Part of me is intrigued by what Erin and Tess’s childhood is like, but the other part is staring at the sixth panel, wondering what sound a metal caste makes when they smack their fist into their palm.
Was Erin not born as the elemental magus? Will we get a clear explanation of how being born with magic works and why he has these tattoos? I guess Red said something on the topic of magic that goes further than the extra lore page somewhere in some place I’ve never heard of, but an in-comic explanatiom might be appreciated (assuming I’m not massively overthinking it)
I like how Tess consistently still has the cuff on her arm.
Also! After recently watching Journey to the West IX Monkey really reminds me of Falst, mostly in looks tho.
Sooo…. When Falst mentions that Erin is the Elemental Magus, Tess says “But he… Oh! Okay.” Which could mean a hundred different things tbh, but I think it means that Erin wasn’t born the Elemental Magus. Like, he didn’t have those powers at the time when Tess is talking about.
1. Wanderer/tourist Tess would be a fun fanart inspiration.
2. Maybe Tess’s spark and her subsequent getting the hell out of dodge was the Incident that caused Erin so much guilt? He doesn’t seem like much of a self-blaming person, so whatever happened had to have been really bad.
3. Considering what we know about Mr. Ruunaser (Erin’s privilege, the amount of self-worth he places onto his knowledge and Elemental Magus-ness, and the fact that he has literal slaves), he sounds like a classist, overbearing asshole of a father figure. Can’t wait to see the moment where Erin inevitably overcomes his Daddy Issues™ and also Gets The Hell Out Of Dodge.
As Red puts it, there totally is a theme going on. Between Aliuna and Falst’s talk about being unable to change the system in Zuurrith and this conversation.
I really can’t wait to get the whole story on Erin and Tess’s childhood. It sounds like there’s a lot more to it then we know. I’m really glad Tess doesn’t hold whatever happened against Erin, but I do think Erin does. A lot of self-loathing bottled up in hubris and messed-up power in poor Erin’s life. I have a feeling part of Erin’s arch will involve him learning to reject his family in some way, like @Sig suggested.
I’m also really curious where the soulshaper monks tie into this. The way Tess talked about Erin, maybe he wasn’t very powerful as a kid. Maybe that’s what their family’s dealings involved.
I’m guessing sometime in the future we’re bound to have the characters head to Asera, right? Between Erin’s horrible father and the Mage’s Academy, there’s so much lore built up in that city. It’ll be like a fun little trauma trigger for poor Tess (and maybe Erin, depending on how deep this goes).
Anyway, pardon for my brain dump. I am so stoked to see Erin and Tess interact for the first time in years.
If Erin wasn’t born the elemental magus, maybe seeing Tess receive the spark and lightning magic through it clued him into how he could attain the other magics?
Looks like Falst is not quite getting the sparkless thing. Erin could have worked towards releasing her, sure, but she’d still be a will-less servant to any passerby afterwards.
And metaphorically, freeing one, or a handful of, slaves does not break the system that enslaved them. And would gladly recapture them at earliest opportunity.
I’m wondering if Tess’s moment here is her realizing Falst probably has no frame of reference for what Erin and her went through due to however he grew up, and that trying to convince him otherwise would require a lot more explanation than she feels like right now. I really get the impression she just figured something out about him, that would be something she wouldn’t want to share.
I’m finding Falst and Tess’s dynamic really interesting. He’s very closed off, pessimistic and wary, while she’s very open, optimistic and she definitely seems more trusting in general. I feel like Tess may actually be able to get him to open up more due to the fact that she’s very observant and her honest nature would make it hard to say no to a friendly observation (at the right time).
So Erin is innocent, Galen was in the wrong and Tess has given us the OK to pin all the blame on him. Good to know. Until/Unless we get more info on Alinua’s or Falst’s parents, Galen is now officially worst dad.
Kinda sweet that Tess said goodbye to Erin just before booking it; not the best context to base a friendship but there evidently was one between them. Also good the hear Erin’s mom tried her best to help her too.
Falst sounds just like Erin when it comes to Tess’s mistreatment? Hmm, maybe their next interaction won’t be as harsh as some of us were predicting if they both agree there. They might even both be taken aback at how flippant Tess is about it.
Oh man, Panels 3 through 6 and a bit of 7. They’re getting my theorising mind whirling. What was Tess about to say that’s supposedly not important? When Tess says “fragile” is she just comparing him to herself, a metal caste, or was there something wrong with young Erin? Was he sick or were his powers temperamental so he needed someone as tough as Tess as a playmate? Do the theories that Erin was made to be the elemental magus hold some truth?
Oh Red, you sure know how to tease us and make us theorise. Can’t wait to see where all this leads.
I like the fact she’s not gazongas-level-busty. I like seeing multiple body types. It’s a subtle thing, and I think that’s great. (And no, I’m not a member of the itty bitty titty committee. I had 5 pounds surgically removed, and mine are STILL too large. Just sayin’ it’s nice to see so many female characters coming in all shapes & sizes–including overtly feminine, masculine, or nonbinar…ine? Yeah, nonbinarine!)
