Book 2 - Page 15

[BLANDCorporatio]

theseus2x, I must concede that there are probably people with better qualifications than Stanley for World Ruler. Said qualifications being tolerance to boredom IMO.

{{EDIT: just figured out who, according to my qualification set, would make the best World Ruler.

***drum-roll***

Sizemore. Not necessarily because he demonstrated large tolerance to boredom, but because of his great skill at keeping himself peacefully occupied and experience with flaking.}}

and I love the Discworld reference.

You're welcome, and there's another reference in there too though it's not as famous and as such is a bit problematic. Might require some detective work to locate.

Carrots and sticks are both classic phallic symbols. Jillian and Wanda have a relationship. Suggesting that they are both interchangeable.
Oh yes it IS a sexual reference

Sometimes a carrot is just a carrot. And the stick is also just a stick. The sword does not compensate for anything, it's just a sharp well-made instrument of death. They just happen to be attacking a tower because it will result in a climactic fight.

[Toper]

Carrots and sticks are both classic phallic symbols. Jillian and Wanda have a relationship. Suggesting that they are both interchangeable.
Oh yes it IS a sexual reference

Sort of, but I don't believe it's the simple one you're thinking of; I guess it needs spelling out. Given Wanda's obvious inclinations, when the two of them get together, it seems extremely likely that Jillian enjoys pain -- so to her, the stick is a carrot.

[Krennson]

Carrots and sticks are both classic phallic symbols. Jillian and Wanda have a relationship. Suggesting that they are both interchangeable.
Oh yes it IS a sexual reference

Sort of, but I don't believe it's the simple one you're thinking of; I guess it needs spelling out. Given Wanda's obvious inclinations, when the two of them get together, it seems extremely likely that Jillian enjoys pain -- so to her, the stick is a carrot.

that's certainly how i interpreted the comic.

[Shoki]

Hmm i didn't about it but last time Jillian also failed at turning wanda... and with that Would she still hate stanley if she knew it was wanda idea to attack faq?
Also i wonder if a turnamacner will be used to turn or more to protect from turning. I don't think wanda could be that blind but she also doesn't know about the turnamancer.

I can't recall if jillain said "good she'll want to talk" or "good she'll try to talk"...as i think that could help or hender wanda greatly.

[Krennson]

Hmm i didn't about it but last time Jillian also failed at turning wanda... and with that Would she still hate stanley if she knew it was wanda idea to attack faq?
Also i wonder if a turnamacner will be used to turn or more to protect from turning. I don't think wanda could be that blind but she also doesn't know about the turnamancer.

I can't recall if jillain said "good she'll want to talk" or "good she'll try to talk"...as i think that could help or hender wanda greatly.

Jillian's words were:

"at least she won't come in swinging. She'll want to talk first"

[Shoki]

Well good at least that means she'll be able to talk. And


"Or they just might croak her. Which would leave her...

At Ansom's side, and under Wanda's delicate control. Her heart pounded in her chest like it was trying to break its way out. Titans disband.

She really didn't know which one she was here for any more"


I think a turning could be done.

[Menas]

Well good at least that means she'll be able to talk. And


"Or they just might croak her. Which would leave her...

At Ansom's side, and under Wanda's delicate control. Her heart pounded in her chest like it was trying to break its way out. Titans disband.

She really didn't know which one she was here for any more"


I think a turning could be done.

Neither Charlie nor Translyvito is going to idly stand by while Jillian gets killed or turned with no heir, after everything they've poured into her.

[Shoki]

They also wouldn't stand by for Jillian turning wanda which might also happen.


Heh that bring about a good amount of chaos.

[Welf von Ehrwald]

Ironically, Jillian and Stanley are much alike. They try to solve their problems by hitting them. (And they like pretty boys, albeit for different uses). But I like Stanley and dislike Jillian. Stanley is a genuine idiot, but he took a long and hard road to work his way up to where he is, while Jillian is much smarter and just lowers herself.

Just wanted to chime in and say that Stanley and Jillian, apart from both preferring simple outlooks on the world, are not alike at all.

