Erfworld: Book 2 discussion (spoilers)

[kaylasdad99]

Originally Posted by Gyrate

Also: a couple of Disneyoids chatting in the background, plus another caster who looks familiar but I can't place.

According to the forums at erf.com, it's Aerith Gainsborough from Final Fantasy VII. The image from the wikipedia page on her makes me think they're correct.

[Gyrate]

Now he goes through. It's all kicking off, folks.

[One And Only Wanderers]

woo! now it should get interesting

[Lightray]

Interesting that Sizemore works in 12' squares... I'd've expected it to be traditional 10' squares. And that buried portal-projector or whatever is there again.

Anyone care to guess who the Thinkamancers are? Elf-Eared Guy may be Spock again. Morticia-Adams-Dress and Blue Hair Chick should be identifiable... by someone with more pop culture savvy than I, at least.

[Chronos]

I think that the purple-haired... Um, person... is Vaarsuvius. Kind of surprising that it took this long for an OotS reference, actually.

[Balance]

Originally Posted by Chronos

I think that the purple-haired... Um, person... is Vaarsuvius. Kind of surprising that it took this long for an OotS reference, actually.

I think the guess of Empress Sanaki (of Fire Emblem) from the Erf forums is more likely--the bare shoulders, hair length, and bit of gold tassel showing support it.

The guy in the lead is obviously Headmaster Isaac (Newton), since he responded to Maggie's call of "Isaac?"

Morticia is readily identifiable. The guy next to her is suspected to be Neil deGrasse Tyson. Pointy-ears is likely Spock. The guy in white at the back may be Aristotle. The blond woman might be Zelda, but I think her outfit is wrong--she's more likely the other girl from among the Great Minds that Think Alike, but I don't think anyone ever figured out who she was.

I don't know who the the brown-haired guy with the fingerless gloves is. He looks to be wearing a hoodie with something over it and possibly a mask (there's a crescent of black material showing toward the front of his head). He might be the cut-off face in the upper left of the GMtTA picture.

[Chronos]

The hair is pretty clearly purple, though, not blue-- Does Empress Sanaki's hair sometimes vary?

Oh, and

Interesting that Sizemore works in 12' squares... I'd've expected it to be traditional 10' squares.

I don't think that Erfworld has any fundamental grid, below the hex level. Sizemore probably uses 12' sections for the same reason builders in our world do: It's just a convenient size.

[Lightray]

No, I expected it to be 10' squares because that's the old D&D trope. And Erfworld, as we've seen, is built upon such things.

I definitely don't think that's Vaarsuvius, though -- the outfit is too feminine for an Ambiguously Elfy Wizard. And given V's favored spells, she'd make a better shockamancer.

[Chronos]

Vaarsuvius isn't ambiguously elfy-- Elfy is the one thing that e unambiguously is. You're right, though, that e'd more likely be a shockamancer.

[Gyrate]

While we await the next installment I trust you'll pardon some random pondering and speculation. Specifically, I've been thinking about Sizemore.

I've assumed from fairly early on that Sizemore would, in the end, take over from Stanley as ruler of the GK side, presumably as a wise and peaceful ruler etc etc etc. He is Stanley's only kin, we've learned a lot about him from almost the beginning and pretty much all of it has been sympathetic. The guy's gonna rule at the end of it all, say I.

But what if I'm thinking too small? What if Parson literally "breaks everything" (as Janis might have put it), breaks Erfworld itself in some larger version of what happened at Gobwin Knob (using the Arkensaw?) and, as with GK, a now-much-advanced Dirtamancer Sizemore does something truly Titanic and remakes the world in a new and improved way?

This story tends to twist and turn in ways I can't predict so this could all be wrong and Sizemore could fall under a siege wagon in the next installment. But it's fun to guess.

[Tabby_Cat]

How would that work? You'd need to croak Stanley for that to happen.


... you know, it would be REALLY funny if Jillian goes up to GK with Parson away and manages to croak Stanley. The hammer is Jillian's kinda thing, after all! Just think of Wanda/Jillian...

[Gyrate]

I've no idea. Presumably Stanley would have to name Sizemore his heir at some point.

If Jillian croaked Stanley at this point it'd be Game Over for GK. No Stanley, no side.

[Chronos]

Do we know for sure that Stanley hasn't named an heir? There was a recent text update where he was musing about how you can't just give out attaboys, because then folks will just coax. Naming an heir and then not telling that person seems like exactly the sort of thing he'd do.

[kaylasdad99]

This is speculative, but I think Erfworld mechanics would have a newly-promoted heir noticing a change to his/her stats like that.

[Steve MB]

Originally Posted by kaylasdad99

This is speculative, but I think Erfworld mechanics would have a newly-promoted heir noticing a change to his/her stats like that.

