Inner Peace (Through Superior Firepower) – Episode 050

[Oberon]

I'd rather have this bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy!

[hajo]

Olive being dead is the only reason I can imagine Jillian could wander at all.

Maybe Olive is just busy somewhere, and couldn't get back in time to replace the flower.

"Busy" as in "leading the strikeforce against FAQ".

At least, FAQ got some cash, and an advance warning...

[Shai_hulud]

http://youtu.be/NaTGNIsEXGY

Also, blue flowers... A Scanner Darkly reference?

I hope so! I thought so too more or less.

[gobe]

Poppies and people dying. Are we going to get a Remembrance Day reference on the actual day?

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

[0beron]

OH
MY
GOD

wow, just wow, Olive is indeed very scary and cunning.
I DEFINITELY bet she put Jillian there on purpose, because I'll suspect Olive is Heir Designate.

Also, not that it especially mattered but it's nice to have confirmation that Haffaton is not Royal.
And lastly....I think this actually adds credence to the old, largely discarded theory now, that Charlie is not Overlord either.

[mortissimus]

How can Faq survive after this? How can they avoid being found and obliterated?

The strikeforce Jillian requested might strike Haffaton's capitol before Olive's force strikes FAQ.

[mortissimus]

And lastly....I think this actually adds credence to the old, largely discarded theory now, that Charlie is not Overlord either.

Quite. Boswell is the ruler and Charlie mindcontrols him. Or the other way around. Either way you end up with a mind-controlled ruler and an über thinkomancer that does what he pleases, including putting words in the rulers mouth.

[joosy]

Wow! Dorothy Parker of the Algonquian Roundtable is the Overlady of Haffaton! No? Dorothy Hamill then? No? ah well..

Wanda has her graveyard and Olive has her poppy fields. Olive also appears to have her own Overlady under her control as well - 'for her own good' of course.
So far Olive seems to be better at getting information out of Jillian - she is even using her last name Banhammer amongst the enemy. I wonder if Dorothy remembers Banhammer and can piece it together.

Wild prediction: Haffaton sends a strike force and takes out Faq. Thanks to Jillian's orders, King Banhammer and his court are saved as they are out in the field but they go barbarian. Jillian somehow overthrows Haffaton and Faq is back in action. Banhammer then razes all of the cities for schmuckers and retreats back to rebuild and rehide Faq. Marie's prediction that Banhammer would die does not come true but that is something that they are willing to overlook for now (or she loses some respect in the court as a result).

[Whispri]

How can Faq survive after this? How can they avoid being found and obliterated?

The strikeforce Jillian requested might strike Haffaton's capitol before Olive's force strikes FAQ.

Problem with that? Gillian didn't actually tell them where the target was. Even if they wanted to follow her plan (a bit unlikely me'thinks), they simply cannot do so.

[Lamech]

I'm going to bet that the emerald city is a capital site and heavily defended. Haffaton's capital is just another trap. Think about it, the big bad Haffaton, with its badly guarded capital. One thinks they can just roll up and end the whole side. Sure some casters so bring a big strike force. You do it, and then your trapped. Your big strike force is eliminated.

[CF_HoneyBadger]

All I can say is WOW....Cartman was right all along. Hippies ARE evil...

Stunning update. Rob has a torturous way of revealing important story information bit by bit. Wanda's torture has nothing on this guy. Put me in a spinning box for a week, I don't care. I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!!

[peteratjet]

Bring on the flying monkeys!!

Historically, kinda, Dorothy and Toto were rescued from the poppy field by the Tinman and and the Scarecrow. Their Erfword analogues would be dolls of some kind, I guess. Watch this space.

... meanwhile ...

would Wanda's skeletal appearance also be a symptom of poppy-dependency?

[0beron]

On the topic of Dorthy's appearance, I can only assume it is more natural signamancy that reflects her relative age and how innactive she is.

On Jillian's last name, I further hold by my assertion that names are mutable Signamancy. Banhammer gave her his own surname to assert control, while she rebels and adopts her own name. Because the Hippiemancy dulls her aggression, she stops fighting against Banhammer even mentally, and lets herself have his name.

And lastly, more predictions based on this update....when you think about it, other roles of this story are also filled. Olive is Glinda, because she is pretty and appears peaceful but she is manipulating others to serve her goal and kill her enemies. Wanda is the Wicked Witch because she practices magic that is reviled and misunderstood, and she was driven to anger by the death of her sibling. Follow this through...who are we missing? The Wizard is Charlie!

[Whispri]

I'm going to bet that the emerald city is a capital site and heavily defended. Haffaton's capital is just another trap. Think about it, the big bad Haffaton, with its badly guarded capital. One thinks they can just roll up and end the whole side. Sure some casters so bring a big strike force. You do it, and then your trapped. Your big strike force is eliminated.

I'd say that's quite likely. The Ruler's nowhere near that Capital Gilly found, that much is for sure.

Historically, kinda, Dorothy and Toto were rescued from the poppy field by the Tinman and and the Scarecrow. Their Erfword analogues would be dolls of some kind, I guess. Watch this space.

... meanwhile ...

would Wanda's skeletal appearance also be a symptom of poppy-dependency?

Scarecrows and Metal Golems are both Unit types, created by Dollamancy and Dirtamancy respectively. Both types of magic Wanda's been seen using in this book. I'm not sure if that means anything, but...

[0beron]

Not directly related, but does anyone else find it amusing how Rob finally introduces us to Haffaton's Ruler, a useless figure head controlled by her most powerful citizen....on the USA Election Day? :p

[joosy]

Hmm.. I had thought that Erfworld was free of disease and rot because of the mechanism that heals all units at beginning of the turn. All units are essentially immortal but, given their short lives (Amerika only lived a little over an earth year), that never becomes an issue.

However, given what we saw with Slately, Delphie and Clay and now with the Dorothy's rotten teeth I see that Signamancy can change the overall appearance and base health/stats of a unit.

[Sharik]

I guess now we know what that flower on wanda's (and haffaton's) sigil is referring to...

[bladestorm]

Jillian may be free to roam wherever she wants, but the bliss factor of the flowers makes sure she doesn't want to wander anywhere.

more modern version: Jack as the Scarecrow, Sizemore as the Lion, and Maggie as the Tinman? Leaving Parson as the Wizard?

[the_tick_rules]

Not directly related, but does anyone else find it amusing how Rob finally introduces us to Haffaton's Ruler, a useless figure head controlled by her most powerful citizen....on the USA Election Day? :p

Hmmm I hadn't thought of that.

[0beron]

more modern version: Jack as the Scarecrow, Sizemore as the Lion, and Maggie as the Tinman? Leaving Parson as the Wizard?

Jack most certainly has a brain though, and always has. He may be emotionally damaged in ways, but he's sharp as a pin in ways other's just don't always understand. Sizemore also isn't cowardly persay, he just doesn't want to kill. He was more than prepared to face Jetstone and die, it was DOING killing that upset him.