Lore: Woodie died?

[The 2C3D]

For those of you who haven't heard, Changing your character with a moon rock idol causes your old character to say a line.

These lines imply your old character is dead, for all that's worth in the constant. I'll include the lines below if you want to see for yourself:

Spoiler

Wilson: "I can see the light!"

Willow: "A burning light"

Wolfgang: "Wolfgang is scared!"

Wendy: "Abigail?" (Reunited in death)

WX-78: "I SEE THE BLUE SCREEN!" (The blue screen of death)

Wickerbottom: "I've never seen anything describing this"

Woodie: "This feels strangely familiar"

Maxwell: Say, pal. I don't look so good..."

Wigfrid: "Tis the light öf Valhalla?"

Webber: "Everything's getting fuzzy!"

Winona: "Good thing I've got all my affairs in order!"

Wendy, WX-78, Wigfrid and Winona all make pretty clear references to death.

Woodie's, however, is strange. He says "This feels strangely familiar", meaning he's died before...

 

The temptation to go into a rabbit hole of circumstantial evidence is too much...

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w͉̺̬̭̬͎̞̌̃́̉̉̒̂̕̕͢͝Ȯ̬̼͈͓͇͙͎̱̌͗̒͂̔̀͞͡O̸̢̧̪̼̘̪͔̗͊̽͛̀̂̈Ḑ̸̪̭̲͔͖̮̮̈͆͆̅͊͐͝ͅI̷̡̧͖̱͚͒̋̽̓̉̽̌̚E̶̢̖̱̙͇̤͎̪͂͛̿͊̒͒̐̄͝ ḭ̶̞̝̣̲̼̤͐̓̏̔͛̆͡ͅŞ̶̧̼̟͖̳̄̾̀͑̒̑̀͗͜͜ j̸̟̘̮̣̓͗͊͋̋̓͘̕̕ͅA̷̢̱̫̯̘̫̾́͑̌́͜͢C̹̟̭̹̮̒̓̂̂̆̏K̷̢̩̯̙͔̘̪̙̝̀̋̽̐̋̔͘͜ c̡͚̻̼̘̩͛͑̔̐̕͜͜͠͞A̵̛̱̟͕̼̲͑͌̍̈́͜Ŗ̛̤̬͍̗͚͈͍̀̊̎́̈̈͋̌͜T̶̡̨̩̖͚̥̖̲̅͒͗̒̔͟ͅI̗̦̻͔̬̮̼̦͍̾́̑́̂̔̏͜Ȩ͎̪̩̌̏̋̌͊͛̾̎̄͘ͅR̢̗͙͖̼̩̟̯͒͗̐́̉͂́ b̛͚̰̝͚̬̂́͑̎̍̿͘͡͠U̶̥͓̤͚̞͇͔͌̈̾̔͊͟T̷̤̪͉̻͕̣̲̝͆́̃̀̚̕͢͠ h̡̨̲͎̠̦̰͓̥͓̆̊̉̇̔͘͝Ê̢͕̟̩̦͛͒̏̓̚͟͜ ḏ̷̡͕̺̫̞͈͔̞̉̒̿͋́I̷̧̨̲̮̭͕͚̋̐͐͋̏̕͟͝͞E̡͉̥̖̬͋̎̒͛́̍͛͛͝ͅḐ̸̨̰͍̜͖̾͋̃̑̊͂͒̅͠ å̘̦̲͉͉̯̰͑̈̀̃̍̎̂͊͢͞Ṉ̷̮̫̹͙͙̦̋̏̏͆̍̓͐̋̚͡D̷̪̤̥͍͙̗̺̽̉͊͛͗͟͜͡ l̸̯̭͉͕̬̄̃̌̊͝O̷̢͍̠̟̤͖̱͇̬͛̇̉͊́̀͠Ṣ̴̨̥̬͍̦̬̌̔͑̅̚͡T̶̼̥̭͇̭͍̫͌̉̏͋̅̓̕̚ h̴̻̖̫̞̖̭̥͐̆̌͆͒̾͗̋̚Į̴̢͓̹̣̂̉͂̍̂̈́̂̏̃͠S̶̺͓̳̩̿̊̀̕͢͠ m̴̟̘̖̖̲̱͎̫͎̣̃̌̀̿̈̃͞E̘̼̺̼͉̎̈̏̃͋͟͞M̴̨̰̦̬̠̉͛̄͌̔̆Ò̷̟̤̥̜̙̓̒̊͂Ŗ͖̝̦̱̩͕̭͔̝͛͛̽̕͠Ỳ͉̣̘̝̤̎̐̎͌,̧̞̬̘̦͚̣̥̘͛͋͆̃͗̃̚͝͝ͅ ẃ̩̯͕̫͎͈̥͎̫̘̃̅̿̀͒H͇̯̘͙͔͇͇̺̘̋́͋̽̿͋I̲̦̻͇̦͂̓̄̿͆̀̑͟͠ͅͅĆ̲͓̺͎͚̮͕̘̽͐̈̑̚͜͞H͕̘̹͖̟͎͈͒́̂̎̀̀ ê̵̲̝̘̭̰̼̇̒̓̚͟͝X̴̧̜͚͓̓̍͌̾͢͢͡P͔͈̫͇͆͆̒͋̈́́͛̀͟͜Ḻ̬̱͍͍͔͚͍̉́̆́̓͠A̶̛̮̭͍̘̝̖̞͓̎͐̌͗͢Ị̳͍̦̞̹̄́̌̆́͑N̷̡̡̯̮̯͓̹̈͋͊̌̽S͖̫̮̻̺̤̾̿͊́̓̐̈͜͠͠ h̢̟̩̤̻̻̹̗͌̍̄̇̑̓͋͊̕͞Ĭ̵̮̭̲̰͂͒̉͐ͅS̷͎̘̭̹̺̩͈͇̘̎̋̉̍̄͋̿̈ c̦̞̥̙̳͖̺̬͈̱̆̅̓̒̎O̴̧̼͉̟̪̳̥͈͇̽̋̅̄̚N̡͔̤̗̳̭̒̃͆̂͒͡N̸̳̖̻̼͇̾̀̾̆̎͢͞Ę̸̱̣̖͖͊̽͒̂̈́̿͋̕C̞͖̞̖͐̔̋̆̉ͅT͎̜̦͓͌̃̃͘͜͜͠͝I̡̛̛͙̥̮̐̄͊͞ͅO̡̟̹͔̥͉̓̂̏̒̅̂̉͛̚͠N̶̨͙͚̹̿̓͗́̐̈́̊͝ͅ t̵̡̧̥̻̰̝̼͉͐͑͒̍͆̕Ò̢̠̦̬̦̦͖̹̞͂̏̉͐̓͗̅͢ m̡̧̤̩̰̩͈͌́̽͑͗͐͜͞A̡̗͔̘͈̗̐̆̈́͂̔̆͂̿͒X̧̰̱͇̜̫͙̤̎̓̃̉̎̊̔͜ͅW̴̨͓͙͇̺̮̘̪̤̆̀̇̔͐̃̀͟E̷̡̜̭̤̭̼͉̖͖̅̐͒͂̓̑͋̌͐̂ͅL̢̡̠̮̙̼̐͛̏̔́̎̔͟͝L̪̪̼̪͓̓̋̾̈͛̎͝
 

