| “ | King of Kings, and high ruler over all demonkind. | „ |
| ~ Description from Ritual of the Night |
Bael (pronounced /beɪl/, like "bail") is the final boss in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night as well as its DLC Classic II: Dominique's Curse.
Origins[]
Bael is a demon described in demonological grimoires such as the Lesser Key of Solomon and the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (where he is the first spirit mentioned) and also described in the Dictionnaire Infernal. He is depicted as a hoarsely-voiced king with the power to make men invisible and ruling over sixty-six legions of demons. The Lesser Key of Solomon states that he takes the shape of a cat, toad, man, some combination thereof, or other divers shapes, while the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum and the Dictionnaire Infernal state that he appears with the heads of a cat, toad, and human simultaneously in addition to a set of spider legs.
Etymology[]
Bael's name is a Semitic title referring to "master" or "lord". It is connected to the Assyrian tongue when addressing a god or a government official. It is another name for Hadad, the storm god in Mesopotamian culture who is likewise addressed as "The Lord".
Description[]
Bael takes the form of three separate snake-like entities with glowing eyes. A human head with red skin and stone-like dark brown hair and decorative black markings on. The second head is something like a feline head with brown fur. It also has small bone protrusions on its eyebrows and on the back of its neck. The third and final head is a design based on a toad head. It has green scales with almost wart-like lumps on with horns and spikes on its back, and noticeably larger eyes. The human head is considered as the leader or main head of Bael.
Appearances[]
Ritual of the Night[]
Bael appears at the end of the game, summoned by Dominique after she is defeated by Miriam in the Glacial Tomb. When he appears, the area completely shifts into a hellish realm with a crimson red void backdrop, where the player is entirely surrounded by the giant demon, his three heads perpetually circling each other, while she has to use his moving necks as stepping ground to stand on. The heads themselves are both Bael's weak points and dangerous for the player to touch.
Each head has attacks of their own, like shooting magical projectiles or lighting bolts from both their eyes and mouths. Likewise, each head can be individually defeated, removing the threat it poses for the rest of the encounter. The toad head is generally the first one to become easily reachable for attack, as it is the first one that positions itself on the right side of the arena, where it turns around to face the player (a head's hit box becomes easier to strike when they turn around), followed by the feline head, and finally the humanoid head.
Occasionally, Dominique's torso will emerge from one of the heads, where she'll periodically cast spells, the most frequent being Tis Raiff, which shoots a couple of quick homing magical rays at the player. This same spell can also randomly appear by itself on any spot of the arena (presumably cast at a distance by Dominique as well). Dominique will eventually recede inside the head she's riding on and reappear on another one after a while. To defeat Bael, the player needs to defeat the head Dominique is currently riding on (it seems she has a greater chance to more frequently spawn on the humanoid head).
Temporary purple magic platforms will appear at random spots in the arena, allowing the player to stand on them, and perhaps reach one of the heads as they pass by, although standing still on one of them will also make her an easier target. As Bael's health gets lower, more platforms will appear at once.
Eventually, Miriam defeats Bael, banishing him once again and taking Dominique with him.
Like most of the other bosses, if Bael is defeated without taking any damage, an extra, purely honorary Boss Medal (the Bael Medal) will be rewarded.
Dominique's Curse[]
| “ | King Bael rules over Limbo. If you want to return home, I'm sure they would listen to your case. [laughter] | „ |
| ~ Lying Sabnock in Goetia |
Bael is the supreme king of Limbo, which he governs with an iron fist alongside the Four Dukes of Hell, Bathin, Valefar, Focalor, and Gremory. Having been cast into Limbo after her defeat, Dominique, now beginning to feel the effects of the Shardbinder's curse, decides to seek Bael out, obtain his power, and flee back to the human world.
After exploring Limbo, defeating the Four Dukes and securing the access to Bael's seat of power, Pandemonium, Dominique confronts the king. The battle is similar to the one in the main story, though Bael has fewer attacks this time as no one else is riding him. Dominique defeats Bael by downing all three of his heads, which stay down permanently after being damaged enough. The outcome of her theft of his powers is different depending on which of the three endings Dominique has the requisites for: in the Bad Ending, she, much to her dismay, remains stuck in Limbo, and takes Bael's place as the Queen of the demons. In the Bitter Ending, Dominique is able to escape Limbo to the human world, only to discover that the demonic realm was keeping her crystal in check, and the curse completely overtakes her. In the True Ending, she escapes Limbo, but at the cost of her powers and memories, being subsequently found and taken to safety by a unsure Miriam.
Attacks[]
- Tis Raiff: Dominique will fire off the Tis Raiff spell, originating from whichever head she is on top of, firing off two projectiles.
- Meteor Breath: Bael's humanoid head opens its mouth once it reaches the top of the screen, spitting out several meteors. The platforms can stop these meteors if they hit them, but at least some will drift in Miriam's direction as they fall.
- Electric Orbs: The toad head will blink, firing out a pair of green electric orbs. One will move forward, and the other will follow up, before it moves again. The arc between them is dangerous to touch. It will dissipate after it moves three or four times.
- Electric Rings: The cat head will fire out several slow electric rings at Miriam's position, one after another. There is a slight pause before each ring is fired. The platforms can interrupt them.
- Toad Tongue: When Bael stops rotating and the toad head is on the right, the humanoid head will spew meteors several times, and then the camera will zoom in on Dominique as she uses magic. The toad head will then try to hit you with its tongue.
- Mouth Saw: When Bael stops rotating and the humanoid head is on the right, the cat head will fire out several rings before the camera zooms in on Dominique again, this time seeming to stab a shard into the head, after which the humanoid head will open its mouth, a giant saw blade coming out. Unlike the toad's attack, this saw lingers in place for several seconds. Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that the saw-like tongue is in truth the combined form of Valac from Curse of the Moon.
- Cat Laser: When Bael stops rotating and the cat head is on the right, the toad head will fire out its orbs, before the camera zooms in on Dominique again, performing magic, before the cat head fire out a large laser. Unlike the other two attacks, this one will always fire direction in front of the head.
- Rising Lava: Occasionally, when Bael stops rotating, lava will rise up in addition to its other attacks. The magic platforms can be used to escape the lava.
- Rising Bubbles: Occasionally when Bael stops rotating, and flaming bubbles will rise from below the screen, in addition to its other attacks.
Location[]
- Glacial Tomb, after defeating Dominique.
Strategy[]
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Notes[]
- Bael is one of the only bosses entirely affected by Standstill, making his boss fight almost trivial if the player took the time to satisfy the requirements to obtain this shard.
Gallery[]
External links[]
- Bael at Demopedia
- Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night — Bestiary at GameFAQs
- Hadad at Wikipedia