Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers

[Welf]

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Okay... I am currently confused as to what just happened.

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Apparently Don's deal with Charley included the payment of 19 million shmuckers for sending Parson back with the scroll. The deal was with TV, not Don so it remained in force after Don't death. Vanna's loyalty to Ceasar is so low that she can ignore his order and decide that fulfilling the deal with Charley is better for her new side. Ceasar punched her in the face. The creepy Dollamancer watches this (see the shadowy figures above him in the last panel) and doesn't like it.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

With Parson gone, mixed with the apparent heir of TV coming in, we could call the next thread - Heir today, Gone tomorrow.

[Lizard Lord]

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Why doesn't he disband her? No matter how powerful her turnamancy is it is useless to Cesar if she openly betrays him.

[tyckspoon]

Why doesn't he disband her? No matter how powerful her turnamancy is it is useless to Cesar if she openly betrays him.

He may not actually have that power - I'm uncertain if Caesar has the full powers of the side's leader right now, or if the title of 'Regent' has some ramifications beyond just agreeing to step down in favor of the heir when/if that unit finishes popping. I'm sure he's considering it, tho, as Vanna is at best only nominally a TV unit currently. Caesar is probably just weighing whether it would be best to disband her completely (if within his power to do so) or croak her normally with the chance that she could be decrypted later as a more controllable resource.

[Jasdoif]

He may not actually have that power - I'm uncertain if Caesar has the full powers of the side's leader right now, or if the title of 'Regent' has some ramifications beyond just agreeing to step down in favor of the heir when/if that unit finishes popping. I'm sure he's considering it, tho, as Vanna is at best only nominally a TV unit currently. Caesar is probably just weighing whether it would be best to disband her completely (if within his power to do so) or croak her normally with the chance that she could be decrypted later as a more controllable resource.

Alternatively, Caesar may not want to find out the hard way if Don secured the contract with a penalty should Vanna not survive. Or he may want to interrogate her first. Or maybe he just hasn't gotten to it yet.

[XanKrieger]

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Apparently Don's deal with Charley included the payment of 19 million shmuckers for sending Parson back with the scroll. The deal was with TV, not Don so it remained in force after Don't death. Vanna's loyalty to Ceasar is so low that she can ignore his order and decide that fulfilling the deal with Charley is better for her new side. Ceasar punched her in the face. The creepy Dollamancer watches this (see the shadowy figures above him in the last panel) and doesn't like it.

Spoiler: Aw yeah semantics

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Not that it matters too much, but I'm pretty sure Ceasar is in the act of choking her. Additionally I appreciate the set of emotions gone through by Jack and Maggie in the background of the first few panels.

[Whispri]

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Why doesn't he disband her? No matter how powerful her turnamancy is it is useless to Cesar if she openly betrays him.

If he did that, Wanda wouldn't be able to decrypt her later.

[deuterio12]

Alternatively, Caesar may not want to find out the hard way if Don secured the contract with a penalty should Vanna not survive. Or he may want to interrogate her first. Or maybe he just hasn't gotten to it yet.

Alternatively alternatively, the last time we saw a ruler trying to disband a caster it just bounced off. And Don himself was croaked by a caster before he could complete a disbandment. Just saying it's faster and more efficient to take out the traitor with your own hands than risking using the clunky disbandment special.

[-D-]

Great. See you next year, when Parson returns from exile.

[Anteros]

I'm pretty sure the spell didn't work as intended. There are several hints indicating it didn't go off as planned. The spell was interrupted part way, and Maggie looks much less upset after Jack talks to her. The question is where Parson actually is since he probably didn't make it all the way home.


Caesar really needs to kill Vanna now. I don't see how he can let this kind of insubordination stand and maintain any type of authority. At least, not outside of the fact that several characters have been firmly grasping the idiot ball for this entire arc in order to make it work.

[DigoDragon]

Spoiler: Aw yeah semantics

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Not that it matters too much, but I'm pretty sure Ceasar is in the act of choking her. Additionally I appreciate the set of emotions gone through by Jack and Maggie in the background of the first few panels.

Yeah, the two in the background certainly have a lot going on visually for just two minor panel cameos there. And that third clse up with an angry Maggie. Oooh boy. If Caesar don't kill Vanna...

It's the little things like that the text updates don't show the same way.

I'm pretty sure the spell didn't work as intended. There are several hints indicating it didn't go off as planned. The spell was interrupted part way, and Maggie looks much less upset after Jack talks to her. The question is where Parson actually is since he probably didn't make it all the way home.

I'll place a bet that he ends up in I'mComingForYouStanley.

Caesar really needs to kill Vanna now. I don't see how he can let this kind of insubordination stand and maintain any type of authority. At least, not outside of the fact that several characters have been firmly grasping the idiot ball for this entire arc in order to make it work.

Ye gods, yes. I can understand why Don didn't get rid of Vanna, but Caesar is a fool not to croak her.

[JavaScribe]

I'll place a bet that he ends up in I'mComingForYouStanley.

That's an extremely popular theory on the Erfworld forums. A lot of people think the scroll works by sending him to wherever he considers to be home, just like the Arkenshoes.

They also have a popular theory that he's going to pop as Don King's new heir. Somehow. Not all of the speculators seem to be joking about this.

[Douglas]

That's an extremely popular theory on the Erfworld forums. A lot of people think the scroll works by sending him to wherever he considers to be home, just like the Arkenshoes.

They also have a popular theory that he's going to pop as Don King's new heir. Somehow. Not all of the speculators seem to be joking about this.

