Book 2 – Page 44

[fjolnir]

As I said on facebook, the let down when the next 5-200 pages are a jump to the real world and discussions in the magic kingdom while tremannis decides to use the chamber pot before negotiations will be absolutely amazing!!!!

I only mean this partially facetiously, though I do expect about 3 pages before the action/negotiation starts...

[John Thacker]

Charlie = Erf World's Cassandra

Nah, Cassandra wanted people to believe her all the time. Charlie's merely reaping what he's sown; previously, he enjoyed being all mysterious and not having people trust him fully.

[silverdevilboy]

Food Fighting = Summoning food (since it auto-pops), and dropping it *All* on the archers?

Coconuts?

[Trotsky]

Coconuts?

THAT's why Jillian needed to return for there to be hope. Then Jetstone would just have to demote their chief warlord and promote Ansom in his place to be saved. As Parson said when that happened to him "sure beats a coconut."

[cloudbreaker]

I can't wait for Slately to be decrypted. Then him and Stanley can hang out together in Gobwin Knob, share stepping stools, get each other's capes off of the coat rack with a hook, tell each other why they are both the greatest. That sort of thing. I bet they turn out to be great friends despite their former hatred toward each other.

[zilfallon]

just a side note,

this page kinda shows us that Slately isn't all that dumb. He is wise. He just lets his Chief Warlord act as the king. He knows tram's actions will hasten jetstone's end, but doesn't interfere.

[Killer Angel]

Wow...
Parson, with his gear of war, is really impressive...

[CelebrenIthil]

(Wanda's was TRES CHAUD!!!)

Just wanting to tell you that you just declared that Wanda was male, and depending on which subset of French we take in account: very drunk, very aroused (not arousing, aroused) or being literally of a high body temperature .

Also you forgot an accent. Yes, you are welcome.

Words are failing me, thus: OMG LOL

[mortissimus]

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?

I think any warlord can be promoted to heir, though at great expense. It might be cheaper to promote noble or royal warlords. There has been some discussion on whether any unit can be promoted to warlord, and from the lack of other warlords, the dominant side in that discussion was any humanoid unit, ie not dwagons, spidews, battle-bears etc.

Does that unit have to be a member of your "side"?

I think "heir" is an upgrade, not unlike garrison/non-garrison. And I doubt you can upgrade units on another side.

[W.U.]

Been lurking for a while, thought it might be a good place to put up a first post.

What I don't understand is people who think Parson's going to go through the portal. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't risk that in a situation like this. He tried it in GK when he got the volcano to explode, but that was because there was no other possibility.

I'm pretty sure Charlie wanted Tramennis to talk to Parson. If Tram gets Jetstone in trouble because of his desire to talk to Parson, they'd have to pay Charlie to survive, at least for a while. In any case, it's probably Charlie generating some business. I hope Tram won't be decrypted, though. If he developed a sudden loyalty to Wanda, he'd lose a bit of his flavor.

[joosy]

I wonder if he left the Eyeshades of Revelation home or if it was just artistic license to fully capture Paron's determined expression.

I also anticipate a re-use of the classic meme when a puzzled Trem, possibly noticing Jetstone decor in the background, asks Parson where he is and he replies:

"I'm in ur base. Croakin' your dudes."

Or that meme could be the title of Chapter 3 in book 2.

[Nihila]

What I don't understand is people who think Parson's going to go through the portal. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't risk that in a situation like this. He tried it in GK when he got the volcano to explode, but that was because there was no other possibility.

Well, Parson says in Comic Update 42, "We'll meet [Sizemore] in the Portal Room," just after saying "And as far as how to get there, you know how."

That implies heavily that Parson will find some way to get to Spacerock while in the Portal Room. And we know that Parson wants to directly fight in the battle. He says it in the update I quoted above--Panel 6.

So, since we know that Parson can use the MK portals, and Maggie knows this too, and Parson is meeting Sizemore in the Portal Room while fully equipped... It's a safe guess that he's using the portal.

[BCCroaker]

Since most of this kit is loaded with media references how about this-
Tattered cloak = tarnkappe or cloak of invisibility, most recently seen in the Harry Potter books and movies. Parson hits the power button and bingo! The easy way to go through the MK without trouble.
And maybe job Slately and Trem.

What is that cloak?!?

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

[W.U.]

What I don't understand is people who think Parson's going to go through the portal. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't risk that in a situation like this. He tried it in GK when he got the volcano to explode, but that was because there was no other possibility.

Well, Parson says in Comic Update 42, "We'll meet [Sizemore] in the Portal Room," just after saying "And as far as how to get there, you know how."

That implies heavily that Parson will find some way to get to Spacerock while in the Portal Room. And we know that Parson wants to directly fight in the battle. He says it in the update I quoted above--Panel 6.

So, since we know that Parson can use the MK portals, and Maggie knows this too, and Parson is meeting Sizemore in the Portal Room while fully equipped... It's a safe guess that he's using the portal.

