Guilded Age

The Saga of the Working Class Adventurer – New comics every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
  • About
  • Cast
  • Crew
  • Downloads
  • Guilded Age Plus
  • Store
  • Contact
  • RSS

Annotations Every Day - Written by T Campbell & Flo Kahn - Illustrated by John & Jason Waltrip

'... SO I CAN YELL AT HIM SOME MORE.'

Chapter 18 – Page 9

on August 15, 2012
Chapter: Chapter 18
└ Tags: Bandit, E-Merl, Faereksch'Nj, Gravedust, Syr'Nj
Comments RSS

Discussion (97) ¬

  1. Andrew
    Andrew
    August 15, 2012, 12:07 am | # | Reply

    Like shooting fish in a barrel!

    • biggmac
      biggmac
      August 15, 2012, 1:00 am | # | Reply

      Like taking candy from a baby!

      • The Indomitable Eric
        The Indomitable Eric
        August 15, 2012, 1:12 am | # | Reply

        Like shooting avians in the face!

        Wait…

        • centuriancode
          centuriancode
          August 15, 2012, 1:49 am | # | Reply

          They’re sitting ducks!

          • Andreas
            Andreas
            August 15, 2012, 3:01 am | # | Reply

            Syr should hurry up and heal Bandit… otherwise someone might call her a quack.
            Splut!

            • zero
              zero
              August 15, 2012, 7:13 am | # | Reply

              Looks like Gravy’s been practicing at the shooting gallery! Now to find 3 hare-beasts to shoot…

  2. Doma
    Doma
    August 15, 2012, 12:07 am | # | Reply

    kinda ruins the fun knowing it’s just her video game father

    • Joe
      Joe
      August 15, 2012, 12:18 am | # | Reply

      But she doesn’t realize that, so the emotions are still real.
      It also sets up some pretty nice drama for if The Five ever get out of their tubes – realizing that the families that they were so close to were never actually real.

      • Jean-Luc
        Jean-Luc
        August 15, 2012, 10:43 am | # | Reply

        I wouldn’t dismiss the non-five characters as mere NPCs just yet. I suspect that all these events are far more real than would be implied by the supposed video game setting. But we’ll see.

        • plaintextman
          plaintextman
          August 15, 2012, 11:34 am | # | Reply

          Yes. Why else is HR having so much trouble controlling this universe, and why does he have to fiddle with all that magic to do so? I’d go out on a limb and say the game system is somehow latched onto an entire alternate universe, whether that universe was created by HR-and-friends’ magic in the first place or not.

        • Speedy
          Speedy
          December 3, 2018, 1:04 am | # | Reply

          Maybe a bunch of players found step by step plans on Instructables for DIY total immersion tanks. There could be dozens of players already stuck in the game.

    • Andreas
      Andreas
      August 15, 2012, 3:01 am | # | Reply

      Ever hear of IRL daddy issues seeping into gameplay?
      Maybe she’s lived this before…

      • The Indomitable Eric
        The Indomitable Eric
        August 15, 2012, 3:05 am | # | Reply

        IRL issues coloring gameplay: One of the most powerful forces in the MMO world.

        • tryntu
          tryntu
          August 15, 2012, 3:09 am | # | Reply

          EVE is way too real.

          • The Indomitable Eric
            The Indomitable Eric
            August 15, 2012, 3:11 am | # | Reply

            EVE is the one game that actually benefits from that.

    • Whatev
      Whatev
      August 15, 2012, 3:10 am | # | Reply

      “Dude, your dad’s a NPC.”

      • Saskyou
        Saskyou
        August 15, 2012, 7:32 am | # | Reply

        Now instead of imaginary friends, there is imaginary family.

    • Adell
      Adell
      August 15, 2012, 12:00 pm | # | Reply

      lol yep

  3. SteelRaven
    SteelRaven
    August 15, 2012, 12:14 am | # | Reply

    Looks like the team will need a new leader… again.

    • Garygolf
      Garygolf
      August 15, 2012, 2:06 pm | # | Reply

      Gravedust for party leadership!

  4. Joe
    Joe
    August 15, 2012, 12:17 am | # | Reply

    “…SO I CAN KILL HIM MYSELF.”

