| “ | "And when the pain gets so unbearable that you'd rather die, just remember: to suffer is to thrive in the grove of dead trees... With every cut you're growing. Now, say it with me: I am blighted..."
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Barbara is a character appearing in Silent Hill: Ascension. She poses as an elder member of a religious organization known as the Foundation, operating in Hope's Junction, Pennsylvania. In reality, she is secretly a devout member of the Heralds, a heretical splinter sect within the order.
History[]
Background[]
Barbara and her sister Aurora were both important members of the Heralds, a splinter sect of the Foundation that believed in welcoming the Withering, a supernatural phenomenon spreading through the towns of Hope's Junction and Stilledalen. They took part in a large scale plan intending to connect two Withering spots in the world, where Barbara would use her influential position to manipulate the Foundation from the inside. [1][2]
Silent Hill: Ascension[]
Barbara presides Rachel's questioning.
Barbara saw her opportunity to enact her part of the plan when Rachel Hernandez, a respected member of the Foundation, killed initiate Joy Cirelli during a bloodletting ritual in the cult's own building and described her death as a monster killing her, causing leader Xavier Candless to believe that Rachel saw the Purifier. Barbara and the other elders presided an audience for Rachel to testify about the events, putting Joy's body on display. Though Rachel blamed herself for Joy's death, Barbara decided to order for a "Ritual of Clarity" and even offered herself to help her carry it out, claiming that what Rachel saw matched the Withering's signs. That way, despite her intimidating presence, she managed to slowly gain Rachel's trust. [3]
Barbara gets closer to Rachel.
During the next week, Barbara continued to study Rachel and her family for the Heralds' purposes, learning Rachel's history with a fatal accident in the local steel mill. At one point, she and others walked into Rachel having visions in their meeting room, asking for the ritual to be done soon. Once Rachel picked fellow Foundation member Krista Lee to help her perform it, Barbara had them leave so she could be alone with Rachel for a minute. She then eased Rachel's worries and doubts, praising her as "special" before continuing her inquiries about Rachel's daughter Faith Hernandez, a crucial player for Barbara's plan.
Barbara (left) and others in the Otherworld.
The following night, the Ritual of Clarity was carried out under Barbara's watch, who feigned optimism for ending the Withering right there. Though Rachel began to bleed out from the cuts, the ritual was interrupted by Toby Cirelli, the late Joy's brother. As he set the room on fire with a molotov cocktail, Barbara and the rest of the people present (except for Rachel's husband, Eric) experienced a shift to the hellish Otherworld, where she identified the Entangler's appearance as "judgment." Following the death of one of the cultists at the Entangler's hands, the rest of them returned to the normal world, as Toby freaked out about what he had just seen and threatened to expose the Foundation for summoning monsters. Barbara coldly taunted him, saying no one would believe him. As things settled down and they moved the discussion over to the library, Barbara called for union and suggested humoring Toby's intentions to keep him calm. [4]
Barbara insists on Faith's role.
Unexpectedly for her, Xavier instead arranged for Toby to be recruited into the Foundation to keep him under control. Once Krista was successful on it and announced it to the others, Barbara argued with him over not discussing his plans with her. Rachel walked in, unsuccessful in her own attempt at recruiting Toby, and confronted Xavier about sending her on a mission she couldn't accomplish. She was promptly dismissed with the news of Toby's recruitment and his upcoming induction ceremony, something that Barbara had an idea about. Intending to get closer to Faith, Barbara requested Rachel to have Faith join the ceremony as the "needle bearer." Rachel hesitated, causing Barbara's expression to turn stern in disdain at Rachel's response. Rachel backpedaled and told her that she'd try to have it arranged. [5]
Barbara discusses Toby's severing.
To her dismay, Toby's induction ceremony took place without Faith as the needle bearer. In the next days, Xavier determined Toby to be the source of the Withering in Hope's Junction, based off a "blight fetish" he found in the steel mill's ruins. When Barbara learned of this, she wanted to have Toby kept under surveillance in the Foundation's building. Xavier then reminded her and Rachel that, in order to end the Withering, they had to "sever" Toby, but it could only be done if Toby's heart was willing to part with life and was free of attachments, such as his friendship with Eric Hernandez. To destroy that attachment, Barbara was quick to suggest Rachel to lie to Eric about Toby doing something unforgivable, or to give him an ultimatum to choose between Rachel or Toby. [6]
Attending Toby's Severance.
