24/08/12 [DMFA #1332] - Fantastic Racism

[Lying Foo]

Though to say that the Creatures society is completely built around eating people might be a bit of a stretch.

That was in regard to K&K.

You may be jumping to conclusions.  The changeling strategy is certainly not the only reason you might want to bring someone up as a Being.  It's quite likely that 'Cubi hiding out among Beings will want to do this, a'la Dan.  After all, if they can get them accepted by the locals as slightly weird Beings, local adventuring groups are more likely to treat them nice-ish, and the locals will vouch for them.  Yes, it's a little sneaky, but IMHO that would be a fairly good survival strategy.  If your clan has pro-Being sympathies (and I have no idea how common that actually is aside from Jin) I can imagine they'd do something like that too.

I'm going by the fact that the vandal's commentary seems to jump to the same conclusion, since it pretty much only makes sense if the pamphlet is primarily aimed at changelings.

[Tapewolf]

I'm going by the fact that the vandal's commentary seems to jump to the same conclusion, since it pretty much only makes sense if the pamphlet is primarily aimed at changelings.

Perhaps.  But all it's really saying is that they weren't told what they were up-front, not why that was.

[Nino]

Am I the only person who finds the implications of this setting's society to be really, really sinister? Like I'm surprised we don't end up seeing more lynchings or people being nailed to crosses.

Fully extrapolated, so is the Kevin & Kell verse. A society held together by anonymous murder in the name of dietary requirements can only work so long.

Then again, it's not like our own world is completely without these qualities, which I suspect is part of the point.

This strip is a lot like K&K, except it's more open about how sinister it is.

Why even come to the DMFA forums if you're just going to insult it? I guess it could be worse, it could be a Questionable Content comparison.

[joshofspam]

Am I the only person who finds the implications of this setting's society to be really, really sinister? Like I'm surprised we don't end up seeing more lynchings or people being nailed to crosses.

Fully extrapolated, so is the Kevin & Kell verse. A society held together by anonymous murder in the name of dietary requirements can only work so long.

Then again, it's not like our own world is completely without these qualities, which I suspect is part of the point.

This strip is a lot like K&K, except it's more open about how sinister it is.

Why even come to the DMFA forums if you're just going to insult it? I guess it could be worse, it could be a Questionable Content comparison.

I'm not really sure that any of this is in the context of insulting the comic though.

In fact, Amber has been giving us little reminders like these pages, that not everything is nice in this world as the everyday interactions of the Lost Lake Inn's usually shows us.

Shadow governments. Prejudice views on creatures from adventurers. Creatures doing questionable things in the eyes of Beings. Aged enemies not letting go of old grudges and kidnapping people. Propaganda and coverups.

I don't think they make these comparisons and mention of sinister deeds as a form of insult. But more along the lines of mentioning elements of the story that Amber has chosen to expose to us thus far in the story. In fact, I find Jigsaws comment most enlightening on the subject.

[Lying Foo]

Am I the only person who finds the implications of this setting's society to be really, really sinister? Like I'm surprised we don't end up seeing more lynchings or people being nailed to crosses.

Fully extrapolated, so is the Kevin & Kell verse. A society held together by anonymous murder in the name of dietary requirements can only work so long.

Then again, it's not like our own world is completely without these qualities, which I suspect is part of the point.

This strip is a lot like K&K, except it's more open about how sinister it is.

Why even come to the DMFA forums if you're just going to insult it? I guess it could be worse, it could be a Questionable Content comparison.

...is this meant as a joke at Holbrook's (and Jeph's) expense?  Because responding to someone's comparison to a strip they seem to be a fan of with a paragraph expounding how much better it's handled here isn't what I think of as an "insult."

[Pvblivs]

I note that Nitemyste only said that "the creature won't cooperate," not "the creature's analysis of the situation is wrong."  I wouldn't cooperate with someone trying to lynch me.

[Tapewolf]

I note that Nitemyste only said that "the creature won't cooperate," not "the creature's analysis of the situation is wrong."  I wouldn't cooperate with someone trying to lynch me.

I was thinking that too.  "You tried to murder my boss and me for something neither of us have done.  Why should I cooperate?"

[joshofspam]

I note that Nitemyste only said that "the creature won't cooperate," not "the creature's analysis of the situation is wrong."  I wouldn't cooperate with someone trying to lynch me.

