I see you've found my tumblr blog, eh? Well, I certainly don't mind if you come in and chat for a bit, or whatever you please. Just try and keep the outright nonsense to a minimum, unless it's worth it for the humour. Don't expect anything spectacular though. Even though I am a sometimes-writer, motivation is often hard to come by, and I'm rather busy most of the time with my academic life. Even so, feel free to drop me a line every now and then if you'd like~ Also, in case you're interested, I do have a pesterchum, and my handle is kitsuneStoryteller.
What do you mean “chat” is now referring to ChatGPT and not twitch chat? What? What? What the fuck? No?
When I address chat I am speaking to a presumed Greek chorus of real human people shitposting on their lunch break, not a machine that devours lakes to covert electricity into slop.
I think about pokemon in non-battle situations a lot. Like pokemon who have been trained/raised to be helpers and assistants than to be battle partners.
Pokemon visiting hospitals to cheer patients up like dogs and cats do. Or ones that help kids learn to read, speak, swim, go through therapy?! Even pokemon who’s abilities help owners with specific disabilities?!
I love thinking of pokemon outside of battle situations.
To answer this, we must first gather the information we have about them. According to Plimbo, they are creatures that have been in judgment and in silence for millennia. They also seem to like taking power when the Bishops are no longer around. The Bishops subdued them (and other creatures), and this allowed trade to flow, although we do not know if they did so with these intentions or simply to keep them out of power. Stranger in the new DLC reveals more about them, including the name of this species "Witnesses", but the most important thing it tells us is that they are beings who like to observe the changes in the ether that shape the world.
What is ether? In classical science, ether was the element that filled space, acting as the supreme element and later as the medium through which electromagnetic waves moved; it was considered something divine and incorruptible.
We have no idea if the same concept applies, but at least according to Mystic Seller, it does have to do with the changes in the world and its laws.
Then we have the descriptions of their eyes. Both have the same description, but with a subtle difference, with Rotten's eyes emphasizing "yet still to pass". Although I don't think I can fully understand this, due to not being a native speaker of this language and not knowing it well, I feel it emphasizes the antiquity of both eyes. As for the rest, this description makes it clear what they do: they are silent seers who observe what they consider sin in events that are yet to happen.
Relationships and peers
At this point, it is clear that the Witnesses have no real relationship with the Bishops; they were simply beings who stood in the way of their purposes. This is further reinforced by the inclusion of two new Witnesses, who have no connection to the Bishops either. The Witnesses are observers of sin, and the reason why they followed its occurrence is what we are going to see now. As for their peers, the only relationship they have is that they are of the same species; there is no other officially known relationship between them. And as for Plimbo, he simply wants them to sell the Witnesses' eyes, because they sell well. And Stranger is a shopper who enjoys these for certain tastes.
Lifespan and capabilities
According to what we are told, they can live for millennia, so they are long-lived beings. Furthermore, even though we have defeated and indoctrinated them, for some reason, a Purged version of them exists in the purgatory that is Biomes II. Furthermore, they are capable of escaping from that purgatory, something no other being beyond us has been able to do; this demonstrates much of what they are capable of. This is known thanks to Plimbo telling us that they returned to cause trouble. (I will not consider their appearances with bandages as canonical, because honestly then there would be a thousand revived Amdusias or any other enemy. I think this is more of a game mechanic, unlike the Purged Witnesses who do have real relevance and are mentioned.)
Appearance
The appearances of the Witnesses mostly seem to be related to the events surrounding them. We can see this with the four Witnesses we know, who have appearances very similar to the Bishops in terms of their subject matter. Of course, they all share a common characteristic beyond the color purple, which only the first four possess: they all have eyes with red sclera, something that defines them quite well.
What event did the Witnesses witness?
Here, it's all just speculation and theory, because there's no official explanation or in-game explanation, so take this part with a grain of salt.(A clarification: masculine pronouns will be used to make writing the following easier, but it should be emphasized that they do not have any confirmed canonical gender)
Witness Agares
Witness Agares dwells in Darkwood; a sinful event must be taking place in this area, and judging by his appearance, the event is surely related to Leshy. Leshy's death freed him, and whatever he witnessed is likely connected to events during the God Purge committed by Leshy, or to his defiance of the First Gods' laws and his use of Green Crown for his own ends.
Witness Bathin
Witness Bathin lives in Anura. A sinful event must be lurking in this area, and judging by his appearance, the surrounding event is surely related to Heket. We know Heket as the cruelest of the Bishops, so her actions can be varied. Perhaps her most notable actions, like those of her siblings, are using her Yellow Crown for her own ends, which greatly affect the ecosystem by causing famine and withholding the bountiful harvests from those who choose to follow her.
Witness Astaroth
Witness Astaroth dwells in Anchordeep. The sinful event must be happening in this area, and judging by his appearance, the event he witnesses is surely related to Kallamar. Given how Kallamar's Blue Crown functions, it's highly likely that the event the Witness witnessed is how Kallamar subjugated his followers through plagues, granting health only to those he deemed worthy. He was quite egocentric (though also very cowardly), which would contradict the crown's intended purpose, likely to control overpopulation and preserve life.
Witness Allocer
Witness Allocer dwells in Silk Cradle; the sinful event must be lingering in this area, and judging by his appearance, the event surrounding it is surely related to Shamura. I truly feel that it's easier to deduce why Shamura has a Witness surrounding them. After all, thanks to the Ancient Tablets, we know that they appears to be responsible for the purge of the gods, an event that killed a large portion of the Chosen Gods or stripped them of their divinity. Shamura is the one I believe has the most reason for their Witness to have more than one eye to witness their actions.
Witness Ipos
Witness Ipos dwells in Ewefall. The sinful event must be happening in this area, and judging by its appearance, the event it witnesses is surely related to The Icegore. This is highly speculative; perhaps the Witness witnessed the event that stripped The Icegore of their eye, foot, and most importantly, their Divinity. This act would be a complete blasphemy against the principles of the First Gods. Why don't we see more witnesses of this type? It's said that there were hundreds of Gods. Perhaps not all the Gods died; some simply went into hiding. So it's not impossible that this is why more haven't appeared. Likewise, there may be more Witnesses like this one, but we can't see them due to obvious mechanical limitations and the fact that we haven't fully explored the entire Earth.
Witness Mammon
Witness Mammon dwells in The Rot. The sinful event must be occurring in this area, and judging by his appearance, the event he witnesses is surely related to Yngya. The event must have been her death, a Chosen Goddess being murdered. Furthermore, we could also say that it could have been how her corpse was used for a ritual that would condemn the world created by the First Gods, a great transgression of the laws. Even so, we also don't know what the Witness's original appearance was like because he was corrupted by the rot, yet he seems to share a certain resemblance to the person to whom the event is linked.
I think that's all I could say about the Witnesses; I really enjoyed doing this. Perhaps I'll do a part two talking about why they don't appear in certain events, and why Narinder's confinement didn't generate a Witness.
The Storyteller's Table @kaereasdesk - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
