Taotie

Taotie
True FormDiminutive Form
Hometown	Odium
Current Residence	Inside Hoyoung
Gender	Male
Race	Robot
Family	Kaling (creator)
Affiliations	Hoyoung Kaling (formerly)
Enemies	Kaling
Status	Alive
Name (Other Servers)
KoreaMS	도철 (Docheol)
JapanMS	トウテツ (Toutetsu)
ChinaMS	饕餮 (Tāotiè)
TaiwanMS	饕餮 (Tāotiè)
MapleSEA	Docheol
Voice Actors
KoreaMS	Siho Hong

Taotie is one of the Four Perils of Grandis, created during the Ancient War by Kaling in order to consume small fiends and gather power for her Adversary experiment. After Kaling succumbed to the contamination, the Four Perils began terrorizing Grandis until they were sealed away by Master Tai Yu. Ages later, Taotie was accidentally freed by Tai Yu's apprentice, Hoyoung. Hoyoung's attempt to reseal Taotie resulted in Taotie being sealed within the boy, with the fiends that he consumed being released across Grandis, prompting the pair to undergo a mission to recapture them and leading the two to develop an unlikely friendship.

Story

Past

Taotie was created during the war against the Ancient Gods by Kaling, a researcher and a defective Vessel from Odium. He, along with Qiongqi, Taowu, and Hundun, were mechanical robots given sentience and sent to Grandis in order to devour lesser fiends, as Kaling hoped to augment their strength and combine them in order to create an ultimate weapon. The four of them soon became known as the Four Perils as they began terrorizing all of Grandis. Before Kaling could finish her experiment, the Adversaries won the war against the Ancient Gods. At the end of the war, the researchers of Odium realized that they could no longer turn a blind eye to Kaling's madness, and so they sent another defective Vessel named Tai Yu in order to stop her. Tai Yu successfully sealed away Kaling in a place that the researchers could not reach, and in a way that left no trace. He also sealed most of the Four Perils, including Taotie, who was trapped in a Stone of Sealing at Tai Yu's Hermitage in Cheong-woon.

Cheong-woon Valley

In the present day, Taotie called to Hoyoung from his seal while Tai Yu was away and offered to give him the power of magic in exchange for his freedom. However, Hoyoung saw through Taotie's ruse and decided to play a trick on him by lifting the talisman just an inch in order to get Taotie's hopes up before letting it fall back into place again, laughing at Taotie's foolishness in thinking that he was a gullible child. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew off the talisman that Hoyoung had accidentally loosened, causing the Stone of Sealing to shatter and allowing Taotie to break free. Hoyoung immediately realized his mistake and formulated a plan to reseal Taotie. He laughed and told the monster that he couldn't possibly believe that it was Taotie. He then asked Taotie to prove that he was truly one of the Four Perils by moving the mountain, claiming that the real Taotie could easily accomplish such a feat. Taotie easily lifted the mountain, but Hoyoung continued to subject him to more tests.

Eventually, Taotie tired himself out and Hoyoung took the chance to use one of the talismans that he had stolen from his Master's desk to reseal him. However, Hoyoung accidentally sealed Taotie inside himself, but his weak magical mastery meant that he was unable to seal the fiends that Taotie had devoured, causing them to be unleashed upon Grandis. Taotie, who had been reduced to a tiny creature, was furious that Hoyoung had released all the fiends that he had devoured over the ages. He then granted Hoyoung the power to use magic and explained that it was to help him track down and catch all the creatures whom he had let loose. Hoyoung and Taotie then went to the village, where Hoyoung decided to become a private investigator in order to learn more about where the fiends were. At the Information Broker Bureau, Hoyoung encountered Kaling, who was working there in order to discover the location of the Four Perils that she had created. Hoyoung and Taotie then began solving cases about the free fiends, allowing Taotie to consume them. After collecting all the fiends in Cheong-woon, Hoyoung decided to travel to Maple World, where he believed the rest of the fiends would be.

