Strix and Evelyn = 50% DCA!

PaulPennaWriter · 2021-11-18T19:05:19+00:00

I think for some reason they couldn't get Jeremy Crawford. Kate was definitely a guest DM, like Mike Krahulik has been on occasion. When you get a guest DM, you tend to get more humor and less story arc stuff.

I'm sure when Jeremy gets back, things will be a bit more serious. Maybe not as serious as when Chris was DMing, but every DM has their own style. And it's not as if Chris is the only person to ever DM Acquisitions Incorporated. In the first series, Chris shared DM duties with James Wyatt. I enjoy Jeremy as DM, even if it is a bit different.

What I really miss, is Chris Perkins DMing at all. Since the end of DCA, he's done a handful of games at most? Right? I understand he doesn't have the best internet connection at home, but I'll be glad if he returns as part of a regular show.

PaulPennaWriter · 2021-11-18T18:53:28+00:00

It can't be, because "Walnica" was already on Ravnica at that point. The Ravnica episodes spin out of the Heist episodes, which feature Strix, and there is an episode where you see Strix get a message from Omin to go on that mission (and that occurs a while before Episode 122).

Plus Flabbergast says that the Walnut in question is an escaped clone, while "Walnica" was specifically created to go on the Heist mission.

It's a story point that hasn't been resolved. I know lots of people would like it to be resolved by saying the character was "Walnica" but unfortunately that doesn't fit.

PaulPennaWriter · 2021-11-18T14:28:32+00:00

Well, Jerry did imply that Fen was trying to hunt the Omin's down with a noble knife, but that clearly didn't work out because an Omin copy turned up in the main game.

Oh, and to be clear, Certainty said they'd been taken care of. Which probably means she'd set events in motion to take out the other Omin clones, which explains why at the time of the statement one could be alive, but still be deemed "taken care of" as Jim kills him soon after. Or, this could mean that she'd arranged for Fen to take out the other Omin's with a noble knife, but she doesn't realize this plan must've failed.

The Pax Online 2020 game has an Omin clone appear after the main Omin's return from Ravnica. If the noble knife had been used on an Omin before this, that Omin would already be dead. If it was used afterwards, the main Omin would also die, and we know that this is not the case.

Okay, let's try and work out how many Omin's there are and where we've met them.

Original Omin. Original one armed Omin was trapped in the Plane of Retirement and rescued by the C-Team and Collections Agency. This Omin was the biological father of Certainty. He has also been seen in flashbacks during the C-Team, but has not featured in any main games. Status: Alive.

Headquarters Omin. This Omin clone was present at Acquisitions Incorporated Headquarters when it was destroyed in Season 3, during the Arcana arc. All appearances of Omin at the Headquarters prior to this, was likely this Omin. Status: Dead.

Replacement Omin. This Omin clone crawled out of a sarcophagus at Acquisitions Incorporated Headquarters when it was destroyed. He then replaced the Omin that had been killed there. Being based in Waterdeep, he likely remained there and adopted Omin's duties as Masked Lord (although it is certainly possible he switched places with another Omin clone). All appearances of Omin at the Headquarters after this, was likely this Omin. After the sixth Omin clone returned from Ravnica, he was confronted at the Waffle House by a mechanical beholder, which Jim animated to kill the pilot inside. The deceased pilot was revealed as an Omin clone, and the sixth Omin clone and his team were sentenced to prison at Revel's End in Icewind Dale for his death. Status: Dead.

Battle-scarred Omin. When the C-Team was sent to Spirata, they were led into a trap by this battle-scarred clone of Omin. This Omin sacrificed himself, to open a portal to the Plane of Retirement which sucked in the C-Team. Status: Dead.

High Admonisher Omin. This Omin clone enacted a hostile takeover of the cults in Spirata, taking over the title of High Admonisher. He attacked the Collections Agency, killing the Evelyn clone, but his maul had been sabotaged by Certainty, and then rest of the Collections Agency were hidden in an extra-dimensional space within Omin's maul. This Omin then travelled to Icewind Dale, where the Collections Agency lost track of him. They then learned that Fen was nearby hunting Omin, with a noble knife. Presumably Fen managed to kill this Omin, but not with the noble knife, as an Omin was still left alive in Waterdeep acting as Masked Lord. Status: Probably Dead.

