Puppeteer Moth

"Welcome, liberator. Oh. I've been waiting for so long."

- Chapter 2396, Spirit of Doubt^[1]

Description

The Puppeteer Moth is a Nightmare Creature of immense strength and age, having grown from its infantile stage as a Puppeteer Worm through the consumption of living creatures and the passage of time.^[2][3]

The only example of this Nightmare Creature which has been seen is the Spirit of Doubt, a Cursed Tyrant taking the place of the Snow Tyrant in Ariel's Death Game. ^[2]

Appearance

The sole example of a Puppeteer Moth that has been seen, the Spirit of Doubt, is described as an immense black moth with tenebrous wings large enough to cover the slopes of the mountain it sits perched atop, legs 'like obsidian pillars' and antennae which extend far into the sky, each hundreds of meters in length. It is also noted that this creature shares a distinct similarity to the Nightmare Butterflies from the Tomb of Ariel, but easily dwarfs them in size. Its face is described to be covered by "soft black fur, with two enormous spherical eyes protruding from it on either side". ^[2][4]

Abilities

The Puppeteer Moth's primary power over the world is called "Doubt". Doubt is the power to infect the hearts of living beings with doubt and turn them into puppets. This is shown through the thralls which make up the domain of the Spirit of Doubt during Ariel's Death Game, each being controlled by the creature through thin threads, presumably after having been mentally broken by its power. It is speculated by Supreme Sunless that the creature would be able to subjugate someone such as himself or Transcendent Kai in an instant should an opportunity be presented. During Sunless' conquest of the Eternal City, the Spirit of Doubt's Shade proved capable of giving Sunless 'flawless control of his undying army', despite its gargantuan size, a feat he was far from capable alone. ^[5][6]

These threads are another ability of the creature, demonstrating immense physical strength while also being described as 'infinitely thin', to the point where they do not even cast shadows. Notably, a single one of these threads proved capable of severing the arm of Supreme Titan Sunless during Ariel's Death Game. ^[7]

Using similar threads to this ability, the Puppeteer Moth is capable of overwhelming its opponents with the sheer volume and strength of its silk, capturing and burying them within its mass. These strands either quickly overwhelm their target, or slowly sneak onto them, building up outside their target's notice until it is too late. These strings are capable of wrapping themselves around the body, but also of penetrating it and reaching into their target's very soul. They are capable of manifesting both tangibly and intangibly, attacking the physical body and soul, alongside the mind. It has also been shown through the creature's encounter with Supreme Sunless that they are capable of binding shadows. ^[8]

The Puppeteer Moth is also shown to be capable of enacting a powerful mental attack from great distance, likely as an extension of its 'Doubt' ability. This power is easily capable of piercing Supreme Sunless' mental resistances alongside his will from many dozens of kilometers away. ^[9]

Because of its immense size, the Puppeteer Moth is capable of creating hurricane wings with even faint movements of its wings. ^[10]

Perhaps the most impressive ability the Spirit of Doubt displays, is its immense control over the world through its Will. At the end of its battle against Supreme Sunless, the Spirit of Doubt uses its will to bend the absolute law of time in such a way that it 'seemed to stand still', allowing a final conversation and a last ditch effort to manipulate him in order to survive. ^[11][12]

Behavior

The Puppeteer Moth is known to accumulate most of its combat strength through its enthralled minions; this makes it significantly weaker when alone. It is this dependence upon minions which placed it in a more vulnerable position when it was defeated by Supreme Sunless, Transcendent Kai, and Slayer. While it is shown to prefer encounters which place it in an advantageous position surrounded by its thralls, it is still a competent opponent on its own.^[5]

Notably, the Spirit of Doubt is known to be capable of speech, utilizing words to sow doubt amidst its enemies alongside its abilities. It is shown to be quite clever when manipulating enemies, attempting to turn them against one another if the opportunity arises, and going to any lengths possible to win. ^[1][12]

"Ah, but look around you, warrior of the Underworld. Look who brought me to my knees. The Wolf, the Huntress, the Giant, and the Dragon. They are shadows of Death; he is a herald of Night. The servants of the gods surround us, you and me. The same gods whom your Prince is at war with. Are they not your true adversary, instead of me?"

- Chapter 2407, Spirit of Doubt ^[12]

Habitat

Puppeteer Moths have only ever been seen within Ariel's Death Game as the Spirit of Doubt, Tyrant of the Snow Domain. ^[2]

Notable Encounters

The first trace of this Nightmare Creature's species lies in the description of [Puppeteer's Shroud. The Spirit of Doubt is alluded to have originated from the Mountain King after it escaped its original vessel, leaving only an empty 'cocoon of black silk'. It is possible that this Puppeteer Worm did not turn out to be the Spirit of Doubt, but it is sure that it would one day become a Puppeteer Moth. The relation between [Puppeteer's Shroud]'s description, and the Mountain King, is noted by Sunless at his first encounter with the creature.^[3][2]

During Ariel's Death Game, a Puppeteer Moth known as the "Spirit of Doubt" takes the place of the Snow Tyrant. The first trace that the Snow Tyrant was a Puppeteer moth came when Kai noticed a silver thread extending from the back of the Clockwork Giant. This was later noticed by Sunless in the form of an 'infinitely fine' and 'unbelievably durable' thread of black silk in his severed hand after his forgotten fight with the two unknown Cursed Monsters, and the unknown Cursed Demon.^[14][15]

A similar thread is utilized by Sunless, Kai, and Slayer in order to defeat the Lord of Rats. This thread is utilized to control the main body of the Cursed Beast by the Spirit of Doubt, and this link is abused by Kai in order to locate the main body and vanquish the creature. This encounter displayed how the Spirit of Doubt needs to maintain its threads in order to keep a nightmare creature within its domain.^[16]
Sunless, Kai, and Slayer fight, and eventually kill, the Spirit of Doubt in the place of the Ash Domain in Ariel's Death Game. During this encounter, the Puppeteer Moth was weakened due to the setting of the game, and Sunless, Kai, and Slayer were empowered. The encounter required Supreme Sunless to risk losing himself in Shadow Dance in order to prevail. ^[17][12]

The Shade of the Spirit of Doubt was summoned by Sunless during his conquest of the Eternal City. During this time it acted as a commander of his army, controlling each shade and directing their movements in order to greatly improve their effectiveness.^[6]

Trivia

1. The Spirit of Doubt made a deal with Weaver, Daemon of Fate. In exchange for help defeating Ariel in his Death Game, the Moth would live on and be presented with an opportunity to eventually escape through the 'liberator'.^[19]