His Lookamancer doesn't get any light? Stanley's unethical treatment of mages.

[Moechi_Vill]

Then come to think of it, the AI in Starcraft doesn't exactly get a vacation either, unless it's off-screen... which naturally it would be of course, but that AI is plugged in. Maybe she has Holo-time when off-duty.

All I know is that Misty the Lookamancer hasn't seen the outside or had a proper conversation for a LooooooooonG time.

[Demented]

On Starcraft's AI:
If being plugged into a computer is all its cracked up to be, I'd be having Holo-time while I'm ON-DUTY. Multi-tasking and such.

After all, if now isn't the time to command an army, evaluate live combat feeds, configure a microchip design, check the news as updated to the second, plot the downfall of your superiors, organize future community events and enjoy a holo-adaptation of a shakespeare play, all at the same time, then when is it the time?


As for Misty, hrmm... lookamancy seems like a one trick monkey. Admittedly, a very entertaining monkey, but really, there are limits to how much time one can spend just looking at things before getting bored.

[Maurog]

Don't even get me started on how Ansom treats poor Vinnie... if you think Misty has it bad, just think what it's like having no light and being locked up in a box all night. No wonder Vinnie has such unhealthy skin color.

[TiamatRoar]

Actually, on a serious note, I highly doubt Ansom has that DIRECT control over Vinnie. Odds are Vinnie's from a different tribe that's merely allied with Ansom's, although he respects Ansom enough to call him "Boss". Vinnie is nobility, himself, after all, and his conversations with Ansom always seemed to indicate that even though they were friends, Vinnie wasn't necessarily a member of the Jetstone tribe.

[Strengfellow]

Don't even get me started on how Ansom treats poor Vinnie... if you think Misty has it bad, just think what it's like having no light and being locked up in a box all night. No wonder Vinnie has such unhealthy skin color.

HEHEHE Vinnie the gimp

[Grod_The_Giant]

Don't even get me started on how Ansom treats poor Vinnie... if you think Misty has it bad, just think what it's like having no light and being locked up in a box all night. No wonder Vinnie has such unhealthy skin color.

Vinnie's a vampire. And (apparently) one of Ansom's good friends.

[Mirin]

they even are enchained . i think that's interesting. why would they be? are the chains a device to connect their minds together and to the table? i mean they probably wouldn't run away, i don't think erfworld units do that, i thougt they were manufactured loyal.
and what about the identity loss? ("lookamancer. was called misty") and the loss of normal speech? is lookamancy so complex that it devours nearly all the rest of ones mind?
the other theory would be, that lookamancer are manufactured like that, but then the "was called misty" part would make no sense. and somehow i do think misty has a past where she was different from what she is now.
do you think that becoming a lookamancer is sort of a punishment for units that failed in the past? (can units fail?)

[Caledonian]

She's an NPC. She doesn't need things like names, hitpoints, or reasonable skill point allotments. Her only purpose is to be a Lookamancer.

I think Scientivore is right: there's a definite theme of "the roles the world gives us" vs. "the roles we choose to play" in this comic.

In any event, Stanley must have a truly abysmal Wisdom score. Treating poorly a group of mages who can see everything you do? Bad, bad idea. Even if they're just lowly NPC prisoners, a certain amount of concern for their health and well-being would be wise.

[Legendary]

Rise up for the mages! Start PETM! PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF MAGES UNITE! FOR MISTY! AND THOSE TWO OTHERS WHO AREN'T IMPORTANT YET!


The obvious downside is that the abbreviation is pronounced "Pet 'em."

[jindra34]

No its people for the ethical treatment of minions

[OptimusMaximus]

I think the lookamancer might be Uncroaked. Anyone want to place a bet?

[SteveMB]

I think the lookamancer might be Uncroaked. Anyone want to place a bet?

Possible, but I'm leaning toward "maltreated and worn out" at this point.

[MinusInnocence]

I was reminded of people being forced to watch propaganda videos, strapped to a chair and their eyes taped open. Although here, instead of propaganda it's the entire world she's watching.

[slayerx]

they even are enchained . i think that's interesting. why would they be? are the chains a device to connect their minds together and to the table? i mean they probably wouldn't run away, i don't think erfworld units do that, i thougt they were manufactured loyal.

My theory on that... The lookamancers are chained to the table...
This is not so much a method to keep them from running away but instead a method to keep them constantly working... Without the chains they might want to sit down and take a break, where as when they are chainned, they can do nothing but keep working... it's probably a bit more effective than having a guard stand behind them constantly poking them in the back with a spear...

At night, when the turns of both sides are over they are unchained because they is no need for them to be working since their are no units moving around and thus are finally given a break... though it seems their sleeping quaters is in that same room...

Misty should be glad that Parsons plans didn't work out... If ansom started making use of left over moves at night,she and the other lookamancers would be forced to keep and eye on the battlefield at night aswell... never gaining any rest...

and what about the identity loss? ("lookamancer. was called misty") and the loss of normal speech? is lookamancy so complex that it devours nearly all the rest of ones mind?
the other theory would be, that lookamancer are manufactured like that, but then the "was called misty" part would make no sense. and somehow i do think misty has a past where she was different from what she is now.
do you think that becoming a lookamancer is sort of a punishment for units that failed in the past? (can units fail?)

