Foods That Will Poison Cats:

no mistletoe?

there you have it…

(i forgot how to draw TTr omfg)

–And so, their battle rages on.

But Kusuo’s merciless victory shuts her up for a while.

The True Identity of Elsword

Now there are several ways I can tackle this post. I can write the entire thing as if no one’s ever read any of my stuff or pretend like everyone read everything I’ve ever written and I don’t need to repeat myself for the 5th time. I decided to do a mix of the two. I’ll briefly explain but link to more detailed explanation found in my previous posts.

Q: Ain seems to have a big interest in Elsword. What exactly is Elsword?

A: Elysion story and Ain’s story have already given you guys hints about what Elsword really is. (laughter) We are planning to continue the story about this through upcoming stories so we would be so grateful if you can have big interest for it!!

from Interview with Developer on Ain: (link)

Since Ain was released, it was heavily hinted that a lot of hints were sprinkled throughout the game, enough for us to figure out what Elsword is.

Let’s quickly recap my Pledge to the Sword post, which was a post all about Elsword and his background/story/relevance to the plot. Read it in full detail if you need any clarification or explanation/citation/source: (link)

Elsword in Story

From the Epic Quest and the animation adaptation, we learn that Elsword has a strong connection to the El, capable of notable feats(?) such as:

Drawing Ain out of Henir’s rift with his innate El power that is very similar to the core of the original El, which is what the Ruben’s El Shard also is.

Needing no one to tell him that the Lady of El is not a legend but a living, breathing, existing person, and cannot recall how he knows that information.

Having the same root as Ain.

Slightly remembering  Ain even after Ain ends his intervention (but not completely, right away).

Bringing back Ain’s existence and helps him maintain that existence via his own energy.

Hearing Harnier, the Lady of El, and her voice, who can possibly talk only to him and no one else.

Finding the fabricated El in Elysion, created by Solace familiar because it exudes a similar energy wave as the original El, before its destruction.

Being told by Solace that some of his memories were directly transferred from the El.

Rose’s Source of the Great Disaster

Before I go on any further, we have to revisit the post that started it all: The Source of the Great Disaster (link). Rose is what catapulted us to question, “Wait why is Elsword trying to restore the El? What’s his true connection to it?” in the first place. And here is why:

Through Rose we were able to learn that the El might be the source of the Great Disaster that was unleashed upon Rose’s world. Here is the proof:

When the disaster struck, Imperial Princess Erza conducted a research to locate the source of it… and during Rose’s tutorial, you can see her staring at something none other than the El. In fact, this type of El is something we’ve never seen before. Throughout Elsword the game’s history, El was known to take various different forms depending on the artist’s interpretation but we see this fat angular piece of jewel somewhere before as well. The ERP icon:

The giant El before the explosion looked something more like this:

The El you see in Ain’s tutorial and the one in the Tower of El is the salvaged El after the Nasod War, when it went rampant and almost destroyed the world and the first Lady of El and Ishmael had to quell it. That’s why it looks chipped and… imperfect. But the one in Rose’s tutorial is… perfect.

It’s the restored El? But the El’s not restored yet?

What if the restored El in the future struck Rose’s world and she was sent back in time to stop the destruction from its source. Time traveling in Elsword? Not at all weird. Add has done it on numerous occasions, Ain probably has done it, and Rose has done it at least once, and we know it for a fact:

When Rose first arrives in Elysion, she’s perplexed because she was specifically told to go to Elrios where the source is. But Zero tells her, they’re in Elysion because that’s where the source is… But she says she has to go to Elrios so they go to Elrios… and finds Elsword… concludes that he has some connection to the source and follows him which brings her right back to Elysion for the second time except this time Zero tells her that the second time they visited Elysion is, in fact, an earlier time than when they first arrived. Meaning, if they sat around and waited in the same place, they would’ve seen their past selves jumping right into Elrios.

And her dungeon clear line at the Memory of the Halted Sun is strange.

Rose

I’ve been following him thinking that he’s the closest one to the source of disaster. I haven’t met him personally but just seeing the chaos in his wake I really do feel like he’s a disaster…!!

Note that everyone else is talking about Elsword as their own dungeon clear line and here is Rose… saying that. 

Why would Elsword be someone who’s closest one to the source of the disaster in Rose’s hometown?

Let’s recap again. Erza looks at what appears to be an El, albeit a bit different from what we’re used to. From that we concluded that El is the source of the disaster. What is Elsword trying to do? Restore the El. 

But does that make it enough for him to be the “closest one” to the El?

I used to think Elsword was just someone very important from the past who was chosen by the Goddess to restore the El in the present time. But that doesn’t explain a lot of things.

