WOAH!

Glider’s note: This lovely Sword Fight on The Heights AU belongs to @ephermalnexus, and none of these characters, nor anything from this AU belongs to me. I am simply making this theory because it’s been stuck in my head for a WHILE now, and also because I think it makes a lot of sense. Go check out Nexus’ stuff, he’s a great artist and writer!!!

This theory is centered around Daemonshank and Linked, but it overall covers a few things that add up together. The main posts I’m using as evidence are reblogged in my blog :)

Theory: Daemonshank killed Linked, and intends to do so again.

A while back, an anon asked Nexus about what had killed Linked/what caused him to be respawned. Nexus’ answer was a drawing and a quote. The drawing is a few broken chains and a glitching sword, all drawn in a minty green colour. The sword is clearly the Daemonshank sword, but the quote is the hard part to analyze. I’m assuming that the following quote was said by Daemonshank: “The worst part is: I believed you. You pulled that veil over my eyes, making me believe that I'm not defined by these cold shackles that burn into my wrists. Your hands guided me to the flowers but frowned when I picked them. Those hands. Where do they lay you now? A mocked grave celebrating you as a martyr, when your hands are just as stained as mine. You'll get back up again- you always do. But I'll be there, and I'll make sure… you won't come back." 

Nexus made another more recent post, one with a drawing of Linked showing Daemonshank around a garden. In the post, Linked is the one doing the speaking: "It's still a bit messy, Venomshank just finished clearing it out. But look how much space there is! Since gardening's been working out so well for you, I'd thought you'd want to use a place like this. Just come down here if you're ever upset and need some space. You can just do whatever until you feel better, alright? Remember: a bad thought for a seed! Think about all the pretty flowers you can plant here, maybe some tulips here, a patch of roses there- oh! Maybe we can move a fountain in here..." Daemonshank is definitely unhappy in the drawing, frowning, seeming to be avoiding eye contact with Linked.

This feels as if it strongly connects to the post about Linked’s death.

“The worst part is: I believed you. You pulled that veil over my eyes, making me believe that I'm not defined by these cold shackles that burn into my wrists.” — this part may be implying that Linked somehow lied to, manipulated or deceived Daemonshank. “Making me believe that I’m not defined by these cold shackles that burn into my wrists” is kind of confusing, but I think it means Telamon himself did something to Daemonshank to define them as the shackles.

“Your hands guided me to the flowers but frowned when I picked them. Those hands.” — I’m not sure what “those hands” means, but the rest sort of connects to the garden post. Maybe Daemonshank was frowning because they were getting flashbacks from when Linked had frowned at them picking flowers. What I can guess here though is that Daemon and Linked seemed to have a complicated relationship.

“Where do they lay you now? A mocked grave celebrating you as a martyr, when your hands are just as stained as mine.” — "Where do they lay you now?” and “A mocked grave celebrating you as a martyr” is probably referring to the other swords after Linked died, and how Linked may have sacrificed himself or something. But the line “when your hands are just as stained as mine” hints that perhaps both Linked and Daemonshank did some awful things, but the other swords only blamed Daemonshank. The fact the word “mocked” is used gives me the idea that some swords don’t respect Linked, but this is really unlikely, and might be a future theory for a future post. It’s confusing why the word “mocked” is used though.

“You'll get back up again- you always do. But I'll be there, and I'll make sure… you won't come back." — Daemonshank is aware that Linked will revive just like any other sword, but that they’ll keep killing him. That is probably from Linked lying to them, and they want to kill Linked over and over as revenge, despite him no longer remembering his actions.

Linked and Venomshank’s ship, as far as I know, is canon, but Linked no longer remembers it due to reviving. Unless I’m tripping, Nexus said quite a few times that the swords, especially Venomshank, feel guilty of Linked’s death. I think this ties back to the idea of the swords only blaming Daemonshank for their bad actions, and not Linked for his own bad doings. Perhaps the others feel guilty about that, and feel responsible for everything.

Nexus also stated that both Venomshank and Daemonshank like plants, and that Venomshank has a strong connection to the fauna and stuff. It’s very possible for Venomshank and Daemonshank to have bonded over their shared love for nature, and if Daemonshank killed Linked, maybe that is why Venomshank seems especially guilty of everything. This might also answer why Venomshank keeps her distance from Linked, because if she really had a connection with Daemonshank and is somehow aware that they’ll kill Linked again, she may be avoiding the pain of creating another bond with him just to lose it again.

Now, let’s assume Venomshank does know about Daemonshank’s plans and actions. That means she could have stopped Daemonshank and also exposed them to the other swords. But she didn’t, which may be another reason why she is so guilty.

We might also get more info about Linked’s death from other characters.

Darkheart has been alive for the longest of all swords, and I’m talking THIS GUY HAS NOT DIED A SINGLE TIME EVER SINCE TELAMON CREATED THE SWORDS. Perhaps they have some info/memories of what Linked’s and Daemoshank’s relationship was from the very start and how it changed through the years. Darkheart is said to know what was in Icedagger’s diary, which I am DYING to get some info from. Nexus also answered with a drawing that Icedagger is the sword whose the least likely to die/has died the least excluding Darkheart. She may also remember some things about Linked and Daemonshank, and maybe some of that stuff is in her diary. I don’t think we’ll get info about Linked and Daemon from mortal characters, but, hey, they’re there, so there is a chance it might happen. Firebrand seems to be a mentor to Linked, so we might also get info from him.

“You pulled that veil over my eyes, making me believe that I'm not defined by these cold shackles that burn into my wrists.” — I’m just coming back to this part because a pretty crazy theory just came into mind. What if the “shackles” have something to do with Icedagger? Nexus said that she was responsible for keeping prisoners locked up in her prison of thick ice. Maybe she imprisoned (or perhaps tried to) Daemonshank? I also think that maybe the swords thought of Daemonshank as the bad things they did, not for who they really were, leading to the guilt.

The lack of times Daemonshank is mentioned by Nexus is maybe telling us that Daemon wants to keep their distance from the other swords. The second time Daemonshank is mentioned (I’m not sure if it IS the second time but we’ll roll with it), it is from someone just asking if Daemonshank will be mentioned soon and stuff. Nexus’ response was a drawing and the following quote: "Careful who you say that name around." I have no idea which character quoted it, but I’m quite confident that we can exclude Icedagger and Ghostwalker, since I don't think either of them would word it like that, since they both have big vocabularies. Nexus would have done his little thing that shows that it’s Windforce signing in sign language if it were him speaking, so it’s not him. I’m sure it's not Linked, ‘cause he doesn't remember a thing, and I doubt Illumina would have said that in such an impolite tone (I think it was sort of impolite or warning or passive-aggressive idk). So that leaves us with Firebrand, Venomshank and Darkheart. I don’t see why, nor feel like Darkheart or Venomshank would be talking about Daemonshank like that, but maybe they would, so it's still on the table. The tone in general reminds me of Firebrand, so I think it was him speaking.

But, overall, I am CONFIDENT, 100% SURE DAEMONSHANK KILLED LINKED.

Ft, the enablelings cus Ivan doesn't really have anyone in canon that cares enough ( or anyone in general lol ) to go in there for him

They should experience supernatural horrors at least once as a treat

I wanted to draw the whole scene but man,,, I'm lazy af I ain't doing all that , I also didn't want to draw an Ivan lifeform, still life o whatever they're called, it would've been a firefighter btw

Ivan you ain't getting a name for yourself in the backrooms get ur ass out of there

omfgg this is perfect for Ivan honestly.. lowk when I was watching the dinner scene I was like "Ivan would say that" AND LOOKIE HERE LOOL