Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire, Mk. XXVII: God Has Nothing to do With This

[Trazoi]

Darn, I forgot about that, but still! He's not the first villain to have raised a child, only to have that child turn hero. How does that happen anyway?

There's also this justification.

[Kris Strife]

*I know in a previous thread we concluded that any short phrase you can think of is already the name of a band, but surely "Fangman and the Belly-Laughers" is not yet taken, no?

Not only is it not taken, this thread is the first spot it appears on Google.

[Fishy Fishy]

Having glanced back through Shadow of Siegfried, maybe this is where Siggy's fetching new scar comes from?

Though I dunno how Karnak can hit people through masks. I guess it could be super wound demon powers, but it's pretty clearly scarred over. This is making no sense.

[Glass Mouse]

Having glanced back through Shadow of Siegfried, maybe this is where Siggy's fetching new scar comes from?

Though I dunno how Karnak can hit people through masks. I guess it could be super wound demon powers, but it's pretty clearly scarred over. This is making no sense.

I think this attack is more plausible.

...oh hey, it's another example of masks and control being linked together! Whaddya know!

[Fishy Fishy]

I think this attack is more plausible.

...oh hey, it's another example of masks and control being linked together! Whaddya know!

Oh yeah, you're right.

[ninja_penguin]

I think this attack is more plausible.

...oh hey, it's another example of masks and control being linked together! Whaddya know!

I just now noticed the reflection/whatever on Siggy's chest.

It makes me laugh, because I have this image of him wearing a mirror on his chest like a sandwich board.

[Gez]

It's even more ridiculous when you consider that it's basically a scrying glass showing its demonic inner child (go back a few strips to see what I mean).

So, it's less of a sandwich board and more of a teletubby. Telesiggy.

[Lillith]

I just now noticed the reflection/whatever on Siggy's chest.

It makes me laugh, because I have this image of him wearing a mirror on his chest like a sandwich board.

Still makes me angry how a kid who´s been brainwashed into doing evil things, by the father he loves, while on a later age is trying to redeem himself, is being send to hell. Not like he chose to hate the orcs when he was little. I´m pretty sure if my parents raised me from the moment I was born to have people with blue eyes (just an example), I'd hate them completely believing every worth they said. Only at a later age, when I'd get a brain actually, I'd be wondering if they might have fed me total crap.

[colonelslime]

Still makes me angry how a kid who´s been brainwashed into doing evil things, by the father he loves, while on a later age is trying to redeem himself, is being send to hell. Not like he chose to hate the orcs when he was little. I´m pretty sure if my parents raised me from the moment I was born to have people with blue eyes (just an example), I'd hate them completely believing every worth they said. Only at a later age, when I'd get a brain actually, I'd be wondering if they might have fed me total crap.

It also depends on how able people are to break free of that sort of conditioning. How you're raised affects how you act as an adult. If Siggy didn't have an inquisitive mind, or had it beaten out of him by his Dad, he might not question the prejudices, particularly if he didn't have contact with orcs. There is really very little way I can consider Siggy's fall in any way just, especially when someone like Szark or Snowsong are shown to be good. Both of them had a moral compass, but chose to ignore it for their own reasons.

[Coidzor]

I like how the evillest Siegfried's ever been was when he was like, a 12 year old.

[rocketpony]

I think this attack is more plausible.

...oh hey, it's another example of masks and control being linked together! Whaddya know!

That page is so deliciously absurd.
Her weapon went right through his head. How does he still even have his frontal lobe. (acceptable answers include ~M~A~G~I~C~, Hell, Chaaaos, Demon of Wounds)
... actually, since she stabbed him, I wouldn't expect a long scar like that.

Speaking of, CurlyKit just reminded me. Luna uses black magic. Is black magic actually a mirror of white magic, especially effective against agents of Heaven? Or is the magic system in DD stacked against devils.

Also - raising your daughter, whom you hate, to adulthood costs money. This knight insurance must have been absolutely magnificent for this plan to break even.

[Coidzor]

Also - raising your daughter, whom you hate, to adulthood costs money. This knight insurance must have been absolutely magnificent for this plan to break even.

Also, it was raising her to adulthood as a nob, even an abused one, and giving her magical training and tutelage in the more scholarly aspects of it.