If he was chosen by the Goddess to restore the El, then how come he wasn’t granted power from the very beginning, like Ain?

Ain is significantly weaker than he started out to be because of the time he spent in Henir’s rift, but even with his weakened strength he was able to do some pretty amazing things like closing the dimensional rift.

From the Pledge to the Sword post, you learned that the Transcendence Update was Goddess’s test on Elsword to see if he’s worthy of the new power. With that power, he was able to withstand Solace’s attack in the fortress. It also went further to describe his uncanny connection to the El, standing out from the rest of the El Search Party members.

He can do amazing things that no other humans, or even Celestials can do. But he’s not perfect either. There’s always something that’s missing… 

What is he? Human? Celestial? What if…

Elsword is a piece of the El?

Now, let’s go back to our list of “unexplained things that Elsword can do” and piece it all together.

Drawing Ain out of the rift

Possible, as a piece of the El

Knowing the Lady of El is not a legend

He probably met a few in his lifetime(?)

Same root as Ain

El was also created by the Goddess

Remembering Ain even after Ain ends intervention

El contains memories that Ain later reads later

Brings back Ain and maintains his energy

El of Earth from Velder did something similar to Ain

Listening to Harnier’s voice

During Halted Sun’s memory Epic Quest, we learn that Harnier can hear the El “calling out” to her. That means she can hear El. Who says she can’t talk to El?

This also explains why she probably couldn’t talk to anyone, not even Solace, during her coma in Elysion.

Thinking the original El energy is familiar and nostalgic

If the original El was a part of you, then you would find it nostalgic and familiar.

Being told by Solace that some of his memories were directly transferred from the El

Of course.

Ain’s “Initial” Obsession with Elsword

It had very little to do with the fact that Elsword was seemingly the only person who can help Ain in his lofty quest of reconstructing the broken El so that he can restore energy to it, but because Elsword was a piece of El itself. If the former was true, then he could’ve thought of just discarding Elsword after restoring the El but judging from his very last line in Elysion Epic Quest, I highly doubt that would’ve been the case since he was thinking of abandoning his quest to be with Elsword and friends. Think about all those times Ain was upset at the thought of the precious El being corrupted by Demons. In fact, the reason why Wanderer became Apostasia is BECAUSE this precious thing called El was tainted and corrupted by demons in Feita, which made him become disappointed with the Goddess’s ineptitude in protecting it:

Wanderer feels despair and fear for his own future after seeing Nasods being discarded in Altera. He decides to go the Altar of Dedication in Feita where he can reach the Goddess. He was horrified to find it overran by demons but he believed that as long as he can reach the Goddess, all of his fear and despair will be washed away, so he fought on… until he found the Dark El.

“To think the Goddess’s own creation could become tainted like this…”

The last shred of faith and hope he had was shattered and he was consumed by the Seed of Chaos.

Nostalgia: Who Are We?

I want to talk more about nostalgia and how Elsword finds the original El nostalgic, but I’ll just quote Vsauce on Nostalgia:

Nostalgia. Fondly remembering the past, what you used to do, and who you used to be, might simply be a way for your brain to answer that question or at least cool down the anxiety it causes.

The word nostalgia is learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of νόστος (nóstos), meaning “homecoming”, a Homeric word, and ἄλγος (álgos), meaning “pain” or “ache”.

Nostalgia is all about you. Your memory, your past, and who you used to be, and consequently, who you are now. Which makes nostalgia an often healthy way to ask, who am I? Well, you are a person who remembers a specific events in the past. You existed in the past and are a continuous being.

Solace, the Master of the Sun

Solace… he seemed to know what Elsword is and who he is.

“Yes, you are the one. The one who can change this world, the one who has the power to choose a new future.” “I am convinced, Elsword, that you are the one with the power and the right to change the future of Elrios.” “…. Now, it is time. O, the one who has the power and the right to choose the future of the world created by El.”

WHO has the power and the right to choose the future of the world created by the El… if not the El itself…?

“… It’s too obvious for you to desire the restoration of El.”

It would be obvious for a fragment of you to be reunited with the rest of … you?

Harnier, the Lady of El

We’ve already discussed that the reason Harnier probably could talk to Elsword was because he is a piece of El, and El was known to reach out to Ladies of El in the past:

“What… what’s going on…?” “Oh no, the Giant El is about to go rampant!” “No… How could this happen… What… what should I do…” “Harnier… Harnier? Where are you going?” “El… El is calling out to me… I must go…” “No… it’s already too late! If you go any closer, you’ll…!”

