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This article is about a Monsters & Mortals crossover character. You may want to look at another wiki.

Monstrum's Fiend is a frighteningly fast creature that also has powerful psychic abilities. Just when you think you've escaped its terror, it can pull you right back in.

– Steam description

The Fiend is a monster from the Monstrum series of games by Team Junkfish. It was released as a playable monster for the Monstrum DLC pack of Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals, which also features The Brute, Prisoner Borisov, and the level "Monstrum Madness", which takes place on the Hisa Maru ship.

Description[]

Subject 2 showed increased brain activity outside pre-determined parameters in addition to cellular repair, however scar tissue remained unaffected. Additional muscle growth not detected. Showed consistent pain, indicating nerve damage all not repaired.

– A lab report detailing the creation of The Fiend

The Fiend as it originally appeared in Monstrum

The Fiend is an emaciated, demonic phantom-like entity that resembles a withered corpse, very intelligent, psychopathic, and motivated to kill others for unknown but likely sadistic reasons.[1] A lab report found in Monstrum states that a jellyfish-based compound was used to introduce an accelerated healing factor (along with other side effects) to two patients (possibly the two Hisa Maru crew members who were scalded by pressurized steam while taking a shower), with the second one implied to have become The Fiend, and the first one implied to have become The Brute. Deemed dangerous and unrefined, the specimens were supposed to be euthanized, but both of the creatures ultimately survived and escaped. Because its cellular regeneration is not as potent as The Brute's, The Fiend is said to be in constant pain due to its unhealed scar tissues and damaged nerves. Due to its lack of feet, it floats above the ground, surrounded at all times by a fiery purple aura denoting its telekinetic powers, with pin-prick cyan pupils set far back in its head, deep in its otherwise empty, dark eye sockets (giving off the illusion that it is always looking back at whoever is staring at it). Unlike The Brute, The Fiend was not mass-produced by the Hongsha-Miller company, as it appears to have been replaced by a smarter (and consequently, more deranged), more dangerous, and more advanced bioweapon, a squid-like entity called The Malacosm.

The Fiend, along with The Brute and the Hisa Maru, appears in Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals, where it looks quite different from its original depiction, given how its legs aren't fused, its claws are less pointy, its mouth has shorter, thicker teeth, its eye sockets and eyes are bigger, the spikes on its shoulders are rounded off, the pelvis is slightly less-detailed, and the nostrils are slightly bigger, resembling the exposed nasal aperture and septum of a human rather than the slit-like nostrils of a turtle.

Personality[]

While not much could be gleaned from its guest appearance in Monsters & Mortals, based on the series it came from, The Fiend is a highly intelligent and malevolent killer, compensating for its physical weakness with its superior intellect and ability to manipulate both prey and parts of the environment (like lights and doors) to give itself the upper hand while hunting. In actuality, while The Fiend is definitely smarter than most of the other monsters in the series, it is not significantly more intelligent than they are, as it can still be outsmarted, it is simply quick to understand when it has been tricked, switching its tactics accordingly once it realizes it has been fooled. The Fiend is most known for its sadistic streak, as indicated by how it forces its victims to watch their own torture and death at its hands when it finally catches them. Further proof of its unhinged mindset can be seen in how it toys with its prey,[1] which could explain why it is the slowest monster in Monstrum, yet one of the quickest in Monsters & Mortals, indicating that, in this game, The Fiend is no longer holding itself back for the sake of relishing the hunt, though, given the potential strategies it can use to trick, trap, restrain, and kill its enemies in this game, The Fiend still has many ways to show just how insane it really is.

Abilities[]

The Fiend on the monster selection screen of Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals

In Monstrum, The Fiend is shown to rely on mind over matter. With its telepathic and telekinetic powers, The Fiend can levitate over and through gaps in the floor, sense and undo every locking mechanism it comes across, seal off several door in its vicinity to prevent its victims from escaping, and easily snap bones and rupture organs even from afar, as long as it has sight of its chosen targets, allowing it to match the physical strength of The Brute despite its comparatively frail body. The Fiend's formidable psychic prowess is brought to bear in Monsters & Mortals.

As a monster of the Speed class, The Fiend is one of the fastest characters in Monsters & Mortals, able to move around quickly and strike with almost no attack cooldown. On the other hand, Speed class monsters only have 200 hit points, making The Fiend one of the most fragile monsters in the game. The Fiend deals 18 damage by slashing at enemies with the claws of its right hand, and 36 damage with a pulse of purple psychic energy from the palm of its left hand, similar to how Malak's heavy attack involves him blasting out a pulse of red energy from his left hand. Unlike Malak's attack, however, The Fiend's psychic blast will pull struck enemies closer to it, making escape harder for its chosen targets.

Icon of "Mind Pull", The Fiend's ultimate ability

When using its ultimate ability, "Mind Pull", The Fiend forcibly teleports the weakest enemy on the map to it regardless of where they are. This not only causes the victim to lose 10% of their health, but also inflicts fear on them, reducing their attack power by 70%, as well as causing them to attack twice as slow as they usually do. This attack is instantaneous, and, prior to this, the target would only receive a brief warning in the form of shadowy tendrils on the edges of their sight (a reference to the glowing purple veins that close in on the player's vision in Monstrum whenever they are telekinetically attacked by The Fiend from significant distances).

