Book 2 – Page 74

[Fiendishrabbit]

I think I just found myself a new Avatar

[Steve-D]

That's one hell of a cliff hanger. Please tell me we don't have to wait until the spring for book 3.

[Atomic]

This is one of my all-time favorite looking strips of Erfworld... probably second only to the similar view from when the air defenses were first fired off.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'd love to see a poster of this... Yesssss.

[drachefly]

That's one hell of a cliff hanger. Please tell me we don't have to wait until the spring for book 3.

This isn't, so far as I know, the end of book 2. It's the end of issue 2 of book 2.

[The.Healing.Mage]

Am I dating myself to say that I thought of the Killer Rabbit before Bun-Bun?

[name lips]

OH GOD BUN-BUN is loose!

Flee, flee mortals!

[0beron]

OH! I just realized that Cubbins' real-world reference may save him!
Cubbins Wiki Page points out that the Dr. Suess character Cubbins is based on was saved from being thrown off a tower because his King admired his hat!
Call me desperate, but I wonder if this means Slately/Ossomer might rescue him

Also, if only this update had the "See the comic without text bubbles" Cubbins would totally have a new avatar on his wiki page.

[depricated]

I don't usually post in reaction pages, but had to come in and say damn, I love this page.

I want to buy this page! I absolutely love it, it's like what I used to draw with battling sorcerers, and all the story to the hat magician's final curtain call and the archons, oh I just love it. It says so very very much with so little.

Awe inspiring page!

[mcw0933]

I doubt it means anything, but: since the top of the tower is out of frame, we don't know if Bat 3, (the tower Doombat) is there or not. I was hoping he'd show up.

Any guesses on the golden boulder-looking object attacking the Archon near the top of the frame?

[Kreistor]

Not only did Cubbins pull a Rabbit out of his hat... HE PULLED BUN-BUN OUT OF HIS HAT!

http://www.sluggy.com/

Yes, I know it's already been posted. Here's the link to my favorite Web Comic.


Okay, so what did we learn?

1. Archons haven't Turned, so maybe only Ossomer has. May still include former Jetstone Units in Dungeon.

2. Ossomer really Turned, and it's not Foolamancy. Archons see through Foolamancy. This greatly suggests Wanda and Jack really are in the MK. (Morons.)

3. Hat Magicians are not limited to producing raw materials.

4. Hat Magicians can produce live creatures (rabbits in the case, but may just be a visual issue and could produce anything).
4a. By "produce", it may be "store and remove" instead of "create from nothing".

5. Hat Magicians can produce simple tools.
4a. By "produce", it may be "store and remove" instead of "create from nothing".

6. Bun-bun is still awesome!

[Ambug666]

Also, let's see, a parody character, some pun on Popcap, and... end of issue? o.O

I suspect it was a pun on popping a cap in someone, ie shooting them.

Also, yeah, end of an issue? Who won the battle?

[Kaed]

I think the most likely explaination of Cubbins holding back is that this particular spell could only be performed in a tower. Why this is is less clear though. Perhaps the tower bonus to casters was responsible, or perhaps he did indeed use the tower defenses, empowering them with Hat Magic for a final assault.

But here's something else I don't think anyone has considered - if he is not in the airspace with everyone else, the Archons cannot target him. Whereas he most certainly can. Since his ploy is obviously one of diversion - though it is doing some damage, no one is really dusting - as long as he is on the tower and still has juice the Archons will be occupied, giving the flying group time to escape the hex. Had he gone with the flyers I expect they would have immediately nuked him when he started doing this.

[OvaltinePatrol]

The Archons use corporate-speak and buzzwords to rally, even if they don't work for Charlie. That's kind of interesting.

[Cnor]

I think the most likely explaination of Cubbins holding back is that this particular spell could only be performed in a tower. Why this is is less clear though. Perhaps the tower bonus to casters was responsible, or perhaps he did indeed use the tower defenses, empowering them with Hat Magic for a final assault.

But here's something else I don't think anyone has considered - if he is not in the airspace with everyone else, the Archons cannot target him. Whereas he most certainly can. Since his ploy is obviously one of diversion - though it is doing some damage, no one is really dusting - as long as he is on the tower and still has juice the Archons will be occupied, giving the flying group time to escape the hex. Had he gone with the flyers I expect they would have immediately nuked him when he started doing this.

