Listening to your words is like watching burger commercials.
The more I hear, the more ravenous I get.
I’ll take the double humansteak with elf greens on the kaiser troll, please.
Cause you’re his cheeseburger
His yummy cheeseburger
He’ll wait for you-oo, yeah
He’ll wait for you-oo
Oh, you are his cheeseburger
His tasty cheeseburger
He’ll wait for you-oo
Oh he will wait for you
There’s a strange wisdom in there that serves well a creature such as himself, the ultimate predator with a mind that does very little for him. He’s not wrong, rather, a civilised world where races comingle would be wrong for him. This likely means that he will choose, in one way or another, not to enter that world but die following the laws of his world.
To be fair, I think most of the arguments about the things it does to the local water table were both clear and compelling and would have been convincing even if they weren’t coming from a starship captain
“In the meantime, I will make use of the ones you would defend as snacks. I don’t think it would interfere in your words for the strongest and loudest of your kind.”
Yeah, I think he’s cooled off long enough to do the math. Him versus nine champions is not a fight even he could win. But if Penk loses to Harky, Hammerhead will probably only have to worry about five champions. And he will have the support of Harky, his army, and possibly even the support of the remaining World’s Rebellion champions.
He’s definitely not the typical low INT/WIS (Dumpstat anyone?) meat shield, even if he looks like the quintessential example. It would be interesting if he took power over the World’s Rebellion.
Hmmm. I’ve been struggling to grasp Hammerhead’s philosophical perspective. This page may have given me the necessary insight.
I was confused how Hammerhead was willing and able to regard the other “savage races” as not-prey, while refusing to budge in his designation of Gastonians et al as prey.
I’d have assumed that he was motivated by respect for strength. Harky is stronger than Hammerhead himself, so he respects Harky and those who follow him. Yet, if that were all there is to it, I expect the Peacemakers could earn his respect no less – they are quite mighty too, particularly Frigg.
Here, though, I may have my answer. Hammerhead tacitly acknowledges that none of the savage races, Harky’s trolls included, are off of the prey list. So, another interpretation occurs to me. Hammerhead may be operating from a perspective of “join prey for now, eat more prey together”. In other words, he can set aside his desire to eat anybody/everybody else when there is a common target for them to hunt together. So, the savage races are to him one big hunting party, pursuing Gastonian prey.
Note, we have seen Hammerhead eat other landsharks, as indeed all landsharks do. They form hunting parties, and when the prey is caught aren’t above eating each other during the feeding frenzy. So, this may indeed be a core trait of landshark “thinking”.
However, if the savage races make peace with the Gastonians too, then there is no prey to pursue. This, perhaps, is why the idea of accepting the humans and elves is so intolerable to Hammerhead.
(And, we see, that when the designated prey is subdued, the rest of the savage races had better watch out.)
In case you overlooked it — that tacit acknowledgement went both ways. Penk’s comment was about them making prey of each other; i.e. trolls are historically just as willing to eat landsharks. This may also be a factor.
A further thought. Maybe Hammerhead distinguishes between “hunter” and “prey” according to aggression. The Peacemakers want peace. They want to not fight and kill. THIS, perhaps, is what defines them as prey.
Anybody can be prey, but at least the savage races are assertively pursuing a goal which involves killing somebody. So, Hammerhead can tolerate joining the Savage Races hunting party. But cooperating with entities who want to avoid violence? That is intolerable.
As mighty as a raging bull can be, he’s still prey fighting only for self-defense. He’s not a hunter and never can be.
It’ll be interesting to see how he responds to news of the cultist threat, then–I’ve got a feeling that this alliance is going to involve killing a lot of cultists, and even if the official goal is peace with some humans, they’re still probably going to have to kill a lot of them.
i wasnt worried . Magda can cool this guys jets with the big stone hands. Ivar is going to be a bigger prob. Dont underestimate young Iwatani. Even more dangerous if Ardiac is on board which I doubt.
