Transcript
Speaker: Hello, Podwalkers, and welcome to another episode of the Goblin Lore Podcast. ah We are here to talk magic story. it's um It's been a little while. doesn't know that we missed a set with some story. But still, it's nice to nice to have some magic story to talk about.
Speaker: It sure is. Right, so let's um we'll do intros real quick. I'm Alex, found on the Goblin Lore Discord. and nowhere else consistently on the internet, and in the social media sphere anyway. um My pronouns are he, him. And I'll you introduce... Hey, I'm Taya. You can find me on Blue Sky at Taya Transcend. And ah yeah, I'll go with, I'll introduce the opening question today. And since we're going to be talking about the reality fracture story, our opening question is, what would Echo vs. U be like?
Speaker: ah And I think the best answer of that for me would be a complete tech bro. I'd be shilling for crypto and um pushing for AI and um
Speaker: yeah, just kind of being an awful person in general. Yeah. yeah Yeah. Yeah. Same for me. I think something maybe not quite similar in specifics, but more, more in general. So i was thinking as as we were talking and prepping and kind of came up over with this question, my my first thought was the sort of joke I see and in social media a lot with the, um you know, God knew I'd be too powerful without anxiety. So that's why had anxiety sort of thing. But then I really thought about,
Speaker: then I thought about that concept for myself um and especially, with you know, with the with the remit, the this world, you know, the echo verse is supposed to be a world without whatever strife or whatever um thing Chase was saying.
Speaker: So this idea of myself without anxiety, but I i realized that um beside that, I also have a strong streak of stubbornness. And I think my anxiety tends to temper that, particularly my social anxiety makes me not.
Speaker: i I think without the social anxiety, I think there I am positive. There are at the very least several moments in my friendship. I have remember I can remember several moments and in friendships, particularly with some of my closest friends right now.
Speaker: When we were younger, if I had less anxiety and more stubbornness, that ratio was different, we wouldn't be friends anymore. We probably wouldn't have been friends then.
Speaker: And that would lead me to a very different place in my life and a place that I don't really, and don't even know enough about it to know the shape of it, but I don't i don't think it'd be good.
Speaker: So with that wonderful opening question, which is I think that was a great question for this topic. But yeah, we're we're talking reality fracture story.
Speaker: um this build The final culmination of Jace's plan over the last few years. Yeah, so this is everything that's built up since the end of the Phyrexian arc. So starting with Wilds of Eldraine through now. So three years worth of story, which is hard to believe it's already been three years since Phyrexia wrapped up. Yeah.
Speaker: And, and God, I'm curious how much time in the universe. Cause all I can think of is, We'll see how this plays. and The story's been out for a while. We're talking the first few. I have not gone much further. So there's a lot of mysteries to me, though. I don't think it's worth us doing too much speculating, seeing as folks are interested. but may have already read all the stories and know the answers to these things. But it's like I'm just thinking about the whole, the idea of a yet another universe-spanning thing happening that close to the Phyrexian invasion. And in response to the Phyrexian invasion, it's like, what what are you doing, Chase? God damn it, man. What are you doing?
Speaker: Anyway. Yeah, I... Jace, and I think I've said this before, in probably while we had story building up to this in reference to Jace specifically, but it's just this idea that he he has what I think of as the Thanos problem. the I am the only person smart enough, capable enough to solve this problem like no one else.
Speaker: As if there was no one else in the universe who could identify that there's an issue and that might be able to work towards solving it. that He feels like he has to bear the whole thing himself and it's Well, we can already see in the beginning of the story, it's not working. It's not working great for now. But yeah, why don't we get to to the actual events of the story? So we we start with ah with a ah ah brief scene here with with Tam, ah one of these students from Strixhaven we got to to meet first through the the lens of that that storyline. um
Speaker: God, what's that? I'm surprised she isn't from Strixhaven. She's actually from... She's the echo verse. Yeah. Created by Jace. Yeah. that was the big twist at the end of the secrets of Strixhaven storyline. Yeah. And so we get this, this first scene of her creation, like the literally the first lines of the story is the first time Tam opens her eyes and exhausted man looks back at her.
