by skarekrow13 Mon Apr 16, 2012 12:25 pm
Xanthous King Jeremiah:
At first glance, the word "Xanthous" suggests a possible place or origin for our King. However, the word Xanthous means "Yellow" or "Yellowish" which strongly suggests he was well known for his unique armor set. The armor is coincidentally also said to be of unknown origin.
The armor's color is said to be so bright it "still stings the eyes." Parts as described as tattered. The word "still" and the tattered nature suggest he's old (and is described as legendary). The brightness of the armor reflect a likely desire to divert attention. By stinging eyes it is intended for his audience(s) to look away. The wrappings suggest he might be ashamed of his appearance, by wrapping his face away from the world. Both of these pieces suggest a possible deformity. Acidic has posted much about him being an egghead which could explain the wrappings. Acidic......you could be right. However, an alternative theory presents itself upon further examination. Jeremiah's name is known and, as mentioned above, is legendary. So, while WE do not know where he came from, presumably others do. Particularly as he is know for being an exile. Surely those who exiled him know where he came from. The armor's origin is specifically stated to be unknown, which may imply it was made after his exile. Perhaps our Bullfrog of a King is ashamed of his exile, and hopes to hide his face and attract attention away from his former self. Adding to this is the wrappings statement that it is "clearly far too big." A possible nod to an enlarged head but also a suggestion that it is an intended variation from the expected size (normal head) potentially as yet another distractor. Evidence to this occurs when we wear the wrappings without an egghead and they perform identically to the King's use.
A problem with this is that he is known as the Xanthous King, indicating he likely came to be King after receiving the armor. However, his name may reflect a later claim that he made, as his legendary status is tied to his being an "exile." It appears his legend is tied to something after the exile. Like Conan before him, did he go on to conquer another land? Was he called this out of irony? Like my covenant namesake Little John.
Jeremiah's weapon implies two possible character traits. The use of a whip, primarily good for unarmored opponents suggests a likely use for punishment purposes or "motivational" tactics, like the guys in the Temple of Doom, getting the kids to work harder. The thorns/barbs etc. on the whip add that he was particularly cruel. The enemies of the painted world are bloated and toxic and use fire. The easy connection is to the eggheads by Quelana. I would imagine that a chaos connections exists, however, there are notable differences. The eggheads, also develop bloated backs and spawn parasites when killed. The bloated warriors are afflicted with toxin rather than parasites and grow only from the head. Priscilla describes the inhabitants as "peaceful" in the Painted World, yet we find them not so nice to us. Perhaps Jeremiah and his whip have "motivated" them out of their peaceful ways. His use of chaos may be a trick he learned from them.....or....perhaps one he brought with him. Did King Jeremiah seek to become the King of the Painted World? He appears near cages which presumably bring new inhabitants. Is he there to meet them with open whip, to draft them into service? We come upon a hiding bloated hollow. Cowering, perhaps, he is as peaceful as Priscilla suggests. Priscilla also practices the peaceful ways, meaning she believes it to be a peaceful land. Is this an escapee who has gotten away from the tyranny of the Yellow King? His final gift to us suggests that their pyromancy is a learned gift that can be passed along, not an inherent one from the bloat itself. Did the Yellow King bring fire to the Painted World, a land where all evidence (doll, terrain, weather, Priscilla) indicates cold reigns supreme?
Finally, Jeremiah's corpse is unique in it's position. He sits, behind Priscilla, waiting in eternity. Why is he there? The position suggests his end was not a violent one, meaning Priscilla did not kill him. If we can extend our experience, he could have walked off the edge and left at any time. Yet he didn't. I have two theories, one of which I believe has been stated. He sought to make Priscilla his queen and his love went unrequited. Similarly, he may have intended to challenge her for power and could not, but was spared to wait out his last days. A combination of the two theories is possible too (did not want to harm her after he met her). They both appear to be outcasts and he may have felt great empathy toward her. This could also be extended into the reason he seeks to create an army in the Painted World, to protect her.
