Book 2 – Page 100

[drachefly]

Ok, I was thinking: why is Jack there and why do we have a scroll that transports to Earth? And I came up with: its 'couse Parson will make Jack use the scroll on himself so Jack will get transported to Earth!

He would be sent to where he once belonged, Faq not Earth.

Depends on whether 'where he once belonged' is describing the fixed destination of the scroll or a description of the criterion built into the scroll.

[effataigus]

He could be sending in TV and Jillian.

Sheesh... I'm embarrassed that I didn't consider the possibility of Faq coming back despite having a predictamancy bet out that they will. I wanted to add two things to this:
1. This is another possible answer to the "why the boop did Charlie need Slately to close the portal before Parson closes it by taking the Spacerock garrison... i.e. this turn).
2. Faq might have enough move left to swing it. We know that they had the move to leave JS and then sack both Brookstone and Pogrock. We've only seen them sack Pogrock so far (and we know that that was the first of the two) , so they may have enough move to make it back to Spacerock.

So... the tally for "why did Charlie need the portal closed this turn?"
1. He's planning a portal-hopping natural ally bending decapitation strike on GK.
2. He somehow knew that Spacerock would catch fire (after Sylvia discussed the plan with Archer but before the order was given... if the comics even show things in order)... predictamancy?
3. He's betting on his ability to get Faq back in the action... perhaps not having to kill Wanda and Ansom's self-defeating guilt trip are enough?

[teratorn]

There's also Haggar, they didn't lose much of their force and will have the move to reach Jeststone. They would willingly take it over.

[wrecan]

if Jetstone Jack is indeed an imposter I would say it is a completely new caster, also a Foolamancer or very proficient in the field.

I don't believe there is an imposter Jack. But if there were, i'd like to point out that Unaroyal had three casters escape to the MK: Vanna (now with FAQ), Jeftichew (apparently working for/with Charlie), and Bowie (current location unknown). Bowie is a Changeamancer, so it's entirely possible he has the ability to appear in the form of a juiceless Jack Snipe. He could be Charlie's Ace in the Hole. Not sure why he'd bother, though.

[bladestorm]

There's also Haggar, they didn't lose much of their force and will have the move to reach Jeststone. They would willingly take it over.

Hmm, not much is known about the Haggar side. Do they even have casters? And how well could a Dollamancer and a Foolamancer do on their side? What do we know of Haggar, anyway? Most of their cities are named relatedly to pants or clothes, so Dollamancer would fit right in. It also seems to be a relatively small side. Makes it very suitable for a Perfect Warlord to dwell in... far fewer resources than the opponents, fewer troops, fewer special troops, nowhere near as defensible of a capitol... would make for an interesting tale for Parson to be a part of Haggar.

[teratorn]

Hmm, not much is known about the Haggar side. Do they even have casters? And how well could a Dollamancer and a Foolamancer do on their side? What do we know of Haggar, anyway? Most of their cities are named relatedly to pants or clothes, so Dollamancer would fit right in. It also seems to be a relatively small side. Makes it very suitable for a Perfect Warlord to dwell in... far fewer resources than the opponents, fewer troops, fewer special troops, nowhere near as defensible of a capitol... would make for an interesting tale for Parson to be a part of Haggar.

I was thinking more of an alliance, they want Jetstone and have a grievance against Charlie. Ossomer has shown that decrypted can turn and work for other sides, so they might even get their prince back.

[drachefly]

Why are you people talking about a mimic Jack? WHY?

He talks like him and acts like him and knows things Jack would know and a mimic would not.


I like effataigus' option #3 up above. Telling Jillian Wanda's out of the fight should help a lot.

[wrecan]

Isn't Jilian too far away at this point to get back in the fight? (I guess it's possible she's close enough to GK to do a decapitation strike on Stanley, but Wanda, Maggie, and Sizemore could quickly return to GK to help out.)

[The Pink Warlord]

And so Parson learns not to trust Predictamancers...

