Hold on, how did Bjorn get the Achievement for being the first to B1, when not only has the Chief been here, but he said he came across others and even sent one into the monolith?
i mean, he said they survived the dimensional collapse, and also the chief is clearly hiding something about how he himself got down there, so it seems to be implying that they used nonstandard means of entry, did not trigger the complete unlock conditions, and gained access that way. In game terms, those explorers clipped through the map’s wall and entered a region early, but didnt trigger enough of the progression sequences to cause full unlocks to happen. Its almost like a random chance speedrunner tactic, since you cant predict it or plan for it, but it is a low chance event that can, with good RNG, pull you into a restricted zone early and allow for progression skips. And in Bjorn’s case, he actually did trigger all the progression sequences, with the dreadfear boss and all, so did manage to get the achievement
also what if the village chief is setting bjorn up and has his dragon waiting in there already because where the fuck is the dragon and why is no one talking about it lmao
Tbh it’s also possible he never had a dragon in his monster body. We just speculated that he had one since he was previously fabled to be a dragonrider. It’s possible it may have been an essence related summon on his old, pre-trapped body.Then again it does put into question how he was able to see the other islands – if no dragon, did he send villagers in other human skins, or something else?
i mean, maybe the inability to touch wood isnt a passive thing, but an active one, and can be turned on and off, as one possibility. Another is that maybe that Effect was applied later to the Chief and the village by some unknown source
So there were people who survived the dimensional collapse that’s a pretty big confirmation (though I think a few people already guessed that)
Imagine how crazy it would be if the sole explorer the chief sent in was actually Balkan, I think they said before that he disappeared during the last dimensional collapse? But certainly he would be as strong as Bjorn if not stronger since he was obtaining creation relics and became such a legend
yeah me and several others had guessed that people may be able to survive based on the wording and also given bodies had survived, it made sense that someone stronger could also. And as for Balkan, personally I dont think he’s down here, my theory is that sometime in the future, Bjorn will get another record fragment, and time hop, and become the Balkan, it was said he vanished, so that could be explained as Bjorn returning to the present after finishing whatever he was meant to do in the past as Balkan. Actually, thinking on this more, others have also posited that Balkan may have been the one to steal the race relics, and also that Bjorn may steal the race relics with another record fragment later on. What if theyre all true, and in the same record fragment that takes Bjorn back to the past to take the race relics and hide them somewhere, he also becomes the Balkan as a Cover story for his actions as a Thief. Last time he went back with Amelia, so maybe if he goes back again, he will take more of the Clan with him, and allow for Bjorn to act as the Balkan in the past, while the rest of the Clan can work to steal the relics, and with Bjorn knowing that they must be stolen, maybe they’ll be contending with Gavis or someone else in the past who is also trying to steal them, and since all that matters is that theyre taken, as the perspective of history would remain unchanged, the clan can be convinced to work with Bjorn to steal the relics, as if they dont do it, some unknown party will have them for whatver reason they could have in mind.
Well, I think you are right about the general idea, but the whole concept of time travel probably works in a way that Bjorn does not necessarily acts in the past by doing things resembling what exactly had happened so that it magically appears in the future that nothing changed, but rather that Bjorn was the one who did all those things in the past in the first place. No one but Bjorn saved Amelia's sister, saves Amelia and founds the Round Table at Ghostbusters’ as it appears. It's a sort of a spiraled time arrow of the plot that only flows forward but allows to revisit the past and by doing so build the original present as it appeared first by not necessarily altering the timeline but building it as it actually is in the original version of the present. Quite an intricate logic, but it would just wrap up all the plot holes around Bjorn (and no human being, for the record) being able to perfectly calculate all the possible changes he might induce by acting at scale he did the last time. All the things that happened in the past happened exactly because of Bjorn and would not have happened otherwise. Determinism.
