| “ | Blood, Flesh Woman. You vile creature. You lure the man into your filthy body again and again... And you are allowed to do that because you are a precious, precious little princess. Precious... Precious little princess.
|
” |
Daniella (ダニエラ Daniera) is the tertiary antagonist
and a stalker from Haunting Ground. She displays severe mental instability during her pursuit of Fiona Belli. She is a resident and sole maid of Belli Castle, often seen preparing meals and cleaning during early progression of the game.
After Debilitas is dealt with, Daniella chases Fiona because Fiona possesses the Azoth, an alchemical symbol of life, which Daniella believes will make herself a "complete" woman, and possibly make her fertile. With limited knowledge of alchemy, Daniella believes that if Fiona is killed, she can simply take the Azoth from her corpse after ripping out her uterus. This seems to be what she is doing during a game over, as it sounds like Daniella is ripping off Fiona's clothes and cutting into her womb in order to obtain the Azoth latent inside, possibly having an orgasm while doing so.[1]
Appearance[]
Daniella's scar-like lines above the ribbon.
| “ | It's that weird maid again... She keeps staring at herself in the mirror like she hates herself or something. I can't see why. Her skin, her eyes, her body... They all look fine to me. Oh well, blame society, I guess...
|
” |
Daniella possesses very pale skin, and light, lavender hair in a fashion of swirling pigtail ringlets with a side bang covering her right eye. She is slender and about a head taller than Fiona. Her face is mostly expressionless, yet she is shown several times to smile and laugh in a sardonic manner. Daniella's palms and fingertips are scarred with multiple cuts that are small in length.
Her back seems to have numerous scars sketched on to it, almost as if someone (most likely Riccardo Belli) has sliced at her back several times with a sharp instrument, possibly to torture her or test if she can feel pain. If this is true, then it is possible Daniella may be used as an object for Riccardo's sadistic pleasure or sexual pleasure. However, another possibility is that the lines are simply part of a unique corset and that the previous speculation is false.
She wears a long, dark turquoise maid dress with a stylized Caduceus symbol on her shoulder, along with large cuffs and an azure brooch. The lower ends of her apron appear to be stained with blood, possibly her own. In Hard Mode, her dress is recolored crimson.
Daniella doesn't feel any pain after being slapped 12 times by Riccardo so his interrogation of her is useless.
In the scene where Riccardo slaps Daniella on the face, a part of her lip almost appears grey where her cheek is bruised, possibly implying that Daniella wears purple lipstick.
An extremely subtle detail is that her right cheek has noticeable veins, evident here and here. Another detail is her fingertips are covered in blood and her palms have cuts.
Daniella's first weapon when encountered as a stalker is a shard of glass originating from the guest room window which was shattered in a manic fit. It is possible for her to discard this, however, in favor of a fire poker if interacted with later on.
Personality[]
Initially, Daniella seems emotionless and apathetic. She is quiet and hardly speaks more than absolutely necessary. When she actually does, her voice is monotonous and has little to no emotional inflection. She does, however, seem kind, smiling at Fiona and giving her clothes and then making soup for her. At one point, Daniella may pass a gift from Lorenzo to Fiona: Hebel's Perfume. However, there are still signs that something is "off" about Daniella, from the way she ignores Fiona's question about where they are, leaves when Fiona collapses to the ground, and gets uncomfortably close to Fiona when dinner is ready.
Daniellas laughing
Daniella laughing.
Later, it is revealed Daniella is severely mentally ill and mentally unstable, suffering from a myriad of both psychological mental health issues, as well as physical abnormalities.
Daniella strives for perfection, and her desire to be the "perfect woman" has led her to levels of instability. She occasionally walks and moves like a robot or marionette. Fiona describes Daniella as "the maid from hell". The official Haunting Ground site suggests that Daniella may be brainwashed or drugged.[2]
Daniella probably chases after Fiona for many reasons. One is out of envy that Fiona has human qualities, such as feeling pleasure, pain, emotions, etc. Daniella has a strong complex towards women because they can give birth while she can't. While Daniella could be viewed as a misogynist, it is moreso due to jealousy rather than hate. Feeling robbed of maternity due to her infertility, Daniella feels useless, damaged and incomplete.
