#is5

"Despite everything, it's still you"

Sarkaz's Furnaceside Fables is more than a year old now, and it is interesting that after the relatively grounded narrative of IS4 we've returned to an IS3-style series of "what-ifs". Buuut this time, way less constrained by what COULD happen. It's literally just whatever the hell the storytellers - in universe - feel like telling, regardless of the plausibility. Enter the Twin Gargoyles Face-Off node.

This pair of Gargoyle cousins are renowned Catastrophe Messengers in Kazdel. Arturia excels in stone-shaping Arts, while Federico is known for his rock-solid perseverance. Their conflicting personalities often lead to arguments, but their disagreements are matched only by their unwavering solidarity against Catastrophes. Very cute designs, and getting an AU where Fede gets along with Arturia better is fun. Not a lot of other IS nodes that have people making fanart. And, of course, we COULD take this as an actual plausible AU in some sense. After all, Fede and Arturia have those curious solid-looking halos, unlike the vast majority of Sankta (and Arturia's even seems to be made of rocks!). That COULD be an indicator of actual Gargoyle ancestry, given Masses' Travels confirmation of Sankta being similarly descended from Teekaz. Buuuut Masses' Travels occurs just after Episode 15, while Sarkaz's Furnaceside Fables happens between Episode 14 and 15, as we can see from (canon) Amiya's appearance in some of the endings during her stay in Kazdel. The Shocking Reveal hasn't happened yet.

It's also notable that these stories have an in-universe selection - it's not just the stories Hypergryph wants us to see (though obviously it is that). It's also showing us the stories our five Storytellers - Nymph, Mitm, Crownie, Mudrock, and Tin Man - feel like telling us. And THIS is the meat of the matter, because there are a number of stories here focused on Rhodes Island - but at this point, Nymph, Tin Man, and Mitm haven't JOINED Rhodes Island yet. Nymph's sister is at Rhodes Island in charge of HR, and Tin Man has of course worked with us in Trimonts... but there's only one person who's actually spent time on board the landship. Who could even have ENCOUNTERED Federico and Virtuosa.

The Child of Soil and Stone herself, the only confirmed Gargoyle operator. Mudrock.

Thing is, this is not the first time we have seen Amiya with originium growing on her face out of her eye:

When Amiya, W (she gets her new name shortly after this), Logos, Kal´tsit and the doctor get pulled into the originium universe in chapter 14 this happens.

There is also this art covering her right eye, by Lowlight, aka Hai Mao aka one of the co-founders of Hypergryph, original creator of Kal´tsit and vice president of Hypergryph. He also cosplayed as Andreana one time.

However, this is also not the first time. The second concept trailer for Arknights (there are 4 of these, first one I believe is pre release, partially into Reunion arc I believe, 3rd released before the Victoria arc and 4th after chapter 14) also shows her with eye covered:

She wears bandages covering that part of her face.