1.17.36
on July 22, 2022
at 3:00 am
frantically flipping through Erin’s spell list like “ONE of these things has to work”
Aurora
A fantasy webcomic. Updates M-W-F.
frantically flipping through Erin’s spell list like “ONE of these things has to work”
It’s a mental breakdown, dododo dodododooo
“Oh, look, another dragon.” is a bad thing to bump into and say when you are frantically retreating.
It’s fun to see an eldritch god scared.
But how can this be?
Dainix has V.D cornered.
What else can Void do?
The fire thing is absolutely gorgeous…
Also, yes, Voidy. Isn’t that annoying? You are cool, but I think you might have found a pertinent point there. “Ooops”.
(Love dragon-Tynan being a background, by the way. What a twist.)
V.D. is going through Erin’s spell book and seeing that he doesn’t have anything for this fight. V.D. should’ve told Erin to prep the right spells
i guess he’ll just have to… fight fire with fire
Dainix’s trans guy swag is far too powerful for ol’ Voidmeister
VD is in trouble now 😀
the first panel expression feels oddly relatable
A fragment? Interesting
Alt text: UNLIMITED POWagh ow ow stop
Also, we have a cover for chapter 18! VERY interesting.
He should try more void magic, that was clearly the most effective along with wind.
What?! How can this possibly be?
How can’t Voidy kill him, when Fire was easy?
Y’know, I have a theory on why Kendal is resistant to void. He is mostly starmetal, right? And the starmetal is considered a very strong material. Why? Because it’s connected to the Lady! It comes from the stars, hence the name, or is somehow blessed by the stars. The Lady’s element is probably light or starlight or something like that. So Kendal has some sort of Light protection. Or so I think.
I like that Walter uses the word ”thwart” without irony, just to drive home how ancient it is.
Is this where he gets the idea to possess Tynan’s incarnation? Can he even do that? “They’re essentially living symbols of his truename”, right?
As a certain firbolg cleric once said ‘I don’t think putting voldemort in skeletor is necessarily the best idea’ but in this case it could work out for him.
I wonder what Erin would saying if he were conscious to these events like he was back in the caves. Scared for his life as V.D. is? Interested as to the nature of Dainix’s powers? Snarking at V.D.’s failed attempts?
Yeah, you already killed Fire, with your moon-sized dragon form at full power. He is, probably, a fragment of Fire but you’re also, as Erin, a fragment of the greater Void Dragon. Plus being comprised of soulfire, regardless of how literal or otherwise that name is, is different than just fire-fire, and not something V.D. is accustomed to killing.
Voidy doesn’t take the feeling of powerlessness well, like we saw in the singing caves before; I wonder if it occurs to him that this same feeling probably went through the minds of the Primordials as he fought them. The difference being they knew they had no hope to save themselves so used their strength to save others; V.D. panics and had to be saved by others the first time, and maybe again here.
Prediction for next week: Maybe V.D. is saved and both him and Dainix are subdued by the other gang members, who have been healing off screen? Or maybe Voidy remembers Tynan and tries to do something with his dragon body and use that to attack Dainix? Or maybe he takes the simple option and just runs away from Dainix and Zuurith?
You know I was actually wondering about that myself, like why WAS the fire able to resist him?
So apparently, Voidy can’t consume soulfire the same way he could with elemental fire. Interesting.
@LordHints
I hadn’t even thought of that but it seems very possible after this page. The whole ’I can’t defeat him before he kills Erin’ thing plus the framing of the second to last panel has me thinking that he might possess Tynan.
Also, what part of Tynan is hanging over Dainix im the second to last panel? It was me a bit worried.
Um, can we get the Dainix in the bottom left panel as an actual Pin?
I love VD’s face in the first panel. It’s the perfect combination of curiosity and ‘oh fuck’
“I can’t kill it? Of course I can!”
The Void thinks as with the fire he does wrestle.
“I just can’t kill it-” he blasts it with lightning-
“Before it kills my vessel.”
“If I release control, it
might stop the onslaught-” he envisions,
Driven back to the corpse of the dragon he killed,
But no, it is a mindless fury of destructions.
I can think of one thing…
RUN AWAYYYYY
Oh hey Tynan’s still here.
Oh no V.D, don’t give up yet! There’s always something you can do!
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
Now Voidy’s on the second try- Twice his master plat to destroy everything didn’t work
Come on, Voidy! You gotta do something before you run out of tries!
