Many folks unfamiliar with Asian mythologies have expressed confusion regarding the addition of another LI. Truth be told, the existence of 6 LIs was part of the narrative’s design from the very beginning. This is because the story’s foundational lore is deeply rooted in Vedic and Buddhist traditions. And numerous elements of it’s worldbuilding, symbolisms, and structure draw inspiration from these scriptural and philosophical sources.
“Love And Deepspace” is a story about the perpetual cycle of संसार (Saṃsāra). As the MC, we are trapped within the cycle of never-ending suffering across countless lifetimes and timelines. Our journey is to break free from this eternal cycle, and transcend the suffering that binds us to it. The LIs are not merely romantic interests, but essential companions in that pursuit.
Each of them carries a unique connection to the MC across time, and each plays a vital role in guiding her towards the resolution of this long-standing Kārmic entanglement. It is precisely for this reason that all of them exist within the current timeline simultaneously. Their presence is neither arbitrary, nor accidental. It is a fundamental part of the narrative’s deeper mythological and philosophical framework.
To understand the purpose of the LIs, one must first understand the cycle of Saṃsāra: भवचक्र (Bhāvāchākrā). This cycle of existence which encompasses birth, suffering, death, and rebirth is divided into 6 Realms where sentient beings reside in. Each of these Realms is intrinsically linked to one of the LIs featured in the game —
🔥 Rafayel: देवलोक (Devālokā)
God Realm of pleasure and pride
🏹 Zayne: असुरलोक (Asurālokā)
Demi-God Realm of jealousy and strife
🗡️ Xavier: मनुष्यलोक (Mānuṣhyalokā)
Human Realm of opportunity and enlightenment
🌕 Valko: पशुलोक (Pāśhulokā)
Animal Realm of instinct, fear, and servitude
🩸 Sylus: निर्ऋतिलोक (Nirṛtilokā)
Underworld Realm of chaos and decay
🪷 Caleb: प्रेतलोक (Pretālokā)
Hungry-Ghost Realm of endless insatiable hunger
As we know, each LI possesses unique abilities and latent potential beyond their Evols, granting them the power to create, shape, preserve, or dismantle whatever they deem necessary. The intricate Strings of Fate connecting the LIs to MC was deliberately woven by CosmicMC Herself.
It’s purpose was to ensure that Her vessel on Earth could draw upon Her true power through all 6 Realms, with the aid of every LI. Only by uniting these connections can She access the fullness of Her divine potential, and ultimately shatter the endless cycle of anguish that has bound Her across countless lifetimes.
Needless to say, it is unlikely that any additional LIs will be introduced to the game. With Valko’s arrival, the narrative now possesses all the pieces it was designed to have from the very beginning, allowing the story to finally move forward.
[⚠️ Please note: There are numerous realms of the Underworld described throughout Vedic scriptures. I chose to highlight the one that appears most relevant to Sylus’s storyline. Pretāloka is another such realm, and it has connections to Caleb’s narrative. If anyone is interested in Vedic mythology and would like to learn more about these realms beyond the context of the game, please feel free to ask. I would be delighted to share and discuss them further. 🤍]
🔖 I would also like to add that primordial cosmic entities, such as Gods, are not beings who concern themselves with the opinions or expectations of mortals. In that regard, CosmicMC is no different. Much of what has transpired throughout the narrative can be viewed as the manifestation of Her own will, unfolding according to a design far beyond mortal comprehension, much like the whims of Deities within the real world. To truly appreciate the lore presented in this game, one must approach it through a non-Abrahamic lens. And remain receptive towards Vedic and Pagan beliefs, philosophies, and cultural traditions.
there it is. that’s…that’s just them. that’s the fundamental meat of their relationship. it’s…yeah. god. ‘i know i’m insane. but i see the lunatic in you for loving it and staying with me and at times encouraging it just as i do you. there’s a little monster in you kicking and screaming and waiting to thrive and i’ll pull it out with the most tender love and care you deserve because you deserve to be a little batshit after everything that has been done to you- everything that has been done to separate us.’ FUCK
Since Valko is Rafayel's "counterpart"... (A small lore yap)
Yes I'm going here 😅
So the typical thinking in LADS fandom is that the new LI's after OG3 have always been coutnerparts to each other. With Xavier - Sylus, with being kind of opposites to light and dark, both have light hair and (iirc) it was suspected that Lumiere has done some harm in Onychinus's protocore operations. With Zayne and Caleb, they were both involved with MC's childhood, and Josephine was close to Zayne's parents. So naturally, Valko seems to fit in now for Rafayel's counterpart.
What I can quickly tell:
Shapeshifting, they both have a beast/animal form that they can use to travel in their own terrotory (Rafayel in water, Valko in land)
They both have "unique" hair color, with Rafayel's being purple and Valko's red (and same for eyes)
They both have a mask design (Abysswalker, and I assume the one that we saw on a trailer is either a myth design or something that we will see in the first solo Valko has)
Also this bit about EonCore Tech (thanks for mentioning this @evolvinglittlebird !!)
