09/07/2012 [DMFA #1322] - Fortunately not a Dragon

[Tapewolf]

If they're the ones going around murdering 'Cubi, they're going to be in a certain amount of trouble.  i.e. the group of adventurers now hunting them.

[RandomMetaphysics]

I believe someone in the thread for the previous comic suggested these guys were the culprits. Kudos!

Ok so... we have a group of  four experienced adventurers. An illusionist (who got master-suckerpucnhed), a warrior, an archer, and a water mage. Each of which are, according to Merlitz, pretty famous.

Even assuming Nite is KO'ed, Abel still has a decent fight ahead of him.

If they're the ones going around murdering 'Cubi, they're going to be in a certain amount of trouble.  i.e. the group of adventurers now hunting them.

They may indeed be, judging by what Peg and Nite said.

[Feather Dancer]

Trial by the blunt object brigade strikes again, although Abel is the one starting it this time.

He sure loves dem sucker punches.

[e_voyager]

it was just a decent guess based on what they said in the past and nymsyt being after merlitz for a boyfriend as it were. i wonder what they'll do when they find out they attacked an innocent being and shaman (aka Widly san) shows up.

he's a sucker punch champ and his life is on the line you know., only merlitz does it better

[Tapewolf]

They may indeed be, judging by what Peg and Nite said.

What doesn't wash with it is that previously, they were all "Being 'Cubi isn't a crime".  Why would they then go around murdering them (with wife and child, no less)?  If they believed they were doing a public service, they would have left some way of claiming credit rather than clandestine assassinations.
Though I am rather concerned that they appeared to be intending to kill Alexsi if she had sprouted wings.

Still, casual racism aside with Wildy's group, it's kind of reassuring that it's apparently being treated as a serious investigation, one where "But they were 'Cubi!" won't get you out of a murder rap.

EDIT: And whether or not they're responsible, Wildy is liable to assume they are.

[Grey Wolf]

*Exhales a sigh of relief*

I'm in too good a mood not to give these guys the benefit of the doubt. Plus, I'd hope Merlitz it a better judge of character than to hang out with a bunch of murderers.
Though I have to admit... Things are looking pretty bad for them. Best they explain themselves before Abel decides to use a move or two that he learned the few times he didn't skip Destania's class.

[Brunhidden]

let us note cannon thusfar

-cubi are not known for hand-to-hand prowess, they rely mostly on trickery and manipulating individuals and cant even handle the minds of a group efficiently enough

2. these are presumed to be seasoned adventurers who have not died of acute incompetence yet. two and a half of which seem to be hand-to-hand specialists

yellow.  Abel has not taken most of the more 'core' classes in cubidom that would actually, you know, be of use here. he is fighting mostly on impulse using tricks he knows well but aren't designed for this. just look at his face, he knows hes going to get sworded pretty badly and its only two seconds into the fight

B. wildy is trained as a shaman, even if she does not have her bonk stick and robe. jyrras likely does not take his incredible edible deliciousness anywhere without some kind of either death ray or pocket mech suit. this looks to be a duel between parties in a moment

@- does dan have instant teleportation down yet? he IS trained in hand to hand combat and is quite knowledgeable as to adventurer party tactics, he is likely to be devastating assuming he is not asked to sign autographs by the party

[Ignuus66]

Would be a good time to Get out your mining and farming devices Jyrras. Also I think Abel seems REALLY Pissed.

Interesting how abel seems to use his wings as boxing gloves, and considering he managed to beat Dan in hand-to-hand and is around 30x stronger with his wings, I'd say he will stand a fair chance against these 3. Not to mention there are re-enforcements coming. I would not be surprised if when Alexsi wakes up she will have her hammer ready.

EDIT: Oh and it's actually 2v1 considering Abel is immune to elements (was mentioned earlyer) and Genesis is a water mage.
He might actually win.

[Wanderer]

What doesn't wash with it is that previously, they were all "Being 'Cubi isn't a crime".  Why would they then go around murdering them (with wife and child, no less)?  If they believed they were doing a public service, they would have left some way of claiming credit rather than clandestine assassinations.
Though I am rather concerned that they appeared to be intending to kill Alexsi if she had sprouted wings.

That's the odd thing. They were perfectly willing to leave her alone before, no matter what she was, because she wasn't causing any harm. What's caused that change?

