The Aetherophysics of Soul Shenanigans (4.4 SPOILERS)

[Anonymoose]

What was in the 3.0 stinger?

A typo.

I think an equally simple possibility is that the living human Solus was possessed by the Ascian (now also calling himself Solus) early in his life, but that didn't prevent him from physically aging.

This is true; I thought I'd accounted for this possibility in the OP but it assumes he was dead before possession. This need not be true. It's equally possible he was just dark crystalled by an Ascian that is now (for some godsforsaken reason) still self-presenting as him.

[Iscah]

This is true; I thought I'd accounted for this possibility in the OP but it assumes he was dead before possession. This need not be true. It's equally possible he was just dark crystalled by an Ascian that is now (for some godsforsaken reason) still self-presenting as him.

There are a couple of reasons why he might still be using the name. Maybe he was "Solus" for so long that he started identifying with that persona. Maybe he's doing it just to mess with Varis, or as a shorthand reminder that he is, in essence, the person that Varis knew as Solus.

He definitely seems to be using it to remind Varis of his place. A tone of "why aren't you co-operating with us, grandson?"


I also noticed that he says the founding father of the empire was an Ascian, not that he became one. Which could still allow for him becoming an Ascian prior to creating the empire, but it does leave the possibilities open. (And he does seem the sort to throw in some kind of dramatic talk about "transcending his mortal form" or some such thing - but perhaps I speculate too much. Or he gave that speech to Varis yesterday and the WoL will hear it in time.)