Book 2 – Text Updates 051

[effataigus]

Very interesting indeed... and exciting.

I wonder if the Tower of Ossomer crumbling refers to his actual turning to dust...

If so, I'm betting Jetstone will be very happy to have that carpet in a moment or two!

I am curious about this though:

the fate of the odd-shaped stone tile he had been dwelling upon moments ago.

I can't make sense of this. When had Ossomer been dwelling upon a stone on the tower? Maybe last turn, but Ossomer appears to have been near Exp. Bridge or in the air since then... did anyone understand what was meant by this?

[the_tick_rules]

Now, the people who say "text updates are irrelevant to the story itself" has another reason to stay in silence

I'm only an intermittent reader of this forum, but do people seriously say that?

IIRC, Word of the Titans (which I'm too lazy to go check, but I'm sure someone will) was that text updates were non-essential to the story itself. Obviously, they add serious color and background, but the tale can certainly stand for the panels-only reader, who will basically simply be unaware of the fact that a Jetstone archer-sniper warlady tried to launch an attack on Lady Sylvia and failed. End result is the same, whether that happened or not: Lady Sylvia's dwagons continue pounding the crap out of the tower.

Tinfoil hat time: if Ossomer manages to Turn back to Jetstone allegiance without dusting in the process, Jetstone is no longer without an heir. So even if Slately doesn't survive, the side does. With a Decrypted monarch! How cool is that?

I'm guessing his heir of jetstone status is gone now that he's no longer a jetstone unit. But that's just my guess.

I'm guessing the stone was refering to probably when he was in the city standing on the tower a turn or two ago as a jetstone unit.

[BrotherRool]

the fate of the odd-shaped stone tile he had been dwelling upon moments ago.

I can't make sense of this. When had Ossomer been dwelling upon a stone on the tower? Maybe last turn, but Ossomer appears to have been near Exp. Bridge or in the air since then... did anyone understand what was meant by this?

There was a text update recently where Ossomer stared at a cracked stone, near where he was flying, associating its inability to fit in with himself

[auraseer]

I'm going to call this foreshadowing.

Ossomer started looking at that odd-shaped tile in Text Update 47. What with his confused and contemplative mood, the writer draws parallels between the tiles and Ossomer himself, because neither quite fits in yet they are both "meant to be where [they are]".

The tile fell, and deflected a shot that would have croaked an important warlord. Thus, the same is about to happen to Ossomer. I predict he turns at a dramatic moment and takes a shot that was meant for his father. Ossomer gets critted and dies, while Jetpack Slately stays alive to cause problems for the invaders.

[effataigus]

There was a text update recently where Ossomer stared at a cracked stone, near where he was flying, associating its inability to fit in with himself

Aha... thanks! That does make sense. Dwelling upon intellectually rather than physically. It had seemed an odd turn of phrase for "standing."

[fjolnir]

It's the residual Carnymancy wearing off. Sylvia should be a bit more cautious in the future. Though by the signamancy of this event Ossomer turning will somehow bring an advantage to GK they didn't possess previously.

[BLANDCorporatio]

Whoa. That was a close shave. Lovely update this, it has BOOM Headshots and stealth Brick Jokes and more importantly yet another inspiration for an avatar for me

I also like how there are several threads of action going on in close proximity to each other. There'll be the Sylvia/Artemis dueling the yard, and Slately's cunning caster-plan in the tower unaware of Trem's unplanned voyage into dreamland, while in the portal room Wanda is about to discover Jeftichew's involvement. Gosh darn it was there build-up toward this but the gears are grinding now!

The tile fell, and deflected a shot that would have croaked an important warlord. Thus, the same is about to happen to Ossomer. I predict he turns at a dramatic moment and takes a shot that was meant for his father. Ossomer gets critted and dies, while Jetpack Slately stays alive to cause problems for the invaders.

Something's gonna happen with Ossomer and what you describe is not unlikely.

Tinfoil hat time: if Ossomer manages to Turn back to Jetstone allegiance without dusting in the process, Jetstone is no longer without an heir. So even if Slately doesn't survive, the side does. With a Decrypted monarch! How cool is that?