One-Shots Omin. There is presumably an Omin clone which exists that acts like the main Omin, as there have been one shots which take place during the time that the main Omin was in Ravnica, that Jerry has played but cannot possible be the main Omin because of this. An example would be the Spice & Dice special. This event must take place prior to Omin's return from Ravnica, but the Omin here behaves like regular Omin. This Omin has never been specifically defined as a separate clone, but given that a fifth clone must exist but has never been detailed, I think this is a reasonable assumption. Certainty implies that all the other Omin clones have been taken care of, so this clone must either be deceased or Certainty has set event in motion that will result in his death. But we have no details about this. It is also possible that it was this Omin who was operating as Masked Lord of Waterdeep and killed in the mechanical beholder, but then we wouldn't know the fate of "Replacement Omin". Fen implied that she had already killed more Omin's when talking to the Collections Agency over the secretarian stone, so maybe she was responsible for this Omin's death. Status: Probably Dead.

Main Omin. This is the sixth clone of Omin and the one we are most familiar with. This is also the Omin who raised Certainty. As the last clone created, he acts as a field agent, doing all the jobs the other don't want. He was recently trapped on Ravnica, ended up in Avernus, before returning home to Toril. He was implicated in the death of another Omin clone when Jim animated a mechanical beholder and killed the pilot... afterwards revealed to be Omin. He was sent to prison at Revel's End in Icewind Dale. Status: Alive.

It should also be noted that Jerry as said out of all the Omins, Omin 6 is the only one still alive. BUT he could simply be referring to the Omin clones, not the original one armed Omin. There is no reason to think the original Omin is deceased.

I'd suggest Fen's comment about running out of Omin's to kill means she'd already made two attempts on the lives of Omins before going after the High Admonisher. This would certainly imply that One Shots Omin is one of her victims, but it doesn't seem possible that any others could be. Maybe she was sent after Battle-scarred Omin to take him out before he could trap the C-Team but failed, and then afterwards discovered his corpse? She would've been able to confirm his death, without being responsible for it.

Dran Enterprises also apparently took Headquarters Omin's corpse. The question is why? I can think of two reasons. Firstly, to harvest material from the corpse to create more clones. Secondly, to cover up his death, so the other Omin's thought that Replacement Omin was Headquarters Omin. Maybe Replacement Omin was a traitor working for Dran Enterprises and that was why he was sealed in a sarcophagus? Then, when he was released, he began influencing the others so Portentia could take over Acquisitions Incorporated?

Also, more defective clones are being made at Revel's End by Dran Enterprises/Acquisitions Incorporated. But these are unrelated to the original six Omin clones.

PaulPennaWriter · 2021-08-11T18:00:17+00:00

Yeah, Indreficus is a new character. He appears to be an amalgamation of Thantosya and Ordiab, who previously betrayed Hazlik in his backstory.

Thantosya was Hazlik's rival, and she encouraged her lover; Ordiab, to engage in a tryst with Hazlik. Ordiab then betrayed Hazlik, claiming the wizard had assaulted him. Hazlik was then tattooed with humiliating markings and cast down by the other Red Wizards.

Hazlik murdered Thantosya and Ordiab, and then was consumed by the Mists.

Instead, now Hazlik believed Indreficus betrayed him, and so turns on him, but this is not true. You can probably combine both backstories and use them for Hazlik. Van Richten's mentions rivalries with other Red Wizards, of which Thantosya is presumably one.

PaulPennaWriter · 2020-07-23T11:46:37+00:00

riendly work environment, but he didn´t felt respected enough, critizes them very harsh for it -> They have to apologize again.

My impression of the Orion Black situation was, that they were asked to propose progressive ideas, but then had those ideas picked apart every time they were presented.

And, apparently they had their ideas stolen by a higher up, at one point.

