Book 2 – Page 41

[badninja]

Well this is not good, now a once major player in a small part of Erfworld will know about Parson and be able to counter him. Man Charlie just keeps showing why he is the most dangerous player in Erfworld. Now how will Trem use the information against Parson? Good update and Xin's artwork was awesome!

[Trotsky]

So, does anybody think the dossier on Parson is going to be the next text update?

[valce]

Well, there goes Parson's chance at a quick decapitation strike on Trammennis. Tram might try some sort of veil to coerce Parson into wasting resources on a decapitation, but with all those archons and casters the veil probably wouldn't work.

Who else thinks the next panel will start with a surprise attack on GK's fliers? Parson will probably figure out that Charlie is involved with convincing honour-bound Spacerock to not even attempt a parley, possibly he can turn that to his advantage.

[Moik]

"Interesting that you would say 'it'."

Hmmmm... Trammenis is quick. That's dangerous. He's gonna be fun to watch.

[Crisis21]

I love this particular verbal spar between Tramennis and Charlie. Charlie obviously has a rapier wit and is very adept at distracting people from the issue. Tramennis is effectively using a club, often called single mindedness, to push Charlie for answers.

In real life a rapier is a very fast and light weapon good for cutting and piercing while a club is a heavy and blunt weapon good for battering. Trying to block a club with a rapier is not only an exercise in futility, it is painful and may end up with a broken rapier.

Analogy aside, Tramennis's devotion to having his questions answered and refusal to be distracted by Charlie's offers is serving him very well and seems to be throwing Charlie off. It is clear that, for all his powers, Charlie needs the Royal's business. This puts him in a position of weakness rather than the position of strength he is used to as a high-quality in-demand mercenary. It is also clear, more than ever, that Parson scares Charlie. Which is as it should be, since Parson managed to cause Charlie to lose in a scenario he'd deliberately set up to be no-lose.

[justamessenger]

Whew... Lots to chew on in this one.

I am most intrigued by the 'holo image' used by Charlie. Maybe he has a bug or other monitoring device in GK? Maybe he has the ability to conduct remote surveillance...

Interesting that Charlie keeps dossiers. It certainly fits with what we know about his personality. Charlie is the Erf version of an amalgam of the CIA/NSA/FBI. His ability to gather, centralize and analyze intelligence is unparalleled. It only makes sense that he would archive such information for future reference.

'More-Than-Perfect-Warlord' & 'Most Dangerous Being.' Is Charlie actually afraid of Parson's capabilities or is he simply trying to scare Tramennis?

I would surmise that Tramennis has a good idea on Charlie's interests and goals at this point. Tramennis now knows that Charlie *needs* his help, that Charlie is so desperate that he will provide services for free, or even *pay* Jetstone to follow his lead. I will be very interested to see what Tramennis does with this information, as I believe he possesses one of the keenest and most agile minds in Erfworld. Tramennis could use it to avoid the parley and possibly prevent Parson's execution of the plan; he could use the information to press Charlie for greater concessions or services; he could capture Archons and hold them ransom, exacting a greater price in exchange for handing them over. Ah, the possibilities for someone of Tramennis' mental stature...

In short, I am very very excited by this and cannot wait to see how these various threads are woven together!

EXCELLENT WORK!!!

[Ansan Gotti]

I am most intrigued by the 'holo image' used by Charlie. Maybe he has a bug or other monitoring device in GK? Maybe he has the ability to conduct remote surveillance...

I don't mean to direct this to you specifically, but more as a representative viewpoint of the subset of people who are refusing to believe Charlie can eavesdrop on thinkagrams.

My question is, given what we've seen (Charlie telling both Jillian and Tramennis he's busy and please hold, a panel of the Arkendish actually in action, followed immediately by Parson and Wanda's discussion via thinkagram detailing the plan, followed by Charlie having detailed information about the plan), why are people seeming to insist on other explanations when the simple one is right in front of us and both artistically and narratively presented?

EDIT: Sorry, I just realized you're talking about something else. Even so, my general question stands. As to your question, I assume that Charlie can "see" people that he communicates with mentally. Plus his archons saw Parson in the flesh.

[crex90]

I think we know why Charlie is so angry at Jillian now. Her reckless actions caused Ansom to be removed as Chief Warlord, which promoted Parson immediately (as Charlie might anticipate).

Though I'm not sure why, knowing that, he'd try to get Ansom killed first. Strange.

