Tales from the Shadows

[ShadowMeowth]

The thing that stood out the most to me about this latest update is that Emet-Selch is annoyed by the incurably smug.

Emet-Selch.

'Twould seem the OG overpowered gifted and his why-is-this-jerk-my-friend duo were Hades and Hythlodaeus. History repeats with the WoL/D and Emet. I guess some things never change.

[Crushnight]

I've only read the new story once so there was probably much that I overlooked but, if the WoL's original self was already a part of the convocation (assuming we're right and they were), wouldn't they already know about Hades appointment to the position? Rather than having to be told so by Hades or learning of it through rumour?

It depends on how it is structured, and if anything more important came up for the individual like child birth or a disaster within the sector we (if we are apart of the convocation) are in charge of. It could be a majority vote within reason (most members present etc) or it might be unanimous but we don't know, based on the story Hades was just appointed that day and it seems like it is nighttime so it is possible we could/couldn't have known about it by that point.

[ChaoticCrimson]

I guess it just goes to show how hard the loss hit Hades, carrying his departed friend's legacy by adapting some of his personality into his own. I wonder if it was a conscious decision on Hades' part or if he started acting so snarky and flippant over time without realizing it.

The "Proto-Phoenix" is also interesting, probably being a precursor to what we'd now know as primals. More importantly, this discovery was almost certainly pivotal to the summoning of Zodiark and the subsequent summoning of Hydaelyn. What's intriguing is that this discovery was completely accidental, and not the product of deliberate research, though apparently making souls for their creations was something the Ancients had tried doing previously and failed. Makes me more suspicious that other such accidents led to bring about some of the events of the Terminus. But I wonder if it was the creation magic that provoked the "sound" that began the Terminus or if something else was in play that caused it. Did the breakdown of this magic bring it all about, or did the magics go haywire as a result of the Terminus? Or perhaps another as-of-yet unknown external influence affected the world and the magic altogether? Still so much seems unclear and/or unanswered for now. I suppose it's for future patches to elucidate though. Even so, the story did give some insight into Hades and his past, which is definitely awesome.

[Berteaux_Braumegain]

I don't know why I made this, but for some reason the line about Emet-Selch waking up in Garlemald and immediately scowling made me laugh.

[ChaoticCrimson]

I don't know why I made this, but for some reason the line about Emet-Selch waking up in Garlemald and immediately scowling made me laugh.

Well now I need to save this image for reaction purposes lol

[Anonymoose]

Whew! A wild ride. I've updated the OP and am still catching up on the conversation, but what questions do we have lingering from this year's stories?

[Alleluia]

but what questions do we have lingering from this year's stories?

Why are there only four? T_T

[Gula]

Whew! A wild ride. I've updated the OP and am still catching up on the conversation, but what questions do we have lingering from this year's stories?

*big inhale*

Honestly I'm a sucker for the glory of the past and it's little details that have me foaming at the mouth over everything Amaurot. Emet holds disdain over how people never learn and petty feuds, but in his age gossip spread as did negative emotions. A soul that passed with regret, what- during that time, could have cause that? Also his own negativity. The Ancients lived in a Eutopia, but how were issues resolved when there's still room for something deviating from absolute positivity?

What were other cities/people doing? Could there have been strife that he genuinely did not know about? Or did everyone hold hands, sing songs and never act on violence?

[TinyRedLeaf]

Personally, I'm most happy to have the final piece to complete my headcanon for how my character came to summon demi-Phoenix.

(It continues to disappoint me that the "official" WoL has an apparent aversion to taking on spellcasting jobs. The summoner remains, in my mind, one of the strongest contenders for the WoL's actual canonical discipline, given its many links to the MSQ and game lore.)

Other than that, it was a huge bonus to learn more about Amaurot, and the society of the Ancients. I would easily rank this the best of the four Tales from the Shadows.

[RyuDragnier]

Personally, I'm most happy to have the final piece to complete my headcanon for how my character came to summon demi-Phoenix.

(It continues to disappoint me that the "official" WoL has an apparent aversion to taking on spellcasting jobs. The summoner remains, in my mind, one of the strongest contenders for the WoL's actual canonical discipline, given its many links to the MSQ and game lore.)

Other than that, it was a huge bonus to learn more about Amaurot, and the society of the Ancients. I would easily rank this the best of the four Tales from the Shadows.

It definitely feels like SMN should be the canon DPS job for the WoL due to its link to MSQ, just like how DRK is pretty much the WoL's canon tank job.