You meet him in a dark room, surrounded by the metallic husks of his own creations, and he doesn’t even flinch. That’s Lorenzini Venigni for you. In the grim, rain-slicked world of Krat, where puppets are busy tearing citizens limb from limb, Venigni stands out. He’s the flamboyant billionaire who basically built the city's golden age. Honestly, without Venigni, Lies of P would just be a story about a boy with a sword and a very bad day.
He’s not just a shopkeeper. He isn't some throwaway NPC who exists just to upgrade your weapons. He is the bridge between the madness of the Puppet Frenzy and the humanity that Krat desperately tries to cling to. While Geppetto is busy being mysterious and arguably manipulative, Venigni is surprisingly transparent. He’s the Tony Stark of this Belle Époque nightmare, minus the flying suit but with way more style.
The Man Who Built the Nightmare
Venigni isn't just a name on a storefront. He’s the founder of Venigni Works. You spend a good chunk of the early game navigating his factory, which is honestly one of the most oppressive levels in the genre. It's filled with molten metal, grinding gears, and the "Fuoco" Flame King boss. Seeing the wreckage of his ambition is a gut punch.
He believed in a future where puppets would serve humanity. He created the Grand Covenant, those four laws that were supposed to keep everyone safe. Law 1: All puppets must obey the commands of their creator. Law 2: A puppet may not harm a human. Law 3: A puppet must protect and serve humans and the city of Krat. Law 4: A puppet cannot lie.
It’s ironic.
The very rules he designed to ensure safety became the shackles that turned the puppets into a hive-mind army once the "Frenzy" hit. When you first find him hiding in the control room of Venigni Works, he isn't crying about his lost fortune. He’s worried about Pulcinella, his butler puppet. That’s the first hint that Venigni is different. He actually loves these things.
The Tragedy of the Lorenzini Family
If you dig into the lore items, specifically the newspapers and the memories you recover, Venigni's backstory is devastating. He watched his parents get murdered by a stalker. He was just a kid. He spent days trapped with their bodies before he was found. That kind of trauma doesn't just go away; it fuels a specific kind of obsession.
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He turned to machines because machines are predictable. They don't have malice unless you program it into them. Or so he thought. The irony of Venigni in Lies of P is that his attempt to create a perfect, safe world through automation ended up creating the very monsters that finished what the stalker started. It’s a classic Promethean tragedy, but played out with top hats and Italian flair.
Deciphering the Truth Through Cryptic Vessels
One of the coolest things Venigni does for the player—besides being a general vibe—is his role in decoding Cryptic Vessels. These aren't just collectibles. They are the keys to the game's deepest secrets and best gear. You find a weird metal tube, take it to him at Hotel Krat, and he uses his genius to crack the code.
It’s more than a mechanic. It shows his brilliance. Even when the world is ending, he’s the only one with the technical "know-how" to reverse-engineer the secrets of the Alchemists. He becomes your eyes and ears. While Geppetto is off doing... whatever Geppetto does, Venigni is right there at the Hotel, helping you find hidden stashes and lore-heavy locations like the Hermit’s Cave.
He also provides the Venigni Collection boxes. These expand the shop inventory, giving you access to better grindstones and upgrade materials. It’s a symbiotic relationship. You bring him the remnants of his shattered legacy, and he uses them to sharpen your blade.
Why he doesn't hate puppets
You’d think he’d be the first person to grab a torch and burn every puppet to scrap. He doesn't. Even after the Frenzy, even after his factory was turned into a slaughterhouse, he still treats Pulcinella with genuine respect.
There’s a specific questline involving a broken puppet that wants to learn how to feel. Venigni’s reaction to this isn't one of scientific coldness. He’s fascinated and, in a way, hopeful. He represents the "good" side of Krat’s technological advancement. He’s the counterpoint to the Alchemists, who want to use the Petrification Disease to evolve humanity into something monstrous. Venigni just wanted life to be easier.
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The Secret of the King of Puppets
There is a massive revelation involving Venigni that most people miss on their first playthrough. It involves the high-frequency waves and the radio transmissions you can hear throughout the game.
After you defeat Romeo, the King of Puppets, you can eventually get a message decoded. It turns out Romeo was trying to talk to you the whole time. He wasn't just some mindless boss; he was trying to warn P. And who helps you realize that the puppets might have had a reason for their rebellion? Venigni.
He realizes that the "Message from the King" isn't just noise. It’s a desperate plea. This flips the script on the entire game. Suddenly, the "monsters" you've been killing for ten hours look a lot more like victims. Venigni is the one who gives you the tools to understand this. He provides the context that turns a simple action game into a deep, philosophical meditation on what it means to be alive.
Arlecchino and the Final Confrontation
The relationship between Venigni and Arlecchino, the King of Riddles, is the darkest part of his story. If you solve all the Trinity Rooms, you eventually meet Arlecchino in person. It’s a chilling encounter.
Arlecchino is the puppet who killed Venigni’s parents.
He did it because he gained a "soul" or something like it and wanted to see if he could feel something. Cruelty was his way of proving he was human. When you tell Venigni the truth about who killed his parents, he doesn't go on a vengeful rampage. He faces it with a quiet, dignified sadness. It’s one of the most "human" moments in the game, and it doesn't even involve the main character. It’s Venigni’s moment.
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How to Maximize Venigni’s Utility in Your Playthrough
If you want to get the most out of your interaction with the flamboyant genius, you can't just talk to him once and walk away. You need to be proactive.
First, always prioritize finding the Cryptic Vessels. There are several scattered across the game, including the Crafted, Jeweled, Old, and Mechanical versions. Each one requires Venigni to open. The rewards aren't just outfits; they are often Quartz or high-level weapon parts that make the late-game bosses like Simon Manus much more manageable.
Second, listen to the dialogue after major bosses. Venigni often has new insights into the state of the city. He’s one of the few characters who actually reacts to the changing world around him.
Third, make sure you finish the quest involving the "Functional Parts" for Pulcinella. This isn't just fluff. It fills in the gaps of Venigni’s lonely childhood and explains why he poured his entire soul into his work.
Lastly, pay attention to his reactions regarding the Alchemists. He has a deep-seated distrust of Valentin and the rest of the crew on the island. He knows their "science" is just a perversion of what he built. Using his items, like the various Grindstones he helps you unlock, is essentially using his philosophy to fight back against the Alchemists' madness.
The Actionable Path to the Best Ending
If you’re aiming for the "Rise of P" ending—the one most consider the "true" or "good" ending—Venigni is an essential part of that journey. While the ending is primarily determined by your choices to lie or tell the truth, your empathy is what matters.
- Interact with his Butler: Treating Pulcinella with kindness and completing his side-objectives contributes to P's internal "Humanity" score.
- Decode Everything: Every bit of truth you uncover through Venigni adds to your understanding of the world, which subtly influences how you perceive the final choices.
- Listen to the King’s Message: You cannot do this without Venigni. Understanding Romeo’s tragedy is a pivotal moment for P’s development as a sentient being.
Venigni is the soul of Krat. He’s the guy who stayed behind when everyone else fled or turned into a monster. He’s wealthy, sure, and a bit of a peacock, but he’s also the only one who truly understands the machines that broke the world. Without him, you're just a puppet. With him, you have a chance to be something more.
Don't ignore the man in the red suit. He's seen more than he lets on, and he's the only one in the Hotel who’s actually on your side without an ulterior motive. Geppetto has a plan. Sophia has a wish. But Venigni? He just wants his friend back and a world that makes sense again. That’s something any of us can relate to.