Clotilde

Icebound was the declic campaign and holds dear to my heart

"La Clef de ton Monde" only on Webtoon FR (for now)

"The shadow of her past weighing on her, Luci is trapped in a life filled with hatred until the day she manages to escape by going to another world. There she meets the Larssis family who take her under their wing and thus, Luci gradually learns to live in peace again. However, the young woman's serenity is quickly disrupted by the conflict opposing the inhabitants of this new world to the evil King Raven." (For now my comics it's only in french)

If you want to support my art :

WIP of Taishen Fireblossom from Legends of Avantris :) First time hand painting textures

I'm stressed and want to cry again, meaning I'm hyperfixating on EoM again and digging too deep into stuff that probably shouldn't be dug into, but idk, so here's me ranting on about something from ep 24 "The Fallen Keel."

So in the episode, the characters are placed into their own individual rooms, which could represent their futures. The one I wanted to focus on mostly was Briggsy. His room was the bathroom, and in that room, he was faced with the challenge of destroying something he desired, the ship he always dreamed about. The weapon he was to use was a cannon, with the phrase "Truth in the lies" written in hexing runes. He was hesitant to do this, but in the end, he did it.

But what could this mean? What was the purpose of having him do this? How does this tie into his future and the other room he was placed in with Jericho? How do the tarot cards that he received and his patron tie into this as well? What about his past actions?

Let's start with the third question. I have made a post about what the dining room could have meant to these two, but I feel that my old theory is somewhat incorrect, and I will not be discussing it in this post. Just know that I believe that room could represent or mean that if you follow in the footsteps of the ones before you, it ends badly.

For the first two questions, we have to think about him first as a character and what he represents. Briggsy is known to be greedy and selfish at times. He was tricked by his patron into making a deal that ended up killing his crew and him having to steal a cursed sword that turned him into a zombie. He is also very cowardly, hiding behind Marius or Yorgim when trouble is near, and he tries to run from fights, among many other things. (I could go into a deeper analysis of him, but I don't have time, and there are plenty of other posts that are formatted better than this post.)

(Warning: this part might be slightly confusing, so I apologize if I get off track or don't make sense.)

Now, what could the ship, cannon, and phrase mean? Well, from what I have gathered, the ship represents a living future—motion, possibility, and self-directed destiny. Unlike abstract ambition, the ship is practical and hopeful at the same time: it is something Briggsy can build toward, not merely desire.

As his dream ship, it embodies:

Freedom is chosen rather than granted

A future earned through effort, not manipulation

Identity that grows rather than consumes

Destroying the ship is therefore an act of temporal violence—it kills a future that has not yet failed. The guilt he feels afterward is essential: it proves that despite his greed and power, he still recognizes the value of creation over erasure. Symbolically, the ship stands for everything that resists death’s finality. It is movement, not stasis. Hope, not inevitability.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As for the phrase, “Truth in the lies,” it functions as a necromantic philosophy disguised as wisdom. It argues that truth does not need to be clean, consensual, or honest—it only needs to persist.

In the context of Mr.Crossroads being his patron, the phrase takes on a darker meaning:

Lies are the corpse

Truth is what animates them

The phrase suggests that deception can still serve a “greater truth,” just as undead creatures are animated by something real despite being fundamentally wrong.

It reframes morality into outcome-based logic:

If something endures, it must have truth in it.

This thinking corrodes agency. It teaches him to accept manipulation as inevitable and even necessary—so long as it “works.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I believe the canon is finality given form.

Where the ship represents living potential, the canon represents absolute endings—destruction without rebirth. That it can destroy what the wielder desires most makes it a ritual object rather than a weapon.

Linked to Crossroads, the canon becomes an extension of divine authority:

It enforces endings rather than allowing growth

It bypasses grief by making loss instantaneous

It denies the possibility of learning through failure

The canon does not ask whether destruction is deserved—only whether it is intended. This mirrors death magic that raises the undead: power without consent, function without life.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As stated before he is greedy, but not empty. His greed is aspirational, not nihilistic—he wants more life, more possibility, more control over his future.

