Mephistopheles

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Mephistopheles
Other Names
Korean	메피스토펠레스
Nicknames	Mephi (by Charon)
General Information
Occupation	Bus Busboat
Affiliations	LCB
Relations	Faust (Creator) Yi Sang (Co-creator) Charon (Driver) Vergilius (Guide) The Sinners (Passengers)
First Appearance	Prologue: Selva Oscura

Mephistopheles (메피스토펠레스, Mepiseutopelleseu) is the bus used by the LCB Team of Limbus Company. Mephistopheles is driven by Charon and is used by the Sinners and Vergilius, serving as their transport, mobile base of operations and habitation in their mission to retrieve the Golden Boughs.

Appearance

Mephistopheles is a rectangular, four-wheeled bus with barred windows (including one on its rear) and low fenders. The front resembles a steam locomotive's smokebox, possessing a chimney, semicircular windshield and a cowcatcher-esque bumper. Mephistopheles also possesses a hidden shredder on its side to facilitate Enkephalin extraction.

Limbus Company's personal branding are written on the side of the vehicle in all caps, whereas only "LIMBUS" is written on the front. Mephistopheles is primarily coloured red and dark gray, with silver, wavelike accents in various locations across the bus.

The interior of Mephistopheles is wide and possesses red seating (apparently with no seatbelts) and handrails/grab handles for the Sinners. The driver's cab is located on the left, decorated with various items by Charon.

Mephistopheles has a ornate doorway on its rear. Beyond it is the Backdoor, a straight, softly lit corridor with red-and-gold carpeting and wooden doors to the Sinner's rooms on each side. Gold stanchions and velvet ropes block off all but the first 8 doors; with further areas devolving into a complex system of other corridors and crossroads.

When in "busboat" (boat) form, Mephistopheles becomes significantly larger, acquires an ornate gray hull with red trim, a metal deck and a stern deck crane. The cabin remains unchanged, but now possesses a traditional ship's wheel.

Abilities

As a bus, Mephistopheles can easily and quickly transport the entire LCB Team, sometimes with additional passengers. However, it also possesses nonstandard features to assist the Sinners. The bus itself can also be used as a weapon to plow into targets.

Enkephalin Extraction

The engine of Mephistopheles, designed by Faust, can use Enkephalin to generate ignition and thrust. Because Enkephalin is produced in the brain and spinal nerves (with extraction from live subjects being more effective), the bus can feed on humans for fuel: in Canto I, several live Hooligans are fed into Mephistopheles' shredder. Faust further explains that the flesh and blood can be used to maintain Mephistopheles' speed, thus conserving Enkephalin.

Extraction

Using its engine and Lunacy, Mephistopheles can extract random Identities in the form of Identity Cards and E.G.O from Mirror Worlds. It is said to use the "concept of possibilities itself" as fuel by Faust.

While the extraction range is usually 3 years into the future or past, it can increase to 10 years or more when "specific possibilities" can be clearly observed and the "borders between the mirror realities are entirely shattered", such as during Walpurgis Night. The Sinner's experiences can also gradually increase the extraction range to more Mirror Worlds.

Regeneration

Mephistopheles can slowly regenerate itself using its engine. After having its stern partially crushed between two ships, it repaired the damage in a few days.

Backdoor

The rear door of Mephistopheles leads into a vast corridor network contained entirely within the bus. Each side has doors that lead into rooms for each of the Sinners; their appearance and ambience is influenced by the Sinner's mental state but nonetheless provides them with habitation. It is described as the Sinner's lodging, personal space and cell by Dante. The door to Dante's room opens to a corridor with the entrances to the Luxcavation Dungeons, Mirror Dungeons, (both powered by the engine) and the Refraction Railway, a subway station with a self-driving train with a design scheme similar to Mephistopheles. The backdoor also possesses a breakroom.

Nobody is permitted to go into the unlit corridors past the Sinner's rooms. Beyond that point are a network of forked paths and crossroads that only Faust can navigate. The doors lead to different spaces depending on who opens them, allowing multiple people to use the same door for different destinations.

Deeper corridors may possess auditory and spatial anomalies. Heathcliff, Dante and Faust began "falling" sideways in one corridor. Additional hazards include being "engulfed" (Faust does not elaborate on this) and entities of obscure nature, one of which gives Heathcliff psychological damage. The fact that Heathcliff's rescue prevented a "sudden vacancy" in the LCB implies even Dante's clock is ineffective against these threats.

Shapeshifting

After Molar Boatworks installs a form transmogrifier, Mephistopheles can transform into a boat. This mechanism relies on the bus' core, which is said to permit Mephistopheles the ability to change into other forms.

