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New Comics Every M/W/F - Written by T Campbell & Phil Kahn - Illustrated by John & Jason Waltrip

It must be rough being a scientist when you live in a world where magic rocks can separate souls from their bodies.

Chapter 10 – Page 9

on April 15, 2011
Chapter: Chapter 10
└ Tags: Cliff Rockslide, Ember Skycleaver, Gravedust, Iver, Snowpeak Icegrip, Stonecutter Moonchild, Syr'Nj
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Discussion (106) ¬

  1. Jean-Luc
    Jean-Luc
    April 15, 2011, 12:02 am | # | Reply

    Shut up alt-text, I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical explanation.

    • Moe Lane
      Moe Lane
      April 15, 2011, 12:06 am | # | Reply

      Sure: certain types of rocks store a type of energy that can separate souls from their bodies.

      It all makes sense if you consider the implications of Agatha’s Law.

      • bargamer
        bargamer
        April 15, 2011, 12:46 am | # | Reply

        Kudos on the quoting of Agatha’s Law.

        • theoreticalgamr
          theoreticalgamr
          April 15, 2011, 1:14 am | # | Reply

          It should be said that Agatha’s Law is merely a rephrasing of Niven’s Inversion of Clark’s Third Law.

          • zathael
            zathael
            April 16, 2011, 8:18 pm | # | Reply

            Yes, and that’s what makes it brilliant.

            • SotiCoto
              SotiCoto
              June 26, 2013, 5:23 am | # | Reply

              Any sufficiently advanced commentary is indistinguishable from bullshit.

              • OmegaUltima
                OmegaUltima
                April 10, 2015, 7:55 pm | # | Reply

                now you’re just being an uncalled for ass, even if you’re roleplaying

                • SotiCoto
                  SotiCoto
                  March 30, 2016, 6:07 am | # | Reply

                  Never called for.

                  … But more of a dick than an ass. Dicks fuck asses and all that.

      • ahdok
        ahdok
        April 15, 2011, 3:49 am | # | Reply

        It makes sense if you’re stoned.

      • gangler
        gangler
        April 15, 2011, 3:58 am | # | Reply

        Wow. I checked out a pretty sizable chunk of that a couple weeks ago when I had an itchin for some steam-punk. Didn’t realize it got awesome. Might have to move it a few notches up the reading queue.

      • JarrysKid
        JarrysKid
        April 15, 2011, 10:38 am | # | Reply

        Gee, thanks, Moe. Now I’ve got another damn comic I’m hooked on. :-)

    • The Occupant
      The Occupant
      April 15, 2011, 4:43 am | # | Reply

      There is, it’s called magic. Just because it disagrees with our laws of physics does not mean science can’t understand it. Science is about experimentation and if experiment proves something that we would call supernatural, it’s just as proven as gravity.
      Agatha’s Law puts it perfectly, the TV Tropes page goes into further detail that shows how science can easily study phenomena we would call magic and even potentially improve on it. Science can discover things like if it matters what kind of newt for eye of newt or at what purity sulphur ceases to be sulphur ceases to be sulphur for the purposes of a fireball spell.

      • Jean-Luc
        Jean-Luc
        April 15, 2011, 5:11 am | # | Reply

        The only reason why ‘magic’ is unscientific in our world is because it’s not real. In fantasy worlds where it is real, magic is just another set of natural laws that can be studied pretty much like anything else.

        • Doop doop
          Doop doop
          April 15, 2011, 7:34 am | # | Reply

          Unless this is the Deathstalker series and you’re Owen Deathstalker. Or to a lesser extent John Taylor in Simon R. Green’s other series set in the Nightside.

          Taylor’s power – To find anything. Even find things like the tiny flaw in reality that lets him unmake beings/negate their powers/what have you.

          Owen’s power – SHAPE REALITY TO HIS WILL. Rules work against him? KICK REASON TO THE CURB AND MAKE YOUR OWN RULES.

