Book 2 – Page 64

[Wren]

Also, what would happen if a "free will" scroll were used on WANDA? =O

[Wren]

Whats the bet Parson has the scroll used on someone/something else before the end of the book?

Test of loyalty and duty. He looses his chance to return home to win the battle, or maybe save someone or something, etc.

Scary thing... whoever he does it to doesn't simply disappear... They end up in Stupidworld...

'
seems possible, even likely given that it has been said that some of parson's stupidworld friends will be making an appearance. Someone gets sent back and rallies them to the cause, to return with them to erfworld?

[janusfenix]

That peace-sign is upside-down (angle pointing up). I wonder if this is significant, beyond simply making it visibly a peace-sign behind her, rather than a circle with a stick?

[Catalyst]

That peace-sign is upside-down (angle pointing up). I wonder if this is significant, beyond simply making it visibly a peace-sign behind her, rather than a circle with a stick?

Some say that it was originally that way. Still, i think you are right. He probably just did it to help us see what it was, or i guess it could be because she is using "peace" magic hostilely (ha, i was surprised that is a real word), represented by the upside down peace sign.

[Xenon]

the peace symbol is actually the Futhark rune Algiz, inverted, in a circle. inverting a rune changes its meaning.

interesting comic, seems that the predictamancer gets to talk to parson now.

[DunkelMentat]

"Give me love. Give me... peace on Erf."

I would say in half of the updates I think I've found my favorite line in all of Erfworld but they just keep on coming, one after another.

And now: a song.

I wanna be a hippymancer!
I wanna be a peaceful prancer!
I wanna cast loving spell
And save the Erf from war and hate!

Sung to "I wanna be an airborne ranger"

[EarwaxRock]

Especially interesting to see Hippymancy in action, given Janis' claim that Parson is a Hippymancer.
(http://www.erfworld.com/book-1-archive/?px=%2F140.jpg)

So it can be an aggressive discipline. That's been hard for me to wrap my head around. Maybe it's like getting the other guy high rather that punching him. One step closer to figuring out the self-sustaining side and eliminates the need for fighting.
(http://www.erfworld.com/book-2-archive/?px=%2F2010-12-08.jpg)

Of course, the Great Minds seem to disagree with the idea of him being a Hippymancer at all (from a page that's only in the paper copy), but that may just be an indication that Parson's abilities transcend the normal distinctions between disciplines.

[warriortribble]

So, what use was Janis?

Along with what everyone else said, I suspect Janis may have saved Jeftichew's life. Without her lockdown spell, Parson probably would have been forced to croak or incapacitate the caster since it would be too risky to turn your back on one.

[Pax]

George Harrison by Richard Avedon

Nice catch! ^_^

[Angband]

Another reference nobody's caught so far:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Give_Me_Lo ... e_on_Earth)

[Radagast]

Hmm. That was much easier than I was expecting.

We're pretty much due for SOMETHING to go wrong for GK.

[Sieggy]

Given the speculations about how Charley might actually be originally from Stupidworld, it just might be that Parson now has the means to banish him back to the place he once belonged . . . The artwork and the puns here are delightful, and the pop culture references are a trip. I kind of have to wonder how Parson thinks about them, though. I think he figures there's maybe some connection between Erf and Earth, but which one is influencing the other . . ?

[pSycHOtic chICkeN]

I wonder if Parson can give it to one of the archons. If she chooses to go to stupid world then she probably does have a free will. That would leave Parson with a talented roommate if he ever goes back himself.

[gameboy1234]

So, what use was Janis? I don't mean that in a mean way, but Chewie wasn't attacking, Parson wasn't dropping the scroll so Chewie could cast it, and Chewie wasn't getting what he wanted. Seems to me he'd have left in frustration anyway, so why did Janice need to cast a spell? Maybe it prevented him from continuing his carnie patter, but it wasn't doing anything anyway, and apparently with the staff Parson is well protected against magic. So Chewi had noting left buy quick talk and attempting to fill Parson with a sense of urgency using infomercial language. Being from Stupidworld Parson should be rather immune to that.

She preventing him from casting the scroll anyway. If the staff only grants say, 50% spell resistance, rather than full spell immunity, Jojo might have rolled the dice and tried anyway. All his talk was to try to make it a sure thing.

