Summer Update - 034

[balder]

New one is up. Guest art will be added at a later date.

[Carlan]

I don't think Wrigley will be the last to call this blitz unfair.

[Anton Gaist]

That was one heavy piece of writing.

I wonder, what will he think once he's decrypted?

[Glenn]

Wrigley is probably going to get his spear back. So if he doesn't have to stay in Warchalking, this may actually turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to him.

[Unclever title]

So that's how capturing works in Erfworld at least for generic POWs warlords might have slightly better accommodations though that would make sense to come after the initial capture.

I guess Wrigley never met/saw Ansom before. I very much like observing the thoughts of an infantry unit, one who looked no further in life than the tip of his spear.

It gives a needed psychological look into the average Erfworld denizen, not to mention it paints a vivid picture of Erf war. One the best summer updates.

[moose o death]

poor wrigley. i hope he isn't decrypted just so he's spared from becoming one of those freakish puppets.

[DHowett]

I wasn't going to register on the forums until I read this update. Not because the update forced me to, no, but I just had to say:
34 was amazing - beyond words, even. It's rare that a piece of writing effects me so deeply, but I was seriously just astounded for five minutes. Just reeling.
Kudos. I've loved ErfWorld, and still do, but this? This is astounding. Touching.

[darthoctopus]

[Lord Kasavin]

Curses, you beat me to pointing out the pun. Also, I find it interesting that chains pop for the remainding defenders when a garrison is taken. I hope we get to read whats going on inside Wanda's mind next or soon.

[gameboy1234]

I found it interesting how little Wrigley feared death. He seemed completely unfazed by it. I suppose all Erfworlders feel this way? If you're popped, and you really have no other existence besides being destined for battle, I suppose you must be also untroubled by the thought of eventually being killed.

If so, I wonder where morale/loyalty comes in. Is it really only relevant for higher level units, warlords, casters and heirs? I can't see a low level unit defecting. Where would they go? What would they do?

[Spot]

poor wrigley. i hope he isn't decrypted just so he's spared from becoming one of those freakish puppets.

Poor guy. Sad story.

As for being a puppet once Wanda decrypts him, it doesn't seem as if he was ever anything BUT a puppet.

Sometimes, Erfworld doesn't seem all that different from Earth. Change a few words around, and this story could be about almost anyone from a Babylonian conscript in 2000 BC to a rifleman at the Battle of the Marne in the 20th century, and many millions of people in-between.

Nice writing.

[Sokrotes]

poor wrigley. i hope he isn't decrypted just so he's spared from becoming one of those freakish puppets.

I have to disagree, all he wanted to do all his life was use his spear on something besides a practice dummy. I bet if they gave him his spear back and told him if he fights for Stanley that he can be in the front line stabbing those that made him sit and do nothing all his life he'd do it without even having to be controlled. Stanley can give him what he never had before, a purpose, an actual use.

[Spot]

poor wrigley. i hope he isn't decrypted just so he's spared from becoming one of those freakish puppets.

Stanley can give him what he never had before, a purpose, an actual use.

Good point.

[BarGamer]

Hahaha, Wrigley's mint-condition spear. Nice. He sounds so... deflated. I wonder what's a Bohica, much less a Unatard? I doubt it has much resemblance to a Leotard...

12 stacks means we can assume that there was greater than or equal to 96 units at the battle.

[Justyn]

Hahaha, Wrigley's mint-condition spear. Nice. He sounds so... deflated. I wonder what's a Bohica, much less a Unatard? I doubt it has much resemblance to a Leotard...

12 stacks means we can assume that there was greater than or equal to 96 units at the battle.

A unitard is kind of like a leotard with leggings.
"Bohica" is an acronym for "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again", so it's a great name for a border outpost that kept getting conquered.

[DunkelMentat]

Maybe the best summer update so far. Stunning.

[Beholden]

With the summer updates I was getting a little worried about the writing guys.... but dammn. Why did I doubt you?

I'd be sad to see a character with such a good exposition vanish. We still have a large Bogroll shaped hole!

[Welf von Ehrwald]

Poor Wrigley. Never had a chance.

And in retrospective, Stanley was right: there is no difference between him and the royals. I always thought that the garrison of a town "just" fights to the dead, not that they will be automatically tied, left to the non-existent grace of their occupiers. We safely can assume that Ansom (or a unaroyal warlord) already had executed the old garrison of Warchalking the same way.

Oh, and excellent update.

[HandofShadows]

[quote="BarGamer"]I wonder what's a Bohica, much less a Unatard? I doubt it has much resemblance to a Leotard...[quote]

Un-tard or unretarded maybe?

Poor Wrigley in many senses. I don't see him so much as a puppet, but as a drone. Good little unit that goes and does it's job, but never thinks for itself. Will units like Wrigley be more self aware after being decrypted? We may see soon.

I know some people want to see inside Wanda's head and it would be interesting, but that might reveal to much at ths time.

[moose o death]

poor wrigley. i hope he isn't decrypted just so he's spared from becoming one of those freakish puppets.

I have to disagree, all he wanted to do all his life was use his spear on something besides a practice dummy. I bet if they gave him his spear back and told him if he fights for Stanley that he can be in the front line stabbing those that made him sit and do nothing all his life he'd do it without even having to be controlled. Stanley can give him what he never had before, a purpose, an actual use.

i could never agree with that logic. i know these guys have next to no free will under any circumstance, but there is something un right about decrypt. it's the confused look on their faces. it 's the being completely refocussed, the complete change of personality. they might still have their memories but they'd still be hollow shades of their former self. they are not living again, they're just not allowed to be dead yet.

someone needs to put the witch down hard.