Book 2 – Page 61

[effataigus]

Or to ask the question another way, does anyone think the missing symbols ARE just an error or mistake in the artwork?

Aye... there was some speculation about Ansom's bruises disappearing and moving around on his face, Charlescomm's neutrality "waivering," and a handful of other observations that turned out to be typos or the artistic equivalent thereof. Usually if it comes to the attention of Rob or the artists it ends up fixed in comic within a week or so.

Not saying that this is definitely a mistake, just that the Titans are fallible perfectionists, and, unless you really enjoy doing it, I wouldn't spend too much of my Erfworld-obsessing-energy on that detail for at least a week or two!

[Beeskee]

Good point. Tho it's been over a week and Ossomer's missing flower is still missing.

[effataigus]

Wow... you guys are good at this.

Normally I'd say that the missing flower is definitely just an omission, but in that particular text update it would be especially poignant for it to be missing. Who knows!

On a mostly unrelated note, I'm thinking that the Jetstone boys are going to win this air battle for their own dear dad (though possibly killing him in the process, but not till after the promotion). Ossomer by putting up a half-hearted fight, and Ansom by shaming Jillian into returning to Spacerock after the battle of (Orgchart?).

[Ditto]

Battle of Progrock.

I thought that the Jeftichew idea was kind of tinfoily, but the law of conservation of Steves as well as his orange outfit (matching Unaroyal's colors, like Vanna's does) makes it not a bad fit...

[CaesarVH]

Chewy... doesn't look happy... if he was there to harm Parson for his own reasons, >revenge of some sort, or charlie's scheme, I'd expected him to look angry or with a wicked smile, instead, he looks concerned, alarmed.. or even sad! also: thank you for pointing out the missing crest!

[mmooneybsa]

Most people and, I believe, most intelligent beings need a little excitement occasionally.

SEX!

You are implying:

Most people and, I believe, most intelligent beings ... [are] ... risk takers.

NO! I have to say "No, no, definitely not." Most people take risks out of stupidity, because they don't realize there is a risk, or they rationalize that the situation is only risky for idiots that don't know what they are doing, and of course this person knows what they are doing better than everyone else.
Few people realize risks and have the courage to take them. Intelligent people weigh the risks against the potential outcomes and make intelligent, calculated, planned decisions that include conditions & contigencies that minimize risk.

And Charlie is so definitely not a risk taker. Remember:
CharlsNChrg: When you're working for Charlescomm, you'll learn. We prefer to play games that don't even contain a losing outcome. You see? LordHamster: Yeah, yeah... you turned it into a no-lose situation by rejoining him.
CharlsNChrg: Oh, no!
CharlsNChrg: No, I got paid to turn it into a no-lose situation

[Decorus]

Kingworld was classic Charlie as if a certain person had followed orders Wanda would be dead right now.
This is not Charlie as there is a damn good chance it will not work.
Honestly we have no idea why the caster is following Parson or what his intentions are.

[Saladman]

I'm more than a little concerned about the missing symbols now. It could even be possible that the spell was ALREADY cast, and the caster is trying to catch up to Parson to let him know. ("Hey, man, you're not part of a side anymore." or whatever.)

The symbol is there right up until Parson falls through the trap, and Stanley says "Hamster?" After that we don't see his front until the current comic.


Parson 'being attacked' by his own side via trap while on neutral territory could have some weird effects.


Or to ask the question another way, does anyone think the missing symbols ARE just an error or mistake in the artwork?

That's my first guess. Given that he's got an arm in front of his breastplate in every panel, I'd call it an error, or even just an artistic decision under time pressure.

I can see the counter-argument is that panel 6 shows a lot of space, and we might expect to see it. And going back to page 60, the hamster is drawn in behind the arm in panel 4, and down to the belt in panel 5. So I could be talked around.

