Wow, this is fascinating. What isn’t as simple anymore? Why not? Something very significant happened to Erin after Tess left (a lot of things, actually, with Voidy and all. I feel like this is earlier). I wish we could see Tess’s face to see if she reacted to Erin’s tattoos at all.
Whatever happened seemed to affect Erin a lot too. I’m trying to figure out what the reaction I’m getting. Guilt? Shame? Sadness? I get the feeling he gave up something, perhaps at the Soulshaper monks. Erin did say they sealed off power more than opening it.
On a somewhat unrelated note, I actually really like their argument. It feels like a very authentic sibling one. Irritated and not mincing words with each other, but it’s obvious they really care.
Some people are thinking he’s an artificial elemental magus and his prideful dad just had to have one as his son and used the soul shapers to do it, but the ‘it’s not as simple as it used to be’ makes me think he was an elemental magus proper and for some reason lost it and had to have them reopened, which would make sense if he lost them as a kid with Tess which is why she was confused about Alinua calling him as such and after she left he had those channels reopened by the soul shaper monks or else his dad had them close the channels and he had to force them back open somehow. Something to make his connection with lightning weaker than it was when they were kids. Or maybe he sacrificed his lightning to spark Tess and his dad got all mad and had the soul shapers reopen it. That doesn’t seem to likely cause it seems like her being chosen by the sky just kinda happened.
Even more youngsters and would-be godly-upstarts on old man Zuurith’s lawn, city god can’t have shit round these parts without someone trying to upset his carefully designed order.
It’s interesting how they have the ability to “feel” what the lightning is thinking. Plus, the bit about doing it without a body is interesting when you view it in the context that gods are usually just big souls unless they incarnate…
i get the vibe they’re gonna shake hands with lightning powers or something in the next page cos idk why else erin would go bzzzz, im cataloging this thought here for proof
“It’s not so simple anymore” Face it, Erin, you’re getting OLD! 😛 Jokes aside, has it ever be explained whether being the Elemental Magus is a aquired skill or an inborn talent? Was he uniquely attuned to ALL elements and gave up some of that attunement for more stability via the tattoos?
“What isn’t as simple anymore?”
I’m guessing that contacting gods is a tad more concerning when you’ve got an elder god bound to your body that wants *out*. My guess is that Erin wouldn’t be compelling the hypothetical minor weather god out there to communicate, but is just lowering defenses to allow such communication. And lowering defenses is not particularly wise in this situation…even if the presumption that Tynan is largely harmless was correct.
Tess: Are you feeling it Mr. Krab- I mean, Ruunaser!
Weather gods are not noteworthy? I guess Tynan was said to be a very unique weather god with his appetite for causing destruction. Maybe that’s why Zuurith hasn’t gone into code red; he might be able to sense that it’s A weather god but not THAT weather god.
The details on Tess in panel 4 are amazing. The different intensities of her Lichtenberg scars, contrasting metal sheen with natural shading, how even without pupils and irises you can feel her expression of seriousness. All great stuff.
Interesting points about Erin’s lightning and ability to feel storms. I have a theory that Erin was a major cataylst in getting Tess chosen by the sky. If he could feel for storms and their nature it would certainly help to get Tess in the right place and right time to be struck by lightning.
Still, why is it not so simple now? Has he lost some skill in lightning magic over his training with the other elements? Is it V.D. related (who’s probably wincing at this, remembering how he was paralysed by Erin in the caves)? Is he just rusty? Could be anything.
“Feel it. Like when we were kids.” Okay seriously, between that statement and Erin’s dream, what happened when they were kids? I guess that could be a reference to the “chosen by the sky” thing, but why is Erin guilty and reluctant about it?
RED, PLEASE EXPLAIN!
So I’ve just checked my DA account, and I noticed someone started following me 2 days ago. In the person’s BIO she had Aurora in the “Favorite Books” list, meaning she probably saw me in the comments,
1. Thank you for the follow
2. Could u reveal who u are in the comments, I’d like to say hi
In the extra lore page on gods and sentinels, it’s mentioned that deities think and focus more clearly when they’re incarnated versus when they’re not, so Tynan being so f*cking mad that his anger permeates his unincarnated form is noteworthy, tying into how sentient the storm seemed even before it gained a deity. Some whack soul energy must’ve entered those clouds way back when…
One subset of lightning magic is connectivity, both physical and mental (which might also play into Tynan’s unincarnated fury), so it looks like Erin is going to tap into that to see what the storm is doing. Interesting to note that Tess can apparently do this passively, possibly due to being Chosen by the Sky, while Erin has to actively cast to do it. Perhaps “It’s not that simple anymore” refers to how Erin simply hasn’t used this skill in quite a while, since Tess mentions that Erin last did this in his childhood, most likely (as Evil Tree says) to help Tess get Chosen in the first place.
