1/27/07: Failure

[superluser]

Such things can be the same way, she could be a higher up like the Turks in FF7, but still be pulled back on her leash by her superiors if they feel the need.

No, it appears to be a pretty antagonistic relationship, what with them consistently fining her.  Usually, if you wind up breaking the rules that your work is supposed to enforce, either the incidents will be covered up or you will be forced to resign.

[Manawolf]

Oh, that's just a blanket for when the beings find out about her usual massacres, and she's probably too valuable to just have "resign" (which by their terms would probably mean more of a "termination").

And once again, demons aren't know too well for following orders.

[superluser]

Oh, that's just a blanket for when the beings find out about her usual massacres, and she's probably too valuable to just have "resign" (which by their terms would probably mean more of a "termination").

Nah.  I'm trying to think of a good example of a cover-up, but if you are an embarrassment to the court, they can't afford not to send you packing.

Also, they'd better not enforce life terms for council members, since many of them would probably like to move on after a few thousand years.

[Manawolf]

Hardly see how killing those who the council deem to be weak and of no importance to be an embarrasment to them, if anything it's a speed bump and little more.

[superluser]

Hardly see how killing those who the council deem to be weak and of no importance to be an embarrasment to them, if anything it's a speed bump and little more.

Well, killing off your staff tends to make it a bit difficult to encourage new hires.

That and creatures don't tend to see fellow creatures as inferior, and would be disinclined to kill them off.

[Feather Dancer]

For some reason I heard the classic C&C voiced, "Mission Failed". Weak hearted and Kria, there's a mix I never thought I'd see. I am under the assumption though soon perhaps a Kria fan mob will go the what can be assumed as the tester, with at least a bone to choke him/her/it on

[Tapewolf]

That is a hand shadow, and although it does look very much like wing-patterning, if you look at 67/65 where she's just taken the charm off, there's nothing like it so it's definitely a hand.

Now it doesn't match Xander's wrist, but it does match Devin's with the bracer.  Even more creepy, they're standing about where Devin should be relative to Kria.

I'm not sure I believe it but if Amber has done the Keyser Soze thing, it's going to really mess up his Wiki entry

As for Glory, I don't care about her.  Devin and Xander aside, I'm a tad more concerned about the other two because that would be like Amber borrowed two people's characters and returned them in bits 

[MT Hazard]

What about Selev? The dead creature mentioned in the last panel? Brother? Sister? Fellow pupil? It makes sense to me that the teacher would be a parent who is teaching her the ways of being a demon, just like she is doing with her own daughter. As mentioned, living as a demon for so long has made her set in her ways.

What happens if she came across Abel now? Would she remember the way she used to feel? Would she realise the hypocrisy she is now trying to pass  on to her daughter? True Kira was 'betrayed' by a being, that might also effect her life view.

[Dard]

"He's just a baby?"
Well, technically, so was Devin and Xander. They grew up together with Abel. Okay, they were Beings, Abel was a Creature. So relatively speaking Abel was younger.
I think it's just an affectionate label Kria gave him.
And he was much more immature than Devin and Xander, but I don't think that would have saved him.

Anyway, I am unsure if I should be happy or disappointed about this.
I mean, Kria and "soft-heartened"? Being a cruel, merciless and random killer was her strongest (and sometimes only) personality trait. I wouldn't like to believe that she didn't grew up into that role but that it was taught to her.
I was kind of hoping that she was already established in her rampaging personality and that she was just making an exception on Abel.
It could still be. Ignoring the "he's just a baby" comment she sounds exactly like that. But that "your weak-heartedness will be your undoing" could indicate that it goes further.

What I hope is the following: That it was indeed just a snappy comment by a tutor who doesn't like even a single and minor fault. That this was not Kria's first assignment and is just the first where she showed such a weakness.
I mean, it wouldn't change much. After all, we know the later Kria and know that given her later rampages, these couple of dead here are probably was something minor and hardly worth mentioning.

[Tycoon]

Excellent comic! I really enjoyed the touch of Kria flicking her mentor off (whether accidental or intentional).

I don't think that the mysterious figure has a bracer on, though. It looks more like a cuff.


I get the feeling that the mentor finished off Devin after Selev died, and Kria was on the ground to clean up the leftovers. Perhaps her projectile magic is not too strong.

[Jack McSlay]

STOP IT, YOU FANBOYS!

Now, on to speculation... Whose hand is that? Well, determining from the type of claws and fingers, and the figure of a bracer... It certainly is not Dark Pegasus. It looks more like... Pyroduck...

why? it happened over 350 years ago, DP could pretty much have used bracers back then. Kria is not using her current outfit either.

and being a demon he can shape his fingers into having big claws, small claws, or no claws at all.

[Kasarn]

It's a fantasy world so nobody changes clothes EVER
Except when they do change clothes... but that doesn't count.

