14/09/12 [DMFA #1336] - Cue the masterpiece theatre music

[Wanderer]

  ...Wow. However this turns out, I'm declaring this a crowning moment of awesome, and I think Jyrras has just earned some serious badass points.

[Lurkie]

Indeed.  His penultimate line ranks up there with "This is your first, last, and only warning," and "I do not make threats."  Oh yeah.

As for his weapon, I'll go along with the "coil-gun using a magical power supply" theory.  Probably using room temperature superconductors for the coils.  The ammunition?  Possibly solid steel, but I'd guess not.  Rather, it's two-piece: a steel cup for a base, which serves to be propelled by the magnetic fields, and holds a high-density core, possibly tungsten.   (Tungsten is a lot denser than iron.)  I would guess that the projectiles travel at just under the speed of sound, since there was no CRACK! like there would be from a supersonic bullet.  Your basic high-tech flechette gun.  Where can I buy one? 

[Jasae Bushae]

An idle thought though, given his comment about ammunition, how many bullets could that thing hold? im guessing it cant be pure magic if it has a limited ammunition...

On another note, i just now noticed the inky dinky hole on the gun barrel~ guns may have changed in recent years but as far as i knew, for handguns the end part is generally just the barrel.
Going by the curious design, could that be some hint as to how the gun works?  *has only ever handled bolt action rifles*

[Eli_In_Chains]

An idle thought though, given his comment about ammunition, how many bullets could that thing hold? im guessing it cant be pure magic if it has a limited ammunition...

On another note, i just now noticed the inky dinky hole on the gun barrel~ guns may have changed in recent years but as far as i knew, for handguns the end part is generally just the barrel.
Going by the curious design, could that be some hint as to how the gun works?  *has only ever handled bolt action rifles*

Modern handguns are mainly the barrel at the end, however the slide and such (not really a gun guy, don't quote me on terminology) do take up quite a bit of room around it. Even so, the barrel would normally be a much larger caliber than Jy's pea shooter.

Something, though, that makes me hesitant to consider the possibility of it being a magnetic coil gun is that a ferromagnetic round would have much less kinetic energy than a lead round, and with such a small caliber even less so.

Hardly, Kinetic energy is 1/2 mv^2. You could more than make up for the lost energy due to mass with a the speed that an electromagnetic gun offers. I personally would lean for a coilgun over a railgun because railguns would wear out pretty quickly by comparison, but that's just my opinion.

The speed an electromagnetic gun offers isn't applicable in this situation, given that there was no supersonic crack as others have pointed out. That would put its kinetic force at significantly less than a modern handgun's bullet, which uses a more massive round (lead of sizable caliber) and has a supersonic muzzle velocity.


And hold it, wasn't I the one that said he didn't want to dissect the moment of awesome?

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

One thing thinking about how the gun works I've come to wonder about is the application of pocket spaces that we've seen used in Furrae.

Could their be more to that gun then what we see because a large percentages is in another Dimension?

That opens up a whole nother idea.


How about having the mag elsewhere? So... there aren't any bullets in his magazine, because they're in a pocket dimension elsewhere. So he has zero more shots in the gun itself... but can pull the trigger heaps more times, because the huge wall of bullets are elsewhere.


Hrm. That puts another light on his line at the bottom, too. Oooo.

[TacticalError]

One thing thinking about how the gun works I've come to wonder about is the application of pocket spaces that we've seen used in Furrae.

Could their be more to that gun then what we see because a large percentages is in another Dimension?

That opens up a whole nother idea.


How about having the mag elsewhere? So... there aren't any bullets in his magazine, because they're in a pocket dimension elsewhere. So he has zero more shots in the gun itself... but can pull the trigger heaps more times, because the huge wall of bullets are elsewhere.


Hrm. That puts another light on his line at the bottom, too. Oooo.

If the bullets are being stored in bulletspace, I guess that means the BOB have enough time for a beer and a chat before they have to get out of there.