It seems that also Valko being the CEO or Chairman of EonCore Tech, he seems to do collaboration with Ever, specifying in Protocore Energy. I think his collaboration could be similar as Rafayel's, where he uses Ever for his own gains for whatever reason (and I think this might be the case for Sylus too? I'm not so well versed with his lore).
So overall. there's the same connection to Ever as the other guys have.
Another note is that he COULD be interested in Lemuria, but we will need to see about that later. It's kind of frustrating to make any theories about the guys meeting in the main story, since they clearly are steering the story in a way where they have to make a move on Ever or be against Ever, but there's still no clear indication it's going to happen anytime soon.
But I want to say, I'm not fully on board with everything being clear cut that Xavier & Sylus, Zayne & Caleb and Rafayel & Valko are each others counterparts. For example, I can see the Protocore energy going into Sylus's territory since his Evol is Energy manipulation. Similarly how Rafayel clearly has enemies in the N109 zone, and so on. I think all the guys are connected to each other in other ways, and I think that will be in key part for the story later on.
thoughts on imperial thronesong—mine and everyones new favorite caleb memory
part 2 of this
i think imp. thronesong is so unique in which it takes calebmc’s cherished themes&plugs them into a new AU that then allows us to isolate and better understand their dynamic, born from those themes
i think i’ll first start by sharing my thoughts on the constant mention of BLOOD relationship in imperial thronesong.
first, let’s be clear that this is not a translation error. in chinese it says 血脉相连 which means blood connection—literally bound by blood.
it seems to almost always be used in a familial context, however i have seen some native speakers (i’ll link these below) share that it isn’t EXCLUSIVELY so. what’s important about this phrase is the importance it places on a shared origin. being made of the same thing. being from the same source. all things we are used to with calebmc.
my initial read on this line was sort of a “blood thicker than water” vibe, but reversed. “you’re my blood, regardless if we are related or not. this is how near and dear you are to me. this is how much i love you.”
to me, i still see calebmc as pseudo, but i think imperial thronesong is setting us up to finally learn about their shared origin. whether that means they were truly born from the same source (for example, being born of the remnants of the same collapsed star).
we’ve seen adam and eve tossed around a LOT, and let’s remember that eve was born from adam’s rib. she was born from him, they are made of the same genetic material.
calebmc are likely cosmic siblings/twins of some sort, and they have the same origin. they are made of the same material, whether that’s the same blood, cosmic dust, whatever.
he is her brother by blood. their existences are bound by their creation.
their specific omission of any information of EITHER of their parents i think supports this idea—they don’t have tangible parents that can be spoken of.
of course, this could as easily be a loophole on cn censorship laws about incest. i do also see the “blood-related” siblings angle of this. imperial thronesong takes on a “royal/medieval” AU in which this kind of thing is a common theme, english, chinese, and others. it would fit here, and i won’t deny that ESPECIALLY since…that’s how it was written.
but for me, the former theory makes a bit more sense.
side note, i was once again reminded of the idea that maybe they are related as a result of being born from two stars (or one star) when mc talks about the cryostalis
let’s talk about mc.
caleb’s mc in imperial thronesong is spoiled, greedy, ambitious, detestable even (caleb’s words). she’s unabashedly forward about what she wants and holds nothing back.
this is like our modern caleb’s mc, except seemingly more exaggerated. she gets what she wants at all costs.
as a result, caleb is the same. modern caleb’s actions and desires have always been “limited” by mc, in which caleb will always put her, her comfortability and boundaries, first.
but imperial thronesong mc has virtually…no boundaries. and this allows caleb to in turn ALSO be unabashedly himself.
it’s like, in this reality, we can see caleb and mc be MORE unapologetically themselves.
in this AU, we’re really able to see what mc and caleb’s true desires are—in a world where their relationship isn’t taboo due to their shared blood, but because of their opposing allegiances.
the difference between caleb and mc though is that mc’s greed does not just stop at caleb. she wants EVERYTHING. however, she wants caleb to be a part of these things.
she wants the throne, with caleb standing by her side. she wants victory and peace over caleb, but not to destroy him. she wants to rule a greater cosmos, with him supporting her.
her greed is born from caleb himself, and lowkey we see this in the puppy he gets her in which all her aides see the tayby as misbehaved but mc sees it as adorable, and so doesn’t train him.
of course this is an anology for mc and caleb themselves—we saw how much caleb spoiled her in imperial thronesong, and how caleb encourages it.
mc’s greed and desires are a cycle caused by caleb, and solved only by him.
what caleb wants boils down to mc. if he cannot be with her romantically, he is happy to be by her side. he ONLY wants her. his ambition seems to be driven from mc too.
to me, caleb joined the federation as a result of his ambition, just like how modern caleb became a pilot. but his ambition stems from mc. i feel there are many hints he joined the federation in hopes of creating peace WITH the empire/mc. their conversation in the greenhouse supports this
he wants her to always be his willful little sister, and with him leading the federation, he can make sure they will never pose a TRUE threat to her, as the conflict between the federation and empire started LONG before them. with him leading the federation, she can still be his little sister, and not the empress who belongs to everyone, the entire empire, and not just him.
