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Post by Gulby on Mar 31, 2014 7:03:12 GMT
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Post by fuzzyone on Mar 31, 2014 7:04:32 GMT
Something tells me that Kat is seeing what we are seeing now. Good to get everyone on the same page.
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Post by freeformline on Mar 31, 2014 7:04:40 GMT
I'm a little confused about Ankou's words in the fifth panel. Also, Kat is scary when she's angry.
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Post by freeformline on Mar 31, 2014 7:05:15 GMT
Something tells me that Kat is seeing what we are seeing now. Good to get everyone on the same page. I'm inclined to think she sees Ankou, but not the rest of the fancy RotD scenery. |
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Post by fwip on Mar 31, 2014 7:05:48 GMT
I'm just wondering what Annie would be like if she did choose to work as a psychopomp.... Maybe she'd help those killed in fires, or something? Would she look different?
Also: is it just me, or is there a whole history of Annie being offered a job as a psychopomp that we;re not seeing?
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Post by Gulby on Mar 31, 2014 7:09:30 GMT
I think there is indeed a history of Annie being offered to be a psychopomp, since the first kid in Good Hope. Maybe a child psychopomp is less impressive, too ?... Not only for the fire elemental part but because she's young and, you know, classic. Not fancy clothes, extern skeleton, fumes and other stuff coming with her...  And I agree, I think Kat is only seing Ankou, not the ROTD, in the "right way". Because Ankou chose to show himself to Kat along with the others. And she took it for the robesguy, I guess. |
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Post by Lightice on Mar 31, 2014 7:12:15 GMT
I'm a little confused about Ankou's words in the fifth panel. I'm guessing that he's trying to say that she's looking good in a slightly archaic style. I still wonder how belonging to a psychopomp's customer base works; I'm almost certain that it's not a matter of religion. |
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Post by ebaaus on Mar 31, 2014 7:13:51 GMT
This also means that theres a giant grim reaper skeleton in that tiny rotd archive room...
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Post by smurfton on Mar 31, 2014 7:16:24 GMT
Are psychopomps necessarily immortal, ie, does becoming one change whether you can site of old age, even if only retroactively? Could become a way for Annie and Kat to stay together (at least at first) if the Kat is a god theory is right.
Just a thought.
EDIT: The little chapter picture thing is probably smoke, not rubble. \lurk
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Post by freeformline on Mar 31, 2014 7:26:24 GMT
Are psychopomps necessarily immortal, ie, does becoming one change whether you can site of old age, even if only retroactively? Could become a way for Annie and Kat to stay together (at least at first) if the Kat is a god theory is right. Just a thought. EDIT: The little chapter picture thing is probably smoke, not rubble. \lurk Oh, welcome to the forums! Or, at least, nice first post. It seems you've been around here before! I'd think etheric beings are only immortal as far as the imagination that created them says they are. Some psychopomps probably do not match that criteria, so Annie serving as one may not give her that particular trait. |
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Post by Angry Individual on Mar 31, 2014 7:31:34 GMT
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Post by fwip on Mar 31, 2014 7:44:37 GMT
Arguably, immortality is not invincibility. |
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Post by keef on Mar 31, 2014 8:06:21 GMT
Beautiful page. I'm a little confused about Ankou's words in the fifth panel. I'm guessing that he's trying to say that she's looking good in a slightly archaic style. According to Wiktionary a meaning of Vision is: A person or thing of extraordinary beauty. Probably it is more origin-based. |
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Post by Lightice on Mar 31, 2014 8:17:42 GMT
According to Wiktionary a meaning of Vision is: A person or thing of extraordinary beauty. Thanks! An archaic definition, indeed. I'm not sure if that works either. It would put Stone Age African psychopomps well ahead of all the others in hierarchy. I suspect it has something to do with how they live their life, or their specific etheric nature, or some such thing. But se do know that psychopomps can also disagree on who a client belongs to... |
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Post by imaginaryfriend on Mar 31, 2014 8:21:11 GMT
"A vision of loveliness" used to be a common expression in some genres of English literature. Nowadays it probably only appears in what I will generously label the modern incarnation of the "fifty-cent bodice-ripper." I assume Ankou is using a shortened version of that expression.