Sealing the Fiends

In Maple World and Grandis, Hoyoung began the task of consuming the fiends, allowing him to grow stronger as Taotie did.

• Lv. 30: In Ellinel Fairy Academy, Hoyoung forced a fiend out of the Mole King, allowing Taotie to consume it. Taotie explained that it was an Ant Monster, which used to dig tunnels deep in the earth and stir up trouble. He noted that it was interesting that it would possess a mole monster. Hoyoung asked if it meant that Taotie always ate troublemaker spirits, but Taotie explained that sometimes he devoured gentle spirits, or even spirits that Hoyoung might consider cute.
• Lv. 50: Soon after, Taotie sensed another fiend in the Swamp Region and directed Hoyoung there. Hoyoung was surprised to find a portal, which Taotie explained had been created by the fiend distorting the surrounding space, as it had gained much more of its old strength. Inside the space, they found the Crocodile Bird monster. After Taotie swallowed it, Hoyoung asked how many fiends Taotie had consumed. Taotie told him that he had consumed well over a thousand, meaning that Hoyoung had much more work to look forward to.

• Lv. 65: Some time after Hoyoung learned new spells by returning to the Hermitage through his dreams, Taotie found traces of another fiend in the Ant Tunnel Square in Sleepywood. They found the Talisman Monster possessing a Zombie Mushroom and Taotie explained that the fiend only appeared in dark places. Hoyoung then had the idea of lighting the cave in order to weaken it. After lighting candles around the area, Hoyoung was able to defeat the fiend, allowing Taotie to consume its spirit.

• Lv. 90: Some time after Hoyoung joined the Maple Alliance, Taotie sensed another monster in Ariant. At the town, they chased rumors until they learned that a dried-up cactus had drained an entire oasis. In the desert, they encountered a warp in space created by the Sand Monster, which Taotie believed had possessed the cactus. After Hoyoung defeated it, Taotie emerged to consume the Sand Monster's spirit.

• Lv. 110: After being taught more magic by Tai Yu, Hoyoung continued hunting down more fiends. In El Nath, Hoyoung captured a Wolf Monster, who hid inside a powerful Yeti, as it was afraid of conflict. After catching it, Hoyoung and Taotie had a snowball fight, which ended in a draw when neither refused to yield.
• Lv. 130: In Mu Lung, Hoyoung captured a Book Monster, which had possessed King Sage Cat. Taotie explained that the Book Monster was poor at making friends, and in order to avoid loneliness, it forced others to stay by having them solve challenging riddles. After answering countless riddles, Hoyoung convinced the Book Monster to emerge from within King Sage Cat, after which Taotie immediately consumed it.
• Lv. 150: In Wyvern Canyon, Hoyoung heard rumors that Leviathan, the master of the canyon, had disappeared. Believing it to be the work of a fiend, Hoyoung and Taotie tracked it to the Warped Path it had created. Taotie explained that the fiend was a Lizard Monster, which could blend in with its surroundings. Hoyoung formulated a plan to feign ignorance when he entered the Warped Path in order to get the Lizard Monster to drop its guard and deactivate its camouflage to attack them. Sure enough, Hoyoung was able to force it to release Leviathan, allowing Taotie to consume it.
• Lv. 170: Hoyoung heard stories about aliens in Omega Sector and convinced Taotie to visit under the pretense of hunting for fiends. Hoyoung was thrilled to find proof of aliens after being beamed up to their mothership, where they found the Magnet Monster possessing Chief Gray. He was surprised to know that the Magnet Monster made its hosts even weaker, as opposed to the other fiends. Even after consuming it, Taotie noted that Chief Gray's body aches likely wouldn't go away, as they came from old age. Hoyoung then asked how much body pain Taotie had because of his age, much to Taotie's annoyance.
• Lv. 180: Taotie sensed another fiend in Savage Terminal and teleported Hoyoung to the Scrapyard, where they found the Frog Monster bathed in toxic waste. Taotie explained that the Frog Monster sought the most disgusting place that it could find, which allowed it to become the very essence of filth over time. Having grown up near vegetation and clean water, Hoyoung nearly passed out from the stench and quickly defeated it before it became too much for him to bear.
• Lv. 190: Taotie teleported Hoyoung to Vulpes, where they encountered a Cocoon Monster. Taotie explained that it was in the process of maturing into an adult insect fiend. The Cocoon Monster noticed Taotie and told him that it almost hadn't recognized him because of how small he had become, much to Hoyoung's amusement and Taotie's irritation. Taotie then asked the fiend where its brothers were, explaining to Hoyoung that the Cocoon Monster had two brothers, and that the three siblings were seldom seen apart. The Cocoon Monster explained that it had lost them when they had fallen into Fox Valley, and that their timidity prevented them from searching for each other. Taotie told Hoyoung that because of the siblings' bond, he needed all three spirits to be present before he could consume them. Hoyoung then found its brothers and reunited the siblings. As the siblings happily spoke with each other, Hoyoung recalled how he used to ramble to his Master as a child, who would always patiently listen whenever Hoyoung wanted to talk. Satisfied at being together again, the three Cocoon Monsters willingly allowed themselves to be consumed by Taotie once again. Taotie then told Hoyoung that there was just one more fiend left to find.

