Kurassa manages the impressive achievement of being a magic user with all mental stats habitually reserved for kobold captain, and is almost as threatening in the end.
If he doesn’t get to land a few punches, his demise will be as emotionally fulfilling as discarding a used handkerchief.
High Intelligence – although not as high as he thinks it is – but very low Wisdom.
Or in real world terms: He’s not as smart as he thinks he is (and that is often dangerous; thinking you are smarter than you are), and *very* prone to poor decision making, largely motivated by selfishness.
Sorry but I disagree.
His wisdom is abysmal indeed, and charisma is probably a dump stat as well.
High intellect, let’s say 14 or 16, would allow him to have analytical competence, which he never displayed.
But it’s ok, he’s a Disney villain. It’s just that in the era of WoT and Asofai, I hoped for more.
Don’t know why you disagree, when you basically supported Eric’s post (he actually _has_ high analytical competence: he figured out how to break the curse on Tambid, and then reverse the gorgonzolaizing, he just didn’t think too far beyond the immediate and plan for the inevitable consequences)
Yep. The gorgon curse basically brainwashes it’s victims into becoming evil (or eviler) and becoming utterly loyal to Ranna, regardless of their natural alignment or loyalties.
Eh, to be fair I think Meegs is more a victim of her own foolishness. Her “I convert!” moment on the rack was more out of self preservation than anything else, and I think she would’ve looked to betray the Rannites at some point. I don’t think she counted on them having a potion that would make her blindly loyal however.
Just like with Sahar, we never saw Meegs’ conversion, for all we know, she could have held out until the end, or, like with that nice Drow teacher and implied with Sahar, it’s an instant conversion potion
WHICH MEANS THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS! Not that that ever came to mind for the Anti-Meegs squad, who actually went back to earlier appearances to justify the lynch-mob
@NotRichard Yup, I agree with you man, heck I’ve been a proponent of the gorgons and DMs being innocent (more or less) victims of brainwashing since day one.
@NotRichard: Perhaps not, but that really doesn’t change anything. Fiction is full of innocent people that were made into enemies or monsters through some magic or other factor, and usually if converted back are glad to be free of it, and deeply bothered by what they did while changed. But if it is impractical to convert them back – if not outright impossible – then the heroes have to accept that under most circumstances they will have to kill people that may have been their friends, family, or lovers.
In this case, the cure for the curse was only just found, and only one person knows how to use it, and he’s a jerk. If it becomes known there is a cure there may be some effort made to save certain people, but unless it becomes much more widely available, it won’t be practical for wide spread use. Regrettable, but that is the simply way of it.
It is not unlike real world war. During a war, nations (ALL nations, do not think there is an exception, there isn’t) release propaganda to demonize the enemy to make them seem evil to their people so the soldiers will want to kill the enemy, and the people support killing the enemy. But the truth is, most of the people on the other side were just people – even the WW2 Germans, the Nazis were actually a minority, most Germans were just people, and after the war most of them went back to being normal people that were often sickened by what was done by their nation. So under different circumstances the soldier on the other side of the battlefield could have been a friend – hell, in some wars he may very well have been – but right now he is the enemy, and you have to treat him as such.
The problem comes in remembering that after the war. They were the enemy, but the war is over. There are people who never got over hating the people on the other side of the war they fought in.
Although, strangely, it was the North Vietnamese and American soldiers who some years after the war was over began to work together to normalize relations between Vietnam and the USA – in that case I think some of the soldiers on both sides felt a kinship with their former enemies.
Like I said somewhere else, that was aimed mostly at the readership
Look at how many were quick to condemn Meegs, and cheered when she got perma-stoned (the fact she was still stoned several hundred years in the future kinda points to ‘perma’, and they _know_ about a cure for _that_ curse)
As for your point about Vietnam… that ‘war’ never ended, they simply just stopped shooting at each other. Why do you think the DMZ is still in place and guarded 24/7?
I believe you are thinking of Korea. Vietnam is a unified country that borders Cambodia, Laos, and China. While I’m sure their borders are guarded, there is no DMZ.
And so, maybe a nice number of killed Gorgons (past and future) and maybe if the cure also work with the mistress, are just victims. It makes you think…
It might free the DM’s minds, so they think for themselves like dear Jais, but fairly sure the outfit is permanent (it has literally become their outerskin, which means each and every one of them… is, effectively, naked)
I also would say, the mistresses were corrupted, not cursed. Different procedure, different outcome (they do think for themselves), so it needs(?) different cure.
