Love-Saints

Love-Saints
God Served	Unknown but associated with the Linger Straits
Behavior / Abilities	Hypnotism, impalement, absorption
Content Information
Featured in Chapter(s)	Chapter 21: We'd Both Go Plunging Downwards

Love-Saints attack by hypnotizing their victims with sing-songy words of affection, recited in rhyme, similar to a valentine's poem, expression words of affection, calls for embrace, or active listening phrases. They lure their victims into embracing the Saint, feeling as if they've finally encountered their long-awaited love, at which point the Saint strikes and kills their victim. Love-Saints are known to be native to The Linger Straits.

ATTENTION: SPOILERS AHEAD! Beyond this point, major plot spoilers are expected. Continue at your own risk.

Method of Death

Death occurs through impalement and absorption. Once their victim embraces them, the saint strikes, stabbing them with a barbed tentacle. They then absorb their victim into themselves, snapping their bones as they do.

• "It’s an awful, violent sound - like a barbed tentacle plunging into flesh. ANA chokes as she’s absorbed into the writhing LOVE-SAINT. We hear bone snapping. And a moment later, we hear the sound of wet flesh dripping down onto the concrete."
• "The LOVE-SAINT strikes. And JEFF chokes as he’s absorbed. A moment later, we hear his neck snap."

If a victim escapes the Love-Saint, they still may be partially hypnotized and attempt to go back to be with their "loved one."

Notable Events

Season 2

During their reelection campaign, Adjudicator Shrue and two of their staff members (Ana and Jeff) are attacked by love saints. While driving from a Diner (the site of a morning photo op), en route to Bellwethers for a wreath-laying, the car encounters an obstacle on the road shortly after passing their political rival Barbeau driving the other way. Jeff stops the car and Ana gets out to investigate.

Ana becomes the first victim of the Love-Saints, who draws her in by saying:

"Hold me.
Hold me close and make me whole.
Hold me close and love me true.
You for I, and I for you.
Storm-clouds rage and cold winds blow,
Hold me close and don’t let go."

Jeff becomes a later victim of a Love-Saint, who hypnotises and wounds him. He is able to escape, briefly, to help Shrue get to safety. However, he is wounded, and obviously is still under their influence, as turns back saying: "I can’t stop thinking about them- I don’t think I’ve ever truly been happy before." The Saint which kills him says,

"(Singsong) The years drag on and burdens weigh.
Darling, tell me about your day."

Season 3

Love Saints are native to The Linger Straits, and are weaponized as defenses by The Linger Straits against The Peninsula in the war during Season 3, discouraging intruders from attempting to cross the channel between the nations:

"The Linger Straits have evolved their love-saints, chaining the poor whimpering things to floating sea-mines, letting them drift and swim until they find an unlucky victim in the channel who they will pursue, relentlessly, chasing one final explosive embrace-" Val