Ossomer full-on turning to Jetstone is, imo, less probable, or rather, less probable to have a "happy" outcome. As far as Jetsonians are concerned, Ossomer is dead, and there's a weird lump of Erf-flesh which sorta looks like him floating above their city. That said, a Royal side with a Decrypted monarch would be cool, if only to throw a spanner in the "Royalty is obsolete" thing that's going around.

Until now I didn't actually think Ossomer would turn, but now it certainly looks like he will. The question now becomes, what happens to him if he does? Will he dust, or have we just discovered a potential weakness in the "decrypt anything and everything" strategy?

I don't think so. Regular soldiers don't really have enough of a personality to be affected by things like that, and they're what really counts. Losing a warlord they never really had won't change much, Wanda will just have to settle with Uncroaking high level enemy leaders instead of decrypting them. But the army stays.

And the solution doesn't need to be that drastic. Erfworlders seem somewhat capable to deal with treason. They know it can exist, and presumably some kind of loyalty management system could be developed, something like "don't send freshly decrypted Warlords to the front".

Hasa Diga Eebowai!

That. Was awesome. Thank you!

It's the residual Carnymancy wearing off. Sylvia should be a bit more cautious in the future.

Indeed. It's one thing to croak the one thing keeping you aloft when there was a blizzard of arrows waiting to take you down anyway, and another to not mind your flanks when you have the resources and need to do so.

[DevilDan]

Nice way of playing with us there.

[Lamech]

Ossomer full-on turning to Jetstone is, imo, less probable, or rather, less probable to have a "happy" outcome. As far as Jetsonians are concerned, Ossomer is dead, and there's a weird lump of Erf-flesh which sorta looks like him floating above their city. That said, a Royal side with a Decrypted monarch would be cool, if only to throw a spanner in the "Royalty is obsolete" thing that's going around.

I'm still hoping Ossomer gets to be the king of his own side. Either from Stanley eating backlash, or splitting of on his own side for some sort of benefit. The first option is funnier, and could lead to happy endings all around, the second might actually make sense since it gets new unit types and casters for GK.

[badninja]

Wow and here I thought that the battle was going to swing into Jetstone's favor, now I think Lady Artemis is screwed and she knows it. I wonder if the royals are going to think that this is a sign from the Titans and just give up, or fight to the bitter end? Parson has been helping his side and with his battle knowledge he is turning this world into an more dangerous place. Scary update, truly scary.

[kreszantas]

I'm going to call this foreshadowing.

Ossomer started looking at that odd-shaped tile in Text Update 47. What with his confused and contemplative mood, the writer draws parallels between the tiles and Ossomer himself, because neither quite fits in yet they are both "meant to be where [they are]".

The tile fell, and deflected a shot that would have croaked an important warlord. Thus, the same is about to happen to Ossomer. I predict he turns at a dramatic moment and takes a shot that was meant for his father. Ossomer gets critted and dies, while Jetpack Slately stays alive to cause problems for the invaders.

Well I guess since I have not seen it yet, I am going to take the opposite side of the coin in that it is a tear of remorse. Just as with any family member or loved one you would grieve the loss and the definant ways of Tremmenis and Stately have affected him in this manner also. Nothing like watching your family dying in front of you and you can do nothing about it. For plot sake this is adding character and fleshing out the meaning behind the story so that we get attached to the various parts emotionally, otherwise they are merely just names and images drawn onto a board.

[1Luv]

Very interesting indeed... and exciting.

I wonder if the Tower of Ossomer crumbling refers to his actual turning to dust...

If so, I'm betting Jetstone will be very happy to have that carpet in a moment or two!

I am curious about this though:

the fate of the odd-shaped stone tile he had been dwelling upon moments ago.

I can't make sense of this. When had Ossomer been dwelling upon a stone on the tower? Maybe last turn, but Ossomer appears to have been near Exp. Bridge or in the air since then... did anyone understand what was meant by this?

