Jetstone destroyed Faq

[Kholdstare]

I'd like to see what kind of support you can come up with for this statement. How would it be poor storytelling? So far the whole, "Only Stanley can use dragons" assumption is JUST that! Just because stanley is the only known local power with a weir of dragons doesn't mean that someone else might be keeping their weir a secret.

It might not even be a local force, when I play wargames, I'll often send out a recon force out capable of taking poorly defended cities.

Wow. Really? Is that what you take? You ignore everything before that,which is why I wrote that out, and just totally misinterpret that in one epic fail quote?

The entire point of that was that it is very unlikely that anyone else did it and it is next to impossible. Dwagons could be the Hammer's uber unit, kind of like a leader ability, or a side's unique unit, or it needs extraneous circumstances for them to spawn/be tamed.

Everyone else thought Stanley because Dwagons are fiercely powerful. Instead of thinking about who could own or command a large group of what may be Erfworlds most powerful creatures they immediately thought of one man. He may be one of a very few number of people to actually command such power because he holds the tool of the gods. Stanley was on a crusade and Faq being an unnecessary casualty was most likely or it was the mission Stanley was sent on. The mission being that he had to destroy faq.

Point is that Dwagons aren't just some ordinary unit that can be spawned or trained easily. If they were then neither Ansom, a high level warlord of a powerful tribe, or Jillian, a former warlord of the city she is trying to avenge just automatically pick Stanley.. Ansom wouldn't have made such a blind conclusion nor would Jillian settle for just Stanley if Dwagons were a common occurrence.

Dwagons have to be spawned or tamed under very complicated circumstances so Stanley has to be the one who destroyed Faq, and any other side actually amassing such a powerful force would be akin to an Ass-Pull.

[ishnar]

Wow. Really? Is that what you take? You ignore everything before that,which is why I wrote that out, and just totally misinterpret that in one epic fail quote?

I didn't ignore everything before that. Everything before that did not support your conclusion. I misinterpreted nothing. Your conclusion was the fail, not my quote.

The entire point of that was that it is very unlikely that anyone else did it and it is next to impossible.

Not next to impossible. Actually, I can think of other explanations for what happened. The problem here is lack of imagination not lack of possibilities.

1. Someone else could have disguised their units as dragons with foolamancy and attacked in a deliberate attempt to distract from the faction that really did it. Casters flee to Magic Kingdom and get hired by Stanley. They tell Stanley where FAQ is after he asks where they originally came from.

2. There could have been a simultaneous attack from another faction. Stanley could have been a secret Ally of Banhammer coming in to reinforce after a ground attack.

3. Natural Catastrophe. Again Stanley is coming to the rescue.

4. I think Wanda could have been involved in the fall of FAQ somehow. Killing the predictamancer, giving out intel. Raising a secret uncroaked force

I'm not really debating the possibility of these, I'm just showing that there are other potential explanations and therefore there is no ass-pull or poor storytelling as you would posit. To do an ass pull or for there to be poor storytelling, the situation would have to be developed more completely than it has. Right now the evidence is circumstantial.

[Wizzardman]

I'm not suggesting we do. I'm suggesting we accept the possibility that it is.

And, if you'll notice, I never said it wasn't. I was just pointing out that your "cigar" is missing some of its tobacco.

And yet, despite your habit of leaping on far less important inconsistancies as rendering various arguments invalid, this doesn't trouble you?

Nope. I'm playing Devil's Advocate. Its not my job to defend your theory--or anyone else's, for that matter; my job is merely to point out any inadequacies of your theory that currently leave room for alternate theories or interpretations. If your theory has so many problems that alternatives are still readily suggestible and can be considered valid alternatives, then we can't accept your theory as "right," no matter how many times you insist it is. We have to continue to pursue alternate solutions until someone manages either remove the inadequacies of your theory, or prove a different one.
And your definition of "important" is rather strange, friend. I'd say that the loyalties of Wanda and Jack are very important, considering they're the only remaining known witnesses to whatever the heck happened at Faq.

If there is no better explanation we have to go with the best one avaliable until more evidence has been uncovered.

...No we don't. If we were trying to prove or work with some physical aspect of reality, sure (though if this were something important, I'd say much more work is needed before this can be considered ready for testing). As it is, we're debating the outcome of a fantasy comic strip, so you and I and everyone else can just go on believing whatever the hell we want, until either the inadequacies of your theory are proven, or we just go on with something else.

You are only doing half the work you claim, and it is the wrong half.

