Skys #

Trigger Warning

This article deals with triggering topics, including substance abuses and references to violent and sexual crimes.

Do you wanna start a cult with me?

The mysterious pink-haired man from the Mantra music video and the leader of the Neosages, better known as the Mantra cult. Dr. Lee MD (possibly Madman) also states that he is the baby with pink hair in the photo we also see on The Science Study.

Comparison of photos to Operation Trinity document shot

Skys was first identified from the Operation Trinity document, which showed a shot of Skys in the official music video for Mantra.

Backstory #

“Skys was a few eggs short of a benedict.”

Dr. Lee MD

Skys has a very tragic backstory, being abandoned by his parents at only 8 years old. He ended up in a country named Ingleterra, which was at war with Novosovia, where he fell in with people he learned a lot of his spiritual beliefs and capabilities from.

Poster for Skys & the Starjammers

At some point he also started a band (Skys & the Starjammers), coming back to Novosovia in 2004. He quickly became the cult leader of the Neosages, better known as the cult of Mantra.

Early Youth & Radiogenic Leukotrichia #

Newspaper image

A baby picture of Skys, according to Dr. Lee MD. Lee also tells us that Skys was born with the pink hair, which is the reason he was always special.

Just like Selene and Sof, Skys was born with Radiogenic Leukotrichia. This results from a genetic mutation, combined with radiation. As a result, the hair produces less eumelanin (responsible for blue & black shades of hair) and increases the production of pheomelanin. The latter is responsible for yellow and red hues in the hair, which causes patients with the condition to have naturally pink hair. We learn about the condition in the Science Study, published in New Elysium in 2037.

In the age when stars hid their faces, there arose a prophet, known by the name of Skys, born under omens dark and dire. In his blood ran the hue of nightfall, and his hair bore the red stain of prophecy.

Passage X: Book of Eclipse

At the time of Skys’ birth the phenomenon was still unknown. The people of Novosovia, Skys’ home country, even feared the pink hair. This caused his parents to hide him and reject him. He was then forced to leave the house at eight years old, as we learn from Unbeleevable Episode 1.

Skys Diary #

Said I was touched by a demon. Said Im not a kid, just a curse.

Skys’ diary is written after he flees from Novosovia. We learn that his parents tried to hide him before eventually kicking him out on his birthday. After this, he describes walking from town to town. Eventually he hid himself on a ship in a crate with boxes, with very little to eat, remarking that rats and him fed off each other.

All I remember was the skys above me,watching me, like it was the only thing that didn’t look away. So when I got to the new world, I told them my name was Skys.

We also learn that Skys is not his real name and he does not actually remember it. He chose the name Skys after only seeing the skies above him on the ship. This is how Skys eventually ends up in Ingleterra, the nation that Novosovia was at war with.

Skys in Ingleterra #

“You see, the groups leader, Alby, took a shine to Skys, and let’s just say Alby was a bit too keen to show off his vanishing act (The dirty git). Skys eventually snaps and kicks the shit out of him. (ooh, that’s gonna sting in the morning). After that he does a runner and hides out in an abandoned asylum.

Lee MD in Unbeleevable (Episode 2)

In Ingleterra, Skys fell in with a group led by a man named Alby. In Unbeleevable Episode 2, Dr. Lee MD hints that Alby was doing horrific things to Skys, eventually leading him to snap, illustrated by violent animations of Skys stabbing Alby in the face. Skys then hid out in an asylum, where he dyed his hair black with leech-blood, effectively hiding the condition he was born with. Skys ends up doing a lot of drugs, which gives him his mares.

It is unknown what happens between the asylum and Skys starting a band, but we know that Skys came back to Novosovia with his band in 2004 from the same episode.

Skys & Early Ecliptism #

From the Book of Eclipse we find out that Skys fell in with yet another religious group. They are mostly referred to as “followers of the First Shadow”, with the First Shadow referring to Alfgram.

Skys spoke of liberation beyond flesh, calling out to those who walked the path of suffering. He declared himself the way to transcendence, for in his words were visions of realms unseen, and in his voice, the promise of freedom.

It is unclear whether they met in Ingleterra or Novosovia, but Skys, Alfgram and their followers ended up in October Palace somewhere in 2004. Skys knew he could not fulfill his goals alone and aligned himself with Alfgram, who also believed that suffering was the way to salvation. The men were close like brothers, according to the Book of Eclipse.

Yet, as the rituals grew darker, Alfgram saw that Skys’s gaze began to waver. The prophet, once pure, took counsel in shadows with those whose eyes glinted with hidden ambition, and Alfgram’s heart grew heavy, for he saw the birth of pride within Skys.

