14/07/2012 [DMFA #1323] Free party for Wildy!

[Thirty Second Artbomb]

I don't know which is funnier-- Wildy's look of transcendent joy at a real fight, or Genesis's  utter terror.

When I stopped consider the fact that every ferret owner I've known in reality has said that ferret playtime starts when one of them draws blood, the little details like this became that much funnier.

[Balance]

Is Nytemist down for the count? He did get hit pretty hard, and may not have had any creature level buffs on to soak the creature level sucker-punch he got.

Looks like he's still down, so even if he isn't unconscious, he got his bells rung too hard to participate. Abel did punch him so hard that he was knocked right out of his shoes. He's probably lucky that Abel's wing-fist was so big--it spread out the impact. That much force delivered from a more normal-sized fist would almost certainly break bones.

On panel five: note the simiarity of abel's takedown of Skirmish and strip #1257 http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1257.php. That looks like a Lisky(tm) move there. What will he do  afterwords, if he wins?

Not really Abel's style, I think. I imagine he would do something more practical, since the BOB is an actual threat. (If it were a "playful" fight, like his spats with Dan, he might draw on their faces or something, though.)

As to the move itself, it looks like Abel may have an interesting variation on it: in addition to the boot to the head, he's got a wing-hand open behind her. He may be planning to grab her and either smash her into something or throw her across the room with it. In his position, I'd be preparing to fling her at Gen...though that tactic no longer seems to be necessary, due to unholy ferret glee.

For all the talk about cubi being rubbish in a fight due to their emotions, Abel--who appeared to be in a rage when he jumped in--is being remarkably effective. He neutralized one foe with a single punch before they even knew they were in a fight, and he's been holding off two armed, experienced fighters in melee. He even seems to have the upper hand--so to speak--for the moment. Of course, he has a little extra motivation to look out for Alexsi.

[Attic Rat]

This is sort of a revelation. Ferrets are worthy of horror and panic in furrae? I knew that Wildy was some sort of force-of-nature, but not that her entire species is feared. And then she took a course in magic, became a Shaman, and trained with Dan to sharpen her battle-magic.

Considering that Gen needs a crystal to perform her stun spell, Wildy might even be a better battle-mage as well as a better fighter. I almost hope Gen has a trick or two to keep from being swatted like a fly.

[Bruinthor]

Gen will be lucky if Wildy doesn't eat her alive.

[lycaonpictus77]

Weighing in on the Hizell-hired-the-BOB theory, I agree, but with reservations. I definitely think that they were hired by someone, or tricked into this somehow, but I don't know that Hizell is behind it. At least not Hizell himself. Given his treatment of Abel's Clan, he seems more like a "Kill 'em all" type, rather than a "send out beings to take the fall" dude.
I suspect Hizell does have something to do with the cubi murders, BOB or no BOB.

[YawnPB]

Hmm, as for Dan being detected and Abel not it could be more about experience.  Dan was brand new at this transformation and likely a bit sloppy and spilling magic about to a trained magic detector.  Abel would have the tighter control to mask evidence of the shift thus fooling both eyes and magic detectors perhaps?

I do wonder about Nite, if he was the reason they get so close to a target.  He cloaks them in an illusion then Gen uses her stun amulet thing to KO the victim before they even know someone is there. 

Wasn't it mentioned that there was a demon trainer for combat at SAIA?  Abel's wings definitely seem to be more bat-like right now.  His "come at me bro" stance, followed by a rope a dope, into some nasty counters are really quite effective.  He's showing a fair amount of battle strategy.

That isn't Wildy's original tail if I remember right, she had an upgrade done at some point earlier in the comic.  Makes ya wonder what else a being can have augmented with the right cash and connections.  Which considering her family, she has ample access to both.

[Balance]

Hmm, as for Dan being detected and Abel not it could be more about experience.  Dan was brand new at this transformation and likely a bit sloppy and spilling magic about to a trained magic detector.  Abel would have the tighter control to mask evidence of the shift thus fooling both eyes and magic detectors perhaps?

Actually, the difference was more likely that Dan wasn't transformed by cubi shapeshifting like Abel was. He was transformed by magic Abel cast on him. That morphing magic is what Gen and Nite sensed. I would presume that cubi shapeshifting doesn't carry an aura they can spot, and that they were unaware of that fact; it would make sense, as such an aura would be a dead giveaway, and no cubi would ever go undetected for long.

Alternatively, it's possible that they simply didn't check Abel because they "recognized" him as Merlitz.

[Lurkie]

The Mythos clan is Hiata.  Based on Zinith's response to Aniz's conduct it would seem they take unprovoked violence very seriously indeed.

Thank you!  I could not find that reference.  I know it's somewhere in the archives, or perhaps Demonology 101, but I keep missing it.  *grump*

Does Furrae have a Darwin Award?