Speaker: And this is the moment of, of her creation. um And I, Yeah, we'll see. ja there's there's a few moments There's a few lines here with Jace. It's like, okay, this is his whole when his whole being is together, he has... Again, he's he's identified a problem.
Speaker: He's not necessarily wrong, but his methods here are... the Anyway, but that's get gets getting the same. With his his you know talking to her, one of the first things the first thing she asks him is, am I a person?
Speaker: Well, no, she said, can you tell me who I am? And then he says, your name is Tamara, but you who you are is up to you. And then when she asks, am I a person? He says, in progress. Yeah, you're a person in progress. I love that ah he says who you are is up to you, but then immediately gives her a mission that requires her to betray all of her friends. Yes.
Speaker: And, and we'll get back. There's a, there's a, a exchange between them, I think in this first story that want to talk to a little bit more that, that sort of links back to this in not a great way. Not a great light for chase, but it's like that, that is his, like so how he starts this setup with her.
Speaker: And now we fast forward to her coming to heck back to Hexhaven in the Echoverse after having completed her mission, capturing the Oracle. And she's not feeling it.
Speaker: is it This doesn't feel like a homecoming. What is this feeling? Why does it feel like hunger? o the Yeah. ah It's not great.
Speaker: No. now And it kind of walks through some interesting concepts of how Hexhaven is different than Strixhaven. but well in In the theorist's words, it is an improvement on the original singular and expansive tower reaching and twisting high into the realm of the Sphinxes as opposed to a campus on a plane.
Speaker: But yeah, then we get this this first glimpse as Tams passes quiet, pleasant cadets she marvels at the the multiverse her creator has made. It kind of talks.
Speaker: we We get ah view of the echo verse kind of from her perspective a little bit, at at least in the through the lens of being here. Yeah. Yeah. um
Speaker: She, there's a beautiful autumn day because campuses are meant to exist in autumn. Yeah, I thought that was interesting. and Suggesting that it is always autumn. Well, it says Tam just smells crisp leaves and marvels that they never pile up. So again, giving this glimpse of kind of what type of universe he's been creating.
Speaker: It's one that doesn't that necessarily follow natural rhythms. Yeah. Yeah. And she starts having visions of her Strixhaven classmates who she backstabbed.
Speaker: Uh, and she's like, Oh, what, what feeling am I having? Yeah. yeah And so she, she heads to speak to the theorist.
Speaker: So obvious references to, to Jace here. Um, and then, uh, Yes, and then there's a Luan, and she runs into um Professor Opal.
Speaker: Yeah, who is obnoxious. i hu She drives me crazy. Yep. I think that... There's more of it in story two when we get there, but why is she annoying.
Speaker: Yes. And this is Liliana's alternate... version. Yes. So we we had Professor Onyx, or Liliana, Professor Vess, and now we have Professor Opal, who is a white-aligned Benallian court mage, or court priestess.
Speaker: Yeah. And has, like, sinister, bubbly personality, if that ah feels like a for good characterization.
Speaker: ah yeah, so it has has a conversation um with Tam, and then when Tam was tam is leaving here, it says says, goodbye Tam. Sometimes Tam has opinions without any memory of how she formed them. She likes Professor Opal, but part of her is always wary around her, like she shouldn't show too much of her heart. Tam has no reason for this prejudice, but still, she can't shake it And it's like that line in particular, how that is is interesting because my first assumption is this, as I started to listen to this, because I listened to the audio, the the podcast. Yeah, that's what I did too. um
Speaker: But was was that there might have been something more sinister, like implanted memories or build stuff. And now it's like, I think that's just intuition and she doesn't quite understand what that is. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. that yeah And she thinks of telling Professor Oval about the visions she was just having, but then her instinct tells her it's not safe to. Yeah, and's and that kind of – at least for myself, I think that's part of why I suspect that. I think this is just a normal person thing sometimes. You just get ah not a great feeling off somebody and you can't you know necessarily you you know do the math to figure out why. But you just get that feeling and sometimes you just trust to trust that feeling.
Speaker: Yeah, I think that's what's happening. for And I do like, you know, um Professor Opal, you know, basically says, oh your duty is to your maker.
Speaker: you know, ah and you have a special relationship with the theorist and don't feel guilty for acts of service. It doesn't matter if you betrayed your friends, you shouldn't feel guilty about it because you did it for your maker. Yeah, though one of the the very first things Jace said to her is, I am not your god.
