. Falst’s eyes widen as he realizes something. “You– I’ve smelled you before. Bach in Zuurith!” He cries. “You were at the prison!”
. “Oh, YOU could be a problem,” Caliban says, looking at Falst in surprise.
. “What do you want with Dainix?” Kendal asks.
. Caliban folds their arms. “In case you’ve forgotten, Ignans are my domain.”
. “But they aren’t Tahraim’s domain,” Kendal says. “Tahraim only cares about weapons or tools. I assumed I was what brought him to Zuurith, but botth of you in one city is harder to explain.
. “So which one is Dainix? Weapon or tool?”
. “How about I answer what you’re really asking?” Caliban says with a sly grin. “No, you aren’t about to drag that battered body of yours through an unwinnable fight with me to protect your helpless friends. I need Dainix alive and well, and if you’re half the god you used to be, you’ll do anything to make that happen.
. “So for your first challenge, settle down and listen up.”
The boys now who Caliban is, where they’ve been
They don’t share their motives, but forward the scene
Loving Caliban’s attitude of “No, you’re not getting any answers. Just shut up and let me help you.” The best kind of Deus ex Machina (or ex Sand in this case).
The ol’ smug politician response of “I don’t give a flip what you just asked, I’ve got an answer I want to give you and I’ma say that instead.” On human politicians it’s rare they say so explicitly that they aren’t answering your question. Usually they just say what they want and hope you take that as ‘an answer.’ On a separate note, BOY do I not like our brave cat being declared a Problem by something as dangerous as a fire god.
Guessing if Falst can identify Caliban based on smell, Caliban won’t be able to act around Dainix in disguise. ‘Cause if they show up like they did in Zuurith to provide nudges on whatever path Dainix is on, Falst is just going to immediately recognize them. Which means Dainix will feel like the gods are toying with him, which Caliban has stated it is important that he not.
That is an excellent response, and a great relief to my concern for Falst. At least he’s not going to be an enemy of a trickster god almost no one knows anything about.
Oh, none of that means Caliban isn’t going to hurt Falst. We don’t know what their morals are like, and if they’re blue-and-orange enough (or even Scale Beyond Mortal Comprehension-y enough), they might just throw him off a cliff. Necessary sacrifices and all that. Caliban doesn’t strike me as the type, but you never know.
I was thinking that it was because caliban saw the brewing romance plot and they were worried that that was going to get in the way of Dainix’s ‘purpose’ (the weapon is having feelings and all that fun stuff) but I wasn’t sure that Caliban and Tahraim would be *that* heartless
When did Falst smell Caliban in the arena? Was it when he was snooping around and saw Dainix fight some gladiator? Or was it when he was destroying the prison with Alinua? But I don’t think Caliban was present during those moments, so I don’t see how Falst could’ve been close enough to them to remember their smell.
In fairness to Caliban, it IS interesting that an incarnation of theirs from entirely different materials than Zuurith (to the point of having a different skin color) carries the same scent. Plausible, just not intuitively so.
If Falst has Light powers, he might have additional senses (like how VD noticed the starmetal in Kendal back during the Tynan fight) that help him identify Caliban based on mind (or soul) rather than physical scent? But that relies on a lot of stuff about Light and we know very little.
I suppose that’s true, I never figured it that way
I do still think that in the narrative this is Caliban acknowledging that mortal relationships are difficult to plot around. Like, if I was prepping a super-powered elemental warrior to achieve some obscure end which is likely largely dependent on his ability to spontaneously combust into an extremely volatile emotional state, I’d be pretty nervous about the idea of love getting thrown into the mix. IDK how Tahraim could therapy that away if a conflict between Falst and Team Fire God’s plans cropped up
Caliban looks like Dainix because she’s (incarnated into the shape of) an Ignan, the type of stripy fire-influenced people that Dainix is one of.
As for your other questions, only time will tell…
:3
Currently? Probably yes the collector probably can do the kind of things she does because she figured out true shapeshifting(wich is possible trought life Magic as red confirmed It) alinua might have a really good healing factor but you cant heal from a lack of oxygen
Patience, let Red tell her story. I am sure she will get all the Floof Gang in time!
I am sure something is happening with Alinua but wait for the story to reveal that at it’s own pace. This has been a wild ride so far so I have high hopes it will remain interesting to the very end. And more!
Interesting that they smell the same. This body was just craftet two minutes ago from locally sourced, organic sand, you’d think it wouldn’t smell the same as the one made from prison air and torch fire. Can Falst smell souls? Does Caliban as god of all ignans just smell like the statistically average ignan no matter where or how they incarnate?