...The wrong half? What, is your theory somehow sacrosanct, and thereby immune to peer review? You've got just as much to prove as the OP does.

"Stanley is innocent in the destruction of Faq" may explain this one point, but it raises much larger problems (such as the question of who is responsible, we're now looking for a completely different side!) There, I considered them and rejected them. As I said, you're concentrating on the wrong half: bringing down the main theory instead of bringing up other theories. The other theories are too far down for just the former to work.

Well, then, quite obviously, the other theories need work as well. Good for them; I'd debate them too, except the "Stanley did it" theorists seem to have done most of my work for me. You're welcome to reject all the others if you want, but until further information is gained, we can't declare yours to be the "right" one. So the debate continues.

2. There could have been a simultaneous attack from another faction. Stanley could have been a secret Ally of Banhammer coming in to reinforce after a ground attack.

I think that this is the most likely option of the several you've posted. Unfortunately, again, we're left wondering as to where said attack could have stemmed from, and how Gobwin Knob and Faq managed to be allies despite Faq's purposeful isolation and without the knowledge of the leader of Faq's daughter.
Of course, since said daughter wasn't exactly at home often, this is still a possibility.

3. Natural Catastrophe. Again Stanley is coming to the rescue.

Possible, but unlikely. We haven't exactly had a great deal of evidence on there being any "natural catastrophes" that occur in this game--especially not ones where an attack force could be useful. However, it is possible that "natural catastrophe" includes some kind of random encounter setup, or possibly a betrayal stemming from the nonhuman tribes, or something similar to that.

[Foryn Gilnith]

My responses are added in bold.

Wow. Really? Is that what you take? You ignore everything before that,which is why I wrote that out, and just totally misinterpret that in one epic fail quote? No comment.

The entire point of that was that it is very unlikely that anyone else did it and it is next to impossible. Dwagons could be the Hammer's uber unit, kind of like a leader ability, or a side's unique unit, or it needs extraneous circumstances for them to spawn/be tamed. Who said it had to be "anyone else"? I see no reason that the overflight of dragons cannot be a natural exodus. All animals assemble in groups of various sizes, after all; and we have no reason to suspect dragons an exception.

Everyone else thought Stanley because Dwagons are fiercely powerful. Instead of thinking about who could own or command a large group of what may be Erfworlds most powerful creatures they immediately thought of one man. He may be one of a very few number of people to actually command such power because he holds the tool of the gods. Stanley was on a crusade and Faq being an unnecessary casualty was most likely or it was the mission Stanley was sent on. The mission being that he had to destroy faq. "Everyone else"? The only person that has been in a position to form an opinion on this was Jillian. And even after she learned about Stanley the Worm, and likely his infamous dragons, she was still unsure. The dragons didn't confirm it, Wanda's existence did. Jillian's reaction to rumors of Stanley the Worm were far from an instant, "OMFG he has dwagonz attack!" And given that she's a barbarian, such a knee-jerk reaction is what I'd expect. If dragons were at all a significant indicator towards Stanley's complicity, I'd have expected Jillian to be a lot less ambivalent about initially joining the crusade.

Point is that Dwagons aren't just some ordinary unit that can be spawned or trained easily. If they were then neither Ansom, a high level warlord of a powerful tribe, or Jillian, a former warlord of the city she is trying to avenge just automatically pick Stanley.. Ansom wouldn't have made such a blind conclusion nor would Jillian settle for just Stanley if Dwagons were a common occurrence. Ansom didn't automatically pick Stanley for destroying FAQ. He didn't even know about FAQ. Jillian didn't automatically pick Stanley, even though she should have under your theory. Jillian headed to attack Stanley because it might give her some answers, whereas if dwagons were such a strong indicator she'd already have her answers. Wanda's presence with Stanley confirmed Jillian's suspicions - the presence of dwagons did not. Ansom attacked Stanley for his lineage, not anything with FAQ; and Jillian did not settle for Stanley until meeting with Wanda many, many times.

Dwagons have to be spawned or tamed under very complicated circumstances so Stanley has to be the one who destroyed Faq, and any other side actually amassing such a powerful force would be akin to an Ass-Pull.Indeed. No other side would reasonably control an overflight of dragons. However, I see no evidence that these dwagons were "controlled" at all.

