murmured words.

"Zagreus, god of trickery of old: Stealing treasures, sowing discord among the gods, stirring up conflict... Your stale ploys weary us. This next Spirit Day, the 300 Rogues will stage their most spectacular performance in Amphoreus yet. The world will be ours, craven god! Watch us turn it upside down!" A proclamation adorned with a cat's paw prints, scattered across the city-states of Amphoreus. "North from Okhema, across the snow-covered mountains, lies Aenionus. There, I secretly changed two characters on the Granite Code, winning a rogue's indenture in a trial of life and death. In bays of the south, I snuck aboard a moored ship and dueled a rogue in the middle of a storm, and I hate water most of all! Then guess what? In a stroke of genius, I whipped out my Pulleroo and took his sword away! And there's more — under the blazing desert sun, I competed with outlaws to see who could last the longest without water, and in the dense jungle, I raced against hunters... until all 300 Rogues were in place..." The girl in golden boots spoke animatedly about her journey. "Next, it's time for every usurper, parasite, and slaver in all of Amphoreus to witness the power of the so-called wretches they despise!" She recalled how the moment the Coin of Whimsy fell, three hundred Thief Stars streaked across the sky, descending upon the lands of Amphoreus. Lofty tyrants tumbled from their thrones, whip-wielding slavers fled in disgrace, torrents of gold vanished into thin air, only to rain down from the heavens upon the starving and the shivering... During that grand spectacle, Zagreus could not resist the temptation and revealed themselves, falling right into the Chrysos Heirs' ambush. The blazing Coreflame, at last, fell silent within the vortex's core. In the city of Okhema, whispers began to spread of a demigod swift as a shadow, a guardian of vagrants, a scourge to the wicked — "All I can do, is run!"

"To all priests, high priests, and acolytes of the city-states, to the faithful beneath the radiance of the Throne of Worlds, and to all sentient beings: Since the passing of our High Priest, the Gem of All Worlds has gone missing. Upon investigation, no signs of forced entry or damage were found at the scene. After its theft, multiple reports claim to have seen the gem enter the black market, where it was exchanged for a vast sum of Balance Coins. Anyone providing useful information will receive a reward of 5,000 Balance Coins. The one who captures the culprit will receive a reward of 100,000 Balance Coins." — A faded, yellowing proclamation from the Council of Elders. "Wow, all this time, and this thing's still up...?" She remembered the day the bounty was posted, the moment she had no choice but to say goodbye. She couldn't meet the weaver's eyes and could only turn away, hastily turning tail and fleeing Okhema. Centuries later, new heroes flocked here from across Amphoreus. Her hood drawn low, she gazed at the old marketplace from afar, but few familiar faces remained. "A new flavor of pickled candies?" Crumpling the wrapper, she casually flicked it toward the flowerbed. "Glass marbles! Haven't played with these in ages!" She weighed one in her hand, aiming as she mimed tossing it into the water. ... Moments later, figures dressed as assassins tumbled down one after another from the flowerbed, the water, the trees— And yet farther ahead, the young hero stood bathed in light, returning in triumph. She watched from the shadows until the golden thread beside her trembled. "Seamstress, all these years, and your golden threads are sharp as ever. If I don't wanna get caught, I'd better get going!" She stretched lazily, crouching slightly as the wind swept past, heavy with the scent of the wilds. Once more, a golden streak of lightning tore from Okhema toward the eternal night. In the howling wind, she felt as if she had returned to her childhood, to those countless races where her life itself was on the line. "Run, Cifera... Only you know where your path ends... And one day, you'll be able to sprint into that splendid future..." In the instant the lightning split the night, it was as if she had already illuminated the entire world.

Cifera? Ah, so you've heard of me... But few call me by that name these days. Call me Cipher. It's sharper and swifter, like the wind itself. A perfect name for a master thief, don't you think?

So, Gray Mystery~ Where have you been to fatten your wallet, hmmm~?

Time is money, and I just gifted you some of mine. Consider it my gift~ Until next time!

Ever heard of Dolos? A thousand years ago, the Meow-Meow faith and the Woof-Woof faith clashed there in an epic battle. The Meow-Meow faith triumphed, and as their Holy Maiden, I inherited their sacred powers — What's that? You think it's fake? Well, it is. But wasn't it fun? I used to love telling this story when I was a kid!

