Book 2 – Page 44

[Trotsky]

I want to know what Parson is holding up in the fourth panel... instructions for using the staff, or what? o.o;

I don't think he is holding anything. He's holding his arm up so the sword belt can be fastened and it just looks like he is holding onto some of the scenery in the background.

[HandofShadows]

He actually asked "What's the worst that could happen?"

Don't ask that question if you don't want to see the answer....

I get the impression he will see it foe some reason. I don't know why.

Parson is certain being deadly seriouse about this. Unless Trem very quickly switches gears and surrenders when Parson comes through the portal, Jetstone is dead meat.

BTW is is me or do the dwagons look like they are looking forward to a fight?

[Goshen]

Jeez! I'd rather parlay via thinkagram. It's too bad that risks Charlie-snooping.

[justamessenger]

Just to follow up:

1) Yep, that is definitely Glamdring (from the movies, at least). One of the top three most badass weapons in Middle Earth.

2) Just verified that he is carrying Skeletor's staff, the Havoc Staff, from the newer, more intelligent, badass and lethal version rather than the 80s version. According to the Wiki, he can use it to fire beams of mystical force or to focus more powerful forms of magic.

3) Shredder's bracer: Don't think it has any special powers, other than being vicious. From the original black & white TMNT comic Shredder (who was brilliant and unrivaled in his martial arts abilities save for Splinter).

4) Parson's Bracer: Do we know if it has any abilities other than Mathamancy/Predictomancy?

5) Other accoutrement: No idea whether the cloak & helm possess any special properties...

But...questions: If he can use the Havoc Staff, does that mean he can channel innate magical abilities? Does it require a caster to function?

Overall, he is carrying a minimum of four items which symbolic of highly intelligent, highly competent BAMFs. Parson has not taken a level in badass, he has taken multiple levels. If he can wield each of those items to their fullest, well...it will be a very bad day for Jetstone, et al. A combination of ranged (magical, from the Staff) and melee (Glamdring and Shredder's bracer) should make the Lord Hamster a force of nature in his own right.

[badninja]

Tram I once respected you, now you have gone a mocked and then slapped fate in the face now you will die. I feel that Charlie was trying to warn Jetstone in its best interests and with Tram doing something this stupid. Xin I loved all the visual gags in this comic, Zelda and TMNT I love how Parson at least took some of the Shredder's armor. Your choice of showing Parson preparing to enter battle between the Jetsone meeting made the comic very foreboding. Rob this was a great idea you where able to talk to Xin about I feel that the way you keep adding new layers to your charters helps make them more real.

[zilfallon]

trem has made us witness a brain function fail. he's so going to regret not listening to charlie.

[imgran]

Tramennis just fell for the classic Jetstone fail, just like his brothers did.

"If trouble comes, meet it head on with the best power you have and trust that you're a match for it." That's the Jetstone philosophy. The only difference is that in Trem's case his best power is words and diplomacy rather than force of arms. But he's STILL taking that power to the table with every idea that he's good enough to make it work against the foe without really thinking about what might happen if it doesn't.

The problem is that they've seen they aren't a match for what Gobwin Knob can throw at them and they're STILL relying on the SAME core idea without really rethinking things, meaning that reality keeps coming back and biting them in the butt.

And Slately has, it seems, a better grasp on what there is to lose than his son.

As has been well referenced a couple times, there is no heir to Jetstone. That means that the one thing above all else that jetstone needs to be protecting at all costs is the life of King Slately. If they kill Slately, they end the Jetstone side, Tram is effectively a Barbarian and the casters go to the MK. In other words, the very worst, stupidest and least strategic thing Tramennis could possibly be doing for the sake of the Jetstone side is... exactly what he's doing by dragging Slately into the parley against his (Slately's) better judgment.

Slately isn't going to say it himself and make himself out to be a coward, so he's counting on his son and CW to realize this -- which he clearly does not. Tramennis' recent utter lack of experience as a Warlord with a Warlord's true priorities is about to bite Jetstone in the neck. Hard.

On the other side, the decrypted threat needs to be taken away from GK in the not too distant future for reasons of drama. If they win this fight without losing the arkenpliers, then the takeover of Erfworld is a question of a gentle amble in the general direction of the finish line with no force having any ability whatsoever to stop them. So whatever happens, the threat of the Arkenpliers needs to go away or be played down very soon, if this story is going to continue to be interesting.

[Miklus II]

I notice that the cloak is red(ish) and tattered. Could it be...Redcloack's cloak??? That would add to an already badass collection of items.

Too far out? It's called Gobwin Knob and they had plenty gobwins earlier.

[robak]

[Raza]

I think you people're giving Trem too little credit. His judgement isn't bad for what he knows, and curiosity is generally a desirable trait. It's only because we know more than he does (Charlie didn't tell him why he should be worried here specifically, only tried to generally scare him into playing safe) that his choice seems stupid.

