Book 2 – Page 68

[DevilDan]

I still find it chilling that, for all we know Wanda and Marie have been on the same page all this time and even communicating as they plot to move Parson into his role. And of course there's every reason to believe that Marie has been manipulating the idealistic Janis.

[Housellama]

i see something obvious here- we cant see jacks hands in the final panels. he can easily make a sign behind him to relay information quietly to wanda, perhaps even let her see what he sees. which is enough to quickly see the eyebook is a good idea right now... the math of this fight is a LOT more in parson's favor now.

I think you're over thinking it. I don't think anything so convoluted is going on. Nor do I think Jack's head popped through instantly makes Parson's odds better.

If Jack manages to actually stack with Parson, then I think Parson will have a very good advantage, however. Stacked with four casters, including a predictamancer and a master-class foolamancer and all he needs to do it cross a portal threshold? Definitely to his advantage.

I dunno about the odds thing. Taken out of context, the odds of Parson's current stack vs the Thinkamancers haven't changed a bit. Stack composition hasn't changed and no bonuses have been added to either side, so in theory, it's still the same. However, you can't consider those odds out of context. Everything is relative. What's Jack's head pop did was show the Great Minds that they were no longer in a bubble. Previously, they had more or less total control of the situation. They had the firepower to take down Parson and probably make everyone nearby see more or less what they wanted them to see. It's a large group of Master-Class Thinkamancers. Even Wanda could change the memories of a unit. Granted, it was a low level non-caster, but she's not even a Thinkamancer. Slap a link together and they could probably mindwipe the whole area with minimal difficulty. So they had the home field advantage, and they could take Parson without consequences. No witnesses. He could be disappeared, as it were.

Jack's appearance put paid to that. Now there IS a witness. I'd be willing to bet that they can't cast through the portal and that Jack could pull his head back quicker than they could cast a spell. What the Thinkamancers have to take into account now is that if they take Parson, there is a MUCH greater chance for reprisals. It's not a tangible mechanical difference, but again, I'd put money on it changing the odds if Parson rushed the gate. If nothing else, it might add a moment's hesitation before they blasted him. With only that short a distance to cover, a moment's hesitation might just make the difference.

[The Minx]

The artwork seems to be getting better with each installment. Very nice.

BTW: does anyone know who the thinkamancer with the long purple hair is supposed to be (since they're all apparently references to something)?

[Sieggy]

Well, discounting the sudden shift in the tactical balance, the entire GMTTA argument against Parson proceeding to Jetstone has now been rendered moot. It would be almost certain that a portal room would be one of if not the most heavily defended place in a city. The mere fact that a GK unit just stuck his head out of the JS portal would be prima facia evidence that the city had fallen into GK hands, and could no longer be considered 'enemy'. And their objections to Parson's passage made null. If questioned on this, all Jack has to do is sneer and reply "hmph. I'm HERE, aren't I?", which would be classic Jack . . . Unless the GMTTA have some intelligence resource as yet undisclosed, they don't know WHAT the situation in JS is at the moment. Charlie might, but well, he's not talking to them, now is he . . ?

At this point, if they still want to take him, it's no longer "we're protecting the status quo", it's "he's ours to take and do with as we like". To which Wanda might take a bit of offense . . . as also might Jack, Janis, Marie, and Sizemore, not to mention Maggie who is one step away from the GK end of the tunnel. and (just to add a bit of zest to the mix), does anyone know where Jeftichew took off to? If he just ran out of the tunnel (and not into GK by accident, oops! Hi, Maggie!), he's not all that far away himself, and may take an interest in the proceedings himself.

And . . . speaking of possible scientific experiments, I wonder if Wanda would like to find out whether or not the decrypted could survive passage through the portals . . ? If so, the balance of power just shifted RADICALLY . . .

And . . . Awesome writing and artwork, once again you've outdone yourselves! My compliments, most sincerely!

