Echoes of the Eye lore question: why did he do it?

[Españoleitor tres mil]

Obviously, spoilers ahead

So, quick recap. Owlkins travel to find the Eye. Owlkins learn the Eye will destroy everything. Owlkins get mad and block Eye’s signal. Owlkins build a dark world. The Prisoner unblocks the signal for a brief moment. Owlkins are so mad they lock the Prisoner up.

Now, the only thing I’m missing is: why did the Prisoner disable the machine that was blocking Eye’s signal? Did he do it on purpose or was it just an accident?

Thank you

[Ichmag 🔑🌙]

Havent finished it yet, but it seemed like the Prisoner was the only one not hating the eye?

[Sammun Mak]

Always assumed he did it on purpose because he thought it best that the rest of the universe receive the signal, too. He was against his people's self-imposed duty to block the signal but was caught almost immediately. In the end, he was right.

[Tato]

The Owlelks were deathly afraid of change, and in their interpretation of the eye, entering it meant the end of all. They either couldn't see or didn't understand that the Eye was necessary to keep the universe going. The prisoner did however see that it was important, and that they shouldn't prevent other creatures from finding it.

[Españoleitor tres mil]

Thank you for your comments. I wanted to see if I missed some clear hints, but it seems the devs made it kinda ambiguous on purpose. The only detail I can think about is the face of the Prisoner when he disables the device: he does not have that evil face the other Owlkins have, which probably means he did it on purpose

[luvbentley]

Tbh I don't think several things about the DLC's story really hold up to logic, so I've come up with my own interpretation that I think is at least is logical. They destroyed their home planet, and then devised a way to live in a simulation of it for literal eternity, even after the eye does it's do. Nobody was around in the real world to supervise the infrastructure, so their plan was inherently extremely vulnerable to failure. I don't think they wanted anybody to come along, mess with things, and potentially screw up their eternal life in paradise, so they blocked the signal to prevent anybody else from coming to the eye. This is also why they're so immediately hostile to the player upon seeing us - we are an unbelievable threat to them. The one owlkin thought it was unfair that the owlkins got theirs and then greedily closed off the eye for anybody else to access. He decided to take the risk of losing eternal life, and secretly unblock the signal, and for that his fellows gave him the worst punishment imaginable.

[Ichmag 🔑🌙]

I thought they couldnt return to the homeplanet because it was a one-way trip, made sure no one would find the eye because they thought it would destroy the universe and made the second fake world because they were home sick

[CrazyJayBe]

Now that you found the Prisoner, jump back into the Eye.

[Españoleitor tres mil]

Originally posted by luvbentley:

devised a way to live in a simulation of it for literal eternity, even after the eye does it's do

well, not literal eternity: just until something blows the green fire (either the sun exploding or the eye destroying the ship). So I certainly agree with you on their plan was inherently extremely vulnerable to failure

Originally posted by CrazyJayBe:

Now that you found the Prisoner, jump back into the Eye.

I appreciate the comment but I've already done that I'm just asking people if they think the Prisoner disabled the device on purpose or by accident

[Sammun Mak]

I appreciate the comment but I've already done that :noodle: I'm just asking people if they think the Prisoner disabled the device on purpose or by accident

If nothing else, the dialogue at the end of the base game with the DLC done does pretty confirm he did it on perfect. He talks about how his people were fearful and they didn't used to be. He wasn't convinced by their fear of the eye.

[Españoleitor tres mil]

Originally posted by Sammun Mak:

If nothing else, the dialogue at the end of the base game with the DLC done does pretty confirm he did it on perfect. He talks about how his people were fearful and they didn't used to be. He wasn't convinced by their fear of the eye.

hmmm, I'll look it up on youtube. I'll search for the original version; the Spanish translation of the game is pretty good but it did not give me the impression that it clarified he did it on purpose. Thank you

[luvbentley]

Originally posted by Españoleitor tres mil:

Originally posted by luvbentley:

devised a way to live in a simulation of it for literal eternity, even after the eye does it's do

well, not literal eternity: just until something blows the green fire (either the sun exploding or the eye destroying the ship). So I certainly agree with you on their plan was inherently extremely vulnerable to failure :2016skull:

Originally posted by CrazyJayBe:

Now that you found the Prisoner, jump back into the Eye.