@Babbling Branches
It makes a ‘pong’ sound. Come on, it’s right there in the panel. /s
Seriously, though, I imagine it is very much like one steel beam hitting another, which does have a very ‘pong’ sound to it. Probably reverberates a little.
Ive thought this ever since Erin mentioned the Soul Shaper monks or whatever and how “His family has had buisness with then before”, but after Tess’s reaction Im pretty confident that Erin was born without magic, and he was *made* the elemental magus by the monks
My best unguessable is that you only ‘become’ the Elemental Magus after a certain point. Erin didn’t have any EM leverage yet because he wasn’t the Magus yet.
Conclusion: The thing Erin was feeling guilty about last chapter was, indeed, Tess’ enslavement. Good to know. Also, Galen officially gets the “I suck” badge. Too bad, he had sick hair. Also also, it’s confirmed Erin has a mom, so that’s pretty cool.
Tess’ response to Falst’s question adds more fuel to my theory that Erin was born with incomplete/malformed soul openings and had to go to the soul shaper monks to get that fixed up. She seems to realize that Erin hasn’t told them about that, and is nice enough to not spill the beans. Falst seems kind of annoyed at Erin about this whole thing, which might give them another reason to argue with each other the next time they interact. I hope they at least save it until later, when they’re out of danger.
I like how Tess grabs the sealing cuff when she mentions Zuurith. Another neat little detail.
Goldfinch:
I’ve brought up that possibility in the past a couple times as well (explaining why Erin specified the soulshaper monks as reliable and discreet and mentioned his family has had dealings with them before, as well as why he touches his tattoos literally every time he casts magic; those tattoos help the flow of magic into the now-strengthened elemental links in his soul, he physically can’t cast otherwise), and it’s looking like this theory might be true! I’m always excited for good, juicy backstory!
Alright, After that (unfortunately unannounced) Thanksgiving Break, I am back. Since we’re getting an explanation from Tess now, and since we already have a few Futurivias active, let’s bring back PASTRIVIA! Where in Stone’s body is The Collector holding Vash?
A: One of his 6 arms.
B: His brain.
C: His heart.
D: His stomach.
@Babbling Branches, I think it’s like a dull, metallic thunk. Hopefully that gives you a clearer mental picture.
The scar is from being chosen by the sky, you can tell by how it’s focused on when Tess talks about what that entails at the end of the last page and on this one.
@Evil Tree
Based on the information we have, I’d say that Erin’s dad is potentially the worse *person*, but he’s still a better *parent* than Alinua’s mom and dad since they, ya know, YEETED THEIR CHILD OFF A FLYING CITY PRESUMABLY TO HER DEATH. *clears throat* erm, I mean, I politely disagree with your assessment…
@TheUnknownGame nice on spotting the tattoo thing; I’d love it if that were true. (Fictional) disability accommodations FTW
I thought that Erin went to the soulshaper monks because something was worng with his soul openings when he mentioned them and this adds credence to that theory. Might explain why he always touches his tattos when casting magic.
Also the more I hear about Erin’s dad the worse it gets.I have a lot of questions about that man.
@Hermit Thrush
I personally still think that erins dad is worse. Alinuas parents (reasonably) thought that she was a danger to them and everyone in their city, and 1 child dying would be a lot less damaging then having an entire cities worth of people get horribly disfigured / turned into a plant, and the child still dies, while erins dad supported or at least condoned slaverey and prevented a child from gaining free will (luckily it didnt stick) AND was genrally a bad parent.
@TheUnkownGame
could this suggest that he was artificially implanted with elemental magus abilities by the soulshaper monks to gain status; maybe his father forced him to do it as a child, or maybe its just something the elemental magus has to go do after they gain the title and thats why there seems to be one elemental magus at a time; its a title.
side note: i just realised that, scince the storm is gone, anyone can just walk up and invoke a primordial true name
Why has Tess referred to Erin as “skinny,” “fragile,” “elemental mage?”
My theory is that he was born with a few natural connections to elements, but not all. His dad did experiments on him (including giving him those tattoos, Tess knew he had tats but not that he was the Elemental Magnus) which artificially coaxed the connections to the rest of the elements out. Either that or he was born with all 6 connections but was too weak to wield them.
I’m appreciating not only the theme of the complexity of systems of power and brute strength not being enough to dismantle or overthrow corrupt practices and beliefs, but also the theme of recognizing where to direct anger and action- not at other victims or powerless participants of the system, but at those in charge of the system and those who willingly perpetuate it.
In some cultures, children obey their parents, and never argue with them. They are brought up to believe that the father is the head of the household, and they have a duty to do what he says. It wouldn’t have mattered what type of power Erin had. Falst, on the other hand, seems to have been raised in a very different culture.