The Memory Keeper

During Hoyoung's quest to regain his lost memories at the Memory Keeper's suggestion, Hoyoung reminisced with Taotie about their first meeting and how much they'd grown. Taotie admitted that Hoyoung had been weak when they had first met, though he had now become stronger and more responsible. He then joked that he would categorize Hoyoung as 'good' if he were to collect all the fiends.

The Final Act

At Taotie's request, Hoyoung traveled to the Temple of Time, where the final fiend awaited him. After Taotie consumed it, his full power and original form returned. As Hoyoung cautiously asked what came next, the ground began rumbling and Taotie told Hoyoung that they weren't alone. Hoyoung asked if it was another fiend, which Taotie confirmed, though he admitted that it wasn't one that he had consumed, and that it felt strangely familiar. Unexpectedly, Kaling appeared before them and told them that she was a collector of monsters, and that she had her sights set on a particular monster in the possession of someone else. Hoyoung realized that she was referring to him and told her that Taotie had already swallowed the monster that she wanted. Kaling grew irritated and told him that it was Taotie himself who she was after, claiming that he deserved someone who wouldn't hesitate to unleash his destructive powers. However, Hoyoung refused to hand Taotie over, claiming that despite Taotie's destructive powers, he was Hoyoung's friend, which surprised Taotie. Frustrated, Kaling used a mysterious power to create a demonic hand that engulfed Hoyoung and began draining his life force. Taotie asked Hoyoung why he didn't just let her take him, to which Hoyoung replied that he couldn't afford to let Kaling seize control over his destructive power. He asked Taotie to help him, but Taotie explained that he was still bound inside Hoyoung, and so he couldn't use his powers against her.

However, he recognized that Kaling was using another one of the Four Perils against them and told Hoyoung that he could cancel out its power, though he couldn't guarantee that Hoyoung would survive the process. Nevertheless, Hoyoung told him to do it, and so Taotie used his powers to free them from Kaling's grasp. However, Kaling recognized that Hoyoung was barely able to stand after Taotie had used his powers, and so she decided to press her advantage and moved to attack. To everyone's surprise, however, Hoyoung's Master appeared as an astral projection and blocked Kaling's attack. Kaling was shocked and angered that a true sage had appeared. She declared that she could easily defeat his astral projection, to which Hoyoung's Master used his powers to teleport Hoyoung to the Hermitage. After Hoyoung awoke, he asked his Master what he was doing there. His Master explained that before leaving on his journey, he had implanted a copy of his soul inside Hoyoung in case his apprentice ran into real trouble. Hoyoung asked his Master where he was, to which his Master explained that it was confidential information. He apologized for leaving Hoyoung to fend for himself, but explained that there was a great darkness that loomed over the outside world. He then asked Hoyoung whether he would choose to leave the Hermitage to face that darkness, or to remain safe inside. After considering it, Hoyoung told him that he couldn't stand by when people were in danger anymore. His Master was pleased by Hoyoung's answer, though he added that their time was growing short before his apparition would disappear. Before he left, he gave Hoyoung a special spellbook and told him to give Taotie his best regards. After he left, Taotie revealed that Hoyoung's master was actually Tai Yu, the legendary sage who had sealed away the Four Perils. Hoyoung was awed to know that his master was the same sage whom he looked up to. Though Taotie was irritated to know that Hoyoung was the apprentice of the man who had sealed him away, he begrudgingly agreed to continue traveling with Hoyoung, as a small part of him had secretly grown fond of the boy as well.

