User blog:Circy/Aster Branching Out (The Elementalists, Book 1)

I think Aster's branching is a very interesting thing in The Elementalists, so in this blog I try to sum up all her branching out and what I thought about it at the time the chapters were released. And see if I recognize the meaning of it, now that the book is finished.

Chapter 1

“Interesting.”

This was the first time she did it. I still don't know exactly what this was about. I think, maybe, the trees could allready feel what MC didn't know yet: That he/she is a Sun-Att. I thought it was very creepy seeing it the first time. Making her face all dark and eyes all black.



Chapter 5

“It's just that there's been a bit of unrest among the woodnymphs, and sometimes I can... Sense... (neutral) ''Whispers among the trees. Unpleasant tidings that I don't understand. They are afraid. Their branches shrink. There is a blight in the air. They do not like it. (shocked)  Some recognize it. This place!”''

At the time, I thought this was about the swampsetting during Thief tryouts. Or about the Mirror Dimension. Can't really say anything different now.

 (angry) '' “The Attuned breed cruelty and destruction. Foul magick that sours, and poisons, and leaves pain in it's wake. I feel it in my bark, my branches.”''

I thought then that this was about Raife or Bloodmagick and now I'm sure it was about Raife and his hunger for power.

 (shocked) '' “A magick fouler than any before looms! The trees can sense its imminence, and cower at its might! MC, you must-- You...”''

I thought then this was about Bloodmagick and I still think it is, unless it is also about the refractionary magick.



 Chapter 6 

 She said something about 'Blood' and 'Fragment'. Not really during a branching, but more after a branching, trying to understand what she heard and saw. At the end of the chapter you find the strange rock (Essence) after beating a shadowmonster. That suddenly became pretty clear to me.



<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm"> Chapter 8 

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“ There are no shadow monsters around... Not... creatures...  (shocked) ''MC, I must... They need you to see!”''

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal">After this she takes your arm and takes you into the branching where it shows you the rock (Essence) and that you have to show it to professor Kontos. Professor Kontos tells you in chapter 9 that shadow monsters are indeed no creatures, but are made from Essences (souls) from beings and twisted into shadowmonsters with Bloodmagick.

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<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal">Chapter 12

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal">“I'm really glad you stopped by... Today... (sad) ''The earth is sick. Its darkness leaches into our roots. It runs in our veins, poisoning us. His power grows stronger every day. How far will he spread his desease? How many of us shall fall before he is satisfied? Time is passing, faster now. We rush toward an ending, into the unknown.”''

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal">I know this was about Raife, but I still can't really exactly tell what it all meant. Sounded like he was destroying a forest, but I don't think that happened in the book? Or are we allready talking about Kane from Book 2 here? Or maybe a bit about both? Feels like a bit of warning for refractionary magick, too. But maybe thats just me. Or it was about that horrible creature we encountered during the final fight.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal">(shocked)'' “Beware the mischievous hour! (sad) Beware...”''

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal">The mischievous hour was later in Book 1 explained during the fight with Raife. During midnight it is almost impossible to do magick, because it can go either way. Which turned out great!

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<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal">Chapter 17

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal">“If it helps, I can try to branch to see if he is oke. Just give me a ''moment. (neutral) Darkness grows. Death, destruction, terror. The world stands on the edge of a precipice (scared) Someone else is here! Who... who are you? Stay away from me! (angry/posessed by Raife) Maybe it's time you were taught what happens to spies. (scared/herself) Get out of my head!”''

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal">And here she passes out. It was kind of obvious what happened here.

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<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal">And I think this was all the branching she did in Book 1. I'm so glad I finally got it all written down. I kept forgetting what she was saying each time, but I still thought it was all very interesting. I don't know If she does a lot of branching in Book 2. I kind of forgot after hiatus, but when I replay the book and she does I'm going to put that down in writing as well. For my own convenience, and maybe for yours :D