Parson the Hippiemancer

[RebelWulf]

Ok... so, i have two theories on this one. Bear with me a little here while i shoot wildly at the darkness.

Theory One: Parson is not actually a caster
The grand abbie just said this to stop the casters from blowing him into tiny little chunks.

Theory Two: Parson is a Signomancer
... This one is the aforementioned shot in the dark.

So, i picked up on the names thing pretty quickly when i started reading Erfworld (I was one of the privaledged people who found it when it was still less then 4 pages long) and one of the first things i thought to myself was 'Jillian Zamussles? ... Jillions 'a Muscles? Heh, thats totally a warriors name.'. Now, would parson be able to make the same distinction since he's presumably like most gamers are and pick up on this kind of thing? Wanda Firebaugh. Wand of Fireball. You'd -expect- someone like that to have the same kind of personality as an anthropomorphic wand of fireballs.
Thing is... Would one of the natives make that distinction? or would they just go 'Don't be stupid, Lord Hamster. Its just a name'.'
You look at something like 'The Tower of Efdup'... So, Tower of F'd up? You know somethings bad goes on there... Thats a Sign. Maybe being able to see these 'Signs' makes Parson into a Natural Signomancer, which lets him sit there and think things out like a gamer would from a more neutral position then a native would.

So yeah, theres my two theories. Here's hoping we find out soon!

[Frogpop]

Either is valid of course. But the way you have option 2 layed out is compelling..

That would put Parson on the Fate axis, leaving him open (maybe) to attune to the 4th (or an as of yet unknown) arkentool if we're right about them falling on the fate axis. And, with or without a tool, he's certainly changing Erf's fate. Also, as a Hippiemancer on any axis, Parson would be deriving power from the elements of Life and Matter. Certainly, I think we can all agree that Motion (Whee. Stairs) is not Parson's (or Hamstard's) strong suit.

[Muzzafar]

You look at something like 'The Tower of Efdup'... So, Tower of F'd up?

And here I was wondering what on Earth "Efdup" means.
I guess you "gotta speak Language" to appreciate all the jokes.

[Darkside007]

I'd say it's most likely that Parson is some kind of caster; remember the comment "I don't why I didn't disband." Most likely, the portal kills noncasters that pass through. Additionally, Maggie says "This is not a place for warlords." not "This is only a place for casters."

If that's true, I don't think the Grand Abby would have no reason to lie about the nature of his caster type. If, however, he is *not* a caster, but only made it through because he is a weird unit (no points) then the Grand Abby has every reason to lie; she believes that Parson will upset the "neverending war" mechanic of Erfworld.

[RebelWulf]

You look at something like 'The Tower of Efdup'... So, Tower of F'd up?

And here I was wondering what on Earth "Efdup" means.
I guess you "gotta speak Language" to appreciate all the jokes.

My Proposed idea of the mechanic of Signomancy brings all the boys to the yard

... though, generally, I've had to put up with puns and wordplays like that for years due to one or two mates of mine.

[The Dark Fiddler]

You look at something like 'The Tower of Efdup'... So, Tower of F'd up?

And here I was wondering what on Earth "Efdup" means.
I guess you "gotta speak Language" to appreciate all the jokes.

My Proposed idea of the mechanic of Signomancy brings all the boys to the yard

... though, generally, I've had to put up with puns and wordplays like that for years due to one or two mates of mine.

And they're like, you wanna plant some epileptic trees?

Granted, yours is alot more reasonable than a simple epileptic tree.

[Goz]

I'll vote for Signamancy! I like that idea! Not that the Titans truly give a damn what we think, but why not? Or, on Erf, maybe Signamancy is considered something akin to Chiropracty is by the Medical Profession here...Lol

That'd be humerous. Like walking up to an astrophysicist and talking to him as a peer. And being an Astrologist .

[dirocyn]

Parson as a signomancer is oddly compelling, but there are three parts to hippiemancy: signomancy, flower power, and date-a-mancy. We've heard that time perception crumbles around flower power, but we don't know anything about date-a-mancy yet. This is a thing you use to get a date? Or more with time perception? Or dates like you eat?

When I think of hippies, I think of the weird plans and energy-saving devices from Mother Earth News circa 1970. Like a spinning wheel made from a bike, or a steam-powered car that runs on firewood. Which actually fits Parson pretty well--he's always coming up with a new, weird way of using what he finds in the world. Like losing battles to destroy siege, or linking a dirtmancer with a croakmancer to uncroak a volcano. Now if he'd just smoke a little weed, bathe in patchouli, start singing folk music, and grow his hair long to protest the war...yeah, Stanley would want to kill him.