I'm not certain that it's just a diversion. I think he's specifically trying to incapacitate them, but deliberately avoiding doing any dusting. Remember, Jetstone is broke. The bounty for dusting a Decrypted Archon is only 5,000, whereas that for returning one to Charlie for study is 30,000, if I remember correctly. So, if he can make it so that the Archons can't do anything to prevent themselves from being taken prisoner, they can get a lot more money.

Edit: Citation on the bounties is here http://www.erfworld.com/book-2-archive/?px=%2F2010-09-15.jpg.

(Citation for the bounties to be provided soon - I need to go find the right page.)

[Steve-D]

That's one hell of a cliff hanger. Please tell me we don't have to wait until the spring for book 3.

This isn't, so far as I know, the end of book 2. It's the end of issue 2 of book 2.

Oh few. I missed the ending of issue 1.

[gameboy1234]

Yeah not really the best place for an "ending." More like a cliff hanger of the old serials. Fun story, definitely starting to feel a bit drug out though, and I'm not normally one to complain.

Oh well, I'll keep reading online I suppose. I don't see how the overall story is going to get anywhere at the rate it's going.

[coyotenose]

*gapes*

Normally I hate big-panel pages in general for their usual lack of content, but...

*gapes*

I can't believe Bun-Bun's target doesn't have four stupid little ponytails.

The golden orb... is that a Snitch? It lacks wings. Could be a Bludger, but those aren't golden. Maybe one of those death-ball thingies from the Phantasm movies? Or a combination of all three.

[Atomic]

Okay, so what did we learn?

Waaaaaait... are you serious? I thought it was sarcasm at first but, by the end of the post, I realized it wasn't. I then cried all of the tears.

1. Archons haven't Turned, so maybe only Ossomer has. May still include former Jetstone Units in Dungeon.

There was no indication that anyone besides Ossomer turned. In fact, the comic to this point STILL says otherwise. Ossomer was discontent, Ossomer was mopey, and Ossomer was alone. Were it anyone besides our favorite slab of beef, we'd have been told about them, too.

2. Ossomer really Turned, and it's not Foolamancy. Archons see through Foolamancy. This greatly suggests Wanda and Jack really are in the MK. (Morons.)

... Contrary to popular belief, a good writer doesn't need to lie to his (or her) audience to achieve a good story. Once or twice (DDR, here's lookin' at you!) a good misdirection is perfectly valid/ useful for creating tension... But seriously? I might not be "up" on the latest discussions as well as I should've been/ should be, but is that honestly a debate that was/ is taking place? What does Rob add to the story by lying to us without any foreshadowing whatsoever?

Lemme break it down: Ossomer turned last comic-strip-page. It isn't Foolamancy. Archons don't automatically see through Foolamancy. Wanda and Jack really are in the Magic Kingdom.

I'm sorry but geeeeeze.

4. Hat Magicians can produce live creatures (rabbits in the case, but may just be a visual issue and could produce anything).
4a. By "produce", it may be "store and remove" instead of "create from nothing".

I took Bun-bun/ the rest of the glowing things to be part of a spell. The Hat Magician used magic...and a hat. No live creatures (as far as we know).

I think I need to go weep in a corner for a bit. Uno momento.

[Swodaems]

Archons see through Foolamancy.

Archons don't automatically see through Foolamancy.

Sorry to nitpick, but there is evidence saying that Archons can see thru foolamancy.

The Archons see thru Bogroll's veil.
Parson says they don't have to worry about Stanley falling to a veiled ambush while dwagon harvesting because of the Archon scouts.

[BrotherRool]

That's one heck of a beautiful page

As far as his ability went, unless it's just that this makes good story and beautiful page (but we're Erfworld readers so we can't except that!) I'd have another vote for it being some thing about being able to go out with a bang and put yourself into the magic.

But really I think it might just be because Cubbins is a brave guy and wants to give one last amazing (and pretty sacrifice) to cap off a bit of the story arc, otherwise we'll be going back and analysing the death of every other caster to find one who was expecting to die and see if they did the same.

Does this mean we're going to get a time skip now and the new issue is going to drip feed how these events turned out? (Or else splash us with a radically changed world)