Book 2 – Page 42

[SteveMB]

If it were possible to bring in troops (even only artifical troops) into the Magic Kingdom, the place would be a battlefield by now. Though if Parson gets into a habit of using the portal park as his private teleportation device, this just might happen. Wonder what Janis will think of her "war for peace" plan when it comes knocking on her own front door?

At the very least, if word gets around that Parson is using the portal network, GK's enemies are going to consider the Magic Kingdom as a de facto GK ally unless they put a stop to it.

They're also going to wonder why a warlord is able to use the portals (which was supposedly impossible, given that Parson didn't think he'd be able to save anybody other than the three casters from the volcano). It it turns out that this was just a myth spread by the MK to preserve its status as neutral ground, the secret will be blown. If it turns out that Parson is in fact the only warlord who can use the portals without disbanding, everybody else in Erfworld is going to worry. (Then again, if Parson shows up at the Battle of Spacerock without anybody outside GK finding out how he did it, they'll worry even more.)

[Decorus]

He isn't using the Magic Kingdom Portal.
He's going to link Maggie and Sizemore together to arrive in the same hex as Wanda with reinforcements.

[DyneBlack]

He isn't using the Magic Kingdom Portal.
He's going to link Maggie and Sizemore together to arrive in the same hex as Wanda with reinforcements.

It seems to me that it would take more than a dirtamancer and a thinkamancer to teleport to an emeny factions capital city when it isn't your turn. Not to mention it would be a lot easier (and less juice) to just walk there through the portals. But who knows?!

[leshabirukov]

I don't like idea of the portal run. It must be restricted, and if not, erfwolders must know about such a possibility. I hope it would be something more. Such as jump to MK, promoting something in the Jetstone airspace to the capital of Gobwin Knob... Required a weirdomancer, definitly.
Although, may be Salin I.V. was assasinated by the such a strike from the dying Faq.

[King Rat]

They're also going to wonder why a warlord is able to use the portals (which was supposedly impossible, given that Parson didn't think he'd be able to save anybody other than the three casters from the volcano). It it turns out that this was just a myth spread by the MK to preserve its status as neutral ground, the secret will be blown. If it turns out that Parson is in fact the only warlord who can use the portals without disbanding, everybody else in Erfworld is going to worry. (Then again, if Parson shows up at the Battle of Spacerock without anybody outside GK finding out how he did it, they'll worry even more.)

I thought it was established that the reason why Parson could use the portal is because he's technically a hippiemancer.

[Chris Goodwin]

"As Chief Warlord I hereby promote myself to field unit." Awesome.

I'm almost positive they're going in through the MK. "I didn't get disbanded by the portal, so I have a right to be here. Don't even think about it, Spock; I've already got my eye on you. Anyone standing in my way will get to see whether a spell is faster than a sword."

[gameboy1234]

It it turns out that this was just a myth spread by the MK to preserve its status as neutral ground, the secret will be blown. If it turns out that Parson is in fact the only warlord who can use the portals without disbanding, everybody else in Erfworld is going to worry.

Don't forget that over the summer updates Queen Bea went into her own portal and instantly disbanded. I think Parson is a Hippiemancer, plain and simple.

However, any side will now realize that the MK can be used by anyone to bring casters through. That will cause problems enough. If Sizemore is able to bring summoned golems through, it'll be a lot worse (JK has a ton of cloth golems, for example). I predict many sides will just wall-off their own portals, loosing access to the MK but protecting themselves from surprise attacks. This will be pretty game breaking.

[danhaas]

If they go through the MK, it will be a risky, one way trip unless they use some heavy Foolamancy. Jack still has some juice and he could have left some scrolls, but still I don't see them coming back through the MK after a magic portal sneak attack. Anyway, their game is over if Wanda goes down, so Parson probably doesn't consider escaping the fight if things go belly up.

Sizemore had complete control over the GK tower and tunnels back in book 1; how much of that control would he have over Spacerock terrain? They could hire a third caster on the MK and do some real damage once they cross the Spacerock portal. My bet would be a tri-link with a weirdomancer or a changemancer.