"...and you are allowed to do that because you are a precious precious little princess. PRECIOUS PRECIOUS LITTLE PRINCESS!"
Fiona has also had a comfortable and happy life with friends and family outside the castle, while Daniella has been forced to live a lonely and miserable existence doing endless chores. As revealed by Riccardo, Fiona was supposed to be the sole heir of the castle simply due to "birthright", and the thought of being Fiona's maid and servant for decades likely annoys Daniella, hence why Daniella calls Fiona a "precious little princess", mocking the idea of royalty and inheritance. One could interpret Daniella's reason for making Fiona 10 bowls of soup is to make Fiona self-aware of how "spoiled" Daniella thinks she is and how Daniella thinks Fiona has been treated like a "princess" throughout her life.
Daniella's bloody hands.
Daniella may self-harm. Even in the beginning of the game, her palms have cuts and her fingertips are bloody, implying that she may cut herself to try to feel pain, although this minor detail is never mentioned in the game. It could also be accidents from handling knives as she prepares food or while cleaning, as she claims she cannot feel pain and is shown to have body twitches relating to her nervous system. During the window scene, Daniella's palms are fully covered in blood. Moments before her death, she also licks a sharp glass window shard or fire poker.
Mental and physical conditions[]
"I AM NOT COMPLETE."
Daniella has many conditions, both mental and physical. For example, she is prone to erratic mood swings, behavior that implies split personality, maniacal and hysterical laughter and screaming, and violent body/head twitching spasms.
- (Note: Clock Tower Wiki is not a mental/physical health professional, attempting to take the role of one or claiming Daniella has these disorders. This list is merely meant to analyze what Daniella probably deals with.)
Daniella shows symptoms of these physical conditions:
- Haemolacria — An extremely rare disorder that causes tears that are partially or entirely made of blood.
- Cervical dystonia — Also known as torticollis, it is a type of movement disorder that affects the neck muscles. Daniella would appear to suffer from very severe storms of this.
- Ageusia — Daniella can't taste.
- Hypoalgesia or congenital insensitivity to pain — A decreased sensitivity or immunity to pain. Hypoalgesia at its most severe can render the sufferer completely numb to pain. Despite this, Daniella makes grunts when attacked, although it is unknown if this is because of the force inflicted on her, or grunts of annoyance.
- Psychomotor retardation — Daniella walks/moves extremely slowly at times.
- It is possible Daniella may have an eating disorder, be somewhat malnourished or have mild anorexia. While she does seem to have a slender body, this is difficult to assess because is fully clothed. During dinner, Daniella isn't shown eating anything until Fiona leaves the dining room. Daniella gives Fiona clothing (which may be her own) and Fiona comments that the shirt is "tight". It is unknown if this is trying to imply Daniella's build is below-average, a joke of Fiona having big breasts, or something not intended to be important.
Daniella shows symptoms of these mental conditions:
- Amnesia — Retrograde amnesia is the inability to retrieve information that was acquired before a particular date, usually the date of an accident or operation, and would be the specific type Daniella appears to suffer from.
- Anhedonia — Loss of the capacity to experience pleasure or happiness (at all). It has been described as emotional flat-lining.
- Bipolar disorder — Daniella would appear to suffer bouts of both depression and mania, and likely either suffers from either this or schizophrenia.
- Reduced affect display — Sometimes referred to as emotional blunting, is a condition that manifests as a failure to express feelings. Expressive gestures are rare and there is little animation in facial expression or vocal inflection, all of which are true of Daniella. Daniella may not even feel sadness or depression, but blunted affect (no emotion).
Daniella having a mental breakdown at the sight of her reflection.
- Body dysmorphic disorder — Daniella apparently hates mirrors as she screams and then smashes them.[3][4] Many mirrors and reflections in the castle can be found draped, likely because Daniella does not want to look at her reflection, possibly because she hates her body and her mental/physical conditions, and because she is "incomplete" and mirrors act as a reminder.
- Dissociative identity disorder — Daniella swings from being overly passive to having violent outbursts which may be due to having two separate personalities. Daniella may have a split personality disorder, alternating between leaving Fiona alone for "cleaning time" and then intending to murder Fiona during "kill Fiona time".
- Dysphoria — Daniella is unsatisfied with her current existence and does not enjoy being alive.
