My flowers will never end,
my songs will never cease to be.
I, the singer, raise them up;
they scatter, they disperse.
—Nezahualcoyotl of Tetzcoco
Hmm … I wasn’t here for a while, and the creators of Battleborn have already WASTED the entire setting of BL2 completely and irrevocably. It’s not great, not terrible, like a chest x ray…
At least now it is clear that it was comprehended decision: to choose the path of decay, eternal chaos and darkness. And this is quite logical, since in order to do as I say, harmoniously and beautiful, would be necessary to change the whole game mechanics in the direction of full RPG. But so-called Borderlands3 from the creators of battlborn seems to be an ordinary grinding game where you can only kill and loot (The world for such genre of gameplay should always be broken to not to leave any room for other actions except kill and loot).
I do not know if it is appropriate to say SPOILER ALERT in this case, because the key scenes were described and illustrated by me and published on the forum in 2014-2016.
I note that it’s about STORY(not loot or consoles), so, for understanding the topic, familiarity with the Borderlands lore(based at least on first two games) is recommended.
This DLC from the creators of Battleborn correlates with the scenes from my The Most Final Epilogue to BL2 , observes the same time period, but presents it with absolutely opposite meaning… just the same way like parody movie Terminator: Genesis misinterprets the events of the original Terminator film dilogy and videogame Dawn of Fate.
Only in this new DLC to Borderlands 2 was no old man Schwarzenegger and, therefore, no humor (if not to take as a humor, when the «humor» of sitcom is based only on the fact that all the characters are losers and idiots)
I didn’t want to install the version of BL2 without Julio’s voice again (i wouldn’t even for hundred free DLCs!), so I just watched this sh~ on YouTubes. And I have a witness who 100% sure that while we were watching this, I did the face exactly like Calderoni on this screenshot: my favorite screenshot from the first season of Narcos: Mexico.
So, from what I have seen in this dlc, most likely it occurs in the same distorted setting as the rest of Hyperion lies, just like on information kiosks in Opportunity that tell how some Jack was a hero of BL1 events (but we know that there was no Jack in BL1 and he never stepped on Pandora before BL2 events near The Vault of The Warrior and as soon as he did, he was instantly punished by bandits)
Or maybe it’s just merchant Marcus thinks up nonsense while sits on his ass in his stuffy bunker…
I’ll start with the distinction between Lilka’s roles, since her name in the title of DLC.
Comparison of Lilith’s role
1.1
In the Way of the Hunter, she rather has a side role, but very honorable though:
Illustration - Crimson Raiders of Borderlands 3 epoch by Klopotinsha (published in 2015)
Brutal Warlord Lilith is the leader of Crimson Raiders, she accepted this post without hesitation, since Mordecai was already engaged in more global doings, but she still listens to his wise strategic advices. However, she never learned how to bake pies.
This faction of volunteer militia does is covers the rears. This is their main role and task, for example, as was described in my PEPLUM event.
After Hyperion were forcibly distilling Eridium through her (to recharge the key in BL2 events), Lilith, beware of living through these horrors again, never even thought to touch this purple muck anymore, instead she delved into the study of translations of the elder scrolls (kindly provided by The Watcher) and develops her psionic powers in safe and natural ways.
1.2
Seems Gearbox (whom I henceforth mention as ‘the creators of Battlborn’, instead of ‘the creators of HL: Op4ce’) was left without any scriptwriters, and their marketers decided to lead the official version of the story to the outcome that was entitled in my PEPLUM desdoc as ‘DEATH FROM PURPLE ABSCESS’.
in this “PYST” version of the universe:
Lillith is a monster concerned only with the absorption of purple decay products of the dead Old God (“Eridium”), she looks at the stars, at the dumb poster with Roland, does anything, only does NOT protect the rear.
And the story of this DLC (that looks more like dilettantish mod) begins with this. She does not care about protecting people and Pandora, but only the possession of a twice discharged and slagged artifact, which should have been disposed of a long time ago in the mouth of a volcano in order to avoid silly temptations (And if there would be real need in map, Mordecai can always draw a map from memory! Oh… wait… damn, forget it. In this “universe”, instead of Mordecai, is some drunken anime cosplayer who can’t do anything at all.)
By the times of BL3 (version from the creators of Battleborn), the eyes of the monster-Lilith had grown dim, and the face become unnaturally swollen because of constant consumption of toxic decay energy. (Looks like preparation to kill a character)
And here are the examples of direct antipode adaptations of Klopotinsha’s illustrations from The Most Final Epilogue 2 BL2: The ending of Legend about the Elder Mountain :
Scene where The Mountain emits spores and Eridian energy
(By the way, earlier in BL lore was no such literal narrative attention to the theme of flora and even more so influence on spores with Eridian energy)
2.1
«Symphony» by Klopotinsha (watercolor, 2016)
in Healthy version of the Legend:
Lilith, Brick, and Tina stay in Sanctuary taking care of little Talon, while Mordecai (the original version of character from BL1, based on fantastic charisma and role types of Julio Cesar Cedillo), being the most suitable of humans, receives the quest from Eridian Watcher right away after post-BL2 events of TPS.
