Quote Originally Posted by Walt View Post
Lots of good ideas in this thread for how the plot might continue from here. But I think at this point in the story, it's not the time to add major new (unforeshadowed) complications or make any 180-degree turns. Therefore:

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Whether Stanley leaves or not, Parson, Wanda, and the remaining warlords must continue to defend GK. The key line is: "Your upkeep'll be paid as long as the city stands." Remember what that means in this setting: upkeep = existence.

This is a subtle but major change! Especially if Stanley won't be staying around to alter those standing orders later (which seems very likely), Parson is now committed directly to the defense of GK, instead of indirectly through needing to obey and please Stanley. For all practical purposes they're his hexes now.

But that also means no diplomatic resolution, no switching sides, no hitting the road (for Parson and co.), no letting Jillian waltz in and take over without a fight.

If Stanley does leave, that could also draw off some of the alliance forces to hunt for him and the dwagons (or divide them by distraction, if he goes directly after the pliers). Leaving the overall siege odds more or less same as when we started, and another opportunity for Parson and Wanda to show what they can accomplish with whatever resources are left behind for them.
I agree that this is not the time for any major plot twists, except the story-arc ending kind.

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However, we already know one situation that can cause a unit to have it's upkeep be paid by someone other than it's overlord: being captured. I hypothesize that there are other conditions for that to happen as well, surrender/turning traitor probably being one of them. Presumably, it is based on who is currently in control of a unit. It's not all that unrealistic of a situation. In the real world, the captor must pay for the food of the prisoner.

Similarly, if Parson & co. give GK up to the coalition/Jillian, I would presume that the coalition (i.e. either Jetstone or Jillian) would get both the income and expenses of GK, including the upkeep of Parson, Wanda, and the rest. The new overlord of GK (King Jetstone or Jillian) would need to decide whether to maintain those upkeeps or not.

I'm guessing that for plot continuity (presuming that Stanley does lose GK, which is far from certain) Jillian takes control, spares Wanda for obvious reasons (she likes it, after all) and keeps Parson on to run her armies (kind of the reverse of the relationship between King Jetstone and Ansom).

I also can't see her being any less merciful to Sizemore and any other plaids about who were forced to serve under Stanley; after all, they just did what they had to to survive, and other than Stanley and maybe Wanda, I don't think that any of them would be guilty of war crimes.