I was wondering about that -- is a magical gag an interesting alteration?
Put differently, is having a magic gag over your mouth an alteration any more than having your body held by a magic hand is?
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I was wondering about that -- is a magical gag an interesting alteration?
Put differently, is having a magic gag over your mouth an alteration any more than having your body held by a magic hand is?
Updated through 903
Blackwing, Cedrik, Durkon (as vampire), Durkon's Barbed Devil, Lee, Malack, Nale, Nero, Qarr, Sabine, Vaarsuvius, Zz'dtri, Zz'dtri's Piscodaemon
Updated through 904
Belkar Bitterleaf, Elan, Haley Starshine, Roy Greenhilt, Silicon Elemental
Updated through 905
Belkar Bitterleaf, Durkon (as vampire), Durkon's Barbed Devil, Elan, Girard (as Statue), Haley Starshine, Malack, Nale, Roy Greenhilt, Silicon Elemental, Zz'dtri, Zz'dtri's Piscodaemon
906: Durkon (as vampire), Malack (vamped out), Nale, Zz'dtri, Qarr
It looks as though Malack will never become a Major Character now. Oh well.
You never know! Shojo has appeared a handful of times since his death in Mr. Scruffy/Belkar illusions/hippie dream quests.
Maybe Malack will appear to Durkon. Or he could pop up in flashbacks narrated by Tarquin, as he has before.
If Malack's remains appear in the next strip, will it count as an appearance given there isn't actually a body?
It's weird that despite all the disintegrations in the comic, I don't think we've ever ran into the "Do ashes count as an appearance?" problem before.
I say they should count the same as corpses. They are the literal remains of the character, after all, just an unusually altered form. I'd say they should also be listed as an alternate form if we choose to count them.
Are corpses considered an appearance, though? I honestly cannot remember.
FAQ has this: "A. We don't treat corpses, changes in age, or costuming as interesting alterations."
Based on this, it is an appearance, but not an interesting alteration. I think it makes sense to treat ashes the same as corpses.
If ashes were an interesting alteration, the thread would need to list Kubota (dusted), Young Black Dragon (dusted), etc.
*
As a possibly needless hypothetical, if someone's ashes got carried around in an urn, would we still want to count that?
Thanks for the reminder; I totally didn't think of checking the FAQ.
IMO, though, corpses look far, far more similar to living people than do piles of ashes. I'd say you've experienced a far more visually significant alteration of appearance after having been turned into a pile of ashes than you have after, say, having had your throat slit. So I can see a much stronger argument for listing piles of ashes as an interesting alteration than for listing corpses as one.
Edit: As to the urn, I'd say we'd only do so if the ashes were visible in the urn. Otherwise it's like listing Roy's appearance just because the wagon carrying his corpse is visible.
Updated through 906
Durkon (as vampire) (+1), Malack (vamped out) (+1), Nale (+1), Qarr (+1), Zz'dtri (+1)
Damn, Malack was only three appearances short of becoming a major character!
And here goes Malack's hope of ever becoming a major character.
Edit: ninja'd
Too close to becoming one, too far from being one...
I'm certainly not convinced that he won't appear in any more flashbacks.