- Solace and Harnier in Halted Sun’s Memory Epic Quest

Now, for those of you who are asking this question:

“Hey how can a piece of rock become a human? lol”

May I remind you… Illuminos Phenomenon:

“Illuminos. The fate of those who become the Lady of El.

It’s said that those who become the Lady of El not only dedicate the entirety of her life for El, but gradually loses emotions as a human and loses herself… only to become a part of the Giant El.”

- Ebalon in Halted Sun’s Memory Epic Quest

So a human can be chosen by the Goddess… to ultimately become a part of the El. Wouldn’t that mean a part of El could also become… human?

“The chosen few cannot change the world no matter how special they are… The ones that truly maintain and change the world are all of the living beings in this world.”

“I… know that! What we had to sacrifice to come this far. It was thanks to everyone’s sacrifice that I was able to get here… I don’t want any more sacrifices either.”

- Solace and Elsword in Halted Sun’s Memory Epic Quest

Let’s think about people Elsword had to sacrifice to get here… hmm.. Yuno… And… nope, I can’t think of anyone else. Who else did Elsword sacrifice? Why is he so… sensitive about that word…… yeah he’d have to sacrifice his sister… but hey let’s take a moment to think about

How many Ladies of the El was sacrificed to maintain the unstable El.

Rose, the Time Traveler

If Elsword really truly is a piece of the El, and not only that… a core of the El… then that would explain why Rose is so hostile against Elsword when everyone in Elrios + Elysion thinks of him as some sort of great leader/savior figure.

But this won’t change the game balance or the story so much to make Elsword into a God or something because he says this:

“No… to me, I have memories of my sister who’s always been by my side, my friends, and all the people I’ve met and spent time with. Even if there is a part of me that I don’t know… that doesn’t mean I’m going to become an existence for El.”

- Elsword in Halted Sun’s Memory Epic Quest

SO

What did you think?

Will Elsword restore the El? Or will he try something that will fuck something up? I really don’t think Rose can stop the disaster that hit her home world, because that would be a time paradox… Of course the game will need some complications to keep rolling and keep things interesting…

I can’t be 100% sure Elsword WILL restore the El, but I do have a good feeling about this whole Elsword is a piece of El theory. I have thought about his strange connection to the El for a long time but I just couldn’t think deep enough to get to this conclusion for a while. I just thought Elsword = source of disaster, El = also source of disaster, but didn’t think Elsword = El… for some reason. I mean that really does take some kind of thinking to come out and say Elsword is El confidently. I hate to theorize without some empirical evidence to back my claim so this took some time to write.

SEE YA LATER AFTER STORY UPDATE

Randomly thought of this haha. I guess there is something Jumin isn’t good at lol.

Thank you very much. Your tips are good as always :D

Suzu, what pen you use for line art , and do you have any tip for line art?

OMG u rlly ask for tips from me lmao?

well.. i was using airbrush for lineart,, just recently changed to brush tho (it’s more ‘solid’ than airbrush and i saw almost all artists use brush instead of airbrush), coz sometimes when you want to color, a ‘blurry’ lineart is kinda handy… or is it just me…?)

both airbrush and brush (very) depend on pressure, so if you’re kinda ‘inconsistent‘ in giving pressure on your hand (???) i suggest you to use pencil instead.

for me personally, i like to use airbrush/brush instead bcoz of the ‘swipey’ (????????) feelings. i dun work well with pencil .w.

hmmm idk imo i’m not that really good in lining..so i dun have anymore to say, sorry qvq

Add x Eve

Source

I can’t even dance like this barefoot

What would happen if 707 walks into MC in the shower instead? ( 707 logs out of life~)

MC walks into 707 in the shower here

Elsword

“What do you want?  If you have something to say, then spit it out.”

1st Year

155 cm

Specialty: Kendo, household chores

The only 1st year student at the Velder High kendo club. He started learning kendo since he was a kid, having admired his older sister, a promising kendo champion. He joined Vit toelder High as it was the only school in the area with a kendo club.

He’s never discouraged or intimidated in any situation, which comes off as arrogance at times. However, he trains relentlessly every day, saying that he’s got a long way to go if he wants to catch up to his sister, and he’s never been free of scars for this reason. He spends most of his time at the kendo club when he’s not in class.

He’s gotten several warnings for carrying around his practice wooden sword around everywhere which did little to deter him. He’s become more cautious about it though, and tries to not get caught. Despite his clumsy and reckless tendencies, he’s surprisingly good at household chores. He can be brutally honest at times, but he is just inexperienced at expressing his feelings and means no harm.

