#obey me the nightbringer

[emmys-grimoire]

The Nightbringer, how lesson 9-A tells us everything, and why it’s (probably) not Barb

I’m working on lesson 3 summary, but now that a good portion of the fanbase seems to have gotten through lesson 10, I feel it’s timely to get my thoughts out there ahead of covering lesson 10 because the story will likely continue before I’m done.

And I think a lot of you are ignoring some of the contextual clues.

Don’t read this if you don’t want lesson 8+ spoiled yet.

Ahead of the game releasing, most of the fanbase thought the prologue was a peek into how Barbatos met Solomon because it matched up with the lore in the OG game and Solomon was narrating. There were also other hints that Barb was behind things via promotional media and art. Pair that with his well-known time travel abilities, and it all seems very straightforward and obvious.

We learn in lesson 8, though, that the boy in the prologue video isn’t Solomon -- it’s Adam, and it’s heavily implied that he’s Lilith’s lover.

This fact alone doesn’t actually change much beyond the implied relationship between the Nightbringer and Solomon. It is relevant that Solomon is narrating, though, because they do have a significant relationship.

In lesson 9-A (and the node in lesson 10 that’s a continuation), which I have not gotten to myself yet, Solomon has a telling conversation with the Nightbringer after being confronted with illusions of Diavolo and Simeon meant to test his resolve. They’re squabbling over him, the obvious metaphor for humanity.

Solomon chooses neither, because he believes humanity doesn’t need either demons or angels guiding them. This is meant to mirror a choice he made in the past, as the self-appointed steward of humanity.

And furthermore, back then... the Nightbringer was likely one of the advocates of one of these sides. Furthermore, whatever this agreement he made with the Nightbringer is meant to ensure his “freedom”, even though...

The Nightbringer clearly wanted him to choose one of the presented sides, not neither. So which side was he on? He reveals his hand here, too, if you read into it far enough.

Why on earth would Solomon make this retort if the Nightbringer was actually a demon? If he was a demon, of course he’d be acting like one. It’d be no surprise, and certainly not considered an insult.

We got an angel who acts like a demon. This conversation doesn’t make any sense otherwise.

The Nightbringer is an angel? But that’s CRAZY!

Is it?

Is it really?

There’s one angel in particular who has a similar connection to Solomon as Barbatos, who has also had a significant role in his past: Michael.

We find out in the dream sequence flashback in S3 that Michael was eyeballing Solomon before the Great Celestial War. We know he’s the one who fished us out of that sequence, and warned us that the effect we had on the brothers past selves will carry on into the present (though admittedly this never manifests later). We find out he approached Solomon when he was lost and confused and we know he gave him his Ring of Wisdom, which grants the power to control demons. We find out in Nightbringer that Solomon waged war against the entire Devildom in an effort to leverage his newfound power to better humanity’s position. We learn that war was ultimately inconclusive. At numerous point in the story, Michael is referred to as a “demon in disguise” and a sadist like Lucifer.

We don’t know why Michael would give his very powerful ring to Solomon, but it likely was part of some agreement.

What doesn’t line up with this theory is a lack of motivation. I have no idea why Michael would want us to fling us back to this point of time, after the war. It sounds like he’d want to prevent the war entirely. Adam also meets the Nightbringer in the Devildom, and I can’t see the Devildom allowing Michael to just waltz in and meddle with things, particularly after the Great Celestial War. I’m not sure why they’d let any of them in, but I digress...

The other small details

There’s other small details strewn throughout the story that point to an angel, or at least someone that isn’t Barb.

Adam says he heard trumpets heralding the Nightbringer’s arrival. The king in the prologue also blows a trumpet.

You know what trumpets are associated with? Angels. According to this wikipedia article:

“In Christian Eschatology, all the first six trumpets are used to serve as a wake up call to the sinners on Earth and a call to repentance. Each trumpet blast brings with it a plague of a more disastrous nature than the one before it. The trumpet is used to build anticipation and tells the reader that an alert, announcement, or warning is about to take place. The seventh trumpet does not bring a plague with it. Rather, it is sounded so that glory is given to God and His kingdom is announced.”

