Characters and Monsters in Ecstatica

This article lists and describes all characters and monsters found in Ecstatica. Note that neither the game nor its manual provide any names or other information about the vast majority of them and a lot of this article's content is based on interpretation and thus debatable. Also hard numbers are not available at the time. Things may change in the future as reverse engineering attempts may reveal information hidden in the game's data. It goes without saying that this article contains a substantial amount of spoilers.
== The Hero ==
Like most action adventure games Ecstatica has a single player character who is controlled throughout the entire game. However, like some other action adventure games, especially from the 90's, Ecstatica allows to select the hero's gender when starting a new game. The differences are purely cosmetical and have no meaningful impact on the gameplay experience. The only difference is the absence of animatinos of the hero urinating when controlling the female version. Note that the hero's male version is the canonical one and the only option in the direct sequel, Ecstatica II.
=== The Traveller ===
Ecstatica's protagonist is an anonymous traveller on a journey somewhere in Northern Europe 928 A.D.. Neither his identity, background nor the purpose of his journey are ever established and he seemingly only gets involved in the events at Tirich by sheer accident. The traveller is characterized as an average guy who has little to no prior experience in combat, is clumsy, easily frightened and has to overcome these fears to become the hero that Tirich needs. He never goes through a huge transformation that makes him appear like a typical heroic warrior type. Even after acquiring knighthood, probably the most dignified moment in his entire life, he retains all his prior traits, continuing to fight in an awkward manner, stumbling upon rocks, frequently falling victim to traps and ambuhes, shaking in fear when facing danger and relieving himself casually next to the roads. It also seems that his main motivation is saving himself rather than the good of the town, although he still appears to be comparably good-hearted and directly helps some of the villagers on several occasions. All in all he is clearly an unlikely hero.
Note that the hero's background is expanded and his characterization fundamentally changed in the sequel.
=== Frog Form ===
The hero will be turned into a frog by the sorcerer if he tries to enter the castle before becoming the knight of Tirich. This transformation is fully optional and does not wield any benefits, although it does allow exploring certain areas of the world before they are accessible in human form as it makes him small enough to enter the catacombs and not set off any traps protecting the castle. A bird will keep the hero from entering the castle through the tower, though, and a lizard will eat him past a certain point in the castle basement. In this form the hero is almost completely defenseless, being only able to perform an extremely weak attack with his tongue which cannot hit most enemies. Also trolls can harm the hero in this form and an additional snake will appear in the village. The only method of becoming human again is getting kissed by the Witch. This is only possible once, however. The hero is doomed to remain a frog forever if the Witch is killed or he becomes a frog a second time.
=== Squirrel Form ===
The squirrel transformation is the result of drinking the potion brewed in Ecstatica's alchemy lab. Like in frog form the hero becomes tiny and defenseless in this form, even more so since he is not able to perform any kind of attack as a squirrel, executing a small useless leap instead. Like in frog form additional trolls and a snake will appear in the church and village. The most important difference between the two forms is that the hero automatically becomes human again if he either reaches the end of corridor beneath the church or tries to leave the village as a squirrel. The squirrel form is necessary to reach the knight's quarters and acquire his sword. The hero can take squirrel form an infinite number of times.
Note: in both transformations the control layout changes and the duck key is used to run while the different movement modes become unavailable.
== People ==
Despite monsters having slaughtered the majority of Tirich's population there are still a few survivors to be found in the village and its surroundings. Since the hero is a new face that appeared soon after the cataclysm, some of these survivors will presume that he is one of the monsters. They will often threaten him or express sheer terror upon his sight but some of them will also help him, especially after doing something for them first.
=== Ecstatica ===
Ecstatica is the witch who accidentally unleashed the demon through occult experiments and is responsible for all the horrors haunting Tirich. The sorcerer residing in the nearby castle tells the hero that she was his maid and very talented when it comes to magic but overestimated her powers. Despite being the cause of all the horrors she also fell victim to the demon's powers. He dominated her mind and she has been in a catatonic state, resting in a sarcophagus in a cavern beneath Tirich, ever since. While she seems to have felt contempt for all the other inhabitants of Tirich and was clearly a megalomaniac driven by a lust for power it seems that she is not inherently evil. The ending suggests a romantic relationship between herself and the hero after the main events in the game, as is later confirmed in the sequel.
