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Story: Monday Nov 27, 2017

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Does Magus really believe Sirleck stuck to the plan to minimize darnage?

Is Magus really that naïve?  Is he really that desperate that he'll believe anything?

Or is he deliberately ignoring the fact that he is working with a body snatching vampire without any human empathy or morals?

And is Magus planning (dreaming?) that he can somehow double cross Sirleck somewhere down the road?

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18 minutes ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

Does Magus really believe Sirleck stuck to the plan to minimize darnage?

Is Magus really that naïve?  Is he really that desperate that he'll believe anything?

Or is he deliberately ignoring the fact that he is working with a body snatching vampire without any human empathy or morals?

And is Magus planning (dreaming?) that he can somehow double cross Sirleck somewhere down the road?

I don't think Magus was planning to double-cross Sirleck.  Could be wrong, but I thought he was honestly going to go through with his plan, minimum damage, get his new body, owe Sirleck a favor, and figure a way back home.  Magus is desperate. I think Sirleck is going for the best chance to kill any Vampire hunters in the area as well as the biggest distraction so that he can double-cross Magus, perhaps by taking over Magus' new body, and getting lost in the confusion sown by the Sinister Six.

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Nothing but trouble. But is Magus Chaotic Neutral otherwise?

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I sense a backstabby.

Mind him, Ashley is now my favourite talking head.

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Lieutenant: I think we can handle one little girl. I sent two units. They're bringing her down now.
Agent Smith: No, Lieutenant, your men are already dead.

... I don't think mere half dozen of vampires would be enough for Raven even in case Susan wouldn't be near to help.

Also, totally predicted that the vampires attacking Adrian happened BEFORE Magus and Sirleck entering Dunkels house.

1 hour ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

Does Magus really believe Sirleck stuck to the plan to minimize darnage?

Is Magus really that naïve?  Is he really that desperate that he'll believe anything?

Or is he deliberately ignoring the fact that he is working with a body snatching vampire without any human empathy or morals?

I think it would be mostly the "desperate" one. He did his best to minimize damages and hopes that it will be enough because doesn't see any other option.

46 minutes ago, Tuscahoma said:
1 hour ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

And is Magus planning (dreaming?) that he can somehow double cross Sirleck somewhere down the road?

I don't think Magus was planning to double-cross Sirleck.  Could be wrong, but I thought he was honestly going to go through with his plan, minimum damage, get his new body, owe Sirleck a favor, and figure a way back home.  Magus is desperate. I think Sirleck is going for the best chance to kill any Vampire hunters in the area as well as the biggest distraction so that he can double-cross Magus, perhaps by taking over Magus' new body, and getting lost in the confusion sown by the Sinister Six.

Magus is assuming there would be no need to double cross him. And most likely, if Sirleck would actually plan to follow what they agreed on, there would be no need for that.

Of course Sirleck had no intent to ever follow that. He plans backstabing, but probably AFTER he gets Elliot and Ellen out of way to reduce number of people going after him.

BTW, I'm surprised by those low numbers. I though he hired several dozens, but seems that Andrea really got all of the first wave and second wave is just half dozen either ...

 

 

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7 minutes ago, hkmaly said:

BTW, I'm surprised by those low numbers. I though he hired several dozens, but seems that Andrea really got all of the first wave and second wave is just half dozen either ...

Unless he hired more to go after other targets. However, Sirleck's funds are more limited now, and he must have made very generous offers, especially if the B Team heard what happened to the A team.

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2 hours ago, Tom Sewell said:
2 hours ago, hkmaly said:

BTW, I'm surprised by those low numbers. I though he hired several dozens, but seems that Andrea really got all of the first wave and second wave is just half dozen either ...

Unless he hired more to go after other targets. However, Sirleck's funds are more limited now, and he must have made very generous offers, especially if the B Team heard what happened to the A team.

You think Andrea reported them to Carol? Or maybe Helena did? (I'm sure no other news station would do such report.)

I think even Sirleck doesn't know for sure what happened to them. Even if Magus was spying on them, he would just report "this one was found by Helena and Demetrius" and fly away ... and I don't think he was spying on them.

Remember that they were supposed to keep low profile. It is plausible that team B didn't hear what (who) happened to team A.