Small correction, it was made of prison floor. Shouldn’t smell like volcanic sand anyway, so we’re still looking at the statistically average ignan-smell. 1-13-3 is Caliban’s Zuurith incarnation.
Could be he can smell power. Kind of like a “detect magic” cast being able to identify the school of magic, Caliban might smell like the Incarnate god of fire.
I can’t quite recall, but I believe it’s been mentioned before that the cat has a sense of smell for magic?
I don’t think so? Do you think you can find the page of the word of Red that says that?
I know that there’s a theory going around the fandom discord that it could be related to his light powers- even that, though, is a bit of a stretch, as we don’t know what the relationship between soul and light is yet
In short, god incarnation is a bit more complicated than Caliban just collecting a vaguely person-shaped pile of sand, smelling like sand. Caliban here just like in the prison has access to all six elements and can just build whatever they want from those basic ingredients. Therefore, same smell.
I liked my mean Ignan smell theory, but this does sound more plausible tbh.
Well, it’s mentioned in the other comments that Kendal smells “clean”, so I’d bet that the Light Dragon would smell something like a “breath of fresh air during a beautiful sunrise”.
There are infinite answers as to how insights are reveled to perceivers. Which is an unhelpful answer here but puts the question in broader perspective. Every question can lead to deeper questions to ask! It might not lead anywhere but is fun to ponder, to some.
If you could somehow smell all the scents wafting from every single physical object or creature in a god’s domain at the same time, it would smell a lot like the scent of that god’s avatar form. The actual strength of that smell, though, varies depending on what their preferred avatar form is.
Caliban: I won’t answer that question. But I will say that you, demigod, are a weapon, and your furry friend here is looking more and more like a tool.
Caliban’s hair is flaming in this page, like it did when they were getting annoyed at Tahraim’s crypticness in Arc 1 Chapter 12. They won’t admit it, but Falst recognising them from Zuurith prison and Kendal’s deductions are getting to them. But alas, Caliban knows they can’t defeat them and they’re the one holding the cards.
Also art wise, I love all the faces in the final two panels; Cali’s smug smirk contrasting with the shadowy glares from the boys is delicious.
It was mentioned on a tumblr ask that Vash made his incarnation to smell clean and that helped clue Falst to the fact Kendal wasn’t human. It makes sense that other gods, consciously or not, make their incarnations smell a certain way; unfortunately for Cali, they didn’t take this into account alongside Falst’s scent memory.
Yeah, Falst could be a problem for Caliban’s plan. If he tells Dainix about them pulling strings in the prison, he might go back to questioning his agency again. Cali might be able to rope Kendal into some divine vow not to tell Dainix about their shenanigans, but getting Falst to play ball in this godly manipulation of mortals game will be harder.
Okay, now I’m thoroughly curious about Falst’s super sniffer, and his whole thing. I was only a little curious before, but being able to smell a god through multiple forms? What’s your deal, Falst.
How fascinating. Incarnations carry specific scents based on the deity, despite the diversity in materials. Does their oversoul arrange the required elements in specific patterns to invoke that scent? Fascinating indeed…
Oh yeah, and Dainix’s questionable agency. That too.
Caliban says to Kendal, “If you’re half the god you used to be”. Does this mean they see Kendal and Vash as the same person, or Kendal as a de-powered version of Vash? Or am I reading too much into this and is it a generic “if you’re half the person I remember” phrase?
I just realized. Caliban’s hair gives them away emotion wise. Falst’s tail and ears give him away emotion wise. This is amazing to me considering that both are probably going to constantly be annoyed at one another and also, to some level, incapable of hiding that fact.
A valid disagreement. Nevertheless, why on earth would Kendal fight Caliban?! He literally just offered to give them valuable information that could save Dainix
You forget Kendal’s empathy for others. Because Erin is possessed by Void doesn’t make other gods interference OK. Alinua’s acceptance Primordial Life connection leaves Kendal uneasy I believe. Caliban doesn’t get passed over for interfering with Dainix’s life. Just like Vash’s disagreement with Zuurith on how Gods should interact with mutual respect or not doesn’t mean Caliban (and Tahraim) get a free pass from Vash’s Heir /Inheritor (Kendal).
Yeah, the relationship between gods and mortals is a tense subject. Vash always was a straightforward god – and Kendal equally believes that manipulating mortals behind their backs is an abuse of power. So he wasn’t necessarily going to throw himself at Caliban right now, but he’s suspicious at best.
And then Caliban reminds him that his demigod powers don’t give him any leverage over them. Again, slightly throwing their divine weight around in a way that irks Kendal.