i mentioned this in another post (https://x.com/xyzfy26/status/2006549308599054608?s=20), but what’s interesting in imperial thronesong is that the taboo nature of their relationship seems to be born from their opposing allegiances, him to the Federation and her to the Empire
their shared blood/siblingship seems to not really have EVER held them back. when she kissed him for the first time in the greenhouse, it wasn’t hesitant. it wasn’t shameful or guilty
and yet, they find themselves in the same scenario where theyre kept from what they want and must alter their fate, similarly to decoherence where they reject their fate of being opposing forces—not meant to ever be together, by choosing each other even if it means destruction.
we see a lot of similarities between imperial thronesong and the main story (same as we saw it with tainted cuts).
i think imperial thronesong does a REALLY good job at expanding on caleb’s line in indulgent scheme “i can’t say it’s always about you.”
spoke about that line here: twitter | tumblr
mc comes to the realization that she cannot and will never be able to control or own caleb. of course, we see that during the velytio warp betrayal. it’s not until the very end of the memory do we find out that the reason he did that was to protect both the federation, the empire, and her.
it’s a really good example of what he meant in that line. he does things selfishly. where she will never know what’s happening until after. and because of that, he is doing it for himself—he didn’t ask the empress’s opinion, permission, or allyship in it.
he just did it and yet again he did it FOR her. ALL his actions stem back to her, even if he does it for “himself”
another similarity i made another tweet about was between imperial thronesong and farspace bloomfall (here)
the similarity here is that famous line: “you can’t convince yourself to hate me with every fiber of your being. wouldn’t you agree?”
in all versions of calebmc that we’ve seen, they are adversaries of some sort (opposing goals like in lucid dreams, weapons to destroy each other in decoherence, or literal political enemies). but they will never be able to stay confined to that fate
she will never be able to hate him, even when fate, the empire, everyone around them DEMANDS it. they’d rather “kill” this fate, bend the rules of the universe so they can define their own path.
their attraction might not necessarily be for mutual destruction.
they’re on opposing sides but they want the same thing. they want each other. they want to be the only one who owns the other.
it’s a level of greed we’re only able to physically see in this specific au, yet it applies to every version of calebmc.
this level of greed is specific to this au where they seemingly belong to not JUST themselves. caleb belongs to the federation and mc belongs to the empire—their respective faction rely on and need them. versus in decoherence, X-02 and A-01 really belonged ONLY to each other.
but in imp. thronesong, they DO belong to other people (they both admit and….accept? that), and yet still will go to great lengths to make sure they can also belong to one another.
i could talk about so much with imperial thronesong because it literally reads like a myth. it has enough worldbuilding and conflict to constitute one. they isolate and touch on calebmc tropes in a way that a myth would, in a different au that allows us to then see those tropes in a different angle.
the constant theme of fate as the cosmos, in which the cosmos can never be controlled. how they’re not meant to be together, yet always find a way to be—even if they can’t stand beside each other that way (similar to the main story in which he found a way to be by her side, but as a result wasn’t “allowed” to be be WITH her).
the violent attraction and conflict that serve as a cycle that fuels their undying passion for one another. their twisted version of love.
these are all common themes we’ve seen from calebmc in the main story, decoherence, tainted cuts, really any version of them.
i will likely add onto this thread in the future. i need to read it a few more times—it’s a HEFTY piece of content. really, it should’ve been its own myth (or multi chaptered story some how)
there’s SO many different facets to dive into.
here are the sources to the above i mentioned for the blood brother line translations from native speakers:
YOU GUYS. Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but... look at this.
Magnum Opus:
MC: It's a work of art. Whoever created this must be a true master of their craft.
Sylus: That so? Surely the virtuoso is fond of her magnum opus?
Beyond Cloudfall Ch 4:
MC: You have no intention of disguising yourself?
Sylus: No need. No one would believe a fiend would wander around a market. Besides, everyone sees a fiend differently--some see ugliness, others see horror, cruelty… What they see isn't me. They only see their own hearts.
I hold up a mirror from a stall. It reflects the face of the dragon.
MC: Can you guess what I see when I look at you?
He lowers the mirror as if he heard a childish joke. He leans closer.
Sylus: At the very least, I'm a lot more handsome than I was depicted in that Fiend-Slaying God mural.
Sylus may be implying that MC is literally responsible for him looking the way that he does. In the main story timeline, Sylus seems to have a stable appearance as we see him through multiple POVs in main story content and World Underneath stories.
It doesn't seem like a stretch that when MC curses him to live on, this curse "locks in" his appearance as... the way she sees him. 🥹
Even if it's not literally true, he knows on a deep level that if she sees him as beautiful, it's a reflection of her own heart. Seeing him how she does? That's her own creation.
Guys the metal edges at the corners of the yellow protocores 😭
There's nothing like that on the other coloured protocores. Man... Valko was always meant to be a core part of the story 😞
Why did it have to come to this? ☹️ Why can't he just be allowed to exist in there? 🫠 Idek how the story can just progress without him like nothing happened. Scraping off an entire existing and very much intended character is no joke 🥀