The efforts were fruitful, and Toby offered himself for the severance. Barbara attended the ceremony and watched Rachel slice Toby's wrists, before both of them shifted to the Otherworld and Toby's dead body was taken by the Collector, though she wasn't seen around them when it happened. With the Collector gaining the first key from Toby's finger, Barbara's plan started gaining traction. Meanwhile, Aurora was working with the Johansen family in Stilledalen, and they started a new phase of the plan together: the kidnapping of each family's children. During a meeting at the Foundation, Barbara was met with Krista and Rachel's doubts of Toby's severing working, and Xavier's validation of Rachel's fears. Though she tried to play it off as needing time to consult more of Paul Radcliffe's writings, Barbara wasn't able to shoot the doubts down. Then, as Xavier sent everyone but Rachel home, Barbara took the chance and quietly kidnapped Faith in her way out. [7]
Barbara announces she's leaving town.
While Rachel and Eric searched for their daughter around the town, Xavier disappeared and got lost in the Otherworld. Barbara found herself in an advantageous position, as she was able to mislead the couple into thinking he might be with Faith. Although this bought her some time with Rachel off her trail, Xavier was eventually found catatonic on the Foundation's entrance. Needing to get back to where she'd left Faith, Barbara made up a excuse about needing to leave town to study Radcliffe's texts further to stop the Withering and left a letter to Rachel, supposedly from Xavier. Before leaving, she gave Rachel encouraging words about not losing hope. The letter she gave Rachel, detailing strong distrust from Xavier to her and nominating Krista as the stand-in leader of the Foundation, created strong distrust between Rachel, Xavier and Krista, causing enough commotion to distract her from Barbara's movements. [8]
Barbara brings the book to Rachel.
After some days of no news from her, Barbara appeared in the Foundation building with a couple of companions. She introduced Rachel to a forbidden ritual in an old book, claiming it to be a way to stop the Withering and to get Faith back. Upon seeing that she had to sacrifice someone's eye for the ritual to work, Rachel became apprehensive about carrying it out, pushing Barbara to become firmer on her stance, appealing to Rachel's motherhood and guilt. After pressuring Rachel, Barbara left, not before telling Rachel to keep their meeting strictly secret. Rachel would later fall into her trap and carry out the ritual, resulting in her excommunication from the Foundation. [9][10]
During all that time, Barbara kept Faith in the woods, exploiting the generational damage that Rachel had inflicted on Faith through years of neglect and manipulation. Faith was taught lines for bloodletting ceremonies, as well as shown creatures such as the Bruiser and the Smotherer. The "re-education" took several weeks, but was successful in turning Faith against Rachel using her own upbringing. When the time was due, both she and Aurora released the captive children, with Faith being found by Nora Jackson, a visitor from out of town, in the steel mill. [11][12]
Smirking slightly before the book is presented.
Barbara's plan started to be exposed as Eric managed to learn information from Nora, and found a ritual site from the Heralds in the steel mill. Eric presented the evidence and revealed the presence of the sect in Hope's Junction in front of Xavier and Barbara, who was shocked at the discoveries made. In order to throw off Eric and Xavier's attention, Barbara cast doubt on Nora's allegiances and proposed that she's Faith's kidnapper. [13]
Barbara after being accused.
After Xavier died attempting to kill Rachel, Barbara took her in and claimed that Xavier was punished for trying to hurt her, also apologizing for not having intervened before. As Rachel asked her about a Herald verse, Barbara decided to tactically reveal some information to her about the sect. After briefing her on the Heralds' beliefs and casting fear on child sacrifices, she attempted to divert suspicions again by proposing Krista and Nora as potential members of the sect. Later, Rachel gathered both suspects and brought them with Barbara, but instead of accusing either of them, Rachel correctly pointed out that Barbara never mentioned them before despite them being such a threat to Faith. Barbara successfully shot down the accusation by claiming that, were she a Herald, she wouldn't have brought them up at all. Unable to counter the argument, Rachel lost Krista and Nora's support, and Barbara sent her away from the Foundation once again. [14]
Rachel punches Barbara.
With Rachel on alert warning Astrid Johansen in the Otherworld about the Heralds, Barbara and Aurora had to act and start a new phase in the plan. While Aurora was able to keep up appearances and get close to Astrid before striking, Barbara's approach was much more direct as she confronted Rachel in her own home. Knowing Rachel was already onto her, Barbara dropped all acts and told her there's no escaping the Withering. Rachel punched her in the face for Faith's kidnapping, leaving her bleeding from the mouth. As she continued to taunt Rachel, she was knocked unconscious by another punch.
A bloody-mouthed Barbara taunts Rachel.
Barbara was tied to a chair and held captive in the basement. Rachel attempted to interrogate her, but Eric arrived home with Faith, leading Barbara to threaten with manipulating Eric against Rachel if she were to try and tell him about Barbara's identity. Rachel insisted in torturing her once Eric left, but Barbara kept taunting her will to do that and instead offered to give information up if she let her leave. Upset, Rachel pistol-whipped her unconscious.
