Mighty Zuurith stares at the broken mountain,
His prison torn open by a tree.
His guards lie injured, his kingdom in chaos,
And his prisoners have run free.
Idk if anyone cares but I made a dnd npc for my campaign based off Erin and I thought y’all should no about it.
He’s a water genasi wizard with a sage background and he’s exploring an island under a curse like Erin explored the storm and YES I WILL make him fall victim to said curse because he must… touch… shiny… orb…
Also, my money’s on the Collector showing up.
Her prize possession does a runner? No way she didn’t notice.
Plus there’s a nicely ruined city god just lying there! What’s not to love?
Zuurith (looking at the prison): … Eh, it’ll buff out.
Well that’s two significant pieces of infrastructure extensively damaged; neither the arena nor most of the prison will be usable for a good while and reconstruction will likely prioritise houses. Zuurith will have to adapt in the short term, though wheather any long-term changes happen is another matter.
The Arenamaster denied Erin’s diplomatic request, tried to save himself at the expense of his prisoners, pissed off the protags, and was unconscious when Tynan blitzed a good chunk of the city. Despite potentially being unemployed now, I’d say he’s a very lucky man to be alive after all that.
Now what could have got his attention? Prisoners helping their former captors, defying Big Z’s expectations? Vash leaving Kendal? Tahraim sealing Tynan? The Paladin Archives destroyed or still standing? (despite the barrier not being visible in past pages, judging from 1-16-18, it’s position should be far enough away to have avoided Tynan’s blast imo)
So, was the arena master fulfilling Zuurith’s desires or using them to fulfill his own? He did manage to survive but given the number of former prisoners running around that may be a temporary state.
Zuurith looks like his old commanding poise has returned despite the setbacks. What has caught his notice though? Nice setup and beautifully done but I had hoped the plot twisting had settled down for awhile. But I know the winged Paladin of the Light Dragon is still waiting his time to shine in the light…
*Skip to the end if you just want the funnies.*
First, I’m not sure how I feel about the Collector showing up and collecting Zuurith. On one hand, it would bring her back into the plot a little more and be a fun way for Zuurith to get his comeuppance, but on the other hand, hasn’t he already had that comeuppance? What with his city being almost destroyed, and his people likely not having much respect for him now. We could just leave him here, struggling to adapt and change, and BOOM. Instant possibility for character development. It’s pretty clear we won’t be coming back here anytime soon, but if we ever see this place again, imagine how different it might be.
Second, I agree with @Aulde. Where is our shiny boye? It might he him that just caught Zuurith’s attention, or maybe the Collector. But I kind of do hope it’s Gabriel, since that would bring him back into the plot very neatly and put him on the trail of our protags if Zuurith gives him information about what happened. Not a great first impression though, like: Yeah, the crumbling remains of that city behind me? It was fine right up until… hmm, about a week ago. It’s definitely a coincidence that the guy you’re looking for and his little friendgroup passed through here right about then.
Third, now I can’t stop thinking about the Collector singing the Pokemon theme while capturing Zuurith. ?Gotta catchem all
I think Zuurith noticed either Tahraim or an especially powerful paladin, who would be either the junior archivist still communing with The Light Dragon, or perhaps even The Champion. Let’s go down the list:
Tahraim likely wants to show off the fact that his new creation works in order to get further commissions, and who better to show the imprisoned soul of a city-wrecking deity than the deity of the city he just burninated? Zuurith would notice one, perhaps two divine auras approaching him. Next:
If someone telepathically communicates with a primordial, a fragment of that primordial’s soul aura would likely be detectable by a deity. If this is true, ergo, Zuurith would notice the junior archivist acting as a homing beacon on Erin. Finally:
The Champion is the avatar of The Light Dragon as Erin is to The Void Dragon, and he channels her power much more frequently than Erin channels Void (for obvious reasons). In fact, last we saw him, he was speeding towards this continent about a sef ago; depending on his starting distance and velocity, he might’ve been able to catch the junior archivist’s signal and arrive at the city, and Zuurith would definitely notice a bright, glowing man flying at the speed of a diving falcon while channeling a large amount of power from a primordial. Of course, if this is the case, the junior archivist doesn’t know that Erin fled the battle, and his aura from the void rune seems to be suppressed when he isn’t possessed (“The avatar is shrouded from my sight,” said The Light Dragon near the end of chapter 7). Even if The Champion shows up now, he wouldn’t know where exactly Erin is, leaving Erin safe for a little while longer.
