theorizing I have a theory.

[KirblesOcto]

I think that Maxwell and Willow are related somehow. 

I think this because Willow is the only one we’ve seen that can somewhat control the nightmare creatures, but this might be something else.

Of course the first thought is that Willow is Maxwells daughter. It could be possible but i'm not sure if Charlie and Maxwell had a romantic relationship.

My second thought is they might be siblings or cousins. I think this is a bit more plausible but this could change if we see more of Maxwells childhood.

And thirdly, they could just not be related. This is the most likely.

I welcome all of you guys to critique and add to this theory!

 

[Just-guy]

I don't think the parent/relative theory is possible since we know Willow was in an orphanage, she didn't had someone that looked after her.

[HowlVoid]

People forget Willow isn't a good person, she's insane. 

Maxwell probably just went up to her and said 

"Hey, I know some s**t you can burn"

And Willow probably just went

"mmmmk"

She just just wants to watch the world burn, literally. Pyromaniacs can be no different from a heroin addict, they just want their next fix and the bigger the dosage the better.

She's probably one of the few who's happy to be in the constant. She can burn to her hearts content.

[Castaccio]

1 hour ago, HowlVoid said:

She's probably one of the few who's happy to be in the constant. She can burn to her hearts content.

Her Compendium entry does mention how she's glad to have a fresh start in the constant (shows she's familiar with...burning bridges), though her quotes show that she's just as willing to escape as the others.

I do agree with your take though; Willow is very valuable to him as she's essentially a free evidence disposer. If there are particular circumstances that require erasing artifacts from The Constant, like in Wickerbottom's short, then he has somebody who'd go to the ends of the earth to set something alight. Once she's outlived her use, he can just take her to that very same place she sent everybody else. (Which could make for some very interesting new interactions...!)

 

1 hour ago, KirblesOcto said:

I think that Maxwell and Willow are related somehow....

...Of course the first thought is that Willow is Maxwells daughter....'Im not sure if Charlie and Maxwell had a romantic relationship...

...My second thought is they might be siblings or cousins....

The William Carter puzzles show that he already has family in his brother's twin daughter, and Wendy's short confirms that she and Abigail were said daughters. Winona is also very clearly stated to be Charlie's sister, whose existence was also first hinted at in the William Carter puzzles.

Not only would Willow being related to either of them be a sudden and unexpected detail that goes right in the face of two storylines that set up years ago, but it would feel bloated and uninteresting to me. Willow being a random stranger that Maxwell chose to do crimes with (and then disposed of) is far more interesting than yet another familial connection.

Willow's storyline has also been in the making for a while—at least as far back as Willow's own short, where she was terrorized by terrorbeaks. In fact, I think that there's a shot in her short that's a perfect parallel to the shot of the terrorbeak in Wickerbottom's short. I'm not sure how a familial connection, which her being an orphan diminishes, would add to this.

 

Edit: Now that I think about it, the first mentions of the NYS Library burning down and the mention of a fair burning down was first mentioned in Winona's short—which spotlights a factory burning down.

That puts her inclusion in the storyline as far back as Winona's short or before, and also hints at what the "One to go" refers to.

[chincer]

the way i see it is...willow's teddy bear seems to be one of the very few things that can keep nightmare creatures away

as someone that rely on that wicked shadow magic to do his biding, maxwell see great value in keeping willow close, likely promising her something if she does what she already wants to do, burn stuff, this time in the name of maxwell

[KirblesOcto]

55 minutes ago, Castaccio said:

Not only would Willow being related to either of them be a sudden and unexpected detail that goes right in the face of two storylines that set up years ago, but it would feel bloated and uninteresting to me. Willow being a random stranger that Maxwell chose to do crimes with (and then disposed of) is far more interesting than yet another familial connection.

Willow's storyline has also been in the making for a while—at least as far back as Willow's own short, where she was terrorized by terrorbeaks. In fact, I think that there's a shot in her short that's a perfect parallel to the shot of the terrorbeak in Wickerbottom's short. I'm not sure how a familial connection, which her being an orphan diminishes, would add to this.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. I have seen theories that say everyone is related and I’m not sure what to think about it. This is a lot more interesting and can be used in many more creative ways.

Edited to add: I don’t really want Willow and Maxwell to be related, I just noticed there was a bit of a connection.

[Bumber64]

1 hour ago, HowlVoid said:

Maxwell probably just went up to her and said 

"Hey, I know some s**t you can burn"

And Willow probably just went

"mmmmk"

I'd think she'd be more hesitant to listen to someone controlling the shadow creatures that terrorized her. She also doesn't need someone to tell her what to burn.

Maxwell probably stole Bernie then offered to hold back the shadow creatures if she obeys. A new start where she can burn whatever she wants was likely offered to sweeten the deal.

[HowlVoid]

11 hours ago, Bumber64 said:

I'd think she'd be more hesitant to listen to someone controlling the shadow creatures that terrorized her. She also doesn't need someone to tell her what to burn.

Ok, but why did she smile when she was given the note? Didn't seem like a "I'm being subjected to extortion" kind of behavior..