Ok so what I’m hearing is that Tess started out as a forced playmate for Erin but they parted on okay terms and have a sibling relationship. Awesome, thats all I needed for this week, thanks Red 😀
Cesium:
The true names of the primordials were all first invoked while The Storm was active… with one exception: Stone’s true name was first invoked 5,000 years ago, a full millennium before the creation of The Storm. The Storm and the primordial’s true names have no correlation. Yes, The Void Dragon said that the great runes are the written forms of the primordials’ true names, but just writing them seemed to not have the same effect; people evidently had to speak their names to unlock their element’s higher properties, and for a long time, no one knew how to read those names.
Humanoid Clay:
C, specifically his third heart. His first heart was transformed by the other elemental primordials into the adamant core of the planet, and his second was presumably devoured by The Void Dragon.
@Stark9865, Erin mentioned his dad in the beginning of chapter 7 while asking Alinua if Kendal is an emissary and in one of the panels we get to see Asera and the back of Galen’s head. Hope this helps!
Have I fallen in love with how Red draws Tess’ eyes? Is Erin’s father actually a bigoted man who has no qualms with owning people? Is Erin’s mother a sweet woman who deserves better? Has Tess left out the emotionally traumatizing experience gaining her spark must have been? Was that the existential crisis Erin references in Chapter 11? Does Tess not already know that Erin is the Elemental Magus? Was his connection to the elements not discovered until after Tess gained her spark? Has Tess been separated from Erin for so long that hearing her voice through the borb almost gave him a heart attack? Has Trusk’s nose been thrown off by the nearby McZuurith’s?
Considering the possibility that Red is a fan of Tales of Arcadia (she used Trollhunters as an example in the five man band I think) I think Erin’s dad is named after Gaylen from 3Below.
I often take names and then jumble them into new names when I write, maybe that’s where Galen got his name
@Hermit Thrush I’m going to play devils advocate for Alinua’s parents for the moment; we don’t know the full context as to what happened.
We know Alinua was thrown off the flying islands as a baby. Was it her parents who did that? Or was it an official who saw the threat she posed? Did her parents agree with it or was it done against their will? Did the god of the archipelago make the decision as she was a threat to their realm? Alinua certainly doesn’t know and probably neither would her adopted family.
I’m hesitant to label them as terrible with the scant info we have.
Evil Tree, Hermit Thrush:
I kinda just wanna get mad at all of them… (that’s not healthy is it?) Imma just hate them all until we get better info. Let’s go through the awful family/gone family floof squad roll call! Erin- Awful dad who imprisoned Tess, didn’t seem to particularly care about him besides the fact that he was the elemental magnus (That’s just the vibes I’m getting), “suprise playmate” who was a SLAVE by his dad, and hated the place so much that he AND Tess seemed PRETTY eager to book it out of there, and to this DAY he seems really, really guilty about not being able to get her out of that situation (despite the fact that he was just a kid) and a mom who tried to help but seemed to be dictated by her husband in house matters (once again, that’s JUST the feeling I’m getting from the story), CHECK! Alinua- Parents who (whether they actually made the desicion to drop her off the cliff or not) let her get dropped off a CLIFF to her DOOM as an infant. Her adopted set of parents she had to run away from in the fear that she would inflict them with the chimeric plague, CHECK! Kendal doesn’t have parents, was tossed out in the world with a vague, nearly impossible goal, a sword, and a couple of random memories, and he is worried he has displeased the closest thing he has to family or any sort of authority and help (Vaash), so CHECK! Falst apparently has random, sad memories from his parents who don’t seem to care for him (they either abandoned him or sent him off on a vague, difficult journey) is kind of outwardly wary and disinclined to strangers, love from other people, and general caring emotions, like he’s afraid he’ll get hurt again (presumably he was hurt by his family last time), CHECK! Tess, as formerly stated, was treated PRETTY bad by her master (Erin’s father) and forced to be a friend to this lonely, massively hubristic kid, and was so thrilled to get the hell out of their, she only stopped to say goodbye to Erin (her like one friend) (I’m starting to suspect that maybe because Erin was so upset to loose Tess, his only friend, that he became that hubristic and still feels guilty about this. I’m SO EXCITED TO SEE THEIR INTERACTIONS!!!!) Dainix kinda had to leave his family for fear that they would be destroyed by the demon (that may or may not have been him) and for all we know they might be dead… He is champion to a god that he doesn’t seem to like (Caliban), he feels forced by them to do things and he seems really unhappy, and Caliban doesn’t seem to have his best interests at heart and is manipulating him to do things he wouldn’t normally do, CHECK! Gee, the floof squad sure has amazing families…
There is NO WAY that the gang is not going to go to Asera somewhere along the line. (Maybe Erin admits how guilty he feels about Tess, how horrible his childhood was etc. to the gang and he gets forgiven and emerges a better person)
Stark9865:
Thanks, that’s nice to see! Also it was so interesting to go back and realize just how much Erin has lost some of his ego… I still hate the ego he has left, and in a former question I even said that he was my least favorite of the floof squad, (I think) but now as more of his back story is unraveling and he is losing his ego, I definitely am starting to like him better.
