Episode 96: The New Knave, Arlecchino

We get a glimpse into Father from her character teaser, character demo, and miscellany videos. Throughout all of them, we see the juxtaposition of her harsh exterior and her love for children.

Arlecchino is a badass, so it only makes sense that she has a badass outfit. But Feens found one major flaw with her look… the ponytail. Instead of committing to a short-hair fem idol, they added the safety touch of femininity.

The first on-screen look at Arlecchino came during the interlude “A Winter Night’s Lazzo,” aka Signora’s funeral. Along with Father, we got a look at the other Harbingers as well. All in their snazzy winter coats.

Picture this, you’re the Hydro Archon, and you’re out one night playing with a kitty, minding your own business. Then, out of nowhere, here’s Arlecchino darting at you with her murderous eyes! Suffice it to say, Furina’s uneasiness around Father is warranted.

Bee brought us down a very interesting rabbit hole with Perinheri and Ronova, the Shade of Death. Pierro tells Arlecchino she should read Perinheri to understand her ancestors of the Crimson Moon Dynasty in Khaenri’ah. Ronova is a creepy cluster of eyeballs in the sky.

A first for our playable characters, ‘The Song Burning in Embers’ is a full animated story of Arlecchino’s backstory. We meet Crucabena, aka Mother, and get a look at Peruere’s friendship with Clervie.

We talk about how Arlecchino’s Balemoon Bloodfire power comes with some downsides. One of those being the charring of her hands and arms. But this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a character with this type of ailment; Caterpillar from the Narzissenkreuz Saga also has limbs like this.

Tif mentions a previous House of the Hearth member with a scar across his face, which Lyney tells us was never seen again after a special meeting with Father. We later run into a newsboy with the same scar, which foreshadows the exit of Filliol & Nanteuil.

It’s ill-advised to look into Arlecchio’s eyes, especially at the end of an epic fight. Four against one seems pretty favorable, but not when you’re up against Father. Even when you have the Traveler on your side.

Since Clervie wasn’t able to travel the world as she wished as a child, Perrie enlists us to tell her about all we’ve seen. Paimon jumped at the chance to bring back Detective Paimon, and we loved it!

The end of Arlecchino’s story quest concludes with Clervie finally gaining freedom from her mother as her BFF Perrie releases her from the House of the Hearth.

Here are some helpful links if you’re unfamiliar with the pop culture references we mentioned during the episode. Bee talked about the TV show Revenge, we mention Twin Peaks by the late-great David Lynch, and had two versions of Angelica – Hamilton and Rugrats.

Thank you to fellow travelers BeaPeri and Shanghai Whiskey for writing in. We truly appreciate your questions and comments! If you’d like to send us mail via the Komaniya Express, reach out on our Instagram, X/Twitter, or email. We’d love to hear from you! And Kirara could use the work.