Book 2 – Page 61

[Atomic]

But if your speculation requires us to know a lot about this caster's background, this seems unlikely, at least in the short term.

...and Vanna? She sort of beat the living daylights out of Book 2 with a single spell, and the text updates are being included in the books, anyway.

[gaiaswill]

Re: epic epileptic twees

Meta realization: Issue 1 ended on page 33, with an additional 24 texts. We're now at 61, with 48 texts, and 3 klogs; if it ended now, Issue 2 would only be slightly over the same number of pages. Whatever happens, it's going to be timed right for an issue end.

I like the idea of Parson suddenly finding himself free. That would be a very different WHAM to end an issue and would put the battle of Spacerock in great limbo... again.

[Housellama]

I'll say only this:

I find the idea that Parson Gotti, Lord Hamster, Chief Warlord of Gobwin Knob has neglected to consider and plan for the possibility of a caster following him into the tunnel to be simply laughable.

Well, he might have neglected to consider and plan for the possibility that there would be someone expecting him there. If he was going to rely on the element of surprise - fall through the tunnel, run to the other end, run in before the casters have time to do anything - he could be caught off-guard by a caster who was standing by the portal, expecting his arrival, and with the perfect scroll for the occasion already in his hands.

I''m with ftl on this one. Parson was relying on security through secrecy and on the facts that Erfworlders aren't used to responding to things in real time and that this, quite simply, had never been done before. He was counting on catching the MK completely flat footed and to be there and gone before anyone had the chance to respond. That's why he was waiting on the go-no go from Sizemore, and had the most direct route built in. He didn't HAVE any other plan, because he was already working on a limited time frame (Ie, it being someone else's turn). This plan was built on speed, stealth and surprise. And it would have worked perfectly... except someone was waiting.

Now I'm as big a Parson fanboy as they come. But there was no way Parson could plan on someone waiting for him. Sorry, it's unrealistic to expect that he did. His plan was to be out of the MK before anyone really had time to register what was happening. That was the keystone to the entire thing. Sizemore knows that. And on the surface (literally and figuratively), things are going to plan. That's why Sizemore has his "WTB" face on when Janis mentions the other Caster. He knows Parson has no backup plan.

He's waiting there to open the final door to keep the MK Casters guessing. All they know is that a Warlord appeared, then disappeared. Sure, the quicker ones might figure it out, but by that time Parson will have a head start. The others will be just registering "A Warlord! Where?" as Sizemore opens up the other side of the tunnel to let Parson out. By not having two holes, they leave everyone guessing, running to the one place they saw Parson previously, which is the one place Parson knows that he is NOT. It's instinct. When you lose something, the first place you look is where you last remember seeing it. So while they run to the only hole they see, Sizemore quietly opens and closes the back door and Parson disappears.

But someone was waiting. That was the one thing they couldn't have counted on, because that was the one thing their plan was built on the assumption that there wasn't: someone who knew that they were coming. You don't build a plan entirely predicated on secrecy if you have even an inkling that someone might be waiting for you. Parson isn't a Caster. Maybe he has some magical toy that's pretty cool, but I doubt a magic item, or even a whole pile of magic items, could take on the whole MK. Because it would only take one ready Caster to totally ruin Parson's day from the get-go. Why this one HASN'T is still unknown, but we can safely assume that Parson and company didn't expect this, and that they don't have a plan to cover this.
---
Edit: As correctly pointed out below, let me rephrase. While others knew that people were waiting on him, Parson himself has no idea that others were waiting on him and this, did not plan for it. And even the others did not plan for the unknown Caster, currently presumed to be Chewie. (My hat is off to Althernai)

[Althernai]

But there was no way Parson could plan on someone waiting for him.

But amusingly enough, it's not just someone. Janis and Marie were waiting because of Predictamancy. The Thinkamancers were waiting because Maggie told them. The caster chasing Parson through the tunnel was waiting for reasons currently unknown. At this rate, half the Magic Kingdom will have known of his arrival...

[gazes_also]

Ok, may as well join the wild speculation.
I'm in the Charlie's agent camp.
He didn't have to know about the tunnel, just that Parson would enter TMK by the portal, so he was standing by. Charlie certainly appears to monitor Parson's thinkagrams so would be aware of the plan.
Parson would have expected anyone following him into the tunnel to try to catch him, shouting, "hey you stop!", not sneak along behind him.

So the next thing is WHY?
If he wanted to stop him or assassinate him, he could have done it as soon as he exited the portal, instead he is following at a safe distance. From this it looks like he is going to follow him to JS. Why follow him from the point of highest vulnerability into the security of his own forces?

The best solution I can come up with is it's a capture Parson plan and the scroll will incapacitate him and anyone else within a broad radius. The problem with knocking Parson out in TMK is how to transport him out of there, he would be more accessible in JS. If he is knocked out at JS along with most of the GK leadership then even if JS still falls the archons come in on the next turn and clean up Parson and Wanda.

