In the splendid and sinister world of Blasphemous, there are many challenges that will face the players, however, all can be combated with an iron will, firm devotion, and mystical Prayers. These faith-filled abilities act as this game's version of spells and come in great variety; 13, in fact.
Each Prayer can be found throughout the game and be acquired by many different means; from quest rewards, to boss drops, and even being purchasable from merchants. Depending on the specific Prayer, the Penitent One can potentially use them to buff themselves, leech health from enemies, or unleash holy devastation with massive columns of light. As they are versatile, helpful, and fun to use, players should seek them all out so that one's blue Fervor bar's contents do not go to waste, for Fervor is the mana that allows the Penitent One to call forth these battlefield miracles.
Companillero To The Sons Of The Aurora
This one will take a while to get, as the Penitent One needs to rescue all 38 of the Children of Moonlight who are imprisoned in ornate, flying vessels of glass across all Cvstodia. However, once that tedious yet satisfying task is complete, players should head to the upper left area of The Sleeping Canvases to speak with Jocinero, the leader of the Children of Moonlight so that they can bestow upon the player a Prayer.
The huge cherubic being within a bull will grant the Companillero to the Sons of the Aurora, which, when used, will summon Children of Moonlight to attack the enemies of the Penitent One.
Cante Jondo Of The Three Sisters
This one is fairly easy to get, though requires that one have 2 specific relics equipped: the Three Gnarled Tongues and the Linen of Golden Thread. From the upper leftmost Prie Dieu save point in the Archecathedral Rooftops, head to the leftmost ledge of the screen and drop down through the haze, though be sure to hug the left wall.
As the Penitent One falls through the following area, they will shortly be met with a rapidly-growing branch of woven roots that will catch them. From there, climb the left wall and traverse the open doorway to find a golden chest containing the Cante Jondo of the Three Sisters. When used, this Prayer unleashes a terrifying roar that damages all enemies.
Debla Of The Lights
Debla of the Lights is an excellent area of effect Prayer that can call down a pillar of light that envelopes the Penitent One in grace while devastating any enemies around the player. Because of the huge damage that it does and the fact that it is centralized around the player's hitbox, this Prayer is excellent for both offense and defense.
To acquire it, players will need to meet Lvdovico by speaking with them through an open window of a simple church-like structure in Albero. After starting their quest by speaking with them, players must gather 3 quest items from around Cvstodia:
- Tentudia's Carnal Remains (found in the Wasteland of Buried Churches across some red platforms that players will need the Blood Perpetuated in Sand relic to cross)
- Remains of Tentudia's Hair (found Where Olive Trees Wither upon a ledge across from some condemned enemies and a skeleton digger)
- Tentudia's Skeletal Remains (found at the Graveyard of the Peaks in the top rightmost area of this location and needs the Blood Perpetuated in Sand and Three Gnarled Tongues relics to be reached)
After collecting all of these remains, head back to Lvdovico in Albero to complete the quest and he will reward the player with this powerful Prayer.
Lorquiana
This Prayer is the closest one can get to letting loose a Dragon Ball-like energy beam attack, for Lorquiana allows the Penitent One to shoot a linear beam of bright lightning across the screen.
To get this behemoth of a beam attack, head to the Library of Negated Words after one has acquired the Blood Perpetuated in Sand and have a good think about the levers and ladders located in a big, open room towards the bottom left of the area. It's not that tricky of a puzzle and can be brute-forced if one doesn't feel like problem-solving. The end goal is to get to the upper right of the screen while the gate located there is up.
Romance To The Crimson Mist
Also in the Library of Negated Words, there is a chamber with 3 open books, each on a different pedestal, that will require the player to perform different actions in order to open up the right doorway that leads to a Prayer. Before doing these 3 specific actions, however, one must collect 3 specific bones as well:
- Femur of Karpow, the Bounty Hunter (found at the Mother of Mothers in an area to the right of a Prie Dieu and below a Mea Culpa Altar)
- Tibia of Alsahli, the Mystic (found in the Library of Negated Words in an area close to the Prie Dieu with Diosdado and requires the Blood Perpetuated in Sand and Three Gnarled Tongues relics to be reached)
- Kneecap of Sebastian, the Puppeteer (found when entering Mercy Dreams via The Sleeping Canvases)
After collecting these 3 bones, players must perform the following actions in order to open the door on the right which leads to the Romance of the Crimson Mist; a Prayer that releases a toxic cloud of blood from the player that hurts enemies:
- Unequip everything
- Fill up the Fervor bar by sacrificing health
- Wait between 5 and 10 seconds
Saeta Dolorosa
To obtain this Prayer that lets the Penitent One heal from every attack made against a foe, players will have to complete Gemino's quest Where Olive Trees Wither by bringing them some hot oil that can be found in the Covent of Our Lady of the Charred Visage.