Amusing that the trolls around Hammerhead seems even more dumbfounded and worried Hammerhead NOT going into a savage frenzy here and being all willing to watch and listen. XD
Agreed. It’d be bad enough if Hammerhead were just a nearly unthinking eating machine like the rest of the land-sharks. But he’s smart, patient (when he wants to be) and even powerful than he looks.
“To be fair, *all* of politics is a complete joke.”
Something I think most people on every side can agree on… and it might even be a funny joke if the punchline wasn’t always a body count. All that varies is “who” and “how many”.
I kinda feel for Hammerhead, though. He’s defending what he believes in, the same as Penk is. Other than the fact that Penk’s beliefs were clearly established because he was open to new ideas and beliefs, but still!
{Crotchety voice}
In my day, we ate the closest thing that moved, and we liked it! We liked it just fine!
Sure, there were a lot of stomach aches, particularly after the gnomes invented those automatons, but it were good enough for me grandpappy so it was good enough for me!
You young whippersnackers and yer ideas! What’s the world coming to?
I never should have sent to you ! They teach you these weird social rules!
Listening to your words is like watching burger commercials.
The more I hear, the more ravenous I get.
I’ll take the double humansteak with elf greens on the kaiser troll, please.
Careful, if the elf is yellow it’s gone a bit off.
Cause you’re his cheeseburger
His yummy cheeseburger
He’ll wait for you-oo, yeah
He’ll wait for you-oo
Oh, you are his cheeseburger
His tasty cheeseburger
He’ll wait for you-oo
Oh he will wait for you
(from VeggieTales – His Cheeseburger)
Hammerhead can learn… interesting.
Yes, he can. But he seems to choose generally not to.
There’s a strange wisdom in there that serves well a creature such as himself, the ultimate predator with a mind that does very little for him. He’s not wrong, rather, a civilised world where races comingle would be wrong for him. This likely means that he will choose, in one way or another, not to enter that world but die following the laws of his world.
I figure that the winner between Penk & Harky’s “word battle” will let him eat the loser.
I’m more surprised he has a sense of humor.
All shark jokes end the same way: “And then I bit [fill in possessive pronoun here][fill in appendage here] off!”
Bitter? I ate her whole!
Damn, I was right about the frackin’ debate. :P
To be fair, I think most of the arguments about the things it does to the local water table were both clear and compelling and would have been convincing even if they weren’t coming from a starship captain
“In the meantime, I will make use of the ones you would defend as snacks. I don’t think it would interfere in your words for the strongest and loudest of your kind.”
The screams of your lesser kin are like butterfly whispers on the breeze.
It’s times like this I’m reminded that he’s not all brawn and bloodlust. I missed thee, dearest HAMMERHEAD.
“Actually, this is funny to me, and I’m Not Mad At All” -Hammerhead
That went better than expected.
For the moment, yeah.
I’m guessing not so much in the near future.
Yeah, I think he’s cooled off long enough to do the math. Him versus nine champions is not a fight even he could win. But if Penk loses to Harky, Hammerhead will probably only have to worry about five champions. And he will have the support of Harky, his army, and possibly even the support of the remaining World’s Rebellion champions.
He’s definitely not the typical low INT/WIS (Dumpstat anyone?) meat shield, even if he looks like the quintessential example. It would be interesting if he took power over the World’s Rebellion.
Or he could just eat everyone. That works too. :D
Hmmm. I’ve been struggling to grasp Hammerhead’s philosophical perspective. This page may have given me the necessary insight.
I was confused how Hammerhead was willing and able to regard the other “savage races” as not-prey, while refusing to budge in his designation of Gastonians et al as prey.
I’d have assumed that he was motivated by respect for strength. Harky is stronger than Hammerhead himself, so he respects Harky and those who follow him. Yet, if that were all there is to it, I expect the Peacemakers could earn his respect no less – they are quite mighty too, particularly Frigg.
Here, though, I may have my answer. Hammerhead tacitly acknowledges that none of the savage races, Harky’s trolls included, are off of the prey list. So, another interpretation occurs to me. Hammerhead may be operating from a perspective of “join prey for now, eat more prey together”. In other words, he can set aside his desire to eat anybody/everybody else when there is a common target for them to hunt together. So, the savage races are to him one big hunting party, pursuing Gastonian prey.