(The last line was him quoting Marie in case you didn't realise)

Why are you people talking about a mimic Jack? WHY?

He talks like him and acts like him and knows things Jack would know and a mimic would not.

I agree, it's an idea with no evidence or reason behind it.

[wrecan]

And so Parson learns not to trust Predictamancers...

Why not? She told him it was a trap and he would enter anyway. He entered and it was a trap. Really, that's the least cryptic thing any Predictamancer ever said.

[bladestorm]

And so Parson learns not to trust Predictamancers...

Why not? She told him it was a trap and he would enter anyway. He entered and it was a trap. Really, that's the least cryptic thing any Predictamancer ever said.

Same expression as when someone asks you if you got your keys out of the car.... right as you close the locked door and see them dangling from the ignition. Sigh of resignation as you know there's not a thing you can do about it, except figure out how to get the door open again. You can't really get mad at the reminder, but that door has a much more resounding thud when it accompanies such a revelation.

[name lips]

She also said he would win "eventually."

Which means he has Fate Armor, in addition to Main Character Armor!

[bladestorm]

She also said he would win "eventually."

Which means he has Fate Armor, in addition to Main Character Armor!

That won't stop a few amputations that strangely do not fully heal at dawn.

[wrecan]

She told him it was a trap and he would enter anyway. He entered and it was a trap. Really, that's the least cryptic thing any Predictamancer ever said.

Same expression as when someone asks you if you got your keys out of the car....

Except he asked her if it was a trap and she said "'Coss it is". Why did he ask if he didn't want to know?

[Shai_hulud]

That won't stop a few amputations that strangely do not fully heal at dawn.

Why wouldn't they heal?

[Chit Rule Railroad]

There's also Haggar, they didn't lose much of their force and will have the move to reach Jeststone. They would willingly take it over.

Moreover, Haggar taking the abandoned Spacerock back from GK would not be a betrayal of Jetstone, and it probably wouldn't cause much acrimony for them to keep it or raze it.

She also said he would win "eventually."
Which means he has Fate Armor, in addition to Main Character Armor!

His Fate Armor will last until he knows what he wants, because knowing what "winning" would mean for him would enable it to happen posthumously. Of course, that would be unconventional storytelling, so the Main Character Armor would still be there.

7) Kill Charlie! If that scroll is supposed to undo the perfect warlord spell it should be able to send the target anywhere in existence. Send the inferno to an empty field. Or Charlie.

If TBfGK was the birthplace of Sylvia's pyromania, the inferno could go to GK. Wouldn't that be fun?

[Dancing Cthulhu]

He could be sending in TV and Jillian.

Sheesh... I'm embarrassed that I didn't consider the possibility of Faq coming back despite having a predictamancy bet out that they will. I wanted to add two things to this:
1. This is another possible answer to the "why the boop did Charlie need Slately to close the portal before Parson closes it by taking the Spacerock garrison... i.e. this turn).
2. Faq might have enough move left to swing it. We know that they had the move to leave JS and then sack both Brookstone and Pogrock. We've only seen them sack Pogrock so far (and we know that that was the first of the two) , so they may have enough move to make it back to Spacerock.

So... the tally for "why did Charlie need the portal closed this turn?"
1. He's planning a portal-hopping natural ally bending decapitation strike on GK.
2. He somehow knew that Spacerock would catch fire (after Sylvia discussed the plan with Archer but before the order was given... if the comics even show things in order)... predictamancy?
3. He's betting on his ability to get Faq back in the action... perhaps not having to kill Wanda and Ansom's self-defeating guilt trip are enough?

I've been thinking 2 (surely not every predictamancer is on the side of the conspiracy against Erfworld as is), but 3 does make a lot of sense... closing the portal seems to suggest it is something that he wants to happen this turn at this time (especially if GK taking the garrison would have closed it anyway)... plus I'd be very impressed with Charlies manipulative skills if he could get Jillian back in it, she's a loose cannon and he did cut her off pretty hard. He might be regretting that now that situations have changed so much, but he'll roll with it.

