That brown thing with green right behind Scipio (being colored while nothing else at that depth is) really screwed with my interpretation. I spent quite a while trying to figure out what part of Fr’Nj or him it was supposed to be.
As I was joking above, I think they intend to co-opt it. They’re going to pretend they support the initiative to attack the Cult, in an effort to gain the trust of the adventurers. Then, when they start to gain that trust, they’ll try to redirect the adventurers into serving their interests. “Before you do that, consider this”, or, “We’ll support you, if first you support us”.
Byron and the other Peacekeepers are consciously taking a big risk. They’re rejecting the orders of their principal patron and best ally in Gastonia, Field Marshal Ardaic, which is likely to cost them their support from Gastonia. The newly founded Guild is vulnerable.
The worst-case scenario here is that Miyamoto et. al. will exacerbate the imminent rift between the Peacekeepers and Field Marshal Ardaic, and blame it on Byron’s recklessness and insubordination, thus displacing Byron as leader of the Guild; meanwhile, the Adventurer’s Guild doesn’t attack the Cult.
Anyone else find it funny that the head of agriculture is the big evil politician in this? I mean they are all assholes, but the head of agriculture is the only one that is flat out evil.
Well, we already had that, yeah? It was called Fightopia. Kind of sounds like a terrible juice drink, I know. The Peacekeepers were sent to deal with it, but it’s pretty clear that if they hadn’t found a solution the military would have been sent in. Ardaic balked at diverting resources to dealing with the cult because he didn’t consider them a threat. Fightopia – also occurred during wartime – was already considered enough of a threat to Gastonia for a military response the first time. Now that they’re properly organized, better trained, better equipped, and led by a semi-famous political figure? I don’t see much doubt about the response.
1: Hey, dots a niiiiiiize hat….
2: The politicians, oh boy. I don’t think they’ve counted on Byron’s secret weapon though. Syr’Nj has a +5 to ethical commitment and long view, and a +all-of-it to The Science, whereas those three who just walked up have a mere +2 to timing and intimidation. They’re hosed.
…the cult’s not even going to be there, are they? :/
Mobilizing this huge force to capitalize on a series of victories and some intel that certainly wasn’t allowed into their hands intentionally as part of some dastardly scheme, now under political scrutiny, and it’s all going to go south. Not because of defeat, but because of failure to meet the enemy. Oh sure, it can still go pear-shaped because the cult set a trap to mass-sacrifice all the adventurers who show up or whatnot, but right now my money’s on them not even being there and hitting somewhere else instead while the adventurers are off on a wild goose chase. Massive swing in public opinion against the Adventurers Guild. The news will swarm it just as vigorously as they have the recent successes and spread word of this “embarrassing failure” far and wide. Waste of time and materiel, they’ll say; poor planning, fell for an obvious ruse. Misappropriation of resources, abandoning one’s post during wartime; possibly even accusations of planning a coup, what with Byron leading a heavily armed group on Gastonian soil. With all the negative press and loss of public support, and probably loss of military support from Ardaic and Jarvis, the politicians will have a field day.
…aaaaand here we go…
This could be very good or very bad… or just both.
Not sure…
Stop staring at my text, Gravedust.
Wait… you’re not Gravedust…
No that is not.
It isn’t Tombdirt either.
THE GREATER GOOD
That brown thing with green right behind Scipio (being colored while nothing else at that depth is) really screwed with my interpretation. I spent quite a while trying to figure out what part of Fr’Nj or him it was supposed to be.
It’s Fr’nj’s staff which you can see on the last page.
Its the fantasy version of where’s waldo
And here come the bureaucrats to make everything worse…
Just because Byron et all are going to go fight the greater evil doesn’t mean the lesser evil can’t show up to ruin things.
Why is Pardo there? To do intro’s like he’s done for SNL for years? Isn’t he, like, playing a harp on cloud 9 now?
Free Hat, free Hat!
Oh stuff the hat. I want that hatbox!
My cat wants that hatbox. He already believes he’ll fits…
It’ll last most of the way through the chapter before some cultist opens up the top of it like a tin can.
Yeah! Free Hat McCollough. He was sent to prison in ’82, and we believe he should be released!
Look, it’s Team Co-Opt!
It takes careful and delicate timing to commandeer a rousing speech at the right time…
Bedard I can see being there because this is fairly newsworthy. I dunno what Miyamoto and Pardo are there for, though.