His guilt proves something vital:

He does not worship death (in a way)

He does not see loss as neutral

He still distinguishes between sacrifice and waste

This puts him in direct philosophical conflict with Crossroads, who tricked him. Where he values inevitability and persistence beyond death, Briggsy values continuation with meaning.

His internal struggle is not good vs. evil, but:

Growth vs. stasis, life vs. preserved ruin

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think that the original deception is the core trauma of the narrative.

Crossroads did not lie outright:

The power granted was real

The transformation was effective

The results were undeniable

But the deception lay in what was omitted:

The loss of autonomy

The philosophical cost

The slow alignment with death’s worldview

By surviving and benefiting from the lie, Briggsy was subtly conditioned to accept a necromantic truth:

What persists, even unnaturally, must be justified.

This is why later lies still work on him—they echo the same logic that gave him power. This could also be used on him again in future episodes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unfortunately, we don't know much about Crossroads, and I'm not sure how similar his lore is to the actual god, so his entry will be mostly me guessing.

Crossroads represents the crossroads at night, while his brother represents it during the day. He is often depicted as being cruel, while his brother is nicer and shows mercy. Both are also very powerful; one is just more unpredictable, while the other is trusted.

Sharing a domain with his brother means:

Sharing authority over death

Allowing mercy to override finality

Accepting that some souls may choose rest over obedience

He cannot tolerate this.

By claiming the realm alone, he ensures:

Death occurs on his terms

Passage happens without debate

No competing philosophy undermines his certainty

The demand that Briggsy has to kill Philip is not personal—it is procedural. Resistance complicates transition. The fact that he sees him as a sort of friend introduces delay. Both are unacceptable.

He is not asking Briggsy to be cruel.

He is asking him to be decisive.

From his perspective:

Hesitation is the real sin.

The Briggsy refusal, guilt, and attachment are not moral virtues in his eyes—they are inefficiencies inherited from the living world and reinforced by him now being undead and wanting more in life.

This is why Crossroads chose him in the first place:

He understands that Briggsy summoned him for his own selfish reasons

He knows that Briggsy doesn't want to disappoint anyone, so he will do whatever to please those around him

But he still resists finality because he doesn't want to see the consequences of his terrible choices/actions

From this, we can assume that Crossroads hopes to prove that even someone who values life will eventually accept certainty over compassion (either naturally or through manipulation).

He may resent his brother because his way of guiding the dead is objectively better than forcing them to obey by his terms. By forcing Brggsy into this choice, he is not just claiming a realm—he is trying to win an argument that has lasted since the first death.

The true question is no longer simply life versus death.

It is:

Is passage something that must be enforced, or something that must be chosen?

If he were to meet Crossroad's brother (which I don't doubt, it does seem like something they would do), and he wants to help him get out of his deal with perhaps a counter-deal, Briggsy stands between the two not as a servant, but as evidence.

If he refuses to kill Philip, he proves that his brother's methods are morally better

If he obeys, he validates Crossroads' belief that mercy fails when it matters most.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, how the cards play a role in this. The cards that he got were the Swashbuckler, the Executioner, and the Darklord.

The Swashbuckler — Life, Freedom, and Choice

Position/Meaning: Represents Briggsy's core self, his living instincts, and the desire to act according to conscience rather than obligation.

Connection to Story: The Swashbuckler embodies Briggsy’s living will: loyalty, courage, and the ability to form bonds (like with the other witch-hunters and some npcs). It reflects the dream ship and his instinct to protect(in a way) rather than destroy.

Implications: The card shows that, despite powers and deception, his heart still chooses life over expediency. It reminds him that freedom is precious, even in the face of death and divine pressure.

The Executioner — Duty, Consequence, and Obedience

Position/Meaning: Represents the forced role he must play, where he carries out acts of violence or destruction that conflict with his conscience.

Connection to Story: The Executioner mirrors the canon and Crossroads' current demand: to kill Philip. The canon is his instrument, but the role is defined by necessity imposed by another, not by desire.