    • Tachyon
      Tachyon
      August 15, 2012, 12:46 am | # | Reply

      If you think about it, a person can be like a punching bag in a world where you can both kill and revive him. But that kind of takes the fun out of it, doesn’t it? (no)

      • tryntu
        tryntu
        August 15, 2012, 3:10 am | # | Reply

        in WoW, i believe they call those “shadow priests”

      • The Indomitable Eric
        The Indomitable Eric
        August 15, 2012, 3:10 am | # | Reply

        Imagine the training possibilities for the army. Nothing will convince you to dodge like getting stabbed.

        “Move your feet!”
        “I know! I GOT STABBED LAST TIME.”

        • coldelectrons
          coldelectrons
          August 15, 2012, 3:43 am | # | Reply

          I think it would have the opposite effect – lack of lasting consequence would lead to apathy…until it becomes a matter of losing all your stuff or having your ‘score’ reduced.

          • MC
            MC
            August 15, 2012, 10:00 am | # | Reply

            Just because they can bring you back, it doesn’t mean it won’t hurt to die.

            • Korbl
              Korbl
              August 15, 2012, 12:17 pm | # | Reply

              Yeah, look to Misfits (basically the British Heroes, but better done). One of the characters has resurrection as his power, that doesn’t mean he stops caring about death, it actually becomes more terrifying for him.

    • Phil
      Flo
      August 15, 2012, 10:50 am | # | Reply

      Gold Star.

  5. gangler
    gangler
    August 15, 2012, 12:31 am | # | Reply

    This group does not have a good track record with their leaders staying cool under pressure.

    • ahdok
      ahdok
      August 15, 2012, 4:13 am | # | Reply

      I dunno, Bandit looks pretty relaxed.

      • gangler
        gangler
        August 15, 2012, 6:50 am | # | Reply

        True. I’m counting that as its own venture though. The main group has been lead by Byron and Syrnj. Bandit went off and started up her own group which later merged and became a part of the main group, but there wasn’t actually any point where Bandit was leading the main group.

        It’s starting to look like maybe the wrong group leader took control when the two groups merged. It’s funny. Bandit’s not really what you’d typically picture for a leader, but it sounds like she was doing just fine when everybody else was gone and these people who seem so suitable for the role just keep experiencing these breakdowns in the middle of battle.

        Perhaps a set-up where Byron’s the battle strategist, Syrnj is the adviser/diplomat and Bandit’s the field leader would be better for everybody.

        As a side note it occurs to me that E-Merle, Rachel, and Scipio probably are still more loyal and owe more respect to Bandit than the new leader. This is the sort of thing that could get them asking the same questions I’m asking. I do believe I may smell a coup. Perhaps that was what Daedalus was talking about with the dismantling of leadership and the king is just a red herring.

        • Benedikt
          Benedikt
          August 15, 2012, 8:16 am | # | Reply

          Yeah ahdok… about that joke…
          I’m sorry.

  6. Jean-Luc
    Jean-Luc
    August 15, 2012, 12:43 am | # | Reply

    Can’t help but feel Merl overestimates his offensive potential. Not that it’s hard to start a forest fire. No need for fireball when a match will do.

    • Jean-Luc
      Jean-Luc
      August 15, 2012, 12:43 am | # | Reply

      *fireballs

    • biggmac
      biggmac
      August 15, 2012, 1:07 am | # | Reply

      Forest fire’s a moot point anyway, per the last 2 panels

      • Jean-Luc
        Jean-Luc
        August 15, 2012, 1:58 am | # | Reply

        The funny thing is I don’t remember the avians setting things on fire nor carrying any sort of equipment meant for such a purpose. It’s like the very presence of enemies automatically sets fire to everything, especially forests. It’s CHAOS.

        • Andreas
          Andreas
          August 15, 2012, 3:03 am | # | Reply

          All the trolls and gnolls were carrying torches…

          • Andreas
            Andreas
            August 15, 2012, 6:22 am | # | Reply

            I guess they wanted to be fair, so that troll regeneration wouldn’t put the elves at an unfair disadvantage :D :p

          • Jean-Luc
            Jean-Luc
            August 15, 2012, 10:17 am | # | Reply

            The main savage army is way out of position. They hadn’t even entered the forest when we last saw them and they’re certainly not within its core yet.

            • Andreas
              Andreas
              August 15, 2012, 5:25 pm | # | Reply

              The distance from forest’s edge to core is actually just 50m.
              The rest is just hype.