@Thinker of Too Msny Thoughts It’s the other way around, actually; the Soulshaper Monks are known for *opening* magical links, and Erin thinks they should be able to close magical links like the one with Voidy as well, but he’s not sure. The fact that his family has had “prior dealings” with them has some theorizing that they’re the people who opened Erin’s magical links and allowed him to become the Elemental Magus, hence explaining why he’s so defensive about his status and why Tess very notably paused when Falst mentioned Erin being the Elemental Magus when he was a kid.
Of course, with this page mentioning him having lightning magic when he and Tess were kids, it’s possible that Erin may not have been completely powerless when he was younger, and may in fact have been naturally born as a lightning mage.
The idea of lightning thinking is frankly sort of scary. I can see why Tess is so freaked out and insisting on Erin helping with it and verifying she isn’t just going crazy. I have no idea what he’s doing, but I bet it’ll look cool. Also, Alinua looking out the window after Tess says the storm’s giving her “bad vibes” is adorable.
Congrats to Vengeful Puffin, Zer0 W0lf, TheUnknownGame, just stopping by, and what-nt for correctly guessing last week’s Pastrivia answer! And thank you to everyone else who participated, your comments are appreciated. Now, as it seems we’re at last getting into the matter of that mysterious storm, how about a somewhat thematic PASTRIVIA for now. What weapon(s) did Tynan use when he fought Vash?
A. Twin swords?
B. A battle axe?
C. A greatsword?
D. His fists?
Gift Horse: a sick lightning gun!?
@Steve, Lord of Darkness, no worries man. Your presence here is appreciated, and we don’t mind if you take some time to recover creatively.
@Pelzer the Polychromatic, the thought of it is positively electrifying!
None of this theorizing is exactly groundbreaking but here we go: so now we know that Erin was a lightning mage when he and Tess still lived together in Asera. This is kind of unfounded, but I think she knows Erin is the Elemental Magus because she was either there to witness him “becoming” it (if the Soulshaper Monk theory is true, or something else that’s similar) or he was on that path when she left. On 1.15.2, Tess says, “Erin used to do that all the time. ‘Nobody help me, I’ll pass out on my own!’ ” Erin has proven himself to be a fairly durable character, at least during the actual comic, with his only real physical weakness being Mr. VD, so I suspect what Tess was talking about had to do with whatever process Erin underwent to become what he is today.
And on an unrelated and probably irrelevant note, I think it’s interesting that when Erin and Alinua were having that conversation about life magic in the forest, Alinua said something somewhat similar to Tess’s statement here—“just feel it out and help it along a little!” (1.8.9)
@Humanoid Clay: Good one! I literally have no idea this time lol
Oooo ‘just feel it like when we were kids’ ‘it’s not that simple anymore’ I cannot wait for the big backstory drop!
@Humaniod Clay
Im remember twin swords somewhere, but I thought vash used them? that doesn’t make much sense with his forging the blade and what all, so it’s probably A, and I’m misremembering who used it
Okay, so I’m going to throw my new theory out there: Erin started out as a lightning mage, but his tattoo mods interfere with his natural lightning mage potential, which was apparently A LOT…?
Okay, the “when we were kids” thing complicates my theory that Erin was made into the elemental magus by the soul shapers. Maybe he only had 1 to 3 elements beforehand and the soul shapers just opened up the other few? Regardless, this implies that he was a lightning mage before he was an elemental magus, and that something about him now makes it harder to sense magic??? Maybe that’s an elemental magus thing, maybe that’s a side effect of the soul shaping?? Curious
I really doubt that the Soul Shapers *made* Erin the elemental magus. If that were the case, why aren’t there a ton of elemental magi running around?0 If something in that ballpark is the big reveal, I feel like it’s more likely that Erin was already able to wield all six elements, albeit uncontrollably or just in a way that was too emotion-based for the Academy and/or polite society.
@humanoid clay
A. twin swords. i think. i reread the whole comic like yesterday so if i’m wrong i’m about to be very embarrassed.
@benjamin
erin did mention that they helped people with mal- or partially-formed elemental links, so i’m going to agree with you. he was probably born with elemental links to all six, but due to some magical reason or another, they didn’t form correctly and the soul shapers had to fully open the elemental links
Humanoid Clay: d) twin swords (a wonderful image that expresses how Tynan could attack Vash the god and Vash the city at the same time!)
