Spoilers for Edge of Midnight 24 and Beonyd
I'm stressed and want to cry again, meaning I'm hyperfixating on EoM again and digging too deep into stuff that probably shouldn't be dug into, but idk, so here's me ranting on about something from ep 24 "The Fallen Keel."
So in the episode, the characters are placed into their own individual rooms, which could represent their futures. The one I wanted to focus on mostly was Briggsy. His room was the bathroom, and in that room, he was faced with the challenge of destroying something he desired, the ship he always dreamed about. The weapon he was to use was a cannon, with the phrase "Truth in the lies" written in hexing runes. He was hesitant to do this, but in the end, he did it.
But what could this mean? What was the purpose of having him do this? How does this tie into his future and the other room he was placed in with Jericho? How do the tarot cards that he received and his patron tie into this as well? What about his past actions?
Let's start with the third question. I have made a post about what the dining room could have meant to these two, but I feel that my old theory is somewhat incorrect, and I will not be discussing it in this post. Just know that I believe that room could represent or mean that if you follow in the footsteps of the ones before you, it ends badly.
For the first two questions, we have to think about him first as a character and what he represents. Briggsy is known to be greedy and selfish at times. He was tricked by his patron into making a deal that ended up killing his crew and him having to steal a cursed sword that turned him into a zombie. He is also very cowardly, hiding behind Marius or Yorgim when trouble is near, and he tries to run from fights, among many other things. (I could go into a deeper analysis of him, but I don't have time, and there are plenty of other posts that are formatted better than this post.)
(Warning: this part might be slightly confusing, so I apologize if I get off track or don't make sense.)
Now, what could the ship, cannon, and phrase mean? Well, from what I have gathered, the ship represents a living future—motion, possibility, and self-directed destiny. Unlike abstract ambition, the ship is practical and hopeful at the same time: it is something Briggsy can build toward, not merely desire.
As his dream ship, it embodies:
Freedom is chosen rather than granted
A future earned through effort, not manipulation
Identity that grows rather than consumes
Destroying the ship is therefore an act of temporal violence—it kills a future that has not yet failed. The guilt he feels afterward is essential: it proves that despite his greed and power, he still recognizes the value of creation over erasure. Symbolically, the ship stands for everything that resists death’s finality. It is movement, not stasis. Hope, not inevitability.
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As for the phrase, “Truth in the lies,” it functions as a necromantic philosophy disguised as wisdom. It argues that truth does not need to be clean, consensual, or honest—it only needs to persist.
In the context of Mr.Crossroads being his patron, the phrase takes on a darker meaning:
Truth is what animates them
The phrase suggests that deception can still serve a “greater truth,” just as undead creatures are animated by something real despite being fundamentally wrong.
It reframes morality into outcome-based logic:
If something endures, it must have truth in it.
This thinking corrodes agency. It teaches him to accept manipulation as inevitable and even necessary—so long as it “works.”
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I believe the canon is finality given form.
Where the ship represents living potential, the canon represents absolute endings—destruction without rebirth. That it can destroy what the wielder desires most makes it a ritual object rather than a weapon.
Linked to Crossroads, the canon becomes an extension of divine authority:
It enforces endings rather than allowing growth
It bypasses grief by making loss instantaneous
It denies the possibility of learning through failure
The canon does not ask whether destruction is deserved—only whether it is intended. This mirrors death magic that raises the undead: power without consent, function without life.
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As stated before he is greedy, but not empty. His greed is aspirational, not nihilistic—he wants more life, more possibility, more control over his future.
His guilt proves something vital:
He does not worship death (in a way)
He does not see loss as neutral
He still distinguishes between sacrifice and waste
This puts him in direct philosophical conflict with Crossroads, who tricked him. Where he values inevitability and persistence beyond death, Briggsy values continuation with meaning.
His internal struggle is not good vs. evil, but:
Growth vs. stasis, life vs. preserved ruin
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I think that the original deception is the core trauma of the narrative.
Crossroads did not lie outright:
The power granted was real
The transformation was effective
The results were undeniable
But the deception lay in what was omitted:
The slow alignment with death’s worldview
By surviving and benefiting from the lie, Briggsy was subtly conditioned to accept a necromantic truth:
What persists, even unnaturally, must be justified.
This is why later lies still work on him—they echo the same logic that gave him power. This could also be used on him again in future episodes.
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Unfortunately, we don't know much about Crossroads, and I'm not sure how similar his lore is to the actual god, so his entry will be mostly me guessing.
Crossroads represents the crossroads at night, while his brother represents it during the day. He is often depicted as being cruel, while his brother is nicer and shows mercy. Both are also very powerful; one is just more unpredictable, while the other is trusted.