    • My2Cents
      My2Cents
      August 15, 2012, 3:03 am | # | Reply

      His magics appear to be wind based, so he is worried about fanning the fires, not starting them.

      • Andreas
        Andreas
        August 15, 2012, 3:09 am | # | Reply

        We’re talking about his offensive here… cantrip-buy’s offense is his Magical McGuffin of Melf’s Minute Meteors.

      • centuriancode
        centuriancode
        August 15, 2012, 3:10 am | # | Reply

        He showed earlier that he uses a series of items. The sphere of wind is, from memory, from the Circlet of Winter Gales. His offensive capability, in addition to putting his foot in his mouth on a regular basis, is from the Band of Summer Flames, so he can start fires by himself.

        • Andreas
          Andreas
          August 15, 2012, 6:19 am | # | Reply

          And look at the cool glow on the ring on his right hand…
          Of course, if you ask Joe Dever, right-handed magic is the offensive, where left-handed magic is the defensive.
          Ok, actually, I’m fibbing a bit, but I wanted to name-drop a bit.
          Did y’all know that all of Joe Dever’s interactive books are available for free at projectaon.org with Joe’s blessing and all.
          And a selection of reader apps and virtual character sheets.

      • plaintextman
        plaintextman
        August 15, 2012, 11:44 am | # | Reply

        “he is worried about fanning the fires, not starting them”: as someone who has fought fires in the open savannah (‘veld’) quite a few times, I know that wind is THE thing that decides whether it’s going to be easy or a nightmare controlling the fire. Even though I wouldn’t say Emerl’s magick is all wind based, it kind of struck me when you mentioned that.

    • Whipstitch
      Whipstitch
      August 16, 2012, 3:05 am | # | Reply

      Yeah, between his item dependency and his “No offense!” comment if anything I get the impression that he thinks he doesn’t have the mojo to take on a friggin’ army–besides, I don’t remember having seen him use his winds for offense before so he may very well be limited to the three 3 big tricks he demonstrated way back when. Which, you know, are good tricks, but again, it’s an army.

      • Andreas
        Andreas
        August 16, 2012, 5:37 pm | # | Reply

        Also, is it me or is the Queen Mother being a tad demanding?
        Sounds a bit like “Get ready to die covering our escape, insignificant little half-man”

  7. Mordecai
    Mordecai
    August 15, 2012, 12:55 am | # | Reply

    Mission accomplished, HR. That is one TOTALLY destabilized leadership.

  8. biggmac
    biggmac
    August 15, 2012, 12:55 am | # | Reply

    Faereksch’Nj – time for a nuclear reality slap for your daughter – like NOW.

    Good Gravy, it’s open season on Avians! (called it)

    And lastly, I’d love to hear this exchange:
    Gondolessa: “Here comes Gravedust – I’m glad it’s Gnoll season.”
    Auraugu: “No – it’s Avian season!”
    G: “GNOLL season!”
    A: “AVIAN season!”

    • Hawk
      Hawk
      August 15, 2012, 9:45 am | # | Reply

      If Syr’s mother doesn’t slap her, Gravy might. He looks pretty outraged at her current behavior.

      Priorities Syr: the Bough might bring dear old Dad back, dontcha know.

      Well even if it can’t rez him – it’s still more important than he is, and he would be the first to tell you so. If he weren’t, yanno, dead. And stuff.

      *shuffle feet*

    • biggmac
      biggmac
      August 15, 2012, 6:26 pm | # | Reply

      Speaking of a reality slap – (a) Will Syr get one, and (b) from whom?
      My predictions: (a) yes, (b) Byron.
      What do you all think?

      • plaintextman
        plaintextman
        August 15, 2012, 7:22 pm | # | Reply

        I’m vouching for (a) soon (b) her mother!

  9. Sir Exal
    Sir Exal
    August 15, 2012, 1:29 am | # | Reply

    *Gravedust walks over to corpse*

    *Drags corpse in front of Syr’Nj, plops it down back in front of her*

    “There, he’s back. Can we go now?”

    • A random human
      A random human
      August 15, 2012, 1:31 am | # | Reply

      That trolling-level from Gravy would be simply … epic.

    • Andreas
      Andreas
      August 15, 2012, 3:05 am | # | Reply

      Or he could do an impromptu performance of “Gravy’s got back” while rhythmically rubbing his butt all over old Nanor’Nj – The Gravy train : bringing dead kings some “back” like no-one else can.

