???? Amphoreus???????
(disclaimer: I haven’t completed the full storyline. I stopped midway through The Herta segment so take everything with a grain of salt. I am also not the most knowledgeable when it comes to Star Rail lore, I just really like the Remembrance. I could be wrong about everything. Except when it pertains to the Garden and the Remembrance, that is. I trust the hyperfixation.)
I am very suspicious of Black Swan. The Garden at large, really, but mostly her.
Like don’t get me wrong, she’s my pookie my baby my goober my second main and could never do any wrong ever ever ever
but suspicion wherever the Garden is concerned is pretty healthy, standard practice I think.
I think it just starts with her and March. Before we depart, she comes out of March’s room. Which at first was a bit funny, and I sort of assumed she’d been digging through all of our rooms at this point so it wasn’t really anything other than her casually invading our privacy.
But then I think no, she’s been subtly picking out March from the get-go. Her sneaking into her bedroom is just another one on the list.
Now anyone who’s been playing for any substantial amount of time (or really just likes the Garden of Recollection aha) already knows that March and the Remembrance are heavily intertwined— from past, to visual motifs, to her being a favorite of all the pesky Memokeeper’s she’s met… They have a vested interest interest in her for whatever reason.
Now while Swan’s explanation of “oh you know I just really want to see Amphoreus all those juicy memories are like honey to flies and I’ll be the first to get em” is perfectly in character and I believe, is her legitimate first reason.
But if I know anything about Black Swan, it’s that she has many different plans and ideas zooming around in there— and has a two birds with one stone sort of philosophy. Memokeepers can be pretty self-serving; but they are ultimately very simple creatures, Swan being no exception. Memories are their reason for being, and why they do anything at all.
So. What primarily benefits Black Swan’s insatiable curiosity takes top priority. What benefits the Garden most often aligns with that, so that is the second priority. Then of course, whoever or whatever happens to be involved in her pursuit of said goals has to be taken care of as well. She doesn’t leave loose threads.
She seems to be legitimately fond of the Trailblazer, often texting them, sending them memory bubbles, etc. (Now of course it’s also the treasure trove of memories we can provide her. But a girl can dream.) So a benefit of her scheme is her helping us (and by extension the crew) continue their journey through the cosmos. Cool memories to provide her AND she’s helping out a friend. How thoughtful!
So what’s the deal with March and Amphoreus???? Does she want to help March and this is providing something that could serve as a key to unlocking her past???? Is it happy coincidence????
(that’s a trick question. Here are no coincidences with her.)
I’ve seen a few theories floating around on Twitter, theorizing that not only is Swan orchestrating everything (duh that’s a given wherever she’s concerned) but that she’s also the reason for March’s condition and is actively trying to make it worse for some reason.
(I’ll admit, I was suspicious when she volunteers to watch over March.) I went back to check on them, hoping to talk to her and pry some information out of her. The thing IS though; I couldn’t speak to her.
That’s very unusual. Usually when you do these things, the character just repeats their last line. But I couldn’t speak to Swan at ALL. There wasn’t even the option to click her name. But I could speak to March just fine. It’s like Black Swan wasn’t even there. I interpreted it as Black Swan doing what Black Swan does best: digging through memories like the Trailblazer looting a dumpster. So what did she see in there, and HOW does this correlate to March’s illness? Because it has to; why else would she go? Why else would it HAPPPEN?
Genuinely I have no clue. My board is covered in pins and red strings, but I can’t think of anything concrete.
Black Swan is a lot of things, but she’s never struck me as malicious. A manipulator, yeah. A shameless one at that. But at the end of the day, she’s someone who values lives and memories. Who was a human being before all of this— one who seemed to genuinely want to be a part of something beautiful. At the end of the day, I think she’s fundamentally good like most people. I don’t think she’s hurting March for the shits and giggles.
Unless of course, it’s what needed to happen. Because if this needed to happen in order to ultimately help, I think she’d do it without hesitation. Maybe she’s trying to help in her own weird Black Swan way??? I mean she clearly knows more than she’s letting on. Maybe this would serve as a catalyst for March’s growth??
Or is this something completely out of her control and understanding— as she claims but we know better than to trust a word she says without question— and rather, is something connected to the planet itself?
🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️
And don’t even get me started on the Memosnatcher.
(yes, please do.)
Like Black Swan’s antics, this was a perfectly normal occurrence in and of itself. But for it to happen in the main plot in rapid succession is SOMETHING
we already know Herta has a fascination with the Garden’s technology, and there’s hundreds of Memory Bubbles floating around her space station. She’s invited the Remembrance aboard a looong time ago.
But the Memosnatcher was specifically looking for Nous’s memories. She infiltrated the station, took control of the puppets, and states that the Garden is planning something— potentially big.
(Now she was begging for her life at the time, so it could have been misleading. But honestly I doubt that. )
why THIS SPECIFIC MISSION and why NOW
The Remembrance and the Erudition (i think) are two paths we know of that are intertwined with the fate of Amphoreus. And with the seemingly random appearance of Fuli, the Garden is up to something.
whether Black Swan is aware of this plan, or she’s acting of her own accord and this is another happy accident— it’s all connected
and it all leads back to March, SOMEHOW
but HOW
MARCH
HOW
*shakes Black Swan* I want ANSWERS bird
Anyway Amphoreus and the Garden of Recollection have my brain in a blender and this is a thirst for knowledge I haven’t experienced since Genshin’s Fontaine archon quest.
3.1 can’t come fast enough.