This will open up an area Where Olive Trees Wither that will bring the player to a coffin that will only open if one places the item Dried Flowers Bathed in Tears (given by Gemino after completing his quest) near it. Within will be the Saeta Dolorosa Prayer.
Seguiriya To Your Eyes Like Stars
This Prayer will be easy to find, and fairly early, as it is within the soon-reached area of Mercy Dreams. From the first Prie Dieu in this location, keep heading right and down until one descends a ladder being shot at by 3 magical turrets that are above a retracting spike pit.
Head down carefully and head immediately right to find a room with a gate that opens up containing a golden coffin. This sarcophagus contains Seguiriya to your Eyes like Stars, a Prayer that increases the speed of the Penitent One's attacks for a brief period. Just be wary after collecting it, as the gate will close and wraiths will spawn to attack the player.
Solea Of Excommunication
Here is another Prayer that is fairly painless to acquire, for it involves no riddles or enemy ambushes. From the top right entrance into Jondo, use the moving platform to head left. Be sure to have the Three Gnarled Tongues relic equipped as one will need the help of some fast-growing roots to climb up to a ledge to the left of where the platform stops moving.
On top of this ledge, the Penitent One will find a gold coffin housing the Solea of Excommunication Prayer, which will transform the player's regular attacks into incredibly powerful ones for a brief period after use.
Taranto To My Sister
Knowing where to find the Prayer Taranto to my Sister is not the tricky bit, however, acquiring it may be, as the Penitent One will need to take out a tricky boss: Esdras, of the Anointed Legion. They can be battled upon the Bridge of Three Calvaries, though before rushing in, be prepared for Esdras' relentless attacks.
He also summons his sister Perpetua to aid him in battle during the 2nd phase, which makes this fight quite chaotic. Patience is a virtue here as the only real way to come out victorious is to keep evading the attacks of the siblings, including vertical beams of lightning, while striking during short openings. After one slays Esdras, his sister will take off and the player will be rewarded with this boss's most powerful attack: Taranto to my Sister, which is the same move that Esdras uses that calls down 3 columns of light from the heavens to strike nearby foes.
Tiento To Your Thorned Hairs
Tiento to your Thorned Hairs is arguably the most powerful defensive Prayer, as it grants invincibility for a short time, which can completely negate the most devastating moves of some bosses, making certain fights trivial. However, there is a lot of back and forth between areas and item-fetching required to get it. Here's are the step by step instructions to help alleviate any confusion:
- Find the NPCs Cleofas and Socorro in the Mother of Mothers to speak with Cleofas
- Choose to "Make an Offering", as this is the easier of the 2 options to get his Prayer
- Collect 3 Masks of Refuge that drop from soldiers of the Anointed Legion who can be found at the Archcathedral Rooftops
- Go to Albero and talk to Lvdovico to acquire the item Cord of the True Burying
- Go back to Cleofas and Socorro to give the latter the 3 masks (this will cause Cleofas to leave the room)
- Find Cleofas in the upper areas of the Archcathedral Rooftops
- Speak to him and give him the Cord of True Burying (he will then go to Albero)
- Head to Albero and meet Cleofas in the same church-like building where Lvdovico resides
- Speak to Cleofas to get Tiento to your Thorned Hairs
Verdiales Of The Forsaken Hamlet
This will be the easiest out of all the Prayers to obtain, as it is literally impossible to miss. When one begins marching down The Holy Line near the start of the game, this Prayer will be given to the player immediately before the tutorial will tell one how to use the holy might of these spells.
It is not a bad one, as it launches waves of energy birthed from a blue-white explosion that travel both left and right of the Penitent One, hurting any enemies on the ground.
Zambra Of The Resplendant Crown
Players should seek out this Prayer as soon as they have acquired the Nail Uprooted from Dirt relic, as Zambra of the Resplendant Crown grants more precious Tears of Atonement, the currency in the game, to drop from enemies that one kills for a brief period.
From the central area of the Desecrated Cistern, head up the 2 parallel ladders that each have toxic sewage dripping down them in alternating intervals and then go through the right doorway to find a long corridor with many shield-bearing enemies and some slimy ones that hide in the water. Go all the way to the right to find a gold coffin containing the desired Prayer.
Zarabanda Of The Safe Haven
With so few true allies in the bloody yet beautiful world of Blasphemous, this one may sadden the player a bit to collect. To gain the Zarabanda of the Safe Haven, the Penitent One must ask the NPC Viridiana for help 3 times to defeat 3 different bosses. After the third, Viridiana will appear in the boss room and will allow the player to speak to her.
She will say a couple of heartfelt lines to the player before giving them the Prayer and then dying following a fit of coughing. Zarabanda of the Safe Haven is the last remaining assistance that Viridiana can give the player in the form of a projectile spell that can block and break incoming enemy projectiles as well as doing damage to foes it hits; a great defensive and offensive tool for many occasions.