Aulde and Alleyyy:
Your comments hadn’t yet loaded when I was writing mine; glad I’m not the only one who thought of The Champion. (I’ll be glad when he shows up again, because it might mean we get a name reveal and can finally stop calling him by names and titles that no two people can agree on. It’s just confusing.)
Lielac:
Alternate possibility: The Final Pam’s sheer unstoppable gigachad energy is what caught Zuurith’s notice.
My guess: Tahraim. He will just spout something cryptic but probably smart, then leave without further explanation. That’s what Tahraim does, after all.
Is that maybe some ~questioning~ I see? Some wondering if maybe Vash is right, and your system is the problem? Some… ~second thoughts~ from the most stubborn god weve seen so far??
Zurrith redemption arc??
Red, I have so much cliffhanger rage that I could punch clean through a wall. What happened to Kendel?! (I love you, and your narrative pacing is impeccable for increasing tension. That tension just so happens to eat up my insides between uploads(
THE CHAPTER COVER FOR NEXT CHAPTER.
Okay, next chapter is named Petrichor. Petrichor is that pleasant smell when rain hits dry dirt. It’s less common in cities because of all the asphalt, but y’all have probably smelled it before. The etymology is more interesting, especially in this case. The root Petr- means stone, or stoney. Ichor is the fluid that flows like blood through the veins of the gods.
Now look at that cover. They all look rather stoney, and each has glowy golden substance in areas associated with whatever divine contact or wounds dealt by divine magic. Erin’s dragon symbol, Tess’s lightning struck arm, Alinua’s glowy Life lines, Kendal’s wounds, Dainix’s tear scar. I don’t know why it’s Falst’s arm. Maybe it’s where he got hit with fire? Who knows.
But anyway, I think this chapter is gonna be dealing a lot with trying to fix Kendal up considering how beat up he is. Vash said he couldn’t repair Kendal anymore, and I think it’ll be harder than heavy application of life magic from Alinua. I think something has gone very wrong with Kendal’s god biology, and they’re gonna find a way to fix it. There are numerous reasons why I don’t think Red will kill Kendal, she’s stated how much she hates to kill a character, Kendal hasn’t completed his character arc, it’d be more interesting to have a hard time keeping him alive and then saving him, rather than killing him.
What if Zuurith didn’t see a primordials’ vessel or some sarcastic smug, rather someone in need? What if he helps someone by his own hands, calm them with his own voice?
This will be for a first time for him. What if he feels compassion? What if he feels the need of change rather than the fear of his rival.
To me, this is far more beautiful and important than anything suggested in the comments so far.
arena master’s still kickin? shame (HALF A JOKE)
For mobile readers.
Alt-text: uwu what’s this
Image source: zuurith
Well he looks rather concerned.
“Hello, Zuzu here!”
Look upon the wreck
What remains of the prison
Something catch your eye?
Mighty Zuurith stares at the broken mountain,
His prison torn open by a tree.
His guards lie injured, his kingdom in chaos,
And his prisoners have run free.
Hmmm… Time to make a choice on what you really want to do with your position.
HelloHaiku is back! Hello again. We’ve missed you.
Zuurith seems… overwhelmed. I’m sensing a change in the wind here.
Zuurith, 1.18.16: “I have a quite lot of work to do”
Zuurith, Now: *Struts around contemplatively*
Yeah, real hard work there, Zuzu!
Idk if anyone cares but I made a dnd npc for my campaign based off Erin and I thought y’all should no about it.