Love this hint of Erin backstory. I admit, he’s been my favorite character ever since he put on those goggles and went into The Storm, easy-peasy. I thought, “Oh, that’s gonna go well…” and couldn’t wait to see what trouble he made for himself.
Maybe Erin was trying to use his fledgling lighting mage skills to help spark Tess, to call lightning from the sky–and managed to get all his channels screwed up in the process.
Those soul-healing monks are going to freak when see this group. The primordial Life herself, reborn through destroying souls, a godling soul formed from the ethers… and then the Void Dragon itself, the opposite of everything they do. They’ll be grateful to see a Ferrin, just because he’s a familiar problem (though no doubt there’s nothing they can do).
Hmm. I like the idea that the White Dragon and Paladins are working with soul magic. That would mean that the monks are somehow related to or similar to the Paladins (maybe professionally different in the same field of magic–one healing, the other destroying the misshapen results of the Void Dragon).
MAN IF ONLY KENDAL WERE HERE, HE MIGHT KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THIS HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
It has been _0_ pages since Erin last insisted that he can’t POSSIBLY be wrong about someth- oh wait what is this? he is reconsidering? is this what character development looks like?
i have been wanting Ruunasiblings content for so long and now they are interacting and it is delightful. but also i need the Erin Lore IMMEDIATELY.
@ Thinker Growth of Erin’s skill (and character) (Good job Red! and I can fill in the blanks of Erin’s actions so you could do the dramatic Rescue scene for Erin).
Tess’s ability to see a hidden sky god seems quite unique.
Tess also shows Erin’s relation to those below him- kind and respectful, Erin’s ability to help Tess’s spark remain unknown to me
I can’t wait to learn Erin’s backstory, I’m re-reading these older pages and I never realized how much it’s been foreshadowed. Like, “It’s not so simple anymore”? How incredibly vague! I love it!
hang on here. Erin saying that it’s “not that simple anymore” was talking about was feeling the storm and weather. We know that Tarren was sealed and that is what his tattoo did, but it was also a means by which to cast. Maybe Erin’s tattoos cut off a natural connection in favor of a more controlled/contained casting.
Rereading this myself…my guess (as many have theorized) is that Erin had malformed channels that resulted in his constantly absorbing even low level ambient energy, making him sick. We’ve seen what unconscious channeling did to Tarren, a water mage…Erin could have been attracting all 6 elements uncontrollably. That would be hell on the body. I’m wondering if it went so far as to have to keep him in one of those soulstone cleanrooms that Red mentioned in an ask…that would certainly explain why he had no friends until Tess.
I think you’re right — what Tess is alluding to here is that Erin used to be able to unconsciously feel the ambient energy all around him, and was very sensitive to it. Now, as protection, he has to unlock those channels via his tattoos to be able to sense ambient energy, unless it’s high enough, like in the Storm. Trading a natural sense or affinity for not constantly being made sick by his own powers.
Yesss, he’s listening! Go Tess!
Also, what’s not so simple anymore?
oh boy! sentient cloud? family bonding? lightning magic? walter? this just keeps getting better
Erin, stop being an important asshole and help your adopted sister!
I’d like to appreciate how cool erin’s tats are. It’s a really neat design.
“if your erin is short circuiting, shake him a few times to get the charge to work” – someone on discord
Darn weather gods, always popping up out of nowhere, causing mayhem, rooting through my trash…
[checks earpiece]
Okay actually that’s raccoons, never mind
The only reason Erin has sleeves is because no one on earth could draw those tattoos on every single panel that he’s in
Wow, this is fascinating. What isn’t as simple anymore? Why not? Something very significant happened to Erin after Tess left (a lot of things, actually, with Voidy and all. I feel like this is earlier). I wish we could see Tess’s face to see if she reacted to Erin’s tattoos at all.
Whatever happened seemed to affect Erin a lot too. I’m trying to figure out what the reaction I’m getting. Guilt? Shame? Sadness? I get the feeling he gave up something, perhaps at the Soulshaper monks. Erin did say they sealed off power more than opening it.
On a somewhat unrelated note, I actually really like their argument. It feels like a very authentic sibling one. Irritated and not mincing words with each other, but it’s obvious they really care.
