Feb 8th - A Mustache fit for a goblin

[Krulle]

To some extent, you need to be arrogant - without it, you are vulnerable being made someone's tool...for Herbert's sake, have the stubbornness not to submit to what you see instantly, because you can only see some facts at a time.

May I propose to use a different version? It's less obtrusive in your signature than having the whole quote underlined and linked...

To some extent, you need to be arrogant - without it, you are vulnerable being made someone's tool...for Herbert's sake, have the stubbornness not to submit to what you see instantly, because you can only see some facts at a time.

(quote me to see how I did it, and possibly copy/paste)

[Knucklekraken]

So, either Bull's Strength is still active or Ears's IME is just going to keep that blue tinge.

[spiderwrangler]

Still active, remember that it has only been a short time. My prediction is that it will be an emotional moment when it eventually does end, cause Chief will be truly gone.

[JustRight]

Great feels on this strip - love the timing of the last four panels. It makes me hope to see more cooperation break out between humans and goblins against a common enemy.

[willpell]

May I propose to use a different version? It's less obtrusive in your signature than having the whole quote underlined and linked...

And done.

[0z79]

The bottom-right nine panels seem crafted to work as a "magic eye" pattern. The backgrounds are offset just enough to create a slight sense of perspective.

I was wondering why it was bugging my eyes!

I have a lazy eye; not bad enough for glasses, but still enough to make sure I've never been able to see anything in those "Magic Eye" pictures, plus I have a hard time with modern 3D glasses/film..

[Glemp]

The bottom-right nine panels seem crafted to work as a "magic eye" pattern. The backgrounds are offset just enough to create a slight sense of perspective.

Sorry, I'm not seeing anything special.

[willpell]

Belatedly it dawns on me that the color-shifting light might have some effect of making people pay more attention to what everyone says, a sort of magical acoustics enhancer that picks up the "vibe" of a person's speech and then saturates the room with it, not just visually but on undeniable awareness-levels. Otherwise, I have trouble understanding how Minmax would even be able to understand what Thaco said (since Thaco's back is turned to Minmax and he's talking to a person he's hugging, so his voice probably shouldn't carry very well without magical assistance), or have any real reason to pay attention to it (since he was just fighting these goblins five minutes ago, and is now preoccupied with his grief).

[Sessine]

Belatedly it dawns on me that the color-shifting light might have some effect of making people pay more attention to what everyone says, a sort of magical acoustics enhancer that picks up the "vibe" of a person's speech and then saturates the room with it, not just visually but on undeniable awareness-levels. Otherwise, I have trouble understanding how Minmax would even be able to understand what Thaco said (since Thaco's back is turned to Minmax and he's talking to a person he's hugging, so his voice probably shouldn't carry very well without magical assistance), or have any real reason to pay attention to it (since he was just fighting these goblins five minutes ago, and is now preoccupied with his grief).

Or Thaco intentionally pitched his voice to be heard by the human.

If he wasn't at least partly aiming that line at Minmax, why would he use that odd-in-context word 'adventurer' instead of a more natural explicit reference to Kore by name? Yes, it's also tapping into the old deeply rooted Goblin culture that classifies adventurers as a force of nature, not something you can really expect to win against... so it could be interpreted as intended to console Complains. And it probably does work on that level. All the same, this is the Goblins Adventuring Party, so I'm pretty sure that's not the whole of what's going through his agile mind at that moment.

In any case, I think you're on to something. I bet the IME-visible light does have some magical purpose (in addition to the self-evident artistic function of making this whole scene visually much more interesting). Let's speculate wildly about what else it could be doing!

I'll start.

The light has now collected IMEs from all of them -- even Fumbles! Once they finally get around to trying to move on past this room, they could find the exit is locked, with a color-coded puzzle that will require each of them to speak a word in the correct order.

[featheredfeath]

Well, whatever the reason for it is, I'm enjoying how colourful it makes the page look. The lighting effects are definitely worth waiting for, and they really bring the whole page to life.

[Krulle]

The light has now collected IMEs from all of them -- even Fumbles! Once they finally get around to trying to move on past this room, they could find the exit is locked, with a color-coded puzzle that will require each of them to speak a word in the correct order.

Dang.
They will never leave the room as Minmax can't read what he's supposed to say.
Chekov's Gun: Minmax can't read.

[featheredfeath]

The light has now collected IMEs from all of them -- even Fumbles! Once they finally get around to trying to move on past this room, they could find the exit is locked, with a color-coded puzzle that will require each of them to speak a word in the correct order.

Dang.
They will never leave the room as Minmax can't read what he's supposed to say.
Chekov's Gun: Minmax can't read.

Wouldn't it be an anti-chekhov's gun if it prevents something from getting done? Checkov's misfire? Checkov's broken barrel?

[Krulle]

Chekov's gun just says that any information/device in the plot will be used.
There is no limitation in which direction it may fire.

(38 ways: 1, 2, the gun was not killing with the thumb, but the number)

[RocketScientist]

A stone room filled with water would have excellent acoustics regardless. The only things in there absorbing sound are the people. But yeah, the orb thing must be doing something other than being a disco light of IMEs, and amplifying voices and/or emotions is a good hypothesis.

[Sessine]

The light has now collected IMEs from all of them -- even Fumbles! Once they finally get around to trying to move on past this room, they could find the exit is locked, with a color-coded puzzle that will require each of them to speak a word in the correct order.

Dang.
They will never leave the room as Minmax can't read what he's supposed to say.
Chekov's Gun: Minmax can't read.

The story's obviously not going to end here with them eternally trapped. They'll get out of the room somehow; they have to. But yeah, I can totally see that being a complication.

[spiderwrangler]

The dungeon is learning them so that when it catches one of them separated from the group, or at night when everyone else is sleeping, they will get replaced with a 'pod person' version...

[RocketScientist]

[Restomak]

Ooh, I like that idea of the dungeon learning the IME so as to make a sort of creepy doppleganger. Nice idea

[Glemp]

(38 ways: 1, 2, the gun was not killing with the thumb, but the number)

The thumb did kill Psimax - the number made it an ungodly powerful and unblockable attack.

[Knucklekraken]

I'd really like the next page to contain (possibly end with) an unfamiliar IME, just to use the room's mechanic in an interesting way.

[Drevvy]

I think the page would flow smoother if the tag in the second line of panels read "A short time later" instead of "Moments later". As it is, it feels too rushed to go from sudden confession to talking about group dynamics. It feels to me that almost a turn might have passed since the hug, as the goblins clear their eyes and compose themselves.
And in my head, Minmax's last line goes "Oh, shut up." in a sarcastic tone.

Drevvy

[willpell]

I'd really like the next page to contain (possibly end with) an unfamiliar IME, just to use the room's mechanic in an interesting way.

Well you got your wish in a typical-GMing way (ie, you got what you asked for, but can't use it for the reason you were asking). The next page does indeed feature a different IME (teal-colored, I don't think we've EVER seen that one before), but it's not in the room from this update, so, yeah. This sort of thing happens when you use Planar Binding on a noble djinni and then start making demands.

[Davis8488]

I apologize for resurrecting a thread, but something relevant just came into existence, over at Will Save World for Gold.

It's not the mustache you wear on your face that's important! It's the mustache you wear on your SOUL!