I like what Miura is potentially doing with the trolls though, with reports of them attacking. As far as big-scale warfare I think that type of battle, think the attack on Enoch, but a response by the Falcon army instead of Guts and co.
That wouldn't exactly be big-scale warfare.
If Miura is going for a classic medieval fantasy world, we could see orcs, goblins, and other nasties banding with the ogres and trolls and forming armies of their own.
Well we do know there are many types of creatures in the world now, including goblins, giants, harpies, hydras... That being said, I have a hard time imagining these creatures allying themselves to elves for example, as they're not on the same side of the good/evil scale.
What I also wonder about, is what Rakshas is up to! Did he cling onto Skull Knight during all the craziness atop Ganishka? If Griffith wishes to somehow get at Elfhelm, sending someone like Rakshas as a stowaway to spring and assassinate the King of the Flower Storm seems like a more likely situation. Not that I fully subscribe to it. Maybe he was/is just doing recon work, or hell something different altogether.
Without necessarily having had to cling to him, he could have followed him through a portal yeah. The problems with that idea are still the same than when I raised it though: nothing says SK went to Elfhelm after what happened in volume 34, and Rakshas would have had to avoid detection somehow, which I can't imagine would be easy to do in any situation other than the one we saw on volume 34. It's a pretty small window of possibility. Still, it would indeed be cool to see Guts track a skulking Rakshas on Skellig.
Also, I'm not thinking that Daiba is necessarily hiding, his nature could be just to be inconspicuous at the moment. He was just defeated and all, as well. So perhaps he's acting defeated?
I think his situation and attitude make it pretty clear that he's laying low.
It would be wise to stop by in some Islands along the way to rest and resupply.
Assuming that is possible at all, which doesn't seem to be the case considering what we've seen so far.
Yeah, the reasoning would be that if the moonlight child can travel great distances with seemingly great ease and the good chance that the child and Griffith are related or even share the same body, Femto as a God Hand perhaps could replicate it with even more power and control. But you're right, there's no guarantee, just a grounded theory I guess. It's also possible the ability we saw on episode 331 is actually exclusive to the moonlight child. Either that or the branches could only be used that way at certain phases of the moon. Some additional thoughts.
Yeah I get it, it just doesn't seem all that grounded to me.
Yes, it's been an immense journey, though I think much more time has been elapsed for us than the characters in the story.
It's been long enough that I just don't see the characters going back and forth in the future, unless through other means (using the Skull Knight's sword technique, or maybe the World Tree's branches).
By temporarily I mean until Casca is able to stand on her own and follow her own decisions, after being treated by the KoFS and spending enough time there to recover and reach that point. She would obviously leave to go after Guts soon enough. From there we could see some little adventures from herself, while re-gaining her fighting prowess, resourcefulness and other abilities she used to possess
Having another narrative showing Casca on her own, following in Guts' steps shortly after he left on his own? Honestly I just don't find it very likely.
I also imagine that for Guts to leave Casca again it will be for a very good reason.
She would have to tell him to, I can't see any other way.
Regardless of Guts staying with Casca or leaving her to do his own things, I think the story will reach a point where vengeance against Griffith won't be the only or even the biggest motivator for the inevitable conflict between them. I imagine that with story progression things will reach a point where, regardless of personal reasons, Griffith will need to be stopped and Guts will be the only one who could do that (with help along the way).
Of course, that's been my expectation for many years.
Absolutely, I would like even more if we could see a conflict like that without Elfhelm's necessary involvement. That would happen later on in the story I guess. Elfhelm just seems closest we could see of such a scenario happening.
Well it's not like the elves don't even have to be involved at all, they could very well offer all kinds of support (not the least of which being healing), but I find it rather reductive to imagine that there must be a direct armed conflict between Falconia and Elfhelm, taking the form of either Elfhelm being assaulted by an entire army of apostles or Elfhelm sending its supposed troops against Falconia.
To me it's pretty clear that this is going to be an asymmetrical conflict, where one side (the God Hand's) is incommensurably overpowered compared to the other (Guts & his allies). That's how the story's always been so far, and if anything the more it goes, the closer the God Hand is to win. Besides, we already saw a giant battle that opposed Griffith's forces to an extremely formidable enemy. That enemy was annihilated despite having superior numbers, despite also having magical forces. And now Griffith has Falconia, which from the outside seems rather impregnable, and he has the numbers (all those people flocking to it), and his kindred are probably now able to lend support.
