Ardaic aged about ten years between the last two panels. I could put the altered facial proportions down to wonky perspective, but he’s definitely greyer-haired.
I agree. I think it’s the line width used. Perhaps in an earlier draft he was the same distance from Syr’nj as in the previous panel, and he was edited to be closer? It does look better with him closer, but his lines got proportionally bigger as he got closer.
“I will not sit for the blathering of my contemporaries while vital work is left undone.” Damn right, Syr’nj!
Give me a leader like this, who’s this goal-oriented behind closed doors, and has a mind for both the long and short-term good of the people, and I’ll vote for them.
Unfortunately we live in the real world, where politicians have only two goals in mind. The first is to gain political power. The second is to keep it.
Those who seek power should be the last ones to get it.
Seeing as they are born into it, there’s a better chance of coming across those who don’t care much for it. Hell, they might not even understand it like you or I, it’s simply the way things are for them.
That said, seems power tastes good no matter how you get it.
They aren’t in charge because they want power. They’re in charge by chance. They want power because everybody wants power. Power is simply “the ability to get things you desire.” It’s literally impossible not to want it unless you’ve reached nirvana.
Everyone wants power in the abstract. Not everyone wants power in the real world, because that sometimes comes with a lot of nagging from your conscience about responsibility and things like that. Responsibility is a total buzzkill.
I think it’s less about power for its own sake and more about exchanging favors with big business. Politics are pretty stressful, the sooner you can switch to some nice profitable industry job the better.
He’s a man of action who’s rarely allowed to take it without the permission of this chamber of numbskulls. If that action can be blamed on someone other than him, I doubt he disapproves. He knew which buttons to push to make Syr’nj decide to do this without him.
I . . . Do not think that Ardaic is manipulating her. He has stated before that he does not find the cultists worth worrying about, or worth the effort.
Ardaic is terrifyingly capable person who needs a equally terrifyingly capable leader to draw the best out of him, and he knows it. That is a smile of pure satisfaction. Very few things in this world are as great as a boss who doesn’t suck.
Ardaik’s smile says, “This is the best damn boss I ever had.” I imagine that she’s exactly the kind of serious, take-charge, and goodhearted leader he always wanted to be working under, but had long ago given up hope of ever having.
I thought Ardaic was against helping with the cultist threat as other things were more important? Also, what happened with the super secret “birthday party” they were planning when Fr’Nj was filling in? I am still waiting for that!
That look Ardai is tossing to Sy’rnj? Pure “FINALLY, someone who doesn’t have a terminal case of craniorectal insertimania This woman I will follow with pride!”.
People always put down followers because they’re, well, followers. But stuff wouldn’t get doe without them, and who you choose to follow, and why, says a lot about you.
It’s true your comment has the same content as mine, but had you not made it, we all would be deprived of the amusing phrase “craniorectal insertimania”. So, good job.
“Now wait just a second, Pardo, old boy! Are you suggesting a system for rewarding stupidity? I won’t have any of that! You know full well that none of us would stand a chance against you, especially since we got rid of Annunziata!”
Is it just me or does the last panel look like it’s in a completely different style?
Also, I’m amused by the mmo-esque points system.
Ardaic aged about ten years between the last two panels. I could put the altered facial proportions down to wonky perspective, but he’s definitely greyer-haired.
The doors got opened for Syr causing the Sun to shine on Ardaic’s face.
I think it’s just because this is the first time we’re seeing Ardaic smile.
I just hope that smile says “Time to kick cultist butt!” and not “At last, the final piece of our master plan falls into place. Mua Ha Ha Ha!”
I feel like that smile is, ‘Yes. This authority. This bearing. This confidence. This is a leadership I can follow without regret.’
“I have the weirdest boner right now…”
Why not both?
I agree. I think it’s the line width used. Perhaps in an earlier draft he was the same distance from Syr’nj as in the previous panel, and he was edited to be closer? It does look better with him closer, but his lines got proportionally bigger as he got closer.
“Oh, one more thing, Ardaic. A coupl’a KEGS of my anti-berserker serum.”
“As you wish, Your Grace…(Man, she’s so sexy when she’s bossy)”
Totally this. He has shown a certain… preference for her companionship. Especially when her presence is, commanding.
“I’ll deal with these cultists myself. You six, come with me!”
Ohhh, accomplishments. Stuff like,
Political Animal: get reelected with with less votes than the opposing candidate
Public Service: warm the chair you’re sitting in at council meetings to at least 20°C
Vae Victis: enact genocide while avoiding all culpability
The 1%: evade taxes to the amount of 1% of annual gdp per year for 11 consecutive years
Here’s a bonus one.
The Final Frontier: Talk Phil into providing an edit button so you can unfuck your formatting.
+1 for that last one.
We all need to get behind this one. +1
+1
And while we’re at it – a system of upvoting comments would be so nice, too…
Maybe Reddit or StackOverflow have room for more puns?
