3111 Another Near Miss
on January 22, 2018
Chapter: Under New Management
Characters: Barnaby Hook, Baron Owen Greyfort, Fasi, Flannet Hunter, Larria Goodsley-Hook, Lord Elgin Muc, Naroasa, Niko the Werewolf
Location: Greyfort, Rivercatch Fishing Village
The panel with the anthropomorphic personification of the curse looking frustrated is the best drawing I’ve ever seen you do. Hands down.
Not complicated or fancy, beautiful or anything like that. It’s just…a perfectly captured moment.
I just wanted to let you know.
Thank you very much!
In my opinion? Over the past 3000++ pages you’ve given us? You’ve had more than a few equivalent moments. And, if I were to go looking, I might even nominate a couple to higher rank. It’s why I keep coming back almost daily, as well as re-reading the archives.
Not to say, at all, that I don’t agree (panel 15, is it?) is superb. Or 16. Doesn’t matter much, they’re both great, especially together. Thank you, Rich. Always, thank you.
You flatter me. I’ll try to maintain the quality that you’ve come to expect. 🙂
The Revenant formerly known as Elgin Muc isn’t having very much luck.
(was very tempted to try make that a little verse, but it’s late for me and I’m going to bed)
He may have better luck next time, though.
Well, since Flannet just got dragged off, any remaining spouses are sol.
Barnaby should be the last on the list, and Elgin will be mighty pissed enough to not waste time with Niko.
At least, we can hope so.
Elgin Muc isn’t having much luck,
This damned curse is beginning to suck,
It’s not like the Gods even give a hoot,
With all this annulling this curse is moot.
Oh, it is just making him even more likely to relish finally getting to fulfil his duty. He is going to be sooo relieved.
There once was a revenant named Muc
Who did not have very much luck.
The cursing he tried,
But not one spouse died,
Till to Niko he passes the buck.
HAH! Well done!
I believe what pisses off Barnaby most is the fact that he gets blocked from passing on slaying-curse… XD
So, who’s next. And notice Barnaby is getting warty?
Barnaby is the fisherman. Muc is the fat guy.
Yes. Got mixed up with names.
I believe you meant Elgin Muc.
And, it occurs to me that, as pissed off as he’s getting, now that Niko and her Rannites are dragging Flannet off to (presumably) the torture chamber or somesuch similar …….. he might just lose it completely and wipe them all out to relieve his frustration and building rage. Flannet survives maybe because he has some last shreds of good will toward her ..?
Staying tuned and popping popcorn.
So, the curse has to work its way up the line? How orderly.
If only it could’ve started with Niko and worked its way backward.
But then Niko wouldn’t have to endure much time as a restless revenant 😛
I think the endgame here is that Niko becomes the very last victim of the curse (Flannet inherits the Duchy, no more Barons), and there will never be anyone that Niko can pass it on to. Meaning, wandering the Earth forever. As I mentioned previously, this may ultimately be a kindness, since her alternative is an afterlife in Ranna’s Hells.
Hrm…that is true. Which is a more fitting end for her…an eternity as a burning revenant, or time spent in Ranna’s Hells until Ranna gets her own comeuppance?
Hopefully Elgin will be properly enraged, and in a hurry to get to Niko. Once Niko is taken out, I would bet on Flannet being able to overpower the others by shear force of will, and a bit of ghostly help.
I figure, the reason the curse never came for Cadugan was either because Lucas had upgraded from Baron to Duke, or because he has no heir, not even an adopted one. And he was probably holding off on designating an heir for just that reason. Once he gets back, he, Flannet, Cadugan, and the ghosts will have to have a long talk to figure out how best to juggle things, so that both Cadugan and Lucas stay safe.
Also, once everything is reclaimed from the Rannites (which might take a while), Lucas and Cadugan need to go have a word with Glitterbranch about whether there is a way to lift the curse, it being of wood-elf origins. I figure Charles ends up as the heir in the end.
It was made clear at the time that the curse was bypassed because Lucas was Duke when they were married. They’re fine, so long as he doesn’t go back to having the barony.
Elgin is getting pretty honked off at being denied. I think he is really going to cut loose when he gets to Niko and make her death particularly painful.
I’m more concerned with what is about to happen to Flannet. Give what Niko thinks is going on, she could have Flannet turned into a Dark Mistress or make he a werewolf or cut her legs off and the curse would still make Niko a near god.
Good thing the title of this one is at the bottom – I really wasn’t sure for a coupla panels how it was gonna go!
t!
It occurs to me .. are courtesy titles a thing in this world?
The rule is, if you hold more than one title, the next-highest one gets transferred to your heir as a "courtesy title". Thus if you’re both the Marquess of Marchmain and the Earl of Brideshead, your eldest son becomes Earl of Brideshead "by courtesy" the moment he’s born.
So … by that rule, the "Baron of Grayfort" will usually be the Duke’s heir; ie, after this whole mess is cleared up, Lucas will be Duke and his designated heir will be Baron. Which means that to avoid the curse, a Baron of Grayfort would have to take over the dukedom AND sire an heir immediately. And marrying the Duke’s eldest child would be a Very Bad Idea.
It appears to only count legally-recognized marriages, so one could simply not hold a wedding until one becomes Duke instead of Baron. The baron by courtesy would be living with his future wife and even siring children (who would technically be bastards, but they can be legitimized as heirs with a stroke of the pen nonetheless). So if one is aware of the true nature of the curse, then one could avoid the risk quite easily.
So… did Niko figure out whats going on, or she just figured out, that something is going on, or she takes Flannet away for an other reason.
Also, if she did figure it out, how did she do it? Superb hearing? Or one of the ghosts decided to tell it to her for whatsoever reasons?
Wild speculation: Niko is taking Flannet away to a ceremony to bind her ("marry") Ranna, allowing the curse to attack that worthy target.
I doubt that: it would not be dramatically appropriate to have Ranna defeated right now, and I doubt the curse-revenant is powerful enough to off a god anyway.
Wait: the marriage with Niko will not be annulled. Therefore, it will be Niko as curse-revenant being forced to attack Ranna …
Why on earth would Niko do that when she doesn't know what the curse really does? And if she *did* find out, her first priority would be annulling her marriage to avoid the terrible fate herself.
I’m surprised she could see the ghost as well. Maybe future spouses could get exorcist bodyguards to try and help them if others can see/interact with the curse.
I get he chased her for her money, but why on earth did she chase him? What’d old already married dude who doesn’t seem to like her much have to offer? Or wait, actually an excuse not to marry her dads business partner seems like enough.
I hope Flannet will be ok.
It was my guess, while reading this comic, that Barnaby would survive but that his "punishment" was a nagging bitter marriage to his new wife. The last panel somewhat changed that – it looks like this near-death experience may actually change their relationship for the better?