The mechanical monster hurls Dainix back,,
Through its cracks, a blue light glows.
It chitters in ancient as Falst looks around,
Then more attacks with its four tentacles it throws.
@Question Master
Cloud children, because they’re smol and have wings. And I love smol things with wings. Like birds. And microbats. And cloud children.
Wait wait wait so the robots saying protect, right.
Like he looked at Falst and was like:
This boi needs love and protection and everyone that harms him will feel my wrath.
Stop freaking out, it’s just a fandom member.
(Tentacles about to coil around Falst) … I’ve consumed enough Red content to know where this is NOT going. (Reads alt-text) Well given that it reads Falst as an Ancient, and that Ancients were tall and Falst is short, there’s a good chance the automaton does think Falst is a child. It could see itself as simply be protecting an Ancient child from a dangerous Cave person.
I don’t think Falst or Dainix understood what it said; I think they’re just surprised it said anything at all. Dainix has experience with automatons, going from his demon flashback, but he seems shaken from this. Either the attack was so forceful or sudden, or he’s never encountered this model before, let alone one that can talk.
Falst looks even more shocked; maybe he’s never encountered automatons before at all. But it looks like he’s about to snap out of it in the final panel; he better, because I don’t think his claws will work well on Doc Ock metal tentacles.
To protect the Falst from devastation
To protect all people in the ancient nation
To shower the Falst with hugs and love
To serve all people who live above
Automaton protects the speed of light
Attacking the cave person before he can fight
Meow, stop holding me so tight!
@Question Master
Ferin, I’m super interested as to their origins, how individuals make their stakes in the world, and maybe I just have a soft spot for anthro fantasy races. If we learn more about certain elf groups, I might change my mind, but until then, it’s Ferin all the way.
Did you know…
It takes approximately 5 seconds for thunder to travel 1 mile, so if you see lighting you can see how many seconds it takes for the thunder to reach you, and then divide by 5 to see approximately how far away it is.
(A winding path starting with me looking up robot arms, then something about the robot dialog, from there light is faster than sound, then to lightning before thunder, and then this)
No I wasn’t gone, never gone, don’t worry about it.
With this weird tentacle robot it make complete sense that Falst is just stood in place, he’s probably never seen anything closely similar to it, so cut him some slack.
Mat:
Interesting, typically it would just be easier to program it to just not say stuff too, but maybe it was designed to the recipient of the protection were aware of it.
Question Master:
Cloudchildren.
(From last time I posted) LilacSpiral:
Honestly with the siblings since then I thought of the Void Dragon as he is was not ready for his master plan to be delayed by Tess and Erin just messing about. But Falst also 100% works as he seems to be in a perpetual bad mood.
Thank you Mat and Bren for those of us who don’t have Tumblr accounts,
Creature Tamer- I give you a groan and a facepalm- Well done!
Falst looks confused about not getting attacks thrown his way. Silly robot, you are making Falst angry and confused!
You know, maybe the reason Falst isn’t willing to ask for healing and doesn’t want Dainix to give him talk therapy is that he’s part cat. I’ve never known a cat that didn’t try its hardest to hide the fact that it was hurting.
@Saurianne That’s what I thought too. Falst looks surprised because he understood what the robot said, and it made him drop his guard for a second.
Noting for future readers/bingers (Hello! :D): Poetic structures seen in comment so far:
Quatrains, Haikus, Couplets (if i remember correctly), Ballads, Sonnets? (Really not sure if I’m misremembering), Limericks.
Anyone wanna add any i missed or correct something?
If the decoders are correct and the robot is saying “protect”, could it be choosing falst to protect/confusing him for an ancient because he’s closed off to the elements like the ancients were?
The Ancients!! i’m a sucka for the “highly advanced and knowledgeable race that may have studied our ancestors before going extinct; all we have left of them are ruins and the mystery of their civilisation” trope. i admit, it’s not a well-utilised one, and it’s rarely well-done (in fact, the only other instance of it i know of is The Nomai from Outer Wilds). but i am so on-board with Red’s worldbuilding so far. the whole Lady Huracan/Paladin Archives exposition really hooked me on the Ancients, and so long as they remain the most mysterious race in this comic, I’m sure they’ll be my favourite (rivalled only be Ferin; who was that sorceror who created them??)
What is that stuff that we see in the exposed bits of the robot? Is is electricity? Light? Elemental energy? The Ancients did make extensive use of runes and lacrimas, and we can see a glowing yellow spot in its chest; that might be a lens covering a lightning lacrima, similar to the lens covering the stuff in its head. I’m leaning towards either electricity or elemental energy contained in some form of optic cabling.