Note, we have seen Hammerhead eat other landsharks, as indeed all landsharks do. They form hunting parties, and when the prey is caught aren’t above eating each other during the feeding frenzy. So, this may indeed be a core trait of landshark “thinking”.
However, if the savage races make peace with the Gastonians too, then there is no prey to pursue. This, perhaps, is why the idea of accepting the humans and elves is so intolerable to Hammerhead.
(And, we see, that when the designated prey is subdued, the rest of the savage races had better watch out.)
And I’m figuring out whichever he is calling the ‘rot’ is…Compassion? Mercy? Friendship?
And now you gave me the necessary insight. Thank you!
In case you overlooked it — that tacit acknowledgement went both ways. Penk’s comment was about them making prey of each other; i.e. trolls are historically just as willing to eat landsharks. This may also be a factor.
Penk’s use of ‘prey’ there might not be strictly literal, though. (i.e. it’s possible that they made war upon, but did not eat, the land sharks)
Good thought. I think you nailed it.
A further thought. Maybe Hammerhead distinguishes between “hunter” and “prey” according to aggression. The Peacemakers want peace. They want to not fight and kill. THIS, perhaps, is what defines them as prey.
Anybody can be prey, but at least the savage races are assertively pursuing a goal which involves killing somebody. So, Hammerhead can tolerate joining the Savage Races hunting party. But cooperating with entities who want to avoid violence? That is intolerable.
As mighty as a raging bull can be, he’s still prey fighting only for self-defense. He’s not a hunter and never can be.
I like both of your posts on the topic of Hammerhead’s philosophy. Very insightful!
It’ll be interesting to see how he responds to news of the cultist threat, then–I’ve got a feeling that this alliance is going to involve killing a lot of cultists, and even if the official goal is peace with some humans, they’re still probably going to have to kill a lot of them.
Politics? Aww, HAMMERHEAD thought it was going to be sausage making!
Hammerhead is a firm adherent of the belief that all sausage making is local.
Yes, as local as possible. Namely, in his mouth.
There seems to be a distinct lack of tags on this page.
Maybe they decided underlining the page with several links to “Prey” was a bit too confusing.
Sorry, guess HAMMERHEAD ate them all.
i wasnt worried . Magda can cool this guys jets with the big stone hands. Ivar is going to be a bigger prob. Dont underestimate young Iwatani. Even more dangerous if Ardiac is on board which I doubt.
Amusing that the trolls around Hammerhead seems even more dumbfounded and worried Hammerhead NOT going into a savage frenzy here and being all willing to watch and listen. XD
I like the one immediately to the right of Harky with the relief sigh face.
ER, Penk*, not Harky.
This panel somehow made Hammerhead even scarier. Nice work.
Agreed. It’d be bad enough if Hammerhead were just a nearly unthinking eating machine like the rest of the land-sharks. But he’s smart, patient (when he wants to be) and even powerful than he looks.
“To be fair, *all* of politics is a complete joke.”
Something I think most people on every side can agree on… and it might even be a funny joke if the punchline wasn’t always a body count. All that varies is “who” and “how many”.
“Politics is the art of saying, ‘nice doggie,’ until you can find a rock.”
I kinda feel for Hammerhead, though. He’s defending what he believes in, the same as Penk is. Other than the fact that Penk’s beliefs were clearly established because he was open to new ideas and beliefs, but still!
What happened to good old ‘You see it= You eat it’?
Young landsharks nowadays…
{Crotchety voice}
In my day, we ate the closest thing that moved, and we liked it! We liked it just fine!
Sure, there were a lot of stomach aches, particularly after the gnomes invented those automatons, but it were good enough for me grandpappy so it was good enough for me!
You young whippersnackers and yer ideas! What’s the world coming to?
I never should have sent to you ! They teach you these weird social rules!
Well, Diplomacy Step 1 went well.
Does anyone remember what the page Meme gods are one?