THE OUTSIDER AND RITUALS: THE ARCANE FOUNDATIONS OF POWER IN DISHONORED


I. THE RITUAL OF BECOMING: THE OUTSIDER'S CREATION

[From Death of the Outsider & Wiki source s]:

  • The Ritual of the Void: Approximately 4,000 years before the events of Dishonored, an ancient cult called "The Envisioned" performed the ritual that created The Outsider.
  • Ritual Components:
    • The Victim: A 15 -year-old homeless orphan boy chosen specifically because he was "namelessly unimportant" and "would not be missed"
    • The Twin -bladed Knife: A ceremonial dagger with two parallel blades featuring ancient inscriptions
    • The Ritual Hold: A specific chamber where "the boundary between our world and the Void was at its thinnest "
    • Cultist Participants: Members of The Envisioned who believed creating a "god " was necessary

[From Death of the Outsider cutscenes]:

  • The ritual required the boy to be conscious during the sacrifice, experiencing "terror beyond measure" as his throat was cut while he lay immobilized on the stone altar.
  • As described in an occult text : "As his blood flowed, the Void opened to receive him... a moment that ripped through time and space."

[From Eyeless Cult documents]:

  • The ritual didn't simply kill the boy but "merged him with the cosmic emptiness," transforming him into a being who existed "between life and death, between the Void and the world."
  • The cult leader's notes claim: " We created the Outsider himself... A face instead of the endless dark, black eyes rather than that malevolent emptiness."

II. BINDING RITUALS: THE IMPRISONMENT OF THE OUTSIDER

[From Death of the Outsider game play]:

  • After creating The Outsider, the cultists didn't simply release him to do as he pleased. They bound him in a permanent ritual state:
  • His phys ical body was suspended in the Void
  • Ritual markings were carved into the stone surrounding him
  • His name was "stolen " and preserved in the Void as the Mark
  • His consciousness was "scattered across the Void" while his body remained trapped

[From cult documents in Death of the Outsider]:

  • The binding ritual required constant maintenance over millennia: "He sleeps in the ritual hold, held in the crushing grip of the Void itself ."
  • The cultists claimed this binding was necessary: "For without the Outsider, the Void would hunger an d roil, and the world itself would shudder."
  • Generations of cult members maintained the binding, preserving the original ritual that kept The Outsider trapped between worlds.

III. THE MARK: A RITUAL OF POWER TRANSFERENCE

[From Outsider's Mark Wiki & game sourc es]:

  • Marking Ritual: When The Outsider chooses someone to receive his powers, he performs a personal rit ual:

  • Appearing to them in the Void or in dream-states

  • Physically touching them to burn his Mark into their left hand

  • Speaking ritual words of bestowa l: "I give you this as a gift"

  • **Symbolic Significance **: The Mark itself is not just a symbol but:

    • A portion of The Outs ider's stolen name preserved in the Void
    • A "channel " through which Void energy flows
    • A covenant between the Marked and The Outs ider

[From gameplay elements]:

  • The ritual of Marking is highly selective. The Outsider explains: "There are only eight like you in the world, bearing my Mark."
  • The ritual of Marking fundamentally changes a person 's connection to reality, allowing them to "draw power from the Vo id" through the Mark.

IV . RITUALS OF WORSHIP: THE CULT S OF THE OUTSIDER

[From Cult of the Outsider Wiki] :

  • Shrine Rituals: Followers create shrines to communicate with The Outsider:

    • Built in hidden, secluded locations
    • Decorated with purple cloth (representing the Void's color)
    • Featuring whale oil lamps
    • Centerpiece of carved whale bone runes bearing his Mark
    • Offerings of coins, trinkets, or personal i tems
    • Sometimes including blood sacrifice s (usually animals)
  • Invocation Rituals: Methods to summon his attention:

    • Burning whale oil while reciting chants
    • Carving his Mark on one's body
    • Offering personal sacrifices (often something precious to the worshipper)
    • Drinking "spirit water" (purified whale oil)

***[From in -game books & documents] ***:

  • Rituals of worship vary between different cults: "Some bleed themselves before his shrine, others drown in the sea hoping for his notice."
  • The Abbey strictly forbids these rituals: " The Overseer shall know the Outsider's Rituals, and he shall know them only to protect the faithful."

V. BONECHARM CRAFTING: RITUAL CAPT URE OF VOID ENERGY

[From gameplay mechanics & lore]:

  • Ritual Crafting Process:

    • Carv ing whale bones with specific symbols
    • Chanting ritual words during the carving
    • Imbuing the charms with specific traits by focusing intent
    • Binding the charm with thread or wire in specific patterns
  • Ritual Framework:

    • Each bonecharm contains a "whisper from the Void" - a tiny fragment of Void energy
    • More powerful charms require more elaborate rituals and r are materials
    • Black bonecharms require blood sa crifices during their creation

[From in -game experts]:

  • According to natural philosopher Anton Sokolo v: "The rituals of bonecharm crafting follow consistent mathematical principles , despite their practitioners' superstitions."
  • The "witch " Granny Rags performed elaborate rituals when crafting charms, including "speaking the name of the Outsider backwards thrice" while carving.

