Book 2 – Page 39

[Allian]

maybe he guessed based on parson's low leadership bonus?

[Lamech]

First I really like the contrast between how Charlie treats the two.

People seem to be assuming that Charlie has learned the details of Parson's plan by eavesdropping on a thinkagram. I'd say that's the likeliest scenario, but I can think of at least two others that could have given rise to the exchange between Charlie and Jillian.

1) It's a con. Charlie has no idea what Parson is planning (though he probably assumes Parson will try something). He's trying to run a bluff on Jillian to get her to turn back. Maybe he wants her back there as a backup, or thinks it will help him reestablish a measure of control over her, or hopes to use her presence as a bargaining chit in his talks with Jetstone.

2) He deduced from observing Wanda's force that Parson is back in charge, and that made him nervous. The last time he thought Parson was in a no-win situation, Charlie lost his entire force in the zone, and Parson came out smelling like a rose (by Charlie's standards). He got paranoid enough to contact Parson and spend another calculation. With his knowledge of his own plans, Parson calculated a high enough probability that he would raze the city to send Charlie into conniptions. Now he's trying to salvage whatever he can from the debacle he expects, even though he doesn't actually know any details of the plan.

Here's three: He contacted a caster, predictamancer, or mathamancer or somethingmancer, and they told him what was likely to happen.
Four: He's smart, he figures that the units can just jump off the dwagons or that Parson can send rations or whatever; he may not know all the details, but he assumes that if Parson can make an attack he can make it work. Look at the battle for GK, Parson's tactical genius allowed him to make an "unwinable" situation odds in his favor, and now Parson has vastly more experience.

[CelebrenIthil]

Also, am I the only one who smiled brightly when Charlie appeared before Tremmenis as the Rainbow?

The delicious, sugary and lightly stale innuendo! <3
This is fab.
I wonder if the idea for that particular panel came to Balder in the script or if it happened under Xin's illustration.

[yuffiek]

Hmm. Remember that there was a group of veiled Archons who were used to blackmail Prince Sammy into charging into the fray. What if there's a HUGE veiled force of Archons over Spacerock, that's been flying overwatch like Damocles for all the other parties involved to beat the boop out of each other, then swoop down and croak EVERYONE at the end of turn.

No survivors would leave the other Sides unsure as to what might have happened, they would assume that GK did the damage but a such a high cost that all their forces were lost.

[Rajin96]

I actually liked seeing Jillian getting knocked down a few pegs. I thought it was overdue.

As for Charlie and Trem, I think Charlie heard all of Parson's thinkagram and is going to relay that info to Trem. Trem will believe it but Slately won't and he will order the attack agaisnt Trem's objections.

Spacerock will be raised, Slately will die, Trem will become a barbarian and high tail it to Faq to meet up with Jillian.

[Evil Jedi]

Absolutely perfect cliff hanger. It's already got me wanting to read the next one. Why do you have to do that so well?!! What's going to happen next? Does Charlie know the plan? Is Trem going to be able to save his city? When will we learn these answers?

Stay tuned for our next adventure!

[Glenn]

I suspect that Charlie was trying to get Jillian to go back to Spacerock, and I also think there's a good chance he'll succeed. Before she talked to Charlie, Jillian was sure that Wanda's army would be defeated during Jetstone's turn, and therefore that Stanley in Gobwin Knob would probably be too weak to destroy Faq again. But if Gobwin Knob's army somehow manages to pull a victory out of what Jillian had thought was an impossible situation, then she needs to know about it, because she knows there is a good chance that Stanley will send Wanda's army to attack Faq, once Jetstone has been eliminated. Perhaps Jillian can get back in time to help save Tremannis and some of his warlords, at least.

[The Old Hack]

Xin's art is truly growing on me. I'll always love Jamie's work, but Xin is surely his worthy and more than worthy successor. I absolutely loved Jillian's face in the next to last panel.

[badninja]

This is why I love Charlie, totally an ass and in control of any relationship, except with Parson. I liked how he reminded Jillian of her love of battle and how she is running from it over a small reason. Charlie knows how screwed Jetstone is because Parson is back in charge and that he cannot stop what ever Parson is cooking up. I think Charlie counted Jillian of being a Leroy Jenkins. I believe this could mean that he taped the communication between Parson and Wanda and knows of the plan. I so want to here the conversation between Trem and Charlie because I feel that Trem is not going to like the information he is going to get. Great update this made my day!

