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mlooney

Story: Wed, Aug 3, 2016

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Just now, mlooney said:

And Pandora has an "oh crap moment".  Pass the pop corn, this is going to be fun.

It seems like she is actually surprised, which it likely both good (for her) and bad (for us) ;)

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11 minutes ago, Sjmcc13 said:

It seems like she is actually surprised, which it likely both good (for her) and bad (for us) ;)

Not so sure about that.  I think it will be fun for us, the readers.  Might not be so fun for the people of Moperville.

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Well, now that she knows that Magic Itself is fighting against the "make magic mainstream" plan (assuming that Pandora believes him), she will have to adapt her overall plans. She still wants Adrian to be able to use his magic openly toward heroic ends, but it will have to be accomplished without the previously-planned flood of thousands of new Mages. She may have to start focusing on creating individual villains as opposed to just throwing magic at a bunch of people and seeing what sticks.

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So Pandora, in her attempt to make it possible for Adrian to fight and use magic openly, has contributed to the mess leading to the imminent shift in magic.

I believe Pogo best expressed the thought in Pandora's head

Pogo2.jpg

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I love Pandora's last expression. But just before that, the "magic changing"... Interesting. I wonder if that's inspired by the Dresden Files and how magic has changed there.

12 minutes ago, ijuin said:

She may have to start focusing on creating individual villains as opposed to just throwing magic at a bunch of people and seeing what sticks.

I really hope we get to see what that's like. That sounds like a good-case scenario for entertainment.

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Huh.  I had kinda thought the "apocalypse" Pandora was aiming for *was* a change in the rules of magic, to a system where elves were allowed to participate in normal life more.  Interesting that she didn't know it was possible.

Based on her reaction, I'm wondering if she experienced a magic reboot several "lives" ago, and thus only has a very vague memory of it.  If memories of the llfe just past are like reading about that life in a book, is remembering the life before that like remembering reading about someone else vaguely remembering reading about it?  Do they forget more and more about the first life each go-round or do they keep adding volumes to the series they are recalling reading, but recall them all about equally?

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I make the key phrase in all this exposition is "for humans." This could clue Pandora that "magic" isn't some all-powerful entity because by implication Immortals don't have any limitation on their magic except what they have agreed on among themselves. It isn't a long jump from there to the conclusion that the "magic" the Emissary thinks he's speaking for is really a coalition of Immortals or even just one Immortal--Voltaire comes to mind. And if half-Immortals fall in the human category for this purpose, Pandora is going to war.

Still no clue why Grace would be the chosen prophet. Except maybe that part-uryuoms' magic is of a different nature and while as a part-human, Grace would have to make ridiculous efforts to gain human-type spells, as was explained somewhat long-windedly in the last Q&A. Unless, of course, "magic itself" changes the way magic works for humans, or at least for Grace. Or something.

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3 hours ago, TheAmazingKMan said:

I wonder how she's going to react to this info...

 

2 hours ago, CritterKeeper said:

Huh.  I had kinda thought the "apocalypse" Pandora was aiming for *was* a change in the rules of magic, to a system where elves were allowed to participate in normal life more.  Interesting that she didn't know it was possible.

Based on her reaction, I'm wondering if she experienced a magic reboot several "lives" ago, and thus only has a very vague memory of it.  If memories of the llfe just past are like reading about that life in a book, is remembering the life before that like remembering reading about someone else vaguely remembering reading about it?  Do they forget more and more about the first life each go-round or do they keep adding volumes to the series they are recalling reading, but recall them all about equally?

Yeah, I got the impression from the "why does that sound..." as something she would have likely experienced or hear about in a previous incarnation, and she's probably thinking "Ok he probably does have a legitimate reason for being here. Even though he is using a backarsewards method of communicating."

I'm guessing she's going to be interesting in finding out who gave DW the spell and why they had him use that to contact Grace rather than being more direct. If whatever handles how magic works is an actual being, Pandora might be tempted to find this being and try to prevent it from doing a system change, that likely would not go over too well for anyone.

Another possibility would be that she realizes that what she's doing would likely end up doing more harm than good for Adrian and try to unclog the flow of magic and remove some of the marks she'd already given (if that's possible without awakening them). She might also have to find a way to destroy any of the research that had been gathered so far as well.

I'm actually beginning to wonder if Voltaire is involved in this somehow. Giving a person a spell that lets them go into a specific person's dreams and only have knowledge of who the person is and what message needs to be conveyed, but not remember any of it when awake seems like something Voltaire would do.

