Wanda, Faq and other speculation

[Darkside007]

I think it is abundantly clear at this point how and why Stanley overran Faq.

The Faq predictamancer is the one who told Wanda about the Arkenpliers. (That predictamancer is the only one she would identify as the predictamancer.)

Wanda gives Stanley the co-ordinates of Faq's cities, and when the primary fighting force (Their Gwiffin fleets) would be far, far away. This makes Wanda responsible for the destruction of Faq. (I have wrecked and ruined more than you have.)

Stanley recruits Wanda and Jack during Faq's fall. Wanda because she clued him in on everything, and Jack because...

There are only two possibilities for the last Arkentool, it's either Foolamancy or Dirtamancy. Stanley has Maggie for the Arkendish, and already controls the other two Arkens. That "Special Mission" Stanley took all the casters on when Gobwins broke alliance? Stanley was protecting the assests he needed to secure the Tools.

Also, he needed to be clear so the Gobwins could kill Saline for him. It was prolly the Faq mission, as well.

Was it mentioned whether Maggie was another Faq survivor or if she was a Gobwin like Sizemore?


Also, hi.

[Fuzzypaws]

Sizemore Rockwell is Plaid tribe like Stanley. Not sure about Maggie, don't think it's been stated.

All of the tools so far have gone to people whose names are associated with real-world corporations that make tools of various types. That makes it all but inevitable that Mr. Rockwell will get a tool at some point. Jack is mainly a Shakespeare reference and I don't think his name maps to any tools.

[Shadow of the Lotus]

There are only four known arkentools, but that leaves open the possibility of there being more arkentools. Also, if Stanley did have particular casters to link up with the known arkentools, he sure took a risk in breaking the link between Maggie, Jack, and Misty; maybe he didn't know what would happen in breaking such a link. It sure seems like Wanda betrayed Faq in some way and that Stanley was the one who destroyed Faq, but I'm not sure he collected casters for the purpose of controlling all the arkentools. Stanley started as a pikeman but still attuned to an arkentool; maybe Charlie isn't a caster him/herself?

[Mikalyaran]

I think it is abundantly clear at this point how and why Stanley overran Faq.

The Faq predictamancer is the one who told Wanda about the Arkenpliers. (That predictamancer is the only one she would identify as the predictamancer.)

Wanda gives Stanley the co-ordinates of Faq's cities, and when the primary fighting force (Their Gwiffin fleets) would be far, far away. This makes Wanda responsible for the destruction of Faq. (I have wrecked and ruined more than you have.)

Stanley recruits Wanda and Jack during Faq's fall. Wanda because she clued him in on everything, and Jack because...

There are only two possibilities for the last Arkentool, it's either Foolamancy or Dirtamancy. Stanley has Maggie for the Arkendish, and already controls the other two Arkens. That "Special Mission" Stanley took all the casters on when Gobwins broke alliance? Stanley was protecting the assests he needed to secure the Tools.

Also, he needed to be clear so the Gobwins could kill Saline for him. It was prolly the Faq mission, as well.

Was it mentioned whether Maggie was another Faq survivor or if she was a Gobwin like Sizemore?


Also, hi.

I think you've got some of this wrong. Primarily motivations. I wouldn't be surprised to find out Wanda has simply been letting Stanley "have her way" this whole time. Im betteing his quest for the Arkentools has been her idea all along. FAQ's destruction as well most likely. The rest of it is a fit.

As to the 4th arkentool...well I doubt it would be limited to foolamancy or dirtamancy. I think something as powerful as the arkentools probably has sway over a 1 or even 2 of the greater schools of magic rather than one discipline of one magic school. This all relates to theories about the tools powers though and we have a whole seperate thread elsewhere for that. Check it out if your interested. From a pmetagaming point of view your probably right. I wouldn't be one bit surprised to see Sizemore obtain the arkenshovel or some such thing. Maggie of course would be well suited to obtaining the arkendish.Anybody see conflicts with Charlie in the future? I certainly do.

[kreszantas]

No Stanley clearly states it was his idea to go for the rest of the tools. Timing could present itself a problem, but layout is somewhat correct. King Saline had to be wacked after FAQ fell, so that he would be able have Wanda with him on the mission that Saline got wacked in. Stanley using the Hammer could have found FAQ on his own took what he wanted and forgot about the rest not caring about it.

Wanda does have her own drive and motivations but oddly seem to align with Stanley not against him. Wanda could also be the predictamancer (she at least has knowledge of it) as well which has been discussed at large. We do not have enough backstory on those events and Sizemore gave us about all the info we will ever get on the GK side things, unless Parson pushes the issue, which I doubt he would until the time is right.

Jillian is the loose cannon, always has been in this whole thing, with her erratic behavior that whole line of speculation has been beaten like a dead horse so many times that it died in USA, beat clear through the earth and came out in China somewhere.

I suggest that a vast majority of the threads from Giant's website get converted over here to weed out some of this that way most will understand that this is nothing new under the Erf's sun.

[R3u]

I don't think the arkentools necessarily map one to one to people in Stanley's employ -- but you're wrong about Jack. His name does correspond to a tool. It's just not as indirect as all the other references.

