Episode Enneagrams – Page 16 – Enneagram and Encaustic

The Enneagram of Dragon’s Dogma

The gameplay is concluded, and now I want to look back at all my posts and try to assemble an Enneagram from the plot.

Caveat One: This is a videogame, and a rudimentary story has proven sufficient for the genre. Will Dogma show itself to have more?

Caveat Two: This story never ends. For me, that’s what makes this one of the best games. A cycle of reincarnation, not just “New Game” mechanics, is so unique. The Nine will always come back to the One, spiralling in place. And yet, we also spiral upward, not restarting but building from the last run, experiencing the same story but interacting with more experience, skill, and gear.

Let’s play.

ONE

From nowhere and with no warning, a humongous dragon lands on the beach of a fishing village and destroys things. We, the untested Arisen, pick up a sword and battle something so large, we’re the size of its toe.

As we lie in the surf, knocked aside, the dragon plucks our heart from our chest. It balances on his talon, beating. Then he swallows it and flies away.

We awaken in a hut. Our chest is brutally scarred and we have no heartbeat. Quina wants to help us, but at this point none of us knows anything.

On the way out the gate we’re greeted by a Pawn, our first. He explains to us about Riftstones and helps us prove ourselves. Afterward, a voice from the Rift offers us our own Pawn and allows us to now hire two others for adventuring.

TWO

A foreign warrior, Mercedes, invites us to rest. We are awakened by an attacking hydra. After we cleave off a head, it slides away. (To where? From where? Shh.) Mercedes, impressed, arranges for us to join her on a trip to the capital city, Gran Soren. We will show the Duke this beast head.

Meanwhile, Quina has gone missing. We track her down in the Witchwood. Hoping to learn more about the dragon, she seeks the local witch there. Instead we find the granddaughter, a young woman who hasn’t been taught wyrm lore. She does mention, though, that the Church knows about such things. Quina now has a plan.

We escort the hydra head to Gran Soren. While Mercedes leaves to inform the Duke, the Pawn Guild is suggested to us. We find the room and the guildmaster, who asks us to investigate a strange occurrence in the caverns beneath the guild.

THREE

We descend into the Everfall, spiraling downward until we arrive at the bottom. There, we see an unearthly glow. When we touch the ground, snaky worms erupt and attack us. We run back up, worms emerging and chasing us.

Shore Leave

Although this episode is unbearably painful now, I remember it fondly. It’s actually a 1960’s scifi presentation of what we’ve come to call gaming, a virtual world designed for amusement.

ONE

The Enterprise orbits a beautiful green and blue planet.

Spock crosses the bridge to bring the camera in on Kirk in his chair. A pretty woman, probably a yeoman, stands nearby. When Kirk complains of a back kink, the woman massages it. Raising an eyebrow, Spock steps away and Kirk realizes who’s rubbing him. (Hey! Where’s our Basket Head?)

TWO

This awkward bit allows Spock to comment that everyone — except him, of course — is badly in need of rest. Kirk rubs his eyes and leaves the bridge, asking for McCoy’s report to be sent to his quarters.

Cut to a lovely woods scene. (It’s Southern California, lol, but it looks fairly green.) McCoy and Sulu, smiling, stroll next to some pampas grass. They are part of a scouting party, ready to approve this planet for shore leave. It’s like something out of Alice in Wonderland, McCoy says. Sulu wanders off to gather biological samples. When McCoy turns away, he faces a large white rabbit. It speaks its lines, checking its watch, and — hahaha! — trots away, some poor human in a fuzzy, oversized suit. And now here comes a girl in blue, chasing after it.

THREE

McCoy doubletakes and yells for Sulu. Cartoon music plays over. Seeing nothing, Sulu holds McCoy’s shoulder. “What is it, doc?” he says as the camera pushes in on Bones’ disbelieving face.

Roll credits.

Avatar Day

If it lacked a couple of key beats, this is an episode I’d almost skip watching. It’s not bad, just . . . not thrilling.