Tactics[]

General[]

Speed class monsters have 200 hit points, the lowest health of any monster in the game. Hence, it may be fine in certain circumstances to engage in direct conflict with Speed class characters, but only if the player is confident that they can withstand the Speed class character's assault and outlive them in a straight fight. On the other hand, those playing as Speed class characters should rely primarily on hit-and-run tactics in order to inflict maximum damage at minimal cost.

Recommended items and events against Speed class characters include:

  • "Speed Boost", to even the odds against Speed class characters for four seconds.
  • Stunning, slowing, and confusing items like "Speed Drain", banana peels, "Primal Fear", and "Soul Corruption" (which reverses controls) to prevent the Speed class player from chasing their targets or retaliating against enemies effectively.

Recommended items and events for Speed class characters include:

  • "Frenzy Mode", which would enhance the player's low attack power by 20% for eight seconds.
  • "Med Kit", to help rejuvenate 30% of the player's health if they get in constant fights, especially in Maze Escape mode.
  • "Invincibility", which prevents the player from being injured in the first place for eight seconds.
  • In Maze Escape, "Boss Time", since monsters do not get attacked in that mode (though Boss Brutes are one of the few exceptions since their fireballs can still hurt monsters in Maze Escape mode, while Clown Spiders and Goliath Clowns will try to kill any player they encounter regardless of game mode), hence, the bosses can be considered allies that can help in hunting down mortal players.

Against The Fiend[]

  • Surprisingly, despite not making contact with the ground at all, The Fiend can still be stunned for two seconds by banana peels like every other character (provided it is not using a Speed Boost item or a speed-increasing ultimate ability, which would render them immune to banana peels).
  • The Fiend's Mind Pull ability is an unavoidable attack that can pull the weakest player regardless of where they are on the map, as well as greatly diminishing the target's attack power and speed. However, Mind Pull is risky since it puts the victim right in front of The Fiend, leaving the telekinetic monster vulnerable to retaliation. If the player has Primal Fear, they can stun The Fiend the moment that they are teleported to it, allowing them to either escape or attack The Fiend. Invincibility is also a good item to have, as it would mean that The Fiend has essentially summoned an invulnerable enemy against itself. Even without either of these, some characters may be able to use their ultimate ability to either escape (like Doug Houser's "Escape Plan"), deflect attacks (like Glowstick Vince's "You'll See!"), or deal heavy damage to The Fiend (like Malak's "Eye of Suffering") regardless of their weakened offensive capabilities.

As The Fiend[]

  • The Fiend's ultimate ability, "Mind Pull", can severely weaken the victim (who is automatically targeted for being the player with the lowest amount of health) due to inflicting the fear status, which decreases their attack power by 70%, and cuts their attack speed by 50%. However, if the enemy still has a high amount of health left, potentially holds an item that may turn the tables on The Fiend, or is otherwise potentially tricky to deal with, those playing as The Fiend may want to pack up Primal Fear before actually teleporting a victim with Mind Pull so that they could quickly paralyze them, then safely damage and kill them. Other items, like Soul Corruption (which reverses the controls of enemies for five seconds) can also prove useful, as this will render the victim confused and unable to properly retaliate against The Fiend.
  • The Fiend can also use its Mind Pull ability to teleport the victim in traps, in front of bosses, or other players. Not only could this prove dangerous for the target without The Fiend having to do anything more, but this could also divert the focus of some traps (since the traps in some nightmares are sentient entities), some bosses, and/or other players, allowing The Fiend itself to evade unwanted attention.

Themes[]

This is for the monster character. For the themes of the Hisa Maru, see Monstrum Madness.

Symbolism[]

The Fiend can be seen as a prominent case of science gone wrong, showing how flawed the constant pursuit of knowledge can be when morality and consequences are given little to no consideration, proving the point of "Murphy's Law", which states "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong" (sometimes extended with "... at the worst possible time"). The Fiend and The Brute were created due to an unethical experiment to modify the human body (with the ulterior motives of the study veiled as an attempt to heal two subjects who were badly scalded by steam), with The Fiend serving as the basis for the creation of a more unhinged psychic bioweapon called The Malacosm, likely created by methods that are more extreme and more excruciating compared to the original procedure.

Inspirations and Parallels[]

Team Junkfish stated that The Fiend's behavior and looks were inspired by "Freddy Krueger" from A Nightmare on Elm Street, "Slender Man", and the "Controllers" from the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series.[1] They also consider The Fiend as genderless.[2] The Fiend also shares similarities with the "Cenobites" of the Hellraiser series. Much like Cenobites, The Fiend is a formerly-human, demonic-looking creature that is in constant pain, determined to inflict the same sort of suffering upon others. Cenobites are no longer able to comprehend the difference between overwhelming pain and overwhelming pleasure, and thus consider the sensation of pain as a blessing of pleasure to be shared and bestowed upon their victims for all eternity. While not confirmed to also be the case for The Fiend, it may be one possible factor explaining its cruel, sadistic behavior.

