Comic for July 12, 2020: The Rose Garden

[Rafe]

"You used me."
That is about all that needs to be said.

She could have said the same thing to Euchre when he left her on the gallows, and I really think the imagery of seeing Rose hanging there is done very much on purpose. All you have to do is look. It's as if Saria's rescuing her made no real difference. A few years got thrown in, but Rose still ends up dangling, waiting for death. Only thing is that this time, death takes much, much longer.




As far as what Trace might feel, If you'rve ever read Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy, the very worst of all the horrible places in Hell were occupied by those who betrayed those who trusted them. Even with the old/new Trace disconnect, I can't see how Trace could ever forgive himself for what he's done. Attacking enemies is one thing, but I agree with Dante - this kind of thing deserves a special place in Hell.

[Panther]

Since the page where we've seen the doors open , i've theorized about Rose being the body in there and "defended" my theory against other peoples saying it was Saria or even Trace ............. And now that it's confirmed , i feel pain and tears for Rose

"You used me."
That is about all that needs to be said.
She could have said the same thing to Euchre when he left her on the gallows, and I really think the imagery of seeing Rose hanging there is done very much on purpose. It's as if Saria's rescuing her was made no real difference. A few years got thrown in, but Rose still ends up dangling, waiting for death. Only thing is that this time, death takes much, much longer.

As far as what Trace might feel, If you'rve ever read Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy, the very worst of all the horrible places in Hell were occupied by those who betrayed those who trusted them. Even with the old/new Trace disconnect, I can't see how Trace could ever forgive himself for what he's done. Attacking enemies is one thing, but I agree with Dante - this kind of thing deserves a special place in Hell.

The worse and sad thing is Rose can't be helped : the cables connects her to the mansion but too to the red crystal above her , maintaining her "alive"

[Foxtail]

Also, Rose’s using “detritus” seem to have no effect on Stoney, which makes me think she’s using that magic to influence Trace’s other lizard prototypes the others are dealing with on the beach. It would explain both why they are there and also attacking known guests in the manor. What other reason do they have to attack?

Rose has said the word "Detritus" before, here, at the last panel. Maybe it's not a spell? Maybe it's another name she's using to refer to Trace (or someone else?)

[Zaigan]

Also, Rose’s using “detritus” seem to have no effect on Stoney, which makes me think she’s using that magic to influence Trace’s other lizard prototypes the others are dealing with on the beach. It would explain both why they are there and also attacking known guests in the manor. What other reason do they have to attack?

Rose has said the word "Detritus" before, here, at the last panel. Maybe it's not a spell? Maybe it's another name she's using to refer to Trace (or someone else?)

Detritus is also a fancy/ classy way of saying 'crap*.' I'm pretty sure that's why she's using it. She's not happy about everything going to hell.

*Even more likely in place of the harsher word for this that starts with an "s" I can't type here.

[Loveknowsbest]

I feel like that character in the film that goes...
"WHAT DID YOU DO TRACE....WHAT DID YOU DO?!? YOU GONNA HAVE TO FIX THIS" Oh my I dont know whether to feel sad at this or angry. Poor Rose. No one should be used like this. Darn you evil trace.

[Cosmacelf]

Can I just say that both from a story telling perspective and an art perspective, this is awesome?

[steelabjur]

Rose used the word "Detritus" after addressing Trace. So she's using it either to refer to Trace or Flora I guess? She's probably either showing her disdain for what Trace did to her in the case of the former, or she's under Old Trace's influence for the latter. Not entirely sure which is the case, I'm leaning more towards the latter, but I'm not solid on that. Either way, it sounds like Rose is responsible for at least teleporting Trace and Flora to the Forbidden Corridor and probably a lot more of what's gone wrong in this chapter.

It's addressing the group, Trace and "Detritus" (Flora and Stoney), like it called the people in the Beach Room "Detritus". I don't think this is Rose, at least the Rose we've come to know through the comic so far. I think her personality has become warped, maybe even split, over the years hanging there quasi-alive. We have the friendly Rose whose still the Seneschal of the Manor, and the one who has been hanging around alone, waiting for Trace to bring the perfect body to return her best friend back to life. Detritus can mean "waste or debris of any kind", I'm pretty sure this Rose doesn't care for anything or anyone but what's required for The Plan. Which is why she's not caring if the Guardians (which she released against those in the Beach Room) even kill Raine, she's not part of The Plan, she's "Detritus" to be swept aside so as to not interfere with The Plan.

