1.21.32
on June 7, 2023
at 3:00 am
the dichotomy of personhood vs monstrosity is always tricky to define, especially in a fantasy world. good try tho
Aurora
A fantasy webcomic. Updates M-W-F.
the dichotomy of personhood vs monstrosity is always tricky to define, especially in a fantasy world. good try tho
So, are we enjoying all the angst just yet?
Let’s hear what Dainix went through under threat
Aurora Question #???: I don’t remember the last question number, can someone tell me?
Aurora Question #???+1: Who has had the most of that sweet, sweet edge?
Response to #???- Per page 1,21.23 you were on question 66 for Aurora Questions (AQ) and up to #7 for Questions Unrelated to Aurora (QUA). Welcome Back! Glad that Undead Starfish fever has finally let you loose @Q,M.? Honorable Mention goes to @Anonymous for trying step in to keep the conversation going.
Response to #???+- I am sure what you mean by “sweet, sweet edge” Perhaps rephrase it and post as Aurora question 67?
Darn! missed not putting the “NOT” in front of “sure” in Response to #???+ (@Aulde berates himself for being old and incompetent but then saps his (face) cheeks a few times and snaps out it and remember other commenters are kind and reinforced by review)
Thx! As for what I meant for Question #???+1, I meant things like trauma, tragic backstories, things like that that create dark, nihlistic brooding characters. Most people refer to such characters as Edgelords.
You’re welcome @Q.M.! I see @veggiesnake has already posted an answer to your question. (Waves to @veggiesnake)
#XX – I don’t know.
#XX+1 – I think that Tess has probably had the LEAST edge, despite failing to develop a sense of personhood an literally being sold into slavery as a child, simply because she just seems so at peace with it. As for the MOST edge… probably Falst. Alinua’s ‘being dropped from the Sky Archipelago because she had Chimeric Plague’ and Kendal’s ‘only existing because his city was destroyed and his soul was stolen being a semi-immortal being’ are also high on the list, but Falst has clearly experienced the most active hostility in his life, and was introduced into the story as someone attempting to ‘unmake’ himself. Plus, whatever went down with his parents is clearly some very raw trauma.
@Question Master- I agree with @veggiesnake’s wonderfully concise and keen observations and add Erin after Kendal due his possession by Void Dragon (or Walter to those who want to vent at VD in comments/discussion here) but has a better handle on his reactions that Kendal has shown so far in the story but perhaps less than Dainix who shows more emotional maturity then Erin, though Erin’s ‘problem’ has greater impact on Aurora (world and universe).
Exactly! Edginess is a mindset.
#??? @Aulde already helped you there bud. Also glad to see the starfish police haven’t caught you yet (they did approach me the other day asking for you.
#???+1 Falst based on his apparent ptsd around the cave crawlers. I don’t think Erin since he’s handing being possesed by an eldritch dragon rather well
Hello there Citizen have you seen the war criminal called Question Master?
Zer0 W0lf is late today, so will be stealing his job
Alt text: what a fun philosophical conundrum to cling to
image source: sorry
USURPER!
IMPOSTER!
inb4 “Skurwiel vented!”
(wags finger at 5007 since @Skurkwiel was trying to be informative)(which could be said of myself as well)
Thanks! I was hyperfocusing on Cinema Therapy’s video on The Little Mermaid and the ending of Episode 14 of Gwendy & Ghost, the former because I was having fun viewing Ariel’s story through an autistic lens and the latter because I just can’t stand how unjustified it feels from my perspective.
(pats @Zer0 W0lf virtually in sympathy) I think Cinema Therapy is wonderful and insightful series and recommend it to those interested in both phycology and the art of cinema.
Hello fellow cinema therapy fans. I’ll be sure to watch the little mermaid episode next, the autistic lens you describe sounds interesting. (Im a little behind thanks to exams)
Hello! I’m Cinema Therapy fan too!
I don’t really have anything to add to this conversation (haven’t gotten saying to that episode yet) but I’m also a Cinema Therapy fan
Poor boy. I was right. I did recognize that face. It’s the one my D&D party’s best roleplayer makes when he’s playing his extremely broken charcter. If Danix is anything like that, tho, he needs way more help than we thought.
Thank you for awaking self-awareness/reflection in that player! It the sign that you are a good storyteller I think. I hope you can guide that person gently to the help they need and can encourage that person to heal and grow stronger. My prayer go out to you and all your gaming friends!
AUGH
Indeed
Amongst the angst of this page, that reminder of how much Dainix drove the Arenamaster up the wall is quite welcome.
Monster hunter can have very different meanings in Aurora, from the Ravvan protecting settlements in the desert to people hunting Ferin either for profit or out of paranoia. I guess the type of “monster” also dictates the type of hunters it attracts.
From their previous dialogue when treating Falst to their pained expressions now, I’m willing to bet any animosity Falst had towards Dainix is rapidly fading. This has been a painful bonding session, but a bonding session nonetheless.
Thank you for your deep insights again @Evil Tree!
I finally stayed up late enough for the comment section not to be full! I wish I had something to contribute.
