Yeah, it is a masterful example of storytelling in the comic form: the combination of text and staging of the images says much more than either could alone.
I will return to my regular punning in a moment. For now, I want to savour the perfection.
You have no idea how much your comment means to me.
(Because you were not in my head yesterday morning when Rich discovered I’d blown the original version of this script, leaving me to scramble up an improvised solution. Whew!)
I’m thinking there’s an investigative reason Cadugan is asking, as I can’t see him relying on something unnatural like necromancy. Especially with the intensely thoughtful face (I agree with perfect synergy of text and illustration btw).
Maybe there’s a reason the murderer ensured the face would be intact, like for id, or they left other clues that Cadugan would notice.
When I think about it, if the murderer wanted to cover up the poisoning by smashing the body with the harpsichord (lovvvve the carpsichord red herring btw), s/he messed up already, as if the victim were walking underneath, the head would most likely been hit. Unless she’d noticed it descending, ran, and tripped, falling with her head out of reach, but as she was already dead, why would the murderer bother with that supposition?
Damn. Now I want a flashback scene, to see Baz Hoggs’ face when Carruthers announced she was going to investigate events at the Abbey. I am guessing he was not happy (but also couldn’t order her off the case without drawing suspicion.)
I don’t think Baz Hoggs is the killer, but he’s one of those guys who just leaves a thin film of slime on everything he touches, so I’m sure he’s hiding SOMETHING related to the card tournament. Trying to fix the outcome, or maybe to sow disinformation and rig the odds offered by third-party bookies.
In fact, if Carruthers and the Duke Boys get too close to uncovering Baz Hoggs’ side hustle, there might be a second murder or attempt, for a completely different reason from the first one.
If I had to take a guess, Cadugan might be thinking about whether the body is in fact Taurenil’s at all. Not to get too gruesome, but if her face was, um, crushed, identifying her would be tricky even with real modern forensics (hence why dental records and DNA testing are things). With a lack of divination-type magic, it is possible (if unlikely in the foreseeable narrative) that the body was of another elf, dressed to look like Taurenil. For that matter, anyone who knows that pratroot is poisonous to elves stands a good chance to know the symptoms (black tongue smelling of chamomile), so arranging for a harpsichord fall to crush Taurenil’s head would seem prudent (if again, gruesome). Cadugan has asked similarly direct questions before, such as "how do you know this was a murder," which serves as a useful grounding compared to the other characters’ persistent and occasionally maddening focus on minutiae.
As an aside, I do wonder… how aware is CPT Carruthers of the geopolitics of the situation? It hardly escapes me (nor did it escape King Runtherd or Eddie way back) that accusing the war hero and former sovereign of a powerful, historically hostile foreign power of murder, even if committed within your sovereign territories, risks being seen as a hostile act. More so if the victim is well-connected to powers in a third polity, as Taurenil seems to have been. All you need is some warmongering twits and things will rapidly go to heck… making Cadugan and Lucas absolutely crucial to a peaceful reconciliation no matter how things play out. CPT Carruthers does seem the type to regard politics as the realm of liars and criminals, which often isn’t wrong per se… but she doesn’t seem self-aware that she has no more personal credibility with the Orcs than Lucas does with the Barony.
Why yes, recent events are on my mind… why do you ask?
I don’t mind the no reception thing if it’s part of the plot, for example if the Bad Guy lured someone to this locale because it’s a dead spot. But the Dead Spot Of Narrative Convenience is just awful – not least because it’s howlingly obvious.
Which is why I tried to do the equivalent with the anti-magic bubble. I feel it makes sense in the context of a card tournament.
There’ve been some great SF mysteries written around the idea of circumventing a piece of technology to commit a crime, but most magic systems aren’t specific enough: They cover their world like a blanket, so you can just select the spell you want and solve the crime. Which kind of ruins the fun.
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God, Rich, I adore those last two panels.
Thanks so much.
t!
Yeah, it is a masterful example of storytelling in the comic form: the combination of text and staging of the images says much more than either could alone.
I will return to my regular punning in a moment. For now, I want to savour the perfection.
You have no idea how much your comment means to me.
(Because you were not in my head yesterday morning when Rich discovered I’d blown the original version of this script, leaving me to scramble up an improvised solution. Whew!)
t!
My pleasure! Thanks for giving Cadugan a great moment there!
"Hey, Lewie, you up for a house call?"