[DevilDan]

It's a charmed existence.

This is just going to add more fuel to the "Charlie can intercept thinkagrams" argument.

[HailGreen28]

Wow, great update. Charlie seems really pissed. He dumped on Jillian before he had even spoken to Jetstone. He may yet need to go crawling back to Jillian as the only side that will even talk to him. Think: Charlie was known to be involved at Spacerock--Hagar will confirm it, they lost a prince there because of Charlie. Now Spacerock is going to get worked over. Charlie will at least partially get blamed.

My guess: Charlie can eavesdrop, at least partially, and will tell Tramennis what is about to happen. Tramennis will be skeptical, and Slately will be adamant that Charlie is not to be trusted at all. In fact, Charlie may be get blamed because he knew about the plan. Jetstone will just assume he's trying to betray Gobwin Knob.

The outcome? Well Wanda can't die, but I don't think Tramennis will either. Slately has to live because Jetstone has no heir. Well, Slately has to live this turn, at least. Later, he can croak. But I don't know how Tramennis will live. Running away with Slately in tow sounds the most likely. I wonder if surrender or terms will be acceptable? Parson might take them rather than attempt his desperate plan. "Fated" or not Parson believes it is risky, and would probably take any sure thing rather than do something that might fail.

I think that if anybody needs to do any crawling to anybody, it's Jillian Sue. She broke her word to Charlie and Wanda. She abandoned her allies.

She looks all shocked, love the story and art. She should count herself VERY lucky the only consequence so far of her typically selfish actions in this case; are she's lost one of her sugar daddies.

Love Charlie's: "Really? REALLY? You called me to talk about your boyfriend?" No Jillian, not everything revolves around what you want.

Love the possibilities for Jillian Sue's development. Eventually she's going to have to learn to respect and play well with others, if she's going to survive the game.

It seems Charlie's convinced he can't stop Parson's plan. He told Jillian Sue what Parson WAS GOING to do. Not what he may do, or might get lucky doing. So probably no invisible horde of Archons lurking, or another "Kingworld" game changer. At least not by Charlie.

I suspect that Charlie was trying to get Jillian to go back to Spacerock, and I also think there's a good chance he'll succeed. Before she talked to Charlie, Jillian was sure that Wanda's army would be defeated during Jetstone's turn, and therefore that Stanley in Gobwin Knob would probably be too weak to destroy Faq again. But if Gobwin Knob's army somehow manages to pull a victory out of what Jillian had thought was an impossible situation, then she needs to know about it, because she knows there is a good chance that Stanley will send Wanda's army to attack Faq, once Jetstone has been eliminated. Perhaps Jillian can get back in time to help save Tremannis and some of his warlords, at least.

I thought Charlie's statement implied that all she would find back at Jetstone is a pile of rubble. Though given what Parson said about casualties, it might be a good opportunity for Jillian Sue to swing back and mop up GK's forces after the battle.

[gaiaswill]

Charlie's dressing down was most cathartic and long overdue.

In fact, I'm gonna go read it again.

Marbits, the emoticons of the future!

[ftl]

all she would find back at Jetstone is a pile of rubble. Though given what Parson said about casualties, it might be a good opportunity for Jillian Sue to swing back and mop up GK's forces after the battle.

Won't work, I think. If all she finds at Jetstone is a pile of rubble, it'll be a pile of rubble mixed with giant piles of croaked Jetstone infantry and heavies. Which will be summarily decrypted.

Remember the pliers. If Wanda can eke out a win, it's likely that she'll immediately have another army at her disposal. Not guaranteed - it could be that she has to decrypt and then use the units as she goes along - but it's the nature of the pliers that even a close victory is likely to leave Wanda with a large new force.

[Zeteni]

You've got to love that final "Break" there. Poor Jillian. She tries so hard to win completely. Hrrm... a thought just struck me about how Jetstone COULD survive the loss of spacerock. What if Charlie lent the money to make Tremannis a heir?

I was thinking along the same lines. Here's some cash to make yourself heir, now get out of the city and hightail it back to Jetstone's original capital and restart your side.