I've suggested it before, but I think Rose might even had worked willingly with Evil!Trace to be put into this state, her grief over losing Saria twisting up her love of her much like the way Evil!Trace's own love was twisted. How might she have reacted when Trace revealed his plans to bring her back?

I think Evil!Trace setup the restrictions to keep Secret!Rose and Seneschal!Rose apart, so Secret!Rose had no ability to reach past the Secret Hallway and those rooms off it, while Seneschal!Rose couldn't effect anything in that area until Trace lifted them. She didn't even know what was there until he lifted her restrictions, it makes sense that Secret!Rose couldn't see the opposite and wasn't aware that Maren was there until she brought the attention of The Mansion on herself (I don't think she even interacted with Rose at all before touching the table).


Also, I'm pretty sure those are vines coming out of Secret!Rose, a "mature climbing rose" as it were.

[TheMasterOfOats]

Also, Rose’s using “detritus” seem to have no effect on Stoney, which makes me think she’s using that magic to influence Trace’s other lizard prototypes the others are dealing with on the beach. It would explain both why they are there and also attacking known guests in the manor. What other reason do they have to attack?

Rose has said the word "Detritus" before, here, at the last panel. Maybe it's not a spell? Maybe it's another name she's using to refer to Trace (or someone else?)

Ah yes, that does make for a good argument, especially as Rose says “Trace... Detritus” as if she’s naming someone else. But at the beach, when Rose is alluded to, she seems to be using it in a vague manor, more akin to a spell or an exclamation.

I’m super pumped for what’s to come.

[tony1695]

Well that's a nice big healthy serving of NOPE.

Looks like Trace repurposed a greenhouse (or a similar room) for this particular experiment. While this certainly helps extend the 'rose' metaphor, I do wonder if there was an actual purpose beyond the size of the room.

Rose's wording at the end has me especially worried. "When I got old and my time drew near..." That's almost confirmation that Rose was still alive when this all started. It's been at least two years, and she's certainly been wishing it all to end that entire time.

And I'm still very curious just how Trace was planning on bringing back Saria. Did he find a way to get her soul, then put it into a new host? Could that be what Seneschal!Rose actually is, albeit with a mere copy of the soul instead? Or would the new Saria be one based on the old Trace's memories and warped by his bigoted views and be her in name only, much like Ghost!Laura was for Keith?

[steelabjur]

Well that's a nice big healthy serving of NOPE.

Looks like Trace repurposed a greenhouse (or a similar room) for this particular experiment. While this certainly helps extend the 'rose' metaphor, I do wonder if there was an actual purpose beyond the size of the room.

Rose's wording at the end has me especially worried. "When I got old and my time drew near..." That's almost confirmation that Rose was still alive when this all started. It's been at least two years, and she's certainly been wishing it all to end that entire time.

And I'm still very curious just how Trace was planning on bringing back Saria. Did he find a way to get her soul, then put it into a new host? Could that be what Seneschal!Rose actually is, albeit with a mere copy of the soul instead? Or would the new Saria be one based on the old Trace's memories and warped by his bigoted views and be her in name only, much like Ghost!Laura was for Keith?

Another connection to Saria, perhaps? I can't imagine Old!Trace being into horticulture, and the baby's room is right next door, while Trace had his study in the north tower, apparently fairly far away.

Another disturbing thought, Rose being behind the Guardian attack on the beach goers really puts an interesting spin on this little outburst. First Euchre leaves her to hang, now she's setup her niece to be slaughtered. Betraying family seems to run in their blood.

(I kind of wonder if the color in this is in error, or if there is a reason it's red and Secret!Rose is speaking in green? Maybe Tom thought the red was too close to the Smoke Hallucination's text and wanted to make sure we know it's coming from Rose?)

[aitaituo]

(I kind of wonder if the color in this is in error, or if there is a reason it's red and Secret!Rose is speaking in green? Maybe Tom thought the red was too close to the Smoke Hallucination's text and wanted to make sure we know it's coming from Rose?)

I think that's a separate entity from Rose. I am outspoken in believing it is the evil black smoke thing. Rose could not possibly be the entity in the post you quoted, because Rose has seen Maren several times before that. Whatever is taking then, it has not seen Maren before. It may have some power over Rose, however.

[Bellhead]

(I kind of wonder if the color in this is in error, or if there is a reason it's red and Secret!Rose is speaking in green? Maybe Tom thought the red was too close to the Smoke Hallucination's text and wanted to make sure we know it's coming from Rose?)