• Endure Mode: Endure Mode was activated after encountering a Great Lakes Wave. Its exact features (aside from lengthening the deck) are unclear, but it appears to give the Sinners space for combat; the busboat was also undamaged by the Great Lakes Whale clinging onto the hull while it was active.
• Backup Power System: Mephistopheles can be powered by pedals on the ship's deck in the absence of power. This is a consequence of the engine melding with the navigation system, as the failure of the latter will cause both to become temporarily stop functioning.
• Skiff: Mephistopheles has a small, undecked skiff that just fits every Sinner. It can be propelled with its own engine or by oar.

Story

Mephistopheles first appears in the Prologue, where it barrels through the forest and hits Lion. The Sinners then disembark to save Dante after making their pact with them, but are annihilated by Lion, Wolf and Panther; only the timely intervention of Vergilius saves everybody.

In Canto I, Mephistopheles brings the Sinners and Yuri to Lobotomy Corporation Branch D-02. Its Enkephalin-based propulsion is explained by Faust as it consumes several defeated Hooligans in the Backstreets of District 4. At the end, Gregor hangs up Yuri's gas mask on Mephistopheles' window.

In Canto II, Mephistopheles brings the Sinners to J Corp's District 10, near Branch J-03. In Canto III, Mephistopheles (after being slightly damaged by an Inquisitor's Nail and stopped by them) brings the Sinners to in Calw within K Corp's District 11 Nest (Nest K), towards L Corp. Branch K-02.

In Intervallo I, Mephistopheles travels to one of Nest K's downtown alleys to meet a client for the next mission. Its stay is delayed due to the presence of a Distortion. Mephistopheles gains a new passenger in the form of a Papa Bongy plushy.

In Canto IV, Mephistopheles continues travelling through Nest K towards their corporate building.

In Intervallo II, Mephistopheles is converted into a boat (referred to as a busboat by Dante) by Molar Boatworks using scrap metal from Trash Crabs and U Corp's Singularity in preparation for the upcoming mission U Corp's District. However, it begins sinking shortly after leaving and is hurriedly rowed back for repairs, much to the dismay of Olga, Mika and Rain.

In Canto V, it travels to Marlin Portship to meet with the LCCB team and obtain the variable coordinates to U Corp's Lobotomy Corp. Branch. Because the navigation system failed, bringing with it all engine power, the Sinners are forced to use the manual power system to escape an oncoming Wave. Though exhausted, they reach Marlin Portship without further incident. After their departure, the Sinners repel attacks by a Great Lakes Whale and the Twinhook Pirates. Upon reaching the coordinates, Mephistopheles deploys a skiff to Lobotomy Corp. Branch. The same skiff is used afterwards to hunt down the Pallid Whale with the Indigo Elder, but it is destroyed after the Calamity ingests it.

In Canto VI, it delivers the Sinners through T Corp.'s nest to the Wuthering Heights mansion.

Trivia

• In Goethe's Faust, Mephistopheles is the name of the demon Faust contracts with, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and pleasure.
• Mephistopheles' Backdoor may be the same technology as the Corridors used by The Ring. It is referred to as such by Ryōshū.
• Multiple characters talk about Mephistopheles as if it a living being. The significance of this anthropomorphic wording, if any, is unknown.
  • Charon is the most notable example (e.g calling it "hungry" when it runs low on fuel or "hurt" when damaged), and affectionately refers to it as Mephi (메피, Mepi).
  • In Intervallo II Faust referred to Mephistopheles' alarm as a "scream", but quickly corrects herself.
  • The Indigo Elder called Mephistopheles "loud" and "screaming".
• The dashboard of Mephistopheles forms the "Drive" section of the player's main menu.
• The busboat's size is portrayed rather inconsistently, ranging from it fitting inside a workshop to being able to comfortably fit every Sinner on the foredeck. However, this could simply be a feature of the form transmogrifier.
• Despite the Limbus Company Promotion Video showing a folding door on the left of Mephistopheles, in-game art shows it on the right.
• Mephistopheles is considered by N Corp. Inquisitors to be "defiled". No elaboration is given on why.
• Mephistopheles has keepsakes onboard that reference particular Cantos or Intervallos, most of which are shown in the credit scene art:
  • A gas mask used by Aya, then Yuri (Canto I).
  • The poker chips stolen by Rodion (Canto II)
  • One Bongy plushie (Intervallo I).
  • A picture of the League of Nine Littérateurs (Canto IV).
  • A length of Queequeg's rope (Canto V).
  • A bunch of heath flowers from Wuthering Heights (Canto VI).

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External Links

• Mephistopheles (메피스토펠레스) - Korean page (Namuwiki)
• Mephistopheles (Мефистофель) - Russian page (Project Moon wiki)