Daniella cleaning the same spot relentlessly.
- Obsessive–compulsive disorder — Daniella seems obsessed with cleaning. If the player stays by her when she cleans, she could be perceived as seen cleaning the same spot for hours. She is also obsessed with ensuring every single door in the castle is closed, although it is possible this is merely a tactic to locate/trap Fiona.
- Schizophrenia — Symptoms include disorganised thinking which is fragmented or bizarre and distorted by false beliefs/delusions, disturbed perceptions, extreme moodiness, inappropriate emotional responses and actions (including inappropriate laughter), withdrawal from other people, loss of drive, initiative and motivation, slow movement, flat expressions or little emotion, poverty of speech, and inability to experience pleasure. Mood may also vary from psychomotor retardation to agitation with the patient experiencing periods of listlessness possibly to the point of being unresponsive, yet the next moment be active and energetic. Daniella displays a lot of these symptoms to some degree, especially her belief that she is a mechanical doll or puppet.
- Antisocial personality disorder (sociopathy) or psychopathy — Daniella doesn't seem to understand basic social cues, such as ignoring Fiona's question and getting unfortunately close to Fiona. She is willing to murder Fiona, even going so far to use an iron maiden, a torture device relic from the days when humanity had an affinity for giving people excruciating painful and brutal ways to die.[5] She also seems willing to stab/murder Hewie.[6][7]
Biography[]
Contrary to popular belief, Daniella is not confirmed to be a homunculus, even though her comments, such as "My creator said he made me the perfect woman", imply she is. There is currently no official information stating and confirming that she is a homunculus, although it is still possible. However, there is currently no information confirming she is human either, only that she is a "living" thing. According to official supplementary information, Daniella believes that she is a mechanical doll or puppet created by Lorenzo Belli. It is suggested that Daniella may have been drugged or brainwashed to believe this. However, she is actually alive and it is her own self-suggestion that she is a puppet without Azoth.[8]
It can be theorized she is some sort of artificially/genetically modified human, which may explain her mental/physical disorders, purple hair and ability to cry blood. It is possible she was made with the Hebel flower due to the purple color of Hebel's Perfume. It is also possible she was made with Azoth, but presumably only a limited amount.
Daniella was born infertile. She was kidnapped, possibly as a baby or young girl, by Lorenzo to take care of Belli Castle; however, it is also just as likely he used her for other purposes, such as biological experimentation (presumably as a guinea pig for Azoth). It is also likely that he intended Riccardo to impregnate Daniella in order to continue the Belli line of trying to use Azoth to achieve immorality and the lineage of Aureolus Belli (it is heavily implied that this is the "wet method" mentioned in the game, while Riccardo's accelerated aging is implied to be a result of being born using the "dry method"). If this theory is true, then Lorenzo and Riccardo would eventually discover that Daniella is infertile and become upset, which explains Riccardo's violent nature towards her. This would also tie relate to Ending D where Riccardo impregnates Fiona.
Daniella's mandragora garden.
Daniella tends her own garden of mandragora, which are manlike-faced plants that either screech or use their poisonous leaves as a defense mechanism. It is possible Daniella views them as a substitute for the children she will never have due to being unable to have biological children.
Since Daniella is a maid, she does the food and cleaning tasks that Lorenzo is unable to do himself due to being confined in a wheelchair, possibly to no end, and has no sense of free will. She apparently follows Lorenzo's and Riccardo's orders and begins to disobey both of them during the game. Perhaps from drugs or brainwashing, Daniella has lost all of her former memories, and feels nothing, not even pleasure or pain. Daniella cannot experience taste either. Her senses are very numb and subdued, almost rendering her a complete apathetic and emotionless puppet.
Much of Daniella's life is a mystery, but she was presumably raised in Belli Castle with Riccardo and Debilitas. It's unknown if Daniella knows of the outside world beyond the walls of Belli Castle, or if she has ever attempted to escape. There are some old-fashioned TVs in the castle but they display only static, possibly implying that Lorenzo never connected them to any outside wireless signals. However, there are libraries in the castle – whether or not Daniella would have been able to read the books in them is unknown – it is unknown if Daniella is even literate. Daniella can speak English, but a lot of books in the castle are in Latin and foreign languages.