Speaker: Right. Now Opal is saying, the theorist isn't only your creator. He is, and it's like kind of falls off, you are very special and you are bound to him in ways I am not.
Speaker: So it's like, yeah, maybe the sort of nice theory of how this started is not how things are working in practice. yeah um yeah and so when she finally um gets to the theorists um office uh he is embroiled in combat with a small boy yeah yes child is young maybe 13 with a knife in one hand and a mask on his face so she can't see his eyes
Speaker: Yeah, so someone's trying to do the multiverse favor. and We don't know who it is, but... Yeah. yeah so So she yells out and he tells her to hold.
Speaker: And that with a great effort, an openly bleeding arm, he summons a portal and hurls the boy into it. And then the so first thing she says after that is, another one?
Speaker: Just think that there's this is not a... unplanned thing necessarily yeah they kind of talk through of whether he needs care right now or not um she asks when did you get your ears pierced and he replies i'm not sure yeah then she's like i'd like to get my ears pierced
Speaker: yeah doesn't say it so the theorist doesn't say anything to that but he does glance to at her he um he would have ah had a dry retort several aberrations ago disappointing he's got gotten boring since then and then does it hurt when they're carved out it looks like it hurts so then they start to talk about this process a little bit uh she asks, is it helping? And he says, control over the multiverse, a spell becomes more precise. The more aberrations excise.
Speaker: Yeah. And then I kind of go into the thing is, um, you know, that the, new multiverse is tethered through the theorist body.
Speaker: ah
Speaker: and
Speaker: He's been as he they kind of talk the conversation here, he's been cutting pieces of himself out to try to focus his ability to stabilize this universe. Yeah. and he can't complete his, you know, goal of creating a multiverse, a new multiverse without dealing with the instability.
Speaker: and And she says this multiverse needs a structure to support it. It needs to be laid on top of the original. And he says, correct. We need to overwrite the existing multiverse to make this one stable. And this is now setting the actual stakes of what he's trying to do.
Speaker: Yeah, just trying to eliminate the other multiverse yeah entirely. no, no just cause trillions of people to cease to exist. and Yeah.
Speaker: ah And then they go on, you know, we get a little bit of why they kidnapped Jawsie, Oracle Jawsie in the first place. And it's, you know, they're going to plan on something with the way that the oracles of Strixhaven work and how their souls are tethered to the plane. And they're going to kill her to follow her follow the connection back so they can figure out how the tethering works.
Speaker: Yeah. and And something about the two planes merging will give him an idea of how to to do that on a multiversal level, I guess. Yeah.
Speaker: He's this
Speaker: yeah' sort of quietly within this the span of the story sets up, oh, that's what that that's what he's doing. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: And then she, you know, is feeling, it' Tam feels a tightness in her chest. Judd's asked to die so the theorist can follow her consciousness back to the start. And so she asked, is it pertinent to the experiment for the oracle to be terminated?
Speaker: And then kind of answering both that question and maybe a second question Tam might have had, his response was, oh, yes, it's the only way for the phenomenon to be observed. I'll need you near to record the results. Yeah. Not only does this have to happen, but this person that she sort yeah to betrayed, captured, to bring here, she has to be present while this person is killed, is what Jace is telling.
Speaker: And then she goes and visits Josie in her prison cell because she's feeling really guilty about all this. Yep. Yep. um and tells Jazzy that the experiment will fail and they need her to solidify the multiverse and to that it's the path to end all suffering and Jazzy's like it's a fool's errand kid and she says to Tam it all comes back as a loop doesn't it a victim is hurt and becomes a perpetrator who hurts you just can't escape your mentors yeah
Speaker: um And I do like this this one exchange with them, though. Jazi says, I'm an oracle. What don't I know? and How to pick a locked hand counter. yeah
Speaker: Yeah, and then she walks over and talks to liiannna Yeah, who has apparently been captured. We don't know anything about how she got captured or what she's doing in Hexhaven, but she is sitting in a cell Jace's dungeon, Theorist's dungeon.
Speaker: And then the first thing that Liliana says as she approaches is, you weren't born. The prisoner muses like a chief a chef identifying a meal's ingredients.