          Hell, the way his writing works well in that I’m fully willing to let him get away with it despite knowing, for a fact, that he can and WILL pull bullshit powers out of his ass at critical junctures so the good guys win (for a certain level of winning). Something about the ultraviolence is just COOL.

          As long as I’m talking about rules, eff you Terry Goodkind. Richard Rahl pulls out bullcrap but lacks the finesse that Green imparts on his guys. Goddamned Gary Stu. HEY I NOTICED I’M RANTING. I STOP HERE.

          • EveryZig
            EveryZig
            April 18, 2011, 6:03 pm | # | Reply

            If he can reshape reality, how can he ever lose at anything?

            And yes, as long as magic has SOME kind of consistency (which is needed for any spells to be usable), it can be studied. People ALREADY DO study mysterious semi-nonsensical forces that can change when you look at them; there is an entire field of quantum physics.

            • SotiCoto
              SotiCoto
              March 30, 2016, 6:09 am | # | Reply

              I’d bet on forgetfulness. Being able to do something doesn’t necessarily equate to remembering how on the spot.

        • TheDeadMansLife
          TheDeadMansLife
          April 15, 2011, 1:12 pm | # | Reply

          Every time someone mentions magic all I can think of is this.
          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-agl0pOQfs

          Magnets! How do they work?

        • Jim
          Jim
          April 15, 2011, 3:38 pm | # | Reply

          Thank you for saying this more concisely than I was about to.

        • FoolishOwl
          FoolishOwl
          April 17, 2011, 5:09 pm | # | Reply

          From what I could make out of the general pattern of pre-modern legends about wizards, the thing about wizards is not that they know magic. The point is that they’re superhumanly wise. When Taliesin turns himself into a bird, it’s not that he’s using magic. He simply knows how to turn himself into a bird. The magic is that Taliesin somehow knows everything.

          The problem with magic is that it’s all about dream-logic — in other words, it doesn’t actually make any sense. Look at fairy tales — the actual stories about fairies. Fairies are frightening and dangerous because they act in ways that don’t make any sense.

          Once you get to D&D-style wizards who study for years in order to manipulate arcane energies in precise, predictable ways, you don’t have “magic” anymore, really — you’ve got alternate reality physics.

          • The Occupant
            The Occupant
            April 18, 2011, 5:26 pm | # | Reply

            Magic, alternate reality physics, what’s the difference? Even the World of Darkness Mage reality warping-based-on-belief must have an underlying set of physical laws.

  2. MathMage
    MathMage
    April 15, 2011, 12:10 am | # | Reply

    Hey, there’s plenty of substances in the real world that can separate souls from their bodies. It’s just that the process generally isn’t reversible.

    • Schlock
      Schlock
      April 16, 2011, 2:23 am | # | Reply

      Hell, I’d say that it would have happened in a moment even if he hadn’t used the stone. Gravedust is so impatient

  3. Tatsu
    Tatsu
    April 15, 2011, 12:16 am | # | Reply

    I bet Grave man has taken in the souls of every Mystic. He’s like..SUPER MYSTIC holding the power of every single slain one..for vengence..and so he’ll repopulate the Dwarves..and they’ll all be reborn..by his seed!…yup

    • Jean-Luc
      Jean-Luc
      April 15, 2011, 12:18 am | # | Reply

      Something like ‘mystical dissemination’.

      • Timelost
        Timelost
        April 15, 2011, 1:31 am | # | Reply

        I’m fairly certain he was implying “mystical insemination”.

        • Wazza
          Wazza
          April 15, 2011, 11:43 am | # | Reply

          That’s what Best said to Frigg…

          • Danny
            Danny
            April 15, 2011, 2:54 pm | # | Reply

            Wait …. wait …. wait ….. wait ….. wait ….. wait…. wait

            Does that make him the God Emperor of the Dwarfkind?

            • Jean-Luc
              Jean-Luc
              April 15, 2011, 9:00 pm | # | Reply

              Hey, as long as there are seeds involved I don’t care.

