Book 2 - Text Updates 046

[BLANDCorporatio]

The victims of the pliers serve in heaven. They no longer rule in hell. Their passions have been mutated, and in many cases, mirrored: they are obedient, and very happy about it.

The New Testament is one long story of the conflict between flesh and spirit, and how the flesh must necessarily 'die,' being not only a literal death, but also signifying the end of certain passions which are inconsistent with what the author believes to be a rewarding spiritual existence. Galatians in particular has a lot of quotes on this subject.

Ah, right, that part of the imagery. Ok, I see what you meant- the Lucifer bit got me confused since it didn't seem to fit with the general thesis of submission to a larger goal and renunciation of the past. A theme which, mind ya, is not limited just to Christianity if Joseph Campbell's "Hero with 1000 faces" is to be believed.

Whatever the inspiration, obviously Ansom was on to something with the religious Toolism thing. Of course, Wanda, unlike other prophets seems (just slightly) insecure in purpose.

Now, what would Bwian have done had he attuned to the Pliers? Uh, sorry, I meant, Brian.

[Housellama]

FACT: From the flash mob, we know that flashing is a form of shockamancy.
FACT: From van de graff and other various lightning bolts, we know the 'Hammer can use shockamancy.
CONCLUSION: At some point in the future, we will see a totally naked Stanely charging in to battle.

There's your fan "service"!

I would like to point out that Stanley is of the nearly lost Plaid Tribe. The Scottish did charge into battle with nothing but weapons and a thin coating of woad. And Stanley HAS been known to wear war-paint.

I'm just sayin... There is precedent, and there are supporting references.

[Housellama]

In any case, I agree to Wanda being in for a big fall eventually. What I'm not sure I'd call her is daft, even if, now having a huge power at her disposal, she seems ... unimaginative ... in deploying it. She doesn't exactly know what she should be doing with it. She's waiting for Fate to tell her what to do == she's waiting for things to unfold and hopefully gain insight and opportunity. Not necessarily daft.

I totally agree with your interpretation of her current actions. My narrative senses are telling me that Fate has a curve ball in store for her. I'm not sure I think that Wanda is necessarily in for a FALL, per se. I could see her doing an anti-hero version of a Heel-Face Turn. Being talked around by Parson into helping with the Peace on Erfworld scheme, for example. But yeah, she's either going to crash and burn hard, or she's going to see the light. Either way, there's going to be a 'Come to Jesus' moment in Wanda's future.

It would make narrative sense for it to hinge on her relationship with Jillian, but if it comes to that, I hope it's cold. I don't want it to be a direct fate of the world moment though. I want her to have to face cold hard reality and make her choice without having emotion or time to retreat into. I want her to have to look at Parson and have to tell him that she's either choosing to abandon him for something else, or not, when there is still a lot of game left to play out. Wanda's a cold woman in everything BUT Jillian. I want her to have to make that choice without the luxury and shelter of emotion.

[Dr Pepper]

Again, without the text installments, oir understanding of the characters would be m\much poorer.

Also: Duke Lacrosse certainly looks the way he acts, a greasy horndog. But was expecting a frat boy version, not an aging roue.

[Dr Pepper]

Waiting for Godot, Erfworld style.

He doesn't show up. SPOILER ALERT.

In any case, Jack is great. This is one killing joker.

Yeah, i think Jack has a strong minor in carnymancy.

[splexis]

The Scottish did charge into battle with nothing but weapons and a thin coating of woad.

Woad body paint is perhaps not supported in the historical documentation: http://cyberpict.net/sgathan/essays/woad.htm.

[splexis]

I don't think we have a lot of Jillian fanboys

I'm neither a fan, nor a boy, but I like Jillian just as much as the other characters, if for different reasons. I suppose Wanda does show more titty, but that doesn't mean that I prefer the mass murdering necromancer to the mass murdering punk. Or the mass murdering shit shoveler, for that matter.

[joosy]

Wanda reminds me of Xykon from Order of the Stick sometimes.

"Sacrificing Minions: Is there any problem it can't solve?"

DO NOT CROSS THE MEMES!

[drachefly]

- Why?

- It would be bad.

- I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean, "bad"?

- Try to imagine all updates stopping instantaneously and every file in the archive exploding at the speed of light.

[No one in particular]

Sooo... one-shot awesome?

Hmmm... tempting...

[Oberon]

- Why?

