Book 2 – Page 83

[effataigus]

On the one hand I do feel Rob created a bit of confusion with the Duke's insistence that the Portal would close.

It does seem like that conversation created a bit of confusion, but I'm (also) not holding it against the story. Communicating character's assumptions unambiguously and clearly through dialog often leads to really awkward and stilted conversations... it's even worse when characters take the time to clearly articulate shared assumptions. There was enough there for us to guess correctly - or at least figure it out afterward - and the conversation sounded like I'd imagine one between Jack and Antium would.

On a related note... this forum seems to have adopted the assumption that Slately is dead, clone Slately is alive, and clone Slately will die at some point in the near future. Is this known or just thought to be likely?

I don't see much evidence either way, though the suggestion that Slately will heed Ace's advice in the future tells me he feels he has more than seconds left to live.

[0beron]

On a related note... this forum seems to have adopted the assumption that Slately is dead, clone Slately is alive, and clone Slately will die at some point in the near future. Is this known or just thought to be likely?

It is my understanding that this is just thought to be likely. The comic seems to heavily suggest it in a few ways:

• Clone Slately talks about being duplicated a certain way.
• Lloyd looks very sad for most of the combat.
• Slately is now clearly winning the air battle but is still intent on promoting Trem to Heir.

[OneHugeTuck]

I can't believe that nobody's mentioned that there's an Archon sneaking up on/10 feet behind the king, and in backstabbing range of Ace.

[0beron]

I can't believe that nobody's noticed that there's an Archon sneaking up on/10 feet behind the king, and in backstabbing range of Ace.

That's the one captured in the net.

[0beron]

Ummm . . . a question - Assuming Pierce goes below and heals Trem so he doesn't croak at the end of the turn...can the DoppelSlately actually do this? Make him Heir?

I think this is becoming less likely, because none of them seem to know let that Trem is down for the count. And Pierce just healed units that were in the King's stack...so he has even less juice.

[OneHugeTuck]

I can't believe that nobody's mentioned that there's an Archon sneaking up on/10 feet behind the king, and in backstabbing range of Ace.

That's the one captured in the net.

Oh. Well that's not nearly as exciting.

[Salem]

Also it seems to imply irony when he talks about what it's like to really be alive, followed by a pan to the corpse.
I mean I like Slately so I want him to be alive it just seems unlikely.

What I imagine will happen (And every scene that comes out seems to make it less likely)
Is that Parson and wanda come through to clear up the rest of the jetstone force as a now healed but barely alive trem is flown from the battle space with little to no flyers to stop them. I don't want ace to be lost so I don't imagine that happening.

(P.S. Needs more Hatmancer, decrypt him. I'll take even a cheap mind controlled Cubins.)

[0beron]

(P.S. Needs more Hatmancer, decrypt him. I'll take even a cheap mind controlled Cubins.)

You and I are just on a roll for characters we both like :p
My motto for Cubbins is "Too cute to (stay) croak(ed)!"

[effataigus]

On a related note... this forum seems to have adopted the assumption that Slately is dead, clone Slately is alive, and clone Slately will die at some point in the near future. Is this known or just thought to be likely?

It is my understanding that this is just thought to be likely. The comic seems to heavily suggest it in a few ways:

• Clone Slately talks about being duplicated a certain way.
• Lloyd looks very sad for most of the combat.
• Slately is now clearly winning the air battle but is still intent on promoting Trem to Heir.

Living Slately also refers to dead Slately as a "double" however. Forum semi-consensus may be right on both accounts, but I'm not convinced yet. We'll find out soon enough though!

So, who thinks Phoebe is going to turn back to Charlescomm?

[Salem]

You and I are just on a roll for characters we both like :p
My motto for Cubbins is "Too cute to (stay) croak(ed)!"

Not only that but you've helped me make my signature proper.

[DeathTheKid]

Doesn't the first panel in this comic say pretty clearly that the double was a perfect clone and is now croaked?
http://www.erfworld.com/wp-content/uplo ... eb_900.jpg

[0beron]

..yeah, a quote MADE by the unit who is possibly a double, while the caster who did the doubling is right behind him looking very sad...that's reliable evidence haha :p
Like people have said before, we're not sure how Dittomancy works in a situation like this, but there are a lot of statements made by the "second" Slately that could be read as ironic and suggest he doesn't know he's a double.

[DeathTheKid]

True enough. I just always assumed Lloyed looked sad since a perfect creation of his craft was destroyed five minutes after it was made.

[Salem]

I like that interpretation, but I think our dittomancers continued dourness stretches it thin. Though not impossible yet considering how casters can be.

I also can't tell if this is Slately *hating* archons and decrypted or acting purposfully over-excited to keep the route going. Knowing your side is doomed could quickly spell defeat. I'm not sure they know where Tremannis is so it could spell a lose of hope fast if they knew he was their only chance.

Either that or he's just excited to be a warrior king and doesn't realize he's dead or he isn't and the clone is.

[boegiboe]

Lloyd always looks distressed. I think he just doesn't like being in the thick of battle when his side's on the line. He'd probably rather be safely through the portal. Plenty of reasons to look the way he does besides there being any hint there about the nature of the living Slately.

[MonteCristo]

Living Slately also refers to dead Slately as a "double" however. Forum semi-consensus may be right on both accounts, but I'm not convinced yet. We'll find out soon enough though!

I think the going assumption is that Dupe Slately may be so accurate a clone that he doesn't KNOW that he is a clone; he thinks he's the real deal that it was the dupe that croaked


Now me, i lean toward the "slately is croaked and the clone lives" theory aswell, but i also saw it possible that it was the dupe that croaked and the whole reason to show his corpse after Slately proclaimed how great it is to be alive was not to tell us that he's already croaked, but to act as foreshadowing that Slately will not live for much longer; essentially the fate of his dupe is his fate aswell.

So, who thinks Phoebe is going to turn back to Charlescomm?

Unless Ace has another net, it looks like she's gonna be dust

[Sir_Dr_D]

There is one easy way for Parson to get out of this mess. If Gobwin Knob hires Issac. Not that I think that would happen, but it is a possibility.

[MonteCristo]

There is one easy way for Parson to get out of this mess. If Gobwin Knob hires Issac. Not that I think that would happen, but it is a possibility.

Issac would have to accept the job...

[drachefly]

He might just volunteer to tag along, if it looks like there's no way they'll get him to safety in the MK.

[mortissimus]

Also it seems to imply irony when he talks about what it's like to really be alive, followed by a pan to the corpse.

And unlike the killed doubles at Exposition bridge, the corpse Stanley is not yellowish and fading.