Aisha

“I told you not to run in the classroom!  Ugh, these idiots!”

1st Year

157 cm

Specialty: Nagging, magic (?)

A class president who’s never missed 1st place in the school ranking.

She’s managed to maintain her image as a bookworm since entering the Velder High, but according to the rumors, she levitates brooms with magic to clean when no one is watching. Other rumors say that she left some problem students midair 100m off the ground overnight to “correct” their behaviors. It’s been widely speculated that might be the reason why there is not a single student who doesn’t grow quiet in front of Aisha, even the most problematic students.

She appears as a Perfect Model Student who lectures others all the time and doesn’t lack a single thing in her life, but even she has a naive, pure side to her; her after school hobbies include reading shoujo manga or romance novels, believing in fairy tales of destined love.

Rena

“Call me if you need any help. I’ll run to you like the wind!”

3rd Year

170 cm

Specialty: Archery, tending plants

Velder High Student Council President, who’s always kind to everyone. She is trusted by all with her innocent smile and heartfelt sincerity.

She doesn’t hesitate to help anyone in need. As kind she is, she is also known to be merciless to wrongdoers. According to the school legend continued to this day, a student messing around at the flowerbed was soon found kneeling before her and begging for forgiveness.

She’s incredibly athletic, and many sports team have tried to recruit her but to no avail. She shows up every once in a while at the archery club, but otherwise she spends most of her time for the student council. She claims she suits looking after plants instead, but not many students believe that as she is the first one to run over to land a flying kick to those who cause problems at the school.

Raven

“…If that’s what you really want, then I’ll take you on.”

3rd Year

184 cm

Specialty: Leading people

In the past, he was the ace player at the kendo club, but had to leave all that behind due to unknown circumstances. At one point, he was the leader of an infamous student gang which was involved in several incidents.

He had spent a lot of his earlier days in the dark, but he was able to turn his life around somehow. He’s left the gang completely and cleaned off his dark past. He would love nothing better than to just spend his days in peace now, but he often ends up getting involved in unwanted fights with other students. It’s usually because people mistake his scars and his bluntness as hostility, not to mention those who wish to challenge him because of his infamous reputation in the past.

Recently, he’s been visiting the kendo club from time to time to spar with younger students.

For reasons unknown, he has bandages on his left arm at all times. Apparently, he never takes it out of his pocket. As the rumor goes, he only takes it out during a fight, but since no one has lived to tell the tale, its actual appearance remains a mystery.

Eve

“…How rude. Please be respectful at school.”

1st Year

167 cm

Specialty: Designing and inventing robotics

A mysterious transfer student. Cynical and refined, she is nicknamed “Her Majesty the Queen” by her fellow classmates ever since she slapped Elsword on her first day of school when he destroyed her precious inventions.

She has strange devices on her forehead and ears, but it’s absolutely forbidden to ask her about them. She shows extraordinary talent in robotic engineering; she’s even borrowed an entire facility of the science club to develop robotics in her spare time. Perhaps due to her past trauma of Elsword wrecking her creations, the security system is known to be a bit over the top.

She displays affection to her creations, more than she does to humans, but seeing how she can be beyond cold to other creations that does not meet her standards, maybe not all of her creations equally deserve her affection.

Chung

“Hello, everyone! Nice to meet you!”

1st Year

155 cm

Specialty: Cello, academics

Thanks to his excellent grades and polite manners, he was referred to the vice president position of the student council, despite being only a 1st year student. Both the teachers and students alike love this model student because of his positive personality, never hesitating to help anyone in trouble.

He doesn’t quite know what to do with the fact that he’s getting confessed frequently by male students because they mistake his pretty looks. He is especially good at playing the cello, and carries it around despite his small stature.

He attends Velder High as a part of his lesson to be the successor of his family’s business while his father is abroad.

Ara

“KYAAAA! I’m late!”

2nd Year

168 cm

Specialty: Calligraphy

She grew up in a strict household, where she learned to be respectful and courteous to others. Unfortunately, all the grace and refinement she’s learned goes out the window, because she makes frequent mistakes thanks to her innate clumsiness.

Being exceptionally talented in all things athletic, she tried joini several sports clubs. However, she either got the rules confused or destroyed the facility due to her immense strength. She gave up eventually, but she accepted other’s suggestion to be a cheerleader instead and has been cheering everyone since. Her pure and innocent smile is her trade mark, making her fairly popular at the school, even though she herself is not aware of it.

The stray cat(?) she found one day doesn’t want to leave her side, and tries to get inside her bag every morning she gets ready to go to school. There’s a rumor going around saying that her older brother has made friends with the wrong crowd and became a core member of a gang. She’s worried because she had tried to contact him many times, but cannot reach him.

