Mariam Phutapie

"I am one of the Three Heroes, Mariam Futapie! Lucifenian soldiers! Show me your loyalty!"

- Mariam Futapie

Mariam Futapie, born Neomaria, was the Head Maid at the Lucifenian Royal Palace and one of the Three Heroes. Originally used as an assassin by Abyss I.R., the girl lost her memories before defecting from Asmodean to Lucifenia, serving its king during the kingdom's expansion war. Following the war's end, Mariam became the palace's head maid and served the young Princess Riliane throughout her regime while raising her adopted daughter Ney.

Early Life
"Well, as with countries and such there are all kinds of women. All kinds."

- Leonhart Avadonia when asked about Mariam

Born on July 1, EC 468, her entire family was killed by the mage Abyss I.R. Raised by the witch to be an assassin, and possessing Malice, the child became a ruthless killer at a very young age. For her first job, she was sent to take down a caravan crossing the desert and succeeded, leaving no survivors. One day, she was assigned to kill a fugitive who had betrayed his country and killed his younger brother, told that her target would be wearing red clothes. Waiting at the top of the cliff, she spotted her target and prepared to attack before realizing he was a boy not much older than her. Hesitating, she slipped off the cliff and hit her head, losing consciousness.

Some time later she awoke along in a wasteland, having received medical attention. Having lost her memories from her head injury, the child was picked up by a caravan and decided to go by the name Mariam based on what few memories she had left. Afterwards, Mariam was adopted by the Head of Intelligence Futapie and enlisted in the Asmodean military. Becoming the general of the Silver Sparrow Unit at the age of nine, Mariam participated in Asmodean's war with the Kingdom of Lucifenia. In EC 477, Mariam and her unit were assigned as the vanguard of the Golden Dragon Unit for the invasion of Lucifenia through the Babul Desert. Around the time, an old woman with a red cat was sighted in the Misty Mountains; Mariam then began having nightmares of her former life. While heading to their assigned location, she betrayed her unit and rebelled before fleeing to Lucifenia.

During the war, she encountered a mercenary, Gast Venom, and they became acquainted, her learning of his sister's death and his desire to fight as a mercenary because it was the only thing he knew. After she joined the Lucifenian ranks, Mariam served as a subordinate to King Arth and Queen Anne. Around that time, she met and befriended Leonhart Avadonia. Around EC 480, the two of them fought with the Beelzenian Empire's staff officer Elluka Clockworker and were quickly defeated, their weapons blown away in a windstorm the mage created. A week after facing Elluka, Mariam joined Leonhart and Arth at Sanosun Bridge and witnessed Elluka join them as well, the three of them swearing an oath to the Lucifenian king on the bridge.

As the years progressed, Mariam, Elluka, and Leonhart helped push King Arth's offensive and turn the war to Lucifenia's favor. During this period, she met the local blacksmith of the Langley family and visited him whenever she needed her weapons repaired. At some point, Elluka gave Mariam high quality knives for her use. By EC 490, the three became known as the Three Heroes for their wartime actions, commemorated as such in a portrait by Nikolay Tolle.

Twiright Prank
"I was able to find out that there was a certain old woman named Abyss I.R., with whom Internal Minister Presi secretly met with. But I couldn't find out anything about her personality or her goals, not even her current location. All I managed to learn, while staying aside, was that she was the real mastermind behind everything."

- Excerpt from Mariam's report

After King Arth's death in EC 491, the war ended and Mariam continued her service to Queen Anne. In December of that year, Mariam met with Queen Anne regarding the political dispute over the right of succession caused by Minister Presi. Discussing the situation regarding Princess Riliane's odd behavior and Presi's intentions, they became concerned by the potential issues that could come up and the Queen ordered Mariam to investigate. During her investigation, she learned that Presi was collaborating with an old woman, Abyss I.R., and that she was behind Presi's plot to control the government through manipulating Riliane.

Soon after, Mariam attended to Prime Minister Genesia's room and found Elluka battling a demonically possessed Presi. She intervened and rescued her friend from certain defeat, and the two managed to defeat the minister, killing him. Once the demon possessing Riliane was exorcised and Prince Alexiel was adopted by Leonhart, the Queen ordered Mariam to become a maid serving Riliane in order to help the Princess recover from her amnesia and missing brother.