[Siorm]

Huh. Maybe that's his terrible secret. After all who has a talking axe and walks around eating wood? Or he's just bad keeping secrets.

Edit: This also can be relationated with his phobia to birds? MAYBE A BIRD KILLED HIM. I'm out.

[The 2C3D]

5 minutes ago, Siorm said:

This also can be relationated with his phobia to birds? MAYBE A BIRD KILLED HIM. I'm out.

It was a Canadian Goose. Those things are fierce.

[Dr. Safety]

35 minutes ago, The 2C3D said:

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w͉̺̬̭̬͎̞̌̃́̉̉̒̂̕̕͢͝Ȯ̬̼͈͓͇͙͎̱̌͗̒͂̔̀͞͡O̸̢̧̪̼̘̪͔̗͊̽͛̀̂̈Ḑ̸̪̭̲͔͖̮̮̈͆͆̅͊͐͝ͅI̷̡̧͖̱͚͒̋̽̓̉̽̌̚E̶̢̖̱̙͇̤͎̪͂͛̿͊̒͒̐̄͝ ḭ̶̞̝̣̲̼̤͐̓̏̔͛̆͡ͅŞ̶̧̼̟͖̳̄̾̀͑̒̑̀͗͜͜ j̸̟̘̮̣̓͗͊͋̋̓͘̕̕ͅA̷̢̱̫̯̘̫̾́͑̌́͜͢C̹̟̭̹̮̒̓̂̂̆̏K̷̢̩̯̙͔̘̪̙̝̀̋̽̐̋̔͘͜ c̡͚̻̼̘̩͛͑̔̐̕͜͜͠͞A̵̛̱̟͕̼̲͑͌̍̈́͜Ŗ̛̤̬͍̗͚͈͍̀̊̎́̈̈͋̌͜T̶̡̨̩̖͚̥̖̲̅͒͗̒̔͟ͅI̗̦̻͔̬̮̼̦͍̾́̑́̂̔̏͜Ȩ͎̪̩̌̏̋̌͊͛̾̎̄͘ͅR̢̗͙͖̼̩̟̯͒͗̐́̉͂́ b̛͚̰̝͚̬̂́͑̎̍̿͘͡͠U̶̥͓̤͚̞͇͔͌̈̾̔͊͟T̷̤̪͉̻͕̣̲̝͆́̃̀̚̕͢͠ h̡̨̲͎̠̦̰͓̥͓̆̊̉̇̔͘͝Ê̢͕̟̩̦͛͒̏̓̚͟͜ ḏ̷̡͕̺̫̞͈͔̞̉̒̿͋́I̷̧̨̲̮̭͕͚̋̐͐͋̏̕͟͝͞E̡͉̥̖̬͋̎̒͛́̍͛͛͝ͅḐ̸̨̰͍̜͖̾͋̃̑̊͂͒̅͠ å̘̦̲͉͉̯̰͑̈̀̃̍̎̂͊͢͞Ṉ̷̮̫̹͙͙̦̋̏̏͆̍̓͐̋̚͡D̷̪̤̥͍͙̗̺̽̉͊͛͗͟͜͡ l̸̯̭͉͕̬̄̃̌̊͝O̷̢͍̠̟̤͖̱͇̬͛̇̉͊́̀͠Ṣ̴̨̥̬͍̦̬̌̔͑̅̚͡T̶̼̥̭͇̭͍̫͌̉̏͋̅̓̕̚ h̴̻̖̫̞̖̭̥͐̆̌͆͒̾͗̋̚Į̴̢͓̹̣̂̉͂̍̂̈́̂̏̃͠S̶̺͓̳̩̿̊̀̕͢͠ m̴̟̘̖̖̲̱͎̫͎̣̃̌̀̿̈̃͞E̘̼̺̼͉̎̈̏̃͋͟͞M̴̨̰̦̬̠̉͛̄͌̔̆Ò̷̟̤̥̜̙̓̒̊͂Ŗ͖̝̦̱̩͕̭͔̝͛͛̽̕͠Ỳ͉̣̘̝̤̎̐̎͌,̧̞̬̘̦͚̣̥̘͛͋͆̃͗̃̚͝͝ͅ ẃ̩̯͕̫͎͈̥͎̫̘̃̅̿̀͒H͇̯̘͙͔͇͇̺̘̋́͋̽̿͋I̲̦̻͇̦͂̓̄̿͆̀̑͟͠ͅͅĆ̲͓̺͎͚̮͕̘̽͐̈̑̚͜͞H͕̘̹͖̟͎͈͒́̂̎̀̀ ê̵̲̝̘̭̰̼̇̒̓̚͟͝X̴̧̜͚͓̓̍͌̾͢͢͡P͔͈̫͇͆͆̒͋̈́́͛̀͟͜Ḻ̬̱͍͍͔͚͍̉́̆́̓͠A̶̛̮̭͍̘̝̖̞͓̎͐̌͗͢Ị̳͍̦̞̹̄́̌̆́͑N̷̡̡̯̮̯͓̹̈͋͊̌̽S͖̫̮̻̺̤̾̿͊́̓̐̈͜͠͠ h̢̟̩̤̻̻̹̗͌̍̄̇̑̓͋͊̕͞Ĭ̵̮̭̲̰͂͒̉͐ͅS̷͎̘̭̹̺̩͈͇̘̎̋̉̍̄͋̿̈ c̦̞̥̙̳͖̺̬͈̱̆̅̓̒̎O̴̧̼͉̟̪̳̥͈͇̽̋̅̄̚N̡͔̤̗̳̭̒̃͆̂͒͡N̸̳̖̻̼͇̾̀̾̆̎͢͞Ę̸̱̣̖͖͊̽͒̂̈́̿͋̕C̞͖̞̖͐̔̋̆̉ͅT͎̜̦͓͌̃̃͘͜͜͠͝I̡̛̛͙̥̮̐̄͊͞ͅO̡̟̹͔̥͉̓̂̏̒̅̂̉͛̚͠N̶̨͙͚̹̿̓͗́̐̈́̊͝ͅ t̵̡̧̥̻̰̝̼͉͐͑͒̍͆̕Ò̢̠̦̬̦̦͖̹̞͂̏̉͐̓͗̅͢ m̡̧̤̩̰̩͈͌́̽͑͗͐͜͞A̡̗͔̘͈̗̐̆̈́͂̔̆͂̿͒X̧̰̱͇̜̫͙̤̎̓̃̉̎̊̔͜ͅW̴̨͓͙͇̺̮̘̪̤̆̀̇̔͐̃̀͟E̷̡̜̭̤̭̼͉̖͖̅̐͒͂̓̑͋̌͐̂ͅL̢̡̠̮̙̼̐͛̏̔́̎̔͟͝L̪̪̼̪͓̓̋̾̈͛̎͝
 