Given some of her comments during the game, it can be inferred that, like many women, Daniella sought romance and wanted a partner, as Daniella specifically mentions that Fiona can "lure a man into her filthy body", implying jealousy of Fiona's ability to find a relationship. It can be theorized that Lorenzo may have prohibited this, given that he already lost Ugo due to him eloping for the purpose of love, and Lorenzo would have probably felt that if Daniella found an "outsider", then she would likely desert him as well.
Haunting Ground[]
Daniella, commanded by Lorenzo, unlocks Fiona's cage. Fiona first encounters Daniella in the castle's guest room, who seems very unemotional and distant to her. Daniella provides Fiona basic clothing and then leaves. It appears that Daniella had already known about Fiona, possibly from Lorenzo, as she seems prepared for Fiona's arrival in the castle.
Later, Fiona encounters Daniella in the castle's kitchen preparing dinner. Fiona is shocked to see what appears to be blonde, human hair dangling from the ladle that Daniella is using to stir the soup.
Daniella smiles at Fiona through the keyhole.
In one hallway, the player may hear slapping sounds. If the player examines a door when Debilitas is not nearby, they will witness an optional scene in which Fiona peers into a keyhole in one of the castle's rooms and observes Daniella being repeatedly slapped by Riccardo for refusing to tell him where Lorenzo is hiding. At the end of this conversation, Daniella is somehow aware of Fiona's presence and smiles back at her, frightening her and may send her into a panic (depending on Fiona's current panic level and whether or not Fiona has anti-panic equipment).[9] If Fiona does panic, Debilitas may come, so it is recommended that the player save the game at the nearest clock before viewing this optional scene if the player hasn't saved recently.
Daniella tells Miss Fiona that dinner is served.
Once Debilitas is defeated by Fiona and Hewie, Daniella appears out of nowhere and urges Fiona to attend dinner when she tries to unlock a door. It is apparent that Daniella served Fiona too many dishes of soup (at least ten), making Fiona uncomfortable because she can't eat them all. In an awkward conversation in the castle's dining room, Fiona sits before Daniella who tells her that she cannot taste or experience pain and pleasure. Fiona, feeling uncomfortable, thanks Daniella for the meal and leaves the room to go rest in the guest room, since she had lost all of her energy after eating Daniella's soup (possibly because it contained human meat and may or may not contain the corpse of Fiona's mother). Daniella tries to taste Fiona's soup but is unsuccessful, and it reminds her she is "not complete".
Daniella having a mental breakdown.
Daniella snaps from a lifetime of endless maid chores and numb monotony, consumed by envy for Fiona's ability to feel pleasure and pain. Daniella reappears in Fiona's guest room and places her hand over Fiona's womb, jealous of Fiona's ability to bear children, causing Fiona to awaken. Daniella tells Fiona that she isn't "complete". Fiona watches in terror as Daniella begins repeatedly bashing her head against a window and breaking it. Daniella takes a glass shard from the shattered window, cutting her palms in the process, and begins pursuing Fiona with it throughout the castle.
Daniella can be found cleaning in the block puzzle room, ignoring a surprised Fiona who can't believe Daniella is so nonchalant. Upon using the Saturnus Key, Daniella resumes chase. When Fiona trips on stairs, Daniella notices a mirror on the wall and begins screaming at her reflection. Fiona takes the opportunity to flee to the Old Mansion and Daniella pursues.
In a room connected to the library that can be entered by moving bookcases, there is a missable scene. Upon using the film, Fiona watches a scene where Daniella bows to Riccardo. Daniella appears and corners Fiona. Fiona questions Daniella what she wants and Daniella replies Azoth, saying it is the "essence of life... of woman." Daniella shakes her head and gives chase to Fiona.[10]
Daniella pierced through the heart.
Daniella's end comes when Fiona and Hewie enter a stargazing room and face her in a boss fight. Daniella tells Fiona that Fiona's body is "filthy", licks her glass shard/iron poker, and cries blood. After a boss fight, a mirror is revealed beneath her and, at the sight of her reflection, Daniella screams at such a high pitch that the glass above her shatters. Daniella notices and looks up, twirling in the falling shards. A huge shard then falls down upon her, impaling her through her abdominal area and her heart. Daniella smiles as she dies, presumably happy that she has finally experienced pain and can die fulfilled, and probably also because she is free and released from her boring and monotonous life and existence.
