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Introduction
This CRT will discuss the Cosmology of Clair Obscur Expedition 33. Points which would be discussed in it are:- The inner world of Verso's Canvas is a Universe.
- Renoir and Aline have created hundreds of painted worlds, 2-C.
- Painters have R>F transcendence over their painted worlds, 1-A.
Here in this scan, it is mentioned as a Universe.
Renoir and Aline created hundreds of painting worlds.
So, this should be 2-C.
Now, the main part of CRT
Painters have R>F transcendence over their painted worlds:
The first thing that must be established is the nature of the Canvas itself.
The game reveals that Lumière and the surrounding world is a painted reality. This world was created by kid Verso(and later his mother Aline) through his painting power. This is stated throughout the story and becomes especially clear from Alicia's letter.
Alicia herself acknowledges this when she refers to herself as:
This distinction is important because it establishes that the inhabitants of the Canvas are painted beings whose existence originates from the work of a Painter."A painted version that I am. My family, a facsimile of yours."
The same idea is reinforced by Alicia's statement:
Painters are responsible for the existence, structure, and continued state of the Canvas itself."Your mother paints life. Whilst your father, death."
The story further reveals that multiple Canvas Worlds exist and can be created by Painters. Renoir explicitly mentions that he and Aline have painted hundreds of Canvas Worlds throughout their lives. This shows that Canvas Worlds are creations that can be produced, altered, and discarded.
Most importantly, the existence of a Canvas is dependent upon its Painter.
The clearest example is Verso's Canvas. Even after the death of the original Verso, the Canvas continues to exist through the Painted Child Verso that remains within it. This Child Verso continuously paints in order to sustain the Canvas. Once he stops painting, the Canvas begins to disappear, and its inhabitants vanish alongside it.
The Painted World therefore does not possess independent existence. It persists because it is painted and maintained. Without the act of painting, the world ceases to be.
Some more statements from the conversation in the epilogue of Act 2:
Several important details can be gathered from this conversation.Clea: Come along now, I’m in Renoir’s atelier. Alicia, quit dawdling. End of the corridor, you know where it is. Finally. Our little shadow is awake. Our parents are quite the stubborn pair. They’re still fighting each other inside the Canvas. He has her imprisoned at the top of her Monolith and she has him trapped beneath. It’s a stalemate.
Alicia: (I’m worried. They’ve been inside the Canvas for so long.)
Clea: They’ve spent longer than this in other Canvases. It’s not that dire.
Alicia: …
Clea: Yes, I know. Maman’s been in there for quite a while already. And Renoir is wasting time in there, trying to help someone who doesn’t want his help. We have more urgent matters to attend to.
Alicia: (Did you see… Verso?)
Clea: You’re as bad as Aline. He’s not Verso. He’s a painted copy, built from our mother’s memories. You’d do well to remember that.
Alicia: (I know that, I’m not a child.)
Clea: Don’t roll your eyes at me, sister dear. I know you’re not a child, but you’re not grown either. And too many in our family have lost all caution and sense of late.
Alicia: (Can you help Maman?)
Clea: Help her do what? Run away and hide? She’s already succeeded there. Honestly, if Aline wants to numb herself in the Canvas, then let her.
Alicia: …
Clea: Grief is no excuse. We’re all grieving. She’s a grown woman and she was the head of the Painter’s Council. She failed her responsibilities. I don’t have time to coddle her. And before Verso died, she would have said the same.
Alicia: (Can you help Papa?)
Clea: I already have. Aline is more skilled than Renoir, but I’ve tipped the scales in his favour. I have my pets in place. “She who controls chromas, controls the Canvas.” I can’t take her chroma, but I can keep it from returning to her.
Alicia: …
Clea: Yes, it’s enough. It’s just a matter of time. As she weakens, Renoir is able to erase her oldest creations. With the exception of her obscene fake family. She’s made them immortal, but luckily, they’re also quite useless. I need you to take care of yourself while I’m gone.
Alicia: (You’re leaving?)
Clea: Don’t be naive. The world doesn’t stop simply because our family is in mourning. The conflict is spreading and there are things I must do if we Painters are to survive.
Alicia: (I… I want to help.)