I have a feeling that if he does lose this fight, The Void Dragon is going to spend a while going over tactics as the group travels on. Surrounded by three people who could potentially kick Erin’s ass, he’s going to need a plan in order to escape them.
Evil Tree:
Possessing Tynan might tip the fight in The Void Dragon’s favor, giving him a body much larger and more fire-resistant to shield Erin’s body with. The important questions are: can he possess more than one individual simultaneously? Would Dainix and Kendal be able to blast him away with their unique fires? And how severely will The Light Dragon interfere through the junior archivist?
@Sriracha a wing. It’s just a knock out pose, not an ambush or attack. If Dainix is in control it’d be funny if VD dropped the possession and Dainix just drops his fire form and goes what’s everyone screaming about it’s fine.
I like that he actually considers turning control back over to Erin, like how he avoids angry life mommy. But considers himself too cornered to do even that. Which… isn’t great actually.
Red managed to pull a “Protagonist Possessed by a Superpowered Evil Side vs another Protagonist Possessed by a Superpowered Evil Side” on us
Look at him chowing down on humble pie
I agree with the people theorizing that VD is going to jump to Tynan temporarily, since…
a) he’s already established to be pretty fire resistant in that form
b) Erin would probably just go back to being unconscious once he leaves, since the first time he got possessed that happened, even though he was kind of awake to begin with (so I doubt starting off unconscious would result in him waking up after), so he wouldn’t need to worry about possessing 2 people at once or about Erin doing something stupid to thwart him, like, say, paralyzing himself at an important moment
c) the framing of Tynan in the last shot doesn’t feel like something Red would put as just like, a neat piece of background décor
and…
d) There’s a precedent of VD possessing dragons (“This is the third account to claim that the Void Dragon took control of a mortal dragon” -Erin, 1.14.18). This one also makes the archive some sneaky foreshadowing for this, which is another point in the “VD with possess Tynan” theory for me
Aww, he does care!
…Sort of. After all, if Erin dies, this fragment of him probably does too, and then he’s stuck in the world’s core for the rest of his existence (because even if there’s another Elemental Magus, I don’t think he’s got the resources anymore to lure them in).
Still, I suppose it’s refreshing to see Walter display a modicum of concern for someone else, even if it’s selfishly motivated. We’re obviously never going to get a full heel-face turn outta him, given what he is, but I suppose eventually developing a soft spot for his host counts as character development.
(And yes, I know that that is wildly optimistic and probably never going to happen, but hey, one can speculate. I know I’m never gonna win the lottery, but I still occasionally throw two bucks into the pot and buy a ticket.)
yeah, I’m gonna go with the theory that Tynan’s not just there for set dressing. @LilacSpiral pointed out page 1.14.18 – seems plausible to me! walter might body-hop into the giant, recently almost-vacated dragon body and then we get the EVEN BIGGER SCALE kaiju fight
I hope we see more of Jarchivist and by extension Lady Light. i have no guesses on her dynamic with Void but it would be funny if it’s just pure disappointment. bap him on the head and tell him to go brood somewhere else
Question of the Day:
You are traveling with the Floof Squad when for no discernable reason the Void fragment possessing Erin manifests outside his body as a small, chibi version of the Dragon. How do you react?
awww cmon i binged too fast and now i need to wait like the rest of the normies
GOODNESS GRACIOUS, GREAT BALLS OF FIRE
(Frantically bangs on piano)
I love that the storm god dragon that was previously the driving point of the plot is just casually in the background irrelevant to the fight at the moment.
Poor Tynan. He just wanted to build up some hubris.
I mash him, boil him, stick ‘im in a stew
@Skye I squee over how cute it is and try to give it headpats
Total party costs:
50 currency- reusable water containers, shoulder bags
50 currency- treatment by small town medical professional
200 currency- food (for six members a week)
~250 currency- given to various peoples in need
~300 currency- donated to rebuilding of Zuurith
3500 currency- replacements for burned/lightning struck/void dissolved capes and shirts (estimated)
The accountant would like to speak to you about these expenses
very soon:
Tynan, I am VD Walter. I give you the power of VOID to crush these puny mortals. In return you must defeat Ladybug and Chat Noir, then bring me their miraculouses–
“You’re very thoughtful for “just” a weapon.” 1-13-13
“I can give you your weapon in time. But if I intervene now- it will never become what you need it to be.” 1-12-9
voidy is still assuming that Dainix is mindless, and Dainix himself seems to have conflicted feelings on this. But i do not think he wants to kill Erin, nor do i think he is too consumed with rage that he cannot hold himself back. However, voidy obviously cannot know this since they haven’t seen what we as the readers do. My two cents on this fight are that voidy will have to swallow their pride for once and trust that Erin will not die; or Alinua heals herself and reaches Kendal, which gives enough of a reprieve that Dainix lets up on the onslaught. Obviously voidy is stuck between a rock and a hard place, so some caution wouldn’t be the most out of place.
