The Nature Of The Evil On Threnody (Shadows for Silence spoilers)

[Johnny Silverlight]

The Sunlit Man offers us our first tantalizing hints about the nature of the Evil that slew most of the humans on Threnody. The relevant passage occurs on Page 140:

Spoiler

 

“We came from another world,” she said around bites of her food. Odd, how they even ate with gloves on. “Chased by an ancient force known as the Evil.”

“It’s still there,” he said. “On your homeworld. I’ve seen it. Well, the manifestations of it.” Wild, unchained Investiture, come to life with its own alien will—forming mountain-sized figures with impossible, unnerving features and unknowable motivations. Threnody was not a place one visited to relax.

This comment finally threw her for a loop. She almost dropped her sandwich as he said it.

 

 

Edited October 2, 2023 by Johnny Silverlight

[+Oltux72 he/him]

So to sum it up:

• The Evil is a piece of Ambition detached from the main Shard during the battle
• It has gained sentience
• The arrival of the Evil was basically a meteorite impact, only that it involved a piece of sentient Investiture rather than a natural celestial body falling from the sky

[Johnny Silverlight]

This is our first canon description of how the Evil physically manifested. While reading Shadows For Silence, I visualized it as a dark, enormous cloud that drained people's lives. Nomad makes it sound more like the Evil manifested as a bunch of kaiju that rampaged across the Homeland (the primary continent on Threnody).

[+Oltux72 he/him]

2 minutes ago, Johnny Silverlight said:

This is our first canon description of how the Evil physically manifested. While reading Shadows For Silence, I visualized it as a dark, enormous cloud that drained people's lives. Nomad makes it sound more like the Evil manifested as a bunch of kaiju that rampaged across the Homeland (the primary continent on Threnody).

Yes. But there must be centuries between his observation and the arrival of the Evil. The assumption that it stayed physically the same is simple, but not necessarily true. It may be something like Midnight Essence adapting to its environment.

[Werewolff Studios he/him]

On 10/2/2023 at 11:29 AM, Johnny Silverlight said:

The Sunlit Man offers us our first tantalizing hints about the nature of the Evil that slew most of the humans on Threnody. The relevant passage occurs on Page 140:

  Hide contents

 

“We came from another world,” she said around bites of her food. Odd, how they even ate with gloves on. “Chased by an ancient force known as the Evil.”

“It’s still there,” he said. “On your homeworld. I’ve seen it. Well, the manifestations of it.” Wild, unchained Investiture, come to life with its own alien will—forming mountain-sized figures with impossible, unnerving features and unknowable motivations. Threnody was not a place one visited to relax.

This comment finally threw her for a loop. She almost dropped her sandwich as he said it.

 

 

It's tantalizing for sure! Can't wait to see some Awakened Jaegers going toe to toe with these fellas. 

[Treamayne]

On 10/2/2023 at 3:58 AM, Oltux72 said:

The Evil is a piece of Ambition detached from the main Shard during the battle

Not necessarily - or, at least there is a possibility that it is not only pieces of Ambition. Discussed in this post. Note that the AU Threnody essay specifically says that both Ambition and Odium were wounded in the clash there. It's possible that the Evil is a Sapient Splinter of the pieces of Ambition and Odium combined. 

Spoiler

Coppermind:

A Splinter is the term for a specific type of fragment of Investiture that is ultimately derived from Adonalsium. These Splinters can be composed of a single Shard's power or the Investiture of multiple Shards.

 

[therunner he/him]

3 minutes ago, Treamayne said:

Not necessarily - or, at least there is a possibility that it is not only pieces of Ambition. Discussed in this post. Note that the AU Threnody essay specifically says that both Ambition and Odium were wounded in the clash there. It's possible that the Evil is a Sapient Splinter of the pieces of Ambition and Odium combined. 

  Reveal hidden contents

Coppermind:

A Splinter is the term for a specific type of fragment of Investiture that is ultimately derived from Adonalsium. These Splinters can be composed of a single Shard's power or the Investiture of multiple Shards.

 

Hmm...Hateful Ambition, that does sounds quite evil I would say. More so than Ambition alone.

[+Bzhydack he/him]

On 2.10.2023 at 3:29 AM, Johnny Silverlight said:

The Sunlit Man offers us our first tantalizing hints about the nature of the Evil that slew most of the humans on Threnody. The relevant passage occurs on Page 140:

  Hide contents

 

“We came from another world,” she said around bites of her food. Odd, how they even ate with gloves on. “Chased by an ancient force known as the Evil.”

“It’s still there,” he said. “On your homeworld. I’ve seen it. Well, the manifestations of it.” Wild, unchained Investiture, come to life with its own alien will—forming mountain-sized figures with impossible, unnerving features and unknowable motivations. Threnody was not a place one visited to relax.

This comment finally threw her for a loop. She almost dropped her sandwich as he said it.

 

 

Description of Evil was to me very similar to something more familiar to us.

To Rosharan HighStorm. Those giant figures looks very much like Stormstriders, so possible Evil is very much like Stormfather.

[duladen he/him]

On 10/2/2023 at 6:54 PM, Werewolff Studios said:

Can't wait to see some Awakened Jaegers going toe to toe with these fellas. 

Please oh please oh pleeeeeaassee

[Alathea]

 

On 10/3/2023 at 4:01 PM, therunner said:

Hmm...Hateful Ambition, that does sounds quite evil I would say. More so than Ambition alone.

That could be exactly it! Much like Ruin + Preservation = Harmony/Discord, Ambition + Odium = Evil. A terrifying potential splinter combination for sure!