#Roirr

[wisp-of-the-willow]

Roirr's whole life really is a shaggy dog story whose punchline is Secundus. I'd feel bad for him if he weren't such a dick, but as it is it's both tragic and extremely funny.

[theloverofdragons]

This latest jump into the Plane of Elemental Spirits had taken more out of him than he’d like to admit, so Roirr took a moment to catch his breath (and bask a little in his greatness, who else could achieve such feats of weaving!) before noticing that this part of the Plane looked…different. The landscape was darker, the trees more warped and there was something in the air-

“Hello father.”

Whirling round with a growl, Roirr blinked at the sight of a female spirit clad in a dark dress with rippling yellow hair, and a soulmark of two intersecting squares on her hand glaring at him. “Can I help you?”

“Ha! Oh please you were a worthless father when I was alive, how could you possibly help ME now I’m dead?”

“You keep calling me ‘father’ but I have no idea who-”

“That doesn’t surprise me in the slightest, you never paid attention to us growing up. But fine, I’ll humour you, as you’re in MY domain after all. I’m Pandora. Now what are you doing here?”

“Pandora…” Roirr furrowed his brows as a vague memory of a small child with tangled golden hair, vitiligo that looked a lot like this spirit’s mask, and brown eyes glowering up at him. “Pandora! My daughter, I do remember! I’m just gathering my strength, my dear, and then I shall be out of your way so you can, I don’t know, mope or whatever it is you do.”

Pandora’s eyes narrowed. “And how long will that take?”

“Oh not too long.”

“Good.”

The last thing Roirr saw before he was literally knocked out of the Plane of Elemental Spirits was a closed fist flying straight at his nose.

****

For Half Moon who requested: Something with Roirr? Possibly him getting his face punched in?

[cyten0]

Turned out to be pretty handy for this guy.

You were executed for a crime you didn’t commit. You’re quite sure the execution was successful, as you are now looking at your own dead body… from the eyes of the executioner.

[louissatturi]

PAC NOTICING A THING ABOUT CELLBIT AND ROIER

[TRANSLATION]

(Pac): ooh daam, roirr is married to cellbit and both have a castle?

[Mike]: it fited the just right

(Pac): It fited them just right, i cant take this statue of Bobby peeing

[Mike]: just fits

(Pac): yeah, OH thats why they use- aah how dumb i am, this is why they use the thing (the crowns)

[kyhaaki]

AHAJJSHDKSHDJDJJSJAKAAAAAAA NO PUEDE SER KEEEEEEE NO PUEDE SER AABJAKDJAKANSJKSKSKSKAMSNSNAAAAAAA ALDO ROIRR EL MARIANA RIVIS MISSA CARRE Y SPREEEN AJAKJSBDKSKSAAAAAAA NO OUEDEE. SMAÑANANANNNANANNAN🫂🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏GRCIAS GRACIAS

[vaalthus]

Convergence Part 1 (spoilers)

*Deep inhale*

*Long exhale*

THE TIME IS NIGH!!!

So to start,

I have to say I was utterly shocked that Jaania chose not sacrifice any more of her forces to buy her more time weave her spell but after giving it some thought it's an action that makes sense for her. As I mentioned in commenting on the Final Steps release, Jaania is finally able to see that our motivations we're always intended to strive for everyone's sake in the best of ways we knew how. As a result, she's hoping we can see and have faith in the good she's trying to bring about through her ascension.

As such, it makes no sense in her eyes to waste the lives of those who have been so loyal to her in helping her reach this moment when there's a chance their lives can be spared by us and they in turn be able to experience the world she seeks to achieve. Though those same troops would have been more than happy to lay down their lives for her so that world is brought to fruition. It's just a pity Jaania didn't give the order to retreat sooner otherwise the last of the Pelekoans might have survived.