Sharing a domain with his brother means:
Sharing authority over death
Allowing mercy to override finality
Accepting that some souls may choose rest over obedience
By claiming the realm alone, he ensures:
Death occurs on his terms
Passage happens without debate
No competing philosophy undermines his certainty
The demand that Briggsy has to kill Philip is not personal—it is procedural. Resistance complicates transition. The fact that he sees him as a sort of friend introduces delay. Both are unacceptable.
He is not asking Briggsy to be cruel.
He is asking him to be decisive.
Hesitation is the real sin.
The Briggsy refusal, guilt, and attachment are not moral virtues in his eyes—they are inefficiencies inherited from the living world and reinforced by him now being undead and wanting more in life.
This is why Crossroads chose him in the first place:
He understands that Briggsy summoned him for his own selfish reasons
He knows that Briggsy doesn't want to disappoint anyone, so he will do whatever to please those around him
But he still resists finality because he doesn't want to see the consequences of his terrible choices/actions
From this, we can assume that Crossroads hopes to prove that even someone who values life will eventually accept certainty over compassion (either naturally or through manipulation).
He may resent his brother because his way of guiding the dead is objectively better than forcing them to obey by his terms. By forcing Brggsy into this choice, he is not just claiming a realm—he is trying to win an argument that has lasted since the first death.
The true question is no longer simply life versus death.
Is passage something that must be enforced,
or something that must be chosen?
If he were to meet Crossroad's brother (which I don't doubt, it does seem like something they would do), and he wants to help him get out of his deal with perhaps a counter-deal, Briggsy stands between the two not as a servant, but as evidence.
If he refuses to kill Philip, he proves that his brother's methods are morally better
If he obeys, he validates Crossroads' belief that mercy fails when it matters most.
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Finally, how the cards play a role in this. The cards that he got were the Swashbuckler, the Executioner, and the Darklord.
The Swashbuckler — Life, Freedom, and Choice
Position/Meaning: Represents Briggsy's core self, his living instincts, and the desire to act according to conscience rather than obligation.
Connection to Story: The Swashbuckler embodies Briggsy’s living will: loyalty, courage, and the ability to form bonds (like with the other witch-hunters and some npcs). It reflects the dream ship and his instinct to protect(in a way) rather than destroy.
Implications: The card shows that, despite powers and deception, his heart still chooses life over expediency. It reminds him that freedom is precious, even in the face of death and divine pressure.
The Executioner — Duty, Consequence, and Obedience
Position/Meaning: Represents the forced role he must play, where he carries out acts of violence or destruction that conflict with his conscience.
Connection to Story: The Executioner mirrors the canon and Crossroads' current demand: to kill Philip. The canon is his instrument, but the role is defined by necessity imposed by another, not by desire.
Implications: This card warns that power without conscience is dangerous. It shows the tension between the Swashbuckler’s loyalty and the Executioner’s imposed duty—he must act under duress or lose something vital, yet the act itself could compromise his soul.
The Darklord — Authority, Certainty, and Moral Absolutism
Position/Meaning: Represents Mr. Crossroads, and the overarching force that enforces inevitability and transition.
Connection to Story: The Darklord is his assertion of control. He is not evil in a traditional sense—he exists to ensure that souls pass and death occurs—but he is unyielding, manipulative, and morally ambiguous. His desire to claim the realm alone reflects his rivalry with his kinder brother, emphasizing his unwillingness to compromise or share authority.
Implications: This card embodies the external pressure shaping Briggsy's decisions. It represents inevitability, divine logic, and the ultimate test of choice: submit to authority and certainty, or uphold life and conscience despite the cost.
Here is how each card connects to the others
Swashbuckler + Executioner: The tension between who Briggsy is and who he is forced to be. The spread highlights that loyalty, attachment, and morality conflict with imposed duty.
Executioner + Darklord: Shows Crossroads influence—how obedience is expected and justified through inevitability and manipulation. The canon and the “truth in the lies” phrase are the tools used to bridge this gap.
Swashbuckler + Darklord: Emphasizes the moral choice. Following his heart resists Crossroads' certainty; obeying aligns with divine logic but risks moral compromise and loss of agency.
Core Message of the Spread:
Briggsy stands at the crossroads of loyalty, duty, and divine authority. Survival and power are insufficient—they must be weighed against conscience, friendship, and the value of life. How he acts will determine whether he becomes a Swashbuckler true to himself, an Executioner enslaved by obligation, or a Darklord’s instrument validating inevitability.
Whether or not this is going to affect his relationships with the others is really hard to tell, its llikely that it will change their view of him depending on what he chooses, but we can't be sure, only time will tell.
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Or yk it could've been nothing, and I typed l this for nothing and wasted three hours of my life.
I probably mischaracterized them, if I did im sorry, and you have every right to call me stupid and hate me
uhhhh idk im half asleep, if y'all notice any mistakes lmk and i'll fix them also. If enough people like this, I'll probably do the other three as well
Sorry if it's too long, this was just something that has been in my mind for a while now, and I felt I needed to share my opinions
anyways ima go to bed now
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