Essentially, his task is to be the commander of a real-time strategy. He becomes mental repeater between Eridians and wildlife of Pandora. At first Mordecai leads a small group of stealthy creatures, frees She the Scythid Chaser (She is a personal name), together they make their way to the top of The Sleeping Mountain and awaken the Wild God (the Loa) – the giant Elder Rakk Hive, the wisest one who have seen dawns and sunsets of empires, together they finish off the remaining forces of Hyperion on Pandora (synchronously with this the beginning of the 5th episode of Taletalle’s Tales occurs and Helios station inconspicuously falls somewhere in the background as was described in previous Legends by Klopotinsha long before someone decided to rewrite the script of the last episode of TftBL because of the impossibility to cover up the losses of Hyperion Corporation)
After unconditional surrender of pests and the sealing of the last scraps of so-called “Eridium”, which in fact was extremely toxic psychoactive decaying flesh of the Old God who passed away about seven years ago after terrible tortures at Helios station, into a new special Vault (Tomb of The Destroyer); the ground has become safe for the onset of healthy spring cycle and the Elder Hive experienced his final metamorphosis on top of The Mountain; his flesh crumbled to bazillions glowing cyan and green spores and showered the whole valley, and at once plants and flowers began to sprout from these spores, from the bodies of fallen animals, loader bots, ruins of town, everything that lied on the ground became a soil for the future forests and fields… and swamps. My favorite swamps that can still speak with mixered Raison Varner’s electronic voices … something like ‘I don’t mind you stand on my face’ or ‘what cycle is it?’
2.2
similar picture in defiled anti-story by the version of WASTEDlands universe from the creators of Battleborn:
Some random single-use antagonist (who reminds a parody on the main antagonist from design document of Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2) with no explanation starts using cartoonish version of germinating weapons(which are also mentioned in my desdoс 2016).
This story also features the elevation that becomes kinda-mountain, which spreads some not fresh spores of dubious origin and as a result dirty mutant plants grow on the land contaminated by Eridium slag.
Then Lilith the Monster absorbs a whole warehouse of Eridium … and farts with it in all directions, contaminating everything even more, and then just offers to leave Pandora, because it’s already completely WASTED.
I used to draw an analogy with the game Pyst, a parody of Myst, speaking about the difference between the style of BL2 and the original Borderlands. Now BL2 become realPyst!
In Way of the Hunter I also mentioned that in the process of creation I considered the theme of the Mountain as fulcrums of multiverse, like the beacons from Bioshock.
I considered the most varied variations of the Mountain; in many versions things were very bad and all the characters die the most brutal and terrible deaths.
After experiencing these horrors, I am so glad that I was able to catch the One of 14000605 - the best and most beautiful universe where everything evolves in healthy and harmonious way.
But lest my story seem too kind and cute, I mention that most boring character committed self-slaughter.
And as for what Creators of Battleborn did in this DLC… I don’t even consider it as part of a multiverse, I can’t take it seriously at all, since it is no longer a satire on space sci-fi about border lands, but just a fantasy-anime-comedy on theme of internet folklore with cosplay culture.
Scene where Mordecai lies affected by spores; how he does it and how Tina reacts on this event
3.1
Illustration for Healthy version:
Satisfaction Abounds by Klopotinsha (watercolor, 2016)
Good Mordecai, happier than ever, because he finally regained his Jimenez (it’s a magical place!), lies relaxing in meditation and regenerates deadly wounds received from bullets, fragments of explosions and heavy hits of Loaders’ limbs, he emanates Life force mixed up with pure natural Eridian energy that even materializes around in shape of little seashells and fresh cyan moss with flowers germinates from good health-giving spores of the Elder Hive.(After healing injuries, the moss can be easily removed from the surface of human skin with an ordinary sponge and water)
His hair glows white as if it were an optical fiber, and his head a source of light. This is a consequence of the absorption of a high dose of ultrapurified Argent Energy, injected by Mordecai’s Personal Guardian to stabilize biomodifications obtained during the scattering of the Elder Hive. Next to him Tiny Tina, smiling peacefully, sits in Roland’s old beret and enjoys the process. And Talon the young bird, so pleased, fluffs feathers in daddy’s “nest” of dreadlocks.
- In my The Most Final Epilogue 2 BL2, I also told about the acquired specific miraculous properties and methods of using Mordecai’s blood, as well as possible stories around it.
The idea of Magical Biopunk with Mordecai’s blood (or even whole dropped bodies) as well as the specificity of using the Eridian analogue (original) of Fast Travel stations, came to me as the result of inspiration from the other Julio Cedillo’s characters, whose blood is spilled quite often, according to my observations, stabely, each second character: and every time it doesn’t look like death, but rather the impudent statement of immortality.
I wanted a meaningful range expansion of bizarre humor on theme ‘I NEVER DIE!’