What troubles me is the comments like these:

It's no secret to anyone that the last of Jaania's forces were those who were most loyal to her and her vision but what I find troubling here is the inevitable aftermath of these people once this conflict reaches its conclusion. As Hansa, pointed out to us in the Awakened Depths, Jaania became a beacon for those who had a simple wish to be achieved: to be free of any and all magical threats that Lore offers. However, it's not just these soldiers that want that, it's the nobles, the farmers, the little guys that have been supporting the Rose all these years across Greenguard and likely still do, sure that number has definitely taken a dive since the start of Book 3 but I doubt it's still insignificant. All of those people will soon find their dreams and the person who was meant to bring back a sense of uninterrupted peace in their lives is about to be dashed. We can only hope their response to this reality is constructive as opposed to the opposite.

What I've been saying all along folks :3

Miss me with that "we're not so different you and I" speech.

I like to think this is the Hero taking all they've learned about the ability to make choices in the Maleurous saga and is just throwing that much needed wisdom back at Jaania who feels the need to instill order in the world.

This comment is interesting to me because we have seen the Hero effectively try and be everywhere all at once for eveyone's sake, quite almost obsessively I might add, and I feel if Jaania hadn't recently just had a change of heart on her perspective on them, and taken the time to analyze the Hero's deal, she might have been able to more strongly appeal to their need, their desperation, in protecting everyone they can. Not that it would work either way, the Hero's distrust and deep-rooted fear of her, as seen in Fear, showed that getting us on her side was simply not possible.

If she was more predatory, of course, she would have used that aspect against us as every other villain that attacks our psyche has done before. A neat contrast here is what I'm pointing out.

*sigh* Every single new questionable scene with this woman continues to force me to find comfort in the fact that her and the other Magesters too dependent on the Mana Core Fragment will be dead eventually thanks to Roirr's actions. I truly want to believe there's a positive future for the Shapeless Empire that doesn't involve exploiting its citizens through this agreed upon cycle without violence but the rotting hands of the past never want to let go of control easily.

YOU GAVE THEM TRAUMA AND WEREN'T EVEN SORRY!!!

Okay technically this right here is the more sensible reasoning, but I stand by what I said! What I like most in this scene is that we simply reaffirm what we've been trying to tell her since this whole mess started with her organization. Everything we bring up about the harm the Rose has done thus far has been consistent and aren't negated by the fact that Jaania, at heart, wants to do what she believes is best for everyone's sake.

What I love even more however is how she averts her eyes the moment we bring up Akanthus because she knows she can't even reasonably, or delusionally for that matter, deny she has made a grave error in judgement in allowing Akanthus' abuses on, well, basically everyone, and soon everything, in his wake. It's that "Yeah, ya got me there look" that just sends warm feelings down my spine.

Now if you told me at the start of this saga Jaania was going to offer us a bargain to effectively play as the puppeteer god of fate alongside her, I definitely would have called you insane. It's moment I'm sure comes as a complete shock to everyone, it certainly did to me anyway. And honestly why wouldn't it? It's one thing to ask us to stand down and simply allow her to achieve apotheosis but it's a completely different matter to propose to come and play god. But it's one that sadly makes all too much sense.

Jaania has admitted that she has made terrible mistakes and has been too much of an imperfect being in her quest to achieve peace and prosperity for Lore. So better way to accommodate for her ham-fisted actions and judgement so far then to have someone like the Hero to hopefully keep her worse tendencies in check. As opposed to someone like Akanthus or Zadd who would, in all likelihood, make things worse had they been afforded the opportunity. There's another reason I believe she makes this offer but I'll get to that later.

Nothing else to say here beyond epic callback!

Out of all the Hero's moments in this quest, I believe this is where their experiences throughout the Maleurous saga shines through the brightest.

In a way, you could argue that, in spite of the obvious chaos that will come with it, Jaania's plan is to instill an eternal order, a Destiny, upon Lore itself, one in which she will insists never ends as she dictates. Yet the Hero knows the importance of others being able to decide the paths they choose to walk, I'd argue they've known that since Calamity, without some transcendental hand to yank them in another direction against their own will. So they certainly would not agree to be the one to dictate the fate of all those that live on Lore let alone allow someone as misguided as Jaania to do it.