He’s a water genasi wizard with a sage background and he’s exploring an island under a curse like Erin explored the storm and YES I WILL make him fall victim to said curse because he must… touch… shiny… orb…
Not that I think it’s likely, but it’d be hilarious if the Collector shows up out of nowhere and stabs Zuurith now that his domain is in shambles
Also, my money’s on the Collector showing up.
Her prize possession does a runner? No way she didn’t notice.
Plus there’s a nicely ruined city god just lying there! What’s not to love?
Zuurith (looking at the prison): … Eh, it’ll buff out.
Well that’s two significant pieces of infrastructure extensively damaged; neither the arena nor most of the prison will be usable for a good while and reconstruction will likely prioritise houses. Zuurith will have to adapt in the short term, though wheather any long-term changes happen is another matter.
The Arenamaster denied Erin’s diplomatic request, tried to save himself at the expense of his prisoners, pissed off the protags, and was unconscious when Tynan blitzed a good chunk of the city. Despite potentially being unemployed now, I’d say he’s a very lucky man to be alive after all that.
Now what could have got his attention? Prisoners helping their former captors, defying Big Z’s expectations? Vash leaving Kendal? Tahraim sealing Tynan? The Paladin Archives destroyed or still standing? (despite the barrier not being visible in past pages, judging from 1-16-18, it’s position should be far enough away to have avoided Tynan’s blast imo)
CoLLeCTor ??! Its okay you can take this one ?
He looks like he’s staring at the reader in the last panel.
Like he only just noticed us all booing him from the other side of the screen lmao
I think Zuurith’s had better days
So, was the arena master fulfilling Zuurith’s desires or using them to fulfill his own? He did manage to survive but given the number of former prisoners running around that may be a temporary state.
There once was a god of a city
Who had not an ounce of pity.
Now his city’s destroyed
And order’s unemployed–
Serves him right for being so twitty.
Back to limericks: Zuurith doesn’t deserve anything better.
Zuurith looks like his old commanding poise has returned despite the setbacks. What has caught his notice though? Nice setup and beautifully done but I had hoped the plot twisting had settled down for awhile. But I know the winged Paladin of the Light Dragon is still waiting his time to shine in the light…
*Skip to the end if you just want the funnies.*
First, I’m not sure how I feel about the Collector showing up and collecting Zuurith. On one hand, it would bring her back into the plot a little more and be a fun way for Zuurith to get his comeuppance, but on the other hand, hasn’t he already had that comeuppance? What with his city being almost destroyed, and his people likely not having much respect for him now. We could just leave him here, struggling to adapt and change, and BOOM. Instant possibility for character development. It’s pretty clear we won’t be coming back here anytime soon, but if we ever see this place again, imagine how different it might be.
Second, I agree with @Aulde. Where is our shiny boye? It might he him that just caught Zuurith’s attention, or maybe the Collector. But I kind of do hope it’s Gabriel, since that would bring him back into the plot very neatly and put him on the trail of our protags if Zuurith gives him information about what happened. Not a great first impression though, like: Yeah, the crumbling remains of that city behind me? It was fine right up until… hmm, about a week ago. It’s definitely a coincidence that the guy you’re looking for and his little friendgroup passed through here right about then.
Third, now I can’t stop thinking about the Collector singing the Pokemon theme while capturing Zuurith. ?Gotta catchem all
TL;DR: Time for the routine prison checkup – what a mess…
Panel four: Zuurith is not impressed. No one is.
I think Zuurith noticed either Tahraim or an especially powerful paladin, who would be either the junior archivist still communing with The Light Dragon, or perhaps even The Champion. Let’s go down the list:
Tahraim likely wants to show off the fact that his new creation works in order to get further commissions, and who better to show the imprisoned soul of a city-wrecking deity than the deity of the city he just burninated? Zuurith would notice one, perhaps two divine auras approaching him. Next:
If someone telepathically communicates with a primordial, a fragment of that primordial’s soul aura would likely be detectable by a deity. If this is true, ergo, Zuurith would notice the junior archivist acting as a homing beacon on Erin. Finally:
The Champion is the avatar of The Light Dragon as Erin is to The Void Dragon, and he channels her power much more frequently than Erin channels Void (for obvious reasons). In fact, last we saw him, he was speeding towards this continent about a sef ago; depending on his starting distance and velocity, he might’ve been able to catch the junior archivist’s signal and arrive at the city, and Zuurith would definitely notice a bright, glowing man flying at the speed of a diving falcon while channeling a large amount of power from a primordial. Of course, if this is the case, the junior archivist doesn’t know that Erin fled the battle, and his aura from the void rune seems to be suppressed when he isn’t possessed (“The avatar is shrouded from my sight,” said The Light Dragon near the end of chapter 7). Even if The Champion shows up now, he wouldn’t know where exactly Erin is, leaving Erin safe for a little while longer.