Another way to interpret this is that Jojo and Parson were stalemated. Parson was blocking the spell, but if he turned around to run away, his guard may have dropped and Jojo would have been able to cast at a fleeing opponent. Backing away slowly might have amounted to the same thing.

Not sure about Erfworld rules for 1-on-1 combat, but I think that's one way of seeing this interaction.

Now, with Jojo "pacified" or whatever, he can't cast no matter what. So he tosses the scroll and gives up, at least for now.

[Squall83]

I'm really wondering why these eight great caster aren't intervening at all. Shouldn't they have been at the scene from the very beginning? Of course time goes much slower for us with 2 updates a week, but I definitely know that Sizemore walked slowly while walking between portals and that was plenty of time to approach Jojo, wo was so obviously hiding behind the GK portal. Also Jojo and Parson were talking for quite a bit. Elite casters really should be able to react by then. Unless of course they want to pretend to be neutral as long as there's the possibility for someone else to get their hands dirty. In that case they'd have something in common with Charlie. ^^

I love reading Erfworld more and more with each comic.

[Sieggy]

Especially interesting to see Hippymancy in action, given Janis' claim that Parson is a Hippymancer.
(http://www.erfworld.com/book-1-archive/?px=%2F140.jpg)

So it can be an aggressive discipline. That's been hard for me to wrap my head around. Maybe it's like getting the other guy high rather that punching him. One step closer to figuring out the self-sustaining side and eliminates the need for fighting.
(http://www.erfworld.com/book-2-archive/?px=%2F2010-12-08.jpg)

Of course, the Great Minds seem to disagree with the idea of him being a Hippymancer at all (from a page that's only in the paper copy), but that may just be an indication that Parson's abilities transcend the normal distinctions between disciplines.

Heh. NOTHING is ever totally defensive - I studied Aikido (Shin-shin Toitsu) in Japan under Tohei Sensei (who just passed away at age 91 last month - he will be really missed), which is one of the softer forms. Students were not permitted to watch the Masters do their drills, but I and another student found a tree outside the Dojo where we could climb up and watch them. We were astounded to see them use moves that were quite lethal if applied properly, which seemed to us to be a total contradiction of the focus & philosophy of Aikido. When we asked Sensei about this, he just kind of smiled and said that those were advanced forms that they didn't teach students - when we became Sensei, we could learn them. Then he had the tree trimmed . . .

[gameboy1234]

Given the speculations about how Charley might actually be originally from Stupidworld, it just might be that Parson now has the means to banish him back to the place he once belonged . . .

Yup, that was my thought too. This might be the way to get rid of Charlie. Of course, since Charlie probably helped make the spell, once used on Charlie there may be no way to get another.

[CelebrenIthil]

Anyone that bring a shovel between them and their foes is a bad-ass. 'nuff said.

Also, Hippiemancy is the coolest thing.
If you'll excuse me now, I have to go laugh-cringing from the "free will-y" pun.

[Kreistor]

The Peace hand-sign Janis makes in Frame 8 is also the Victory hand-sign.

Inverting the Peace symbol turns the branches into V, again for victory, while retaining the original meaning.

Remember that Hippiemancers would be used to win wars, so on the battlefield, its victims might be captured and killed later if they can't be killed while effectively defenseless.

Or the artist couldn't make the Peace sign work as a background (Janis was hiding the branches) and had to flip it so you could tell what it was intended to be.

[Zeku]

Great art this time. Sizemore is loyal to his side, in spite of his general misgivings. The same can be said of the other two caster's loyalty to their scheme.

As was discussed last time, Carnymancer's are deceivers first and foremost, so I wouldn't be surprised if handing Parson the scroll was the entire point of the exercise. Parson will see it as a battle-won trophy, potentially very desirable, and not (as it probably is) a ticking time bomb of some kind.

If Charlie is behind it, the intrusion of this choice creates the opportunity for Parson to both think and talk about something other than what is right in front of him, the conquest of Erf. The 'multiplication of doctrines' is a stabilizing pillar of propaganda and manipulation. The enemy is contending over a point that you have no interest in whatsoever, allowing you to move with more freedom.