Sidenote, any idea where Indigo Toxin is? I hope they’re okay, and will join us again soon!
I know everyone is talking about the piece of crap Erin’s dad is, and I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH IT! (I made a whole paragraph two pages ago about how much I hate him) But, the person I’m getting curious about is his mom… She obviously is a nice person (at least better than Erin’s dad) because Tess says she tried to make her comfortable, she probably cares A LOT about Erin, and she has a strict overbearing husband who gives her probably not a lot of desicion making or freedom. I’m really curious how she would interact with the floof squad, especially Erin and Tess. She’s probably the only parental figure the ENTIRE floof squad has who is not dead, dead in their eyes, or extremely cruel to them. She hasn’t seen Tess in years, and she’s probably worried about Erin since he went in an incredibly dangerous storm that killed everyone before him, and hasn’t heard from him since. Yet another reason why the gang ABSOLUTELY HAS TO GO TO ASERA!
LoeTheFox:
OOOOOHHH!!! (Well I feel foolish, I thought ImuyanMangoCat talked in a familiar way) Any particular reason? (I don’t mean to pry, just curious) Welp, that’s embarrassing, sorry for not realizing! (emberassing, lol, I hate/love autocorrect)
@Hiii
I changed my name for 2 reasons:
1. Indigo is my OC and not a persona so changing my name to ImuyanMangoCat seemed more appropriate
2. ImuyanMangoCat is my Deviant Art name.
And I’m a she, I noticed u all used they so just to clarify I am a she
Just incase you don’t see this I’ll repost it in the next page
Tess is spectacularly upbeat, given that there seems to be an implication of darker thoughts in this page specifically. I’ve honestly been worried she was a bad guy for a while, I’m glad she isn’t. Can I join the “Tess Rocks” bandwagon?
My theory is that Erin has daddy issues, was born with misformed links, and had to visit the soul-shaping monks (that last part isn’t mine but it’s probably true), and had an identity crisis upon finding he was the elemental magus. If you look back at his conversation with Alinua when she was having a crisis about being life’s vessel that seems like some pretty heavy foreshadowing of this. He literally said, “This isn’t my first identity crisis.”
Anyway, just happy I was right about that part lol
I think Erin’s dad brought him to the monks before as a child, and that opened up his powers to be an elemental magnus. It explains why he says he’s been there before, his lines about being “normal” before his powers, and the vague comments. I feel like Tess knows, and it also explains why ERIN IS SO SNOTTY!! He has something to PROVE, and perhaps feels like he doesn’t deserve his powers, which would have him double down on all the supreme-knowledge-thingy.
I’m SOOO late to the party with this, but I am enjoying it so much! This is my third straight read through and I think it’s messing with my head a bit (not complaining). I’m going nuts with Red’s tropes and everything. Kendal the Paragon Hero/Leader. Alinua the Heart. Falst the (adorably angsty) Lancer. Erin the Smart Guy. Tess the Powerhouse. Dainix I have no clue about yet! A second Lancer!? A watered-down Hero?? I’m not calling him a Sixth Ranger!
This masterpiece will consume part of my life forever and I foresee no regrets happening!
Falst, don’t resent tiny Erin. It wasn’t his fault
Part of me is intrigued by what Erin and Tess’s childhood is like, but the other part is staring at the sixth panel, wondering what sound a metal caste makes when they smack their fist into their palm.
So, I have a feeling Tess was not treated that well. Kind of makes me interested to see what Erin’s father is like.
It was his uncle who was an emissary, right?
Was Erin not born as the elemental magus? Will we get a clear explanation of how being born with magic works and why he has these tattoos? I guess Red said something on the topic of magic that goes further than the extra lore page somewhere in some place I’ve never heard of, but an in-comic explanatiom might be appreciated (assuming I’m not massively overthinking it)
No, it’s not time yet
for that piece of backstory.
That would be spoilers ?
I like how Tess consistently still has the cuff on her arm.
Also! After recently watching Journey to the West IX Monkey really reminds me of Falst, mostly in looks tho.
I’m like Alinua in this conversation, glad it’s not that bad but still somewhat confused by her words…
Sooo…. When Falst mentions that Erin is the Elemental Magus, Tess says “But he… Oh! Okay.” Which could mean a hundred different things tbh, but I think it means that Erin wasn’t born the Elemental Magus. Like, he didn’t have those powers at the time when Tess is talking about.
This page’s image source dubs it: Powerless
1. Wanderer/tourist Tess would be a fun fanart inspiration.
2. Maybe Tess’s spark and her subsequent getting the hell out of dodge was the Incident that caused Erin so much guilt? He doesn’t seem like much of a self-blaming person, so whatever happened had to have been really bad.