I probably should have written "are in some regards alike". I think we both see the issue similar. My point was, that when under pressure, they react similar: solve the problem by hitting it. For Stanley, aformer piker, that is a betterment, for Jillian, ther royal, that is decline.

BUT - I disagree. Stanley won't be satisfied with that. Stanley wants to FEEL like he's in control. He'll make petty decisions just because he has the power to do so. Look at the current situation where he's forced to delegate to Wanda. He HATES it. He's going nuts. He's throwing a temper tantrum. He despises not feeling in control.

Now multiply that by 1000. Uhm, no. He'd destroy the world before he'd make himself a figurehead.

I think you're right, being ruler of the world would drive Stanley crazy. But could Stanley even screw ruling the world? On earth, big empires usually have to fight with corruption and waste of resources. that is in erfworld nearly impossible; the economic system is way to simple for that. With hundreds or thousands of cities Stanley can produce and maintain an invincible army of dwagons. And without any other sides, it is literally impossible for him to make any military mistake. Only a big rebellion within is own forces could threaten Stanley. That is Wanda and a captured Charley. And even they would have problems with Stanley ability to produce countless dwagons.
But aside from that Stanley would probably not a bad ruler. We learned very early that Stanley let his people pursue their little hobbies, as long as he gets his results. he allowed Wanda to play with Jillian, and let Sizemore start his own construction company in the MK. And when peace breaks out, people will need little hobbies and a ruler that lets them pursue them, or else every erfworlder would just stand around doing nothing until the end of time.

[AllPurposeNerd]

You know, I think I might start to like Ossomer. Assuming he doesn't red shirt in the next few pages.

[PlotArmour]

I'm rooting for Jillian and Wanda to team up, destroy Jetstone (and Charlie if he is there), then start her own side. I am sure to be disappointed though... then it'll be a charlie/parson team up from necessity.

[Fug]

Just a few thoughts . . .

1) If Wanda went in under veil and Charlie has units in the airspace then she would get detected by CC's Archons and it would be a huge disaster.

2) Going in slowly makes it more likely that GK will detect any units Charlescomm has in the area.

3) The battle will be epic and the outcome uncertain and surprising to most of us.

[Dayriff]

I'm rooting for Jillian and Wanda to team up, destroy Jetstone (and Charlie if he is there), then start her own side. I am sure to be disappointed though... then it'll be a charlie/parson team up from necessity.

I was about to propose something very like this, actually. Right now Wanda's biggest problem is that she's under Stanley's thumb and no good way to get out by Erfworld metaphysics. It doesn't matter how personally pwoerful or useful she is, Stanley can disband her with a word. And he would, too, if she angered him enough.

But Jillian is a Queen, and she could accept Wanda's defection.

Imagine it for a moment. They rule FAQ together, protected by Wanda's army of the decrypted. Jill is the Queen, but Wanda is the Mistress, ruling FAQ through her loving dominance of Jillian. Ansom as Chief Warlord to support them on the battlefield and the bedchamber. And if Jillian wants, they can even go after Stanley. Why not?

Is there a reason in the world that Jill wouldn't accept an offer like that?

[PlotArmour]

I'm sorry, but the "Wanda can only turn with Jillian's aid" just seems silly. Forget that she has pliers... pretty much anyone can turn if they want. We don't even know that Wanda technically works for Stanley... she didn't have any loyalty spells... plus, we don't know you can disband someone from a distance... there is certainly evidence to suggest this is not possible...

[Jeivar]

Imagine it for a moment. They rule FAQ together, protected by Wanda's army of the decrypted. Jill is the Queen, but Wanda is the Mistress, ruling FAQ through her loving dominance of Jillian. Ansom as Chief Warlord to support them on the battlefield and the bedchamber. And if Jillian wants, they can even go after Stanley. Why not?

Is there a reason in the world that Jill wouldn't accept an offer like that?

Well, there is the issue of Wanda's crazy "Fate chose me!" thing and lust for power. She wouldn't settle for living in Faq in relative peace. And as batty as Jillian may be, I don't think she would agree to go to war with the entire world and turn everyone into decrypted.

