Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire

[sihnfahl]

From a Domiologist's point of view, this Madame Zelda Zanzibar is a most interesting being. So far, she is but a measly Fifth Caste character... and yet, she is also a Mookinsertion! How can that be?`What place does such a creature occupy in evolution and the Caste System? Is the Caste System *gasp* not complete?

As you said, she is SO FAR but a measly Fifth Caste. Until further development, we cannot put her into her proper Caste.

Remember, Nimmel was but fifth caste at the beginning, despite him being (yet another) Mookie self-insertion, and has quickly raised in status.

[Jerthanis]

From a Domiologist's point of view, this Madame Zelda Zanzibar is a most interesting being. So far, she is but a measly Fifth Caste character... and yet, she is also a Mookinsertion! How can that be?`What place does such a creature occupy in evolution and the Caste System? Is the Caste System *gasp* not complete?

It seems to me she's pretty solidly second caste. She was Dominic's classmate in school, she has a name (5th caste generally don't have names unless they are also Red Shirt Soup Wenches), and she was referred to as a Friend by the Dominus, thus retroactively granting her protection from an ignominious death in the light of his consideration. She's related to the current plot in a role where she can do nothing more than spur the Dominus on the correct path.

@Jerthanis: Not bad... but as written, all the revealment of new information comes in the form of after-the-fact exposition. I'm sure there would be some way to reveal the truth with more tension and showing, instead of telling.

Yeah, that is a serious problem, maybe I'll try and clean it up a bit and edit those parts of talking heads after-the-fact exposition.

[Winterwind]

@sihnfahl: Good point.

@Jerthanis: Yeah... solidly Second Caste, you're right.

New entries in the Encyclopedia Dominica!

Glasswood
This curious tree is the main source of building material in the Deeganverse - probably, because the inhabitants have not figured out that the green triangular mountains surrounding them are trees as well. They are hardly to blame for that. Unfortunately, glasswood has very poor properties as building material, for, true to its name, it is prone to shattering in a glass-like manner. For this reason, higher Castes prefer to live in stone-houses, while listening gleefully to the painful screams of the lower Castes as those are slashed to shreds by their walls and furniture. See Trees.

Invisible King
The evil ruler of Callan who never appears or does anything in the strip, lord of the government. Which is evil. And never seen either.
We do not know why the government or the king are evil or why they do what they do, because they never actually appear in the strip to present their case, but since they are a government, they obviously must be evil. This is political sophistication for you.
Alternately, them being evil might be only propaganda, for they seem to be one of the last groups not yet under the Dominus' manipulative control.

Mookinsertion
A strange creature, of which two races, mookius vulgaris and mookius nobilis, have been identified so far. Distinguished for their intellect and flawlessness, Mookinsertions are living avatars of the Mookie on the physical plane, and are, as such, immortal - the most lethal weapons will cause only minor injuries to a Mookinsertion, which will (of course) be forgotten as soon as the arc is over. Typically, a Mookinsertion lives in human disguise for up to thirty years, before it begins its metamorphosis to a fully grown Mookie Sue. This process can be easily observed in a rapid rise through the Castes - within only a few years, a Mookinsertion can grow from Fifth Caste to Second, bordering First.
A mookius vulgaris is lauded for its intellect and skills at all times, and may even every now and then save the day.
A mookius nobilis is Dominic Deegan. 'Nuff said.

[Johnny Blade]

From a Domiologist's point of view, this Madame Zelda Zanzibar is a most interesting being. So far, she is but a measly Fifth Caste character... and yet, she is also a Mookinsertion! How can that be?`What place does such a creature occupy in evolution and the Caste System? Is the Caste System *gasp* not complete?

Nah, the Caste System is perfectly fine.
There are just two things that one has to keep in mind when evaluating characters (well, at least I think so ):
1. Almost every named character is acquainted with a First or Second Caste Member or is of Fourth Caste upwards himself. Most of the time, both applies. The rest is negligible.
2. Although there clearly are Mary-Sues in the comic, the whole comic isn't about telling a story but about Mookie broadcasting his somewhat limited opinions and Weltanschauung, and (probably) also used to deal with his personal life. Thus, as the whole comic is a self-insertion, every character can potentially be one, too. It is even possible to be temporarily possessed by the force of the Mookie. Earlier examples would include Celesto and Jacob punishing Taggerty and that changeling guy for their misdeeds (in a totally, I repeat, totally just and adequate way) so no 2nd or 1st Caste character had to get blood on his hands.

So, just because she is a named insertion character who happens to know Lord Dominus doesn't mean all that much, I think. However, I wouldn't be overly surprised if she'd have some significance later.

