KILL SIX BILLION DEMONS: Beginnings are false and I am a consummate liar.

[Admiral Squish]

I don't think that's what the wiki meant. The way I read it, it was talking about this figure, given the reference links. I don't recognize where it came from and don't understand how a link to that image supports the claim. It looks like it could be an older version of Allison, though.

Or maybe I don't know what "splash panel" you are referring to?

'Splash panel' just means a large, often full-page or multiple-page, panel in a comic, to my understanding. Seems I used the term incorrectly though, now that I look at the page again, the panel wasn't all that big. I was referring to the bottom, zoomed-out panel where the oracle says 'demons'.

But yeah, that is definitely not the figure I was thinking of. I've gone back and forth over the meeting and I can't find that particular image anywhere, though.
Also, dug around through the directory a bit. The 'who' image was uploaded at about the same time as the whole meeting sequence, so it's not like it's in a flashback or something I forgot about... I honestly have no idea who/what/where it's supposed to be, which I'm beginning to suspect is the point.

[Nettlekid]

I honestly have no idea who/what/where it's supposed to be, which I'm beginning to suspect is the point.

If it does end up being a time-warped version of either Allison or another character then that's some impressive planning on the author's part, to include a piece of information without origin or connection because it has no such thing in the current timeline. I desperately hope that's actually what's happened because that would be incredible.

[mystic1110]

this figure

. . . this is the first time I saw this image. For those who also missed it, the HTML is in black just below the page and just above the arrows here.

Good find. And yeah - no idea who that is. Definitely thinks its KSBD.

[Nettlekid]

. . . this is the first time I saw this image. For those who also missed it, the HTML is in black just below the page and just above the arrows here.

Good find. And yeah - no idea who that is. Definitely thinks its KSBD.

Wow, how did you even find the link on the page? That's what I was looking for, that seemed to have no presence.

So what do we think about the mystery figure, who seems to be called "Who"? I think I'm in the camp of future/parallel Allison. Despite a face marred with age and scarring, the blue eye seems to shine through. This Who is human/oid after all, which narrows down possibilities significantly.

Moreover, they have a Magus Gate. Does any figure in the multiverse apart from the Seven and Allison have one? If I understand the history correctly (and that's a big if) there were once 777,777 Demiurges plus Zoss, making 777,777 keys and the Master Key. The Demiurges warred amongst each other until only the Seven remained, and with each in command of 111,111 worlds they each have 111,111 keys combined into their own key. So that's eight keys in existence, the presence of all of which are accounted for. So for someone to have a key means they...have to be one of the owners of an existing key?

Although maybe this is the owner of the key that Cio stole in recent history. Maybe there's an extra hanging around somewhere.

-------------------------------------

Back to Jadis' prophecy, I'm curious about the images we see reflected in her glass. The Successor's face is covered, but it's almost certainly Allison because Cio and White Chain are unmistakable to her sides. And then there's Maya who seems like she's on Allison's side (of the fight) despite those ambiguous remarks made on the author's Tumblr about Maya being an antagonist. Then we've got the Seven being fought against, and Zoss? It really looks like the Successor is fighting against Zoss along with the Seven. Unless it's like, Zoss is in the center projecting the Successor from his head and the Seven are being knocked back. One thing I'm a bit curious about is Incubus being covered by one of Jadis' priest's head. I think that was an odd art choice to block out part of the view of an otherwise epic visual, and so I suspect it was done so deliberately. Now that we've seen the cover art of Book 3, Incubus is the only one of the seven we've yet to see in person and only in flashback's or Allison's dream. What secrets do you think he's hiding?

[lord_khaine]

Moreover, they have a Magus Gate. Does any figure in the multiverse apart from the Seven and Allison have one? If I understand the history correctly (and that's a big if) there were once 777,777 Demiurges plus Zoss, making 777,777 keys and the Master Key. The Demiurges warred amongst each other until only the Seven remained, and with each in command of 111,111 worlds they each have 111,111 keys combined into their own key. So that's eight keys in existence, the presence of all of which are accounted for. So for someone to have a key means they...have to be one of the owners of an existing key?

Its not quite like that. There were once 777.777 gods who each created their own realm, their own world. Zoez created the master key after initially defeating the prime angels. After the other demiurges began to arrive they then started forging their own keys to specific realms.
And when we war were done the seven surviving demi-urges then deviced the realms among themselves. But its not all realms that has been discovered so far by them. The conquest of the 111.111 worlds is still running.

[Admiral Squish]

I will say, I feel like a LOT of comics could really use a moment like this, where everyone just gets it all out there.

So, Mottom was Gluttony, the dragon-guy's greed, Incubus is almost certainly lust... That leaves us with sloth, envy, vanity(or is it pride?), and wrath, IIRC. Who's who?

[mystic1110]

I will say, I feel like a LOT of comics could really use a moment like this, where everyone just gets it all out there.

So, Mottom was Gluttony, the dragon-guy's greed, Incubus is almost certainly lust... That leaves us with sloth, envy, vanity(or is it pride?), and wrath, IIRC. Who's who?

Queen Nadia Om, the Blood Flower, Imperiatrix of the Gates of Fire, Bearer of the Word Glory, Goddess of the Seven Part World is GLUTTONY

Solomon David, God-Emperor is PRIDE

Gog-Agog, Queen of Worms is ENVY

Jadis, The Lady of Infinite Repose, Bearer of the Shape of the Universe, the Queen of Shapes is SLOTH

Mammon, The Grand Dragon, Scaled God of the Deep is GREED

Incubus, Lord of the Golden Army is LUST

Pankrator Jagganoth, the God Eater, Lord of Rage, the Seventh Demiurge is WRATH

[Eldan]

Heh. INGSVLD is going to love this one.