Play dead. It’ll move on if you cease to be able to help it end itself.
Thank you ell and others for pointing out Tynan Dragon form in panel 4 of this page. To me it looks like foreshadowing rather than a Red Haring. (I put my faith in Red’s art and storytelling). We will just have to wait for Monday to see what happens. (Sound of wrench ratcheting up tension in background).
Inb4 Void puppeteers Tynan’s corpse and Red goes “I lied again, THIS is the part I internally called the Kaiju Fight”
@Hermit Thrush it’s scary(impressive) how well that fits.
That last comment I made was @Skye
TL;DR: Whatcha gonna do now, big bad? Weren’t expecting to actually fight, huh?
Bluefire:
The Void Dragon: “My grand machinations were supposed to do the heavy lifting in my stead! I had perfected my plans over the course of millennia to make things go as smoothly as possible! Of course I wasn’t expecting a fight!“
Wait, Tynan can’t die can he. Is he just gonna fizzle forever, or is his incarnation gonna die? Can Walter kill him?!
@Moonmean ty! though maybe instead of Ladybug & Chat Noir I should have said Kendal and Alinua…
Void Dragon: I killed Fire, there’s no way a fragment could defeat me!
Fire Fragment: You were a cosmic space dragon back then. Here, you’re stuck in a meat suit.
@Aulde ha ha a RED herring
@Leapyeargirl96: If there’s anything that can kill a god that quickly, it’s the Void Dragon.
dragon boy gonna wake up & distract fire boy.
I have an idea, just give Erin back control and it will be all better
TheUnknownGame:
Just goes to show you that you can’t always plan for everything, even when you’ve got all the time in the world…
“Void, my dude, you need to stop doing this. Flip through your stupid spellbook during other players’ turns so you’ll know what you wanna do when your initiative comes up.”
Well yeah dude, you’re the Void, doing nothing is kinda your whole deal
also just want to say if the Void-is-about-to-possess-Tynan theory is correct (and happens because VD Walter backtracks to his last thought and puts an emphasis on “I”), then this is a really fun parallel to Erin’s train of thought right before he turned Tynan into a snowstorm
Me looking at the new chapter cover: KENDAL!! YES!! or at least i think that’s kendal? it’s hard to see and he’s not wearing a shirt so i can’t be sure….
Also Walter, voidy, my buddy…. HA! welcome to the identity crisis club, i’m sure literally everyone else here including Erin would be happy to drag you to group therapy with them to help you through it if they actually went and you were genuinely a better person (then again Dainix our jailtime tea therapist is here now so… maybe? i guess? this joke got away from alot)
POV: you’re an ancient eldritch being but you’re still stuck with wizard hit points.
My dudes (and everyone who does not identify as a dude)
To be fair, every character seems to be overwhelmed by;
Red this is a great story but there is not one character who knows everything that is happening, everyone else’s backstory
kudos on keeping it all strait in your head
I feel like one of your characters; I would love to “know myself” what is going on
both in your story and in life
I suspect it is harder than it looks?
There nor here is seems, are there “easy answers”
You even spoke about this in your trope talk “No man is an Island”
I found a yoga practice to be more help than group therapy…this like many things may be unique; different for everyone?
I wonder if as a group, friends, fellow citizens etc…
Would not celebrating the differences, focusing scientific R&D into what is universal to everyone, everyones perception, experience of “being alive” be a better perspective to ponder life, the universe & everything?
I defer, and I apologize, living an examined life seems to be harder than it looks
“Don’t Panic”
Luv,
Ari
Okay this is FACINATING. Obviously the Void Dragon doesn’t seem to be at full power, but we just saw him easily deal with Tynan, so he’s still damn powerful. But he clearly can’t deal with Dainix’s form right now, whatever it is.
The Void Dragon also doesn’t seem to actually know what’s going on with Dainix in the first place. When he first gets a good look at the current form, he comments that he didn’t design humans to do that [burst into flames] and says some things about Fire, and seems to think that this form has effectively killed Dainix (even commenting in a way that implies he doubts there’s anything left of Dainix’s soul in that form), and clearly believes this is a fragment of Fire. But… I really don’t think that’s it.