After the event, the new head maid found an unconscious nine-year-old girl in the capital and learned she had forgotten everything but her name: Ney. Unable to leave the girl without a family, Mariam adopted her, sharing the matter with Elluka and Leonhart later while comparing notes on how their lives had progressed.

Fateful Days
"Princess Riliane is certainly very young, but it would seem to be much better to have her than continue with our current state of missing a ruler."

- Mariam's reflection on Lucifenia's future

Following Queen Anne's death in January of EC 499, Mariam attended her friend and ruler's funeral alongside Elluka and the weeping Princess Riliane. Around that time, Chartette Langley became a maid at the royal palace and Mariam often interceded to help clean up the girl's messes.

Mariam later joined her fellow Three Heroes in a meeting of the ministers and princess in the Hall of Sounds. Afterward, she witnessed the Princess proclaim her birthright to rule the nation before the assembly of ministers. Once the meeting adjourned, Mariam met with Elluka and Leonhart after the session convened.

After some discussion, admitting their lack of political savvy, Mariam voiced her preference to have Riliane on the throne rather than to continue with no ruler at all. During this meeting she also suggested to Leonhart that the prince be brought in as a servant instead and the warrior agreed to the idea. Mariam then agreed in turn to arrange for him to be the princess' attendant, reminding them that they should share their decision with Minis as well.

False Assassin
"Listen, Elluka... It's still too soon for you to leave Lucifenia. Please, you need only lend your power to this country for a bit longer." "You're really still saying that after twenty years? I've already done enough."

- Mariam and Elluka



The next day, Mariam was summoned by Elluka to the Hall of Mirrors. After Elluka pretended to attempt to assassinate her (soundly being countered by Mariam's reflexes), she announced her intention to leave Lucifenia.

Mariam pleaded for her friend to stay, citing the precarious political situation they had with their neighboring nations, Riliane being only a teenager. Elluka was yet adamant on leaving, though was moved enough to consider taking on an apprentice to potentially take her place. Their conversation was then interrupted by Ney coming to tell her that Leonahart had brought Allen to the palace as a servant boy.

A Deadly Game
"Your Highness, I beg you, please stop recklessly calling for beheadings. The beheading penalty is a punishment for serious felons. Even if you are just playing..." "I am not playing. I am the Princess of this country. I have the authority to behead someone, no matter the crime. Therefore, I am not playing around."

- Mariam and Riliane

After examining the former Prince and sending him off as a new servant for Riliane, Mariam learned from Minis that Elluka had gone to Elphegort in search of an apprentice. Later on, she found her friend in the halls and asked her about it, though Elluka reported the trip had ended in failure.

The two of them also discussed the matter of Allen and how he had been getting on with the princess, before overhearing Riliane both tackle him in a game of tag, and threaten to behead him for almost winning out over her. When Mariam chided her careless comment, assuming it had been in jest, Riliane insisted it was serious, as it was her right as princess to behead any she wished.

After the Princess left, Mariam and Elluka continued their conversation about the state of affairs in the court, the possible danger of Allen and Riliane's resemblance being discovered (with Elluka unconcerned), and the events that they had just witnessed. As the year progressed, the head maid continued serving the Princess as she became increasingly tyrannical, beheading people for petty offenses.

Their Fourteenth Birthday
"That would normally be fine but today we're celebrating Princess Riliane's birthday. Madam Mariam is more on edge than usual. Wouldn't it be bad if we show shoddy work?"

- Allen to Chartette

On the day of Princess Riliane's fourteenth birthday, December 27, Mariam strictly oversaw the servants' work during the preparations, assigning Allen to help Chartette with cleaning the palace courtyard earlier on.

After Riliane's escape stunt later that day, the servants fell behind in their work due to the search and were forced to make up for their lost time that evening. During the festivities, Mariam attended the celebration and directed the servants to assure the event went flawlessly while also attending to the guests visiting that night. Later on during the party, she found Allen just outside the Hall of Mirrors, suggesting he rest. Allen declined.



She then noted he seemed to have Princess Riliane on his mind, and the two began a discussion about her; in particular the issue of their resemblance and the potential for being found out. Mariam insisted it would not be a problem due to Elluka's statements on the matter of it being a coincidence, and Riliane's clear lack of memory.