Question Master:
Ferin, because I have a soft spot for shapeshifters and… (how do I put this)… people that physically resemble non-human animals. (I know that by the second criterion, you could technically include every non-human people group in Aurora into my favorites, but my actual favorite is just Ferin. I hope you know what I mean.)
Elves, we haven’t met many of them yet but I just love elves so much and Alinua is just perfect. I look forward to the inevitable arc where the Floof Squad visits some place populated mostly by elves.
veggiesnake:
I’m starting to think that the Ferin were created by an Ancient or someone with access to their technology. This Ancient automaton seems to think that Falst is “Of the People” after analyzing his “Weave”. Considering that the Ancients were closed off to the Elements, much like the Ferin are, this seems very likely to me.
In panel 2, the robot only has four arms and is mostly using them to support itself. In the final panel, it’s about to hug Falst with three of them. Will it fall down with only one arm to support it?
An interesting first panel there, with an unusual example of Falst’s pupils being dilated. After the automaton speaks, though, they go back to slits. In cat body language, this would be fear, shock, or something similar. It could be because the automaton is getting closer, but why would he be frozen like that unless he was shocked enough to let down his guard? Like some people have already said, methinks Falst speaks Ancient.
Bear in mind, we know absolutely (?) nothing about his backstory, so it’s very plausible that he’s so much more than an angsty lancer.
Getting off topic here, but isn’t it beautiful how literally all of the characters in the party are lancers to at least one of the other members in some way?
@storylineobsessed
I just thought of another vine! Idk if anyone has said this already, but: Falst @ everyone: Let’s tell each other a secret about ourselves. I’m gonna go first. I… hAte YoU.
@Question Master
Ferin. Definitely Ferin. Why have one cursed catboi when you can literally have an entire people made up of them
@QuestionMaster I’m gonna be a little cheeky and go with gods.
@Saurianne I can see that and am intrigued by what that could mean for Falst’s backstory. There’s been speculation that his parent(s) were some sort of researchers (which would explain how he knew about lacrimas) — maybe part of why he’s so antagonistic toward Erin is that SickTats McHubris is an uncomfortable reminder of the life he left behind…
@storylineobsessed that tracks
@Creature Tamer 10/10 no notes
*meanwhile at camp*
Tess: hey Erin where do you think Dainix and the little angry guy are now?
Erin (marking out points on maps): I have no idea
Tess: cos I can hear some weird clanky noises over that way-
Erin (flipping through his bag looking for a book about an area): okay
Tess: should we worry about that?
Erin (finding book and beginning to read it): no
Tess: yeah you’re right it’s probably nothing.
*A pause of about ten seconds*
Erin: wait so what were we talking about?
I’m grasping at straws here and only saying this because I haven’t seen any other comments doing so, but… that glowy stuff we can see in the gaps between robot bits looks weirdly like soul energy.
(And it looks kinda like it talks in the same colors the Light Dragon and Paladins do, but there’s only so many colors that make good dialogue balloons so that might be coincidence)
Interesting how it has a coloured speech bubble, which was previously only used by gods. It’s also in the same colour as those glitchy looking insides we can see throigh he cracks…
Also @TheUnknownGame, my theory is that the eyeball thing is a soul lacrima, since it was reading elemental connection and soul weave earlier, and it matches the colour of the light dragon’s magic
LilacSpiral:
That… would track with how widespread the worship of the Dragon Primordials was in the Ancients’ empire. They were much more aware of The Light Dragon than most modern peoples are, so it makes sense that they would’ve found a way to channel her power.
For mobile readers.
Alt-text: that’s ancient for “can you kids keep it down”
Image source: huh
Robot is saying “PROTECT”.
Please send me a RedBot-to-Basic translation key as soon as you can.
Aurora Question #8: Out of all the races, which one is your favourite
ferin, because i’m a sucker for when characters are CreaturesTM
FALST MOVE
(we only make the most intelligent comments here with scorch)
… I think Falst might’ve understood it
The robot is just saying protect. I expect more robot talking in runic in the next chapter!
In come the tentacles
The mechanical monster hurls Dainix back,,
Through its cracks, a blue light glows.
It chitters in ancient as Falst looks around,
Then more attacks with its four tentacles it throws.
P R O T E C T
(does Falst…understand it?)
@Question Master
Cloud children, because they’re smol and have wings. And I love smol things with wings. Like birds. And microbats. And cloud children.
Abort hug. Abort hug!
Wait wait wait so the robots saying protect, right.
Like he looked at Falst and was like:
This boi needs love and protection and everyone that harms him will feel my wrath.
Stop freaking out, it’s just a fandom member.
Question Master:
Kitties! And Metalcaste.