3. Considering what we know about Mr. Ruunaser (Erin’s privilege, the amount of self-worth he places onto his knowledge and Elemental Magus-ness, and the fact that he has literal slaves), he sounds like a classist, overbearing asshole of a father figure. Can’t wait to see the moment where Erin inevitably overcomes his Daddy Issues™ and also Gets The Hell Out Of Dodge.
Cant wait to see her and erin intereact.
As Red puts it, there totally is a theme going on. Between Aliuna and Falst’s talk about being unable to change the system in Zuurrith and this conversation.
I really can’t wait to get the whole story on Erin and Tess’s childhood. It sounds like there’s a lot more to it then we know. I’m really glad Tess doesn’t hold whatever happened against Erin, but I do think Erin does. A lot of self-loathing bottled up in hubris and messed-up power in poor Erin’s life. I have a feeling part of Erin’s arch will involve him learning to reject his family in some way, like @Sig suggested.
I’m also really curious where the soulshaper monks tie into this. The way Tess talked about Erin, maybe he wasn’t very powerful as a kid. Maybe that’s what their family’s dealings involved.
I’m guessing sometime in the future we’re bound to have the characters head to Asera, right? Between Erin’s horrible father and the Mage’s Academy, there’s so much lore built up in that city. It’ll be like a fun little trauma trigger for poor Tess (and maybe Erin, depending on how deep this goes).
Anyway, pardon for my brain dump. I am so stoked to see Erin and Tess interact for the first time in years.
Ah dammit, you came up with the “Erin got his magic from the soulshaper monks” theory before I did.
Okay, so Tess seems surprised to learn that Erin is the Elemental Magus. What could this mean for Erin’s backstory?
If Erin wasn’t born the elemental magus, maybe seeing Tess receive the spark and lightning magic through it clued him into how he could attain the other magics?
Looks like Falst is not quite getting the sparkless thing. Erin could have worked towards releasing her, sure, but she’d still be a will-less servant to any passerby afterwards.
And metaphorically, freeing one, or a handful of, slaves does not break the system that enslaved them. And would gladly recapture them at earliest opportunity.
I’m wondering if Tess’s moment here is her realizing Falst probably has no frame of reference for what Erin and her went through due to however he grew up, and that trying to convince him otherwise would require a lot more explanation than she feels like right now. I really get the impression she just figured something out about him, that would be something she wouldn’t want to share.
I’m finding Falst and Tess’s dynamic really interesting. He’s very closed off, pessimistic and wary, while she’s very open, optimistic and she definitely seems more trusting in general. I feel like Tess may actually be able to get him to open up more due to the fact that she’s very observant and her honest nature would make it hard to say no to a friendly observation (at the right time).
So Erin is innocent, Galen was in the wrong and Tess has given us the OK to pin all the blame on him. Good to know. Until/Unless we get more info on Alinua’s or Falst’s parents, Galen is now officially worst dad.
Kinda sweet that Tess said goodbye to Erin just before booking it; not the best context to base a friendship but there evidently was one between them. Also good the hear Erin’s mom tried her best to help her too.
Falst sounds just like Erin when it comes to Tess’s mistreatment? Hmm, maybe their next interaction won’t be as harsh as some of us were predicting if they both agree there. They might even both be taken aback at how flippant Tess is about it.
Oh man, Panels 3 through 6 and a bit of 7. They’re getting my theorising mind whirling. What was Tess about to say that’s supposedly not important? When Tess says “fragile” is she just comparing him to herself, a metal caste, or was there something wrong with young Erin? Was he sick or were his powers temperamental so he needed someone as tough as Tess as a playmate? Do the theories that Erin was made to be the elemental magus hold some truth?
Oh Red, you sure know how to tease us and make us theorise. Can’t wait to see where all this leads.
I like the fact she’s not gazongas-level-busty. I like seeing multiple body types. It’s a subtle thing, and I think that’s great. (And no, I’m not a member of the itty bitty titty committee. I had 5 pounds surgically removed, and mine are STILL too large. Just sayin’ it’s nice to see so many female characters coming in all shapes & sizes–including overtly feminine, masculine, or nonbinar…ine? Yeah, nonbinarine!)
@Babbling Branches
It makes a ‘pong’ sound. Come on, it’s right there in the panel. /s
Seriously, though, I imagine it is very much like one steel beam hitting another, which does have a very ‘pong’ sound to it. Probably reverberates a little.
Secrets! Intrigue! Excitement!
TL;DR: So I ran away, but I’m sure the whole slavery thing wasn’t his fault, blame his over controlling Zuurith- Jr. Dad.
Ive thought this ever since Erin mentioned the Soul Shaper monks or whatever and how “His family has had buisness with then before”, but after Tess’s reaction Im pretty confident that Erin was born without magic, and he was *made* the elemental magus by the monks
My best unguessable is that you only ‘become’ the Elemental Magus after a certain point. Erin didn’t have any EM leverage yet because he wasn’t the Magus yet.
