"What do I stand for?" – Wemmbu, I Went to WAR on a Hardcore Minecraft SMP
Yes, what DOES Wemmbu stand for? He is not one with morals. He's ready to blow people's belongings and homes up at any slight provocation. All his problems he has, he deals with through violence. He doesn't care for the server at large, not really. Not in the way Parrot does. He doesn't have a goal to reach, not like Flame. And he doesn't have a reputation to uphold, not like Spoke.
So when Flame insults what Wemmbu stands for in that one sided battle at Capital City, he's truly clueless. He doesn't know what he stands for. He's doing what he's doing for the sake of doing it, nothing more.
But that's not the case, is it? Those in power, those controlling the chess pieces, those who are cunning and sly, they know better. Because there is one thing Wemmbu stands for.
And it's the safety of Eggchan.
Egg is the opposite of Wemmbu. He's the thinker, the lore expert, the chungy that needs protecting. The moral compass. Wemmbu's moral compass.
There is no right or wrong in the philosophical sense to Wemmbu. Saving the world doesn't really matter, nor does mindless killing, or ruthless stealing. He may not like threatening people, but he'll do it as long as he gets his way.
To Wemmbu, what's right is Egg being free to explore the server and have fun. What's right is being by his side, his protector, guardian angel. What's right was supposed to be that mushroom house in a dark oak forest millions of blocks from spawn.
Nothing has been right for a very, very long time.
Moral injury is the social, psychological, and spiritual harm that arises from a betrayal of one’s core values, leading to lasting anger, guilt, and shame, and can fundamentally alter one’s world view and impair the ability to trust others. A person who grossly violates what they believe is right may experience persistent self-criticism—feeling unworthy, unforgivable, or permanently damaged. Reflecting on the perceived transgression can fill a person with sorrow and bitterness. – Psychology Today, Moral Injury
Sure, Wemmbu's keeping Egg safe by doing what Arachnid orders, but Egg isn't truly safe. One wrong answer and Egg's life is on the line. One wrong move and Wemmbu has to fear the possibility of Egg dying. In the grand scheme of things, he's failing to protect the one person he cares about the most. He's turning against people he once called friends. He's lost his autonomy, a puppet for a power hungry spider.
You can tell Wemmbu stops caring to compartmentalise his guilt, anger, and helplessness in the bombing of Capital City. There's no joy in his voice and he's so, so tired. He doesn't want to fight, he just wants Egg back, safe under his wing.
You can tell Wemmbu wants to make things right when he duels Flame because for once in his life, he has the chance protect Egg in his fullest capacity. He's been forced to do so over and over, used to people dangling Egg's life off the edge of a cliff, what's one more time? He's beaten Flame before and he's stronger than ever. Wemmbu can beat Flame. He will. No matter the cost, even if he has to give his life. Especially if he has to give his life.
When Flame reveals that he wouldn't kill Egg because they're friends and friends don't do that to each other, Wemmbu's surprised. Because who can he trust? Everyone wants him for his power and they will leverage Egg to keep him obedient. They have a turbulent history, many highs and many lows. Who's to say that Flame isn't going to keep his promise?
Wemmbu's been without his moral compass for too long and it's taken a toll on his psyche. He's going to go down a deeper, darker path if he doesn't get Egg back soon.
Previous posts about moral compass Eggchan: 1, 2, 3