[Madmann135]

The land is owned by the Ti'Fiona family, Alexsi Ti'Fiona is alive and well and holds the deed to the land, Dan Ti'Fiona is a cubi who is a former adventurer and skilled in combat (and that is a lot of and's.)  These guys are trespassing, attacking the land-owner and as one of the tenets is coming to said land-owner's defense... no matter how you look at it the adventurer group is in the wrong.  Abel does know combat but by the looks of it, in a real combat situation where Dan would most likely excel Abel would have a hard time.  Real combat situation being life and death scenario like this one. 

Still I am going to root for cookies and cream because he is the good guy in this situation.

Random question... why is just about everyone not wearing shoes?

[joshofspam]

Whoo, saved at the last minute.

Abel seems to be using his wings less in a flashy way and trying to use them as a simple extension of his fists. I wonder what other things Abel will do here?

We do know that from his cast page, he is considered a top student and he has thrown Dan around rather easily once. I'd guess that these people only have numbers on their side and only come up even in skill (if that).

This whole thing has me thinking back to what happened to Mink's mother. Cubi doing all sorts of good and an adventure gets a party for killing her. Rather suspicious that they change their tune and come back to kill her here. Maybe their being less of Adventurer's and more of mercenaries right now.

[Tapewolf]

These guys are trespassing, attacking the land-owner and as one of the tenets is coming to said land-owner's defense... no matter how you look at it the adventurer group is in the wrong.

It seems pretty clear, just from the first few panels that they were intending to behead Alexsi if she had sprouted wings.  Whether or not they were responsible for the other killings (and this looks a lot like the incubus killing - Talliopa may be unrelated), I'd say they're looking at attempted murder at the very least.

I could be wrong, but I think that 'Cubi eyes tend to go funny when they've gone into emotion-only mode (e.g. Aniz, Dan).  I think Abel's still mostly in control of himself.  It's also worth pointing out that he knows where most 'Cubi go wrong.

I still am a little concerned that he probably hasn't put any of this stuff to a real-life test, but remember that he was planning to kill his father, who convincingly posed as an adventurer and may in fact have saved Abel's village on at least one occasion.  IMHO it's a fairly good bet that he knows what he's doing, and again - he is liable to have reinforcements.  Whereas whoever did the incubus murder waited until even the wife and child were out of the picture.

[Turnsky]

y'know as soon as wildy pops up there'll be hell to pay.


or when Alexsi wakes up... 

[Ignuus66]

or when Alexsi wakes up... 

Stop. hammertime *ohohoh*

(for those who dont know, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbKAaSf6e10 )

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

I note nobody else has said anything about Genesis yet.

Awesome response there. Just... awesome. >.<

[joshofspam]

I note nobody else has said anything about Genesis yet.

Awesome response there. Just... awesome. >.<

Wellllllllll...if her response is any indication, I wonder if she even remembers Abel?

Still to have Nite be "Rock him socked him" by Abel like that makes the the whole thing at the end with Genesis totally hilarious.

[Mao]

She just looks so *proud* of herself. XD

[MT Hazard]

(Readers collectively sigh with relief)

And everybody thought it was a real threat, rather than the blunt object brigade. Still won't want to be them when a certain two people come back from their trip.

Is it just me or is Gen 'less' than in her previous appearances?

[lilpuppy23]

Yay! Fight scenes

[ChaosMageX]

I wonder if Pegasus is a cubi, considering he had digitigrade legs in his first appearance,
and he had black hoof-like hands with three digits on each in his next appearance, similar to Kria and Aliph,
but now he has plantigrade legs and furry hands with four digits on each.

I mean, one would think his teammates would notice subtle changes in his hands and feet in order to give himself different levels of dexterity and balance to adapt to different combat situations.  Then again, judging by their previous behavior, they might just be incompetent and/or oblivious enough to disregard such small details.

Honestly, from their prior comments in this appearance and their last, and Pegasus's comments now, it would appear that Pegasus seems to be the most knowledgeable on cubi in their group so far, and he's the one in the group who's currently hesitant about killing them.  I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he was really a cubi himself.

[Arcblade]

Crap.  Don't die, Abel!  (Seriously, I know he has some of Destania's fighting moves, but that's a group of adventurers.).

[Farry]

A possibility occurred to me after I looked at the referenced strips. Although they appeared not to notice at the time, might these adventurers have (later) realized that the "Merlitz" that they met at the inn was not Merlitz but a cubi (although Genesis was evidently unaware of that in her second appearance at the inn)? And might they then jump to the conclusion that Merlitz must therefore have been murdered? Are they now on a revenge mission? Might they have decided that all cubi are too dangerous to live if they can replace people so easily, or are the other murders unrelated?