Vaarsuvius 1-3, 5, 9-12, 14, 16-17, 20-21, 24-26, 29-33, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 53, 55-58, 60, 65-66, 69-70, 72, 75, 81, 85-90, 92-94, 98-99, 101, 104-108, 113, 115-116, 118-120
Elan 1-2, 4-11, 13-21, 24-27, 30-32, 34-35, 38, 41, 43-45, 47, 50, 52, 54-58, 60-61, 64, 66-69, 71-72, 75, 78, 80-81, 85-93, 98-99, 101-102, 104-106, 108-110, 113, 115-116, 118-120
Haley 1-3, 5-6, 8-14, 17-21, 24, 28-29, 31-33, 35-36, 38, 43-47, 49, 53-57, 59-62, 66, 69-72, 75, 81, 85-90, 92-94, 98-100, 104, 108-110, 113, 115-116, 118-120
Belkar 1-3, 5-6, 8, 10-14, 17-22, 24-26, 28-29, 31-35, 38, 41-45, 47-48, 55-58, 60, 63, 69, 71-72, 75, 81, 85-90, 92, 94, 98-99, 101-102, 104-107, 111, 113, 115-116, 118-120
Roy 1-2, 4-7, 9-17, 20-22, 24-41, 43-48, 51, 54-57, 59-60, 64, 67, 69-72, 74-75, 78, 80, 85-94, 98-99, 101-102, 104-106, 108, 110, 112-116, 118-120
Durkon 1-2, 4-7, 9-11, 14-17, 20, 24-27, 31-32, 34-35, 38-40, 43, 45, 47, 50, 52, 56-58, 72-74, 76-77, 79, 82-94, 98-99, 101-102, 104-108, 111, 113, 115-116, 118-120
Xykon 13, 23, 29, 37, 43, 47, 71, 78, 95-97, 103-106, 109-110, 112-115, 117, 120
Redcloak 23, 37, 47, 82, 95-97, 103-106, 112-113, 115, 117, 120
MitD 23, 37, 47, 82, 96-97, 103, 105-106, 109-110, 113-114, 117, 120
Roaches 82, 95, 97, 104, 115-117, 120
Nale 43-47, 50, 52, 54-61, 64, 67-72, 97, 120
Sabine 43-47, 49, 53-62, 120
Thog 43-44, 47-48, 51, 54-55, 57, 59-60, 64, 66, 69-70, 72, 74, 120
Miko 120
Shojo 120
Zz'dtri 43-44, 47, 49, 53, 57, 59-60, 65, 74,
Hilgya 43-44, 47, 50, 52, 55-57, 59-60, 74, 76-77, 79, 82-84.
Yikyik 43-44, 47-48, 55-57, 59-60, 63, 69, 74-75.
Celia 53, 69-72,
Tarquin 50,
Ian Starshine 93,
Elan's Mother 50,
Thor 40, 73, 79,
Loki 79,
Sulfur 40,
Jones 32, 50, 65,
Rodriguez32, 65,
Eugene 15, 39, 78, 113,
Sara 113,
Eric 113,
Fyron 78.
Violet 39,
Blackwing 3,
Banjo 80-81, 85,
Stupid Ogre 4-5.
Female Ogre 5, 9.
Goblin Sleepers 10-11.
Trigak 17-21, 23.
Mind Flayer 30-32.
Gnome Wizard 49,
Fire Sigil Salamander 47, 52.
Fire Sigil Guardian 52,
Earth Sigil Xorn 47, 51.
Earth Sigil Guardian 51,
Air Sigil Bird 47,
Flumphs 55, 74, 120
Dracolisk 55, 60.
Hordlings 55, 59, 73.
Ivan 83.
Fruit Pie the Sorcerer 91.
Goblin who killed FPtS 90-92.
Goblin Teen with Zits 92-94, 98-100, 112.
Goblin Teen with Braces 93-94, 99, 101.
Goblin Teen with Sneakers 93-94.
Dragon Barbecue 98-99.
All that's needed for Malack to become a major character is his ashes appearing next episode, Nale at some point giving a flashback to his youth (perhaps revealing why he began to hate Malack) and Tarquin at some point giving a flashback to some part of his past.
907:
Durkon Thundershield (vampire), Nale, Qaar, Zzd'tri
Malack's robes are visible, but I don't think any portion of his ashes are.
What about that blackened stuff on Nale's face? It only appeared on him when Malack disintegrated.
Good catch, I figured that was scorching from the Slay Living, but it's his ashes.
It might be a burn mark from the fire.
Updated through 907
Durkon (as vampire), Nale, Qarr, Zz'dtri
I'm unsure about "ashes" part.