Sophia Monad

*"Can you hear me?"*
— Sophia
**Sophia Monad** is a character in *Lies of P*. She uses her power to allow Pinocchio to grow stronger with Ergo. Throughout the game, she acts as P's guiding voice and advisor.

## Background

Sophia Monad is the daughter of Isabelle Monad and the leader of the Alchemists, Valentinus Monad. The Monad family holds a prestigious and influential position in Krat's history. Sophia possesses a unique ability inherited from her mother, known as the "Listener" ability, which allows her to hear Ergo and communicate with puppets. However, she had to keep this ability hidden, as her mother resented the ability and viewed it as the "devil's power."

Sophia became involved in her family's endeavors, including the Monad Charity House, an orphanage transformed into a boarding school. Here, she crossed paths with Carlo, the son of the renowned inventor Giuseppe Geppetto, and introduced him to a boy named Romeo. Additionally, Sophia forged a strong friendship with a reporter named Medoro. Sophia later unearthed the truth about Ergo, realizing it was the purified essence of life trapped by the Petrification Disease, which froze both the time and body of the afflicted and turned them to stone. Leveraging her Listener ability, Sophia harnessed Ergo's power to manipulate time, but this revelation led to dire consequences.

Following her father's passing, his trusted aide, Simon Manus, discovered Sophia's unique power and sought to exploit it for his ambitions of godhood. He imprisoned Sophia at Arche Abbey and constructed a machine to harness her power, resulting in the widespread outbreak of the Petrification Disease. Sophia's prolonged exposure to the machine mutated her, rendering her immobile and in intense pain. Her suffering caused her soul to split into fragments, allowing her to project herself across Krat and empower Stargazers with her abilities.

Sophia, longing to end her suffering and thwart Simon's plans, sought out Pinocchio. After searching the entire city for him, she found his body within a hidden train car at Krat Central Station and used her power to bring him to life. With a sense of urgency and purpose, she directed P to meet her at Hotel Krat so that she could explain what was happening. To ensure P's safety, Sophia used her power to rewind time so that he would repeatedly return to the safety of a Stargazer moments before his death. She also used her power to allow P to harness the Ergo he had collected to become stronger.

After arriving at the hotel, P was warmly greeted by Sophia, who wasted no time in providing him with crucial instructions. She directed him to search for Geppetto on Elysion Boulevard so that his questions would be answered and promised to explain the situation upon his return. Before departing, Sophia entrusted P with a pocket watch, a remarkable time-manipulating device that can harness her power of rewinding time to return P to safety should the need arise. After some time, P managed to rescue Geppetto and returned to the hotel. Now, with an opportunity to talk, Sophia disclosed the grim reality facing Krat. The city teetered on the brink of annihilation, grappling with the rapid and relentless spread of the Petrification Disease and the murderous puppets roaming Krat due to the Puppet Frenzy. In a somber yet resolute tone, Sophia unveiled the reason for her search for P - he was Krat's last hope for salvation from the impending catastrophe.

Following P's victorious confrontation with Fallen Archbishop Andreus, and his subsequent return to the hotel, Sophia was informed of the dire situation at St. Frangelico Cathedral. She was saddened to learn that those who had sought sanctuary within the the Cathedral were either slaughtered or transformed into grotesque monsters known as Carcasses. Sophia contemplated on how these unfortunate people could undergo such a monstrous transformation. After all, the Petrification Disease was known for its ability to encase individuals in stone, not transmute them into nightmarish creatures. In light of this, Sophia advised P to investigate the Malum District which was situated in close proximity to the Cathedral and might shed light on the situation.

In the wake of the King of Puppet's defeat and P's return to the hotel, Sophia informed him of the somber news about Anontia's deteriorating condition from the Petrification Disease. She went on to explain that the disease locks people inside their own bodies like a cage. With a touch of vulnerability, she alluded to her own struggles with the affliction. Despite the gravity of the situation, Sophia expressed her deep gratitude to Antonia, who had valiantly safeguarded everyone within the confines of the hotel. Yet, among her heartfelt wish for a miracle lingered a yearning for a savior who could rescue everyone ensnared by the disease. Sophia then addressed the necklace the King of Puppets had dropped. She revealed its origin, tracing it back to the Monad Charity House, raising further questions about the King's motives and connections. As the conversation continued, a remarkable transformation unfolded before Sophia's eyes. She observed P undergoing a profound change, gradually transitioning into a genuine human being, a process catalyzed by the interaction between the P-Organ and the Puppet King's Ergo. With a note of encouragement, she advised P to continue behaving and feeling like a human if he aspired to complete his journey toward humanity.

