Introducing Characters | #3 Iboji Nana / Iboji Grisselette (CrPr) (Patreon)

Here’s before you, the first design of Grisselette in Crimson Prison (although slightly modified, the original version had a different color palette and outfit, as shown in her card).To be honest, this character wasn’t planned from the very beginning, unlike Arzu and Luna. She was introduced purely by chance when I realized that Chapter One had too few characters to showcase. Even though I already have over 30 characters created for the game, many of them are important later on, so I couldn’t introduce them just yet.As you already know, I have a timeline that outlines all the key events of Crimson Prison, which I simply follow when making the quests. In that timeline, there’s a particular scene:“Zinnia loses her will to live, and simply awaits the day of her death. Her battle.”Honestly, I didn’t know what kind of event would justify this without it feeling forced, given Zinnia’s personality.That’s when this side character stood out from my folder of extras. I polished her facial features, changed her hairstyle so she wouldn’t look like a background character, and since the name “Nana” didn’t fit her at all, I decided to change it.Grisselette came to mind (I don’t even remember why exactly, lol. But I wanted something unique), and I saved the name Nana for another character. Eventually, giving it to Zinnia’s childhood friend.

A Bit About Her Personality

Grisselette is a charismatic character who helps introduce the theme of death in the game in a less heavy way. A proper introduction to the tone of Crimson Prison.One of her most distinctive traits is her tendency to overthink, what we commonly call anxiety.Do you remember when I talked about the trilogy in this saga, and how each installment represents a type of mental imbalance?

Anxiety (Crimson Prison): Overthinking your future; the uncertainty of what tomorrow holds.

Disappointment (Azure Asylum): Overthinking your present; realizing that past decisions may have ruined your current perception of reality— one that you can’t fully enjoy or live consciously.

Depression (Two Sides): Overthinking your past; vivid memories of events that bring back trauma, wounds, regrets, or a happiness that you know will never return.

This is where Grisselette comes in, giving us a glimpse into what it means to live with anxiety. Sometimes brought on by the weight you carry on your shoulders.In her youth, Grisselette was cheerful and sociable. After her father’s accident, she became more distant— reserved.Her mother had to work overtime to cover household expenses, on top of the massive debt she took on to give her husband a proper burial. He meant everything to her, but she couldn’t abandon her children, no matter how tired of life she was.Grisselette took on the role of guardian in her home, trying to raise her brother Lucent while figuring out how to move forward with her own life.Even though she had a strong desire to study medicine, she knew the insane amount of resources she would need, so she decided to give it up and save for Lucent’s future instead.She was always deeply attached to her parents. So when she couldn’t rely on either of them anymore, she sought comfort in the only person who was still there— Lucent.Lucent was a sweet kid —though a bit rebellious— and at first, he found it hard having his sister constantly around."Why can’t she leave me alone for just one afternoon?" he’d ask himself. The lack of privacy, even in his own home, would exhaust him.But once he understood Grisselette’s situation, his hostility faded significantly. She had always been there for him, sincerely. And without realizing it, Lucent’s mere presence was her anchor. That’s how loving Grisselette was.

Why Zinnia Felt So Drawn to Grisselette

What drew Zinnia to Grisselette was her apparent weakness… or rather, her submissiveness.Grisselette, unlike the other inmates, appeared vulnerable and afraid from the very start.Zinnia, having this strong territorial instinct and need to protect the weak (a trait instilled in her by her friends on the streets), felt a kind of closeness to her.A closeness she didn’t even feel with Merumi. Because while Merumi also looks fragile and overly kind, at least she’s very smart— but her childish, overly cheerful humor gets on Zinnia’s nerves... even more so!

ABOUT HER TECHNIQUES

Grisselette’s techniques weren’t exactly hers from the start— they were learned from others. She was great at observing and analyzing.Her medical techniques were learned from Seina.Her Equinox Technique was a modification of three influences:

A shadow-wielding master she admired at the time.

Silvie, her best friend, who doesn’t exactly wield shadows, but often faces her inner demon.

Kasumi, “The Shadow of Nuevo Faredo.” Her shinobi art —fast, silent, and efficient— gave Grisselette the final push to develop her own techniques.

Grisselette was a firm believer in karma and energy. She truly believed that one day, her karma would catch up to her for taking so many lives, and she felt she carried the weight of those deaths on her back.With all of this in mind, one night, under the bleak concrete ceiling that loomed over her pale face, she felt as if the souls of the underworld were trying to take her.Screaming and crying, Silvie, Sora, and Clarisa quickly rushed to help her... only to realize it had been a panic attack triggered by a nightmare.It was in that moment, by facing her fear, that Grisselette unlocked this new technique, using the souls she carried on her back.Equinox Technique— Umbra Esoteric Art: Firm of Animas.As for the storage from which she pulled the Purgatory Dagger, it was inspired by Sora’s techniques… techniques I’m excited to show you— but not just yet!(As you can see, she was great at doing Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V. She would’ve made a great programmer.)I hope you enjoyed this character reveal. I spent about an hour and a half writing this! Haha.Love you all, thank you so much for your time and support!