Actually, considering how different her biology is (Bleeding sap, absorbing water through her toes, etc.) she could very well reproduce like a tree. Might make for an awkward first time if they ever get around to it.
It might drive Byron slightly nuts if she doesn’t have the right parts. I’m sure their romance will blossom anyway.
Yeah, all this shit being thrown at him…
You’re right, murdering a teammate due to a illness you knew you had which should have kept you well -away- from combat is totally reasonable. >.>
It’s at least as reasonable as strollin’ up to a roll-eyed frother who’s hopping around with a spear through his important organs and lookin’ for a casual chat n’shit.
…How many moats, pits, fences, hedges, and clearly labeled signs do you have to put in front of the bear exhibit before you’re forced to conclude that the adult woman who climbed in there to pat Fuzzy-Wuzzy on the head maybe deserved to get mauled?
Yeah, there’s a difference between going “I have a mental illness that makes me go murderous and crazypants” and going up to poke the murderous crazypants before he’s had a chance to chill.
Byron in that sense is like an alcoholic, except that his only marketable skill is bartending. It may seem dangerous, but at the same time, he’s gotta eat, and I haven’t yet seen an Arkerran DeVry layin’ about the place.
Byron is self functioning. He’s a great tactical mind.And beside that one time he was in the midst of combat and all that and it was literally life or death..he finally snapped. Heck he been hit, beat down,, yatta yatta..never lost his cool. That was an extreme case. So he’s pretty much got it under control. Tell me ya in that situation it was the best..if Bandit and others had kept their distance..Byron would have gone through trying to climb up and maybe start taking out large majority of the enemy.
If he diddn’t they’d be dead…they had a army ALL around them. If they just used it properly…he’d have saved them and nipped the battle in the bud.
The only other time he almost lost it we’ve seen was when that lady tried to use magic on him. If anything he’s shown great control and probabbly had to go through years of self focus and discipline.
I just don’t like someone can bench him and treat him with something like he’s fundementally wrong. Just reeks of superiority…that and if they fix it..if they bout to die..Byron Beserking won’t be avaliable..then they dead.They just need to learn to keep away from him then when he starts to snap and they have a last ditch effort if they surrounded
Actually I remembered the sequence of events somewhat incorrectly, which someone pointed out. ;-) What I said was something like if he hadn’t berserked they might have fought their way out since Bandit had tripped the lock in the arena doors and just needed help opening them–but in fact she (apparently) did that while the others were fighting Harki, including Byron berserking, and she approached to tell him about the lock while he was still enraged.
I suppose if they would have just kept fighting Harki without Byron going nuts, Bandit would still have gotten the lock tripped while they were distracted. But Harki was easily pounding all of them before Byron lost it, and there were surely plenty of baddies outside of the arena that would have been there to greet them.
I think it’s all moot–our heroes were pretty screwed by then. They walked into a trap set by an entire army. I don’t think the point of that scene was whether or not they could have gotten out or whether that depended on Byron’s condition–I think it was more about exactly how they died and what effect that would have on their team dynamic (and in Sepia World) afterward.
Yeah, pretty much. Know what it took to push Byron that far? BEING IMPALED.
It’s not like he hadn’t made it obvious he was a berserker. It’s his TITLE. Getting mad at a berserker for berserking is pretty silly, and a little counterintuitive. It’d be like getting mad at Bandit for thieving.
Now, Byron is willing to lay down and take a beating for the team, because he’s just too nice of a guy to tell them to fuck off. It’s obvious he’s had to deal with this his entire life, and it hasn’t been easy. Having his own friends treat him like a rabid dog can’t be helping. He keeps getting bullshit heaped on him, and the next time the blood starts to boil he might not have that chance to stop it.
By refusing to let him train, they’re taking away the only real therapy he’s got. Last time they hucked him into combat without any warmup, he almost lost it again. Dude needs to find his center and get back in the swing of things, literally, and figuratively.
This page reminds me of Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. “Ooo…this room looks neat! The designers sure took their time with this one, in an effort to portray a rich, dynamic world. Whelp…time to loot everything!!!”
This! Aww, this! Plus, you *know* she’s grinding that mortar & pestle with subtle, seductive purpose… she gets to roll up her sleeves and everything. Humans love sexy arm tats. And did she do her hair?
Well, she’s got those on the table. She probably doesn’t feel the need to use them while crushing things with a mortar and pestle, however. I never use them when I’m crushing herbs.
