Book 2 – Text Updates 045

[Anarchy]

Hi guys (and girls)

I've been following the comic since the word go and reading the Forums every time a new page appears

I couldn't resist asking these questions though....

The portals look 2 dimensional, what happens if you walk around the back of a portal then step through?
do you appears on the rear side of the out going portal?
jsut step harmlessly through the incomming portal?
Feel like your hitting a brick wall?
Get vaporised?

Does the speed you go through a portal equal the speed you step out of it?
What would happen if you shot an arrow or fireball or somehting from the MK out?

if the portals are 2 dimensional and you where having a fight in the portal roow, what would happen if you threw your oponent edge ways onto the portal?
could they be used to slice grapefruits in half easily?

I think I feel liek parsons at the moment lol, how can I break the rules and find somehting funky to use against my enemy

[atalex]

I feel almost sorry for Janis and Marie. With the best of intentions, they have unleashed a primal force into their world that they cannot begin to understand or control, and they only now begin to realize it. Almost. Because unleashing a force like Parson, even with the best of intentions, was an act of hubris. And in all good drama, hubris is almost always punished.

[Jinren]

Why does he want to go there at all, beyond intentionally placing himself at risk, for the sake of his principles?

His leadership bonus isn't that great (although back when Tramennis said Jetstone had greater available leadership... he was asking for trouble), but morale may also be seriously effective (do we know if morale is a stat-stat or is it ahidden thing like personal loyalty to Parson? Wiki has a redlink).

Look at it from Jetstone's point of view. The unexpected has happened, it's a complete disaster, GK has turned the tables, but OK, we still have the high ground, better leadership, and a good chance to survive, and at least they can't get external reinforcements - Holy boop he's here! Just in the moment of respite and when GK still isn't supposed to be able to do anything, they dump an eldritch abomination on the capital - and this will have the opposite effect (as far as it's relevant to Decrypted) on the GK units.

Regardless of what he actually does, the act by itself sends a message straight to the ruler: You cannot run, you cannot hide, and Lord Hamster will find you.

[just2quixotic]

Reading this text update and seeing once again that Sizemore's last name is Rockwell http://rockwelltools.com/, it suddenly occurred to me that he like Wanda http://www.wandasnapon.com/ and Stanley http://www.stanleytools.com/ share a name with a tool manufacturer. Makes me think about what a dirtamancer might be able to do with the ArkenShovel in his hands. I am sure that the Erf trembles at the mere thought of it.

The only possessor of an Arkentool I can not link to a tool manufacturer is Charlie... but then I don't know what his last name is.

[Chadim]

Great text update, as usual!

Meanwhile, the text parts are realy nicely interweaved with the story, and move things forward.

Thinking about the relevation about Master Class, i.e. that you have to have some epiphany
to achieve it, and that the tri-mancer link uncroaking the volcano was not enoug , I
started to wonder how Wanda actually reached her Master class. Could that somehow be
related to the events ending FAQ I somehow cannot shake the feeling that this will be important.

[Dien]

Jafar's a Naughtymancer, of course.

[kagato23]

Hi guys (and girls)

I've been following the comic since the word go and reading the Forums every time a new page appears

I couldn't resist asking these questions though....

The portals look 2 dimensional, what happens if you walk around the back of a portal then step through?
do you appears on the rear side of the out going portal?
jsut step harmlessly through the incomming portal?
Feel like your hitting a brick wall?
Get vaporised?

Does the speed you go through a portal equal the speed you step out of it?
What would happen if you shot an arrow or fireball or somehting from the MK out?

if the portals are 2 dimensional and you where having a fight in the portal roow, what would happen if you threw your oponent edge ways onto the portal?
could they be used to slice grapefruits in half easily?

I think I feel liek parsons at the moment lol, how can I break the rules and find somehting funky to use against my enemy

This really isn't the place for that. Goto the "everything else erfworld" section and make a thread, that's where this sort of speculation belongs.

[*mancer]

warriortribble wrote:I do wish it was Maleficent that was chatting with Jafar. Those two need to get it on already.

He had not actually crossed the threshold to Master class, but that could happen any time a caster gained powerful new insight into his discipline or major class.


I wonder. Does this mean discipline and major class are synonyms, or that a caster can multiclass into multiple schools of magic?

This is to account for a discrepancy I noticed before. Jack and Wanda are master foolamancers and croakamancers, respectively, while Janice is as hippimancer. Foolamancy and Croakamancy are disciplines, while hippimancer is a major class that includes three separate disciplines (floramancy, signamancy and dateamancy? I can't remember off the top of my head for sure.) As far as I know, Janice is the only person mentioned that was a 'mancer of a major class, rather than a discipline.

My crazy prediction for the big change that happens this turn:

Wanda decrypts a JS caster and learns that decrypted casters can cast.
Jack gets incapacitated (needs healing this turn or will die).
Wanda decides to kill Jack or lets Jack die rather than heal him and decrypts him.
Parson (and Sizemore?) is so appalled, he defects to JS.
Book 3 is all about Parson and Trem defending JS from the approaching GK hoard.