[Olinser]

So its come to this. Fanfiction stories being held hostage to obtain the truth.

[AmberVael]

I am really starting to like Nyave.

[Tom Tearcamel]

Dunh dunh DUNH!

Interesting.

I laughed very hard at the "chronicle of the Rising King". It's great how Alison is poking fun at Cio saying that the 'Stranger' "Seems so familiar. HMMM!"

I love Cio's art. Alison looks all Magical Girl with flowers in her hair.

Cio also knows how to follow tropes. Heavy exposition should be discussed over dinner.

The excerpt under the page reminds me of "Wheel of Time" fourth age blurbs that sometimes are after the epilogues or before the prologues.

[Ibrinar]

Now if I read the fan fic excerpts in a book I might suspect that the other character is a love interest.^^ To bad that we don't have any idea who the stranger is supposed to be.

[Eldan]

Ultra-Queen is my new favourite title. My next high-powered female character in anything will be an Ultra-Queen.

[Shogo]

The way she drew herself is too damn cute . . . Though I might be a little bit weird in that I already thought she was cute to begin with.

I won't judge your sexier interpretation of events, Cio.

[Leewei]

I swear, this comic gets funn(i)er by the minute.

[sum1won]

I have not stopped laughing since reading this page. Please send help.

[Nettlekid]

The way she drew herself is too damn cute . . . Though I might be a little bit weird in that I already thought she was cute to begin with.

I won't judge your sexier interpretation of events, Cio.

Cio's had the Peridot makeover. She's a lot cuter now than she was when we first met her. Her horns are much slimmer and positioned on top of her head through her hair, rather than fat and bulging from her forehead, so her face is rounder. Her teeth are also less jagged and don't have spaces between them any more. It looks like her hands are being drawn with less detail, so while it was almost puppet-like or insectoid joints before now it's more like she's wearing gloves. And her glasses are being drawn so that you can see her whole eye underneath rather than just the pupil, which earlier made them look kind of like bug eyes.

[AmberVael]

I really, really love the way Allison's expression changes as she reads. Pretty sure she's found it rather endearing by the end there, if also highly amusing. Its definitely earned Cio some teasing, but I'm pretty sure Allison can't go too far without being hypocritical. You can bet your butt she's written some Sailor Moon fanfiction.

[Onyavar]

Wasn't it implied that Cioelle was (like Princess Mamoru) a fearsome old devil before they were bound into their current, less impressive, blue devil form? They're surely plotting the downfall of their masters the entire time.

[Eldan]

They did show a black deviless in silhouette that looked somewhat similar to her, while connecting it to her. Apparently, she stole a Key.

[eschmenk]

They did show a black deviless in silhouette that looked somewhat similar to her, while connecting it to her. Apparently, she stole a Key.

Right, an ebon devil that looks like Cio may have been the only one to have stolen a key in recent memory and White Chain said that Cio was the only one who had stolen a key and Cio's "former boyfriend" implied that he hadn't seen her being blue before. Put that all together and it's very likely that Cio had been an ebon devil at some point.

[Olinser]

Cio's Ebon form is everything I hoped it would be.

[Eldan]

Right, an ebon devil that looks like Cio may have been the only one to have stolen a key in recent memory and White Chain said that Cio was the only one who had stolen a key and Cio's "former boyfriend" implied that he hadn't seen her being blue before. Put that all together and it's very likely that Cio had been an ebon devil at some point.

It occurs to me that her "husband" has what looks very much like a key on his head. An especially bright one, too. Maybe that's the one she stole?

[mystic1110]

Hail yabalchoath!

[Admiral Squish]

I freakin' love this design.

I wonder if spindly arms and legs are a common thread among ebon devils...

[Nettlekid]

............I need like fifty thousand pieces of fanart, yesterday.

EDIT: Hmm, but a thought occurs. Cio is saying that her true name was long and twisty and she's forgotten most of it. How...can that be? Devils have "colors and names! The less the better!" So if Yabalchoath were her full name, as Vladok seemed to be, I'd buy it. But if it's long and twisty, shouldn't that make it a weak name?

[Olinser]

............I need like fifty thousand pieces of fanart, yesterday.

EDIT: Hmm, but a thought occurs. Cio is saying that her true name was long and twisty and she's forgotten most of it. How...can that be? Devils have "colors and names! The less the better!" So if Yabalchoath were her full name, as Vladok seemed to be, I'd buy it. But if it's long and twisty, shouldn't that make it a weak name?

Cio references 'forgetting' names and Vladok says he 'shed' names. The process by which demons shorten their names is not really clear, whether they shed names as they become more powerful, or the act of getting rid of a name MAKES them more powerful. It may be that when they are able to get rid of one of their names they legitimately forget what it was.

So Cio is basically saying she started out weak and got rid of almost all of her name until she got down to just Yabalchoath.

If she kept getting more powerful maybe she could have gotten it all the way down to Yabal or something.

[Shogo]

I'll be in my bunk.

[Eldan]

I'm still a fan of the theory that her true name contains Coccol somewhere.

[mystic1110]

Hmmm. . . Yabalchoath could just be her Ebon name, but not her true name which may be long and twisty. For example, see how Vladok after becoming unformed became Ebon again when Allison gave him the name Princess. If she stopped, he would have been an ebon demon named princess. That is only one name but it wasn't his true name. So Yabalchoath may simply be an ebon name or maybe just a portion of her true name.