As much as a fanboy as this makes me feel, see if you can place this quote.
“These are tough times. A man can get a job. He might not look too close at what that job is. But a man learns all the details of a situation like ours… well… then he has a choice.”
Let’s try to clear up the timeline a bit. Back when Byron interrogated Sundar, he still had both eyes. So it looks like he joined Brunhilde’s Cub Unit afterwards. “All…had disgraced ourselves,” as he says. Instead of condemning them further, their den mother helps them recognize their wrongdoings, and reach for a right path, a route to redemption. We might not want to forgive, but we should still acknowledge that forgiveness does have its place. She was a force for good. One has to wonder, what if she had found a wayward young Frigg instead of the Sisterhood?
But, returning to the matter of timelines… How did Byron know Brunhilde? Hopefully our authors have another flashback in store.
Also, recall that Sundar mentioned he’d been reduced to performing at children’s birthdays and tasking assassination contracts. I repeat. Assassination contracts. He would take money, go into someone’s home or find them in a public place and murder them. Byron didn’t even bat an eye at that one. And don’t even try that “Oh, they must have been bad people if someone wanted them dead”, because most assassination contracts are from bad people to kill good people who are messing up their illegal activities.
Unless I’m much mistaken, her cape goes on to be used as the flag for Fightopia. Powerful stuff. Don’t know if that’s already been said somewhere, sorry if it has :-p
Another female in the Cub Unit would have been nice. Or did Brunhilde only take in disgraced male warriors because “children” doesn’t have the same ring as “sons”?
Even in a human civilization that doesn’t seem to discriminate much based on gender, female warriors and adventurers would naturally be less common than males of the profession.
I just kinda wished we’d have the opportunity to see Brunhilde take in at the very least one female warrior. Or even a fledgeling female warrior wanting to walk the path Mama Bear took. Or maybe there exists another band of said warriors that are all simply off-screen and will take some time to appear. Or even established within the confines of Fightopia.
well, let’s see… brunhilde took in the disgraced, that was her bag. you fall from grace as a result of bad decisions. try taking it as a feminism compliment that the women of this world weren’t so damn stupid as to do stuff like sell children to pirates.
It should be noted, though, that Gastonia does not treat genders equally. Ardaic, who I imagine as the avatar of all things Gastonia, doubted the leadership skills of Syr’nj and Bandit because they were women even before race politics came into it.
Not that this frustrates me. I like that element of the story, where characters each bring their views, experiences, and goals to the table, with no clear winner or perfect answer. It makes each conversation and event far more interesting! If we’re talking about what’s natural, however, I must disagree–especially when adventurers are such a varied breed.
Poor word choice, admittedly. I meant more along the lines of “as a matter of course” or “as one would expect,” rather than anything to do with “nature.” Even with more positions open to women in modern military forces, there are still fewer women serving than men.
“Naturally”, of course, can mean different things, that’s why I asked. So thanks for the clarification. Now I like your line “Even in a human civilization that doesn’t seem to discriminate much based on gender” because it allows for the possibility that there is discrimination based on gender, even if it doesn’t seem so. (What, in my opinion, is the case in regard to modern military forces. Compare recent events in the Australian army.)
I don’t like the conclusion “female warriors and adventurers would of course be less common than males of the profession” – I consider this to be contingent. (Even if true for the USA and Arkerra.)
The (apparently all-male) Cub Unit is very likely not the only group of people that were guided by Brunhilde herself. Or so I suppose, given that she apparently attempted great deeds and was also widely respected among the adventuring class. Anyway, who knows if the traditional-oriental-warrior-lookin-type guy isn’t actually female?
Yeah, while the Cub Unit was all-male (yet to be proved, we have only seen 5 members, and one is helmeted) doesn’t mean there weren’t other Brunhilde-influenced units out there, maybe ones that do not have former-disgraced members or even an ‘Amazon’ Unit
Yeah. It’s becoming progressively hard to reconcile those two aspects of the storyline, as they introduce NPC after NPC, taking focus away from the “game”-imprisoned protagonists. I still feel like the sepia-world is a jagged pebble caught in the treads of a great storyline. It never comes to anything, but it never goes away, either.
