*SPOILERS* if you aren’t finished this ending

So.

Can we just talk about that for a moment?

I have DEVOURED this content so far (Except for Marcus’ special end so far). Last night I finished this route for Randal and I just can’t stop thinking about it and trying to headcannon my way around it. Soul destroying!

I understand that the game is not a dating sim and that the story is not a romance. This story is… a tragedy in essence. I honestly love it. The romantic and gothic 90s undertones are on point. Hell, give me Rice over Meyer any day. Still, this one shook me to the core. The fact that he turned into something that he feared so much is just crazy nightmare fuel (I did have crazy nightmares about it last night).

Full disclosure, Randal is my favourite character I deeply sympathized with him (and his demons) and that is maybe why I want to discuss this one so much. While Heath’s endings left me feeling sad, I did not greatly empathize with his character and even on replays straight out had to roll my eyes at some of his narcissism.

I wish we at least have the option to unlock (bitter)sweet endings for each character after we understood them more completely. But the fact that we can't and have to accept the horror is what will make this game memorable to me. I really wish there was a way to replay, to have more choice over outcomes (ie to help Heath step back and into his own will or to guide “Randal” out of hiding slowly instead of so suddenly with no consideration) but I guess the whole point is that there isn’t.

Some criticism though: I did not appreciate some of the conversation choices that MC was given—especially around their sexual encounters and especially with Randal. There was something so abhorrent to me about either having to confirm “Randal’s” fears about him being too corrupted/dirty and have that crazy sex scene or… confirm that he was too corrupted/dirty and say that he was “right”, and implying you shouldn’t “dirty” yourself with him since you were responding to his statement. All responses were nothing I would dream of saying to anyone EVER but I think it is heavily implied that Randal is a victim of SA… and oof. Maybe this wouldn’t be a trigger to most people but holy hell I had to close my laptop.

 I think that most of the fan unease about how the game approached these scenes is warranted. I understand that the story is trying to unnerve us but I wonder if they could have done so without being so sex-negative.

I don’t want to harp on the game—I still love it. The responses were scripted to add to the tense and tragic undertones of the story. Other than that haunting little detail I greatly appreciate the tension and word-building.

Anyway, some questions for you guys:

1. Who do you think that phone call was from, the one right before you visit Marcus’ shop where you could hear a male voice crying on the other end?

-are we supposed to think it was from an over-loaded and weary Randal?

2. What house do you think that “Randal” belongs to?

-this one I really want to know. He is described to have “glowing eyes” a couple times which could indicate Gol. His perception and the way that “he can usually detect lies” could really be either.

3. What the hell were those bandages for anyway?

Thanks for reading!

Tl;dr: Wow that was messed up—tell me what you thought!

I've really enjoyed this game! It is very grim and like you say it would have been nice to get some happier endings with Randal and Heath. In my own headcanon I at least think in the endings where they stay with you, as vampires you have eternity to try and make things better, it's only been a few months in game. 

In answer to your questions:

1. I'm not certain, but it only happens if you have Randal as a mentor and he's close to you, which makes me think it's him. 

2. I definitely thought Golgotha because of all those drawings he does, both the weird figures and nonsense words. I didn't pick up on the lies thing but that makes me think Gol too. 

3. I don't know! That's what I googled to end up here :-) It does mention at one point he makes them bleed by digging his nails into his palms, maybe be does that in his sleep? 

Late, but I'll still answer with my thoughts for anyone who may be lurking:

1. For sure thought it was Randal. It's been a while since I've played, but I had a whole theory behind why I thought it was him. Could not tell you what that theory was, but that's the conclusion that I drew.

2. Gol for sure, for the same reason that Kahlandra stated. Knowing what we know about him and his behavior, he certainly reads as a Gol to me. It seems as though he suffers from some sort of intrusive thinking, and the drawings appear to be a way for him to cope with them. Would explain why he constantly draws all over himself. He doesn't seem to carry any paper with him, and I know in one scene he even draws all over a napkin. Sort of like an exorcism of sorts. Same reason that people journal, I think.

3. I thought this was a reference to the stigmata. In some of the promo art/wallpapers (?) Randal is made out to be a christlike figure, and he appears to be drawn in a position that implies he is bearing a "cross" of some sort. The bandages could be a subtle indicator of this.

About the SA it does make a lot of sense. He mentioned his personality as Randal is fake and the real him is coming out. I guess the reason why he made a new personality.  So he wouldn't be the same guy who got SAed .

Also, the prologue of a new game has come out, Red embrace:m- something. The protagonist was supposed to be a gol but she's a part of the 4th house. Mayybeeee that's the house he's in. 

OR theory. Randal was bitten by multiple vamps at the same time. So he's a hybrid of Isi and Gol.

I couldn't resist adding to this one.

Honestly, I wonder if ANYONE likes Heath. He's too... Broken for me, in a sense. I just can't stand his "woe-is-me" attitude.

Markus is my personal favorite, I don't even mind being asexual (I'm demi, after all).

However, I do empathize with Randal a great deal (and I'm a sucker for things getting rough).

Anyway, after playing all of the routes (again): 

1. I think that crying phone call is from either Heath or Markus, especially since you can call Randal right after and he sounds normal.

Heath for obvious reasons-- He's not the current love interest.

Markus because he admits in his own route that as soon as he saw the MC, he saw their entire relationship before his eyes.

The most likely is it being Heath.

2. I'd have to play as other Houses (or the prequel) to tell, but playing as a Gol you see a halo on his head that changes the further into his route you go. I don't remember if you see the glowing eyes in other Houses, either. If so then I'd say likely a Gol, yes.

I do like that theory that he's a cross, but I'd say a Gol/Mavvar cross instead.

3. He's basically a stand-in for Jesus, so stigmata makes sense. 

He wants to peacefully bring the Houses together but his group is too rowdy. Like, Markus mentions, the Crusades. The majority of conflicts all over the world have been fought in the name of religion. 

Honestly, these guys live in America... Why can't they just have a three-way presidency with representatives from all three Houses as Congress and vote on the rules they come up with? It's at least better than a dictatorship.

1. The phone call is obviously from Randal. He's telling you that his old personality was emerging, the one that was weak and abused. That's the person calling. That Randall is "prefectly fine" after the call just means he "got back" to the newer Randal.

2. Like many others said: certainly Golgotha. The way he sees things and draws those figures. He also understands and likes Markus. The way he describes his siring also hints that he went off the rails pretty much immediately, there's really no reason for that to happen if he was Iscari.

3. I was defnitely thinking about stigmata. The vampires heal constantly, so there's most likely no reason to actually have them bandaged, even if there were spontaneous wounds or Randal did them himself again and again. It's probably a mental thing for Randal, maybe he feels the wounds.

2&3 Golgotha is the place were Jesus was crucified. These allegories aren't exactly subtle ;) The special ending is pretty much "suffering Jesus becoming the Antichrist".

The ending is chilling. It's well done. Argent Games has done some other VNs that remind me of Nitro+Chiral games and they are also very disturbing. These are not happy dating sims. I wouldn't mind a couple of variants of this special ending, but I think it's the most effective in this way. If, for example, the MC was on his side willingly, as a couple even, it wouldn't be as devastating as seeing Randal become everything he hates and even completely loathing the person he fell in love with.