18/04/09 [PF #60] - Such a pretty blue sky…

[Jairus]

Well, that was dark of Dorcan. Still, he is quite rightfully pissed off. And that's one racist mayor dead by skull crushing. Lovely. Something tells me Yak will not be pleased when he hears of this...

[Tapewolf]

Actually it's page 60, I'm planning to leave the QFR in there.

No, I don't know where Dorcan got the gloves from either.

[Ren Gaulen]

Dorcan: "I have done things you people would not believe.."

[Pagan]

Bloody copout! Still, that's pretty cold of Dork. Good show. But how does Niall condone this? Isn't he a fanatic against the death penalty?

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

"... Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. ... Time to die."

[Tapewolf]

Bloody copout! Still, that's pretty cold of Dork. Good show. But how does Niall condone this? Isn't he a fanatic against the death penalty?

Here we have one crooked mayor who has Creatures hanged on trumped-up charges because he doesn't want his corruption exposed by mind-reading.  Niall isn't fond of killing in any form, but if eliminating the mayor will make the region safer for Creatures, it's a compromise he can live with.

This actually seems to be missing from his cast page, but it is in the Wiki:
"Niall has a keen sense of right and wrong which, in the right circumstances, can manifest itself as a steely determination to ensure that justice is carried out properly, even if it means bending the rules for the greater good. "

[Pagan]

Ah. Well, that makes a bit of sense then. I just didn't expect a fanatic to relent on his ideals.

[Tapewolf]

Ah. Well, that makes a bit of sense then. I just didn't expect a fanatic to relent on his ideals.

He's also a pragmatist.  It might also be pointed out that none of my characters are entirely, 100% good, and the mayor is one of the few who is pretty much 100% evil.

In case anyone's wondering about Dorcan's eyes, they tend to glow faintly in the dark.

[Tezkat]

Funny... I never really got a 100% evil vibe from the mayor. He doesn't seem any more self-righteously anti-Creature than a typical Adventurer. Is prejudice against races who tend to eat you so unusual in that neck of the woods? Even in the text version, the only thing that suggests deeper nastiness is the offhand comment about bribes, and corruption in public office is a rather mundane offence. We basically have to take your word on how evil he really is...


On an unrelated matter, I do like the gloves.

[Tapewolf]

Funny... I never really got a 100% evil vibe from the mayor. He doesn't seem any more self-righteously anti-Creature than a typical Adventurer. Is prejudice against races who tend to eat you so unusual in that neck of the woods? Even in the text version, the only thing that suggests deeper nastiness is the offhand comment about bribes, and corruption in public office is a rather mundane offence. We basically have to take your word on how evil he really is...

There is an assumption that by and large, Creature-Being relations have improved since DMFA.  The legal framework to which Mundathra is subject makes this sort of discrimination unconstitutional, therefore the mayor resorted to essentially framing Dorcan (and others before him) in order to have them executed.  Which I, personally take as being a considerably more heinous offence than the corruption alone.

Now, this kind of political background wouldn't easily fit into the strip.  I tried to make it a bit more obvious this time around, and apparently I didn't do a good enough job.  I'll have to see if I can fix it in chapters 9 and/or 10.

At the end of the day it's quite likely that Niall and Dorcan have their attitudes tainted by their own prejudices, though not as overtly or to such a degree as in the mayor's case.

[Zedd]

But I wanna see the blood 

[Tapewolf]

But I wanna see the blood 

Personally, I think we went overboard with Joshua's death, so no blood this time.

Incidentally, Ren wondered if we should have had him strangle the mayor instead, or break his neck, which is actually what happened in the written version of the story.  Having said that, the original idea was that Dorcan used his increased strength to crush the mayor's head - but I chickened out back then.
I'm still a little confused as to whether we made the right decision in-comic at the end of the day.

[!KCA]

Here we have one crooked mayor who has Creatures hanged on trumped-up charges because he doesn't want his corruption exposed by mind-reading.

What happens to beings that can cast mind-reading spells?

[Tapewolf]

What happens to beings that can cast mind-reading spells?

They disappear, I would imagine.

[Jairus]

Incidentally, Ren wondered if we should have had him strangle the mayor instead, or break his neck, which is actually what happened in the written version of the story.  Having said that, the original idea was that Dorcan used his increased strength to crush the mayor's head - but I chickened out back then.
I'm still a little confused as to whether we made the right decision in-comic at the end of the day.

You can always do a non-canon "The Many Deaths of Mayor Tiandrial," wherein you show off all of his many gruesome deaths and then in a caption reveal that it's set to Yackety Sax. You know, strangled, broken neck, shot with a gun, cubi tentacle blades, hedgehog, Fatality, steamroller... just one panel long. Hm... I wonder if I could do that given my limited drawing skills.