Later she was witness to Leonhart storming out of the palace out of anger at Riliane's massive candy castle, as well as Allen's pursuit. She went to speak to the boy, musing on how Leonhart's frustrations were justified though also inadvisable in light of Riliane's absolute power. She then stated that it was the adults' responsibility to evaluate the nation's wellbeing, telling him to simply serve by his twin's side. Their conversation was interrupted by Chartette exclaiming that the party would be over soon and that they needed to prepare to clean up.

Serving the Selfish Princess
After the assassination attempt on Riliane in EC 500, Mariam was one of the few people she permitted beside her. About a week after the princess' birthday, Mariam learned that Leonhart was discovered dead in the river and attended his funeral. Seeing his foster daughter, Germaine, silent, she held the child in her arms, her shoulders trembling. Some time later, Keel Freezis asked for a messenger to visit in exchange for aid to Lucifenia; Mariam was one of the servants chosen but Keel refused to have her, and Allen was selected instead.

A few days later, Mariam was sent on a reconnaissance mission to discover the identity of Kyle's green-haired lover, for whom he had broken his engagement with Riliane. Sending Ney to the Freezis Mansion and doing her own investigation in Elphegort, Mariam reported back that she remained in the dark, as if they were being impeded from learning the truth. The Head Maid watched as Riliane erupted into a tantrum before calling for Prime Minister Minis and ordering him to have all the green-haired women in Elphegort slaughtered.

After Riliane demanded that the forest impeding an invasion be burned, Elluka told Mariam of her intention to flee Lucifenia with Gumillia. Mariam's pleas to the contrary did not change Elluka's mind, and she was bid farewell.

After Riliane hired Gast Venom to aid in combatting the revolution, Mariam was able to have a talk with him. They discussed their new positions in life before Mariam learned from Gast that he was searching for a place to die.

Lucifenian Revolution
"I shall let them see... the determination of the Three Heroes."

- Mariam

Towards the end of the Lucifenian Revolution, Mariam discovered that she and Allen were the only servants who didn't flee as the revolutionaries approached the palace gates. Hearing the sounds of the palace invasion from the servants quarters, the head maid whispered that it had started. Angry, Ney had left without a word. She told Allen to escape as well while he had the chance, but he refused to leave Riliane unprotected. Mariam then chose to fight off the Resistance army herself, entering the Heavenly Yard and singlehandedly bolstering the remaining palace servants to fend of Germaine's charge.

Soon after her initiative, however, she was attacked by a cloaked swordswoman. She returned strikes with her blades, destroying the attacker's cloak and revealing it to be Chartette. Horrified, she pressed her former underling for answers as to why she had turned on them, Chartette explaining her loyalty to the people.

After a heated battle and discussion, Mariam gained the upper hand when Chartette's blade was stuck in the ground. She shattered her giant sword in a single strike, then followed up her attack and kicked the maid into the palace walls. Apologizing, she got ready to finish her off but was suddenly struck by Chartette's rocket glove. Still recovering from the strike, Mariam tried but failed to move while Chartette prepared to deal the final blow. Fortunately for her, the former maid hesitated and Mariam was able to use the opportunity to throw a smoke bomb and escape in the confusion.

During Mariam's retreat and reflection on events, she was surprised to see Ney, claiming she came back out of worry for her mother. When she turned the other way, saying they needed to flee, her adopted daughter stabbed her in the back. Mariam collapsed to the ground, looking on as Ney finished killing her and reflecting on her fate.

Legacy
"That being said, Elluka would have a pained expression on her face whenever she heard the church bells ring. Although she didn't say it out loud, I understand that Elluka was grieving for her lost friends."

- Gumillia's writings

Following her demise and the revolution's end, a patrolling Marlon soldier found her body in the Heavenly Yard gardens and reported the finding to King Kyle. During the peace conference held the next day, he informed the delegates of the report. Although it was assumed she was killed by the revolutionary army during her escape, no one reported the kill, leaving the mystery unsolved.