Implications: This card warns that power without conscience is dangerous. It shows the tension between the Swashbuckler’s loyalty and the Executioner’s imposed duty—he must act under duress or lose something vital, yet the act itself could compromise his soul.

The Darklord — Authority, Certainty, and Moral Absolutism

Position/Meaning: Represents Mr. Crossroads, and the overarching force that enforces inevitability and transition.

Connection to Story: The Darklord is his assertion of control. He is not evil in a traditional sense—he exists to ensure that souls pass and death occurs—but he is unyielding, manipulative, and morally ambiguous. His desire to claim the realm alone reflects his rivalry with his kinder brother, emphasizing his unwillingness to compromise or share authority.

Implications: This card embodies the external pressure shaping Briggsy's decisions. It represents inevitability, divine logic, and the ultimate test of choice: submit to authority and certainty, or uphold life and conscience despite the cost.

Here is how each card connects to the others

Swashbuckler + Executioner: The tension between who Briggsy is and who he is forced to be. The spread highlights that loyalty, attachment, and morality conflict with imposed duty.

Executioner + Darklord: Shows Crossroads influence—how obedience is expected and justified through inevitability and manipulation. The canon and the “truth in the lies” phrase are the tools used to bridge this gap.

Swashbuckler + Darklord: Emphasizes the moral choice. Following his heart resists Crossroads' certainty; obeying aligns with divine logic but risks moral compromise and loss of agency.

Core Message of the Spread:

Briggsy stands at the crossroads of loyalty, duty, and divine authority. Survival and power are insufficient—they must be weighed against conscience, friendship, and the value of life. How he acts will determine whether he becomes a Swashbuckler true to himself, an Executioner enslaved by obligation, or a Darklord’s instrument validating inevitability.

Whether or not this is going to affect his relationships with the others is really hard to tell, its llikely that it will change their view of him depending on what he chooses, but we can't be sure, only time will tell.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Or yk it could've been nothing, and I typed l this for nothing and wasted three hours of my life.

I probably mischaracterized them, if I did im sorry, and you have every right to call me stupid and hate me

uhhhh idk im half asleep, if y'all notice any mistakes lmk and i'll fix them also. If enough people like this, I'll probably do the other three as well

Sorry if it's too long, this was just something that has been in my mind for a while now, and I felt I needed to share my opinions

I'm stressed and want to cry again, meaning I'm hyperfixating on EoM again and digging too deep into stuff that probably shouldn't be dug into, but idk, so here's me ranting on about something from ep 24 "The Fallen Keel."

So in the episode, the characters are placed into their own individual rooms, which could represent their futures. The one I wanted to focus on mostly was Briggsy. His room was the bathroom, and in that room, he was faced with the challenge of destroying something he desired, the ship he always dreamed about. The weapon he was to use was a cannon, with the phrase "Truth in the lies" written in hexing runes. He was hesitant to do this, but in the end, he did it.

But what could this mean? What was the purpose of having him do this? How does this tie into his future and the other room he was placed in with Jericho? How do the tarot cards that he received and his patron tie into this as well? What about his past actions?

Let's start with the third question. I have made a post about what the dining room could have meant to these two, but I feel that my old theory is somewhat incorrect, and I will not be discussing it in this post. Just know that I believe that room could represent or mean that if you follow in the footsteps of the ones before you, it ends badly.

For the first two questions, we have to think about him first as a character and what he represents. Briggsy is known to be greedy and selfish at times. He was tricked by his patron into making a deal that ended up killing his crew and him having to steal a cursed sword that turned him into a zombie. He is also very cowardly, hiding behind Marius or Yorgim when trouble is near, and he tries to run from fights, among many other things. (I could go into a deeper analysis of him, but I don't have time, and there are plenty of other posts that are formatted better than this post.)

(Warning: this part might be slightly confusing, so I apologize if I get off track or don't make sense.)

Now, what could the ship, cannon, and phrase mean? Well, from what I have gathered, the ship represents a living future—motion, possibility, and self-directed destiny. Unlike abstract ambition, the ship is practical and hopeful at the same time: it is something Briggsy can build toward, not merely desire.