After a triumphant victory over Champion Victor and an encounter with the enigmatic Simon, P returned to the hotel. Sophia explained that Simon was the most dangerous man in Krat, driven by an obsession with "evolution." It became evident that Simon's vision for the world held even darker implications than the grim reality they were currently facing. She told P that the reason she chose to awaken him was that she believed he was the only one capable of saving the city from Simon. With unwavering resolve, she instructed P to seek out the Isle of Alchemists and put an end to Simon's plans.

As events continued to unfold, the hotel was attacked by the Black Rabbit Brotherhood who kidnapped Geppetto. Sophia contacted P through the Ergo waves but was unable to intervene herself. She expressed her relief with P's safe return to the hotel. With a heavy heart, she disclosed the distressing news of Geppetto's kidnapping, attributing it to the Brotherhood's alliance with Red Fox and Black Cat, while strongly suspecting Simon's involvement. Sophia urged P to check how everyone was doing and ask Antonia for information about the concealed passage leading to the Relic of Trismegistus below the hotel.

In time, P took a submarine and managed to reach the Isle of Alchemists. To his astonishment, Sophia appeared before him. She confessed that the Sophia he had been conversing with all along had been merely a projection, while her physical form resided at Arche Abbey. Sophia went on to recount how her soul had been fragmented by Simon's misuse of her power. P's awakening at Krat Centration Station wasn't primarily to save Krat but to rescue herself. She expressed remorse for misleading P but also conveyed her heartfelt gratitude for everything he had done. Before departing, Sophia entrusted P with the remainder of her power and hoped that her body and spirit would be reunited if she had a peaceful death.

After P fought his way through Arche Abbey and defeated Laxasia The Complete, he discovered the heart-wrenching sight of Sophia's mutated and tormented form. Sophia beseeched P to free her from the shackles of her suffering, allowing her to find peace and release herself from the torment that had plagued her. She imparted a poignant instruction: to take her Ergo, the essence of her being, so that she might remain with him until the very end. P is then faced with a critical decision. Should he refuse Sophia's earnest plea, her torment endures, and she eventually succumbs to the unbearable pain. Yet, if he accepts her request, her Ergo is absorbed, transforming the puppet's once-vibrant hair to a somber shade of gray, signifying the profound connection between them.

Following the climactic battle that saw Simon's defeat at the Cradle of the Gods within Arche Abbey and the death of Geppetto, P stumbled upon a puppet with ethereal blue hair. In a selfless act that would take a great toll on his own physical well-being, he transferred Sophia's Ergo into the puppet, bringing her back to life.

Sophia, filled with boundless joy at the sight of P, who lay unconscious after the taxing ordeal, left him a heartfelt letter. In this message, she explained her intent to remain at Arche Abbey for the time being. She believed that society needed to come to terms with the emergence of puppets as a new form of humanity. Sophia entrusted P to eliminate any remaining threats and aid the people in their process of healing and acceptance.

## Gameplay

Sophia's primary role in the game is to allow the player to level up with the Ergo they've collected from enemies. The player first hears her voice at the start of the game. She tells the player to pick up Gemini and a weapon and to meet her at Hotel Krat. Until the player reaches the hotel, the only way to level up is at a Stargazer. However, it should be noted that it will only allow the player to level up a few times. After meeting Sophia, the player can level up freely by speaking to her. Before leaving to find Geppetto, Sophia gives the player the Moonphase Pocket Watch. Throughout most of the game, Sophia will give the player insight about Krat and current events. She will later appear in the Saintess of Mercy Statue and tell the player about the statue's ability to reset player stats and abilities.

After reaching Black Seaside, Sophia will give the player the remainder of her power. This allows players to freely level up at any Stargazer. Sophia is not encountered again until Arche Abbey Upper Part - Inside, immediately following the defeat of Laxasia The Complete. The player has the option to set Sophia free and give her peace or leave her to suffer. Either action, along with the player's Humanity rating will affect the outcome of the game's Ending. If the player had high humanity and chose to give her peace, their hair will turn to a shade of gray. In addition to that, after refusing Geppetto's request and defeating the Nameless Puppet, players will unlock the Rise of P Ending.

## Trivia

* Although this character carries many traits of the "Blue Fairy", actress Allegra Marland states in an interview, that Sophia is more angelic or even god-like, which reflects the character's name, Sophia Monad. Monad (Greek for Unity) is the Supreme unknowable god in Gnosticism, and Sophia (Greek for Wisdom) is it's feminine aspect.
	+ Allegra Marland also played the character Milicent in "Elden Ring".
* Her transition into a puppet may be reminiscent to Signora Rosaura, a marionette owned by Mangiafuoco that was born from the same tree as Pinocchio, this is alluded to as her physical body is surrounded by Ergo, making her appear to be strung up like a puppet.