I prefer this kind of approach to Bandit’s complete lack of comprehension towards the situation at hand and the people involved.
This is exactly why Syrn’j makes a terrific addition to the group, as well as a good leader-figure; the group listens to her.
I’d have skinned half the party for booties before the week was over… which is why they don’t let me play Barbarians anymore, my group’s tired of remaking characters.
That last paragraph was a joke by the way. :3 Like this!
How do you make a 90 year old woman say “F*ck”? You get another 90 year old woman to stand next to her and yell out “Bingo”!
Byron needs some help, but Bandit doesn’t owe him her help. Letting people know that accountability will be expected going forward isn’t being a bastard. She made her point and moved on. That’s fair.
“Gee, Bandit- I didn’t come to your rescue when you were surrounded by those dozen bad guys because I might have clipped you on the backswing and you’d have me exiled or something. See? I’m being responsible…!”
I love that Syr is so up front and confident in her attraction with Byron. No whiny angsty dancing around the subject. I mean, sure, he turns into an undead murder machine, but mature sentients can work through these problems! With SCIENCE!
No, I don’t think so. I mean, I could be wrong, and just misinterpreting the art, but it really really looks to me like Byron was chunk-salsa dead, with a spear through most of his major everything. No? And then he got up again? If not for the adventure with Best, I’d think Berserking was a horrible post-death res-reaction, a curse given to warriors to reeeeally screw up the enemy in mass combat.
But either way, as Locke says- they’re all undead now! We all float in Arkerra…
actually, it’s surprisingly difficult to finally kill a human, minus head or heartshots.. even with that spear in him, a human, especially one deep in the throes of a berserker’s fit, would be so fueled by adrenaline that it would just keep going until the body was physically unable to function (extreme blood loss, lack of nerve reactivity, separation of brain and body). shock is what ‘kills’ people, i.e. puts them down, long before they actually die, and a berserker rage kinda overwrites shock.
in all likelyhood, the panels before he showed up to loan harki the business ends of bayen and brayen probably consisted of him offscreen, already beginning to froth, struggling to stand up from the badly balanced spear in his chest. the timing to save syr’nj, while poetic and just and all that, was also a very kind coincidence.
Byrons dilema reminds me of alot of anime where a character has unconrtolable power, then they get help controling it and there badassness in battle goes up to 11!
Everyone seems to think it would be so great for Byron and Syr’nj to hook up – hasn’t anyone considered that “Kill” might not be his only berserker trigger?
/me Googles.
God Lord, that’s obscure. I remember you taunting people to spot the reference in your avatar months ago, but I had no idea it was a freaking PC-88 game.
I feel like such the outcast when reading this. I love the comic, but I dislike the romance happening between these, am not impressed with Bandit, and I rather liked Best.
Whining over, I love the art. Expressions, colors, and background (Moose! I hope it plays such an important part in the future of the comic!)
In all seriousness, I think the appeal of the relationship between Syr’nj and Byron (if there really is one) is that up to know there is absolutely no angsty “I CAN’T LET HER/HIM KNOW HOW I REALLY FEEL!!! Oh, woe is me!!!!” It’s refreshing to have a (possible) romance that doesn’t drag out endlessly with nail-biting and teeth-gnashing.
“see, this salve is a contraceptive…”
Well, if we’re up to pollination then someone needs to have the birds and the bees talk with Byron.
Actually, considering how different her biology is (Bleeding sap, absorbing water through her toes, etc.) she could very well reproduce like a tree. Might make for an awkward first time if they ever get around to it.
It might drive Byron slightly nuts if she doesn’t have the right parts. I’m sure their romance will blossom anyway.
Yeah. It wood be nice to see a little romance. I, at least, will be rooting for it.
I’m sure Byron can find a way to plant his seeds.
But I hope he doesn’t think he’s just going to sow some wild oats.
dont worry ishmael. if they get to that point, im pretty sure Syr could make Dyron get wood.
*byron >.<
Wendy and my laptop have the same icon.
In any case, I just hope that they avoid getting too sappy.
Otherwise, this wood turn into a knotty problem.
I guess we’d better leaf it to the writers to sort out their love lives.
I’m sure they will Spring into action, rather than letting the relationship Fall.
lets hope he won’t plow too roughly.
What are you saying? She could be the one with “wood” instead of Byron?