As his dream ship, it embodies:

Freedom is chosen rather than granted

A future earned through effort, not manipulation

Identity that grows rather than consumes

Destroying the ship is therefore an act of temporal violence—it kills a future that has not yet failed. The guilt he feels afterward is essential: it proves that despite his greed and power, he still recognizes the value of creation over erasure. Symbolically, the ship stands for everything that resists death’s finality. It is movement, not stasis. Hope, not inevitability.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As for the phrase, “Truth in the lies,” it functions as a necromantic philosophy disguised as wisdom. It argues that truth does not need to be clean, consensual, or honest—it only needs to persist.

In the context of Mr.Crossroads being his patron, the phrase takes on a darker meaning:

Lies are the corpse

Truth is what animates them

The phrase suggests that deception can still serve a “greater truth,” just as undead creatures are animated by something real despite being fundamentally wrong.

It reframes morality into outcome-based logic:

If something endures, it must have truth in it.

This thinking corrodes agency. It teaches him to accept manipulation as inevitable and even necessary—so long as it “works.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I believe the canon is finality given form.

Where the ship represents living potential, the canon represents absolute endings—destruction without rebirth. That it can destroy what the wielder desires most makes it a ritual object rather than a weapon.

Linked to Crossroads, the canon becomes an extension of divine authority:

It enforces endings rather than allowing growth

It bypasses grief by making loss instantaneous

It denies the possibility of learning through failure

The canon does not ask whether destruction is deserved—only whether it is intended. This mirrors death magic that raises the undead: power without consent, function without life.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As stated before he is greedy, but not empty. His greed is aspirational, not nihilistic—he wants more life, more possibility, more control over his future.

His guilt proves something vital:

He does not worship death (in a way)

He does not see loss as neutral

He still distinguishes between sacrifice and waste

This puts him in direct philosophical conflict with Crossroads, who tricked him. Where he values inevitability and persistence beyond death, Briggsy values continuation with meaning.

His internal struggle is not good vs. evil, but:

Growth vs. stasis, life vs. preserved ruin

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think that the original deception is the core trauma of the narrative.

Crossroads did not lie outright:

The power granted was real

The transformation was effective

The results were undeniable

But the deception lay in what was omitted:

The loss of autonomy

The philosophical cost

The slow alignment with death’s worldview

By surviving and benefiting from the lie, Briggsy was subtly conditioned to accept a necromantic truth:

What persists, even unnaturally, must be justified.

This is why later lies still work on him—they echo the same logic that gave him power. This could also be used on him again in future episodes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unfortunately, we don't know much about Crossroads, and I'm not sure how similar his lore is to the actual god, so his entry will be mostly me guessing.

Crossroads represents the crossroads at night, while his brother represents it during the day. He is often depicted as being cruel, while his brother is nicer and shows mercy. Both are also very powerful; one is just more unpredictable, while the other is trusted.

Sharing a domain with his brother means:

Sharing authority over death

Allowing mercy to override finality

Accepting that some souls may choose rest over obedience

He cannot tolerate this.

By claiming the realm alone, he ensures:

Death occurs on his terms

Passage happens without debate

No competing philosophy undermines his certainty

The demand that Briggsy has to kill Philip is not personal—it is procedural. Resistance complicates transition. The fact that he sees him as a sort of friend introduces delay. Both are unacceptable.

He is not asking Briggsy to be cruel.

He is asking him to be decisive.

From his perspective:

Hesitation is the real sin.

The Briggsy refusal, guilt, and attachment are not moral virtues in his eyes—they are inefficiencies inherited from the living world and reinforced by him now being undead and wanting more in life.

This is why Crossroads chose him in the first place:

He understands that Briggsy summoned him for his own selfish reasons

He knows that Briggsy doesn't want to disappoint anyone, so he will do whatever to please those around him

But he still resists finality because he doesn't want to see the consequences of his terrible choices/actions

From this, we can assume that Crossroads hopes to prove that even someone who values life will eventually accept certainty over compassion (either naturally or through manipulation).