That seems unlikely to me. We got a description, however brief, of how the spell works here. It essentially undoes the summoning, sending him back to where he would naturally be - Earth. Though I admit the "where he belonged" wording brings some ambiguity into it.

My guess would be that this is a setup for how the Arkenshoes will be brought back to Erfworld - by Parson using them to travel to where he considers home. He's heard the story from Jack, now, so he could reasonably think of looking up Judy Gale on Earth to ask her for them.

[JavaScribe]

Though I admit the "where he belonged" wording brings some ambiguity into it.

I kind of doubt it too, it would be stupidly careless of Charlie. But in addition to the "where he belonged" bit, they are also interpreting the "psychocosmic tension" thinkobabble to mean some sort of "Date-a-mancy connection", and if he doesn't care about his old home anymore, the psychocosmic tension will cease to exist, and since "home is where the heart is", the scroll will send him to ICFYS.

My guess would be that this is a setup for how the Arkenshoes will be brought back to Erfworld - by Parson using them to travel to where he considers home. He's heard the story from Jack, now, so he could reasonably think of looking up Judy Gale on Earth to ask her for them.

Maybe. That does beg the question of whether Judy even comes from the same Stupidworld though. Her body proportions aren't normal for Parson's Stupidworld.

Also, in the Oz books the Arkenshoes are based on, the silver shoes had no power outside of fairy lands and were automatically lost in Oz's desert border.

[halfeye]

Also, in the Oz books the Arkenshoes are based on, the silver shoes had no power outside of fairy lands and were automatically lost in Oz's desert border.

The arkenshoes are almost certainly based on the film, not the books directly. Judy Gale is a wink to Judy Garland who played the part of Dorothy Gale.

[JavaScribe]

The arkenshoes are almost certainly based on the film, not the books directly. Judy Gale is a wink to Judy Garland who played the part of Dorothy Gale.

I can't remember if Judy Garland was still wearing the rubby slippers at the end of the film, but it was made pretty explicit the whole thing was just a dream in that version. There's not much to base anything on if we are going exclusively by the movie.

[DigoDragon]

That's an extremely popular theory on the Erfworld forums. A lot of people think the scroll works by sending him to wherever he considers to be home, just like the Arkenshoes.

I'm sure we'll first get another text update all about strings.

That seems unlikely to me. We got a description, however brief, of how the spell works here. It essentially undoes the summoning, sending him back to where he would naturally be - Earth. Though I admit the "where he belonged" wording brings some ambiguity into it.

On the page where the scroll is used, Roger is ripped apart and Parson on the right just saying "Oh boy" with a concerned look as the spell is cast. It's possible the spell was interrupted and Parson wasn't sent all the way home, but exists in some other state.

[deuterio12]

I'm sure we'll first get another text update all about strings.

Crossing my fingers for good old Stanley. He would notice right away the expensive summoned warlord suddenly missing from his ruler senses.

On the page where the scroll is used, Roger is ripped apart and Parson on the right just saying "Oh boy" with a concerned look as the spell is cast. It's possible the spell was interrupted and Parson wasn't sent all the way home, but exists in some other state.

"Breaking news! Giant Hamster rampaging through Tokyo!"

[The Glyphstone]

If either this update or the next one isn't a Stanley PoV, I'll be extremely surprised. For once that would actually be a relevant perspective to get on these events now that the plot has actually moved.

[Anteros]

Maybe we'll get an issue of Parson waking up in a hospital bed and the series ending.

Personally, I'm hoping for an update on that random stabber we had a few updates on before. We haven't checked in on him and a while, and his view of the current geopolitical situation is vital for understanding the overarching plot.

[halfeye]

Update? What update?

[DataNinja]

Personally, I'm hoping for an update on that random stabber we had a few updates on before. We haven't checked in on him and a while, and his view of the current geopolitical situation is vital for understanding the overarching plot.

I know you're being sarcastic, but Wrigley's gone. The entire second (and final) update with him was about the futility of his combat, but how he was happy to have finally gotten to use his spear just once.

So, checking in with him would be kinda hard.

[Anteros]

I know you're being sarcastic, but Wrigley's gone. The entire second (and final) update with him was about the futility of his combat, but how he was happy to have finally gotten to use his spear just once.

So, checking in with him would be kinda hard.

And yet still more interesting than another Isaac update, or anything to do with thinkamancy strings.

[keybounce]

No harder than getting him decrypted.

[DataNinja]

No harder than getting him decrypted.

He was already Decrypted. He was originally an Unaroyal Stabber, who lamented that he croaked without getting to use his spear; thus he relished the second chance to be able to use it.

[DigoDragon]

"Breaking news! Giant Hamster rampaging through Tokyo!"

This is funnier because I had just finished episode 6 of the new The Tick series on Amazon.

Update? What update?

Stanley POV vs. skip day, place your bets?

I see merit of Stanley's pov.

[halfeye]

Stanley POV vs. skip day, place your bets?

I see merit of Stanley's pov.

Was that supposed to be Friday or Saturday? either way, it's a skip now. We might get a second consecutive skip on Monday/Tuesday.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Last Friday was a SKIP! Happy new year everyone!

Date	# Skipped
10/6/17	1st
10/20/17	2nd
11/7/17	1st
11/14/17	2nd
11/21/17	3rd
12/5/17	1st
12/19/17	2nd
1/5/18	1st

[JavaScribe]

The latest.

I almost feel sorry for Bill.

[HandofShadows]

The latest.

I almost feel sorry for Bill.

ALMOST. But after what he has done, I can't.