The crowd’s reaction surprised me. I expected them to be more loyal to their emperor. Then I realised that most of the crowd are probably off-worlders and many of them not even citizens of the Celestial Empire.
There are maybe three demographics here.
Rayubans, and inhabitants of the nice, stable bits of the empire: loyal.
Subjects of the empire on worlds oppressed by Solomon’s psycho satraps: less loyal, likely to revolt if they see advantage.
Everybody else: just itching to see Solomon go down.
“Everybody else”, of course, includes the other 5 demiurges at the second concordance, where Solomon asserted himself as an unassailable guardian of Zaid. That’s not looking so good now. Gog Agog’s gambit here may be for possession of the King.
No. Ooooh no, I just realized. Zaid is nowhere to be seen, and has been out of focus since yesterday, comic time. White Chain will ask for him and Dave will go, uh, about that, your prince is in another castle, and I’ll lose it, I swear I’ll just go out and lose it, if Princess and Nyave aren’t safe and sound.
People need to cut zaid a break, he was an awkward teen. People can change a lot during this time, and I’m certain the past year and a half have changed him significantly.
As our own planets finest Proto-Demiurge would say: “Yes! YES!”
Been waiting for it to be Straight-Up-Gog-Time since she broke out the angry eyes during the Concordance way back chapter start.
These friggin Demiurges man: you all have summer homes in the literal ruin of Heaven, read your own liturgic myths! Greatest of the Disciples of YISUN was Aesma: by virtue of being too tactless, too lazy, too simple, and too deranged to play by any rules except her own choosing.
And yet, Solomon, you are presently ignoring and neglecting the threat posed by the All Devouring Worm because she is Tactless, and Lazy, and Simple, and Deranged.
He n thums has somewhats un detente – efter fightin cos Salami banned Goggy fae entrin the tourney fer eatin or becomin the contestants. Salami wrought thums havoc, buts ne’er could exterminate em all, an she persumably wrought havoc on his belovedsome empire an its poplace, by survivin by consumin.
If this follows established laws of comedy, we should soon see Vigilant Gaze standing up again and holding the entire pile of Praetorians above his head.
Also, not entirely a fist-fight. Some of the guards are getting stabby with their swords.
Love Cio’s expression right before getting mobbed. What is she thinking, I wonder? About the oncoming soldiers? The fact Solomon got punched in his stupid face? Or is she perhaps looking at White Chain and thinking “Oh no, she’s hot!”
I bet about now he’s regretting the wording of his last rule proclamation, for the one-against-all where he just said “you may strike at the emperor”. That’s what the audience remembers. . .at least I do after rereading the comic the other day.
And now she stands before us. Coming into the world as all those born do, naked and exhausted. It also seems that, for the first time in a long time, the Tyrant is unsure of his path forward. Now, a King must make a decision.
Happy Birthday, White Chain. One hell of a party is likely to ensue either way!
Y’know what i’d like to take a moment an appreciate. When Alison busted in there making demands of Solomon, his troops did NOT just stand there gawking while they spoke, but instead they instantly dog piled on her and her whole group. Good soldier’s don’t let someone punch out a guard and make demands of their king just because she’s the protagonist. Points for competency.
If you’re not competent in Dave’s world he just does it himself while throwing godly shade at you. After that you are an insignificant particle unworthy of oxygen.
The real question here: How much role in the existence and perpetuation of the Ring of Power does Gog Agog really have? How much did the conqueror worm do quietly steer things so that powerful warriors would continue to try their luck here, again and again, until finally one was strong enough?
Oh, I hope David’s temper doesn’t flare now at the perceived slight and he takes it out on White Chain. She’s currently far too confused to defend herself.
Kindly reminder to the bloodthirsty members of this comment section that Solomon looking for an heir in the Ring of Power is NOT common knowledge outside of his inner circle. The masses of Rayuba know only two things: That whoever makes the emperor shed a drop of blood gets granted “His hearts desire” and that that has never happened.
They aren’t cheering because he’s been publicly dethroned you guys… not that that undermines Gog’s psychological warfare though
42 Fragments the Universe Beyond All Reintegration
Beg to differ. Gog Agog knows that the tournament prize is the succession. (GA to Allison way back in this book: “How would you like … an empire?”) GA is the media and a significant fraction of the imperial population. If she knows then everybody knows.
I would beg to differ with the Gog multiplicity argument. She knows because she is a demiurge with her…claws? tentacles? mittens? everywhere, but I take issue with the interpretation that just because she knows “everybody knows”
If she wanted to, everyone WOULD know, yes. But we don’t know if that has happened yet, especially because we don’t know how strongly Solomon would react to such a thing and she is going out of her way to not confront him directly.
