Julius

**Julius**, also known as **Knight Captain Julius**, is one of the bosses the player encounters.

## Location

He is found at the Ruined Castle sitting on the King's throne.

## Lore

Julius was the illegitimate son of the King of Land's End. Julius' mother passed away at his birth and when he was still a baby, he was taken then raised by his uncle the Dark Executioner Hoenir. After enduring a hard life, Julius left the Execution Grounds and became a knight to get back at the father who abandoned him. With his unparalled tenacity, Julius rose up the ranks and became the youngest Knight Captain, and one of the strongest warriors in the kingdom of Land's End.

As a Knight of the Bastion defending the Kingdom against the Blighted, Julius led his knights to take the Deathless Elixir, making their bodies immortal. With his Immortal Knights, Julius fought off the Crimson Blight's horde at The Twin Spires, paving the way for the White Priestess of the Fount Fretia to face and purify the Ancient Blighted Lord. After the victory, Julius wished to be recognized by the King, as his beloved son and heir who was lost.

   When the Rain of Death fell, mutated the people into deathless abominations, and triggered the terrible transformations of those who drank the Deathless Elixir, the Knight Captain went to the Castle and sought the King's aid only to be disappointed, for he had witnessed the truth: that the King was obsessed with the pursuit of immortality and sacrificed many of Julius' comrades and the subjects they were supposed to save for that pursuit.

As his mind began to fade, the Knight Captain found himself in the throne room standing over the King. The blight had allowed Julius' hate to take over, leading to him killing the king with his own hands. There in the throne room, Julius remained in his blighted state, waiting to be put out of his misery.

## Battle

During combat, Julius can do the following:

* Stabs forwards. This is often followed up by a second identical stab.
* Dashes and executes a mid-ranged thrust at the end of the dash.
* While Julius is not attacking, he will block attacks coming from in front of him with his spear.

Below ~73% HP, Julius briefly goes invulnerable and gains the following attacks:

* Charges up and quickly dashes roughly half the length of the screen. This attack has a large hitbox but can be avoided by standing behind him.
If the attack is parried with Headless Defender or Hidden Test Subject, the charge will be interrupted and Julius will briefly stagger. This will usually be the first attack he uses after entering this phase.
* Jumps into the air and lunges forwards, striking the ground. This attack often immediately follows a stab attack.
Parrying this attack with a spirit also interrupts and staggers him.
* Swings his spear behind him, creating a whirl of fire around him. This attack will often be used if Lily is standing behind Julius after one of his prior attacks finishes; it comes out very fast but deals relatively minor damage.

Below ~38% HP, Julius becomes enraged and gains the following attacks:

* Charges up before firing a massive laser beam from his spear. The recoil of the beam will slowly push him backwards. This will usually be the first attack he uses after entering this phase. Julius avoids using this attack when cornered.
* His charged dash attacks have a much faster charging time but travel less distance.
* The fire whirl attack is faster and can be used pointing forwards.

On NG+ the following changes apply:

* Charged up dash from 2nd phase is available starting from 1st phase.
* In 2nd phase a new move is added – another action that needs to be charged up, where Julius raises his spear up and creates a large sphere that slowly moves towards Lily.
* Tansitions to phases occure sooner, around 77% for phase 2 and around 45% for phase 3.

## Spoils

Defeating him will give you the *Knight Captain Julius* spirit, a primary spirit that uses far-reaching lance attacks.

Lily will also gain the Dash action and the corresponding action Piercing Spectral Lance, allowing her to break pustulant walls.

Hitting enemies with this action will deal damage to them. Damage is based on distance traversed before the attack is released:

* "Charge level" 1 deals 120% damage.
* "Level" 2 deals 200%.
* "Level" 3 – 280%.

These scalings do not increase with the level of the spirit.

## Spirit

For levels 1-5, Julius performs three spear thrusts.

On the ground, damage scalings are 110%, 120%, 130%.

In air, thrusts are weaker, hitting for 80%, 85%, 90%.

At level 6, he gains fourth attack in the chain: he backs down to lunge far forward afterwards, piercing enemies.

If performed on the ground, Julius will also rise up slightly to slam his spear into the ground, dealing 160% damage. Scalings of previous three hits remain the same.

In air he will lunge only horizontally, dealing 130% damage. Scalings of previous three hits do not change.

It should be noted that range of grounded variant of this attack is limited by available space – Julius will stop at the edge of ground or platform.

Last Rites attack releases a beam of energy, as during 3rd phase of his boss fight, dealing damage 10 times for 90% per instance of damage.

#### After Death Dialogue

When defeated, the Knight Captain Julius will speak:

> I'm sorry... I've only added... added to your burdens.
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During his purification, Julies recounts his final moments with his father, the King:

> As the kingdom approached oblivion, its subjects became deathless abominations. My brethren fought on until madness consumed them – of the Rain did. I managed to stave off the corruption of my mind and found myself in the throne room. My blade held over the King I was meant to protect. He shook and blubbered in exasperation. "The Priestess and knights who gave their lives to the kingdom were disposable." This was where the King's obsession with immortality had lead us. The King's words, dripping with greed, were the palpable lament of his corrupt heart. It was plain to me, as the blood pumping in that heart also flowed through my veins. I, too, had not fought to protect the kingdom or its people, but my own interests. I only wished for him to admit he had been wrong to abandon me. Sure enough, as I held my sword over him, his eyes were fixed only on me. I had been waiting for this. Waiting for our eyes to meet for the very first time.
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After the Knight Captain Julius' demise, the Umbral Knight delivers this epitaph for the fallen hero:

> A knight driven from his castle...
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> How much hatred must one be consumed by...
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> ...to kill one's own kin?
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