Episode 564: "Oh, there's nothing to be concerned about."

[Kurosen]

I wrote half of this the night before and the other half when I figured out I needed to write more material.

I really liked the use of space and light with Fighter falling through the panel. I probably should've made the light source line up a bit more with the implied hole, but ah well.

[Trixbeat]

Well, this is gonna get interesting... I suppose they're gonna get separated for some time.
And I still can't help noticing that the LW are STILL travelling in the wrong order (i.e. put the mages in front). I also love the traces of Fighter's image as he falls down the hole.

[Skyshot]

I think Brian does that intentionally. Just at theory, though.

So, can anyone make head or tail of the background in the last panel? I sure can't. Is it vegetation or a silhouette of something else?

[Kalbelgarion]

Actually, I didn't even know Fighter dropped down a hole. I thought everything went black, and then Fighter was sucked up by some beam of light.

[PyrosNine]

It's a cave. There's a torch to the left of the falling fighter. So fighter's travelign in the underbelly of an island home to meat hungry dragons, and the team's walking forward without it's muscle, only with the Two mages and a thief?
STBT (sucks to be them)

[NinjaRob]

So, can anyone make head or tail of the background in the last panel? I sure can't. Is it vegetation or a silhouette of something else?
Hm, now that you mention it, it does kind of look like something is in that forest in the last panel (A little bit to the left of Fighter). Well, now I can't wait until the next one to see what it is (If there's anything there).
Any thoughts on where Fighter is being taken (besides the obvious Dragon Empire answer...it might be somewhere else...or to someone else)?

By the way, sorry to everybody for the noobish behavior on my part. I didn't see the new rules about the new comic topics, and I should know better than to post a 1 or 3 word reply. *kicks himself in the back of the head* Won't happen again.

[Digitalguardian]

Actually, I didn't even know Fighter dropped down a hole. I thought everything went black, and then Fighter was sucked up by some beam of light.

A cookie for you. I think I woke up the whole block from laughing.

[Kurosen]

It's supposed to be an underground cave. The background was made of gray rocks, but for some reason they have a green tint to them even though the lighting effect applied in that panel is pure white. Might've been the PNG conversion.

[Skyshot]

Could you post a chunk of the original here, without PNG conversion, so we (I) could see what's going on better?

[Kurosen]

It doesn't take much imagination. The space of the final panel is directly below the second to last panel. It depicts Fighter falling.

[PyrosNine]

Hah! I guessed right! I"M FREAKING PSYCHIC!

Anyone want their fortune told? No? Well, then I'm going to go buy a lottery ticket.

I still found the comic to be full of sarcasm dripping goodness. Kudos Brian.

[netrider6]

Well, this is gonna get interesting... I suppose they're gonna get separated for some time.
And I still can't help noticing that the LW are STILL travelling in the wrong order (i.e. put the mages in front). I also love the traces of Fighter's image as he falls down the hole. He did the same effect for the 'Night fell' joke, Fighter running fom the giant, and many other places.

How DOES he do that? I've tried to replicate it with motion blur or the wind distort in GIMP, but it's just not the same...

[FF3artiste]

Ah yes... a touch of mystery. As always... well done Brian. Can't wait to see Fighter confront Bahamut.

[Sky Warrior Bob]

So, I'm guessing that Fighter was taken in by the Dragons because he's wearing armor given to him by the fire dragon. Am I right, do I get a cookie?

Also, Brian the way you play Shadowrun suggests to me that Paranoia XP might be a RPG to your group's liking. I haven't had a time to sit down & read all the rules & regs yet, but its got a good feel to it from what I've read. And if you've never played Paranoia whatsoever (1st or 2nd edition, and avoid the 5th at all costs) its a dark comedy RPG that encourages its title. PM/e-mail me if you want more info, as a while back I was heavily involved with the on-line Paranoia community, and can point out at least one good 2nd Edition game, as well as a few source materials.

SWK

[Meister]

I wrote half of this the night before and the other half when I figured out I needed to write more material.

I really liked the use of space and light with Fighter falling through the panel. I probably should've made the light source line up a bit more with the implied hole, but ah well.
Whoo... liner notes!

