Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire, Mk. XLIV: Stunt Bro and Hella Jayden

[Veridis Quo]

Lord of The Rings, why didn't Gandalf hop on an eagle and fly the ring/hobbits to mount doom by air? (Common argument)

Mount Doom: Seat of Sauron's power lots of references to his magic being stronger/overwhelming rest there, eg Elf magic light didn't shine there. Gandalf had already attacked flying wraiths using lighting bolts from ground. So fly in and Sauron would likely notice and zap or otherwise stop the eagles and seize the ring.

(Was LOTR horrible story because Gandalf entrusted the ring to wimpy hobbits as last hope, while the rest tried to distract Sauron? Gandalf's plan worked because Sauron did not consider it an option.)

You are absolutely right, but these examples can only be valid because Tolkien provided the reader with the information necessary to draw these conclusions. In LOTR, while magic was still hazily defined we still could grasp how one school of magic related to another. This is not the case with Dominic Deegan.

We know next to nothing about how Rilian being the first necromancer coorelates to his aptitude with magic. We know he is a brilliant tactician, we also know that he possesses many of the abilities and gifts seen in other necromancers. But to my knowledge the strongest displays of magic he has done were to 1) Instantly kill Akabek/ Silvan Oracle and 2) Remove the blight from Jacob. All in all we know nothing of his abilities, and now that I think about it we know nothing of Masturel's abilities as well. Just what can the strongest archmage do?

But, we do know that Rilian is notorious for appearing and disappearing whenever he needs to. So why does he not choose now of all times to exit stage left and leave Stunt and Jayden to their task? This is less a question of why didn't he just go to Miranda, we can think of a lot of reasons. It's a question of why Mookie decided to drop this rediculous bit of DRAMA into his story.

[Welf]

A giant magic space mantaray the size of a city summons tornadoes to unearth an ancient city buried below the sand of millennia to find the legendary treasure in the founder of the dominating religion of this part of the world and attacks the first necromancer while the two heroes only can stand in awe and watch this showing of magical powers. This should be awesome. This should be epic. This should be the beginning of a great adventure. Why isn't this awesome?

Man, I hope Mookie is going with the idea of letting Rillian loose his memory and join him Greg's band as rock star. That would be stupid, but entertainingly stupid.

[TheLaughingMan]

That would be stupid, but entertainingly stupid.

Doubly so if Rilian looks and talks exactly the same and yet no one can figure out who this superstar drummer is or why he keeps getting migraines every time he lays eyes on the town seer.

[Lord Raziere]

Triply so if Rillian doesn't actually drum, and just talks:
"drum drum drum, drum. drummy drummy drum drum, drumma-drumma drum. cymbals. drum, drum, drummy drum, drum drum drum, drummy drum." in a complete deadpan monotone while playing the songs.

[Trazoi]

"And he couldn't use this power to deliver the necklace to Miranda personally because" - he is being watched closely, and likely usage of magic can be tracked. So he would either be intercepted/magic blocked or would lead to a battle around Miranda when he arrived.

The only excuse provided for why Stunt has to be involved in this necklace delivery quest is that he is "insignificant" (unlike the "too obvious" Jayden) and that will mean that he's overlooked. Anything else we have to imply. Can the giant space ray detect Rilian's magic? What would be the problem if he did teleport out while detected? Why did he decide to stand stoicly into his cave until it collapsed when he could easily have got out? We don't know.

Note that although Jayden is "too obvious" presumably because she knows magic, Stunt and Jayden emerge from Rilians lair together while she's firing off a couple of spells.

[Gez]

If you start questioning that, you never end.

Why didn't Rilian contact Miranda directly? Is he afraid Masutel and his other enemies are monitoring the Interweave? If so, why does he use this scrying pool?

How is Jayden too obvious? Is it because she practice magic? But then, why did he allow Stunt to use the pool? Wouldn't that make him more magically significant, at least during pool use?

