Book 2 – Page 65

[Ansan Gotti]

In fairness, there's no way that it would ever have been exactly sensible for Parson to have dropped his defences for an unknown caster simply because they asked him to. No verification of any kind on the spell, etc.

Fair point, and I don't disagree at all, I just don't know that Jojo is as malicious as Marie is making him out to be.

[Dr Pepper]

In fairness, there's no way that it would ever have been exactly sensible for Parson to have dropped his defences for an unknown caster simply because they asked him to. No verification of any kind on the spell, etc.

This. When did Parson pick up the idiot ball? I mean... pick up the spell to check it later? Sure. But not sure if it he was going to let Jojo cast the spell there and then is in no way sensible.

He's still razzle-dazzled.

[Mr Gump]

Nice to find out Jojo was probably malicious, though.

Or, perhaps even more likely, that it's within Marie's interest to portray Jojo as malicious.

I subscribe to this. For some reason I find Marie to be really sinister. Which is really, really dichotomous. She's supposed to be this la-dee-da Predictamancer from a bubble philosopher/caster side, but she's pretty intense for all of that. And don't forget that Marie convinced Janis to get the Perfect Warlord spell together. She's a pretty impressive puppetmaster. Kinda like Ann from Sword of Truth. Looks sweet and innocent, kindof a -boop-. And locks people up for 700 years for being born (ironically enough) that series's version of a Predictamancer.

Marie was the one that told Wanda she would wield one of the tools. This led Wanda to contact Stanley and betray her side. Stanley was 'inspired' to quest for the other tools, ultimately getting desperate enough to need a perfect warlord.

We still haven't found out exactly why the goblins overthrew Saline IV when Stanley was away...

[Sixty]

If Marie had any idea what the spell really does (assuming it does actually send him back to Earth) it would be in her interest to make Jojo's offer look as dishonest and backhanded as possible to discourage Parson from considering going home.

[Lamech]

If Marie had any idea what the spell really does (assuming it does actually send him back to Earth) it would be in her interest to make Jojo's offer look as dishonest and backhanded as possible to discourage Parson from considering going home.

I bet part of the plan was (if Parson wasn't a complete moron) was to get Parson asking not "Should I go home?" but "Is the offer real?". Charlie can't control Parson's answer to the first question, but he CAN decide if the offer is real. And what does Charlie gain from screwing Parson over? If Parson is banished, or if Parson is dead its all the same to him. (And we don't know if Parson can even croak! What if slicing him into tiny bits doesn't officially "croak" him and he heals up at turn start?) Hence the offer is probably good and Parson with his bracer and caster friends will figure it out. So Marie's attempts will fail, and she'll make him focus on the second question.

She should be trying to convince Parson its a bad idea. Maybe, "Charlie will summon you the second someone banishes you. So even if the scroll is the real deal its still a trap." or perhaps "You would let all the men on your side be slaughtered? They'll never survive with out your aid." Or tell Tool to order him not to cast it. Or she could ask to look at the scroll and then lie.

[The Minx]

Just to point out: there's no way right now of knowing whether Marie is telling the truth any more than it is possible to know whether Jojo was telling the truth. After all, Marie also wants to manipulate Parson.

The only way to find out (later) is to analyze that scroll.

PS: of course, Marie is right about one thing: never let a strange caster use a spell on you, unless you have a friend to vouch for them.

[Kreistor]

Oh, c'mon... a Carnymancer has a spell to cancel a 500000 schmucker spell? Riiiight. Why spend huge cash when all you need is a shockamancy spell to kill him and a little subterfuge to get him to take the spell willingly?

I can't believe anyone thinks that spell was going to do what Jojo claimed, except in the loosest, most market spun sense of the words.

[teratorn]

Oh, c'mon... a Carnymancer has a spell to cancel a 500000 schmucker spell? Riiiight.

Charlie has that much money, and someone had to tell Jojo. I think the trick is that the place where you belong is in charlescomm...

[gameboy1234]

panel 5: JFK and Jackie Kennedy? The pink dress, the pillbox hat, the big hair on the guy with his arms around her?

Many of the casters have been comic book characters (Dr. Strange, Zatanna, etc.) I'm guessing Lois and Clark, in an appropriate 30's style dress.

[Kreistor]

Charlie has that much money, and someone had to tell Jojo. I think the trick is that the place where you belong is in charlescomm...

I didn't present the only possible effect, only one.

But why would the cash savvy Charlie waste more money to dispel a very powerful spell, when he could pay less to just kill Parson? And by killing him, the bracer gets left behind, where the bracer can not be ensured to stay if Parson gets yoinked?

I'm not saying it's Shockmancy, only that Shockmancy would be cheaper than a high level Dispel. There are dozens of other effects, like Turnamancy that Charlie would want. Suggestion. Paralysis and stuffed into Charlescomm's portal, etc. Any number of ways Charlie could capture Parson.