[fractal]

I'm sorry, but the "Wanda can only turn with Jillian's aid" just seems silly. Forget that she has pliers... pretty much anyone can turn if they want. We don't even know that Wanda technically works for Stanley... she didn't have any loyalty spells... plus, we don't know you can disband someone from a distance... there is certainly evidence to suggest this is not possible...

Sure, turning is fine, and probably anyone (commanders at least) can turn at any time. However, that doesn't mean that they can start their own sides - and if they have nowhere to go, they'll die without a ruler or anyone to pay their upkeep. That's why Wanda (may) need Jillian.

[Sinrus]

Not Wanda. She'll only have to pay her own upkeep. And besides, she could easily conquer herself a side and use Unaroyal as her capital.

Also, is it just me, or does Ossomer's skull livery look really weird in panel 11?

[MonteCristo]

Imagine it for a moment. They rule FAQ together, protected by Wanda's army of the decrypted. Jill is the Queen, but Wanda is the Mistress, ruling FAQ through her loving dominance of Jillian. Ansom as Chief Warlord to support them on the battlefield and the bedchamber. And if Jillian wants, they can even go after Stanley. Why not?

Is there a reason in the world that Jill wouldn't accept an offer like that?

I think the main problem would be that it was Wanda who lead to the fall of faq...
Think about it, what is Jillian's reason for hating Stanely? it was because she destroyed her kingdom... But it was Wanda who manipulated Stanely to attack for her own personal gain. Add this to her Aggro-blasting Jillian's Fliers when she arrived at GK and Jillian actually has reason to not like Wanda.

Wanda effectively sold out her side and betrayed Jillian once in an attempt to take the hammer; for over 700 turns, Jillian blamed Stanely... Then Wanda betrayed Jillian again in hopes of taking the pliers... The fall of Faq was an unintended consquence, but attacking Jillian's fliers was a direct backstab... Ask yourself, would you forgive a friend for betraying you for his own personal gain? it's like Wanda choose the pliers over Jillian.

Right now, Jillian is confused and doesn't know what she's fighting for... this leads to her contemplating the ideal of being decrypted by wanda... Jillian enjoyed the masoquistic games but she does have limits as she made clear to Wanda in the last book and i think that Jillian is eventually gonna realize the above. Stab in the back for power goes too far to be easily forgiven.

I'm sorry, but the "Wanda can only turn with Jillian's aid" just seems silly. Forget that she has pliers... pretty much anyone can turn if they want. We don't even know that Wanda technically works for Stanley... she didn't have any loyalty spells... plus, we don't know you can disband someone from a distance... there is certainly evidence to suggest this is not possible...

First off, she DOES work for Stanely, she is a unit of GK... the statement that she was under no loyalty spells refers to additional spells from something like thinkamancy. Jillian was under the assumption that Wanda was being manipulated by magic just as Wanda manipulated her; Spells that adjust loyaty and what-not... however, Wanda is still bound to the same duty and what-not as all unit are.

Furtharmore, when it comes to turning, that is something we do not know of as we do not know exactly how turning works. Does the side you are turning to have no say? does one need to approval of the opposing side before they can join them? this is something we do not know.

As for disbanding from a distance, its a very safe bet that it can be done. Erfworld is based off of Turn-based strategy games and no games have such restictions when it comes to dsiband/deleting units

Not Wanda. She'll only have to pay her own upkeep. And besides, she could easily conquer herself a side and use Unaroyal as her capital.

Wanda is NOT a ruler or a Heir... she is JUST as caster
and Without one of those ruling over her, she would disband is she were out in the field, or freeze is she was in a city... only place she can be free would be the magic kingdom

The only hope wanda has for surviving without a ruler/heir is if the pliers gives her the power to survive but that's a huge unknown

[Dr Pepper]

Way behind on this topic. Let me start by saying, terse and ominous, that's our Wanda.

More as i read the old posts.

[Dr Pepper]

Ugh, she's falling for the old "I know this chick, she won't hurt me" thing again? Shouldn't someone who commands a legion of switched over zombies know that sometimes personal history doesn't matter, people change completely and can't be trusted? I mean, it had some pretty terrible consequences for her earlier when she underestimated Jillian's freewill. I think she'd have gotten the memo.

Yeah. Fool myself once, shame on me.