I knew it!! I am deeply enjoying the emotional progression of this arc, right in the feels D:
I hope that if Kendal wakes up near the end of this arc, he will finally let himself mourn. These fourteen (?) days have been a lot
(Reads Alt-text) That’s a good point, is Tess’s arm injury going to heal now?
Hold on, in panel 1 Alinua has Kendal’s sword, the object that allows Kendal closer access to Vash. I think it may be an idea to keep that with Kendal, if only for Vash to knock some sense into him if necessary.
Alinua’s healing is strong, and her magic here, emphasised by the trail of grass she’s left, works as well as ever. I think she’s healed his body just fine, but his soul may still be subdued in that dark many-handed place, unable or unwilling to leave. Alinua hasn’t failed, she’s just done step 1 of his treatment; Erin may have an idea about how to begin step 2.
Maybe now though Alinua can get some well earned rest … only to fall into that sleep state she was in at Hilltop and fuss over Kendal in astral form. Maybe, possibly also notice Falst and Dainix are underground now and in distress?
I love that when Alinua says that Kendal didn’t wake up, Erin just drops everything and runs.
Everything Erin does is thought out. Every action calculated. Every. Single. Movement. Is. Planned.
Erin doesn’t feel, he thinks.
If this were the case of someone Erin briefly met dying, he’d just accept the loss. The facts say that they’re dead, so they’re dead. Nothing can be done.
‘Sorry Miss, but there’s nothing we can do.’ Erin would say in another situation, and move along. He’d be devastated, yes, but he knows the world will keep on turning, and that he has to move with it.
Yet, when he hears that Kendal didn’t wake up, he runs. He will run and slam every possible way of healing into Kendal’s unresponsive body. Reason shouts that Kendal is gone, but Erin’s feelings are, for once, louder.
I always love to see a character who’s presented as ruthlessly pragmatic and unerringly logical, who then drops everything to help someone they love, even if doing so has no pragmatic benefit. Even if it might not seem that way to others, they care.
Poor Alinua, she needs a hug, a weighted blanket and hot cocoa stat.
Also can we please talk about the ‘Flump’ sound effect. It’s makes it sound like her floof is cushioning her fall.
So, predictions for next page, is it going to be Erin frantically healing Kendal? Kendals strange brink-of-death dreams? Or will we pan back out to Falst and the robots?
i mean, Alinua is basically brute forces her magic, including healing. Erin might know a more subtle, specialised approach to waking up a coma patient. she’s incredibly powerful, but she’s self-taught. Erin knows things. maybe he knows a similar case study?
Look at how she’s clutching the sword. His most prised possesion. The thing that took him away. His only connection to Vash, his city and his purpose. She collapses on Tess, but never lets go of the sword uagh.
(Also the scabbard’s back. It materialised out of thin air in Ali’s home in ch2 and now once again bends spacetime to reunite with its owner. World’s most loyal scabbard <3)
Seeing Alinua hugging the sword Kendal, I wonder if it might actually help to cast healing magic on the sword as well as the person. The two are obviously pretty closely intertwined, and if Kendal is actually the soul of the sword, as some commenters have theorized, then healing the sword might have a positive effect.
…oh no. Oh f*ck. Oh f*ck. He’s actually dead, isn’t he? Unless his entire soul is in the sword now, Kendal’s actually, fully dead. Sh*t. If he is, that sucks; he’s been one of my favorite characters!
This is the first story that I’ve experienced that (potentially) kills off the assumed main protagonist partway through in a way that even with part of me protesting “But plot armor!”, I’m convinced that the story could feasibly continue without the presence of this character that we’ve come to love. The group could continue on to Helm, since Erin’s still alive. The group could still rescue Vash afterward, but with the added notion that they’re doing so to honor Kendal’s wishes and his short, tragic life. Despite losing the one who brought them together, the group could stay together. And if he is indeed well and truly dead, I think the bond he’s forged between these people is the greatest legacy that Kendal left behind.
I- oh. Oh. My first reaction was “Psh, I dont think Kendal is going to die” but then I realised. Whatever the case may be, that’s what Alinua meant. I actually got chills oh no
I love the theory…. I also hate it! Kendal is amazing and for him to die would be catastrophic! It would also make for a very interesting story… I don’t know we’ll find out soon!
