159 The battle for Gobwin Knob, page 146

[BarGamer]

I'd bet money that someone is gonna donate to have Stanley killed off. He's just so much of a liability to his own side, that if Wanda was in any way resentful of Stanley, she'd blast him off his Dragon, and promote Ansom to Chief Warlord. The thing is, Ansom is on puppet-strings from Wanda, and Wanda values Parson's brain. Heck, she might just blast Parson right now and decrypt him, too. That last panel looks like she might be about to pull that kind of move.

UNLESS... she's faking this for Stanley's benefit, because he's behind Parson, about to brain him. That camera angle looks like it's coming from above Parson...

[Mikalyaran]

Neither Parson nor Wanda will be disbanded on Stanley's return. You wanna know why I know this? It makes no freaking sense at all to do it from the point of view of a creator. After 150 comics spent developing these characters, exploring their role in the world, and attaching reader interest to them it would be counter productive to get rid of them in midst of some fit Stanley might have when he returns. That's from a metagaming standpoint. Now from the perspective of the story. What I haven't noticed anyone who is a part of this argument mention, and if I missed it sorry, is that Stanley wrote off GK and everything in it a long time ago. He left to reclaim other cities fully expecting GK to fall. He wasn't able to claim those cities and Wanda and Paron saved GW. More than that they have made him rich and given him a powerful and cheap army. I don't think he will have the fit so many are expecting. He already gave up GK as lost. They have saved his bacon and I think he will recognize that.

[Goshen]

Wanda isn't a Warlord -- she's still a Croakamancer, unless the Arkentools change your unit type (which they might, but I don't think so. They didn't change Stanley's, after all). She still needs Parson, and Parson is linked to Stanley by the original summoning spell. Wanda is not stupid, and isn't going to alienate Stanley and lose access to Parson (who is potentially a third Arkentool).

Wanda cast the big summoning spell. Maybe Parson is really bound to her!

[Joe Falco]

Plus, and maybe it's me, but Stanley seems like a "present situation" kind of guy who doesn't really see how his current situation can turn out BETTER in the long run if he does/sees something bad NOW.

I agree with you that Stanley is the kind of guy who has his eyes constantly focused on what's before him, not ahead of him. That being said, I believe that attitude is a double-edged sword. When he returns, he'll see his city in ruins but with a large army there that supports him. He'll see everything he's worked for gone, but he'll also see that he's several times richer now.

And as far as it not being possible to convince Stanley everything that happened was his idea, it was quite easy for him to latch on to the idea that it was himself that laid the dwagon trap that nearly doomed Ansom even while as the trap was being explained to him by Parson. Maybe I'm putting too much credit to this idea of Stanley being so easy to manipulate, but I predict Wanda and Parson won't have to do too much to convince the Tool not to disband them.

[Nodikus]

What I haven't noticed anyone who is a part of this argument mention, and if I missed it sorry, is that Stanley wrote off GK and everything in it a long time ago. He left to reclaim other cities fully expecting GK to fall. He wasn't able to claim those cities and Wanda and Paron saved GW. More than that they have made him rich and given him a powerful and cheap army. I don't think he will have the fit so many are expecting. He already gave up GK as lost. They have saved his bacon and I think he will recognize that.

Plus I think there's a good chance Stanley already knows what the state of Gobwin Knob is. He's been talking to Maggie and she had to have told him more than "Things are a Mess". He wasn't throwing a tantrum, fuming or even appeared to be angry when he was telling Jack about it on page 157. There wasn't really time to calm down from the news either. Of course he might just be in shock over the scale of the damage.

[Mikalyaran]

Also, regarding convincing Stanley it was all his idea, would be easy. Stanley once said Ansom was bringing him the arkenpliers. That is all the link Parson or Wanda need to convince Stanley they were simply doing what he wanted. They got him the Arkenpliers. Sure Wanda's the one who is attuned but she serves him and so the pliers serve him. Not a big stretch considering how willing Stanley is to take credit for the work of others.