It's a good point, but still... It seems too risky. Besides, He told Sizemore to get back to GK. Why would he make him come back, only to go through the MK again? He could just meet him there.

I'd say he'll use the dwagon relay, but he counts as a heavy unit...

[Nihila]

What I don't understand is people who think Parson's going to go through the portal. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't risk that in a situation like this. He tried it in GK when he got the volcano to explode, but that was because there was no other possibility.

Well, Parson says in Comic Update 42, "We'll meet [Sizemore] in the Portal Room," just after saying "And as far as how to get there, you know how."

That implies heavily that Parson will find some way to get to Spacerock while in the Portal Room. And we know that Parson wants to directly fight in the battle. He says it in the update I quoted above--Panel 6.

So, since we know that Parson can use the MK portals, and Maggie knows this too, and Parson is meeting Sizemore in the Portal Room while fully equipped... It's a safe guess that he's using the portal.

It's a good point, but still... It seems too risky. Besides, He told Sizemore to get back to GK. Why would he make him come back, only to go through the MK again? He could just meet him there.

I'd say he'll use the dwagon relay, but he counts as a heavy unit...

Well, Parson may want to fill Sizemore in on the plan--if Parson is going to be invisible, then he needs a caster to go into the portal with him so that it doesn't look so suspicious when the portal flashes. And, the dwagon relay? He's still off turn. However, I still have no idea what Sizemore can do to help Parson that Maggie can't...

[joosy]

What I don't understand is people who think Parson's going to go through the portal. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't risk that in a situation like this. He tried it in GK when he got the volcano to explode, but that was because there was no other possibility.

There have been serious foreshadowing and hints for this event:
1) It has already been established that Parson can enter the Magic Kingdom and that all units who can do so (e.g. casters) can do so off-turn.
2) Telling Maggie (a caster) that she KNOWS how he is getting to Jetstone off-turn.
3) Recalling Sizemore and going to meet him in the portal room. Since we know that only casters (and Parson so far) can utilize the portal safely it is not that hard of a leap to assume that the portal is going to come into play.

What hasn't been addressed is how Parson is going to deal with the apparent repurcussions from the Magic Kingdom guards. I assume that the staff he holds is the same one (repaired or rebuilt) that Wanda held back in Book 1. It is likely it automatically protects from magical attack and Wanda carried it as a precaution against Archon attacks back in Book 1. So its possible that is the purpose of the staff- to rebuff expected magical attacks in the Magic Kingdom once Parson crosses over.

It also remains to be seen if he can enter Jetstone's Portal or if even doing so counts as move. I still hold that the limit on move is set by the hex boundary, not the hex itself. That is bolstered by point 1 above. Thus, entering the Magic Kingdom (essentially another 'hex') off-turn as a garrison unit suggests that, since they do not cross hex BOUNDARIES, the portals allow penalty free movement between hexes.

I believe the only reason why this has not been utilized (or has not been advertized as possible) is because of the political/military/stability/MK neutrality repurcussions of such an act. One more thing to add to the list that Parson is breaking (the rules of parley, mountains, etc.)

[W.U.]

But, then the MK would probably have to get involved in the fight, because someone abused their neutrality. Either that, or they'd turn into Grand Central Station.

Unless he was using the portals to get to one of GK's cities close by. Then it would make more sense.

I still don't think he's going to use the portals to the MK, because he wouldn't want to alienate more people than he has to.

[Carne]

Can Dirtamancer minions go through the portal? Perhaps Parson is going to get Sizemore to disguise him with an external layer of dirt, stone or (ew) crap as a sort of "exoskeleton", either in the Portal Room or, once the all-clear is given by Sizemore or Maggie going through first, immediately on the other side of the portal. Since it's not a veil, it might just work against being seen through, and the staff might be an anti-magical probe defense of some kind (if it works similarly to Wanda's).

The Magic Kingdom is already Grand Central Station for casters. And since only casters can go through portals, the usefulness of going from one side to another off-turn is very limited, given how important, protected and (presumably) prone to capture/croak casters in general are.

[justamessenger]

Since most of this kit is loaded with media references how about this-
Tattered cloak = tarnkappe or cloak of invisibility, most recently seen in the Harry Potter books and movies. Parson hits the power button and bingo! The easy way to go through the MK without trouble.
And maybe job Slately and Trem.

What is that cloak?!?

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

Ah, like Siegried in Wagner's Nibelungenleid? That was a cape or cloak wasn't it? That makes perfect sense!

[imgran]

The Magic Kingdom is already involved in the fight, thanks to Janis. She is personally championing Parson and will most likely find a way to subtly cover for him if his presence ruffles a few more feathers.

As for "Why SIzemore and not Maggie," Sizemore is, of all the GK casters, the one who has learned the most about the Magic Kingdom and has explored it far more extensively than we have confirmed that Maggie has done, so he's the "native guide" so to speak.