Book 2 – Page 62

[BakaGrappler]

My favorite part of this update is when Parson pulls the sword and Jojo loses his huge grin saying, "Yeah man, it's cool."

Jojo is either the "Sage" or the "Trickster" of this story, but he seems to be in possession of a good deal of common sense as well.

[coyo]

Well,
because you can't cheat an honest man.

I once paid a 3 card monty player 10 bucks to teach me his game. He was bored and no one else was around.

[the_tick_rules]

did you learn how he hides the queen?

[BakaGrappler]

okay, I'm not one for double posting, but I just looked back at Parson's notes on magic and guess what I just saw that could help shed just a little bit of light on this situation. (And thus a completely different topic from my original post)

Carnymancy is the Fate specialty of Stagemancy which controls Life, Motion, AND Matter. Carnymancers have a predisposition towards Fate magic, so perhaps they can feel the threads of fate themselves, but in a way different to Predictamancers?

A Predictamancer looks at the lines of fate and tells what will happen, suggesting that it WILL happen, and you'd better be ready for the storm when it hits.

A Carnymancer...? Well, what is a carnival? A stage show? Side shows? A magic act with smoke, mirrors, and card tricks? Boil aaaaaall of that down to it's core, and it's about surprise and redirection. You set someone up and then surprise them even when they know what is coming. You get someone to look left, and then make a woman appear on your arm from out of nowhere.

Carnymancy is the Magic of changing the expected outcome, and leaving their audience awed and surprised.

As a Fate magician, Jojo can see what is happening right now, he knew Parson was coming to the magic kingdom. And he knows what will be coming next to a certain fashion, and he's looking to change the outcomes. Why? I suspect for the same reason Charlie didn't take GK and Parson prisoner when he had the chance.

"Who could resist a show like that?"

I think the card trick will be what Jojo gives Parson to use. Parson is the Wild Card in the trick.

[sleepymancer]

of course, Parson could just kill Jefftichew, lug the corpse through the portal, get Wanda to decrypt it, get all his questions (and then some) answered safely and find out if decrypted magic users can still use magic. what a show.

(that may have already been suggested somewhere in the thread, I've only read the first, second, antepenultimate, penultimate and final pages at the mo. so sorry if I'm just repeating you!)

Rob, Xin - marvellous as ever. Thankyou for your ceaseless wonders and hard work!

[MarbitChow]

of course, Parson could just kill Jefftichew...

True, but then that would completely negate the entire premise of Parson treating all Erfworlders as real people instead of pawns in a game. If Parson was that callous, he wouldn't even be in the tunnel in the first place.

[HalfTangible]

I had a thought. Jojo's metaphor. At the end it deals almost entirely with boats, ports, ships and such... while this makes sense as a metaphor on it's own, it got me thinking. Could this have something to do with Haggar?

Consider: 1) Jojo has sworn only to work for royal sides, and while Jetstone may not like Haggar, Haggar is still royal.
2) He would be aware Parson could enter the magic kingdom, and was there when Sizemore originally entered to construct the tunnel. If Jojo was working for Haggar, then Charlie would have HIM by the throat as well, and if Charlie found Maggie's message (a distinct possibility) he would have him waiting there for Parson.
3)We are already aware that Vanna was linked, presumably to the Arkendish, and we are further aware (by virtue of Parson being in Erfworld at all) that linked casters can create scrolls, not just magic items.
4) It's been stated that Turnamancy can give exceptions for off-turn movement.
5) Parson being captured by Haggar would work greatly in Charlie's favor - he'd get Parson right where he knew he would be, he would severely upset GK's command structure, and while Jetstone would probably fall under these circumstances, GK would be left in Stanley's hands for leadership. And we all know how THAT turned out.

Another possibility is that the scroll Jojo has is a turnamancy spell to warp back time - Jillian called Vanna's spell a time warp, so we can assume it's at least possible... and it would fit well with his statements about Fate. The problem with this is what on erfworld Jojo or whatever side he may serve would have to gain from this... Except maybe for altering the outcome of the battle for Jetstone, but letting the enemy's chief warlord know about that isn't going to help in the slightest...

[justamessenger]

Jojo the Dog-Faced Boy


edit: eh, nevermind..

And George

And George again!


Also, I was off about it being George alone, I bow to those of you that predicted a mix of both.

As to JoJo: I don't trust him, I don't know if he is acting as a free agent, in someone's employ, or is simply acting according to whatever vestiges of Duty are left over from his service to Queen Bea. Never trust a Carney, and never trust a complete stranger trying to stall you when you are supposed to be somewhere else ASAP.

As to the bracer: We have seen it before, but isn't this the first time it is glowing? I was thinking maybe it is similar to Sting/Glamdring/Orcrist in Tolkein's books, that it glows when enemies are about. Edit: Disregard, just went through previous illustrations and it does look like it started glowing after he put it on... /Edit

At any rate, Parson needs to ditch/dispatch JoJo and get on with his mission. He hates the idea of people dying on his behalf, that is the whole point of his trip to the front lines. The idea that he would get sidetracked, with that being foremost in his mind, makes no sense to me.

