I think it’s analogous to the perceived patriarchy in America. The women are held to impossible standards, but it’s not the men that do it. It might have been at one point, but now men and women (primarily in advertising) share the blame. No majority exists which desires the oppression, but the oppression continues unabated.
Here it seems to be aided by several fringe groups and individuals, and given that we’re operating in a fantasy universe, there is likely a Much Larger Handâ„¢ pulling the strings, but from the point of view of someone like Uris- Uh, Gravedust, that Hand is imperceivable, without a fair amount of hunting and study.
well, is fearing change the same as wanting an ongoing oppression?
i dunno. i think the American people have a much greater control over their government than the Gastonians…i mean, i don’t think i’ve heard mention made of elected rulers or even opposing parties. we’ve got the poor, hardworking proletariat who have their hands full just scraping by, and some kind of unelected ruling class. the real question is- would going into any detail into the politics of the guilded age make the comic awful?
No matter how I parse or say it (I even tried holding my tongue and then saying it), I still can’t “get” the reference to Asallah En-Qu’Lara. Anyone else wanna take a shot at it?
It’s more we can’t get the embedded pun hidden within the name, coiled like a viper to strike and poison our minds at a moment of agonizing revelation.
reminds me a bit of what they sing in ‘barefoot in the park’, but on the other hand, that tends to be where my brain files unidentified non-english phrases of about that length
I’m incredibly late for this, but just saying that in Portuguese it sounds very much like “the white room” (literally, the room in white), although a bit typo-ish. Pardon me if it is explained somewhere later but that’s where I am atm lol
He is being very cog-nitive in his log. Maybe he just needed to sink his teeth into the business, to get the wheels turning. Soon, though, he’s be running around and around and around…
Good call. The water-filled room might be a flash-forward, but what’s the tie? Would our intrepid writers and artist duplicate storyline directly? Will the Boy Wonder be cut-up for cat cubes? Stay tuned, same Guild-time, same Guild-station.
The only people he hasn’t mentioned so far are his own. I have a feeling the Sevasi had, at one point, gotten beyond the politics due to their troubled past.
It will be a sad day when he sees bureaucracy worming it’s way into his own people, I wager.
I feel more and more the essence of what makes Gravedust a literal hermit…or is this just an urge to kick his ass for taking too long to notice the world is even more rigged than American Pro Wrestling
I really love how the party’s probably got no Charisma pillar outside Byron, while Syr’Nj is the one who’s maxed ranks in Cha-governed skills.
(Bandit would take too many circumstance penalties to those checks even if she had talent.)
Actually, i’ve always thought that would be a good way to start a war– requiring that the soldiers kill their leaders before they face the enemy. Eventually both sides will run out of leaders interested in continuing.
Come on, Knowledge: Engineering, don’t fail me now!
okay, is this a capatalism metaphor machine or a megalomania metaphor machine? i’m getting confused.
I think he’s talking about the political machine. “The Man”, if you will.
but he hasn’t mentioned this machine in reference to his own people. i think it’s to do with greed and power, but its pretty vague.
…it’s a hate machine, it’s a war machine, it is a machine of general dickishness.
Tended by a mechanic of prejudice, and greased by the oils of inequity.
the components of ill will are built by the factory-line of best intentions?
I think it’s analogous to the perceived patriarchy in America. The women are held to impossible standards, but it’s not the men that do it. It might have been at one point, but now men and women (primarily in advertising) share the blame. No majority exists which desires the oppression, but the oppression continues unabated.
Here it seems to be aided by several fringe groups and individuals, and given that we’re operating in a fantasy universe, there is likely a Much Larger Handâ„¢ pulling the strings, but from the point of view of someone like Uris- Uh, Gravedust, that Hand is imperceivable, without a fair amount of hunting and study.
well, is fearing change the same as wanting an ongoing oppression?
i dunno. i think the American people have a much greater control over their government than the Gastonians…i mean, i don’t think i’ve heard mention made of elected rulers or even opposing parties. we’ve got the poor, hardworking proletariat who have their hands full just scraping by, and some kind of unelected ruling class. the real question is- would going into any detail into the politics of the guilded age make the comic awful?