3.2
“the same” scene in directly opposite adaptation for “Way of Decay” from the creators of battlborn:
You see: sour musty Liebrecht’s Mor-decay in dirty rags still smeared in alco-vomit.
And the thing sticks out from him, caused by the distorted radiation of Eridium decay and rotten spores, which like ivies of Poison Ivy from Batman, devour everything without leaving anything alive.
Of course, no one trusted to this pendejo any alive creature, because he can only make people hurt (the characters of this story say so themselves).
He doesn’t interact even with an old paper model of a bird repainted in a woodpecker.
And so this “Turdecai” lies writhing in agony, because he’s just a skinny weakling who immediately became infected with some kind of muck.
And so the thing sticks out in the shape of a dark-green poop (done on purpose, because this is such a humor).
And next to this “contemporary art” little spoiled hysterical girl Turdy Tina bitterly weeps and does it deliberately disgusting (not even sure if this horror still has a voice of Ashly Burch); everyone tries to take her out of there, but the child starts some awkward off-putting buffoonery, not letting anyone to concentrate on whatever.
Then the character whose appearance spoils the sense of variability of Telltale’s Tales asks to take a sample of Mor-decoy’s blood.
Good thing - you can hit this nothingness.
Bad thing - you can’t kill a thing that is not alive.
About the final transformation of the setting
For a long time I tried to explain the difference between the original images of characters from BL1 in relation to the images of characters with the same names in BL2. There was a substitution of concepts, which was the part of the plot of BL2 in the form of disinformational propaganda of the faction of Some Jack. And then Anthony Birch’s story of some Jack has ended. But the images of the defamed characters did not return to their original form, but began to evolve from these distorted ones, becoming separate characters from completely separate continuity.
I single out the image of Mordecai as the most obvious - it was replaced by completely opposite.
Apathetic sneaky coward weakling Mordecai … sounds absurd as if Marvel’s Captain America turned out to be the agent of Hydra!
I can say that with such a scenario, I fully agree with this single-use antagonist of DLC, who reminded of desdoc of F:BOS2, when everything is so WASTED - finishing off these freaks certainly won’t hurt.
I’m glad that GBX now finally clearly divided and emphasized this difference.
Now there is no ambiguity.
Unacceptable content of BL2 is sealed off in separate continuity not related to Borderlands (2009).
With a clear conscience I DON’t GIVE A SH* about T:genesis-style commercial non-canon contents and continue enjoy my favorite setting with the coolest protagonists performed by Cedillo and Tull (and finishing my coming soon graphic novel about it) and considering (conditionally) drama story of BL2 (up to tftbl ep5 incl.) in the context of my Way of the Hunter (turns out something like the director’s cut version of Terminator2 where there is a scene with Kyle Reese and a good ending in well-set future, only with more new adventures after good ending due specifics of setting)
To emphasize why i’m trying to provide the good alternative, I’d like to share awesome track by one russian horoshy nastoyashy malenky “Mordecaichik” (i name “malenkym Mordecaichikom” a subtype of an archetipe)
Detsl aka Le Truk - Fibonacci
ЗЫ
Yeah, crushing Helios on Pandora was a brilliant idea (I’m so good).
But it doesn’t mean that all soaring structures should repeat the same…
Overgrown Sanctuary by Klopotinsha
In Healthy Сontinuity Crimson Raiders left the city built on top of Dahl’s mining ship that has turned into «giant flying pot for bonsai» after event with The Elder Mountain.
Of course, no one dared to attack good people who never refused to help those in need (and earned positive karma by RPG measures). The population of the city has greatly increased and they decided to go down to the ground and build a more spacious Newer New Haven (any better ideas to name it?) right nearby Interdimensional Arch Gateway (through which Vault Hunters plan to travel to other worlds, instead of senseless one-way trip on a spaceship which in realistic cosmic sci-fi usually takes many years and cryo chambers.)
Overgrown Sanctuary remained to drift over beautiful and mysterious Pandora adding amazing touch in the whole ambience.
Now it is a refuge for youg rakks, songbirds and other delicate creatures as well as a favorite playground for human kids who get there on jetpacks.
Destroying Sanctuary is not interesting in terms of composition, screenplay or symbolism; such senseless move just turns all falling objects into ordinary garbage, which is already enough on Pandora.
So that’s why I decided that “flying bonsai pot” should be upgraded with a special energy core (that would instantly decompose outside the biofield of particular object and therefore is of no interest to marauders) which will allow Sanctuary to soar more than a few thousand years!
It may keep drifting in the air even in the times when Mordecai become one of the most powerful sorcerers that ever lived in the known universe, Mental’s best friend and trainer of his armies, connoisseur of Latin proverbs and keeper of The Holy Grail! MWAHAHAHA!!!
So.
Way of the Hunter by Klopotinsha, based on True Borderlands from the creators of HL:OP4ce,
or
Way of Decay on toxic WASTEDlands from the creators of Battleborn?
Type in comments which Borderlands 2 ending/Сontinuity/version of the story/world you like more and why.
(Please if you don’t consider the game story to be something important, do NOT type flame and off-topic in the comments.)