As someone who is too full of comments I encourage you to not worry about how late you post here but ask you try to post new thoughts or variations and not add to the ‘wall of text’ problem, Try to be concise and to the point and try to proof read before send (i.e. don’t make my mistakes @Blueberry) Sorry, my inner Mother Hen got loose again! Bwwock!
Poor Danix, he just wants to help!
For those that didn’t notice: Danix refused to kill the crawlers until the end.
Me: Dainix is so sweet! He’s probably the only one besides Tess with no huge angst!
Red: *cackling in the distance*
If Tess gets the angst treatment, I’ll probably combust, but thankfully I don’t think Red would do that to us
(Aulde, recalling that Red’s character are up for any challenge that furthers the story here, battens down the hatches)(Sailors take care!)
Ok, this is too serious of an angst to make a limerick out of, so here’s a thoughtful reflection poem instead:
What’s the difference
Between people and monsters?
I thought I knew,
As I fought but wouldn’t kill,
Before I met the crawlers.
They look like people.
They talk like people.
They act like monsters.
Which are they, monster or person?
Which am I, person or monster?
I think Dainix needs a talk on how the cave crawlers only used to be people and are no longer people. Perhaps some more tragic backstory from Falst will help convince him? Also, they both need hugs. And kudos to Red for retroactively expanding my understanding of a page I thought I already understood.
This is SO good! I really love it!
Awww, thank you!
Aurora though amirite
I love the bright orange panel against the more desaturated colors– really makes it stand out. Same as the characters’ eyes, though someone already said that a few pages back.
Predictions:
The Bois have time for a little more of that angsty mono/dialogue before the others show up; Alinua seems to be coming with Erin so at least the bois can get their wounds healed (or as much as Alinua can do, Erin might have to step in if Alinua is too tired, not sure if she runs out of energy at all but if she does she probably did after healing Kendal). They probably won’t be able to just waltz right out of there, though. My guess is there will be cave crawlers at least, automata perhaps.
It would be interesting to see Erin’s reaction to one of these robots…
I don’t know man, I feel like the gut reaction of “Oh shit, something just took a swing at me, don’t let it take another.” Isn’t something to be ashamed of.
Which is probably exactly what Falst is thinking in response to all this angst! I like how both of these two have problems that the other one can’t really understand on a gut level b/c of his background, but can still sympathize with through the power of male bonding.
AKA sibling reflexes
I’m pretty sure if something is trying to kill and eat you, it’s a monster, even if it can talk.
Works for me! If it/they has no desire to compromise you do have the right (if not might) to protect yourself from harm I think.
Oh, he means the cave creeps, he didn’t want to hurt them because they seemed like people?
I guess that Dainix’s hesitance to kill the cave crawlers wasn’t just because he hadn’t encountered them before.
At first, I thought Dainix had stayed remarkably calm during and after his escape; turns out, the hectic double-whammy of getting a hold on his power and fighting a monster of a storm deity only distracted him from the deep-seated trauma of being imprisoned by a bigotocracy and encouraged to kill for amusement. That trauma is finally fully catching up again.
Can the whole group, but especially Kendal, Falst, and Dainix, just have a nice, chill stretch of time where nothing bad happens? Please?? Because this night is just f*cked.
Dainix looks so sad in panel 6 🙁
I’ve been working on the whole personhood thing for my setting as well. The cave dwellers appear capable of limited communication, so in my world, this would mean they probably have souls (the ‘upgrade’ to having a spirit, which all creatures have). This is not to say they aren’t also monsters, but that’s based on behavior, not sentience/soul possession.
You can be both a person and a monster, and if a creature demonstrates person-like behaviors the default is to treat them like a person, but also treat them in accordance with their actions as you would with any other person who acted like that.
oh my goodness.
I can’t even say anything else I just. oh my golly-goshin’ goodness. that. I. my brain cannot compute these emotions right now.
TL;DR: Fantasy philosophy must be one beast of a subject.
*clap–clap–clap* Bravo!
Actually, considering the fact that a lot of creation myths and fundamental existential questions CAN actually be answered, “Fantasy Philosophy” is probably less of a beast than real Philosophy. I mean, we can debate back and forth about the Existence and Nature of God until kingdom come, but in Aurora-verse they can confidently say “Yes, our ancestors were created by The Twins, who are still around today, and they’re not paticularly benevolent or parental, they just like making things” and that’s that.
Ah, right. They both have monster angst.
Man, I bet Falst wasn’t expecting to get exasperated at someone being too STRICT with their definition of monsters!
Hard to have an epiphany mid-combat…
I admit I’m a bit confused by Dainix’s conflict here. We see him burn a bunch of Cave Crawlers alive on page 19. Yet here he states that he forgot his principles the second he was the one bleeding for them, which implies this is in reference to the one that he stabbed. Yet burning them alive surely must have also killed them, and in a much more painful way.
I’m pretty sure he created a wall of fire to keep them at bay
checked the page and yea it kind of looks like he burned them but none of the fire is superimposed over the cave crawlers– so I’m guessing they were a bit further back than it looks
Red’s response: https://comicaurora.tumblr.com/post/719587443328843776/im-a-little-confused-with-dainixs-conflict-on