The PS, Who could it be?

[Sage Of The Wise]

Maby if Serena was found by the Guided of the Blood Lyn or somthing like that and was trained to be the PS her whole life after that it might make sence, exept were it doesn't

[Amgard]

Or she originally WAS a tool of the Guided/Lyn. I mean, if two people were willing to murder kids and FOLLOW two just to finish them off...

People usually don't kill without a reason.

The boy and Serena were vital in a way above the others, for one (Lyrra was still alive during the massacre but could've been spared because the boy and Serena ran off).

Serena may be some sort of agent, or even some sort of spirit with a certain purpose, whether good or bad. Either way, someone wanted to totally ruin it.

Here's a crazy example:

Gaius is a Blood Lyn. He's given a mission to eliminate the Guided at all costs by his Lords the Blana Sera. He learns about a Guided plot using a spirit disguised as a girl. He informs one of his friends, let's...call him Midian for now. This is what our Rhue's body is in. Both are sent to Landorin where they encounter the spirit girl. She has a following of little children, and in the interest of "purification", Gaius and Midian kill them all. The spirit girl runs off with someone she mentally controlled, and Midian and Gaius persue. Midian reaches them and the boy pulls a (toy) sword. Gaius jumps the girl and knocks her into the river. Midian kills the boy. The boy's final moments of agony allow his aura to completely overtake and supress Midian's aura, so the boy mixes with Midian's body to become Rhue. Rhue, disoriented, makes up a story about Serena and how she acts. Gaius runs off to gather more info on Serena, joins the ranks of the Guided, and begins to tear them apart.

Meanwhile, Serena is retrieved by the Guided (Didn't Sacrifa say the PS was a tool of the Guided?) and retrain her to become a deadly assassin. With a shadow sword of her own, she begins to steal auras. She finds she can mask as Rhue's aura as well, fooling Gaius. Gaius is on the heels of the PS quite often, either making him the PS, or he wants to find the PS.

Totally random and crappy theory, no proof. Shun me, folks. V_V

[Sage Of The Wise]

Thats actually not that bad, the only thing is how to the two people who gave Rhue his sword figure into it?

[Amgard]

A wizard did it.

No, I'd say as Midian became Rhue and left, Gaius gave him a sword to keep him safe while he regressed into his child mentality. Gaius and Kalmar, maybe?

[The Fly]

why does everyone say Rhue is Midian? did i miss something? i have met him and realise that Rhue doesn't like mirrors but why Midian?

[Amgard]

I dunno. For all we know, Rhue could be Eyashu and Tetzel caused the Landorin massacre to "wipe him out"

Or Rhue could be Jeruh and Jed/Lyrra are forgetful.

[Telephalsion]

why does everyone say Rhue is Midian? did i miss something? i have met him and realise that Rhue doesn't like mirrors but why Midian?

This means that the person Rhue and Gaius killed was Rhue.

[Strayed Wanderer]

I never saw the dippy one... we need some sort of Dippy comic. Rangi! I command thee to draw!

[Fredric]

Well, interesting as all these thoughts upon the true identity of the PS are, I still have managed to make up one of my own. Oh, also, if a theory similar to this has been said before, my apologies. I haven't really read through -all- of the PS topics on the board...

So at the end of episode 5, half the original cast having been pretty much killed off, Gaius lets out the big cliff-hanger for this chapter. He simply states that Rhue (Yes, that's right, our very own blue-boy himself) is the phantom slasher.

While it is alltogether a possibility, I believe Gaius is downright INCORRECT!
Why?
Let me shed some light...

Roll back the hand of time to when you played Episode 2. If you can recall, Gaius had some short, but what I believe to be -very- crucial dialouge.
Now, I can't remember the quote exactly, but he said something to the effect of "Rhue doesn't seem to recognize me." And then goes on to say how he wonders if he remembers about the -person they killed-. And if he doesn't... Then this is great.
Now, on an entirely different theory, I believe the person Gaius is talking about here happens to be Traziun's mother. But I could be wrong.
Anyway. So, Rhue -doesn't- seem to remember being part of any murder, now does he? Nope. But I ask you to remember yet another incident...
In the Marna stretch, as you attempt to cross a bridge, a headhunter greets you. And as he departs... He calls you Midian.
MIDIAN!

