Miriam

Miriam is the main protagonist and playable character in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Crystals that harbor demonic power have been embedded into her skin at a young age as part of a dark curse.[3] She takes it upon herself to confront a fellow Shardbinder and an old friend, Gebel, in order to end his reign of terror and hopefully, find a way to reverse the curse that is currently inflicted on her. Miriam also appears in Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon to accompany Zangetsu on a perilous journey to vanquish a powerful Archdemon, however, whether she is permitted to come along, left behind, or killed is entirely up to the player. Miriam reappears in Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 where she reprises her role as Zangetsu's traveling companion along with her old comrades and three new allies. Miriam is generally a brave, selfless, and determined individual who uses her gift in demonic magic to protect those she holds dear. Potential risks that may arise in dangerous situations do little to discourage Miriam from pursuing a course of action she deems necessary. For example, she accepts that she must enter the demonic citadel alone despite Johannes's initial objections. As shown during her first encounter with Gebel since her awakening, Miriam has a rational outlook on her curse and does not wish for it to corrupt her. Her awareness of the dangers associated with seeking out too many shards allows her to be cautious when it comes to acquiring them. As such, she trusts Dominique and later Anne with handling those that she does not need. Likely because of the trauma she experienced as a child, Miriam is generally a stoic person. However, in spite of her experiences (or perhaps, because of them), she has a great deal of empathy for others, especially suffering innocents. Notwithstanding the importance of her mission, she still sets aside time to help the survivors of Arvantville, such as gathering ingredients during her trips inside the castle to cook meals for an elderly villager in need of comfort. Miriam is fiercely opposed to evil in every shape and form be it either human or demon. When Dominique explains the reasoning behind her betrayal, Miriam immediately points out the faults in her logic and coldly vows to stop her, brokering no further discussion. She does, however, spare Todd the Demon Barber and Orlock Dracule, both self-professed demons, as soon as she's convinced they mean no harm. While Miriam's past trials have afforded her a wisdom beyond her years, she is still physically only 18 years old. There are moments when this shines through, such as when she grows excited upon successfully preparing food; or when, in a fit of childish rage, she threatens to kick Benjamin upside the head after finding him still lost in the castle despite multiple attempts (and wayward stones) to send him home. Due to years of combat training, Miriam is usually very perceptive of her foes. After only a few minutes of observation, she is able to determine that Gebel is under Gremory's control during their first reunion; and that, after their first encounter, Zangetsu had been holding back against her. However, she is not omniscient when it comes down to deciphering other peoples' motives straight away, especially those who are directly involved in her situation. For example, she assumed that Alfred was a foe who wanted the Libre Logaeth for himself when in actuality, he cared for the girl's safety and planned to use the power within the book to banish the castle. Furthermore, she did not suspect that Dominique was working against her until she discovered that she was using the shards given to her for personal gain. The revelation left Miriam disappointed, yet all the more determined to vanquish her and the evil she had secretly perpetrated.