The identity loss we see in misty is something fairly commonly seen in other stories, namely characters who have been imprisioned for a long period of time, enslaved and very, very mistreated... they are given a constant reminder of "their place"... eventually, their will and spirit is completely broken... Their mind breaks down and the lack of having properly communicating with poeple results in the cliche' broken speech and they start loosing their identity (think Gollum from LoTR), and begin to completly roll over for their opressor... in Misty's case, it's gotten so bad that she is now refering to herself as Lookamancer since that's proably the only thing anyone ever calls, Stanely and his guards in particular

[Vreejack]

The identity loss we see in misty is something fairly commonly seen in other stories, namely characters who have been imprisioned for a long period of time, enslaved and very, very mistreated... they are given a constant reminder of "their place"... eventually, their will and spirit is completely broken... Their mind breaks down and the lack of having properly communicating with poeple results in the cliche' broken speech and they start loosing their identity (think Gollum from LoTR), and begin to completly roll over for their opressor... in Misty's case, it's gotten so bad that she is now refering to herself as Lookamancer since that's proably the only thing anyone ever calls, Stanely and his guards in particular

There has been some speculation that peons do not use names, in the same way that they lack them in other games. But they obviously pop with them. I'm not buying this explanation, though as the lowly guards all have and use names.

One example of a real game that does appear to allow advancement of un-named peons is Total War, which normally has named units (family members, royals, whatever) who can command companies and direct contruction. Many of them have parents, are born, come of age, and die--on the battlefield or otherwise) They have a lot of stats, some of which are very amusing, but the companies are collections of unnamed units, all with identical stats, except maybe for hit points. Army stacks will automatically generate a named captain if there are no officers, who will then be attached to one of the companies in the stack. If an officer arrives the named captain disappears, only to reappear with a new random name later if the officer dies or leaves. This random captain comes from nowhere, and returns to nowhere when he disappears, though he appears as a real unit on the battle map. If a unit commanded by a spontaneous captain fights well the captain might be "promoted" to a permanent officer unit with the random name he's been using since he was created. Needless to say, a conversation with one of these units might seem odd to one of us.

[ichthus]

She also conveys a lot of information telepathically to Stanley and others. 'Talking' might be fairly odd for her nowadays with how long the quest for the other Arkentools has seemed to have gone on. Telling peons to 'Send X-instruction to the Lookamancer' while dealing with other things a Warlord does, probably doesn't lend itself to much of a first name basis.

Besides, as others have pointed out, Stanley doesn't seem to be the kind of guy to go shmooze with the peons even if there was a reason for a first name basis. Units are units after all.

That's my interpretation.

[Kromag]

Let's just say-given the disposition of Stanley's forces-that I doubt he minds working people to death too much. Wanda is just a book away, after all.

[Ralfarius]

The chains are to keep them from being stolen, of course!

By chaining them to a big, heavy table, no dastardly interloper can make off with some of Stanley's most heavily used equipment. I'd hate it if someone yoinked my laptop out from under me.

[Flakey]

Now we know that the 3 are linked to provide a fusion of the lookamancer magics, and that treating them as individuals can be possibly disruptive to the linkage. Once Parsons has finished focusing on the coming battle, its going to provide an interesting quandry. Does he treat them as individuals still, and risk further disruption, or does he do what Stanley and Wanda do and treat them as a linked combined resource.

[Tyrmatt]

If Parson were looking at this from his gaming table, he would waste no time in turning his 3 separate mages into one functioning unit. However, faced with the real hardships of war (albeit Erfed ones), Parson would find it hard to treat them as tools. He brings the all important human connection to this fight, one that his master AND his opponents lack. Stanley fights for dominance, Ansom for his nobility, Charlie for the highest bidder. Parson fights for the first ever reason there was to fight: to survive.

[TiamatRoar]

He also fights for fun! (although yea, that's in addition to survival)

[Maerad of Pellinor]

Re: Light

It is the middle of the night, so maybe it's just because she was going to sleep? Or she didn't want to be noticed? I'm not trying to defend Stanley here, but I think that the issue of her light is enough to condemn him.

Re: Chains

While it's possible that the metal somehow helps them concentrate, I doubt it.

Lookamancy is the Erf part of Eyemancy, which is Life and Motion. Ironic, considering that they're working for a city that mostly employs the Uncroaked, and their chains stop them from moving. And Gobwin Knob seems to be fighting against the rest of Erfworld....Yet despite all this, Stanley's eyemancers seem to know what they're doing and to be succeeding at it quite well.

Hmm....More opposites, more chaos, more of Stanley's being different and being stronger for it. But I'm probably reading too much into this.

Re: Overworking

I think this is more a criticism of Stanley's not working enough--everyone else doesn't seem to get a break anyway....This, I think, falls more under the category of Stanley's unethical treatment of his minions....

[Malroth]

Its possible that the chains are part of the magic that linked the Lookmancer the Foolmancer and the Thinkmancer together into a single cohesive system, and one of the side effects of doing so was the supression of the indivual identies of the three casters. This would explain why Stanley's system is not in common use, as overlords with more concern with their followers wellbeing might be reluctant to sacrifice three casters simply to give orders in a more efficient manner. This can also explain how Parson "tampered" with the lookmancers, By calling Misty by name he stregnthens her indivual identity, possibly disrupting the magic.

[TheGrimace]

Lookamancy is the Erf part of Eyemancy, which is Life and Motion.

Ok, let's look at this from a slightly different perspective.
Misty specializes in Life and Motion. What she does not specialize in is matter.
To put this another way, Misty is not a material girl, she is just the opposite.

Hilary Duff shows us that material girls are blonde, tan, and rich.
That sounds like the opposite of Misty to me!

BTW, how is this getting pinned on Stanley? He's not even a warlord, what exactly does he do?

all he has is money, he feels like he's playing Starcraft while Jim Raynor is on the field. Sure, go ahead, tell the general what to do (or the sheriff? what rank did Raynor start with?)