Elsen are the mentally ill citizens that inhabit the many Zones in OFF. They make up the general population and workforce of the Zones, performing various tasks to keep them functional.
While they are normally neutral and passive towards The Batter and other beings, they have a tendency to snap and go berserk when under pressure.
Biography[]
It is unclear if the Elsen existed before the creation of the Zones or if they were created by the Guardians themselves to act as their subordinates. However, what is know is that they make up the majority of the living population in the world of OFF and that they pretty much do all of the manual labor necessary to keep each Zone in operation. Yet, despite being incredibly important to society, the Elsen are often treated unjustly by their bosses.
As the Batter goes through each zone, he ends up fighting and killing many of the Elsen, who have gone mad due to their mental illnesses in conjunction with their unhealthy working conditions, in self-defence.
As a consequence of the Batter's "purificacion" of the Zones, most of the Elsen have died, with only a handful managing to survive in the now purified Zones. However, by the end of the game, even the remaining survivors are killed as The Batter "turns off" the world, ending all of reality.
Appearance[]
The Elsen are humanoid black and white creatures. They have square shaped heads with blank, emotionless expressions. All Elsen have black eyes with dark eye-bags.
Most wear clothes that are fit for an office worker, those being a white collared long-sleeved shirt with a pair of black dress pants and a black tie. Some use other accessories depending on their specific profession, such as mining helmets.
Personality[]
Most Elsen are extremely timid and get startle very easily. Many seem to suffer from neurosis as well as other psychological impairments and/or mental illnesses. Due to their unhealthy minds, many of them have a tendency to stutter or develop odd habits and obsessions. In particular, many Elsens seem to put a lot of importance in their work and job, alongside the rules and protocols that come with it.
Judging by their clothing and personality, the Elsen are likely meant to be an analogy for white-collar workers. They are obsessed with their work, have little to no self-identity and are constantly anxious. This is further elaborated through the Elsen's docile and obedient nature throughout the game, at no point of time do they ever show discontent nor outright dislike towards their cruel and apathetic superiors.
There are some differences in personality between the Elsen, depending on what Zone they live in:
- In Zone 1, the Elsen tend to be more mentally stable, with most of them just being very shy. They try very hard to perform their jobs correctly, despite suffering at the hands of their Boss and the spectres.
- Elsen in Zone 2 are more obsessive with safety, making them far more cowardly. Due to their lack of control over their fears, Zone 2's Elsen get stressed far more easily.
- The Elsen in Zone 3 have developed an addiction to sugar. Their desire for the drug makes them far more hostile, especially as they get closer to a withdraw.
- In the last Zone, which is simply called The Room, the Elsen act like caretakers or teachers and will ask the player questions about the game.
Powers and Abilities[]
- Burnt transformation: While the Elsen are normally harmless and cowardly, they can quite literally lose their heads when highly stressed and/or are ailing in health. An Elsen that has lost their head is called a Burnt and their most notable physical characteristic is that they have a fountain of black liquid coming out of where their head used to be. They are also much stronger than their more sane counterparts, being able fight off specters and use Competences (a.k.a special moves).
Competences[]
Burnt (Regular)[]
- Attack: An ordinary attack, with no special characteristics.
- Swing: Inflicts more damage and is more accurate than normal attacks.
Valzong Burnt[]
- Attack: An ordinary attack, with no special characteristics.
- Murmur of the Flies: Inflicts Mute, preventing the opponent from using Competences.
Critic Burnt[]
- ???: Inflicts a debuff on all enemies while screaming for help. It will either lower the enemies defence, agility or esprit.
Calvary Burnt[]
- Attack: An ordinary attack, with no special characteristics.
- Inhuman Decadence: Inflicts Furious and Poison, berserking the opponent while whittling their health down overtime.
Pastel Burnt[]
- Attack: An ordinary attack, with no special characteristics.
- Inhuman Decadence: Inflicts Furious and Poison, berserking the opponent while whittling their health down overtime.
- Aspiring Suzerain: A healing Competence that restores the user's health.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The Elsen are humans that have been afflicted with a strange and violent disease. This disease is presumably the reason behind their stranger appearance and mental instability.
- The Elsen in Zone 3 are paid in sugar. It is unclear how the Elsen in the other Zones are paid or if they are paid at all.
- The name Burnt, used to refer to the twisted form of the Elsen, likely comes from the word "burnout". A burnout can mean a physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress, which is exactly what an Elsen must usually go through in order to become a Burnt.
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 Villains
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The Queen Others | ||