Oh he DEFINETLY recognises how that sounds
Using the decryption someone posted on tumblr the robot said “Protect”
(Tentacles about to coil around Falst) … I’ve consumed enough Red content to know where this is NOT going.
(Reads alt-text) Well given that it reads Falst as an Ancient, and that Ancients were tall and Falst is short, there’s a good chance the automaton does think Falst is a child. It could see itself as simply be protecting an Ancient child from a dangerous Cave person.
I don’t think Falst or Dainix understood what it said; I think they’re just surprised it said anything at all. Dainix has experience with automatons, going from his demon flashback, but he seems shaken from this. Either the attack was so forceful or sudden, or he’s never encountered this model before, let alone one that can talk.
Falst looks even more shocked; maybe he’s never encountered automatons before at all. But it looks like he’s about to snap out of it in the final panel; he better, because I don’t think his claws will work well on Doc Ock metal tentacles.
@Question Master
That’s a good question. Probably elves, although that might change later if we learn more about the other races
meow man gets interrupted by the plot, fire boi gets yeeted by said plot
next time on dragon ball Z???
Hugs!
To protect the Falst from devastation
To protect all people in the ancient nation
To shower the Falst with hugs and love
To serve all people who live above
Automaton protects the speed of light
Attacking the cave person before he can fight
Meow, stop holding me so tight!
(I’m sorry I had to?)
@Question Master
Ferin, I’m super interested as to their origins, how individuals make their stakes in the world, and maybe I just have a soft spot for anthro fantasy races. If we learn more about certain elf groups, I might change my mind, but until then, it’s Ferin all the way.
AUTOBOTS, ROLL OUT
(I am not sorry :3)
Did you know…
It takes approximately 5 seconds for thunder to travel 1 mile, so if you see lighting you can see how many seconds it takes for the thunder to reach you, and then divide by 5 to see approximately how far away it is.
(A winding path starting with me looking up robot arms, then something about the robot dialog, from there light is faster than sound, then to lightning before thunder, and then this)
No I wasn’t gone, never gone, don’t worry about it.
With this weird tentacle robot it make complete sense that Falst is just stood in place, he’s probably never seen anything closely similar to it, so cut him some slack.
Mat:
Interesting, typically it would just be easier to program it to just not say stuff too, but maybe it was designed to the recipient of the protection were aware of it.
Question Master:
Cloudchildren.
(From last time I posted) LilacSpiral:
Honestly with the siblings since then I thought of the Void Dragon as he is was not ready for his master plan to be delayed by Tess and Erin just messing about. But Falst also 100% works as he seems to be in a perpetual bad mood.
he defend/move to safety
but he also subdue/escape
There once was a robot arm
That did the flame-boi harm
Because the robot
Didn’t know, as it ought,
That there was no cause for alarm.
Thank you Mat and Bren for those of us who don’t have Tumblr accounts,
Creature Tamer- I give you a groan and a facepalm- Well done!
Falst looks confused about not getting attacks thrown his way. Silly robot, you are making Falst angry and confused!
You know, maybe the reason Falst isn’t willing to ask for healing and doesn’t want Dainix to give him talk therapy is that he’s part cat. I’ve never known a cat that didn’t try its hardest to hide the fact that it was hurting.
@Saurianne That’s what I thought too. Falst looks surprised because he understood what the robot said, and it made him drop his guard for a second.
I love the little mini-trope of
“I don’t need help”
*instantly put in a situation where they need help*
Noting for future readers/bingers (Hello! :D): Poetic structures seen in comment so far:
Quatrains, Haikus, Couplets (if i remember correctly), Ballads, Sonnets? (Really not sure if I’m misremembering), Limericks.
Anyone wanna add any i missed or correct something?
TL;DR: I see AI isn’t all that advanced here.
If the decoders are correct and the robot is saying “protect”, could it be choosing falst to protect/confusing him for an ancient because he’s closed off to the elements like the ancients were?
@Question Master
The Ancients!! i’m a sucka for the “highly advanced and knowledgeable race that may have studied our ancestors before going extinct; all we have left of them are ruins and the mystery of their civilisation” trope. i admit, it’s not a well-utilised one, and it’s rarely well-done (in fact, the only other instance of it i know of is The Nomai from Outer Wilds). but i am so on-board with Red’s worldbuilding so far. the whole Lady Huracan/Paladin Archives exposition really hooked me on the Ancients, and so long as they remain the most mysterious race in this comic, I’m sure they’ll be my favourite (rivalled only be Ferin; who was that sorceror who created them??)
A robotic beast is arisen, and oh,
Falst appears enchanted by the glow
Yeah but what is his expression? Has he seen it before? Does it have some kind of influence on his mind?