[Turnsky]

One thing thinking about how the gun works I've come to wonder about is the application of pocket spaces that we've seen used in Furrae.

Could their be more to that gun then what we see because a large percentages is in another Dimension?

That opens up a whole nother idea.


How about having the mag elsewhere? So... there aren't any bullets in his magazine, because they're in a pocket dimension elsewhere. So he has zero more shots in the gun itself... but can pull the trigger heaps more times, because the huge wall of bullets are elsewhere.


Hrm. That puts another light on his line at the bottom, too. Oooo.

conceivably, if one were to take the idea that it's akin to a EMag weapon (electromagnetic; railguns, coilguns, etc etc) and with the size of the barrel, as well as the handgrip (using Jy's hand as a guide) i'd say roughly thirty rounds (give or take 5).

But that's using contemporary style "spring loaded" magazines for a guide, Mass effect for example used an actual BLOCK of material which the projectile was shaved off and used.

[Prroul]

Don't worry about Comic 1337, Amber. Jy-jy's got ya covered. I think he rather personified it in this strip.

I do like the subtlety to Jyrras's threat, though. The longer the pause, the more BOB has to worry, because clearly, the more ammo Jyrras has. Thus the longer the standoff, the more likely BOB is going to realize that his ammo capacity is sufficient to mow them all down.

Of course, once you bring magic into the equation, n-dimensional 'clips of holding' are also possible... he really could have enough ammo to mow down a small army. Just don't put one in a Portable hole... Bad Things happen when you do that.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

I do like the subtlety to Jyrras's threat, though. The longer the pause, the more BOB has to worry, because clearly, the more ammo Jyrras has. Thus the longer the standoff, the more likely BOB is going to realize that his ammo capacity is sufficient to mow them all down.

... ten minutes later. "Erm. Guys? We really should move."

>.<

[Talis Mahn]

Hmmm, My other magazine is a T.A.R.D.I.S.

[TacticalError]

I do like the subtlety to Jyrras's threat, though. The longer the pause, the more BOB has to worry, because clearly, the more ammo Jyrras has. Thus the longer the standoff, the more likely BOB is going to realize that his ammo capacity is sufficient to mow them all down.

The sight of bullets coming from that pistol like a machine gun would be glorious. Never enuff dakka.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Hmmm, My other magazine is a T.A.R.D.I.S.

You, sir, win an Internet. ;-]

[Naldru]

Nobody seems to be considering the possibility of explosive rounds or other non-kinetic impact devices.  Really high velocity bullets have a problem in that can go through the target without creating much damage unless they hit a critical body part like an artery or the heart.

[Eli_In_Chains]

It could be a variant of a hollowpoint round, which would disperse a lot more of the force inside the target and do a lot more damage. But with such a small caliber, I don't know how feasible it would be to implement; a tumbling round would work better in that regard.

[ishidan]

I do like the subtlety to Jyrras's threat, though. The longer the pause, the more BOB has to worry, because clearly, the more ammo Jyrras has. Thus the longer the standoff, the more likely BOB is going to realize that his ammo capacity is sufficient to mow them all down.

The sight of bullets coming from that pistol like a machine gun would be glorious. Never enuff dakka.

Or variable-yield.

In a blood rage from his wounded ear, Pegasus growls a low vulgarity and charges.
A blur as Jyrras spots the threat, thumbs the small azure gem inset into his weapon, swivels,  and pulls the trigger.

