To round out some thoughts:
I see 4 major possibilities for Uther in Bastion.
- They didn’t think it through, they just wanted him there for story. Well, we don’t have reason to think about that one much!
- The Arbiter sent him there. But then the Arbiter judged an incomplete soul, marked by the Maw, and somehow it wasn’t until Devos the issue comes to light.
- The Light took him to Bastion. If it was going to intervene, why not do more; complete soul, Lightforge, heal the soul itself.
- The Mawsworn took him there. Well…not great. If the Jailer’s people were flying around depositing souls where he wanted, then the Eternal Ones are in a very strange story spot.
1 is not a trivial chance in this case, but it does make his arc just about the story itself. They’ve done that before of course. It would change our conversation to being about the plot itself, with a disregard for the characters - they just wouldn’t matter anymore.
2 breaks the Arbiter and the Eternal Ones. It’s very possible as things stand. But it means that failure in judgement and the fate system of the Shadowlands occurred (hi2u broken system). It is a huge plot hole that somehow they knew there was Necromancy, which seems to be the Primus’ work, and yet didn’t think it was a big deal to be checked into. It is made worse if the Arbiter let a Domination touched soul through without a second thought.
3 kinda fits when Elune has already been shown able to manifest in the Shadowlands. But, in its moment of direct intervention on Uther’s behalf, why did it know so little, and still have that power? Lightforge is a question for where the story is now, that didn’t exist in cannon when Uther was killed; that shows a problem with the evolving cannon, things are easy to break. Ultimately, the Uther’s tomb stuff ends up weird with where they’ve taken the character story now. Things just don’t fit well. Is the Light really that weak against Domination? But, how did the Light learn Necromancy to Lightforge?
4 is simple certainly, but, one would think Mawsworn dropping off Uther would get some attention. Kinda hard to reconcile the Kyrian picking up souls from broken Frostmourne anyways. They should have appeared when the souls were taken into it and when they were released…and they missed Uther and Devos grabbing Arthas…? And they missed the Nine waiting for Sylvanas in Edge of Night…? It’s all so sloppy.
Thank you for seeing this.
In the past I myself held the view of them trying for a dark literary style. It got more uncomfortable as an assumption as the story went on. Then this years revelations set my view as above.
In this immediate discussion, think about the uncaring image of Kyrestia they painted.
She only cared for blind loyalty, she drove away a Paragon warning her about something she knew more about than that Paragon.
Uther and his events caused the ancient Paragon of Loyalty to lose her faith and turn to the Maw…? And in so doing she not only lost her faith but decided to try and kill Kyrestia to help the Jailer…?
And Devos took the Hand of Loyalty Lysonia with her…? Who was going to forcibly convert or kill Eridia her soulbind?
With Devos dead, we later save Uther from Lysonia, and kill Lysonia.
Not a warrior Anduin is such a powerful conduit for the Jailer he can overpower Kyrestia in the heart of her power…?
(After we have the strange case of Kleia walking him in despite her supposed soulbind with the Player Character who’s been searching for him. Along with her strange fascination with how great and noble a king he is - are not all equal in the eyes of the Ascended…? The Arbiter has measures, the Kyrian having them is another story break.)
And it takes Adrestes, Thenios, Uther, and Nikolon to get the Archon to change her ways because they have seen a better path…?