[Mr. Goodwraith]

What's the significance (if any) of the six-pointed shadows or auras under the new caster's footfalls? Is this just "cartoon shorthand" to show general physical impact, or is there more to it?

[Fabo]

I believe it is just what it is, a shadow. Observe light source locations.

[coyotenose]

The speculation about Jeftichew following along to attempt to assassinate Wanda has left me wondering: Has anyone theorized about what would happen if the attuned Tool of the Arkenpliers, whose most powerful known ability is Decryption, were to be killed? Is it reasonably possible that death would decrypt Wanda as well, or that she can't be permanently killed using the same methods that work on other Units? Or even that the Arkenpliers might now act as her "lich's phylactery"? What if it requires an attuned Arkentool to have a shot at permanently Croaking her?

Oh, from a metastory perspective (though I hate thinking this way), I don't think Jeftichew can be there to assassinate Parson. It would be great, storywise, if he knocked out Parson and kept him from the battle right after Parson got his nerve up and his proverbial warpaint on, thus making all of Parson's steeling himself for naught. But if he tries to kill Parson, he has to fail, which takes the air right out of his subplot no matter if he hurts Parson or not. Now obviously, he could be trying to kill Parson and only manage to hurt him enough to keep him from the fight, but again, that sort of weakens his whole reason for being a detailed, foreshadowed character with his own subplot if he fails badly at the first thing he attempts, doesn't it?

He can be there for practically anything else that has been speculated upon with varying degrees of plausibility (except he's running in the wrong direction to hit GK, of course), but to kill Parson? Nah.

[WaterMonkey314]

Does Parson even know that Mystery-Caster-who-may-or-may-not-be-Jeftichew is behind him?

Also, who proposed that Parson might get killed a number of pages back? That person made a pretty compelling argument about how it wasn't as crazy as it sounded, and it could plausibly be a major way to end the issue on a cliffhanger.

[Loyal]

I think, regardless of his identity, it's pretty obvious why the caster's there. He wanted to see a fat guy do a fifty-yard dash in a suit of armor.. That right there is an Eyemancy scroll for the Erfworld equivalent of Youtube.

[drachefly]

Somehow, Wanda and Jack knew to go to the portal room and wait. This was not arranged in advance.

I'm pretty sure it was in Parson's briefing to Wanda

Well, yeah. Which was apparently intercepted by Charlie. I was pointing out that Charlie does know that Parson's coming through. By 'in advance' I meant prior to this turn.

[the_tick_rules]

I think, regardless of his identity, it's pretty obvious why the caster's there. He wanted to see a fat guy do a fifty-yard dash in a suit of armor.. That right there is an Eyemancy scroll for the Erfworld equivalent of Youtube.

points for creativity. If this dude is hostile I'm hoping the thinkamancers stop him, some caster on caster action.

[Housellama]

points for creativity.

I didn't realize we were keeping score. Is bribing the judges acceptable?

[the_tick_rules]

points for creativity.

I didn't realize we were keeping score. Is bribing the judges acceptable?

I'm open for bribes, 75 schmuckers sounds good.

[Lightbender]

Okay Parson, now turn around and blast him in the face, you've got enough gear for it.

[Oberon]

It's possible Charlie intercepted this message and decoded it and then sent a minion/ally to wait for Parson. I personally consider this a low possibility. After all, even the GMTTA barely got to the Park in time, and they decoded the message instantly. It seems unlikely to me that Charlie could have intercepted the message, decoded it, contacted his ally, and gotten him in place at the Park so quickly.

I agree, but please recall that Charlie both knows that Parson can enter the MK and Charlie is a long term planner. Although I don't favor the theory, it is not out of character for Charlie to have laid a trap for Parson's eventual return to the MK.

Can't wait to see if parson can even fight back!

The last time Parson went up against a caster he was nerve pinched into next turn and his fate was decided without any further input from him.

But there was no way Parson could plan on someone waiting for him.

But amusingly enough, it's not just someone. Janis and Marie were waiting because of Predictamancy. The Thinkamancers were waiting because Maggie told them. The caster chasing Parson through the tunnel was waiting for reasons currently unknown. At this rate, half the Magic Kingdom will have known of his arrival...

It is rather amusing, isn't it? But it's not "half."
Parson: I'm heading through the MK and into Jetstone!
Sizemore: That's unthinkable!
Every caster in the MK: Nah, we're all in place in our various factions and awaiting his arrival! No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!

So, Sizemore can walk through dirt/rock. In about 2 seconds he can be in the tunnel and throw up a rock wall in between Parson and Chewie, or employ some other dazzling dirtamancy power. Or eat the shockamancy scroll and die, while enabling Parson to reach Jetstone. Thus fulfilling Wanda's prediction of Parson's great personal suffering.

[Krennson]

so... interesting possibilities for the unknown caster....