[zilfallon]

The only possessor of an Arkentool I can not link to a tool manufacturer is Charlie... but then I don't know what his last name is.

Someone named Charlie owns a television channel, that's the reference, check the wiki.

[just2quixotic]

The only possessor of an Arkentool I can not link to a tool manufacturer is Charlie... but then I don't know what his last name is.

Someone named Charlie owns a television channel, that's the reference, check the wiki.

Checking the Wiki tells me that he is named for Charlie of Charlie's Angels, in which case, his last name should be Townsend, and I can then link him to this machine/tool manufacturer: http://www.townsendeng.com/

[joosy]

Great text update, as usual!

Meanwhile, the text parts are realy nicely interweaved with the story, and move things forward.

Thinking about the relevation about Master Class, i.e. that you have to have some epiphany
to achieve it, and that the tri-mancer link uncroaking the volcano was not enoug , I
started to wonder how Wanda actually reached her Master class. Could that somehow be
related to the events ending FAQ I somehow cannot shake the feeling that this will be important.

I had speculated on that in the forums a while ago as well.

I had surmised that casters can level by simply practicing their discipline but that it was very very slow. In this update we have confirmation that yes, that is the case AND that casters can level by croaking others. It is also implied that there is a disconnect between a caster's level and their actual casting skill or knowledge. For example, a caster could be high level but not be considered Masterclass.

I wondered where Wanda got her skills/levels when she was with Faq. I didn't think there was much use for a Croakamancer in that bubble kingdom. A kingdom that tries to hide its existence probably doesn't have many skirmishes and thus no opportunity for Wanda to weave her craft. However, Wanda appeared to be thought of highly and appeared fairly formidable and powerful. That got me thinking..

What if, for their bubble kindom to exist, every caster had to play their part to help ensure safety and also keep costs down? I wonder if they popped cheap units, croaked them, then had Wanda uncroak them to save upkeep and to provide a slave/worker caste. That would mess someone up I would think.. or at the very least partially explain Wanda's callous attitude.

[Berserkas]

What if, for their bubble kindom to exist, every caster had to play their part to help ensure safety and also keep costs down? I wonder if they popped cheap units, croaked them, then had Wanda uncroak them to save upkeep and to provide a slave/worker caste. That would mess someone up I would think.. or at the very least partially explain Wanda's callous attitude.

She could have done mercenary work for other kingdoms, like Jillian did with her gwiffon squads. Get hired, show up, mass-animate a bunch of d00ds, leave. I don't think there's any rule against casters being mercenaries, it just might be considered too dangerous, seeing how valuable and protected casters are. Yet, seeing how independent Wanda is, i think she could have done it.

She could have also levelled by casting other spells. Remember how she's capable of casting a lot outside her discipline? Jillian mentioned (in the summer updates, i think) how "many of them used aspects of their discipline to aid Jack Snipe in keeping the kingdom's existence a secret."

http://www.erfworld.com/2009/08/352/

Not sure how croakamancy would have helped, but i guess it did.

...if we throw away the context, Marie's and Janis's expressions in the picture seem somehow perverted when they're looking at Sizemore.. Like they're about to jump and rape him.

Just sayin'.

[Yggdrasill]

Long time lurker, first time poster. Greetings.

Just a quick thought: If Spacerock falls, what's to keep Parson from breaking with GK and forming his own side? I know Duty compels, but it is an unknowable stat. Plus, Parson, since then end of Book 1, has been showing more and more intiative to break out of being just a piece of the game and become a player.

One thing that struck me recently was Book 2, page 40. When Parson places his "piece", it isn't onto the field of combat with GK, it's on the rim of the battle table. I'm probably reading too much into it, but it could imply he will be standing apart from GK before the turn ends. Now, assuming this happens, I pretty sure there's a high degree of likelihood that Wanda would defect to Parson for two linked reasons. First, she considers her Duty to Fate rather than GK. And secondly, having the Perfect Leader would certainly be an excellent way to pursue her goal of uniting the Arkentools.

Of course this would have major and disaterous implications for the other GK casters (particularly Maggie and Jack, as they will still be in the field rather than in the MK).

[Marshalle Ney]

This is Parson's "March to the Sea", his "Blitzkrieg", his "Crossing the Rubicon" Moment - where he ceases to be just a Warlord and instead becomes the man who changes War itself. Like Sherman, Rommel and Caesar himself - Parson is breaking nearly every accepted rule of warfare in a single, broad stroke of his warlord brush (And let's face it - the man is very likely a student of all three and more besides.) and in so doing, he will force a world to change around him with the introduction of the concept of Total War.

