#And the Universe Shifts

[freshphoenix827]

Yeah tumblr can have a little watcher grian (specifically the ATUS variety) doodle from when I was fucking around with the bromine brush trend

[go-learn-esperanto]

Watchers - Evo, ATUS and Fandom

It's very common to see people blame ATUS for the way the fandom sees the watchers now but... How much did it actually come from there?

Wings (and statues):

Although the depiction of Watchers specifically having wings does exist in ATUS it's very clearly originated from Evo itself as Grian was once left a statue of what Grian called at the time "an angel lady" who had wings Grian was tasked with burning down (they represented his greed)

You can see the EVO symbol in glass above the statue.

Even though the statue isn't exactly stated as representing a Watcher it's not really stretch, specially since the statue appears to have a obsidian staff, the same obsidian the Watchers used to cover Grian's chests.

Puzzles and riddles

Evo originated. All it's presence in ATUS comes directly from Evo. The only change might be the inclusion of stained glass windows depicting Watchers. Although I wouldn't jump to conclusions if someone right now decided to draw Watcher Grian stained glass art as it's a very common trope in general with God-like beings. Very much brought by Catholic representations if angels, saints, Jesus and the likes.

Masks

This one is one I can safely say, if you see fanart like this with a mask that isn't see through with the Evo symbol it almost certainly came from ATUS. Variants with a blindfold instead of mask might be inspired by this too. Even if the artist isn't exactly aware.

Eyes

Very nuanced topic. For startersthe name Watchers automatically inspires the idea of eyes. Of being watched too. But there's more options.

Evo never explicitly represents the Watchers with eyes.

ATUS does it a little bit. At one time when one of the masks is taken from a Watcher (that isn't Grian) they're face is shown to have a lot of eyes. However this isn't the full "wings and whole body are full of wings". Not even "Void with eyes" you now see a lot too in fandom.

I have multiple theories. The most obvious is Biblical accurate angels. Lots of wings, circles, eyes in the whole body, these are almost certainly angel originated.

Now the idea of being able to watch everything could've come from a lot of places. Even some Magnus Archives influence can be here (even if some minimal)

I will say the Watcher in ATUS are a bit disappointing in the "all seeing" department. They can sense some things but they aren't that powerful or at least scary with that.

Controlling worlds

Evo originated as the Watchers gave clues to the players so they find portals to the next updates + the puzzles + gifts and punishments. They were very much in control

Purple

Evo. From the literal Minecraft portals to the Evo icon it was very much present the whole time.

Powers

ATUS makes use of some powers like telekinesis and the like. There is even some mention to being able to use blocks that aren't allowed/present.

The telekinesis part is very much an ATUS thing even though again - if someone is going to give powers the ability to magically move objects would be the first choice.

The part of bloks that aren't accessable to a normal player are more nuanced. In Evo the Watcher did build structures with obsidian and bedrock which are either extremely tasking to get or impossible so the grounds for that are very much there.

The ability to show up in dreams is present in ATUS but considering Taurtis' lore in Evo I'm not surprised it was inspired by that. It's not the same as the Watchers never appeared in Taurtis' dreams but Taurtis did miss going through the portal because he was sleeping and woke up to seeing everything purple with a portal animationor even more likely: the ATUS part came from the angels showing in people's dreams in the bible so again - might be in ATUS but it doesn't mean the people who write / draw stuff with it took it from there.

The Watchers destroyed Evo

Surprisingly, Evo based. As someone reminded me well, after Grian left the Watchers threw a meteor at the Property Police I believe. This leads to

Watchers are Evil

Depends of who you watch. Grian's playthings gives room for doubt. They give gifts and punish. They seem neutral at least. You could argue though that a lot of Grian's punishments were deserved. They were because Grian basically liked to prak and blow up other people's stuff.

They can be about platful as I saw someone describe them once.

Also the modification of the end poem, the one that reveals Grian turns into a Watcher himself, is quite fond.

Martyn and Jimmy on the other hand play the Watchers as more evil even in Evo. As they are more connected with the Listeners and the Listeners oppose the Watchers.

In ATUS they are shown as feigning compassion and being very manipulative.

But if you follow Last Life canon they are also shown as manipulators.

+ In Grian's lore specifically they are canonically a representation of the viwers (you and me) but this has seemed to change in Jimmy and Martyn's lore.

So I'd say ATUS made popular the "Grian was taken by the Watchers and they were awful" but the truth is that there was some ground to that already.

Watchers came from the void

Not specific stated in either Evo or ATUS actually. I don't think we ever really know where the Watchers exist in Evo but in ATUS they are from (a special kind of) the End... But there's also a logical reason for it.

Elytras and all the obsidian. And in Evo Grian got turned into a Watcher after he fought the ender dragon and used the end portal.