[Beeskee]

does anyone know where Jeftichew took off to? If he just ran out of the tunnel (and not into GK by accident, oops! Hi, Maggie!), he's not all that far away himself, and may take an interest in the proceedings himself.

Unless he's offering cheerleading services, he's pretty much useless for the rest of this turn now due to the Hippymancy spell cast on him by Janis.

I'm not saying he's completely useless, I'm sure he could do SOMETHING, but he can't engage, which I think means he can't initiate combat. He might be able to stack with someone else who is attacked and then be free to attack back, but we don't know all the details of that spell yet.

[Housellama]

Well, discounting the sudden shift in the tactical balance, the entire GMTTA argument against Parson proceeding to Jetstone has now been rendered moot. It would be almost certain that a portal room would be one of if not the most heavily defended place in a city. The mere fact that a GK unit just stuck his head out of the JS portal would be prima facia evidence that the city had fallen into GK hands, and could no longer be considered 'enemy'. And their objections to Parson's passage made null. If questioned on this, all Jack has to do is sneer and reply "hmph. I'm HERE, aren't I?", which would be classic Jack . . . Unless the GMTTA have some intelligence resource as yet undisclosed, they don't know WHAT the situation in JS is at the moment. Charlie might, but well, he's not talking to them, now is he . . ?

At this point, if they still want to take him, it's no longer "we're protecting the status quo", it's "he's ours to take and do with as we like". To which Wanda might take a bit of offense . . . as also might Jack, Janis, Marie, and Sizemore, not to mention Maggie who is one step away from the GK end of the tunnel. and (just to add a bit of zest to the mix), does anyone know where Jeftichew took off to? If he just ran out of the tunnel (and not into GK by accident, oops! Hi, Maggie!), he's not all that far away himself, and may take an interest in the proceedings himself.

Eh. I get the feeling that taking Parson was their main aim anyway. The tradition was the excuse. Now Janis's argument is shot to heck with Jack's appearance, but I think that the GMTTA want Parson. We'll see whether they abandon their excuse or not.

[Oberon]

Great, GREAT page. We see Jack being Jack and may have gotten a new meme out of it as well from Wanda (Disband yourself).

I see you flyin' round FAQ
With the girl I love and I'm like
Disband yourself!
Oo, oo, ooo
I guess the shmuckers in my pocket
Wasn't enough i'm like,
Disband yourself!
And disband her, too!

Stopping there, no real talent at converting song lyrics.

[Kreistor]

On the subject of eyes:

There may be trends in eyes that associate either with unit quality and/or tribe.

For instance: Stanley has simple black dots, but he popped as a normal trooper as Plaid Tribe, but Sizemore has iris with dim colour, and popped as a Caster. Ansom, Trammenis, Ossomer, and Slately (all Royal) all have the same blue eyes with no pupils. Jillian is royal with tan-gold iris and no pupil, while Wanda is a caster with light blue iris and no pupils. All Transylvitians, regardless of Noble or Royal status, have red iris with no pupils.

Parson is the only true human, and has sclera, iris, and pupils in close-ups.

So there may be something to figure out here, but problems arise with non-tribe, captured or hired units in the wrong Sides. Like Ben Franklin in Transylvito as the most glaring example. Often, we can't tell if someone poppped on Side or was catured, whcih tosses a lot of data points out the window. I've tried to find the pattern during Book 1, and failed, but haven't tried more recently. The Jetstone Royals are the best Tribal example of similarity in eye style.

[Oberon]

So there may be something to figure out here, but problems arise with non-tribe, captured or hired units in the wrong Sides.

Kreistor, for example, has only red eyes. And the closer one is always much bigger proportionally than the few inches would indicate for perspective. Maybe he is Charlie! Or related to Parson!

[nth]

Waaaaaitasec...

Exactly where is Jack, for purposes of stacking?