There’s a bunch of other biblical associations, too. Barbatos has no trumpet symbolism in any point in the story. His callsign is portals.

Additionally, Barbatos interacts with time via doors.

The Nightbringer sees time as mud, which just might be the liquid swirling around in the Nightbringer trailer.

Who is the king?

The prologue implies that the Nightbringer is summoned via trumpets, and the trumpet is blown by a king. The Barbatos puppeteering art implies it’s a human king, but I’m not so sure.

Understanding who the king is may be instrumental in figuring out who the Nightbringer is. Is it a human king? Is it King Solomon? Is it the Demon King? Is it God? Is it someone completely different? It implies the Nightbringer acts at the behest of someone else, but so far it doesn’t sound like he is right now. And if he’s acting against Solomon, it would be quite problematic if he was tethered to him via a pact like Barbatos clearly is.

My conclusion

It’s either Michael and his motivations are simply more complex than I give him credit for, or it’s another angelic being that has gone rogue without falling somehow. I’m leaning towards the latter, honestly. I’d be really happy if we got a multi-season big bad.

It could still be an alternative timeline Barbatos if Barbatos was once an angel, and this is an angel Barb which has managed to avoid falling and doesn’t have the door motif thing going on. 

This is kind of why I hate time travel shenanigans. You have to account for so many damn possibilities that it gets tiresome having to sort through it all.

[asterronomical]

dance battle<33

[akuzondotcom]

Someone has probs done this before and it’s an old meme but oh well- I just wanted an excuse to draw MC

[irzali-imagines]

I fully believe that Solomon and MC just shout ""Wizard Spells"" at each other whenever they're bored. They shout shit like "I CAST MANUAL BLINKING" "I CAST MANUAL BREATHING" "I CAST EYELASH STUCK IN EYE" "I CAST TOTAL TOUNGE AWARENESS"

No real magic is used but a few demon brothers witnessed a "Wizard Duel" between MC and Solomon and got effected by "manual breathing" and fully believe that they are actually casting spells.

Lucifer: What in the devildom are you all up to now?

Mammon: SHH! MC and Solomon are having a wizard duel.

Belphie: I thought MC could only use our magic? Who's magic are they using?

Asmo: Their own!

Satan: They don't have magic.

Beel: Thats what we thought too but look.

-cut to MC and Solomon on opposite sides of the House of Lamentation's living room-

MC: I CAST INSTANT BRAZILLIAN WAX

Solomon: Oh you son of a bitch- I CAST ITCHY BONES!

MC: I CAST KIDNEY STONES!

Solomon: I CAST ENDOMETRIOSIS!

Lucifer: This is ridiculous. These aren't real spells.

MC: I CAST MANUAL BREATHING

Lucifer: *starts focusing on breathing* Wait what

[inlovewithl3vi]

I think it would be hilarious if the brothers forget that MC is human sometimes.

Like when Asmo prepares a spa date and forgets that MC can’t handle water that’s like a million degrees

Or Satan and Belphie forgetting that it’s pretty easy to accidentally curse mc so often when pranks backfire the curse immediately applies to MC

Or when Beel tries to get you to try some new food until you read the name of it and it’s something like “cyanide and stomach acid pasta!” And you have to explain that that will in fact instantly kill you

Especially if you do something that doesn’t happen to demons, like cracking your back after sitting too long and they forget that humans aren’t like demons and just because it cracked doesn’t automatically mean it’s broken.

[kagaririn]

[bagofmice]

*scribbles on him**scribbles on him**scribbles on him**scribbles on him*

white tattos version

[mammons-sugarbaby]

[devildomangel]

MC who was sad that they didn't get to see the Solar Eclipse so Beel and Belphie decided to recreate it for them.

-MC, wearing sunglasses and sitting outside the HOL-

Lucifer: MC! What in the nine circles are you doing out here?

