Book 2 – Text Updates 032

[Pebot]

This just makes me think Charlie could have probably couched this in a better way and gotten a better result, but ah well. What he gets for using a Thinkagram on someone who's been suggested a lot in the last hundred turns or so.
.

When this is over, Charlie is going to wish he had contacted Duncan instead of Prince Tramennis. Presented with the reason for why there was danger Jetrock would lose, Duncan would have been a sail instead of a brake on Jillian's plan to return. Charlie could have always called Tramennis later.

"“You need to go below again. I’m gonna call Charlie.”" on text update 28. Jillian called Charlie and Charlie honestly didn't want to even talk to her.
So no I think Charlie doesn't expect Jillian to go back anyways. (despite the fact he would like her to help). and no Charlie didn't call Jillian.

Also Charlie didn't called Tramennis either. Tramennis called Charlie.


(http://www.erfworld.com/wp-content/uploads/book2/2010-08-04.jpg)
Also I would like to mention that Charlie was on another call when Tramennis and Jillian called him. And the rest of the comic page has Parson talking to Wanda. I don't know if it was just me, but I find this clearly indicates(or at least suggests) that Charlie can listen to Thinkagrams.

[Altima]

I'm still waiting for that special ball of crap to fall on Jillian's oh-so-deserved head.

[Dr Pepper]

Alas, Progrock. You were too self conscious to pogo, too intellectual to mosh.

And poor paranoid Jillian can't trust her own motives.

[Whispri]

I guess Charlie does hijack thinkamancy. It would explain how he knows so much since it's the preferred means of communication. It also is the only reason he would be freaking out about Jetstone without knowing specifics. I can't help but feel all he heard was Parson say "We're going to win this," and without being able to look into his mind can only extrapolate based upon prior experience.

I'm fairly certain that Parson told Wanda what the plan was over thinkamancy, at least the part that involves her. We, the readers, just weren't privy to that plan (see http://www.erfworld.com/wp-content/uploads/book2/2010-08-04.jpg).

That doesn't mean Charlie intercepted it though, they may have been using a high security Thinkagram for that one. It would explain why Parson was so obtuse when speaking to Jack about the plan.

[oslecamo2]

That doesn't mean Charlie intercepted it though, they may have been using a high security Thinkagram for that one.

It's the arkendish, a titan artifact. Maggie herself stated that Charlie can do very nasty stuff with communications thanks to it.

It would explain why Parson was so obtuse when speaking to Jack about the plan.

Well, since Maggie was suprised for Hamster going for the armory, he probably didn't reveal the whole plan, just what Wanda needs to do. The real meat is still to come.

Also I now love Duncan. Some very nice chief warlord she got.

[Raza]

Good read!

And I'm glad they're not going back. I was looking forward to a straightforward fight-and-loot or two.

[HandofShadows]

Very nice. Nice to see Duncan again. Just a warlod doing his job.

And an interesting point. Things seemed to go well for Jillian UNTIL she starts moving away from Wanda. Then it's downhill. So yeah I think more boop is headed her way soon.

[badninja]

Nice, Duncan unintentionally screws over Jetstone by merely suggesting that Charlie would be using a suggestion spell on Jillian. I wonder if Charlie is going to regret how he has done business in the past now? Charlie will so reap what he has sown, I feel that even he will soon be out of playmates that will work with him. Although I detest how Jetstone has been shown to act so far in the comic they do not deserve what is about to happen to them namely Parson, no one deserves that.

[Lamech]

Charlie refused to give any specifics about how Jetstone could lose. He just acted all high and mighty and didn't tell Jillian what could go wrong. He didn't even bother to make something up. He could have very plausibly said, "The croakamancer has a magic item to allow to survive falls. As soon as her mount is shot down she'll fall into the courtyard, decrypt a bunch and the battle will be on." or perhaps, "Just heard from my contacts in the MK; GK ealier bought a turnamancy spell of some sort. They might be able to fly out of the city!" He could have been truthful and said said "You should be on standby just in case. GK uses its casters in battle, and it uses trimancers a lot. Some nasty spell could reverse the battle again. Or perhaps some unknown arkentool power. So wait before flying off." He could have said "Look what happened last time GK was cornered. They flattened everything."