[Crisis21]

By the way, could someone please explain the 'behind the potato' reference? I'm afraid I don't get it.

[GooeyChewie]

Parson looks like a potato. Stanley confirmed that Parson looks like a "giant potato man," so apparently Tramennis agrees about Parson's un-warlord-like appearance.

[Crisis21]

Ah. Thank you. I thought it was some obscure slang term.

[wrecan]

I think Charlie made a calculated risk that if Ansom was croaked, Parson would not be promoted. Charlie knows that Stanley doesn't value Parson because he promoted Ansom over Parson. And Stanley has a pattern of promoting the "pretty boy" over the strategist. So logically, with Ansom out of the picture, Stanley is likely to promote Ossomer or one of the other warlords actually on the field. Heck, even just promote Wanda, if that's feasible. He didn't anticipate Maggie would have said enough is enough and risked being disbanded to mind control Stanley into promoting Ansom.

I am loving Tramennis' manipulation of Charlie. I think Charlie gave Tramennis his honest assessment of Parson -- he's the most dangerous being on Erfworld. If Charlie were thinking more clearly, he'd be more tantalizing. He could hint he knows Parson's attack plan. He could have hinted about the contents of the dossier. Heck, he could just reveal the uncroaked volcano as a teaser. He didn't. he just volunteered it. Charlie is desperate.

[splintermute]

Ah. Thank you. I thought it was some obscure slang term.

"Behind the potato" is now my new favorite slang term. The possibilities are myriad and wondrous.

[zilfallon]

@Almaseti: I agree with this line:

Nothing good comes out of talking with Parson.

Lord Hamster is just too dangerous to even try talking...

@cdrcjsn:

You don't need to be able to tap thinkagrams if you can just look in on a conversation as it's happening. So it doesn't necessarily have to be a power of the dish, just normal lookamancy boosted by a link.

An unique theory, but: GK possessed a lookamancer and a thinkamancer, along with a foolamancer. If lookamancers and thinkamancers could do something together, Maggie wouldn't be too surprised when Charlie "hacked" the Eyebook, or they could have discovered tapping into thinkagrams, if it was a power unrelated to Arkendish.

@Miklus II

Note that the call to Charlie happend BEFORE the eyebooks where hacked. Maybe Charlie got inside those via Maggie. Maggie made the books while in the link, right?

Sorry but, Maggie made the books before Parson was summoned to Erf, and talked with Charlie. Of course, the first thing you said is possible, that he planted some kind of "bug" to Maggie's mind.

An interesting update, by the way. I don't think Charlie is bluffing at all when he said Parson is the most dangerous being in the Erfworld. He wouldn't lower himself by such words. You know, he's the all-mighty all-knowing Charlie, that's his image. But these words ruin that image he worked so hard for, and he wouldn't do it unless he was really really scared.

Also, I don't understand why people are saying that Parson's cheat will surely fail if Jetstone doesn't Parley? Sure, when "food fight" was first mentioned, Parson said that they'd get them in Parley, BUT:
http://www.erfworld.com/book-2-archive/ ... -08-04.jpg

I don't know why Parson said that they can't parley with Jetstone, but this means that his plan doesn't include parley as its main trigger.

Heh and, found something else while looking for Parson saying no-parley:
http://www.erfworld.com/book-2-archive/ ... -06-16.jpg

I wonder how will TV warlords act when they see what happens in Spacerock. My guess is that the vision will be lost after Don King gets a heart attack and Bunny enters shock

He didn't. he just volunteered it. Charlie is desperate.

Agreed, he's scared and desperate. Now I start to doubt if he knows the entire plan.

[Donoterase]

Here's another thought. From the summer updates, Vurp (sole surviving hobgoblin and now chief of his tribe) was feeling guilty about something because he respects Parson. Perhaps the other call Charlie was taking was checking with his mole back at Gobwin Knob? Simpler solution, goes with the deposing of Saline IV, and doesn't require thinkgram hacking.

Just a thought.

[Ansan Gotti]

Here's another thought. From the summer updates, Vurp (sole surviving hobgoblin and now chief of his tribe) was feeling guilty about something because he respects Parson. Perhaps the other call Charlie was taking was checking with his mole back at Gobwin Knob? Simpler solution, goes with the deposing of Saline IV, and doesn't require thinkgram hacking.
Just a thought.

Sorry, but how in the world is that simpler? Wouldn't that be a bit out of the blue and completely unforeshadowed?