i mean, we logically know that from an outside perspective, and can know that the actions Bjorn ends up taking are the ones that are always meant to happen, but, you forget to consider things from Bjorn’s perspective, to him, history is as it was told, his understanding of events is how it is viewed in history, and the facts that can be found out with certainty, But Bjorn also knows that, as long as the outside understanding of history remains unchanged, then almost anything can happen when he’s in the past, He has no idea what the finer details are, that we know are determined and going to happen, but for Bjorn, he doesnt know, in this case, if its hims and his clan that takes the relics, or if it was always someone else, So for him and the Clan, they Must act like the future is only very loosely defined, The Record itself is set in stone, but due to the nature of being alive and not knowing what the Records contain in exact detail, The people themselves cant act like all things are determined. Which is what i meant by adhereing to the outline of history, and making the events match the perspective, that the relics will be stolen, Bjorn doesnt know who is shown as stealing them in the Records themselves, and he doesnt know what his own perdetermined actions are, neither does the clan know, They must act like its not yet certain. And given the clan likely wanting to obey the law, they would need some form of incentive to encourage them to go along with it from a moral standpoint, and thus, the potential adversary, allowing the People themselves to know that they could do nothing and history remains unchanged from their perspective, not even knowing that that is the very thing that drives them to fulfil the events in the Records that says they are meant to take them. its nuanced, and youre not technically wrong, but theres alot more context. Its like the concept of Free will in our own Universe, We know, mathematically, that any system can be defined by an equation, which defines all events and changes that happen over time in said system. This equation can never exist Within the system itself, as that changes the system, and means the defining factors have changed, and been updated. What this means, in simpler terms, is that, While all our actions ARE determined, are set in stone, We, as residents of the universe, Can never know the determined events, For to know them, changes what we would do, even if slightly, and creates a new outcome that differs from what would happen if you Dont know the determined events. Thus, Free will, while not real, for the sake of life, can be treated as if it is real. this concept can also be seen in the events with Leatlas in this novel, as she directly mentions how the timeline changes if she does or does not give the vision to Bjorn and Sven. This is a direct example of how, if we Don’t know the Determined actions, our actions are set in stone and we will follow them for certain, but by learning of them, it changes the outcome and creates a New determined outcome that, just like before, Is going to happen, but the things it pertains to, can never know.
This theory makes me excited because it would be such and awesome storyline if it came true, and neatly ties up some of these mystery story beadsAlso, I had originally thought that vchief had meant the explorers that came in after Bjorn unlocked the basement floor, but hadnt considered it could be from previous dimensional collapses too. Plus, if vchief had his dragon ride then, it would make sense how he was able to get to there across the water (unless he sent a villager in human skin).
we also dont know when that explorer showed up, Chief has been there for thousands of years, could have been like 2-3000 years ago, or any other amount, the Chief sent this specific explorer into this portal
True say. So question then… would past explorers have gotten there by dimensional collapse, or possibly by defeating Dreadfear (without special conditions) so only they are sent to B1? Or possibly some other means?
it must be dimensional collapse or other nonstandard means of entry, otherwise im sure the name would have shown on the stone of honor, and unlocked the region, so nonstandard means to bypass that only make sense
Well… the name showed up because Bjorn met the special conditions and opened the floor up for everyone. What if there had been a way to slip through via Dreadfear without opening the floor?… or maybe not 😛 I realize it’s a weak idea with little to support it – I already half dismiss it myself 😅
i think of it in game terms. Dimensional collapse is like a wall clip glitch, it warps you to another part of the map that normally shouldnt be accessible, and you enter through a random spot from how we know it may work, so they dont fulfil the progression triggers for the unlock, and merely enter the space, and without the progression triggers, the Stone of Honor doesnt know to go off. It would have been interesting if Dreadfear being defeated Sane, would have allowed the basement to be kept as a secret space only for Bjorn and Co
Nah that can’t be it since they said before that Kagueras was Balkan (the guy at the round table during the fragment of records time jump who had collected 2 genesis relics at that point in time)
Alrighty so… monolith island, then maybe rainbow island, and giant island, then bounce?
Also this is such an interesting unholy alliance b/w Bjorn and chief.
I think this chapter buried the theory of the Saintred Trojan trick. Saintred wouldn't know about the Monolith being a door, and (probably) wouldn’t be so candid about sacrificing human lives for the body switch or to test the monolith.
Wondering what Bjorn will find in this. Perhaps it’s like a rift, since they had to open a portal? Likely a special field, with new monsters and a Rift boss. Only thing is they didn’t say anything about getting experience opening the portal, so maybe not?