But he didn't. He just asked Jillian to take a moronic course of action and apperenlty couldn't even fabricate a shred of evidence to back it up. And he was an ass about it. There is no way we can say this is Jillian's or Duncan's bad.

[build6]

Also I would like to mention that Charlie was on another call when Tramennis and Jillian called him.

are we sure about this? because a lot of discussion has gone around this bit, and it actually seems to me that maybe that's just what the archon "operators" say whenever anyone calls Charlie, until Charlie decides he wants to take the call. Just because we aren't shown this when Parson called doesn't mean that much - the archons didn't recognise Parson then, they've got to ask who the heck he is first.

Or, maybe Charlie is on "hold" because it just so happened that Tramennis and Jillian called at the same time and the operator had to work out (with Charlie) who he'd take first.

[build6]

It would explain why Parson was so obtuse when speaking to Jack about the plan.

I was thinking that was for our benefit. If the readers have the plan laid out for them then there's no surprise for us when it happens. Like, what if we'd been told that a Turnamancer could end GK's turn? That'd have taken a lot of the drama out.

[Ansan Gotti]

I sometimes go back and dredge up old posts when we start covering old ground again, so here's something I posted a couple of weeks ago that I believe still remains valid, and has not really been rebutted.

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.

[joosy]

Remember that Charlie is, at heart, a mercenary. He wants to destroy GK, destroy/capture the decrypted Archons, and get Parson and the bracer. And he would like to be paid to do so.

His rules of not giving out information without compensation is deeply ingrained into him and his Archons. He so desperately wants to help but does not want to get a reputation of doing anything for free or else folks will expect that from him in the future.

You can see he is bending over backwards trying to give Jetstone in-store credit for his just announced Decrypted Archon bounty. This not only allows him to appear to enable Jetstone to 'pay' for his services/information but also allows him to manipulate Tramennis into doing Charlie's work for him. Tramennis is having none of that though. Charlie's mistake is treating him like a warlord or royalty. Tramennis may be both of those things but he is a diplomat first. I think Charlie realizes that as he finally breaks his rules and give 'free' information about Parson (odds are he will use Jetstone's 5000 schmucker credit as a retroactive fee if they survive, I'm sure).

I've been chastised before about pigeon-holing Charlie as being only about the schmuckers, but given his past (and current) deeds, that is how he has been portrayed. When dealing with Charlie, its all about the benjamins, er. schmuckers ; namely how much can you give him for as little effort on his part as possible.

It is perfectly understandable why he is that way. Given that he only has one capitol and an army of versatile but expensive units, his only source of income is mercenary work. In order to maintain steady work he has to be reliable, consistent, and never get a reputation as being charitable. I would imagine that if he can eavesdrop on Thinkagrams that would help him gather all sorts of information so he would know just where to offer his services and for how much. I am fairly certain that Parson suspects that Arkendish ability given the ease with with Charlie hacked the EyeBooks.

Re: Jillian. She was a necessary business expense for Charlie but now that she has deviated from his initial plan you can see how his attitude has changed. 'Your highness' has been replaced with thinly veiled contempt. I'm sure that if Charlie saw her as a viable source of future income he would be a little nicer, but apparently he's saving all of his sugar coating for Tramennis - not that its helping much there.

I believe a good indicator of how desperate Charlie is becoming is how much help he is giving away with as little regard of who knows he is doing it for free.

[MarbitChow]

G) Charlie knows about the plan, down to the minute detail about hitting when they parley.