=== The Little Girl ===
One of the last survivors of Tirich is ironically a little girl. She can be seen entering the stable the moment the traveller sets foot in Tirich. While one would expect such a little girl to be particularly horrified by all the monsters roaming the village it turns out that she is extremely tough and not scared at all, fighting off both trolls and the Werewolf with her slingshot without showing the slightest sign of fear. Most of the time she will remain at the stable, demanding her teddy bear. Once the hero brings it to her she will yell at the teddy and punish it with her slingshot for "abandoning" her. After this she leads the hero to the church. When she notices that he can't follow her into the narrow corridor in the church she opens the entrance to the catacombs and thus Ecstatica's tomb for him. She disappears into the corridor afterwards and is not seen again. While most human characters in Ecstatica can be killed by the hero this is not possible with her. However, the hero can hit her, which results in her yelling "yippie" and a weird visual effect appearing on the screen. After several hits she vanishes into thin air.
=== The Drunkard ===
One of the other last survivors of Tirich is the drunkard. He can be found at the tavern. When the hero enters he witnesses how the drunkard, defending himself with a mace, is struck down by the green wyvern. Upon approaching his body it turns out that he is actually still alive. He asks the hero to bring him to the shop. According to his own words he is a former crusader. Upon arriving at the shop's wine cellar he continues to drink and tells the hero about Tirich's past and Ecstatica. Then he is left alone to his sorrows and will remain drinking there for the remainder of the game.
=== The Sorcerer ===
The Sorcerer lives in his castle with his servant. He will not welcome the traveller at first and even turn him into a frog if the traveller defies his warnings. If the hero is declared the new knight of Tirich, however, the Sorcerer with welcome him with open arms and even aid him in his quest, shedding more light on what has happened in Tirich and what needs to be done.
=== The Witch ===
The Witch (not to be confused with Ecstatica) is an obnoxious overweight woman living in a house just outside the castle. She will fall in love with the traveller the moment she sees him and follow him around and kiss him repeatedly. She poses no threat at all, on the contrary, she can even save the traveller. If the traveller comes to her while turned into a frog, she will kiss him, thus making him human again.
== Monsters ==
Ecstatica features dozens of different monsters, some of them being based on medieval folklore and mythology, others being creatures typically found in modern fantasy works. Below is a list featuring some of them.
=== Werewolf ===
The Werewolf is a unique and one of the first and most frequently encountered enemies in Ecstatica and also the most recognizable one. He is notable for being extremely strong, setting up dozens of ambushes and reappearing often in many different locations, most frequently in the village, however. He is also characterized as the most sadistic creature haunting Tirich, seen brutally murdering one of the villagers and capturing and torturing the hero. Upon the hero's death he is always seen in the game over animations, relaxing with his fellow monsters. During these animations he demonstrates the ability to talk, confirming his extremely sadistic nature with the content of his speeches. He attacks with his claws, dealing a moderate amount of damage. While being extremely hard to kill, several hits can make him back off for a few moments which offers an opportunity to escape and is the preferred solution until a more powerful weapon is obtained.
=== Trolls ===
Trolls are the most numerous and harmless kind of monsters, serving rather as comic relief than actual opponents. They are tiny creatures seen in many places in the village. Despite wielding miniature maces and being quite strong for their size they are unable to deal any damage to the hero but can pose an annoyance in larger numbers, ambushing him on numerous occasions and even capturing him at one point. They aren't particularly respected by the other monsters, as is seen during the game over sequences. In one of them the Werewolf ridicules a troll, in the other one a minotaur kills a troll casually which only results in laughter from the Werewolf. The troll pose a minor hazard to the hero if he has been transformed into a smaller creature.
=== Table Man ===
A unique "creature" encountered in the village. What first appears to be a generic table with a dagger lying on top of it turns out to be alive when trying to take the dagger. It awakens, complaining about the hero's attempt to take away its property, then attacks him and continues to insult him. The table is not only rude but also a very angry and brutal fella. It attacks the hero, punching him with its "upper legs". The table is a very weak enemy, however, going down after several punches.
