On the Wanda as a PC thing, the Predictions going Cloudy at Faq's fall could be explained by Wanda having a choice between the Gobwin Knob route, the Magick Kingdom route, the Goodminton's rebirth route, the Teleport herself to another World with a gem formed from Faq's entire treasury route...
On Wanda's price, if Clay was right with his thing about evading luckmancy backlash by affecting roles Goodminton rarely makes, it seems likely that Wanda's pop debt would have to be paid in one of two ways, by the popping of sub par Units around her (why hello there Stanley) and/or by Sides expending resources to claim her as their own. If Olive had succeeded acquiring a Slave-Wanda, whatever price she paid would have cleared some of Wanda's unpaid bill. The failed attempt by the soon to be Un-Larry may have counted. The butchers bill Stanley paid to capture her at Faq almost certainly did.
On Wanda and suicide, given her 'life is pain, Fate the only painkiller' attitude in the Future Era, I wouldn't be surprised if she does try it at some point.
As for Fate, if Wanda were intended, by Fate, to fall into Olive's hands, why was Larry defeated in his capture attempt? More likely that the good ship
OlivexWanda was intended by Fate to help Wanda deal with the horrible life that's heading her way, too bad Delphie torpedoed it.
A few random thoughts: I see Wanda's been converted to the way of Chocolate despite her unsureness. Hmmmm... Ditch Witch sounds like a term for Dirtamancer. Do I spy a flower on Wanda's side?
Mrtyuh wrote:While I agree Delphie shares responsibility for the dire circumstances in which Goodminton finds itself, I don't think all the blame can be laid on her. Delphie was mistaken when she lied, since it ruined her credibility. Delphie was mistaken to inform Tommy about the details of the Prediction. Delphie was mistaken in her fatalism towards Overlord Firebaugh. She has made poor choices. Wanda was mistaken in her resolute determination to fight Fate, instead of working with it to reach a better outcome. Tommy was mistaken informing Larry of the Prediction, which probably led to Haffaton deciding not to continue diplomacy. Overlord Firebaugh was mistaken when he chose inaction. There were many mistakes made by many people which compounded on each other. Delphie did not have all the answers. She should have admitted that from the start. She did, however, act in her side's best interests, with what information she did have, to the best of her ability. The fact that she failed just makes her human. She failed, and she should have gone about it differently, but I can't fault her for trying.
This is what we know. It has been five turns since the air battle. We haven't heard anything about Goodfinger or Goodminton's other city, although, at the time of the air battle, Goodfinger was likely to fall soon, and Overlord Firebaugh was considering razing it. There has been on action in the capital. Goodminton has sought no action in the field. There are still captured units from the air battle that haven't turned. Wanda has not come up with any brilliant new ideas. Wanda ordered Clay to boost three scouts. Overlord Firebaugh gave Wanda a boon after the air battle. Wanda told her father she would be the field commander Goodminton needed. Fritz is practical but not imaginative, and he feels it is not his place to make strategic decisions. So, what are Wanda's duties?
Mind you, this is all speculation. First, it may be Wanda's duty to interrogate the prisoners and to attempt to turn them. We know Wanda had a talent for interrogation and torture at Gobwin Knob. This may be where she gets her start. It may also be where she discovers her sadism kink. We know Wanda is responsible for prisoners at Gobwin Knob. We also know Vanna is responsible for prisoners at Faq. Now, it can be argued these are special cases, Wanda's personal interest in Jillian and Vanna being a Turnamancer, but it also plausible that prisoners falling under the auspices of casters being the norm in Erfworld. The second possibility is that Wanda has become the de facto Chief Warlord of Goodminton. Her father may still hope her to be the commander that will save their side. It was her brilliant plan that saved the capital. Unfortunately, she can't come up with another. Instead of trying to wrestle the initiative from their enemies, which is really their only hope, they are surrendering it. Patton once said that a good plan today is better than a perfect plan next week. Wanda doesn't realize this, so she is doing nothing while she tries to come up with a brilliant plan. Goodminton is scouting, though, so they are trying to keep tabs on enemy movements. Just because Goodminton has sought no engagements in the field, it does not mean there have not been any. Goodminton's enemies are certainly moving, even if Goodminton is not. It may be that Wanda is looking for a weak, isolated enemy force she feels she can overwhelm. Goodminton seems to expect another air attack, so they are just sitting there waiting for it. So, Wanda may need to meet with Fritz and Overlord Firebaugh to discuss strategy, even if she hasn't come up with any good ideas yet.
