Book 2 – Text Updates 029

[balder]

New One is up.

[Ambug666]

Very well written. Poetic even. Too bad Ossimer doesn't seem to have poetry in his soul....

...if the Decrypted even have souls.

[ftl]

I took a little break from the forums but this update drew me back. Very poetic!

I like the description of Parson with an idea. Very terrifying - as it should be. And definitely very poetic, as is appropriate for Sylvia. She likes her poetry.

Ossomer is quite new to the side, and hasn't picked up the reverence towards Parson that Wanda has (and all the decrypted who are around Wanda). He'll learn. Or he'll dust trying.

[justamessenger]

Sweet!

I find it interesting that Sylvia was picking up on something just prior to the volcano being uncroaked. The question is: did she actually sense Hamster or did she sense the linked casters working on the volcano? Either way, her description of the feeling is interesting, as is her description of the Arkenpliers. I believe this is the first time we have heard a first person experience regarding them.

And, finally, the complete and total confidence Sylvia, Wanda and Jack have in Hamster is amazing. Wanda was there, Jack has some glimmering of the way Hamster's mind works, or maybe he understands that he does *not* understand... Sylvia, though, is her belief and trust derived from Wanda or is it independent?

[ftl]

Sylvia was also there at TBfGK, and watched her own side go from outnumbering Stanley 25 to 1 to having Stanley escape, Ansom (wielder of the Arkenpliers, no less) croak, and her entire army and the armies of all their allies wiped out. While I have no doubt that Wanda also contributed to the faith after decrypting her, she has plenty of reason to come to that faith on her own as well, once she learned that the turning point in the battle was the summoning of Parson.

Also... Ossomer stood with "three of his brothers"? Is that a typo, or did we just learn there used to be more Jetstone princes? I suppose I wouldn't be surprised if there were more, Jetstone seems like the sort of side to have more, but we hadn't heard of any others before, had we?

[justamessenger]

Also... Ossomer stood with "three of his brothers"? Is that a typo, or did we just learn there used to be more Jetstone princes? I suppose I wouldn't be surprised if there were more, Jetstone seems like the sort of side to have more, but we hadn't heard of any others before, had we?

Darn, forgot to mention that... Perhaps there is another brother that was killed? Or not mentioned? If there *is* another brother, why did he not inherit the title of Chief Warlord, given Slately's distaste at appointing Tramennis to that position?

[Lord Kasavin]

I like to think I'd know Parson's response to this description of him, "Wanda, GTFO!"

He is smart, good and min-maxing, and creative. However, he is also very, very human. Yet, those around him seem to building him up to be a Messianic figure. While Christ figures are quite common in the arts, the idea of a reluctant savior in denial is less common (Life of Brian is an obvious exception).

Also, I find it interesting that Ansom and Lady Lazarus have such different opinions of Parson. Ansom has grown to think of Parson as "a Pretender in the service of the Titans," a rival for Wanda's approval, an interloper, and a blasphemer.

On a final note, it appears Jetstone is not aware of Parson, or Ossomer would surely have recognized the name of the Warlord who defeated his brother's grand coalition.

Edit: Also, the talk of ideas made me think of the movie Inception. I wonder if it influenced this text update any.

[Chris Goodwin]

I just went back and checked, but Sylvia croaked with the 'pliers in hand. I wonder if that means anything. Very cool and yes, slightly creepy, her description thereof.

[gameboy1234]

OK, scared of Sylvia now.

Rob writes chicks who are really intense.

[build6]

OK, scared of Sylvia now.

hrm! I actually came into the thread specifically to post that "Sylvia freaks me out" ...

anyways I doubt Hamster/Parson knows the kind of effect he's really having on the world.

And Ossomer - heh, makes it nicely clear that he IS a "lunkhead" with not much introspection

also - when did Sylvia hold the arkenpliers?

[Ninjaguineapig]

Sylvia had the pliers in between Ansom's croaking by Bogroll and the eruption.

If she really felt Parson thinking, what could that mean? Is he unknowingly telepathic or something? Or is there something more Fate-y involved?

[yuffiek]

when did Sylvia hold the arkenpliers?