=== Spider ===
The spider is a unique enemy appearing in the streets of the village. It makes its appearance climbing in on one of the walls in the village's center. It is unnaturally huge and moves quickly but is a comparably harmless enemy. It goes down after several punches and ends its life with a terrifying and quite feminine shriek. Admittedly the creature only has four legs but presumably the character was just modeled this way for convenience.
=== Minotaurs ===
There are two unique minotaurs present in Ecstatica. They mostly share the same appearance but differ in color, one of them being completely brown, the other having partially red fur. While being physically practically identical they differ greatly in their behaviour. Both of them are encountered in the forest and garden area between the village and the castle. The brown minotaur is always encountered sitting calmly and won't attack unless the hero approaches him. His attacks are strong but even after standing up and assaulting the hero he remains relaxed, walking only very slowly. The red minotaur on the other hand is very energetic and the fastest enemy in the game. He always makes an appearance leaping or running into the screen and then keeps running at the hero at high speed, he may also ambush the hero on occasion. While the brown minotaur is easily outrun it is almost impossible to get away from the red one and he should be disposed of as quickly as possible. The brown minotaur is among the creatures seen socializing with other monsterns in the game over animations.
=== Pigotor ===
The Pigotor is a unique creature encountered in the village, specifically at Ecstatica's home. Upon entering the house he is seen sitting there with a goblet in his hand and blocking the way to the upper floor. He seems to be intoxicated and lazy, not moving his butt even if attacked. Despite being comparably harmless he will deliver powerful blows with his fist if the hero approaches him. He can be disposed of comparably safely by hitting him from a safe distance with a weapon. He can also be easily outrun and then safely disposed off with strikes in the back.
=== Wyverns ===
There are three wyverns to be found in Ecstatica, sharing the same physical appearance but having a unique color each, green, red and blue. They are all encountered in the village. During gameplay wyverns are always seen flying but just above the ground, always in range of the hero's attacks. They attack their victims by breathing fire at them. They are very dangerous foes as they attack quickly and deal a lot of damage. Additionally their attacks last long and are thus hard to evade. Wyverns cannot take much damage, however, and can and should be killed quickly. One of the wyverns is always first encountered upon entering the tavern where it is seen knocking out the drunkard. The green wyvern is also among the monsters relaxing together after the hero's death. The other two wyverns appear at random in the streets of the village.
=== Skeletons ===
Five skeletons roam the catacombs beneath the church which get opened up by the little girl. They come to live as soon as the hero enters the room and approach him from each direction. Some of the skeletons are complete while others are missing their heads and arms. They are very slow, deal little damage and cannot take a lot of punishment, thus they do not pose a threat and the entire group can be easily destroyed with several swings of a weapon
=== Faun ===
The Faun is a beautiful naked woman with red hair and goat legs. She sometimes appears in the area surrounding the lake, constantly playing her flute. Unlike most fantastic creatures of Tirich she will not attack the hero, even if assaulted by him. However, she will follow him around and put him to sleep with her hypnotizing music. This sleep is not permanent and the hero will wake up a few moments later. The only harmful effect of her sleep inducing music is that the hero will drop any items in the process. It is dangerous in that she roams grassy areas where small items may become completely invisible if put on the ground. If the player forgets to pick up the items upon waking up it may become extremely hard to spot and recover them.
=== Guardian Statue ===
An invincible guardian who looks like a bulky statue of a human warrior can be found in the castle basement. It will talk to the hero and tell him that it won't let him pass. If he gets close it will swing a huge mace at him. While the guardian is invincible his attacks can be easily evaded by ducking or using the broomstick.
=== Ghost Warriors ===
In a large entrance hall in the castle basement two ghost warriors can be found. They are invisible but they wear shoes and carry a sword and a shield which are clearly visible to the player. While they are comparably quick and deal a fair amount of damage with their sword attacks they can be disposed of quite quickly.
