Helgenish/Main

"*Is it finally over? I must say, at least her last performance had some life. If she'd shown that sort of potential earlier, I might have kept her on longer.*" —*Helgenish, mocking Yusufa's last words after murdering her*

**Helgenish** is a character in *Octopath Traveler*. He is the proprietor of the Sunshade tavern, an establishment which has gained acclaim all over Orsterra. The tavern's main claim to fame is its dancers, and its star is Primrose. His wealth and influence in the town, as well as the town's distance from the region's center of power, mean that those who try and stand up to him are quickly silenced. He is shown to be controlling and cruel to those in his employ, both physically and verbally, and is driven in his actions by his greed.

In *Champions of the Continent*, a tale available in the Archives details more of his motivations. As a younger man, he was a merchant who developed an interest in an otherwise inconsequential town in the Sunlands. His goal was to create a place where anyone who visited could forget themselves and their troubles for a time, and intended the tavern to be what made that possible. It flourished quickly, making him a very wealthy man. While his goals were realized for the tavern patrons, the irony is that the ones who make that goal possible can never participate in the pleasure that Sunshade's tourists seek.

Helgenish is shown to be affiliated with Rufus of the Obsidians. Their short interaction in Primrose's chapter 1 indicates that Helgenish is subordinate to Rufus, or at least afraid enough of him to obey his orders. Rufus asks Helgenish to bring women to a spot marked on a map, likely for his brothel. This criminal connection could be a reason the tavern was so successful, and an explanation for his deference to Rufus.

He is the first boss of Primrose's story. After killing him, she takes the map Rufus gave him off his body, which points her towards Stillsnow.

## Profile

### Appearance

Helgenish is an older, overweight man, mostly bald, with tufts of white hair over his ears. His art depicts him with robust eyebrows and a large reddened nose. He wears an extravagant black Napoleon jacket and matching pants over a red waistcoat. His outfit is trimmed in gold and decorated with gems, most prominently a large purple brooch on his collar. His battle sprite depicts him leaning back in a plush red chair.

### Personality

Helgenish is characterized by greed, cruelty, and little else. He is aware of the status his money grants him in Sunshade and does not hesitate to throw his weight around, particularly towards the dancers he employs, knowing many of them are there out of desperation and lack of other options. He's shown to be quick to resort to physical violence, even towards Primrose, who is shown to be one of his favorites; striking her when she doesn't respond to him in a way he wants. He uses this intimidation and fear to exercise his control over the dancers, and reinforces this by having them call him "Master," while referring to them with dehumanizing and belittling language. The dancers are all aware of his tendency towards violence, and know that displeasing him enough will mean he has them savagely beaten and left to die.

## Story

8 years prior to the events of *Octopath Traveler*, Primrose began working as a dancer under Helgenish in hopes that she might find one of the men who murdered her father, Geoffrey Azelhart. Primrose becomes Helgenish's favorite dancer. He asserts that she owes him a debt for taking her in, asking that she repay him with her best onstage and with personal favors.

One day, Helgenish gets a visit by Rufus, one of the men who murdered Primrose's father, in the tavern and meets him in an isolated area in the city to receive orders and a map to his location.

Helgenish later confronts Primrose upon the latter exiting out of the Sunshade Catacombs. Taking Yusufa as a hostage, he has his men brutally torture Yusufa, keeping her alive only long enough for Primrose to find them. Intending to set an example, he stabs Yusufa and tosses her off a cliff, cruelly mocking her last words and noting that "if she'd showed that sort of potential earlier, I might have kept her on longer!" Enraged by his murder of her friend, Primrose finally turns on Helgenish and duels him. After Primrose defeats him, he asks her to dance for him once more. While her back is turned, he charges at her. However, Primrose anticipates his attack and slits his throat. He spins around, collapses, and dies while Primrose bitterly complimented that he was "quite the dancer himself in the end". She takes the map given to him by Rufus and sets out for Stillsnow in pursuit.