Besides pissing on the parade, I suppose.
As I was joking above, I think they intend to co-opt it. They’re going to pretend they support the initiative to attack the Cult, in an effort to gain the trust of the adventurers. Then, when they start to gain that trust, they’ll try to redirect the adventurers into serving their interests. “Before you do that, consider this”, or, “We’ll support you, if first you support us”.
Byron and the other Peacekeepers are consciously taking a big risk. They’re rejecting the orders of their principal patron and best ally in Gastonia, Field Marshal Ardaic, which is likely to cost them their support from Gastonia. The newly founded Guild is vulnerable.
The worst-case scenario here is that Miyamoto et. al. will exacerbate the imminent rift between the Peacekeepers and Field Marshal Ardaic, and blame it on Byron’s recklessness and insubordination, thus displacing Byron as leader of the Guild; meanwhile, the Adventurer’s Guild doesn’t attack the Cult.
Our heroes will have to think fast.
Oops. Those are actually the relatively good house leaders.
Isn’t Miyamoto the one with the no-good son, and who made a deal with the devil to protect the cultists from attack?
No, that’s Iwatani, head of Agriculture and Evil Plots. Miyamoto is the head of Municipal Services, but he has yet to do much of importance.
Anyone else find it funny that the head of agriculture is the big evil politician in this? I mean they are all assholes, but the head of agriculture is the only one that is flat out evil.
Plots of land, evil plots, what’s the difference really?
When it gets around to grave plots, that’s a good time to back out…
Oh, and I guess they all sound alike to you, huh? HUH?
Talking about confusing names in an RPG…
http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=1140
“How did they … who told? … Aw, DAMMIT, Colonnus! What part of SECRET Adventurer Assembly did you not understand?”
Panels 2 and 3: Hey, are you even listening? Pay attention!
Corporate always finds out about the union meetings.
Politics beats heroism. Always.
“It was not your country that called you here today!”
Way to undermine all the things.
Ugh. Political Cock Block.
Political Cook Book?
Political Foot Ball?
Political F*ck Wads.
Question: what is Gastonia going to do if the Free Adventurers decide to stop living in Gastonia?
Well, we already had that, yeah? It was called Fightopia. Kind of sounds like a terrible juice drink, I know. The Peacekeepers were sent to deal with it, but it’s pretty clear that if they hadn’t found a solution the military would have been sent in. Ardaic balked at diverting resources to dealing with the cult because he didn’t consider them a threat. Fightopia – also occurred during wartime – was already considered enough of a threat to Gastonia for a military response the first time. Now that they’re properly organized, better trained, better equipped, and led by a semi-famous political figure? I don’t see much doubt about the response.
Ignore it and hope they go away? Oh wait, they did go away, what were we talking about again?
1: Hey, dots a niiiiiiize hat….
2: The politicians, oh boy. I don’t think they’ve counted on Byron’s secret weapon though. Syr’Nj has a +5 to ethical commitment and long view, and a +all-of-it to The Science, whereas those three who just walked up have a mere +2 to timing and intimidation. They’re hosed.
Just wait till winter… I got great trick with snowmen!
‘Lime’ snowcones?
…the cult’s not even going to be there, are they? :/
Mobilizing this huge force to capitalize on a series of victories and some intel that certainly wasn’t allowed into their hands intentionally as part of some dastardly scheme, now under political scrutiny, and it’s all going to go south. Not because of defeat, but because of failure to meet the enemy. Oh sure, it can still go pear-shaped because the cult set a trap to mass-sacrifice all the adventurers who show up or whatnot, but right now my money’s on them not even being there and hitting somewhere else instead while the adventurers are off on a wild goose chase. Massive swing in public opinion against the Adventurers Guild. The news will swarm it just as vigorously as they have the recent successes and spread word of this “embarrassing failure” far and wide. Waste of time and materiel, they’ll say; poor planning, fell for an obvious ruse. Misappropriation of resources, abandoning one’s post during wartime; possibly even accusations of planning a coup, what with Byron leading a heavily armed group on Gastonian soil. With all the negative press and loss of public support, and probably loss of military support from Ardaic and Jarvis, the politicians will have a field day.
Sadly enough, wwlaos’ theory seems pretty probable…
I’m actually a bit relieved that they at least didn’t claim Gastonia itself is the greater good.
…Waaaaait for it….
They’ll get around to that part eventually.
Oh great. Who invited these assholes?