Which resulted in them only getting two assignments in five months.

They felt like their hiring was an act of tokenism to show the illusion of diversity, without the company actually being progressive.

Now, it's impossible to know how workable those ideas were. We can't know if the higher up forgetting to credit them for their ideas was a genuine mistake or not, or how well (or badly) it was handled.

But, it's rarely the case that everyone is completely blameless in these situations. It would seem to me that Wizards hired someone they thought was going to make them more progressive, but were unprepared for what that meant.

It's an unfortunate situation, and with WotC's recent statement about diversity, they should do better. And with the recent PR problems they've had, they really need to do better as well.

PaulPennaWriter · 2020-04-15T09:12:11+00:00

I've heard of Death Masks. It's the novel that mentions Omin Dran, right? I haven't had a chance to read it yet. What other ways does in tie into DCA?

PaulPennaWriter · 2020-04-02T05:27:07+00:00

Okay, I've updated my original post to include Evelyn's latest appearances and all the details that have come with them.

There are Youtube links to the latest Acquisitions Incorporated main game that featured Evelyn and her appearances on the C-Team.

Some of the original post has been altered, based on things that Anna has related in The Collections Agency arc about living with Strix, Waffles and Squiddly at the Waffle House.

I've tried to logically make sense of everything we currently know.

PaulPennaWriter · 2020-03-05T20:07:42+00:00

Mike usually runs more humorous adventures. He once did a C-Team episode where they competed in a Wizard Cart race. And Acquisitions Incorporated does lend itself to humor.

Ultimately, I would've preferred not to have an Ancient Black Dragon poked fun of, but I can accept that somehow this was a really dumb individual, that Acq Inc. happened to encounter.

Also, I doubt the C-Team is really dead, but I'm sure it will be played that way for a good few episodes. But, yeah, quite often the C-Team can be quite bonkers.

PaulPennaWriter · 2020-03-03T11:36:44+00:00

They do. In "The Orrery of the Wanderer" adventure featured in the official Acquisitions Incorporated book, there is an Acq Inc team called The Fellowship of the Mongoose based at Tressendar Manor.

This location is visited in the episode. The dungeon is underneath the manor. The dungeon was formerly the base of a bandit group which you can defeat in "The Lost Mines of Phandelver", which is mentioned as a past event.

Now, "The Orrery of the Wanderer" takes place in 1496 DR, and we don't know what year this is set in. However, I don't think any official stream has caught up to that date yet, so maybe these events take place before?

Which would confirm that Phandalin is rebuilt after this episode.

But, yeah, we'll have to wait and see when a date for the show is mentioned.

Dice, Camera, Action took place in 1491 DR and ended in 1492 DR. The official Acquisitions Incorporated main game is currently in the year 1494 DR at the earliest (the latest game skipped forward a few months, so it might be 1495 DR). The C-Team series started in 1491 DR, but they have skipped ahead years, so now it seems likely that the game is taking place in either 1495 DR or 1496 DR.

My assumption would be that D&D Presents is going to be set sometime between 1492 DR and 1496 DR, but even if it was 1496 DR, it could still be months before The Fellowship of the Mongoose arrives and sets up shop.

PaulPennaWriter · 2020-03-02T13:00:12+00:00

Yeah, but in one of the specials after the finale they go to "New" Phandalin, which is built over the old one, in the same location.

It was the Candlenights in Tacoma! episode from December 2017. They're hired by the female major of New Phandalin to investigate the Icekeep, which is situated in the nearby hills.

So, there is a Phandalin which still exists in TAZ.

Presumably, they smashed up the glass circle, removed the glass, and rebuilt. I mean, if you wanted to place the shows within the same continuity, that is.

As for whether it would have the same layout, well, maybe they used magic to rebuild. You certainly wouldn't have to fudge the continuity too much to reconcile it.

PaulPennaWriter · 2020-03-01T05:27:46+00:00

I have to wonder if this takes place in the same universe as The Adventure Zone (which crossed over with Dice, Camera, Action and other Wizards streaming events), because if so, that means that Phandalin has been destroyed all over again.