[HandofShadows]

One of the bigger problems with Jetstone destroying Faq is why would Wanda NOT tell Jillian that it had been Jestone and not Stanley. I think we now have a reason. Wanda apparently got some highly spefic/accurate prediction given to her. She should have known that GK was going to fall/most of Stanley's forces destroyed. So to keep Jilian alive she let Jillian stay with the RCC. It has been suggested that Wanda gave Stanley the idea to head back to Faq, if she did she would have known that Jillian would follow. Might have happened.

[MalikT]

Considering charlie's prices for thinkamancy messaging, and the overcharge 250k per turn he made to the vamps, i'd say that with his rates, 500k is not THAT much in the long run.... furtharmore, other sides i would imagine might have similar treasury's... and strategic position is out because it does not seem like charlie has been doing much to expand his side.

I can think of another reason - he was payed to do it, by an unknown side who would like to take GK and their 11 cities (Jetstone?).

Ignoring the above points, not half bad...
only problems might be as to why Stanley would bring Sizemore with him to fight faq... Sizemore talks as if he has never had to lead or croak anyone before, and without his golems the amount of help that Sizemore could provide would be minimal

Maybe that why Stanley disrespects Sizemore, he froze during his first battle.

[Pancho Villa]

Speculation on this level is silly. The people doing it should feel silly.

Lets recap the info that is there, regarding the fall of Faq and relevant casters:

It seems that both Jack Snipe and Wanda were from Faq.

Faq fell after sending a thinkagram to Jillian about an overflight of dwagons, according to Jillian.

Stanley's side if the only known side that uses dwagons.

Wanda and Jack are both now in service to Stanley.

Wanda says that it was prophesied that she would gain the arkenpliers.

She also mentioned that Ansom took something from her, to my knowledge what that was is never mentioned.

All you can surmise as fairly likely from the above:

Stanley or someone who he delegated authority to take a flight of dwagons destroyed Faq and captured Wanda and Jack, *possibly* with inside help from Wanda.

Anything else is blind stabs in the dark. Who knows, they may turn out to be right. But if there is no real reason to suspect it as anything but the above, then it is just that - a stab in the dark. It doesn't make you clever or observant if you are, by accident, correct - it makes you stupid lucky.

[Schaffer1979]

I don't know if anyone else hasmentioned this but here's how I read the story line with Jack, Wanda, and Stanley.

When Jack is speaking of the folly of love and wisdom to Stanley, I think maybe he loved Wanda and assisted her with her goals, possibly including helping Stanley conquer FAQ.

I think Jack is under a loyalty spell to Stanley and since it seems casters understand (based on Janis' words in her appearances) that the way denizens of Erfworld are popped and have no choice until the rules are broken enough that the world changes, he understands the way the scenario stands and does not begrudge Stanley his actions.

It seems based on Wanda's commands in battles and the bonuses they give to their troops that casters understand Tactics. With FAQ destroyed and Jack loyal to Stanley by a spell, he would act to the best of his ability to save Stanley without regard to any other scenarios (using Parson's situation in not being able to not activate the volcano if it had a chance of succeeding as support of actions being forced to try to save the ruler's hide/resources/cities).

I think Wanda is not under a loyalty spell because of agreements she made with Stanley at some point. And it is also not unreasonable to assume that (based on Jillian and Ansom's interactions) Erfworld denizens have the ability to build loyalty freely based on friendship and relationships. Maybe Wanda, in addition to desiring the pliers, developed a fondness for those she has been with for who knows how long without a loyalty spell forcing her compliance or goodwill.

She seems to treat Sizemore nicely enough and she has no obligation to him in the beginning of the strip. She also treats Bogroll kindly with no gain to herself. She does take actions that aren't beneficial to herself.

And Stanley accepts her and her personality quirks and input without condescendation or other negative connotations. He also does not expect sexual favors of her even if she seduced him once. (or possibly more depending on her manipulation of him through the timeline they have known each other).

Ansom clearly thought she was an abomination despite the fact that the school of magic she studies is acceptable in other areas. It should be a norm and not invoke such scorn and outrage given that none of the casters in the Magic Kingdom seem to look down on her our outcast her. But then her interaction with others is so limited there's not much to support or disprove that theory.

Frankly, if I had to take an incompetent ruler with a competent panel of managers/advisors helping to oversee the country who do manage to sway him to change his orders when horrid (see the first few parts of the story when Wanda has his ear) over a competent ruler who has moral beliefs that I don't support, I'd take the first option. competency can be learned over time and we've already established that Stanley was promoted to leadership and I don't see anyone training him to be a good leader, which means he will be learning through trial and error, so of course he looks horribly incomptent compared to others who have a history of ruling already.