Of course, vampires may not be cheap even normally.

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3 hours ago, hkmaly said:

Lieutenant: I think we can handle one little girl. I sent two units. They're bringing her down now.
Agent Smith: No, Lieutenant, your men are already dead.

... I don't think mere half dozen of vampires would be enough for Raven even in case Susan wouldn't be near to help.

Also, totally predicted that the vampires attacking Adrian happened BEFORE Magus and Sirleck entering Dunkels house.

I think it would be mostly the "desperate" one. He did his best to minimize damages and hopes that it will be enough because doesn't see any other option.

Magus is assuming there would be no need to double cross him. And most likely, if Sirleck would actually plan to follow what they agreed on, there would be no need for that.

Of course Sirleck had no intent to ever follow that. He plans backstabing, but probably AFTER he gets Elliot and Ellen out of way to reduce number of people going after him.

BTW, I'm surprised by those low numbers. I though he hired several dozens, but seems that Andrea really got all of the first wave and second wave is just half dozen either ...

 

 

Maybe both?

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3 minutes ago, WR...S said:

Hmm... the language used in this strip does seem to suggest Ellen ought to be dead, but Magus clearly doesn't think so...

To fit the definition given by that endless barrel of exposition, Tedd's dad, body snatchers would have to eventually kill their hosts. 

Anyway, the most awesome part of this comic is that not only Magus makes justifications. Sirleck comes up with a pretty good rationalization on behalf of his former humanity. 

Speaking of Sirleck, the last panel makes me wonder even more if Sirleck knows that the Immortal parent of Adrian Raven is Pandora. And we still haven't really heard anything more about Magus' vow to end Pandora.

Magus does know that Adrian Raven is Pandora's son, but apparently he has never told Sirleck because Sirleck was surprised to hear about Adrian Raven being a half-immortal from Voltaire. Or at least Magus hadn't told Voltaire at the time of that famous call from that miraculous still-existing pay phone.

 

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5 hours ago, Tom Sewell said:

Unless he hired more to go after other targets. However, Sirleck's funds are more limited now, and he must have made very generous offers, especially if the B Team heard what happened to the A team.

"Shit. The other guys got captured, locked into a garage that conveniently held a car and a crapload of tools, and then modified the car into an APC and busted their way past dozens of goons shooting madly at them? This Moperville place sounds like a bad action TV series." :danshiftyeyes:

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7 hours ago, hkmaly said:

Lieutenant: I think we can handle one little girl. I sent two units. They're bringing her down now.
Agent Smith: No, Lieutenant, your men are already dead.

... I don't think mere half dozen of vampires would be enough for Raven even in case Susan wouldn't be near to help.

Oh yeah, I had conveniently forgotten about the fact that Raven, the target, was near Susan and Diane during the Sinister Six Showdown.  Oh my, that is going to be interesting..., I wonder if the Immortal Siblings will make a showing and, since Diane has no current magic, offer to mark her according to her Hunter predilection.  Not sure how much it would help her since she is more of a sneaker than a fighter.

As for Raven against a half dozen vampires, sometimes numbers matter, since your attention will be divided.

And oh yeah, I think Nanase will be having some words with Edward after this concerning his prognostication about how safe Diane would be if she avoids isolated places at night and that being a potential hunter would make her less of a target.

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Kind of funny to think that Ellen was once intended to be a villain by Dan, and even made a very poor attempt at it in Sister 1. She sure looks the part now (even if it's Sirleck at the helm).

10 hours ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

Does Magus really believe Sirleck stuck to the plan to minimize darnage?

Is Magus really that naïve?  Is he really that desperate that he'll believe anything?

Or is he deliberately ignoring the fact that he is working with a body snatching vampire without any human empathy or morals?

My first guess is that out of desperation and for the sake of his conscience he's fooling himself into thinking Sirlek is trustworthy (if not exactly a good guy).

Of course, just being that nieve wouldn't be out of character for Elliot, and Magus is an alternate of Elliot, so perhaps he shares that trait...

4 hours ago, WR...S said:

Hmm... the language used in this strip does seem to suggest Ellen ought to be dead, but Magus clearly doesn't think so...