If Jayden is obvious and she travels with Stunt, doesn't she make Stunt obvious as well? If there is something in Masutel's mindset that would make him ignore the sole traveling companion of a target for whatever reason, shouldn't have we been told about it? Because it makes it look like he's a complete idiot.

Why is Masutel just behaving like a backhoe? Isn't he an archmage? Can't he use subtler magic that just drilling the earth with tornadoes? I guess it works, in so far as Rilian is apparently crushed under delicious chocolate bars, but it's remarkably unsubtle, and if you're looking for a small piece of jewelry, a tornado flinging small objects kilometers away and buried under tons of sand isn't actually the most practical possible approach.

And of course, why is the stupid necklace important in the first place. McGuffins are good and all, but if you want tension and drama it's often better to let the readers know what's at stake exactly. Because vague things like "you can't understand its power" and "the fate of nations is at stake" reminds me of a DM trying to improvise something to plug a plot hole. Being vague and mysterious is not, actually, an easy way to create good storytelling; if anything it makes storytelling harder.



Okay, I'll introduce my own speculation. And by speculation, I mean "explanation that would make the comic better, but do not have a single chance of being what Mookie would go with":

Spoiler

Show

There never was a Rilian here. There actually wasn't anyone. It was all a mental projection from the King. He wanted some gullible fool physically present to pick up the treasure to bring it back to him.

Why is Stunt's irrelevance important? It's not. It's just that Stunt is defenseless against a squad of Cattleblaster. Jayden could use some shield spell or whatever; Stunt at most can throw a knife at one flying Cattleblaster and then it's over.

Why tell him to go to Miranda? Because the Deegans are under control already. They've been apprehended during the assault on Aberthast, where they foolishly had their wedding even though Dom knew it was a doomed thing to do. Going to Miranda just means we know where Stunt is going to go. Going to Alstone to see Mom is the same thing, as long as we know where he goes, we can put a squad of Cattleblaster to wait for him.

Why send Jayden to Wolfland? Because that just means she'll go away. Also, her presence might enrage the woof-woofs into a futile war against Callan, and they'll be the first to feed The Beast(tm) this way.

Why is Masutel attacking the ruins? Because he wants to dispel the King's presence before it's too late (he didn't get the memo) more than because he wants the treasure for himself. If anything, if he could make it so that the treasure becomes truly lost, it'd be for the best.

Why did "Rilian" let himself be crushed by rocks? Come on, it's just a mental projection, and it has done its job. The hologram is now disconnected.

[Mewtarthio]

Triply so if Rillian doesn't actually drum, and just talks:
"drum drum drum, drum. drummy drummy drum drum, drumma-drumma drum. cymbals. drum, drum, drummy drum, drum drum drum, drummy drum." in a complete deadpan monotone while playing the songs.

Now you've managed to get me looking forward to Rillian Rilbot's derailment. Curse, you, Raziere!

[Lord Raziere]

*shouts a Big No*

It was just a joke….I didn't mean to...

[Trazoi]

Is everyone ready for some DD fanservice?
(Future Link)

Of course you are! What else were you expecting?

[Lord Raziere]

Um…..I don't know, some bad comic about traveling?

Again, I have to marvel: its not the fact that this comic is bad, its the fact that the comic always finds a new, unexpected way of becoming worse. if it was predictable in its badness, it would've become boring long ago. the fact that we cannot actually predict how it will be bad next is what makes it snarkable.

[random11]

Is everyone ready for some DD fanservice?
(Future Link)

Of course you are! What else were you expecting?

So they just walked away without any problem?
No archmage? no need for distractions or to split up right there in the desert?
And where did this inn come from? Did they reach back to the mini-temple, or is this some other random tavern in the middle of freaking nowhere?

[BlackDragonKing]

...You know, I kind of want the comic to stay like this now.

Rather than struggling with this, I think Mookie should embrace it all the way and make the remaining arcs of DD a slice-of-life comedy leading up to Dominic getting married with Rilian and a couple of other guys saving the entire universe as a Funny Background Event played out in the distance while Dominic's going about his day unbothered by the catastrophes around him.

