Annotated BBWTE 9
Despite his obvious issues with Iver, a recruitment pitch is not Gravedust’s style. For one thing, it wasn’t so long ago that he was like, “FUCK Gastonia, these guys don’t help ANYONE but themselves, I can’t even get them to go after CULTISTS for shit’s sake.” He’s maybe softened that stance a little in the short term (Byron’s Guild is why Gravedust was able to recruit others to defeat the Corruptor Beast, and the Guild is part of Gastonia). But he’s definitely not so into his Gastonian allegiance that he’d recommend it for someone else.
Beyond that, he’s a philosophical sort, and has an older man’s patience with the idea that younger people must carve their own destiny. Who knows? Perhaps one day, he’ll be joining her side instead!
Lovely last panel there, reminding us that there are lots of other dwarves at this settlement, all of whom probably have some opinion or other about Gravedust and Magda buddying up like this.
Those icons in the background… I know they are kind of the World’s Rebellion’s icon or Tectonicus’s chosen or something… But I can’t stop thinking of Ace Attourney’s Blue Badger and it hurts my brain so much.
HEY PAL…! Do the Badger Dance with me! It’s a meditative sort of undulation…
Cue waterworks. I love that she’s able to break through his wise old man exterior and just reach the dwarf with a heart deep inside. So special!
For Gravedust, getting to call another Savasi family must be like rain in the desert right now. Poor guy has had NO other person of his own race to socialize with for years, and most of his race have seen him as a traitor. Probably even before he allied himself with Gastonia, thanks to Iver’s distrust of the mystics.
It comes completetely natural here, but he’s talking to someone who was close but now follows some despotic military leader who killed all his friends.
Who here thinks they could talk like that in this situation? I dream I could, but there’s no way we wouldn’t be at each others’ throats within 5 minutes, if I were in Gravedust’s place.
When I grow up, I want to be able to talk sense to others like he is.