So, how many people has Ludinus convinced to, if not straight up drink the Kool-aid, then to be open to trying it? Now granted, I'm not quite done with the episode yet (I think I have like a third left), but I've got some thoughts. They're not very well organized or written out, but I've got them nonetheless. And they're probably not like. Super accurate or anything, this was all just sort of an emotional reaction I had while listening/watching and my attempts to figure it out. Apologies for what is basically me word vomiting on Tumblr trying to figure out my feelings.

It seems to me that this whole 'what have the gods done for us/let's get rid of them' thing sort of feels like a political science or philosophy discussion gone wildly off the rails. People discussing not being happy with the system, what do the gods really do and why do we need them, if the people who serve them abuse their power in these ways is it better to bring down those institutions or start at the source and work out from there...that all feels like stuff people discuss all the time. We debate topics, we argue for or against different moral and political and religious philosophies...debates get messy, historical events happen, the cycle of history continues...you get the idea. Maybe it's not the gods we're debating about but systems of government and power structures or economic structures.

But in a world where the gods are real and known to be real, where they're deliberately behind a gate so as to NOT have huge amounts of influence and power, where average people don't seem to totally understand the Divine Gate and its purpose and where the average person isn't having the sort of interactions with divinity that adventuring groups and religious leaders are, it feels like it isn't a huge step to take people from just talking about this to acting on it. And I know people have acted on things historically in our world too. Maybe that's why I'm listening to this conversation in this maybe hag definitely cult leaders hut and not totally disagreeing with points being raised. It's one thing, I guess, when the argument is being made by Imogen in regards to constantly hearing voices in her head. It's another when the village elder of a town currently suffering abuse under a strict religious system is making it.

I don't believe for one second that Ludinus gives a shit about taking down the gods in the name of freedom. I don't think for a moment that if Predathos is released and does what the name god eater implies that they'll be satisfied when the gods are gone. Ludinus is an ancient, powerful man with a big ole chip on his shoulder who's been nursing a grudge for centuries (who fucking ate fairies to live that long what the fuck ). He's also used to being in a position of power and influence through his role in the Cerberus Assembly and the government of the Empire. Based on the notes Team Wildemount found, we know he started all this by asking questions and fucking around until Molaesmyr found out, and that he either doesn't understand/know or care about possible side effects or consequences of his actions, or possibly both. He just, as far as I can tell, wants a power vacuum. When he says 'we take down the gods and we become the gods', I absolutely believe that the 'we' is 'him'. He becomes a god like figure. The cycle continues. And he's taking advantage of people, their very valid problems with organized religion and the power of the institutions, the problem of corruption and bad apples, the general lack of public knowledge of what the Gate actually does, and he's using it to convince people this is the right way. And it feels so much like things we've seen happen historically that it just...I dunno. I said this was basically emotional word vomit with no point, didn't I? But yeah, it made me feel weird and uncomfortable because I could see how people fell under his sway, how the arguments he makes can have merit to people.

And THAT is why...

Well that and he turned my favorite character into a fuckin orb battery.