[Carne]

I'm vaguely uneasy as to the number of people here speculating that Parson absolutely will use the MK portals to move to Spacerock with no evidence to back it up other than (1) he crossed into the MK once before; (2) they're meeting Sizemore in the portal room.

While I think it's not an impossible tactic, and I also can't think of any other likely tactic that would get Parson out of GK and all the way to Spacerock (not reachable by dwagon relay within one turn even during GK's turn), I'm hesitant to say absolutely that that's what Parson has in mind. Meeting Sizemore in the portal room could just be so they can meet him ASAP, rather than some plan that involves the portals. Like meeting someone at the gates if they rode in on horseback, if time was of the essence.

The other reservation is that while we have info that Parson can move through the portal to MK and back to GK, there's no evidence that casters can move through portals belonging to a hostile side. Seems like a risky time to experiment with that.


Given the Maggie-centric context that appeared in the between-book text updates, Maggie had a very large section devoted to Erf's handling of time. Parson's ambiguous "you know how" comments leaves the reader to assume an obvious solution (i.e. go through the portals, since they were mentioned) - I'm wondering if there's not some possibility of a time-based exploit that Parson can also take advantage of in order to move that doesn't require going through the MK. Only problem with that theory is that I have even less idea how he might pull that off.


Just throwing that out as extra gristle for the community to chew on, not necessarily that I'm convinced one way or the other. Maybe it's because the MK strategy feels too cheap... /shrug

[Chris Goodwin]

I just noticed the double shadows cast by Parson and Maggie's legs by the double light source. Xin, your artwork continues to amaze.

[DyneBlack]

Thinking out loud here...

Perhaps the reason kingdoms have not tried in the past to send their casters on a sneak attack portal run was it was just too plain risky. Caster are rare and a precious commodity. If they fail they lose the caster while the enemy loses possibly nothing.

Also casters do not want to betray the trust of the MK and neither do rulers. The MK seems to be neutral to all sides and helpful with the right price. Maybe rulers never considered it before because the risk far outweighs the potential gain.

[Lamech]

I thought it was established that the reason why Parson could use the portal is because he's technically a hippiemancer.

When he travelled through the portal the first time one of three things happened. Parson was unscannable, and the portal disbands everyone that scans as "non-caster", if this was the case the portal couldn't scan him as "non-caster" and therefore did nothing. Two, Parson is a scannable caster, the portal lets him through. Three, Parson is undisbandable. Parson seems to be banking on number three, although number one might work too. And since Stanley at one point said he should have disbanded it seems likely Parson is undisbandable. While, none of these options are mutally exclusive with him being a caster, but our evidence for him being a caster isn't all that great. Janis is really putting a lot on him.

I'm almost positive they're going in through the MK. "I didn't get disbanded by the portal, so I have a right to be here. Don't even think about it, Spock; I've already got my eye on you. Anyone standing in my way will get to see whether a spell is faster than a sword."

I can totally see something like this. It will be even funnier when they realized what just happened after he left.

Also foolamancy scrolls to sneak through also seem likely to me. The sword of ruthlessness returning wouldn't surprise me.
On Sizemore: I think he is making dirtamancy traps for Parson. He leveled GK. Leveled it. With bonuses making it a level 8 city. Link up with Maggie and I see some damn powerful traps getting made. Or perhaps some golem making items.

The other reservation is that while we have info that Parson can move through the portal to MK and back to GK, there's no evidence that casters can move through portals belonging to a hostile side. Seems like a risky time to experiment with that.

It does seem risky. Its too bad he doesn't have someway of determing what his chance of making through the portal alive is. I suppose he could use the bracer but thats just overkill; probably won't be happy about answering questions so beneath it.

[multilis]

"Don't forget that over the summer updates Queen Bea went into her own portal and instantly disbanded"

*If* a myth, then guards in magic kingdom may have orders to shoot on sight anyone entering magic kingdom who is not a caster. They could tell Bea was not a caster so they killed her.

