102 The Battle for Gobwin Knob, Page 92

[slayerx]

Every name has been funny in one sense or another. But Misty and Maggie don't fit in with that (well Misty as a lookamancer maybe)

well, people have mentioned that Maggie looks like Margret Thatcher... that should probably count for something

[charles]

Actually.

I'm with the theory that the foolamancer is from FAQ.

Jillian, Wanda and the foolamancer are the only one's we've seen who have pupils in their eyes.

Although the Foolamancer's eyes are orange like the other eyemancers, he still has pupils.

[Krelon]

From what I read the best theory I've seen was that Parson hid a bluff within the bluff.

Obvious bluff: I have allies in your coalition

Hidden bluff: I have concentrated my defense on the walls

Ansom has reason think that Parson is horrible at bluffing, therefore slipped some real info (you wont make it through the outer walls). Now, if anyone in the coalition can tell that it was the Tool who interfered with the thinkagram, this might convince Ansom that Parson is a double fool who indeed talked to someone in the coalition and nearly said who, but the Tool prevented that. Therefore Ansom will be too busy being angry and trying to decide if the obvious bluff was not a bluff at all that he will choose to go through the tunnels fast.

I have the feeling that Parson just won the next turn. Will that be enough to survive?

[DeathQuaker]

well, people have mentioned that Maggie looks like Margret Thatcher... that should probably count for something

Huh. I thought she was supposed to be Maggie Smith (who played a wizardess in some series of movies or another...)

But that's an interesting idea too.

[Mathi]

Smart Charles. I also think he is the foolamancer from Faq. When Stanley conquered it he had the tree eyemancers together to get his great spying setup. I checked the flashback to Faq comic but Banhammer seems not to have pupils.

Now Lamguin and Fractal came to some intresting ideas on page one of this threat. About Wanda controlling Stanley by suggestion. Not directly but by implanting ideas in his mind. Wanda could be a reference to the manipulative character in "A fish called Wanda".
Wanda has no real interrest in military things which would explain why she let Stanley blunder until she summoned Parson.

Now I have this little pet theory:

Spoiler

Show

What if Stanley did not attack Faq on his own initiative but under command of king Saline? Saline had a lookamancer and found the defenseless kingdom as a great target for his champion warlord with his dragonflight. Maybe he was lured there by Wanda. He was not a pacifist ruler, as he employed gobwins (classic evil) and used Stanley to win battles against lovable Marbits and Smurfs for him. In Faq Stanley picked up Wanda who was quite bored under Banhammers rule.
From that moment Wanda started manipulating king Saline into making Stanley his heir and the Gobwins into revolting. Maybe she needed the change of command because Stanley was easier to manipulate.
I don't know how this fits into the whole Obidience/Loyalty/Duty setup http://www.giantitp.com/comics/erf0094.html
She has probably a low Loyalty score, and she is probably quite capable of bending the other rules. Or she could somehow be serving Jillian's interrests, she could have chosen herself as a ruler, or maybe she thought it was in Stanleys interest to manipulate him.

[SteveMB]

I also think he is the foolamancer from Faq. When Stanley conquered it he had the three eyemancers together to get his great spying setup.

If the Foolamancer is from Faq, and Stanley implemented his shrewd idea of creating the Eyemancer trio immediately after acquiring him, that would explain why Maggie never learned his name (at most, she would have briefly seen it in his stat block while preoccupied with preparing to cast a major spell).

Now Lamguin and Fractal came to some intresting ideas on page one of this threat. About Wanda controlling Stanley by suggestion. Not directly but by implanting ideas in his mind. Wanda could be a reference to the manipulative character in "A fish called Wanda".

Well, we've known from the beginning that Wanda verbally manipulates him; whether magical manipulation is included (or even possible against a superior*) is unknown.

*While Faq existed, Jillian (the heir) was presumably Wanda's superior; whether that has any effect on matters now is unknown (IMO probably not).

Wanda has no real interrest in military things which would explain why she let Stanley blunder until she summoned Parson.

Parson suspects that Wanda knows more than she lets on about military matters; the fact that she recognized the need to nudge Stanley out of his tried-and-untrue ways seems to bear this out. I suppose it's like non-Croakamancy magicks -- she can deal with it, but prefers not to.

[Mathi]

Well, we've known from the beginning that Wanda verbally manipulates him; whether magical manipulation is included (or even possible against a superior*) is unknown.

*While Faq existed, Jillian (the heir) was presumably Wanda's superior; whether that has any effect on matters now is unknown (IMO probably not).

It could be that Wanda organised everything for the amusement of the sword-happy Jillian .

Spoiler

Show

It is possible that Wanda does not have a real superior. She served under Banhammer, but it doesn't say that she was one of his units.
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/erf0092.html
She could be a witch and just pretend to be under Stanley's command.
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/erf0088.html
For a unit without a side the control over a ruler might be the most power obtainable.

[Laurentio]

I don't know why you hidden your opinion, it seems not a spoiler at all.
Anyway, witches seems to be a race (or, at least, are listed amongs races). But again, maybe that "witch" is for "barbarian wizard".

I'd kill for some more background on FAQ, at this point. Every single person coming from there is crazy, or it's just me?

Laurentio "Jillian is crazy. Period."

[Aquillion]

Wait, why can't Ansom send the Archons after Stanely?

Because Jillian wants to keep the location and existence of Faq a secret, and attacking Stanley under those circumstances would risk revealing.

[zeropsm]

[offtopic]
I was listening to some silverchair songs...and i've just noticed this:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/erf0073.html

"Cmon abuse me more I like it
Cmon keep talking cause its true"
[/offtopic]

btw...i ca't wait to see next page

[Rumex]

I do find it a nice piece of characterization that Stanley can't remember the Foolamancer's name. Stanley seems like the kind of guy who just 'can't be bothered' with details like that... and now it's holding him up.

Part of his immaturity at play.

[SteveMB]

I do find it a nice piece of characterization that Stanley can't remember the Foolamancer's name. Stanley seems like the kind of guy who just 'can't be bothered' with details like that... and now it's holding him up.

Part of his immaturity at play.

It came up as a minor gag when he ordered "Bunghole" to find Parson some suitable quarters.

[El_Chupacabra]

I don't know why you hidden your opinion, it seems not a spoiler at all.
Anyway, witches seems to be a race (or, at least, are listed amongs races). But again, maybe that "witch" is for "barbarian wizard".

I'd kill for some more background on FAQ, at this point. Every single person coming from there is crazy, or it's just me?

Laurentio "Jillian is crazy. Period."

I suspect that the Ruler of FAQ drove all his Warlords and Casters a bit crazy with his philosophy of Nonviolence.

Most likely Jillian and Wanda have some background involving sneaking away for some Leveling on the side and at some point Wanda cast her Loyalty spell on Jillian, to either keep Jillian from defecting to another side (perhaps Banhammer's rule was so onerous it negated Loyalty Rules, so Wanda had to intervene), or possibly Wanda was planning on a Coup at FAQ before it was wiped out (I suspect a strong enough cast may have eventually cracked the Loyalty Rule outright or otherwise allowed for a Coup much like is suspected in Stanley's case).

An unlikely scenario could also be that the Wanda-Jillian spell had some element of Natural Thinkamancy in it, due to their bonding at FAQ in reaction to their leader's marginalization of their skills, so it was tougher to break, and not as damaging to Wanda as a coerced spell would be.

Aside: Am I half asleep here, or was his name Banhammer? Huh. Odd that Stanley -- with his hammer -- would be his downfall.