I think that's a separate entity from Rose. I am outspoken in believing it is the evil black smoke thing. Rose could not possibly be the entity in the post you quoted, because Rose has seen Maren several times before that. Whatever is taking then, it has not seen Maren before. It may have some power over Rose, however.

That was brought up by others, that Rose's personality may have been split, causing half of her to walk the grounds, completely independent of the half hanging in the greenhouse managing the magic of the mansion.

That would mean we have New Trace, Old Trace, black smokey, Seneschal Rose and Dark Rose, all in this mansion and (presumably) with different ideas as to what should be done with Maren and Saria.

That said, it's possible Dark Rose wants to resurrect Saria and couldn't see anyone not using a table, while Seneschal Rose sees that Trace isn't the same person he was. Now factor in that Trace removed her "restrictions", whatever they were, possibly keeping both sides of Rose separate, and we've got a recipe for some serious character struggle ahead.

I'd say this could get ugly, but it already is. Kinda hope I'm wrong here.

[Eclipse]

No guys, it's probably not referring to Stoney or the other stone lizards. She used it earlier when Stoney wasn't around and she had already summoned the other stone lizards, and she probably doesn't see them as people needing to be addressed (well, she probably doesn't see anyone other than Trace, Maren, and Saria as people either, but the stone lizards even less so). The context doesn't match with that referring to the stone lizards.

Rose used the word "Detritus" after addressing Trace. So she's using it either to refer to Trace or Flora I guess? She's probably either showing her disdain for what Trace did to her in the case of the former, or she's under Old Trace's influence for the latter. Not entirely sure which is the case, I'm leaning more towards the latter, but I'm not solid on that. Either way, it sounds like Rose is responsible for at least teleporting Trace and Flora to the Forbidden Corridor and probably a lot more of what's gone wrong in this chapter.

It's addressing the group, Trace and "Detritus" (Flora and Stoney), like it called the people in the Beach Room "Detritus". I don't think this is Rose, at least the Rose we've come to know through the comic so far. I think her personality has become warped, maybe even split, over the years hanging there quasi-alive. We have the friendly Rose whose still the Seneschal of the Manor, and the one who has been hanging around alone, waiting for Trace to bring the perfect body to return her best friend back to life. Detritus can mean "waste or debris of any kind", I'm pretty sure this Rose doesn't care for anything or anyone but what's required for The Plan. Which is why she's not caring if the Guardians (which she released against those in the Beach Room) even kill Raine, she's not part of The Plan, she's "Detritus" to be swept aside so as to not interfere with The Plan.

I've suggested it before, but I think Rose might even had worked willingly with Evil!Trace to be put into this state, her grief over losing Saria twisting up her love of her much like the way Evil!Trace's own love was twisted. How might she have reacted when Trace revealed his plans to bring her back?

I think Evil!Trace setup the restrictions to keep Secret!Rose and Seneschal!Rose apart, so Secret!Rose had no ability to reach past the Secret Hallway and those rooms off it, while Seneschal!Rose couldn't effect anything in that area until Trace lifted them. She didn't even know what was there until he lifted her restrictions, it makes sense that Secret!Rose couldn't see the opposite and wasn't aware that Maren was there until she brought the attention of The Mansion on herself (I don't think she even interacted with Rose at all before touching the table).


Also, I'm pretty sure those are vines coming out of Secret!Rose, a "mature climbing rose" as it were.

This, on the other hand, makes more sense. When she said it earlier, it was after Raine was wondering where Rose is and why she's not helping them. She probably heard Raine and ignored her, writing her off as "Detritus" to be gotten rid of. Rose's personality does seem to have changed, so I can buy that there's two different Roses, but she didn't really change until after Maren interacted with the table. It seems more likely that Old!Trace set things up so Secret!Rose would take over once the necromancy ritual started, so I don't think Trace removing her restrictions really triggered this. That may have very horrible consequences though.

[oldfox1406]

If the original Detritus comment was referring to Trace's new companions on the beach, then it would make sense that Rose would use it as a description for Flora in the current context.

I am beginning to think that Euchre may have had an active role in mentoring Trace in the area of life extension, due to the combination of his knowledge of the 3rd floor and his unnatural long life.

Just as a thought, what if the mana towers that Trace instructed the Templar's to build use is the collect and concentrate mana into the crystal above Rose to power the reanimation of Saria.

[Foxtail]

If the original Detritus comment was referring to Trace's new companions on the beach, then it would make sense that Rose would use it as a description for Flora in the current context.

Yes, that would make sense. It’s as if it’s her way of saying that the others, Flora included, don’t matter enough to her to be referred to by name.