Francine survived being possessed by Sirlek, so clearly said possession isn't automatically fatal. (Perhaps he slowly drains his victim's life energy (or whatever it is Aberrations consume) over the course of years?)

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1 hour ago, ChronosCat said:

Francine survived being possessed by Sirlek, so clearly said possession isn't automatically fatal. (Perhaps he slowly drains his victim's life energy (or whatever it is Aberrations consume) over the course of years?)

Or maybe he keeps them alive.  His last long term host was an old man when he died.

 

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I was right in that the attack was already underway during all this and that Dan would do a rewind to show it. I believe we saw 3 vampires so far, so there's 3 more yet to show up. And Magus said Moperville is loaded with people capable of killing vampires too? Are we talking the Paranormal Division, or are vampire hunters more common?

 

6 hours ago, Tom Sewell said:

To fit the definition given by that endless barrel of exposition, Tedd's dad, body snatchers would have to eventually kill their hosts.

Edward's description certainly fits vampires, but body snatchers are a different flavour of aberration, and as we saw with Francine, body snatchers don't need to kill their hosts.

1 hour ago, mlooney said:

Or maybe he keeps them alive.  His last long term host was an old man when he died.

They'd be like parasites, the host might  appear to have an increased appetite while being possessed, I bet when the old man's coworkers, or who ever, learn of his death, they'll probably be like "but he seemed to be so healthy the past 8 months, we actually though he was on his way out back then but he managed to bounce back...though I'm not sure his secretary appreciated the requests to dance for him..."

Though it is interesting to hear the motivation for Sirleck to become an aberration, it fits what I had thought about with the good guy gone bad reason, Sirleck probably had a decent life once, but got screwed over or bullied or something and he turned to darkness out of revenge of what he felt was justice and then he started getting greedy.

 

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7 minutes ago, Scotty said:

Though it is interesting to hear the motivation for Sirleck to become an aberration, it fits what I had thought about with the good guy gone bad reason, Sirleck probably had a decent life once, but got screwed over or bullied or something and he turned to darkness out of revenge of what he felt was justice and then he started getting greedy.

How do Aberrations find out how to become Aberrations? They're not contagious like werewolves, so they have to learn how to do it somehow. This sounds very much like the "selling your soul" trope, but who would be buying?

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47 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

How do Aberrations find out how to become Aberrations? They're not contagious like werewolves, so they have to learn how to do it somehow. This sounds very much like the "selling your soul" trope, but who would be buying?

Immortals generally hate aberrations so, so unless an Immortal goes completely off kilter and grants someone with the knowledge...I dunno if that would be breaking Immortal law though, but who knows.

It might have been something yearned for though, started of as a kind of mind control type spell, used it a number of times while wishing they could do more, then suddenly they're able to take full possession.

Maybe it's similar to how Nanase can take possession of her fairy dolls, by sending her consciousness into it, a body snatcher could probably do the same to another person, but for body snatchers like Sirleck, their original body probably died long ago and their consciousness manifested into a new form.

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10 hours ago, Tom Sewell said:
10 hours ago, WR...S said:

Hmm... the language used in this strip does seem to suggest Ellen ought to be dead, but Magus clearly doesn't think so...

To fit the definition given by that endless barrel of exposition, Tedd's dad, body snatchers would have to eventually kill their hosts. 

Not sure what exposition you speak about, but the basic explanation doesn't mention killing their host.

10 hours ago, Tom Sewell said:

Anyway, the most awesome part of this comic is that not only Magus makes justifications. Sirleck comes up with a pretty good rationalization on behalf of his former humanity. 

He used to. He no longer cares.

10 hours ago, Tom Sewell said:

Speaking of Sirleck, the last panel makes me wonder even more if Sirleck knows that the Immortal parent of Adrian Raven is Pandora. And we still haven't really heard anything more about Magus' vow to end Pandora.

Sirleck definitely doesn't. Meanwhile, Magus might not know that the immortal Sirleck targeted is Raven. Or him not mentioning it to Sirleck is his way to kill Sirleck.

8 hours ago, Tuscahoma said:

I wonder if the Immortal Siblings will make a showing and, since Diane has no current magic, offer to mark her according to her Hunter predilection.  Not sure how much it would help her since she is more of a sneaker than a fighter.

