Book 2 – Page 73

[Angband]

Anyone want to bet that Jack was lying about being out of juice? If the other casters think he's out of juice, they won't be expecting any more foolamancy, which should make his illusions more effective...

[fjolnir]

probably, also Ossomer is the only character thusfar in the series who can pull off the Radish look

[roninpanda]

Holy freaking boop! As was said: Obviously the leadership bonus is the glue to the decrypted loyalty. But what's going to happen when Stanley finds out that "HE" basically had jetstone and lost it without even knowing? He's going to be so furious that all the Gobwin Knob units in the Magic Kingdom will have to make their own side and turn to it so that Stanley can't disband them!

On a side note with Wanda and Jack showing up the balance of power shifted so much that I almost feel bad for the Great Minds That Think Alike! I'm ready to see Hamster and crew take over the MK or at least break through.

[gameboy1234]

That was awesome. Scared me too!

THIS. Then I was like "Holy Boop, er holy shi---, er HOLY BOOP!!"

[zuche]

It is with an odd admixture of delight and terror that I admit to being completely wrong about the contents of this strip. Somehow, I doubt this is going to save me from BLANDCorporatio's wrath...

There's something unsettling about visuals so powerful that I can hear them, as with that penultimate panel. Here I was, startled with horror by the second panel, relieved by how that turned out and very much enjoying the Fool's banter with Sizemore before posing the sort of apology only he could make to Parson...it's all great to have the band back together...

Then there's that one horrifying look at the faces of Wanda and Ossomer and it's like I'm in a theatre with bass strong enough to rock my seat. I don't think Wanda can take another hit to her "irresistible" will; a third time may kill her. Has this need to have overwhelming control over others always been a part of her? If not, I hope we'll eventually learn that what twisted her around that obsession was more than the pursuit of power for its own sake, as well as what that something was.

As for Ossomer, let's just say that a lot of artists could not make someone wearing a turnip and a pair of white briefs outside of his clothing look anywhere remotely as fearsome as this. I would not be Wanda for all the world right now. That man has her doom written all over him, now that his cage is broken.

With all of this happening, I still find myself wondering after Tramennis' fate.

[Hanyo]

Two words: HOLY CRAP!!!!

Ossomer looks awesome in this update, btw -- that's a really determined kick-ass expression on his face. And now I'm just completely flabbergasted that Decrypted can turn. Thanks, guys, you just made my week.

[Ditto]

I believe this idea has been spelled out before, but some people don't seem to catch it, so I'ma try restating it:

• The portal exists only for the capital city of a side.
• If GK takes Spacerock, the portal will close (until Jetstone can designate another capital site, like Jetstone the city).
• GK needs to own all three garrison zones to take Spacerock.
• GK owns the dungeon and the courtyard, and is moments away from removing all forces from the Tower. (Or removing the Tower from the forces.)
• If they happen to kill the king at this point, all Jetstone units on the outerwalls and in other cities will freeze and go neutral until attacked. (This part isn't going to happen, since the King is a flying Martian at the moment).

[0beron]

I believe this idea has been spelled out before, but some people don't seem to catch it, so I'ma try restating it:

• GK needs to own all three garrison zones to take Spacerock.
• GK owns the dungeon and the courtyard, and is moments away from removing all forces from the Tower. (Or removing the Tower from the forces.)

I don't believe we know that for sure. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the implication seems to have been thus far that frighting was still going on in the dungeon.

Also, the next update or 2 might be when we get the question of Decrptyed Casters answered, if this tension between the Great Minds, GK, and the "Peace on Erf" coalition turns violent. GK might earn themselves another Thinkamancer, which would certainly be a relief to the poor, overworked Maggie.

And lastly...
CUBBBBINNNNNNNS! NOOOOOOOOO! :'( he's too cute to croak!
...unless, he's part of a plan we don't know about

[0beron]

Pardon the double-post but I had an unrelated thought....what if the reason Issac is so insistent on getting Parson's attention is because he knows of another Caster group that is on their way to actually ATTACK Parson? Perhaps the Thinkamancers are divided? It's been hypothesized before that Thinkamancers were responsible for bringing Charlie to Erfworld the same way Parson was brought, so what if that wasn't a mistake made by the Great Minds, but rather by an opposition group of Thinkamancers who might even still be loyal to Charlie?

[Tathar]

I don't believe that Wanda can see through Ossomer's eyes, I think the second-to-last panel was more a "Poink" moment, where Wanda felt the turning of the decrypted as Ossomer rejected the arkenpliers.