*Best guess. Damn it
Did Wrin do a Medea?
Conclusion: The thing Erin was feeling guilty about last chapter was, indeed, Tess’ enslavement. Good to know. Also, Galen officially gets the “I suck” badge. Too bad, he had sick hair. Also also, it’s confirmed Erin has a mom, so that’s pretty cool.
Tess’ response to Falst’s question adds more fuel to my theory that Erin was born with incomplete/malformed soul openings and had to go to the soul shaper monks to get that fixed up. She seems to realize that Erin hasn’t told them about that, and is nice enough to not spill the beans. Falst seems kind of annoyed at Erin about this whole thing, which might give them another reason to argue with each other the next time they interact. I hope they at least save it until later, when they’re out of danger.
Also Tess looks really cool in the last panel.
Erin: “I was a child! Powerless!”
I like how Tess grabs the sealing cuff when she mentions Zuurith. Another neat little detail.
Goldfinch:
I’ve brought up that possibility in the past a couple times as well (explaining why Erin specified the soulshaper monks as reliable and discreet and mentioned his family has had dealings with them before, as well as why he touches his tattoos literally every time he casts magic; those tattoos help the flow of magic into the now-strengthened elemental links in his soul, he physically can’t cast otherwise), and it’s looking like this theory might be true! I’m always excited for good, juicy backstory!
Alright, After that (unfortunately unannounced) Thanksgiving Break, I am back. Since we’re getting an explanation from Tess now, and since we already have a few Futurivias active, let’s bring back PASTRIVIA!
Where in Stone’s body is The Collector holding Vash?
A: One of his 6 arms.
B: His brain.
C: His heart.
D: His stomach.
@Babbling Branches, I think it’s like a dull, metallic thunk. Hopefully that gives you a clearer mental picture.
The scar is from being chosen by the sky, you can tell by how it’s focused on when Tess talks about what that entails at the end of the last page and on this one.
alt text: and also this radical scar, which the ladies totally dig
@Evil Tree
Based on the information we have, I’d say that Erin’s dad is potentially the worse *person*, but he’s still a better *parent* than Alinua’s mom and dad since they, ya know, YEETED THEIR CHILD OFF A FLYING CITY PRESUMABLY TO HER DEATH. *clears throat* erm, I mean, I politely disagree with your assessment…
@TheUnknownGame nice on spotting the tattoo thing; I’d love it if that were true. (Fictional) disability accommodations FTW
I thought that Erin went to the soulshaper monks because something was worng with his soul openings when he mentioned them and this adds credence to that theory. Might explain why he always touches his tattos when casting magic.
Also the more I hear about Erin’s dad the worse it gets.I have a lot of questions about that man.
Also given that Tynan is showing in Zuurith, I’m kinda waiting for teh other shoe to drop.
Oh no! Not a theme! That would be awful!
@Goldfinch
When did we see what Galen looks like?
@Hermit Thrush
I personally still think that erins dad is worse. Alinuas parents (reasonably) thought that she was a danger to them and everyone in their city, and 1 child dying would be a lot less damaging then having an entire cities worth of people get horribly disfigured / turned into a plant, and the child still dies, while erins dad supported or at least condoned slaverey and prevented a child from gaining free will (luckily it didnt stick) AND was genrally a bad parent.
@TheUnkownGame
could this suggest that he was artificially implanted with elemental magus abilities by the soulshaper monks to gain status; maybe his father forced him to do it as a child, or maybe its just something the elemental magus has to go do after they gain the title and thats why there seems to be one elemental magus at a time; its a title.
side note: i just realised that, scince the storm is gone, anyone can just walk up and invoke a primordial true name
Falst does seem pretty determined to dislike Erin.
“PONG!”
Little details like that to remind you that this is, in fact, a metal lady.
Why has Tess referred to Erin as “skinny,” “fragile,” “elemental mage?”
My theory is that he was born with a few natural connections to elements, but not all. His dad did experiments on him (including giving him those tattoos, Tess knew he had tats but not that he was the Elemental Magnus) which artificially coaxed the connections to the rest of the elements out. Either that or he was born with all 6 connections but was too weak to wield them.
I’m appreciating not only the theme of the complexity of systems of power and brute strength not being enough to dismantle or overthrow corrupt practices and beliefs, but also the theme of recognizing where to direct anger and action- not at other victims or powerless participants of the system, but at those in charge of the system and those who willingly perpetuate it.
In some cultures, children obey their parents, and never argue with them. They are brought up to believe that the father is the head of the household, and they have a duty to do what he says. It wouldn’t have mattered what type of power Erin had. Falst, on the other hand, seems to have been raised in a very different culture.
Ok so what I’m hearing is that Tess started out as a forced playmate for Erin but they parted on okay terms and have a sibling relationship. Awesome, thats all I needed for this week, thanks Red 😀
Wonder who’s older?