I'm sure that being royal, Ansom has had all the advantages that confers in his entire popped existence. Stanley has not.

That being said, to get myself back on track, I don't think Jetstone destroyed FAQ. If Ansom had faults, I don't recall dishonesty being one of those faults in cannon.

[Bogardan_Mage]

And, if you'll notice, I never said it wasn't. I was just pointing out that your "cigar" is missing some of its tobacco.

I think this analogy has outlived its usefulness.

Nope. I'm playing Devil's Advocate. Its not my job to defend your theory--or anyone else's, for that matter; my job is merely to point out any inadequacies of your theory that currently leave room for alternate theories or interpretations. If your theory has so many problems that alternatives are still readily suggestible and can be considered valid alternatives, then we can't accept your theory as "right," no matter how many times you insist it is. We have to continue to pursue alternate solutions until someone manages either remove the inadequacies of your theory, or prove a different one.

Stop hiding behind your claims of devil's advocate. You said it yourself, as long as "alternatives are redily suggestible and can be considered valid alternatives" you have a point. But that means you have to actually demonstrate said valid alternatives, because from where I'm standing they don't exist.

And your definition of "important" is rather strange, friend. I'd say that the loyalties of Wanda and Jack are very important, considering they're the only remaining known witnesses to whatever the heck happened at Faq.

No, it's not important. It may offer evidence but nothing conclusive. In the face of logistics (i.e. how they physically got where they are), motivations are very hazy.

...No we don't. If we were trying to prove or work with some physical aspect of reality, sure (though if this were something important, I'd say much more work is needed before this can be considered ready for testing). As it is, we're debating the outcome of a fantasy comic strip, so you and I and everyone else can just go on believing whatever the hell we want, until either the inadequacies of your theory are proven, or we just go on with something else.

If you truly believed that you wouldn't be here.

...The wrong half? What, is your theory somehow sacrosanct, and thereby immune to peer review? You've got just as much to prove as the OP does.

My theory is not sacrosanct, but you seem to think yours is. Oh, no wait, you think you don't have a theory. You think you don't need a theory in order to argue another. The half of the work you are doing is attacking the existing theories, but the half you should be doing (ideally you should do both halves, but if you're only going to do one it should be this one because it can actually accomplish something) is offering an alternative.

Well, then, quite obviously, the other theories need work as well. Good for them; I'd debate them too, except the "Stanley did it" theorists seem to have done most of my work for me. You're welcome to reject all the others if you want, but until further information is gained, we can't declare yours to be the "right" one. So the debate continues.

I don't believe I said "right" I said "most likely". You seem to think that labeling yourself "Devil's Advocate" means that you can prevent anything from being "most likely" by pointing out one irrelevant detail that we don't yet know. It doesn't work that way.

[Aquillion]

Honestly, there's a much more simple reason why we know this theory is false:

Ansom died. There are, in fact, no living characters left from Jetstone.

Setting up a shocking swerve on the author's part in which Ansom is the big evil bad man behind everything is totally pointless if Ansom isn't around for the revelation. Who cares? There's no drama. It doesn't really matter anymore to anyone but Jillian, and even if it matters to her there's not much she can do about it.

If you want my honest assessment of it -- Jetstone's role in the story is over, at least for now. If the authors had planned to use Jetstone heavily in the future, we'd have been introduced to Jetstone characters who survived, so we would have some connection and some 'human' way to see the story of what's going on there. Killing off every Jetstone character effectively severs us, the readers, from any way to relate to or care about them.

[slayerx]

Maybe that why Stanley disrespects Sizemore, he froze during his first battle.

Sizemore is bound by Duty and as such would have had to fight no matter what... furthermore, my point was that Sizemore would be of little use fighting along side the dwagons. In combat, Sizemore finds his most use on the ground leading golems and those would not have been with him at the battle of Faq

[MalikT]

Sizemore is bound by Duty and as such would have had to fight no matter what... furthermore, my point was that Sizemore would be of little use fighting along side the dwagons. In combat, Sizemore finds his most use on the ground leading golems and those would not have been with him at the battle of Faq

Accordin to the klog Duty and Loyalty don't modify moral during battle. He knows he needs to fight but he just can't.
About his usefulness in battle, he could be causing earthquakes, stone spikes raising from ground, maybe even animating basic golems while riding on the dragons back. Speculations at this point are limitless.

[HandofShadows]

Honestly, there's a much more simple reason why we know this theory is false:

Ansom died. There are, in fact, no living characters left from Jetstone.