ONE

The team, asleep, camps in the woods. When they’re surrounded, everyone grabs their important stuff except Sokka. His boomerang left behind, he’s told there’s no time to retrieve it.

TWO

He laments his lost identity. Aang has his tattoo arrow, Katara her hair loopies, and now Sokka’s just ponytail guy.

When they go to pay for something in town, they’re told, “Have a nice Avatar Day.” This cliffside earth kingdom village holds a festival. A giant Kyoshi statue, a rolling Roku statue, food . . . Aang smiles at it all. Then the villagers torch the statues and cry, “Down with the Avatar!”

THREE

The Blue Spirit, in some village, steals food. After hiding the mask in the forest, Zuko returns to Iroh in a cave. They eat, Iroh unaware of what Zuko’s done.

All-New Halloween Spooktacular

Action-packed and full of reveals. I’m happy that the overall story moves forward with strength and purpose.

But I don’t care if the costumes are canon, lol. They’re hideous.

ONE

Immediately the show opens with the fake credit sequence. One of the boys is running a video camcorder. Fast edits, sped up footage.

The boy (Billy?) talks directly to the camera, bringing us up to date. He’s dressed in a costume. The brother (Tommy?) is obviously the cool one. Teasing and jokes go by, but no laugh track now.

Pietro naps on the couch, then wakes and speeds about. He’s a creepy uncle. Wanda comes downstairs in a Halloween costume that references her first comic superhero outfit (I think). Billy gives meta-commentary: “Mom’s been weird.”

TWO

Now Vision in his own superhero costume comes downstairs.. He’s on his way to help with the neighborhood watch. Wanda says, You didn’t tell me. The tension between them is uncomfortable.

THREE

Billy speaks to the camera: Mom and Dad are . . . different.

Wakestones

They can summon a rift of considerable power. Am I ready?

I leave behind my two friend Pawns. They can’t follow. Only my own Pawn goes over the edge with me. We land in the Seneschal’s Chamber.

In this void land, the Seneschal glows white. He drops a lot of information as we battle. I command all life into existence, he says.

“But expect none of the mercy men seek in their gods. The unbending reality of a world without compassion. The world and all its denizens are but empty vessels. In that regard, no different than the pawns. Without volition, there is no true life. That volition is tempered by the struggle for survival. Just as the pawns need a master’s command, so the world thirsts for the will to live. Turn back now and I will grant you a merciful death. Step forward, or retreat.”

Of course I step forward.

The Seneschal reveals himself. It’s the avatar from the opening tutorial. We played as him once. Now he and his pawn battle me and mine until we defeat them.

Then he monologues again. “You and I are swept up in the current, same as the rest. And so, until the coming of a new soul fit to craft the will to live — until that day, may you guide the world ever justly.”

From his chest he pulls a sword, the godsbane blade.

“Those who arise to oversee this world are undying, save by this brand’s kiss. I ask that you, as the world’s new seneschal, use it now to vouchsafe freedom to your weary servant. Mourn me not, for I welcome the release. At long last, I am free of eternity . . . of infinity . . . free of the cruel, unending ring!”

Granting his request, I kill him. And then I, once he’s gone, also wield the godsbane blade. I’m dead.

My Pawn and I fall. As we drop, she becomes me and I disappear. When the transformed me awakens on the beach, my beloved greets me, recognizing me in some way. Together we walk into whatever life brings.

Credits.

Beautifully done, sir.

And we begin again.

Episode 8

One structural misstep, otherwise a moving and solid episode. See my Critical Notes after the breakdown.

ONE

Establish the house exterior, then . . .

TWO

. . . go into the front room where the ladies discuss presents (wedding, I assume). Servants carrying candlesticks and vases follow Mrs. Hughes to the drawing room. Isabelle worries that a display of presents looks greedy. Mary and Lavinia greet Matthew as he enters with a cane.

THREE

Hughes brings a letter into Carson’s office. Mrs. Bryant — the dead Major’s mom — wants to see the baby. So does her husband! Hughes is a bit gobsmacked.