[Tapewolf]

You can always do a non-canon "The Many Deaths of Mayor Tiandrial," wherein you show off all of his many gruesome deaths and then in a caption reveal that it's set to Yackety Sax. You know, strangled, broken neck, shot with a gun, cubi tentacle blades, hedgehog, Fatality, steamroller... just one panel long. Hm... I wonder if I could do that given my limited drawing skills.

That would definitely be non-canon because Dorcan can't shapeshift.  That's something that would probably be online around the mk16 body, but that's not likely to happen within the timeframe of the story.

As for your idea, I'm not sure I want to do it and I've stuffed enough things on Ren's plate as it is.  I guess you're welcome to try drawing it, but don't expect it to appear on the site as fanart if it's too bloody 

[Jairus]

You can always do a non-canon "The Many Deaths of Mayor Tiandrial," wherein you show off all of his many gruesome deaths and then in a caption reveal that it's set to Yackety Sax. You know, strangled, broken neck, shot with a gun, cubi tentacle blades, hedgehog, Fatality, steamroller... just one panel long. Hm... I wonder if I could do that given my limited drawing skills.

That would definitely be non-canon because Dorcan can't shapeshift.  That's something that would probably be online around the mk16 body, but that's not likely to happen within the timeframe of the story.

As for your idea, I'm not sure I want to do it and I've stuffed enough things on Ren's plate as it is.  I guess you're welcome to try drawing it, but don't expect it to appear on the site as fanart if it's too bloody 

*giggles* It'll be filler art for the next time Ren's connection goes down. "Possible alternate endings for comic 60!" No worries, it shouldn't be too bloody.

[Ren Gaulen]

..steamroller...

WRYYYYYY!!

[Jairus]

..steamroller...

WRYYYYYY!!

Dorcan: "Wraaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiii!!!"
Niall: "No, Dorcan, it's "Wryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.""

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

I'm wondering about the hedgehog one, actually.

Hedgehogs aren't usually fatal.

[Jairus]

I'm wondering about the hedgehog one, actually.

Hedgehogs aren't usually fatal.

It happens off-screen. We cut to Niall saying "You killed him with a hedgehog how?!"

[Pagan]

Hmmm... Surprise the hedgehog to get the spines to pop straight out, then use the hedgehog as a bludgeon aimed the head of the mayor? Seems the most efficient way to me. Or just shove a hedgehog really far down his throat.

[Tapewolf]

I'm wondering about the hedgehog one, actually.

I assumed he meant Dorcan exploded into a ball of spikes, thus impaling the mayor.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Hmmm... Surprise the hedgehog to get the spines to pop straight out, then use the hedgehog as a bludgeon aimed the head of the mayor? Seems the most efficient way to me. Or just shove a hedgehog really far down his throat.

They're not really that solid. Beating someone to death with one, whilst unpleasant, probably wouldn't be much more than attempting to beat them to death with a balloon filled with mincemeat. The spines would make some holes, but probably not enough to be fatal before the hedgehog transformed from a small nocturnal rodent into artistic household decorating.

I really feel for the rodent, here.

I assumed he meant Dorcan exploded into a ball of spikes, thus impaling the mayor.

Oh. Yeah, that'd make more sense than what I was imagining. >.<

[Jairus]

Oh, the hedgehog thing was just a joke. You've all put much more thought into how someone could be killed hedgehog-style than I did. To be honest, I was thinking about Nanny Ogg's song "The Hedgehog Can Never Be Buggered At All" at the time.

[Pagan]

They're not really that solid. Beating someone to death with one, whilst unpleasant, probably wouldn't be much more than attempting to beat them to death with a balloon filled with mincemeat. The spines would make some holes, but probably not enough to be fatal before the hedgehog transformed from a small nocturnal rodent into artistic household decorating.

I really feel for the rodent, here.

Quite right. But I think that's about the best method of killing with a hedgehog. Personally, I'd attempt to grapple and strangle than to use a hedgehog. They don't seem to be good weapons.

Rhinos, that's a good mammal to use. So long as you can guide the trampling behemoth.

[Zedd]

Still I wanted to see blood

It fuels my computer!

[Ren Gaulen]

Still I wanted to see blood

It fuels my computer!

..I'll give you petro-rabbits blood.

[Tapewolf]

Still I wanted to see blood

It fuels my computer!

Happy?

[Lisky]

you should go and add a little white spot in the corner... just so someone can ask for a little more