He may resent his brother because his way of guiding the dead is objectively better than forcing them to obey by his terms. By forcing Brggsy into this choice, he is not just claiming a realm—he is trying to win an argument that has lasted since the first death.

The true question is no longer simply life versus death.

It is:

Is passage something that must be enforced, or something that must be chosen?

If he were to meet Crossroad's brother (which I don't doubt, it does seem like something they would do), and he wants to help him get out of his deal with perhaps a counter-deal, Briggsy stands between the two not as a servant, but as evidence.

If he refuses to kill Philip, he proves that his brother's methods are morally better

If he obeys, he validates Crossroads' belief that mercy fails when it matters most.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, how the cards play a role in this. The cards that he got were the Swashbuckler, the Executioner, and the Darklord.

The Swashbuckler — Life, Freedom, and Choice

Position/Meaning: Represents Briggsy's core self, his living instincts, and the desire to act according to conscience rather than obligation.

Connection to Story: The Swashbuckler embodies Briggsy’s living will: loyalty, courage, and the ability to form bonds (like with the other witch-hunters and some npcs). It reflects the dream ship and his instinct to protect(in a way) rather than destroy.

Implications: The card shows that, despite powers and deception, his heart still chooses life over expediency. It reminds him that freedom is precious, even in the face of death and divine pressure.

The Executioner — Duty, Consequence, and Obedience

Position/Meaning: Represents the forced role he must play, where he carries out acts of violence or destruction that conflict with his conscience.

Connection to Story: The Executioner mirrors the canon and Crossroads' current demand: to kill Philip. The canon is his instrument, but the role is defined by necessity imposed by another, not by desire.

Implications: This card warns that power without conscience is dangerous. It shows the tension between the Swashbuckler’s loyalty and the Executioner’s imposed duty—he must act under duress or lose something vital, yet the act itself could compromise his soul.

The Darklord — Authority, Certainty, and Moral Absolutism

Position/Meaning: Represents Mr. Crossroads, and the overarching force that enforces inevitability and transition.

Connection to Story: The Darklord is his assertion of control. He is not evil in a traditional sense—he exists to ensure that souls pass and death occurs—but he is unyielding, manipulative, and morally ambiguous. His desire to claim the realm alone reflects his rivalry with his kinder brother, emphasizing his unwillingness to compromise or share authority.

Implications: This card embodies the external pressure shaping Briggsy's decisions. It represents inevitability, divine logic, and the ultimate test of choice: submit to authority and certainty, or uphold life and conscience despite the cost.

Here is how each card connects to the others

Swashbuckler + Executioner: The tension between who Briggsy is and who he is forced to be. The spread highlights that loyalty, attachment, and morality conflict with imposed duty.

Executioner + Darklord: Shows Crossroads influence—how obedience is expected and justified through inevitability and manipulation. The canon and the “truth in the lies” phrase are the tools used to bridge this gap.

Swashbuckler + Darklord: Emphasizes the moral choice. Following his heart resists Crossroads' certainty; obeying aligns with divine logic but risks moral compromise and loss of agency.

Core Message of the Spread:

Briggsy stands at the crossroads of loyalty, duty, and divine authority. Survival and power are insufficient—they must be weighed against conscience, friendship, and the value of life. How he acts will determine whether he becomes a Swashbuckler true to himself, an Executioner enslaved by obligation, or a Darklord’s instrument validating inevitability.

Whether or not this is going to affect his relationships with the others is really hard to tell, its llikely that it will change their view of him depending on what he chooses, but we can't be sure, only time will tell.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Or yk it could've been nothing, and I typed l this for nothing and wasted three hours of my life.