Some people are thinking he’s an artificial elemental magus and his prideful dad just had to have one as his son and used the soul shapers to do it, but the ‘it’s not as simple as it used to be’ makes me think he was an elemental magus proper and for some reason lost it and had to have them reopened, which would make sense if he lost them as a kid with Tess which is why she was confused about Alinua calling him as such and after she left he had those channels reopened by the soul shaper monks or else his dad had them close the channels and he had to force them back open somehow. Something to make his connection with lightning weaker than it was when they were kids. Or maybe he sacrificed his lightning to spark Tess and his dad got all mad and had the soul shapers reopen it. That doesn’t seem to likely cause it seems like her being chosen by the sky just kinda happened.
Reluctant at first
He’ll do what needs to be done.
It’s time for lightning!
Even more youngsters and would-be godly-upstarts on old man Zuurith’s lawn, city god can’t have shit round these parts without someone trying to upset his carefully designed order.
The only upside to my sleep schedule is getting first dibs on the latest aurora ep.
Say ‘hi’ to Tynan, Erin! Too bad the only person with memory of this unruly deity is locked up! Dramatic tension be that way.
It’s interesting how they have the ability to “feel” what the lightning is thinking. Plus, the bit about doing it without a body is interesting when you view it in the context that gods are usually just big souls unless they incarnate…
i get the vibe they’re gonna shake hands with lightning powers or something in the next page cos idk why else erin would go bzzzz, im cataloging this thought here for proof
“It’s not so simple anymore” Face it, Erin, you’re getting OLD! 😛 Jokes aside, has it ever be explained whether being the Elemental Magus is a aquired skill or an inborn talent? Was he uniquely attuned to ALL elements and gave up some of that attunement for more stability via the tattoos?
“What isn’t as simple anymore?”
I’m guessing that contacting gods is a tad more concerning when you’ve got an elder god bound to your body that wants *out*. My guess is that Erin wouldn’t be compelling the hypothetical minor weather god out there to communicate, but is just lowering defenses to allow such communication. And lowering defenses is not particularly wise in this situation…even if the presumption that Tynan is largely harmless was correct.
“…Tell me wrong because I’m right…”
I think that Zuurith shot himself in the foot by imprisoning Kendal. Kendal would have told Tess and Erin exactly what the thinking lightning is.
Tynan, this is your cue
@ImuyanMangoCat agreed.
I love the detail on Tess’s skin. Very metal.
Stay tuned to the shocking conclusion!
ImuyanMangoCat-yeah, they’re great! i drew them onto my arms at one point and it was really hard, but it turned out well
Tess: Are you feeling it Mr. Krab- I mean, Ruunaser!
Weather gods are not noteworthy? I guess Tynan was said to be a very unique weather god with his appetite for causing destruction. Maybe that’s why Zuurith hasn’t gone into code red; he might be able to sense that it’s A weather god but not THAT weather god.
The details on Tess in panel 4 are amazing. The different intensities of her Lichtenberg scars, contrasting metal sheen with natural shading, how even without pupils and irises you can feel her expression of seriousness. All great stuff.
Interesting points about Erin’s lightning and ability to feel storms. I have a theory that Erin was a major cataylst in getting Tess chosen by the sky. If he could feel for storms and their nature it would certainly help to get Tess in the right place and right time to be struck by lightning.
Still, why is it not so simple now? Has he lost some skill in lightning magic over his training with the other elements? Is it V.D. related (who’s probably wincing at this, remembering how he was paralysed by Erin in the caves)? Is he just rusty? Could be anything.
“Feel it. Like when we were kids.” Okay seriously, between that statement and Erin’s dream, what happened when they were kids? I guess that could be a reference to the “chosen by the sky” thing, but why is Erin guilty and reluctant about it?
RED, PLEASE EXPLAIN!
So I’ve just checked my DA account, and I noticed someone started following me 2 days ago. In the person’s BIO she had Aurora in the “Favorite Books” list, meaning she probably saw me in the comments,
1. Thank you for the follow
2. Could u reveal who u are in the comments, I’d like to say hi
EEeeeeeEe EEeEEe CONTENT
…for some reason I’ve just been more impatient than normal waiting for this but it was WORTH IT
This art is incredible!
ooooooooooh
In the extra lore page on gods and sentinels, it’s mentioned that deities think and focus more clearly when they’re incarnated versus when they’re not, so Tynan being so f*cking mad that his anger permeates his unincarnated form is noteworthy, tying into how sentient the storm seemed even before it gained a deity. Some whack soul energy must’ve entered those clouds way back when…
One subset of lightning magic is connectivity, both physical and mental (which might also play into Tynan’s unincarnated fury), so it looks like Erin is going to tap into that to see what the storm is doing. Interesting to note that Tess can apparently do this passively, possibly due to being Chosen by the Sky, while Erin has to actively cast to do it. Perhaps “It’s not that simple anymore” refers to how Erin simply hasn’t used this skill in quite a while, since Tess mentions that Erin last did this in his childhood, most likely (as Evil Tree says) to help Tess get Chosen in the first place.
