So I had a thought...dangerous I know and I have been planning around it for a few days. This time I'm gonna give you it in my fuck-ass "theory show script" talk because it's fun and I am so happy I came up with smth. I recommend listening to this song while listening to me ramble and the cut off starts after.
( S.W. : A lot of things mentioned include stuff abt future ideas and current animations/scripts so if you're fine with spoilers and understanding more about prideful Aftermath , carry on! )
Stuck around? Welp you've sealed your fate. Good choice though because now you can hear my perspective.
When writing for Prideful Aftermath and directing a lot of what goes on , I have had my fair share of crossings to wait at. Things like the origins of realms/species and cultures within realms. But one of my biggest gripes I've had to deal with is : What are souls in double death?
In the series , a lot of souls are killed and come back as what I've been calling "hauntlings" for a while. Oskar and Aleksey are killed by Yillit and come back to haunt and give information to people like Bernadotte and Wellesley. Damas lives around the palace of Versailles to constantly scare Desaix after he gets the Flamel's stone. Bessières even remains as a cherished companion to Napoleon during the Spirit War as he leads him through passages and to luck.
With all this being said , there are 3 main key parts to all these apparitions :
- They stick around a person or place
- They give/lead to information of good/bad
- They are only seen by the few people with magic in their veins while others need rituals to merely talk
Hmm , an apparition that appears to specific people , shows fates or truths and exist in certain areas and people. Admittedly I was stumped for a bit , until I was chatting with my dad. He was talking with my about ancestry and we found an old story on my pop's notebook ( thats grandad ) about spirits of celtic folklore that hung around mainly bodies of water ( but could be anywhere ) and have been rare sightings
Ladies , Gentlemen and everyone in between ; if the spirits of Htrae are your ghosts , then your "hauntlings" are actually a little something in the Highlands called "will-o'-the-wisps" or just ( wisps ) if you want.
In celtic - and especially Scottish - legends , wisps are small lights that appear like mist but are more concentrated. In science , it is more likely that wisps are "micro-lighting" but...HA- why should science matter in a series about the afterlife...ahem.
Anyway , wisps are likened to fairies and ghosts as "wandering spirits" who throw off travellers from safe paths or guiding them to safe paths. But the major piece of evidence is the idea of "fate" with the wisps. They are said to be forces of possible good and bad , leading people to either their destiny or demise. So what actually supports this theory considering they are "tiny spirits" compared to the human sized ones in P.A.? Well...
Fate!
- Damas , a vengeful spirit from being murdered and covered by Desaix , brings him into situations and visions that cause madness and eventually death - a death that gives Kléber the chance to control France and own the Flamel stone.
- Aleksey and Oskar both follow Napoleon back to Herkos and give visions/lead characters to information that aids or occasionally harms them. Mainly - Aleksey sends threats and warnings to Alexander and Bagration whereas Oskar leads his father and mother ( Jean and Desirée ) to areas of grief and importance where they can solve issues and mysteries with the knowledge of him looking after them.
- Bessières , a loyal companion , is only seen by Napoleon to aid him in escapes. He also interacts with the environment ( loosely ) to aid Murat and other people he cares about , eventually remaining in Tartatus to keep Yillit in order.
So , with all this being said , there is one final nail on the coffin to figure out. If the wisps are such a celtic thing , what would they be doing with mostly Romanic and Slavic spirits? Well here's the great thing about mythology guys. THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF SIMILARITIES.
Slavic : In Polish and down , there are "błędne ogniki" that translate to "errant lights" that are believed to be the souls of murderers/sinners/...unbaptised...babies? And attempt to pull people into bogs and mud.
Romanic : 🇫🇷"Feu Follet" / 🇩🇪"Irrlicht" / 🇮🇹"Fuoco Fatuo" / etc. All these counties have the rough idea of wandering spirits who lead people to their fate - italian is especially funny because they think it could very well be the devil meaning Murat could be in the running as a will-o'-the-wisp. Also all of them have the idea of "foolishness" ...just gonna leave that here.
Alright - I'm done. Here's everything laid out , thanks for reading this...I'm gonna cry now about Oskar’s death ;^;.