I do see what you’re saying, and you very well may be right, but Kendal is not only what brought them together, he’s the glue that keeps them together. He’s the insight they have into the gods, he’s the compass they have for finding the collector, he’s the one who (usually) sets them off on side quests to help random people. Granted Alinua fulfills that last role sometimes, but my point still stands, he’s such an invaluable asset to the team, could they really still be the floof squad without him? I say this even though I too have thought a lot about how the story could go on without him, I guess I’m just leaning into the hopeful side of this, no matter how unlikely it may seem. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO KENDAL DON’T DIE ON ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -sob- nooooooooo… -sob, sob-
Can we just take a moment to appreciate OngoingConversationCouplet for going back and doing one for every single page, even the ones before they started?
Thanks! I’m glad if my semi-bad poetry is appreciated, it’s been a blast! Though “every single page” is a bit generous since I only just started chapter 3.
Btw anyone seen the other poetry commenters? I didn’t spot them in the last two pages.
I honestly gotta say this, red….
YOU BETTER PULL A “CROSSROADS OF DESTINY” MOVE AND REVIVE KENDAL WITH A CHEKHOV’S GUN METHOD OF MAGIC, OR I SWEAR TO VASH!!!(the “or i swear to vash” thing is a joke btw)
If Kendal really, truly dies, Alinua is going to be really angry.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU COULDN’T SAVE HIM? YOU’RE THE ELEMENTAL MAGUS! YOU HAVE THE POWER OF THE UNIVERSE IN YOUR HANDS! YOU HAD THE POWER TO SAVE HIM! YOU WEREN’T REALLY TRYING, WERE YOU? YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT HIM! ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS YOURSELF! YOU LET HIM DIE!”
One common reaction to a death of a loved one is anger. At themselves, yes, which I see a lot in media, but often it’s anger directed at anyone who could possibly bear the blame, even if they were trying or it wasn’t their fault in the slightest.
I’m really bringing out my writing side on this page, aren’t I? I’m a really big fan of the ‘drop everything and run’ thing, and I just woke up and thought of this. Also Platonic Hugs, the best thing to write ever. I know a lot of people ship Tess and Alinua but I like to think of them as besties at most.
Hm, that seems out of character for Alinua, and it doesn’t make sense given situation either. At no point did Alinua expect Erin to save Kendal, when he went down Alinua was immediately on Kendal, and when she next sees Erin she’s seemingly already given up. That doesn’t leave a ton of room for her to have expected anything from Erin, thus leaving very little reason for her to direct her anger at him. What seems more likely if there is to be the path of misplaced blame is that Alinua will blame herself, or resent her powers further, since once she’s finally gotten them kinda under control and helping people, they fail her when she needs them most.
Just after posting that last comment I thought this page would be a great one to practice writing emotion on, so here we go:
‘What’s wrong?’ Erin stood and put down his book, ‘What happened?’
His mind raced with anticipation.
Alinua clutched Kendal’s sword, his namesake, close to her chest. Her breath trembled. She couldn’t bring herself to speak.
She let herself fall into Tess’ arms. Life magic swirled up around her, making the grass at her feet grow wild. The metal arms she lay in were hard and cold, but Alinua didn’t care. Tess was strong, and she was not. The elf let Tess support her, and finally, she spoke.
‘He didn’t wake up.’
Erin didn’t know what to do. He was seized by a frenzied feeling, one he had never known before.
Erin ran.
OK so uh… it also just occurred to me that if none of the other six elements are up to the task of saving Kendal, Erin *might* be tempted to make a little deal with VD Walter…
Thing is, he might *need* some void element sooner or later. Void is the element of consumption, and in living things it’s actually critical; it’s the element that allows a creature to assimilate food into itself, among other things. A creature with no void is on a time limit — it can only do so much before it expends all the elemental energy it has, and then it needs an artificial recharge (by a skilled mage, for example) or it’ll run down. That’s basically what Kendal is, as far as I can tell, just running on whatever energy Vash imbued into him on creation. Alinua can put his body back together, but if he’s short of elemental energy, he’s going to need Erin to replenish his power supply, but until he’s able to take in elemental energy through food and such, he’s really quite limited.
I’ve actually had a similar thought. In fact, for a while I’ve had a theory about how Erin might be able to help Kendal. If Erin/the Void Dragon was somehow able to integrate void into Kendal’s body, that might be what he needs to fully recover.
