Comic for August 21, 2021: Detritus vs Stone

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Bellhead
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Re: Comic for August 21, 2021: Detritus vs Stone

#31 Post by Bellhead »

Tornir wrote: Sat Aug 28, 2021 11:38 am Whoa... :shock:
I could see how that could work, but it's definitely a nuclear mousetrap solution.
Saria would never forgive him.
Honestly, I don't think he cared. Or even thought about it, for that matter. He was so struck with grief that all he cared about was getting her back.

From what I remember about his character before he met Saria, he was talented, but aimless. And rather socially inept. He wanted action, and I could definitely see him living his life just to find a sense of purpose. Now take a person like that, being told he has all this power, give him a wife and unborn child, then take them away and tell him there's nothing he can do. He'd lose his mind. Knowing Trace at that point, all he had was Nora and Saria, and by extension, Rose. There was no way for him to properly grieve his loss, so he compensated in the only ways he knew how: Vengeance against those he sees as enemies (anger), and trying to bring her back by any means necessary (denial). He never got past that.

My interpretation is that he was so focused with tunnel vision, that he didn't stop to consider the consequences, only the end result. And even if he was told, I highly doubt any such warning would get through to him. "Ends justify the means" and all that.

EDIT:
Don't know why this just hit me, but Detritus' face in that last panel made me laugh. He's just floating there like, "Huh? You just.. wait.. that.. That happened, right? Really?" Just pure disbelief. :grin:
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Re: Comic for August 21, 2021: Detritus vs Stone

#32 Post by Technic[Bot] »

Tornir wrote: Sat Aug 28, 2021 10:23 am Wasn't resurrection considered black magic because it invariably killed the caster attempting it?
Is that why old Trace kept Detritus around? As a suicidal proxy for that ritual? It's pretty clear he's not going to initiate it himself unless old Trace resurfaces, and if that happens even 100% success would likely be a failure, because from what we've seen of Saria, she's be horrified and appalled by what he became, and what he did to her friend Rose; I doubt she'd want anything more to do with him.
Pretty much agreed even if by some reason he manages to bring Saria. I do not think she would be ok with this. In fact I could see her killing Trace if only to stop his madness...
Bellhead wrote: Sat Aug 28, 2021 10:43 am Natani explained Dark Magic through a couple instances; first back during his first scene, and later on the Island with Keith. Dark Mana is the energy of living things, and crystals of it can be formed from dying earth, if my mental archive is right.. And dark magic is forbidden because it tends to kill the caster, not necessarily kills them. Trace showed that himself at the tower, when he used dark magic, and his hand turned into a claw.

Which brings us to this ritual. Per Nora, in theory it's possible to resurrect someone by stealing the life force of other things, but in reality it's impossible because the dark mana kills the caster before the spell can complete. I remember we had a theory some years back, not sure where it started, but it goes something like, Trace intended to use the towers to siphon the life force of everyone in range to use as the power source for the resurrection. I wonder if Nora's warnings led him to that idea...
From page 409
EDIT: Also relevant:
Dark mana
Nora wrote:In theory, it’s possible to resurrect someone by stealing the life energy of other things. This is what you know as dark magic. But in practice, it’s impossible. The dark energy kills the caster before the spell can finish.
So dark magic is anything that manipulates life force in simpler terms necromancy.

I think Traces plan with the towers is orthogonal with the ritual. The former is/was to punish the keidran for "taking away his beloved and child" and we only know it has something to do with manipulating Keidran instincts. The resurrection ritual is independent from them. Meaning even if he ultimately failed to bring back Saria he was still gonna try to eradicate all keidran.
Bellhead wrote: Sat Aug 28, 2021 4:26 pm
Tornir wrote: Sat Aug 28, 2021 11:38 am Whoa... :shock:
I could see how that could work, but it's definitely a nuclear mousetrap solution.
Saria would never forgive him.
Honestly, I don't think he cared. Or even thought about it, for that matter. He was so struck with grief that all he cared about was getting her back.

From what I remember about his character before he met Saria, he was talented, but aimless. And rather socially inept. He wanted action, and I could definitely see him living his life just to find a sense of purpose. Now take a person like that, being told he has all this power, give him a wife and unborn child, then take them away and tell him there's nothing he can do. He'd lose his mind. Knowing Trace at that point, all he had was Nora and Saria, and by extension, Rose. There was no way for him to properly grieve his loss, so he compensated in the only ways he knew how: Vengeance against those he sees as enemies (anger), and trying to bring her back by any means necessary (denial). He never got past that.

My interpretation is that he was so focused with tunnel vision, that he didn't stop to consider the consequences, only the end result. And even if he was told, I highly doubt any such warning would get through to him. "Ends justify the means" and all that.

EDIT:
Don't know why this just hit me, but Detritus' face in that last panel made me laugh. He's just floating there like, "Huh? You just.. wait.. that.. That happened, right? Really?" Just pure disbelief. :grin:
I have pretty much the same reading of the character. Plus i think old Trace also had a very big ego. Had he been a bit more humble he may have not believed he could bring back someone from the death, kinda see streaks of Dr. Frankenstein in him. His mind wipe, although never intended to be permanent, allowed him to finally move past his trauma despite not wanting to nor deserving to.

Also despite his obsession with Saria i do not think he really cares for her. As we point out Saria would definitely loath Trace actions and would never approve. Despite this being obvious he never once sit down and wonder "Would Saria want this?" "Would she still love me after this?" he wants Saria back only to soothe his pain not for her.

Ephemural almost had the same reaction when he tried that on him/her(?)
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