Spending a day wandering where no one knows me, enjoying some goat milk honey cakes in the evening, then curling up in bed to savor the day's treasures — That's the kind of life I lead right now, and it's the best in the world.

The people of Dolos loved to invent gadgets. We had finger ring spring guns, a key that could open every lock, and you could even use that key to steal the finger ring spring gun... But the one I love the most is the "Homemade Pulleroo." It pulls anything I want my way. It's super rad~

I used to use this hood as a cloak back when it had seen better days. I didn't want to throw it away when it got all worn, and that famous Goldweaver mended it for me, see? But it's weird... it hasn't frayed or torn since, and somehow it still looks brand new.

You get rich by making money, not saving money. Those bigwigs in the Council of Elders can hype up a piece of redsoil as a revolutionary work of art — even the god of trickery has to bend the knee to that level of lying.

When I was a kid, I always snuck into the theater to watch heroic shows about other people, and I could spend a whole day and night there. Now I can go to any theater any time I want, but I always leave before the show ends.

I hate rainy days. They're always so wet and sticky, and my tail gets so heavy...

If one day I don't come back, go to the sewers of Okhema. Follow the largest pipe all the way to the end. There's a little hideout there — Tell the kids there not to wait for me anymore and to find their own way in life.

If everyone believes it, a lie becomes reality — easy, right? People believe what they want to anyway. Honestly, if the world turns into what everyone dreams of, is that really so bad?

Heeeeey, Gray Mystery~ Did it ever occur to you that we share the same sense of humor? And honestly, when it comes to picking up random stuff off the ground, we're basically two peas in a pod~

Those "actors" on the grand stage of history aren't adored just for their dazzling brilliance... What the audience truly anticipates is the moment of their fall.

Those old girls love me. Whenever I tried to slip away on a secret adventure, I'd discover my backpack already crammed with all sorts of food they snuck in there — it made leaping over the wall way harder!

What did they call him? "A dromas draped in finery"? And he took it just like that? Leaving aside the question of the nickname-giver's own credentials, Anaxa is undoubtedly an impressive individual...

The Deliverer boy looks naive, but he knows exactly what everyone wants and how much they're willing to pay... And yet everyone loves him because of the sincere way he talks. I concede my defeat.

When other people claim they can "defy death," I'd usually say they've knocked their head too hard. But that kid? He actually pulled it off — I've got to admit, that "Immortal Little Prince" is super awesome.

Isn't it just so much fun to tease her? I almost want that little Princess Homebody to lose it and scratch me, but no... she's way too nice for that. And weirdly, that just makes me angrier. I just hope she learns to take better care of herself.

That pink girl could easily leave those shriveled old goons behind, you know? If she didn't care, no one else would either. But no, she's too responsible for her own good, isn't she?

Lies and truths are nothing before the weight of sincerity.

Not bad. One more for my treasure trove.

Not enough... Not enough! I can hoard even more.

Good stuff ahead! Start running!

Gray Mystery. Let's go hustle for treasures afterwards~

I'm laying it out right now. I'll do everything I should, but you can stop telling me what to do, hmph!

So, Princess Homebody, can I have a look at your big scythe?

Big sis Tribbie, the wind's picking up. Shall we take flight?

Prof Nax~ Truth may be valuable, but all's fair in war~

Little prince, how will you defy death this time?

I'll do my best to act like an adult so you don't have to worry about me, little Hyacine.

A little graze and you're calling it quits? Weak.

The air here practically smells of money!

Here's the deal. Don't fight too hard, so I can go home early~

Thinking of taking advantage of me, are you?

Time is money, you know? Wait any longer, and you'll owe me interest~!

Lemme have a go~

Treasure~ Come to me!

This cat~ Will take it all!

Amateur...

Something's fishy!

Our cute play session is over.

A lie that everyone believes in becomes a reality. Gotcha~

This... is the Flame-Chase...

Guess how many lives I have? Mmm?

Thanks. That feels way better.

Cat-and-mouse time!

What a big haul. I'll be back~!

Free stuff is always the best~

The kittens are gonna eat well tonight~

I am the Titan of Fortune!

I can solve these party tricks in under a minute... Don't underestimate the people of Dolos!

Come ON! Can you please make it harder next time?

My hair's standing up... Maaaybe we should go the other way?

Oh! There's something fun over there! Come on! Let's go~!