There is usually bonus for backstabbing in RPGs. Also, I totally expect they would offer to mark her even if it wouldn't help in this encounter.

8 hours ago, Tuscahoma said:

And oh yeah, I think Nanase will be having some words with Edward after this concerning his prognostication about how safe Diane would be if she avoids isolated places at night and that being a potential hunter would make her less of a target.

To be fair this isn't exactly typical situation, those vampires were paid a lot to cooperate.

3 hours ago, Scotty said:

And Magus said Moperville is loaded with people capable of killing vampires too? Are we talking the Paranormal Division, or are vampire hunters more common?

I believe Edward, Adrian, Wolf, Nanase and Susan makes any city below million citizens loaded, compared to average situation.

3 hours ago, Scotty said:

They'd be like parasites, the host might  appear to have an increased appetite while being possessed, I bet when the old man's coworkers, or who ever, learn of his death, they'll probably be like "but he seemed to be so healthy the past 8 months, we actually though he was on his way out back then but he managed to bounce back...though I'm not sure his secretary appreciated the requests to dance for him..."

Yes.

2 hours ago, Scotty said:
2 hours ago, Tom Sewell said:

How do Aberrations find out how to become Aberrations? They're not contagious like werewolves, so they have to learn how to do it somehow. This sounds very much like the "selling your soul" trope, but who would be buying?

Immortals generally hate aberrations so, so unless an Immortal goes completely off kilter and grants someone with the knowledge...I dunno if that would be breaking Immortal law though, but who knows.

It might have been something yearned for though, started of as a kind of mind control type spell, used it a number of times while wishing they could do more, then suddenly they're able to take full possession.

Maybe it's similar to how Nanase can take possession of her fairy dolls, by sending her consciousness into it, a body snatcher could probably do the same to another person, but for body snatchers like Sirleck, their original body probably died long ago and their consciousness manifested into a new form.

First, I would suspect the methods are different for different types of Aberrations.

Second, totally predict some "rogue" immortal who doesn't hate aberrations. I don't think guiding someone to become aberration is against rules. Or, maybe some immortal is offering a way to become aberration as a trap and then totally plans to kill that aberration ... but maybe doesn't always succeed.

Yearning might also be an option, however I would also expect there are books on the topic. Or another aberration may tell you how, if you find some.

 

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IRL, parasites who can readily move from one host to another have minimal interest in the well-being of their host. The challenge there is the odds of finding a new host.

Parasites who can't, either are parasitic larvae and often kill their hosts just before they pupate or metamorphose to their adult form, or are parasitic throughout their lives and increase the host's risk of death as a means of attracting whatever critter is the next stage in the parasite's lifestyle. Including but not limited to getting mosquitos to come suck the host's blood and carry some eggs to another host. (There are parasites with very complex lifestyles that involve multiple hosts.)

Sirleck cares about the well-being of some hosts because he intelligently prefers to be rich rather than poor, and passing one's wealth on to a chosen person is complicated and time-consuming - even more so if he doesn't choose the next host before the current host dies.

But he has no interest in reproduction. Perhaps even a negative interest, considering that lately he's been effective in leading other aberrations to their deaths.

-----------------------------------------------

Which makes me wonder... Sirleck hired six aberrations. How many of those six were killed by Andrea and Tara? I could see the remaining ones (at least three) trying to cover up the absence of the dead ones in hopes of collecting double payment.

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9 minutes ago, Don Edwards said:

Which makes me wonder... Sirleck hired six aberrations. How many of those six were killed by Andrea and Tara? I could see the remaining ones (at least three) trying to cover up the absence of the dead ones in hopes of collecting double payment.

Andrea and Terra killed seven vampires. That was the A team. This bunch is the B team.

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30 minutes ago, Don Edwards said:

But he has no interest in reproduction. Perhaps even a negative interest, considering that lately he's been effective in leading other aberrations to their deaths.

They are not his relatives. His lack of care about their death has nothing to do with interest in reproduction. Although I don't think Sirleck has any anyway.

31 minutes ago, Don Edwards said:

IRL, parasites who can readily move from one host to another have minimal interest in the well-being of their host.

Well-being no, LOOKING healthy yes.