Gameplay[]
Daniella
Daniella stalking Fiona.
She initially attacks Fiona with a broken shard of glass. Like all the stalkers, Daniella has her own instant death kill attack. In Daniella's case, she will slice Fiona, but she usually giggles before using this move. This attack is avoidable if Fiona keeps her distance, or if Fiona attacks Daniella from behind. Another instant kill attack is if Fiona gets too close to Daniella, Daniella may shove Fiona to the floor and slash her throat open.
If she can't find Fiona, she has a tendency to take her anger out on Hewie. When Daniella begins to get frustrated because of her inability to catch Fiona, she will begin to walk and chase Fiona differently. She will begin to sprint after her, and then, she will robotically walk after Fiona. When Daniella runs, she can be surprisingly fast.(0:30), (2:25), (4:48) and (5:57)
Daniella kills Fiona with the fire poker.
Daniella may grab Fiona's hand and the player must struggle by wiggling the analog stick and tapping the X button; if the player is successful, Daniella will let go of Fiona; if the player is unsuccessful, Daniella will pierce Fiona, resulting in a game over.
Daniella has a habit of closing doors behind her, which will slow her down a bit and give Fiona a little more time to run, but it can also be deadly if Fiona is in a closed room. There are several mirrors covered by sheets throughout Daniella's level which Fiona can remove, and Daniella can be lured in front of them and be temporarily distracted. She also has a tendency to wait in front of doors for Fiona to find her.[11]
Daniella is the only stalker that can hide in the hiding spots that Fiona can use. Even though she can only hide in the closet and/or dresser, it is still an annoyance when she finds Fiona. The only way to tell if Daniella is there is if Hewie is growling at the closet and/or dresser. If Hewie growls at the hiding spot, then it is inadvisable to open it as Daniella will give chase.
Daniella wielding the fire poker.
If equipped with the optional fire poker, Daniella will become more aggressive toward Fiona and scream more often. In the player's favor though, she will also fail to catch Fiona's hiding places as quickly, and may not close doors as often. She can also charge, which is very frustrating to the player and may cause Fiona to panic or take extra damage.
Daniella's level has a few quirks. There is an iron maiden in one of the rooms. It is recommended to never hide in the iron maiden, unless the player is unlocking cutscenes in the movie gallery. There is a mandragora garden; upon obtaining the White Mandragora, they will shriek, alerting Daniella to the garden. Fiona should instantly hide for a minute by crouching in the bottom right corner of the screen. The underground crypt where the golem is serves as a safe spot where Daniella will never appear. Near the end of Daniella's level, there is a laboratory with two bottles of acid - one "acetic acid", the other "sulfuric acid". Using the sulfuric acid is recommend as it stuns Daniella.[12] The acetic acid does not.[13]
Haunting Ground - Walkthrough (PCSX2) - Part 16 (Boss Daniella)
Daniella's boss fight.
During her boss fight, she is surprisingly frail, either due to her madness and insanity corrupting her, or because of previous injuries inflicted by Fiona and Hewie. She is consequently much easier to knock out than before, but she recovers faster as well. This is stated by Fiona, claiming that she must be "the maid from hell". In order to finally kill Daniella, Hewie needs to distract her as Fiona pushes the blocks onto their respective colored panels. Daniella must be lured onto the shining mirror in the middle.
Quotes[]
- "I've gathered some clothes for you..."
- "Yes, Master... We will keep her here for a while... I will make sure she stays comfortable."
- "Preparations for dinner are complete, Master."
- "Dinner is served, Miss... Dinner is served, Miss..."
- "My creator said he made me the perfect woman... but I cannot taste... or experience pleasure... or feel... pain."
- "I am incomplete."
- "I am not complete."
- "Miss... It's cleaning time now."
- "Oh my. What a filthy little princess. A small present from the lord of the manor..."
- "Miss?"
- "Azoth..."
- "Oh, Miss Fiona...?"
- "Azoth... Azoth... Essence of life... of life... of wo... wo... woman... WOMAN! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Trivia[]
| Daniella serving dinner | |
- There is unused voice dialog of Daniella serving dinner in the game's files.
