Communion
Communions are the function of a Watcher. Through interfacing with Secretary, a Watcher is able to relive the memories of the ALLMOTHER as a way to grow closer and learn from her. It is possible for multiple Sisters to commune in tandem, although it seems that this is only done on occasion.
They allow one to experience memories, dreams, and other data that have been stored. How memories are experienced range from a realistic recreation of the events, to abstracted and reconfigured snippets that are juxtaposed to convey a particular message. Sometimes zip points are used to traverse between different memories.
In some communions, one can "flip" through different yet connected time indexes and locations as if they were sequential. A blocked area in one time index may be open in another. Oftentimes, events happen simultaneously in the same space, but across different time indexes, so it is useful to flip between time indexes when exploring.
Watcher. There's no turning back from this.
WARNING! This page contains Spoilers for Chapter 4 onwards!
Function of Communions[edit | edit source]
Communions are the Occupants' primary method of communication, a form of telepathy. Time is greatly sped up while inside of a communion. Non-occupants can host and partake in communions, if facilitated by an Occupant.
Source, an Occupant, gifted Iris with 3 Occupant "Familiars" which allowed her to conduct communions and understand the Occupants more clearly. The Familiars included: Secretary, Vice, and a yellow Occupant whose name remains unknown.
In Chapter 9, Secretary mentions he was unable to commune with The Jiaos, as "the distance was too great between host and guest", implying one-on-one communions with Familiars are only possible for people who have Iris' DNA. Given The Jiaos appear in the mass communion however, it seems mass communions do not have that same restriction.
Mass Communion[edit | edit source]
WATCHER: When all three Familiars are present, a mass communion can be initiated with every living thing in the Orchard, the Other Side, this whole place.
When all Occupant Familiars are in proximity, a mass communion can be initiated, involving a large number of participating parties.
Iris performed the first mass communion to share memories of Hong Kong with the Ancient Sisters. Screenshots of that mass communion are presented below:
A road with trees on the side, in Hong Kong
A car and motorcyle on the road, in Hong Kong
Apartment buildings, in Hong Kong
An empty road at night from afar, in Hong Kong
The next known mass communion is initiated by Secretary and Blue in Chapter X, to show everyone the true history of events – from Mother and Father's past, all the way to the present. This mass Communion also enabled "impossible conversations" between everyone, dead or alive. Of note, is that all "impossible conversations" seen include at least one dead person (or possibly dying, in BBF's case).
Gallery[edit | edit source]
The occupant ring and zip point
Lamp posts over each faction in the mass communion
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- The zip points are modeled after the Occupants' true forms (the ringed halo).
- Zip points were conceived as a way to have a visual reveal to the player that all the events leading up to and including the ALLMOTHER's murder was part of a communion.[1]
- In Kimchia's Dev interview with Remy and Pinki, Remy uses the term "impossible conversations" to refer to the interactions that happen in the mass communion.[2]
