New strip up. Good call, folks. And yikes.
Do the others know about familicide or is that V’s secret?
The others don’t know about it.
Making sure it’s not just an illusion? Check. Belkar doesn’t recognize the smell of mummies? Check. Beetles aren’t eating anyone? Check? Illusions are too easy? Check. Familicide? Yep, check.
Looks like that covers the forty pages of discussion for the last comic.
Poor V. It’s just now hitting hir exactly what s/he did, and how horrible it was.
S/he’s already paid a big price - the loss of hir spouse and children - and learned a lot about humility. But the lesson isn’t over.
Gods, how will Roy react when he finds out?
I was thinking that originally but then I decided that really, familicide is a terrible spell especially because it attacked equally based on bloodlines. If V hadn’t thought that (s)he may be slaughtering hordes of innocent people, well, now V knows. And if V has a couple sleepless nights and some gut-wrenching guilt, I’d say it’s well deserved.
Oh yes. Definitely deserved. But still…
V’s not exactly a classic tragic hero, but close enough that his/her eventual doom is pretty clearly spelled out now.
That’s why I asked if the others knew. I could see V completely avoiding the subject as long as possible. It’s one thing to own up when it’s a small mistake or when you couldn’t possibly dodge the blame. But admitting to this is going to irrevocably change V’s relationships with at least a couple of the members of the group. Roy and Durkon will be absolutely aghast at the least. I wouldn’t be surprised if no one else finds out and the three fiends show up and use it to make them think V’s a traitor to their cause.
Mad drunk props to SDMB oots prognosticators. I was skeptical but it looks like you all called it. Holy shit this sucks for V.
On a slightly different note, this is the second time that the flaw of Pride has been a major component in the downfall of a Good character. Of course, the other example (Miko) had other serious issues as well, but still - if Miko could have admitted she was wrong - or if V. could have admitted that the best solution isn’t always “V learns more, bigger magic” - their stories would be a lot less tragic.
While Elan seems to have put it behind them for now, don’t forget this strip.
Losing Haley’s friendship would be another blow to Vaarsuvius like losing his/her family was.
And Belkar would be jealous.
Wow. Two stunning/shocking strips in a row…
It’s quite remarkable how much emotional mileage you can get out a few simple lines around the eyes.
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Nitpick: V is True Nuetral.
Question: From the strip where V describes Familicide, I understood that it only targets two steps. As in, “Anyone directly related to you is dead. Anyone directly related to THEM is dead.”
But Girard is two steps removed from the nearest black dragon (who, I would assume, is NOT the black dragon mom, since she was happily married to another dragon). And many of Girard’s family members are more than two steps removed from Girard.
But, V’s expression shows that she suspects that her spell killed the family. Did she just not explain Familycide well enough? Or am I missing something?
Where do you get that? Not doubting you, just don’t remember reading it.
Actually it was “Anyone who directly shares your bloodline is dead. Anyone directly related to them is also dead.”
The first part would include children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc, etc.
If Girard was Dragon Mom’s great-grandson, it would still get him, his parents, his siblings and his children. It would get Girard’s children’s parents and their children. It would get their children’s parents, and their children. And so on.
Found it. Word of God: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11664984
Huh. Even though the Familicide connection had been discussed to death before, I didn’t think it would pan out, let alone get confirmed so fast.
If any single page of the comic warrants a dun Dun DUN, it’s this one. V is going to go mental.
Aaaaaah. So, it’s an upside down pyramid stretching to the first black dragons, and splitting again with the black dragon’s children and so on; and anyone who is only 1 level off the branch has the same cone treatment?