Speaker: You were made. your your new ah Your neurons are too new. Interesting. Interesting. yes I do like this. and Do you come by once a day to make sure the other me has tortured me to your standards?
Speaker: Yeah. as And then you like the the juxtaposition of Professor Vest is much ruder, prettier, but ruder. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. And, and so then Vess, uh, professor Vess says, you had friends. Don't, didn't you? Those friendships were real. Everything that happened at Strixhaven was. Yeah. And she also says, I know how you feel betraying your friends. I know you feel like dirt because Liliana, of course, would know that one. If anybody does. Very well. Yes.
Speaker: Yeah. And then, um, Tam backs away and, uh, And Liliana yells, I know you, Bellerin. I know where you put your shame. And then as Tam leaves, it says past the portal she goes past the portal for the first operation and the second and the third and the fourth and the fifth.
Speaker: Yeah, and we don't know who those are yet. No, but just to give an idea of how much he's been cutting out of himself. Yeah. um So she returns to her...
Speaker: She returns back to her her dorm room and is just not feeling like, says Tam doesn't feel like eating or reading or doing anything that makes it seem like she's passing as a person. She feels empty and confused.
Speaker: Yeah, and then it goes back, they they do a flashback to one of the times when a theorist was excising one of the aberrations from himself. And the aberration looks like Jace, the actual Jace, not the theorist version. Yep.
Speaker: Blue cloak, of face a few years younger, look back at him and then her maker frozen worry. Yeah. And it's like, you're going to save existence without killing anybody.
Speaker: So this is her maker responded with unquestioning conviction. Anything we could accomplish without sacrifice is a stopgap. Existence must be rewritten to be saved from suffering. And then, uh, chases all the response. The death is all we're good at is, uh, targeted to, to hurt in a way that really only yourself can, can do.
Speaker: And by the these stories are long. The recordings are like 50 minutes long each. Yes. And this is a, and all 10 stories are the main story. Yeah.
Speaker: Which is, it makes sense for what they're trying to do, but it's a lot. It's a lot of story. Yeah. ah Uh, that's kind of a summary of the first story. can go on to the second one.
Speaker: uh,
Speaker: you know, these stories, by the way, we didn't mention, they're from Allison Lurs, who has been kind of the Jace story person since Ixalan.
Speaker: And ah yeah, if there's anyone who's going to write it about Jace, I'm glad they got her to do it. Me too. and And I'm glad, like, and we've talked about this in the past too, but I'm really glad they gave the main story 10 parts. Cause they're like, we know this needs more space. I mean, like that whole first, what we described, like that was a 50 minute story. And from a like plot moving things forward standpoint, we didn't get a lot. But that's ah but that's okay. like We needed we need some establishment of what is going on, what is Chase doing, and where he is he at now?
Speaker: And so therere because all 10 stories for this set are the main story, that it gives some space. which which is i really, I think the the story team has been killing it. Like both the writers and the the folks who are working at Wizards coordinating this stuff. It's it's been good. And as we both said too, like we listened to it from like a podcast. There's obviously the website where you can read it like normal. They have YouTube videos. There's a lot of, it's a lot easier to engage with the story now, especially when it's this long.
Speaker: that That can be helpful. yeah So story two starts about Tam reminiscing a little bit about her time at Strixhaven. ah And she knows like one of the things that um stood out to her there is that ah she felt truly alone for the first time because in Hexhaven, there's signs of her maker were everywhere. He surveils for our own good, she told herself.
Speaker: um So, yeah, and if you've seen any of the art from the set or read the cards, yeah, it's like Jace is watching everything. Yeah, just to again, a little tone setting for what's going on in this universe.
Speaker: yeah And then though now now, though, in Hexhaven, the only place she finds solitude is in her dormitory, which is hexed to the nines with every seal she knows and two she invented.
Speaker: Let's see here. And then she she keeps trying to write a letter to Abigail, basically apologizing and asking for forgiveness. ah And then burns it because she ah doesn't end up being able to get a message that she wants.
Speaker: They don't actually say whether there was a chance for them to send it to... ah her not, if there was a way to even do that. but Yeah. It seemed perhaps more a cathartic thing she was trying to do, but I don't know.