Just my two cents.

[Oracle_Hunter]

Jeez, my Plot Scrying is really off lately. Yeah, I kinda thought "Detective" Quilt would be back, but I neglected to add it to my calculations.

I think I'll step back and see where this Arc is going for awhile. The "Shadow" Arc really made me lazy, what with its mind-numbing progression.

In other news: It's Only a Flesh Wound for Insertion Characters? I'm shocked, shocked to see Mookie needlessly protecting Red Shirts who are incidentally Insertion Characters.

[sihnfahl]

You have the drop on an unsuspecting victim with little physical strength and you are heavily armed. The victim survives.

Worst. Assassin. Ever.

Not only that, white mages were able to heal her victims.

WTH would an assassin who goes after folks who know MAGIC and would be near folks who use MAGIC use a weapon that does not negate MAGIC?

This arc has already begun and ... well.

[Monnock]

Not only that, white mages were able to heal her victims.

WTH would an assassin who goes after folks who know MAGIC and would be near folks who use MAGIC use a weapon that does not negate MAGIC?

This arc has already begun and ... well.

Odds are Madam Zanzibar is a trap of some kind. There is no other (logical) explanation. Also, I don't think she cared about whether or not the assistant lived or died, she just wanted her to shut up, which was why she slashed her throat.

The fact that she was able to kill ANYONE when a squad of... police (it sounds so stupid saying that in a mideval setting comic) and white mages are able to get to a distress beacon within 30 seconds of it going off is quite impressive.

Edit: I just deciphered why the Oracle Hunter said "From behind," I think she was walking away when he somehow disarmed her. She reacted by turning to her side to look back at him. If you follow her movements through the panels leading up to it, she starts off infront of him, then seems to pass him, and in the spash page it looks like she is turned to the side.

[Winterwind]

[...]
So, just because she is a named insertion character who happens to know Lord Dominus doesn't mean all that much, I think. However, I wouldn't be overly surprised if she'd have some significance later.

Well, at the very least being a self-insertion grants a character shield beyond the red-shirt status of other Fifth Caste members.
Your second point is most fascinating - this "Mookie Possession" to punish Fourth Caste characters is a very interesting point which I'll make sure to add to the Encyclopedia as soon as I get time.

Not only that, white mages were able to heal her victims.

WTH would an assassin who goes after folks who know MAGIC and would be near folks who use MAGIC use a weapon that does not negate MAGIC?

This arc has already begun and ... well.

My only hope for salvaging this is that the OH did not mean to kill them - maybe she wanted them to convey some message, or is trying to lure Dominic out, and does not really care whether they die or survive? Or maybe she did it "because that's what a hunter does".
Geez, hunters are weird!

[Monnock]

My only hope for salvaging this is that the OH did not mean to kill them - maybe she wanted them to convey some message, or is trying to lure Dominic out, and does not really care whether they die or survive? Or maybe she did it "because that's what a hunter does".
Geez, hunters are weird!

Well, she said that if the assistant didn't scream she would let her live. It's hard to tell in what order the actions occured in other than going left to right, so it looks like she started to scream for help, causing the Oracle Hunter to whip the dagger out of the dead seer's spinal cord and slash her throat, thus guarenteeing that it would cause her to stop screaming, as opposed to going for a potentially lethal blow that may not kill her right away, causing her to scream more.

Edit: As a side note, I'm not sure how the Seer actually died from the dagger, as it looks like the only damage would have been done to the spinal cord, which is not 100% lethal. It would have made more sense for the dagger to have been off center. Also, it would have taken so much force to get the dagger through the spinal cord that there is no way that the seer would have remained errect like that without something holding him in place.

She left the body behind before Sturtz entered the room, so she clearly didn't care to finish her off.

Edit 2: Also, note the lack of much blood. It looks like the Oracle Hunter just slashed open her throat, and at best cut the vocal chords. Considering Mookies propensity to draw lots of blood everywhere, it seems unlikely that the lack of a large pool of blood is from his unwillingness to draw it. A throat being slashed is dangerous, but it is entirely possible to not cut deep enough to hit the major arteries that run to the brain (there is one case I can remember of an man being bound and having his throat slashed, and in spite of this managed to get free after the man had left him to die and escape, there is another case of a man being hung, shot in the throat, and the bullet causing the rope to fray just enough for the man to fall loose after the hangers left him so he survived). If she had, not only would blood have been everywhere, but she would have been unconcious in swift order.

