Maybe our friendly-neighborhood goddess can explain why the other priestess is doing such a good imitation of hating Jen? I’d think a priest would be familiar with the sequence fear leads to anger to hatred to the dark side?
Even if Jen is foundering a little, having come to the faith very recently, this violence is way disproportionate. Priests must teach before any kind of punishment or holy crusade makes sense. Jen really doesn’t know andit’s really hubris to punish a neo if they are still working.
I’m sure Sevasti’s hate is at least partially genuine. As per Ukarin’s explanation, Sevasti’s sister failed the very same test, and it was Urakin who was in the same role she’s in now. Jen is Urakin’s ward and now Sevasti gets to do some payback for her sister’s death.
As per the disproportion of the violence, by our standards perhaps, but don’t forget that Hildegaard is, however amiable and nice, 1) a goddess of war, not of puppies, and 2) the position is for her chosen which would require pretty severe testing. Furthermore, if the speculation I posted in the comments of the previous update is correct, then 3) JEN IS SUPPOSED TO DIE (and the real test is her coming back to life).
As a symbolic death, maybe. But resurrection done too often in the comics removes to much of the emotional weight and finality. So I’d prefer if the strip doesn’t use that trope.
(and you really don’t need to caps-shout to refer to other page’s comments. Everyone is not required to read every previous comment to comment on a new page. Relax, we will find out eventually)
My apologies for the caps. I did it just for emphasis.
The trick to using resurrection as a plot device is to not overuse it. Where death is a heavy and significant event in life and story, so too is resurrection. But precisely that it is rare- rarer than death and not to be taken for granted- does it make for a great surprise and satisfying reward for the reader. It’ll be something that no one sees coming. It is a glimmer of hope and a reversal of misfortune and sorrow. If it’s for a heroic character who made a sacrifice, it’s a triumph of justice. Or if it’s for a villain, it’s a shock and scare.
Right now, it makes sense if it happens. It’s been subtly foreshadowed. It’s in keeping with established concepts in the story. Jen is already about to be disintegrated like her brief mentor. We’ll indeed see soon if it’s the case.
Bear in mind, Jen may choose what we are not expecting.
Jen will be aware that allowing herself to die, in the absolute belief that she will be resurrected, is a test of her level of belief that the person she knew is gone and what remains is an actually goddess. She may realize that in herself she does not have the faith necessary to allow the goddess to resurrect her. In that case, she would choose to have her wounds healed while alive, but that means that her faith is not sufficient for her to continue as a priest in Helga’s religion.
To me, it would be a great character moment for Jen to realize that she can’t shake Helga the human from her mind. An admission of failure in faith. It may end her character arc, but it would be an unexpected path.
We are all expecting Jen to do what she needs to do and accept the goddess as a goddess not as Helga the human, as that is what the story appears to be leading toward. |Confirmation of her faith through resurrection is the test.
Jen is starting to think. This is important.
You’ve got to admit, thinking under these circumstances isn’t easy.
Maybe our friendly-neighborhood goddess can explain why the other priestess is doing such a good imitation of hating Jen? I’d think a priest would be familiar with the sequence fear leads to anger to hatred to the dark side?
Even if Jen is foundering a little, having come to the faith very recently, this violence is way disproportionate. Priests must teach before any kind of punishment or holy crusade makes sense. Jen really doesn’t know andit’s really hubris to punish a neo if they are still working.
I’m sure Sevasti’s hate is at least partially genuine. As per Ukarin’s explanation, Sevasti’s sister failed the very same test, and it was Urakin who was in the same role she’s in now. Jen is Urakin’s ward and now Sevasti gets to do some payback for her sister’s death.
As per the disproportion of the violence, by our standards perhaps, but don’t forget that Hildegaard is, however amiable and nice, 1) a goddess of war, not of puppies, and 2) the position is for her chosen which would require pretty severe testing. Furthermore, if the speculation I posted in the comments of the previous update is correct, then 3) JEN IS SUPPOSED TO DIE (and the real test is her coming back to life).
As a symbolic death, maybe. But resurrection done too often in the comics removes to much of the emotional weight and finality. So I’d prefer if the strip doesn’t use that trope.
(and you really don’t need to caps-shout to refer to other page’s comments. Everyone is not required to read every previous comment to comment on a new page. Relax, we will find out eventually)
My apologies for the caps. I did it just for emphasis.
The trick to using resurrection as a plot device is to not overuse it. Where death is a heavy and significant event in life and story, so too is resurrection. But precisely that it is rare- rarer than death and not to be taken for granted- does it make for a great surprise and satisfying reward for the reader. It’ll be something that no one sees coming. It is a glimmer of hope and a reversal of misfortune and sorrow. If it’s for a heroic character who made a sacrifice, it’s a triumph of justice. Or if it’s for a villain, it’s a shock and scare.
Right now, it makes sense if it happens. It’s been subtly foreshadowed. It’s in keeping with established concepts in the story. Jen is already about to be disintegrated like her brief mentor. We’ll indeed see soon if it’s the case.
Bear in mind, Jen may choose what we are not expecting.
Jen will be aware that allowing herself to die, in the absolute belief that she will be resurrected, is a test of her level of belief that the person she knew is gone and what remains is an actually goddess. She may realize that in herself she does not have the faith necessary to allow the goddess to resurrect her. In that case, she would choose to have her wounds healed while alive, but that means that her faith is not sufficient for her to continue as a priest in Helga’s religion.
To me, it would be a great character moment for Jen to realize that she can’t shake Helga the human from her mind. An admission of failure in faith. It may end her character arc, but it would be an unexpected path.
We are all expecting Jen to do what she needs to do and accept the goddess as a goddess not as Helga the human, as that is what the story appears to be leading toward. |Confirmation of her faith through resurrection is the test.
OH! So the missing piece is that while Hildegaard chose Jen, Jen has to choose Hildegaard for this whole faith thing to work.
She needs to move from “I had to accept” to “I choose to accept”, and Hildegaard is now offering that choice directly.
There’s little difference between “I had to accept” and “I choose to accept because otherwise I die.”
I suspect this is more of a sacrifice thing. Jen can choose to live, or die and do something else (ex. resurrect Ukarin).