I appreciate the comment but I've already done that :noodle: I'm just asking people if they think the Prisoner disabled the device on purpose or by accident

Yeah literally eternity... The owlkins set up the Stranger to use the sun's supernova power to automatically take it to the eye as the sun expands and explodes, where they will be in close enough proximity to it that they become quantum like Solanum and live forever outside of time. The player gets the same fate if they disable the ATP and go to the Stranger.

[theclouddragon]

Originally posted by luvbentley:

Originally posted by Españoleitor tres mil:

well, not literal eternity: just until something blows the green fire (either the sun exploding or the eye destroying the ship). So I certainly agree with you on their plan was inherently extremely vulnerable to failure :2016skull:



I appreciate the comment but I've already done that :noodle: I'm just asking people if they think the Prisoner disabled the device on purpose or by accident

Yeah literally eternity... The owlkins set up the Stranger to use the sun's supernova power to automatically take it to the eye as the sun expands and explodes, where they will be in close enough proximity to it that they become quantum like Solanum and live forever outside of time. The player gets the same fate if they disable the ATP and go to the Stranger.

That is not what they did, they just set up the Stranger so it would leave the Supernovas Radius before it destroyed them. There is no indication that it moved towards the eye, and knowing their fear of it, I highly doubt that

[Xomap]

Originally posted by Españoleitor tres mil:

I'm just asking people if they think the Prisoner disabled the device on purpose or by accident

The reels tell the story of their elder discovering the eye and then having a revelation of the end of the universe, but it was partial, he only saw the destruction... The prisoner had the complete revelation and painted it as a flower giving birth to several galaxies, he knew it wasn't evil and it wasn't the end...

[cf.barbossa]

The Owlks are conservative and hold firm beliefs. Their fear of the Eye is understandable, if you stop reading them as antagonists.

They discovered the Eye and it was like a revelation to them. An attraction so irresisteble that they felt it necessary to sacrifice all they held dear, just to reach that goal. Not entirely different from the Nomai in that respect.

But when they do reach that goal, they discover its potential. And they remember how their own world fell victim to that seducer. So they decide to stop that destructive force once and for all.

With their home lost, destroyed by their own hands, all that remains to them are memories, and they endeavour to make thier methods of remembering as perfect as possible.

Just as the Owlks can be read as tragic protagonists following a treacherous prophecy, the Nomai can be interpreted as mad scientists, frequently at odds with each other and pushing each and every red button labeled "do not push" just to see what happens.

Isn't interesting, though, which characters can end up within the Eye? There's Solanum, born a sceptic and turned a humble pilgrim, no longer forcing the laws of nature to bend, but seeking a spiritual experience. There's the prisoner, no longer adhering to the old convictions and trusting that things always were as they should. And there's the Hearthian explorers, not having any ambitions to make anything bend to their ideas, but looking at the universe.

[admiral1018]

Originally posted by Xomap:

Originally posted by Españoleitor tres mil:

I'm just asking people if they think the Prisoner disabled the device on purpose or by accident

The reels tell the story of their elder discovering the eye and then having a revelation of the end of the universe, but it was partial, he only saw the destruction... The prisoner had the complete revelation and painted it as a flower giving birth to several galaxies, he knew it wasn't evil and it wasn't the end...

Yep, this is exactly it. The painting in the burned house in the simulation, which was the one that belonged to the Prisoner, gives this clue that shows how he saw the eye of the universe. He was the only Owlk that didn't fear it, but rather saw it as a necessary step in the creation of a new (and beautiful) universe after the current one died.

The best part is that the Prisoner shows up in the modified ending if we meet him, meaning that he actually does have a role in shaping the new universe that he fearlessly embraced. At least some solace for spending millennia imprisoned and forced to suffer.