Hah ha!  If they don't, they should.  I'm sure Amber could come up with some gruesomely hilarious entries. 

It wouldn't surprise me to find that the Powers That Be in Zinvth hire adventuring groups to be their enforcers.  I would guess that Kyle's group is one such.  But it also wouldn't surprise me to find that they get very annoyed with adventurers wandering into their territory and making trouble.  Of course, we don't really know if Lost Lake is within Zinvth's zone of protection or not.  It seems reasonable to me that it is, given that it's an easy walk from Lost Lake to one of the shopping malls in town.  Plus, you can see the skyscrapers of Zinvth from Lost Lake.  But that's still just a guess on my part.

But a short walk outside of Zinvth is enough for your usual "protectors" to start using you as target practice (or at least it was in the seventeenth century).  All the way to Lost Lake?  Not a chance.

True enough, I suppose.  But modern-day Furrae is not 17th century Europe.  They have modern communications -- telephones, television, an Internet-equivalent -- that helps to reduce effective distances.  Also, assuming that Lost Lake is within Zinvth's protection -- which it may not be, I'll admit -- Zinvth is run by Creatures who would be most displeased if their hired flunkies started making the very kind of trouble that Zinvth is supposed to be free of.  Most displeased.  As in, "eat 'em and let the Gods sort 'em out" displeased.

Regardless of that, I think the Blunt Object Brigade is in for a very bad time of it.  Unless they can pull a metaphorical rabbit out of the equally metaphorical hat.  Warp-Aci, anyone?

[Amber Williams]

Also, assuming that Lost Lake is within Zinvth's protection -- which it may not be, I'll admit --

Lost Lake is not a part of Zinvth.  It's land personally owned by the Ti'Fiona family.  So there is no reason for it to be under Zinvth's protections.

[Lurkie]

Thank you, Amber, thank you very much for clearing that up. 

Now we can go on to unsupported speculations in other areas!   

[aserath]

01001001 00100000 01110111 01101001 01110011 01101000 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01101000 01100001 01100100 00100000 01100011 01100001 01101110 01100011 01100101 01110010 00100000 01100010 01101001 01110100 01100011 01101000 00100001 00100001 00100001

[Mao]

01001001 00100000 01110111 01101001 01110011 01101000 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01101000 01100001 01100100 00100000 01100011 01100001 01101110 01100011 01100101 01110010 00100000 01100010 01101001 01110100 01100011 01101000 00100001 00100001 00100001

Ok, 1?  Don't do that.  That's spam and kinda hits on the foreign language rules.  2?  The message you put in there?  You might want to clarify it a bit, given that wishing cancer on someone is pretty harsh and the language you used wasn't really acceptable.

[Ravenscroft]

MAO SUCKER PUNCH!

[Damaris]

Ok, 1?  Don't do that.  That's spam and kinda hits on the foreign language rules.  2?  The message you put in there?  You might want to clarify it a bit, given that wishing cancer on someone is pretty harsh and the language you used wasn't really acceptable.

Be glad Mao got here first. Because I am cranky, and ready to ban someone. That's uncalled for, and now I'm watching you, Aserath.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Ok, 1?  Don't do that.  That's spam and kinda hits on the foreign language rules.  2?  The message you put in there?  You might want to clarify it a bit, given that wishing cancer on someone is pretty harsh and the language you used wasn't really acceptable.

Be glad Mao got here first. Because I am cranky, and ready to ban someone. That's uncalled for, and now I'm watching you, Aserath.

Me, too. I was about to come here and point out the _two_ rules you agreed to that you just broke. At least two. And then instaban.

... Dammit, Mao. You're too quick. ;-]

[Mao]

Yeesh, for once I'm not the one chomping at the bit to ban someone.

[Sofox]

ASCII encryption isn't effective in a place like this where over 100 people can read binary.

[Mao]

ASCII encryption isn't effective in a place like this where over 100 people can read binary.

I'm sure there's more than 4 people.

[Sofox]

Well, at least 101 people anyway.

[Ignuus66]

I'm thinking anyone can read binary with a "little" help  http://www.roubaixinteractive.com/PlayGround/Binary_Conversion/Binary_To_Text.asp
although It does not work on numbers, those you have to decode yourself.

[Mao]

All well and good, but one shouldn't have to when on the forum.  Though I admit I used an app to translate it as well... mostly because I'm too lazy to do that math *and* go find the lookup tables.  I did that stuff back in Uni, I'm done doing it unless I need to do it for work.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Yeesh, for once I'm not the one chomping at the bit to ban someone.

... Who are you, and what have you done with Mao? ;-]

[Mao]

... Who are you, and what have you done with Mao? ;-]

I don't know, but I hope you'll get along with this newly installed Mao 2.0.