Toris, buddy 🙁
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Toris, buddy 🙁
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Kind of goes with the “theory” I had that demons get “possessed” by the memories of the person whose name they took.
Demon takes the “bait” gets Toris’s name and human memories. What we don’t know is if demons have memories of their own before taking the bait. So far I believe they do, but we don’t have proof yet. If they do take the “bait”, do they lose their own memories (if they had their own to begin with)? (seems to be implied that they do lose their own memories as soon as they take on a new name).
As TORIS puts it here, before acquiring someone’s memories and name, the demons are “things”; a few pages back Kohjen described demons outside Noridun as “something mindless”.
BTW confirmation that the totems are important as in page “the-well” is interesting here. At the very beginning of the story, and as reminded to us by the picture at the bottom of every page, Anyalin found in page “loot” the scroll discovered by Toris, the search focus stone, and a totem (in the image below the page there are two totems though).
We see a totem in use here too:
http://stonebreakercomic.com/stonebreaker/the-well/
Uhm just noticed an angle:
* An alternative theory is that demons might be swapping memories with the humans.
* This cannot be because demons can acquire many names and memories without losing the ones they already have.
* However in page “belong” granny says that when Anyalin takes back Scribbler, “That’s not your brother” and “Send it *back*! It doesn’t *belong* here”.
* However in page “getting-better” Anyalin says “I don’t like how the priests treat him though. Like he is just some… *tool*” and “Just a *tool*” of demons.
The last two points seem to suggest that Scribbler acquired the unformed mind/memories of a demon, and then with time became thanks to Anyalin a sentient demon, instead of a mindless one.
Anyalin, TORIS, SCRIBBLER/Scribbler thus may prove both to demons and humans that humans can treat demons with respect, and viceversa, and that demons can acquire sentience and personalities without taking them from humans.
Because demons don’t seem bad people after all, they are fairly reasonable, they don’t go out their way to be nasty or corrupt souls, they just bear a very ancient grudge to humans for being enslaved, as in page “morals” and “fixing-it”
I agree the demons don’t seem to be bad “people” once they aquire sentience, but I am semi cautious to conclude they are good in their wild unchanged form.
What makes me curious is what motivated “Toris” the demon to take the bait in the first place?
What is it demons are looking for? Are they looking for lost souls to eat or take to their resting place? Are they after human’s sentience? The bait is only effective if there is something the demons want.
What was it “Toris” wanted? Did he get what he wanted? This page hints he did not get what he wanted. That he really wants to figure out who he is without human Toris’s memories influencing him.
Perhaps he just wants to return to being a demon and free from whatever binds having human memories creates. (the two pages in Anya’s dream hints this with his facial expression and what happens after he devolves away.)
«what motivated “Toris” the demon to take the bait in the first place?»
Here is an interesting subtlety:
* Demons in their with-memory state are sentient, and want to steal names and memories to be less controllable.
* But to steal names and memories they need to know the name of the victim and be in contact.
* But while they have contact with the dead or nearly dead bodies dipped into the well, how do they know their names?
* I suspect that the focus stone around the head of those dipped into the well is the bait and pushes and allows them to steal the memories from the dipped bodies.
Which would explain why demons have not yet had their way with Kohjen and Anyalin: they don’t have focus stones, and the demons don’t know their names. Or maybe the strange patterns and devices on the platform keep them away.
Yet another angle to the theory:
In Wild form demons are the gel-like substance or just nothing but spirits. Perhaps they have some duty to fulfill as spirits that involves dealing with dead and dying humans.
Any one of these could be possible:
– they feed off the souls to sustain themselves or their realm.
– they take human souls to their final resting destination (heaven or hell)
– anything else?
And the totems the Noridi make disrupt this process. Perhaps instead of allowing the demons to carry out their natural (spiritual) duties, the process instead gives the demon a solid form with the human’s memories.
Essentially the demon is left now living in the human realm, but not fully human or demon. It is unable to fulfill it’s duties as either demon or human. Thus stuck in the human realm as a “tool”
«In Wild form demons are the gel-like substance»
Uh it has been remarked (at least twice in “Over the wall” is canon) that whenever they acquire a new Name they change in shape. Apparently they “solidify” when given a Name.
«Any one of these could be possible»
Unlikely… I guess they just steal names because without the memories they are just empty vessels. TORIS here speaks of “things” and “bait”.
BTW this and previous panel give some illustration of the role of the half-circle stone around the head of the bodies dipped into the well, and how demon extraction (more than creation) works, and the role of the totems.
One of the big remaining mysteries now is why there are several (at least 4 others) pillars with identical platforms and wells on top of them in the “bones of the mountain”, as in pages:
http://stonebreakercomic.com/stonebreaker/not-my-name/
http://stonebreakercomic.com/stonebreaker/the-cave-2/
http://stonebreakercomic.com/stonebreaker/the-pillar/
Could be they are just empty vessels looking for a name, a soul, and identity. But there’s got to be more than that.
Personally I find the idea demons may have a spiritual purpose more interesting and compelling overall.
Suppose demons are meant to transfer the dead souls to their destination but now are unable to. The consequences may draw greater consequences to the whole world, not just the city.
Perhaps what Kohjen might be facing outside the city? Much of her backstory outside the battle scene is still very much a mystery. She seems to be the antagonist, but if something like the above idea is what is happening, that makes her very interesting. She might turn out to be the hero.
another reason I like that theory (regardless if it happens or not) is that it will force a rather emotional decision later:
To save Toris the demon by setting him free or keep him trapped “enslaved” “a tool”.
Decision 1 may be the Right decision but means Anya will lose her best friend forever.
Decision 2: she keeps her friend, but he grows more unhappy and resentful as he becomes resentful and bitter for not fulfilling his duties.(possibly further corrupting him as it may have for the Stonebreaker)
Either way she may be destined to lose her demon friend.
There are already some foreshadowing to point this direction: 1. Anya’s dream shows him dissolving into bones. Perhaps implying his eventual freedom. The anger on his face expressing he is not happy with his physical life at the moment of becoming free.
The stonebreaker tales and the conversation Anya has with (I believe) her grandmother about him becoming resentful and cruel because humans were resentful and cruel to him.
My theory is the “Stonebreaker” may be the very first demon humans were able to trap and control. He broke freedom from control, but not from physical binds to the “living” human universe. Essentially trapped, just as suggested. Not in the world of the dead, but not fully living either….
Yet another foreshadowing is when Feradin asks Toris “I guess the human didn’t give you everything back” Possibly Implying his freedom.
Having the demons bound by the names they take and driven further from their spiritual purpose would also put more weight on the implications of those who have many names. (The more names taken the more bound
the demon is to the physical realm.)
http://stonebreakercomic.com/stonebreaker/seeing-things/
I love the panel of the demon going up around Toris… well, both of them.
It’s getting very interesting!