Wanda the Tool

[Vreejack]

With the exception of her being surprised and impressed by Parson's strategizing, Wanda usually seems to know much more than she lets on. Her explanation to Parson, for example, of how to handle Stanley sounds uncannily like the way she got Stanley to agree to summon Parson in the first place. What was it, exactly, that she told Jillian about Parson in that mood of fake ease in her torture dungeon before the spell was broken? Why does she hide her knowledge of fate magic? I am wondering, has Wanda been planning all along to get the arkenpliers?

They seem to be a good fit for her, having as they do some exceptional power over the uncroaked. Her training of Jillian provides her a powerful weapon in her arsenal given Zamussels' proximity to the pliers. Talk about subtlety, though, Wanda is far, far cannier and dangerous than even Parson supposed if she can pull this off.

There is another possibility, however, which I mention to be thorough but which cannot be ignored in a work such as this. Perhaps the pliers have been conniving all along to get into Wanda's hands, not the other way around, which is to say that the plot may be bringing them together but it had never really been Wanda's idea. The power of plot.

[donkyhotay]

Well, until we get more information on the the arkentool we won't know. Currently as far as we know the arkentools are not sentient in any way and simply are super-powerful artifacts.

[Scientivore]

Actually, the Arkenhammer is on the cast page. That might just be a joke though.

Edited to add, I've mentioned and/or commented on that last possibility before, that the Arkenpliers might be coming to Wanda on purpose. (Titans' nipple hair, there's so much spec that I can't even keep straight which is mine anymore!) I like it because it makes Stanley's rant about Ansom bringing the Arkenpliers to him almost true -- in a tense limbo between crazy and correct -- while satisfying the fit between what little we know about the Arkenpliers' nature and Wanda's nature.

[SteveMB]

With the exception of her being surprised and impressed by Parson's strategizing, Wanda usually seems to know much more than she lets on. Her explanation to Parson, for example, of how to handle Stanley sounds uncannily like the way she got Stanley to agree to summon Parson in the first place. What was it, exactly, that she told Jillian about Parson in that mood of fake ease in her torture dungeon before the spell was broken? Why does she hide her knowledge of fate magic? I am wondering, has Wanda been planning all along to get the arkenpliers?

They seem to be a good fit for her, having as they do some exceptional power over the uncroaked. Her training of Jillian provides her a powerful weapon in her arsenal given Zamussels' proximity to the pliers. Talk about subtlety, though, Wanda is far, far cannier and dangerous than even Parson supposed if she can pull this off.

I've speculated (or maybe somebody else speculated and I agreed with -- see Scientivore's comment on keeping all this straight ) that Wanda gives Jillian the impression that she (Wanda) is covertly working against Stanley. That would fit her revealing some (albeit possibly incomplete and misleading) information about the summoning, and referring to Stanley without using any suitably respectful term (and indeed rather flippantly describing him as "yelling all this garbage at me"). If so, it might be that during the session Jillian's "perceptions" are that Wanda is only interrogating her just enough to maintain her cover, and that the post-interrogation friendly chat reflects Wanda's real loyalties.

Perhaps it's not entirely an act, and Wanda does have some long-term plan that involves kicking the Tool to the curb.

[ChowGuy]

That would fit her revealing some (albeit possibly incomplete and misleading) information about the summoning

If you refer to her use of the term "Findamancy/Lookamancy... thing" to Jillian, versus telling Stanley "the Findamancers and Predictamancers[ have forged a spell together" I don't put much weight on that as "misinformation. For one thing, she also calls it" monstrous" and casts it off rather derisively. This is to be expected, Wanda "can handle" a number of magicks outside of Croakamancy, but has little interest in them, as Jillian apparently knows. For another, forging a spell is not the same as casting it. She doesn't (and needn't) even pretend to understand the details of it's forging, because likely she does not. It would be as beyond her single abilities to forge as the Eye-table would be beyond the ability of any of the Trimancers alone - it takes the gestalt to create it, but not to employ it. Jillian is not even a caster and would understand or care even less. The spell itself though is embedded in an object, so understanding it doesn't matter. All that matters is the casting, and for that all one may need is Findamancy.