Also: I think it's too soon to assume there's a distance limit on the effects of the Arkenpliers, though it is a reasonable theory given that Ossomer only turned after Wanda was removed from his hex.

Have we seen Decrypted at any point in the story without Wanda in their hex? If not, one might wonder if the decrypted need Wanda with them in order to stay loyal to their side.

Ansom. Though in his case, the fact that he couldn't be turned seemed to be more of a matter of free will trumping turnamancy.

Ossomer turning seems to also be a matter of free will trumping the pliers' "turnamancy" though I'm not sure why it would take so long to happen. We'll just have to wait and see.

I still think that we'll end up with GK and Jetstone in an alliance against Charlie somehow. Remember, I called it several updates ago, back before Trem was knocked out. I'm expecting a few more plot twists before we get to that point though. I can see either Trem or Slately brokering the alliance on Jetstone's side now though.

I'm also going to predict that Slately will see Decrypted differently now that Ossomer turned. This would be essential for a peace agreement, barring Trem getting involved somehow.

[rewinn]

"Caput" is Latin for "Head", making it an excellent choice for the sound effect in Panel 1.
The fact that it sounds like "Kaput!" as in "Croaked" just adds to the funny.

[Tathar]

Oh, duh, totally forgot about Ansome. It's been a while since I've looked back through the archives.

Huh. Now I'm even more curious about Ossomer. Why was he able to shake it off when every other Decrypted hasn't been able or willing to? Sure, the emotion is fine and dandy... But this is an Arkentool we're talking about here. This thing has been able to keep everyone it touches in line... Except Ossomer. Even Ansome, when confronted by Jillian, wasn't able to shake it off.

I dunno, this feels like the start of something much bigger than I'd imagined at the beginning of the Jetstone battle.

Ansom wasn't *willing* to. It's possible that the Decrypted don't have upkeep because they have greater free will. Independent units who choose their own allegiances, if you will.

[dirocyn]

Awesome update, even better than usual.

In the final panel, I see Ace, Pierce and Ditto made it onto Unipegtars, (along with several warlords) but Cubbins is standing there holding on to his hat. Who wants to bet that hat turns out to be a propeller beanie that can fly?

[atalex]

I'll have to agree with Doran.. Jack did mention that it took the last of his juice to do it.

Unless, of course, the Foolamancer is lying. I thought it somewhat odd that he would simply announce in front of the Thinkamancers "hey guys, I'm out of juice and can't cast any more illusions." Jack is a big student of lateral thinking now, after all.

[Radagast]

I'm still confused as to why Wanda and Jack are in the MK.

The portal closing trick was obviously to get them past the Thinkamancers so they can stack with Parson, I get that.

But is it really a good idea to strand their army in a far-away city with no casters and no pliers?

Also... once the tower finishes falling, assuming all other fighting is done and GK owns the city... All those Dwagons, plus Sylvia and Captain Archer will be able to take off and join the air battle. Could still get interesting up there.

[Swodaems]

I still think Jack has no need to apologize for the situation. Making the suggestion was a good thing for Jack to do. He saw a possibility and brought it to his immediate superior's, Wanda's, attention. Wanda was the one who gave the actual order without consulting Parson.

Jack is punishing himself for productive innovative thinking. I'm hoping Parson doesn't go off on him for it. Parson shouldn't be the only protagonist who is allowed to come up with good ideas*. (Either as a rule of his making or as a feature of the story.)

Since the king isn't going to die in the tower collapse, I guessing the portal will actually remain open so long as either the dungeon or the inner walls remain as contested areas. (For reference, Antium says here that those two areas would still remain as places that need to be taken after the tower's collapse regardless of the King's death.) This means that it will still be possible for Parson to go thru the portal Spacerock until either the battle finishes in GK's favor or the King dies. Of course this would mean stepping into a room of decrypted Jetstone units right after recieving proof that they can turn, so it's probably not a good idea.

I have one problem with the presentation of this page. Judging by the proximity and color, the blue portal behind Parson in panels 6, 8, and 10 can only be the portal to spacerock and, therefore, the closing seen in the top 4 panels was a product of foolamancy from Jack. However not every reader is going to pick up on the fact that the portal closing was fake and will be confused if the portal comes back into play later sans explanation. I think the view of the scene we were given in panel 5 should have been rotated such that we were given a image of the portal becoming unfooled along with Jack and Wanda.

[Sixty]

Poor Cubbins. Looks like he is giving a final salute as the tower falls.

[BLANDCorporatio]

To be honest, I didn't like the past few updates pacewise, so it pleases me to say that this one is quite, quite, verily good!

