Comic for May 25, 2023: Reni's Wrath pt2

[BadFoMo]

[Vera Accalia]

Looks like Reni's not showing Clovis any mercy

[Strongfang]

Clovis wanted to experience the power of the dragon. Well he got what he wanted, with interest.

[Neutral Smith]

So... his Keidran body is destroyed and his dragon shape remains...

[tony1695]

So... his Keidran body is destroyed and his dragon shape remains...

Nah, this is still happening within the mindscape.
I reckon what we're seeing here is Reni basically performing a lobotomy with a blowtorch, and Clovis is conscious for every. Single. Moment.

[Ainoko Ironrose]

So... his Keidran body is destroyed and his dragon shape remains...

Nah, this is still happening within the mindscape.
I reckon what we're seeing here is Reni basically performing a lobotomy with a blowtorch, and Clovis is conscious for every. Single. Moment.

and that's going to be one epically painful lobotomy Clovis is going to experience.

[Rafe]

With Clovis saying, "Gah! My head! Stop!" and "No, no no-! I... I can't!"
Makes me think that Reni is in Clovis' mind, forcing him do something horrifying that he's never been able to do.
I think Reni is forcing him to look at himself, and face all the evil he's ever done. She's forcing him to stop lying and see himself for what he is, to experience having a conscience for once, and the pain is killing him.
She's stripped him of all his defenses and sent him straight to his very own Hell.

[Strongfang]

So... his Keidran body is destroyed and his dragon shape remains...

Nah, this is still happening within the mindscape.
I reckon what we're seeing here is Reni basically performing a lobotomy with a blowtorch, and Clovis is conscious for every. Single. Moment.

Pages in the previous chapter showed us that when something happens to you within the mindscape it also affects you in the physical realm. Clovis stole Reni's soul and magic, Reni's body in the real world immediately went unconscious, so if Reni did something to Clovis within the mindscape, like completely destroying his mind body, then I yeah, I can totally see it having quite the drastic effect on him, in this case being he loses his powers, and possibly his mind in the process, of course we'll have to wait and see, but it would be quite outcome if he was left in a catatonic state after this.

[S'aaruuk]

I'm wondering if this wasn't expected in Braun's plan.....or was it simply to get Trace "out in the open" when he saved Natani from a more than likely fatal fall?

[Tornir]

I doubt it would happen, but having a catatonic derg body available could be useful.
Trace could jump-start Stoney, and transfer his consciousness over to it, so the manor has someone on staff when the party eventually leave.

[Bellhead]

With Clovis saying, "Gah! My head! Stop!" and "No, no no-! I... I can't!"
Makes me think that Reni is in Clovis' mind, forcing him do something horrifying that he's never been able to do.
I think Reni is forcing him to look at himself, and face all the evil he's ever done. She's forcing him to stop lying and see himself for what he is, to experience having a conscience for once, and the pain is killing him.
She's stripped him of all his defenses and sent him straight to his very own Hell.

Somehow I don't think that's what's happening here. Note that the title is "Reni's Wrath", not "Reni's Retribution". I think she's just going HAM on him, and causing as much damage as she can out of pure rage. His expression doesn't seem to be that of fear, but rather that of pain. And I'd wager that "No, no, no-!" was from losing his power. In a mere few seconds, it would be pretty difficult for anyone to suddenly be forced to feel so much regret that they can't even focus enough to form a complete thought.

I mean, it sure would be nice for him to be forced to feel regret from his actions, but he's proven repeatedly that he's so far beyond redemption that even that wouldn't have much of an effect.

[Rafe]

... His expression doesn't seem to be that of fear, but rather that of pain. And I'd wager that "No, no, no-!" was from losing his power. In a mere few seconds, it would be pretty difficult for anyone to suddenly be forced to feel so much regret that they can't even focus enough to form a complete thought.

I mean, it sure would be nice for him to be forced to feel regret from his actions, but he's proven repeatedly that he's so far beyond redemption that even that wouldn't have much of an effect.

If this is indeed happening (I'm guessing, of course), there's nothing that says Clovis isn't going to keep rationalizing and lying to himself to the very end. An opportunity doesn't mean he's going to redeem himself or feel regret. But it would be painful to Clovis (which Reni has no problem with right now). Imagine if she would, say, bring Brutus into her mindscape so he could ask Clovis why he deserved to die.

[Strongfang]

I doubt it would happen, but having a catatonic derg body available could be useful.
Trace could jump-start Stoney, and transfer his consciousness over to it, so the manor has someone on staff when the party eventually leave.

By catatonic state I didn't mean Clovis with his dragon body, cause it's pretty evidence he's no longer going to have that form anymore, considering he needs Reni to even have the form in the first place. I meant when everything is all said and done, Clovis has been dealt with, and Reni has her magic and soul returned to her body. Whatever's happening in this page, it's clear that for one, Clovis is in a great deal of pain, two it's directly related to what Reni is doing to him within her mindscape, and it's likely this is going to leave long lasting damage on Clovis. If taking Reni's soul and magic left her body unconscious in the physical world, imagine what effect having his mind body being completely obliterated within the mindscape would have.

[Dadrobit]

I mentioned this in Picarto chat, but I think it maybe warrants a more permanent posting here as well. If this page and maybe the next are of Reni genuinely killing Clovis's soul, then it is quite the frightening character development for her indeed, due to Tom's implementation of souls as tangible objects in TwoKinds.

As a baseline, I think the concept of a soul in most stories is one that is implemented as something of a comforting idea. The thought that living is only the first step in the journey, and that choices have consequences for people after death, both good and bad. But in TwoKinds souls are nearly corporeal even while the person themselves are still alive. We have seen souls being damaged, repaired, summoned, enslaved, consumed, and possibly here even destroyed. And quite horrifyingly, all of this is being done not by Gods, but simply by other mortal beings with more resources. Yes, the dragons engaging in this practice are certainly powerful beings, but they are still just characters going about their days as anyone else, far cries from literal Gods. I don't think people who casually read through the comic may completely comprehend what an honestly terrifying reality Mekkan is for the people who live there. Where you might not only be murdered, but like, TURBO-MURDERED. Not just killed and sent for afterlife/judgement like everyone else, but having even that stripped from you as your very essence is erased from all existence.

Which brings me back to Reni who has so far has been doing a pretty good job of a non-lethal run by making sure to take both Brutus and Sera alive previous to this page. Brutus in particular was even taking part in firebombing the town and still Reni stayed her hand.... Mostly...

I'm not saying that Clovis doesn't deserve his fiery comeuppance, or that Reni has gone too far, or that I don't understand her rage after what Clovis just did to her. But I am saying that jumping from refraining from killing someone who was helping firebomb children, to full blown turbo-murdering Clovis is one helluva jump and it is absolutely a notable change to her character. I just hope Tom takes some time in the comic for Reni to actually reflect on what she did here and it doesn't just get glossed over because "d'awww cute nerdy derg blushes".

'Course, that's all assuming this is her killing his soul and not just like, severing the link or just hurting him.

[rwstyles]

With Clovis saying, "Gah! My head! Stop!" and "No, no no-! I... I can't!"
Makes me think that Reni is in Clovis' mind, forcing him do something horrifying that he's never been able to do.
I think Reni is forcing him to look at himself, and face all the evil he's ever done. She's forcing him to stop lying and see himself for what he is, to experience having a conscience for once, and the pain is killing him.
She's stripped him of all his defenses and sent him straight to his very own Hell.

Sounds a lot like the penance stare from ghost rider.