- "I travel the land, selling my potions and salves for more leaves than you'll see in a lifetime. What do layfolk know of illnesses and their cures? Nothing - that's what makes this job so easy." —Vanessa Hysel
Vanessa Hysel is a character in Octopath Traveler. She is a fraudulent apothecary who deliberately gives her patients medicine with harmful side-effects so that she can sell the remedy at premium prices. She is the second boss of Alfyn's story.
Profile[]
Appearance[]
Vanessa has dark purple hair in the style of a ponytail. Her left eye is obscured by her hair, a clue to her sly personality.
Personality[]
Vanessa originally comes off as a highly acclaimed apothecary in Goldshore for curing the residents of a plague, gaining the people's trust and respect. She appears to hold the same philosophy as Alfyn: that every life is worth saving and that people's gratitude is enough payment and satisfaction for her.
However, this is later revealed to be nothing more than a façade. Vanessa is, in actuality, a devious and conniving young woman who took advantage of the people's lack of knowledge in the arts of medicine for her own profit, giving them medicine with dangerous side-effects on purpose so as to sell a remedy at high prices. She cares very little for her patients, viewing them as no more valuable than flasks to be thrown away once they are no longer able to provide her the revenue she greedily seeks.
After her defeat and imprisonment by Alfyn and his group, Vanessa resolves to turn over a new leaf, possibly due to the after-effects of the slumberthorn Alfyn induced in her. She now sells genuine medicine of very good quality - albeit still at high prices.
Story[]
 |
(I don't think this is where I should be going at the moment...) The following section contains potential story spoilers! |
Vanessa is first seen in Goldshore giving medicine to a sick girl with a fever. She then departed for the Manor District up north to help the upper class citizens. After treating them, hearing their thanks and giving a speech about helping others in need, she then met Alfyn, who had heard about her work from before. After a friendly chat between the two, they went their separate ways.
A short time later, she was once again confronted by the upper class citizens, who state that their loved ones would not stop coughing. After she diagnosed it as the "Gaborra whooping cough", she offered them a tonic that will cure it overnight, however due to the rarity of the key ingredient, which was glowworm moss, she charged 100,000 leaves per phial. As the aristocrats are able to pay for the medicine, she is confronted by Marlene, whose daughter also has the cough, and offered her her savings, which was significantly less than her price for the medicine. However, Vanessa refused to accomodate her, and turned her attention back to the aristocrats, noting she was almost sold out and had to restock on more ingredients, departing the town to the Caves of Azure.
Inside the cave with her sellsword group, she began harvesting the moss when she was confronted once again by Alfyn and his companions. After revealing her selfish desires, she engaged them in battle with her group, only to be defeated. As she feigned repentance, she attempted to escape, but was stopped by Alfyn, who used slumberthorn to knock her out for the guards to take into custody.
Once Alfyn's fourth chapter is completed, Vanessa can be found in the Undertow Cove, where one can either purchase or steal a Battle-tested Dagger from her.
Battle[]
Vanessa fights with two Sellswords. Her shields cannot be broken until they are defeated.
- Attack: Physical attack, single target.
- Concoct Stimulant: Buff. Augments Vanessa and all Sellswords with
Increased Physical Attack for 4 turns. - Concoct Sedative: Single target. Chance of inflicting Sleep.
- Concoct Poison: Single target. Chance of inflicting Poison.
- Concoct Explosive: Elemental damage, . Targets entire party.
- Huff and Puff: Higher physical damage than her standard attack. Targets one character.
- Concoct Restorative: Can only be used if Sellswords have been defeated. Attempts to revive Sellswords.
- Vanessa called for help!: Summons two Sellswords at full health to protect Vanessa. Vanessa's shields cannot be broken until they are defeated. Can only be used once.
- But Vanessa was out of ingredients...: No effect. Concoct Restorative fails if used more than once.
Locations[]
| Location: Undertow Cove | |
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| Conditions: | Alfyn Chapter 4 completed |
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Relationships[]
Alfyn[]
The two were originally on good terms upon first encountering each other in the port town of Goldshore and seemed to share the philosophy of helping those in need regardless of circumstances. However, once Alfyn caught on to her scheme of taking advantage of the people's ignorance in the arts of medicine for her own profit, Vanessa viewed Alfyn as a threat to her "business" and sought his life immediately with the aid of her hired hands. In the end, this plan failed and Vanessa was brought to justice, with her cursing him all the way until being put to sleep and placed in custody.
Quotes[]
- "Here's some advice, little puppy. Don't trust anything you can get for free. A stately mansion, lavish dresses, fine wine... Why shouldn't everything I want be mine?" —To Alfyn
- "The ailing, the injured... They're tools to an end. Just like the little kittens I test my tonics on. They bring me leaves by the bucket. And when they've outlived their usefulness...they die. Do you cry when you toss away a broken flask? Well then, why should I? Ahahahaha!" —Declaring her philosophy to Alfyn
- "So you don't care for my philosophy. Perhaps you'd care to die instead? Hmmm? My ample wealth has allowed me to secure...good insurance. You're a threat to my business. And you don't seem like the type to go home quietly. ...Or the type to keep your mouth shut even if you did." —Threatening Alfyn
- "How noble. But here's my diagnosis... That shabby sense of justice will prove fatal!" —Before battle
- "Wh-what is wrong with you!? I didn’t do anything to deserve this!" —Speaking to Vanessa (Undertow Cove)
- "Oho! Please come again sometime." —Purchase
- "I promise to follow a path that is straight and true." —Guide
- "Oh, you are so beautiful..." —Allure
- "I still cannot seem to find the answers that I seek." —Part Ways (Ophilia)
- "Yes, if it will help your cause, I will gladly leave you be." —Part Ways (Primrose)
- "If you underestimate me, you’re going to end up getting hurt." —Challenge
- "I have just the thing to deal with such monsters!" —Provoke
- "H-hey! Stop immediately!" —Failure to Allure
- "Hey! Stop that, you deviant!" —Failure to Steal
- "Hey! Stop that! Don’t you know how dangerous that is?" —Failure when Provoked
Gallery[]
Etymology[]
"Vanessa" is a name of Irish origin, coined by the Anglo-Irish writer Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) in 1713 when he wrote his poem Cadenus and Vanessa, which wasn't published until 1726. (The name didn't become popular until over 200 years later, in the mid-20th century.) "Vanessa" means "butterfly," likely reflecting the apothecary's colorful appearance and tendency to flit from town to town in apparent innocence.
Vanessa's surname "Hysel" is likely a pun, referencing the fact that Vanessa "sells" her remedies for "high" prices.
Trivia[]
- During Alfyn's Chapter 2, Vanessa uses two textboxes of thought bubbles, making this the only instance in the game where a villain's thoughts are directly visible to the player.
- Vanessa is also unique in being the only boss in Octopath Traveler with an official last name.
- When she appears in Undertow Cove, Vanessa can be Provoked, Allured, Scrutinized, and Stolen from without damaging the player's reputation upon failure, allowing players to repeat rogue Path Actions over and over without suffering any consequences.