[Thomas60]

Speechless Janis got the hots for Parson?
...perhaps its a bit too milf-y, I could just draw some blushing cheeks on the 4th panel.

[Ytaker]

Charlie has that much money, and someone had to tell Jojo. I think the trick is that the place where you belong is in charlescomm...

I didn't present the only possible effect, only one.

But why would the cash savvy Charlie waste more money to dispel a very powerful spell, when he could pay less to just kill Parson? And by killing him, the bracer gets left behind, where the bracer can not be ensured to stay if Parson gets yoinked?

I'm not saying it's Shockmancy, only that Shockmancy would be cheaper than a high level Dispel. There are dozens of other effects, like Turnamancy that Charlie would want. Suggestion. Paralysis and stuffed into Charlescomm's portal, etc. Any number of ways Charlie could capture Parson.

He's more likely to reject a spell that would kill him. No doubt Marie would predict it too. If you're gonna predict anything you're gonna predict whether your warlord will die.

It would simply be bad tactics if it was that easily detected. It should at least be a spell of a similar class, so they'd think it would return him.

[Tubal-Cain]

So Parson is supposed to be "the smart one", eh?

Something tells me Parson's circle of friends will be joining us soon.

[Lamech]

Oh, c'mon... a Carnymancer has a spell to cancel a 500000 schmucker spell? Riiiight. Why spend huge cash when all you need is a shockamancy spell to kill him and a little subterfuge to get him to take the spell willingly?

I can't believe anyone thinks that spell was going to do what Jojo claimed, except in the loosest, most market spun sense of the words.

Because Parson isn't a moron and has friends who can analyze it? A fake scroll will likely fail. Furthermore Charlie is working with the Unaroyal casters, he has the cash and the casters are willing to link with him. So even if a tri-link is needed for a banish scroll Charlie could pull it off and if extra non-linked casters are needed they could be hired too.

[Saladman]

I only wondah how he knew you wah coming.

That's hard Predictomancy...

First baby step toward Parson figuring out Charlie has Thinkomancy cracked?

Overall I liked it. Kind of a bridge panel, but Parson's in the loop a little more and they haven't burned too much time, so that's all good.

Going home is either very tempting to Parson (understandable) or Patter is a feature of Carnymancy, and Parson's still under.

[DunkelMentat]

Not a lot here we hadn't already hashed out in the forums I'd say. Still a necessary page. I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL PARSON GOES THROUGH THAT DAMN PORTAL.

[Aster Azul]

Argh TALKING

Run through the PORTAL, Parson!!!

[Kreistor]

He's more likely to reject a spell that would kill him. No doubt Marie would predict it too. If you're gonna predict anything you're gonna predict whether your warlord will die.

It would simply be bad tactics if it was that easily detected. It should at least be a spell of a similar class, so they'd think it would return him.

I think you missed my point. Carnymancers are known to be liars, but there are many here trying to say that Marie is the liar and Jojo telling the truth. I merely find the concept of two people acting against type to be absurd. The evidence I present is that:

1) If Charlie is behind it, Charlie's goal is to capture Parson and/or the bracer, not evict him back to Earth
2) If Charlie is not involved, a much cheaper spell gets rid of Parson with a simple lie from a known liar

Now, me, I think Jojo's target is really Wanda, and that it's really a Suggestion that will somehow cause Parson to kill Wanda. But that's 100% speculation. This would serve Charlie (by weakening Gobwin Knob for him to get at Parson) and satisfy Jojo's haterd. Jojo has no reason to hate Parson, who had no part in the invasion and destruction of Unqroyal, but should hate Stanley, Wanda, and Ansom.

[Tathar]

Jojo has no reason to hate Parson, who had no part in the invasion and destruction of Unqroyal, but should hate Stanley, Wanda, and Ansom.

Unless Charlie gave him a copy of the Parson dossier. Suddenly Big Bad Behind-The-Scenes More Than Perfect Warlord is Jojo's #1 enemy.

[zilfallon]

You wah supposed to be a smot one. Hate to see a dumb one.

I think Marie is the "dumb one" here, for being %100 sure that jojo wasn't being honest, while Parson was the one with doubts to even his knowledge and tried to understand what's going on.

I dunno. Marie could be completely justified in that assumption; we don't know a whole lot about Carnymancy or Carnymancers, but what we do know (based on real-world knowledge of carnies, and a couple other bits) implies that trusting one who isn't Obedient to you any farther than you can throw him is probably a bad idea.

You missed my point. My point was that Marie acted on her knowledge of Carnymancers and such, not even having a slightest doubt. Parson knew the danger too. He didn't drop his guard, but different from Marie, he was curious. Marie would have ignored JoJo and rushed to her goal, but Parson paused a moment and tried to understand what was going on. Marie was full of herself, while Parson was curiously questioning JoJo.