I'm just having a hard time seeing the rationale behind it being meaningful though. Hamstard is Parson's crest, not Stanley's crest or Gobwin Knob's livery. I don't see how it disappears even if Parson is technically turned. And we haven't seen anybody cast yet; Jeftichew (I believe it is, working for Charlie) still has his scroll. Nor has this been foreshadowed or the mechanics hinted at, even in hindsight, and Rob's normally pretty good with that.

[the_tick_rules]

I'm going with graphic oversight until further evidence is given.

[celtdog]

Maybe some of the casters who wrote Parson's summoning spell want to tinker with it? That could be why George is there... or just get back at Stanley for refusing the 150,000 casting/maintenance cost?

[Chance Gardener]

I am wondering if the scroll is carries the same spell as the scroll that brought Parson from StupidWorld to Erfworld and the debatable caster is going to cast it to send Parson back.
Though the Benny Hill montage indicates there wouldn't be time to fire off the scroll.

I'm thinking this because it is currently the same color as the scroll Wanda used to bring Parson over, although when the caster was first seen, it appeared to be a red scroll instead of blue.

As for the missing flowers, pets, etc, I find the arguments made that those are artwork not plotwork issues to be rather convincing.

My final thought for now is that the argument for/against it being Charlie are both right. From what has been seen to date about Charlie's interactions with his subordinates/mercenaries he seems to exhibit some form of drug like mind control. Perhaps the debatable caster is the Unaroyal caster, but he is also Charlie by the fact of Charlie is controlling him mentally as he seemed to be doing with Vanna prior to the release of the KWS and as he seems to somewhat do with his Archons

[BakaGrappler]

Breaking into the conversation really quick, I just wanna make a random guess as to the magic equipment Parson has.

He has the Hamster Helmet, yeah.
+ Defense

I think the cape with the power button on it is a Cloak of Power.
+ Strength

The Gauntlet of Shredding:
+ Damage

Mastercrafted Greatsword.
+ Accuracy

And a staff for Wanda.

[heyduck]

So I've been thinking about this for awhile, what if Parson needs the tower intact for whatever he's planning and Wanda is booping it up? We saw a lot of talking before about archery and how to abuse it, also if they captured the garrison could they gain the bonuses of the tower? Of course this would mean that Parson thinks that Slately would have left the tower before it would fall. Either way it will be interesting what he will come up with.

[DyneBlack]

It seems the missing iconic crest of our main character was a mistake. Hamstard is now back on the breastplate.

[Balerion]

I personally think Charlie has nothing to do with the mystery caster for two reasons:He used the resources he planned to for this fight already, and its not his style. First, he played his hand for the day (ie Kingworld, then using an intimidation play which was probably meant to protect Jetstone from betrayal post-killing Wanda when he first planned it) and seems to have resigned himself to a defeat of Jetstone here, though not to an ending of the side: To justify that, in my mind by suddenly offering a bounty on the decrypted archons is creating a way for Jetstone to get the cash for an heir (he mentions one capture would be enough for this explicitly) because he expects them to lose Slately. He is at this point most likely figuring out the multi-turn strategy into the future, ie how to raise a new coalition against GW, as opposed to wasting further resources on a lost cause (if he even has any deploy-able, which given it is not his turn...). Especially given the somewhat far-fetched nature any information he gathered would have to be in order to even know he could plan this attack.

At the same time, it is hinted that Charlie directly funding a caster's upkeep is a very rare circumstance; why would he go to the trouble of getting himself two when one should have been sufficient (remember GW was completely screwed bar Jillian having motivations Charlie was unaware of)? His entire MO is to let others be manipulated into doing his work for him, and profiting off the exercise; direct intervention by hiring casters himself doesn't really fit with that. In terms of his long term planning, we can expect it was based around Wanda being dead and the pliers attuned to no one, which leaves little need for him to be recruiting more casters. And, if worst comes to worst, he has 600 archons under his command. He can assassinate Wanda through direct intervention if the need arises (for now), but because of his hands off approach prefers not to. While hiring a caster would still be more hands off than that, if he was truly terrified of Wanda and Parson, he has the resources to annihilate them.

it could be that this is part of some multi-turn plan Charlie developed, but it seems unlikely. The odds seem much greater that he is either acting on his own, or part of a group in the magical kingdom.