I probably mischaracterized them, if I did im sorry, and you have every right to call me stupid and hate me

uhhhh idk im half asleep, if y'all notice any mistakes lmk and i'll fix them also. If enough people like this, I'll probably do the other three as well

Sorry if it's too long, this was just something that has been in my mind for a while now, and I felt I needed to share my opinions

instead ask:

is it SINCERE

was it CATHARTIC

was it FUN TO MAKE

is it MADE BY ME

(Spoilers for both campaigns below)

Though i dont disagree that Lethica’s getting kinda shadowed by the rest of the group’s very big personalities (which I feel is more Derek than Lethica, Bitsy aside his other PCs often feel just less vocal, that’s just how the group dynamic ends up), I don’t think it’s fair to compare a character being written with the support of her lair and story being laid out to us clearly, to a player character who’s story we only get pieces of and who’s actions are ruled by dice over a long campaign.

Lethica herself and the audience aren’t privy to what she’s been through specifically, unlike the rest of the cast who know what happened to them, while we get two whole chapters to understand what the Matron is like. Her whole level design is less about her as a character and more about how dangerous what she created is. Im not undermining what she built, its a testament to how smart and determined she is, but at the end of the day the level does a lot of work to build her as a character.

On the other side, i feel like its unfair to say that Lethica just exist for the other characters to bounce off of. Just because she’s not as vocal as the rest about her struggles - or just handles hers better since she isn’t burdened by memories and is riding the high of her longest plan succeeding, doesn’t mean her character lacks interest or complexity. She just has less baggage to work through for now. Marius is very vocal about his struggles so we see a lot of his perspective, we don’t get much of her point of view because she plays close to her chest, which is one of the reasons she wears a mask. She’s supposed to be someone who takes the pain from others, and when she’s in pain she’s says it, she just spends less time dwelling on it.

She’s attentive, she’s ambitious, she’s proud and she’s the only one in the group who thinks about what their impact has on others before what their impact has on themselves. Not saying the others are selfish, but she’s the one asking names, considering who they’re talking to, and how they’re perceived. Briggsy mostly rides whatever’s happening in the present and overcompensates, Jericho is too socially inept to really understand what everyone expects of him, Virgil until very recently didn’t have a voice or care to speak up, and Marius isn’t interested in people outside of the group unless it prevents him from doing his job (I’m simplifying because the rant is already too long but she’s the people person, thats a big part of her character, that’s why she’s a cleric). She’s also the voice of reason most of the time when the other hotheads get so caught up in their own things they can’t think straight.

(I wanted to add something about the fact that she likes being an object of interest, that’s part of her character, in direct contrast to the Matron who, being widowed, is purposefully not seeking being that object of interest : you’re right that her beauty is much less of a focus, and EoM has something of an obsession about beauty being something of interest for good and for bad, but thats just because they’re not presenting themselves for the same reason. EOM Lethica likes being sexy, like pretty dresses and pretty fabrics, while the Matron hides herself behind a veil in mourning. EOM’s themes also ostracise the party from the rest of the world, which goes with Briggsy’s chunk, Jericho’s skinny and creepy body, and Marius’s supernatural beauty which is way more focused on than Lethica’s, who’s looked at as the most normal/level headed in their freakshow)

There’s finally the learning curve : Idk how the reboot will treat her, but already in S2 Derek seemed to have a better grasp on how the class itself works (which is in itself another big difference with crafting a boss specifically VS playing an evolving character for +2 years, especially since the Matron’s boss batte is a two-in-one with Hugo). Her fighting style leans more into slowly taking away enemies’ HP slowly (though your point about Jericho being the healing battery’s very fair), which honestly feeds more into her being tactical and leaving the rest of the group to melee.

Seeing how Derek put together Caprice and Ziggy especially, we know that he can craft insane builds, and with the care put into the reboot as a whole I’m expecting something that he feels more comfortable with playing, that won’t undermine what he’s trying to do even when the dice decide that rolling 2s is just what they do now. Time will tell but it just seems logical and more fun to play for him, which is what matters most in the end.

Again, if that’s how you feel that’s a good point, and you make a lot of very good points, the comparison just doesn’t seem fair to me

Here's all my evidence for my Adela Druskenvald=Arabelle Azran theory in my notesapp, please enjoy the ramblings of a madman :)))