Part 27: Hopper Rouley and the Totally Necessary Chapter

Hopper Rouley and the Totally Necessary Chapter



: I don't understand how he managed to break out of jail. He fled and took his friends with him. These are muddy waters. It must've been sorcery.

: (To himself) I hope the effort I've put into Thorn's rescue isn't wasted, and he doesn't just get himself killed right outside the city gates.



: (Returning from deep thought) We'll deal with our errands later. Thorn is a fugitive now-suspected of sorcery. From now on, we won't be the only ones looking for him.

: (Spitting) They say Thorn's gotten out of much worse. He's got a good head on his shoulders, though it's no help to us. When are we leaving?

: (Nodding) We'll do it soon, Ake. Let me settle a couple of matters here in Ursus-and then we'll follow Thorn. Don't worry, he won't get away. I know every pebble in this area. I'd also like to avoid Brann as much as possible...

Just so you guys remember, Hopper is supposed to take Thorn to Opacum while Ake and co are supposed to put him in jail to be executed without trial.

I don't understand why anyone willingly follows the Jeranan royal family.






Oh come on game! Can we have some Lo Pheng time now?



Nope!



: Andra nimbly jumps off her horse and approaches. "How long are we camping here? Should I help you get wood or something?"

It's funny because she's into Thorn and wood is slang for an erection!



: Your embarassment turns to anger. "Oh, you windmills! We barely escaped the chopping block and it's all just water off a duck's back to you! Go get some kindling if you've nothing better to do!"

: Foshta feigns disappointment. "Oh dear sister, such a stern, grumpy commander we have! He can't get it through his thick head that escaping death is the best reason to enjoy life. All right, let's get some kindling before he throws us in the fire, instead."





I would say this is consistent with Gleda's character but her character bounces from boisterous action girl to morality person and now to vengeful murderer with poor long term planning skills.

She never gets any better.

Meanwhile Alette, the daughter from the Banner Saga, actually grows and develops as a character, evolving from a girl who doesn't want to hurt anyone into a fearless warrior and leader of men.



Remember this guy? We bailed him out after he got drunk, stole some shit, and murdered an innocent potter?

It's time to learn his tragic backstory!





You kinda earned them what with being a drunken murderer.

: What did you want, Fisk?



: You were a hero, Fisk.

: Where's the royal ribbon that was given to you? They told legends about you! The Pallians didn't board our ship-we boarded theirs! You were the first aboard! I didn't witness it, but I heard about it. Where's the ribbon? Did you sell it for booze?

Is it bad I think Fisk would be a much better main character than Thorn?



: Why haven't you started a family?



I don't like where this is going...

: Wait... I think I've realized something, Fisk.

: It was me. I suffered for a while, then chose to leave when your son was born. She didn't even know my name-didn't need to. Why would she care about madmen? Then you came to Albius. You brought Liki with you. And I started drinking.



: What could I do? There's barely anything left of me. How could I move a muscle if I stopped breathing near her? You're lucky, Thorn. Grief-stricken, but lucky. A single day with such a woman is a miracle. You lived a life with her.



...Fisk is just a drunken incel, isn't he? Dude is seriously a war hero, you're telling me he can't go out and meet some other girl? Lo Pheng knows a few ladies who...actually would have a problem when this guy gets drunken and violent. Sigh.

: You'd better shut up, Fisk. Don't twist the knife.

: Everything can be set right, Fisk.

: Give me an honest answer, Thorn. Can you set your life right, or can you only glue the shards together?

: Gluing the shards together isn't the worst idea, Fisk.





: Stop whining, Fisk.

: You are alive. Friends all around you. A road under your feet. What else do you need? Keep it together.

: I keep myself well in hand, Thorn. I will start biting my fists soon. Don't you throw mud at me. I'm already dirty.




Yea Fisk kinda...sucks. I think he's supposed to have PTSD but the timeline is never really elaborated on. Was he stalking Liki before the war? It seems her existence is the catalyst that drives him to drink rather than war induced PTSD. My guess is that his mother's death, the war stuff, and his unhealthy fascination with Liki all combined into one little pile of self-loathing which only gets worse when he gets drunk and murderous.

If you took away him murdering people and stalking Liki you'd have a pretty interesting protagonist - trying to overcome his PTSD and drink, get over the woman who got away and survive this crazy world.

But this is Ash of Gods, where the random party members you meet turn out to be sex offenders who escaped from jail.

Next time, we learn about the Wonder Twins' tragic backstories!