#lore theory

As we all know, the name Zandik is a persian name. However, as a history enjoyer, I thought it would be fun to point out a few other things that I found that related him to Persia! Some of these are just curioisities, I wouldn't take them too seriously, but the last one gives me hope that he will come back.

This has been moving around in my brain for a while, with all the ghost imagery, the offputtingness of Slide to me and after reading @pirate-queen-aurora's Magnificent Post as well as @handlebarstiedtothestars's Fantabulous Post.

This is a theory, halfbaked and follows threads from the above posts which actually helped me to form proper words and not just the screams in my head. Theories are fun and this is what this is, fun.

Ok Ok.

If we look at @pirate-queen-aurora's theory that Yunho is looking for his bother's ghost and may have died in order to find his brother and bring him back. I think that happened. Yunho died and it's his soul/spirit that is looking for his brother's soul/spirit.

Yunho's body is left behind. but his soul goes searching. With his soul gone, his body is left open, for what? Could be sopro, could be another spirit, but something enters him, which then traps his soul in purgatory.

I quiet like the idea that Mingi did chase after Yunho trying to get him back.

I agree that the house in Youth is a purgatory for them, that Mingi manages to break Yunho free from that place when he smashes the mirror.

And I personally believe that the road and the feild is kind of like an Elysium-like place, but they can't escape just yet. The something possessing him is stopping him from re-entering his body.

And we see that fight back in the stage performances that we have had recently. My mind goes to the AAA stage performance with Yunho's little interlude before IYF. He looks...different and then he covers his ears, like he's trying to stop the whispering sounds (the real Yunho and Mingi?)

He them goes from covering his ears and standing at attention within milliseconds. like whatever is in Yunho's body snaps out of it.

He then is transfixed by the table. Does the shrouded candle call to him? he drinks something. Wine? Poison? something to stop the whispers so he can keep control of the body he possesses. Is he the phantom?

I also look at the SBS stage. I made notes:

We also get a bell toll, which usually symbolises the dead.

The part I need to know is where Slide to me fits in the timeline of things. Because I have thought that Yunho seems very different to usual.(I am aware of the rushedness of the MV and Yunho wasn't fully happy with it).

I'm starting to think the feeling of being watched is Yunho looking in, trying to get back into his body. The beginning he looks back at us, but maybe he's looking at Yunho's soul who is looking for a way back in, in a this body is mine now kind of way. And he uses it to do what ever he wants. Drinking, Sex?

And the reflection in the mirror is Yunho watching his body. Yunho's body moves, the reflecton stays and watches.

The bathtube could be one of two things

He goes underwater to drown out whispers (Yunho and/or Mingi if Mingi is still with Yunho's soul)

or

This is Yunho taking over witht e idea that he will need to kill the body again for his real soul to come back.

Where do ghosts come into this - well, ghosts are just lost spirits yeah? Unable to move on.

Is whatever is possessing yunho's body actually his brother who wants to use Yunho's body for another chance at life

The main question is:

Did he die in Ash?

It seems to be the likeliest place, but it feels more dreamlike/afterlifeesque than an actual place of his death. but the clothes point to it being where he dies.

@handlebarstiedtothestars brings up some good points about `yunho (and Hwa) are the only ones wearing white here:

White is the colour for mourning and death in a lot of eastern cultures. In Ash, They are wearing white, Yunho is in the (crater?) in white.

In the SBS stage, the ghosts circle Yunho as oppossed to being behind him like they were with Hwa. With (with woo they lean into him until Hwa comes back), do they know something? and when Seonghwa arrives with the lantern, Yuhno is gone, did he /it sense what was in it to drive away ghosts/spirits?

One last thing I want to bring up is that in their SBS stage outfits there is a lot of symbolism - cranes, clouds, pine trees, dragons and peacocks. Every single person has a peacock on their outfit, every single one of them. Except Yunho. He has the crane and the pine tree, which is mirrored, but no peacock. which strikes me as very odd.

Peacocks have a lot of meaning, in both western and eastern cultures. This site had a quick breakdown of different meanings. Here is a section: It also represents resilience, as its feathers maintain their beauty long after being shed, symbolising the endurance of the soul and the continuation of life.

So why doesn't Yuno have the Peacock? does this mean he is dead and his soul is blocked from returning and that means there is no continuation of his life? If he doesn't expel the spirit (with help from the boys) will he be cut off from his body forever and be trapped in a limbo place?

Again this is a halfbaked theory, but it's been in my brain for a hot minute and now you guys can think about it too!