Also... this is a random guess, but if Maggie was originally from the Plaid tribe, I'm thinking she'd probably wear more red. At the least, King Saline, Stanley, and Sizemore all wear a good amount of red. I wonder if she was captured from the same (or a similar) tribe as to that vulcan fellow in the magic kingdom, based on personality? Or Transylvito, guessing based on coloration alone (and not personality)?

[Mikalyaran]

No Stanley clearly states it was his idea to go for the rest of the tools.

Like I said. Letting him have her way. Its well within Wanda's abilities to convince stanley to do something and have him think it was his idea all along.

[SteveMB]

Sizemore Rockwell is Plaid tribe like Stanley. Not sure about Maggie, don't think it's been stated.

We can be pretty sure that she's not from Faq (she didn't know Jack's name); most likely she's native Plaid.

[Muzzafar]

I wonder if Wanda was the Predictamancer of Faq. Note that the Predictamancer was never referred to by name and Wanda is referred to by Jillian as a caster. (I wonder if casters can change magic disciplines.)
But it is just a wild idea and I don't expect it to be true.

[Darkside007]

I wonder if Wanda was the Predictamancer of Faq. Note that the Predictamancer was never referred to by name and Wanda is referred to by Jillian as a caster. (I wonder if casters can change magic disciplines.)
But it is just a wild idea and I don't expect it to be true.

Not likely; We know Wanda hates magic outside her field and normally refuses to do it. Besides, everyone speaks about the predictamancer clinically. It's unlikely Jillian would talk about Wanda that way.

As for Wanda starting the quest for the Arkentools, I find that unlikely as well; Stanley leveled Faq with dwagons, and before he had the Arkenhammer he wouldn't have been on Wanda's radar. (Unless the predictamancer told her, but there's no basis for that.)

[SteveMB]

Not likely; We know Wanda hates magic outside her field and normally refuses to do it.

She's uninterested in magic outside her field, but she'll do it if she considers it necessary (such as casting the suggestion spell on Jillian).

Besides, everyone speaks about the predictamancer clinically. It's unlikely Jillian would talk about Wanda that way.

Actually, it's quite likely that she would, in order to avoid discussion their relationship (example: "What kind of unit?" "A caster.")

[Darkside007]

Wanda seemed equally dismissive of the Predictamancer as well, though. It may very well have been someone similar to Banhammer. And Wanda *will* do it if necessary, but I find it unlikely that she would do it that frequently.

[kreszantas]

No Stanley clearly states it was his idea to go for the rest of the tools.

Like I said. Letting him have her way. Its well within Wanda's abilities to convince stanley to do something and have him think it was his idea all along.

I have to disagree with that Stanley had 11 cities to start, we are not sure of the number before he acquired Wanda's services. That could have been the peak of his 'empire' during that time, now with the way WANDA even phrases it since you been questing for the tools in Page 5 panel 6 so with that. That was all Stanley, it was Wanda's idea to change methods.

[SteveThaiBinh]

Do any of the theories that have Stanley conquering Faq have an explanation for why Jack is loyal to Stanley? That's always been the bit I couldn't get my head round.

[Infidel]

Not likely; We know Wanda hates magic outside her field and normally refuses to do it. Besides, everyone speaks about the predictamancer clinically. It's unlikely Jillian would talk about Wanda that way.

One theory is that the casters were treated poorly. Banhammer could have been forcing Wanda to play predictamancer even though that was not her specialty.

Stanley leveled Faq with dwagons,

This is unfortunately speculation, not a fact.

[raphfrk]

One theory is that the casters were treated poorly. Banhammer could have been forcing Wanda to play predictamancer even though that was not her specialty.

Also, there is an issue of exactly how much freedom units actually have. Do they have to obey the letter or the spirit of an order.

If a Predictamancer sees more than one future, can she pick between them.

For example, if Banhammer asked

"Will Faq ever fall?"

and the Predicatamancer sees

If she answers "Yes", then Banhammer pops Jillian and butterflies cause Faq to falll

If she answers "Not within the next 100 years", they continue on as before (for at least 100 years)

Both answers are technically true.

[Darkside007]

Stanley leveled Faq with dwagons,

This is unfortunately speculation, not a fact.

Jillian confirms it, unless you want to believe that the "large overflight of dwagons" had nothing to do with Faq's immediate annhilation.

[Infidel]

Jillian only confirms that it is what she believes.

She believes that Overflight of Dragons + Wanda = Stanley destroyed FAQ. But her evidence is circumstantial.

[Darkside007]

And Jack as well. It's the most reasonable answer, since no one else can control dwagons, and otherwise there'd be no reason for the dwagons to hit Faq. (And assuming that Wanda tipped off Stanley, there's no way unled dwagons would pierce Jack's veil.)

[Frogpop]

It's what we are (seemingly) being led to believe at this time, which makes many of us wary of believing it in the absence of actual definitive proof. We may like getting surprised or tricked by authors, but that doesn't mean we have to walk blindly into every trap. Only time will tell if we're being overly suspicious, or if the authors have you right where they want you.