Given the sequence:

A) Arkendish gives Charlie "unmatched" control over thinkamancy;
B) It has been speculated/worried in-comic that Charlie can read minds;
C) Charlie has been known to hack the eyebooks which contain thinkamancy;
D) Present day, Charlie is on a more important call than talking to either VIP Jillian or VIP Tramennis;
E) The Arkendish is actually seen to be functioning, which is a rare and important event;
F) There is an immediate cut to the thinkagram between Parson and Wanda about the plan;
G) Charlie knows about the plan, down to the minute detail about hitting when they parley.

I really don't see how any solution other than Charlie eavesdropping on thinkagrams is readily feasible or likely. In fact, I bet this is supposed to be a gimme and Rob is scratching his head as to why so many people seem to think it's something else.

[the_tick_rules]

I figured thinkamancy myself. Charlie does seem to be quite the snoop doesn't he?

[TheDarkOne]

Ooooh -- I think Charlie may be about to step in it, big time...

Spoiler: show

When Charlie gives Tramennis his "dossier" on Parson, in order to warn him against parleying with GK, he will almost certainly tell Tramennis that Parson used the parley to croak Ansom.

However, Tramennis is smart enough to realize that the only reason Charlie knows about this is because his Archons were watching (and sending images back by thinkagram). The problem for Charlie is that his archons obviously knew what was happening, and did nothing to stop it.

I see Tramennis getting very angry at Charlie for failing to save his brother when he so very easily could have.

you get what you pay for and when you don't pay for the premium package you get croaked

[build6]

I am on the edge of my damn seat. I know the action is still a long ways off but when the battle for Spacerock begins i think my head may explode. Parson blew up a mountain last time, I can't wait to find out what Rob has him planning this time.

I am so proud to be a Tool, you guys are producing epic work and I love it.\

EDIT:

"On another note, how did Charlie know Parson was promoted?"

Janis no doubt.

well, if you can see the bonuses that a unit has from his chief warlord, and it drops very low (we know that Parson has a low bonus - that's one of the reasons why Stanley was unhappy with him), then it's a matter of deductive logic - why promote anyone else with a low bonus to Chief Warlord, when you've got much-higher-bonus-granting units available, unless it's going to be Parson?

I cannot wait for the next page also, I want to see what happens!!!! argggggghh

So, does anybody think the dossier on Parson is going to be the next text update?

heh, I think that's likely a good call... in fact I'm also actively hoping for it! Will be good to see exactly what Charlie thinks of Parson (or, I guess I should say, what Charlie thinks Tramennis should think Charlie thinks about Parson...)

[BRC]

Charlie's use of the phrase "The more-than-perfect warlord" is intersting, and it shows just how smart Charlie is.
Most Erfer's idea of the "Perfect Warlord" would be somebody like Ansom. High-leveled, a powerful combatant, a skilled leader, ect. The Warlord with the highest stats.
Parson is "More-than-perfect", because, rather than having the highest stats, he breaks the game itself. He dosn't win by overcoming his foes, he wins by circumventing the established order. He plays mind games with his enemies, uses hit-and-run tactics, and uncroaked a volcano when he ran out of options. Ansom dosn't just win the game, he breaks the board, and for a skilled player like Charlie, that is far more terrifying than a mere master.
I'm seeing Tramannis as being another "Nontraditional" warlord. Not up to parson's level of course, but in the same vein. I'd group him with the likes of Vinny, he lacks raw leadership power, but has a devious cunning to him. Trammanis is a diplomat above all else, which means his specialty is in People. Ansom and Ossomar think in terms of troops and numbers, but Trammanis has a different perspective.
Everybody else assumed Charlie would be with GK because the story going around was Toolists vs Royals. Trammanis understands differentially. Charlie, above all else, loves his status as the ultimate mercenary. No Allies, only clients. No loyalties that are not contractually stipulated. Once he realized Charlie was interfering on behalf of the RCC, he knew that something about the situation was different. Something about this conflict scared Charlie enough to make him, albiet secretly, take a side. Which means, Charlie knows something he doesn't know, which isn't unusual, except that this something is important enough to make Charlie intervene.
Charlie tries to distract him, offering him bounties, discounted troops, even the possibility of promotion to heir. Trammanis keeps poking around though, changing the conversation, always pumping Charlie for information.
I can't wait to see Trammanis and Parson match wits. Trammanis's brothers were both very proud, if Trammanis has any flaw, it would be curiosity.