Some people might say that it… Went over your head.
Edit: For people who didn't get it. https://greaterthangames.com/comment/79112#comment-79112
(Nicely done, sir. 
)
(I just couldn't resist…)
It is true. I have failed.
and for those of you that don't get THAT reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysT_hI4mTx0
We do know who the leader of The Host is, it is so obvious.....the Cursed Acolyte.
Notice that Fantaic isn't actually holding Absolution. Maybe she has even more control over it now that it is broken.
1. I still think Fanatic is crazy and it's all in her head. That's my favorite theory. Also WTH messing with my hyper aggressive girl? All this finding herself and becoming less crazy makes me sad. Make with the crazy smiting already!
2. If my theories on Bezaliel are on target he survived being cast into hell after the whole nephilim incident, and his affiliation could mean one of two things:
A. He survived judgement and is still counted among the host of heaven.
B. He is affiliated with his old comrades, and is trying to find a way to get them out.
I honestly don't know how much Christian Theology and mysticism Christopher has gotten into, but there is a period of silence from the restoration of Israel and the birth of Christ, a gradual lessenning that led to a dirth of direct involvement with humans. After the church formation God is much more passive, letting his people screw up trying to do his work themselves.
It is in this time that Bezaliel has started acting. What if he was in hiding still, not sure how much he could get away with, when Fanatic's actions revealed to him that the "powers up there" weren't paying attention.
The book of revelations should never be interpreted as most current evangelical christians interpret it, but under that interpretation (which was, by the way started by a conman/cult leader in the 1800s) a series of catastrophic events end in a final battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil called Armageddon. (no Batman doesn't have sex with a half-elf and then have his life spared by her divorced ex-cop dad)
If the final boss would be a mega expansion against the Host, the title Armageddon would be increadibly fitting, and characters like the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse could very well be involved.
As for Absolution:
1. Absolution was intended to be her own Absolution, her trying to earn her own salvation through fighting evil.
2. Absolution was intended to bring Absolution to enemies, through their death. Because she was a crazy crusader-style Fanatic.
Redeemer Fanatic comes back from being shattered by the knowledge that she is likely the same kind of creature as Apostate, armored now. Not as reckless, more strategic.
Then Absolution is shattered by Truth, the truth corresponding with the first options:
1. The knowledge that she cannot earn her own salvation, a very Christian theme.
2. Something to shake her identity. She isn't a special dispenser of justice. She's just a crazy Super-hero with a broken sword.
In the first option she joins a team in humility, realizing she doesn't have to do it all, and we are intended to work together.
In the second she is unable to continue her mission, and humbly starts to seek what really matters, protecting others.
Either way the theology gets weird and I would prefer the crazy.
The Armageddon idea makes me think of the X Men’s Apocalypse and how cool it would be to have some corrupted heroes as villains decks like is his theme.
And then Under3 makes me think of the rules the government wants in tactics; there has to be a reason to be scared of both heroes and villains
From what I’ve heard from Christopher Fanatic isn’t crazy or even unquestioning of her cause. She has just as much doubt as everyone else. Probably more since she’s sincerely committed to a theological perspective. She puffs her chest and pontificates to compensate for that. I’d be quite surprised and disappointed if that aspect of her character was discarded to make her “Murderous, Straw-Man, Jesus Nut: The Super Hero”.
I wouldn't label Fanatic a Straw-Man Jesus-Nut, she helps people and fights actual evil, instead of finding evil in whatever she doesn't like and then demanding the government protect her from anything that might make her uncomfortable.
When I say crazy what I mean is that she has super powers, not caused by her faith, but her faith is how they manifested themselves. She hid out in the catacombs without proper food or water, that's how a lot of religious movements start. Either God likes people when they go on hunger strikes, or you go a little crazy when you are all alone and malnurished.
I think she created her armor and sword, I think her faith crisis is legit because she doesn't know if that experience was real or somehow she experienced a creation of her own desire for it to be real.
In other words the struggle many thoughtful people go through in dealing with a God that refuses to make it easy. Powerful experiences with no provable source lead to both faith and doubt. One of Fanatics greatest strengths is her faith, that knowledge that there is something worth fighting for, that she is on the right side, and that her work will be rewarded is powerful motivation. Doubts don't help you fight better.
You know one thing I have always wondered about Fanatic that I don't think I have ever seen explained... How did Templar armor and weaponry find it's way to catacombs in Peru?
I put them there.
*smoke bombs*
Could have been brough there by the Conquistadors. There were often Jesuits with them, and it's not too much of a stretch to say that some would have artifacts of the Templar- especially not by comic book standards.
You as in Christopher Badell or you as in Citizen Anvil?
Or Wraith, he does have smoke bombs.
makes me think of the skit by the Dead Ales Wives on dnd
So Price of Freedom Wraith is actually Citizen Anvil? That makes sense.
Does Citizen Anvil have a background in armor smithing? I'm acutally pretty curious about that.
And you know…in dawns deck…Anvil does look like he sorta has wings…
Not only does it look like it, he actually can create those wings. While I don't play WoW myself, I believe some mentioned that it resembles a skill a Paladin uses.