As for Zelda (tm), she let her see her face, I think. You notice that Zelda had time to say "... oh my god" before she was slashed off-screen, while Mook-Seer was killed by surprise from behind. My guess is that the Oracle Hunter's typical MO is to silently kill the Seer so it's less 'messy' and she doesn't have to deal with getting away.

This begs the question, though. Why care when you can just... teleport away? (Because it uses the anime effect for SUPER SPEED, it's hard to tell if it was actual teleportation or something like 'flash step' or 'instant transmission. It may even be invisibility.)

I just want to take a moment to defend the actions of the poor officer who said that the assistant would be fine. I noticed that a few people pointed out that no, she will not be fine, and would suffer psychological damage. To be fair, I'm sure that when Sturtz asked "Will she be alright" it goes without saying that she will be emotionally scared for life, what does not go without saying is whether or not she will live (theoretically at least, since White Magic = modern medicine in the Mookieverse, but modern medicine doesn't always give 100% recovery like white magic does, where as long as you are alive you can be restored to full health). So, my argument is that the officer was referring soley to the assistant's physical well-being and not her psychological well-being, which is perfectly rational.

[Telonius]

Unless, of course, Zelda Zanzibar is actually the one behind the killings. The Hunter injured her just severely enough that it looks like she escaped.

[Winterwind]

Unless, of course, Zelda Zanzibar is actually the one behind the killings. The Hunter injured her just severely enough that it looks like she escaped.

Ye dare to accuse the noble Mookinsertion?! Begone, foul fiend! Off to the Cathedral with you!

(I figured it's been too long since the Inquisition terrorized this thread. And, indeed, blasphemious thoughts have spread and the belief in the ways of Dominus has grown weak. Praise the Master of Puppets! Hail Dominus!)

[Monnock]

Unless, of course, Zelda Zanzibar is actually the one behind the killings. The Hunter injured her just severely enough that it looks like she escaped.

By George, that's convoluted enough that it just might work!

It's actually kinda amusing because I just saw a bunch of investigation profile shows dealing with people who have their spouse killed and try to make it look like a victim.

[Johnny Blade]

Edit: As a side note, I'm not sure how the Seer actually died from the dagger, as it looks like the only damage would have been done to the spinal cord, which is not 100% lethal. It would have made more sense for the dagger to have been off center. Also, it would have taken so much force to get the dagger through the spinal cord that there is no way that the seer would have remained errect like that without something holding him in place.

Don't forget that this dagger actually seems to come from nowhere since the OH apparently isn't invisible and I highly doubt that this is done simply to emphasize that she's immune to divination magic.
Also, he probably wouldn't die instantly, unless from shock.
But hey, it is simply usual that injuries will be as severe as an author wants them to be. Yes, it isn't really logical that a backstab is fatal while a girl with a slashed throat survives for - what will it be, a minute? - and is then simply healed by white magic (leaving her with nothing but a sore throat), but such things aren't limited to Dominic Deegan alone.
However, add Mookie's horrible drawing, and you see what result you get.

@ Winterwind: Added to the Encyclopedia? I can feel honored now, can't I?

[ElfLad]

Ye dare to accuse the noble Mookinsertion?! Begone, foul fiend! Off to the Cathedral with you!

Snowsong was a Mookinsertion. I believe he's said that she was based off one of his City of Heroes characters.

That means everybody who's ever spoken a word against Snowsong is guilty of heresy and blasphemy.

[Morty]

Snowsong was a Mookinsertion. I believe he's said that she was based off one of his City of Heroes characters.

This is... bad, but not in any way surprising. Self-insertions aren't inherently bad things, but when done by Mookie, they are.
But it sure does explain the sheer nonsense of the character.

[TamerBill]

Things aren't inherently bad, but when done by Mookie, they are.

Fixed that for you.

[averagejoe]

Edit: I just deciphered why the Oracle Hunter said "From behind," I think she was walking away when he somehow disarmed her. She reacted by turning to her side to look back at him. If you follow her movements through the panels leading up to it, she starts off infront of him, then seems to pass him, and in the spash page it looks like she is turned to the side.

I think it was "from behind" because it was behind Sark, i.e. he did it without turning around. That was the obvious explaination to me.

[Gez]

Glasswood
This curious tree is the main source of building material in the Deeganverse - probably, because the inhabitants have not figured out that the green triangular mountains surrounding them are trees as well. They are hardly to blame for that.

Actually, I think the infamous glasswood was not glass, because it did not explode in a shower of little shards (as everybody who have ever seen a movie knows glass do). My latest researches indicate that Alseltio's door was made of baked clay, and then painted to look like wood.