Caliban is so fun, in the trickster trouble kind of way. I also realized after commenting on an earlier page that their skin color may be not just because of the volcanic sand but also because of volcanic Ignans in the area having darker skin, if some live on Rakhn… which means, possibly, we might encounter some more Ignans? That could be quite interesting!
Anyway. Ditto, the drama on this page is fantastic. Falst remembering and recognizing Caliban’s scent (?!) is a feat of both keen senses and a sharp memory, and the way Kendal puts the pieces together and poses that question is so good. And of course it goes unanswered. Because Caliban.
Caliban looks so cool (figuratively) in that second to last panel. I really like the pose and the expression; it captures so much personality.
Falst being able to smell a code who realistically always has their bodies formed anew means that he can likely smell the composition of souls since it’s definitely not standard smell chemicals he’s smelling.
ALT TEXT: this chapter better not make me choreograph another god fight
Somehow, I doubt it won’t
For mobile readers.
Alt-text: this chapter better not make me choreograph another god fight
Image source: domain
Bluesky Text: and welcome back
Tumblr Text: cranky because you have to actually explain something aren’t you
. Falst’s eyes widen as he realizes something. “You– I’ve smelled you before. Bach in Zuurith!” He cries. “You were at the prison!”
. “Oh, YOU could be a problem,” Caliban says, looking at Falst in surprise.
. “What do you want with Dainix?” Kendal asks.
. Caliban folds their arms. “In case you’ve forgotten, Ignans are my domain.”
. “But they aren’t Tahraim’s domain,” Kendal says. “Tahraim only cares about weapons or tools. I assumed I was what brought him to Zuurith, but botth of you in one city is harder to explain.
. “So which one is Dainix? Weapon or tool?”
. “How about I answer what you’re really asking?” Caliban says with a sly grin. “No, you aren’t about to drag that battered body of yours through an unwinnable fight with me to protect your helpless friends. I need Dainix alive and well, and if you’re half the god you used to be, you’ll do anything to make that happen.
. “So for your first challenge, settle down and listen up.”
The boys now who Caliban is, where they’ve been
They don’t share their motives, but forward the scene
Loving Caliban’s attitude of “No, you’re not getting any answers. Just shut up and let me help you.” The best kind of Deus ex Machina (or ex Sand in this case).
The ol’ smug politician response of “I don’t give a flip what you just asked, I’ve got an answer I want to give you and I’ma say that instead.” On human politicians it’s rare they say so explicitly that they aren’t answering your question. Usually they just say what they want and hope you take that as ‘an answer.’ On a separate note, BOY do I not like our brave cat being declared a Problem by something as dangerous as a fire god.
Why did they say Falst could be a problem? Surely they’re all on the same side here?
Guessing if Falst can identify Caliban based on smell, Caliban won’t be able to act around Dainix in disguise. ‘Cause if they show up like they did in Zuurith to provide nudges on whatever path Dainix is on, Falst is just going to immediately recognize them. Which means Dainix will feel like the gods are toying with him, which Caliban has stated it is important that he not.
That is an excellent response, and a great relief to my concern for Falst. At least he’s not going to be an enemy of a trickster god almost no one knows anything about.
Oh, none of that means Caliban isn’t going to hurt Falst. We don’t know what their morals are like, and if they’re blue-and-orange enough (or even Scale Beyond Mortal Comprehension-y enough), they might just throw him off a cliff. Necessary sacrifices and all that. Caliban doesn’t strike me as the type, but you never know.
I was thinking that it was because caliban saw the brewing romance plot and they were worried that that was going to get in the way of Dainix’s ‘purpose’ (the weapon is having feelings and all that fun stuff) but I wasn’t sure that Caliban and Tahraim would be *that* heartless
When did Falst smell Caliban in the arena? Was it when he was snooping around and saw Dainix fight some gladiator? Or was it when he was destroying the prison with Alinua? But I don’t think Caliban was present during those moments, so I don’t see how Falst could’ve been close enough to them to remember their smell.
Caliban’s plans for Dainix didn’t account for gay catboy love
In fairness to Caliban, it IS interesting that an incarnation of theirs from entirely different materials than Zuurith (to the point of having a different skin color) carries the same scent. Plausible, just not intuitively so.
Falst voice: I know what your soul smells like!
(Come to think of it, is that TYPICAL for ferin or might this be a Falst-specific ability?)
If Falst has Light powers, he might have additional senses (like how VD noticed the starmetal in Kendal back during the Tynan fight) that help him identify Caliban based on mind (or soul) rather than physical scent? But that relies on a lot of stuff about Light and we know very little.