…let us hope it does not involve literal Bees.
Bees, my God.
BEES, NOT THE BEES, THEY’RE IN MY EYES, AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGHHH!
Oh god, perfect avatar. XD
Come on Byron..walk away from the group. Go solo! don’t let people change you after ya had all this control and stuff. Blah..also punt Bandit
His departude would be reasonable after all this shit being thrown at him, but actually i like where this relation going. With syrnj of course.
Yeah, all this shit being thrown at him…
You’re right, murdering a teammate due to a illness you knew you had which should have kept you well -away- from combat is totally reasonable. >.>
It’s at least as reasonable as strollin’ up to a roll-eyed frother who’s hopping around with a spear through his important organs and lookin’ for a casual chat n’shit.
…How many moats, pits, fences, hedges, and clearly labeled signs do you have to put in front of the bear exhibit before you’re forced to conclude that the adult woman who climbed in there to pat Fuzzy-Wuzzy on the head maybe deserved to get mauled?
Yeah, there’s a difference between going “I have a mental illness that makes me go murderous and crazypants” and going up to poke the murderous crazypants before he’s had a chance to chill.
Byron in that sense is like an alcoholic, except that his only marketable skill is bartending. It may seem dangerous, but at the same time, he’s gotta eat, and I haven’t yet seen an Arkerran DeVry layin’ about the place.
Then we can nick-name her Pundit. :D
‘kick-name’ :)
That would involve him not getting any wood… elf. And most guys in a situation like this wouldn’t mind some wood… elf.
But as I mentioned in my post last week.
Byron is self functioning. He’s a great tactical mind.And beside that one time he was in the midst of combat and all that and it was literally life or death..he finally snapped. Heck he been hit, beat down,, yatta yatta..never lost his cool. That was an extreme case. So he’s pretty much got it under control. Tell me ya in that situation it was the best..if Bandit and others had kept their distance..Byron would have gone through trying to climb up and maybe start taking out large majority of the enemy.
If he diddn’t they’d be dead…they had a army ALL around them. If they just used it properly…he’d have saved them and nipped the battle in the bud.
The only other time he almost lost it we’ve seen was when that lady tried to use magic on him. If anything he’s shown great control and probabbly had to go through years of self focus and discipline.
I just don’t like someone can bench him and treat him with something like he’s fundementally wrong. Just reeks of superiority…that and if they fix it..if they bout to die..Byron Beserking won’t be avaliable..then they dead.They just need to learn to keep away from him then when he starts to snap and they have a last ditch effort if they surrounded
Nicely stated, Tatsu, and I agree completely. I believe flevine has also recently posted similar comments to this effect.
Enough of the double-standard for berserkers, it’s time for equanimity, folks. :)
Actually I remembered the sequence of events somewhat incorrectly, which someone pointed out. ;-) What I said was something like if he hadn’t berserked they might have fought their way out since Bandit had tripped the lock in the arena doors and just needed help opening them–but in fact she (apparently) did that while the others were fighting Harki, including Byron berserking, and she approached to tell him about the lock while he was still enraged.
I suppose if they would have just kept fighting Harki without Byron going nuts, Bandit would still have gotten the lock tripped while they were distracted. But Harki was easily pounding all of them before Byron lost it, and there were surely plenty of baddies outside of the arena that would have been there to greet them.
I think it’s all moot–our heroes were pretty screwed by then. They walked into a trap set by an entire army. I don’t think the point of that scene was whether or not they could have gotten out or whether that depended on Byron’s condition–I think it was more about exactly how they died and what effect that would have on their team dynamic (and in Sepia World) afterward.
Yeah, pretty much. Know what it took to push Byron that far? BEING IMPALED.
It’s not like he hadn’t made it obvious he was a berserker. It’s his TITLE. Getting mad at a berserker for berserking is pretty silly, and a little counterintuitive. It’d be like getting mad at Bandit for thieving.
Now, Byron is willing to lay down and take a beating for the team, because he’s just too nice of a guy to tell them to fuck off. It’s obvious he’s had to deal with this his entire life, and it hasn’t been easy. Having his own friends treat him like a rabid dog can’t be helping. He keeps getting bullshit heaped on him, and the next time the blood starts to boil he might not have that chance to stop it.
By refusing to let him train, they’re taking away the only real therapy he’s got. Last time they hucked him into combat without any warmup, he almost lost it again. Dude needs to find his center and get back in the swing of things, literally, and figuratively.
i cannot agree more.