I dunno -- Tramennis found out by reading a message.

[kaylasdad99]

Point taken, but that was a promotion to Chief Warlord, not to heir.

Say, wouldn't it be a hoot if Tramennis busts in on Slately, and Slately disbands him, as promised here?

[Lightray]

New text update

Don't really learn much new, although it's looking like that "Titanic mandate" mindset comes preprogrammed with Decryption, rather than having been something Ansom came up with to make his new loyalty make sense to him. Ansom, Ossomer, and now Antium all converted to that thinking almost immediately upon Decryption.

[Prox]

Well, they're all Jetrock, which seems to really emphasize the Titanic mandate of royalty. It might be the motivation of the decrypted just closely aligns to their motivation before they croaked.

It's interesting they mention Wanda & Jack escaping through the Portal. Sounds like foreshadowing.

[Silophant]

Originally Posted by Steve MB

I dunno -- Tramennis found out by reading a message.

And I wouldn't be sure that gaining an heirship would even change stats. I can't see why it would, really. So I like the idea of there being a secret heir.

[Gyrate]

Lord Parson? Not "Lord Hamster"?

[Lightray]

New Erf

In Transylvito, not in the Magic Kingdom. Just to drive people crazy with anticipation, one assumes.

[Gyrate]

New-ish text, and Ossomer may yet prove a fly in Parson's ointment.

[Lightray]

Parson was not the one with the goal to bring down the tower and croak King Slately; that was Wanda and Sylvia.

And Ossomer is just trying to suicide, the best that he can in his situation. He's not going to ruin Parson's plans.

[Gyrate]

It's not clear yet but presumably Slately hasn't heard the news about his loan yet.

[ultrafilter]

And they're off!

[Chronos]

And a bunch more casters we haven't seen before. The one standing behind the Gobwin Knob portal is a Beatle, right? What would that make his specialty, another Hippiemancer? It looks like he's one of the ones in on the Plan, given that he's right there and not doing anything to stop Parson.

[Gyrate]

Casters: the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella and Hermione from Harry Potter, I'm guessing. And I am assuming George there is a Thinkomancer up to something.

Also: "Sonic Drive-In". *snicker*

[Balance]

Originally Posted by Chronos

And a bunch more casters we haven't seen before. The one standing behind the Gobwin Knob portal is a Beatle, right? What would that make his specialty, another Hippiemancer? It looks like he's one of the ones in on the Plan, given that he's right there and not doing anything to stop Parson.

That scroll looks like it might be thinkamancy; if he's a thinkamancer himself, I wouldn't expect him to need it. (Unless there's some reason he's conserving juice.) He was previously shown taking notice of Sizemore's arrival, and apparently moved directly to hide behind the GK portal. That puts him specifically out of sight of anyone entering from GK; if he's an agent for the GMTTA or the Predictamancer Plan Party (or both), why would he be hiding from GK units?

I don't think we have enough information yet to do more than guess at his role. He could be preparing to throw a suggestion on Parson from behind or he could be getting ready to disrupt other casters attempting to stop Parson. He could even be trying to slip unnoticed through the GK portal himself while everyone is distracted by Parson.

[kaylasdad99]

That's my fear too, Balance. It's been suggested on the erfworld forums that it's Jeftichew, a carnymancer released by Queen Bea during the summer updates right before she suicided. His mandate was to work for [only] a Royal to fight against Stanley. It's also been suggested that with his beard he looks more like one of the BeeGees in the Sgt. Pepper movie than George (who had no beard) (OTOH, the original Jeftichew was aka Jojo the Dog-Faced boy, who, when he worked for Barnum, wore that kind of uniform).

But his presence there with a scroll suggests he knew in advance that the GK portal room would soon be left with only Maggie standing between an intruder and the GK stronghold. If it's Jeftichew, he shouldn't be doing that on Charlie's behalf, although it's difficult to think who else could anticipate Parson's strategy.

There's probably some Predictamancy going on, that's not being directed by Janis and Marie.

[Gyrate]

New text update

Time's running out for Slately, and he's desperate enough to listen to Ace.

[Chronos]

Jeftichew the Carniemancer would presumably be the Dog-Faced Man, and the pictures of him do indeed show him wearing a uniform like that, but he had hair all over his face (including on his nose and such), not just a beard.

[Gyrate]

Whoa - another new strip up and things in the Magic Kingdom are getting perilous.

[Lightray]

So that probably is Jeftichew, which begs the question... is there another Side in action we're not aware of? Bea asked that they not work for non-Royals, so he shouldn't be working directly for Charlie... And seems unlikely it's Transylvito or Faq or Jetstone. He's got a scroll, which doesn't seem like something a just-turfed to the Magic Kingdom would have. Yet he knew to be waiting for Parson, which implies Charlie's involvement. Puzzling.