The Fiend may be considered similar to many of the monsters in Dark Deception given how it was once a mortal man. Most enemies in Dark Deception gained monstrous forms that reflect their greatest sin in life. In The Fiend's case (assuming that the man it once was lived a life of sin), its appearance may be considered fitting for one who sickeningly manipulates others for their own amusement, abusing and sadistically torturing those they encounter to fulfill their desires for absolute control and dominance.

Phobias[]

As with most monsters in Dark Deception, The Fiend can be seen as a representation of various phobias.

Phobia Relevance
Agoraphobia
Fear of Certain Unsafe or Inescapable Situations
Team Junkfish intended The Fiend to inspire panic, representing more complex fears, such as fear of being powerless and toyed with.[1] When chasing its prey in Monstrum, The Fiend would lock every door in its vicinity to prevent the player from escaping (which usually ends up restricting the player to running down a long, narrow corridor with no other exit but the other end), while it uses its telekinesis to try and damage - or, if done enough times, even kill - the player, no matter how far they are (as long as The Fiend has the player in its direct line of sight). Hence, despite being the slowest monster in Monstrum, The Fiend does not need to catch up to the player, it only needs to trap them to injure and kill them. When The Fiend catches its prey, it would sometimes turn their head to force them to helplessly watch their own limbs get contorted one by one by its mind powers. The Fiend can be just as manipulative, cruel, and proficient in catching, restraining, and trapping its prey in Monsters & Mortals. With its heavy attack, The Fiend can pull its prey closer to it, making it harder for them to escape. The Fiend's ultimate ability, Mind Pull, is an unavoidable attack where The Fiend would force the weakest enemy player to teleport in front of it against their will, potentially close to bosses, traps, or other aggressive players.
Archephobia
Fear of Being Controlled
Claustrophobia
Fear of Tight Spaces
Cleithrophobia
Fear of Being Trapped
Carcinophobia
Fear of Cancer
The Fiend gained its form due to the advanced cellular regeneration provided by a jellyfish-based compound, with the effect matching that of cancer (in essence, uncontrollable cell production). However, The Fiend's healing factor is not as potent as The Brute's, leaving it in constant pain due to unhealed burned tissues and unrepaired nerves.
Daemonophobia
Fear of Demons
The Fiend has a very demonic appearance due to having received hellish second-degree burns from pressurized steam, with its infernal image reinforced by its seething voice, the paranormal humming of its telekinetic powers, and its deranged desire to torture and kill anyone it comes across, both physically and psychologically, which aligns with the intentions of Team Junkfish to have The Fiend also represent fear of the insane and unpredictable.[1] Being psychopathic and sadistic (with its high intelligence and constant pain being contributing factors to its unstable mental health and malevolence), The Fiend is a horrifying embodiment of insanity itself, showing those that look upon it what may become of them should they also lose their sanity.
Dementophobia
Fear of Insanity
Necrophobia
Fear of the Dead and anything associated with Death
The Fiend's unhealed scar tissues give it an emaciated, macabre appearance, making it resemble a reanimated corpse. While it does not look like a ghost, The Fiend has several qualities associated with phantoms, like its paranormal-sounding voice, its constant levitation (it is never seen touching the ground, as it lacks feet), the look and the humming sound of its otherworldly purple aura, its telekinetic abilities, and its overall malevolent nature. Lastly, The Fiend, like all monsters in Dark Deception, brings with it the threat of death due to its lethal abilities and its murderous intent. The Fiend is specifically meant to embody the fear of dying with the knowledge that, as the killer's mere plaything, one is completely powerless, and thus cannot and could not have done anything to save themselves.[1]
Phasmophobia
Fear of Ghosts and Phantoms
Thanatophobia
Fear of Dying

Trivia[]

  • Prior to the 1.3.2 update, Mind Pull did not do damage, but instead stunned the victim for five seconds after being teleported in front of The Fiend. When it was determined to be overpowered, the effects of the ability were changed, instead doing direct damage and inflicting fear.
    • The old, stunning effect of Mind Pull can still be replicated if The Fiend uses Primal Fear on its victim after forcefully teleporting them to its location.


Skins[]

Image Name Rarity Description
Cursed Fiend (Alt)
Cursed Exclusive Monstrum Collection

The Fiend is completely wrapped in white linen bandages, giving it the appearance of a stereotypical Egyptian mummy, a reference to how mummies are shriveled-up humans that are usually portrayed with dark magic and other supernatural abilities, much like The Fiend.


Voicelines[]

The Fiend does not have a voice actor.

Expand to view this content.
Voiceline Used Audio
*Grunts* When getting damaged.

*death scream* When killed.

*Growls* While floating

*Growls* Attacking

TBA While using its ultimate ability.


Gallery[]

In-game[]

Miscellaneous[]

References[]


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