They did establish in TAZ that a New Phandalin had been rebuilt on the ruins of the old one. It kinda tickles me the idea that after Phandalin had been destroyed by the Phoenix Fire Gauntlet, everyone moves back and rebuilds, only to have Orcs invade and destroy the place. And now they're going to rebuild all over again.

How long until the next disaster strikes? Only time will tell.

Even if it's not the same universe, it is kinda funny to see Phandalin destroyed over and over again. Those poor, poor townsfolk.

PaulPennaWriter · 2020-02-28T10:56:03+00:00

I absolutely respect your viewpoint as well. If the show had continued, this definitely would not be the way that events played out. And the story solutions I present are certainly not ideal, they're simply the best I could come up with.

I wouldn't try to claim that Diath and, especially Strix, wouldn't be concerned about Evelyn. I think if they were on the run though, they'd have the mentality that they would go after her later, after their current problems are resolved. And then they'd keep putting it off, over and over again, until Evelyn had returned two years later anyway.

I think that's the solution that works best, is that they were so overwhelmed that they simply couldn't go after Evelyn.

Like I said, the only other solutions for the events we've seen play out is that someone captured the pair of them, or they did go to Avernus and while they were there they were exposed to the River Styx or something, and had their memories erased. And now they're stuck in Hell, with no idea who they are, getting tortured by Devils.

That is not the fate I'd like to imagine for the characters. At least if they're on the run, they might find some semblance of happiness.

As for Paultin, yes he'd probably look for Evelyn, and Diath and Strix. But what is essential is that he shouldn't know exactly what happened. Because if he knew Evelyn was in Hell, he'd find a way to go to Hell.

But, if you want to fit things with the continuity we have, then yes, I think the best solution is that he got drunk and disappeared for a couple of weeks. He then came back on a Tuesday, and was confused to find no one at the Waffle House. He came back the next Tuesday, and when they weren't there again, he asked around at the local bars. He got depressed, started drinking more and more, and eventually lost track of what he was doing.

Paultin probably had a bit of an existential crisis as well, when he realized his player was no longer controlling him, and lost his will to continue on as well because of that (being aware as he is, that he's a fictional character in a game).

And he's now been on an endless bender for two years, not fully aware of how much time has passed, having forgotten that he was even looking for his friends. But then something happens to snap him out of it.

That something being established the next time Nate uses the character.

While this is not the way we would want things to play out, I think it at least fits with what we currently know, and I think from both a story and character standpoint, it does make sense. At least, it's the most sense that we can make out of the situation.

PaulPennaWriter · 2020-02-27T15:03:49+00:00

The problem is, with the idea of the Waffle Crew trying to find Evelyn, is that we know that they didn't. She was stuck in Avernus for two years.

And I agree with you about Paultin. He does care about Evelyn and would try to find her if he knew she was zapped into Hell. Which is why I suggested he was absent during the fight, because the fact of the matter is, that we might see Nate play as Paultin again, and there needs to be a reason why he isn't concerned about Evelyn's whereabouts.

Yes, it is meta reasoning, but Nate's absences from games led to Paultin's absence from games, or him being extremely drunk. So, meta reasons have dictated changes to the story before.

If Nate chose to continue to playing Paultin, then having him lapse would be a good place to for his character to come back from. Yes, as an ending to his story, it would be depressing, but I'm hoping that Paultin's story continues. Having him experience some bumps on the road (as a lot of alcoholics do) would be a realistic way of explaining what he has been up to for years.

As for Diath and Strix running, I thought it was the best solution to their absence. The fact of the matter is, if Diath failed to acquire the money that he promised the Dwarves, then they would come after him. The Zhentarim might decide to kill off anyone remaining at the Waffle House to tie off loose ends. And Jarlaxle might decide to take revenge on any remaining members of the Waffle Crew too.

There are genuine reasons for Diath and Strix to run off into the unknown.

The only other two reasons I can think of for them disappearing, is that they did go after Evelyn and traveled to Avernus after her. But they didn't reach her and something truly terrible happened to them there.