[superluser]

Now it doesn't match Xander's wrist, but it does match Devin's with the bracer.  Even more creepy, they're standing about where Devin should be relative to Kria.

The obvious question would be why his voice faded out.  The obvious answer would be that he was installing a mind shield.

But after that, it really does appear to be a three-fingered hand, and Devin had four fingers.

Furthermore, the instructor is not standing where Devin should be.  Look behind Kria.  You can see the cart and the building behind her to her right (your left).  In the previous strip, it looks like she's trying to look behind her, and the building is to her left.

She turned around.  Devin's body is probably somewhere slightly behind her and to the right in today's strip.

I get the feeling that the mentor finished off Devin after Selev died, and Kria was on the ground to clean up the leftovers. Perhaps her projectile magic is not too strong.

If I were running an adventuring course, I would probably rotate the jobs that my students do, so that one week, I'd test a student on projectiles, and another week, I'd test that same student on clean-up.

She's not going to get any points for killing Devin this week, so she let the instructor kill him.

[Alondro]

Yes, if you look at the angle from which the magic attack was cast, it came from behind and to the right... behind and to the right!  There had to be a second caster from the grassy hillock! 

It was all a conspiracy!   

[thegayhare]

Yes, if you look at the angle from which the magic attack was cast, it came from behind and to the right... behind and to the right!  There had to be a second caster from the grassy hillock! 

It was all a conspiracy!   D:

So you mean it was actualy a time traveling devin from an alternate future come back to kill himself to avert a catastrophey that his surving sets in motion

[Tapewolf]

But after that, it really does appear to be a three-fingered hand, and Devin had four fingers.

Furthermore, the instructor is not standing where Devin should be. 

Actually the bigger problem with the theory is how Devin could have been Abel's age and without wings.  An answer to that would have been that he was an adult 'cubi, but things start to spiral out of control after that.

[Goatmon]

It looks like whatever Kria gave Abel was some sort of patch or something that hid his headwings. I spent a few seconds looking for them...

Heh, I hadn't even noticed, and they've been gone for 3 strips already.

You should pay more attention to the forum.  There's enough people here eyeballing every panel with the utmost intent, no details get missed here. ^^

Anyway, the moment Kria passed that Brooch of hers onto Abel, her wings emerged and both pairs of Abel's wings disappeared.  No one can say exactly what the thing is, but it's clearly got the power to hide the abnormal features of creatures that don't want to stand out.

Anyway....that's her hand.  Clearly.    And like the others, I'm quite curious as to who it is she's talking to...  the mention of Dark Pegasus is an interesting suggestion.... who knows?  It might be someone new.  Though it's apparent that Kria wasn't one of the killers here....guess that'll make the forumites happy.  Personally I'm a little dissapointed.   

[superluser]

What's up with Kria's wings?  Did she get some bad Botox or something and now they're paralyzed?  She's been walking around with them fully unfolded for three strips now.  If you tried that up where I live, you'd wind up getting blown down a couple blocks, and having the wind tear a few holes in your wings.
(I suppose she might just be stretching them, since they've been bound up for so long.)

Replies begin anon:

Actually the bigger problem with the theory is how Devin could have been Abel's age and without wings.  An answer to that would have been that he was an adult 'cubi, but things start to spiral out of control after that.

There are many problems with that theory.  I simply left it at a couple of easily testable arguments, mainly because I forgot the other points that I was going to make.  (Next time, I'll list `em on a napkin!)

Anyway....that's her hand.  Clearly.

Unless she developed a detachable third hand recently, we can see both of her hands in panel one, PLUS a third hand in silhouette in panel one.  To quote Goatmon:``You should pay more attention to the forum.''

It might be someone new.  Though it's apparent that Kria wasn't one of the killers here....guess that'll make the forumites happy.  Personally I'm a little dissapointed.

I'm thinking that it pretty much has to be someone new.  As regards your second sentence, I seriously doubt that Kria would take an adventuring course with no intention of doing actual adventuring.  Unless it's that one last course that you have to take that's worth one credit.

[GabrielsThoughts]

so it was "the Shadow Claw" Of corse I knew it all along! Ha ha I gloat like a moron who thinks he knows everything!...


...truthfully I'm disappointed, is it possible Amber hasn't decided who her villian is?

[Kenji]

so it was "the Shadow Claw" Of corse I knew it all along! Ha ha I gloat like a moron who thinks he knows everything!...


...truthfully I'm disappointed, is it possible Amber hasn't decided who her villian is?

Dr. Claw?
"I'll get you next time, Abel! Next time!"

[Manawolf]

Okay, I was talking about her killing beings, not other creatures.  I don't she's done any of that yet.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

What's up with Kria's wings?  Did she get some bad Botox or something and now they're paralyzed?  She's been walking around with them fully unfolded for three strips now.  If you tried that up where I live, you'd wind up getting blown down a couple blocks, and having the wind tear a few holes in your wings.
(I suppose she might just be stretching them, since they've been bound up for so long.)