The followers of the First Shadow had seven rituals to purify the soul and reach the Eclipse, something akin to personal salvation. During the rituals, Alfgram noticed something he considered a sin in Skys: pride.

Alfgram would confront Skys about this later and speak his worries to his followers. This caused a divide within the group. Alfgram decided to leave October Palace, where the rituals were taking place, while Skys was sleeping. The followers who were most loyal to Alfgram and his point of view left with him. This enraged Skys and he ordered his followers to hunt Alfgram’s group down. Eventually this led to a confrontation in which Skys offers Alfgram a chance to back down, but he does not. Skys kills Alfgram, seeing the man he considered as a brother as prey, as written in the Book of Eclipse.

Neosages/Cult of Mantra #

Skys remained in October Palace, forming the Cult of Mantra, also known as the Neosages. In the same year of 2004 that he came to Novosovia, he planned a show with his band. Skys & the Starjammers would perform at the palace on the 19th of December 2004. Skys had been doing interviews, acting strange.

His ideas caught the attention of Dr. Karl Strassman, a researcher working on cutting-edge research into spiritualism. Strassman had a partner named Dr. Dallus Lauren, a promising biotechnology researcher. Both attended the concert after Strassman convinced Lauren to go. While Strassman was enjoying himself, Lauren was about to leave when Skys performed a trick on their assistant Ro. Unbeleevable Episode 2 does not conclusively what happened, but it convinces the men to do research with Skys. Eventually they are able to fuse science and spirit, coming to a revelation that convinces the three to start working together for the Mantra cult.

The cult uses a drug named Mantra, popular in the club scene, especially with young people. Skys’ band also helped him reach an audience, despite the Novosovia government being critical of the cult. From several documents we learn that there were also children in the cult, including Dallus’ child Ikaro Lauren, and the Special Six described in Project D.U.S.T.

The Fall of Mantra #

In 2020, an incident named The Fall of October Palace happens, which ends the era of the Mantra cult. The cult is able to fend off several troops, seemingly using supernatural abilities, as we learn from the Project D.U.S.T. research proposal. According to Project D.U.S.T. and Sof’s journal, the Kingslayer project was completed within the Mantra cult. Project D.U.S.T. also mentions P.S.Y. (Psychoactive Structured Yttrium), as a substance capable of inducing powerful abilities like those seen in the cult.

The fall of Mantra seems to be initiated by Skys overdosing on the drug Mantra. The bottle of black pills also states that Mantra is not suitable for human consumption. Medea finds Skys on the floor after the overdose. She seems slightly happy about this, and we learn from Unbeleevable that she was trying to take down the cult from the inside.

Soon after, a funeral takes place for Skys, with many cult members in attendance. Skys is displayed in a coffin. Medea provides each follower with a Mantra pill. They take the pill at the same time and eventually start convulsing, along with Medea. Bolts of electricity take out the cult members and even make Medea’s head explode. Skys smirks in his coffin, seemingly still being alive.

The Coma #

From Dallus’ diary we learn what happened to Skys after he was brought to Arc/Hive after Operation Trinity. Skys is in a coma, although it is unclear when exactly this happened. His body seems to be useless for the 4 time being, along with his unique knowledge of the inner workings of the Mantra cult.

Synth Body #

On the 5th of November 2036, Rebecca Sinclair is working with Dr. Strassman and Dr. Lauren on the SYNTH project for the first time. The company is no longer called Arc/Hive, now being known as Nex Gen. Both Rebecca and the corporation are famous for introducing the first synthetic human body in 2028, saving Rebecca from her terminal illness.

Yes, that Skys. The “Brain Butcher,” the infamous leaser of MANTRA.

Rebecca tells us more about what happens that day in her 2036 Grumblr post, where she is surprised to learn that Skys is still alive. On this day, they transfer Skys’ consciousness to a synthetic body.

And then,- -when his consciousness actually woke up inside that metal skeleton and started begging for death? God, I’ll never get that sound out of my head.

It was his laughter. A distorted metallic sound at first, which then turned into a scream, a howl of raw agony. Then, the kind of silence that makes your skin crawl.

“Kill me,” he whispered, barely audible, like it was speaking from a void.

“Can you kill me? Please… I’m sorry… please.”

“I promise I’ll be good. Just… kill me.”

It was a voice of complete, unfiltered suffering.

Strassman and Dallus Lauren start arguing after Skys awakes as a synth. Dallus Lauren is disgusted by what they have done and tells Strassman that they should not be playing god. Strassman denies that the synth body is causing Skys to behave like this, pointing out that he has been in a coma for a long time. Rebecca states in the entry that she will be the one to kill Skys, although his death once again remains unconfirmed.