Setting up a shocking swerve on the author's part in which Ansom is the big evil bad man behind everything is totally pointless if Ansom isn't around for the revelation. Who cares? There's no drama. It doesn't really matter anymore to anyone but Jillian, and even if it matters to her there's not much she can do about it.

ROFLMAO! Come ON! It was practically stated that Ansom was going to be brought back on page 143 and here he is back on 144!

When Jack is speaking of the folly of love and wisdom to Stanley, I think maybe he loved Wanda and assisted her with her goals, possibly including helping Stanley conquer FAQ.

Jack was talking about being in love with Jillian, not Wanda. Jillian mentions this back when she was telling her history to Ansom.

[zz_tophat]

I could be the fact that Stanley appreciates his importance, it could be the fact that he did save their boops during the battle with the bats. It could be both those events but is it just me or do Stanley and Jack seem a little "chummy" in the first three panels of: http://www.giantitp.com/comics/erf0157.html ?

I mention this in here because if Jack not only gets along with but actually likes Stanley it lends credence to the theory that someone other than Stanley took down Faq.

[slayerx]

Accordin to the klog Duty and Loyalty don't modify moral during battle. He knows he needs to fight but he just can't.
About his usefulness in battle, he could be causing earthquakes, stone spikes raising from ground, maybe even animating basic golems while riding on the dragons back. Speculations at this point are limitless.

We saw Sizemore croak a lot of people... it doesn't matter whether he wants to or not, it doesn't matter what his morals are, his Duty FORCES him to follow the orders given to him. Hell that kloog even points out how units may have no free will. He can say how much he doesn't want to fight all he wants, but if he is given an order then he will follow

[Aquillion]

ROFLMAO! Come ON! It was practically stated that Ansom was going to be brought back on page 143 and here he is back on 144!

...yeah. Well, in my defense, I didn't have any way to know that he'd come back as anything but a mindless zombie...

[ishnar]

Possible, but unlikely. We haven't exactly had a great deal of evidence on there being any "natural catastrophes" that occur in this game--especially not ones where an attack force could be useful. However, it is possible that "natural catastrophe" includes some kind of random encounter setup, or possibly a betrayal stemming from the nonhuman tribes, or something similar to that.

Yea, random encounter would work. Maybe Banhammer left a black square too close to his kingdom and got blitzed by a spawn of dragons or barbarians. That would give Stanley a plausible savior function, when he comes in and tames a bunch of rampaging dragons, unfortunately, after Banhammer got croaked.

I'm also playing with the idea of Wanda murdering people and assembling a secret army of uncroaked. Probably the least likely I can come up with though. Doesn't really explain why she is such a staunch Stanley supporter, unless Stanley knows but won't tell for some reason of his own. But that explanation does not allow for an innocent" Stanley.

Of course, I'm a fan of Occam's razor and go for the explanation with the fewest assumptions, this is more of a mental exercise for me than really defending. Right now, due to the support of Jack and Wanda, it seems like a good idea to not take anything at face value until more explanation comes forth.

Speculation on this level is silly. The people doing it should feel silly.


Anything else is blind stabs in the dark. Who knows, they may turn out to be right. But if there is no real reason to suspect it as anything but the above, then it is just that - a stab in the dark. It doesn't make you clever or observant if you are, by accident, correct - it makes you stupid lucky.

Actually, I consider stupid to be someone that refuses to think. So a Stupid lucky person would be the one that goes with the first answer and refuses to consider alternatives, but ends up being right. Sure, Stanley maybe did invade FAQ, but if he did, that doesn't make you clever or observant for thinking so, it makes you stupid lucky.

The operative point here is that there are two major points that go against the Stanley Invaded hypothesis, and refusing to acknowledge those points. Also, even if Stanley is the only player force that has dragons. The thinkagram did not say, "A large overflight of dragons with someone mounted on top."

There are lots of times when an author attempts to lead the audience by controlling what facets the reader gets of the whole picture. While there may be some entertainment value in just sitting back and allowing one's self to be led, there is also some entertainment value in catching the author in the process. Those that guess correctly aren't just making mad stabs in the dark if it also fits the known facts.

[Schaffer1979]

I know this is a little late coming as a discussion but I don't get on the forums all that often except at work.

Handofshadows, I assert your response to me is merely your interpretation. I went back to the two strips where Jillian gave Ansom the big reveal and I did not see anything there about Jack being in love with her mentioned. Unless I am looking in the wrong place.