[Final Pam voice] How go your bloodsport, the Arenamaster? Pretty good it doesn’t seem! Next time you release protagonists.
Red! Why must you leave us on cliff hangers?
Aulde and Alleyyy:
Your comments hadn’t yet loaded when I was writing mine; glad I’m not the only one who thought of The Champion. (I’ll be glad when he shows up again, because it might mean we get a name reveal and can finally stop calling him by names and titles that no two people can agree on. It’s just confusing.)
Lielac:
Alternate possibility: The Final Pam’s sheer unstoppable gigachad energy is what caught Zuurith’s notice.
Okay, lad, you done messed up
He looks around, something making him stop
My guess: Tahraim. He will just spout something cryptic but probably smart, then leave without further explanation. That’s what Tahraim does, after all.
Is that maybe some ~questioning~ I see? Some wondering if maybe Vash is right, and your system is the problem? Some… ~second thoughts~ from the most stubborn god weve seen so far??
Zurrith redemption arc??
Arena Master will hopefully get fired… literally.
Red, I have so much cliffhanger rage that I could punch clean through a wall. What happened to Kendel?! (I love you, and your narrative pacing is impeccable for increasing tension. That tension just so happens to eat up my insides between uploads(
Gosh, it is satisfying to see Zuurith finally seeing some of the greatest symbols of the awfulness of his city utterly destroyed.
THE CHAPTER COVER FOR NEXT CHAPTER.
Okay, next chapter is named Petrichor. Petrichor is that pleasant smell when rain hits dry dirt. It’s less common in cities because of all the asphalt, but y’all have probably smelled it before. The etymology is more interesting, especially in this case. The root Petr- means stone, or stoney. Ichor is the fluid that flows like blood through the veins of the gods.
Now look at that cover. They all look rather stoney, and each has glowy golden substance in areas associated with whatever divine contact or wounds dealt by divine magic. Erin’s dragon symbol, Tess’s lightning struck arm, Alinua’s glowy Life lines, Kendal’s wounds, Dainix’s tear scar. I don’t know why it’s Falst’s arm. Maybe it’s where he got hit with fire? Who knows.
But anyway, I think this chapter is gonna be dealing a lot with trying to fix Kendal up considering how beat up he is. Vash said he couldn’t repair Kendal anymore, and I think it’ll be harder than heavy application of life magic from Alinua. I think something has gone very wrong with Kendal’s god biology, and they’re gonna find a way to fix it. There are numerous reasons why I don’t think Red will kill Kendal, she’s stated how much she hates to kill a character, Kendal hasn’t completed his character arc, it’d be more interesting to have a hard time keeping him alive and then saving him, rather than killing him.
What if Zuurith didn’t see a primordials’ vessel or some sarcastic smug, rather someone in need? What if he helps someone by his own hands, calm them with his own voice?
This will be for a first time for him. What if he feels compassion? What if he feels the need of change rather than the fear of his rival.
To me, this is far more beautiful and important than anything suggested in the comments so far.
I got to the end! Now I’m going to have to wait. Damn it.
@killgaraghforever: Welcome to the Aurora fandom! Help yourself some complimentary snacks while we wait for the next page.
I personally love the fact that Zuurith’s armor is made only of cloth and gold. gold has so much power when it comes to status, control, and prestige.
But at the end of the day, gold is useless in an actual fight. It’s weak and it is heavy, Just like Zuurith in a fight.