Book 2 – Page 42

[Magothys]

Also, not sure if charlie knows about this part of the plan. If he does, then I would not be surprised of Parson was captured the second he walked through that portal.

He doesn't. If Parson had discussed it over thinkagram then Maggie wouldn't have been surprised when he brought it up in the hallway.

The "dash through the Magic Kingdom" theory has certain flaws.
It would breach MK neutrality, and failure to eliminate anyone trying to do that would result in every aligned caster in TMK returning home and having their rulers destroy their own portals to prevent any future attacks.
"Parson" and "dash" don't belong in the same sentence, plus he'll be wearing armour too to slow him down.
How do they know which portal is JS's or what the Portal dial code is for JS?
Casters can enter TMK and return to their point of origin without move, but if they try to exit through another Portal, that would be a move. If he gets to the Portal and get access to JS's exit, the Portal will act as a hex boundary and he won't be able to get through, not because of magic but because of the physics of Erfworld, and because it isn't his turn.

I don't think the idea is "dashing" though the MK:

1. Any side that tries to do without casters will face a swift defeat at the hands of Parson. From a storyline perspective this wouldn't seem likely, so if Jetstone found out how Parson attacks Spacerock, at worst all portals would be heavily guarded thereafter. And given that the portal in GK survived the volcano eruption, it's also possible that portals are indestructible. I'm under the impression that they are an inherent trait of any capital site.

2. Parson is smart enough to not just run into the MK. Assuming there are any casters at portal park, either Maggie and Sizemore would deal with them, or Parson could figure something out, like hiring them.

3. I don't see how a portal would act as a hex boundary within a hex boundary. Technically the portal user never crosses a hex.

4. Portal code - There's probably a YellowBook next to the portal(s)

[Lamech]

The "dash through the Magic Kingdom" theory has certain flaws.
It would breach MK neutrality, and failure to eliminate anyone trying to do that would result in every aligned caster in TMK returning home and having their rulers destroy their own portals to prevent any future attacks.
"Parson" and "dash" don't belong in the same sentence, plus he'll be wearing armour too to slow him down.
How do they know which portal is JS's or what the Portal dial code is for JS?
Casters can enter TMK and return to their point of origin without move, but if they try to exit through another Portal, that would be a move. If he gets to the Portal and get access to JS's exit, the Portal will act as a hex boundary and he won't be able to get through, not because of magic but because of the physics of Erfworld, and because it isn't his turn.

I strongly suspect that the portals are set to disband enemy units that try to enter enemy capitals. So the casters of the magic kingdom would probably be very happy that the magic warlord that is Parson is getting himself disbanded like a stuipid warlord. I mean sure they'll be utterly and completely pissed and probably shoot Parson on sight if they ever see him again as soon as they hear what happens, but Parson can still pull it off once.

And no moving between two portals to teleport to another hex isn't going to take move; I would be surprised if the magic kingdom was closer move wise than Spacerock, so I don't see going to spacerock would take anymore move than going to the MK. They are both moving to a new hex. And I strongly doubt that the portal too Jetstone is that much of a secret. How would you even keep it secret?

[John Campbell]

Something which has not been mentioned yet, I believe.

On page 41, Charlie shows Tramennis an image of Parson reading a book (is this his eyebook, or another book?).

On page 42 we see Parson holding the same book, which he was presumably just reading. So the image Charlie shows to Tramennis is, apparently, not a prior recording, but an accurate depiction of actual concurrent events in the enemy's capital.

Apparently, Charlie can not only hack thinkagrams, but actually scry on the enemy chief warlord.

That's a whole new level of omniscience, IMO.

I'm fairly sure that the imagery Charlie showed Tramennis was recorded hereabouts, where you may notice that he's holding the book and has a bunch of Charlie's Archons looking down through the tower windows at him. It looks like the Archon second from the right in panel four might be doing the camera-hands thing, and I think (though I can't get to page 41 right now to confirm) that she even has the right angle to be the one recording that shot. Those same Archons are clearly shown later in the battle playing camera for various views of things happening in Gobwin Knob. Parson also uses the EyeBook to talk to Charlie during the part of the battle where the Archons are definitely shown playing camera... he's not directly shown doing it, but their IMs are shown.