C'mon, you'd crack a smile if the empty backgrounds that are obviously going to be in play while Dominic and Luna struggle to stay coherent during their wedding vows was instead filled with the ultimate battle of good and evil for the fate of all things and NOBODY COMMENTED ON IT.

[Lord Raziere]

that would be better…..heck I might steal that idea, and just portray the life of an average guy in a superhero world, who goes about his day while superheroes save the day all around him and he doesn't even comment on it, while casually talking about everyday problems slightly altered by the superhero world as if it was completely normal.

but to assume that this comic would actually become that way, is to assume that the comic ever had a sense of humor, or any taste in humor at all.

[Veridis Quo]

Is everyone ready for some DD fanservice?
(Future Link)

Of course you are! What else were you expecting?

Guess Masturel forgot to prepare his detect life/unlife spells. Otherwise Stunt and Jayden might have had to evade the city sized archmage who can fly...across a featurless desert...in broad daylight...for at least half a day...with no compass or means of telling where they are.

I'd ask if Mookie was even trying, but I think I know that answer.

[random11]

Compared to the other obvious problems, I consider this nitpicking, but still: what kind of establishment has two small bathtubs in the same room?

Also, it seems like Barefoot Monkey from the strip slays about 3 weeks ago was right - they ARE playing "strip exposition"

[Voice of Reason]

Compared to the other obvious problems, I consider this nitpicking, but still: what kind of establishment has two small bathtubs in the same room?

Honestly, that one doesn't surprise me. At a small establishment on the outskirts of the desert, having limited space for a second bathroom isn't terribly infeasible; although honestly, if they don't have space for another room, it's more surprising that they have two baths to begin with, but I digress.

What is *actually* upsetting is Stunt's nonchalant attitude about this whole thing. I'll be honest here, I typically think the snark goes too far, but I'm really starting to believe in the murder of Stunt's personality. He just got handed a lost treasure that he's been told by a "reliable" source could determine the fate of the universe, he is now the number one most wanted by an Archmage of the 3rd circle, one of the most powerful beings in *existence itself,* that could rip him apart with it's bare hands *completely without* the use of any magic whatsoever, so what does he do?

He takes a bath...and leaves his only weapon somewhere that isn't in arm's reach.

[random11]

Honestly, that one doesn't surprise me. At a small establishment on the outskirts of the desert, having limited space for a second bathroom isn't terribly infeasible; although honestly, if they don't have space for another room, it's more surprising that they have two baths to begin with, but I digress.

If you don't have enough space, you don't put a second bathtub at all...
Never mind, like I said I consider this nitpicking.

What is *actually* upsetting is Stunt's nonchalant attitude about this whole thing. I'll be honest here, I typically think the snark goes too far, but I'm really starting to believe in the murder of Stunt's personality. He just got handed a lost treasure that he's been told by a "reliable" source could determine the fate of the universe, he is now the number one most wanted by an Archmage of the 3rd circle, one of the most powerful beings in *existence itself,* that could rip him apart with it's bare hands *completely without* the use of any magic whatsoever, so what does he do?

He takes a bath...and leaves his only weapon somewhere that isn't in arm's reach.

He's also not carrying the treasure on him or within reach.
You know, the item that has great value for both mages and "muggles".

Unless of course it IS hidden on him now...

[Voice of Reason]

Unless of course it IS hidden on him now...

The treasure is never actually shown to us. It could be something completely insubstantial (and/or cheesy). Still, I can't recall a single instance in which we have seen him without his knife, and now, the time that it makes the most sense to actually have it on him at all time, trust nobody, get to da choppa, etc., and he feels so comfortable with life that he's willing to sit around doing nothing nothing for a few days and hangs his knife on the wall rather than sleeping with it under his pillow (figuratively speaking).

[Trazoi]

The treasure is never actually shown to us. It could be something completely insubstantial (and/or cheesy).