Fifth Job Advancement

During Hoyoung's 5th job advancement, the Goddess of Maple World asks Hoyoung what it is that he cherishes most in the world. If Hoyoung selects "The Bond of the Outside World", he notes that there are many people who need him, including Taotie, who gets annoyed at Hoyoung's words.

Vanishing Journey

After the player defeats Arma, Kao will speak to the player while being carried through the cave. Hoyoung asks Kao where he has left his Taotie. Kao notes that his Taotie must have sacrificed himself. Hoyoung's Taotie then emerges from him and calls Kao a buffoon before telling him to stop it with his sob stories. Kao smiles sadly at hearing Taotie calling him a buffoon, adding that it's been a while since he's heard that.

Yum Yum Island

When Hoyoung meets Caster and sees the button that identifies him as a resident of Yum Yum Island, Hoyoung has exclusive dialogue, in which he notes that the button seems familiar. Taotie adds that the energy in the button feels familiar, though he can't recall what it is.

When Chief Lyon destroys Caster's button, a massive claw with ominous energy emerges from it, which disappears when Lyon breaks the button. Hoyoung has exclusive dialogue, in which he recognizes the claw attack from his encounter with Kaling. Taotie adds that he now remembers the energy as being what Kaling had unleashed at the Temple of Time using another one of the Four Perils.

Upon realizing that the Erda fusions in Yum Yum Island have the potential to become extremely powerful enemies, Hoyoung gets exclusive dialogue, in which he notes to himself that he hadn't expected Kaling to go so far. Taotie adds that Kaling is something else entirely and suggests that they be more careful.

Aftermath

In Cheong-woon Valley, two children were talking about a mysterious sage claiming to be the disciple of Master Tai Yu who traveled across Maple World and Grandis and helped those in need. Though he had vanished after defeating the Black Mage, rumors continued to circulate that the sage still roamed from town to town. On the roof of the tavern, Hoyoung listened to the children excitedly spreading his story and wished that they would go somewhere else, as they were making it difficult for all his potential customers to find him. Taotie then mocked Hoyoung for taking on petty cases and odd jobs, even after his reputation as a legendary sage had inflated. Hoyoung laughed and reminded Taotie of the large serpent which had almost killed them in their last ‘petty' job. Taotie seethed that if he had been able to use his full powers, the monster would have been a mere snack. He asked Hoyoung if he remembered Lord Choi's offer, which would have given them a grand house with a host of servants and decadent food.