Also I absolutely LOVE the dramatic lightning in the first panel, and I’m SO HAPPY that Tess finally gets a backstory, shes my favorite so far 😀
Cesium:
The true names of the primordials were all first invoked while The Storm was active… with one exception: Stone’s true name was first invoked 5,000 years ago, a full millennium before the creation of The Storm. The Storm and the primordial’s true names have no correlation. Yes, The Void Dragon said that the great runes are the written forms of the primordials’ true names, but just writing them seemed to not have the same effect; people evidently had to speak their names to unlock their element’s higher properties, and for a long time, no one knew how to read those names.
Humanoid Clay:
C, specifically his third heart. His first heart was transformed by the other elemental primordials into the adamant core of the planet, and his second was presumably devoured by The Void Dragon.
WEast:
I smell a revolution brewing… and I like it.
@Stark9865, Erin mentioned his dad in the beginning of chapter 7 while asking Alinua if Kendal is an emissary and in one of the panels we get to see Asera and the back of Galen’s head. Hope this helps!
@Goldfinch
Just found it, thanks!
Here’s a link for anybody else who was wondering.
OMG he’s NOT the ELEMENTAL MAGUS??? He’s a build-a-magus???
good
@DragonMaster66
Red said in a Tumblr answer that Tests is about a year older than Erin, so around twenty.
@DragonMaster66
Red said in a Tumblr answer that tess is about a year older than Erin, so around twenty.
Have I fallen in love with how Red draws Tess’ eyes? Is Erin’s father actually a bigoted man who has no qualms with owning people? Is Erin’s mother a sweet woman who deserves better? Has Tess left out the emotionally traumatizing experience gaining her spark must have been? Was that the existential crisis Erin references in Chapter 11? Does Tess not already know that Erin is the Elemental Magus? Was his connection to the elements not discovered until after Tess gained her spark? Has Tess been separated from Erin for so long that hearing her voice through the borb almost gave him a heart attack? Has Trusk’s nose been thrown off by the nearby McZuurith’s?
Tune in This Week to Find Out!
Considering the possibility that Red is a fan of Tales of Arcadia (she used Trollhunters as an example in the five man band I think) I think Erin’s dad is named after Gaylen from 3Below.
I often take names and then jumble them into new names when I write, maybe that’s where Galen got his name
“It’s not important.”
Spoken like someone who thinks it’s quite important.
@Hermit Thrush I’m going to play devils advocate for Alinua’s parents for the moment; we don’t know the full context as to what happened.
We know Alinua was thrown off the flying islands as a baby. Was it her parents who did that? Or was it an official who saw the threat she posed? Did her parents agree with it or was it done against their will? Did the god of the archipelago make the decision as she was a threat to their realm? Alinua certainly doesn’t know and probably neither would her adopted family.
I’m hesitant to label them as terrible with the scant info we have.
But he WHAT, Tess? But he what? Saying “Oh! Okay.” Is nowhere near sufficient elaboration, Tess.
Evil Tree, Hermit Thrush:
I kinda just wanna get mad at all of them… (that’s not healthy is it?) Imma just hate them all until we get better info. Let’s go through the awful family/gone family floof squad roll call! Erin- Awful dad who imprisoned Tess, didn’t seem to particularly care about him besides the fact that he was the elemental magnus (That’s just the vibes I’m getting), “suprise playmate” who was a SLAVE by his dad, and hated the place so much that he AND Tess seemed PRETTY eager to book it out of there, and to this DAY he seems really, really guilty about not being able to get her out of that situation (despite the fact that he was just a kid) and a mom who tried to help but seemed to be dictated by her husband in house matters (once again, that’s JUST the feeling I’m getting from the story), CHECK! Alinua- Parents who (whether they actually made the desicion to drop her off the cliff or not) let her get dropped off a CLIFF to her DOOM as an infant. Her adopted set of parents she had to run away from in the fear that she would inflict them with the chimeric plague, CHECK! Kendal doesn’t have parents, was tossed out in the world with a vague, nearly impossible goal, a sword, and a couple of random memories, and he is worried he has displeased the closest thing he has to family or any sort of authority and help (Vaash), so CHECK! Falst apparently has random, sad memories from his parents who don’t seem to care for him (they either abandoned him or sent him off on a vague, difficult journey) is kind of outwardly wary and disinclined to strangers, love from other people, and general caring emotions, like he’s afraid he’ll get hurt again (presumably he was hurt by his family last time), CHECK! Tess, as formerly stated, was treated PRETTY bad by her master (Erin’s father) and forced to be a friend to this lonely, massively hubristic kid, and was so thrilled to get the hell out of their, she only stopped to say goodbye to Erin (her like one friend) (I’m starting to suspect that maybe because Erin was so upset to loose Tess, his only friend, that he became that hubristic and still feels guilty about this. I’m SO EXCITED TO SEE THEIR INTERACTIONS!!!!) Dainix kinda had to leave his family for fear that they would be destroyed by the demon (that may or may not have been him) and for all we know they might be dead… He is champion to a god that he doesn’t seem to like (Caliban), he feels forced by them to do things and he seems really unhappy, and Caliban doesn’t seem to have his best interests at heart and is manipulating him to do things he wouldn’t normally do, CHECK! Gee, the floof squad sure has amazing families…
There is NO WAY that the gang is not going to go to Asera somewhere along the line. (Maybe Erin admits how guilty he feels about Tess, how horrible his childhood was etc. to the gang and he gets forgiven and emerges a better person)
Stark9865:
Thanks, that’s nice to see! Also it was so interesting to go back and realize just how much Erin has lost some of his ego… I still hate the ego he has left, and in a former question I even said that he was my least favorite of the floof squad, (I think) but now as more of his back story is unraveling and he is losing his ego, I definitely am starting to like him better.