[Deme]

It also depends on how able people are to break free of that sort of conditioning. How you're raised affects how you act as an adult. If Siggy didn't have an inquisitive mind, or had it beaten out of him by his Dad, he might not question the prejudices, particularly if he didn't have contact with orcs. There is really very little way I can consider Siggy's fall in any way just, especially when someone like Szark or Snowsong are shown to be good. Both of them had a moral compass, but chose to ignore it for their own reasons.

I agree with this. Part of what frustrates me is that the things that, in Siggy's heart that made him seek out redemption and goodness (his sense of honor, most likely) just vanished, and have become by word of god complete non-characteristics, unable to be suspensful factors. But even so, Siggy sought goodness out of his own heart -- he sought, as it turns out, freedom from the ways of Warlord Mustache, and to forge his own path as an honorable man.

He's like reverse-Szark (which means, logically, that we should now point out how very straight Siggy is at all opportunities): Szark was a naturally good guy raised in a naturally good enviroment who chose evil of his own accord (and said as much), fell under demonic influence, and was freed by his friends to be fabulous.

Hmm... To wrap this up, let's turn to the answer of all questions: The Wheel of Morality, Dominion Edition!
Wheel of Morality, Turn, Turn, Turn! Tell Us the Lesson that We Should Learn!
And the moral of today's character comparion is:
#37: To get into heaven, be friends with the Dominus and choose evil willingly. Trying to be good without anyone making you do so is evil.

[CurlyKitGirl]

Also - raising your daughter, whom you hate, to adulthood costs money. This knight insurance must have been absolutely magnificent for this plan to break even.

Also, it was raising her to adulthood as a nob, even an abused one, and giving her magical training and tutelage in the more scholarly aspects of it.

Not only that, but if we assume it's pretty much a standard medieval fantasy world with occasional extras, then there're extras to pay for:
1. Raising the child to marriageable age, although Luna looks to be early twenties, but we'll waive that for modern sensibilities. This would involve food, health, clothing and standard education.
2. The magical training and additional education to make her a capable magician worthy of being engaged to a Royal Knight of Callan.
3. The dowry. The dowry offered to a male must be of suitable size for the man to consider marrying the woman. And it has to be provable.
4. It seems like Luna's family kept her tuskiness a complete secret. From the world. For all of her twenty or so years. How much money must have been spent to keep everyone silent? From the midwife and helpers, the wetnurse(s), the nanny, the governess(es), the magical tutor(s), the cook(s), the maid(s), tailor(s) and so on. And it would have to be constant too, to keep all the gossip quiet.
I do know Lady Iayden knew Luna, so there must be some who didn't care, but perhaps their parents did. Imagine the bribery and the sheer amount of effort it took. And if the wrong person found out, the ramifications of having a toothy daughter would be horrendous. For this last part I'm going on how the village of Lynne's Brook and Siggy have reacted so far. The travoria's social standing would have plummeted.

This knight insurance must be incredible to even contemplate such a thing. They would literally be risking everything.

[Lillith]

Hmm... To wrap this up, let's turn to the answer of all questions: The Wheel of Morality, Dominion Edition!
Wheel of Morality, Turn, Turn, Turn! Tell Us the Lesson that We Should Learn!
And the moral of today's character comparion is:
#37: To get into heaven, be friends with the Dominus and choose evil willingly. Trying to be good without anyone making you do so is evil.

Oh man I laughed and squeed at the same time while reading that. XD

[Glass Mouse]

Also - raising your daughter, whom you hate, to adulthood costs money. This knight insurance must have been absolutely magnificent for this plan to break even.

Maybe she raised Luna, actually hoping to get a competent daughter. When Momma Travoria talked to Serk Brakkis, both looked roughly the same age as they were when Siggy was introduced. She didn't even know of the law when Luna was little.

So, most likely, Momma Travoria raised Luna but decided to kill her when she found out that her daughter was completely useless. Or something.

[StrpDefenstrato]

Okay, so, here are the new and improved Snarkerangers. I may have gotten the dates wrong though, so feel free to correct me.

Long Runners (i.e. Since Snowsong)

...

Assorted Red Shirts (i.e. After Matlak)

...

The Watchmen (i.e. our lurker friends)

...

Team Rocket (i.e. Mookie's lone fans)

Token Evil Teammate: Lord Khaine

Orwellian Editor: Mr. Death

The Mole: Silverblood

Anti Villain: Mookie

Where is MY name??? Add me at once to the cool kids' Rocket Team!

[Domochevsky]

You qualify as The Mask, tops.