More researches will need to be made to tell for certain which of the theory, the glasswood or the painted pottery, is true.



Oooooh... I just discovered who the OH looks like: MIRANDA!

With all her archmage power she just use an illusion to look like when she was young, teleport around, and make people forget her. Szark knows her well. She spared ZZ because, at the last minute, she remembered she was a friend of Dom. And it all makes sense, as shown by the preemptive FAQ:

1. Why does Miranda kill people?
   Because murder is a great stress-reliever. When she's tired of dealing with incompetent subordinates, she go on and murder somone, and she feels better afterwards.
2. But why does she target seers?
   Because that way, she eliminates her son's competition.

[Winterwind]

Don't forget that this dagger actually seems to come from nowhere since the OH apparently isn't invisible and I highly doubt that this is done simply to emphasize that she's immune to divination magic.
Also, he probably wouldn't die instantly, unless from shock.
But hey, it is simply usual that injuries will be as severe as an author wants them to be. Yes, it isn't really logical that a backstab is fatal while a girl with a slashed throat survives for - what will it be, a minute? - and is then simply healed by white magic (leaving her with nothing but a sore throat), but such things aren't limited to Dominic Deegan alone.
However, add Mookie's horrible drawing, and you see what result you get.

So the Oracle Hunter can kill people with non-lethal wounds! Now say again that she is not bad-ass!

@ Winterwind: Added to the Encyclopedia? I can feel honored now, can't I?

At the very least, I feel honoured by being allowed to use your ideas.

And here we go:
Soul Displacing Mookie Possession Syndrome (SDMPS)
Even the existance of self-insertion Mookie Sues and the wide spread of the Plot plague do not suffice sometimes for Mookie's broadcast of his enlightened world-view and ethical opinions. In such cases, the force of Mookie can temporarily take possession of a character to force him to do Mookie's bidding. The character completely turns into a mouthpiece for Mookie's messages. A much more dangerous mutation of this affliction is the Karma Balancing Soul Displacing Mookie Possession Syndrome (SDMPS-KB), where Mookie specifically possesses Third and Fourth Caste characters to force them to deal completely just and not at all exaggerated punishment on other Fourth Caste characters, such as womanizers and people who happen to be athletic, who may spontaneously pop or be mutilated to a never-ending unholy existance of eternal torment and agony. In spite of its dangerousness, this is a very important thing to the ecological balance of the Deeganverse, for it keeps the hands of First and Second Caste members free of blood, while dealing appropriately with people Mookie finds somewhat unsympathetic. See also: Mookinsertion, Plot.

Snowsong was a Mookinsertion. I believe he's said that she was based off one of his City of Heroes characters.

Uah. That fits. And it hurts.

Wow. Does that mean this is what decides whether a character ends up in the Third or Fourth Caste? Whether they are based on some aspect of Mookie in the real world, or not?

That means everybody who's ever spoken a word against Snowsong is guilty of heresy and blasphemy.

But... but... there is not enough glasswood in the world to burn that many heretics!

Actually, I think the infamous glasswood was not glass, because it did not explode in a shower of little shards (as everybody who have ever seen a movie knows glass do). My latest researches indicate that Alseltio's door was made of baked clay, and then painted to look like wood.

More researches will need to be made to tell for certain which of the theory, the glasswood or the painted pottery, is true.

Hmm, a most interesting, if bold, theory, dear colleague.
I'll add it into the glasswood's description.

"A second theory persists, however, which maintains that glasswood is actually not wood at all, and that lower Castes instead choose to build their houses out of baked pottery painted to appear like wood. Which, again, would be well within the limits of their stupidity, lacking a First Caste character to lead them."

Oooooh... I just discovered who the OH looks like: MIRANDA!

With all her archmage power she just use an illusion to look like when she was young, teleport around, and make people forget her. Szark knows her well. She spared ZZ because, at the last minute, she remembered she was a friend of Dom. And it all makes sense, as shown by the preemptive FAQ:

1. Why does Miranda kill people?
   Because murder is a great stress-reliever. When she's tired of dealing with incompetent subordinates, she go on and murder somone, and she feels better afterwards.
2. But why does she target seers?
   Because that way, she eliminates her son's competition.

Maybe she's also just bored, now that she has resigned her job as headmistress?

Which reminds me - wanna bet that now that Miranda is gone, an arc will follow where they will have to deal with "Penelope the Pain"?

[Chronicled]

It strikes me as odd that Luna would say, "Oh no. Is she dead?" after hearing that Z.Zanzibar was attacked. She's a) really jumping to conclusions and b) sounding unnatural. Don't most people say "Oh no. Is she all right?" or something to that effect? Or is that just true in the places I've lived?