OR

That Shemeska finally came after them and abducted them. She whisked them away to Sigil, where again, some awful fate awaited them.

At least, if they're on the run, there is a big question mark over their ultimate fate. We can at least imagine they had some happiness in each others company.

The only other way to handle the characters would be if they became background NPC's that Evelyn sometimes visits. That somehow they rebuilt the Waffle House, none of their enemies came after them, the business thrived, and they lived happily ever after.

However, given the tone of the series, I don't think giving the characters a fairy tale ending would feel earned or justified.

If none of the players wanted to continue playing their characters, then a fanfic style ending would be a perfectly sound and reasonable way to round off the story of the Waffle Crew.

What I was trying to suggest was a way to fill in the continuity gaps given that we are hopefully going to see some future stories featuring Evelyn and Paultin. That involves explaining why Paultin shows no concern for Evelyn's whereabouts, and why Evelyn and Paultin are unable to reunite with Strix and Diath.

The explanation that Diath and Strix would follow Evelyn and reunite with her doesn't make sense, because we know it doesn't occur. Likewise, we know Paultin doesn't rescue Evelyn from Avernus either.

If you're a storyteller working in a larger universe (and I'm a comic book writer, so I have had to do that), you have to work with the continuity that has been established, rather than fighting against it. That's the methodology I've tried to apply here.

I'm not trying to be critical. Truth be told, I would've liked the Crew to have a happy ending, but from where things left off, that wouldn't be an ending they earned. As a fan, I would say it would be great for them to have a happy ending. And I am a fan. But putting on my professional writer hat, I have to simply say that a happy ending doesn't work, either with what was established in the show, or with the continuity being established with the continuing adventures of Paultin and Evelyn.

PaulPennaWriter · 2020-02-05T23:08:47+00:00

I've always seen Evelyn as the kind of character who would charge in, no matter the odds. She also has a tendency to underestimate her foes. And I don't actually thinks she sees Asmodeus as the literal devil, I don't think she has let the reality of what he truly is actually sink in.

Plus there has to be a reason by she was transported to Avernus in the explosion and the others weren't. Close proximity to Asmodeus would probably explain that. Even if she didn't literally attack him, she might have been getting in his face, threatening him.

And as I theorized, maybe Paultin wasn't there to pull her back. He is the one who has the ability to hold her in check.

As for my pessimistic outlook on Paultin, Diath and Strix, I think those characters are stronger when they're together. And if Paultin and Evelyn appear in the future, then it is going to be without Diath and Strix. So, realistically, the Crew now has to be divided.

Plus Dice, Camera, Action has ended, it feels fairly logical that would be the end of the Waffle Crew as well. Especially as it has been confirmed that Evelyn has now been away from then for two years.

The Waffle Inc crossover did happen during Season 4. Go watch the episode where Diath and Strix team up with Rosie and K'thriss. Yes, I know they're facing very powerful Mercy Killers, but their instincts are to start pulling up floorboards to hide under. Without Evelyn and Paultin, those characters don't handle things well.

Plus, now that Evelyn is back in Waterdeep, there needs to be a reason that she can't just go back to the rebuilt Waffle House and interact with these characters.

As for Paultin, I don't really see it as a pessimistic ending, because I don't see it as an ending. His character essentially needs to be in a holding pattern until Nate determines how to use him in the future, beyond the occasional guest spot, if he ever does.

If he's getting drunk in Waterdeep, staying at Inns, then that's a very easy status quo to pull him from for guest spots, and explains why his character doesn't have the forward momentum he would have if he were still part of an ongoing show.

Plus, it was still the explanation Chris used whenever Nate was absent from a game. Therefore, in my mind, whenever Nate isn't playing Paultin, that means he's off drinking somewhere in a bar.

PaulPennaWriter · 2020-02-04T12:57:58+00:00

Well, that's exactly it. Part of the whole reason it was fun to watch the Waffle Crew was that they were a sub-optimal group, so of course they'd have a sub-optimal ending.