@Thinker of Too Msny Thoughts It’s the other way around, actually; the Soulshaper Monks are known for *opening* magical links, and Erin thinks they should be able to close magical links like the one with Voidy as well, but he’s not sure. The fact that his family has had “prior dealings” with them has some theorizing that they’re the people who opened Erin’s magical links and allowed him to become the Elemental Magus, hence explaining why he’s so defensive about his status and why Tess very notably paused when Falst mentioned Erin being the Elemental Magus when he was a kid.
Of course, with this page mentioning him having lightning magic when he and Tess were kids, it’s possible that Erin may not have been completely powerless when he was younger, and may in fact have been naturally born as a lightning mage.
Aww, look at those siblings! They’re so cute.
The idea of lightning thinking is frankly sort of scary. I can see why Tess is so freaked out and insisting on Erin helping with it and verifying she isn’t just going crazy. I have no idea what he’s doing, but I bet it’ll look cool. Also, Alinua looking out the window after Tess says the storm’s giving her “bad vibes” is adorable.
Erin: For the last time, Tess, a storm giving you “Bad vibes” isn’t a valid reason to break the law!
alt text: “bzzt”
Congrats to Vengeful Puffin, Zer0 W0lf, TheUnknownGame, just stopping by, and what-nt for correctly guessing last week’s Pastrivia answer! And thank you to everyone else who participated, your comments are appreciated. Now, as it seems we’re at last getting into the matter of that mysterious storm, how about a somewhat thematic PASTRIVIA for now.
What weapon(s) did Tynan use when he fought Vash?
A. Twin swords?
B. A battle axe?
C. A greatsword?
D. His fists?
Gift Horse: a sick lightning gun!?
@Steve, Lord of Darkness, no worries man. Your presence here is appreciated, and we don’t mind if you take some time to recover creatively.
@Pelzer the Polychromatic, the thought of it is positively electrifying!
@Humanoid Clay
A. He used twin scimitars, if I’m remembering correctly.
D, it’s d. Definitely
Ahh, he gave up the info from the archives to help them. I get it now. 🙂 (well, my two brain cells think it’s correct)
TL;DR: Don’t you feel it, brother? It’s *dramatic music* PLOT TIME! *ZAP*
@Humanoid Clay
A. Vash used his fists.
but ahhh I want to know all the secrets. But also thank you red for writing this so good and not being too loose with the secrets.
None of this theorizing is exactly groundbreaking but here we go: so now we know that Erin was a lightning mage when he and Tess still lived together in Asera. This is kind of unfounded, but I think she knows Erin is the Elemental Magus because she was either there to witness him “becoming” it (if the Soulshaper Monk theory is true, or something else that’s similar) or he was on that path when she left. On 1.15.2, Tess says, “Erin used to do that all the time. ‘Nobody help me, I’ll pass out on my own!’ ” Erin has proven himself to be a fairly durable character, at least during the actual comic, with his only real physical weakness being Mr. VD, so I suspect what Tess was talking about had to do with whatever process Erin underwent to become what he is today.
And on an unrelated and probably irrelevant note, I think it’s interesting that when Erin and Alinua were having that conversation about life magic in the forest, Alinua said something somewhat similar to Tess’s statement here—“just feel it out and help it along a little!” (1.8.9)
@Humanoid Clay: Good one! I literally have no idea this time lol
Oooo ‘just feel it like when we were kids’ ‘it’s not that simple anymore’ I cannot wait for the big backstory drop!
@Humaniod Clay
Im remember twin swords somewhere, but I thought vash used them? that doesn’t make much sense with his forging the blade and what all, so it’s probably A, and I’m misremembering who used it
I’m pretty sure it’s A.
Okay, so I’m going to throw my new theory out there: Erin started out as a lightning mage, but his tattoo mods interfere with his natural lightning mage potential, which was apparently A LOT…?