Rachel and Eric intervene in her teachings.
Despite Barbara's threat, Rachel told Eric about her capture, making him eager to get revenge on her. Although Rachel held him back, it didn't take long for Faith to go in the basement and begin reciting the bloodletting verses Barbara taught her, holding a knife at her. The parents interrupted and took Faith away, but Eric confronted Barbara first about her double-faced nature. As he grew increasingly infuriated at her taunting, he took the knife and threatened to torture her, before throwing it away and leaving the basement. While he left, Barbara turned to Rachel and warned her that Eric's stubbornness will be his demise, and that none of them will survive the Withering. [1]
Barbara restrains Rachel.
After enough persuasion, Rachel gave in and freed Barbara. Predictably, Barbara immediately knocked Rachel out and restrained her to the same chair. She began to cut into Rachel's body to make her embrace pain, telling her that with each cut she's growing. As she recited the bloodletting ceremony verses, she reached for Rachel's wrist, moment in which both of them shifted to the Otherworld in different places.
Barbara is killed by the Smotherer.
In the shared Otherworld between Hope's Junction and Stilledalen, she met the reunited Rachel and Astrid escaping the Smotherer. When Astrid pointed out her resemblance to Aurora, Barbara was happy to meet the person that her sister was working on. Barbara announced to them that they won't leave until they do what the Heralds have wanted. Aurora arrived then, speaking of the Great Empath and how they want Astrid to get her killed for its arrival. The Smotherer then arrived, and the sisters kneeled and praised it as an emissary of the Great Empath. Contrary to their expectations, Rachel and Astrid dragged Aurora away, and she vanished from the Otherworld. Barbara chased behind them and told them she'll have to find eternity another way, before telling them that the sisters didn't do anything to their children, it was all them. She continued to blame them for the state of their children, unaware of the Smotherer walking up to her back. In an instant, she was pulled into the Smotherer's embrace, getting suffocated and torn by the monster's hooks. [2]
Behind the scenes[]
| “ | Barbara. 30 to 40 years old; East Asian, Filipino, Hispanic, Indigenous, Mediterranean, Mixed Ethnicity, Pacific Islander, Southeast Asian; woman. Bookish, spiritual, wise, duplicitous, kindly instigator. Barbara has a secret agenda: to steal the secrets of the Secret Society for her own heretical cult's purposes. She's the puppet master of our story. She likes research, reading, chess, marionette theater, and knowing everyone's business. Always in the background, being a kind and caring friend with deep supernatural knowledge. She is revered and unsuspected. She is willing to open the gates of our realm to outside forces.
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Barbara first appeared in the interactive television series Silent Hill: Ascension, voiced by Pauline Yasuda.
Gallery[]
Silent Hill: Ascension[]
Live event[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chapter 15: PURSUIT
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chapter 16: JUDGMENT
- ↑ Chapter 1: AMISS
- ↑ Chapter 2: BLIGHT
- ↑ Chapter 3: PENANCE
- ↑ Chapter 4: SEVERANCE
- ↑ Chapter 5: VANISHED
- ↑ Chapter 6: FRACTURED
- ↑ Chapter 7: QUALMS
- ↑ Chapter 8: VISION
- ↑ Chapter 11: RIGHT
- ↑ Chapter 12: WRONG
- ↑ Chapter 13: CONSUMED
- ↑ Chapter 14: REVELATION
- ↑ https://www.backstage.com/casting/murkwood-2590037/?role_id=4583501
| v · e · d |
|---|
| Characters |
| Major Characters |
| Astrid Johansen - Brit Johansen - Eric Hernandez - Karl Johansen - Rachel Hernandez - Toby Cirelli - Xavier Candless |
| Other Characters |
| Aurora - Barbara - Eva Johansen - Faith Hernandez - Ingrid Johansen - Joy Cirelli - Krista Lee - Lejo Kant - Mette Dahl - Nils Grønbekk - Nora Jackson - Olivia Haugen - Orson Johansen - Zayn Davies |
| Monsters |
| Crawler - Fighter - Hanger - Snarler - Stinger - The Bruiser - The Collector - The Entangler - The Immolator - The Smotherer - Wanderer |
| Locations |
| Hope's Junction - Stilledalen |
| Terms |
| Monster - Fog World - Otherworld - Paul Radcliffe - The Foundation - The Heralds - The Purifier - The Withering |
| Archives |
| Episodes - Story Branches - Cameos - Arcane Library - Soundtrack |