Killer Character Concept: The Sister
Character Story
Lorna’s life wasn’t the easiest one. She lost both her parents as a little girl. Luckily, she found her place among the thieves, who taught her how to survive in this harsh world. A few years later in her early twenties – when the war between Spain and the Nederland rose, she joined a mercenary band. She already knew how to fight, but it was the war that showed her how to kill. Being a mercenary suited her. She was proficient with every weapon, but the spear became the one of her choice. Lorna was unmatchable soldier, which made her a new band commander – when the previous died in battle. Her battle prowess, mental fortitude, and cunning skills made her an exceptional leader. Her group was capable of fighting with a larger enemy, due to efficient tactics, and careful plans she prepared – combined with the abilities of her people. The Spear Maiden – as some called her – became quite a name. Praised by the Netherlands rebels and feared by Spanish soldiers.
Unfortunately, all this came to an end in 1581. During a siege of an important bastion – her task was to flank a Spanish general, possibly kill him, and weaken the Spanish offensive. Everything went as planned – up to the moment when the cornered general grabbed some weird stone from his pouch and recited weird words. After that, the air became chilly, and uncanny dark fog emerged from nowhere enveloping everyone and everything. Confused Lorna wasn’t prepared for such tricks. Somebody or something took her off guard and hit her in the head. Before fainting, she heard the screams of her people – attacked by someone, or something. When she awoke – there were only corpses of her slaughtered fellows. That day she made a promise: every malicious coward, who turned to devilish powers will die. That day the Spear Maiden died and was born anew.
In a few years, gossips about a mysterious woman seeking heretics practicing witchcraft with diligence worth of the Grand Inquisitor were heard in Spain very often. Of course, the Inquisition also heard them, but they did nothing about that. Lorna’s quest was unfruitful. Every time she had some clues about someone practicing dark arts – it all came out to be misconceptions and false claims. People have seen dark magic in everything. She failed to track down the general who killed her men. She failed to find anyone who truly was a dark mage. Defeated in her pursuit – she decided to repent for her all wrongdoings and joined the cloister. She dug her spear and became sister Laura.
Life in the monastery was calm and mundane, but a few years passed, and dark fate found her again when raiders attacked this secluded place. Lorna knew she was the only one who could protect fellow sisters from death or even worse fate. She dug out her spear and waited for the oppressors while they were ramming through the main gate. She wanted – if not to defeat the enemy – at least give the others enough time to escape through underground tunnels. When the gate broke, a pack of fierce bandits rushed inside. Lorna fought with all her abilities, but the enemy was too numerous. She was cornered. Sure of certain death she felt fear and anger. Anger of such a miserable end. Then, she reminded herself of words. Words she heard many years before. Words the Spanish general spoke when she and her people cornered him. Lorna recited them with all her anger and regret. The air became cold and the dark fog appeared out of nowhere. For a moment there were screams, and when the fog dissipated – there were only corpses of fallen bandits. Lorna disappeared along with the fog.
Character Power & Perks
Ad.1 Power: Lacrimae Corum
Before joining the monastery, Lorna was a proficient mercenary, who took many lives with her spear.
The Sister's lunge attack has a longer distance, but is a bit slower and she recuperates longer when she misses.
Special ability: Ars Punctatis
Hold the power button to prepare a powerful thrust that can pierce survivors through walls and obstacles. The Sister is slightly slowed while preparing it. Performing this attack causes short exhaustion and has 30 seconds of cooldown.
Special Ability: Saltatio Spiculi
Press the active ability button while near the downed pallet or vault location to perform a special maneuver. When used near vault location it allows you to jump through it quickly, and chain lunge attack afterwards. When used on a downed pallet, you use your spear to jump over it, breaking the pallet in effect. If there is a survivor near the downed pallet - the Sister lands at them causing hindered status until healed or downed. Performing this maneuver causes short exhaustion and have 30 seconds of cooldown.
Perks:
Ad. 2A Bane of the Tainted
Those who are tainted by messing with dark arts, won't be saved by them
If a survivor is blessing a dull or hex totem, their aura can be seen from 24/36/48 meters, and the killer gains an undetectable status effect when in the 8/16/24 meters range, lingering for 5 seconds after the survivor stopped blessing the totem.
Ad. 2B Scorn Embrace
The dark arts she despises, are also the source of her power
If there is a boon totem on the map, this perk becomes active.
Downing a survivor while the perk is active causes all generators in the 24-meter range of any totem to explode and immediately lose 6/8/10% progress, plus 5% for every active boon totem on the map, then applying normal regression.
Triggering the effect snuffs all the boon totems, and then the perk deactivates.
Ad. 2C Hex: Faithbreaker
The Hex rooting on overconfidence. Overconfidence brought by messing with the dark arts, being a slow and insidious killer.
Instead of snuffing the boon totem, you turn it into a trap totem. If any survivor gets into range of the trap totem - equal to the range of the transformed boon totem - their aura is revealed for 3/6/9 seconds, after which the trap totem is triggered. The dormant trap totem doesn't lose the boon's powers.
Triggering the trap totem gives an audio cue for the killer, and turns it into a hex totem that is blocked for 30/45/60 seconds, and applies the exposed status effect on every survivor in range of the trap totem for 30 seconds.
Every active Hex: Faithbreaker totem imposes a cumulative 5% slow on repairing, healing, mending, cleansing, blessing, sabotaging, and gate-opening actions.
Creator's Commentary
My idea for the killer was a hybrid – being between the oldschool meelee killers and the ranged ones – to some degree working like "The Execucioner", but with differences in power making her unique. "The Sister" may not have mobility given by charges and dashes, also may not have the range advantage of ranged killers – but her unique power should contribute for interesting gameplay. Of course I'm aware her power might be too strong with perks like "Unrelenting", and she may get very high value from perks like "I'm All Ears", "A Nurse's Calling", or "Hex: Undying" – but those are issues that can be verified only through scrutinous playtests – if ever happened for this concept to be realized be the game creators.
As for the perks – my idea was to design an original set based upon single theme. As "The Sister" was a person who got totally messed by dark magic, despite it, and dedicated herself to hunt upon those who stuck their fingers into the dark arts – she probably may retain this hatred as the Killer. That's why her perks are centered on Boon Totems – people who use them are considered as the mages by her. The mages she hunted without any success for a long time in her life, before leaving it all behind. I know those perks don't have any chance to become meta, or even be considered as strong – but it wasn't their purpose. The purpose was to create a suplement to her primary power, fitting the character.
Also: big thanks to my friend SaintBleu, who once told me: "If there was a Nun killer, I would main her from day one". This character concept is in some degree his idea too.