My prediction for how this will play out:

Spoiler: show

1) The last Klog just established you need a Dirtamancer to stop an Inferno from destroying everything in a hex. Turn rules prevent those within the hex from leaving it.

2) Sizemore is in the MK, but now there is no portal for him to come through (and the MK would prohibit him going through an enemy portal, even if he wanted to).

3) The whole Inner Peace storyline established that Wanda is an heir to a defunct side.

4) Jetstone is a capital site.

5) Previous stories have established that large sides can split off new allied sides.

So, I think what will happen is that GK will split off a new side, with Wanda its overlord, and Jetstone as its capital site. A friendly portal will then be available for Sizemore to travel through, who will then pull Parson's fat from the fire.

Will be interesting to see how this pans out. Also "Difficulty Level: Shit's On Fire" really cracked me up.

I don't really see Spacerock becoming the capital of a new side ruled by Wanda as being the solution to this current situation. It might happen one day, but now...

As far as we know Wanda is still in the MK - which would seem to rule out her founding her side in a captured/razed Spacerock of her own accord - and GK hasn't taken Spacerock so Stanley can't do anything with it yet. If it involves Stanley's approval in anyway that would likely be a timely affair as he'd have to be convinced to free Wanda from his control and give her her own side. Wanda/Maggie can't know the trouble Parson is in at the moment (unless Marie can tell them), so they aren't going to be rushing back to convince Stanley he needs to approve a capital changing/side splitting plan in order to open a portal in Spacerock in order to allow Sizemore through to fight a fire.

[kiyote]

He could be sending in TV and Jillian.

Sheesh... I'm embarrassed that I didn't consider the possibility of Faq coming back despite having a predictamancy bet out that they will. I wanted to add two things to this:
1. This is another possible answer to the "why the boop did Charlie need Slately to close the portal before Parson closes it by taking the Spacerock garrison... i.e. this turn).
2. Faq might have enough move left to swing it. We know that they had the move to leave JS and then sack both Brookstone and Pogrock. We've only seen them sack Pogrock so far (and we know that that was the first of the two) , so they may have enough move to make it back to Spacerock.

So... the tally for "why did Charlie need the portal closed this turn?"
1. He's planning a portal-hopping natural ally bending decapitation strike on GK.
2. He somehow knew that Spacerock would catch fire (after Sylvia discussed the plan with Archer but before the order was given... if the comics even show things in order)... predictamancy?
3. He's betting on his ability to get Faq back in the action... perhaps not having to kill Wanda and Ansom's self-defeating guilt trip are enough?

Charlie's afraid of Parson. When you're afraid of a person and need to take them out, you go for the overkill. One good shot just isn't enough. Charlie doesn't just wait to see if Parson closes the portal, he closes it himself, makes sure everything is burning nice and bright, Parson's trapped, and then he still sends in FAQ to make sure the job is done, because he's not sure if any of it will be enough to kill him.

Funny part is, due to narrative causality, he's right. It won't be.

[Tathar]

Parson pretty much has to win this one through diplomacy. He needs uncontested control over the hex before it goes inferno. Saving Ace could make for a bargaining chip, and so could ex-Jetstone Decrypted being traded back, but Parson will have to convince Slately to surrender control of the city somehow. That's a big "somehow" too, and he has to do it fast.

Either that or he just croaks everything. I don't see that happening before the fire goes inferno.

That is unless he hacks Erfworld mechanics again. Then all bets are off. But I'm still saying this ends with diplomacy, alliance-forging, and fighting Charlie.

[Beeskee]

ohgawd Jillian... I can see it now, Charlie is about to call her and say, "Wanda's gone and can't come back, and ohyeah, there's an 'unbeatable' warlord in the city now, who btw is responsible for croaking Ansom. Have fun."

But then I imagine the fight between Parson and Jillian, and I see Jillian charging Parson, and Parson stepping out of the way and tripping Jillian.