[kreszantas]

I don't get where Stanley will blow up at anyone theory came from, when he KNOWS from Maggie's thinkagram things are in ruins and we should get back HOME and that we probably should have never left in the first place. Stanley had to be removed from the picture so Wanda could 'attune' to the pliers without pissing Stanley off, Stanley and Wanda seem to understand the greater purpose, and so does Ansom, he stated that to Parson when he said well you were speaking for the Titan's. Parson brushed it off not agreeing with that statement but it was true to Ansom at least.

With all that said Stanley's Quest for the rest of the Tools could mean his personal quest to obtain them to his side and remold Erf like Janis stated. Who knows, but this book is rapidly approaching it's end and not much time to explain all of that.

[Wisp Wings]

So, the theorys are that clothes represent one/some/all of the following:

^Leader of the Stack
^Unit to which a unit has the highest loyalty
^unit type (all decrypt may have to wear black with skulls to distinguish from living)*
^Personal choice or design of leader

Anything else they could be?

*Evidence?- Monster units of the coalition did not have any turnips on them, but when the weinerrammer was decrypted it's coat went from brown to black.

Finnaly, it will be interesting to see if Stanley makes any mention of he threat to disband anyone who speaks to him

[raphfrk]

Wanda's answer:

"Stop fighting him. Never challenge his dominance. When you know what needs to be done, arrange it so it was his idea. Let him have your way."

Depending on how Parson and Wanda handle Stanley, His Toolship will believe that everything was the result of his "cunning leadership".

So, maybe Parson leads with

"By you order, I have destroyed the RCC forces.

Except for our forces, there are no living things anywhere nearby.

It required destroying the city, but there are some signs that you were right, and the Titans are guiding us.

First, Sizemore (your Dirtamancer) has discovered that destroying the city allowed him to bring lots of unmined gems near to the surface.

Second, and more important for your mission, you now control the Arkenpliers, and it has successful attuned to Wanda. It allows her to create uncroaked units that don't decay, but still don't cost any upkeep. They seem to keep all their previous stats.

Almost all of the RCC forces will be under your control once Wanda has finished uncroaking.

The Titans have provided us with the Arkenpliers, a new Army and the wealth to rebuild Gobwin Knob."

The only real negative for Parson is that the city is gone, so he needs to quickly point out that this isn't a problem.

[Drunut]

It was obvious enough to see by Maggie's Thinkagram that Stanley wasn't about to go off in a tantrum. I would say he was more surprised that GK even survived. Sure he might be a little pissed that the city is lvl. 1 and most everything is destroyed, but Stanley isn't stupid.

He would be able to see the advantages, namely the ARKENPLIERS which is an ARKENTOOL which Stanley has been wanting for more than awhile, a huge army w/o upkeep costs, and the gems brought up by Sizemore, Over the destroyed army (Which he now has again w/o upkeep) and Destroyed Capitol.

As to the issue of Wanda attuning to the Arkenpliers, it has been shown before (here, http://www.erfworld.com/book-1-archive/?px=/095.jpg ) That Wanda is fiercely loyal to Stanley (She should be even after her whiplash) so Stanly will likely be OK with having her using the Arkenpliers.

Finally as for Parson, I think that Stanly will wonder WTF he did until his Ego sets in and he focuses on rebuilding.

[Anima]

It was obvious enough to see by Maggie's Thinkagram that Stanley wasn't about to go off in a tantrum. I would say he was more surprised that GK even survived. Sure he might be a little pissed that the city is lvl. 1 and most everything is destroyed, but Stanley isn't stupid.

He would be able to see the advantages, namely the ARKENPLIERS which is an ARKENTOOL which Stanley has been wanting for more than awhile, a huge army w/o upkeep costs, and the gems brought up by Sizemore, Over the destroyed army (Which he now has again w/o upkeep) and Destroyed Capitol.

As to the issue of Wanda attuning to the Arkenpliers, it has been shown before (here, http://www.erfworld.com/book-1-archive/?px=/095.jpg ) That Wanda is fiercely loyal to Stanley (She should be even after her whiplash) so Stanly will likely be OK with having her using the Arkenpliers.

Finally as for Parson, I think that Stanly will wonder WTF he did until his Ego sets in and he focuses on rebuilding.