This time, the trigger pull is rewarded with the lightning-strike flash of a muzzle report, and the thunderclap of a supersonic round going downrange--for a fraction of a second, as the round has only a score of feet in the air.  To the B.O.B, the closest thing their magically-oriented experience tells them is, "Electromancer!"
The result, however, is unlike anything a ward against blue-magicks protects against.  The sliver of metal strikes the clasp on Pegasus's battle harness, bends into a grotesque shape while turning the clasp into razor-sharp shards, and keeps going.  Following a chaotic path as it encounters dense muscle and bone, the "pop" as it punctures a lung is lost in the rolling thunder of the shot itself.  Stopped dead in his tracks by surprise, Pegasus looks down and claps his hooves over the hole, his shoulders sagging in shock.  His attempt to take a sharp breath creates the most unwelcome sensation of wind passing through his fingers, and full realization hits.  Their clasp gone, his shoulder pauldrons begin to slip off.   Pauldrons and knees hit the ground in the same instant, as Pegasus's mind races to remember the formula for Cure Serious Wounds.

"The first shot was low power.  That was medium."  A small yellow thumb touches what is now a small yellow gem--and with a thin, high whine, the gem-blue only seconds ago-turns vermilion.  "Now it's on high."

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

I had two thoughts, here. Just to put the cat amongst the pigeons.

One, Jyrras is bluffing. He has no more ammo at all, because he didn't expect to have to use it.

Two, Jyrras has no more ammo, because the gun coalesces the rounds out of the air as needed.



I leave it to you to decide which is the scarier proposition...

[Tapewolf]

Two, Jyrras has no more ammo, because the gun coalesces the rounds out of the air as needed.

Ooh, I like the second idea.  You could make it run on water vapour and freeze it into shards.  Damn, I might have to steal that.

One thing I'm wondering about is how - assuming that things end relatively well - this little episode will affect the relationship between Jyrras and Abel.

[Prroul]

It could be a variant of a hollowpoint round, which would disperse a lot more of the force inside the target and do a lot more damage. But with such a small caliber, I don't know how feasible it would be to implement; a tumbling round would work better in that regard.

Glaser submunition round would also deliver a much higher percentage of kenetic energy transference with low blow-through. Those things kill with hydrostatic shock as much as with actual tissue damage. With the added bonus of having low penetration to avoid hitting innocents in the line of fire beyond line of sight. Makes it less than useful against armoured targets, though.

We still aren't sure what calibre the gun is, nor what its specs are. Considering it is a magic/tech hybrid, it could have significantly higher damage output than is readily apparent. Or it could simply be a dart gun that ripped someone's ear off, but is otherwise not particularly lethal. We won't know, and it is entirely possible that we will never know if BOB accepts the terms and conditions of the negotiated surrender.

[Sunblink]

So, Wildy and Abel are a no-go but can they take Alexsi with them...?

That aside, it doesn't look like Jyrras can easily be taken by surprise from Gen which is what I was afraid of.  But I still think that she might be back if and when she finds some clothes.

I think the reason he left her out is because they weren't going to cart off Alexsi. Attacking her was just a misunderstanding. All eyes are on Abel and Wildy.

I really hate the Blunt Object Brigade, so this is too perfect. Go, Jyrras!

[justacritic]

Oh Sunblink you're back laptop troubles cleared up yet?

[Starcat5]

I really hate the Blunt Object Brigade, so this is too perfect. Go, Jyrras!

You're right. It IS "too perfect". Watch as today's late update tosses a monkey in the wrench. 

[Sunblink]

Oh Sunblink you're back laptop troubles cleared up yet?

Yep, finally. 6_9 Thank Jesus.

I really hate the Blunt Object Brigade, so this is too perfect. Go, Jyrras!

You're right. It IS "too perfect". Watch as today's late update tosses a monkey in the wrench. 

Oh nooooooo. If someone from the main cast ends up hurt I'll end up screaming, the last few updates have been an all-out assault on my feels.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Two, Jyrras has no more ammo, because the gun coalesces the rounds out of the air as needed.

Ooh, I like the second idea.  You could make it run on water vapour and freeze it into shards.  Damn, I might have to steal that.

It's not original, so go ahead. From memory, the Bolo tanks used a variant of this in the later models; collect hydrogen, make deuterium base for plasma rounds out of it. I'm pretty sure I've seen similar elsewhere in fiction, as well. I recall, I think, someone using an ice bullet to kill someone, which then melted and left almost no traces of how he'd done it. Similar to the ice spear used on a CSI episode.