Okay, I think we all knew that the void pearl was too easy a solution to deal with Akanthus and was likely not going to work but there's something absolutely amusing about Hesperrhodos being used a shield to be sent to the Void and then teleport immediately back to Lore without issue since, ya know, Elemental Spirits can just do that at any time. Hell I at least would have thought that thing would have let a monster through or something. The downside to seeing Zvezdana looking completely slack-jawed after these events unfolded is the fact that we still don't have a damned plan to take Akanthus out of commission...so yeah.

I have to say I love this final appeal Jaania gives to the trio of combatants because it shows a few things. First, that she still fails to understand that her organization was really only giving the illusion of peace to all those the dwelt within range of the Rose's reach and even then only really through the lens of normal humans. Second, it displays that she never truly had a proper grasp on the relationship she fostered with those she worked alongside. Lastly, she places too much hope that wanting the same things is not the same as agreeing ideologically how get those things.

Which inevitably leads to one option: Violence

I have waited 12. long. years. for this very moment. 12 years spent waiting since we broke free from that ice cap. 8 years I waited since from the first time we saw her again in Timelines. 7 years since the original Gala and our spat. 4 years since dealing with the second rift and I had a deeper appreciation for her mental state which motivates her.

And now I am finally here to fight Jaania one on one. So, you best believe I fought alone to prove which of us was could beat the other!

The following boss fight that ensues is perhaps one of the best thematic story fights in the entire game at this point, as it should be for the antagonist that is the face for this entire saga. I'm quite pleased that devs designed her to be difficult, hell I'm even glad that couldn't easily soul gambit my way out of this one.

In terms of mechanics, it's everything you could expect, Jaania does everything she can to debuff us and each time she fails and has her health cut down in bulk she commands even more strength to take us down, even attempting to go for the old freeze'em solid trick and when that doesn't draw any purchase thanks to Aegis she relies on her new found soul weaving arts to dispatch us. All the while we deal with the tragic music in the background tugging at the heart strings for a conflict that should have been avoided.

How far we've come since the Doom Amulet was our first real challenge in-game for year, eh?

And can I say how amusing it is that Jaania trapping us in ice is something that could only work once? Aegis apparently always had the means of unfreezing, he simply couldn't due to Draco keeping everyone away from where we were placed. So, with him already being close by to protect our soul from going poof, there's no way he's going to let us get trapped again. Even more amusing is to think about how Jaania is basically using the old ice soul weaver meta to take us on.

But after all of that we prove in the end, with or without aid, to be stronger than Jaania, at least in this exact moment.

It's a pity though that the moment does not last as expected Jaania will not let it end without fighting at her full potential.

This right here is the reason I believe Jaania made her initial proposal to us and why I bring up the Maleurous saga. For me at least, it's easy to see the similarities between Jaania and Notha. Both are exceptionally powerful accomplished mages that desperately sought out to change a world that gave them deep rooted traumas that they wished to change that world so that the suffering they experienced could not continue. However, where Notha wanted to bring about chaos to change the order of the world; Jaania is hellbent on imposing order on the chaos the world of Lore and its magic offers its inhabitants. Furthermore, I suspect, unlike Notha, that Jaania cannot bring herself to reconcile with the trauma magic has placed on her life and the people she cared about. Most defining of all though, which will likely be her downfall, is her need to be in control of everything so that she or anyone else might never hurt again.

Antagonists like Jaania are always left in a hard spot. They seek to rid the world of suffering and conflict forever and while that is a noble desire they fail to realize how unfortunately intrinsic those things are to existence. Thusly they bang their heads on a wall until they're bloodied and broken only for that dream they longed for to dissipate before their very eyes.