=== Dragon Statue ===
A living dragon statue can be found on a wall in the castle basement. It will attack the hero with a breath of fire if he gets close and any attempts to hit will only make the hero stumble and prone to its next powerful attack. It needs to be avoided.
=== Executioner ===
The executioner is a unique creature which appears during two specific events and which cannot be fought. It looks like an evil version of the hero (the male version only), wearing a red shirt, green pants and brown shoes. However, it has a monstrous misshapen face and wields a huge hammer. One place where it can be encountered is the corridor connecting the monastery and the church. If the hero drops in there before having brewed the potion the hero will suddenly be knocked out by the monster's hammer at the end of the corridor and dragged away. Soon after he awakens hanging upside down next to the man who has been crucified also upside down outside of the village. The executioner also inevitably appears if the hero puts on the white armor and stumbles. The executioner will come in and kill the helpless hero with a single brutal swing of his hammer, dragging him away afterwards. In this case the hero is permanently dead, however.
=== The Lord Demon ===
The Lord Demon is the main antagonist and final boss of Ecstatica. He is the evil force that Ecstatica accidentally unleashed during her occult experiments, dominated her mind and released the army of monsters upon Tirich. He introduces himself as "the Lord Demon, Devil, Creature of the Abyss and Evil Wanderer of the hells of this world". Presumably he is the ruler of all the other monsters in Tirich but possibly they are all different manifestations of his, disappearing with him if he is defeated. Most of the time he rests in form of a brown levitating sphere alongside Ecstatica in the sarcophagus in the cave beneath the church. After the traveller has gained knighthood and obtained the relic, the Demon will invite him to an audience, however, taking on the form of a huge werewolf during the conversation. During the audience he presents himself as charming and good-mannered, expressing himself in a very civilized manner and offering a glass of wine. He is also clearly convinced of his superiority, literally calling himself "perfect" and claiming to be "undestructable". In the conversation he also unwillingly reveals that he is in fact scared of the relic, comically belittling its value in the process. Despite taking on huge and intimidating physical forms he is obviously socially quite adept and seductive and is clearly not just another bloodthirsty monster, he clearly also values hedonistic aspects of existence and, according to his own words, has "a kind heart". Rather than simply trying to destroy the hero he offers him a deal, promising an eternal life of pleasure in exchange for the relic, and curiously enough actually keeps his end of the deal if the hero agrees. If the hero refuses, however, the demon gets furious and abandons all kind appearances, taking on the form of a huge dragon and attacking him with a breath of fire, much like the wyverns. If the demon is successfully defeated, Ecstatica will awaken and all other monsters in Tirich presumably disappear.
== AnimalsCategory:Content ==
Humans and monsters are not the only beings to be encountered in Ecstatica. Tirich and its surroundings are also inhabited by simpler and more natural creatures, namely animals, many of which are not hostile and mostly serve as decoration for the environments.
=== Bats ===
Bats can be seen flying around in many places in Tirich, both in the streets as well as some houses. They are perfectly harmless, however, and serve no purpose.
=== Rats ===
Rats can be found in several houses in Tirich, crawling around and sometimes following the hero. They serve no purpose.
=== Crows ===
Crows are first sitting on the crucified man and the cross he is nailed to, next to the trolls' ambush site. They will disperse upon approaching them.
=== Snakes ===
Snakes can be encounterd in the high grass of the forest area and also in Tirich after transforming into a frog or squirrel. They will attack the hero in either form and cannot be hit. They only deal small damage, however.
=== Brown Bird ===
When standing at the cliff in front of the monastery a brown bird will sometimes appear, grab the hero and drop him at the opposite side of the cliff. He does not do the hero any harm.
=== Green Bird ===
A green bird can be encountered down a path next to the lake on the cliffside, blocking the rear entrance to the castle basement. It will attack the hero with its beak if he gets close.
=== Red Bird ===
A red bird can be encountered at the castle. It will keep the hero from entering the castle in frog form and deliver him to the bridge where the game begins. It seems to live on top of the castle tower. It can be seen walking around there and will follow the hero around the tower top but won't do him any harm, even if attacked by the hero.