I don't think that comic shows Wanda's loyalty to Stanley, specifically, at all. He's a means to an end for Wanda. Her number one goal was the Arkenpliers, and the best way to get them is to wrench(ba-dum-tsh) them from Ansom. Of course, the only way to get them from him is to kill him and take them--it's unlikely that Ansom would just give them to her, especially with her not being a Royal and all.

Wanda didn't defect because she had no reason to and every reason not to. Stanley had little to do with it.

[Infidel]

No one's mentioned it that I've noticed so,

The most interesting thing about 146 to me is Wanda's attitude. Her attitude with Parson seems to be, comfortable, friendly, and grateful. I know that they redid Wanda's smile, after the first decrypt, but the fact that she was drawn that way to me proves that she has the ability within her. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I very much don't expect Wanda to turn on Parson as many expect. Parson broke Wanda out of her shell, granted the arkenpliers are a part of it. But more, I think it is because Parson brought her out of her despair twice. First after the charm fail, and second when she lost hope in winning and decided the fight was hopeless. She chose to believe in someone even when everything was seemingly over, "you do not believe the fight is lost" and wasn't disappointed or betrayed. This is a big deal I think. She had already given into dispair twice, but the way Parson responded to her with the Perfect Strategy speech, must have really improved her moral, because it kept her going even when she was standing at the Magic Kindgom gate.

This speculation might be totally wrong, but given her personality, how she's a control freak and had such a poor attitude, she's probably used being betrayed or hurt by those she has no control over or are in a position of authority over her. Having control makes her feel safe and losing control feels like a betrayal. So having Parson, someone she has no control over, but rather someone that has control over her, who doesn't hurt or use her, but makes her feel valued as more than just another high-cost unit is something she's only beginning to understand emotionally. I'll say that she's starting to actually trust and believe in Parson.

Meh, even if I'm right, it's not as if an event here or there couldn't make her suddenly revert, and I could be totally off base. But that's my call and I'll stick with it until I see something that contradicts me.

[BLANDCorporatio]

IRT ishnar:

That's a good observation. I wouldn't go as far to say that Wanda ... warmed up ... to Parson, but she certainly has yet more proof to think of him as a useful warlord.

What the latest few strips show however is a Parson growing increasingly distraught with the proceedings. Sizemore can't be very happy either. Anything can happen.

[Infidel]

IRT ishnar:

I'm Infidel on this forum I only point this out because I'm going to assume we might have some users here that don't recognize my avatar and don't use the old forum much and want to prevent them from being confused.

But I thank you for remembering me

[BLANDCorporatio]

IRT ishnar Infidel:

Lol, oops! The avatar was the only thing I looked at.

Oh, and your actual message too, honest

[Kreistor]

IRT ishnar:

That's a good observation. I wouldn't go as far to say that Wanda ... warmed up ... to Parson, but she certainly has yet more proof to think of him as a useful warlord.

What the latest few strips show however is a Parson growing increasingly distraught with the proceedings. Sizemore can't be very happy either. Anything can happen.

Parson failed to go home via the Portal. He didn't wake up from the coma. He has to be thinking this place is his new reality. And now he has to be realizing that he is hurting a lot of people. He's not immoral: he has a conscience. And now he can't treat it as a game anymore. And he's not allowed to stop.

He's a gladiator now -- a slave forced to fight whether he wishes to or not. People will die at his hands.

I wonder if he'd rather work at Kinko's...

[R3u]

I wonder who, if anyone, will realize that Parson's morale is going down...and understand why. It would be very interesting to see Sizemore forced into the role of comforting Parson and/or keeping him from defecting.

Also, the image of Ansom trying to help in that respect amuses me. I'm not sure if he'd do well, or terribly.

[Infidel]

His moral going down is so obvious most of us haven't commented on it. It's not something that Rob and Jamie have played down at all.

It did get some comment though on the previous page where was taken aback by Sizemore's apparent overly happy response not realizing that Sizemore was essentially putting on a front for his benifit.

[Xewleer]

Hey! Take a look at the the three dots above the archon's head! What do you think this means?
http://www.erfworld.com/wiki/index.php/TBFGK_146:11

I'll tell you what this means: Charlie may be able to, at least, influence his archons, even decrypted.

[Infidel]

I think you're reading too much into it. That looks like they are just emotional cues to show her surprise and consternation.