Ossomer is feeling pretty bad and down right nao. The tower of Ossomer is the idea he had of himself. First he thought he was rightful son of a royal in his worldview. then he was suddenly, violently decrypted and used as a game piece rather than the warlord/royalty he was.

Ossomer was staring at a tile floating near the tower, because he feels left out and useless. Different from his former side, and ignored by Wanda. He's been floating next to the tower just out of its Hex the whole time on a carpet.

What I personally thinks is -Charlie- is gonna pay to bump up Tram, if only because he wants there to be someone around who at least doesn't hate him outright. Probably because slately will kill a bunch of decrypted Archons and try and slay Ossomer.(I have a feeling this is where the tile is going to matter. They'll fight, Slately will go for Wanda or something, and Ossomer(whose not been feeling the fight and was trying not too) taking the shot for Wanda)


What I'm more curious about is what happens if Slately is Decrypted? I know when the king dies all of them revert to barbarians, but will they revert back if slately's decrypted?

[kouhoutek]

Wow and here I thought that the battle was going to swing into Jetstone's favor, now I think Lady Artemis is screwed and she knows it. I wonder if the royals are going to think that this is a sign from the Titans and just give up, or fight to the bitter end? Parson has been helping his side and with his battle knowledge he is turning this world into an more dangerous place. Scary update, truly scary.

She may be personally screwed, but if she buys the tower enough time for Slately to escape and/or for Trem to get rescued, mission accomplished.

[Beeskee]

This update was almost exactly what I was imagining.

Now, the people who say "text updates are irrelevant to the story itself" has another reason to stay in silence

I'm only an intermittent reader of this forum, but do people seriously say that?

The comic is written so that the text updates can be skipped, you can read only the comic pages and the story will still make sense. I don't think they are irrelevant, but they are optional.

[SurvivorX]

I think everyone's missing the point here:

UPCOMING EPIC SHOWDOWN: LADY SYLVIA VS COUNTESS ARTEMIS

Place your bets! Can't wait to see how this fight goes down ^^

[Beeskee]

I think everyone's missing the point here:

UPCOMING EPIC SHOWDOWN: LADY SYLVIA VS COUNTESS ARTEMIS

Place your bets! Can't wait to see how this fight goes down ^^

I bet on a stalemate, or the fight being interrupted before it's conclusion.

[Sieggy]

It's nice to see that Sylvia's faith in Fate is justified. Given the foreshadowing of the Errant Tile, displaced and falling as fate's foil, I'll chuckle if Slately tosses Ossomer off the carpet to make his escape (with or without Ossomer's acquiescence), who then falls on top of someone important like Sylvia, Artemis, or maybe Parson, Wanda, et al as they emerge into the atrium (assuming they ever get to moving . . .).

BTW, while Ossomer is just sitting there being all emo, seriously, why has no one ordered him down to take a hand in things? I mean, Sylvia is right there - this guy's supposed to be a warlord, a badass warrior, and he's being a useless melancholic lump. There's a battle going on, and even if he can't land, he can still take down enemy units as Ansom did on the top of GKs walls (Death From Slightly Above). Someone in command (like Sylvia) should call him down - if he wants to die, let him do so honorably in battle, not sitting there watching the truck bear down on him like a deer caught in the headlights. They don't let people into the City of Heroes for just sitting there waiting for death to claim them because they're all angsty . . .

And thus far, I'd have to say that the fates haven't been particularly supportive of the Royalist faction - perhaps the Titans themselves realize that the game has grown stale and it's time for a change?

Oh, and just out of curiosity, where was the Don's surveillance bat hanging from? Was it the tower that's getting ready to fall down and go BOOM?

[BarGamer]

I don't think this counts as a Brick/Airplane joke. Did Ossomer, Sylvia, or Parson use some kind of Luckamancy or Carnymancy, to shift the odds of that tile hitting that arrow at that moment?

As a video gamer, I did appreciate the BOOM, headshot! Ah, memories...

[Radagast]

I'm not sure if this is the first time or not, but we definitely have absolute proof that warlords (and warladies) can see opposing unit stats.

[zilfallon]

one of the best things about this update is that it provided Bland a new avatar