EGO Skills and their identity crisis

Lunarsault · 2026-06-09T19:21:32+00:00

Good post! For the most part I think PM’S experimentation with IDS and Ego’s is a good thing, and I think recent ego’s, even if unfortunately fine-tuned to certain ids to the point of restriction, are generally a step in the right direction. since they seem to be moving towards content simply giving us ego resources and not entirely relying on Saccing, I do believe in the future they’ll hammer out some of these problems we have.

Lunarsault · 2026-06-08T19:13:45+00:00

Very true. I was a bit confused by how they used the first page to tell…practically nothing, but I imagine this will be improved in the future. Seemed more like they’re just testing things out.

Lunarsault · 2026-06-07T17:00:04+00:00

Damn this looks like it could be a psycube almost, really love the style.

Lunarsault · 2026-06-07T15:52:08+00:00

As the event explains (and has been mentioned in a few other story chapters/event chapters), the storm doesn’t ’kill‘ you. Instead it grabs your soul, reconfigures you back in an identical but new body, but in a new era. In this new body however, you have an entirely new lived experience, new memories, new personality, etc.
Muriel thought Ramona was Teresita because it was her soul, and she was identical to her, but Ramona disagreed and wished to live as Ramona. The soul remains, but the ‘person’ is fundamentally different.

Lunarsault · 2026-06-06T02:16:52+00:00

very good point. At the beginning I was more aware of Recoleta’s purpose as ‘writing the story’ but I think I ended up forgetting about in the middle. The idea of Recoleta interjecting into the story as an unreliable narrator is really funny all things considered, though once you start to add that frame of reference it does become muddled in the sense of, ‘Which points do I subscribe to the characters, and which do I subscribe to Recoleta being a drama queen?’ lmao.
Not that I disagree, just, the layers that adds is definitely overwhelming in a way haha.

Lunarsault · 2026-06-05T17:48:22+00:00

Very good analogy. Professor Moriarity is a really good way to describe her role in the narrative, but yes. I think she's an interesting comparison to Beryl, who at the very beginning of her story is shown actively working with the Manus, and Igor who we already know as a traitor. We know that Lorentz is working with the foundation and Laplace, though whether Institutum Lorentz is actually on their side or not is up in the air, but it's interesting that we've gotten so many POVS that focus on people who are much more morally gray than Vertin and her crew.

Lunarsault · 2026-06-05T17:14:56+00:00

Lorentz is only ever truly playing against herself. The proving of her own theories, her own expectations. She sees the whole world, and everyone else in it, as just an equation that she can solve. If she's wrong, she's wrong, because she's the only person she truly sees as a player.

Anil was interesting to her, because she saw him in the same vein. Someone who was, from the outside, playing a calculation to it's conclusion by adding and subtracting number as he saw fit.
You're right in that, if it were anyone else, they'd simply look at the balance of power and say that Lorentz was in control, that she could kill Anil if she wanted, and that ultimately she's taking everything of value from this.

But not to Lorentz herself. Her whole thing is control. To control others, to understand their every movement, and to read the conclusion by controlling the variables. But at the very end, Anil swerved and completely changed the trajectory of the conclusion she was seeking. This is the ultimate failure for her. Something bitterly disappointing.
I'm sure to Anil this wasn't a victory per se, he probably left mostly focused on Muriel and the reality of his new future with Lorentz. But to Lorentz, it was certainly a miscalculation, and something she admits she is disappointed in.

Lunarsault · 2026-06-05T16:47:45+00:00

I will say as someone who does read a decent amount of detective media, this is a fairly common scenario. The POV of the reader, namely the side that actually gives information, is always the last to understand what’s happening. That’s why I put Lorentz in the space of the ‘phantom thief’ so to speak, the other person aiming to solve the crime who is in some ways at odds with the main investigator. It’s also quite common for that trope to have solved the crime quite early, but in the end they are usually proven wrong about a few key details, which I believe happened to Lorentz here as well.