We know Dainix is related to whatever the hell Caliban and Tahraim are trying to do, along with this concept of Soulfire. I’m fairly certain that’s what Dainix is being consumed by right now, something caused by his therapy session with Tahraim. Maybe gave him, more likely drew it out or /changed/, that fire inside him. Dainix has had that fire for a long time, I don’t recall if it’s been said exactly when he got it/if he’s had it since birth. Tahraim calls him /A/ crucible, meaning he’s definitely not the only one with the capacity for this, he’s just the one we’ve seen. This is the main thing that makes me think either he isn’t a vessel for Fire, OR that Fire’s remnants are now part of some group of people, perhaps simply Dainix’s people as a whole.
The biggest thing that’s getting my attention is that the Void Dragon very clearly can’t destroy whatever Dainix is now, and maybe that’s because the Void Dragon isn’t at full power, but… I don’t think that’s it. I think it has to do with whatever this Soulfire is, and perhaps with why he hasn’t essentially ejected Erin from his body. It’s easy to say that VD probably needs Erin alive, but his comments about there potentially not being any of Dainix’s soul left gives some implications, namely that Soul can be removed/destroyed, and that a body can, at least in part, survive without a soul. Hell, this isn’t even necessarily a new concept considering all of the questions that have come with Kendal’s very existance. Considering what’s going on with Dainix likely has to do with Soulfire, perhaps that’s the one thing the Void Dragon can’t actually destroy. Obviously all of this is wild speculation, especially since VD himself clearly doesn’t understand what’s going on with Dainix. I also have no idea what the significance of this would be if I’m right about it. It’s just kinda a little fascinating thing atm.
As for Dainix himself, I don’t think he’s been consumed, or that VD is right that he’s lost control. I think that’s what Dainix was referencing that he feared just before transforming- he’s not afraid of death, he’s afraid of losing control and/or hurting innocent people again, akin to what he just went through in the arena with Kendal himself. What’s being made easier with the knowledge that VD will likely turn on Kendal and Alinua after Tynan is taking the risk of losing control, but also potentially of killing Erin, as it likely seems as though it’s the only option at the moment with Kendal and Alinua knocked out. Safe to say I’m really eager to see what comes next.
Thank you for reading my wild rambling/speculation lol
I just discovered this comic and stayed up all night binge-reading it. It’s so good! I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Leonidas
Where does prose end and poetry begin? Led Zeppelin – Ramble On
That was a rhetorical question, your speculation has me pondering;
What is soulfire an allegory for? Willpower? Emotions? Something else entirely?
Is being a crucible something only Ignan’s can do? Is the reference to Dainax being /A/ crucible a clue about Caliban?
Mebbe just a Red herring…
follow up, is that genetic or cultural?
I am now asking questions about DNA/RNA in fictional, sword & magic fantasy characters…
Does the D&D 5E have any answers? follow up…WTF are we back to rolling dice?
Also I hope both Erin and Dainax survive, someone needs to tag Kendal in mebbe;
I also was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, I wonder how much of how I speak, write is r/t that and how much is that I am E.S.L.?
The greek language is spoken much faster than English, even in NYC.
Interesting fact, when speaking Greek your other language is obvious, can be heard, both in how quickly you speak and how your mouth makes the sounds; I have a Brooklyn accent in 2 languages LOL
Suck it Joey Wheeler
@skye, I kick him!! And then maybe ask Erin if he’s no longer possessed
PS that was a fun one, and I legit can imagine myself doing that lol
@silver, very true, but it makes me wonder, do you think that Voidy/the twins created gods too? Or do you find it more likely they were born from the earth and the fragments of the primordials? It doesn’t seem likely they reproduce in any conventional way, but there seems to be a few clues to new gods still showing up, like how, I think it was Kendal mentioned Asera being a “fledgling god” which very well could mean that they just aren’t very powerful, but I took it as Asera being younger than other gods. Hmm
@Hermit Thrush Yeah, try is right, since he’s trying to nibble your face off.
Calling it now: Walter is going to possess Tynan, use water/wind magic to somehow remove Dainix from the fight, and then Kendal is going to have to defeat him.
To Leapyeargirl96:
Glad you liked the QotD! I honestly can’t tell if these are going over well, they seem to be hit-and-miss (I haven’t really been getting a lot of responses), but your feedback does help give me a general idea of where I should be going with them.
@Skye, personally I like the ones that put you in world of Aurora most, but ones where we guess what the floof squad would are usually fun too
Walter you’re out of your depth here, somehow, guess you haven’t fought in a while have you