The kicker would be convincing Tramennis to go along, however! Seems like a tall tale to swallow, and even if Tramennis did, I can't imagine Slately ever would.

Perhaps Charlie will be like Cassandra from Greek mythology here, predicting the future but no one will believe him.

Count me in on this series of theories. I've no doubt Tremmenis is going to make an attack on GK's forces, but perhaps he himself will be a bit more conservative with his own person after advice from Charlie. If/when the cleanup fails, Trem will see the veracity of whatever Charlie claims, be made heir, and escape. (Current theories suggest this would be done by weirdomancy, yes?) I can imagine Charlie wanting to have a noble friend who is interested in actually knowing what's going on so he can act as a mouth of sorts for him.

Now the agonizing wait to see how utterly wrong I am.

And yes... finally Jillian has been put in her place. I like her, but this was overdue.

[Ninjaguineapig]

Charlie is awesome. Jillian booped his plans, and he whacked her for it. Viciously.
Then, he switches over to Trem, and is the epitome of good customer service.

[Alexei P]

Have a feeling Jillian will get a similar call from Don King, right after everyone in the ballroom sees Parson's plan in action. Bad Jillian, you're on your own, girl.

[TheMutant]

Ohhhhh notgood.

So Charlie likely knows our dear protagonist's gambit, unless Parson anticipated Charlie's interferance and issued false orders- but then how would he get the information on the REAL gambit to Wanda and Jack? Hrm. Parson's plan has to succeed somewhat for the story, I think- I'm pretty sure Wanda and Jack have to survive, at the least. Heck, if they make it out of there, that's about as much as a win that Parson could dream of in the scenario.

So if Charlie does know the plan and has a direct line to the most reasonable man in Jetstone, how is the food fight gambit not totally borked, I wonder? Maybe Tramennis wouldn't believe him? But that seems unlikely; Trem seems open to the possibility that things are going on behind the scenes. And Charlie has done Jetstone a good turn lately (the Haggar deal) and Trem knows it; thus I doubt he'll immediately think like his father that Charlie's out to screw them over instead.

That's the burning question for me, anyways.

/ramble

Love the page. Luckamancy Charms! And Jillian getting shut down! :3

[Elhoim]

Loved the page! And Xin's art is freaking awesome. Great work! :salute:

[HailGreen28]

all she would find back at Jetstone is a pile of rubble. Though given what Parson said about casualties, it might be a good opportunity for Jillian Sue to swing back and mop up GK's forces after the battle.

Won't work, I think. If all she finds at Jetstone is a pile of rubble, it'll be a pile of rubble mixed with giant piles of croaked Jetstone infantry and heavies. Which will be summarily decrypted.

Remember the pliers. If Wanda can eke out a win, it's likely that she'll immediately have another army at her disposal. Not guaranteed - it could be that she has to decrypt and then use the units as she goes along - but it's the nature of the pliers that even a close victory is likely to leave Wanda with a large new force.

Ahhhh. I hadn't considered that.

If that does happen, that's got to make Parson and the Tool more uneasy. The scary warlord with the MacGuffin becomes even more powerful, while Stanley probably loses the Dwagons that Wanda gains.

[fjolnir]

So if Charlie does know the plan and has a direct line to the most reasonable man in Jetstone, how is the food fight gambit not totally borked, I wonder? Maybe Tramennis wouldn't believe him? But that seems unlikely; Trem seems open to the possibility that things are going on behind the scenes. And Charlie <i>has</i> done Jetstone a good turn lately (the Haggar deal) and Trem knows it; thus I doubt he'll immediately think like his father that Charlie's out to screw them over instead.

It could be that the plan is insanely unconventional and is pretty much a pass/fail thing, either you win with it or it's an epic failure loss and even being informed about the plan only really has you watching pretty colors and dodging falling dwagons, it's not a plan you would use twice and it's not a situation where reasonable plans are used in the face of an unwinnable situation, Parson has an Idea and I don't think it's nearly as logical as "Uncroak the volcano into an unholy boopstorm" or "exploit their poor knowledge of the terrain to your advantage" or "repeatedly divebomb siege units to destroy them, but don't let them fight too long" most of those are fairly conventional leaps given the tools provided to him the biggest leap was the uncroaked volcano, but that also required his ass to be fully up against the wall to attempt...