In any case, what we get from Jillian is only one side of the story from her perspective. So I am not moved to change my opinions based on your rebuttal (so far).

[HandofShadows]

Handofshadows, I assert your response to me is merely your interpretation. I went back to the two strips where Jillian gave Ansom the big reveal and I did not see anything there about Jack being in love with her mentioned. Unless I am looking in the wrong place.

Can't find the page when Jillian states that Jakc had a crush on her, but it's very clear from what Jack says on page 166 "Love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of the wise" while he is looking back at Jillian.

[raphfrk]

Can't find the page when Jillian states that Jakc had a crush on her,

It's this page.

[HandofShadows]

It's this page.

Thank you.

[Moechi_Vill]

You're on my ignore list but I saw this in a quote so it seems reasonable to respond to it:

Originally Posted by LurkerInPlayground
Jillian heard panicked reports of an overhead flight of dwagons. Hence, Stanley destroyed Faq.

See, it's cute how posters selectively disregard the established facts of a story to support a chosen bit of pet speculation.

Because, you see, Belkar is lawful good.

He is easily and provably wrong, however your needless sarcasm and like certainty and disregard of facts is worse.
Certainly Ansom did not destroy Faq but hearing an overflight of dragons is not proof of Stanley destroying Faq, only an indicator.
However, people on my ignore list do tend to always jump to conclusions so that is why I try to avoid hearing them, it saves a lot of useless aggro.

At least the opening post is friendly despite being provably wrong, curious and open to information even if it has chosen something to believe for now (then, when it was posted). Also you can't expect a new reader, or all readers to familiar with Erfworld. To do so would deny them the ability to post, though personally I believe in being properly researched.

I know this is a little late coming as a discussion but I don't get on the forums all that often except at work.

Handofshadows, I assert your response to me is merely your interpretation. I went back to the two strips where Jillian gave Ansom the big reveal and I did not see anything there about Jack being in love with her mentioned. Unless I am looking in the wrong place.

In any case, what we get from Jillian is only one side of the story from her perspective. So I am not moved to change my opinions based on your rebuttal (so far).

Oh it's there and it's said openly enough to easily change one's opinion. It might not be at that exact page, but it is somewhere. Jillian says/said he had a crush on her.

[Imgran]

If we're going to really do this we should at least look at the possibility that the overflight of Dwagons is a red herring altogether. There was at least one Foolamancer in the vicinity, as well as Wanda who is known to use cross-discipline spells. There's also the possibility of an erroneous letter or even an outright lie to Jillian.

The theory goes like this: Faq is discovered by Jetstone because of Jillian's activities --- they hit an ally or something and Jillian is traced back to her bubble kingdom home. With time on their side and Faq not even aware their cover is blown Jetstone waits for Jillian to leave again then strikes.

Ansom moves in mostly with fast-moving units and very little siege and Faq falls in a pure shock offensive and has no time to send any messages at all. Wanda and Jack retreat into the Magic Kingdom. The Arkenpliers, promised to Wanda when she reached the level to be able to wield them, are plundered by Ansom (thus, "what you took" directed at Ansom).

Ansom has a false message sent to Jillian implicating a hated rival. Meanwhile, Stanley gets wind of the Arkenpliers and either still as Saline IV's underling or as the Tool of the Titans, goes out to claim them for himself. Ansom's false message is inadvertently verified as this light army with minimal siege encounters, and is no match for, Stanley. Ansom escapes with his life and the pliers while Stanley proceeds to, in Vinnie's words, croak a few Jetstone field units. (Vinnie was not told where those field units were because Ansom didn't want Transylvito taking the cities before he had a chance to). Jack and Wanda willingly join their avengers.

With an Arkentool he can't use, cities he conquered but can't claim, and his army decimated, Ansom has some 'splainin' to do and he gives a half-honest report. His troops were in the field on neutral ground and were croaked by Gobwin Knob's forces Casus Beli. Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.

When Jillian's forces join as mercenaries, so much the better, just yet one more opportunity for political advancement and indeed, why shouldn't he take in a willing dupe as paramour and potential thrall-ally? But of course, we must her her come forward on her own terms. Let her think it's her idea.

Of course the big hole here would be with GK neutralized, why not go back and take a detachment to claim those cities himself? Surely a cover story could be invented. the only good answer to that question would be Ansom's own arrogance. He wanted to both personally destroy Stanley and also personally hand his king Faq's cities for his own glory.