At least Iori remains an awesome lady.
It's creepy how his (First silver?) torc does that wibble like the infected ghost silver.
>>84021008
Did he trap her in place?
>>84021119
doesn't seem like it. she's turning to run after him in the last panel, and all he did was drop through the floor and use his momentum to go fast.
i hope duane finds out they talking to the tit bird
>>84021008
Oh god oh shit it's happening. Idon't know WHAT'S happening but IT'S HAPPENING.
>>84021008
He's gonna be dead by the end of this chapter.
>>84021111
Because tittybird infected it with pain most likely, showing him the power of it.
Honestly after the Silver went down and everyone escaped it felt like we were going to get a breather, but everything is about to boil over again.
Rahm is going to the guard, who are in league with the Silver to betray Quigley.
Bastion is going to attempt to collect Duane.
Elka is staring down an enemy she thought was her friend while Toma is unconscious and wounded.
Sette knows Bastion is bad fucking news.
Duane has a lot of fight in him once again, courage renewed.
>>84021008
Rahm seen like a man trapped in the past. He just wants things to go back like they were before, provably a result of the trauma cause by losing his son.
Great job being a useless piece of shit as usual Timofey. At least we can count on you for something.
>>84021582
Yeah. I feel bad for him. He's throwing his life away in pursuit of giving his son's death some meaning.
>>84021008
My sleepy is showing. I thought he called Tittybird Gregaroius. Not Generous.
My brain stopped, "Wait. What?"
Had to re-read the scene. Maybe I should start checking in the morning, and not waiting up for it to post.
But then I would miss everyone's colorful commentary here.
>>84021008
Just send Timofey to warn Duane or Quigs...
>>84021502
>>>84021111
>Because tittybird infected it with pain most likely, showing him the power of it.
I strongly suspect that the Goddess Ilganyag (sp) did NOT just make a convenient appearance.
I strongly suspect that Bastion Winalils just compelled the fuck out of this old fool. Hell, I have suspicions that the Goddess never had anything to do with the Black Tongues, and it was Winalils using his arts to trick a bunch of gullible (but powerful) fools into being his private army.
And yeah, this is going to end poorly. Very poorly.
>>84023124
>Anonymous asked: So that was actually the Lady talking to them, not a glamour Bastion conjured up?
>Yeah. I’m really surprised so many people thought it was a glamour, that hadn’t occurred to me. I don’t like stuff like that. If you have to constantly be questioning if something is really happening because MAYBE IT’S A GLAMOUR, that’s not a very fun story. It’s not a plot device I’m fond of.
>Glamours are typically reserved for pretty superficial stuff: to change appearances, to give constructs style, to craft a disguise. But to do a giant fake-out like having Lady Ilganyag appear? And not only appear, but do so to someone as savvy and apparently familiar with her as wise old Rahm the Black Tongue? That would be pretty goofy and irritating, in my opinion.
>I mean, why would Bastion even do that? Rahm had already agreed to deal with Quigley. There would have been no point to it.
>>84021426
Watch Ashley is going to post another two pages on Friday and then make us wait even longer to see this continued.
>>84023150
That's disappointing. Not >>84023124, but I honestly thought it was a glamour as well. We've seen glamours used since the beginning of the comic; Bastion's introduction shows him using a glamour. Having him use a glamour on Rahm fit with the logic of the comic. In contrast, we've never seen tittybird talk through Bastion (or any of the Black Tongues up until this point), and we know so little about Bastion's personality that it's hard to guess at his motives (I seriously doubt he played ALL his cards in the last couple pages-- that'd be boring).
I feel like we should have seen more of Bastion or Lady I before this for the scene to make sense the way she intended. Right now it kinda feels like Bastion's one of those little kids who keeps making up more and more powers out of nowhere when playing superheroes.
>>84023415
>Right now it kinda feels like Bastion's one of those little kids who keeps making up more and more powers out of nowhere when playing superheroes.
I don't really see how? I mean, at this point we know that Bastion's a crazy amazing doctor/artificer who happens to be the Lady's personal favorite, and his only real special snowflake thing is his ability to teleport around as he pleases.which he appears to share with murkoph
Everything that he's done thus far is related to those three main traits.
>>84023610
Well now he find out he's super connected to tittybird, moreso than any other black tongue because reasons and can still speak to her when she's gone quiet for everyone else. That's pretty special snowflake
>>84021426
Looks like a Duane and Quigley are in for a surprise boss fight with Old Man Rahm. Also that Titty Bird is controlling the Black Tongues with those horse shoes around their necks.