    • Tjoms
      Tjoms
      April 15, 2011, 10:00 am | # | Reply

      You mean he’s the Quick Ben of this reality?

  4. Locke
    Locke
    April 15, 2011, 12:17 am | # | Reply

    Go eat crap and die, you beardless Oompah-Loompah.

    • gangler
      gangler
      April 15, 2011, 3:59 am | # | Reply

      wut?

      • Zero
        Zero
        April 15, 2011, 6:30 am | # | Reply

        I …THINK that’s in response to Iver?

    • JarrysKid
      JarrysKid
      April 15, 2011, 10:41 am | # | Reply

      IIRC, all Oompah-Loompahs were beardless.

      • Locke
        Locke
        April 15, 2011, 3:52 pm | # | Reply

        I know. But he’s a beardless dwarf who looks like an Oompah-Loompah.

        • miklanin
          miklanin
          April 15, 2011, 10:52 pm | # | Reply

          Wait…I thought beardless dwarves were gnomes…

          Or is that just Bruenor’s take on them?

          • gangler
            gangler
            April 17, 2011, 12:30 am | # | Reply

            A beardless dwarf is actually just a fetish. There’s a small faction of perverted dwarves with very unsettling tastes in their women.

            • Locke
              Locke
              April 17, 2011, 4:31 pm | # | Reply

              Then that means that Iver is a creepy sexual deviant? Sounds about right.

  5. Magnor
    Magnor
    April 15, 2011, 12:40 am | # | Reply

    “So our next set of test results should show — ah, dammit! Magic got in the testing results again!”

  6. Ronin
    Ronin
    April 15, 2011, 12:46 am | # | Reply

    Well that’s some grave news.

    • Hoo-ya
      Hoo-ya
      April 15, 2011, 12:57 am | # | Reply

      Deathly, to be sure.

      • Rognik
        Rognik
        April 15, 2011, 3:50 am | # | Reply

        Guess he did some soul searching, huh?

        • Fren
          Fren
          April 15, 2011, 7:52 am | # | Reply

          Aye, and returned in fair spirits.

          • Ishmael
            Ishmael
            April 16, 2011, 1:04 am | # | Reply

            Now, we should stop before this is done to death.

  7. 1d4caltrop
    1d4caltrop
    April 15, 2011, 12:49 am | # | Reply

    Science fact/point of order: we live in a world where perfectly ordinary, nonmagical rocks can separate souls from bodies. Big, heavy rocks have an easier time of it, but even little ones can get in on the act with a little extra physics.

    • Miklanin
      Miklanin
      April 15, 2011, 1:13 am | # | Reply

      May the Mass x Acceleration be with you!

    • gangler
      gangler
      April 15, 2011, 4:03 am | # | Reply

      We can also easily reverse many conditions that would have been viewed as death a scant hundred years ago, and would likely be viewed as such within the setting. Entering a state of temporary “death”, in which the spirit may wander, makes perfect sense.

      Admittedly, how the rock does it is a question to ask. It’s one thing to establish possibilities, but logistics are another matter.

      • Fren
        Fren
        April 15, 2011, 7:53 am | # | Reply

        You fools! It’s not the rock! It’s the PICTURE he drew on the rock! We’ve been looking at the wrong part of the puzzle! IT’S ALL SO CLEAR NOW!

    • SteelRaven
      SteelRaven
      April 15, 2011, 7:45 pm | # | Reply

      With a big enough rock, I could destroy the world!!!

      • Moe Lane
        Moe Lane
        April 16, 2011, 1:40 am | # | Reply

        Unfortunately, the one that best fits your specs is being used as part of a lever mechanism.

  8. Miklanin
    Miklanin
    April 15, 2011, 12:56 am | # | Reply

    Whoa. Thor was Savasi? Who’da thunk!

    • Rognik
      Rognik
      April 15, 2011, 3:51 am | # | Reply

      And the Grim Reaper, although a lot more fleshy than usual.