So, I feel like too few people are talking about it and I love myself a good theory, so here's mine:

The purpose of the black tent is to provide our 5 beloved monsters with a human skin. Here the interaction on Day 2 when you visit the black tent for the first time:

Notice 3 things: the black ticket, the people in line assuming that the circus is "hiring", and MC pointing out that all of the people are taller than them. The black ticket is pretty straightforward, it serves the same purpose as the pink and golden ticket: sorting the visitors. The "hiring" aspect makes me think that someone approached them (it may not be even so far-fetched to claim that it was the same person that offered MC the pink ticket), claiming that the circus is "looking for people", and offering them an "interview". The last and most important point is the MC pointing out that everyone was taller than them. You know who else MC pointed out being taller than them? Our 5 beloved freaks.

Aka more details about the impalement on Messmer's Crusade banner/sigil and also his ring

Impalement is a heraldic practice in which two coats of arms are combined in one shield to denote a union. Generally.

More specifically, it is associated with the marshalling of arms which, refers to the combination of two or more coats of arms onto a single shield. The impaled shield is bisected in pale (that is, by a vertical line) with each half of the shield displaying a complete coat of arms.

This is often used to represent family alliances through marriage or inheritance or occupation of office, or display unions with an ecclesiastical office, academic position, government office, or mystical union.

Impalement in heraldry: on the dexter side of the escutcheon/shield, the position of greatest honour, are placed the arms of the husband (baron), with the paternal arms of the wife (femme) on the sinister.

In the most basic terms, Messmer's Crusade sigil can be seen as the union of his forces and Marika's, specifically the Black Knights.

But more specifically, the impaled sigil of Messmer's Crusade follows the ecclesiastical heraldry of either a bishop or a king-at-arms:

In ecclesiastical heraldry, a bishop's coat of arms might show the arms of their diocese/see/official arms on the dexter (left) side of greater honour, and their hereditary/family arms on the sinister (right) side. A King-at-Arms might show the insignia of their office on the dexter side and their family arms on the sinister. 

An episcopal see is the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction.

In church governance, a diocese, also known as a bishopric, is the territorial area under the jurisdiction of a bishop, encompassing churches and parishes overseen by that bishop. A diocese is a geographical region where a bishop has authority and responsibility for the spiritual care and governance of the Catholic faithful within that area. 

A king-at-arms is synonymous to king-of-arms, first recorded in the 15th century, originating from the late Middle English phrase "king of armes". It refers to the highest rank of heraldic officer, with the authority to grant armorial bearings (coats of arms) and sometimes certify genealogies and noble titles to individuals and organizations. Besides Kings of Arms, other heraldic officers include heralds and pursuivants.

Messmer might not be filling in the role of the exiled firstborn. A facet of his archetype—a combination of charismatic/friendly or sympathetic monster, cursed royal/reverse lindworm prince, soldier fighting in distant lands/stranded soldier, puppet tyrant—might be the forbidden hot priest, emphasis on the "forbidden" with its own Fromsoft flavor.

Yes, I know, messners/churchwardens are not really priests but volunteers, bishops are the priests, and kings-at-arms are heraldic officers.

Marika being both god and queen makes this complicated. We don't actually know what exact rank and position (or combination of) she gave Messmer. (Except that he is apparently a Ser, which is usually used for knights.)

Anyway, Rellana chasing after Messmer can be seen as a play on the passionate maiden going after an emotionally unavailable priest. And obviously it didn't work out that way.

She instead became his loyal sword/blade and they became neighbors, exactly like the relationship of the Astronomers and Fire Giants as depicted in the Sword of Night and Flame.

And Messmer wears his ring in his middle finger happily stating his singleness and that his purpose, identity, life goal, self-worth and responsibility/duty is tied to the Crusade.

You want to rescue romance this man so bad, you make sure he loses his seal of grace, his armor, cape and ESPECIALLY his ring and replace it with yours, okay.

You put a ring on his finger and tell him his Crusade is over. His duty is done, he can rest and he and his army can return home. His purpose is changed and you will happily provide him a new one.

It's likely that Zoey was always creating music in some capacity, maybe she got a lot of traction on social media and Celine saw her and it clicked.

Considering Mira openly addresses how she was considered a problem child, my theory is that she pursued dance/music against her family's wishes and since she's from a well to do family it was VERY public and Celine caught wind of it and was like "yep that's the one"

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.

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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.”

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

Briggsy's 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.

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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.

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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

Maybe... maybe the Sunbringer & Ramielle are familially connected with each other? I don't know, I just think about that one scene from the S3 teaser & I'm just getting "little sis Void Hunter goes to her big sis Bangboo creator for help" vibes...