So I think about Isidor and Simon a lot and how they both impact on the game - and what it means for Burakhovsky. Under the cut is my take on Isimon and what the actual hell Isidor was Doing.
So it’s established in the game that Isiodor knows he’s dying, right? He’s gonna uncover the sand plague out he knows it’s inevitable. He needs someone to stop the spread and take over as menku - hence the letter to Artemy. He’s going to come to the town and stop the plague and take up his inheretence and replace his father. But that’s not enough for Isidor. Simon is also dying (possibly dead) at this point. And he also needs a replacement. The town is all about balance the game is all about balance and Isidor himself specifically is all about balance. Hence he can’t make a choice. So Simon needs replaced and Artemy is going to need help (and a boyfreind): enter Daniil.
So you have a literal and metaphorical replacement for Isidor and Simon. He choice of Artemy is a replacement is obvious: he’s Isidor son he’s the next Menku he’s got the training and the will. But Daniil? Well. Simon is obsessed with death and fetches - deathless man replaced by the man who wanted to defeat death seems appropriate. There’s a letter I always think of that Simon writes about magic and he says that it often requires “...the energy of Human Will and the predetermination of human destiny” and if that dosent sound familiar. Isidor is probably banking on the Polyhedron and Artemys inate charm to keep Daniil in the town. Everything then is perfectly balanced (as it should be)
Or at least that’s his take *g* but what it does for me anyway is this: cast Isidor and Simon with the same dynamic as Artemy and Daniil. Balancing counterpoints. Suggesting that the town needs both a Menku figure and someone like Simon to run effectively and properly which is Fascinsting. But it’s also neat from a ship angle: because he *is* basically setting Artemy and Daniil up and handing them pre-established roles in the town. You two are meant for each other.
But it also sets them both up with seemingly Impossible tasks - both of them need to succeed where their predecessor has failed and carry the weight of that. And that link to each other. As far as Isidor/Simon goes I dont think the game talks too much about how they got on but thematically it’s too nice for me to ignore. I mean there is something horribly fatalistic in all this - the damage of repeated cycles that are never broken is a theme in path one after all. But it’s also so thematically nice as well because it’s the balance and fate and death and rolled into one. Do I think isidor is calculating enough to pull of a Xantos Gambit like this? Yeah. He’s stressed, short on time and playing speed chess: he makes some mistakes but he’s still playing the game.