[gazes_also]

How on earth does his identity reference the Beatles? "Jojo" was the real Jeftichew's stage name.

Are you one of those folks who has difficulty with both/and type duality thing-os? But to answer your question:

His outfit is George's from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Not kinda, but precisely. (Also, Sgt' Pepper's was a marching band, note Parson's comment in panel 8.)

His face is is a very good representation of Harrison's during his bearded moments. And doesn't look at all like the real world Jeftichew (who didn't simply have a beard, but had hair all over his body, including his brow, around his eyes, etc.)

"Here Comes the Sun" was was written by George Harrison

"Jojo" references both the real life Jeftichew, but also the song the Beatles' "Get Back"

It has been debated since this character first appeared whether he was Jefftichew or some Sgt Pepper/Yellow Submarine Beatles reference - specifically George. It seems he's an amalgam of both.

[Oberon]

My favorite line in this update:

Oh, he's a joker, he's a wild card. Better than an Ace, folks. He can beat everything! He can be anything!

For any fans of George RR Martin's Aces Wild series, this seems to be a reference to Croyd, The Sleeper, who can indeed be anything, and pretty much beats everything.

Card tricks always involve a sucker.

Don't be that sucker, Parson! Run away!

Hell yeah. If Chewi is pulling a fast one, the cry of "HEY, RUBE!" will ring out in the tunnel.

I like how he's already tied Parson in a knot, anyway. If he turns to continue running, it's an unidentified scroll to the back. If he attacks, he'll be guilty of unprovoked assault on a supposedly neutral caster in the Magic Kingdom (and a sword isn't really nonlethal). As long as he stays to talk, other casters are bearing down on his position. Nice work.

Indeed. Parson has been halted. Now, the GK forces do seem to be advancing their advantage, but Parson's presence would help them both by adding his (tiny) bonus and also having him immediately present to think through any reversals. But Chewie has stopped him cold for a chat...

Parson...as a free barbarian signamancer caster in the magic kingdom has lots of potential storywise...

Bah. Parson as a free agent would be pretty much a Charlie clone.

Parson as a member of a side with the interesting components of:
An incompetent overlord with a possible history of overthrowing his king;
A spooky, powerful, OBEY ME caster such as Wanda;
Sizemore;
Jack;
Bogroll (RIP);
Etc.

This is unique, and not simply a Charlie clone.

[BLANDCorporatio]

Parson...as a free barbarian signamancer caster in the magic kingdom has lots of potential storywise...

Bah. Parson as a free agent would be pretty much a Charlie clone.

Parson as a member of a side with the interesting components of:
An incompetent overlord with a possible history of overthrowing his king;
A spooky, powerful, OBEY ME caster such as Wanda;
Sizemore;
Jack;
Bogroll (RIP);
Etc.

This is unique, and not simply a Charlie clone.

The difference between Parson as a free agent (that is, some schmuck in the MK) and Charlie is that the hypothetical Parson doesn't have an army of superversatile units on command.

But that's inconsequential; Parson really is working for an (the?) interesting side, so I think the upset that's creeping up is not a permanent turning or something like that. I don't any kind of turning or stuff like that will happen, actually.

[Oberon]

Attacking him [Chewie] would be burning a bridge that Parson doesn't know anything about yet. Depending on who he is, it could make relations with the Magic Kingdom even worse. And, on top of all that -- Parson has no reason to be certain he can take the guy. Sure, he has a bunch of artifacts, but he's never actually fought before, and he has no idea what Jojo's capabilities are.

I agree with the reasons for not attacking. But Parson isn't completely unblooded. He has been in a few fights, and did rather well in all of them except for the neck pinch incident.

There is no great conspiracy here. It's just one man seeking his revenge on the person that destroyed his side. He spends his time obsessing on his vengeance and hanging out at the portal to GK in order to harm Wanda, who has been constantly at war since taking Unaroyal and so never in the MK. Parson was simply someone that came through and did something interesting, and may be a better mark than Sizemore.

I find this to be an unlikely epileptic tree. If Chewie hated Wanda, he should hate GK, and thus Parson by extension as a GK unit and current GK CWL.

The whole point of a carny is to distract you, catch you off guard, then trick you into doing something you wouldn't normally do.

He wants Parson to stop and talk. That by itself is reason not to. So even by talking to him, Parson is doing it wrong.

Agreed.

Actually attacking a neutral caster in the MK is not a good idea. As far as the MK is concerned, Jojo is just doing his job, keeping Parson from portal hopping, just like the other casters in Portal Park. He almost certainly has ulterior motives, but they don't know that. They say "stop that warlord" and he runs into the tunnel and stops the warlord. If Parson kills him, it's a genuine attack on the MK (from their point of view).

Agreed.

He can't just ignore him. Leaving an unknown caster with an unknown scroll at your back? Not good.

Agreed.

Best response at this time? Assume the scroll is part of the trick, attack it with hope of destroying it or making him drop it, then continue to run for Spacerock.

