Eugene's Oath (minor SoD spoilers)

[MyNameIsSecret]

I was reading some of the afterlife strips in DStP, and I noticed something.

In SoD Eugene goes to tell Roy about the Oath in Roy's college library. He doesn't say anything about Roy having to fulfill it himself, just tells him the story of how he swore the Oath.
In the Epilogue, Eugene goes into the afterlife, where he can't get into the Celestial Realm because of his unfulfilled oath. He is surprised by this, and the angel who is reviewing his case tells him he can manifest the oath to one his children. He tries to manifest it to Julia, but he finds he can't, so he has to give it to Roy.

In this (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0491.html) comic however, the angel reviewing Roy tells Eugene he 'stopped looking for Xykon more than 20 years ago, and even when your final death was approaching, you sought out your son at college and burdened him with the Blood Oath' and it shows the scene in SoD in the library. It seems to suggest that Eugene already knew about the fact that he had to transfer the Oath, and to Roy and not Julia. It also suggests that Eugene actually told Roy about the fact that he would be burdened with the Oath before he died. There is a bit cut out from the start of the conversation in SoD, where he might have said this, but the first panel of the conversation suggests that all Eugene said was that he was going to tell Roy the story. If he told Roy 'I need to tell you about an Blood Oath that will follow you into the afterlife' I doubt Roy would have responded as he did in the first panel.

Anyway, it just doesn't quite seem to fit, and it seems to me that two scenes conflict. It's nothing big (I probably didn't need to give you all that context, blame my Year 9 English teacher :smallbiggrin:) but I did notice it and thought I should mention it.

Thoughts?

[factotum]

People don't remember stuff when they're resurrected, so no, he didn't know he wouldn't make Celestia without fulfilling the Oath. As for the actual semantics, it *WAS* Roy that he burdened with the Oath--he intended for Roy to pass it on to Julia when she was old enough, true, but that's still burdening *him* with it rather than trying to fulfil it one last time himself.

[Euodiachloris]

There's another little factoid to remember about our dear Eugene: he's as self-centred as a gyroscope. I'm betting that upon occasion, he has a tendency towards selective memory. Like, when uncomfortable little truths don't sit well with said gyroscope, say...

I bet he forgot exactly what he told Roy in the moment of basking in the act of rubbing something in his son's face. So, what he thought he told him and what he actually did don't quite coincide.

He might have meant to pass the problem on to Julia via Roy. Pity: he probably should have taken more account of the oath's small print. If not his own exact words.

[Kish]

In this (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0491.html) comic however, the angel reviewing Roy tells Eugene he 'stopped looking for Xykon more than 20 years ago, and even when your final death was approaching, you sought out your son at college and burdened him with the Blood Oath' and it shows the scene in SoD in the library. It seems to suggest that Eugene already knew about the fact that he had to transfer the Oath, and to Roy and not Julia. It also suggests that Eugene actually told Roy about the fact that he would be burdened with the Oath before he died. There is a bit cut out from the start of the conversation in SoD, where he might have said this,
The bit cut out is in On the Origins of PCs.

Eugene told Roy about the Blood Oath, and told Roy to tell Julia about it when she was an adult. When Roy said he would fulfill it, Eugene protested, with a combination of condescension and concern that maddened Roy, that Roy, as a fighter, wouldn't have a chance and should just stay away from Xykon.

[MyNameIsSecret]

The bit cut out is in On the Origins of PCs.

Thanks, that's why it wasn't fitting.

[Roland Itiative]

People don't remember stuff when they're resurrected, so no, he didn't know he wouldn't make Celestia without fulfilling the Oath. As for the actual semantics, it *WAS* Roy that he burdened with the Oath--he intended for Roy to pass it on to Julia when she was old enough, true, but that's still burdening *him* with it rather than trying to fulfil it one last time himself.
Actually, if Eugene was resurrected, he would remember everything. Roy remembers every event that happened in the cloud, he only doesn't remember Celestia. And since Eugene was never allowed to leave the cloud...

[Jay R]

... as self-centred as a gyroscope.

Oh, that's beautiful. I'd never heard that simile before.

[factotum]

Actually, if Eugene was resurrected, he would remember everything. Roy remembers every event that happened in the cloud, he only doesn't remember Celestia. And since Eugene was never allowed to leave the cloud...

I don't think that's the case. Roy said in #666 that he remembered what he saw while floating around in the mortal world, but as far as the cloud is concerned, he says he just remembers the clouds, his father, and a glowing ball of light. You'd think he'd have mentioned the question and answer session if he remembered it, and he certainly ought to remember that the glowing ball of light was his archon! I think that when he was returned to earth his memories of the afterlife were clearest from the times he was closest--so clear and sharp when he was a ghost, a bit uncertain on the cloud, and almost entirely gone up the mountain.