And if Charlie could scry on remote locations without an Archon present to provide the remote camera, he wouldn't have any reason to risk his Archons, which he seems to value highly, on spying missions like the ones to watch Prince Sammy's person and capital. He does, so must be he has to.

[Resuna]

Wait a second, he can swear now? I thought he could only say "boop".

[Chris Goodwin]

the Portal will act as a hex boundary and he won't be able to get through, not because of magic but because of the physics of Erfworld, and because it isn't his turn.

We don't know that. Before Vanna cast Kingworld, Jillian stated she was going to go tell her caster to go back to the Magic Kingdom. Which would have been off-turn for Vanna.

There is no evidence to indicate any of the following:

* exiting the Magic Kingdom through a portal counts as crossing a hex boundary
* portals in any way count as a hex boundary
* exiting the Magic Kingdom through an enemy's portal automatically disbands whoever is trying it
* movement within the Magic Kingdom counts as crossing a hex boundary
* portals can be "dialed in" to connect with other particular portals
* (Edited to add) the disbandment of non-casters is anything but an automatic and natural consequence of a non-caster trying to go through a portal

[CorrTerek]

Wait a second, he can swear now? I thought he could only say "boop".

He's been able to swear since the last page or so of Book 1. Go back and re-read it, it's a very good scene!

[Resuna]

Wait a second, he can swear now? I thought he could only say "boop".

He's been able to swear since the last page or so of Book 1. Go back and re-read it, it's a very good scene!

Holy boop.

[Chris Goodwin]

There's an interesting difference in the portals between page 013 and every other appearance. In 013, the portals are just there, any old where. In the later appearances (140+), the obelisk-looking things appear to be boundaries for the portals.

[gaiaswill]

It's possible that casters can only use the relevant portal to reach their side's (or allied) capital, under the same threat of disbanding that non-casters face. If that is the case, then Parson could only really exploit his own un-disbandableness, essentially invading solo.

I really want to see what Parson is going to do. But I would rather see him just do it (and have us guess at the details later) rather than having him stop to explain it. Or a voiceover explanation as the action is happening, like with the dragon siege run.

Enough talk. Killing time now.

[DoctorJest]

Enough talk. Killing time now.

Yes, please.

[build6]

I'm fairly sure that the imagery Charlie showed Tramennis was recorded hereabouts, where you may notice that he's holding the book and has a bunch of Charlie's Archons looking down through the tower windows at him. It looks like the Archon second from the right in panel four might be doing the camera-hands thing, and I think (though I can't get to page 41 right now to confirm) that she even has the right angle to be the one recording that shot. Those same Archons are clearly shown later in the battle playing camera for various views of things happening in Gobwin Knob. Parson also uses the EyeBook to talk to Charlie during the part of the battle where the Archons are definitely shown playing camera... he's not directly shown doing it, but their IMs are shown.

heh, that's good research... does it represent a lot of work??

And if Charlie could scry on remote locations without an Archon present to provide the remote camera, he wouldn't have any reason to risk his Archons, which he seems to value highly, on spying missions like the ones to watch Prince Sammy's person and capital. He does, so must be he has to.

yes. seriously, there's a lot of explanations for how Charlie knows what he knows without resorting to omniscience and/or thinkagram-eavesdropping...

[DevilDan]

It's probably been brought up before, but maybe was using dwagon relay to fly to cities that would be demolished and rebuilt because only cities of certain size or capital cities have portals.

I won't belabor the many, many why this strategy may have never been used before--I mean, what Erf warlord would send unescorted casters to an enemy's dungeon?-- but I will say that Parson is at this point desperate enough to risk annoying the MK.