We've had the long anticipated turning of Ossomer happen. Come on, everyone saw it coming, in the bottom of their hearts. But even if we suspected it would happen, the timing of it was just perfect. I don't think it was the distance from the Pliers which mattered. As pointed out, GK has several decrypted in hexes far away from Wanda.

I can imagine Parson's interior monologue, should he somehow become instinctually aware of the troop composition at Spacerock. "Who's in charge? Sylvia? Why not Osso... oh. Wait. FUUUUUUU"

The portal is not collapsed yet- wasn't that just Foolamancy, isn't the bluey portal we see in subsequent panels the one to Jetstone?- because Spacerock is still a capital. So in principle Wanda could go back. The question is, would she want to, even if all the casters present would allow it? I mean, it probably will be the case that some backlash will happen to her.

I'm also very curious about how the situation at Spacerock will resolve. Without Ossomer to provide bonuses, I gather the Archons will be easier prey, and thus Trem will be made heir. Unless Sylvia happens to capture said prince and hold him for ransom, her prospects are, again, bleak.

By which I mean, surely the troops at GK should by now outnumber whatever's left of Jetstone's army post tower fall (and even pre-tower fall, since a mass of troops was converted in the dungeon, a mass of Archers is useless as their arrows are spent, and several elite units were croaked a while ago in the unluckiest ambush ever). However, the dynamics of bonuses on troops are so byzantine that fudge it, whatever the author wants to happen is easily handwaved.

But setting aside the fate of GK units in a combat, there's something else that makes me curious: what will the nature of the resolution be? If Jetstone makes a big win (and it will be so if they win, since quite a few Dwagons would be croaked, and the one other high level warlord GK is known to have would also be dust), then we're just back to square one. That's not quite progress.

If somehow GK units manage to capture Spacerock, wouldn't it then just look like GK is steam-rolling everyone? No, it wouldn't if you ask me, but that's what some would say.

So I expect the outcome of the future battle to be yet another whattheboop moment.

It is with an odd admixture of delight and terror that I admit to being completely wrong about the contents of this strip. Somehow, I doubt this is going to save me from BLANDCorporatio's wrath...

You're safe. For now.

I'm still confused as to why Wanda and Jack are in the MK.

The portal closing trick was obviously to get them past the Thinkamancers so they can stack with Parson, I get that.

But is it really a good idea to strand their army in a far-away city with no casters and no pliers?

Not particularly, but they were expecting a win (they thought the Portal was in imminent danger of closing, which would have coincided with Jetstone ending as a side). Given that, I guess they thought they could afford leaving the troops there plier-less, for the casters could return to the front via relay on GK's next turn(s).

Look, the whole shebang of Parson going to Spacerock is a clusterfudge of suboptimalness. As far as that goes, popping into the MK for a chit-chat, when you were expecting the battle to be won, isn't the worst they could have done.

I wonder...

Does Ossomer have upkeep again?

If not, Erfworld has itself a solution.

Indeed. Wanda should set up an upkeep removal shop. It's what the Titans wanted!

[Kaed]

I think you all might be looking at this the wrong way. All this talk about Loyalty Buffs and Checks and such is a neat, but have you considered that perhaps it is simply psychology that caused Ossomer's turn, not some magic statistical attribute?

Think about how Ossomer was treated from even before the moment he was Decrypted - like a prisoner, summarily executed without even bothering to try and talk to him first. Then he was brought back, and treated like shit continually afterwards. Whereas Wanda showed respect of a sort to Ansom, she felt Ossomer was 'a chunk of meat' and not worthy of her attention. Instead of letting him participate in any battle 'for the Titans', she sent him to sit up in the air and stare at his father and listen to him talk about honor and all that shiz.

I think what's going on here is everyone who is Decryped has a single-time equivelant of a Loyalty boost in which they come to understand they are serving the will of the Titans. Since almost all of Erfworld seems to be highly religious, that would make them feel like following Wanda was the best idea ever. Or in the case of the Archons, kind of divided on that since Charlie used to be their entire world, not the titans.

However, with how much Ossomer has been mistreated, when Wanda finally leaves the hex(which I'm sure he would feel since he's a Warlord) that was the final straw. His loyalty finally broke with her cowardly abandonment of the battle, dispelling any 'doubts' he had about her dishonorable conduct.

[badninja]

Nice, now this battle has gotten interesting. So how will Wanda take this little development? As history has shown us, not well. So now the battle will swing in Jetstone's favor so how will Parson respond?