A municipal employee in Allentown who looks a bit too much like Drew Gulak discussing zoning issues with a goateed Mike Quackenbush. Without context, the above 1+ minute video is the most boring piece of footage imaginable. However, nothing exists without context. Mike Quackenbush has not been seen since taking an envelope from that shady dude from the No Private Army blog at WrestleCon. He's talking about the Wrestle Factory, which already exists, which means this "prelude" takes place in the past. Is the past being rewritten or just recounted? Every hint to time travel that has been dropped to this point muddles the intent. Ashes could end up being a fitting eulogy to Chikara in the form of a retelling of its history. It could be recounting of history for those who haven't been with the company since day one and may have missed some things.
Or, much like the Titor Conglomerate shares a name with a noted time traveler, the web series could be setting the stage for changing the past in an attempt to fix what happened at the Trocadero on June 2, 2013. Strange things have happened in the Chikaraverse, but I don't think Ophidian reconciling with Amasis is happenstance here. Of all the fractured relationships that have littered the timeline, the gods instructing the Serpent Warrior to resume his mission with the Funky Pharaoh is the first one to be made right. The Osirian Portal may represent the first part of the Phoenix coming home to roost. Will the Ashes series clue us into the next piece? I have no idea, but then again, maybe the idea is making sure that the audience doesn't know the entire story until they need to...
Or, much like the Titor Conglomerate shares a name with a noted time traveler, the web series could be setting the stage for changing the past in an attempt to fix what happened at the Trocadero on June 2, 2013. Strange things have happened in the Chikaraverse, but I don't think Ophidian reconciling with Amasis is happenstance here. Of all the fractured relationships that have littered the timeline, the gods instructing the Serpent Warrior to resume his mission with the Funky Pharaoh is the first one to be made right. The Osirian Portal may represent the first part of the Phoenix coming home to roost. Will the Ashes series clue us into the next piece? I have no idea, but then again, maybe the idea is making sure that the audience doesn't know the entire story until they need to...