Cipher/Story

Profile

Cipher, real name Cifera, is one of the twelve Chrysos Heirs, representing Trickery. She is a thief known as "Swift-Footed Cipher" due to her incredible speed and agility, granted to her by her authority of Trickery. She is often regarded as the 301st of the Three Hundred Rogues of Dolos, although many don't consider her part of the group. Known as Experimental Factor "OreXis945," among the Twelve Factors that make up the Amphoreus Experiment, she represents the Path of Elation.

Appearance

Cipher is a slim woman with feline characteristics. She has medium-length, light gray hair with white streaks, the left side tied into a braid with a white bow while the right hangs freely over her shoulder. Her eyes are a bright cyan color, with dark blue pupils and golden rings around her irises. Her feline traits are evident by her cat ears and tail, the former covered by her hood and the latter fading from white to dark brown from the base to the end. She also has a distinct beauty mark on the upper left side of her chest.

Her outfit consists of an open-backed, black, blue-lined hooded bodysuit with gold details, which has cutouts to expose her chest and belly button as well as a white undershirt and shorts. Her shirt collar has a black choker, hanging from it a black, one-eyed cat-like accessory. Her thighs sport garter-like straps, hanging from the left side a black bow and bell, while the right has a crescent moon accessory and a blue pouch. On her left thigh is a black buckled strap, and on both her shoulders and back above her tail there are pink and cyan cat-eyed gems framed in gold. Her long sleeves fade in a gradient from black to blue, and she wears black fingerless gloves that show off sharp, yellow-painted nails. From the back of her bodysuit hangs multiple symmetrical pieces of fabric, one set short with pink and blue ruffles while the other is black with golden ends reaching her ankles, also lined in blue.

On her legs she sports metallic, golden, thigh-high armor. Her shoes, gifted by Aglaea, reach her ankles and have blue soles and heels.

History

Eternal Recurrences

• Eternal Recurrence #134 — Khaslana burned down the city of Dolos and revealed to Anaxagoras the answer about the cycles he had been looking for, so Anaxagoras decided to help him. Khaslana and Anaxagoras tried to claim the Coreflame of Reason, but were stopped by Cifera stealing it and before Khaslana could take it back, Anaxagoras tried to intervene and stop him. This failed, and he reclaimed the Coreflames of Reason and Trickery after killing both Anaxagoras and Cifera.^[1]
• Eternal Recurrence #7,753,021 — Cifera and Khaslana made it to end of the recurrence together.^[2]

Eternal Recurrence #33,550,336

As a child, Cifera was exiled from her hometown Dolos after robbing its temple and was forced to live in the streets of Okhema, where she resorted to stealing in order to survive.^[3] Due to her disdain for the Chrysos Heirs, she decided to target Aglaea's workshop, where she passed out after drinking honey brew. Instead of punishing her, Aglaea started taking care of Cifera and allowed her to stay at her workshop, especially after discovering she was a Chrysos Heir.^[4][5]

Around the Year 4031, Cifera organized the "Divine Deception of Dolos", reuniting all of the Three Hundred Rogues of Dolos in their hometown and scattering them all across Amphoreus, allowing them to execute the tricks they had longed to do. After all of the rogues, including Cifera, were imprisoned, Zagreus manifested to mock all of them. However, when they appeared in front of Cifera, they were captured by Aglaea's golden thread and apparently killed. Their Coreflame was returned to the Vortex of Genesis and Cifera passed her trial, becoming the demigod of Trickery.^[6] However, Zagreus was spared by Cifera during her trial, who made everyone believe they were dead.^[5]

Some time after, Cifera became an apprentice at Kephale's Priestly Court for half an year in order to steal the Gem of All Worlds. While obtaining the jewel, Cifera was heard by the dying Chaplain. Disguising as one of his apprentices called Atticus, Cifera learned from the Chaplain that Kephale's Dawn Device would protect Okhema from the darkness only for three hundred more years. Determined to finally be a hero, she remained disguised as Atticus and announced to the citizens of Okhema that the Dawn Device would continue working forever, allowing her lie to become reality. After this, she decided to escape from Okhema because she was scared that Aglaea would eventually discover the truth.^[7]

Nearly nine hundred years later, Aglaea contacted Cifera to ask her help in transporting the Trailblazer and Castorice to Styxia. Cifera accepts after learning of Trianne's recent death, so using her incredible speed she brings the Traiblazer and Castorice to Styxia and leaves. She returns briefly to inform them she found traces of Mydeimos before disappearing for good.^[8][9]

