1-6-07: Cold...dark

[thegayhare]

*Devin floats above his body a skeletal rat holding him in place thread of his soul*
Squeek
Devin "Err your not who I was expecting,  I thought you'd be taller."
Squeek

*off in the distance you hear shouting and scuffles as a pink ghost bunny drags a struggling Xander into the frame.  The puppy's halo is askew, his robes are ruffled, and his harp has a broken string or two.  he stops stunned to see Devin*

Xander  "Devin I didn't expect to see you so soon"
Devin "Xander I... I... "

*they run together and embrace with a kiss.  The ghost bunny smiles down at the bone rat*

TGH "See I told you it was worth sticking around for"

[AndersW]

I am going to quote Devin from comic #52

"But there comes a point where you either let yourself get lost in feeling bad ... or you do something about it.  You just get ... tired of being angry and blaming yourself for something you had no control over.  And you move on."

[Kibin]

I'm trying to think of a fantasy-based story or game that involves magic but does not involve mana (or magic points or whatever).

Warlocks in D&D do not use mana or magic points. They can use their spells every second of a day, and not run out of power.

Better late to be answered than never answered...

[Tapewolf]

I'm trying to think of a fantasy-based story or game that involves magic but does not involve mana (or magic points or whatever).

I think the concept of mana in fantasy was coined by the SF author Larry Niven in his 1969 short story "Not Long Before The End" and extended somewhat in the wonderful 1972 short "What Good Is A Glass Dagger?".

I'd be very interested to know of any earlier references or counterexamples in modern fiction (or indeed, anything pre-1900).  I don't think any of Moorcock's Elric stories (1963-1989?) had anything of the sort.  IIRC the ability of a spellcaster was throttled by their endurance, so a powerful spell was a heavy drain on the caster and they would need time to recover afterwards, but the actual energy source itself was infinite.

I don't really know how DMFA works in that regard.

[Eibborn]

Likewise in Tolkien's Lord of The Rings. But that's beside the point.
What this post is really about is the way that Glory will arrive, after chasing off the creature (or possibly escaping or killing it) to find Abel sitting there with his brand new head-wings. She doesn't exactly seem to like the one set of wings she's seen. I wonder how she'll react to this new pair?

[Tapewolf]

What this post is really about is the way that Glory will arrive, after chasing off the creature (or possibly escaping or killing it) to find Abel sitting there with his brand new head-wings. She doesn't exactly seem to like the one set of wings she's seen. I wonder how she'll react to this new pair?

IMHO he's likely to sit there for some time crying for Devin and Xander.  Do you think that might help any?

[Alan Garou]

Alas, Devin has passed into the Great Beyond.
May his soul find peace, and float with Xander's.
He will live on in his loved ones.
Rest in Peace.

[martinjh99]

Guys - There's no way he's living.  Check out all the blood thats on the ground in the last panel.  Unless there is something that can resurrect him he's outta here!

(Newish guy here - Probably 1st post on this forum...  Lurk a lot rather than post - Been reading DMFA for ages now!!  May have posted on the old forum can't remember!)

[superluser]

I think the concept of mana in fantasy was coined by the SF author Larry Niven in his 1969 short story "Not Long Before The End" and extended somewhat in the wonderful 1972 short "What Good Is A Glass Dagger?".

I'd be very interested to know of any earlier references or counterexamples in modern fiction (or indeed, anything pre-1900).

This is where the OED comes in quite handy.  The word itself goes back to 1843 (based off of a Maori word which is presumably much older), but not in the way that I meant it.  Even as late as 1975, it was being used as a synonym for charisma.

On the other hand, in 1924, Selbie made a reference to a ``mana-charged object,'' and there are references in 1877 and 1910 that look like they might refer to mana as a transferrable magical quantity.  Alas, I don't think that I can find the original sources online.

Edit: the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica (p.306, vol.17) states the following:

``Mana in Melanesia is a force, a being, an action, a quality, or a state; it is transmissible and contagious''

This doesn't indicate if it's depletable, so mana in this sense may be like an infection, where just because I give you my illness doesn't mean that I lose mine.

(n.b. I lost my loupe, so my eyes are kinda hurting right now)

IIRC the ability of a spellcaster was throttled by their endurance, so a powerful spell was a heavy drain on the caster and they would need time to recover afterwards, but the actual energy source itself was infinite.

Well, OK.  That resolves to the same thing--the creatures can't just sit around casting magic all day.  They'll get tired, and thus they'll wait for a clear shot, or walk around to confront the victim.

A thought occurs--how old is the creature council?  What if this is the incident that causes the creature council to come into being?

As to warlocks, they're actually using invocations, not spells.  I suspect that that's a little like Discworld witches, who I suspect can sit around practicing headology all day.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

This is where the OED comes in quite handy.  The word itself goes back to 1843 (based off of a Maori word which is presumably much older), but not in the way that I meant it.  Even as late as 1975, it was being used as a synonym for charisma.

The Maori word translates, roughly, as "respect"

Make of that what you will.

[Zedd]

just on an off-note, i wonder what furrae's resident "Grim Reaper" looks like?

A green bunny with some anger issues.

Im hoping its not my green bunny your talking about...Cause my bunny is calm at times....

