Sacrifice/Headscratchers

• How come Persephone and her Champions disappear in the last sections of Persephone's story route? Seems to make you working for the Goddess of Justice in the first place kinda pointless.
  • She was sadly taken out by Marduk like he did to Stratos.
• Speaking of Shakti how come things never turn out good for her regardless of what route you take?
  • Shaktis not the only one Charlotte also get a terrible and painful end.
• Man Stratos is a complete asshole. Poor Shakti....
  • I honestly consider Stratos more of a Magnificent Bastard. I mean, the entire game's one big Xanatos Gambit that depends on:1: Persephone trying to establish an alliance with Stratos, 2: Pyro believing it's all a big conspiracy and accidentally starting a war with James, 3: James and Pyro battling themselves into a stalemate, allowing Stratos's forces to "take over the defense", and 4: Charnel knowing the entire thing and building his own countermeasure to the thing, causing him to distract Persephone and James while he pulled off his backstab. Essentially, Stratos managed to manipulate every single one of the other gods into a position where they could be taken out with little threat to himself. The only time the plan seems to outright fail is if you're with Pyro, whereupon Pyro pulls a Spanner in the Works and winds up in charge of over half the world before Stratos and Charnel figure out that things aren't working out the way they planned and band together for a final stand against him.
  • Well, as this site states, Stratos is only a successful Magnificent Bastard if you're siding with him. Otherwise, he ended up as a Smug Snake as... he got offed by Marduk, the thing he 'summoned'. Unless you're with Pyro, because you off him yourself.
    • His plan's also an even simpler, and better, Xanatos Gambit. Step 1: Get the gods to start fighting (Using the prophecy), Step 2: Stay back, since each side is even. Step 3: Pick one side, help them win. Step 4: Use Marduk to conquer allies who won. James/Pyro, and Persephone/Charnel are equal...Stratos is the tipping point. You just help change things...which actually works WITH Stratos' plan since the gods exhaust themselves.
  • Well yeah, it's true that Statos is only successful at it if you're siding with him, but... That's kind of obvious when it comes down to it, because of the fact that... you know... All the gods except the one you side with die? Seriously though, even then, his plan was largely successful, it just messed up at the one critical moment, in that Marduk went after him instead of everyone else. Of course, it's also highly likely that the only reason Marduk goes after Stratos in the first place is to make sure the main character's alive for The Reveal. I always got the feeling that Marduk thought of the main character as an apprentice rather than an enemy.
    • Well, Eldred did summon Marduk in his first place to "destroy his rivals" (whereas Stratos wanted him to "sow discord"), and Marduk appears to be nothing if not a Omnicidal Maniac of his word. Judging by his comments during his first appearance, it seems he doesn't consider his business with Eldred to be complete until they've had a final showdown.