I suppose that’s true, I never figured it that way
I do still think that in the narrative this is Caliban acknowledging that mortal relationships are difficult to plot around. Like, if I was prepping a super-powered elemental warrior to achieve some obscure end which is likely largely dependent on his ability to spontaneously combust into an extremely volatile emotional state, I’d be pretty nervous about the idea of love getting thrown into the mix. IDK how Tahraim could therapy that away if a conflict between Falst and Team Fire God’s plans cropped up
I like old Star Trek Kirk/Spock Kipling friend who will follow though hell and back dynamic, but I am an old person. (creak)
Damn, never got to read it so early.I vote for a god fight
I’m beginning to see what Red means by Caliban being annoying. Especially with that far too punchable smirk…
Why does this guy look like Danix????
And where’s the rest of the gang????
Is Alinua even ALIVE ?????
Caliban looks like Dainix because she’s (incarnated into the shape of) an Ignan, the type of stripy fire-influenced people that Dainix is one of.
As for your other questions, only time will tell…
:3
More importantly, is Alinua even capable of dying?
A fair point.
Currently? Probably yes the collector probably can do the kind of things she does because she figured out true shapeshifting(wich is possible trought life Magic as red confirmed It) alinua might have a really good healing factor but you cant heal from a lack of oxygen
Patience, let Red tell her story. I am sure she will get all the Floof Gang in time!
I am sure something is happening with Alinua but wait for the story to reveal that at it’s own pace. This has been a wild ride so far so I have high hopes it will remain interesting to the very end. And more!
Interesting that they smell the same. This body was just craftet two minutes ago from locally sourced, organic sand, you’d think it wouldn’t smell the same as the one made from prison air and torch fire. Can Falst smell souls? Does Caliban as god of all ignans just smell like the statistically average ignan no matter where or how they incarnate?
Small correction, it was made of prison floor. Shouldn’t smell like volcanic sand anyway, so we’re still looking at the statistically average ignan-smell. 1-13-3 is Caliban’s Zuurith incarnation.
Could be he can smell power. Kind of like a “detect magic” cast being able to identify the school of magic, Caliban might smell like the Incarnate god of fire.
I can’t quite recall, but I believe it’s been mentioned before that the cat has a sense of smell for magic?
I don’t recall either but in a world where magic exists, then only world-building limits it’s breath and depth, my friend!
I don’t think so? Do you think you can find the page of the word of Red that says that?
I know that there’s a theory going around the fandom discord that it could be related to his light powers- even that, though, is a bit of a stretch, as we don’t know what the relationship between soul and light is yet
We also see when they interact in embodied form starting at 1.14.28
Alright, Red made an interesting tumblr post about this: https://comicaurora.tumblr.com/post/777055774799233024/do-gods-in-general-smell-the-same-no-matter-what
In short, god incarnation is a bit more complicated than Caliban just collecting a vaguely person-shaped pile of sand, smelling like sand. Caliban here just like in the prison has access to all six elements and can just build whatever they want from those basic ingredients. Therefore, same smell.
I liked my mean Ignan smell theory, but this does sound more plausible tbh.
gods have smells… noted
First?
Aurora Question #36: What do you think Gods smell like?
Well, it’s mentioned in the other comments that Kendal smells “clean”, so I’d bet that the Light Dragon would smell something like a “breath of fresh air during a beautiful sunrise”.
There are infinite answers as to how insights are reveled to perceivers. Which is an unhelpful answer here but puts the question in broader perspective. Every question can lead to deeper questions to ask! It might not lead anywhere but is fun to ponder, to some.
If you could somehow smell all the scents wafting from every single physical object or creature in a god’s domain at the same time, it would smell a lot like the scent of that god’s avatar form. The actual strength of that smell, though, varies depending on what their preferred avatar form is.
“Listen fucker, are you trying to use my friend?”
“I plead the fifth”
Caliban: I won’t answer that question. But I will say that you, demigod, are a weapon, and your furry friend here is looking more and more like a tool.
Caliban’s hair is flaming in this page, like it did when they were getting annoyed at Tahraim’s crypticness in Arc 1 Chapter 12. They won’t admit it, but Falst recognising them from Zuurith prison and Kendal’s deductions are getting to them. But alas, Caliban knows they can’t defeat them and they’re the one holding the cards.
Also art wise, I love all the faces in the final two panels; Cali’s smug smirk contrasting with the shadowy glares from the boys is delicious.