"Charlie might just be afraid of that power falling into 'the wrong hands'; Jetstone allying with Gobwin Knob" - that was a stretch of logic, afaic. But what he's displaying here is mostly justifiable optimism.

Too far out? It's called Gobwin Knob and they had plenty gobwins earlier.

More like too near by, I think. But not impossible.

[kaylasdad99]

Anyone heard anything from Transylvito lately?

Not that I expect them to go all 7th Cavalry on the situation, or anything, but I don't think I've ever been clear on why they seem to be out of the picture for this battle. I recall that Charlie is overlorda non grata wrt the members of the RCC, but he did contrive to set up discussions with both Haggar and Jetstone. Any chance he could have gotten a warning off to Vinnie Doombats?

Also, is there any possibility that he has infiltrated one of his own archons into GK's coterie of Decrypted archons (for the purposes of intelligence-gathering)? I can't help feeling he's a little more omnniscient than could be accounted for by his limited contact with Parson. I realize he managed to hack the eyebooks, but is GK even still using those?

[Decorus]

Tram is not being stupid, he merely thinks he is holding all the cards. I mean what could possibly go wrong since all he has to do is give the order and they win....
Charlie warned them, just like Charlie told someone else that not finishing off GK when they had the chance cost Jetstone its existence.
Hell if Stanely hadn't been hit with the suggestion whammy then he would be right.
Tram wants to negotiate, because its the best option to save Jetstone, he probably even believes the info that Charlie gave him, but its not GK's turn they can't possibly do anything when its not thier turn....
Too bad Parson doesn't believe in that whole impossible thing.

[effataigus]

Maggie's expressions are pretty great too!

Should the "Isn't he" have a question mark? Perhaps even an exclamation point to boot? Without a "?" it kinda reads like "Yes, quite"... which would be weird since Tram would be agreeing with his own statement.

Fun strip... great buildup. Aye, I'm guessing that if this battle goes how it was foreshadowed to, then we're going to see a very weak GK strike force holding a very sacked Jetstone. Which, if I were Charlie, would be when I would consider making a move... especially if I thought I had a chance at Wanda before she got into the MK portal... depending on how significant his forces in the area are.

[Morak]

Tram wants to negotiate, because its the best option to save Jetstone, he probably even believes the info that Charlie gave him, but its not GK's turn they can't possibly do anything when its not thier turn....

The only problem with that thnking is that:
Faq on GK's turn; during parley; ended GK's turn with Kingworld

Jetstone should have learned that unexpected things can happen even outside of another side's turn.

[joosy]

One possible option: Parson kidnaps or lures Slately to the portal room and threatens to shove him through unless Jetstone surrenders. Or he shoves him through anyway thus freezing Jetstone.

Another option: From the portal room he uses a bi-linked Maggie/Sizemore to threaten to bring down the entire tower (or just Sizemore - casters get a bonus in the tower regardless of side or alliance, I surmise.)

[BLANDCorporatio]

One possible option: Parson kidnaps or lures Slately to the portal room and threatens to shove him through unless Jetstone surrenders. Or he shoves him through anyway thus freezing Jetstone.

I absolutely love this idea.

Also, screw caster links of whatever number.

[the_tick_rules]

what an idea.

[Kizmet]

Charlie = Erf World's Cassandra

Has there been any discussion of the rule set for designating an heir? Other than it costs a lot of schmuckers? Could any unit be designated an heir? Does that unit have to be a member of your "side"?

- I suspect the staff is probably for Sizemore. Why did Maggie not "arm up" ?
- All the remaining decrypted archons, sizemore, maggie, and parson make a strike through the portals.
- Slately is a dead man one way or another, Ossomer is going to be the new king. Therefore, Tram becomes a part of team GK.
- Parson is due to be hurt in the battle (betting Ace Hardware wounds him)
...
- Pedobear pops as the new heir in FAQ.

[Welf von Ehrwald]

Tram wants to negotiate, because its the best option to save Jetstone, he probably even believes the info that Charlie gave him, but its not GK's turn they can't possibly do anything when its not thier turn....

The only problem with that thnking is that:
Faq on GK's turn; during parley; ended GK's turn with Kingworld

Jetstone should have learned that unexpected things can happen even outside of another side's turn.

I think it's a reasonable assumption for Trem to think he's save. Even if Gk pulls a Kingworld, they now have their complete forces - including 4 casters - in the city and very well could defeat the dwagon forces. And with the chief warlord bonus, a dittomancer and a bulk of archers they probably couldn't even destroy the tower as planed.
Also I don't really see why it's a mistake that Slatley stays with Trem. The personal guard of the king led by the CW is just the thing a ruler should place between him and an attacker.

[cdrcjsn]

What is that cloak?!?

Is it a doombat? Will it allow Parson to fly?