Poor Murai. She’s brave enough and strong enough to face the fact that Captain Jhalm, who she hero-worships, might not have the best intentions after all. It’s a good thing she’s got good people with her. And that the spirit side of things also has someone as practical as Helix! I wonder who will answer Murai’s question? I suspect that Hegi will start with something poetic and obscure, and Helix will cut in with a down-to-earth translation.
Well, brushtail, we have two important details already at hand: the Veiled serve all the gods, and some gods are dark. What if Jhalm thinks the demon is the god?
Jhalm has never really been portrayed as having evil intentions, rather as a well-intentioned extremist who wants to protect his people and do his duty, but do them both HIS way, no matter what others may have to say. And let’s face it, from his perspective some of Digger’s actions have certainly been…questionable. All the trouble that’s besetting Rath and environs right now seems to have started when Digger arrived, it’s hardly an unreasonable conclusion to come to.
I have Jhalm pegged as lawful-good or even lawful-neutral. “Rules are rules.” If he released He-Is (and his demon), it wouldn’t be for nefarious purposes or his own profit, but to right the outrage of a chained god being kept in torturous un-death.
I’m with Ulrike. Ganesh said He-Is isn’t well-known among humans. Maybe the tale of He-Is had gotten distorted by the time it reached Jhalm and doesn’t mention SGV, or Jhalm doesn’t believe it. He seems unlikely to intentionally do evil, but I can see him being very determined to “correct the mistakes of his forebears” by freeing He-Is.
Also, forgive the double post, but I like the way Murai is drawn in that last panel. It makes her seem small, alone, and vulnerable. Which is probably exactly how she’s feeling. Her fellow Veiled may not be trustworthy. Her leader may be corrupted. The only people near her are a lost wombat whose beliefs couldn’t be farther from Murai’s, and a hyena warrior who Murai knows basically nothing about. Now she’s facing her destiny, and she doesn’t know what to do. The art does an excellent job of emphasizing Murai’s feelings.
If this were a classic hero’s story, and the focal character was Murai, this would be the point where she has to realize that her mentor is not infallible. It’s a coming of age moment. Fortunately for us (and Murai) this is Digger’s story, and Digger knows that everyone’s fallible. Digger probably had that particular coming of age moment a long time ago, and much younger than humans generally do. I expect that’s normal for wombats.
I still don’t trust Captain Jhalm entirely… I don’t know, that part in which he suspiciously killed the winged rat… dunno. Maybe he is indeed being used by the followers of He-is (which in reality seem to be more like the followers of sweetgrass voice)
Lica, that’s what I had in mind as well while reading all the posts that say Jhalm may not have any evil intent. I think that is yet to be seen. Knowing how Ursula writes her characters, I’m sure if Jhalm’s one of the bad guys there’s more to the story, but I’m not so quick to assume he’s justified in his actions.
Reading some old pages of the comic I found that part in which Captain Jhalm describes the Velied as the servants of the LIVING gods (or something like that). Um, just a theory but… maybe Captain Jhalm is not concerned about He-is (as he is no longer a living god), but maybe he is following orders from She-is-Fiercer? Perhaps she couldn’t forgive He-is, but she doesn’t want him to die?… not sure, but it’s an idea as for why the veiled could be helping the cold servants.
What frightens me is that even if they do get back and present Ganesh and Jhalm with the ghosts’ story, the latter may not be willing to accept it. When extremist religious folk take a notion solidly into their heads, there is frequently NOTHING that will dislodge it, not even a direct message from the gods themselves.
There’s also the fact that our pal Sweetgrass Voice has a specialty in helping folks rationalize acting on their buried and less admirable impulses. Maybe it got to Jhalm, too; maybe that’s why his principles make him such a jerk.
Lica: Maybe he /is/ following She-is-Fiercer, but she doesn’t understand why he who was He-is did that do himself, thinks it was for penance, and wants to release him and possibly even rename him as a way of showing that she thinks he has suffered enough, or that she knows of the influence of Sweetgrass Voice?
I’m still hoping that Hare’s teeth are referenced again by the end of the story.
I would like to point out the at no point, so far in this story, Jhalm was never seen killing the winged rat. There is no evidence that he did. He may have been examining the rat, after he found it, when Digger walked up on him, and he tucked the distraction of the rat behind him, while he dealt with the “problem” of the Wombat.
Poor kid.
Poor Murai. She’s brave enough and strong enough to face the fact that Captain Jhalm, who she hero-worships, might not have the best intentions after all. It’s a good thing she’s got good people with her. And that the spirit side of things also has someone as practical as Helix! I wonder who will answer Murai’s question? I suspect that Hegi will start with something poetic and obscure, and Helix will cut in with a down-to-earth translation.