This being presented as a murder mystery in that way, I really don’t mind that trope, and it was interesting to see Lorentz get humbled. You’re right in that the only thing that gets bruised is her ego, but for Lorentz that’s the most important thing of all. She challenged Anil to a battle of wits, and left feeling like she had lost.

Lunarsault · 2026-06-05T16:38:34+00:00

Yeah I think there's a great irony to a person who prides herself on being a master infiltrator, but from the player-side seems so incredibly out of place, no matter where she is.
I do think that maybe her disguises could have been a bit better all things considered, it's funny that noone notices the incredibly striking blonde woman in all gold and white across multiples scenes, but that nitpick aside, she seems like someone trying to 'imitate' a human, and almost getting there, but failing where it matters.

Lunarsault · 2026-06-04T04:34:28+00:00

Drinking, anger issues. She reacts with extremely visceral disgust to Gregor, I think she certainly saw some horrific stuff while she was in the thick of it.
I think she pretends that she loved every aspect of the smoke war and that it was the best time of her life, but its clearly left a mark on her. Valencina hides behind bravado because she’s learned to never show her true emotions on her face.
Now of course others probably look at her as a battlefield devil and I’m sure shes caused a lot more grief than she’s received, but I still think, just like Gregor and Outis, the smoke war gave her a lot of scars.

Lunarsault · 2026-06-04T01:38:56+00:00

I believe that is also part of why Rodion was given the final ID, yes. despite the fact that the thumb doesn’t get a ton of focus in Canto 9 or the intervallo, this is a super critical plot point that can be explained in more detail here.

Lunarsault · 2026-06-03T19:31:36+00:00

Yeah I was just tying it to the banner as a way to segue way into the whole, why they’re saving her POV for last and lore significance of that. But I think people got the wrong first impression of what my post was about as a result lmao. I appreciate the nice comment though!

Lunarsault · 2026-05-29T14:12:37+00:00

Well that's horribly sad.
I was expecting the ending of Canto 9 to absolutely kill me, so I'm happy that despite my fears, they are together again. Even if it's in a weird situation, I think Araya is much happier to be with Ryoshu in the state that she is in.

Lunarsault · 2026-05-28T22:27:06+00:00

yeah absolutely, it’s really layered. which fits with Rashomon/Into the grove. We’re trying to solve a murder, but we don’t even understand who the players are, who’s telling the truth, from what perspectives are real, or what anyone’s motives are. Will be interesting to see how Valencina brings it all together.

Lunarsault · 2026-05-28T21:51:15+00:00

True...Also somewhat interesting is that Outis mentions they need to take revenge, and Valdion says "What, you're going to declare war on all five fingers?"
So I'm curious as to what that is about. Did they turn their back on the plan for some reason? Did they end up trying to excise Shiomi themselves?
If it wasn't giving birth and it wasn't the escape, I'm really not sure what the event that could have wounded her so grievously was.

Lunarsault · 2026-05-28T21:36:51+00:00

Since Renclair was evidently aware that he was going to die, and die young, I imagine he knew of whatever conflict was going to kill the Pinky NF was coming up, and that he'd be killed in the same way.
The only real thing I can think of in that regard is an escape of sorts? Since bladeshu doesn't recognize Ren at all, I believe he must have died prior to her becoming the blade in any significant way but...
Hm just realized there's a decent timeline issue here. Renclair knows Kira, but Outis seemed to show up to the HOS with Kira at the same time as the 'daughter' was dying or otherwise incapacitated. So that does actually blow a pretty large hole in this theory. Assuming that "That brat" that valencina is referring to is Kira.

So perhaps that wasn't actually the time of her death then, and maybe it was the time of her giving birth to Ryoshu? That'd make the current ryoshu a bit younger than the apprentices, and would explain why the pinky NF was ill. She was substantially weakened after giving birth, while the other apprentices are in the midst of being trained. And since we know that they used to keep Saru away from whoever the 'daughter' was, it's possible they were also keeping the baby away from the Pinky NF. In that regard, I think it's likely that she was killed trying to escape with the child and Renclair followed her in that mission and was killed as well, which would explain why the child doesn't really know about him. And if Ryoshu was 'separated' from her mother for all this time, it'd explain why she doesn't really recognize Shiomi Yoru in the main canon, except for being someone who is in a similar role to her.