      • Locke
        Locke
        April 15, 2011, 7:22 pm | # | Reply

        Hey, don’t fear the reaper, man.

  9. Hoo-ya
    Hoo-ya
    April 15, 2011, 12:59 am | # | Reply

    Haha Frigg and Best in the last panel was a nice touch.

    Or rather, bad touch. Bad, bad touch.

    • sebtoure
      sebtoure
      April 15, 2011, 2:24 am | # | Reply

      Heheh, I didn’t even notice them. Nice touch indeed! :-D

      • Jean-Luc
        Jean-Luc
        April 15, 2011, 5:12 am | # | Reply

        Eek, didn’t even notice them. Thanks. Nice touch indeed, indeed.

    • Caitlin
      Caitlin
      April 15, 2011, 6:02 am | # | Reply

      Tiny little Best and tiny little Frigg are getting their tiny little freak-on. I laughed when I saw it.

    • Rolan7
      Rolan7
      April 15, 2011, 10:29 am | # | Reply

      I bet that’s her tomb they’re doing it on. “Eat hot procreation, death!”

    • 1d4caltrop
      1d4caltrop
      April 15, 2011, 2:10 pm | # | Reply

      Can’t touch this.

  10. Timelost
    Timelost
    April 15, 2011, 1:46 am | # | Reply

    I will attempt to guess the names of the pictured mystics.

    From the left, Sadscythe Gloomwaste, Sandshade Arrowaxe, Doomsledge Twinklestar and Grimstare Manskirt.

    • Hoo-ya
      Hoo-ya
      April 15, 2011, 2:55 am | # | Reply

      Almost correct, the third one’s name is ACTUALLY Hammerhammer Hammerhammer.

      • Miklanin
        Miklanin
        April 15, 2011, 2:57 am | # | Reply

        …middle name is Time?

        • Rognik
          Rognik
          April 15, 2011, 3:52 am | # | Reply

          Oh, stop!

          • Timelost
            Timelost
            April 15, 2011, 4:31 am | # | Reply

            Collaborate and listen?

            • Wazza
              Wazza
              April 15, 2011, 11:48 am | # | Reply

              Timelost is skating on thin ice…

              • Seth
                Seth
                April 15, 2011, 2:10 pm | # | Reply

                If it becomes a problem, yo, he’ll solve it.

      • Moe Lane
        Moe Lane
        April 16, 2011, 1:41 am | # | Reply

        Isn’t that actually Hammerhammer HammerGlaiveHammer?

    • ahdok
      ahdok
      April 15, 2011, 3:52 am | # | Reply

      ohh… I see. You’re making the assumption that their chosen weapon is in their name. Like Deserthammer and his archery!

      • gangler
        gangler
        April 15, 2011, 4:06 am | # | Reply

        That’s actually foreshadowing for a later date when he’ll reveal an awesome hammer themed power he chooses not to use. It’s like Regal Bryant and his hands. He doesn’t use them, but nations would tremble if he did.

      • Timelost
        Timelost
        April 17, 2011, 1:45 am | # | Reply

        Like Gravedust and his ghost-whispering?

        Yeah, kind of like that.

    • alicemacher
      alicemacher
      April 15, 2011, 8:39 am | # | Reply

      “Grimstare Manskirt.” XD

    • Thom
      Thom
      April 16, 2011, 2:01 am | # | Reply

      “Ha! Grimstare Manskirt! That’s the stupidest name I’ve ever heard!”
      “Hey! What’s your name then?”
      “Sobergaze Tanflirt”
      “…”

      • Locke
        Locke
        April 17, 2011, 4:36 pm | # | Reply

        “And my name is Sadlook Panhurt.”
        “… You’re kidding me, right?”
        “Yeah, you got me. Real name is He-Who-Stalks, known in some regions as simply ‘the Defiler’. The others just rhyme out of coincidence. ”
        “Hahaha, you dwarves are hilarious, man!”
        “Why? I’m not joking. I watch you sleep.”
        “…” 0_o

  11. Tyris
    Tyris
    April 15, 2011, 2:04 am | # | Reply

    The big (well, for a dwarf) chap with a hammer is boss.