Not long after, Cifera decided to return to Styxia alongside Zagreus, now known as Bartholos, in order to explore it and find hidden treasures. Along the way she noticed Bartholos was acting weird, eventually discovering that Aglaea attached one of her nymphs on Bartholos and used it to spy on Cifera. Aglaea pleads to Cifera to come back to Okhema and help the other Chrysos Heirs before saying her goodbyes.^[5] After Aglaea's death, Cifera decided to help Phainon, accepting his request to keep Kephale's Coreflame safe. While defending herself from a group of Cleaners trying to steal the Coreflame, she runs into the Flame Reaver. Cifera is able to distract him long enough by making him think she holds the Coreflame, while in reality it was hiding in Okhema alongside Bartholos. During the encounter however she is mortally wounded by the Flame Reaver. In her last moments, Cifera apologizes to Aglaea for running away from her before passing away. Due to her death, all of Cifera lies are undone and the Dawn Device stops working.^[7]

Eternal Recurrence #33,550,337

Cifera was born in Year 3942 of the Light Calendar.^[10] In Year 3960, Cifera convinced the ninety-seventh of the Three Hundred Rogues of Dolos, "Bladed Black Velvet" Ferrum, to help Cerydra's army. Ferrum dug a tunnel to Janusopolis that Cerydra, alongside a small group that included the Dux Gladiorum, used to enter the city.^[11]

In Year 4253, Cifera and Tribbie succeeded Castorice as the protectors of Okhema after she ascended as the demigod of Death. In Year 4534, Cifera and Anaxagoras worked together to lure Lygus inside the Vortex of Genesis.^[12] Using her divine authority of Trickery, she disguised herself as the Traiblazer and altered the Vortex of Genesis to look like Okhema. She's able to lure Lygus in the Vortex, but soon dies due to the extertion of her power.^[13]

The Final Cycle

Cifera, having ascended as the Titan of Trickery, reunites with the Traiblazer, Cyrene and the other Titans in the Ruins of Time before fighting Irontomb.^[14] After defeating the Lord Ravager, Cifera and the other Chrysos Heirs appear inside the Astral Express to say farewell before the story ends. She, alongside the rest of Amphoreus, currently exists inside of As I've Written, waiting for Amphoreus to become a real planet.^[15]

Trivia

• The top right of Cipher's official introduction artwork reads "Homeward you come, distant wind." in Amphoreus Script.
  • This refers to her return to Okhema (her second home after Dolos) during the events of Trailblaze Mission chapter The Fall at Dawn's Rise.
  • During the Trailblaze Mission Silver Chariot, Part With That Humanity's Epic, it is revealed that this sentence was the Trailblazer's parting words to Cipher as As I've Written was concluded.
• Cipher has the following aliases:
  • Fleet-Footed Traveler (title in As I've Written, Amphoreus' Saga of Heroes)
  • Kitty Phantom Thief
    • Kitty (by Aglaea)
  • Little Ciphy (by Tribbie and Trinnon)
    • Ciphy-roth (by Trailblazer)
    • Ciphy (by Bubbles)
  • Catgirl
  • Boss Lady (by "Spirithief" Bartholos)
  • Dux Celeripes (by Cerydra)
  • Kitten Fish (by Hysilens)
  • Greedy Cat Big Sister (by Excited Little Dromas)
• Cipher ascended as the demigod of Trickery over a thousand years ago.^[16]
• True to her feline nature, Cipher's favorite food is fish^[17] and she suffers from severe aquaphobia, a fear or intense dislike of water.
• Cipher's boots were a gift from Aglaea, given to her as a child.
• Cipher is unable to eat chocolate.
• Cipher's title, Fleet-Footed Traveler, may be a nod to Hermes, the herald of the gods, as well as the god of messengers, thieves, and trickery. Her boots are perhaps inspired by the talaria, the winged sandals worn by Hermes himself.
• According to the police height chart in Cipher's Character Trailer, "Piece of Cake," her height is originally 166 cm with ears included, but the number is altered to 330 cm.
• The Chinese signature of Cipher's Messages, "Show me the money!" (Chinese: 「来财！」) as well as the Chinese title of Cipher's Keeping Up With Star Rail, "Wealth Comes in All Kinds of Ways!" (Chinese: 「财从八方来！」) are a reference to the 2024 Chinese rap song 八方來財 (Stacks from All Sides) by 攬佬SKAI ISYOURGOD.
• Cipher's Ultimate, Yours Truly, Kitty Phantom Thief! strongly resembles an "All-Out Attack" from the Persona series. The name of this ability is likely also a reference to the Phantom Thieves from Persona 5.
• Cipher's Technique, Puss in Boots, is a reference to the eponymous European fairy tale.
• According to Evernight, Cipher's Myers–Briggs personality type is ENFP.^[18]

HoYoverse Shared VAs

• Cipher shares the same English voice actor, Shea Fairaday, with Mikoshi Chiyo in Genshin Impact.
• Cipher shares the same Chinese voice actor, Wang Yaxin (王雅欣), with Xinyan in Genshin Impact.

Etymology

• Cifera is an alternative form of the Latin word cifra, meaning "cipher."
• OreXis945 may derive from the Ancient Greek word ὄρεξις órexĭs meaning "longing," "desire," or "appetite."

References

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