Seeing as how Parson killed Ansom during parley, and used Charlie to set it up, it doesn't require eavesdropping knowledge to warn Tramennis.
Parson is currently 1-0 on killing Chief Warlords during parley. Best not to give him the opportunity to make it 2-0.

[DevilDan]

Entertaining, funny, and playing with us just a bit. Lovely.

[asweethero]

...I've been chastised before about pigeon-holing Charlie as being only about the schmuckers, but given his past (and current) deeds, that is how he has been portrayed. When dealing with Charlie, its all about the benjamins, er. schmuckers ; namely how much can you give him for as little effort on his part as possible....

i mostly agree with you as charlie is a little merc at heart with more intel than is healthy. however for prolly the first time ever charlie is afraid for what might happen to him. charlie is used to being the most intelligent most manipulative force in all of Erf. then comes along this "more than perfect warlord" who has out thought, out maneuverd, and out manipulated charlie.he can see the writing on the wall of where this war might lead. all royal sides crushed or captured all toolist sides capitulated or crushed. best case scenario charlie has no more customers or worse he is forced to fight literally a WORLD of decrypted with as much as Stanly hates charlie.

so yeah i can see why charlie might be willing to tarnish his rep a little with some free advice. no mater how much it hurts him

[Ansan Gotti]

G) Charlie knows about the plan, down to the minute detail about hitting when they parley.

Seeing as how Parson killed Ansom during parley, and used Charlie to set it up, it doesn't require eavesdropping knowledge to warn Tramennis.
Parson is currently 1-0 on killing Chief Warlords during parley. Best not to give him the opportunity to make it 2-0.

I don't believe that general concern explains the particular and specific and urgent nature of Charlie's warning in Page 41, Panel 10. Nor does it explain the particular, specific and urgent nature of his warnings to Jillian.

The question in my mind is what is the most likely and reasonable, not whether it's conceivably within the realm of possibility for some other explanation to exist. The latter way is only going to tie you in knots and generally leads to the more ridiculous end of the speculation spectrum, IMO.

[zilfallon]

Well, people suggested that Duncan convincing Jillian is really really bad for Jetstone. And that Charlie is at fault for not giving Jill convincing information. But it might have a reason: Charlie doesn't believe that Jillian's arrival can change anything at all, and remember their talk after Jill left spacerock, she told Charlie about turning Wanda. And she had a chance to croak Wanda and end this... Charlie might suspect about their relation, and might not want Jillian to return to Spacerock at all. Or, she being there is irrelevant, so Charlie said a few sentences, shut her up, left her to her own, and got to Tram, and gave him information, because he knows Parson shouldn't be given time, and that it is better to spend his precious time explaining the danger to Tram, rather than a chaotic barbarian queen whose actions cannot be predicted(maybe only by predictamancers, and good ones at that, probably)

[danhaas]

Lamech, even if Charlie gave specific intel for Jillian, or any other reasonable argument, she wouldn't return to Spacerock. She didn't go there to save Jetstone nor to stop Wanda, she went there to retrieve Ansom and offer Wanda another chance to defect. You have to remember the love triangle from book 1 and how Jillian puts both her lovers above all else, and that killing Wanda could turn Ansom to dust.

Check http://www.erfworld.com/book-2-archive/ ... -08-19.jpg again.

The single person Jillian truly wants to defeat is Stanley, but Wanda is always in the way. In book 1, she only managed to break the Suggestion spell from Wanda because Ansom was in peril.

[Urf]

I still think the code to break is "food fight". We have to think in pop culture cliché.

In food fights, someone always ducks and hits a random passerby, who retaliates by striking the wrong culprit, and the instigator often gets out by crawling under tables.

Can Parson do something to artillery to change the intended target? Or force Spacerock's natural allies to break with their faction?

Or does "falling" inhibit artillery aim —can Wanda's strikeforce "fall" and charge the enemy? Can a unit's Move be enacted during a Fall?

Oh, and what happens to artillery fashioned by a Dollamancer if the Dollamancer in question changes sides?