Oleander and Fred Speculation Thread

bibliodragon

Mashing the buttons!
Backers' Beta Tester
Jul 7, 2016
56
190
Alternative title: Is Fred a Bad Boyfriend?

fredisabadboyfriend.png

(Inspired by Beta's latest offering in his Secret Thread, posting here as so not to get too off topic there.)

So. Oleander. Too goth for the other unicorns. Some say she is best ungulate ('though zay are wrong!'). Certainly she is winning the best ungulate poll (*sniff* 'Fix!'). Then we have Fred. Mysterious. Well read. Clearly from the wrong side of the library stacks. These two make lean, mean, teleport spamming fighting machine. (Teleports are f*$£*&^ b$%£&*^!!!!11. Sit still and let me hit you!)

But since the NDA lifted, Oleander's been looking a bit rough. She has bags under her eyes, sometimes she has four eyes. Reading from a tome of ancient eldritch lore seems to be taking a hard toll than just giving her an edgy coat colour.

This relationship is one thing I'm looking forward to seeing more of. What is Fred's angle? Is he just using her to eat her soul? Did he really forget to mention the coat change, or did he want to isolate her from her pastel kind? Does he want to stop the predators, or does he have some nefarious scheme in mind?

Or is he just a genuine, dweeby, demon?
 

Mage

A Normal Person
Feb 26, 2017
121
472
Oblivion
Oh boy, do I love this topic already. The possibilities involved here are numerous and all of them are intriguing. It's part of the reason I like Oleander. Getting ready for a big 'ol nerdy wall of text full of useless speculation that will suck your life away if you choose to read it, much like Oleander's tome.
Personally, I believe that Fred is ultimately malicious, using Oleander for his own ends. What exactly that "end" entails is unclear. Is it simply his own resurrection? Does he want domination over Foenum? Is it mutually beneficial to eliminate the predators? I doubt he intends to free them; although he may look like a demon, his design is seemingly based on a stag or goat of some kind, meaning he too is an herbivore. Of course, it's likely he's a full-on demon or even god, not just a spirit, and those rules don't apply to him.

All that said, I also think that Fred has a rather twisted sense of humor. I interpreted his claim of "forgetting her coat color would change" as being a god-tier troll (pun intended). He was fully aware it would happen but kept it from her, so as to draw her in and also for entertainment value. He also seems to enjoy seeing the effects of dark magic on Oleander, seeing as how he said (with a page-smile) that teaching Oleander "would be fun".

As for the effects on Oleander, and why Fred's book was forbidden in the first place. It's hard for me not to see some religious implications here, but that's not very relevant. He could have been an ordinary wizard using unconventional magic, which got him sealed into a book. There's a wealth of possible origin stories.

More important is that the book's dark magic is apparently having a negative effect on Oleander, causing her pain and physical alterations that probably don't feel all that pleasant either. I believe that the book is turning her into Fred, not just into his vessel, if that makes sense. Her attack which gives her four eyes (like Fred) also causes her hair to shoot out in a stiff pattern (resembling four horns, which Fred has). Such side effects would warrant a book being forbidden even without a demon or god trapped inside, I would say.

So will Oleander and Fred become one in the most un-romantic way possible? We can't say yet. Oleander and Fred's dialogue will probably reveal more, based on how they speak to each other and the things Oleander says will attacking. Also, I'm curious if her Level 3 will temporarily make her even more Fred-like...

By the horns of Fred, this came out even longer than I expected...
 

bibliodragon

Mashing the buttons!
Backers' Beta Tester
Jul 7, 2016
56
190
More important is that the book's dark magic is apparently having a negative effect on Oleander, causing her pain and physical alterations that probably don't feel all that pleasant either. I believe that the book is turning her into Fred, not just into his vessel, if that makes sense. Her attack which gives her four eyes (like Fred) also causes her hair to shoot out in a stiff pattern (resembling four horns, which Fred has). Such side effects would warrant a book being forbidden even without a demon or god trapped inside, I would say.
Pulling this bit out of spoilers because Fred has a great hole in his forehead where a unicorn horn would go. Hmm.
 

sokolgs

TFH Streamer
Jan 4, 2017
84
317
26
Russia, Moscow city
Dun DUN Dunnnn!

When you play Ollie you are just actually playing Fred controlling Oleander who is a deadite.
Sounds cool, almost close, but no. They are fighting together, but Fred is going harder than she thinks they should, and yes, Olly suffers when Fred is going wild on their foe. Story Mode will tell why it is like so...
 
  • Like
Reactions: PinkieFTW

Rich Jammer

By the Numbers Accountant
Backers' Beta Tester
Sounds cool, almost close, but no. They are fighting together, but Fred is going harder than she thinks they should, and yes, Olly suffers when Fred is going wild on their foe. Story Mode will tell why it is like so...
Fred is actually...
Dun DUN dunnnn!
... Oleander from the future!....
 

sokolgs

TFH Streamer
Jan 4, 2017
84
317
26
Russia, Moscow city
Fred is actually...
Dun DUN dunnnn!
... Oleander from the future!....
... Because she's the Prophet that still tries to return, but got stuck in this loop!
His hole in the head realy makes me think that it's for The Horn Key that locks the Hold. So this is why Fred wants to return his horn and get a revenge on this world!
:fred:
 

bibliodragon

Mashing the buttons!
Backers' Beta Tester
Jul 7, 2016
56
190
Is that what it is? I always thought it was just eyeliner.
ollie.png
She's just got it on the lower eyelid, which is a big make up no-no. I love it, it's such a little change which has a big impact on how she looks.

Having reread the Book of Lore, I've think I have to say Oleander's is my favourite. (Followed by Tianhuo's. I like the twist, it feel's like something which would have fit Gottagofast and would have been a nice bit of nuance to her character.) Fred can be taken as being really obviously sinister and manipulative, yet he's so funny and affable you want to overlook that. The mark of an excellent manipulator. Lauren did a really good job there.
 

Mage

A Normal Person
Feb 26, 2017
121
472
Oblivion
(Necropost, but I don't see the point of making another thread for this.)

So, do ya'll think that Fred having an accent very similar to Oleander's confirms that he used to be a unicorn, like some of us were speculating? It seems fitting that all unicorns would have a posh accent... because y'know, unicorns are fancy.

(I'm tempted to call the accent British because that's what it sounds like to my ears, but it could be some other region).
 
Top