Bingo, here's a cigar, you win the prize. Sorry for the long drawn out lead-up, but here's the heart of my theory.
MIDIAN is the one who helped Gaius murder someone.
MIDIAN is the one who's been killing people.
MIDIAN is the reason why Gaius thinks you're the phantom slasher.
Apparently there's this Midian guy, out there somewhere, who looks exactly like Rhue. Or close enough to him so that people constantly mistake his identity.

Some may argue, "But in episode 5, we SEE Midian! He looks nothing like Rhue!"
In Rhue's dream. The Midian in Rhue's dream may very well be a fictionally representation that Rhue's mind has made up!
Now, I'm not saying my theory is perfect. I'm sure there are hundreds of flaws and weak-points that I have noticed or hammered out.
For instance, perhaps Rhue just has amnesia. Perhaps he really did help Gaius kill someone, got knocked on the head, changed his name, and forgot all about it.
But it seems unlikely.

Now, for a few speculations...
I think there might be some kind of tie between Rhue and Midian. Be it blood, soul, or something else.
Twin brothers? Perhaps, but that's rather cliched and could be considered an insult to Lun's storytelling skills.
Evil Clone? Doubtful. Very doubtful.
Vile shadowed image created by the the Dark Blade Rhue carries with him? Could be.
Just a dude that looks a hella lot like Rhue? Eh. Unlikely.

Feel free to add your own speculations and point out stuff I missed! I'd be pleased to explain it best I can, or be utterly crushed when someone expertly pins down a reason why this would never work and reveals to all that I am indeed a complete moron.

[Amgard]

Gaius can't mistake that. He can sense auras and tell who's done what.

He could tell Kloe killed Ballar.

He could tell Rhue killed Lyrra

Either Rhue's aura is muddled with the PS, or the PS seperates from him at certain times or something, he wouldn't be the PS.

I think the PS might actually be the boy Rhue killed. Think about it. He could've survived, but his aura went to Rhue (which overpowered him and became his primary aura). This guy, without any real mind, is a lot like an animal. He hunts with a sword, but because of the trauma of being "killed", he doesn't hurt kids at all.

And his aura (in Rhue) is attracting him, so he's always following and helping Rhue.

[blaksun]

The Phanthom Slasher is a government experiment.

[DSOK]

Amgard wrote:

Gaius can't mistake that. He can sense auras and tell who's done what.

He could tell Kloe killed Ballar.

He could tell Rhue killed Lyrra

From what Gaius says, it doesn't sound like he could actually sense that Rhue had killed Lyrra. More likely, he somehow knew of Lyrra's death and reasoned that Rhue was responsible. This jibes with the fact that he had to touch Kloe to know that she murdered Ballar.

[Roir]

The way I saw it, he didn't have to touch Kloe to sense her sins. He could have done it before. In fact, he was desperately trying NOT to experience the sins of his childhood friend/significant other. Hence the "Don't come any closer!" cries, and the backing off. When she touched him, that's when he couldn't avoid experiencing them anymore.

What other evidence backs this up? Well, him saying Rhue's aura is muddled without ever having touched him, for one. That noise he is drawn off towards, saying 'Duty calls', just after arriving in Lide, is another.

I don't think it's really a proximity issue, at least not the way you've been presenting it.

[Amgard]

The way I saw it, he didn't have to touch Kloe to sense her sins. He could have done it before. In fact, he was desperately trying NOT to experience the sins of his childhood friend/significant other. Hence the "Don't come any closer!" cries, and the backing off. When she touched him, that's when he couldn't avoid experiencing them anymore.

That's pretty interesting, it can also explain why Gaius refused to stay in Lide (he sensed Kloe there), but there had to be something going on before

[DSOK]

Roir wrote:

The way I saw it, he didn't have to touch Kloe to sense her sins. He could have done it before. In fact, he was desperately trying NOT to experience the sins of his childhood friend/significant other. Hence the "Don't come any closer!" cries, and the backing off. When she touched him, that's when he couldn't avoid experiencing them anymore.

That is an angle I hadn't considered. But he could just not want Kloe to touch him, for the same reason, and that's why he told her to stay away.

Roir wrote:

What other evidence backs this up? Well, him saying Rhue's aura is muddled without ever having touched him, for one. That noise he is drawn off towards, saying 'Duty calls', just after arriving in Lide, is another.

This scene seems to me a point against what your suggesting. Clearly, Gaius can sense something about Rhue, but if he could read Rhue's memories without touching him, then why would he be wondering whether Rhue actually remembers him or not?