Ok, now that we’re cool, see the moose head in that box over there? Isn’t it just frackin’ awesome! XD
I noticed that first thing as well!
MOOSE ARTILLERY.
Yeah. It looks part alchemy room, part store room.
Also, Byron isn’t angry about reminder so much as acting like a blushing school boy. Someone likes to be ordered around… or at least after the fact.
Are you sure it’s just the head?
I was going to ask, what’s the moose staring at? It looks fascinated!
And how did they get a moose down those stairs?
This page reminds me of Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. “Ooo…this room looks neat! The designers sure took their time with this one, in an effort to portray a rich, dynamic world. Whelp…time to loot everything!!!”
Damn, look at that casual intimacy there. It’s really impressive how that’s developed. I wonder if they’re even really aware of it?
Byron looks a tad sheepish.
I’m not surprised, what with his recent rampage.
yeah. he’s been a baaaad boy.
Hopefully Syr’nj wool cheer him up.
Hopefully he won’t comment on the shear annoyance of everyone treating him like that to ruin the moment.
Even if he did, Syr’nj would overlook it. We all know she’s a bleating heart.
Maybe he’ll pretend he doesn’t find it annoying, and pull the wool over her eyes.
Or maybe after an outburst she’ll act like she hadn’t herd him.
And wait for him to flock to her begging for forgiveness?
He’s afraid he didnt bring any protection. You know, full plate, shield, helmet.
Okay, he’s not a Qunari for chris’sakes.
Syr’Nj’s expression in panel 3 is the most adorable thing.
This! Aww, this! Plus, you *know* she’s grinding that mortar & pestle with subtle, seductive purpose… she gets to roll up her sleeves and everything. Humans love sexy arm tats. And did she do her hair?
Moose just in the background, he be chillin’.
They hatin’.
if i can’t catch up with he deadline, is it okay to post the fanart on forums? I really would like to do some fanart.
There is certainly some chemistry here…
My old teacher would be all up in her business for not using protection.
By that I mean no gloves and goggles, get your minds out of the gutter.
What could be possibly be gutter-minded about latex?
Sheepskin. ^-^
I have no idea. Fume hoods, on the other hand. . . Talk about kinky.
Well, she’s got those on the table. She probably doesn’t feel the need to use them while crushing things with a mortar and pestle, however. I never use them when I’m crushing herbs.
I’m confused now. Are we talking about lab safety equipment or condoms?
Who says the two are mutually exclusive? Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “test tube baby.”
There’s a nice atmosphere here :)
I prefer this kind of approach to Bandit’s complete lack of comprehension towards the situation at hand and the people involved.
This is exactly why Syrn’j makes a terrific addition to the group, as well as a good leader-figure; the group listens to her.
I’d have skinned half the party for booties before the week was over… which is why they don’t let me play Barbarians anymore, my group’s tired of remaking characters.
That last paragraph was a joke by the way. :3 Like this!
How do you make a 90 year old woman say “F*ck”? You get another 90 year old woman to stand next to her and yell out “Bingo”!
Alright, I’m done for today.
Agreed. You can be a hard ass without being a heartless bastard (or rather bastardette, in Bandit’s case).
Byron needs some help, but Bandit doesn’t owe him her help. Letting people know that accountability will be expected going forward isn’t being a bastard. She made her point and moved on. That’s fair.
I get the accountability thing, I just resent the hefty threats Bandit held over Byron’s head. But, that’s just me.
That being said, I still love Bandit and the rest of the cast. If I agreed with everything they did all the time, this would be a pretty boring read.
“Gee, Bandit- I didn’t come to your rescue when you were surrounded by those dozen bad guys because I might have clipped you on the backswing and you’d have me exiled or something. See? I’m being responsible…!”
The problem, of course, is that he can’t repeat the “being the bigger man” statement he used with Best. ‘Cause that’s offensive.
Those two are so cute together! <3
“Always do.” D’awwwww, that’s so cute and sweet! :3
“Always do.”
just epic line.
I love that Syr is so up front and confident in her attraction with Byron. No whiny angsty dancing around the subject. I mean, sure, he turns into an undead murder machine, but mature sentients can work through these problems! With SCIENCE!
-blink blink- Undead? I can understand the whole spear through the chest thing being drastic, but isn’t that a little inaccurate?