Been listening to a little Pink Floyd lately?
All in all, he’s just another brick in the wall.
No matter how I parse or say it (I even tried holding my tongue and then saying it), I still can’t “get” the reference to Asallah En-Qu’Lara. Anyone else wanna take a shot at it?
I think it’s the Sky Elf city/nation/whatever that the ladies visited earlier.
It’s more we can’t get the embedded pun hidden within the name, coiled like a viper to strike and poison our minds at a moment of agonizing revelation.
reminds me a bit of what they sing in ‘barefoot in the park’, but on the other hand, that tends to be where my brain files unidentified non-english phrases of about that length
I’m incredibly late for this, but just saying that in Portuguese it sounds very much like “the white room” (literally, the room in white), although a bit typo-ish. Pardon me if it is explained somewhere later but that’s where I am atm lol
Fabulous as always.
Though I will admit I am saddened by not being able to see his visual takes on Byron and Syringe.
If I were using Facebook, which I am not, I would create a fan group based on this chapter’s title. Just saying.
that’s the cutest city I’ve ever seen.
Well, technically all you can see is a Big Wall. A cute Big Wall.
But the gate towers are doing Munch’s “The Scream”!
The city wall looks like a li’l fella goin’ “OH HOLY CRAP, ADVENTURERS!”
Damn it- now I can’t see anything BUT that.
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Woah! I guess I’d like to thank the Academy then. :D
Is the alt-text referencing a Freakazoid bit, or is it referencing what that bit was referencing?
…I can never be sure of these things.
It’s from Paul Harvey’s long-running radio spot “The Rest of the Story”.
Oh Gravedust, you cog you…
Remember, with the failure of a cog, a machine can be brought to a halt. That’s why sedition, when done right, works so well!
He is being very cog-nitive in his log. Maybe he just needed to sink his teeth into the business, to get the wheels turning. Soon, though, he’s be running around and around and around…
Aaaaand now we’re caught up to the flash forward bits we’ve seen before?
Also, I <3 the alt text. Even if I haven't listened to a Paul Harvey show since the last time I was visiting my grandmother many years ago.
I, too, vote to see Gravedust's artistic stylings on Byron and Syr!
And yes, the wall does look like it's going "Oh noes!"
Did we get the cell filled with water?
You have to wait for them NOT to put the lotion on the skin, THEN they gets the hose.
Good call. The water-filled room might be a flash-forward, but what’s the tie? Would our intrepid writers and artist duplicate storyline directly? Will the Boy Wonder be cut-up for cat cubes? Stay tuned, same Guild-time, same Guild-station.
Only now does Gravedust realize that people are jerks.
The only people he hasn’t mentioned so far are his own. I have a feeling the Sevasi had, at one point, gotten beyond the politics due to their troubled past.
It will be a sad day when he sees bureaucracy worming it’s way into his own people, I wager.
Called it.
I feel more and more the essence of what makes Gravedust a literal hermit…or is this just an urge to kick his ass for taking too long to notice the world is even more rigged than American Pro Wrestling
Just Great.
Gravedust’s Wisdom score is Godlike.
I really love how the party’s probably got no Charisma pillar outside Byron, while Syr’Nj is the one who’s maxed ranks in Cha-governed skills.
(Bandit would take too many circumstance penalties to those checks even if she had talent.)
My policy is that whenever I get the [i]slightest[/i] inkling that I’m being manipulated as a pawn, I kill all my superiors.
We’ve been worried sick about you.
Don’t ever change, TIT.
Actually, i’ve always thought that would be a good way to start a war– requiring that the soldiers kill their leaders before they face the enemy. Eventually both sides will run out of leaders interested in continuing.
Gravedust needn’t worry. I don’t think he’s become a cog…
… He’s clearly more of a piston, helping drive the engine along. :P
Anyhow, I don’t know about the rest of you guys, but I sure am geared up to see where this plot goes.
Welcome to the Machine, Gravedust.
(…and knowing is half the battle)
Channeling a little Paul Harvey when you posted this page?