Speaker: you know And then we get a we get some art and some discussion about Liliana's cell, and the way that they've imprisoned her is inside this sphere that basically keeps out all living things um So she can't use her necromancy powers at all.
Speaker: And ah they only feed her fruit and nuts. So she doesn't have anything that she can... um use necromancy abilities at all and ah and I love the flavor text on this card too so denied of ah denied all tools of necromancy Liliana endured her least favorite thing boredom yeah that would be that would drive me crazy too oh my god And then there's a fun little exchange of when she sees a mouse screwing around outside of her cell and she tries to kill it with her brain and is unsuccessful. Yeah. She'll hit die. She wills. But the intruder merely pauses the client's whiskers. Die. Die.
Speaker: Yeah, it's like, it's so alive and so small. If it were dead, she could command it to skitter up the master hex and break the spell or clamber up the other Lilliana's leg and gnaw her stupid smile off. Yep.
Speaker: Yeah, and again, like because the story has more space, we get we can take these little moments to really help build the character, really help us... I don't know. See how how frustrated Liliana is at the moment. Yeah. And then especially once Professor Opal shows up, it just makes it even worse. Yes. and so A voice outside the cell gasps with delight. A mousy.
Speaker: and that's just like. And then she proceeds to torture Liliana. Yeah. Yeah, that less funny, but I do like the, for a moment, Liliana tries to kill the source of that voice with her brain too. Yeah.
Speaker: But yeah. And then again, kind of showing me the more bubbly personality and then it's just like, and, but I'll still torture someone because it's, you know, yeah like like it's what i need to do. You wonder what it'll be like me overwriting you.
Speaker: Liliana's like, you know, change of plan. Can you just kill me instead? ah And then Opal continues about, you know, well it what it will be like when I overwrite you? Will it be messy? Will my matter overwrite yours? do you think my fabric will just displace the Weave the Old Multiverse and nestle me right in your place?
Speaker: wonder we'll ever even know.
Speaker: ah then, to be honest, I love this line. I will raise every rat that has ever died in this dungeon so we have an audience to watch as I strangle you to death. That... that's up there for my favorite threats i've seen yeah story like that's a really good one yeah and then hopeful just replies i think your life of suffering is what gave you your humor just like a pretty good targeted dig i think yeah yeah and then proceeds to
Speaker: Give Lillian a heart attack because yeah Opal is not a good person. No, Opal is not a good person at all.
Speaker: Then you you get, um I like this exchange. So Opal says, I think you'll just start to disappear. All that pain you carry, all that hurt you bear, all of it will float away in the air like fluff from a cottonwood.
Speaker: Don't you want to be free of your pain? Liliana grits her teeth and shakes off the heart attack. My pain is mine.
Speaker: And then they're interrupted by Tam. Uh, here's another, one you know, Tam shows up again and Liliana's musing, uh, you know, um,
Speaker: She's furious to look at because there's no reason why he would want to make her. To replace his own Gorgon? If so, why give her his chin and his stance or his talents? Does he see her as his heir, his partner, his secretary? What is wrong with him? Many things. Liliana knows quite well.
Speaker: And why would he go to the lengths to make it magically generate a person? Why when the cost is so high? Yes, there is lots of things wrong with Chase.
Speaker: Yes, and then Liliana asks a lot of the first questions that Jace answered immediately. um sick So is Jace your father or your boyfriend or what?
Speaker: yes What about your god? God boyfriend? Father god? Yeah. ah None of the above. mean ah Is it because the Gorgon left him? He made you to take her place?
Speaker: Yeah, and then then Tam, you know, shouts no. says Tam's voice echoes in Liliana's cell and for a second, even that sounds familiar. If you're going to try to and tell me who I am, I'm going to leave.
Speaker: And so so then Liliana says, fine, what do you want? ah And then Tam says, I need you to see something. And then the line, worse, a heart to heart. to heart.
Speaker: Yeah, and then we we learned too, because there was some reference to this, but Tam wouldn't have known who it was. But there's a bust of Gideon in Liliana's cell that Jace put there for some reason.
Speaker: Yeah, Jace or Opal. some Oh, ja yeah, I'd say Jace put there. so Yeah, just to torment her some more. I don't know why they're torturing her. I don't know what they're getting out of this. but Yeah, no no idea.