If so, when Parson entered, they couldn't tell whether he was or wasn't a caster, which never happenned before. So they didn't know what to do.

[ftl]

I thought it was established that the reason why Parson could use the portal is because he's technically a hippiemancer.

Janis said that Parson was a hippiemancer. However, given that Janis seems to have her own plans for Parson and his role in Erfworld, and we don't know any of the details of those plans, it seems possible that she would be lying and using her authority to keep Parson alive. (After all, not everything a character says in Erfworld is word-of-God true; characters can lie or be deceived. )

So why Parson didn't disband, and whether or not he's a hippiemancer, is I think considered an open question, not clearly resolved by canon one way or the other.

[Megaduck]

Trem: Lets Parley now. Thinkamancer, Connect me to Parson, Chief Warlord of Gobwin Knob.
Parson: Why? I'm standing right next to you.
Trem: ....

[DevilDan]

I wonder if he's figured out a way to use Sizemore to get at least Wanda from the airspace and into a different zone... But knowing Parson, rescuing Wanda is just the beginning of the boop he's going to try to pull off.

[wykstrad]

"Food fight."

That's what Parson said. The obvious reference here would be to Animal House, where Bluto manages to piss off a bunch of preppies and escape by yelling "FOOD FIGHT!" causing everyone around him to hurl their food in all conceivable directions. Such is the power of Bluto, I guess.

The question here, assuming that Parson is referring to Animal House, is, who in this scenario plays the other people in the cafeteria, willing to hurl stuff around at the slightest provocation?

This comic provides the best possible explanation yet. Because if Warlords are banned from the Magic Kingdom, and a Warlord tries to use the portals in the Magic Kingdom, well, that's got to have some consequences, right? Presumably, the MK will send some casters to croak the Warlord if he insists on using the portals in the way Parson is planning.

But suppose he runs in with two casters defending him? Suppose he manages to break through the immediate defenses and run out another portal? Do you think the casters in the Magic Kingdom will just let him go? Or will they run through the portal after him, firing every spell they can think of that may reach him, with little regard to collateral damage?

Because if they do that, much of the collateral damage will involve the Jetsone garrison and tower, and possibly the rear of their defending forces. And if Jetstone has that happen to them, they will almost definitely fight back. Parson will have orchestrated enough chaos that it may give his side a fighting chance.

[Chris Goodwin]

But suppose he runs in with two casters defending him? Suppose he manages to break through the immediate defenses and run out another portal? Do you think the casters in the Magic Kingdom will just let him go? Or will they run through the portal after him, firing every spell they can think of that may reach him, with little regard to collateral damage?

Because if they do that, much of the collateral damage will involve the Jetsone garrison and tower, and possibly the rear of their defending forces. And if Jetstone has that happen to them, they will almost definitely fight back. Parson will have orchestrated enough chaos that it may give his side a fighting chance.

Beautiful. And quite plausible.

[Nihila]

But suppose he runs in with two casters defending him? Suppose he manages to break through the immediate defenses and run out another portal? Do you think the casters in the Magic Kingdom will just let him go? Or will they run through the portal after him, firing every spell they can think of that may reach him, with little regard to collateral damage?

Because if they do that, much of the collateral damage will involve the Jetsone garrison and tower, and possibly the rear of their defending forces. And if Jetstone has that happen to them, they will almost definitely fight back. Parson will have orchestrated enough chaos that it may give his side a fighting chance.

Beautiful. And quite plausible.

And Parson will be carrying magical stuff, which would make the MK look guilty for anyone he croaks. Then Jetstone is convinced that the casters are out to get them, and hilarity ensues. And, as someone suggested before, Parson steal's Ace's contraption and uses it to wreak havoc.

[danhaas]

The casters from MK wouldn't attack so recklessly inside Spacerock, not for that reason. They would notify Tram and help him capture Parson, maybe even pay for any damage Parson did, since it was somehow their fault.

But the idea of creating such a chaos that Spacerock is "incapable or unwilling" to shoot Wanda down is certainly there. Maybe he could attack MK and somehow frame the RCC for it.