So it sounds like the “correct” move on sollomon’s part is to loudly declare that not only has White chain won “it’s” heart’s desire, but that HE has already granted the desire, resulting in the gasping naked woman on the arena.
I think it is strongly assumed by both Solomon and his subjects that “heart’s desire” likely means his rule. Solomon in particular is probably incapable of imagining someone not making that choice given the chance and he has definitely framed the competition that way with consolation prizes being various positions of power and stewardships.
And I’m not saying that the crowd is out for his blood (literally or metaphorically), not yet at least, but again he has sold this tournament as not just bloodsport but the most noble of endeavours, he implied if not stated outright that someone who can give him a run for his money would be worthy of respect of the god-emperor himself and all his subjects. They are not cheering for someone who can bring him down because they want to see him fall (again, not yet at least), they are cheering because whether he wants it or not he gave them a champion.
A god punched in the face: not a god.
A ruler that can be punched in the face and recover with dignity and the public good intact: grandeur. resilience. Eternal benefit.
Solomon David may yet see here a chance to facet the diamond anew. The shine is not diminished–yet.
Surebaet Noodles–it’s a “sure bet” you’ll love your bowl!
The crowd’s reaction surprised me. I expected them to be more loyal to their emperor. Then I realised that most of the crowd are probably off-worlders and many of them not even citizens of the Celestial Empire.
There are maybe three demographics here.
Rayubans, and inhabitants of the nice, stable bits of the empire: loyal.
Subjects of the empire on worlds oppressed by Solomon’s psycho satraps: less loyal, likely to revolt if they see advantage.
Everybody else: just itching to see Solomon go down.
“Everybody else”, of course, includes the other 5 demiurges at the second concordance, where Solomon asserted himself as an unassailable guardian of Zaid. That’s not looking so good now. Gog Agog’s gambit here may be for possession of the King.
No. Ooooh no, I just realized. Zaid is nowhere to be seen, and has been out of focus since yesterday, comic time. White Chain will ask for him and Dave will go, uh, about that, your prince is in another castle, and I’ll lose it, I swear I’ll just go out and lose it, if Princess and Nyave aren’t safe and sound.
… what, no, the creep can get lost.
People need to cut zaid a break, he was an awkward teen. People can change a lot during this time, and I’m certain the past year and a half have changed him significantly.
Mark the face, leviathan
and lightbringer, or single band
injected, crusty facial span.
Cold flame reaches out to dirt
Creates flesh, but forgets shirt
Delayed respiration hurts
Sinister Gog is kinda freaky.
This seems troublesome.
As our own planets finest Proto-Demiurge would say: “Yes! YES!”
Been waiting for it to be Straight-Up-Gog-Time since she broke out the angry eyes during the Concordance way back chapter start.
These friggin Demiurges man: you all have summer homes in the literal ruin of Heaven, read your own liturgic myths! Greatest of the Disciples of YISUN was Aesma: by virtue of being too tactless, too lazy, too simple, and too deranged to play by any rules except her own choosing.
And yet, Solomon, you are presently ignoring and neglecting the threat posed by the All Devouring Worm because she is Tactless, and Lazy, and Simple, and Deranged.
I doubt Solomon trusts her, he just knows to keep your gods close and your gogs closer.
While I am likewise certain our boy Solomon doesn’t *trust* Gog…
He certainly seems more careless with her close presence and abilities than he would be for say Incubus or Mottom.
Insert the giant flaming red catchphrase of Juggernaut Star thusly.
He n thums has somewhats un detente – efter fightin cos Salami banned Goggy fae entrin the tourney fer eatin or becomin the contestants. Salami wrought thums havoc, buts ne’er could exterminate em all, an she persumably wrought havoc on his belovedsome empire an its poplace, by survivin by consumin.
I still can’t help but read Gog in Spinel’s voice.
*wanders off humming Other Friends again*
Well, her voice used to be all goggy and agoggy… she sounds clearer now. More… rotund.
It’s sorta intimidating.
“That’s right We told the story over and over again. Gee, your meat will finally swell with my other friends.”
inb4 dave hears goggy being all cynical cause she left the mic on and pulverizes them
Also, wow, dick move. He hasn’t punched you once, GA.
… on camera.
… yet.
Every time this comic updates I get so happy like you wouldn’t believe.
I love it.
Ditto
Can we take a second from being agog over Gog-agog and appreciate the Looney Tunes fistfight behind Solomon?
If this follows established laws of comedy, we should soon see Vigilant Gaze standing up again and holding the entire pile of Praetorians above his head.
Also, not entirely a fist-fight. Some of the guards are getting stabby with their swords.
It happened at last. I’m definetely having Gog-Agogical intoxication x_X
LOVE the Poe reference.
Wait impatiently for further developments.