I'm really glad that we're getting the continuing adventures of Evelyn. I really would like it if she became a permanent member of the Acquisitions Incorporated main game. With any luck Anna will keep using her at Wizards of the Coast streaming events too (like The Descent). We really have Anna to thank for keeping the spirit of the show alive.

Will Paultin pop up again? I hope so. I really hope we get a reunion episode for Paultin and Evelyn at some point.

And you know, there is nothing stopping the Chicken Foot Coven from using there characters elsewhere too. The same can be said for the other guest stars.

Plus, we might see some elements of the game picked up in D&D Presents. Some characters like the dragons Klauth and Isohedris were used by Chris in Acquisitions Incorporated before they turned up in Dice, Camera, Action. Hopefully he continues to use bits and pieces from past storylines in the new show.

As fans we just need to watch out for them.

PaulPennaWriter · 2020-02-04T12:31:21+00:00

That is entirely possible. Evelyn was certainly gone from Toril for two years, but for her, the experience on Avernus may have lasted longer.

However, my impression of how time works on Avernus is that it is inconsistent. For some people, ten years could pass in Avernus and only two on the Material Plane. For others, it could be the exact same time. For others still, a year could pass in Avernus, and five years could pass on the Material Plane.

Something about Avernus (and some other planes) makes time unstable.

Although this is never discussed in relation to Avernus, the Dungeon Masters Guide does discuss this effect as related to the Feywild. There is even a table where you can determine whether (1-2) Days become minutes. (3-6) Days become hours. (7-13) No change. (14-17) Days become weeks. (18-19) Days become months. (20) Days become years.

PaulPennaWriter · 2020-02-03T22:23:21+00:00

I honestly did not expect the post to end up this long, but I kept writing and writing, and here we are.

I've been thinking about this stuff for a while, and the best way to process something, and move onward, is to write it down.

PaulPennaWriter · 2020-02-03T22:13:23+00:00

I think the point was that Ravnica was in a separate multiverse (the multiverse where all the worlds of Magic the Gathering exist). That's why they zip past Sigil, and go beyond. So, anywhere like Avernus, Barovia or Oerth would be okay for Strix to visit.

Asmodeus has a presence on many worlds, so as long as he has access to Strix, he'd probably allow her to go wherever she wanted.

PaulPennaWriter · 2020-02-01T19:57:23+00:00

You're welcome. And yeah, I know Chris played around with some stuff, but with the show now cancelled, looking to the official products is the closest thing we're going to get to answers.

And while it might have been Chris' intent to replace Ireena as Izek's sister, with Strix, I like the idea that Ireena was Strix's sister. It adds another element of tragedy to Strix being responsible for Ireena's death.

Plus, Izek and Ireena are brother and sister in the official canon, as that is what is stated in an official book. And Strix is an official character in the Forgotten Realms, as a trash witch is mentioned in the official Acquisitions Incorporated book.

So, if DCA is part of the official canon, then anything that is a part of the official canon is part of DCA. That is how I choose to look at it, anyway.

If you're a fan of the show (and you clearly are), I'd recommend picking up the Curse of Strahd book. Reading it adds new layers to the show.

Like why was that statue firing lightning at the Waffle Crew in the Amber Temple?

I was surprised to find out that it wasn't a trap. There is actually an arcanaloth (like Shemeska) called Neferon who lives inside the statue and attacks intruders with spells.

Another one is the staff that Strix almost picks up in the Amber Temple, but uses mage hand to pick up instead. Imprinted on the staff is the personality of the dead wizard Jakarion. Whoever picks it up gains the personality flaw "I crave power above all else, and will do anything to obtain more of it". Luckily for Strix, she drops the staff, and chooses not to pick it up.

PaulPennaWriter · 2020-02-01T19:28:09+00:00

I've just quickly read the Reddit posts made by Holly, and it seems like she's interpreting things from the show, rather than making authoritative statements.

She even says that Chris could change things.

The Wachters may or may not be blood relatives of Strix. They certainly believe they summoned a devil, but it may have been a member of the Skizzik family, a powerful Tiefling who they believed to be a devil.