Sidenote, any idea where Indigo Toxin is? I hope they’re okay, and will join us again soon!
ImuyanMangoCat:
Huh… Now that you mention it, yeah I see the resemblance!
I know everyone is talking about the piece of crap Erin’s dad is, and I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH IT! (I made a whole paragraph two pages ago about how much I hate him) But, the person I’m getting curious about is his mom… She obviously is a nice person (at least better than Erin’s dad) because Tess says she tried to make her comfortable, she probably cares A LOT about Erin, and she has a strict overbearing husband who gives her probably not a lot of desicion making or freedom. I’m really curious how she would interact with the floof squad, especially Erin and Tess. She’s probably the only parental figure the ENTIRE floof squad has who is not dead, dead in their eyes, or extremely cruel to them. She hasn’t seen Tess in years, and she’s probably worried about Erin since he went in an incredibly dangerous storm that killed everyone before him, and hasn’t heard from him since. Yet another reason why the gang ABSOLUTELY HAS TO GO TO ASERA!
@Hiii
ImuyanMangoCat IS Indigo Toxin, they decided to change their name a few pages ago.
@Hiii ImuyanMangoCat *is* Indigo Toxin. They changed their name a few pages ago.
LoeTheFox:
OOOOOHHH!!! (Well I feel foolish, I thought ImuyanMangoCat talked in a familiar way) Any particular reason? (I don’t mean to pry, just curious) Welp, that’s embarrassing, sorry for not realizing! (emberassing, lol, I hate/love autocorrect)
I’m totally vibing with Falst so far. Like him, I am also hypercritical and insanely cynical. Somebody needs to do it
Also that final panel is great; a very satisfying line of dialogue. Tess is dropping some wisdom
@Hiii
I changed my name for 2 reasons:
1. Indigo is my OC and not a persona so changing my name to ImuyanMangoCat seemed more appropriate
2. ImuyanMangoCat is my Deviant Art name.
And I’m a she, I noticed u all used they so just to clarify I am a she
Just incase you don’t see this I’ll repost it in the next page
Tess is spectacularly upbeat, given that there seems to be an implication of darker thoughts in this page specifically. I’ve honestly been worried she was a bad guy for a while, I’m glad she isn’t. Can I join the “Tess Rocks” bandwagon?
DADDY ISSUES I KNEW IT!!!
TL;DR
My theory is that Erin has daddy issues, was born with misformed links, and had to visit the soul-shaping monks (that last part isn’t mine but it’s probably true), and had an identity crisis upon finding he was the elemental magus. If you look back at his conversation with Alinua when she was having a crisis about being life’s vessel that seems like some pretty heavy foreshadowing of this. He literally said, “This isn’t my first identity crisis.”
Anyway, just happy I was right about that part lol
Something about the expressiveness of panel 6 is REALLY entertaining to me XD
To quote Red, “Say it with me now:
*Deep Breath*
**DADDY ISSUES**
Hey… also… *podcast plug*
https://anchor.fm/demos42
I think Erin’s dad brought him to the monks before as a child, and that opened up his powers to be an elemental magnus. It explains why he says he’s been there before, his lines about being “normal” before his powers, and the vague comments. I feel like Tess knows, and it also explains why ERIN IS SO SNOTTY!! He has something to PROVE, and perhaps feels like he doesn’t deserve his powers, which would have him double down on all the supreme-knowledge-thingy.
Is that Red’s own frustrations projecting onto the story I’m sensing?
It’s me. I’m the ladies.
I’m SOOO late to the party with this, but I am enjoying it so much! This is my third straight read through and I think it’s messing with my head a bit (not complaining). I’m going nuts with Red’s tropes and everything. Kendal the Paragon Hero/Leader. Alinua the Heart. Falst the (adorably angsty) Lancer. Erin the Smart Guy. Tess the Powerhouse. Dainix I have no clue about yet! A second Lancer!? A watered-down Hero?? I’m not calling him a Sixth Ranger!
This masterpiece will consume part of my life forever and I foresee no regrets happening!