Further while casting it, she also tells Stanley much the same thing "I .. I am not a Findamancer! I was looking for a mind." No mention is made of "I am not a Predictamancer."

We don't know what specifically she may or may not have told Jillian about Parson himself. We don't know that she even mentions what the "monstrous" spell was supposed to find. So she may indeed have (and likely did) "disinformed" Jillian in any number of ways, but there is no canonic evidence of how or where.

Edit:
Properly Supporting and Maintaining such a summons on the other hand, may require the services of a Predicamancer, but Stanley as you'll recall opted out of that expense. Wonder what problems that may lead him to, as Parson begins to act in more and more "unpredictable" ways?

Perhaps it's not entirely an act,

Ja'think? She as much as tells parson in the "What's a child" scene that key to manipulating Stanley is to play to his ego. That doesn't mean she's not manipulating him as much for his own good as hers. She is after all "permitted" to disobey/defy him, if she thinks not doing so will be the end of him.

[Vreejack]

She as much as tells parson in the "What's a child" scene that key to manipulating Stanley is to play to his ego. That doesn't mean she's not manipulating him as much for his own good as hers. She is after all "permitted" to disobey/defy him, if she thinks not doing so will be the end of him.

That exchange between her and Stanley still strikes me as odd. What does it mean that Wanda is permitted to disobey an order? I would have assumed that Stanley could have her disbanded on a whim, as long as it was done at the proper time (he mentioned that schedule to Parson.) But Wanda and Stanley's conversation implies that Stanley can only disband her if she officially crosses some line; it also implies that she is capable of crossing that line, whatever it may be: something treasonable, I assume. As a summoned being coerced by a spell Parson's position seems to be more precarious; Stanley can truly disband him on a whim.

As far as her colluding with Jillian goes, I think her enthusiasm for the original trap that would have obtained the arkenpliers but might have risked Jillian's life puts the lie to it. Jillian seems to be a tool for Wanda, no more.

It may be that Wanda is simply acting in her own best interest in order to preserve her own life in the face of Ansom's ultimate attack, but the pliers seem to be coming her way whether she wills it or not.

[ChowGuy]

What does it mean that Wanda is permitted to disobey an order? I would have assumed that Stanley could have her disbanded on a whim, as long as it was done at the proper time

It may play to the fact that as the Cast Page points out, she is not a member of Stanley's "tribe" and presumably does not/did not "pop" at his command. Like Jillian, she may have been, or become, a free agent who is employed by Stanley as an officer and advisor, in much the same way as Vinnie is to Ansom (and "permitted" to ask difficult questions).

It may also be that Casters simply don't work the same way as mundane combat units. That could certainly help explain why there are so few in evidence in either army while there are clearly a great many at the Magic Kingdom, which seems to be some sort of extra-territorial jurisdiction. Almost the world world (or at least everyone involved in the "Western Conflict") was lined up against Stanley, yet Wanda walked in to buy a powerful spell with no resistance. I'm wondering if Charlie has a similar setup. If he is not so much a mercenary Warlord (like Jillian) but a Rogue Arch Mancer with a cadre of (summoned?) underlings who sells their magicking services to the highest bidder.

[Scientivore]

Further while casting it, she also tells Stanley much the same thing "I .. I am not a Findamancer! I was looking for a mind." No mention is made of "I am not a Predictamancer."

Thinkamancy (which I can imagine might give a boost to looking for a mind†) and Predictamancy are both on the Fate axis, same as Wanda's favorite discipline of Croakamancy. I see Wanda as being terribly Fate aligned. Unfortunately for her, the Hocus Pocus class is what unifies Findamancy and Predictamancy so they can't both be Fate aligned. Findamancy and Lookamancy are both Erf aligned, so I strongly suspect that she would find them both equally annoying. Likewise, I expect that Sizemore would really dig them both since that's the same axis as Dirtamancy and Hippiemancy.