Years later, Ney admitted to being responsible for Mariam's death to Chartette after toying with the former maid's supposed part in her death. While confronting Germaine Avadonia, the Espionage Task Force's Assassination Squad claimed to each have the skill level of Mariam, although Germaine asserted they were far weaker than the legendary assassin.

In history, Mariam was famed in legend as one of the Three Heroes serving under King Arth I during Lucifenia's conquests. After the death of Shaw Freezis over a century later, Elluka recalled also losing Mariam and Leonhart while mourning his death, lamenting not even being there to see how they died or at least trying to save them.

Personality and Traits
"Mariam... a harsh but gentle person."

- Allen

As a disciplined spy and assassin, Mariam was a strong, independent individual who was unafraid to test her limits, and believed that was a trait of women in general. Normally, she maintained an extremely serious demeanor, conducting herself with a vacant expression and icy gaze. Similarly, she was merciless in battle, cutting down enemy infantry one by one without hesitation, and even killing traitors despite their past bonds.

However, Mariam was not heartless. In rare occurrences, she did smile when amused and sometimes teased others. Unwilling to abandon the seemingly amnesic child without a family, the assassin adopted Ney and acted as her parent. Because of Ney's quiet demeanor, the two acted formally in public though Mariam cared for her like her own kin. Similarly, Mariam considered Chartette to be a good child in spite of the trouble she caused, finding watching over her to be like raising a different kind of daughter compared to Ney.

In spite or because of her defection, Mariam strongly valued loyalty. Likewise, she was disturbed by perceived betrayals, though respecting their intentions should they be noble or just. As a result, Mariam ultimately sided with her sworn loyalties to the royal family over her personal convictions.

Still, she held strong beliefs, feeling that the death penalty was meant for criminals who had committed actual wrongs, and disliked wanton murder and racial discrimination. Although dedicated to her work, Mariam sometimes overthought situations and envied those with simple and straightforward ways of thinking. She also expressed a few quirks in her disciplined behavior, such as pointlessly fixing Riliane's girly bows on Allen because they were askew.

Although faithfully serving the Princess, Mariam disagreed with her whimsical policies but refused to staunchly oppose her on them; however, she continuously attempted to curb Riliane's selfish tendencies, hoping to reason with her, though the Princess ignored her lectures on morality. Regardless, Mariam strived to make Riliane happy and was one of the few allowed to be near the Princess after Asan's assassination attempt.

Her wartime exploits with Leonhart and Elluka also forged a close bond with them. Although only a young teenager when she met the mage, Mariam ended up treating Elluka like a helpless child, irritated by her playful and juvenile personality despite her age and constantly lectured her. In contrast, Mariam respected Leonhart and agreed with his sentiments for protecting the people, though frustrated he was unaware of her feelings for him.

Regardless, she cared for them both greatly and was disturbed by Elluka's desire to leave, pleading for her to stay and driven to tears when she finally left. Likewise, she was shaken by Leonhart's assassination, trembling during his funeral despite her characteristic lack of emotional displays. With the betrayal of Chartette and Ney, Mariam died feeling utterly alone and betrayed by everyone she knew.

Skills and Abilities
"I will fight till the last minute... I have no intention of dying. I want to test my limits."

- Mariam

Trained by Abyss IR, Mariam was a master of cloak and dagger and quickly rose through the ranks of the Asmodean military, obtaining the rank of general by the time she was nine. Gifted with charisma and leadership, Mariam easily commanded her presence in front of others and gained many followers as one of the Three Heroes. When in combat, she took advantage of her skill on the front lines to inspire morale and, during the Lucifenian Revolution, utilized her legendary status to rally a counteroffensive.

As an assassin and spy, she was observant, allowing her to easily sense the presence of those around her and anticipate their attacks while remaining in control of the situation. Likewise, her perception gave her strong intuition, allowing her to deduce a person's thoughts based on their character or circumstances. Because her espionage work, Mariam's identity as one of the Three Heroes was known by very few people and could usually collect adequate information about someone within a short time. When needing a quick escape, Mariam armed herself with a smoke bomb to cover her tracks.

Wielding twin daggers, Mariam's speed and elegance made her combat appear like a dance, her knives seemingly floating with her quick movements, and her aim extremely precise. Her speed also allowed her to quickly move around the battlefield, even when injured, and could swiftly close the gap between her and her opponent or hastily flee. Mariam was also very flexible, able to nimbly move in her cumbersome maid uniform and bend her limbs with ease.