Of course, this kind of thing would have some major implications for the Void Dragon’s role in the story as the main antagonist. However, I honestly don’t think it’s out of the question for VD to get a redemption arc, for a few reasons. First of all, we know that void is a necessary component in living organisms. Second, the book that Erin read in the Paladin archives mentioned that the Ancients used to worship him alongside the Light Dragon.
Also if VD saves Kendal’s life, that will call back to chapter 18 when he mentioned being in Kendal’s debt. Just some things to think about.
I thought that it was concluded in-story that Alinua’s healing is what kept him alive. Also if they did incorporate void into Kendal, he would lose his prodigious immunity to it. I don’t know, just a thought. I honestly don’t have any better guesses on what’s going to happen.
I’m not sure I agree, at least based on my understanding of the mechanics at play. Kendal shares some qualities with homunculi as they are described in the void lore, but I don’t know if he’s a perfect example of such an entity for a couple reasons:
1. I’m reasonably sure he does in fact need to eat, drink, breathe, etc., although idk if there’s enough evidence to conclusively confirm this.
2. His flesh wounds heal naturally on their own at a remarkably accelerated rate, as noted by both Alinua and Erin on two separate occasions. Homunculi are stated to not be able to heal on their own without pulling from elsewhere in their body, which we don’t have reason to believe that Kendal’s been doing. If he was, I have a feeling Alinua, the woman exhaustively familiar with his anatomy because of how many times she’s had to stop it from dying, would probably have noticed.
So, with this in mind, Kendal is unusual in that he has no void in him, but nonetheless seems to be able to function like any other mortal despite being a demigod. The only theories that come to my mind are either that he’s sustained by whatever’s uniquely in him (starfire, perhaps the same light or soul magic used by the paladins and the Light Dragon) or that Alinua’s healing took what had initially been nothing more than a homunculus made to fit in a god body and altered him on such a fundamental level that it turned him into a real boy.
Idk, we’ll probably get some sort of answer within the next chapter or so. =p
Other people have hashed out most of the counterarguments to Kendal needing void, but I’d also like to highlight VD Walter’s cryptic comment implying that Kendal runs on star power — er, that is, he’s made of star dust — wait, I mean– *clears throat* I’m theorizing that somehow, there’s an eighth element (soul/light/star what-have-you) that’s taken the place of void in Kendal’s elemental makeup
I’m fairly sure the 8th element, the essence of the Light Dragon, is Soul. Erin keeps saying things like “There can’t be an 8th element, we would have noticed!” and at the same time talking about how Soul is so difficult to manipulate without just wrecking it with elemental corruption. Like. Sounds like a fundamental element to me, but one that doesn’t exist in the world’s makeup because the Light Dragon isn’t part of the world.
And that fits with the history of the world and the Twin Gods. Void wanted mortal spellcasters that he could control to break his prison, and he was neatly countered by the sudden and inexplicable appearance of souls that made them immune to direct manipulation. Almost like, say, the Light Dragon stepped in to screw up his plan.
Honestly, I’d be surprised if he were unable to be revived, because his character arc isn’t done yet. We still don’t know fully what’s the deal with Kendal and he still needs to rescue Vash’s soul from the Singing Caves, and in Trope Talks where she talks about fake deaths, it’s bad writing to just kill them for the heck of it even though their story isn’t done yet, so I’m pretty sure we’ll see him again. I remember she used Jon Snow as an example where she doubted it was a real death because his story wasn’t done yet (has it been confirmed? I don’t watch GoT). So yeah, I’m pretty sure Kendal will eventually be fine
In first panel, Tess is a step behind Erin but in panel two, Tess is the one to reach Alinua first.
This supports my theory that she’s a monk.
Now my question is if Erin is a wild magic sorcerer? Alinua life cleric? Is Kendal a paladin or a fighter? One could make a case of barbarian but I think he has natural armour. Falst manhandled several gaurds alone. He’s the barbarian. Dainix is at best a homebrew druid (wildfire). I am still conflicted on him. What y’all think?
I’d put Erin as a wizard as opposed to a wild magic sorcerer. Other than void (which is an unfortunate case of posession as opposed to an innate power), he seems to have really good control over his magic, and was studying even it at the Aseran academy.
