If you've played the Lies of P: Overture DLC, you know exactly why we're here. We need to talk about Markiona, Puppeteer of Death. Honestly, I thought the base game's King of Puppets was the peak of "creepy doll energy," but then Neowiz decided to drop this nightmare into the Krat Greenhouse.
She isn't just another boss. She’s a wall.
Most people coming into the Overture expansion expect a victory lap. They’ve beaten Laxasia; they’ve parried the Nameless Puppet into oblivion. Then they walk into that greenhouse and get absolutely wrecked by a lady throwing magical spheres and a giant mace-wielding puppet that just won't stay dead. It’s a reality check.
Why Markiona Lies of P Players Get So Frustrated
The "gank fight" is a touchy subject in soulslikes. Usually, it feels cheap. But Markiona is different because the Queen’s Arche Puppet—that big lug she’s controlling—isn't even the main target. He's basically a sentient hazard. You can't just kill him and be done with it. You knock his health down, he takes a nap to regenerate, and then he’s right back in your face.
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It’s exhausting. You're trying to track Markiona’s blue magic orbs while a 10-foot-tall suit of armor is trying to turn you into a pancake.
The lore makes it even heavier. We find out through notes and that heartbreaking voice acting by Jodie Steele that Markiona wasn't always this monster. She had a connection to Camille, a mother figure who passed away. Markiona’s "brilliant" idea was to shove Camille’s Ergo into the maid puppet that saved her as a baby. It’s classic Lies of P—taking something pure and twisting it into a mechanical horror.
The Moveset: A Dance with Death
Markiona herself is surprisingly squishy, but catching her is the problem. She loves to play keep-away.
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- The Magic Swipes: She conjures these spheres and swipes at you three times. If you’re a parry god, the third hit is your best opening for a Perfect Guard.
- The Cyclone: This is the one that kills most runs. She spins in the air, and her puppet mimics her, creating a massive AOE of spinning metal.
- Sphere Drag: She slams a giant ball of magic onto the floor and drags it in a 180-degree arc. It looks scary, but it’s actually one of the best times to punish her.
The real shift happens at 50% HP. She gets aggressive. Like, "I’m going to dive at you from the ceiling five times in a row" aggressive. If you aren't strafing or dodging perfectly during the aerial dive attacks, your health bar just evaporates.
Strategy: How to Actually Win
I’ve tried a dozen builds against her, and honestly? Acid is the way to go.
I’m serious. Use the Acidic Crystal Spear. Markiona is human-adjacent enough that the decay damage ticks are brutal. You can poke her, back off to deal with the puppet, and her health will keep dropping while you’re busy not dying.
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Don't waste all your Fable Arts on the puppet. It’s tempting because he's the one hitting you, but he’s just a distraction. Wait until he's in his "immobilized" state. That’s your window. If you use the Radiate Fable Art to buff your acid damage and then just go ham on Markiona while the puppet is regenerating, the fight ends way faster.
Also, watch the thread colors. When the puppet's control threads turn blue, he’s about to do something big. It’s a subtle cue, but in the chaos of the greenhouse, it’s the only thing that’ll save you from a surprise mace to the back of the head.
Beyond the Fight: What This Means for Krat
The Markiona Lies of P encounter fills a huge gap in the timeline. We’re seeing the city in its final days before the total collapse, and Markiona represents that desperate, "Alchemist-adjacent" obsession with preserving life through Ergo. She’s a mirror for Geppetto, really. They both tried to bring back someone they loved and ended up creating something that only knows how to kill.
If you’re stuck on her right now, take a breath. She’s meant to be hard. She’s the gatekeeper for the rest of the DLC content, and she’s there to make sure you’ve actually mastered the mechanics.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Respec for Acid: If you’re struggling, go back to the Hotel and dump points into Advance. The damage over time (DoT) from Acid is the most consistent way to handle her low HP pool.
- Focus the Master, Not the Slave: Practice ignoring the puppet's minor movements. Only dodge the puppet when he’s actively swinging; otherwise, keep your camera locked on Markiona.
- Perfect Guard the Third Hit: In almost all of Markiona's sphere combos, the final hit has the longest wind-up. That is your moment to build Stagger.
- Save your Pulse Cells: The Greenhouse has a few shortcuts. Make sure you’ve opened the side gate so you aren't wasting resources on the way to the arena.