Hoyoung conceded that the spread was nice, but he told Taotie that he really only needed basic spicy soup. He also added that he didn't see the need to get involved if evil spirits plagued those like Lord Choi, who milked the people of the province dry. Just then, two patrons in the tavern began talking about rumors that a new Transcendent was preparing for war in Grandis, as well as a warrior in Pantheon with dragon horns and a tail who was gathering forces to stand against them, though they wondered if even a Nova Guardian had the power to take on a Transcendent. Overhearing their conversation, Hoyoung realized that there was someone else with animal ears and a tail making a name for themselves and supposed that they would easily become friends. Taotie clarified that the warrior sounded more like a Nova than an Anima. Hoyoung decided that he would help the Nova Guardian as a friend, against Taotie's protests that they hadn't even met yet for him to call them a friend. Hoyoung then jumped off the roof and told the two children telling his story that he would be out traveling for a while. He then asked them to protect the town with the magic that he had taught them, to which the children protested that he hadn't even taught them real magic and demanded that he teach them more than just tricks when he returned. Taotie asked Hoyoung why he insisted on concealing his true identity, as he would have a whole throng of followers if he revealed that he was the legendary sage. Hoyoung replied that in his travels, he had learned that there was no need to chase after the world, but rather, he would be there to take action when the world needed him instead. He added that stories were best when they stayed as stories that could inspire and encourage. Before he left, the children asked for his name, to which he told them that he was but a simple wanderer, echoing his master's words before him.

Karote

When Oz reports that an eyewitness in Grandis who had met Kaling had helped the Alliance learn more about her, Hoyoung gets exclusive dialogue, in which Neinheart realizes that Hoyoung was the eyewitness in question. Hoyoung feels awkward and tells Neinheart that there's no need to point it out when he's standing right there. Taotie then laughs to Hoyoung that it's unlike him to feel embarrassed.

Odium

During a meeting at the Secret Plaza, Oz explained that the Blaze Wizards had been chasing after Kaling, and that her trail had disappeared around Karote. Hoyoung gets exclusive dialogue, in which he's shocked to hear about Kaling and wonders what she would want all the way up there. Taotie then emerges from Hoyoung and tells him that he ought to be careful, as there's going to be trouble at the laboratory. Hoyoung teases Taotie for sounding afraid and asks if he's suggesting that they give up in advance. Taotie gets annoyed, but he silently notes to himself that Kaling seems to want the Four Perils so badly that she's even going to the laboratory herself. He then hopes to himself that he's wrong about what it is that he thinks that Kaling is after.

After the Constables revealed that Kaling had once been a researcher of Odium, Taotie emerges and notes that he was right earlier about Kaling's goals. Hoyoung is surprised that Taotie, of all people, knows something that he doesn't before asking how it is that he's the only one out of the loop. Taotie replies that his own memory is still a bit fuzzy about the whole thing, and that there's nothing helpful that he could share anyways. He then adds that if he's right, then Hoyoung will see it all himself soon enough. After Taotie disappears, Hoyoung wonders what's gotten into Taotie today before concluding that he's still mad about Tai Yu sealing him away.

While reading through the research journals about Kaling, Hoyoung discovers that Kaling had created the Four Perils, and that they had started out as small plush-like robots before gaining consciousness. Taotie clarifies that he and the plush robot in the photo are are technically different, as the plush was him from before he gained consciousness. A surprised Hoyoung asks him whether he's going to turn back into a plush if he loses all his power, noting that Taotie had still been able to move when he had become small after losing all the fiends that he had consumed. Taotie explains that he can't return back to being inert now that he's gained sentience, adding that he wouldn't want to either.

After reading through the journals, the Adversary returns back to Tai Yu. Hoyoung receives a unique script in place of the generic one, in which Tai Yu asks him where he had run off to and jokingly asks if he's incapable of staying in one spot. Hoyoung defensively retorts that he had only been off reading the research journals, to which Tai Yu notes that judging by the look on Hoyoung's face, he hadn't liked what he had read. Hoyoung then notes that the records had mentioned that a Vessel had sealed the Four Perils away before explaining that he had been wondering how Tai Yu had gotten to Odium in the first place. He then asks Tai Yu whether he's really a Vessel, to which Tai Yu replies that he is, though unlike Hoyoung, he's only a defective Vessel. He then tells Hoyoung that no matter how hard Kaling tries, she'll never be able to gather the Four Perils because one of them had been taken care of by the elders, while the other was clinging onto Hoyoung. Taotie then emerges and angrily retorts that he's not clinging and threateningly asks Tai Yu whether he's asking to see the full power of the great Taotie that badly. Hoyoung then amusedly notes that Taotie is starting to sound like himself again, adding that he had been worried about Taotie for a while there.