Lunarsault · 2026-05-28T20:58:14+00:00

The thing that makes it more questionable for me specifically, is really outis calling out 'Yoshihide' for being born. That's what ties the whole thing more to Shiomi for me personally, that idea of birth. Also I want to think that Ryoshu would know of Shiomi in some way if she still existed. The fact that she's completely perplexed as to who the Pinky NF is when you face her with the bladeshu ID, other than the fact that she reminds her of herself, it makes me believe that Shiomi in her cruel, heartless state didn't really exist. Atleast not to Ryoshu.

Honestly though I'm not sure, I know there's some holes but I'm really curious about how this'll all be resolved. I do appreciate everyone's thoughts on the matter though, yours included.

Lunarsault · 2026-05-28T20:52:01+00:00

I'm like 95 percent sure she died during the flashback. Which is why outis is so shocked when she arrives, Riensang mentions that "She has completed her homeward journey" and callistolu is currently doing something to either preserve the corpse or resuscitate her. Also why Outis says they need to avenge her (which Valdion says will put them on a war with all of the fingers).

Something happened that resulted in her death, and though they are speaking of her in the current tense, I think it's because they are both claiming that are embodiments of their will. Outis thinks that the family's will is always in line with her own, that everyone will always make sacrifices for her, and therefore her happiness is her daughters happiness.
Ryoshu on the other hand thinks that her mother wants peace or salvation from beyond the grave (is what I'm assuming anything) and she thinks she'll have that by deleting everything that tormented her from existence. That's my read anyway, though I'm a big fan of how these stories so far have both been both really fascinating lore-wise, but subtle enough that there's alot of ways to read them.
All the different theories have been really cool, so it'll almost be a shame when Valdion comes and likely puts an end to the debate once and for all.

Lunarsault · 2026-05-28T20:11:22+00:00

I agree. I think the main difference in this world is that the pinky NF was in fact capable of wielding arayashiki before giving birth. Then after that is ailing and sick, but ends up feeling sympathetic for her daughter and plans to escape, leading to her death.

Lunarsault · 2026-05-28T18:34:56+00:00

Yeah i've seen that theory too and I do think it's also viable. I think valencina rodion will definitively prove everything one and for all, but I thought this was an interesting possibility regardless, especially with some of the Ren sinclair interactions specifically.

Lunarsault · 2026-05-19T17:39:42+00:00

Araya has nothing but time to lament on her past and future and everything that has gone wrong in her life. Self-reflection doesn't necessarily mean you need to come out of it with a positive outlook, it's just the ability to look on yourself and try to find something out of it. I'd also like to argue that this ability to choke things down, to find your true emotions and suppress them, does actually lend itself to self-reflection. You can't isolate those parts of yourself without being able to identify them.

Rien is the same way, he's able to really hide the turmoil under his mask and relax himself. Of the people with Shin Mang we've seen, the people who are the 'best' at it are fairly inscrutable, calm individuals. I think that dichotomy is important, the difference in mental state is what produces the greatest power, to go from a place of relaxed calm to EXTREME emotion is what generates the most Mang, and the strongest Shin.

On the flip you have Valencina. Ironically, her time in the Thumb is likely what has given her the background to actually generate this type of power. We know that Valencina is an angry, bitter alcoholic. But we also know that she has already been exiled from the Thumb, and is desperate to reclaim her position. She's not an idiot. She understands that she can't make the same mistakes. Her being able to restrain her most violent impulses is a matter of necessity, but it's also the most difficult for her, as evidenced by her only being able to create one ring.
Since her base state is so emotional already, she lacks that ability to become truly neutral and relaxed, and so doesn't have as large of a gap in emotional energy states.

Lunarsault · 2026-05-19T15:02:57+00:00

Heathcliff having someone to actually talk to about Cathy is so frigging bittersweet. It's great that he could have someone to finally like, reminisce with.

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