I’d also be more inclined to put Dainix as a fighter as opposed to druid: his main abilities aren’t so much in magic(he didn’t seem have complete control of it in the Tynan fight, for example), but in his training with spears and other weaponry. I’d probably slot him as fighter with the champion subclass (5e), given the arena stuff and Caliban.
100% agree with Tess as a monk though
it think erin’s prolly a multiclass thing, plus if you think about void could be considered a symbiote and guess what, there’s rules for that:http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/dark-gifts
🙁
For mobile readers.
Alt-text: but on the plus side Tess has 5 temporary hit points now
Image source: wrong
Well, Kendal has a really easy job for anyone EXEPT Kendal
? scene change?
Are you sure you tried everyday? Even love’s true kiss?
Yes, truelove’s kiss everyday is amazing and truly does wonders. ?. I’m just not sure They’re their yet ???
There*
*they’re
Shall we just add all possible spellings of there? Might as well make some up, while we’re at it.
*therr
*thier
der
thair
thchairdth
Perhaps Erin can *hubris* Kendal awake.
If anyone could hubris their way *out* of a problem instead of into one, it would be Erin, clearly.
Oh no… don’t you dare…!
Oh no! My blonde boy! My elf girl! Noooo!
Crashing down, she sadly declares
“He didn’t wake up.” Erin runs, Tess stares
ooh! I like this one
the caption,,,, i feel like i’m laughing at a funeral
oh no poor alinua 🙁
oh noooo
I knew it!! I am deeply enjoying the emotional progression of this arc, right in the feels D:
I hope that if Kendal wakes up near the end of this arc, he will finally let himself mourn. These fourteen (?) days have been a lot
Couldn’t agree more
WTF NOOOO
This is so sad 🙁 I hate sad ali
Dude wake up we miss you
Good night sweet prince.
Anyone else feel like this is the Namek arc?
Tess could bridal carry me anytime-
Poor girl looks like she’s passing out
(Reads Alt-text) That’s a good point, is Tess’s arm injury going to heal now?
Hold on, in panel 1 Alinua has Kendal’s sword, the object that allows Kendal closer access to Vash. I think it may be an idea to keep that with Kendal, if only for Vash to knock some sense into him if necessary.
Alinua’s healing is strong, and her magic here, emphasised by the trail of grass she’s left, works as well as ever. I think she’s healed his body just fine, but his soul may still be subdued in that dark many-handed place, unable or unwilling to leave. Alinua hasn’t failed, she’s just done step 1 of his treatment; Erin may have an idea about how to begin step 2.
Maybe now though Alinua can get some well earned rest … only to fall into that sleep state she was in at Hilltop and fuss over Kendal in astral form. Maybe, possibly also notice Falst and Dainix are underground now and in distress?
Can Erin solve the mystery? I plan to find out Friday!
I love that when Alinua says that Kendal didn’t wake up, Erin just drops everything and runs.
Everything Erin does is thought out. Every action calculated. Every. Single. Movement. Is. Planned.
Erin doesn’t feel, he thinks.
If this were the case of someone Erin briefly met dying, he’d just accept the loss. The facts say that they’re dead, so they’re dead. Nothing can be done.
‘Sorry Miss, but there’s nothing we can do.’ Erin would say in another situation, and move along. He’d be devastated, yes, but he knows the world will keep on turning, and that he has to move with it.
Yet, when he hears that Kendal didn’t wake up, he runs. He will run and slam every possible way of healing into Kendal’s unresponsive body. Reason shouts that Kendal is gone, but Erin’s feelings are, for once, louder.
I always love to see a character who’s presented as ruthlessly pragmatic and unerringly logical, who then drops everything to help someone they love, even if doing so has no pragmatic benefit. Even if it might not seem that way to others, they care.
There is some pragmatic benefit, if Kendal dies that deals a major blow to Erin’s support network during a critical time.
Maybe now Tess and Alinua get chance to talk each other now…
Ah-hem. Please excuse my poor typing I meant ‘Maybe now Tess and Alinua (will a) get chance to talk each other now…’
Poor Alinua, she needs a hug, a weighted blanket and hot cocoa stat.