There is a Guilded Age Reddit, but it’s dormant.
Not sure you could easily do that without requiring commentators to all have logins, in order to enforce accountability.
I could live with that. It’d be easier for them to retcon problem people too.
As the email-Address is invisible to third parties it should be possible to use it for authorisation.
True. But then it would probably require either altering the code of the CMS they’re using or tracking down a plugin that does what they want.
Oh hey, I know that Latin phrase! …Only because the Vae Victis is the starting ship in “Star Traders.”
“I will not sit for the blathering of my contemporaries while vital work is left undone.” Damn right, Syr’nj!
Give me a leader like this, who’s this goal-oriented behind closed doors, and has a mind for both the long and short-term good of the people, and I’ll vote for them.
Unfortunately we live in the real world, where politicians have only two goals in mind. The first is to gain political power. The second is to keep it.
Those who seek power should be the last ones to get it.
You just argued in favor of monarchy.
You don’t think monarchs want power?
Of course they don’t. Game of Thrones is a purely fictional account with no historical basis.
Seeing as they are born into it, there’s a better chance of coming across those who don’t care much for it. Hell, they might not even understand it like you or I, it’s simply the way things are for them.
That said, seems power tastes good no matter how you get it.
That’s the theory.
The practice, for most of human history, involves a lot more coups d’etat and civil war.
Monarchs are people who fought, hard, to get on top and stay on top.
They aren’t in charge because they want power. They’re in charge by chance. They want power because everybody wants power. Power is simply “the ability to get things you desire.” It’s literally impossible not to want it unless you’ve reached nirvana.
Everyone wants power in the abstract. Not everyone wants power in the real world, because that sometimes comes with a lot of nagging from your conscience about responsibility and things like that. Responsibility is a total buzzkill.
Meh, monarchy is lineage based and has stupid nobles clogging up the system. Dictatorship masterrace.
You realize, of course, that those options are not mutually-exclusive?
Or a system where seats in a governing council are hereditary.
I think it’s less about power for its own sake and more about exchanging favors with big business. Politics are pretty stressful, the sooner you can switch to some nice profitable industry job the better.
All this talk about politics reminds me of that one scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail http://tinyurl.com/grail9x
As proven, the election system is not a solution to anything.
Democracy is the worst system of government, except for all the other ones.
Finest argument I’ve ever heard for golem and/or robot overlords.
Is this just the result Ardaic has been waiting for?
He looks so pleased.
He’s a man of action who’s rarely allowed to take it without the permission of this chamber of numbskulls. If that action can be blamed on someone other than him, I doubt he disapproves. He knew which buttons to push to make Syr’nj decide to do this without him.
I . . . Do not think that Ardaic is manipulating her. He has stated before that he does not find the cultists worth worrying about, or worth the effort.
I don’t trust that smile. I don’t trust that smile at ALL.
I trust him more than Syr’Nj, actually.
Ardaic is terrifyingly capable person who needs a equally terrifyingly capable leader to draw the best out of him, and he knows it. That is a smile of pure satisfaction. Very few things in this world are as great as a boss who doesn’t suck.
^this X1000
^this x1000 more.
Agreed. If nothing else, he’s thinking “Oh good, she finally remembers she outranks me.”
I think she outranks him, at least. I wasn’t paying attention when they mentioned rankings.
“Finally, someone in this hall of numbskulls I actually agree with.”
And that is what she is Frigg’s favorite. :P
*why
Yeah…politics. The art oft unnerving your enemies with boredom until they give in.
Seems like Syr’nj has a very apt idea of what to expect on the other side of that portal..if only she was wrong.
Ardaik’s smile says, “This is the best damn boss I ever had.” I imagine that she’s exactly the kind of serious, take-charge, and goodhearted leader he always wanted to be working under, but had long ago given up hope of ever having.
uh, yes. what you said, and then I repeated after you further down because I hadn’t read this bit yet. /sigh
I thought Ardaic was against helping with the cultist threat as other things were more important? Also, what happened with the super secret “birthday party” they were planning when Fr’Nj was filling in? I am still waiting for that!
I sense a great disturbance in the mundane.
Yes, a new dictator is coming.
That look Ardai is tossing to Sy’rnj? Pure “FINALLY, someone who doesn’t have a terminal case of craniorectal insertimania This woman I will follow with pride!”.
People always put down followers because they’re, well, followers. But stuff wouldn’t get doe without them, and who you choose to follow, and why, says a lot about you.
Also? My kingdom for a frikkin edit button.
It’s true your comment has the same content as mine, but had you not made it, we all would be deprived of the amusing phrase “craniorectal insertimania”. So, good job.
“they say his motoboner grew three sizes that day…”
“Now wait just a second, Pardo, old boy! Are you suggesting a system for rewarding stupidity? I won’t have any of that! You know full well that none of us would stand a chance against you, especially since we got rid of Annunziata!”
This is the literal definition of “Like a Boss.”
And the avatar to match. ;)