[BCCroaker]

To the tune of the Guantanamera chorus
We want more stabby stabby
More stabby stabby
Less talky talky
More stabby stabby

[Kender Wizard]

Heh. If this plays out well for Parson, and he gets back to GK at some point, this'll garner an interesting reaction from Stanley; happy, when he finds out that Parson won at Jetstone. Angry, when he finds out that Parson promoted himself to field unit without permission. Happy again when he finds that Parson (REALLY hoping here) captured (at least) two casters, then angry again about using the portals to do it. Happy again again that Parson leveled. Angry again again that Parson had Sizemore level a capital site in the process and now they'll have to spend a lot of money to rebuild. Lol, should make for an entertaining few minutes.

[joosy]

Regardless of the rules for using portals (enforced, imagined, unspoken, etc) It seems Parson is going to risk disrupting the entire Magic Kingdom. I hope Janis is ready to accept the consequences of breaking the world as that world includes her home as well.

Also remember that in the Magic Kingdom they use ancient Greek methods of explaining things. They don't use the scientific method. The prevalent rule or theory is that way only because the theory, or its champion, has the most supporters in the discussion forum. As Parson breaks the rules and rubs their noses in their lofty theories and beliefs and assumptions the chaos will only increase.

[Urf]

What happens when you overlap portals in Erfworld? Like, if Portals in the Magic Kingdom are "held" relative to a particular point on the ground, all you'd need is someone to move the ground so those places overlap. Skip the middleman.

[Atomic]

What happens when you overlap portals in Erfworld? Like, if Portals in the Magic Kingdom are "held" relative to a particular point on the ground, all you'd need is someone to move the ground so those places overlap. Skip the middleman.

Oooh, I love that idea!

Send Sizemore through first (maybe with Maggie to stun anyone who'd stop the plan?) and have Sizemore use some clever Dirtamancy to move the Jetstone/Gobwin Knob portals adjacent to each other. Parson could easily hop from Gobwin Knob to Spacerock without anyone in the Magic Kingdom being wise to his plan... When things get hairy, Tramennis would make the smart move and order the Casters into the Magic Kingdom (to have them rendezvous at the old Jetstone Capital Site), only to have Ace/Dittomancer/whomever popping into Gobwin Knob, without anywhere to go but back...

Afterward, Sizemore can just go through the Unaroyal Portal and move 'em apart!!

[Dr Pepper]

My guess, the Magic Kingdom is a free space. It costs no move to enter or return to where you came from, but going anywhere else counts as crossing a hex boundary.

That being said, i'm also guessing that Parson is *not* planning to use the MK as a shortcut. Janis Joplin may be looking forward to the breaking of Erfworld, but Parson is just trying to win a war with minimal damage.

My prediction: Rob is going to throw us a curveball so tight it's gonna fly around and his us on the back of the head.

[Urf]

I agree that I don't think Parson will be using MK portals. I'm sure the cheat he told Wanda is FAR FAR more interesting than crossing a portal thru hostile territory. It somehow uses knowledge he gained about the nature of the Erf gamespace, and hex boundaries. I'm wondering if he's going to tesseract the GK boundary so it butts up against Spacerock.

[Jamus]

I like this dirtamancy portal manipulation idea a LOT...

So what if it DOES cost, like I personally suspect, move to move into an opponent's portal (if it is at all possible). After all, the only exception to moving between hexes costing move is when you are within a city that you are allied with. MK seems to have a sort of truce with all casters from all sides, so they can move there with free move. But moving into opponent territory.. seems almost definitely like a move.

But wait. You can cross hexes by falling.

So move the portals.. so that they are each horizontal, flat with the ground, twisting the ground and their bases.. and have parson enter from one, falling into the other. And the shift in gravity means that on the other side, he'll again be level with the ground, potentially even averting fall damage.

And while I totally understand that this is crazy, given Parson's rather direct way of saying that he's GOING to MK, it seems that he MUST employ some kind of move hack. A long-distance, off-turn hack. If we stand any chance of predicting it, we HAVE to think outside the box on this one.

But I think some kind of elaborate hack like this is outright necessary. I can't see the mechanics of erf basically allowing for free off-turn move between any capital cities, hostile or not, even if just for casters. Whatever's happening here is going to be rules-bending, not just a 'oh, nobody ever thought of that' idea. Especially since we've reinvolved Janis, who rather called it.