So while I think it's a given that Guts will get to fight
something on Skellig, I find it simplistic to picture what's left of the story as Falconia vs Elfhelm, as if those were two opposing forces of similar strength. I've rather always pictured it as a personal time for him (and the others in the group), a time of introspection. Recuperating, bringing Casca back, fighting his inner demons (the Beast of Darkness), etc. They can learn more about the world, about what's happening, about what's to come and what must be done to stop it. There will be an impetus for Guts to go back out there and face Griffith (and for the others to accompany him), that's obvious. I just don't think it'll be "as a mercenary among Elfhelm's armies because otherwise the Elf King won't heal Casca".
wouldn't the Godhand be unable to manifest admidst a Elf sanctuary? From my understanding of elves and pixies any place they take up residence acts as like a barrier that evil or negative entities can not tresspass on. It is like they leave a inprint on places they used to live. Used to live. Would an apostle or other evil being be able to step foot in an area with a high concentration of elves that are physically living be much stronger then a place they used to dwell? Or does this only apply to low level evil spirits?
We know that former elf dwellings can ward off lower evil beings like incubi or specters, yes. I don't believe apostles would be prevented from attacking, however. That being said, Elfhelm is very likely warded off against evil, as it was somewhat hinted in the story. And with all the powerful beings living in there (the King of the Flower Storm, other elves or astral beings, magic users), it's not unreasonable to think that it might just not be possible for apostles or even for a member of the God Hand to assault the place. For example, apostles could only cross into Flora's domain because her power had weakened, as she remarked when it happened.
Also I thought God Hand could only manefest in areas where they have a high level of negative influence, like Slan during the orgy scene during the conviction arc. I do not think there would be any influence in elfhelm for them to manefest there.
In case you haven't noticed, things have changed
a lot since the Conviction arc. You should re-read volume 34, especially episode 306.
It's possible that she might have been able to ward them off in her best days.
She comments on it directly, so I'd say it's more than a possibility.
And the most curious, though I'm not sure if those were actually real elves at that point, was during the Lost Children chapter (or arc?), where in a close tree (or even the same) where Rochine was settled with her fake elves, Puc was able to see a group of what seemed to be the real deal passing by (piskies just like him). I'm not sure if they were real or what Puc was seeing was some kind of memory from the place when piskies used to inhabit that region.
It's Lost children chapter, and those were indeed a "memory" of what had been. Puck later tells Rochine as much. The character's name is "Puck", by the way.
If they were, we could have an awkward but very ironic situation (perhaps that was the point) where Rochine as an apostle was completely oblivious to their presence, while playing elf queen.
What's sad is that had the elves not left that place, she would have likely not become an apostle.
At the time Piskies or Elves in general really deserved their reputation as mere legends, much like most if not all the astral creatures we are seeing in Fantasia.
Elves are said to have left their former habitats for some unknown reason. Much like the fact magic had become less and less known (and so less employed), we that there had been a gradual decline in the astral presence in the world in general, to the point where it had almost disappeared. Then it was brought back in full force all at once. Part of the Idea of Evil's master plan? Perhaps.
Griffith/Femto's incarnation
Femto's incarnation. To incarnate means to receive a fleshly body, so that describes the process by which Femto, a pure spirit, received a physical body (which so happens to be an exact copy of his former human body).
You're missing the point. Whether Elfhelm possesses an "official army" or not isn't important to me. What's important to me is whether or not the KoFS recognizes Guts' value as a warrior, capable of fighting Apostles should his people ever come under attack by Griffith's Apostle Army. It's a matter of the KoFS' ability to make decision based on his own tactical soundness, and not an attempt at saying: "Yes, the KoFS does possess an organized military army."
No, I don't think I am. You're fundamentally misrepresenting the elves here by assuming that the King of the Flower Storm will strong-arm Guts into fighting for him by otherwise refusing to heal Casca, and that he plans to mount a preemptive military offensive on Falconia using an army. That the King will recognize Guts' value as a warrior I certainly don't doubt. Who wouldn't? But I doubt he's concerned with simply fighting apostles.
So he's an ex-Kushan soldier. Whether he fought against the BoTH at some point I don't know, but the point of what I said about who Griffith allows into his army and city remains the same.