Hmmmm, disagree. Parson is not a killer except when pushed into it. He also has a curiosity streak a mile wide. This could be bad in this situation as it has allowed him to be distracted from his goal of getting to Spacerock. But attacking a caster and then turning his back on him? Not a smart move, as casters do not rely on scrolls for their primary utility. Chewie is most likely flush with juice, and has already demonstrated that he can catch Parson from behind.

Best option for Sizemore? Help his chief warlord! Maybe erect a wall right behind parson so Jojo can't follow him. I don't know if he can do that without seeing what's going on or not.

The best option for Sizemore, as I said before, is to enter the tunnel to support his CWL. Sizemore can walk through rock and should be able to be there in mere seconds.

of course, Parson could just kill Jefftichew, lug the corpse through the portal, get Wanda to decrypt it, get all his questions (and then some) answered safely and find out if decrypted magic users can still use magic. what a show.

That would be cold, efficient, and logical. And Parson is all of those things when it comes to games. But, Parson is also not a killer unless pushed into it. Chewie is safe as long as things remain cordial.

of course, Parson could just kill Jefftichew...

True, but then that would completely negate the entire premise of Parson treating all Erfworlders as real people instead of pawns in a game. If Parson was that callous, he wouldn't even be in the tunnel in the first place.

100% agreement.

[Redarmy]

Jojo was a man who thought he was a woman...

Er, no. Those aren't the lyrics. They are:

Jojo was a man who thought he was a loner
But he knew it wouldn't last.

http://www.amiright.com/misheard/stories/beatles.shtml ... not quite halfway down the page.

I suspect that Jojo may be trying to join GK's Side. That'd fit those lyrics, anyway. That, or he's about to try dispelling the Summon spell that brought Parson to Erfworld in the first place (fitting the refrain, Get back, Get back, Get back to where you once belonged ...).

Jojo? I thought it was Tojo.

[technojunkie]

of course, Parson could just kill Jefftichew, lug the corpse through the portal, get Wanda to decrypt it, get all his questions (and then some) answered safely and find out if decrypted magic users can still use magic. what a show.

You may be on to something here... It has already been alluded that the decrypted have free will. This could probably be what Jojo is driving at. Get croaked/decrypted and excercise said free will...

[wrecan]

Parson as a free agent would be pretty much a Charlie clone.

Not at first. Unlike Charlie, Parson genuinely cares for units. Even if he were free, he'd probably still want to help GK, if only because he cares about Jack, Maggie, and Sizemore, and quite possibly, because he would in fact like to end war in Erf, and the only way to do that is to be allied to a side. Over time, as his friends are croaked, Parson would become more callous, more sheltered, more paranoid, and more Charlie-like. That too would be an interesting story.

Though I am becoming partial to the theory that Jojo is about to send Parson home. That would be interesting in a Thomas Covenant sort-of-way. Parson returns home, possibly only seconds after he left. He collapses, and is brought to the hospital. His friends convince themselves he didn't actually disappear. They must have been startled when he collapsed and are misremembering. Parson wakes, is given some anti-seizure medication and sent home. He convinces himself it was all a dream, he catches up timeline-wise (and thus gets to keep current with all Erfworld's pop cultural references) with the rest of us here in the Real World, and then.... POP! Wanda has cast the Summon Warlord ritual again and we get to see all the horrible things that have changed because he was banished back to Stupid-World.

[technojunkie]

Parson as a free agent would be pretty much a Charlie clone.

Not at first. Unlike Charlie, Parson genuinely cares for units. Even if he were free, he'd probably still want to help GK, if only because he cares about Jack, Maggie, and Sizemore, and quite possibly, because he would in fact like to end war in Erf, and the only way to do that is to be allied to a side. Over time, as his friends are croaked, Parson would become more callous, more sheltered, more paranoid, and more Charlie-like. That too would be an interesting story.

Though I am becoming partial to the theory that Jojo is about to send Parson home. That would be interesting in a Thomas Covenant sort-of-way. Parson returns home, possibly only seconds after he left. He collapses, and is brought to the hospital. His friends convince themselves he didn't actually disappear. They must have been startled when he collapsed and are misremembering. Parson wakes, is given some anti-seizure medication and sent home. He convinces himself it was all a dream, he catches up timeline-wise (and thus gets to keep current with all Erfworld's pop cultural references) with the rest of us here in the Real World, and then.... POP! Wanda has cast the Summon Warlord ritual again and we get to see all the horrible things that have changed because he was banished back to Stupid-World.

Then we go all Narnia-esque...

[the_tick_rules]

That idea sounds unlikely.

[MarbitChow]

he catches up timeline-wise (and thus gets to keep current with all Erfworld's pop cultural references)

Seeing as how many (even most?) of the pop-culture references occur when Penson is not around, Parson's awareness of their relevance is not necessary.

[DoctorJest]

That idea sounds unlikely.

That applies to 90% of these forums.

[wrecan]

Seeing as how many (even most?) of the pop-culture references occur when Penson is not around, Parson's awareness of their relevance is not necessary.

I suspect it's tied to his signamancy. (Yes, ii think Parson has natural signamancy... I think everyone in the real world and Stupidworld is a natural signamancer...)