  12. ahdok
    ahdok
    April 15, 2011, 3:57 am | # | Reply

    Well, you’re always going to be in trouble if you declare Richii too early.

    • gangler
      gangler
      April 15, 2011, 4:09 am | # | Reply

      Lol. Mahjong. I know about it from about five episodes of Saki and some legend of Koizumi, so we may nod in mutual understanding of this great and noble game;)

      Insider crowd. Ize een it.

      • ahdok
        ahdok
        April 15, 2011, 5:21 am | # | Reply

        Specifically, Japanese Mahjong.

        Declaring Richii tends to involve locking yourself down to your current plans, which can make you very vulnerable – once you’re in richii, you can’ avoid dealing in to someone else’s hand if the tiles wish you to.

  13. Caitlin
    Caitlin
    April 15, 2011, 6:07 am | # | Reply

    Now I’m curious . . . were there only five Savasi Mystics (Gravedust and four peers) before Iver began killing them or is this an artistic choice and showing hordes of them would be a pain (which I totally understand)? If there was only the five, Gravedust didn’t have to say “arguably” before “found them all.”

    • Naimless
      Naimless
      April 15, 2011, 8:03 am | # | Reply

      Get the feeling it’s an artistic choice, otherwise Iver would be less of a villain. Instead of a genocidal maniac, he’d be… a serial killer.

      • Caitlin
        Caitlin
        April 15, 2011, 8:41 am | # | Reply

        Honestly, I don’t see one being less evil than the other. . . It would have been harder for him to kill a lot mystics without some sort of loyal help (which I feel is the case in genocide v. serial killing–guy with army v. guy alone or with a couple of underlings).

        • Naare
          Naare
          April 15, 2011, 10:14 am | # | Reply

          I find the serial killer option more credible. Also, if he murdered a horde of Mystics, he probably involved a lot of other people while doing it, wich implies many other villany creeps, some with political power. I find the idea that he did it alone (probably with few underlings) more scary than a whole organization of betrayers.

          • Hawk
            Hawk
            April 15, 2011, 10:36 am | # | Reply

            So you find Dahmer more scary than Hitler?

            • Caitlin
              Caitlin
              April 15, 2011, 12:09 pm | # | Reply

              I find them equally scary–I’d never want to meet either.

            • HLY
              HLY
              April 15, 2011, 12:53 pm | # | Reply

              well, tbh, Dahmer was kinda of the kill randomly camp, so I’m more scared of him

              hitler killed specific peoples, of wich I am neither, so…

              both evil though

            • Vulpis
              Vulpis
              April 15, 2011, 1:28 pm | # | Reply

              Depends on your reason for finding them scary. Dahmer did it individucally and personally–he saw the face of each of his victims. Hitler, much like any military leader, did mass slaughter of ‘faceless masses’. His underlings on the other hand…

          • Jean-Luc
            Jean-Luc
            April 16, 2011, 9:19 am | # | Reply

            Don’t be puttin’ down Hitler’s work, he’s been trying really hard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4lJ9vsZjMU&playnext=1&list=PL473847B9CF7B019C

            • Locke
              Locke
              April 16, 2011, 10:38 pm | # | Reply

              Poor misunderstood Hitler. I mean, yeah, he committed an attempted mass genocide of multiple cultures and ruined some cool symbols and mustache styles forever, but he was just-

              No. I can’t even jokingly defend the guy. Not out of disgust, see, but, if I’m going to defend a mass murdering tyrant from history, it’s totally going to be Stalin. Dude had a BITCHIN’ mustache. Hitler started war with Russia out of sheer jealousy.

    • Timelost
      Timelost
      April 15, 2011, 3:30 pm | # | Reply

      My guess is that there were probably several dozen, those four were just the ones that felt like saying hi to the new guy.