Consider the drawbacks, though; whilst in a swamp, you'll have no shortage of ammo. Attempting to use similar in a desert, and you have a different proposition. Taking that further, if you fire too many shots whilst inside, you'll dehydrate the local area, making it painful to breathe, and dangerous if kept up. You'll also suck an awful lot of heat out of the area, especially the person holding the trigger down...

[Lying Foo]

I really hate the Blunt Object Brigade, so this is too perfect. Go, Jyrras!

You're right. It IS "too perfect". Watch as today's late update tosses a monkey in the wrench. 

It occurs to me that actually putting a bullet through one of their skulls would bring adventurers down on Lost Lake like a robbery at the doughnut shop...

[Starcat5]

It occurs to me that actually putting a bullet through one of their skulls would bring adventurers down on Lost Lake like a robbery at the doughnut shop...

Correction: Lost Lake Inn! For all we know, the actual Lost Lake might be in another time zone.

[Eli_In_Chains]

It occurs to me that actually putting a bullet through one of their skulls would bring adventurers down on Lost Lake like a robbery at the doughnut shop...

Correction: Lost Lake Inn! For all we know, the actual Lost Lake might be in another time zone.

I wonder if Alexsi knows where Lost Lake is? If not, it would certainly lend a certain depth to its name...

[Starcat5]

Yeah, the comic isn't updating today. See you all Friday. What was that? Mid-week update? This is Amber we're talking about. She never does mid-week updates. Even those times she SAYS she's going to do a mid-week update, a mid-week update NEVER HAPPENED.

Also, my theory is she came down with those Plague Cooties she was so worried about on Friday. 

[Lying Foo]

Regardless of where Lost Lake is (and I used to think Lost Lake Inn was named after its town, named after the lake, but there are too many people in the archives unambiguously referring to the inn as "Lost Lake" for it to be in such a town, I think), I'm wondering if this is the start of the comic coming full circle, Dan ending up in the company not of open-minded adventurers, but indeed the monsters he once so feared being counted among, with adventurers defaulting to villains.  Already the BOB have slowly gone from comrades, through antagonistic comic relief, to bona fide enemies, and DP and Regina from stock villains to supporting cast.  Jyrras is a mad arms designer and roboticist, willing to use his wares to defend Cubi with deadly force, his mother a crusader for the undead, himself living with a demon, whose mother is Kria Soulstealer; adventurers have plenty of reasons to see red where he's concerned, even before we find out what the Creature Council want with him.  Merlitz is dead.  Alexsi's not going to turn on her brother.  As for Wildy... well... who knows.

[Tapewolf]

Jyrras is a mad arms designer and roboticist, willing to use his wares to defend Cubi with deadly force

I always thought that the implication was that he'd use guns to give Beings more of a chance against Creatures, but given the adventurer business and how Beings seem to be able to kill Creatures with relative impunity, I'm not sure they need it.

And as you say, the weapon was first used to defend a Creature.  Interestingly, Moira said in page 332 that Jyrras seems to prefer the company of Creatures to other Beings so this shouldn't necessarily have come as a surprise.
But at the same time, he might end up using them against the Creature Council...

[Eli_In_Chains]

Merlitz may not be dead. Remember the last time the Phoenixes said someone had died (Destania)? Even under duress the "death" was only a metaphor. The "Cubi at Lost Lake" could just as easily be Aaryana, who--by breaking up with Merlitz--ended his life at Lost Lake, prompting him to go out adventuring again. The only other Cubi from Lost Lake that the phoenix could be referring to would be Destania, Dan, or Abel, and we've had eyes on two of those the entire time. And Destania killing Merlitz doesn't seem particularly likely. No motive, no apparent opportunity, et cetera.

All things considered, I think it's likely just a huge misunderstanding, like the last time. Which, honestly, is inevitable, given the nature of the Phoenix oracles.