Yeah, there aren’t a lot of reasons for asking if a dead person’s skull is intact… and in a fantasy universe, necromancy comes top of that list.
I’m thinking there’s an investigative reason Cadugan is asking, as I can’t see him relying on something unnatural like necromancy. Especially with the intensely thoughtful face (I agree with perfect synergy of text and illustration btw).
Maybe there’s a reason the murderer ensured the face would be intact, like for id, or they left other clues that Cadugan would notice.
When I think about it, if the murderer wanted to cover up the poisoning by smashing the body with the harpsichord (lovvvve the carpsichord red herring btw), s/he messed up already, as if the victim were walking underneath, the head would most likely been hit. Unless she’d noticed it descending, ran, and tripped, falling with her head out of reach, but as she was already dead, why would the murderer bother with that supposition?
Very tricksy, t! is….
Ah, of course messing with the crime scene would make the investigation harder.
Hm, now that Cadugan mentions it, wouldn’t her skull have been crushed by the piano?
Er… I mean, the carpsicord? Wait, I think I’m making a mistake in there somewhere…
Carpsicord is a red herring.
t!
Damn. Now I want a flashback scene, to see Baz Hoggs’ face when Carruthers announced she was going to investigate events at the Abbey. I am guessing he was not happy (but also couldn’t order her off the case without drawing suspicion.)
I don’t think Baz Hoggs is the killer, but he’s one of those guys who just leaves a thin film of slime on everything he touches, so I’m sure he’s hiding SOMETHING related to the card tournament. Trying to fix the outcome, or maybe to sow disinformation and rig the odds offered by third-party bookies.
In fact, if Carruthers and the Duke Boys get too close to uncovering Baz Hoggs’ side hustle, there might be a second murder or attempt, for a completely different reason from the first one.
"Oh my gods, Cadugan, you can’t just ask someone if the skull is intact!"
Well it makes some sense if you’re thinking of a Speak with Dead spell.
If I had to take a guess, Cadugan might be thinking about whether the body is in fact Taurenil’s at all. Not to get too gruesome, but if her face was, um, crushed, identifying her would be tricky even with real modern forensics (hence why dental records and DNA testing are things). With a lack of divination-type magic, it is possible (if unlikely in the foreseeable narrative) that the body was of another elf, dressed to look like Taurenil. For that matter, anyone who knows that pratroot is poisonous to elves stands a good chance to know the symptoms (black tongue smelling of chamomile), so arranging for a harpsichord fall to crush Taurenil’s head would seem prudent (if again, gruesome). Cadugan has asked similarly direct questions before, such as "how do you know this was a murder," which serves as a useful grounding compared to the other characters’ persistent and occasionally maddening focus on minutiae.
As an aside, I do wonder… how aware is CPT Carruthers of the geopolitics of the situation? It hardly escapes me (nor did it escape King Runtherd or Eddie way back) that accusing the war hero and former sovereign of a powerful, historically hostile foreign power of murder, even if committed within your sovereign territories, risks being seen as a hostile act. More so if the victim is well-connected to powers in a third polity, as Taurenil seems to have been. All you need is some warmongering twits and things will rapidly go to heck… making Cadugan and Lucas absolutely crucial to a peaceful reconciliation no matter how things play out. CPT Carruthers does seem the type to regard politics as the realm of liars and criminals, which often isn’t wrong per se… but she doesn’t seem self-aware that she has no more personal credibility with the Orcs than Lucas does with the Barony.
Why yes, recent events are on my mind… why do you ask?
Thank you for remembering the anti-magic bubble.
t!
Tis a bit obvious, I know. Good stuff though 🙂
Thanks.
I believe, when this story is over, the anti-magic bubble will prove to have been the weakest element.
t!
Come to think of it, it’s the fantasy equivalent of no cell phone reception.
I don’t mind the no reception thing if it’s part of the plot, for example if the Bad Guy lured someone to this locale because it’s a dead spot. But the Dead Spot Of Narrative Convenience is just awful – not least because it’s howlingly obvious.
Which is why I tried to do the equivalent with the anti-magic bubble. I feel it makes sense in the context of a card tournament.
There’ve been some great SF mysteries written around the idea of circumventing a piece of technology to commit a crime, but most magic systems aren’t specific enough: They cover their world like a blanket, so you can just select the spell you want and solve the crime. Which kind of ruins the fun.
t!