The idea of the void most likely comes from the void that surrounds the End.

Watchers are eldritch abominations:

Well, the Watchers in Evo don't have a canon physical appearance and in ATUS they are quite tame. A bit taller than maybe the average human, have wings, use robes... But nothing too monstrous. They use staffs and magic weapons to fight.

The idea if cryptic abomination comes from somewhere else. Probably a mixture of Biblical accurate angels and maybe some other pop culture monsters.

Bird features

100% neither Evo nor ATUS. Recent development that came from the wings and Grian's association with birds in Hermitcraft.

Grian's Watcher name is Xelqua

Surprisingly not ATUS! And not Evo either! The name is from Grian's old YouTube name but I don't know where the idea was first introduced. It wasn't in ATUS though.

Conclusion:

Except maybe the masks almost all stuff, even if more elaborated in ATUS, all the stuff as either came from Evo itself or even been inspired from something else (most likely biblical accurate angels). In fact I believe the stiff in ATUS mostly came from biical accurate angels too or just normal angels (long robes, stained glass windows)

So I think accusing all fandom depictions of the Watchers as all coming from ATUS is very silly. ATUS might have popularised the appearance of Watchers in Hermitcraft and in a way to have some Grian angst but it definitely isn't all there is to Watcher depictions. Besides that other fics have come and did things differently.

For exemple I have already read two fivs where Grian (a watcher) is a monster in the boaten hole. Yes. The idea he was like transformed into whatever he is by the Watchers might be very loosely be based on ATUS (although Watcher Grian in ATUS was never an eldritch being. He was just like a person with wings and a mask and he was still himself and capable of communicating) which in turn came from Evo but it's already very far removed from it.

Fandom changes. You might want people to watch Evo to take their own conclusions and you might ask for more variety but saying ATUS is the sole responsible for the state of fanon Watcher Grian is just false.

[aries-of-spades]

Making Covers for Fanfictions #2: and the universe shifts

Ok, I can't not do ATUS. If I can consider there to be classics in fanfiction, this is a classic in regards to Hermitcraft.

and the universe shifts by aayaptre on AO3

(aka, the Watcher story we all know and love and probably cried over. You know who you are.)

The funny part about this was trying to figure out how to draw a stained glass window. (You would think I'd know, given how many I've seen, lol.) But the lighting was super fun.

(Every time I try and draw Crown, they look like they have the strangest hairline ever XD)

It's definetly better than the last time I tried to draw this window, which was like 3 years ago.

thumbnail sketches under the cut:

[goldstargloww]

can we all appreciate how like. a lot of pre-eyesandears, pre-traffic lives watcher content, still fits? still applies? scarily well, especially considering how eyesandears is made only really with evo in mind?

here's one ive been obsessing over. a quote from and the universe shits (ATUS):

"They were playing a game. They called it a game. It was one he couldn't win. He played anyway."

thIS FITS TRAFFIC LIVES SO WELL

especially scott and martyn i think. just. yes. it fits so well. you might "win" but you don't win. scott and martyn are very aware of this i think and i love it

[haveyoureadthisfanfic]

Summary: Grian is secretly a Watcher and he’s hiding Hermitcraft from the other Watchers who are evil, but he has to break the spell to open the world border so they can go to 1.14. The Watchers capture him and the Hermits have to rescue him.

Author: @ayaptre

Submitter: @warpedvoxel

Note from submitter: This was The Hermitcraft Fic when it came out, and it informed a lot of Watcher fanon

[cr4ftedmovie]

"the saved one" my ass

[theminecraftloser]

Happy four year anniversary to Karma the ATUS animatic

[marokra]

i think it’s very interesting how a lot of fandomized watcher lore/hcs can be traced back to ATUS

[sheepcritters]

in the fic "And the Universe Shifts," the hermits all gather outside a purple portal and go through together, one that is there because of grian. through that portal, they find the watchers, figures from EvoSMP, which happens to have members in common with empires. in this essay I will be

[itsemigo]

I have severe Watcher!Grian brainrot

[lily-says-hi]

atus comic

I swear to god I saw a comic on pinterest of the scene in atus where Grian is showing Mumbo his magic for the first time in his shipwreck base but I CANNOT FIND IT ANYWHERE!!!!

if someone could please confirm its existence or tell me where to find it i would be very grateful :D

[dawnleaf37]

HEY WHO WAS GONNA TELL ME INTHELITTLEWOOD WAS ON TUMBLR AND HAD TAGS. FOR WATCHER AND LISTENER LORE

[goldstargloww]

remembering atus exists. do i. do i do a reread

[sandwichedbread]

accurate representation of me right now.

i just read atus and now I’m crying

[cr4ftedmovie]

more atus! a compilation

[chirp-featherfowl]

because ATUS killed my GRANDMA, okay?