Jhalm may not have evil intentions, he may mearly not know the whole story and/or sweetgrass voice could be messing with him as well.
Well, brushtail, we have two important details already at hand: the Veiled serve all the gods, and some gods are dark. What if Jhalm thinks the demon is the god?
Jhalm has never really been portrayed as having evil intentions, rather as a well-intentioned extremist who wants to protect his people and do his duty, but do them both HIS way, no matter what others may have to say. And let’s face it, from his perspective some of Digger’s actions have certainly been…questionable. All the trouble that’s besetting Rath and environs right now seems to have started when Digger arrived, it’s hardly an unreasonable conclusion to come to.
well-intentioned extremists are -FAR- more dangerous than evil persons 😡
I have Jhalm pegged as lawful-good or even lawful-neutral. “Rules are rules.” If he released He-Is (and his demon), it wouldn’t be for nefarious purposes or his own profit, but to right the outrage of a chained god being kept in torturous un-death.
I’m with Ulrike. Ganesh said He-Is isn’t well-known among humans. Maybe the tale of He-Is had gotten distorted by the time it reached Jhalm and doesn’t mention SGV, or Jhalm doesn’t believe it. He seems unlikely to intentionally do evil, but I can see him being very determined to “correct the mistakes of his forebears” by freeing He-Is.
Also, forgive the double post, but I like the way Murai is drawn in that last panel. It makes her seem small, alone, and vulnerable. Which is probably exactly how she’s feeling. Her fellow Veiled may not be trustworthy. Her leader may be corrupted. The only people near her are a lost wombat whose beliefs couldn’t be farther from Murai’s, and a hyena warrior who Murai knows basically nothing about. Now she’s facing her destiny, and she doesn’t know what to do. The art does an excellent job of emphasizing Murai’s feelings.
If this were a classic hero’s story, and the focal character was Murai, this would be the point where she has to realize that her mentor is not infallible. It’s a coming of age moment. Fortunately for us (and Murai) this is Digger’s story, and Digger knows that everyone’s fallible. Digger probably had that particular coming of age moment a long time ago, and much younger than humans generally do. I expect that’s normal for wombats.
She looks so small and alone and sad 🙁 Certainly not ready for a great, grand destiny.
I still don’t trust Captain Jhalm entirely… I don’t know, that part in which he suspiciously killed the winged rat… dunno. Maybe he is indeed being used by the followers of He-is (which in reality seem to be more like the followers of sweetgrass voice)
Never ask what do we do in front of wombats.
Lica, that’s what I had in mind as well while reading all the posts that say Jhalm may not have any evil intent. I think that is yet to be seen. Knowing how Ursula writes her characters, I’m sure if Jhalm’s one of the bad guys there’s more to the story, but I’m not so quick to assume he’s justified in his actions.
More than nearly anything else, i would love Helix’s reply to be “buggered if i know. I’m dead.”
Reading some old pages of the comic I found that part in which Captain Jhalm describes the Velied as the servants of the LIVING gods (or something like that). Um, just a theory but… maybe Captain Jhalm is not concerned about He-is (as he is no longer a living god), but maybe he is following orders from She-is-Fiercer? Perhaps she couldn’t forgive He-is, but she doesn’t want him to die?… not sure, but it’s an idea as for why the veiled could be helping the cold servants.
What frightens me is that even if they do get back and present Ganesh and Jhalm with the ghosts’ story, the latter may not be willing to accept it. When extremist religious folk take a notion solidly into their heads, there is frequently NOTHING that will dislodge it, not even a direct message from the gods themselves.
Thump him? That’s what Digger is going to do to him as soon as she gets a chance anyway.
There’s also the fact that our pal Sweetgrass Voice has a specialty in helping folks rationalize acting on their buried and less admirable impulses. Maybe it got to Jhalm, too; maybe that’s why his principles make him such a jerk.
Lica: Maybe he /is/ following She-is-Fiercer, but she doesn’t understand why he who was He-is did that do himself, thinks it was for penance, and wants to release him and possibly even rename him as a way of showing that she thinks he has suffered enough, or that she knows of the influence of Sweetgrass Voice?
I’m still hoping that Hare’s teeth are referenced again by the end of the story.
I would like to point out the at no point, so far in this story, Jhalm was never seen killing the winged rat. There is no evidence that he did. He may have been examining the rat, after he found it, when Digger walked up on him, and he tucked the distraction of the rat behind him, while he dealt with the “problem” of the Wombat.