CAN PARSON STACK WITH JACK? LIKE NOW? WITHOUT MOVING PAST THE GMTTA?

Since Jack's feet are in Jetstone... Does that mean Parson and the casters stacked with him can just...

Nah...

[gazes_also]

Maggie can now relay messages between Jack and Parson, so they could, in theory, come up with a decoy to get Parson to the portal, but it's questionable whether even Jack could fool that many Thinkamancers at one time at such close range.
Jack technically hasn't crossed into TMK, it must still be breaking the rule even though they control the portal room, otherwise why just stick his head in? As is, he's just bending the rule.

I suspect that Marie will not be happy to see Jack. You can't fool a foolamancer and they may have some history in Faq. If she's up to no good Jack is the biggest threat to her and she may take extreme measures against him.

[Renion]

I suspect that Marie will not be happy to see Jack. You can't fool a foolamancer and they may have some history in Faq. If she's up to no good Jack is the biggest threat to her and she may take extreme measures against him.

Wait, what?

If she's going to act against Jack it won't be now.

[Kreistor]

So there may be something to figure out here, but problems arise with non-tribe, captured or hired units in the wrong Sides.

Kreistor, for example, has only red eyes. And the closer one is always much bigger proportionally than the few inches would indicate for perspective. Maybe he is Charlie! Or related to Parson!

Or maybe I read Order of the Stick.

[Kreistor]

I suspect that Marie will not be happy to see Jack. You can't fool a foolamancer and they may have some history in Faq. If she's up to no good Jack is the biggest threat to her and she may take extreme measures against him.

And who on Earth has she ever fooled? Wanda? No, she told Wanda exactly what she would get. Janis? No, everything she told Janis came true. The GMTTA? They aren't complaining.

What "no good" could she possibly be up to? Peace on Erf? That's what she pushed Janis towards. Hardly heinous.

[GaryThunder]

"Oh there's our Thinkamancer." = "Yes, I know who all of you are. And you can't possibly stop me from telling my Ruler exactly what's going on, not filtered through your pet Thinkamancer like usual."

If Jack knows the Great Minds even a little bit, and he clearly does, then he knows that they're so Lawful that they'd sooner march single-file into Charlescomm's hex than violate the MK conventions by engaging him.

[Kreistor]

then he knows that they're so Lawful

How is "creating a super-powerful spell secretly so that no one in the MK knows about it to complain" Lawful?

How is "moving into the Portal Park to defend someone taht is banned from the MK" Lawful?

How is "capturing and holding, perhaps forever, a Warlord that is unaware that he is supposed to be serving them that isnt' serving them" Lawful?

And how on Erf do you draw any such conclusions about them? We've seen very little of them, and nowhere near enough to decide that they're Law-mongers. Frankly, very little that they have done is conventional. Even Isaac's playground is an attempt to advance knowledge of the universe, which is very much the antithesis of the status quo that Lawful types prefer. Change is Chaos.

[Dr Pepper]

Superb update, and Jack is totally awesome! Also, I wonder, whose portrait is hanging on the wall at the background of panel 8. Hard to tell because of the balloon, and picture without balloons is not available yet.

It's Holly Strawberry, She has Strawberry Shortcake's bonnet, and Holly Hobbie's apron.

[OvaltinePatrol]

The Holly portrait is behind Wanda, the obscured portrait is behind the decrypted warlord (Antium?) The obscured portrait is definitely more masculine looking than Holly, at least clothing-wise. Panel 11 makes their positions clearer.

[Dr Pepper]

Given Charlie's apparent abilities to intercept/interfere with eyebook messages, Wanda messaging Parson right now seems like a Bad Idea.

Not really, there isn't enough time for him to take advantage. I suspect that a few text exchanges will give him enough info to have a plan fully formulated when he finally bursts though the portal.

[DevilDan]

The Holly Shortcake portrait is a great detail, a nice addition to artwork that isn't as busy since there's less action and more dialogue.