[Manawolf]

Know, it would be another cameo, with a possibly a little noseless kid tagging along behind him.

[Alondro]

Guys - There's no way he's living.  Check out all the blood thats on the ground in the last panel.  Unless there is something that can resurrect him he's outta here!

Hmm... unless Devin was in "Bleach", in which case he could fill a stadium with blood and STILL have enough for the next dozen fights in each episode.  Seriously, those characters must be nothing but blood-filled bags of skin.  

[Manawolf]

That's actually a staple of Japanese Samurai anime and movies.  Everyone in those is filled with enough blood to supply Red Cross for a year.

[superluser]

That's actually a staple of Japanese Samurai anime and movies.  Everyone in those is filled with enough blood to supply Red Cross for a year.

Remember the pit from Army of Darkness?

You actually have something like six quarts of blood.  Assuming a rather hard turf, this might be as little as a pint or quart of blood, which I think might be plausible.

[GabrielsThoughts]

Finally! to drag out ten seconds well into two weeks was enough... so, do the headwings work like regular antenna and pick up analog, digital, and psychic?

[Zedd]

Finally! to drag out ten seconds well into two weeks was enough... so, do the headwings work like regular antenna and pick up analog, digital, and psychic?

Hmm it would seem so...Course we dont know much of the headwings

[Azlan]

Poor Devin.

[thegayhare]

Finally! to drag out ten seconds well into two weeks was enough... so, do the headwings work like regular antenna and pick up analog, digital, and psychic?

Of course now adays most cubi young are born cable ready

[Manawolf]

But then they'd be stuck to the wall.  Satellite, that's the way to go.

And so, we see why it is essential to have a good healer on hand at all times for any adventuring party.  Lots of people of today die in transit to a hospital, how long do you think they'll be lasting in that day and age (the time of Abel's Story).

[AmigaDragon]

I'm trying to think of a fantasy-based story or game that involves magic but does not involve mana (or magic points or whatever).

Warlocks in D&D do not use mana or magic points. They can use their spells every second of a day, and not run out of power.

Better late to be answered than never answered...

IIRC, in AD&D energy wasn't a limitation to the mage, but once a spell was cast, the caster had to rememorize it to cast again unless using an enhancing spell (mnemonic enhancer) to make it more persistent in his/her memory. Otherwise just like casting it from a scroll, the spell disappears from the storage media.

[Angel]

(appears wearing naught but black - as well as black makeup applied heavily enough to make an Egyptian jealous, and an appropriately mournful expression)

I can't believe I forgot to post on this topic till now. As to Devin's death... Beh. I guess I expected it, but damn. I really wanted to give him a hug to save him from those self-deprecating thoughts about his mom being right. And of course he'll be remembered when he's gone (I can read tiny font). But that last bit about Xander....

(sniffs, and her makeup starts to run) Oh censor... here I go...

I need a hug... again...

[Artanis]

IIRC, in AD&D energy wasn't a limitation to the mage, but once a spell was cast, the caster had to rememorize it to cast again unless using an enhancing spell (mnemonic enhancer) to make it more persistent in his/her memory. Otherwise just like casting it from a scroll, the spell disappears from the storage media.

I always thought spell text vanishing was a stupid limitation method. Forgetting the spell slightly less so, one could at least make the argument that all or part of the power that forms the spell was derived from the actual memory or time spent learning the spell. But seriously, who writes down valuable information like spell chants in temporary ink?
Spell limitations like that make me think that it might just be easier to make such spells true consumable items, a gemstone charged with power or something, activate to cast its spell, and it either dusts itself or requires a recharge before further use.

[ShiningShadow]

If in this world of Furae maybe there is a spell that is regen the wound for a time till a healer like Glory will do maybe Abel has this ability. I don't know anymore and I will not go any further with my speculations until they are done. I will say this *Devin sometimes you are a Asshole sometimes but you are a truly good friend in the end.*

[Jinni]

poor Devin, he didnt even get to finish his last thoghts  and poor Abel, he must be so confused and scared, i just wanna hug hum

[Turnsky]

poor Devin, he didnt even get to finish his last thoghts

i think were it not a more serious comic than the DMFA proper, Devin's last words could've been "it hurts and stings!"

(sorry amber, i so hadta quote EOI on this one  )

but either way, if things get any worse for able, he's gonna have a full on nervous breakdown, methinks

[Sunblink]

i think were it not a more serious comic than the DMFA proper, Devin's last words could've been "it hurts and stings!"

*nearly sprays her computer monitor with root beer*

Oh my God, you just made my Monday, Turnsky. X3

*goes back to cuddling her Devin and Xander plushies*

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[ShiningShadow]

I will wait till tomorrow for what and the if's in the next episode of Abel.

[thegayhare]

  Seriously, those characters must be nothing but blood-filled bags of skin.   

sopunds like a vampires wet dream

[Brunhidden]

according to the inverse laws of anime all humans contain roughly twenty gallons of blood kept at high pressure. this explains why it sprays across such great distances at the slightest cut.

im glad my blood is about the consistancy of cold molasses, they look so goofy with the spraying and spraying and teh why in the name of a merciful lord havent i died yet and spraying and spraying.

Iiiiits PANKCAKE TIME!