† I firmly believe that Wanda was "looking for" a mind in the sense of "searching" (not "seeing"). It was spoken in the context of her not being a Findamancer...and minds are invisible. Your added emphasis on looking makes no sense to me.

[ChowGuy]

I firmly believe that Wanda was "looking for" a mind in the sense of "searching" (not "seeing"). It was spoken in the context of her not being a Findamancer...and minds are invisible. Your added emphasis on looking makes no sense to me.

Yes, but as Wanda mentioned out to Jillian, Stanley was yelling a lot of physical garbage instead, as if expecting her to "look beyond" or "visualize" what she was searching for. Lets don't just dismiss "Lookamancy" as "far seeing" either. Remember the Trimancers also created the Eyebooks, and Lookamancy and Thinkamancy are sub-classes of Eyemancy, as is Findamancy. To a Croakamancer speaking idly to a non-caster, anything within that group could be shrugged off as a "Findamancy/Lookamancy... thing." The point was, that Wanda uses the term "looking" casually, and could do so again. We don't actully know what all it may imply technically (though Sizemore might) and do you really think it would have meant much to Jillian in any case?

[Xero_Storm]

Perhaps it's not entirely an act, and Wanda does have some long-term plan that involves kicking the Tool to the curb.

Don't we all?

But honestly, as long as Stanly continues to be so predictable and easily manipulated, she's going to practically be running the place anyway. Whatever plans she might have, I don't suppose she'd have to be in much of a hurry. Heck, her theoretical plan may not necessarily even involve the Pliers. They may just turn out to be a convenient opportunity to speed things along.

And I think ChowGuy is on to something about the Magic Kingdom...

[Vreejack]

And I think ChowGuy is on to something about the Magic Kingdom...

The Magic Kingdom setup is nothing surprising to anyone who has played actual games like these. It is not uncommon for them to have truly neutral groups who are actually able to enforce their neutrality, no matter how weak they are.

But if Wanda is just a random person from the Magic Kingdom who decided to join Stanley then her past--the (lost) Croatan tribe--is largely irrelevant.

[teratorn]

There is another possibility, however, which I mention to be thorough but which cannot be ignored in a work such as this. Perhaps the pliers have been conniving all along to get into Wanda's hands, not the other way around, which is to say that the plot may be bringing them together but it had never really been Wanda's idea. The power of plot.

It's possible, we don't know if something similar made Stanley the head of the Plaid tribe. The Arkenhammer might be involved in the plaid King's death. Now if Wanda gets the Arkenpliers, then what? Will Seizemore get the Arkenpotty?

(of course the next one must be something like the Arkenscrewdriver).

[Vreejack]

It's possible, we don't know if something similar made Stanley the head of the Plaid tribe. The Arkenhammer might be involved in the plaid King's death. Now if Wanda gets the Arkenpliers, then what? Will Seizemore get the Arkenpotty?

(of course the next one must be something like the Arkenscrewdriver).

Sizemore will clearly get the Arkenshovel.

[ChowGuy]

Sizemore will clearly get the Arkenshovel.

Or at least the Arkenfork. Which knowing the penchant this strips creators have for pop culture is not impossible. After all, GK is run by a rather short ID-iot.

[Vreejack]

Or at least the Arkenfork. Which knowing the penchant this strips creators have for pop culture is not impossible. After all, GK is run by a rather short ID-iot.

Actually I am not sure I catch your references, though it rings a bell. If anything, I was thinking of the Poopsmith from homestarrunner.com

[ChowGuy]

Actually I am not sure I catch your references, though it rings a bell. If anything, I was thinking of the Poopsmith from homestarrunner.com

Eeek! Looks like I pasted the wrong URL. Should have been This one to the "Wizard of ID."

Now I hope I didn't post that instead in the "Big Bang/Cosmology Q&A" thread on the other forum I was on.

[Vreejack]

Now that's what I thought, but I have little respect for Johnny Hart and usually have to struggle to avoid mocking him.