So, Knights Are A Warrior Class. I Just Realized That Is Absolutely A Stealth Pun:

So, Knights are a Warrior class. I just realized that is absolutely a stealth pun:

Warrior = worrier

Homestuck and the 12 Archetypes

I recently came across something called the Twelve Archetypes. Apparently it’s a concept by psychologist Carol S. Pearson, inspired by the Jungian notions of personality types and archetypes, as well as Joseph Campbell’s theory of a monomyth (aka The Hero’s Journey).

And, well… Wow. Twelve hero archetypes. That is absolutely the Homestuck class system. While not perfect, they translate really well, too!

Witch = Magician

Heir = Everyman / Orphan

Mage = Explorer / Seeker

Seer = Sage

Prince = Ruler

Bard = Jester

Maid = Creator

Sylph = Caregiver

Thief = Revolutionary / Rebel / Destroyer

Rogue = Lover

Knight = Hero / Warrior

Page = Innocent

Apparently there’s a whole formal, official, scientific-based personality test regarding the Twelve Archetypes called the Pearson-Marr Archetype Indicator (PMAI). (Free version of the test here.)

Information on the Twelve Archetypes: The Pearson Archetypal System The 12 Common Archetypes Pearson-Marr Archetype Indicator (PMAI) (Wikipedia) Pearson’s heroic archetypes

How am I just now learning of this? There's no way Hussie could have NOT based the SBURB class system on this concept. I don't even.

I’ve been mulling over the Prospit/Derse dreamer distinction and I think it primarily boils down to this:

Prospit dreamers instinctively embrace their calling and their role.

Derse dreamers instinctively resist their calling and role.

What exactly that means and how it manifests itself varies from person to person. (And Space and Time players might be an exception, possibly defaulting to Prospit and Derse, respectively.)

But the distinction makes sense thematically, considering how Prospit and Derse seem to operate.

Okay, John's note that "it was gamzee," on the most obvious level, means Gamzee is responsible Nepeta's murder, not Vriska, whom Gamzee is framing and Terezi suspects.

But what if there's a deeper meaning to the message?

What if John inadvertently answered his own (and likely poor, confused Terezi's) question?:

"you don't need him."

Who's "him"?

"it was gamzee you idiot!!!"

By pairing together these two seemingly disconnected messages from John, maybe it'll plant the idea in Terezi's mind that Gamzee is the one she doesn't need. ...Unintentionally, at least on John's end. Granted, she probably won't even make this connection until much later, perhaps after more messages, but hey.

Inception, Egbert style.

Doomed vs. Void Timelines

A doomed timeline is associated with time travel. It is an offshoot timeline, branching from the Alpha Timeline. It is destined for failure, for an ill fate. It can never succeed because, by itself, it cannot propagate reality's existence. A doomed timeline invariably ends when someone travels in time to undo its events.

So what happens when someone retcons events? Retconning is different from time travel. It doesn't create a doomed timeline because the timeline is the Alpha, not a branching offshoot. It doesn't create a stable time loop, either, because events are actually changed, as opposed to linked by causality. Doomed timelines and stable time loops are the results of time travel, not retcons. So what is the result of a retcon?

A retcon, instead, creates a void timeline. When the Alpha Timeline is changed, it renders previous Alpha (or canon) events null, void, ineffective, cancelled out.

The Alpha Timeline is the timeline of Light; it is the most important, significant, and relevant timeline, the path that successfully propagates reality and existence itself. Retcons turn the Alpha Timeline's Light to Void, making previously canon events unknown, irrelevant, ineffective, and as though they do not exist.

So, to clarify:

Doomed timeline = Offshoot timeline events undone via time travel.

Void timeline = Alpha timeline events undone via retcon.

Classpect Profile

When people try to determine a mythological role (or "classpect"), they often tend to focus on only one class and one aspect that fit an individual. Possibly two if they subscribe to the inversion/subrole/duality theory. That is, they focus only on the Hero Title and possibly its inverse.

But really, if the 12 aspects are meant to encompass all of reality, and the classes are how one interacts with an aspect, wouldn’t that mean every aspect has influence on an individual, not just one or two of them? That would mean an individual consists of every aspect and class.

I theorize that there are 12 different roles (or classpects) that fit a person—6 unique pairs of roles—comprised of each standard classes and each aspect.

I call these 6 pairs a Classpect Profile. The primary pair is the Hero Title and subrole.

Example profile:

Significance of a Classpect Profile

Essentially, a Classpect Profile helps you gain a better understanding of yourself and how you might affect reality, beyond one or two aspects.

If you’re having difficulty determining your precise Hero Title (and subrole), solving your Classpect Profile can help you discover it, through process of elimination.

A Classpect Profile also provides Hero Title options! For whatever reason, you’re not fond of your primary role, you can choose an alternate role as your Hero Title. Not a fan of the Bard codpiece? Or maybe you have a “gender-exclusive” class opposite of your gender, and you’d prefer one that matches. Maybe your session needs a Space or Time player. Maybe your session has players with overlapping classes or aspects, and you want everyone’s to be unique. Whatever the reason, now you have alternate possibilities!

Determining which roles comprise a Classpect Profile

First, it requires a full understanding of what each class and aspect means. It also requires a lot of introspection, self-reflection, and self-understanding. There are many useful tools and resources to aid you in the process.

In my next post, I’ll guide you through a step-by-step process to solve your Classpect Profile.