[Green Bean]

Which reminds me - wanna bet that now that Miranda is gone, an arc will follow where they will have to deal with "Penelope the Pain"?

I doubt any character on the side of Lord Dominus would go after Penelope the Pain. I'm almost positive that she's a Goldstein-esque character, a secret minion of Dominus, gathering those who oppose the seer in order to destroy them.

[InkEyes]

I read today's strip and I thought, "Why is Quilt wearing a cardboard box on his head?" Six hours later I realized it was supposed to be a deerstalker.

Questions: How many of Mookie's self-insert characters have narrowly avoided death at some point in time? What is the ratio compared to unconfirmed and confirmed not-self-insert characters?

[sihnfahl]

Questions: How many of Mookie's self-insert characters have narrowly avoided death at some point in time? What is the ratio compared to unconfirmed and confirmed not-self-insert characters?

So far, we have positively identified 4 DD characters as self-insertions. Others may escape me...

Dominic himself. He's been beaten up, had his leg blown off, stabbed multiple times, disemboweled once... I'm sure I'm forgetting a few.
Snowsong (CoH character). Tried to freeze herself. Got blown up once.
Nimmel Feenix (old D&D character). Almost skewered by an Infernomancer, an unstable changeling, attempted suicide.
Madam Zanzibar (Mookie in Drag). Stabbed by OH.

[ElfLad]

Explaining the punchline six panels before it's even delivered?

Wow. Mookie is certainly an awful "unconventional" writer.

[Gez]

Dominic himself. He's been beaten up, had his leg blown off, stabbed multiple times, disemboweled once... I'm sure I'm forgetting a few.
Snowsong (CoH character). Tried to freeze herself. Got blown up once.
Nimmel Feenix (old D&D character). Almost skewered by an Infernomancer, an unstable changeling, attempted suicide.
Madam Zanzibar (Mookie in Drag). Stabbed by OH.

This, along with his death fetish, makes for a disturbing vision of his psyche.

[Monnock]

Explaining the punchline six panels before it's even delivered?

Wow. Mookie is certainly an awful "unconventional" writer.

It's like a new level of redundancy. First you tell the readers what the character is like, then you show the readers what the character is like.

Also, she seems pretty calm about having been almost killed. I guess she is just so bad-ass that she laughs at attempted murder by a serial killer. There is something incredibly irritating about that.

As a side note, either she knows something about the Oracle Hunter, or she is just being annoying and has read the newspaper.

[AmberVael]

I actually laughed at today's comic. This could be because I skimmed so quickly through it (knowing that Mookie ALWAYS puts in tons of extra dialog) that I didn't see the punchline get ruined.
...yeah, that would be the reason.
But yes, seriously, if you cut out the first three panels, it's actually amusing.
Great job, Mookie! You messed up your own joke!

[ElfLad]

I actually laughed at today's comic. This could be because I skimmed so quickly through it (knowing that Mookie ALWAYS puts in tons of extra dialog) that I didn't see the punchline get ruined.
...yeah, that would be the reason.
But yes, seriously, if you cut out the first three panels, it's actually amusing.
Great job, Mookie! You messed up your own joke!

I agree, Mookie had a good joke for the first time in ages, but it was ruined by a horrible set-up.


"So a horse with a long face walks into a bar. The bartender say, 'Hey, why the long face?'"

[Raroy]

I agree, Mookie had a good joke for the first time in ages, but it was ruined by a horrible set-up.


"So a horse with a long face walks into a bar. The bartender say, 'Hey, why the long face?'"

In the context I actually found that to be funny. Curse you Elf lad!

[Johnny Blade]

At the very least, I feel honoured by being allowed to use your ideas.

And here we go:
*snip*

Heh, then it's my turn to feel honored that my ideas were so eloquently elaborated.
But, let's be done with the flattery, there's a Mookie to mock.

So...um...well? Actually, this arc leaves my wondering where it's heading. So far, Szark has confronted the Oracle Hunter, an incident that has no significance as of now. It may be foreshadowing, but any consequences have yet to be shown. Now Dominic visits his old friend in the hospital, and we get a relaxed little joke. I mean, this whole arc is devoid of any sense of urgency. (Quite ironic how Zelda's "flair for the dramatic" keeps today's strip from actually adding to some hypothetical dramatic feeling, huh?)
I guess Mookie just thought that simply resolving the whole wedding mini-arc would not be exciting enough (right in my book) and remembered that he had a few unused characters he used as filler material a few years back lying around. And thus, from convenience the Oracle Hunter was born.