Sylvia recovered them after Ansom and Bogroll were croaked. She's also holding them as the volcano erupts (which is interesting, it means Wanda probably found Sylvia all Pompeii'ed when she got the Arkenpliers)

No wonder Sylvia's turned from hot-blooded Unaroyal Warlord into a dissociative nihilist pyromanic Decrypted....

[Chevalier]

This was brilliant, and worth the wait. No need for that stage fright!

[MarbitChow]

Thank you, Rob and Xin! Keep up the great work!

[Dr Pepper]

Sylvia Scarlet's fellow commander is Ossomer-- but she is the ossomest!

[cdrcjsn]

Also... Ossomer stood with "three of his brothers"? Is that a typo, or did we just learn there used to be more Jetstone princes? I suppose I wouldn't be surprised if there were more, Jetstone seems like the sort of side to have more, but we hadn't heard of any others before, had we?

Darn, forgot to mention that... Perhaps there is another brother that was killed? Or not mentioned? If there *is* another brother, why did he not inherit the title of Chief Warlord, given Slately's distaste at appointing Tramennis to that position?

Might be something as simple as Trammenis is right there and the brother was out of reach at the old capital? Might've wanted to stack as many multipliers as possible in the upcoming fight.

[shadowdemon_lord]

This was a great update. A look into Sylvias mind and her trust in Parson and respect of Parson. It seems she is a deeply introspective character, with little arrogance. Her displayed trust in Parson is based on what he did at TbfGK, where through guile, unorthodox tactics, and pure brilliance he managed to take a situation outnumbered 25 to 1 and almost stop it in its tracks before the main assault started. To appreciate brilliance like that when it ends in your own misforturne, humiliation, and ultimate defeat requires one to be very humbled by said events, as opposed to outraged.

[justamessenger]

Also... Ossomer stood with "three of his brothers"? Is that a typo, or did we just learn there used to be more Jetstone princes? I suppose I wouldn't be surprised if there were more, Jetstone seems like the sort of side to have more, but we hadn't heard of any others before, had we?

Darn, forgot to mention that... Perhaps there is another brother that was killed? Or not mentioned? If there *is* another brother, why did he not inherit the title of Chief Warlord, given Slately's distaste at appointing Tramennis to that position?

Might be something as simple as Trammenis is right there and the brother was out of reach at the old capital? Might've wanted to stack as many multipliers as possible in the upcoming fight.

I went back a few strips, http://www.erfworld.com/page/8/ , Slately very clearly refers to Tramennis as his 'remaining son.' So... My vote is that Tramennis isthe sole surviving son, given the 'we haven't the schmuckers to designate him' comment made by Slately in the same strip

[Sieggy]

Whoaaa . . . that was . . . impressive. Excellent writing. Didn't advance the plot very much, but it certainly gave some depth to Sylvia's personality. And I wonder if there's a connection between the reaction one has to the arkentool and the depth of one's soul. Oh, wait. Stanley. Well, THAT theory is shot to hell . . .

[Dancingrage]

I'm very impressed with this post, and am not as worried about the timing of how long it takes for you to get the pages out, given such excellent work on each page, get them done as you can and we'll bask in their glory when they get here.

The description of Parson as being another Power with a Capital P is a very interesting one, and this post both illustrates the earlier description from Jack about Ossomer (someone went into the larder and promoted a side of beef) as well as putting an even keener insight into Lady Sylvia and how she views Parson. Indeed, if you got croaked by someone who you set out to curbstomp at the above mentioned odds and wind up getting smeared all over the side of a now-active volcano, you'd gain realms of respect (assuming you came back) for that commander that would fall short of any attempt bar a poet's to describe.

That said, it occurs to me that this battle is nowhere near as lop-sided as TBfGK was, I wonder if despite the archery this is something Parson is planning on winning?

RE: the sons of Slately; It's not uncommon for sons to pop and then get killed, Don Vito is an excellent reminder of how popped royalty can get themselves croaked in a hurry. Ansom fell at TBfGK, and Ossomer just earlier that turn, so with the tides of war fluctuating about, it's likely there could have been another son lost to the sands of war and time all those turns ago.