Perhaps therein lies his Caster ways - He is a natural force of Changeamancy - And in the next few months of comics, he will cross The Magick Kingdom - Even if hidden from sight - and from there, there will be no turning back. He will have no choice but to walk the path of Napoleon - Total Conquest of all who stand in his way or Death for himself and those he cares for - Or to use the WW2 turn of phrase...Totliaer Kreig.

On other notes, Sizemore is destined at this point to reach levels of Dirt-a-mancy the likes of which Erf has never seen...and I would not be surprised if our beloved Thinkamancer and Foolamancer are not going to be far behind him. Wanda's life is more in doubt - Already the dice on her are rattling in the dice cup, and it remains to be seen if she will survive this trial...or if, at the extremis end, she will die and with one last act - pass the Arkenpliers with all of their Fate to Parson - and with it, command of the Decrypted to see what the powers of Fate would do for the Hippiemancer/Changeamancer Warlord - In so doing setting the stage for Parson to be forced to stand alone in Spacerock against a Stanley determined to retake his own fate and a world that will show him no mercy.

This is gonna be sweeeet.

[sleepymancer]

Mission Control: we are go for launch!

Cry "Havoc!" and let slip the dogs of war.

Nah, best not cry 'Havoc" - putting all the troops on a free for all without leadership wouldn't help them here :p

But otherwise, yes

[Stormchi]

I read the part about Sizemore gaining insight into his discipline more as a possible way of becoming master class, rather than a necessity.

Also the thing about XP is it's usually a number to indicate how much experience a person has. So perhaps his new insights are a function of him gaining XP, rather than the other way around. These are people, maybe it takes a little time to come to grips with your experiences, especially when you have a lot of new ones. It's also interesting to note that he feels like he's close to becoming master class, indicating that units (or at least casters) have sort of an innate sense of how much XP they have.

[gazes_also]

I don't think Janis an Marie can really let Parson pass through TMK without stopping him for a chat.

[imgran]

The Fairy Godmother, Jafar and Aeris, nice.

The way Sizemore describes it, it sounds like Master class is granted based on a certain degree of skill, rather than a certain level.

Understanding, not skill. Skill is what you do with the understanding you have, it's separate.

[Ansan Gotti]

This is Parson's "March to the Sea", his "Blitzkrieg", his "Crossing the Rubicon" Moment - where he ceases to be just a Warlord and instead becomes the man who changes War itself. Like Sherman, Rommel and Caesar himself - Parson is breaking nearly every accepted rule of warfare in a single, broad stroke of his warlord brush (And let's face it - the man is very likely a student of all three and more besides.) and in so doing, he will force a world to change around him with the introduction of the concept of Total War.

Perhaps therein lies his Caster ways - He is a natural force of Changeamancy - And in the next few months of comics, he will cross The Magick Kingdom - Even if hidden from sight - and from there, there will be no turning back. He will have no choice but to walk the path of Napoleon - Total Conquest of all who stand in his way or Death for himself and those he cares for - Or to use the WW2 turn of phrase...Totliaer Kreig.

I like this a lot, and totally agree. One nitpick, it was more Guderian than Rommel, for blitzkrieg.

On other notes, Sizemore is destined at this point to reach levels of Dirt-a-mancy the likes of which Erf has never seen...and I would not be surprised if our beloved Thinkamancer and Foolamancer are not going to be far behind him. Wanda's life is more in doubt - Already the dice on her are rattling in the dice cup, and it remains to be seen if she will survive this trial...or if, at the extremis end, she will die and with one last act - pass the Arkenpliers with all of their Fate to Parson - and with it, command of the Decrypted to see what the powers of Fate would do for the Hippiemancer/Changeamancer Warlord - In so doing setting the stage for Parson to be forced to stand alone in Spacerock against a Stanley determined to retake his own fate and a world that will show him no mercy.

This is gonna be sweeeet.

Jack and Wanda are already master-class, and now I appreciate more deeply their characterizations. There's a REASON they're so... weird? Extreme? As you delve deeper into the mastery of your class, you become more and more focused on that class, and adopt that class' perspective. We see it with Jack and Wanda quite clearly. We are starting to see it with Sizemore. And perhaps Maggie is not far behind. When you're around a paradigm-shifter like Parson, I imagine they can't help but start thinking about things -- particularly their own discipline -- differently.

[boegiboe]

This update makes me sad. All the storytelling signamancy is there for Sizemore: deep, unresolved doubts about the events he's enabling, his closest friends in awe of how horrible are the things he's doing, and to top it off, a feeling he's never had before that he's really going to be great someday.

Sizemore is going to die. Sizemore is the loss foretold by Wanda in the beginning of Book 2, and it will almost certainly come as a direct result of Parson's actions. The same way Bogroll croaked.

I don't know how it will happen. Maybe Parson will be forced to order him to do something he simply can't bear, like going through the JS portal, and he will disband from disobeying an order. Maybe Janis' hippiemancy will not be sufficient to prevent the MK from croaking Sizemore for what he's done. I don't know.

But Book 3 won't have Sizemore in it.