Great, now I got the lyrics “Better watch out, cause I’m a Warmachine” from whatever song it was going through my head
Technically, they’re all undead. I mean, they were certainly dead, and the the death was undone.
The Guilded Age is definitely my most favorite zombie webcomic of all time.
No, I don’t think so. I mean, I could be wrong, and just misinterpreting the art, but it really really looks to me like Byron was chunk-salsa dead, with a spear through most of his major everything. No? And then he got up again? If not for the adventure with Best, I’d think Berserking was a horrible post-death res-reaction, a curse given to warriors to reeeeally screw up the enemy in mass combat.
But either way, as Locke says- they’re all undead now! We all float in Arkerra…
actually, it’s surprisingly difficult to finally kill a human, minus head or heartshots.. even with that spear in him, a human, especially one deep in the throes of a berserker’s fit, would be so fueled by adrenaline that it would just keep going until the body was physically unable to function (extreme blood loss, lack of nerve reactivity, separation of brain and body). shock is what ‘kills’ people, i.e. puts them down, long before they actually die, and a berserker rage kinda overwrites shock.
in all likelyhood, the panels before he showed up to loan harki the business ends of bayen and brayen probably consisted of him offscreen, already beginning to froth, struggling to stand up from the badly balanced spear in his chest. the timing to save syr’nj, while poetic and just and all that, was also a very kind coincidence.
my two cents.
She must be quite comfortable if her sleeves are rolled up around him.
Unless she figures he wouldn’t know what the tats mean.
That first panel :3
It’s a little sad if he’s scared of Sry’nj at this point…
I notice that Sry’nj is showing off the tatts now. I like ’em. But I wonder if anyone else knows what they mean. . .
I hate to pestle you, but one does not simply walk into Mortar.
You made me look for the ‘like’ button.
That was wonderful. *applauds*
And you’re right. You’d have to do some spectacular grinding before you get to that level.
Byrons dilema reminds me of alot of anime where a character has unconrtolable power, then they get help controling it and there badassness in battle goes up to 11!
Oh, just kiss her, you mad fool.
Everyone seems to think it would be so great for Byron and Syr’nj to hook up – hasn’t anyone considered that “Kill” might not be his only berserker trigger?
You’re just trying to get someone to link to that Oglaf strip, aren’t you?
I just can’t get over the fact that Fluttershy is the one who mentioned Oglaf.
FINE. GOD. [NSFW]
Hehe, nice.
Some days I’m very tempted to turn that berserker’s foamy-mouth face into my avatar. If only Gillian Seed didn’t look so cool…
/me Googles.
God Lord, that’s obscure. I remember you taunting people to spot the reference in your avatar months ago, but I had no idea it was a freaking PC-88 game.
A was certain that was a random deaded guy from Akira, myself.
MOOSEGLOVE
He’s like the Fonz, leaning back all non-chalant like that. I keep expecting him to hit a jukebox to start it.
Lets see… Bong pipe, leaves of green, kegs, dim lit room… If Byron doesn’t get some now, he deserves to get kicked out of the group!
I feel like such the outcast when reading this. I love the comic, but I dislike the romance happening between these, am not impressed with Bandit, and I rather liked Best.
Whining over, I love the art. Expressions, colors, and background (Moose! I hope it plays such an important part in the future of the comic!)
I know, right? It might seem like a natural pairing, but I do NOT support mortar+pestle. Pestle and Creepy Glass Jar OTP.
Oh God…Pestle and CGJ had like..one passing interaction. There’s absolutely no chemistry between them. GAWD!
I agree. CGJ+Mortar makes much more sense than CGJ+P. But I totes ship Erlenmeyer Flask+Bunsen Burner. Look at them! They’re so hot together.
In all seriousness, I think the appeal of the relationship between Syr’nj and Byron (if there really is one) is that up to know there is absolutely no angsty “I CAN’T LET HER/HIM KNOW HOW I REALLY FEEL!!! Oh, woe is me!!!!” It’s refreshing to have a (possible) romance that doesn’t drag out endlessly with nail-biting and teeth-gnashing.
And yeah, Moose is totally rocking this page out.
Aw Byron gets to rock talk.
I want a banana sticker.
Syr’nj is just beautiful in the second panel.
I highly approve of adventurer moose in the last panel.
Also aaw <3
Panel 1 – Byron’s default expression.