1. He's an Unaroyal refugee, or someone else with a grudge against Gobwin Knob. He was waiting for SOMEONE to come out of Gobwin Knob's portal, so he could attack them.... and he just got lucky with parson.

2. He's a mercenary hired by charlie, who either intercepted Maggie's signal, or else is just clever enough to cover his bases. Maybe Charlie just expected sizemore to move to Spacerock AFTER the city fell, and was trying for a free ambush.

3. He's actually one of the thinkamancers protecting Parson, or who wants to get a hand-carried message to Parson about the Charlie threat. That explains why he hasn't attacked parson yet: he's just trying to keep up with him.

personally, I favor option number three: it seems to carry the most potential for plot development when parson finally finds out exactly how powerful Charlie is.

[JustDoug]

(And Others Along The Same Line) I have no doubt in my mind that the George Harrison-looking dude is Jeftichew. With that name, he was going to be fairly hairy and have a carnival outfit of some kind, but he wasn't going to actually look like real-life Jeftichew.

So, he's trying to stop GK, and I like the suggestion that he's after Wanda specifically.

But, as I've said before, Sizemore is the one who's going to get it. Jeftichew's assassination attempt, directed at whomsoever it may be, will end up croaking Sizemore. And something will happen such that Wanda can't decrypt him.

Just to keep things up in the air... Not that they need my assistance to achieve high altitude. My! Isnt the plot plottening!

But... Have you thought about; what if he's there to help Parson? The GMTA seems to want to keep a low profile, so the 'sneak into the tunnel after Parson' approach might be their plan- along with a, "It's dangerous to go alone. Take this (scroll of Thinkamancy Spell)."

Something to consider.

[edit: Ninja-ed already. And here I thought I was being clever. ]

[coyotenose]

So, Sizemore can walk through dirt/rock. In about 2 seconds he can be in the tunnel and throw up a rock wall in between Parson and Chewie, or employ some other dazzling dirtamancy power. Or eat the shockamancy scroll and die, while enabling Parson to reach Jetstone. Thus fulfilling Wanda's prediction of Parson's great personal suffering.

Oof. I hadn't considered that one. From a story perspective, that's... yes, painfully plausible.

[Dancing Cthulhu]

Heh, good to be back. Got to say I have continued to love the story since last I posted and have eagerly followed every twist and turned and development and simply can't wait to see what happens next.

I'll say only this:

I find the idea that Parson Gotti, Lord Hamster, Chief Warlord of Gobwin Knob has neglected to consider and plan for the possibility of a caster following him into the tunnel to be simply laughable.

It would depend on what "plan for the possibility" entails. He knows he isn't welcome in the MK so his main course of action was to avoid being seen. Does he have a contingency in the event he is spotted and pursued (beyond just taking advantage of the spotters surprise and running really fast)? Maybe. Has he planned for a caster to actually be expecting him and ready to do something? Why would he?

And who is the caster? Who does he work for? I guess Parson caused a big enough stir appearing there last time it is possible Charlie or an independent caster with their own motivations might feel it worth staking out the GK portal should he come back through without any prior knowledge he would turn up now. Or one of the many other great theories in this thread is correct.

Obviously the mystery caster has no particular feelings one way or the other about Parson, he simply heard "cue the Benny Hill music" and gave chase, compelled to do so by forces outside his control.

*Claps*

I'm thinking Ol' George is there to capture Parson. Perhaps that's a Hold Parson scroll?

*Claps some more*

One rule breaker or two, the rule is broken. Does Janis really think the world at large will bother with the distinction between Parson and a "regular caster"? I cannot imagine why they would.

Reading back I don't know if Janis was ever really on board with Parson using the MK this way. Parson and a caster using it this way though is mind blowingly bad in her opinion for the MK. If she was willing to accept Parson using it like this maybe she thought the MK could spin it and the various kingdom would accept it this once since the MK is more useful to them as a neutral supplier of casters then the alternative. Parson, she could say, is an other, something strange that doesn't fit the common knowledge of Erfworld and doesn't know the rules and/or is in the command of someone mad/bad. He sneaks from his portal to one controlled by an enemy, even after we told him to never return and set guards. The MK can apologize and say it wont ever happen again and they will kill Parson on site should he ever try a trick like that again, they'll even set up some magic to expose any such attempts.

But if Sizemore (who has been seen chatting to two influential casters, one of whom he is a very good friend with) goes then a caster, who knows the rules and status of of the MK, is an accomplice. It might make rulers suspicious of casters or the MK in general. If side X can use their casters and the MK like that why can't I? Or for that matter why can't my enemies? Damn, I better get in first!

Regardless it is fairly naive, and shows Janis, while and optimist and having good intentions (though we know where that can lead) is a bit squeamish. She must have thought the MK would be a tranquil sanctuary that would be untouched by all the world breaking she is rooting for. But then again that is fair enough, everyone has a line.