As narrative side-treks go, this one has been exceptionally well paced and sympathetic, but the cast is ballooning. Rather than answering questions and resolving storylines, we’re just setting things aside and opening up new areas of exploration. It’s not bad, it just risks becoming stasis.
Well, I’m not supposed to tell you, but the pseudo-samurai got outed as a huge anime fan who would go to conventions dressed as Sailor Moon, the wizard got on Jersey Shore for a season, and Rendar listens to Justin Bieber. As for Rabbit, oh boy, let’s just say there are some fetishes involved…
She was a hero. A true patriot.
*salute* In memory of a Patriot, who saved the world. Or, at least tried.
Your second statement contradicts your first.
Though I still can’t quite find it in me to forgive the whole ‘Kidnapping kids for slavers’ thing.
Yeah, that itch is still kind of hard to scratch off, isn’t it?
As much as a fanboy as this makes me feel, see if you can place this quote.
“These are tough times. A man can get a job. He might not look too close at what that job is. But a man learns all the details of a situation like ours… well… then he has a choice.”
I see what you did there. INSTANT recognition.
I like my avatar. He is a happy Rex. =)
No sudden but inevitable betrayals today, thank you :P
“No, I don’t think he does.”
Heh. That’ll come back to haunt them later.
(no power in the ‘verse can stop Frigg)
Let’s try to clear up the timeline a bit. Back when Byron interrogated Sundar, he still had both eyes. So it looks like he joined Brunhilde’s Cub Unit afterwards. “All…had disgraced ourselves,” as he says. Instead of condemning them further, their den mother helps them recognize their wrongdoings, and reach for a right path, a route to redemption. We might not want to forgive, but we should still acknowledge that forgiveness does have its place. She was a force for good. One has to wonder, what if she had found a wayward young Frigg instead of the Sisterhood?
But, returning to the matter of timelines… How did Byron know Brunhilde? Hopefully our authors have another flashback in store.
Forgiveness has a place, but it isn’t such an easy path.
Sundar didn’t actually do the kidnapping. He supplied information to the pirates that made the kidnappings more easy.
And that makes it better, how?
Well if we’re gonna have hard feelings for Sundar w/respect to the whole children thing then what about Byron? I’m sure Battleshire had children.
you’re assuming byron’s beserker nature is an active choice of his. Sundar could have told the pirates to fuck off.
Though to his credit, he was trying to atone. Time will tell the validity of these good intentions.
Just because it’s not an active choice doesn’t mean Byron doesn’t live with the guilt.
/em count’s negatives, hopes it makes sense.
I dunno, ask me when I’m on the verge of starving to death in a country that doesn’t care if I live or die.
Also, recall that Sundar mentioned he’d been reduced to performing at children’s birthdays and tasking assassination contracts. I repeat. Assassination contracts. He would take money, go into someone’s home or find them in a public place and murder them. Byron didn’t even bat an eye at that one. And don’t even try that “Oh, they must have been bad people if someone wanted them dead”, because most assassination contracts are from bad people to kill good people who are messing up their illegal activities.
Unfortunately, Rendar had to build his strength.
Does he build his strength, or is it already in his mind and he just has to manifest it in a machine?
That’s deep man.
Anyone notice the little guy taking the cape off of her in the first panel
That would be Rabbit.
Unless I’m much mistaken, her cape goes on to be used as the flag for Fightopia. Powerful stuff. Don’t know if that’s already been said somewhere, sorry if it has :-p
Randal chasing after the troll is priceless
the more I look at his grin the more it makes me giggle
Last panel: Wizard right out of Harry Potter, with wands akimbo.
Kingsley Shacklebolt makes an appearance!
no, it’s LH Franzibald’s sorcelator.
Yup, definitely sorcelator.
Another female in the Cub Unit would have been nice. Or did Brunhilde only take in disgraced male warriors because “children” doesn’t have the same ring as “sons”?
Maybe she only happened to find sons and wasn’t being sexist.
I think I got spoiled with the main cast not only having a balanced amount of females but passes the Bechdel test too.
Even in a human civilization that doesn’t seem to discriminate much based on gender, female warriors and adventurers would naturally be less common than males of the profession.