- Her area theme is "Stalking Insanity", stalker theme is "Something Lacking" and boss theme is "Last Daniella".
- Daniella's name is never spoken in the game, thus Fiona never discovers it; when Fiona refers to Daniella, she simply uses "she" or "the maid". Her name is merely listed in the game's booklet, and in the character viewer.
- Daniella possesses an unnatural purple tint to her hair. In some scenes, Lorenzo is also seen with unnatural purple skin. It is highly possible that they are connected, and that the purple is a result of an alchemical substance, possibly Azoth itself.
- If the player returns to the mirror where she had a mental breakdown, it is revealed Daniella smashed it in frustration.
Daniella admiring a sleeping Fiona.
- Fiona's outfit may have originally been Daniella's, considering the lack of female residents in the castle. Both Fiona's and Daniella's outfits have ornate designs and blue brooches.
- Fiona's comment about the clothing: "It feels almost like it was custom-tailored to fit me. It really clings to my shape quite nicely. Although it feels a little tight in the chest area."
Haunting Ground - Daniella Chase
Daniella trying to kill Fiona.
- The player can avoid Daniella during her level. The first instance is by not opening the bathroom window. The second instance is by not examining her in the Room of Truth, which is unlocked with the Jupiter Key. Avoiding Daniella here will make her keep the glass shard instead of the fire poker. The third instance is by not opening the closet in the Room of Truth's parallel room.
- The dolls, mannequins, and carousel horses seen throughout her level are likely symbolic of her desire to be truly alive and not a replicate of something else.
Fiona saying the noodles look like hair.
- It is possible that what Daniella is seen cooking in a pot at the beginning of the game is the remains of a human being, possibly Fiona's mother, Ayla Belli or another blonde woman. Fiona comments that it looks something like "angel hair pasta." (Ayla possessed fine, blonde hair.) Later on, Fiona will comment that "the pot is filled with what look like tendrils. Wait a second, this looks like...human hair!"
- Daniella supposedly serves this to Fiona later on; Fiona does taste some of it before hesitantly thanking Daniella for the meal and leaving. Immediately after, Fiona comments that she doesn't feel good and seems to have lost all of her energy. If Daniella did cook someone, who Daniella may have cooked is never explicitly revealed.
- Since Fiona feels exhausted and tired after, some theorize Daniella poisoned the soup, probably with a sleeping drink, similar to what Mary Barrows did to Jennifer Simpson in Clock Tower: The First Fear. Daniella may have intended Fiona to be unconscious and to kill Fiona in her sleep instead of awake to make the murder less personal. It is possible that Daniella did not expect Fiona to wake up when Daniella touched Fiona's body, and Daniella's failed attempt of a less personal murder is what drove her to headbash the window.
Daniella in the crypt.
- When Fiona enters the Crypt to progress into the mansion, Daniella is unable to pursue her, thus making it a safe place to rest. It is possible that the alchemic circles on the floor act as a barrier and prevents Azoth or alchemically enhanced beings from gaining passage. Daniella could originally go inside the crypt, as a screenshot of her is shown on the Japanese website in the Items section.
- Daniella's voice actor, Moira Quirk, was inspired by Mrs. Danvers from the movie Rebecca. [14] Moira Quirk said, "Daniella freaks me out quite honestly."[15]
- After Daniella's death in Hard Mode, her dress returns its original dark turquoise color.
- In the character viewer, if the player selects Daniella's animation where she admires her glass shard, her bangs disappear through it.[16] It is unknown if this an intentional easter egg or a glitch.
- Daniella is the only stalker (and character, besides Fiona's parents) to not appear in any of the endings.
- The only ending in which she does not die in is Ending C, the "Dona Nobis Pacem" ending.
- The way Daniella admires her glass shard is very similar to what Stephanie Tate does with her knife in Clock Tower II: The Struggle Within.
- Daniella shares a lot of similarities with Shannon Lewis from Clock Tower II. They are both antagonists with pale skin, purple hair, are mentally unstable and want to kill the protagonist out of some form of jealousy.
- Her Motion Capture Actress is Ritan.
Gallery[]
Art[]
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Haunting Ground[]
Gameplay[]