[Mauve Shirt]

I've been here since Oracle Hunter, I think. But I think I'm already my own trope title.

[StrpDefenstrato]

You qualify as The Mask, tops.

A Mask, you say? Then who am I beneath the Mask?

[Castel]

He's like reverse-Szark (which means, logically, that we should now point out how very straight Siggy is at all opportunities): Szark was a naturally good guy raised in a naturally good enviroment who chose evil of his own accord (and said as much), fell under demonic influence, and was freed by his friends to be fabulous.

I kept reading this as "dominic influence", for some reason...

[lord_khaine]

Token Evil Teammate: Lord Khaine

Evil Teammate? what kind of Evil deed do i have to do before i get taken seriously?

[TheLaughingMan]

Evil Teammate? what kind of Evil deed do i have to do before i get taken seriously?

Congrats, you've been promoted to Affably Evil.

[Deme]

So where is the current list, exactly? *isn't sure where to be looking*

[TheLaughingMan]

Spoiler

Show

Okay, so, here are the new and improved Snarkerangers. I may have gotten the dates wrong though, so feel free to correct me.

Rolling Stones (i.e. Since Snowsong)

The Hero: Trazoi

The Lancer: Jahkaviah

The Smart Guy: Colonel Slime

The Big Guy: averagejoe

The Chick: Rappy, because no one else from that period was female that I know of.

The Sixth Ranger: Webox

Those Two Guys: Oracle Hunter and Domochevzky, Tamer Bill and inchini_sanchigo

The Pollyanna: Doompuppy

Trickster Mentor: Fawkes

Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant: Wraith

Mauve Shirt: Mauve Shirt

Red Shirt Academy (i.e. After Matlak)

Femme Fatale (?): Lilith

Team Mom: Glass Mouse

Wholesome Crossdresser: Saint Ridley

The Stoic: Coidzor

Action Girl: rocketpony

Yaoi Fangirl: Deme

Girl Genius: Koorly

Starving Artist: Humbug

The Spock: M84

Dark Magic Girl: Death Dragon

Recurring Extra: Even Human

Funny Background Event: Thanqol

Anti Hero: T-O-E, Thrawn183

The Unfettered: Ignition

The Fettered/The Ishmael: TheLaughingMan

The Watchmen (i.e. our lurker friends)

The Seer (tee hee): Palmer

Mysterious Informant: Khosan

Evilly Affable: Welf von Ehrwal

True Neutral: Slayn82

Mysterious Watcher: Garland

Team Rocket (i.e. Mookie's lone fans)

Affably Evil: Lord Khaine

Orwellian Editor: Mr. Death

The Mole: Silverblood

The Mask: StrpDefenstrato

Anti Villain: Mookie

Here you go.

[Deme]

hm. I'm going to have to hunt another trope... I'm a Stunt x Bumper fan, and can get a little gushy, but I'm more a Hoyay/Lesyay/Yay fan...I prefer innuendo to actuality, frankly. Actual Yaoi is really, really dull for me.

Let's go with
Ditzy Genius, though Genius Ditz would work pretty well, too.

...Looking at my earlier post about Siggy/Szark, I wonder what other comparison between nearly-identical character arcs can be drawn? I mean, there are probably a lot between 4th and 3rd caste characters. The morality may be stupider and more complicated than we think.

[Castel]

I find it amusing that there is no Deadpan Snarker.

[Domochevsky]

I find it amusing that there is no Deadpan Snarker.

None of us has a consistent enough characterization to qualify for that.

[CurlyKitGirl]

Analysing Dominus Deegan

The Golden Age*
A Frail Hope of Adequate Enjoyment
21/05/2002 - 17/07/2002 Arcs covered: Oracle for Hire, The Curse
The First Signs of Serious Psychological Issues Appear
18/07/2002 - 4/12/2002 Arcs covered: The Curse, Luna, Into the Woods
In Which Teh Great Dominus Indulges in Torture and Terrifies Me
5/12/2002 - 21/02/2003 Arcs covered: Into the Woods, Couch Forts and Crying
Dominatrix Luna. Oh, and The Dominus is More Feared Than A Necromancer
22/01/2003 - 11/03/2003 Arcs covered: Makeover!, Mob Mentality
Thing Are Looking Up
12/03/2003 - 30/04/2003 Arcs covered: Visions of Doom Parts One and Two

Siggy Is Iesus. Make of That What You Will
01/05/2003 -23/06/2003 Arcs covered: Visions of Doom Parts Three and Four