MC: I'm watching the eclipse.

Lucifer: We don't even have a sun in the devildom

MC: Shhh! It's starting!

Beel, Wearing a cardboard cut out of the sun: *Standing still*

Belphie: *Wearing a cardboard cut out of the moon, passes by Beel*

MC: Hell yeah

[lovetei]

TW: Smut

The moment they found out that you want them, they were beyond pleased, but when they found out that you think a mere toy can compare to the real thing? They just have to prove you wrong.

Lucifer who made you sit on his cock while he's working, slowly trusting up on you, making sure you feel each vein on his dick while he whispers "Hmm, yes... So much better than that toy..." and kisses your neck.

Mammon who pounded you so rough, trying to prove that no toy can compare to him, no toy can make you feel as good as he can, "Ha, yeah? So much better right? So much better right? Bet your little toy can't pound you this hard, no?"

Leviathan who didn't notice how overstimulated you are and still kept on using both of his dick and tail to pleasure you, "Mhm, I know MC would feel better than those fleshlights... Cum on my cock again, hmm?"

Satan who wants to know how you fuck that toy and made you demonstrate it to him, sitting prettily with his shirt up and his pants on his knees while you went crazy over his dick, "Yeah, like that? You ride 'my cock' that hard, hmm?"

Asmodeus who is insulted and started to use that toy to abuse your hole while telling you how he will fuck you with the real cock, "Like this, too fast for you to handle? Well, I don't care. As soon as my cock enters this pretty little hole, you're done."

Beelzebub who shamelessly compares his cock to your toy, insulting it's existence then fucking you with it at the same time "You feel that? You feel how your toy can't even compare to my tip?"

Belphegor who hates it, why need this trash when you can have the real deal? The one that pounds you so rough you can't think "Wow, so pa.the.tic! You think this toy is me? Haha! It's too.fucking.small. to even compare!"

[cursed-sheep]

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo🐀✨

Bonus:

[nutbreadys]

She's our #1 fan 💯

[asterronomical]

Just two demons. hangin out....... this is what the inside of my brain looks like if ur wondering

[valsdelulucorner]

If they ever met, they would make a new element on the periodic table

[obae-me]

I like to imagine an MC with ~Trauma~ (because same) that is just completely oblivious to how much all the other characters will back-flip and change entire habits for them. Like, I'm envisioning:

MC is just casually hanging out like usual when some of the brothers break out fighting in the house...like usual, and the shouting and sounds of things breaking causes them to tear up and panic a bit. Although they don't really notice that for the next month, none of them get into fights and when they start to do so, they end up taking it outside.

Or maybe MC avoiding the angels for a good while and no one can figure out why till they mention that they're not used to people treating them like that and it's very unnatural. "At least being around demons feels more normal." And none of the characters take this well. Even Diavolo has to sit down and stare at a wall for a while and reevaluate his whole outlook on things. Simeon tries sounding a bit more "rough" for a while and it flops terribly.

Or even:

MC: Oh, there you guys are, I was wondering where some of you went.

*A few of the brothers lift their head as the human enters the living room.*

MC: Is there something going on? Why are you all here?

Mammon: Sittin' here watchin' the races.

Satan: Reading.

Lucifer: Taking the time to catch up on old Devildom infrastructure.

Levi: Playing the newest Hell Souls!

MC: *A bit confused.* So you're all doing your own thing...in the living room?

Satan: That's typically what the living room is for.

MC: But...doesn't that make you uncomfortable?

*All of them realize they've never really seen MC come out of their room unless invited otherwise.*

Lucifer: *Physically vibrating in his seat trying to hold back the "Take Them Under Your Wing" urge he's started to experience at least once a week now.*

I just...listen I know they're demons but they comfort they would bring...

[inlovewithl3vi]

Lucifer: MC please stop this nonsense.

*MC standing in a salt circle*

MC: no

Lucifer: you know that doesn’t even work right?

MC: come and get me then.

Lucifer:…