You mean the one he got the essence from? The Vampire from the Bloody Citadel?Imagine if he got that essence again at this stage… anti-aura, anti-magic, impregnable shield, and add rapid regeneration and ability stealing on top of that… our boy would be a 1 man army…
no the recent one that unlocked the basement floor what if theres another of of them also and he already is a 1 man army for sure the only thing that holds bjorn back is hes trying to save people instead of killing them we seen when the chief took over bjorn body and was slaughtering them if bjorn didnt take his body back over from seeing raven it would of been a total wipe lmao we have to remember bjorn is going to be stronger than he was in the game by a long shot
Ohhh you mean the floor lord Dreadfear, lord of Terror. I thought you meant the very first ever unique boss he faced, lol. This would be interesting, though when the team defeated him using the special conditions, it felt like it freed him from the bandage placed on him. Like he could rest in peace finally. Not sure if all floor lords are like that though.True, he is a beast, but he’s bound to continue to grow. Our boy ain’t satisfied until no one can mess with him
yea but remember when bjorn asked him what would happen if he kills him here and he told him he would get that much more thats why im thinking bjorn going to have to go around killing the originals
Tbh I interpreted that part to occur after Dreadfear had been free, when he was back to being sane and free from the curse. His response to Bjorn leaning more towards “the labyrinth rewards you for your efforts” so he’d get rewards of some kind for killing the pilgrim in that space. If anything at all, maybe the pilgrim might return, but I don’t think we’ll ever see Dreadfear again.
does make me wonder what would have happened if the Sane Dreadfear was taken out, cause i dont think that chance will ever come again, not for the same rewards, cause its not the same circumstances, and there was a System prompt about that form of the boss not being accessible again from the way i interpreted it. So even if Sane Dreadfear showed up, i doubt there would be anything near the same level of reward as there potentially was before
pretty sure that explorer is gonna be dead, i cant imagine getting food in the basement is easy normally, and this is a special zone we know nothing about, so its hard to imagine a person being down here for who knows how long, and not going insane or dying from starvation
Well, it's not that in terms of worldbuilding that's absolutely impossible since time could flow differently there or whatnot, but I think there should be more to this sudden portal than just meeting random dude that the Chief has sent in there.
i mean. Yes. i agree with that, i never said he was gonna meet anyone? i said that that person the Chief sent in was likely dead, personally i dont think this is to meet anyone, probably something else entirely, maybe since its an island of its own, theres a way to gain another archive’s qualificaition, there was an archive qualification on Library island and that was a special place, and this seems like maybe it could be similar maybe
Coming back to this, I originally thought of this as a possible rift and there possibly being a new rift boss at the end, but Ashlen brought up a good point. The library had a challenge rather than the usual defeat a boss, gain experience, and move one. Maybe all the islands have challenges that need to be faced. If so, this may likely be more complex than just defeating a rift boss (though if it’s not, i’ll eat my words, lol)I was also thinking that if there is a powerful monster down here, it might be a good opportunity for saintred to dip, as he could easily “sacrifice himself” to a strong monster, by acting as if he was “trying to protect” one of the party members. The whole “woah is me, i’ve been slain… farewell friends” (backhand on forehead)
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My brain being flooded with Expedition 33 does not help with theorizing anything about the Monolith in the middle of the ocean.
Hold on, how did Bjorn get the Achievement for being the first to B1, when not only has the Chief been here, but he said he came across others and even sent one into the monolith?
also what if the village chief is setting bjorn up and has his dragon waiting in there already because where the fuck is the dragon and why is no one talking about it lmao
So there were people who survived the dimensional collapse that’s a pretty big confirmation (though I think a few people already guessed that)
Imagine how crazy it would be if the sole explorer the chief sent in was actually Balkan, I think they said before that he disappeared during the last dimensional collapse? But certainly he would be as strong as Bjorn if not stronger since he was obtaining creation relics and became such a legend
what if this place is holding one of the original bosses with there brain still working if so alot of people are going to die
I keep imagining the monolith from 2001 Space Odyssey, maybe Bjorn will be transformed into a higher being
Alrighty so… monolith island, then maybe rainbow island, and giant island, then bounce?
Also this is such an interesting unholy alliance b/w Bjorn and chief.
I think this chapter buried the theory of the Saintred Trojan trick. Saintred wouldn't know about the Monolith being a door, and (probably) wouldn’t be so candid about sacrificing human lives for the body switch or to test the monolith.
Wondering what Bjorn will find in this. Perhaps it’s like a rift, since they had to open a portal? Likely a special field, with new monsters and a Rift boss. Only thing is they didn’t say anything about getting experience opening the portal, so maybe not?
Okay so I guess Saintred really is gone, unless he pulled something crazy with Misplaced Trust active.
I think he's gonna A) meet the other explorer that went in the portal, or B) meet the Witch again
Well at the very least it’s looking more and more like they’ll actually leave soon. Too many pieces in play to not have something occur