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Talk:First Intermission 38

2012-10-06T04:11:33Z

65.0.107.241:

The phrase; "Any sufficiently advanced riddle is indistinguishable from gibberish." is a reference to "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Could someone who knows how put this in?

Mithex

Talk:First Intermission 38

2012-10-06T04:08:03Z

65.0.107.241: Created page with "The phrase; "Any sufficiently advanced riddle is indistinguishable form gibberish." Is a reference to "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Coul..."

The phrase; "Any sufficiently advanced riddle is indistinguishable form gibberish." Is a reference to "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Could someone who knows how put this in?

Mithex

TBFGK 40:12/Text

2012-10-04T19:22:15Z

65.0.107.241:

<noinclude>{{subpage}}[[Category:Frame Contents]]</noinclude>
'''[[Wanda Firebaugh]]:''' As for [[Ansom|his]] weaknesses, he is in love with [[Jillian|the prisoner]].

And I [[Suggestion Spell|control]] her mind.

Do you think you can work with that?

Charlescomm

2012-10-03T18:40:16Z

65.0.107.241: /* Charlie's Rules */

[[File:LIAB_Text_17.jpg|thumb|right|400px|'Charlescomm from [[LIAB Text 17]]']]
=Proposed Canon=

'' 'Your battlespace solutions provider' ''<br>
'''Mission Statement''': Team members will integrate core competencies utilizing best practices to achieve total battlespace saturation, and to provide just-in-time client solutions.

Charlescomm is an Erfworld [[side]] led by the mysterious [[Charlie]]. Its capital is a level 5 mountaintop city clad in blue, topped by the ominous [[Arkendish]]. Its forces include about 600 [[archon]]s, some 120 of which presently guard the city along with over 700 [[golem]]s (mostly cloth). Charlescomm has no other cities and uses no other [[unit]]s; no [[infantry]], no [[caster]]s, and no [[warlord]]s. At the time of the [[Battle for Gobwin Knob]], Charlie had deployed some 480 archons across [[Erfworld]], either in the employ of various clients or simply remaining on standby near hotspots.

Charlescomm sells the services of its [[unit]]s as [[mercenary|mercenaries]], even those of its [[Ruler]] (only those available remotely). It deals in anything of value, and does not operate on cash-only policies. Although Charlie (the primary dealmaker of Charlescomm, as well as its Ruler) will consider any offer, his reputation as a reliable mercenary is important to him, so Charlescomm will normally not change Sides in a conflict.

Services known to be offered by Charlie himself include contract [[Thinkamancy]] and manipulation of employers. The [[Archon]]s, Charlescomm's primary off-site consulting [[Unit]], can provide significant combat casting abilities based on [[Shockmancy]] and/or Thinkamancy, and [[Foolamancy]] as well as a range of other services such as spell security. Clients choose which services they wish the Archons to provide. [[Archon]]s interpret contracts themselves, and have on occasion provided more than the client contracted, but this must not be relied upon since it is up to each Archon to decide whether to go beyond the scope of the contract. Charlie will also hire [[caster]]s from the [[Magic Kingdom]] as contractors for specific jobs.

==Charlie's Rules==

* '''#3:''' We are in the business of solving problems for our clients.
** ''Corollary:'' Creating problems for our clients creates business. {{blog|2009|10|summer-updates-%e2%80%93-046}}

* '''#9:''' If they swing, make 'em miss. If they flee, make 'em run somewhere worse. But if they just stand there, pull the rug out from under 'em.

* '''#15:''' Some things are more important than money.
** ''Corollary:'' Most things are not more important than money. {{blog|2009|10|summer-updates-%e2%80%93-046}}

* '''#17:''' Don't bet on the lame runner, unless you know you can shoot the healthy one. {{blog|2011|08|book-2-text-updates-053}}
** ''Corollary:'' Betting on the healthy runner and shooting the lame one is the better bet.

* '''#19:''' Charlie's rules need to be bent sometimes.{{erf|1|067}}
** ''Corollary:'' Charlie's rules do not need to be bent most of the time. ''(The corollary to rule #19 has not been mentioned in the story as yet)''

=Speculation=

At least part of Charlescomm's power derives from Charlie's possession of and attunement to the [[Arkendish]] - how powerful this faction would be without such a significant [[artifact]] in their possession is unlikely to be revealed.

Charlescomm only pops archons, but has a large number of golems. Unless they all existed prior to the Archons, they were likely created by Archons with [[Dollamancy]] or contracted with casters from the magic kingdom.

==Relations with other Sides==

Lord [[Stanley]], [[Overlord]] of [[Gobwin Knob]], seems to hate Charles for personal reasons. It's not clear at first whether Charlie reciprocates this hatred, though he eventually informs Queen [[Jillian]] that croaking Stanley would be a good start for both of them. Before she rebuilt [[Faq]], [[Jillian]] considered Charlescomm to be her major competitor as a [[mercenary]]. When she first became Queen, Jillian was the only known member of the second [[Royal Crown Coalition]] willing to work with Charlie. However, Prince [[Tramennis]] of [[Jetstone]] is willing to deal with [[Charlie]].

==Charlescomm in the First Royal Crown Coalition==

Charlescomm provided 15 Archons to the [[Royal Crown Coalition|Coalition]].

==Charlescomm in Gobwin Knob Airspace==

Charlie sent at least 30 Archons to Gobwin Knob Airspace in the turn of the [[Volcano Uncroaking]]. Of these, 28 were [[decrypted]] to Gobwin Knob's side. Some of these have since been re-croaked and turned to dust.