I was thinking that too.  "You tried to murder my boss and me for something neither of us have done.  Why should I cooperate?"

Sad thing is, Wildy reluctance and comment about her reputation be used as collateral for Abel life didn't really help in that regard either.

She hinted that her reputation was more valuable then his life. But now she wants Abel to believe her word when not to long ago, his life was worth less then her reputation. Do you trust someones word when they view your life worth so little?

[Lying Foo]

On another note, I'm wondering how true to life Wildy's portrayal of the investigation is.  It doesn't really seem to gel with the intermediary's (I'm sure I remember seeing his name, but I can't find it) attitude the last time we saw him, and it doesn't seem like she'd be present for his report - is this a memory, her imagination, or her summary?

[Gabi]

So I guess it shouldn't be so surprising that cubi that where once adventurers thinking they were beings is a common thing at Saia. After all, Dan did seem to have latent magical capability as a child and magic might come in handy in the Adventurer field of work.

For others, maybe. It wasn't the case with Dan. He wanted nothing to do with magic when he was an adventurer.

And I agree with Drath that immediately assuming a Creature is a murderer just because s/he is a creature is prejudice and stereotypical, even if there are many creatures who don't think twice before killing a Being. Why? Because not all Creatures are like that, and judging someone by race only falls under the definition of prejudice.

Which also means that Drath is now entitled to the use of the plural "we" when expressing this opinion.

[Pvblivs]

On another note, I'm wondering how true to life Wildy's portrayal of the investigation is.

I'm going to go with that being her memory and not that she related any of it.  Even Talsgrove said he had "no love for the little shifterthings."  It is quite likely that adventurers who were, ah, less professional would not care at all.

[Lying Foo]

...pretty sure Talsgrove is the one with the blue hair, who wasn't at the scene.  If their charters come from their team leaders, then who's the "Carlys"?

Back on subject, though, even if he's not keen on Cubi, after that speech to Wildy and jumping down Mack's throat, he's this quick to let it drop?  And again, why would Wildy even be there for this?

[Tapewolf]

Back on subject, though, even if he's not keen on Cubi, after that speech to Wildy and jumping down Mack's throat, he's this quick to let it drop?  And again, why would Wildy even be there for this?

I understood from the rant at the time that his name was Cale, but I could be wrong.  That he was leading the investigation into 'Cubi murders (when most beings would probably not bother) was one of the things which made me wonder at the time whether he was a Taun agent, though that seems to be unlikely now.
Even so, I am a bit surprised at his apparent change of heart since talking to Wildy.

[Pvblivs]

Well, I went with the name I found, which was who Wildy said she was "under."  But I still put it down to a measure of professionalism.  When investigating a scene, you do not raid the fridge.

[Amber Williams]

Cale is a type of adventurer who handles things professionally, but doesn't get personally invested if possible.  So conduct when on the job is important and he has no tolerance for slacking off in that regard. However, the job he was at was about to be taken over by another group who was handling other murders.  Which meant it was no longer his job to bother with.  That the other group has no real plans to investigate deeply and just intend to file this one away may annoy him, but at that point it's none of his business anymore.  The best way to imagine Cale is somewhat like an officer in a crime-ridden city who has a serious case of jade.  And that the job he was on just got taken over by a different department and he realizes they plan to just slack off on it, but it's out of his hands now so why bother with getting upset or invested.

[Plotting]

The best way to imagine Cale is somewhat like an officer in a crime-ridden city who has a serious case of jade.  And that the job he was on just got taken over by a different department and he realizes they plan to just slack off on it, but it's out of his hands now so why bother with getting upset or invested.

Wouldn't racism and prejudice would also play a role at least to some extent? If the murder of Beings was not investigated thoroughly for what ever reason would he still try to not get upset or invested?

[Amber Williams]

In Cale's case, jaded cynicism trumps prejudice.   If there was a murder of beings and Cale was to give up the job to someone else and they were going to not really investigate, he would more likely just shake his head and mutter about the younger generation of adventurer's having no real respect for their work.  But ultimately he would let it go because it is no longer his department.  Cale heavily relies on the "if its not my job, it isn't my problem" mindset, which isn't all that an uncommon a mindset for some adventurer's to have.

[Alondro]

*Charline blehs*  Ugh, using children for coffee?  That would taste terrible!  Now, if you're thinking of using them for mince pies, on the other paw...