/snip
I wouldn't be surprised if the eventual Wellspring confrontation we're heading towards will send us back in time to the old Wellspring - for either a little, or a long time. That said, I think we're wrapping up the game sometime soon, so it may end up being a short time frame / just a montage.
Then again, G28 always pleasantly surprises.
I apologize if this has already been brought up, as this is a 400+ page thread and I haven't read everything yet. I have a theory as to the MC's backstory. (Responding to this post and your previous excellent summary of secrets). Also forgive me as I don't have any proper citations yet. Also, possible spoilers(?) as evidence, so read no further if you want to maintain your.. erm, innocence.
I think that the evidence very much points toward the MC being the Wellspring incarnate / magic incarnate / immaculate conception etc. Very much in the vein of Anveena Teague, Yim, Jesus of Nazareth, Lady Firebird, Mystra, or many more depending on your story of choice. (No religious debates please. He just works as an example here). The parallel won't be perfect or will be "inverted" in some instances. See "Made of Magic" or "Born of Magic" from TV Tropes, although I didn't dig too far and there may be a better trope example.
It would explain why magic at the school became stronger when the MC arrived. [citation]
It would explain the MC breaking the gender norm so spectacularly for being a light wielder, as well as the MC's ludicrously fast facility with magic.
It would, perhaps weakly, explain Karen's prodigious power relative to most of her significantly longer lived peers. ie. Her relative proximity to the MC has strengthened her.
It would explain why the MC's memories and (soul?) is intertwined with Delia, as she was there when the Wellspring exploded. Under this theory, she is in effect a talisman/horcrux carrying parts of the MC's essence.
It explains Issyr's attraction, dependence, and lenience. If she *knows,* then like Potter the MC must die at the right time. Further, she can't risk truly pissing the MC off. Alternatively if she doesn't know, she's simply inexplicably drawn to him as her world implodes from lack of magic.
It would explain why the MC smells of licorice (known to be connected with black lights) to Chang. It also explains why this scent is faint, because it is mixed with all the other lights/schools or alternatively black *is* the combination and/or inversion of all schools.
It would perfectly explain the foreshadowing of death. As in order for the Wellspring to be reborn, the MC must die.
Lastly, it would be an in-world explanation for the game's focus on impregnation. The MC is re-seeding the world with magic. This would be very similar to how Ouranos/Khronos/Zeus are so promiscuous in Greek mythology because the Greeks needed them to be, in order to have origin stories for the world's various mysteries.
Additional to above it would explain why many of the women that are seeded by the MC seem more powerful/calmer/happier after the experience, not less - even if the sex was of dubious consent and possibly traumatic. They are absorbing his gift. It just so happens to dovetail very conveniently with the magic dick trope prevalent in a lot of masculine fantasy erotica.
Let me know what you think and feel free to point me to posts that pre-dated this one with the same theory. I apologize because this is the first time playing the game so I haven't been here for the conversations.