Spoiler

Show

The Great Dominus is back on form, insulting his friend's emotional attractions to other people, but it's funny as "madness and perversion" can be related so easily to the Great Dominus himself. The scarf also gets some nice closeups. I really like that scarf.
Hmmm, the Fourth Doctor has imspired the artwork of the Great Dominus. Except the Great Dominus has Five's specs. I know the turtleneck isn't exactly Four, but I still get the impression of Four. He has more of Seven's ruthlessness though.
And Lord Dan is a 'spellwolf'. What a silly name. He's a wizard shapeshifter. And for the record, Iacob's hair is now white; and the puns are now starting to annoy me.
Okay so the ne - Oh. My. Bob. *hysterical laughter*. Complete and utter art FAIL! Seriously, that last panel's meant to be shocking, but look at that goofy stoner face on Iayden and the chibification of Lord Dan with those closed eyes!! That silliness and fail utterly ruins any drama and shock. *giggles*
Iayden: durrrr, guffaw.
Dan: *is too cute to be woken from his nap*
For the record, if those two had death by hanging their necks would be snapped, with the chin resting on the chest with a sizeable amount of rope and visible knot rising up from behind the back of the head. Here they look as if someone drew a thick line around the neck. Especially considering that Iayden's hair is still poofy and volume-y, not at all compressed, re-emphasising how loose the ropes are.
It's an okay twist though, not exactly unusual, but okay.
And Iacob make a ret - oh wait. That's Siggy. This is a half-shot of Iacob - his first appearance. This is a similar half-shot of Siggy from his first appearance. Uncanny. And because I feel whimsical: the Deegan Mama had an affair. Iacob is actually the half-brother of Siggy, and as they look about the same age, Lord Damaske was boinking Deegan Mama and Damaske Mama at the same time. Iacob has always known he was different from his brothers, so he deliberately acted out, taking up the most powerful and dangerous of magical studies (I'm assuming) in an effort to find the rest of his family, and to prove himself worthy of being acknowledged as a true son of Damaske. Hence the plot. A bit of a gamble, true, but Iacob wants to be loved. And if he can prove his relationship to Sir Siggy everything will be worth it.
His mother didn't love him, she regretted ever having him, and the Deegan Daddy figured out early on that Iacob wasn't his, and treated him with contempt, forcing Iacob into such drastic actions as necromancy in the first place.
Yes, I know it's poor art, but come on.
It bugs me, I genuinely thought when the Great Dominus said "they have one obstacle that we don't" I thought maybe he'd seen extra stuff in the vision and that they were going to face down Iacob, especially considering how Iacob-y Siggy looks in that last panel.
And why hasn't the Great Dominus said "Wait, Iacob doesn't have white hair?"
And why is Siggy telling his friends they're not going to go save a score or so of people from being murdered? He's a Royal Knght of Callan whose duty is to protect his people from evil. Hell, he rode off to save Lynne's Brook from the Great Dominus and co., and has both Dan and a professional seer have seen a vision of Barthis in trouble, why is Siggy saying 'no'? Given what I've seen of Siggy so far this is quite well doorknobish. And unprofessional. Welcome to your first notably OOC moment Siggy. RUmour is you'll be drowing in them soon.
I like Deiah. He's cool. And correct, Luna is surprisingly spoiled - probably given her isolation from the world. However, he does present a valid, if weak argument. The Great Dominus is very biased when it comes to Iacob, I think the Great Dominus knows that Iacob Is Not A Deegan (a great sin) and hates him accordingly. Not to mention Iacob has proper people-hurting powers.
And now the Great Dominus is The Chosen One off to fight The Chosen.Also: I don't want to know where or how that slime got there. Iust stay away Luna. I don't want to know.
Wow, another vision? That's what, five in one day now? In a few hours. Without a magnifying aid such as his cyrstal ball. Where'd the power boost come from? Not to mention it's a bit contrived. I'll let it slip though, perhaps there's only the one inn in the town. And well, The Chosen could be murdering visitors to their town rather than inhabitants. The next two pages push the coincidence, I think the only reason Mookie included the imp was to say THIS GUY IS TEH EVULZ. Otherwise the Great DOminus would be violating the privacy of an innocent civilian. Except so far the Dominiverse seems to run under the belief that one is "guilty until proven innocent". Case in point: Siggy's treatment of the Great Dominus.
Oh look, the Great Dominus is capable of being wrong. His world is officially shaken. And note the "white haired man" is a "white haired woman", proving that the only distinguishing features between gender are breasts, and possibly hips, but only if the person in question is in form-fitting clothes. It doesn't help that it looks as if Siggy is talking to the Evil Priestess either.
And look at that evil smirk in the last panel. The Great Dominus is only happy when manipulating people. granted, this time he's doing it for a nobler purpose, but look at that faeces eating grin. His reliance on his seer abilities has landed him in some maior trouble too, patience and waiting for your Paranoia Trap to spring is overrated according to the Great Dominu. Why bother waiting when all he has to do is look into his ball.
Finding out who VIlrath is is a surprise, Mookie's got a fairly good plot going on here. Cliched from time to time, but it's still good.
It brings up some good possibilities though: the setup under the great Oak could be a trap to frame Vilrath and his friends; Vilrath could be evil, but his companions not know it; the Royal Knights of Callan could be secretly evil, running an evil power-gaining cult behind everyone's backs; or there could be more than one man in the world whose name is Vilrath. Iust a thought.
No, it's a complete coincidence and there's no super-awesome trick at all. Vilrath is evil. Nicely insinuated with a group of semi-antagonistic characters.
And the next page only proves it. Vilrath = teh EVULZ. Head, meet desk. And of course, Siggy hates the Great DOminus and so won't believe him. (I won't question why there's a Tibetan monk look-a-like in a generic medieval fantasy world) Vilrath is iust so blatantly Evil Evil. No motivation. Still, that's why The Ioker's so awesome. He's doing it for the lulz, maybe Vilrath is too.
Whoa, logic and common sense! Siggy's group now knows about VIlrath. And while I applaud Siggy's determination to end the threat, I will say that his hair-trigger is a little too fine. This does show the potential corruption of Callan though. A completely unfounded accusation (based on one vision and a seer glyph - that last one sounds fairly reasonable given the great Dominus' casual reaction to people's privacy) is enough to get someone executed with no trial. And nobody follows him. Not Iayden, not Dan, not Gregory, not Luna, and not the Great Dominus. Wow.
No. Wait. A locked door prevented a werewolf magician and three normal magicians from following him. And the Great Dominus's walking around slowly. And the blatant symbolism shows that Vilrath is unrepentantly evil. And that Siggy is Ieebus. And for the record, yes, that's a fairly accurate representation of a crucifixion apart from the fact that the sheer weight of a body resting on those two points would either bisect his hands (permanently crippling him) or rip his hands clean off. However, Siggy is also slowly being suffocated to death while losing copious amount of blood, so gore is okay.
Of course, now that Siggy's in trouble it's perfectly fine to break down the door. I do like the realistic iniuries though, so I'll let another minor issue slip. Poor Siggy. I really like you too.
And now you're dying from Dead Blight because, you know, charging after a necromancer or indeed, anyone, without backup is a bad idea. Plus this now doubles the vendetta the Great Dominus has against Vilrath.
And so our arcs end with my still liking Spark as he takes out the first demonically evil person of the webcomic.