I just kinda wished we’d have the opportunity to see Brunhilde take in at the very least one female warrior. Or even a fledgeling female warrior wanting to walk the path Mama Bear took. Or maybe there exists another band of said warriors that are all simply off-screen and will take some time to appear. Or even established within the confines of Fightopia.
So you want a disgraced female just to make up the numbers? Mama Bear only took in the disgraced to give them a chance at redemption
well, let’s see… brunhilde took in the disgraced, that was her bag. you fall from grace as a result of bad decisions. try taking it as a feminism compliment that the women of this world weren’t so damn stupid as to do stuff like sell children to pirates.
Bandit.
This can, has and should be(en) doubted. The meaning of “naturally” in your statement would interest me.
Seconded.
It should be noted, though, that Gastonia does not treat genders equally. Ardaic, who I imagine as the avatar of all things Gastonia, doubted the leadership skills of Syr’nj and Bandit because they were women even before race politics came into it.
Not that this frustrates me. I like that element of the story, where characters each bring their views, experiences, and goals to the table, with no clear winner or perfect answer. It makes each conversation and event far more interesting! If we’re talking about what’s natural, however, I must disagree–especially when adventurers are such a varied breed.
Poor word choice, admittedly. I meant more along the lines of “as a matter of course” or “as one would expect,” rather than anything to do with “nature.” Even with more positions open to women in modern military forces, there are still fewer women serving than men.
“Naturally”, of course, can mean different things, that’s why I asked. So thanks for the clarification. Now I like your line “Even in a human civilization that doesn’t seem to discriminate much based on gender” because it allows for the possibility that there is discrimination based on gender, even if it doesn’t seem so. (What, in my opinion, is the case in regard to modern military forces. Compare recent events in the Australian army.)
I don’t like the conclusion “female warriors and adventurers would of course be less common than males of the profession” – I consider this to be contingent. (Even if true for the USA and Arkerra.)
The (apparently all-male) Cub Unit is very likely not the only group of people that were guided by Brunhilde herself. Or so I suppose, given that she apparently attempted great deeds and was also widely respected among the adventuring class. Anyway, who knows if the traditional-oriental-warrior-lookin-type guy isn’t actually female?
Yeah, while the Cub Unit was all-male (yet to be proved, we have only seen 5 members, and one is helmeted) doesn’t mean there weren’t other Brunhilde-influenced units out there, maybe ones that do not have former-disgraced members or even an ‘Amazon’ Unit
And just like that, anybody who still hates Sundar feels like a bit of a jerk for not being as forgiving as Brunhilde.
Umm, no, not all, Sundar is still a dick
Sundar is a child (mentally)
Yeah, well, you’re one of those damn “altruists!”
Actually, it makes me wonder what skeletons Brunhilde has in her closet that she can so easily forgive some crimes that would disgrace adventurers.
Maybe she was one of the rare people who didn’t need giant rotten skeletons to have forgiveness for others, regardless of their past transgressions
And then, she respawned. Awkward.
nah, storyline deaths. you just can’t get round them. ask Aerith some time
Yeah. It’s becoming progressively hard to reconcile those two aspects of the storyline, as they introduce NPC after NPC, taking focus away from the “game”-imprisoned protagonists. I still feel like the sepia-world is a jagged pebble caught in the treads of a great storyline. It never comes to anything, but it never goes away, either.
As narrative side-treks go, this one has been exceptionally well paced and sympathetic, but the cast is ballooning. Rather than answering questions and resolving storylines, we’re just setting things aside and opening up new areas of exploration. It’s not bad, it just risks becoming stasis.
It’s DLC!
nah, she rage-quit after pally ganked her mid-quest
Now I want to know how all those guys were disgraced….even the dead ones….damn my curiosity!
Well, I’m not supposed to tell you, but the pseudo-samurai got outed as a huge anime fan who would go to conventions dressed as Sailor Moon, the wizard got on Jersey Shore for a season, and Rendar listens to Justin Bieber. As for Rabbit, oh boy, let’s just say there are some fetishes involved…
They don’t call him rabbit for his buckteeth.
Every time I see Sundar, I’m reminded of Captain Haddock from Tintin.