Also can we please talk about the ‘Flump’ sound effect. It’s makes it sound like her floof is cushioning her fall.
damn, i wouldn’t take the sword away from Kendal tho. for all you know, his soul is stuck in that blade after Vash reverse-body-snatched him
So, predictions for next page, is it going to be Erin frantically healing Kendal? Kendals strange brink-of-death dreams? Or will we pan back out to Falst and the robots?
my answer is yes
I think dreams. And Alinua is channeling the raw power of Primordial Life. If SHE couldn’t wake him how can Erin 🙁
i mean, Alinua is basically brute forces her magic, including healing. Erin might know a more subtle, specialised approach to waking up a coma patient. she’s incredibly powerful, but she’s self-taught. Erin knows things. maybe he knows a similar case study?
That hug tho, it’s giving tesslinua vibes
I was not convinced by that ship but now… I may be changing my mind
Can you bridal carry *while* being bridal carried? Just trying to find if it’s an exclusive or inclusive or.
I mean. I guess if there are 3 people? And one of them has gravity on sideways?
don’t mind me just tryna picture that rn
Look at how she’s clutching the sword. His most prised possesion. The thing that took him away. His only connection to Vash, his city and his purpose. She collapses on Tess, but never lets go of the sword uagh.
(Also the scabbard’s back. It materialised out of thin air in Ali’s home in ch2 and now once again bends spacetime to reunite with its owner. World’s most loyal scabbard <3)
“Boomerang! you DO always come back!” /ref
MY BOI IS SPEED LOOK AT HIM GOOOOOOO [incessant car noises]
also whyyyy is Ali so pretty when she’s sad :c
Falling into Tess CAN’T be comfortable.
if alinua didnt haver her personal giant pillow of hair, it would’ve sounded more like a loud *donk* rather than a flump
Seeing Alinua hugging the sword Kendal, I wonder if it might actually help to cast healing magic on the sword as well as the person. The two are obviously pretty closely intertwined, and if Kendal is actually the soul of the sword, as some commenters have theorized, then healing the sword might have a positive effect.
…oh no. Oh f*ck. Oh f*ck. He’s actually dead, isn’t he? Unless his entire soul is in the sword now, Kendal’s actually, fully dead. Sh*t. If he is, that sucks; he’s been one of my favorite characters!
This is the first story that I’ve experienced that (potentially) kills off the assumed main protagonist partway through in a way that even with part of me protesting “But plot armor!”, I’m convinced that the story could feasibly continue without the presence of this character that we’ve come to love. The group could continue on to Helm, since Erin’s still alive. The group could still rescue Vash afterward, but with the added notion that they’re doing so to honor Kendal’s wishes and his short, tragic life. Despite losing the one who brought them together, the group could stay together. And if he is indeed well and truly dead, I think the bond he’s forged between these people is the greatest legacy that Kendal left behind.
I- oh. Oh. My first reaction was “Psh, I dont think Kendal is going to die” but then I realised. Whatever the case may be, that’s what Alinua meant. I actually got chills oh no
I love the theory…. I also hate it! Kendal is amazing and for him to die would be catastrophic! It would also make for a very interesting story… I don’t know we’ll find out soon!
I do see what you’re saying, and you very well may be right, but Kendal is not only what brought them together, he’s the glue that keeps them together. He’s the insight they have into the gods, he’s the compass they have for finding the collector, he’s the one who (usually) sets them off on side quests to help random people. Granted Alinua fulfills that last role sometimes, but my point still stands, he’s such an invaluable asset to the team, could they really still be the floof squad without him? I say this even though I too have thought a lot about how the story could go on without him, I guess I’m just leaning into the hopeful side of this, no matter how unlikely it may seem. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO KENDAL DON’T DIE ON ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -sob- nooooooooo… -sob, sob-
I’m going to go defenestrate my computer, brb
I’m kidding
But for real if Kendal is dead, I will be very upset
Welp I honestly did not expect that!!!
Can we just take a moment to appreciate OngoingConversationCouplet for going back and doing one for every single page, even the ones before they started?
Thanks! I’m glad if my semi-bad poetry is appreciated, it’s been a blast! Though “every single page” is a bit generous since I only just started chapter 3.
Btw anyone seen the other poetry commenters? I didn’t spot them in the last two pages.
well i mean if hes waking up with his body inu that condition i think thtad be worse. best to rest and heal? idk also NO IM LATE
Nooo, the sad floof balls. I can’t T T
I honestly gotta say this, red….
