Someone may have already pointed this out, but the koi imagery is fascinating!
Jadis is the koi/goldfish swimming forever in circles in its pond. She leapt out of the pond once, saw its very limited entirety, and became caged by her perfect knowledge of the world. Nothing she does will change the pond, so she instead she just swims, swims, swims, s(worm?)s, swims, swims, swims, swi
Or she’s a goldfish doing infinite laps in its bowl until a weird giant knocks it over.
I definitely feel like she’s got a similar brand of destructive nihilism to Jobu Tubacky considering she has perfect and unnerving knowledge of everything and has found existence to be quite lacking. At least Jädis doesn’t look like your estranged daughter
Getting real sick of the lack of breakfast hair, Little Jay.
Like seriously, you promised breakfast and plants, and there’s no breakfast, and the plants are kind of itty bitty compared to the huge ass doom machine.
And don’t give me any of this crap about “The breakfast hasn’t been made yet”- you knew I’d be hungry sixteen million years ago, you could have ordered breakfast in advance. The only reason we waiting for breakfast is that you didn’t order it.
After such knowledge, what forgiveness? Think now
History has many cunning passages, contrived corridors
And issues, deceives with whispering ambitions,
Guides us by vanities. Think now
She gives when our attention is distracted
And what she gives, gives with such supple confusions
That the giving famishes the craving. Gives too late
What’s not believed in, or if still believed,
In memory only, reconsidered passion. Gives too soon
Into weak hands, what’s thought can be dispensed with
Till the refusal propagates a fear. Think
Neither fear nor courage saves us. Unnatural vices
Are fathered by our heroism. Virtues
Are forced upon us by our impudent crimes.
These tears are shaken from the wrath-bearing tree.
Yeah, but he has no key anymore, right?
(Jadis as well, but still)
If anything, I’d love for Allison to get her own, once she comes to master the use of her key (if that ever happens), or once she gets a big achievement done that would earn her that level of recognition on the cosmic scale.
Because at the moment she may be a demiurge in the technical sense, but has yet to demonstrate the “qualities” of one
The former bearer of Mind had met the same problem a Poor Clockmaker once did in another part of the wheel: The Hesitant Self. The Shape of the World includes the Shape of You. As Knowledge of it’s Size and Ways paralyze those moved by Ego within the path of Destiny, The Shape reshapes arond that Paralysis.
What the Inheritor of Sloth sees as Nothingness is merely her own pride in foreknowledge.
“There are things in the Universe billions of years older than either of our races. They are vast, timeless, and if they are aware of us at all, it is as little more than ants and we have as much chance of communicating with them as an ant has with us. We know. We’ve tried and we’ve learned that we can either stay out from underfoot or be stepped on. They are a mystery and I am both terrified and reassured to know that there are still wonders in the Universe, that we have not explained everything.” Ambassador G’Kar Babylon 5
Eh. If reality and free will means nothing, it means you spent way too long depressed. Go get some sun, maybe go swimming, and find a nice warm beach to relax on.
Then think on it from scratch- because there is a purpose, and just because you got a result you don’t like means you can approach the problem from another angle.
I still think Jadis could be lying, but I had another thought while looking at this comic- maybe she’s been on Jaggy’s side all along? Sort of like Incubus was, but more subtle. The fight on Ryubya was all a ruse (again, like Incubus), and when Jaganoth wanted her key all he had to do was ask.
Jadis learned nothing from Aesma’s experience with the three Sages.
Poor Alison, so much education but so little learning. Her victories come from breaking the endless cycles. Step off the paths well trodded and seek wisdom!
She ain’t all that.
My humble interpretation of the lie of the Giant and the Ant.
Space is defined by time.
Time is defined by space.
It is all a lie
There is no truth in it that is not circular, endlessly defining itself.
A self perpetuating lie
Stop this cycle and things have all meaning or no meaning. Both equal and untenable.
The good life is to be had in the romp and play amid all possibilities.
Jadis is the Goose in the Bottle who preferred the certainty of the bottle over the question of all things beyond.
Yeah, I think Allison is the ant, and Jaggonoth is the giant, so…
Neither, I choose the Rock.
the gaping void of the machine behind her like a halo in an old painting is really sick imagery
Nice to have one of the Gods of the Sevenfold World be absolutely terrifying in a philosophical way, rather than merely physical.
“You think your Sceptre is a symbol of power, it is not: It is a crutch.
But I, am true Royalty. And I, wear no Crown.”
“No. No you are right. Your wings are made of lead, your gloria as murk as the sea…
Your Halo is of the lonely, cold, DARK, Void.”
The Hermit and the Crownless Queen.
I get it now. Jadis is already dead.
NANI??
Ears piercing screeching.
Cry of fleeting agony.
Sounds of tearing flesh and dripping blood.
Blissful silence.