 

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3 hours ago, hkmaly said:

Sirleck definitely doesn't. Meanwhile, Magus might not know that the immortal Sirleck targeted is Raven. Or him not mentioning it to Sirleck is his way to kill Sirleck.

Yeah, I think Magus deliberately isn't telling Sirleck that the info he got about Adrian's Immortal parent is false, so that Sirleck would end up facing the wrath of Pandora, though Magus is kinda at risk as well if Pandora decides he's at fault for letting Sirleck go through with it. I know Pandora's probably thinking she should go easy on Magus since she put him through hell with this whole plan and the way she left him hanging, but she might forget all that in her rage if Adrian died.

3 hours ago, hkmaly said:
11 hours ago, Tuscahoma said:

I wonder if the Immortal Siblings will make a showing and, since Diane has no current magic, offer to mark her according to her Hunter predilection.  Not sure how much it would help her since she is more of a sneaker than a fighter.

There is usually bonus for backstabbing in RPGs. Also, I totally expect they would offer to mark her even if it wouldn't help in this encounter.

They'd have to get through Susan first, and I'm betting Jerry2.0 is nearby as well, although....and I'm not entirely sure if it's possible given his current age (and it does make me wonder if it's possible given Helena and Demetrius' current age too) that he could even do so, it would be interesting if he ended up offering to mark Diane, and then later realize he just did what Helena and Demetrius did to Susan back in France.

3 hours ago, hkmaly said:

I believe Edward, Adrian, Wolf, Nanase and Susan makes any city below million citizens loaded, compared to average situation.

Grace is apparently capable and willing as well. Noah might also be able.

3 hours ago, hkmaly said:

First, I would suspect the methods are different for different types of Aberrations.

Like I said, Sirleck is a different flavour of aberration, though still it might be different for each individual aberration. like the 3 that we saw earlier, plus the spider vampire, might have used different methods themselves.

3 hours ago, hkmaly said:

Second, totally predict some "rogue" immortal who doesn't hate aberrations. I don't think guiding someone to become aberration is against rules. Or, maybe some immortal is offering a way to become aberration as a trap and then totally plans to kill that aberration ... but maybe doesn't always succeed.

I was hinting at the idea of Voltaire maybe fitting the bill as such an Immortal if it didn't break Immortal laws to guide people to becoming aberrations. Though if doing so as a trap would be tricky since they would have to have a vampire hunter or someone capable on hand to deal with it, not sure if it'd be worth the trouble, but as you said, there might have been unsuccessful attempts.

3 hours ago, hkmaly said:

Yearning might also be an option, however I would also expect there are books on the topic. Or another aberration may tell you how, if you find some.

Given what Pandora said earlier about the lack of written knowledge about magic since the last reset, it'd likely be very difficult to find anything written down about how to become a vampire, though I honestly wouldn't be surprised if there was a case of a method being written in Bram Stoker's Dracula or something that would normally not be taken seriously by the majority of people but a few did.

1 hour ago, Tom Sewell said:

Andrea and Terra killed seven vampires. That was the A team. This bunch is the B team.

That A Team didn't have Mr T. ;)

 

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6 hours ago, Scotty said:

Maybe it's similar to how Nanase can take possession of her fairy dolls, by sending her consciousness into it, a body snatcher could probably do the same to another person, but for body snatchers like Sirleck, their original body probably died long ago and their consciousness manifested into a new form.

This made me think, back in Painted Black during the fight with Vlad Nanase used her fairy doll spell when she was falling to what she thought would be her death, in the hope she could live on in her Fairy Doll form. If things had worked out that way, I bet some Immortals would have mistaken Nanase for an aberration.

 

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2 hours ago, Scotty said:

They'd have to get through Susan first, and I'm betting Jerry2.0 is nearby as well, although....and I'm not entirely sure if it's possible given his current age (and it does make me wonder if it's possible given Helena and Demetrius' current age too) that he could even do so, it would be interesting if he ended up offering to mark Diane, and then later realize he just did what Helena and Demetrius did to Susan back in France.

Diane and Susan now are significantly older and (hopefully) more mature than Susan was during the Paris trip. In fact they are of military age in most countries.

Also there is a profound difference between marking someone so they can go hunt a vampire, and marking someone so they can deal with the vampire that is right over there and about to attack.

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