[Erik]

Ok... so, i have two theories on this one. Bear with me a little here while i shoot wildly at the darkness.

Theory One: Parson is not actually a caster
The grand abbie just said this to stop the casters from blowing him into tiny little chunks.

I suppose I'll be the boring one and vote for theory numero uno then.

[MarbitChow]

My theory: Parson isn't actually a caster at all, but ANYONE can pass through the Magic Portal.
Assuming casters are physically weak, and can run out of juice, given enough expendable infantry to flood the island, you could capture dozens and dozens of high valuable targets.

To prevent this, the magic users just kill anyone they don't recognize as a caster, to keep their island safe from invasion.
The hippymancers have spread the rumor that the portals automatically disband non-casters, because they don't like killing, so now almost no one ever shows up uninvited.

Newer casters even believe the rumors about the portals, since they were popped long after the rumor has been taken as a given.
The hippymancers may even be the only ones who remember the truth, and now have to claim Parson as one of their own to prevent the secret from getting out.
Any other magic besides Hippymancer may cause one of the other casters to think "But I don't detect any naughtymancy (or whatever)."

[gameboy1234]

We've heard that time perception crumbles around flower power, but we don't know anything about date-a-mancy yet. This is a thing you use to get a date? Or more with time perception? Or dates like you eat?

My personal theory is that it's a pun on "data" -- data-mancy. It helps you know things. Like when Parson was trying to read all those books in the basement of Gobwinknob. No one else seemed interested in those books but Parson. Having a lot of information could help a warlord, and would be useful if anyone in Efrworld wanted to play Trivial Pursuits too.

I like your idea about time manipulation though. Time travel? Affect the past, like changing terrain features?

[Ancient History]

Parson's mathamancy bracer gives him a lot of mathamancer abilities - it might have enabled him to "counts as" a mathamancer.

[Binty]

Romantic love exists in Erfworld and so it seem very likely that Date-a-mancy revolves around romantic relationships.

Imo it is likely Signamancy would be powers around contracts i.e. Diplomancy, Negotiation. Parson has already engaged in many negotiations with some success. If he is a hippymancy that is where my money is.

[Darkside007]

If Janis knows he's a hippiemancer, can she see his points?

[Agarwaen]

I see Signamancy as dealing with Astrological signs and horoscopes.
We know Predictamancy deals with very far off events. Which city to veil, attuning to an Arkentool.
Signamancy might just give you a daily horoscope like "avoid people in red" or "bring sunscreen".
I could also deal with personalities and manipulating them. Basically, changing someone from an Aries to a Gemini with whatever that entails.
I just see those abilities more in-tune with being a Hippiemancer then others.

[Kreistor]

Signamancy it is, then.

Janis calls Parson a Hippiemancer. Wanda says Parson is tied to Fate. Fate Hippiemancy is Signamancy.

[Darkside007]

Signamancy it is, then.

Janis calls Parson a Hippiemancer. Wanda says Parson is tied to Fate. Fate Hippiemancy is Signamancy.

Or she could just mean it in the same way it's meant IRL. Or tied to Fate by his nature, not his class. Or Janis was lying.

[dragonus45]

He is manipulating the very fate of erfworld by breaking the game, and supposedly ending all war. Perhaps signamancy has to do with omens and such. That would be in line with fate and such. Although i think i lived by virtue of not being an actual unit of any kind. Perhaps the longer he stays the more unite like he'll appear.

[trevron]

Maybe he wants to end all war in Erfworld, and maybe some even think he will, but I think people would be getting ahead of themselves to assume it will come to pass. While met with successes Parson seems to get booped over in things a bit- I think any attempts of his to bring peace will probably result in strife.
Also, maybe he's a hippiemancer in the sense that in many fantasy games (that aspire to be like Erfworld) there are non-caster units that use magic, especially powerful, leader type units. Although that's just idle musing, I think the board here already has some very interesting ideas on this subject.

[Lawence of Awabia]

Perhaps signamancy has to do with omens and such. That would be in line with fate and such.

It's a good guess, but then how is Signamancy different than Predictamancy? I'm guessing that it's more of an Applied magic type; like we figure Dollmancy involves making Cloth Golems, I bet Signamancy involves MAKING signs in some way, rather than reading them. I could be wrong. Probably am.