YMMV / The Storykeepers

• Complete Monster:
  • Nihilus, the centurion in service to Emperor Nero, is defined by his ruthlessness and utter lack of conscience. After participating in the burning of Rome, Nihilus continues to lead The Purge of Christians, having countless victims captured to be thrown to lions. At one point Nihilus implements a plan to have entire neighborhoods burned down, endangering hundreds of people. Upon learning that his fellow centurion Tacticus was secretly a Christian, Nihilus attempts to have him executed. Learning that Ben was a Christian leader, Nihilus arranges a public crucifixion for him while attempting have his wife and adopted children burned alive. Murdering his colleague after he saves Ben’s life, the disgraced Nihilus follows the heroes into the desert, planing to kill Tacticus and leave children to die of thirst as revenge.
  • "Starlight Escape": King Herod was a paranoid and temperamental tyrant who ruled over Israel. After being informed of the birth of King in Bethlehem the new King in Bethlehem by the traveling Magi, Herod tries to manipulate them into finding the child for him in order to kill him and secure his own rule. After the Magi don't return with the location of the child, Herod spitefully orders his army to kill every male child in Bethlehem under 2 years old.
• Fridge Horror: Nihilus takes Ben away at one point, palming a whip and stating that before Ben knows Nero’s wrath, “you’ll know mine.” Ben visibly flinches at the implication. The fridge horror kicks in when you consider the fact that the ancient Romans made torture an art, and as Ben is both a resident alien (not a citizen) and an ethnic minority, he’s little more than battering practice for the Romans.
• Fridge Logic: Typically, a male lion’s first act as a new pride leader is to kill any existing cubs, as a means of driving the lionesses into estrus. But Mangler seems perfectly content with Leo and Theo. Supposedly because he’s been missing his pride, and this new lioness and her cubs make up for the loss.
• Moral Event Horizon:
  • Nero has several candidates, starting the fire of Rome, threatening Tacticus with death for refusing to worship him and ordering Ben's crucifixion for his entertainment.
  • Nihilus crosses the line when he tries to burn the children alive in their own home.

---