Board Thread:Speculation House/@comment-9058532-20130807182204/@comment-2.202.106.12-20130815204028

I believe the reasoning for Yang being the adopted sister is sound.

Whether she was adopted before or after Ruby's birth remains open. But I do believe that Ruby grew up with Yang as older sister, so it probably was when she was at least very young.

Since she talks about parents teaching them, that implies she has conscious memory of her mother. Since also in her conversations with Yang she only talks about Dad, he's either dominant in their education, or the mother died - if so, probably not so long ago.

And we have a scythe wielding uncle - now that could be from mother's or father's side...

The White Cloak I speculate to be the manifestation of a soul - a soul reborn? May be... It hovers above Summer Rose's memorial stone, hence we believe it's female - but that ain't necessarily so... (I work here under the premises that a soul is genderless, and could be reborn in either - unproven, of course)  {Also, who says Summer Rose is a female name, or whether it is an actual name at all and not an allegory? (I'm questioning it more as a matter of principle though.  In view of our female protagonists, and the way such stories tick, it probably is female)}  If however it is a soul reborn, it may have been reborn more than once (?). The grey eyes seem to be of significance - but of which, we don't know (yet). But I believe it may relay back to further than 'mother'.

White cloak - silver eyes (not grey!?), white is the colour of ice, but also that of innocence. A smaller and more honest soul? More honest than or in relation to what? Ruby being the youngest, the innocence of youth? Untainted by the grim experiences of life (pun intended), and the ruthlessness and deviousness in the pursuit of goals that come with long term struggles?

With that family 'info', I believe that the mother's side are the scythe wielders/warriors - and the father may be the weapon smith, giving that passion, and knowledge, to his daughter(s). {If the students at Signal build their weapons, then Yang would have built Ember Celica - and she may have learned how not only at school? But that's for another topic...}

So, in essence, I believe it probable that the Cliffside Altar is a memorial for Ruby's mother, that her mother was a proficient warrior also, anf that the silver eyes are a family trait that goes back even further.