@Question Master
Cloudchildren. That sassy smol one from Windscrest remains one of my favorite side-characters.
The alt text got me lol
What is that stuff that we see in the exposed bits of the robot? Is is electricity? Light? Elemental energy? The Ancients did make extensive use of runes and lacrimas, and we can see a glowing yellow spot in its chest; that might be a lens covering a lightning lacrima, similar to the lens covering the stuff in its head. I’m leaning towards either electricity or elemental energy contained in some form of optic cabling.
Question Master:
Ferin, because I have a soft spot for shapeshifters and… (how do I put this)… people that physically resemble non-human animals. (I know that by the second criterion, you could technically include every non-human people group in Aurora into my favorites, but my actual favorite is just Ferin. I hope you know what I mean.)
Question Master:
Elves, we haven’t met many of them yet but I just love elves so much and Alinua is just perfect. I look forward to the inevitable arc where the Floof Squad visits some place populated mostly by elves.
veggiesnake:
I’m starting to think that the Ferin were created by an Ancient or someone with access to their technology. This Ancient automaton seems to think that Falst is “Of the People” after analyzing his “Weave”. Considering that the Ancients were closed off to the Elements, much like the Ferin are, this seems very likely to me.
In panel 2, the robot only has four arms and is mostly using them to support itself. In the final panel, it’s about to hug Falst with three of them. Will it fall down with only one arm to support it?
An interesting first panel there, with an unusual example of Falst’s pupils being dilated. After the automaton speaks, though, they go back to slits. In cat body language, this would be fear, shock, or something similar. It could be because the automaton is getting closer, but why would he be frozen like that unless he was shocked enough to let down his guard? Like some people have already said, methinks Falst speaks Ancient.
Bear in mind, we know absolutely (?) nothing about his backstory, so it’s very plausible that he’s so much more than an angsty lancer.
Getting off topic here, but isn’t it beautiful how literally all of the characters in the party are lancers to at least one of the other members in some way?
@storylineobsessed
I just thought of another vine! Idk if anyone has said this already, but: Falst @ everyone: Let’s tell each other a secret about ourselves. I’m gonna go first. I… hAte YoU.
@Question Master
Ferin. Definitely Ferin. Why have one cursed catboi when you can literally have an entire people made up of them
@QuestionMaster I’m gonna be a little cheeky and go with gods.
@Saurianne I can see that and am intrigued by what that could mean for Falst’s backstory. There’s been speculation that his parent(s) were some sort of researchers (which would explain how he knew about lacrimas) — maybe part of why he’s so antagonistic toward Erin is that SickTats McHubris is an uncomfortable reminder of the life he left behind…
@storylineobsessed that tracks
@Creature Tamer 10/10 no notes
Is anyone else getting major Castle in the Sky vibes from the automaton?
‘Cause it’s really reminding me of the Robot Warrior from the movie.
*meanwhile at camp*
Tess: hey Erin where do you think Dainix and the little angry guy are now?
Erin (marking out points on maps): I have no idea
Tess: cos I can hear some weird clanky noises over that way-
Erin (flipping through his bag looking for a book about an area): okay
Tess: should we worry about that?
Erin (finding book and beginning to read it): no
Tess: yeah you’re right it’s probably nothing.
*A pause of about ten seconds*
Erin: wait so what were we talking about?
Hey so Falst you might want to watch out
I’m grasping at straws here and only saying this because I haven’t seen any other comments doing so, but… that glowy stuff we can see in the gaps between robot bits looks weirdly like soul energy.
(And it looks kinda like it talks in the same colors the Light Dragon and Paladins do, but there’s only so many colors that make good dialogue balloons so that might be coincidence)
Robot: PROTECT
Falst: What’cha think I’ve been TRYING to do?
Nobody:
Absolutely nobody:
Not even Life Mum:
Robot: H U G
Interesting how it has a coloured speech bubble, which was previously only used by gods. It’s also in the same colour as those glitchy looking insides we can see throigh he cracks…
Also @TheUnknownGame, my theory is that the eyeball thing is a soul lacrima, since it was reading elemental connection and soul weave earlier, and it matches the colour of the light dragon’s magic
Red, should I be concerned that you perceive something with a lot of exposed electrical whirring as huggable?
Or is that just a robot thing?
LilacSpiral:
That… would track with how widespread the worship of the Dragon Primordials was in the Ancients’ empire. They were much more aware of The Light Dragon than most modern peoples are, so it makes sense that they would’ve found a way to channel her power.
that dude be speakin minecraft enchantment table
I love the glowy stuff inside of the machine, and its speech bubble