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The world ofClair Obscur: Expedition 33is a vastly intriguing one. First, you’re treated to odd-looking shots of Paris, with the remarkable and iconic features bent and damaged. Second, a sort of scientific magic is revealed and it’s made clear that Paris is no longer called Paris, but Lumiere.
This is not where the questions end. The prologue ends with the most shocking, disturbing revelation of all - theGommage, with a huge number of people collected together to turn to dust as a result of turning the age that the imposing Paintress daubs onto the ominous monolith to the north.
What Is The Gommage?
A cursory Google will teach you that Gommage is a French term for a method of exfoliation with the root word ‘gomer’, which means ‘to erase’. This is not what ‘Gommage’ means in Clair Obscur, but it’s a handy reference point to be aware of.
When a person Gommages, theyturn to dust and petals, as witnessed in the prologue. This happens during a certain point in the year - when the Paintress stands up andpaints a new number on the monolithto the north of the Continent. Every time this happens, the number on the monolith decreases by one.
When youreach the age depicted on the monolith, it is your turn to Gommage, and you turn to dust and petals, dying.
This method of death is only applicable to those who Gommageeither from the Paintress’s actions or by coming into contact with the nefarious barrier that surrounds the Paintress. Dying in any standard way will simply leave behind a corpse.
At the beginning of the game, the number ‘34’ is on the monolith, which means that the last time the Paintress rose from her resting place and changed the number, everyone who was over the age of 33 Gommaged. Next year, it’ll happen to those who are 32.
This is why there are Expeditions: the goal is toreach the Paintress at the north of the Continent and stop the Gommageonce and for all.
Why Does The Gommage Happen?
While the Gommage and the annual occurrence are a strong-enough reason for the Expeditions to happen on their own, there is little evidence to suggestwhythey happen at all.
The reasons behind the Gommage are explained at the end of the game. There will be massive spoilers ahead, concealed by the expandable below. Please only delve into this story if you’re prepared for the spoilers or you’ve already completed the game!
Massive Spoilers!
The Paintress at the monument to the north of the world of Clair Obscur is actuallyAline, themother of Verso and Maelle(real name Alicia). Using the technique to enter the Canvas, she became a significant figure in the world, creating change and also simply inhabiting the world that was originally created by her son, who died in a fire.
Thanks to her grief, her goal is to live out her days within the Canvas, whether this is to stay close to her son, respect his memory, or escape the grief present in her life outside the Canvas.
It is actually her husbandRenoir, and the real-world version of him rather than the painted version created by Aline, whocauses the Gommage. He has more Chroma than Aline, which means he’s able to use his powers to erase the oldest of Aline’s creations - this action is the Gommage.
Since Renoir is destroying the oldest creations (read: individuals) and working his way forwards, the number painted onto the monolith is actually a form of warning for the inhabitants at Lumiere, a signal telling those who can see it how much time they have left before Renoir is able to cause the Gommage for them.
Renoir does this in an effort to save his wife from the Canvas, which is stated to be an addictive place to be and implied to be a very unhealthy escape from reality.In destroying her creations (the people of Lumiere), he hopes to force her out of the Canvas- this is why he aids the party in the guise of The Curator.
