#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.

[y00mies]

back to my roots

[gluttiny]

{never enough}

(t: i'm hungry, ouch!)

chaos, inside and out.

!updated! sorry, fixed his stripes.

[kokopati]

pov you're a rat or solomon and you're in danger

[an1ika]

help me please

[springgonyoyos]

Actually dying what in the world am I doing, this meme was too funny

Have another cracked meme, please enjoy thank you orz

(And no way am I drawing Lucifer again, so png it was)

[akuzondotcom]

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

[kagaririn]

[asterronomical]

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

[shitty-obeyme-aus]

[avonyxx]

The bros drew themselves 🦅🦅🦅🫴🫴🫴

[maniaredgrave]

10082024

😭😭😂

I had to… again

[squeakyducky]

Favouritism is real

[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:…

[villianbell]

Mc *texting lucifer* : sends a voice message

Lucifer *texting back* : I’m a little busy. Is it urgent?

Mc : No, don’t worry, just listen later.

*later*

Lucifer : *presses play*

Mc (voice message): THERE’S A FIRE-

Mammon : *screaming in the back ground*

[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