Lex Talionis, also known as Thorned Pestilence, is the contracted Infernal Demon of Morgana, serving as the source from which she draws her immense power. An arachnid demon like Phantasmaraneae, Lex Talionis makes her first appearance in Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon as one of the final combat encounters that Cereza must face on her journey.
Morgana's Infernal Demon; a spider covered in thorns.
After losing both her husband and son in Púca's plan to usurp the throne, Morgana herself was exiled from Avalon. It was then she made a pact with Lex Talionis, swearing she would one day have her revenge.
Each of its nimble legs are able to stab with astounding speed and strength. Every thorn on her body produces a nerve-rotting poison capable of immobilising even the largest of beasts with a single drop.
In Inferno, Lex makes her web in the blood-red River Styx, where she does nothing but trap and devour prey, unable to ever extinguish her uncontrollable rage. Her insatiable hunger and thirst only tortures and angers her further. She cannot be communicated with by normal means, but she is able to reveal her inner thoughts to those she sympathises with. Understanding Morgana through her lust for revenge towards Púca, she decided to form a pact with her.
Morgana thinks of Lex as nothing more than a mere tool for her revenge, but she does understand the extreme of Lex's strength, and values her because of this. Her favoured tactic is to create a giant illusion of herself to distract her opponent while Lex rips away at its target. As of yet, none have been able to overcome it.
Story[]
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon[]
Lex Talionis appears at the very end of the story, when Morgana turns against Cereza and tries to kill her for ruining her plans. The demon first manifests via a barrage of Wicked Weaves Morgana attempts to use against Cereza and Cheshire and is later summoned in her entirety when the elder witch transports them all to her own dimension to fight. Lex uses strikes from her legs in sweeping arcs and charging stabs forward, only able to be avoided due to Cereza's ability to use Witch Time.
After Morgana grows desperate, she performs the forbidden Umbran Art Daemon Masquarata to fuse with Lex Talionis into a human/spider-demon hybrid. In this state, Lex's own consciousness is suppressed by Morgana's power and she is merely a vessel for the witch to use. As the technique is so dangerous and uses a lot of energy, there is a chance that both Morgana and Lex can remain stuck in that fused form once it is created.
Appearance[]
Lex Talionis takes the form of a giant arachnid, similar to Phantasmaraneae. Her body is primarily black, adorned with spiked collars of gold around her legs and red crescent moon shapes with skulls along her joints. Every leg is adorned with sharp thorns to house her poison and end in bright red pincers. The underside of her abdomen is a bright pink colour and she has a red stinger on the very end of her body.
Lex's face is much like a traditional spider, with red mandibles and numerous eyes all clustered together in a circle. Her head also has sharp spikes of ornamentation that resemble a crown.
Trivia[]
"Lex Talionis" is a Latin phrase which translates to "law of retaliation", fitting the demon's usage by Morgana as a tool for her revenge against the denizens of Avalon.