YOU BETTER PULL A “CROSSROADS OF DESTINY” MOVE AND REVIVE KENDAL WITH A CHEKHOV’S GUN METHOD OF MAGIC, OR I SWEAR TO VASH!!!(the “or i swear to vash” thing is a joke btw)
If Kendal really, truly dies, Alinua is going to be really angry.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU COULDN’T SAVE HIM? YOU’RE THE ELEMENTAL MAGUS! YOU HAVE THE POWER OF THE UNIVERSE IN YOUR HANDS! YOU HAD THE POWER TO SAVE HIM! YOU WEREN’T REALLY TRYING, WERE YOU? YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT HIM! ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS YOURSELF! YOU LET HIM DIE!”
One common reaction to a death of a loved one is anger. At themselves, yes, which I see a lot in media, but often it’s anger directed at anyone who could possibly bear the blame, even if they were trying or it wasn’t their fault in the slightest.
I’m really bringing out my writing side on this page, aren’t I? I’m a really big fan of the ‘drop everything and run’ thing, and I just woke up and thought of this. Also Platonic Hugs, the best thing to write ever. I know a lot of people ship Tess and Alinua but I like to think of them as besties at most.
Hm, that seems out of character for Alinua, and it doesn’t make sense given situation either. At no point did Alinua expect Erin to save Kendal, when he went down Alinua was immediately on Kendal, and when she next sees Erin she’s seemingly already given up. That doesn’t leave a ton of room for her to have expected anything from Erin, thus leaving very little reason for her to direct her anger at him. What seems more likely if there is to be the path of misplaced blame is that Alinua will blame herself, or resent her powers further, since once she’s finally gotten them kinda under control and helping people, they fail her when she needs them most.
Just after posting that last comment I thought this page would be a great one to practice writing emotion on, so here we go:
‘What’s wrong?’ Erin stood and put down his book, ‘What happened?’
His mind raced with anticipation.
Alinua clutched Kendal’s sword, his namesake, close to her chest. Her breath trembled. She couldn’t bring herself to speak.
She let herself fall into Tess’ arms. Life magic swirled up around her, making the grass at her feet grow wild. The metal arms she lay in were hard and cold, but Alinua didn’t care. Tess was strong, and she was not. The elf let Tess support her, and finally, she spoke.
‘He didn’t wake up.’
Erin didn’t know what to do. He was seized by a frenzied feeling, one he had never known before.
Erin ran.
Welp. Kendall died.
RED. DON’T KILL THE BOY I BEG OF U
OK so uh… it also just occurred to me that if none of the other six elements are up to the task of saving Kendal, Erin *might* be tempted to make a little deal with VD Walter…
DANG YOU’RE RIGHT NO ERIN BE CAREFUL
Thing is, he might *need* some void element sooner or later. Void is the element of consumption, and in living things it’s actually critical; it’s the element that allows a creature to assimilate food into itself, among other things. A creature with no void is on a time limit — it can only do so much before it expends all the elemental energy it has, and then it needs an artificial recharge (by a skilled mage, for example) or it’ll run down. That’s basically what Kendal is, as far as I can tell, just running on whatever energy Vash imbued into him on creation. Alinua can put his body back together, but if he’s short of elemental energy, he’s going to need Erin to replenish his power supply, but until he’s able to take in elemental energy through food and such, he’s really quite limited.
I’ve actually had a similar thought. In fact, for a while I’ve had a theory about how Erin might be able to help Kendal. If Erin/the Void Dragon was somehow able to integrate void into Kendal’s body, that might be what he needs to fully recover.
Of course, this kind of thing would have some major implications for the Void Dragon’s role in the story as the main antagonist. However, I honestly don’t think it’s out of the question for VD to get a redemption arc, for a few reasons. First of all, we know that void is a necessary component in living organisms. Second, the book that Erin read in the Paladin archives mentioned that the Ancients used to worship him alongside the Light Dragon.
Also if VD saves Kendal’s life, that will call back to chapter 18 when he mentioned being in Kendal’s debt. Just some things to think about.
I thought that it was concluded in-story that Alinua’s healing is what kept him alive. Also if they did incorporate void into Kendal, he would lose his prodigious immunity to it. I don’t know, just a thought. I honestly don’t have any better guesses on what’s going to happen.