Elesis

“It’s important for students to continue to train themselves.”

2nd Year

163 cm

Specialty: Kendo

The captain of the kendo club, head of the student disciplinary committee.

When she catches anyone trying to climb over the fence to ditch school, she chases after them in a flash. It’s almost impossible to run away from her.

She didn’t get to spend much time at home, because she was always busy with kendo competitions since she was a child. She’s won numerous awards from world championships, but for some reason she’s left all that behind and currently attends Velder High as a normal student. Judging from how much she cherishes her younger brother, who is in the same kendo club as her, a rumor says that she quit being a champion just for him.

Add

“Hmph, what are you going to do with the fact that my name is ‘Add’?”

2nd Year

168 cm

Specialty: Disassembling and modifying machines

A problem student who has trouble getting along with his classmates because of his personality, but he is a genius; he’s often the top of his class. He is targeting a core blueprint that Eve supposedly has for his own personal agenda. 

According to the rumors,he is a son of a world-renowned family of scientists who have invented many incredible things in the past, but apparently due to unknown circumstances he’s left the family and is currently living by himself. 

He’s able to pay the tuition with the vice principal’s support, but it seems like he’s always on a tight budget. Sometimes you can catch him at the grocery shop during timed sale. Despite his cold exterior, he seems interested in animals as he can be seen spending his time observing cats near the school.

Ciel

“I’ve baked some cookies. Want to try them?”

3rd Year

188 cm

Specialty: Gunnery, butler activity(?), baking

An ex-core member of an infamous gang. He was forced to transfer to a different school with Lu after an incident.

He secretly looks after Lu so she wouldn’t get caught up in trouble. He’s known as her personal butler because of this, but he doesn’t seem to mind his new nickname.

Although he looks distant and serious, he loves cute things; he carries around little trinkets of plushies on his bag or his phone. You can see him near a toy shop, playing the claw machine with expertise.

He loves to bake and often hands them out to students in the class.

Lu

“I am the Luciela R. Sourcream!”

3rd Year

141 cm

Specialty: Eating desserts

She was one of the leader of an infamous gang from the Demon School.  Betrayed by those she trusted, she was falsely accused of something and was forced to transfer to Velder High. Apparently she’s looking for a chance to get her old position back.

Nowadays she tries to get around quietly without catching any attention, but she ends up catching attention anyways, in a different way, thanks to her cute appearance and bold attitude. She is asked to play a role in the theater club many times because of this, but she rarely gets on the stage because she only wants the good roles.

She hangs out with Ciel who transferred with her, and seems to leave all the annoying tasks to him. She loves sweet desserts, and joined the baking club with Ciel, where she has taken the role of taster, as she is not gifted with baking in any way.

Rose

“I’ve successfully arrived at the school. For the chairman, transferring school is not a problem.”

2nd Year

182 cm

Specialty: Gunnery, repairing and modifying guns

Elite member of a foreign army school. She transferred to Velder High of Elrios to investigate the source of a great disaster that threatens her home country.

Perhaps due to her upbringing in a military family, she is extremely athletic and boasts an outstanding marksmanship. She is especially attached to guns and can be seen secretly taking care of a model gun she carries with her.

Having been trained with a strict military education, she can be harsh with herself when it comes to training and self-disciplining. She carries around bag with the weight of a full gear that soldiers normally carry. She also eats battle-ready rations like jerky or energy bars for meals, and is always ready for battle. Her soldier-like tendencies surprise people but it doesn’t look like she is aware of it.

Ain

“I’m a bit busy right now. Can you come to the student council room if you have a business with me?”

3rd Year

182 cm

Specialty: Can do whatever he puts his mind to

The scribe of the student council, who deals everything with composure and a soft smile.

Separate from his student council duties, he’d volunteered to be the manager of the kendo club. He visits 1st year classes quiet often, under the pretext of supporting the young 1st class club member. He appears to be closer with the 1st year students than students of his own class.

He frequently calls in sick due to an accident he was involved in before he started attending the school. He can be seen taking classes at the 1st year class the next day. It’s very unusual, but strangely he doesn’t draw enough attention so he gets called out on it very rarely.

He’s always smiling and no one has seen him making any other expression. He can be brutally honest without any regard for other’s feelings, but it doesn’t seem like he himself thinks it’s particularly big problem.

Perhaps he is religious seeing how he performs certain actions before lunch.

https://imgur.com/a/c6C8H

From the last phone call If I remembered it correctly.

P/S: READ FROM LEFT TO RIGHT