Man, every time Thief says something like "there's nothing to be concerned about, my people know for sure the legends aren't true," it all goes royally down the drain. Giant spiders anyone?

[Skatzo]

Oh yes, loved the giants spider situation.

This had me laughing for a solid 5 minutes
:rmage: Sarda said the dragons would know what to do with us from there
:bmage: I know, That's what worries me.

LOVE that bit! :D

And i agree with netrider6, Brian's effect really is a mystery, one i need to suss out. Overall, brilliant comic

[Barachem]

And I still can't help noticing that the LW are STILL travelling in the wrong order (i.e. put the mages in front).

The order is the worst they could have.
First BM, who is physically the weakest even though he's really tough when needed, and that was a lot of times, including the lung taffy.
Then RM, who's somewhat thougher, but is i fact a real sissy when it comes to taking pain.
Then Thief, who seems moderately resilient, but behaves even more a sissy than RM, i wonder if he was ever actually hurt.
At last Fighter, who's the toughest off them all, most of his hurts came from BM stabbing him, but on average he's the most courageous of them all, like when he took on Kary quadruple-bladedly.

And then Fighter fell down the hole, leaving the task of protector of the LW to BM, as he is the one than sometimes surpasses Fighter's courage by far.
I don't know the day count, but i think BM can handle some dragons with his Hadoken and other spells.
RM could try to be eaten by a dragon and cast Ice on it, or act as a decoy.
Thief's only use is playing decoy.
But it sucks to be them as their main, trustworthy and reusable meatshield is gone.

RM - "Sarda said the dragons would know what to do with us from there."
BM - "I know. That's what worries me."

Sarda proves to be a real bastard trying to get rid of the LW by sending them to the dragons and their godking.
Of course if they succeed in their "quest", Sarda's gonna give them another suicide "quest" and another, until he sends them to battle chaos, as they are expendible, in contrast to the real LW.
Of course, BM knows they're expendible to Sarda and that they pissed him off several times by just bumbling around and not really caring about the "quests" he gave them.
And he understands the dangers of dragons and their godking.
The rest of the LW either are oblivious to this, don't care or just don't believe it.

It's getting clearer and clearer that in the LW, BM is generally the most conscious, alert and intelligent one of them all.
While Fighter has his really bright moments, most of the time, the light is on vacation and he acts stupid.
Thief is also very intelligent, like BM, but he's more concerned about contracts and petty facts, he even chooses to give more thought to elven truths even if it has been repeatedly proven that those are wrong.
He's also very arrogant and egocentric.
RM on the other hand is very imaginative and reasonably intelligent, but he lives in his his own reality, where logic isn't what we know it to be.
He's the oblivious one.

No wonder BM tried to kill them all on the wrong volcano, they just don't match up to his level and seem to slow him down.

But whatever, let's see how this arc progresses.

Edit - I saw your post, Skatzo, and it's weird that in two post the same part is referred to.
And yeah, i like it too, that's why i quoted it.

[Slackbot]

In the game the dragons living underground in the islands were peaceful, and their Boss Guy was the one who promoted the characters after they brought him evidence of their valor in the form of a rat tail.

So, Fighter might be safe, having only fallen through some mild-mannered dragon's ceiling. Or he might assume that the homeowner is a vicious monster and leap into battle mode. Or something completely different might happen.

As for the "blur," I've gotten an effect like that (http://www.c4vct.com/kym/vivisect/art/ddimps.gif) using the wind filter in Photoshop. (The example isn't as smooth because I compressed the crap outta that image.)

[Fenris]

I wonder if the rest of the LW will be separated too. My guess is that BM's separation will involve pie. Thief's will involve gold. RM's will involve experience. Kinda like this. (http://www.nuklearpower.com/daily.php?date=020107)

Or they could just fall into holes like fighter did, you know, the whole holes in the ground to enter the dragon's lair in the original game. My question, how will they split up? There is only two holes maximum in my version of the game (FF1&2 Dawn of Souls for the GBA) so, would it be a 3-1 split, a 2-2 split, or a 4-0 split?