She was adept at martial arts as well, able to easily parry and dodge and could even shatter a large broadsword with a single strike from her palm. The assassin carried tremendous strength in her kicks, capable of sending someone flying several meters into a stone wall with enough force to physically break it. Her speed and grace carried over to her duties in court, making many achievements as Head Maid.

Character Connections
Abyss I.R.: Mariam's former master. Raised by Abyss I.R. since infancy, Mariam was wholly obedient to the witch until losing her memories. Afterwards, she continued to plague her nightmares.

Elluka Clockworker: A fellow member of the Three Heroes. Mariam had a deep friendship with Elluka cultivated during their time together in the Lucifenian Expansion War. She expressed frustration with her lackadaisical manner and was bewildered by her ageless nature, but still valued her company greatly and would often consult her in difficult matters. Mariam also relied on Elluka's powerful abilities to protect the kingdom and was distraught when Elluka ultimately left the palace, considering it one of many betrayals.

Leonhart Avadonia: A fellow member of the Three Heroes. Mariam had a deep friendship with Leonhart cultivated during their time together in the Lucifenian Expansion War. The two would often consult each other in difficult situations, although she envied the simplicity of his thought processes as well as his inability to recognize her true feelings for him. Mariam was greatly grieved by Leonhart's assassination.

Chartette Langley: A maid working under Mariam in the palace. Mariam acted as a comforting figure for Chartette, supporting her despite the maid's clumsiness, and grew fond of the girl. When Chartette revealed herself to be part of the Resistance, Mariam was horrified and expressed disbelief at the betrayal, willing to kill her despite her former affection. After Chartette bested her in a duel, she was greatly shaken, considering it one of many betrayals she suffered.

Ney Futapie: Mariam's adopted daughter. Mariam did not openly show her mother-daughter relationship with Ney, instead treating her as just another one of the servants; despite this, she viewed Ney as her own daughter, training her in and cared for her safety even after the maid fled the palace, leaving her alone. Due to this, she was shocked and demoralized when Ney attacked her, thinking of it as the last of many betrayals as she died.

Gast Venom: A comrade of Mariam's from her days in the Asmodean military. The young Mariam became friends with Gast after defecting to Lucifenia in the Lucifenian Expansion War, meeting him as an exile and coming to understand his troubles. After working with him before the Revolution, she expressed displeasure at how little he'd changed and his inability to accept his sister's death.

Allen Avadonia: A servant working under Mariam in the palace. Mariam was one of the few people who knew that Allen and Riliane were actually twins, and she tried to settle his confusion over how he and Riliane could have such different roles. She treated Allen with consideration and sympathy, suggesting he rest when exhausted and sharing words of farewell with him before leaving to fight the revolutionaries.

Riliane Lucifen d'Autriche: Mariam's employer after Arth and Anne's death. Mariam was loyal to Riliane as an extension of her loyalty to Anne; due to this, she initially entertained hopes of her becoming a good queen and would attempt to lecture her on her cruelty, though she also disagreed with her petulant behavior. Mariam resolved to stay loyal to Riliane to the end, fighting against the revolutionaries invading the palace.

Conceptualization and Origin

 * Mariam's name is partially inspired by the name of her representative Vocaloid, MIRIAM, sharing all but the second letter in their names.
 * Her original name, Neomaria, is possibly a combination of the term "neo" and the name Maria; "neo" is derived from the Greek word neos, meaning "young, fresh, new or recent".

Curiosities

 * She shares the same birthday (July 1st) with her Vocaloid.
 * When asked about his favorite character in The Daughter of Evil series, mothy answered that he liked the Three Heroes, especially Mariam.
 * In Epic of Evil: The Daughter of Evil Fanbook, Mariam was voted as the nineteenth most popular character in The Daughter of Evil series by Japanese fans, along with Aile Freezis, Prim Marlon, Arkatoir Marlon, Banica Conchita, Ma, and the Demon of Gluttony.
 * Mariam's adoptive daughter, Ney, ironically ended up succeeding her as Abyss I.R.'s personal assassin.

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