When Kaling reveals herself in Odium, she recognizes him as the mannerless investigator from Cheong-woon and laughs that she hadn't expected them to meet in such a place. She asks him whether he still has Taotie, though she adds that it doesn't matter because she doesn't even need him anymore.

Upon meeting Hundun in the heart of Odium, Hundun senses Taotie inside Hoyoung. He tells Taotie that though he doesn't know which hole he's crawled out of, Taotie is quite strange for clinging to a Vessel of all things. Hoyoung laughs and tells Taotie that Hundun sounds just like him. He then jokingly adds that Taotie should get to know Hundun in order to see what he can find out. Taotie angrily asks Hoyoung whether what he said even makes sense in his head.

Shangri-La

When Gaon resolves to imprison the Adversary, Hoyoung gets a unique script in place of the generic one. After Gaon changes his mind and orders the Adversary to follow him, Taotie will note that Hoyoung seems conflicted and asks what he plans to do. Hoyoung tells Taotie that he doesn't have much of a choice, since Gaon has practically covered his ears to anything that he would say. He notes that resisting will cause trouble for Oz and Brighton, though he adds that his Master will probably be fine, since he's the legendary sage of Grandis. He then decides that he'll follow Gaon's orders for the time being.

After seeing the memory of Kaling being freed from her seal by the private investigators of Cheong-woon, Hoyoung gets exclusive dialogue, in which he notes his surprise that the investigators were the ones who freed Kaling. Taotie then adds that he has a bad feeling about it all, though he also notes that now isn't the time to be worrying about others, explaining that he can sense the spirit of Hoyoung's Master nearby, much to Hoyoung's confusion. For regular playthroughs, the Adversary will wake up from the flashback after hearing Tai Yu speaking to them, but for Hoyoung, he will wake up as soon as Taotie finishes talking.

After the Adversary convinces Gaon to disobey Tai Yu's instructions, Hoyoung gets exclusive dialogue, in which Taotie amusedly asks Hoyoung how long it's been since he's known the Black Tortoise. He then laughs that Gaon is about to be chopped in the foot by a trusted axe. Worrying that Tai Yu will hear them, Hoyoung shushes Taotie quiet.

Black Sea

When Edea notes that neither the Nova nor the Flora use the ancient magic detected in the temple barrier, Hoyoung gets exclusive dialogue, in which he wonders whether it could be Anima magic, causing Taotie to retort that he understands nothing about magic.

Carcion

When Gaon retorts to Duhan's claim about the snake Anima aiding the High Flora, Hoyoung gets some exclusive dialogue, in which he adds that there's no way that an Anima would ever betray a fellow Anima. Taotie then chimes in and asks Hoyoung whether he's forgotten about how an entire group of Anima had betrayed him not that long ago, to which Hoyoung tells him to lay off.

Gallery

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  NPC Portrait of Taotie in his true form
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  NPC Portrait of Taotie in his true form
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  NPC Portrait of Taotie in his true form
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  NPC Portrait of Taotie
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  NPC Portrait of Taotie
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  NPC Portrait of Taotie
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  NPC Portrait of Taotie
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  NPC Portrait of Taotie
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  NPC Sprite of Taotie in his true form
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  Hoyoung and Taotie
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  Alternate image of Hoyoung and Taotie
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  Fiend Seal

Videos

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Trivia

• Taotie is based off Taotie (饕餮, Tāotiè, lit. Ravenous Gluttony), one of the Four Perils in Chinese mythology, and is known as 도철 (Docheol) in Korean, and とうてつ (トウテツ, Tōtetsu) in Japanese.
• Taotie is the only surviving Peril, as Qiongqi, Taowu, and Hundun were all destroyed by the World Heart.