It was mentioned on a tumblr ask that Vash made his incarnation to smell clean and that helped clue Falst to the fact Kendal wasn’t human. It makes sense that other gods, consciously or not, make their incarnations smell a certain way; unfortunately for Cali, they didn’t take this into account alongside Falst’s scent memory.
Yeah, Falst could be a problem for Caliban’s plan. If he tells Dainix about them pulling strings in the prison, he might go back to questioning his agency again. Cali might be able to rope Kendal into some divine vow not to tell Dainix about their shenanigans, but getting Falst to play ball in this godly manipulation of mortals game will be harder.
I know this is absolutely a coincidence, but I am amused that the little cloud directly over Kendal’s head looks sort of like a Halo.
I’m also up way too late, so it might be just my brain making wilder associations than normal.
Okay, now I’m thoroughly curious about Falst’s super sniffer, and his whole thing. I was only a little curious before, but being able to smell a god through multiple forms? What’s your deal, Falst.
How fascinating. Incarnations carry specific scents based on the deity, despite the diversity in materials. Does their oversoul arrange the required elements in specific patterns to invoke that scent? Fascinating indeed…
Oh yeah, and Dainix’s questionable agency. That too.
You severely underestimate Kendal’s willingness to throw himself at impossible fights to save even a single life.
100% facts
Falst is a brave little meow-meow!
Falst and Kendal immediately ready to throw down with another God for Dainix is exactly what I love about the floof squad
Caliben is 100% hiding something but its probobly for the best if they would shut up and listen.
This is also a funny definition of “nudge”.
Caliban says to Kendal, “If you’re half the god you used to be”. Does this mean they see Kendal and Vash as the same person, or Kendal as a de-powered version of Vash? Or am I reading too much into this and is it a generic “if you’re half the person I remember” phrase?
Well, since in the previous page Caliban said “Vash took the brain when he left”, I would say they see Kendal and Vash as seperate.
I just realized. Caliban’s hair gives them away emotion wise. Falst’s tail and ears give him away emotion wise. This is amazing to me considering that both are probably going to constantly be annoyed at one another and also, to some level, incapable of hiding that fact.
“Blondie, you’re in my house now.”
Caliban: “Ok Kendal, I’m going to need you to NOT charge heroically into battle in the name of friendship”.
Kendal: “Aw shucks”.
A valid disagreement. Nevertheless, why on earth would Kendal fight Caliban?! He literally just offered to give them valuable information that could save Dainix
You forget Kendal’s empathy for others. Because Erin is possessed by Void doesn’t make other gods interference OK. Alinua’s acceptance Primordial Life connection leaves Kendal uneasy I believe. Caliban doesn’t get passed over for interfering with Dainix’s life. Just like Vash’s disagreement with Zuurith on how Gods should interact with mutual respect or not doesn’t mean Caliban (and Tahraim) get a free pass from Vash’s Heir /Inheritor (Kendal).
Yeah, the relationship between gods and mortals is a tense subject. Vash always was a straightforward god – and Kendal equally believes that manipulating mortals behind their backs is an abuse of power. So he wasn’t necessarily going to throw himself at Caliban right now, but he’s suspicious at best.
And then Caliban reminds him that his demigod powers don’t give him any leverage over them. Again, slightly throwing their divine weight around in a way that irks Kendal.
Suspicious in defense of his friend Dainix, I should emphasize.
TL;DR: Fighting god…. With words.
“settle down and listen up” HE IS SO CLEVER HUH. that is such a main character in disney movie thing to say.
Caliban why is Falst a problem? No don’t move farther into the conversation, Caliban! CALIBAN WAIT!
Man I love snarky tricksters
The drama on this page is 10/10. Caliban is more sketchy than I thought, but this just serves to make them WILDLY more interesting.
Caliban is so fun, in the trickster trouble kind of way. I also realized after commenting on an earlier page that their skin color may be not just because of the volcanic sand but also because of volcanic Ignans in the area having darker skin, if some live on Rakhn… which means, possibly, we might encounter some more Ignans? That could be quite interesting!
Anyway. Ditto, the drama on this page is fantastic. Falst remembering and recognizing Caliban’s scent (?!) is a feat of both keen senses and a sharp memory, and the way Kendal puts the pieces together and poses that question is so good. And of course it goes unanswered. Because Caliban.
Caliban looks so cool (figuratively) in that second to last panel. I really like the pose and the expression; it captures so much personality.
god i love these panels so much
“half the god you used to be” and looking at him, i believe he is.
Falst being able to smell a code who realistically always has their bodies formed anew means that he can likely smell the composition of souls since it’s definitely not standard smell chemicals he’s smelling.
Cheeky god, a true trickster answer, Caliban.