    • tryntu
      tryntu
      August 15, 2012, 3:12 am | # | Reply

      better and easier – pronounce Syr and Byron man and wife. if that doesnt stir the poor bastard..

    • Phil
      Flo
      August 15, 2012, 10:56 am | # | Reply

      I lol’d.

    • Seggs
      Seggs
      August 15, 2012, 4:28 pm | # | Reply

      i pictured gravy pulling out a handful of arrows, inspecting the glow of each until he finds naror and hands that arrow to sry and says, “hold on to your father, we do not have time for idle conversation now!”

    • MDude
      MDude
      August 16, 2012, 2:07 am | # | Reply

      Gravedust is about to invent Fatherback Ribs.

  10. A random human
    A random human
    August 15, 2012, 1:30 am | # | Reply

    Graiya’s Bough has been taken. Syr’Nj doesn’t give a damn. Like a freaking boss. ^^

    • Andreas
      Andreas
      August 15, 2012, 3:07 am | # | Reply

      And probably the bough can just reboot the whole elven nation, so maybe she should be concerned :D

      • tryntu
        tryntu
        August 15, 2012, 3:13 am | # | Reply

        oh, fuck.. will they all have shitty new costumes and terrible backstories?

        • Andreas
          Andreas
          August 15, 2012, 3:20 am | # | Reply

          I’m sure both costumes and backstories will be absolutely riveting –
          so in answer to your question : “Yes”

  11. Harrow
    Harrow
    August 15, 2012, 1:55 am | # | Reply

    I just love those arrow-in-the-head novelty gags. And now they come with ketchup packets!

  12. centuriancode
    centuriancode
    August 15, 2012, 3:12 am | # | Reply

    I love seeing Gravedust feather the Avians. Especially since he didn’t just wing them. With accuracy like that, I keep expecting him to shout “One Hundred aaaaand Eighty!”.

    • Andreas
      Andreas
      August 15, 2012, 3:25 am | # | Reply

      Well, you know what they say; birds of a feather will flock together. And before you know it, there’s a murder of crows.

    • Jean-Luc
      Jean-Luc
      August 15, 2012, 10:47 am | # | Reply

      Once again, “THE GOGGLES DO NOTHING!”

    • JarrysKid
      JarrysKid
      August 15, 2012, 11:05 am | # | Reply

      Better than killing two birds with one stone.

      • Andreas
        Andreas
        August 15, 2012, 5:20 pm | # | Reply

        Three birds with two arrows in this case…

  13. coldelectrons
    coldelectrons
    August 15, 2012, 3:52 am | # | Reply

    If the dead king’s spirit is still around, I wonder what his take is on his daughter’s reaction.

  14. JK9000
    JK9000
    August 15, 2012, 3:54 am | # | Reply

    Couldn’t they retreat while keeping wind shield up? Or is it some kind of rule that E-Merl has to maintain that exact pose in order for the magic to work?

    • Seggs
      Seggs
      August 15, 2012, 4:40 pm | # | Reply

      they could. it is not.
      http://guildedage.net/webcomic/chapter-13/chapter-13-page-23/

      • centuriancode
        centuriancode
        August 16, 2012, 6:45 am | # | Reply

        That seems fairly conclusive.

  15. ahdok
    ahdok
    August 15, 2012, 4:14 am | # | Reply

    Bandit’s bringing a whole new meaning to laying low

  16. Darkrider
    Darkrider
    August 15, 2012, 7:27 am | # | Reply

    Thunk!….Headshot combo!

    • Veggieburrito
      Veggieburrito
      August 15, 2012, 8:46 am | # | Reply

      Brings new meaning to the term “bird brain”.

  17. Aazen
    Aazen
    August 15, 2012, 8:17 am | # | Reply

    An arrow in Gravedust’s hand is worth three birds heads

  18. The Indomitable Eric
    The Indomitable Eric
    August 15, 2012, 10:05 am | # | Reply

    “BUT I ALREADY TURNED HIM INTO AMMO!”

    • Korbl
      Korbl
      August 15, 2012, 12:28 pm | # | Reply

      I lol’d

  19. JarrysKid
    JarrysKid
    August 15, 2012, 10:54 am | # | Reply

    For some reason, the avian on the right in panel three makes me think of Don Knotts.

