Klêidouchos

## OTHER NAMES

* Frau Schlüssel
* Hecate
* Key-tamer

**Klêidouchos** is an alukite and a member of the Ligeia Club. She is described as ‘A spry, forceful woman in severe black and white, tightly wrinkled.’ with a ‘tiny black puppy [peeping] from her skirts.’ She is very business-like, and eager to attend the ascension of the Lantern Mentor. She also refers to the Apostle as ‘little puppet’. Klêidouchos is as voracious as other Ligeians, despite her very prim and proper appearance. She makes ominous mention of plans to ‘enjoy [the Apostle’s] city’ and ‘gleaning’ skins.

Klêidouchos is stated to have lived in Vienna ‘since long before the siege’, which may refer to the Siege of Vienna in 1485, or the one in 1529, or the one in 1683. Whichever one it was, she’s been in Vienna for at least 200 years. She possibly lairs in Vienna because it, like Kerisham, is present in all Histories under the same name, and has a flaw in the world within it. Why Klêidouchos might care about this is unknown, but may be related to her meetings and possible friendliness with the Vagabond. Klêidouchos meets with the Vagabond every year in Vienna, and is the one who opened the door the Watchman passed. She has known all the Keys.

Now she owns **the Key of Days**: “The Key of Days opens the Tricuspid Gate. All the gods-from-Light have employed it. At the Crossroads, it may sometimes be invoked.” Klêidouchos’ sacrifice is a **black dog**, but doesn’t seem to be necessary for her Key to occur. Her associated animal is an eagle.

## Other Notes

* Klêidouchos is an epithet for Hecate, which translates to key-holder (κλειδοῦχος). Hekate’s sacrificial animal was also the dog.
	+ The text for Witch-Kissed Oil states ‘The formula remains unchanged since the days Hecate was worshipped at the crossways.’ This seems to refer to Klêidouchos, given that her name connects her to Hecate, Ligeians have elsewhere been called Witches, and her Key, the Key of Days, is invoked at the Crossroads.

* She often goes by Frau Schlüssel, which is German for Lady Key/Mrs. Key.

* Sulochana refuses to introduce the Lantern Apostle to Klêidouchos, because she doesn’t care for the Glory, and doesn’t want to help the Apostle ascend.
	+ Teresa hasn’t spoken with Klêidouchos in some time, but is willing to introduce the Lantern Apostle to her.

* Based on her association with the Vagabond and Teresa, as well as her interest in the Mansus and Glory, it seems possible that Klêidouchos intends or wishes to be part of the coming Pilgrimage.
* Klêidouchos is likely responsible for the killing of the key-hunter who rented a room in Vienna. They seem to have been hoping to obtain a key for themselves, and the sole remaining fragment of their notes reads ‘Lady K. Green Chalcedony. Three-lobed. Spring leaves in fi -’.

* When petitioned for a gift in Exile she gives Stranger’s Water, a Knock rarity described as ‘A little jar of aggressively invasive saliva, like a viscid skeleton key’, claiming she has little use for it any more. The only other source for Stranger’s Water is from the renegade Knock-Long at the Fane of Owls in Candia-Heraklion.
	+ This could point to her having an association with Knock and/or the Great Hooded Princes but it isn’t much to go on. However, it is also worth mentioning that the key-hunter (who may have been stalking Klêidouchos) was probably killed by the Younger Sister which lairs in the room afterward, which would draw a stronger connection between Klêidouchos and serpents.

* Eagles are generally symbolically associated with the sky, and were Zeus’ own sacred animal. This lines up well with Klêidouchos caring more about the Mansus, Hours and the Glory than the other Ligeians (and another Enigma's association between Lantern and eagles).

* Her epithet ‘key-tamer’ comes from the Mr Eaten twitter bot (@Mr\_Eaten), which responded to the names of each Ligeian with an epithet. Five were new epithets, while two (Echidna -> Monster-mother, and Morgen -> Sea-born) matched existing epithets and can be taken as confirmation that these epithets are canon to Cultist Simulator (since the bot is dubiously canon for Fallen London and had few ties to Cultist Simulator previously).

## Sources

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Frau Schlüssel
2. ↑ Speak to the Woman in Black-and-White
3. ↑ Speak to the Woman in Black-and-White (hint)
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Frau Schlüssel
5. ↑ The Chosen Compass, Thine Eyes Have Seen, Key-Hunter's Garret
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Enigma Phase X – Solution
7. ↑ Read 'The Viennese Conundra'
8. ↑ Hecate
9. ↑ Witch-Kissed Oil
10. ↑ Read 'Kitling Ripe and the Moldywarp's Grave (and Other Stories)'
11. ↑ Ask Sulochana about the Key
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Ask Teresa about the Dream of the Key
13. ↑ Ashes Above
14. ↑ A Gift from Kleidouchos, Stranger's Water, At the Fane of Owls
15. ↑ Eagle
16. ↑ Enigma Phase VIII – Solution
17. ↑ Key-tamer