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 Maybe we should bring Sherlock Diane onto the case.

Pandora's son seems to think his mother marked Dex and gave him the pendant. I'm thinking Pandora did mark him to give him a fairy friend, but that someone else who knows about Pandora planted that amulet. And why would Adrian tell Noah something that he might not believe? How about suspecting that at least one other immortal was listening. And why would Adrian think that his mother didn't do it? Well, maybe he isn't sure, but it didn't seem to him that his mother would lead Dex to destroy himself--whoever was controlling Dex at the dojo tried to get him to kamikaze. Notice Dex is talking about "the greater good."

Is there someone besides Pandora who might be working for "the greater good?"

Well, besides "magic itself" and maybe Voltaire, how about Arthur J. Arthur? Here are two reasons I think he's more than incompetent. First, Edward Verres' in the middle panel of the bottom row here after the first appearance of Cheerleadra in the news. Second, what Arthur J. Arthur says to Cranium while Cheerleadra, Noah, and Justin are confronting the dragon. What could be his motives?

  • Provoking the change in magic. If the "rules" of magic change for humans, there shouldn't be any more not-Tengus for awhile. Of course, this would also mean The Government couldn't use magic, either, unless The Government thinks it will get a special deal from "magic itself."
  • Setting Adrian against Pandora. Arthur J. Arthur has an animus toward Adrian. Remember, Arthur tried to have him deported to Russia.
  • Arthur ain't Arthur. Isn't Arthur ridiculously old to be a human? Maybe his feud with Adrian goes back more than one human lifetime. Maybe he's become a vampire? Or he's possessed? Check for pods...
  • Arthur is an Illuminatus. That is, Arthur is a member of, or even the boss of, some vast conspiracy, something in the nature  of the Knights Templar, Skull and Bones, or The Phone Company.

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Maybe all magic shifts to full focus alien magitech (because magic) for a while to lay low til the coast is clear, then when the time is right, BAM! Unicorns and fairies as far as the (selected few) eye can see.

 

Also, 'Magic' in this case is totally probably a order obsessed opposite to Pandora... Let's call it... Tyr Law Chickenhawk to keep with the naming schema.

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I'm wondering if Immortals are dependent on the magic system as it is now. Like, as DW said "how magic power can be gained..." maybe Immortals wouldn't be able to mark people or awaken them anymore if the system changed?

Though it's probably just as likely Immortals and those that already have magic and spells would just automatically migrate to the new system.

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Ok. Seems the dream wizard doesn't realize that Pandora is behind lot of those events ...

8 hours ago, Sjmcc13 said:

It seems like she is actually surprised,

The "Why does that sound" sounds almost like it's not COMPLETELY new for her.

7 hours ago, ijuin said:

Well, now that she knows that Magic Itself is fighting against the "make magic mainstream" plan (assuming that Pandora believes him), she will have to adapt her overall plans. She still wants Adrian to be able to use his magic openly toward heroic ends, but it will have to be accomplished without the previously-planned flood of thousands of new Mages. She may have to start focusing on creating individual villains as opposed to just throwing magic at a bunch of people and seeing what sticks.

That wouldn't work. It's the "magic being in open" itself which is creating problem - because people are now researching magic and may be going to get result even without Pandora's help ...

3 hours ago, Scotty said:

I'm guessing she's going to be interesting in finding out who gave DW the spell and why they had him use that to contact Grace rather than being more direct. If whatever handles how magic works is an actual being, Pandora might be tempted to find this being and try to prevent it from doing a system change, that likely would not go over too well for anyone.

Tempted? That's optimal strategy for her.

3 hours ago, Scotty said:

Another possibility would be that she realizes that what she's doing would likely end up doing more harm than good for Adrian and try to unclog the flow of magic and remove some of the marks she'd already given (if that's possible without awakening them). She might also have to find a way to destroy any of the research that had been gathered so far as well.

Unlikely. She may still risk it hoping it will help to Adrian. Also, I think removing marks without awakening is impossible. Destroying research ... well, maybe. But her style would be more something like creating some false informations which are going to complicate the research ...

3 hours ago, Scotty said:

I'm actually beginning to wonder if Voltaire is involved in this somehow. Giving a person a spell that lets them go into a specific person's dreams and only have knowledge of who the person is and what message needs to be conveyed, but not remember any of it when awake seems like something Voltaire would do.