It would depend if it’s a magical effect or not. Yafgc doesn’t typically abide by DnD rules but it does seem to draw inspiration from it. If it’s magical, remove curse or similar magic will generally work, but if it’s psychological then it might take some form of Restoration spell to fix what would be treated as a form of insanity in DnD.
But again, it’s Rich’s story and it all depends on what the author intends.
@THAT Bard: Corruption (in people) is generally regarded as a choice, not forced on you. You start out one way but you are convinced to change, possibly just by opportunity not anyone even doing anything (whether that is to betray someone, take drugs, steal from the company, or whatever). No one made you do anything with magic or other mind control, no one forced you to do anything with extortion or blackmail, you simply choose. You always have free thought. And just because someone doesn’t like the choice, doesn’t mean it was a choice freely made.
In the case of the Dark Mistresses they were tortured until they converted, I assume those who didn’t convert died. But once converted they seemed to be all in, there does seem to be some form of unusual permanence to it, which I think is possibly the result of whatever process makes them permanently encased in black leather/ latex.
Kogan may be right, something else may work, or it may be something that can’t be fixed.
I believe you are thinking of Korea. Vietnam is a unified country that borders Cambodia, Laos, and China. While I’m sure their borders are guarded, there is no DMZ.
Okay, we KNOW he’s going to ruin things for Ranna. The real question is: is he going to do it deliberately? Is he about to get that army wiped out through incompetence, or is he about to fix things and then demand a reward for saving the world?
He is definitely not about to fix things, unless that is somehow in his direct short-term interests (e.g. uncursing Tambid and Sahar). His aims are to serve Ranna in a way that allows him to mooch off her as much as possible, thinking that the goddess won’t notice or care, as long as her own goals are met. Basically, an embezzler and war profiteer.
It is likely that he’ll screw up spectacularly and his short-sighted interference may even prove critical in foiling Ranna’s plans. But that’s not what he’s trying to achieve.
And considering, that he is a highly powerful evil wizard, and master of all genies, that might be a really good outcome. His incompetence helps to defeat Ranna, and she gets the world rid of him as retaliation… Win, win. 🙂
It was never confirmed that he got hold of the medallion in the mirror, which also gave power over "all elements" as well. I’d think he’d be a *lot* more powerful than what we’re seeing if he had it.
For one thing, he wouldn’t have been taking orders from Sahar and plotting to remove her powers in order to rape her, he would have just had one of the competent Genii force her to his will (like a certain street rat did with a princess)
If I recall well, though I might be wrong, it was implied, once he got hold of the lamp of our favorite genie. However, it could be, that he couldn’t take it out with him, as Tarbash’ Mirror was shattered, and we don’t know how was he freed. Also, Ranna has the power of 10 gods (at least), which might be more powerful than being master of all elements and stuff.
Going on past behaviour, I would say his own short-sighted pettiness is what will ruin things for him… and for Ranna. Followed, perhaps, by a lame "I meant to do that!" blubbering as the consequences of his rashness and his greed catch up with him.
He does seem like just the sort of worm who would screw up, and then try to pretend he was working for the victors all along as a saboteur. Which makes it all the more delicious when such a villain gets their comeuppance.
Why not both?
It looks like he wants to divert Ranna’s resources to his own goals, but not so blatantly that she would notice, consider it a problem and punish him.
I’m a bit disappointed more is not made of the removal of her mask, especially as it’s a (minor) lore point. But I notice it’s in a different section from the rest of her face, with no apparent overlap – was it penciled in as an afterthought?
Figured panel two was her removing it, and the Gorgon mask is not like the DM hood: it can be removed at will, or otherwise they could never stone enemies when needed (which would remove one of their most powerful attacks…)
We can also see her eyes in panel one, which means it’s no longer required (how it blocks the Gorgon eyes but not normal is a mystery for the Sages… unless that was what you were meaning regarding the ‘(minor) lore point’)
Panel two may seem like an afterthought, but it is a natural position for it to be if she was removing it, and on third look it is affirmed for me that it was planned.
A Gorgon mask seems to be like Cyclop’s visor in X-Men, there to keep the powers in check unless wanted (and other gorgons have removed their masks to petrify victims). So once the curse was lifted, the mask would be a mere hinderance, so off with the stupid thing.
Which part?