Unless you're being meta or something, we've seen the treasure. It's a pure star-stone necklace; estimated approximate worth being the whole of Callan. Unless Stunt is wearing it around his inner thigh he's left it with his clothes.

Are we nearing the end of the arc yet? I don't know what to make of this one. Somehow the plot seem to have returned without changing anything whatsoever. It's actually quite amazing that Mookie's managed to take a quest of smuggling the most expensive object in the word away from a giant super wizard manta ray and still manage to give it absolutely no tension whatsoever. Ho hum another day in the life of Stunt and Jayden.

[Humbug]

EDIT: Trazoi ninja'ed me.

[M84]

These two are acting way too casual and relaxed. They've been given missions of great importance by the first necromancer who may very have died covering their escape. One of them is also carrying a holy treasure worth a fortune that is being sought by an extradimensional manta ray wizard. And here they are chilling in a bathhouse with the guy carrying the treasure planning a visit to his hometown on the way to delivering the Amulet of Concentrated Macguffin.

[Zaq]

What's Szark doing here? Because that's clearly Szark in panel 7.

Everyone is Stunt, except for Stunt.

[elros]

Am I the only one who is upset at how Jayden in drawn? Or has everyone become accustomed to Mookie drawing her like a character in a Russ Meyer film?

Also, it is now clear that Jayden will go back to reconcile with wolf-boy, because (of course) the fate of the entire world takes a back seat to two "friends of Deegan" hooking up. It's like someone crossed the worst of 90210 with a really bad fantasy novel.

[Turcano]

Uh, did we skip a strip or something?

Compared to the other obvious problems, I consider this nitpicking, but still: what kind of establishment has two small bathtubs in the same room?

I know the answer to that.

Old-timey brothels.

[Oracle_Hunter]

Wait, that's it?

But I wanted Jayden TO DIE! I mean, even in the metaphorical sense.

I guess all it took for her to deal with her issues was Stunt saying some random crap that shifted the blame onto other people. So while redemption in Dominion may not be as easy as putting on a robe it appears to be as easy as taking one off

Also: What Mookie thought this Arc was about:

As tempting as it may have been to put Stunt and Jayden in a steamy bathtub together, this story isn't really about that. As much as it's been about faith, regret, forgiveness and the search for redemption, it's also been about the blossoming friendship between an ex-con and a troubled priestess... with a touch of arcane drama, lost treasure and an ancient necromancer.

As per usual, we saw what Mookie was trying to do but found that the actual story lacked all of these supposed elements. Classic, really

[T-O-E]

I hate when people talk at the same time in this stupid comic and don't stop for the other person. It's just off.

Things that are a "threat"
-The Beast
-The King
-The Infernomancer
-Mastuel
-Dominic's brittle bones

^@ "Get thee to a nunnery"

[Myrdhale]

Mookie seems to think that the obvious outcome for these two was shacking up.

I'm still not sure how we got to this point. All Jayden really did need was for her next love interest to believe in her? Good god, how can Mookie not detect the implications of that....

[Seerow]

Mookie seems to think that the obvious outcome for these two was shacking up.

I'm still not sure how we got to this point. All Jayden really did need was for her next love interest to believe in her? Good god, how can Mookie not detect the implications of that....

To be fair, half the people here I'm pretty sure voiced the thought that they were going to shack up by the end. It may not have been appropriate, but it definitely would have been predictable.

[Squark]

SO... Jayden and Stunt aren't getting together? Right... So, taking bets on who Jayden hooks up with now. Reconciling with Milov?

[MReav]

SO... Jayden and Stunt aren't getting together? Right... So, taking bets on who Jayden hooks up with now. Reconciling with Milov?

Hmm... on the one hand it would involve shacking up with someone who tried to slice her neck open, on the other hand, because they aren't antagonists, this wouldn't fall much further than a lover's quarrel, because Dominic still maintains ties with the woman who raped him.