I'm not trying to compare them.
Well aren't you comparing them right now? What was your point then? Daiba's laying low because he wants to, we don't know anything more than that. You're just drawing assumptions from it as if he would obviously join up with Griffith if he could, even though he was completely devoted to Ganishka before that. That just seems to be assuming a lot to me.
According to what you just said that mystery has already been solved. Am I to take what it says in the glossary as truth or what you say about Rakshas as truth? It's a hard choice to make as you're an admin and I wouldn't doubt you had a hand in putting that glossary together.
I'm sorry, do you really need to me to confirm to you that Rakshas is an apostle? And what's got the glossary to do with this? He's a
mysterious apostle, sure. All secretive and sneaky. The point was that comparing him to Daiba is ridiculous.
I was pointing out the difference between creatures that pose a threat to humans and beings who pose a threat to Griffith himself.
The Cockatrice can't use magic. He sent a cavalry led by Raban and one Apostle to help, most likely in the event that things go south, which they did.
Raban and his men were sent to rescue the refugees from trolls. They clearly weren't aware of the Cockatrice's presence, nor was Irvine sent in with them as far as we know. He intervened on his own, and from his dialogue it seems he was out in the woods on his own agenda.
A witch can use magic.
A witch isn't an astral being. It's a human who's learned how to use magic. Comparing Flora to trolls or to a Cockatrice is ridiculous to begin with.
Flora, after dying, came back as an ascended being and summoned a wall of flames that blocked Zodd and Grunbeld's path to Guts and co. Her power, imo will go beyond this because while she did ascend onto the Astral Plane, that plane has been merged with the physical, meaning she is likely alive and well somewhere. In this regard, killing her while she was still human was mistake, because it gives her more time to acclimate to becoming an Astral Plane and control her powers.
[...] I assume killing Flora to be only the first step. That's an assumption.
Flora showed up in spiritual form after dying. However as far as we know, she's gone. Like Walter said, the most I expect to ever see of her again is through a dream of Schierke's or something of the sort (which is what Flora hinted at herself). But she did also say that she had lived too long, and it was time for her to go and all that. In short, she is dead and if she still exists in some form it is beyond the physical world. Now, you mention the merging of the worlds, but it's not like everything spiritual is now hanging around. As you know, the astral world is composed of many layers, and it's clear that not everything was brought forth. For example, the spirits Schierke call upon to assist her still reside in unreachable places.
Anyway, you're saying killing Flora was the first step of a campaign to rid the world of the magic users that would pose a threat to Griffith, not really taking into account that Flora wasn't just any magic user (close friend of the Skull Knight, has at least been around for centuries). But you're also saying that the merging of the worlds was done so that all magic users could be killed (only magic users have been human so far, so that wasn't necessary), but you're saying too that killing Flora was a mistake, for she's now back in the world and even more powerful than before. And wait, what is she? An "Astral Plane"? Where is that coming from? That's meaningless. Anyhow, it all seems pretty contradictory to me.
It hasn't been depicted as being anything other than an Elf City. My "assumption" that there's an army there is hypothetical, and if there was one, narrowing it down to piskies: becomes ridiculous when we're talking about the King of Elves. If he's the King of Elves it means he rules over all elves of multiple species, meaning there are going to be more than just tiny fellas like Puck and Ivalera running around.
Could you please describe all the other types of elves to me? The ones that would compromise the bulk of the army, if possible.
The fact that Elfhelm is written about in grimoires, magical textbooks written by magic users, makes me believe that some magic users like witches might have been there before and/or still live there to this day. If they live in peace and harmony then I'd imagine they're capable of working together to defend themselves if they ever came under attack by anyone or anything of significant power.
Well yeah, that's pretty much a sure thing. We know there have been and most likely still are magic users over there, and they probably can defend themselves if need be. But there's a question of scale here. Defending a safe haven against a specific threat and going to war against the God Hand/Falconia are two very different things.
How does helping Guts work in her favor?
How does helping Guts has ever served in Puck's favor?
Because it makes it easier for him to kill all the other people with powers on par with Flora's who may have been out of his reach beforehand. People like the King of The Flowerstorm.
How does it make things easier? Flora wasn't out of reach, and since Guts had been traveling to Elfhelm before the merging of the worlds took place, we know also it wasn't any more or less out of reach than it is now.