Svsona, Fermosa Fembra

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**Svsona** is a boss from Blasphemous 2 located in Two Moons, and Yerma's main target/enemy. Upon defeat she gives the Mirrored Key that opens one of the cages from the Chapel of the Five Doves.

This is the last occasion Yerma will be located right outside the boss arena, in case her aid is required for the fight. This time Yerma's fate can have different outcomes depending on the Penitent One's actions and choices. If her help is not accepted, she will be found dead next to Svsona. The same occurs if the Penitent One enters the bossroom without having acquired the Holy Oil of Everlasting Anointment. To keep her alive, the Holy Oil must be given to her prior to the fight.

Svsona's bossroom is located behind a mirror that can be hit, but not broken. In order to break it, the room right above the mirror must be accessed. Once inside, a sequence with Svsona, in her human form will play; in which she contemplates her reflection until a bell sounds, horrorizing her (this is probably the moment where her reflection was distorted and turned her into a monster). After that, the mirror will be breakable.

## Behaviour and Tactics

* **Beam of Light** - Svsona will invoke a large beam attack that covers a large area, indicated by the cherubs clothes dropping. This attack can only be avoided by spawning platforms from above. The number of platforms decreases to two when in her second phase, and the size of these platforms decreases when in her third. The number of times she goes across the arena can vary depending on the phase. In phase two she can go up to two times across, while in phase three she can go three times across. She also seems to get faster with phase changes, allowing a smaller window to take cover.
* **Lightning Ball Barrage** - After starting to glisten with electricity, Svsona releases, in patterns of three, electric balls that cover the arena at four different angles. These balls can be dodged through. The speed at which she goes across the arena during this attack changes with phases.
* **Lightning Walls** - Svsona can turn back into her "human" form and summon walls of lightning. These must be dashed through, and in quick succession. The number of walls changes from two to three during a phase change. The speed at which these travel is not consistent and some might be faster than others.
* **Skulls of Lightning** - Again, involving her "human" form, she can summon one or two lightning skulls. When one is summoned, is spawns lightning balls that go in an up and down pattern that either must be jumped or ducked. When two are summoned, the skulls slowly go towards the middle, summoning lightning balls on the way. The Penitent One must dash through the middle in order to make it out of this attack. This attack can happen along with Lightning Walls, switching alternatively sometimes.

### Strategy

Svsona will be a battle of patience and precaution. Her attacks are very relentless and will give the player very little safe room to attack her, putting players on the defensive. Since Svsona's attacks are primarily Lightning, players should stack as much Lightning resist as they can. Sarmiento & Centella will be useless due to its Lightning attack nature once charged, so Ruego al Alba and Veredicto are the better weapons.

The best room for attack is when Svsona is stationary on either side of the screen, preferably when it is starting to settle in either edge, or when her body begins disappearing, though players will have to be mindful of the attacks that will come soon after. Her Lightning Ball Barrage provides another window of opportunity, but the tricky pattern of the attack might cause the Penitent One to incur in a lot of damage if one attacks recklessly. Veredicto proves more useful here as its long range allows the Penitent One to attack Svsona while giving them more room to move. Burning Fervor to increase Veredicto's damage should prove an effective means of attack.

Some Verses/Prayers that could prove effective include Include Zejel Of The Cruelest Thorn, Debla Of The Lights, Chime Of The Twisted One (if the symbols are found), or Aubade to the Sleepless Iron.

If the Yerma subquest has been followed through, she will prove invaluable as she can hit Svsona while the Penitent One is avoiding her attacks. Overall Svsona will prove to be a lengthy that emphasizes defense over offense, so players should only attack when it is safe to, while maximizing their Lightning defense and stack as many damage boosts on their preferred offense method, as Svsona uses exclusively Lightning damage, it will give players ample room to customize their set up.

## Trivia

**Svsona** seems to take inspiration from multiple places:

* A Jewish woman named Susona, who was called "*Fermosa Fembra*" (obsolete Spanish for "Beautiful Woman", from Latin *formosa femina*) in honor of her great beauty, who asked for her head to be hung at her home's door so that everyone could remember her betrayal towards her father. This also ties to **Svsona*'***s design of her real face being a skull, since nowadays, Susona's home is adorned with a tile showcasing a portrayal of her cranium.

* At the same time, the reliquary that **Svsona** wears (which is adorned with two angels that hold it), is inspired by the "Relics of Mary Magdalene", which keep the skull of the saint inside a reliquary of the same design.

* For last, **Svsona*'***s story about her obsession with her own reflection in the lake, which then lead to her own demise, could be a reference to Narcissus' legend.

* Svsona was also a scrapped boss or NPC from Blasphemous 1. Her concept art can be found in the first game's artbook. Although never confirmed, it is possible that she was meant to be part of one of the game's DLCs (probably the Stir of Dawn due to the creation date of her concept art).

## Gallery

Screenshot Svsona, Fermosa Fembra 02.jpgScreenshot Svsona, Fermosa Fembra 03.jpg