I still really like this arc. It's suffering a little from minor plot points and that maior art gaff that completely ruins all drama in that surprise twist. Siggy, as mentioned, has hit his first OOC moment, and for that he has been crippled. Karma has bit him in the butt. I hope they get the RESISDENT WHITE MAGE GREGORY TO HEAL HIM. Because, as we know from the TIM-bomb back in Into the Woods, Gregory can kick devil-butt, and has been holding back the blight in his body for nine or ten years.
And as Gregory has the hots for Iayden, and Iayden is Siggy's friend, perhaps Gregory should . . . oh I don't know, heal her friend. If only to get into her skirt.
Luna is now 1D, and Spark has more awesome moments than her.
the Great Dominus is ierkier than yesterday's arcs, but I think the influence of real people is helping to temper his twerpiness.
Most importantly, Mookie is showing he can handle a sustained arc with some drama, and a good mix of development all round, with the exception of Luna and Gregory whose only maior development is from 'I like Iayden' to 'I want to get in her skirt'.

*Ages as defined by Trazoi here.

[Glass Mouse]

So where is the current list, exactly? *isn't sure where to be looking*

I still vote that it should be in the first post(s)

Oh, and this'll be the last you hear from me for a while. I'm going on vacation, won't have internet, and am gonna miss you. But, well, sun and vacation is still better
See ya!