It’s difficult to really tell, seeing how there is a bar between her face and her no-longer-need mask, so we can’t tell if that is her hand holding slash removing it
Yup. They’re right. I drew her removing her mask in panel two. The problem is that I didn’t more carefully plan the position of the bars of the cells so they obscure the hand doing the removing.
I admit I don’t get the agatha christie connection either, although i’ve read most of her stuff (even the non-mystery romances) but there’s details that definitely escape connection.
T-Chall-LOVE victor borge- ty for that!! when i taught english classes, i’d play that clip for them. Even non-academic kids enjoyed it. he was sooo talented!! and btw- ty for pronouncing your name for me-helps the voices in my head to have it right 😀 I couldn’t find the page I asked on.
Pick up your copies of YAFGC Volumes 1 - 5 at our online store. Multi-book bundles and sketch editions available.
Wow – all going his way so far (After the punches in the face)
I’m disappointed that Sahar didn’t get in a punch or two before being dragged off.
She might’ve off panel; we don’t get a good look at his face in panel 4.
In that case, I’m disappointed we didn’t get to watch. 🙂
He’s so ugly, how would we tell the difference? 😛
Kurassa manages the impressive achievement of being a magic user with all mental stats habitually reserved for kobold captain, and is almost as threatening in the end.
If he doesn’t get to land a few punches, his demise will be as emotionally fulfilling as discarding a used handkerchief.
*applauds your wording* very fitting and imaginative 😀
High Intelligence – although not as high as he thinks it is – but very low Wisdom.
Or in real world terms: He’s not as smart as he thinks he is (and that is often dangerous; thinking you are smarter than you are), and *very* prone to poor decision making, largely motivated by selfishness.
Sorry but I disagree.
His wisdom is abysmal indeed, and charisma is probably a dump stat as well.
High intellect, let’s say 14 or 16, would allow him to have analytical competence, which he never displayed.
But it’s ok, he’s a Disney villain. It’s just that in the era of WoT and Asofai, I hoped for more.
Umm, what is ‘WoT’ or ‘Asofai’? o_O
Don’t know why you disagree, when you basically supported Eric’s post (he actually _has_ high analytical competence: he figured out how to break the curse on Tambid, and then reverse the gorgonzolaizing, he just didn’t think too far beyond the immediate and plan for the inevitable consequences)
Yup, he’s rolling with the punches, but if he keeps rolling like this, he’s going to run out of luck fast.
Seriously? The Rannite’s are just going along with this? o_O
If I’m not mistaken, this is the undead army. They might not think much….
So…was Sahar mind controlled whilst being a Gorgon? Because she acts a lot less evil now.
Yep. The gorgon curse basically brainwashes it’s victims into becoming evil (or eviler) and becoming utterly loyal to Ranna, regardless of their natural alignment or loyalties.
Which means they are not responsible for their actions (unless you are Meegs, no redemption for her)
Eh, to be fair I think Meegs is more a victim of her own foolishness. Her “I convert!” moment on the rack was more out of self preservation than anything else, and I think she would’ve looked to betray the Rannites at some point. I don’t think she counted on them having a potion that would make her blindly loyal however.
Just like with Sahar, we never saw Meegs’ conversion, for all we know, she could have held out until the end, or, like with that nice Drow teacher and implied with Sahar, it’s an instant conversion potion
WHICH MEANS THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS! Not that that ever came to mind for the Anti-Meegs squad, who actually went back to earlier appearances to justify the lynch-mob
@NotRichard Yup, I agree with you man, heck I’ve been a proponent of the gorgons and DMs being innocent (more or less) victims of brainwashing since day one.
Feels good to be vindicated though 😛
@NotRichard: Perhaps not, but that really doesn’t change anything. Fiction is full of innocent people that were made into enemies or monsters through some magic or other factor, and usually if converted back are glad to be free of it, and deeply bothered by what they did while changed. But if it is impractical to convert them back – if not outright impossible – then the heroes have to accept that under most circumstances they will have to kill people that may have been their friends, family, or lovers.
In this case, the cure for the curse was only just found, and only one person knows how to use it, and he’s a jerk. If it becomes known there is a cure there may be some effort made to save certain people, but unless it becomes much more widely available, it won’t be practical for wide spread use. Regrettable, but that is the simply way of it.
