As you near the end of Blasphemous, you’re going to come up against His Holiness Escribar. This is one the final bosses in the game, and he’s a tough cookie to crack. You’ll need all the right Rosary Beads in place, and a good amount of luck and skill, if you’re going to beat this guy. Don’t count on doing it the first time around either.
Phase 1
During this phase, the boss is going to teleport around the arena quite a lot. This is a move he telegraphs, so you can look out for the telltale sign that he’s about to go. When he does, find where he’s about to appear. When he’s done with a teleport, he’s got a period of time when he needs to recover. This is the point at which you can nail him for some big damage. Don’t let up, just avoid his attack.
Three Attacks
There are three attacks during this first phase that His Holiness Escribar is going to throw at you. The first is conjuring Toxic Orbs. These can be parried, blocked, of hit back at the boss if you do it just right. They are the only attack of his that you can do this with though. Just block and parry them and you’ll be fine.
The second attack is Elemental Orbs. As I mentioned above, these can’t be blocked or parried, so you need to dodge them. They take the form of balls of fire or lightning, neither of which are good for your health pool. You’re going to have to jump and weave through the gaps in the Elemental Orbs, only because there’s not much else you can do against this attack. It is a prime opportunity to get close and slash the boss for some hits though.
The final attack of Phase 1 is Purple Missiles. These always follow the format of the first Purple Missile being shot at head height, followed by further ones at feet height. You can duck that first one, but you’ll then need to jump to dodge the second one. Just try to avoid these as best you can. Once again, weaving through the attacks can present an opening for you to get some hits in on the boss itself.
Phase 2
Unlike most bosses in Blasphemous, this boss needs to be defeated in order to be beaten a second time. His Holiness Escribar isn’t the true form of this boss. Once you’ve smashed his initial health pool down to nothing, he’ll explode and reveal his true form.
This phase of the fight is actually another boss fight entirely, which we’ll cover in a separate guide and link to here. This fight is going to cost you a lot of health if you’re not careful, which isn’t what you want going into the final boss of the game.
My advise is to do the same thing you always do with bosses. Stay focused on getting in attacks when it’s safe. Don’t be stupid, and preserve your health. More than any other time, this is when you need as much health in your back pocket as possible.
Lore
With this being the precursor to the final boss, there’s quit a bit more lore around His Holiness Escribar than you’d think. The Miracle first transformed him into a tree, which was then burned to the ground, leaving a pile of ashes covering the main cathedral’s ambulatory tower. However, His Holiness’ throne was preserved at the top. Anyone who arrived to try to climb the tower was swallowed by the ashes.
After a time, the ash churned out all who had been consumed by it. They were all transformed into hideous monsters, and they’re what The Penitent One has been fighting this entire time. Now all of those people fight to punish anyone they come across. Above them all, is His Holiness.
If you’re struggling with any other bosses in Blasphemous, check out our guides for the following for some tips. Crisanta of the Wrapped Agony, Quirce Returned by the Flames, Melquiades the Exhumed Archbishop, Esdras of the Anointed Legion, Our Lady of the Charred Visage, Ten Piedad, Warden of the Silent Sorrow, Tres Augustias, and Exposito Scion of Abjuration.