I’m not sure I agree, at least based on my understanding of the mechanics at play. Kendal shares some qualities with homunculi as they are described in the void lore, but I don’t know if he’s a perfect example of such an entity for a couple reasons:
1. I’m reasonably sure he does in fact need to eat, drink, breathe, etc., although idk if there’s enough evidence to conclusively confirm this.
2. His flesh wounds heal naturally on their own at a remarkably accelerated rate, as noted by both Alinua and Erin on two separate occasions. Homunculi are stated to not be able to heal on their own without pulling from elsewhere in their body, which we don’t have reason to believe that Kendal’s been doing. If he was, I have a feeling Alinua, the woman exhaustively familiar with his anatomy because of how many times she’s had to stop it from dying, would probably have noticed.
So, with this in mind, Kendal is unusual in that he has no void in him, but nonetheless seems to be able to function like any other mortal despite being a demigod. The only theories that come to my mind are either that he’s sustained by whatever’s uniquely in him (starfire, perhaps the same light or soul magic used by the paladins and the Light Dragon) or that Alinua’s healing took what had initially been nothing more than a homunculus made to fit in a god body and altered him on such a fundamental level that it turned him into a real boy.
Idk, we’ll probably get some sort of answer within the next chapter or so. =p
Other people have hashed out most of the counterarguments to Kendal needing void, but I’d also like to highlight VD Walter’s cryptic comment implying that Kendal runs on star power — er, that is, he’s made of star dust — wait, I mean– *clears throat* I’m theorizing that somehow, there’s an eighth element (soul/light/star what-have-you) that’s taken the place of void in Kendal’s elemental makeup
I’m fairly sure the 8th element, the essence of the Light Dragon, is Soul. Erin keeps saying things like “There can’t be an 8th element, we would have noticed!” and at the same time talking about how Soul is so difficult to manipulate without just wrecking it with elemental corruption. Like. Sounds like a fundamental element to me, but one that doesn’t exist in the world’s makeup because the Light Dragon isn’t part of the world.
And that fits with the history of the world and the Twin Gods. Void wanted mortal spellcasters that he could control to break his prison, and he was neatly countered by the sudden and inexplicable appearance of souls that made them immune to direct manipulation. Almost like, say, the Light Dragon stepped in to screw up his plan.
Honestly, I’d be surprised if he were unable to be revived, because his character arc isn’t done yet. We still don’t know fully what’s the deal with Kendal and he still needs to rescue Vash’s soul from the Singing Caves, and in Trope Talks where she talks about fake deaths, it’s bad writing to just kill them for the heck of it even though their story isn’t done yet, so I’m pretty sure we’ll see him again. I remember she used Jon Snow as an example where she doubted it was a real death because his story wasn’t done yet (has it been confirmed? I don’t watch GoT). So yeah, I’m pretty sure Kendal will eventually be fine
In first panel, Tess is a step behind Erin but in panel two, Tess is the one to reach Alinua first.
This supports my theory that she’s a monk.
Now my question is if Erin is a wild magic sorcerer? Alinua life cleric? Is Kendal a paladin or a fighter? One could make a case of barbarian but I think he has natural armour. Falst manhandled several gaurds alone. He’s the barbarian. Dainix is at best a homebrew druid (wildfire). I am still conflicted on him. What y’all think?
Nahhh I think Falst’s a rogue. He’s got those stealth and acrobatics/athletics skills.
There’s no way Alinua isn’t a warlock
I’d put Erin as a wizard as opposed to a wild magic sorcerer. Other than void (which is an unfortunate case of posession as opposed to an innate power), he seems to have really good control over his magic, and was studying even it at the Aseran academy.
I’d also be more inclined to put Dainix as a fighter as opposed to druid: his main abilities aren’t so much in magic(he didn’t seem have complete control of it in the Tynan fight, for example), but in his training with spears and other weaponry. I’d probably slot him as fighter with the champion subclass (5e), given the arena stuff and Caliban.
100% agree with Tess as a monk though
it think erin’s prolly a multiclass thing, plus if you think about void could be considered a symbiote and guess what, there’s rules for that:http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/dark-gifts
TL;DR: I tried…
it just occurred to me but, is it just me or is tess’ scar slowly disappearing throughout the time that she’s giving alinua a bridal carry?