[Chronos]

He's also apparently willing to ignore the taboos against casters using portals militarily. Which goes against all the other casters we know of, and would seem to be especially alien to any royal-type traditionalist mindset

[One And Only Wanderers]

Originally Posted by Lightray

So that probably is Jeftichew, which begs the question... is there another Side in action we're not aware of? Bea asked that they not work for non-Royals, so he shouldn't be working directly for Charlie... And seems unlikely it's Transylvito or Faq or Jetstone. He's got a scroll, which doesn't seem like something a just-turfed to the Magic Kingdom would have. Yet he knew to be waiting for Parson, which implies Charlie's involvement. Puzzling.

Could it be a move from the Great Minds?

[Lightray]

Did the other caster come in on a portal, too? Or was he just standing in the MK, waiting by the portal for Parson to come through? If the latter, he may be trying to prevent the militarization.

I think the Great Minds were coming in force to prevent any Casters from interfering with Parson. This guy (Jeftichew) seems intent on some interference -- I don't think he's running up on Parson to hand off that scroll; he's probably going to cast it on Parson.

[Lightray]

New text Erf

Poor Zhopa; Stanley almost got his name right, and now he's hosed.

[Tabby_Cat]

New Erf!

It is Jefftichew. And I have no idea what he wants. I'm thinking revenge, but why stop to talk?

[Gyrate]

I have great love for the phrase "I am not buying any candy to support your marching band."

[thinksnow]

New text update.

[cckerberos]

Good update but damn, this comic is dragging. I'm not sure if we need any more plot turns at this point.

[Tabby_Cat]

Yeah, nothing has happened since.. sheesh, I dunno.


Something happen already!

[Lightray]

As with some other webcomics (cf. Order of the Stick), Erfworld is paced with the trade paperback in mind. Therefore, the individual updates online seem maddeningly slow and switching back and forth to create faux cliffhangers.

The text updates make this even worse, since they're no part of the trade storyline. Makes them seem like filler, and makes the pacing seem even more glacial.

[thinksnow]

I dunno, I thought this line was "something happening:"

She saluted Tramennis' inert form and shouted, "Your Highness?"

"He's good'n out," said Nutro, her staunch gladiator. "He'll croak on the next turn."

[ultrafilter]

The plot--and the memes--thickens.

[Chronos]

Whoa. From a narrative point of view, the answer obviously has to be "no", because if Parson leaves, then the story ends, and this would be a terrible place for it. But on the other hand, it's hard to see an in-story justification for Parson to refuse, and narratively, if he does refuse now, this is probably the only chance he's ever going to get.

I suppose this could all just be a bluff, and the spell that Jojo's carrying isn't what he claims. His patter could just be a ruse to get Parson to lower his guard. And Parson might realize that (whether it's actually true or not), and refuse on that grounds. But that wouldn't be very satisfying, either.

Alternately, I suppose Parson could just take the scroll (with Jojo willing or not, I'm not sure), to have one of his own casters use it at a more convenient time. I'm not sure how that would play out.

[Gyrate]

Originally Posted by Chronos

Whoa. From a narrative point of view, the answer obviously has to be "no", because if Parson leaves, then the story ends, and this would be a terrible place for it. But on the other hand, it's hard to see an in-story justification for Parson to refuse, and narratively, if he does refuse now, this is probably the only chance he's ever going to get.

On the other hand, is Parson really that keen to "get back" to his crappy job and apartment? Life on Earth is infinitely duller than life of Erf, and Parson's smart enough to realize that.

I suppose this could all just be a bluff, and the spell that Jojo's carrying isn't what he claims. His patter could just be a ruse to get Parson to lower his guard. And Parson might realize that (whether it's actually true or not), and refuse on that grounds. But that wouldn't be very satisfying, either.

A bluff? But carnies are known for their trustworthiness...

Alternately, I suppose Parson could just take the scroll (with Jojo willing or not, I'm not sure), to have one of his own casters use it at a more convenient time. I'm not sure how that would play out.

Even if he doesn't take the scroll he at least now has the knowledge that such a spell is possible (assuming Jojo isn't lying) and could be recreated later.

We also get some info on his staff (unless we knew what it did already and I've forgotten).

[Gyrate]

I was trying to remember who Parson was talking about in the first panel. You know why I couldn't remember who he spoke to "this morning"? Because "this morning" was last August.

This is turning out to be a very long day indeed.

[Lightray]

Text Erf

Artemis vs. Sylvia.

[Chronos]

Vs. Fate.