      • SteelRaven
        SteelRaven
        April 15, 2011, 7:49 pm | # | Reply

        Or those were the guys ‘Dust happen to already know.

    • Freako
      Freako
      April 16, 2011, 12:02 am | # | Reply

      Perhaps when Gravedust says he “arguably found them all”, he means that these four are the only Savasi that could arguably be considered mystics. Maybe the others were corrupt, or didn’t possess the right qualities to be considered “true” mystics.

      Also, we mustn’t forget that there is some kind of powerful magical force on the side of the savage races, which Gravedust likened to that of “half-forgotten gods”. Methinks the reason they shouldn’t be alive is because of this unknown player, since they could block Gravedust from communing with the dead. Could it be the cult from earlier, working for the savage rages at the behest of their god(s)? “Order of the Countless Limbs” sounds like Elder God worship to me, and that would tie together several existing plot threads, including the bit about “standing before gods” from the fortune-teller’s spiel.

    • FoolishOwl
      FoolishOwl
      April 17, 2011, 9:05 pm | # | Reply

      What if they’re understood to be reincarnated, like the Dalai Lama? That is, there are only five at any given time; meeting the most recent incarnations would “arguably” mean meeting all of them.

  14. Thom
    Thom
    April 15, 2011, 10:35 am | # | Reply

    On the left, emo-death mystic.
    On the right, a mystic whose only weapons are a steely glare and a deadly ‘stache.

    • Timelost
      Timelost
      April 15, 2011, 3:33 pm | # | Reply

      Two cops on the edge, and then crime PUSHED.

      • Thom
        Thom
        April 16, 2011, 2:07 am | # | Reply

        Sythe goodnight, punk.

  15. Connie
    Connie
    April 15, 2011, 10:47 am | # | Reply

    What’s that tiny thing in the left bottom — AAAAGH! The slashfic, it burns!

    • Randonimity
      Randonimity
      April 15, 2011, 3:25 pm | # | Reply

      Pretty sure it’s hetfic? Since Frigg’s female and Best’s a douche dick male.

      • Randonimity
        Randonimity
        April 15, 2011, 3:26 pm | # | Reply

        Ack, meant to write “Since Frigg’s female and Best’s douche dick male.”

  16. SteelRaven
    SteelRaven
    April 15, 2011, 7:50 pm | # | Reply

    Oh, I get it, their Jedi.

    • Locke
      Locke
      April 15, 2011, 11:55 pm | # | Reply

      No, THEY’RE Jedi.

      • Timelost
        Timelost
        April 16, 2011, 1:18 am | # | Reply

        No, they’re constellations.

      • Thom
        Thom
        April 16, 2011, 1:53 am | # | Reply

        SteelRaven got their Jedi, now give them back!

      • SteelRaven
        SteelRaven
        April 16, 2011, 8:55 pm | # | Reply

        err, long night and no spell check
        and no Thorn, I wont give ’em back

        • Locke
          Locke
          April 16, 2011, 10:36 pm | # | Reply

          Okay, now you’re just trying to send me into a grammar fueled berserker rage. Well, I won’t give you the satisfaction of a successful trolling, no si- BLARGHLEFLARGHLARGH!

          • Naimless
            Naimless
            April 17, 2011, 6:06 am | # | Reply

            its not that bad. your just taking everything out of proportion. i should stop right they’re – whom knows who your going to hurt in you’re furry.

            • Locke
              Locke
              April 17, 2011, 4:30 pm | # | Reply

              FFFFFFFF- ARGHLERAWRRAWRRAWR!!!

              • Jean-Luc
                Jean-Luc
                April 17, 2011, 11:28 pm | # | Reply

                Your mad? >:-)

              • Abcus
                Abcus
                April 18, 2011, 12:52 pm | # | Reply

                /Like

                /Agree

                /Hatefuelledzerkergage!

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Guilded Age is co-written by T Campbell & Flo Kahn, and illustrated by John Waltrip. Site design by Samantha Kyle. Fonts by Blambot.com.
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