–THE END.–
Welp! That was a great story, and a lesson well learned. Never try anything. See ya ’round folks!
It is, in fact, liberating. If everything is meaningless, then anything you do is equally valid.
Or equally invalid.
How much of an optimist do you really think you are if you are willing to entertain meaningless as an option?
Which is what YOU are about to become…
And everyone dies.
The End!
FORMER bearer of the word Mind? So who has it NOW?
Someone may have already pointed this out, but the koi imagery is fascinating!
Jadis is the koi/goldfish swimming forever in circles in its pond. She leapt out of the pond once, saw its very limited entirety, and became caged by her perfect knowledge of the world. Nothing she does will change the pond, so she instead she just swims, swims, swims, s(worm?)s, swims, swims, swims, swi
Or she’s a goldfish doing infinite laps in its bowl until a weird giant knocks it over.
She saw the shape of the world and believed it to be adamant truth.
Ironic for a bearer of Mind.
Has anyone here making a comparison to Everything Everywhere All At Once here? The black circle looks like the everything bagel.
I definitely feel like she’s got a similar brand of destructive nihilism to Jobu Tubacky considering she has perfect and unnerving knowledge of everything and has found existence to be quite lacking. At least Jädis doesn’t look like your estranged daughter
Getting real sick of the lack of breakfast hair, Little Jay.
Like seriously, you promised breakfast and plants, and there’s no breakfast, and the plants are kind of itty bitty compared to the huge ass doom machine.
And don’t give me any of this crap about “The breakfast hasn’t been made yet”- you knew I’d be hungry sixteen million years ago, you could have ordered breakfast in advance. The only reason we waiting for breakfast is that you didn’t order it.
If one might steal a verse from TSE,
After such knowledge, what forgiveness? Think now
History has many cunning passages, contrived corridors
And issues, deceives with whispering ambitions,
Guides us by vanities. Think now
She gives when our attention is distracted
And what she gives, gives with such supple confusions
That the giving famishes the craving. Gives too late
What’s not believed in, or if still believed,
In memory only, reconsidered passion. Gives too soon
Into weak hands, what’s thought can be dispensed with
Till the refusal propagates a fear. Think
Neither fear nor courage saves us. Unnatural vices
Are fathered by our heroism. Virtues
Are forced upon us by our impudent crimes.
These tears are shaken from the wrath-bearing tree.
At last… The set is complete.
(Barring any special edition bonus demiurges.)
I mean, there hasn’t been a title cartouche for Zoss.
Yeah, but he has no key anymore, right?
(Jadis as well, but still)
If anything, I’d love for Allison to get her own, once she comes to master the use of her key (if that ever happens), or once she gets a big achievement done that would earn her that level of recognition on the cosmic scale.
Because at the moment she may be a demiurge in the technical sense, but has yet to demonstrate the “qualities” of one
I’d love to see both those cartouches, honestly. The old, and the rising Kings’.
Pity the demiurges for they are merely mortals with the power of the gods
they are all wretched and in pain
You choose the giant, or you choose the ant? Giant, or ant? This is Royalty, boy! You know what that IS, don’t you? DON’T YOU?
Royalty is knowing that the choice is a lie
I saw a movie with a giant ant in it. Does that count?
The former bearer of Mind had met the same problem a Poor Clockmaker once did in another part of the wheel: The Hesitant Self. The Shape of the World includes the Shape of You. As Knowledge of it’s Size and Ways paralyze those moved by Ego within the path of Destiny, The Shape reshapes arond that Paralysis.
What the Inheritor of Sloth sees as Nothingness is merely her own pride in foreknowledge.
“There are things in the Universe billions of years older than either of our races. They are vast, timeless, and if they are aware of us at all, it is as little more than ants and we have as much chance of communicating with them as an ant has with us. We know. We’ve tried and we’ve learned that we can either stay out from underfoot or be stepped on. They are a mystery and I am both terrified and reassured to know that there are still wonders in the Universe, that we have not explained everything.” Ambassador G’Kar Babylon 5
Eh. If reality and free will means nothing, it means you spent way too long depressed. Go get some sun, maybe go swimming, and find a nice warm beach to relax on.
Then think on it from scratch- because there is a purpose, and just because you got a result you don’t like means you can approach the problem from another angle.
I still think Jadis could be lying, but I had another thought while looking at this comic- maybe she’s been on Jaggy’s side all along? Sort of like Incubus was, but more subtle. The fight on Ryubya was all a ruse (again, like Incubus), and when Jaganoth wanted her key all he had to do was ask.
Well, if everything is fated and she controls the shape of fate technically she is lying and telling the truth, from a certain point of view…
War,huh, what is it good for?
Profits.
Jadis learned nothing from Aesma’s experience with the three Sages.
Poor Alison, so much education but so little learning. Her victories come from breaking the endless cycles. Step off the paths well trodded and seek wisdom!