Quote

Maxwell probably stole Bernie then offered to hold back the shadow creatures if she obeys. A new start where she can burn whatever she wants was likely offered to sweeten the deal.

I think she's in on it, my theory is that this is a more mature Willow who has fully given in to her pyromania. There's also the possibility that she doesn't know Maxwell is controlling the shadow creatures. Maxwell may very well have pushed Willow into being a pyromaniac without her realizing it yet, just so he can have someone to burn things for him. It wouldn't be farfetched for her to be Maxwell's puppet from the very start.

Edit: Maybe not "pushed" her into pyromania but cultivating her as a possible candidate. She was an orphan, and was driven into fearing the dark. A very easy target, that would explain why she was "targeted" by nightmares since she was very young despite not having a connection to anyone.

[KirblesOcto]

1 hour ago, HowlVoid said:

 There's also the possibility that she doesn't know Maxwell is controlling the shadow creatures. 

I think she would, how else would she know that Maxwell is saying there’s one more left?

[HowlVoid]

30 minutes ago, KirblesOcto said:

I think she would, how else would she know that Maxwell is saying there’s one more left?

Of course it's all speculation on my part, but Maxwell was very secretive about how he went about sending his "messenger". I don't think the note itself "hints" to the possibility of her knowing it was sent by a nightmare.

I do find it suspicious that the nightmare disappeared before Willow had a chance to turn around and look at it. Why would it matter if she saw it if she already knew? 

[KirblesOcto]

14 minutes ago, HowlVoid said:

Of course it's all speculation on my part, but Maxwell was very secretive about how he went about sending his "messenger". 

I think they had been working together for a while, so she should know that the nightmare creatures are the messengers.

[Rylanor]

7 hours ago, Castaccio said:

Edit: Now that I think about it, the first mentions of the NYS Library burning down and the mention of a fair burning down was first mentioned in Winona's short—which spotlights a factory burning down.

That puts her inclusion in the storyline as far back as Winona's short or before, and also hints at what the "One to go" refers to.

Except Maxwell never was interested in Winona, and all survivors kidnaps happen during his "reign", with Winona being captured by Charlie, so either "one to go" note isn't from Maxwell, but from Them, or the last one left is Willow herself, and this note was a threat?

[HowlVoid]

3 hours ago, Rylanor said:

Except Maxwell never was interested in Winona, and all survivors kidnaps happen during his "reign", with Winona being captured by Charlie, so either "one to go" note isn't from Maxwell, but from Them, or the last one left is Willow herself, and this note was a threat?

 Good catch

Sometimes I have a hard time keeping the chain of events straight in my head. 

The only thing that I can think of is that by "one more" he meant Wilson. Willow may have had the job of burning down his home after his capture so that there would be no suspicion/evidence left behind. I'm sure Maxwell didn't want anyone having access to the portal he had Wilson create. 

Maybe a stretch but...

I think Maxwell needed Wickerbottom before he could get to Wilson because only she could contain the knowledge he needed to pass to him. The brief moment where Wicker has all that forbidden knowledge swirling around her is very reminiscent of when Wilson had the same happen to him. Wicker was like a USB stick. 

I want to add the Knowledge we see Wicker receive from the basement books looks like a lot of chicken scratch. When Wilson receives it's a lot clearer and formulaic. 

Also makes me believe Wicker had time to refine the knowledge she received if indeed Wilson's knowledge was passed on from Wicker.

[Castaccio]

3 hours ago, Rylanor said:

Except Maxwell never was interested in Winona, and all survivors kidnaps happen during his "reign", with Winona being captured by Charlie, so either "one to go" note isn't from Maxwell, but from Them, or the last one left is Willow herself, and this note was a threat?

According to Charlie's source-code quotes, Winona was an entirely unintended consequence of the Voxola fire. I agree that she wouldn't be the prime target.

If anything at all was intended, I think it would be Wagstaff's capture and the portal's destruction. We do see Wagstaff being dragged into the portal by something against his will, which Maxwell and They have motivation to do; Wagstaff had been meddling with The Constant from the outside and getting other people involved.

If Maxwell or They caused the fire, then it would be to stop this.

 

37 minutes ago, HowlVoid said:

The only thing that I can think of is that by "one more" he meant Wilson. Willow may have had the job of burning down his home... 

...I think Maxwell needed Wickerbottom before he could get to Wilson because only she could contain the knowledge he needed to pass to him. The brief moment where Wicker has all that forbidden knowledge swirling around her is very reminiscent of when Wilson had the same happen to him. Wicker was like a USB stick. 

I personally dislike this idea, but that's an absolutely amazing connection! The two shots are very similar, and I love the parallels between them!

[Rylanor]

I still wish Klei will explore what Constant even is, we clearly know that its separate dimension(s?) once populated by insect-like Ancients and with unseen shadow entities and lunar entities, but what is Codex Umbra, before we knew that Maxwell got it during/after train incident, but Wolfgang short shows he already had it before for some time. How people outside Constant become aware of it? If shadows/lunar powers aren't native to Constant then from where They come from? Who exactly are Them?