[Digitalguardian]

BM already used his Hadoken:
http://www.nuklearpower.com/daily.php?date=050423
Episode 544: Taking Aim

[MINIGUNWIELDER]

I wonder if the rest of the LW will be separated too. My guess is that BM's separation will involve pie. Thief's will involve gold. RM's will involve experience. Kinda like this. (http://www.nuklearpower.com/daily.php?date=020107)

Or they could just fall into holes like fighter did, you know, the whole holes in the ground to enter the dragon's lair in the original game. My question, how will they split up? There is only two holes maximum in my version of the game (FF1&2 Dawn of Souls for the GBA) so, would it be a 3-1 split, a 2-2 split, or a 4-0 split?
there are like five holes once you enter even one the one that bahumuts in gets on the map and the rest are left off

[konnor]

if it is a split we could get the characters most fond of eachother
bm and theif
rm and fighter
to better know themselves

oh yeah barachem an example of theif getting hurt was when they faced giant numero duo(after getting away from garland)
speaking of which when are we going to see the dark warriors again?
me wanna see bikke! (yar!)

my guess is that rm will take down this dragon
as he has had good experience with previous dragons
plus he has yet to take down a vital villain
theif=lich
fighter=kary
black mage=(i think hes reserved for chaos)
so,
red mage=bahamut/ dragon godking whatever

[Fenris]

there are like five holes once you enter even one the one that bahumuts in gets on the map and the rest are left off

Yes, but they are spread accross different islands. Their airship, if you recall, crashed, and they have no way to repair it.

[PhasmaRok]

my guess is that rm will take down this dragon
as he has had good experience with previous dragons
plus he has yet to take down a vital villain
theif=lich
fighter=kary
black mage=(i think hes reserved for chaos)
so,
red mage=bahamut/ dragon godking whatever

Bahamut's not a villain. Of course, neither was Sarda, in the original game. And we all know how fond of messing with canon Brian is....

[konnor]

never played the game

[Red Mage Black]

Well, I would've thought WM could have her own defeat since she did somewhat return. Bahamut might blaspheme them as the LW's and kick them out or give them what they want.

[Bizzaro_Exdeath]

Transitional comic.

Yeah, I won't lie to you Brian: Though you've made me laugh quite a bit recently, today's comic seemed meant entirely for transition, with less humor. Sure, that Red Mage-Black Mage exchange was cute, but it's the least funny comic I've seen in a while. But I can't wait for the next one.

[Carnivore]

It wasn't supposed to be funny. It was suppose to be a cliffhanger. A plot-comic, if you will.

[Kurosen]

that Paranoia XP might be a RPG to your group's liking.

It would have to be to our liking because Friend Computer says that it is.

[MINIGUNWIELDER]

It would have to be to our liking because Friend Computer says that it is.
Off topic:are you looking forwards to d20 apocalypse because i am.
it reminds me why i liked fallout1&2, it reminded me of that "one person can change the course of destiny for the worst or best" feel that fallout had

now the dragons will probly run away from them thinking their dragon slayers

[MetalPsycho]

BM does seem to be more alert to their plites and problems these days. I have to agree he seems to be becoming the most inteligent of the group, or at least the most constantly intelgent one, not counting Fighter's randome strikes of genious.

The comic was somewhat funny with the Mage exchanging and all, but I wasn't too amused with it. But still, it's a good cliff hanger. Sets up the next one pretty good I'm sure.

[netrider6]

BM does seem to be more alert to their plites and problems these days. I have to agree he seems to be becoming the most inteligent of the group, or at least the most constantly intelgent one, not counting Fighter's randome strikes of genious.

True, the rest don't even seem to notice problems. I think the Dark Warrior pirates were the best example of this.

[Bizzaro_Exdeath]

Ah Yes.

:thief: Black Mage, you and your paranoid delusions. "These are the Dark Warriors." "White Mage likes me." "Thief is trying to rob us of our very souls."

:bmage: Wait, I only think that last one out of fear of you. I've never said it aloud.

:thief: Oh, I steal souls and secrets.

That still makes me laugh.

[netrider6]

Yeah, I still go into fits of laughter at BM's expression in the last panel. That is still one of my favorites. :)

[Sureshot]

I just joined the forums to say that I play the Star Wars tabletop RPG. If you're going to buy one of those pre-made campaign books, Tempest Feud is great. It involves drugs, and killing hutts (not jabba, though).