Chimera - The King's Steed

**Chimera - The King's Steed** is a boss in *Dark Devotion*. It is one of the four bosses found in the Heraldic Lily, and is therefore one of the final bosses in the game. It resides in the Hot Purge, which, like the other sub areas of the Heraldic Lily, is a unique area containing this boss alone. On defeat it drops the Royal Defender.

## Appearance

Despite specifically being referenced as a chimera in game, the King's Steed does not adhere to the classic design of a chimera. The original Greek mythological creature is typically depicted as a lion with a goat's head protruding from its back and a snake for a tail. Instead, the King's Steed seems to be a unique design that uses the basis of a lion's body, but combines it with typical iconography of a dragon, with a long face, horns and fiery breath. The white of its fur contrasts with the flames bursting from within, creating a menacing-looking dissonance. Throughout the first phase, a chain keeps the beast at bay. However, it is released at the start of the second phase.

## Lore

Like the other bosses of the Heraldic Lily, there is an entire corridor before the fight devoted purely to explaining the backstory of the boss. These corridors provide some much needed relief from the incredibly vague and cryptic lore of the other bosses, and are very explicit in their descriptions. The beast called Chimera had been paired with Theodore before he was even king, back when he was still a saint. Although its origins are unclear, judging by the description we are given, the beast seems to hail from another world entirely. She was 'rescued from a dream' and given to Theodore.

The beast stayed by his side for years, and guarded the Temple faithfully and dutifully, forming a bond with the king. This bond was so strong, she eventually allowed the king to ride her, and she became his steed, to protect him and his people. Her connection to the king is made even stronger by the fact that on defeat, the player receives the king's personal shield. Why Chimera is still in possession of this, and why she remains chained up is still a mystery. Regardless, she must be defeated if one hopes to move beyond the Heraldic Lily.

## Attacks

### Phase One

* She will swipe with her right claw.
* She will slam down with both claws.
* If you remain at a distance, she will shoot two unblockable fireballs from her mouth, with the first falling slightly shorter than the second.
* Due to being chained up, she cannot move from her position. However, if you move out of her range, she will struggle against her chains. On her third struggle, she will break free and enter her second phase. Otherwise, she will automatically break free at 60% health.

### Phase Two

* She will repeat the same swipe as phase one, but travel forward much further, then follow with a second fast swipe with her other claw.
* Her two-clawed slam will also propel her forward in this phase. She can sometimes add an unblockable flame AOE to this slam.
* She can repeat the same fireball attack as phase one.
* She will periodically summon a line of meteors across the ground. These are well telegraphed and easy to evade.
* If she very quickly swipes her tail after she jumps across the room, or after you roll to her opposite side, it will not deal damage. It will simple knock you back. However, if she visibly reels back before swiping with her tail, then it will deal damage.
* She can spit a carpet of unblockable flame across the ground directly in front of her. This move is fast and difficult to dodge, so it is better to anticipate it.