That might explain this:

[axxel]

Locked characters in DS were presented by a coffin. "Dead" characters are ghosts. I'd say charcters not in the constant are in something like purgatory or sleep, sometimes inactive (coffin, character change) or active (as a ghost). I think the people's soul can be bound in a specific world until his/her death. Maybe the people really died in the real world and their souls were sucked in the Codex Umbra. The desciptions of numerous vignettes imply that characters got a new chance. Evidence of death and rebirth:

Maxwell's defeat and the player's death in the adventure mode. Also the numerous references to chess: the character's are like chess pieces who can be defeated and removed from the game until a new game is started. 

My best guess with Woodie is that he had some (head) trauma before. You know the thing of a person can "die" and reborn as a "new" person through amnesia or trauma, or through a new identity with a new appeareance or different behaviour (it's more the case of William Carter-> Maxwell) -  you cannot tell that's the person you knew before. Maybe, just maybe that was Woddie's experience with his first "death".

[Catteflyterpill]

Maybe that's how he ties to the other characters, Maxwell says that Wickerbottom also "knows the price of resurrection" during some examination. Maybe Wickerbottom attempted to revive Woodie and it's possible that the Werebeaver is a side effect of this. Idk, it's all far-fetched speculation.

[Sinister_Fang]

I'm pretty sure dying and revival is canon already. The biggest piece of proof would be the Cyclum comic. Maxwell just kinda shrugs when Wilson asks how he's still alive.

[Tapirus]

I dont think Woodie died, but I bet Lucy The Axe have some spirit inside like Abigail's Flower.

[Zeklo]

I'd believe a near death experience.

[Ressayez]

I think he got a concussion while playing hockey.

[Bluegeist]

I think he got abducted by aliens and implanted with something in his brain that turns him into the werebeaver on a full moon.

Yup, that's the hill I want to die on

[Dr. Safety]

Jack Carter (a common laborer) was more than excited to hear that his brother William was coming to America, which was bordering his native country. However, very soon after, he became emotionally distraught due to his brother "dying" in a train wreck. Just when he was starting to come to terms with it, one of his twin daughters was killed in an earthquake. Being the laborer that he is, in order to hammer out some aggression, he took his prized axe that his lovely wife Lucy gave to him and went to go chop down some trees in the nearby forest. While chopping he was approached by a crow. He didn't think much of it until it landed by a rose and began to whisper to him. The crow told him terrible, beautiful things. Tales of his brother and how to be reunited with his dead daughter, Abigail. Jack was hesitant in trusting the crow, but with his mental state, he didn't know where else to turn. The crow granted him the evil knowledge of a mysterious world where trees are plentiful and he can be reunited with those who have passed on. 

Finally after finding the way to this world, Jack ultimately decided against it and just began chopping a nearby tree. Furious, the crow flew into the ground, turning into a puddle of shadows. A large hand emerged from the puddle and grabbed Jack. He swung his prized axe at the large hand vigorously, but it was no use. In a panic, he grabbed the only thing that he could, a log that he chopped. Clenching onto the log that he grabbed was a small beaver, absolutely terrified. As Jack, his prized axe, the log, and the beaver were dragged into this hellish nightmare realm, the last thing Jack saw of the world he knew was the full moon, shining through the trees.

Woodie is Born

The man that we all know is a result of all those items mixing together. Although his memory was wiped when it combined with the beaver's mind, a deep distrust for birds still remains in his mind, and sometimes he can still hear his wife, Lucy, calling to him from the one thing he has to remember her by...