The other possibility is that they're spread in an unconscious effort to make herself look bigger, in the same way that most critters respond to what they perceive as threatening behaviours.

I can guess the first panel or so is just stretching, then they fold down during the conversation with Abel, then stretch again after the "third party" speaks. Mostly, they're off-camera, but from what I can see, that's a reasonable theory...

And having them respond to subconscious commands is pretty much what you'd expect to happen - it's not like you think "lift left arm, move three inches forwards, no, make that 16 centimetres, fold fingers around hand of cup, lift cup, bring cup back to mouth, tilt cup....." etc etc. No, you just think "I think I'll have a sip of tea..." and your brain sorts the rest out. :-)

[superluser]

Okay, I was talking about her killing beings, not other creatures.  I don't she's done any of that yet.

Quotes, man, quotes!  I had to go hunting to find what you were talking about.

I thought that you were talking about the Creature Council killing anyone who tries to retire from it.  But now I see that you were questioning why they would care about beings being killed.

Answer?  Because it's their job.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears that the Creature Council is a subset of the council from 287.

Unfortunately (for me), she does actually appear to be employed by the council.  Maybe like the Watergate Plumbers.  In any case, I'm not wholly convinced that it's voluntary.

The other possibility is that they're spread in an unconscious effort to make herself look bigger, in the same way that most critters respond to what they perceive as threatening behaviours.

Than explains 67 and 65, but what about 66?  I'm not concerned about her wings in 67, since it does make sense for her to have them out when she's angry.  It's simply this comic that made me notice it.

[Tapewolf]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears that the Creature Council is a subset of the council from 287

I've not been able to work out the relationship between the Creature Council and the Being-Creature Council, but I was assuming they were separate entities.  We don't know how old either of the organisations are, but it would be interesting to know this stuff.

If you have any references that lead you to believe they're the same entity, I'd be interested to know of them.

[superluser]

If you have any references that lead you to believe they're the same entity, I'd be interested to know of them.

[Points bony finger at Tapewolf] I do believe that this is your content:

A council has been formed with a representative from nearly every Creature race.

Now look at 287:

``the convicted is sentanced by a member of their own species''

You'd need a huge council for that (and note that Kria is indeed sentenced by a demon-mare).  I find it hard to believe that there would be two such councils that would be unrelated.

So where'd you get the quote for the wiki?

[Manawolf]

One looks to be a beuracracy for creatures and beings.  The Creature Council is composed of the heads of the each of the creature races, most of them who probably make sure their identities are not known.  They'd probably consider themselves above petty sentencings.

[Tapewolf]

[Points bony finger at Tapewolf] I do believe that this is your content:
A council has been formed with a representative from nearly every Creature race.
So where'd you get the quote for the wiki?

I can't remember now, it might have been inductive logic.  If you can think of a better lead-in, feel free to replace it - in fact I probably will.
But the thing is, that text is about the Creature Council - the shady weirdos who are scared of Jyrras.  Nowhere does it say that they're the same group as the Being-Creature Council.

Personally I think the Creature Council is the Furrae equivalent of the Illuminati.  They probably influence the BCC and may be members of it, but if they were the exact same organisation, they wouldn't need the secrecy.

[Sunblink]

Dangit, my topic got moved to the Abandoned mine. >=o Oh well. You win some, you lose some.

Honestly, I can't help but feel somewhat pissed that all those characters died because of some apparent 'test', even if Kria didn't participate in Devin and Xander's (and Glory's, who seemed awesome enough) death. Blah. The attitude of those Demons, even in the response of the death of their comrade, is really fricking infuriating and frivolous.

Seems like we're seeing a whole new side of Kria, though, one that's never been displayed in the present comic, and one that's probably extinct. During that, she's the personification of, quote--what the Demon race has to offer--and generally shares the same attitude towards Beings that her brethren currently does.

I, too, noticed the bracer and the three fingers, but I can't pin it on any of the characters currently listed in the cast. It COULD have been a dragon morphed into a disguise form, or maybe the ancestor of one of the characters we're familiar with (like Regina), but judging by the clues we've been given it seems like it was neither Cid, May, Xander, nor Cindy.

Meaning we have a whole new wave of possibilities. Regardless, poor Abel. I don't blame him for being so distressed, after all he's witnessed. I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up getting survivor's guilt because of Devin and Xander's death. Someone needs to give him a hug.

A big hug.

A REALLY big hug.

*volunteers* D=

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Aridas]

i'm still not going to drop the possibility of there being four fingers with two lowered, due to the angle of the hand in that silhouette.. it looks like it's a bit off to the side.

[Fex]

hmm I think I see through Amber's trick she reads these posts and picks things for the comic we would not think about and with that I deserve a cookie