>>84023415
>>>84023150
>That's disappointing.
Yeah, it really kinda is.
If your comic only makes sense to the majority of your readers after you explain it to them, then yer doin' it wrong.
>>84023778
Who said the majority thought that?
>>84023778
to be fair, though, if your readers are dumbasses and can't read the comic (Rahm had already agreed and didn't need to be tricked into it; creating a giant itttybird out of thin air is totally different from anything we've previously seen done with glamours) it's not fully your fault.
>>84023718
That's covered in in the
>>84023610
>happens to be the Lady's personal favorite
bit.
And it's heavily implied that the Lady can talk to all of the Black Tongues through those weird torc things, it's just that she's been ignoring everyone for a good while now aside from Basiton.
>>84023778
>majority
I literally didn't think of it as a possibility until just now. Because, as Ashley said, glamours haven't really been used in story for something like that, plot important or otherwise. The closest is Bastion disguising himself to play field medic, only to be immediately discovered. She's been pretty good about playing fair with the audience in terms of things like this. The only time things aren't what they seem is in the usual way, where we don't have all the information about a person or situation. Never that something on the page as been a direct lie to the audience.
>>84023889
>it's just that she's been ignoring everyone for a good while now aside from Basiton.
because he's a special snowflake?
>>84021008
I like how, for all of Rahm's irritation about religious and nationalistic busybodies, he's one of the most zealous people we've actually seen in the comics, action-wise. I'm sure there's more, but Rahm has clearly been a bit out of touch these last few pages in a way we've rarely seen, even from characters like Duane.
>>84023049
That's what she was asking, and Timofey said he couldn't because he's Bastion's servant. And more like a slave, really.
It'll be interesting to see if Timofey will have an Elan moment. Maybe not, given how relatively recently that was. But we've been getting some interesting characterization of him, vis-a-vis his nature as an independent agent.
>>84024006
Timofey isn't a real person. You can't enslave what has no will.
>>84023957
I would imagine it's because he's the creator of her newest boytoy. And perhaps because, so far, he seems to be one of the few Black Tongues doing all this purely out of the love of pymary. Rahm has his personal reasons, and what he's related of the other Black Tongues makes it seem like they have their own ulterior motives popping up. What we've gotten out of Bastion in the same set of revelations is that he's just in it for the mad science magic.
Which is still kinda of special snowflake, I suppose, but in a much more down to earth, reasonable way.
>>84024006
Bastion could probably dispel Timofey if he chose.
>>84023957
Is special snowflake now completely meaningless like mary sue too?
>>84024128
That too. Of course, it seems Bastion was never really here to begin with, as he mentioned "I'll visit in person next time" before fucking off. Might just mean travel normally so he can bring gifts, but I don't really know why he would've disappeared otherwise. Sure, if he could, he might as well stay to help out Rahm sort out the mess. Though, given he didn't participate in the assassination of Duane, perhaps he actually just isn't any good in a fight.
>>84024167
>Of course, it seems Bastion was never really here to begin with, as he mentioned "I'll visit in person next time" before fucking off.
He said that he's visit properly next time, not "in person.
As in, this was only a temporary pitstop for business.
>>84024268
Derp, not sure how I forgot that. Wonder where he fucked off too, then?
>>84024167
I think by "visit properly", Bastion means bringing gifts instead of doing his naked flitting about thing.
>>84024279
I doubt that we're going to find out any time soon, considering the number of different events that the story's juggling at the moment. This is like the perfect opportunity to switch scenes to another group of characters.
>>84024342
>This is like the perfect opportunity to switch scenes to another group of characters.
Maybe cutting ahead to the kids or Duane and Quigley, but Rahm is clearly going to subdue Duane right away.
>>84024467
I swear to fuckin god if Ashley puts Duane out of commission and captured again I'm gonna drop this shit. HE JUST GOT OUT.
>>84026735
Duane will just have to win.
But I just can't understand what Titty Bird is up to since she is directing the Silver weapon into Alderode.
>>84024073
hasn't the Lady been watching Duane sleepwalk through the khert ever since he was created? Why didn't she tell Bastion about about him until recently?
>>84024467
I actually doubt Rahm can pull it off.