Yeah, it might be him. Also, I suspect that dream wizard is not saying whole truth from start.

44 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

Pandora's son seems to think his mother marked Dex and gave him the pendant. I'm thinking Pandora did mark him to give him a fairy friend, but that someone else who knows about Pandora planted that amulet. And why would Adrian tell Noah something that he might not believe? How about suspecting that at least one other immortal was listening. And why would Adrian think that his mother didn't do it? Well, maybe he isn't sure, but it didn't seem to him that his mother would lead Dex to destroy himself--whoever was controlling Dex at the dojo tried to get him to kamikaze. Notice Dex is talking about "the greater good."

Hmmmmm .... makes sense. Especially that bit about Adrian expecting someone is listening.

45 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

Is there someone besides Pandora who might be working for "the greater good?"

Sound completely like Voltaire.

46 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

Provoking the change in magic. 

Unlikely. While the one behind Disco Wizard may actually want to provoke the change in magic, it definitely doesn't seem like what Arthur Arthur would do.

47 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

Arthur ain't Arthur. Isn't Arthur ridiculously old to be a human? Maybe his feud with Adrian goes back more than one human lifetime. Maybe he's become a vampire? Or he's possessed? Check for pods...

Hmmm ... I would expect that during this kind of work people are routinely scanned which would reveal that.

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2 hours ago, hkmaly said:

Hmmm ... I would expect that during this kind of work people are routinely scanned which would reveal that.

Yes, and who decides who gets scanned? Would that be Arthur J. Arthur? But I'm sure Art wouldn't mind if Edward gave him a friendly scan. When Edward has the time between repelling alien invasions with his overpowering exposition.

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48 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

Yes, and who decides who gets scanned? Would that be Arthur J. Arthur? But I'm sure Art wouldn't mind if Edward gave him a friendly scan. When Edward has the time between repelling alien invasions with his overpowering exposition.

I don't know about DGB, but in my time in the military, who gets what done to them in way of security/drug screens was decided two level of command above the person in question.  Grunts got chosen by the battery commander.  Platoon leaders by the Battalion Command.  Battery commanders by the Brigade commander.  Of course any given level can also order checks for the people under his "2 level" rule.  A really pissed of 94th Brigade commander called for a complete security check and drug screen for the whole freaking brigade, starting with himself and the Brigade Sergeant Major. (on the drug screen)  We had to watch videos of it.  More than slightly gross.  I'm not sure if 32rd Arcom did a security check on Brigade HQ, but it's possible.  32nd Arcom was the first level of command that had a general in charge, and generals can order checks of any body in their command, regardless of level.

That was a strange time to be in the Army.

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Note that it is still quite possible for the Disco Wizard to have been misled. I suspect this mainly because note that the way he was given his power is kinda like...you know... he was "Guided and Empowered" to contact Grace. Not a direct means, no direct knowledge. So I still say that the possibility of DW being misled by somebody is still definitely on the table.

2 hours ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

Pandora knew it.  But didn't know she knew it?

Pandora definitely knows something about magic or something about what DW is talking about, but that does not really suggest anything, since that sentence is structured in such a way as to be able to remain ambiguous. She could be saying, "Why does that sound... [redacted]" or " Why does that sound... familiar, like that time 400 years age when everyone forgot about the 'Dangerous Rarity' that today is my Grand-Godson" or " Why does that sound... like another immortal misleading you" or " Why does that sound... like something I should know but forgot".

Note that DW did challenge her before, speaking of the forgetfulness of Immortals, hence it could fully be possible that this is something that immortals used to know but reset too many times to remember.

 

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Let's see. "Magic Itself" wants everything humans "know" about magic to become wrong. Tedd has an uncanny insight into magic. Could his insight mean he's actually changing the nature of magic? Now that would qualify as a far more dangerous rarity.

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2 hours ago, Tom Sewell said:

Let's see. "Magic Itself" wants everything humans "know" about magic to become wrong. Tedd has an uncanny insight into magic. Could his insight mean he's actually changing the nature of magic? Now that would qualify as a far more dangerous rarity.

Certainly Tedd would realize it if the nature of Magic changed...

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4 hours ago, Tom Sewell said:

Let's see. "Magic Itself" wants everything humans "know" about magic to become wrong. Tedd has an uncanny insight into magic. Could his insight mean he's actually changing the nature of magic? Now that would qualify as a far more dangerous rarity.

http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=1833

 

No Tedd's not doing anything that risks a system change.

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