Love Cio’s expression right before getting mobbed. What is she thinking, I wonder? About the oncoming soldiers? The fact Solomon got punched in his stupid face? Or is she perhaps looking at White Chain and thinking “Oh no, she’s hot!”
100 Percentages of Certainty Assures Others Cio is Aroused, Yet Confused
“Does this mean I’ll get //punished// for being naughty, or PUNISHED for being naughty?”
I bet about now he’s regretting the wording of his last rule proclamation, for the one-against-all where he just said “you may strike at the emperor”. That’s what the audience remembers. . .at least I do after rereading the comic the other day.
And now she stands before us. Coming into the world as all those born do, naked and exhausted. It also seems that, for the first time in a long time, the Tyrant is unsure of his path forward. Now, a King must make a decision.
Happy Birthday, White Chain. One hell of a party is likely to ensue either way!
“It is an immutable law of the universe that whatsoever you wish for, having attained that thing, you will have lost all you had along the way.”
– Machinations 62:3
Y’know what i’d like to take a moment an appreciate. When Alison busted in there making demands of Solomon, his troops did NOT just stand there gawking while they spoke, but instead they instantly dog piled on her and her whole group. Good soldier’s don’t let someone punch out a guard and make demands of their king just because she’s the protagonist. Points for competency.
If you’re not competent in Dave’s world he just does it himself while throwing godly shade at you. After that you are an insignificant particle unworthy of oxygen.
The real question here: How much role in the existence and perpetuation of the Ring of Power does Gog Agog really have? How much did the conqueror worm do quietly steer things so that powerful warriors would continue to try their luck here, again and again, until finally one was strong enough?
Bold talk from someone who got their face punched through the back of their head, Gog-Agog
One brain cell per Gog-Agog
Do gods bleed master?
No.
What if one does?
Then it’s not a god only a man.
If my God should fail me, I will kill him too.
*nopes right tf outta there*
White Chain just discovered the power of The Tiddy.
Oh, I hope David’s temper doesn’t flare now at the perceived slight and he takes it out on White Chain. She’s currently far too confused to defend herself.
Kindly reminder to the bloodthirsty members of this comment section that Solomon looking for an heir in the Ring of Power is NOT common knowledge outside of his inner circle. The masses of Rayuba know only two things: That whoever makes the emperor shed a drop of blood gets granted “His hearts desire” and that that has never happened.
They aren’t cheering because he’s been publicly dethroned you guys… not that that undermines Gog’s psychological warfare though
Beg to differ. Gog Agog knows that the tournament prize is the succession. (GA to Allison way back in this book: “How would you like … an empire?”) GA is the media and a significant fraction of the imperial population. If she knows then everybody knows.
I would beg to differ with the Gog multiplicity argument. She knows because she is a demiurge with her…claws? tentacles? mittens? everywhere, but I take issue with the interpretation that just because she knows “everybody knows”
If she wanted to, everyone WOULD know, yes. But we don’t know if that has happened yet, especially because we don’t know how strongly Solomon would react to such a thing and she is going out of her way to not confront him directly.
So it sounds like the “correct” move on sollomon’s part is to loudly declare that not only has White chain won “it’s” heart’s desire, but that HE has already granted the desire, resulting in the gasping naked woman on the arena.
That would be… slimy, but it sounds like a good PR strategy actually.
…I seriously hope he doesn’t, because it also means making sure she doesn’t speak her mind.
I think it is strongly assumed by both Solomon and his subjects that “heart’s desire” likely means his rule. Solomon in particular is probably incapable of imagining someone not making that choice given the chance and he has definitely framed the competition that way with consolation prizes being various positions of power and stewardships.
And I’m not saying that the crowd is out for his blood (literally or metaphorically), not yet at least, but again he has sold this tournament as not just bloodsport but the most noble of endeavours, he implied if not stated outright that someone who can give him a run for his money would be worthy of respect of the god-emperor himself and all his subjects. They are not cheering for someone who can bring him down because they want to see him fall (again, not yet at least), they are cheering because whether he wants it or not he gave them a champion.
A god punched in the face: not a god.
A ruler that can be punched in the face and recover with dignity and the public good intact: grandeur. resilience. Eternal benefit.
Solomon David may yet see here a chance to facet the diamond anew. The shine is not diminished–yet.
Surebaet Noodles–it’s a “sure bet” you’ll love your bowl!
Вот это поворот! Я конечно понимал что она изменится после этой битвы, но чтоб на столько сильно. Браво Браво!
Hey uh. Gogs font suddenly became very… Lucid and strong.
This is about to go bad I think.
Yes, their attitude is definitely something we have not seen before. And it’s terrifying, as clowns tend to be these days. All hail the New Gog!