[Tapewolf]

Crap.  Don't die, Abel!  (Seriously, I know he has some of Destania's fighting moves, but that's a group of adventurers.).

Well, we'll have to see, but assuming they're the same group that did the incubus, their attacks seem to have consisted of sneaking up while their target is completely alone and quickly murdering them.  If Alexsi is typical they stun them first.  They might not be quite so capable against a conscious foe backed up by several allies.

EDIT: Don't forget that Abel was planning to go head-on against a 'Cubi adventurer (i.e. his father).  I imagine he has some vague idea of what he's doing.

[Ryy Lazurus]

Wildy is most likely right behind Abel, I think Jyrras will scoot off for help, Alexi looks more stunned than out for the count (meaning I strongly forsee a "Stop! Hammer time!" moment) and dear old Mab should be due back pretty soon.

Heaven and Hell help those adventurers when Ducky enters the frey.

[Ignuus66]

Crap.  Don't die, Abel!  (Seriously, I know he has some of Destania's fighting moves, but that's a group of adventurers.).

well he already probably knocked 1 out and genesis is probably useless without her magic, which brings it down to 2 people, and abel has re-enforcements, sooo I would not be worried,

I wonder if Pegasus is a cubi, considering he had digitigrade legs in his first appearance,
and he had black hoof-like hands with three digits on each in his next appearance, similar to Kria and Aliph,
but now he has plantigrade legs and furry hands with four digits on each.

I mean, one would think his teammates would notice subtle changes in his hands and feet in order to give himself different levels of dexterity and balance to adapt to different combat situations.  Then again, judging by their previous behavior, they might just be incompetent and/or oblivious enough to disregard such small details.

Honestly, from their prior comments in this appearance and their last, and Pegasus's comments now, it would appear that Pegasus seems to be the most knowledgeable on cubi in their group so far, and he's the one in the group who's currently hesitant about killing them.  I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he was really a cubi himself.

Conspiracies, conspiracies everywhere (Remember that cubi are really rare, and I'd just say he is the most reasonable of the 4.)

[joshofspam]

I wonder if Pegasus is a cubi, considering he had digitigrade legs in his first appearance,
and he had black hoof-like hands with three digits on each in his next appearance, similar to Kria and Aliph,
but now he has plantigrade legs and furry hands with four digits on each.

I mean, one would think his teammates would notice subtle changes in his hands and feet in order to give himself different levels of dexterity and balance to adapt to different combat situations.  Then again, judging by their previous behavior, they might just be incompetent and/or oblivious enough to disregard such small details.

Honestly, from their prior comments in this appearance and their last, and Pegasus's comments now, it would appear that Pegasus seems to be the most knowledgeable on cubi in their group so far, and he's the one in the group who's currently hesitant about killing them.  I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he was really a cubi himself.

Conspiracies, conspiracies everywhere (Remember that cubi are really rare, and I'd just say he is the most reasonable of the 4.)

Reasonable and probably most intelligent. Though going by the rest of the group, that isn't such a big hurdle to get over.

[Amber Williams]

I wonder if Pegasus is a cubi, considering he had digitigrade legs in his first appearance,
and he had black hoof-like hands with three digits on each in his next appearance, similar to Kria and Aliph,
but now he has plantigrade legs and furry hands with four digits on each.

I mean, one would think his teammates would notice subtle changes in his hands and feet in order to give himself different levels of dexterity and balance to adapt to different combat situations.  Then again, judging by their previous behavior, they might just be incompetent and/or oblivious enough to disregard such small details.

Sorry. The resulting changes are more due to style drift than anything actually continuity.    Considering the last time I drew him was in 2006, it should be assumed that any changes (and the fact his teamates don't seem phased by this) is more just due to me drawing him differently than anything significant.

[YawnPB]

Whee tis my first post.  Would miss Amber be doing a small Devo plug?  Instead of whip it good, tis punch it good?

Hopefully for Abel's sake he has overcome his phobia of blood as well.  It's a fight, there will be blood spilt weather it is his or theirs.  Regardless of how good of a fighter he is, being incapacitated by a phobia doesn't bode well around the smash & beheading gang there.

[Thrawn]

Interesting that part of the attacking party is Skirmish, who was Alexsi's "sister" on Furcadia...

[Mrs_A_ZeTavia]

Well my brain is functioning again and while I don't know Abel's full experience when it comes to fighting, as we haven't seen him in a full on fight yet; I hope that he comes out this scuffle alright.

I'm just looking forward to see if Wildy will jump into the fray herself, for that would definitely be a site to see!

Popcorn anyone?