Speaker: I mean, and at this point too, this' it's possible Jace doesn't know either. Yeah. think ki Doesn't know either. For those who haven't been in the story for a long time, they are exes. Jason Lilliana did date a long time ago in the story.
Speaker: yes
Speaker: And like, like lots of things, Lilliana totally screwed that up backstabbing Jace when, uh, she got what she wanted. Yeah. She, um she was speaking from experience when she was talking to Tam about feeling like dirt and betraying friends.
Speaker: um And so Tam wants to know what basically, you know, what she wants to ask Liliana about is that her mastery is death and wants to know what will happen when the multiverse is overwritten.
Speaker: And I do do like this where for a moment, Liliana considers lying. flatter the girl, earn her trust, and manipulate her into letting her out. But even if she lies, the truth will hurt far more than anything she can conjure up.
Speaker: oh And so Liliana tells her the truth. Within all living beings, there's a spark of power or a soul, literal candle, something that makes them alive. When it dies, that intangible part leaves. She's saying something is overwritten.
Speaker: That is an act of suffocation. The part that was ignited must be snuffed out to be replaced. There's some more description. which She says, you know, the there must be something empty or half full or half empty for the rest to fill it up.
Speaker: The doubles here don't quite have full spirits. they're And she said, Liliana says, they're like you. They're not people, not all the way. They need to overlay an empty vessel. the old multiverse must die for this plan to work.
Speaker: Your friends will be overwritten to them.
Speaker: Yeah, won't tear them apart, but laying one multiverse on another will smother the souls of everyone in the original. Your friends will spiritually suffocate, and what reanimates them will be someone else.
Speaker: I do like this description of the look on Tam's face, though. It's Jace's same kicked kitten broken heart. Yeah, which we're getting a lot, especially from Liliana's perspective, which makes sense as someone who who knows him as well, that there's a lot of Jace, a lot more Jace in Tam than Tam probably realizes.
Speaker: And just lines like that Tam says, well, that's not necessarily true. They could be woven together under the right circumstances. And Liliana just scoffs. He gave you his stubbornness.
Speaker: And then another even more direct line along that line too, where Liliana just says, well, Liliana, I like the setup too. Liliana isn't one to comfort, but she has one for perspective.
Speaker: Look, this isn't done. no one has died yet. Let me try to talk to him. And then the Gorgon looks back with an eyebrow raised, not buying it for one second, and Liliana can't help but laugh.
Speaker: Fair. Then it needs to be you. He'll listen to himself. Yeah.
Speaker: um i get At the end of this, Tam locks her back up in her cell and Liliana catches her and winks. Tell my ex it's bad it's a bad luck to keep a woman locked in a dungeon. It's the kind of thing that dragons do. yeah Really rubbing in the whole Bolas tie-in, I Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, that's Liliana. Yeah, I love Liliana. She's such a wonderful character. yeah me too. yeah her whole time the The whole time they've had her as Professor Vess in the book and in the Strixhaven stories, ah you know they've developed her character so good. and i really like I've always liked her, but I love her in the Professor role.
Speaker: Yeah, me too. and and i really like I talked about some of this before too, but I really like them taking this this character that very and much acted in villainous ways.
Speaker: then betrayed people, you know, during, during the, the Bolas arc um ultimately helped at the end, but then rather than just doing the, Oh, heroic sacrifice at the end. And now we have this clean cut thing where then at the end she did something nice and was, was turned against the, the evil ways. Now she has to like, she didn't die.
Speaker: So she has to live with the consequences and the, for the last, how many years in the real world anyway, for story, Like you say, we've had this professor. of She's been in this professor role and living with those consequences and trying to do better. And it is a more complicated, more difficult story to write. But ultimately, I think more rewarding when you can do it.
Speaker: Yeah. And it's just her sarcasm. Her sarcasm is. And it's great to just have her sarcasm. She's so good at it.
Speaker: But yeah, so then we the the story changes scenes and and we have Tan climbing the tower again, um briefly runs into this universe's version of Chandra wearing blue goggles, um but doesn't really exchange words.