VI. RITU ALS OF SUMMONING: AT TEMPTS TO FORCE CONTACT

[ From Anton Sokolov's storyline]:

  • ** Failed Summoning Rituals**: The Royal Physician attempted numerous rituals to summon The Outsider, including:

    • Rare herbs burned in specific patterns
    • Mathematical formulas designed to "calculate" his appearance
    • Sacrifices of various kinds (implied to be both animal and human)
    • Construction of specialized chambers with precise astronomical alignments
  • The Outsider's Response: "Anton Sokolo v has made a great study of my runes, but he's not special like you are. He can't hear the music."

[From Cult documents]:

  • The Eyeless cult performed elaborate rituals attempting to extract Void energy directly, often with catastrophic results: "Three members disappeared entirely when the ritual spun out of control."
  • Summoning rituals nearly always fail unless The Outsider wishes to appear: " The rituals don't compel him; they merely create conditions he finds amusing."

VII. TWIN -BLADED KNIFE: THE RITUAL INSTRUMENT

[From Death of the Outsider]:

  • The Knife's Properties:

  • Forged " from the Void itself" by an unknown ancient civilization

  • Features two parallel blades with arcane symbols

  • Can "cut through the Void " and affect even beings l ike The Outsider

  • When used in rituals, it "parts the seams between worlds"

  • Ritual Applications:

    • Originally used to sacrifice The Outsider in the creation ritual
    • Required to reverse the ritual and either kill or free him
    • Can be used for other Void-affecting rituals (referenced but not shown)
    • Its mere presence enhances other Void -related powers

[From Death of the Outsider gameplay]:

  • Billie Lurk's quest to recover the knife involves learning its ritual significance through ancient texts and visions.
  • The ritual to free/kill The Outsider requires returning to the original ritual site with the same knife used to create him .

VIII. TIME MANIPULATION RITUALS : THE STILTON MANSION

[From Dishonored 2's "A Crack in the Slab" mission]:

  • ** Ritual Fracture**: The events at Stilton Manor created a ritual -like fracture in time:

    • Delilah's coven performed a major ritual to link her with the Void
    • This ritual created a "wound in the world" where time became unstable
    • The ritual's lingering effects allowed the Timepiece to function
  • The Outsider's Commentary: "There was a rupture here, three years ago . Someone punctured the membrane between worlds and the Void leaked through."

  • This unintentional ritual shows that deliberate Void rituals can have far -reaching consequences beyond their intended purpose.

IX. DELILAH 'S ASCENSION: RITUAL GODHOOD

[From Dishonored 2]:

  • Delilah 's Grand Ritual: Another Marked individual, Delilah Copperspoon, created a complex ritual to attain godhood:

    • Created a special painting containing part of her spirit
    • Performed a ritual at the Stilton Manor to connect herself to the Void
    • Used Jindosh's mechanical devices as part of the ritual components
    • Successfully merged herself with the Void , becoming "more than human"
  • The Outsider's Reaction: "Delilah has found a way to draw from the Void. She has... become part of me."

  • This ritual demonstrates the ultimate ambition of many occult researchers - to replicate or surpass The Outsider's state through ritual means.

X. BREAKING THE CYCLE: THE RITUAL OF ENDING

[From Death of the Outsider]:

  • Path to Freedom/Death: The final mission focuses on performing a counter-ritual to The Outsider's creation:

    • Returning to the original ritual site
    • Using the same Twin-bladed Knife
    • Speaking his true name (preserved in the Void)
    • Either killing him (completing the original sacrifice) or freeing him (undoing the binding)
  • Ritual Components Required:

    • The Name: Billie must recover The Outsider's original name from the Void
    • The Knife: The original Twin-bladed Knife must be retrieved
    • The Place: The ritual must be performed in the exact location where he was originally sacrificed
    • The Participants: People with a connection to The Outsider (Billie and Daud )

[From ending cutscenes]:

  • Whether killing or freeing, the final ritual represents the completion of a 4,000-year cycle that began with the original sacrifice.
  • The Outsider acknowledges the ritual's power: "You have done something impossible."
  • The aftermath reveals that once the ritual is broken, "The Outsider is no more," regardless of which ending is chosen.

The relationship between The Outsider and rituals forms the conceptual foundation of the entire Dishonored universe . Born from ritual, sustained by ritual, worshipped through ritual, and ultimately ended by ritual, The Outsider exists as the central node in a complex web of ceremonial practices that link the physical world and the Void.

These rituals range from the ancient and elaborate (his creation and binding) to the personal and intimate (the granting of his Mark), demonstrating how the supernatural elements of Dishonored's world are systematized and reproducible through specific practices rather than being purely chaotic or random. This ritual framework gives the supernatural elements a sense of interna l consistency and logic despite their otherworldly nature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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