@Humanoid Clay: fists (?) before he got the sweet sword from the blacksmith god. So technically both D and C.
what if Erin checks it out & is like “nah, no problems here just some angry lightning?” man that would be wild
Okay, the “when we were kids” thing complicates my theory that Erin was made into the elemental magus by the soul shapers. Maybe he only had 1 to 3 elements beforehand and the soul shapers just opened up the other few? Regardless, this implies that he was a lightning mage before he was an elemental magus, and that something about him now makes it harder to sense magic??? Maybe that’s an elemental magus thing, maybe that’s a side effect of the soul shaping?? Curious
I really doubt that the Soul Shapers *made* Erin the elemental magus. If that were the case, why aren’t there a ton of elemental magi running around?0 If something in that ballpark is the big reveal, I feel like it’s more likely that Erin was already able to wield all six elements, albeit uncontrollably or just in a way that was too emotion-based for the Academy and/or polite society.
@humanoid clay
A. twin swords. i think. i reread the whole comic like yesterday so if i’m wrong i’m about to be very embarrassed.
@benjamin
erin did mention that they helped people with mal- or partially-formed elemental links, so i’m going to agree with you. he was probably born with elemental links to all six, but due to some magical reason or another, they didn’t form correctly and the soul shapers had to fully open the elemental links
Finally , Tynan gets acknowledged. Kendal who could tell them all about Tynan is locked up. I don’t see this going well for Zuurith at all.
What a “SHOCKING” turn of events.
Humanoid Clay: d) twin swords (a wonderful image that expresses how Tynan could attack Vash the god and Vash the city at the same time!)
Love this hint of Erin backstory. I admit, he’s been my favorite character ever since he put on those goggles and went into The Storm, easy-peasy. I thought, “Oh, that’s gonna go well…” and couldn’t wait to see what trouble he made for himself.
Maybe Erin was trying to use his fledgling lighting mage skills to help spark Tess, to call lightning from the sky–and managed to get all his channels screwed up in the process.
Those soul-healing monks are going to freak when see this group. The primordial Life herself, reborn through destroying souls, a godling soul formed from the ethers… and then the Void Dragon itself, the opposite of everything they do. They’ll be grateful to see a Ferrin, just because he’s a familiar problem (though no doubt there’s nothing they can do).
Hmm. I like the idea that the White Dragon and Paladins are working with soul magic. That would mean that the monks are somehow related to or similar to the Paladins (maybe professionally different in the same field of magic–one healing, the other destroying the misshapen results of the Void Dragon).
MAN IF ONLY KENDAL WERE HERE, HE MIGHT KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THIS HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
It has been _0_ pages since Erin last insisted that he can’t POSSIBLY be wrong about someth- oh wait what is this? he is reconsidering? is this what character development looks like?
i have been wanting Ruunasiblings content for so long and now they are interacting and it is delightful. but also i need the Erin Lore IMMEDIATELY.
@ Thinker Growth of Erin’s skill (and character) (Good job Red! and I can fill in the blanks of Erin’s actions so you could do the dramatic Rescue scene for Erin).
Tess’s ability to see a hidden sky god seems quite unique.
Tess also shows Erin’s relation to those below him- kind and respectful, Erin’s ability to help Tess’s spark remain unknown to me
I can’t wait to learn Erin’s backstory, I’m re-reading these older pages and I never realized how much it’s been foreshadowed. Like, “It’s not so simple anymore”? How incredibly vague! I love it!
hang on here. Erin saying that it’s “not that simple anymore” was talking about was feeling the storm and weather. We know that Tarren was sealed and that is what his tattoo did, but it was also a means by which to cast. Maybe Erin’s tattoos cut off a natural connection in favor of a more controlled/contained casting.
*their tattoo did.
Rereading this myself…my guess (as many have theorized) is that Erin had malformed channels that resulted in his constantly absorbing even low level ambient energy, making him sick. We’ve seen what unconscious channeling did to Tarren, a water mage…Erin could have been attracting all 6 elements uncontrollably. That would be hell on the body. I’m wondering if it went so far as to have to keep him in one of those soulstone cleanrooms that Red mentioned in an ask…that would certainly explain why he had no friends until Tess.
I think you’re right — what Tess is alluding to here is that Erin used to be able to unconsciously feel the ambient energy all around him, and was very sensitive to it. Now, as protection, he has to unlock those channels via his tattoos to be able to sense ambient energy, unless it’s high enough, like in the Storm. Trading a natural sense or affinity for not constantly being made sick by his own powers.