Speaker: Yeah. um And then this is the one. um These versions, the one walking around the courtyard of Hexhaven, what do they have? They were made months ago by a multiverse churning them out. They are only sort of people, just like her. Sort of people aren't people, but her friends are.
Speaker: So she charges into the the theorist's office. um And that at a loss for words, she weaves in her emotions. ah Shock.
Speaker: Every person, every person must die. Anger. Why do I matter more than my friends? Sorrow. They matter to me. all those All those people matter to me. Why is the potential life worth more than the reality?
Speaker: And of course, being being a telepath, Jace hears all of this as she sort projects it.
Speaker: And he just flicks his hand and says enough. And she takes a seat and her mind at ease with the sarg in her chest still present. And the quiet distant part of her recognizes what he just did, what she could not defy, what was easy to obey and as natural as breathing.
Speaker: And then the the part, the the other part that is excited at all until all you taste is bile. We are scientists, Timmer. You know, that's. Yeah, he's telling her that she should excise aberrations of her own.
Speaker: Yeah. Yeah. Again, giving you an idea. Well, and then in, believe this is the conversation, and maybe there's more we want to get to in here, but at some point she asked, is this where she asked why he created her?
Speaker: and And his response is sort of chilling. um I can't see. So, yeah, it again, he we're getting more of a glimpse of of what Jace is up to right now and the state that he's in And it's not.
Speaker: And then we get, you know, she leaves and, you know, he immediately goes down to the prison cells. You know, he says, this can end tonight. He can do it on his own. And he's just like, something is still wrong with his multiverse. um You know, all of it is missing a soul. And like, did one of the aberrations have mine?
Speaker: he has sites, a hot process, a soul, a spark. Why must such meaningless factors turn out to be the most critical ones?
Speaker: Yeah, so. And somehow they're critical, but that makes them meaningless. Sorry. but that so you't let a commentator but i don't think I don't know that people are um not also seeing that reading.
Speaker: But yes, he he sends her on a mission to go to Innistrad before he heads down. And so she heads off to to go to another plane. because he says, I need its planar dimensions, including extraplanetary bodies.
Speaker: Go at the data, or observe its nature, see what an unfriendly plane it is. Because then this part part of his theory was strict saving is infamously pleasant. The rest of the multiverse is much, much more punishing.
Speaker: Yeah. This is one part, though, that I need to point out. As he's walking down the hallway, he picks up thoughts from a couple of the prisoners, and one of them, and they don't identify who this is, but one thinks in a litany of swears punctuated by a rasping yell, keep your lids open or you'll see with Urza's eyes, Bellerin. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Referencing yet another person who had grand plans and thought he was the only person who could solve a problem. Yep.
Speaker: Uh, and then he goes to Jadzi and, you know, his plan is just to kill her and get it over with. like then And then, and then he actually stands there uncertain. Is there a chance I'm wrong? And she's just like, see for yourself, leans her head forward in invitation. Uh, and he tries to read her mind and it is a jumble. It kind of just shows how talent or, you know, it shows a multitude of possible futures. Uh,
Speaker: of like verasca coming back verasca leading the charge against him tam on his side tam betraying him yeah one multiverse rejecting the other and it disintegrated both multiverses imploding yeah uh jace i thought one of my favorites is jace gives himself an accidental aneurysm jace succeeds in over the multiverse and immediately gets a different aneurysm yeah says jasy the oracle must die and he must watch he must for the experiment to see It the
Speaker: but in the end um He ends up not doing it. ah like The Oracle grins, fail or succeed, no one will remember what you achieved. Existence will not thank you for your ambition, mind sculptor. And I think that might be a good place to call it for this one because these are long stories.
Speaker: But yeah, like two entire stories, nearly two hours of listening, I think probably an hour and 40 or something. Yeah, they're both 50 minutes long. ah and And we still haven't left the plane of Hexhaven at all in the POV. We've gotten to Jay's POV, we've mostly gotten Tam, but it's all been on just this, all at Hexhaven in the Echo. Mostly in the prison.
Speaker: Yeah, mostly in the prison. And so yeah, not even seeing a lot of... the the school. Yeah. So i I'm liking that. I like, I'm so glad we got enough.
Speaker: We got a lot of story for this, but I'm looking looking forward to digging in more and talking more.