It is not unlike real world war. During a war, nations (ALL nations, do not think there is an exception, there isn’t) release propaganda to demonize the enemy to make them seem evil to their people so the soldiers will want to kill the enemy, and the people support killing the enemy. But the truth is, most of the people on the other side were just people – even the WW2 Germans, the Nazis were actually a minority, most Germans were just people, and after the war most of them went back to being normal people that were often sickened by what was done by their nation. So under different circumstances the soldier on the other side of the battlefield could have been a friend – hell, in some wars he may very well have been – but right now he is the enemy, and you have to treat him as such.
The problem comes in remembering that after the war. They were the enemy, but the war is over. There are people who never got over hating the people on the other side of the war they fought in.
Although, strangely, it was the North Vietnamese and American soldiers who some years after the war was over began to work together to normalize relations between Vietnam and the USA – in that case I think some of the soldiers on both sides felt a kinship with their former enemies.
Like I said somewhere else, that was aimed mostly at the readership
Look at how many were quick to condemn Meegs, and cheered when she got perma-stoned (the fact she was still stoned several hundred years in the future kinda points to ‘perma’, and they _know_ about a cure for _that_ curse)
As for your point about Vietnam… that ‘war’ never ended, they simply just stopped shooting at each other. Why do you think the DMZ is still in place and guarded 24/7?
I believe you are thinking of Korea. Vietnam is a unified country that borders Cambodia, Laos, and China. While I’m sure their borders are guarded, there is no DMZ.
And so, maybe a nice number of killed Gorgons (past and future) and maybe if the cure also work with the mistress, are just victims. It makes you think…
It might free the DM’s minds, so they think for themselves like dear Jais, but fairly sure the outfit is permanent (it has literally become their outerskin, which means each and every one of them… is, effectively, naked)
I think the mistresses are brainwashed the old fashioned way, not by curse …
I also would say, the mistresses were corrupted, not cursed. Different procedure, different outcome (they do think for themselves), so it needs(?) different cure.
It would depend if it’s a magical effect or not. Yafgc doesn’t typically abide by DnD rules but it does seem to draw inspiration from it. If it’s magical, remove curse or similar magic will generally work, but if it’s psychological then it might take some form of Restoration spell to fix what would be treated as a form of insanity in DnD.
But again, it’s Rich’s story and it all depends on what the author intends.
@THAT Bard: Corruption (in people) is generally regarded as a choice, not forced on you. You start out one way but you are convinced to change, possibly just by opportunity not anyone even doing anything (whether that is to betray someone, take drugs, steal from the company, or whatever). No one made you do anything with magic or other mind control, no one forced you to do anything with extortion or blackmail, you simply choose. You always have free thought. And just because someone doesn’t like the choice, doesn’t mean it was a choice freely made.
In the case of the Dark Mistresses they were tortured until they converted, I assume those who didn’t convert died. But once converted they seemed to be all in, there does seem to be some form of unusual permanence to it, which I think is possibly the result of whatever process makes them permanently encased in black leather/ latex.
Kogan may be right, something else may work, or it may be something that can’t be fixed.
I believe you are thinking of Korea. Vietnam is a unified country that borders Cambodia, Laos, and China. While I’m sure their borders are guarded, there is no DMZ.
Sorry, misplaced reply.
Oh yes, knew it was one of those countries
Didn’t mean to sound like an ignorant 🙁
I was going to say "the gods will probably take that into account when they’re dead" but I’m remembering Ranna ate the gods.
Was thinking more ‘Reader Redemption’ than ‘Let the Gods pass Judgement in the Afterlife’
Going back to some early comics: did Caliph get a nose job while he was treed?
Actually this is a good thing, this will weaken Ranna’s hold this way..well played
Okay, we KNOW he’s going to ruin things for Ranna. The real question is: is he going to do it deliberately? Is he about to get that army wiped out through incompetence, or is he about to fix things and then demand a reward for saving the world?
He is definitely not about to fix things, unless that is somehow in his direct short-term interests (e.g. uncursing Tambid and Sahar). His aims are to serve Ranna in a way that allows him to mooch off her as much as possible, thinking that the goddess won’t notice or care, as long as her own goals are met. Basically, an embezzler and war profiteer.
It is likely that he’ll screw up spectacularly and his short-sighted interference may even prove critical in foiling Ranna’s plans. But that’s not what he’s trying to achieve.
And considering, that he is a highly powerful evil wizard, and master of all genies, that might be a really good outcome. His incompetence helps to defeat Ranna, and she gets the world rid of him as retaliation… Win, win. 🙂
It was never confirmed that he got hold of the medallion in the mirror, which also gave power over "all elements" as well. I’d think he’d be a *lot* more powerful than what we’re seeing if he had it.