    • Phil
      Flo
      August 15, 2012, 10:57 am | # | Reply

      … Can’t unsee.

      • The Indomitable Eric
        The Indomitable Eric
        August 15, 2012, 5:34 pm | # | Reply

        NIP IT. IN THE. BUD, ANDY.

  20. redo19
    redo19
    August 15, 2012, 11:12 am | # | Reply

    @E-Merl: Burninating the countryside, Burninating the peasants…

    @Syr: Not the the beard, woman! Don’t touch the beard!

    @Gravy: SHOOT THE ELF KING AT THE ENEMY LEADER. POETIC JUSTICE!

  21. hopeless
    hopeless
    August 15, 2012, 2:39 pm | # | Reply

    So no pressure then?!

  22. Somebody
    Somebody
    August 15, 2012, 4:55 pm | # | Reply

    I would just like to point out that there appear to be hostiles everywhere, except behind Gravedust.

    • plaintextman
      plaintextman
      August 15, 2012, 7:20 pm | # | Reply

      Well of course not! What is now behind him was once in front of him, in his way. :-P

      • biggmac
        biggmac
        August 16, 2012, 12:51 am | # | Reply

        He killed all of the nearby Avians, most of them off panel.

        (then quickly made out with easily impressed hot elf chick off panel)

        • Somebody
          Somebody
          August 16, 2012, 9:00 am | # | Reply

          Sean Connery did the same thing with a bunch of Nazis and a Polish chick. That’s how Chuck Norris was conceived. Could this mean a new, nigh omnipotent guildy in about 12 years?

    • Darkrider
      Darkrider
      August 17, 2012, 5:00 am | # | Reply

      Yea of course there are none behind him now..they are all chillin in his arrow sling now

  23. Mujaki
    Mujaki
    August 15, 2012, 8:04 pm | # | Reply

    “Abscond.” Such a classy verb. Rather underrated in modern parlance.

    • Bro
      Bro
      August 16, 2012, 1:30 am | # | Reply

      CAN’T ABSCOND, BRO!

  24. Mjoellnir
    Mjoellnir
    August 16, 2012, 2:46 am | # | Reply

    Poor Syr’Nj. Arguing with your parents that way sucks. Even more if it’s the last thing you did. But sometimes it can’t be helped…

    • centuriancode
      centuriancode
      August 16, 2012, 6:46 am | # | Reply

      Hey, at least this way she knows she had the last word.

      • Somebody
        Somebody
        August 16, 2012, 8:54 am | # | Reply

        Achievement unlocked! Maybe this nifty badge will lighten the mood.

  25. Twigs
    Twigs
    August 16, 2012, 5:45 pm | # | Reply

    I’m impressed that Merl didn’t react violently upon being called “half-breed.” That’s pretty rude in any world.

    • maggPi
      maggPi
      August 21, 2012, 12:52 pm | # | Reply

      I got the feeling “human” was considered ruder by the Queen, and therefore corrected herself. (Thereby honouring his elfin heritage.)

      (in reply to earlier observations)
      As for being a Miss Bossypants, well; everyone else who could take charge (Syr’Nj) isn’t. She’s the queen, and these are desperate moments. Paramedics also take charge in a way that would be considered rude in non-emergencies. Even my dad was cringing in recollection of his taking charge when helping some neighbours move. (“…They are the sweetest, kindest people you could ever hope to meet… I kept apologising afterwards for my rudeness, but they kept thanking me…” Coz they were gobsmacked suck-asses at organising a move, Dad.) Seriously; these folk would’ve wound up tripping on shit and breaking a leg otherwise.

      Hmm. That was a rather lengthy RL example.

  26. Hogan
    Hogan
    March 24, 2013, 2:32 pm | # | Reply

    If the kingdom survives this I now a queen who will rule it quite well!

Comment ¬ Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

NOTE - You can use these HTML tags and attributes:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>



Guilded Age is co-written by T Campbell & Flo Kahn, and illustrated by John Waltrip. Site design by Samantha Kyle. Fonts by Blambot.com.
Stay up to date with Facebook or Google+, or use our RSS Feed!
Privacy Policy
Guilded Age does not claim ownership of any of the corporate branding that appears in this comic, nor does it claim any affiliation, partnership, or endorsement of any kind.
They are used strictly as an artistic choice for the set dressing of the comic.