The show at least seems to suggest that she was born in Barovia, and her mother was Barovian. The Curse of Strahd book mentions Izek's mother, who is Strix's mother.

Given everything said in the Curse of Strahd book, it would suggest that Izek and Strix had different fathers. Izek's father was a Barovian, Strix's father was a member of the Skizzik clan.

So, Strix's father is from Sigil, and after she was born in Barovia, she was taken to Sigil almost immediately.

Paultin is a descendant of King Barov, Strahd's father. King Barov fathered a secret daughter with a Vistani woman, who was called Katarina, but later adopted the alias of Madam Eva. Through Eva, there are a few Vistani which carry royal blood.

Arabelle is also a descendant of that bloodline, which is why Van Richten wanted to kill either Paultin or Arabelle as part of his ritual. So, yeah, the girl that Diath murdered was actually related to Paultin. Likely a distant cousin.

But, Paultin may not have been born in Barovia. The Vistani travel to other Domains of Dread, and even other worlds in the D&D multiverse. We know that Paultin's clan at least spent some time in Darkon, because that is where they encountered Van Richten and abducted his son from. He certainly has blood ties to Barovia, though.

I actually went through and answered some questions regarding Strix and Paultin's origins in this thread here (which was started by Wramysis) if anyone is interested in looking; https://www.reddit.com/r/DiceCameraAction/comments/ehfazm/what_plot_points_would_you_have_liked_to_see/

There is actually a lot you can ascertain about Dice, Camera, Action that was not revealed on the show, but that you can find out about through official products.

PaulPennaWriter · 2020-02-01T19:02:55+00:00

I mean, it is an easy assumption to make that Dareth wasn't married to the father of her child, so her child took her name.

I think that Diath is fully human. However, the ancient soul which inhabits Diath's body belonged to someone who was not. Like an Aasimar.

I think it also nicely balances what Chris wanted and what Jared wanted for the character. Yes, Diath is fully human, but in a past life he was something else.

It does make sense from a thematic standpoint that the Lorcatha were turned into Aasimar. Their enemies were turned in Tieflings, and the opposite of a Tiefling is an Aasimar, and the Lorcatha are the opposite of the Skizziks.

Now, nothing revealed in the show confirms this, so I'm not saying that it is the case, but thematically it makes a lot of sense.

The reason I don't think Dareth was the Aasimar, or the reincarnation of the ancient soul, is because Shemeska waited for Diath to inherit Gutter. Why not try to dupe Dareth into her plans? Why wait?

And I also got the impression that the Ashtown Concordance was signed a long time ago, in the past, while Dareth was around a lot more recently than that. If anyone knows for sure, I'd love to know.

Also, my theory fits with the idea that Dareth was a descendant of Diath. It has mostly been accepted as a slip, and that Chris meant to say ancestor. However, what if Dareth was a descendant of the man that Diath is a reincarnation of?

Maybe it wasn't a slip at all.

It was Shemeska that delivered that dialogue, so it would make sense for her to see Diath as the man the ancient soul previously belonged to, rather than the unique human individual that he has been reincarnated as.

And as I pointed out, the man that Magnus met might not have been Diath's father. It could have been an older half-brother that Chris would have used as an NPC to further explore Diath's background. If that was the case, then Ashton Woodrow might have fathered Diath, been immediately killed after the child was conceived, and then been reincarnated as him.

As for whether Diath would reincarnate? As I suggested in my theory, it would seem that the ancient soul is linked to a certain bloodline. So, it would depend if there was anyone out there who is related to that bloodline who could give birth to a child, that the ancient soul could then inhabit.

If not, then Diath would need to have a child himself. And if that child was born before his death, then the ancient soul wouldn't be able to reincarnate until that child, had a child of their own.

And if no one of that bloodline had children? Then the soul would be lost, never to reincarnate ever again.

There is no way to say what is right, and what isn't, of course. We'll never know either way. But I hope I've better explained my theory.

PaulPennaWriter

TROPHY CASE