Clea: You will do nothing. You’re too weak to do anything useful, you’d be a liability. The Writers used you against us once before, they won’t hesitate to use you again. And I can’t promise that I’ll make the same choice Verso made. Verso traded his life for yours. I both love and hate him for that. The damn fool. Although… If you really want to be useful, then enter the Canvas and help Renoir. I need him back here sooner rather than later. I’ll fight this war alone if I have to, but I’d really rather not. Can you handle that?
Alicia: …
Clea: Lest you forget, the only reason those two are in there is because your naivety cost Verso his life.
Alicia: …
Clea: Good. Go to the Canvas when you’re ready. And repaint your throat when you’re in there, before you completely forget how to have a conversation.
Alicia: (Verso’s childhood canvas. Where we used to play… Where he painted Esquie and Monoco. And where Maman and Papa now fight… Clea’s right. It’s my fault. I should help fix this. And I do want to fix this. I do. If I can… Verso would have. And… it would be nice.. to talk and breathe again, without pain. Without my face being… Not that that’s the reason to do this, no, it’s…It’s the right thing to do. After everything I’ve caused…)
Alicia: If we bring Maman out of the Canvas, she’ll try to return. We must hide the Canvas…
Clea: Well-reasoned. And such a… clever hiding spot you’ve chosen. She’ll still find it, but… I’m impressed. This only truly ends if you destroy the Canvas. And that means stopping the final sliver of Verso’s soul from painting. See, that wasn’t so hard. Wait- that’s Aline’s chroma. Stay calm, don’t let it take control of you. Calm, Alicia, or it’ll paint over you- What an auspicious start. Well. You’re about to be reborn in this world as one of Aline’s creations. Have fun. At least this will keep you out of trouble until I get back.
Firstly, Clea explicitly states that the Verso within the Canvas is "a painted copy, built from our mother's memories", later referring to him as merely "the final sliver of Verso's soul". This shows that beings inside of canvas are painted creations.
Secondly, the Canvas is repeatedly treated as something that can consume a Painter's attachment to reality. Clea criticizes Aline for attempting to "numb herself in the Canvas", while Renoir later recalls having once "lost himself" within one. This is consistent with his statement that every day spent within a Canvas carries a price.(More explanation and scans below).
Thirdly, the dialogue shows that what is entry into a Canvas. Alicia's physical body remains in reality while her consciousness enters the Canvas, and Clea warns that Aline's Chroma may "paint over" her before stating that she is about to be "reborn in this world as one of Aline's creations". Later she mentions here too that she is still technically outside of canvas in her home.
Finally, Clea is able to observe, influence, and interfere with events within the Canvas while remaining outside of it. She even assists Renoir by manipulating Chroma from beyond the Canvas itself. This demonstrates that interaction between the Reality and Canvas does not require necessarily require a painter to enter painting.
The game further establishes that prolonged existence within a Canvas comes at a cost even for Painters themselves.
When speaking to Maelle, Renoir recalls his own experiences within Canvas Worlds:
He goes on to explain that Aline taught him how to safely use their gift and that together they painted hundreds of Canvas Worlds. Most importantly, he states:
So, living within a Canvas appears to carry consequences for Painters. Renoir's statements suggest that prolonged immersion can cause them to lose themselves within the painted world and gradually forget where they truly belong.
Conclusion:
- Paintings are Universes so it should be low 2-C and Renoir and Aline have created hundreds of paintings which should be 2-C.
- Verso's Canvas World is a Painting. Painted Reality's inhabitants are described as painted versions, and creations derived from a higher reality. Its existence is dependent on the act of painting itself, with Verso's Canvas beginning to disappear once it is no longer sustained. Furthermore, the game distinguishes a Painter's true existence from their existence within a Canvas. Painters can interact with Painted Worlds without entering them, while entry into a Canvas involves one's consciousness entering the painted world. And the Painted World is treated as a lesser reality(and Verso also calls it a make-believe world). Therefore, it should qualify for Reality-Fiction Transcendence over the Canvas Worlds, granting it Tier 1-A.
Agree: DarkDragonMedeus(Agreed with tier 2 stuff)
Disagree:
Neutral: DarkDragonMedeus(Neutral on 1-A)
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