Gobwin Knob paid her upkeep for hundreds of turns. They gave her free reign to do what she wanted, indulge in her hobbies. While Wanda gave them Faq's three cities, which probably gave their treasury a nice boost, it wasn't her intention to do so. She may have been behind the death of Saline IV. She certainly inflated Stanley's ego, encouraging him to attack his neighbors and claim a Titanic Mandate. She was an enabler to Stanley. She was also in control of the relationship with him. She dictated the terms. Any position in which she found herself, she put herself there. Wanda was probably more responsible for the dire situation Gobwin Knob found itself in than Delphie is for the one Goodminton finds itself in. Anything Wanda has done for Gobwin Knob has been solely in her own interest. Any benefit Gobwin Knob has reaped is wholely an unintended consequence. Of course, I'm splitting hairs here. My intention was to point out how Wanda once seemed irate over the idea of someone being loyal to Fate, when that is where her own loyalty will eventually lie.
I also find the difference between the Chief Predictamancer of Goodminton and the Chief Croakamancer of Goodminton interesting. Delphie was manipulative, haughty and autocratic, but she was never thoughtless or cruel. While Wanda is not yet manipulative, we know she will be by the time she gets to Gobwin Knob. Currently, all the other adjectives describe her. She is haughty in her new raiment, enjoying the power it gives her. She is autocratic, forcing Clay and Delphie to change quarters and dictating most of their actions. She is thoughtless and cruel. She only cares about herself, her father and her side. She cared about her brother. She gives no thought to what others want. She tramples all over the feelings of others in her pursuit of her own desires. She does not care how much she hurts Delphie; she's upset because she things don't work the way she wants them to. Her orders may end up killing Delphie and Clay. She has forbidden them from entering the Magic Kingdom without orders. If they find themselves in a situation where they need to flee or perish, they'll perish because they can't flee. While I didn't like Lady Temple as Chief Caster, I think Lady Firebaugh is much worse. Maybe the job just brings out the worst in her. Maybe she will be more sympathetic in service of Haffaton and Faq. Anyway, enough pointless musing..
Everything that happened with regards to Olive, happened as a result of her lies and her plotting. So yes, the blame is entirely hers. Grand failure and arch treachery rolled into one package. The Ditch Witch's hubris and indeed, her bullying are what led to Wanda's reaction, her bleatings sent Atomic to his end. Her plan alerted the wolves to tasty meat, Goodminton is more of a target than it was before, thanks to her.
I believe it's six turns at this point, as a new turn started just before she left the Magic Kingdom.
We know nothing of the sort. She's beaten a girl who likes it, anything more than that is speculation on your part. And while the thought of having Olive in her dungeon made her feel funny... she hasn't given the idea of torture a thought on camera. Never mind that she'd have mentioned when thinking of the value of those prisoners if she were happily spanking them.
Remember what was said of her dreams? I wouldn't be surprised at all if her first experiences with such matters occur when being cruelly treated at Faq, either as a direct response to her capture or when serving as Jillian's whipping girl. As for Warlord Wanda, it seems likely she's involved in whatever long (or short) term planning they're making based on what she said to Clay. Recollect, they lost their Siege group while withdrawing from Kiloton, until they replace it, they
can't strike back. Worse, they urgently need to raze higher level Cities and the only Haffaton Cities reachable by Road are dinky ones. But I'm really concerned with the uses for her juices. She has two underlings to spell up the Tower for her and a desire to learn new magics, so... what experiments could she be performing? She managed to make a Hat Golem, first try, in the field, with the improved Tower bonus... A randomish thought: Flesh Golems, Croakamancy or Weirdomancy?
What of it? The destruction of Faq did more for Gobwin Knob at a stroke than most of it's Commanders could ever hope to accomplish. Her Upkeep was repaid in advance to the tune of hundreds, if not thousands of turns thanks to that. Her motivations during that incident don't matter, money's money. Her Uncroaked made up between a third to a half of their forces by the time the RCC reached Gobwin Knob. A Warlord she summoned saved the Side from the RCC. The Volcano wealth would have been impossible without her. If she did make Stanley Overlord, that just puts him further in her debt. And the RCC's attack was an
utterly unprovoked act of aggression courtesy of Jetstone, no fault of hers. That Side owes her, not the other way around. Besides, she's loyal to the Arkenhammer to all intents and purposes, rather like the Dwagons.
Delphie is a bullying, bottom grabbing malcontent who forced Wanda to live in the Dungeon and leaked Side Secrets to the enemy. That is high treason in time of war. Tommy died in a trap Delphie helped set. With the Tower's bonus having been improved the way it has, there is no longer any excuse to skulk in the best position to run away from and every reason to be in the Tower close to the Casting Chamber (so yes, that's a charge of cowardice against Delphie as well). What, apart from her family and Side,
is there for Wanda to care for? She can't do her job, that of Chief Caster, without exercising control over her Side's magical resources. The position may be a joke at Gobwin Knob, but when in a Side where it means responsibility... And after all that leaked information, how can she trust her underlings not to start blabbing to the enemy if allowed into the Magick Kingdom?