For one thing, he wouldn’t have been taking orders from Sahar and plotting to remove her powers in order to rape her, he would have just had one of the competent Genii force her to his will (like a certain street rat did with a princess)
If I recall well, though I might be wrong, it was implied, once he got hold of the lamp of our favorite genie. However, it could be, that he couldn’t take it out with him, as Tarbash’ Mirror was shattered, and we don’t know how was he freed. Also, Ranna has the power of 10 gods (at least), which might be more powerful than being master of all elements and stuff.
Going on past behaviour, I would say his own short-sighted pettiness is what will ruin things for him… and for Ranna. Followed, perhaps, by a lame "I meant to do that!" blubbering as the consequences of his rashness and his greed catch up with him.
He does seem like just the sort of worm who would screw up, and then try to pretend he was working for the victors all along as a saboteur. Which makes it all the more delicious when such a villain gets their comeuppance.
Why not both?
It looks like he wants to divert Ranna’s resources to his own goals, but not so blatantly that she would notice, consider it a problem and punish him.
I must say. I don’t know what was funnier, the last panel, or the title of the script. 🙂
The coup is successful. Now comes the hard part, surviving between the anvil and the hammer.
I’m a bit disappointed more is not made of the removal of her mask, especially as it’s a (minor) lore point. But I notice it’s in a different section from the rest of her face, with no apparent overlap – was it penciled in as an afterthought?
t!
Figured panel two was her removing it, and the Gorgon mask is not like the DM hood: it can be removed at will, or otherwise they could never stone enemies when needed (which would remove one of their most powerful attacks…)
We can also see her eyes in panel one, which means it’s no longer required (how it blocks the Gorgon eyes but not normal is a mystery for the Sages… unless that was what you were meaning regarding the ‘(minor) lore point’)
Panel two may seem like an afterthought, but it is a natural position for it to be if she was removing it, and on third look it is affirmed for me that it was planned.
A Gorgon mask seems to be like Cyclop’s visor in X-Men, there to keep the powers in check unless wanted (and other gorgons have removed their masks to petrify victims). So once the curse was lifted, the mask would be a mere hinderance, so off with the stupid thing.
> on third look it is affirmed for me that it was planned
It was a question for Rich, but I am curious what your conclusion is based on.
t!
Which part?
It’s difficult to really tell, seeing how there is a bar between her face and her no-longer-need mask, so we can’t tell if that is her hand holding slash removing it
When typing a comment would it not be less confusing to actually use a ‘slash’ ( / ) than to type out the word "slash"?
Sorry, just a habit picked up from "Grrl Power", where the main villain actually says ‘slash’
Oh no problem comma it apostrophe s just confusing when people spell out the punctuation instead of using it is all period
This sentence, although declarative, nevertheless ends in a question mark?
t!
Does this sentence remind you of Agatha Christie?
Reminds ME of These guys: http://www.airshipentertainment.com/buckcomic.php?date=20070125
Sorry this link doesn’t work.
I don’t know about Agatha Christie, but it does make me wish Victor Borge was still around. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf_TDuhk3No
Sorry Rich, for some reason only half the dang link pasted. Here’s the complete link:
https://web.archive.org/web/20110102061027/http://www.airshipentertainment.com/buckcomic.php?date=20070125
Yup. They’re right. I drew her removing her mask in panel two. The problem is that I didn’t more carefully plan the position of the bars of the cells so they obscure the hand doing the removing.
I did see that, and anyone who said otherwise is *not* right.
t!
No one is saying you did *not* see it
I’m confused by this entire line of inquiry.
So am I
The real Rich answered my question, so I’m good.
t!
I could follow it!
Now, is that a good, or a bad sign?…
I admit I don’t get the agatha christie connection either, although i’ve read most of her stuff (even the non-mystery romances) but there’s details that definitely escape connection.
T-Chall-LOVE victor borge- ty for that!! when i taught english classes, i’d play that clip for them. Even non-academic kids enjoyed it. he was sooo talented!! and btw- ty for pronouncing your name for me-helps the voices in my head to have it right 😀 I couldn’t find the page I asked on.
p!enapple, you’re most welcome for both the Victor Borge clip and for the help with my name. 🙂
Ah, but the sentence DID remind you of Agatha Christie, didn’t it?
only in that not enough info was given to make a meaningful connection 😛