- It would be bad.

- I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean, "bad"?

- Try to imagine all updates stopping instantaneously and every file in the archive exploding at the speed of light.

Right. That's bad. Okay. All right. Important safety tip. Thanks, Egon.

[atalex]

Again, without the text installments, oir understanding of the characters would be m\much poorer.

Also: Duke Lacrosse certainly looks the way he acts, a greasy horndog. But was expecting a frat boy version, not an aging roue.

Yeah, I was a bit surprised as well. I expected him to be a douchey frat-boy. Of course, Ansom and Tremmenis already look like that, even though personality wise that's not them.

[Beeskee]

Awesome update, I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens.

The minor ambiguity regarding the thinkamancers is frustrating, I can't decide whether it's important or whether the author is just messing with us. This update not covering the MK just makes it worse hehe.

Wanda seems like she'd be scarier to work for than Stanley.

[edit] Frist psot!111oneone(i^4)[/edit]

You win a video!

[Calemyr]

We've seen it a few times now, but I still find it funny how Jack and Wanda react to Parson. I don't think they'd be more satisfied if a Titan himself was coming to join them - and I think Wanda has suggested once that Parson might be a Titan. Either way, they both come to same conclusion: Parson = Victory, period.

I am curious to see how Wanda handles the aftermath. She's already questioning how she could have come so close to failing while in the service of Fate, after all, and she doesn't do well when her faith is challenged. Will this send her further off her rocker or render her even more dependent on the world's most unlikely god of war?

[Raza]

I am curious to see how Wanda handles the aftermath. She's already questioning how she could have come so close to failing while in the service of Fate, after all, and she doesn't do well when her faith is challenged. Will this send her further off her rocker or render her even more dependent on the world's most unlikely god of war?

From earlier text updates, I don't think there's any challenging of faith or 'failing in the service of Fate' in her eyes. Taking the wrong decisions only means you suffer more as you get dragged feet-first towards your destiny, regardless. What price there is to pay, she is paying currently, so guilt would be redundant.

I'm not sure she even considers Fate a good thing. The whole philosophy might be more of a fatalistic negative eudaimonism, where you minimize your own suffering by giving fate what it wants as quickly as you are able - not because it is 'right', but because you get hurt if you don't.

Of course, that begs the question of whether happiness and suffering can be understood separately from fate at all. Is she hurt because she strayed from fate, or because Jillian rejected her? Or did Jillian reject her because she strayed from fate, and would Wanda have won her over if only she's made the right choice, regardless of what Jillian thought she wanted out of the meeting? If datemancy, like mathamancy, is 'largely bunk' and your relationships will work out no matter how you treat people if only you stay true to Fate, that would explain a lot about her behaviour.

It doesn't explain why stuff still turned out badly for her, though; after all, she resisted temptation to stay true to what she thought she knew about her fate. Maybe the Charlie/nondisclosure thing? Is Wanda fated to turn to FAQ/Charlescomm? I think that'd be her explanation now, if she knew the details.

[BLANDCorporatio]

[edit] Frist psot!111oneone(i^4)[/edit]

You win a video!

Awesome, that thing was really booped-up!

Oh hey btw,

[edit] Frist psot!111oneone(i^4)[/edit]

Spoiler: show

[warriortribble]

FACT: From the flash mob, we know that flashing is a form of shockamancy.
FACT: From van de graff and other various lightning bolts, we know the 'Hammer can use shockamancy.
CONCLUSION: At some point in the future, we will see a totally naked Stanely charging in to battle.

There's your fan "service"!

I suppose pointing and giggling at little Stanley's little Stanley is a type of distraction.

[Beeskee]

I suppose pointing and giggling at little Stanley's little Stanley is a type of distraction.

It's worse than you think. He's going to decorate it with war paint.



Did anyone notice, in the drawing, that Antium's camel toe is misaligned?


YOU CANNOT STOP SEEING IT NOW.

[John Campbell]

FACT: From the flash mob, we know that flashing is a form of shockamancy.
FACT: From van de graff and other various lightning bolts, we know the 'Hammer can use shockamancy.
CONCLUSION: At some point in the future, we will see a totally naked Stanely charging in to battle.

There's your fan "service"!

STANLEY (holding up the Arkenhammer): "This is not the 'Hammer."

[Sylvan]

A really awesome pic to show to all first posters, everywhere.

I am in your debt sir, that is hilarious.