[Saladman]

Did Charlie have casters? None, as units of Charlescomm. He would frequently hire casters from the Magic Kingdom for specific work. He had an excellent reputation as an employer there.

From summer update 46. Doesn't sound too very stingy to me.

I realize everybody's staked their positions by now, very much including me. I still think Jeftichew, tipped off by Charlie, meets Occam's razor the best. There's a carnymancer with a beef against GW kicking around the magic kingdom; Charlie's already hired his fellow caster from the same side and may know they've been asked directly to only work for royal sides (but with the strong implication of opposing GW); its suggested Charlie can intercept thinkagrams; and just after Parson briefs the plan by thinkagram, a caster who looks like a carnymancer happens by just as Parson is carrying out his (short notice) orders. I don't see the percentage in thinking its some other mystery player we haven't had introduced yet just happening by at that moment, or also having cracked GW's communications.

The exact relationship with Charlie is up in the air, could be anything from retainer since the time he hired the turnamancer, to a tip right when he found out, possibly with another bounty offer. It doesn't have to be full upkeep paid out in the real world, since barbarian casters apparently can support themselves in the MK.

I don't think its the thinkamancers, since they met in their temple and presumably came straight there after meeting. And are apparently paranoid about sending certain things in the clear.

...

You're right about the 600+ archons being a big deal. My guess is Charlie doesn't want to reveal how many he has, or even with numbers short of that reveal just how effective he could be at croaking a sides leadership, without even a contract, or ground support to get him in. He's made it this far by being useful, sometimes annoying, but never threatening to the royal sides. I'm not saying a direct assault by a coalition would go well for the assaulters, but just having people stop hiring him en masse would play havoc with his upkeep for a one-city side, and with his long-term strategy more generally.

[Smittaugh]

Mastercrafted Greatsword.
+ Accuracy

That sword is Glamdring, the Foe-Hammer, better known as Gandalf's sword. You get a better picture of it when Hamster is gearing up, but I'm too lazy to link you there. No idea what the bonus would be, though.

[Sieggy]

. . . but then we're back to "why is this caster chasing Parson through the tunnel holding an unopened scroll in his hand"? If he wanted to do Parson dirt (heh), he would have just fired off the scroll upon entering the tunnel - unless it's one of those extremely short range/touch only things. In which case a caster coming to melee range with a heavily outfitted and bad-ass-by-reputation warlord might not be something he'd want to do. The possibility exists that he intends to follow Parson through the JS portal and THEN fire off the scroll, but he could have done that just as easily lurked behind the JS portal and waited for Parson to emerge, and then follow.

BTW, can the portals only be entered from one side? they appear to be the same viewed from front or rear, not that that necessarily means anything.

[MattR]

Are capitals the only cities with portals?

[skarl]

Mastercrafted Greatsword.
+ Accuracy

That sword is Glamdring, the Foe-Hammer, better known as Gandalf's sword. You get a better picture of it when Hamster is gearing up, but I'm too lazy to link you there. No idea what the bonus would be, though.

glamdring alsways start to glow if orcs are around... may that become important? (if the sword really is glamdring)

EDIT: although this theory (like all of my theories) has no real evidence, I still like to share it.

what if that sword really is the equivalent of glamdring, then there's just ONE 'race' that comes anywhere near the orcs... the decrypted. (orcs are the offspring of the elves that where captured by mogtogh and where deformed by him, and are still angry at there anchestors, the elves. let's say that the elves are all not-decrypted, and wanda is morgtogh.) this may mean that parson eventually is going to turn, with this weapon as a verry usefull lookamancy item.

not that I believe that this will happen, not I have any evidence for it, but it was fun to think about it.