The Elder is struggling mightily to keep his prophecy on track within the unhealthy atmosphere of a webcomic, but by and large he isn’t doing too badly.
There just isn’t any way to avoid every word that could be construed as a double entendre, if one’s looking hard enough for it. So the Elder gets the wrong visuals going for a moment, but that’s soon amended. He is definitely profiting from the fact that the (censored) of Vecna was ultimately only a McGuffin, and has dropped by the wayside…or been dropped by the wayside, by now. Definitely figuratively and possibly physically as well. Even legendary artifacts don’t get much respect after their McGuffin role is over.
That little detour aside, the prophecy proceeds nicely on the well-beaten track. Inevitably, the presence of a giant, ancient tree leads to that tree’s seed having a central role in the plot…it’s the kind of symbolism fantasy writers just can’t pass by – rebirth, rejuvenation, the circle of life, hope of spring, you can cram all of that in there. Come to think of it, it would have fitted the trope better if I had shown the Barbessor handling the seed – as the youngest, he’d have resonated with the rejuvenation motif. On the other hand, Mopey has a much better ewww face than the Professorian.
More on Mo…uh, Thursday