And so, her last option is to go full synchronization. I can't guess what happens next here with Jaania. Judging by the increased streaks of white in her hair, her soul is continuing to unravel though I think she's in no worse of a state than Tomix was when he was at the end. I was originally going to say synchronizing with a corrupt spirit created through forbidden magic would spell instant catastrophe for Jaania but then I remembered Aspar was created through the same means, although he was just a fragment, so she might pull off the effect with little issue.

I suppose we must simply wait and see what becomes of our troublesome Arch Magus and where the winds will turn for her ambitions.

And of course, there's still this asshole and the doom device.

[alimpson]

what if, to stop Jaania, we have to do the same thing Danyel did to stop Roirr? what if that’s the only way?

[pixiecaps]

ROIER TIME ROIER TUME ROIRR TIM

[wisp-of-the-willow]

How did she come to love Bolemira so much? She's in two cutscenes not counting the Roirr stuff.

Hi. If it's not rude to ask, I would like to hear more about your Bolemira liking friend.

OF COURSE! My good friend really really REALLY loves Bolemira. Actually, Bolemira is the first Dragonfable character I knew about because of her 😭 she’s also the same friend who got me hooked up with the game Ylgr is her hero oc and she is very much missing her wife Bolemira! She is just very… yearn-y she misses her wife so much

[tomixslefttoe]

Roirr: Marzanna says I need to be a more attentive parent.

Some Guy: Oh? How many kids do you have?

Roirr:

Some Guy: My Lord?

Roirr: Shut up, I’m thinking.

[domino-dump]

audio: no children - mountain goats

[wisp-of-the-willow]

I wonder what happened to the souls that got ripped out of Roirr when Danyel did forbidden magick. Most likely they unraveled or went wherever souls usually go, but maybe they'll all become Elemental Spirits?

[katwalrus-aesthetic]

“I simply don’t want to die! I despise the idea of my existence ending…of not being around anymore.”

[yamikakyuu]

I am here for the gay undertones in the Roirr saga...

[kyhaaki]

SIIII KARAOKE ROIRR 👍

[vaalthus]

Concerns about what Project Casca actually entails aside, I think I find this bit just a teeny bit more worrying. While I think this could prove to be a positive angle of the Shapeless of being closer in proximity to the Land of Dragons that could help them interact with new ideas and peoples more directly I fear the Magesters that are left and in chagre at the moment could be more preoccupied with expanding their “faith” and influence into new lands for further control. 

It’s been noted before that a great deal of the Magesters and their culture in general view the Land of Dragons as primarily savage and primitive, at least when compared to their own technological prowess and that kind of thinking rarely goes down well for anyone. Furthermore, if this project of theirs truly can help them reclaim the seat of their empire they’ll be just as powerful and just as dangerous as they were before Roirr slapped them into disarray. Now of course they still don’t have their fragment of the mana core anymore, unless Casca is meant to replace it which will be its own can of worms, so I doubt they’ll be pulling any Rift shenanigans for the foreseeable future, especially after what just happened, but I’m sure they have other means of waging war when the rifts are not suitable, can’t imagine that’s been their only means to wage conflict against Volkenraand in the past either. 

That isn’t to say the Shapeless will indeed seek to invade or spread their false religion in the near future if they are able to get back to full strength or establish Yeden as a permanent colony even if the project doesn’t exactly work out but it the fact they desire to remain at all that is raising the alarm bell in the back of my head at the moment. I guess as they are now there is no reason still to give up the whole lets prop up the fake god for our benefit and use people as walking mana batteries so soon at this point especially given they’ve been doing it for so long.

It’s too soon to be completely worried that they’re choosing to stick around, presumably openly, for the foreseeable future and as I mentioned them staying could prove beneficial for them as they have the chance to be exposed to new paths beyond their more negative horizons and Alteon pointed out they have some benefits they could share with us on their technology and ideas concerning magic but those potential negatives man if they just go back to business as usual oh boy.