Rahm has spent a decent portion of the recent comics underestimating what Duane is; he might very well attempt to treat Duane like a standard plod.
>>84026764
Well the Aldish have a pretty big connection to the Khert, but its hard to say why she wants it. But it does seem interesting she showed Duane visions of the Silver rampaging through Alderode.
>>84026788
He wasn't ready yet, not fully awake.
>>84026852
But who knows what kind of mad scientist shit that Rahm has at his disposal?
I have faith that Duane and Quigley can over come, but it should at least be an impressive fight.
>>84026868
Rahm isn't going to Quigley or Duane, he's going to the general who is currently in town with an army of death mechs and soldiers.
>>84026764
>Titty Bird is up to since she is directing the Silver weapon into Alderode.
I don't recall this. Bastion wanted it in, but only as a mercenary measure. I don't recall Titty Bird having any opinion on the subject, only that it was fated to happen. Had already happened, from the khert's perspective.
>>84026852
He knows he has an advanced personality at least though. Even if he thinks he's only Timofrey tier, he shouldn't assume he's less, if only because he knows the creator's handiwork.
>>84027133
He might also simply underestimate him on a basic, Wright level. Duane is, after all, the best Wright in centuries. In fact, I think nearly every time a Wright has gone up against Duane for the first time, they've underestimated him in some way.
That said, Ashley has already said Rahm would win in his own home.
>>84027163
>That said, Ashley has already said Rahm would win in his own home.
I'm willing to bet money he's going straight to where Elka is and expecting to march right up with the army to apprehend Quigley.
Question is though, how badly does Ashley want to scratch the tragedy itch.
>>84023957
>Major antagonists are not allowed to have anything special about them.
>>84027261
We've sort of played out Ethelmik quite a bit by now, and we've got a lot dangling ahead of us with the temple and journey into Cresce being brought up in this chapter. Outside of the comic itself, we know introduction of the naiad-like senet beasts are imminent (Water Ladies or something). Considering this was also supposed to be a bit of breather chapter, my bet is on Rahm informing the Peaceguard, Iori running to Quigley and telling him he has to leave now, and the whole gang hastily rushing down the river on Uaid as the chapter closes. I suppose what remains is what's going to happen to Elka, Toma, and especially Elan.
Any tragedy we get is probably going to be there, and probably with Elan being scapegoated by all the parties involved. Both those who need to keep the silver on the down-low so they can use it, and those eager to point blame at who fucked up to let Ethelmik get pain bombed without shaking up the political tension in the peaceguard too much. Elan is an excellent person to do just that. Elan is also literally living on borrowed time, so he's probably on the way out either way.
>>84027314
>Duane, Sette,Toma, Quigley, Jivi and Elka go to stop the Silver and stop the war between Alderode and Cresce.
I want to believe, but I know better.
>>84027337
I doubt Elka and Toma are going to be getting out of Ethelmik right now either, what with being surrounded by what looks like all of the Peaceguard in the region. They'll probably continue to provide the Crescian perspective to the story through how the Peaceguard picks up the pieces here. We've already sort of fulfilled out "conflicting protagonists team up to fight the villain" quota with the last chapter.
Also
>no Matty
Expecting something bad to happen?
>>84027370
I attach Matty to Quigs, he's no good in a fight and they would never leave each other.
Unless one of the million death flags for Quigley is tripped I suppose.
>>84023610
He tricked death. (Sorta)
>>84023610
>spoiler
Where?
I dont remember that at any point.
>>84021008
I did not see that coming. Touché, Cope.
>>84029135
Third panel here, and I think he's done it a couple other times.
>>84031164
In the khert.
>>84031164
Oh fuck. I completely missed that
Thats a little spooky
>>84023610
Maybe Murkoph is another of Bastion's experiments? Except this one got stuck in the Khert? He doesn't appear to be dissolving into memories like he should if hes truly dead.
>>84031290
Murkoph is at ancient.
>>84031341
Do we know he's ancient? He looks like he coulda been an aldish bronze.
>>84031290
I feel like he might be more of a thing that Bastion drew inspiration from, via Tittybird.
Seeing as Tittybird seemed to know about Murkoph and that he was dangerous based on her interaction with Sette.
>>84031761
Murkoph's imprisonment and decayed appearance make me think he may be some kind of entity cut off from the khert.
>>84031844
I mean, all evidence and symbolism points to him having a STRONG relationship to Ssael.
Its just about what that relationship is.