The Swamp

Not bad, just not a favorite. The only point of interest is the young woman in Aang’s vision, and she’s only interesting if you’ve seen the series before. I whine in more detail after the breakdown.

BOOKEND

Iroh sits roadside, begging. Zuko finds it humiliating because they’re royalty, while Iroh is so humble it’s embarrassing. A mean person forces him to dance for money, using swords to prod him. Zuko looks on, angry.

ONE

The team flies on Appa. Relaxed, Aang thinks and dreams. Below them is a swamp.

TWO

Appa’s headed down, waking everyone. What’s wrong? I think the swamp is calling me, Aang says. It wants us to land. Sokka resists, scoffing that the earth could be speaking.

A whirlwind attacks them. Aang bubbles Appa and everyone on his back, but the ball explodes and all are thrown clear. The humans land together, but Appa and Momo are gone.

THREE

Aang air bends his way up a large tree to look around. Nothing in every direction but swamp, and no sign of the animals.

Balance of Terror

Not bad. You’ll see. Critical Notes are after the breakdown.

ONE

A ceremony. Crew prepare some kind of podium and gather on benches. Scotty sets up a camera to broadcast to all viewing screens.

Before Kirk can take the stand, though, he’s called to comms. Two Earth outposts have gone silent. Maintain course to the next outpost. He approaches the podium.

Oh! It’s a wedding! He’s officiating. Janice lights candles and Scotty takes the arm of a young woman with flowers arranged in her hair. He’s giving her away. As Kirk proclaims the words, Janice stands just behind his shoulder in a not-so-subtle two-shot.

TWO

He’s interrupted mid-ceremony by a red alert. Outpost Four reports they’re under attack, space vessel’s identity unknown. Everyone dashes, including the young couple.

Roll credits.

Return to Omashu

ONE

We start up right where the last episode stopped: Omashu is under Fire Nation control. Sokka says, you’ll have to learn earth bending from someone else. No, Aang’s going in. Bumi’s my friend, he says.

TWO

He shows the gang a secret passage into Omashu: the sewer. Aang air bends the muck and Katara water bends it, while Sokka’s left to just wallow.

In the streets Sokka comes up out of the sewer like a monster. Katara washes him, and Aang dries him. A kind of cute, pink leech, a pentapus, is attached to his face. Aang tickles it and it releases, leaving behind red sucker marks. When a Fire Nation patrol comes upon them and asks what’s wrong with his face, the team invents pentapox. It’s contagious! Sokka acts like a zombie, and the patrol dashes away.

THREE

Azula’s old lady mentors offer her advice. Form a small elite team, they say.

On a Very Special Episode . . .

Solid structure, combined with an overwhelming amount of character development. Mostly, I feel regret and a sense of lost opportunity. Critical Notes at the end.

ONE

A ranch-style house. Inside, Wanda holds one of the crying babies, begging it to go to sleep. Vision jiggles the other twin. I’m not sure what sitcom era we’re in, but he wears jeans and she has big Pebbles hair. A magic gesture won’t stop the crying, and neither will binkies. The laugh track, mysteriously, finds all this funny.

TWO

Here’s Agnes, wearing atrocious ‘80’s workout gear. Auntie Agnes, she calls herself, ready to help with the babies. Vision, for some reason, worries she’s not clean enough (?) to care for the twins. Smiling, Agnes looks at Wanda and says, “Shall we take that again?” When Wanda and Vision share a confused look, Agnes reiterates: Shall we take it from the top? Now Wanda gets it, and nervously laughs. Vision, though, doesn’t understand. What was that about, he asks. Did you really not see what I saw, he wonders. Wanda deflects: she’s just being neighborly. (Meanwhile, Agnes is chugging alcohol in the kitchen while exercising, lol.)

THREE

The room goes suddenly quiet. The babies fell asleep? No, they’re gone. Turn to the staircase and there they are, now five years old. Agnes knocks back a slug and shakes her head: Kids, amirite? Wanda and Vision give the boys hugs and say hello to their new children.