==Business Theme==

Charlescomm is styled very much like a corporation while most [[Side|sides]] are styled as nations. In addition Charlescomm seems to be heavily dependent upon trade with other sides, as opposed to producing for its own consumption. Both [[Charlie]] and his [[Archon]]s tend to use "corporate-speak".

Charlescomm is not a [[Royal]] side and is tolerated, but not accepted, by [[Royal]]s. This may be a parallel to the real world conflict that occurred between the declining nobles classes and the rising business classes. The business model seems to be based on management consulting companies such as Bain & Co. or McKinsey & Co., where high level services are provided for exorbitant prices. Like Bain or McKinsey, Chalescomm finds no moral dilemma when working simultaneously for competing sides.

==Archon Production==
We know that Charlescomm's capital can produce 1 archon/turn (or 1.5 with a [[Turnamancer]]), and that other cities could pop archons over several turns. This might mean other [[side]]s can pop archons, or it ''could'' mean that either Charlescomm once had other cities but abandoned them because they were inefficient and unnecessary to the success of the side, or that Charlie can somehow see the production ability of foreign cities.

==Charlie's Rules==
Based on the other two known rules, the corollary to #19 may be along the lines of "Charlie's rules may be bent but not broken."

[[Category:Side]]
[[Category:Capital Side]]
[[Category:Proposed Canon]]
[[Category:Speculation]]

Slately

2012-10-02T16:06:26Z

65.0.107.241: /* Speculation */

{{ImageStackRight|240|
{{crop|350|650|550|950|LIAB_12.jpg}}{{Stats
|name= King Slately
|race= [[Men]]
|tribe= [[Jetstone]]
|faction= [[Jetstone]]
|class= [[Ruler]] ([[King]])
|level=
|move=
|hits=
|combat=
|defense=
|special= [[Royal]], [[Leadership]]
|eyebook=
}}
}}

== Canon ==
==Proposed Canon==

''"She took another of my sons."''

'''Strengths''': [[Leadership]], Organization, Stoicism

'''Weaknesses''': Tact, Humility, Empathy

'''First Appearance''': [[LIAB 12]]

King Slately is the [[Ruler]] of [[Jetstone]] [[faction]]. He has been a king for over three thousand turns.

He has [[pop]]ped twenty-three sons and daughters. Among them Victor (his first son), Lustrius (his third son, probably an [[Heir]] who Slately thought was destined to be king), Titas, Forthewin, Wonderloaf, [[Ansom]], [[Ossomer]], and [[Tramennis]] (specifically not an [[Heir]]).

Slately claims that the magic of [[signamancy]] has changed his appearance over time, turning him short and fat to reflect his sedentary lifestyle. During his 3000 turns of kingship he has only seen a battle once and that from a heavily guarded turret. Again, signamancy is meant to reflect the character or personality of a unit as well as its [[rank]]. The decrypted [[Ossomer]] noted that the resolved, angered look Slately bore while preparing his plan of killing as much Archons as possible to earn enough [[Shmucker]]s to make Tramennis his heir was signamancy: the little man finally seems to be royal. For the purpose of his plan, the Dollamancer [[Ace]] and the [[Hat Magic]]ian [[Cubbins]] have turned the king's costume into powerful [[Magic Item]]s: His crown is now a foolamancy-proof cap, the Jetstone's royal scepter can shoot [[Shockamancy]] and his cloak can deflect one bolt.

King Slately was recently croaked and his double lived on as mentioned on page 87 of book 2.

==Speculation==

After the defeat at [[Gobwin Knob]], King Slately approached some sides, including [[Haggar]], and tried to persuade them to join the second [[Royal Crown Coalition]]. He may have approached [[Jitterati]] and [[Carport]], but if so, his efforts failed.

Since his first references and early appearances, Slately has begun to show serious character depth and even development. He seems struck by the loss of his sons and to actually care for them. He originally disapproved of Tramennis because of his signamancy but has since revised his opinion. Finally he approached [[Don King]] to request a loan to appoint Tramennis as heir. He admitted his failings and his own lack of the royal ideals that he constantly blustered about and craved a chance to finally honor his sons and their sacrifice. He hopes to save his son Tramennis and perhaps die leaving him the kingdom.

Slately has been croaked since his duplication by [[Lloyd]] the [[Dittomancer]]. This double has been revealed to only last until the start of Jetstone's next turn.

==Real World References==
The name of the faction, Jetstone, seems to be a portmanteau of the names of the Hanna-Barbera cartoons [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jetsons The Jetsons] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flintstones The Flintstones]. King Slately's name is an amalgamation of the names of the bosses on the two shows, Mr. Spacely (Jetsons) and Mr. Slate (Flintstones).

King Slately's appearance is based on the King of Hearts and King of Diamonds from a playing card deck. Slately's coloring and design are closer to the traditional King of Hearts, but his mustache only appears on the King of Diamonds.

During the [[Siege of Spacerock]], Prince Tramennis says that Slately must be evacuated. His response is a quote from Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars: A New Hope... "Evacuate? In our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances."

His new outfit, made of powerful magic items and warpaints, makes him look like the Martian Ambassador of the film "Mars Attack".
{{Office Holder
| Office=[[Ruler]] of [[Jetstone]]
| Previous=Unknown
| Next=''None, incumbent''
}}

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Proposed Canon]]
[[Category:Speculation]]
[[Category:Real World References]]