[edit] No wait it is still used ironically. Here is a funny yet unpleasant story about its use. About seven or eight years back my little sister (affectionately nicknamed "Pustule") flew in to town; she needed to buy more underwear and sleepwear for an extended stay and had lost touch with her female friends in the area so I had to drive her and for some reason go in with her and shop with her (barf). I tried getting thrown out of the store a few times but before I could really get something started she would intercept and defuse my plans. She selected a big armload of stuff and tried to check out but lost her credit card in her purse/handbag thing which was about four inches by three inches by two inches thick (how?). I suppose she didn't want to put the crap down on the counter and have the checkout girl start ringing stuff up in case she couldn't find any way to pay for it, but this choice led to an excess of fruitless fumbling. Soon there was a long line of people behind her. Her solution to this dilemma was to park her new nighties (yuck) and other stuff (spew) on top of her head so she could use both hands to look through her purse-thing. As she started shuffling her purchases to implement this plan I asked her if she wanted me to hold that crap but she said no. And sure enough, she stacked the whole lacy lot on top of her blond-frosted short 'do and tried to balance it there while gingerly searching for her credit card. The gathering crowd was now less irritated by the wait for the cashier and more amused by her delicate little dance, which inspired me to say, "You're a vision of loveliness, little sis, standing there in public with your underwear on your head." [/edit]
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Post by TBeholder on Mar 31, 2014 8:45:37 GMT
I'm inclined to think she sees Ankou, but not the rest of the fancy RotD scenery. Probably. After all, she evidently did see Ketrak the way he's supposed to be seen.  And in general, "Nope, no two opinions on this" would be their style. |
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Post by arf on Mar 31, 2014 9:47:18 GMT
Are psychopomps necessarily immortal, ie, does becoming one change whether you can site of old age, even if only retroactively? Could become a way for Annie and Kat to stay together (at least at first) if the Kat is a god theory is right. Just a thought. EDIT: The little chapter picture thing is probably smoke, not rubble. \lurk Welcome to the Realm Of The Forum (ROTF), Smurfton. re: psychopomp immortality. Apart from Death by Jeanning, we discovered that the role of young Ankou here is traditionally taken on by the last soul to die each year (presumably their first task is to move the previous Ankou on). He is associated with parishes in Breton, France. I have no idea why he came for young Mortimer (other than these being busy times). I suspect it's a bit random. After all, what's an Amerindian entity like Muut doing knocking around an English hospital? ... Oh, wait a minute. What other Amerindian entity do we know? I wonder if the causer of death has a bearing on which psychopomp turns up? |
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Post by zimmyzims on Mar 31, 2014 9:48:51 GMT
Oh darn... I was in New York just about a week or so ago, but not anymore.  |
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Post by GK Sierra on Mar 31, 2014 10:24:34 GMT
I'm not working for you. This one is pro bono.
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Post by Marnath on Mar 31, 2014 11:59:06 GMT
I'm just wondering what Annie would be like if she did choose to work as a psychopomp.... Maybe she'd help those killed in fires, or something? Would she look different? Also: is it just me, or is there a whole history of Annie being offered a job as a psychopomp that we;re not seeing? You mean aside from the first ten to twelve years of her life where she was training to replace her mother? |
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Post by keef on Mar 31, 2014 13:30:27 GMT
I'm not sure if that works either. It would put Stone Age African psychopomps well ahead of all the others in hierarchy. I suspect it has something to do with how they live their life, or their specific etheric nature, or some such thing. But se do know that psychopomps can also disagree on who a client belongs to... Wikipedia and this site seem to agree it's a cultural thing, my old Dutch encyclopaedia has no clue. Personally I hope and expect Death of Discworld. But I'm not in a hurry. her new nighties (yuck) and other stuff (spew) Is there some trauma here you want to talk about? Don't worry, you're among friends. |
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Post by aaroncampbell on Mar 31, 2014 13:48:18 GMT
re: psychopomp immortality. Apart from Death by Jeanning, we discovered that the role of young Ankou here is traditionally taken on by the last soul to die each year (presumably their first task is to move the previous Ankou on). He is associated with parishes in Breton, France. I have no idea why he came for young Mortimer (other than these being busy times). I suspect it's a bit random. After all, what's an Amerindian entity like Muut doing knocking around an English hospital? I think that today's page gives us enough information to say that our theories about the tradition of new-Ankou-every-year are probably not the case in the Gunnerverse. He seems to be the same Ankou who knew Annie as a child, and his antiquated style of speech matches that of Ankou when Mort died 70+ years ago. ... Oh, wait a minute. What other Amerindian entity do we know? I wonder if the causer of death has a bearing on which psychopomp turns up? Interesting theory! It clearly isn't the sole determinant (heh, sorry about the pun) because we've seen that parental preference is somewhat involve and disputes have happened. But also in that case, it looks like the individual gets a choice, not the psychopomps -- not only in who they go with but whether they even go. Still, it's quite possible that the cause/causer of death could have a bearing. Given the existence of the RoTD, I wouldn't be surprised if there were an entire court system to resolve such issues. I think with the case of the burned boy, Annie merely acted as an impartial outside arbiter before things escalated to the "legal" side. The idea is interesting though; even then she was acting as a medium of sorts (though between psychopomps rather than between Court and Forest). Also, if there were an etheric legal system, I wonder who the judges would be? The jury? Will we find out? |
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Post by warrl on Mar 31, 2014 13:49:00 GMT
Personally I hope and expect Death of Discworld. I think Susan would be a better choice. |
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Post by ctso74 on Mar 31, 2014 13:53:25 GMT
This also means that theres a giant grim reaper skeleton in that tiny rotd archive room... I was wondering about that, as well. Would it make him more scary or less? On one hand, it could be like finding yourself in a stairwell with a bear. On the other, it could be like seeing a troll sitting in a doctor's waiting room("Could ya hand me tha Highlight mag?") I suspect it's a bit random. After all, what's an Amerindian entity like Muut doing knocking around an English hospital? ... Oh, wait a minute. What other Amerindian entity do we know? I wonder if the causer of death has a bearing on which psychopomp turns up? Maybe, dying of thirst? Many of the less friendly spirits/deities, of the desert dwelling Cahuilla, were wind-oriented. That, or a terrible wind tunnel accident. Maybe, it's a little random and a little personal. What if they have an etheric resonance, altered by their lives and altering their lives? The psychopomps hit their tuning forks, and whoever makes you ring the most takes you. Otherwise, I'm imaging a devout Catholic dying, and seeing Ox-Head and Horse-Face to take them, "I... I don't... I don't know how to process this." |
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Post by crater on Mar 31, 2014 14:01:13 GMT
Ankou youu p-pervert!
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Post by imaginaryfriend on Mar 31, 2014 14:12:14 GMT
her new nighties (yuck) and other stuff (spew) Is there some trauma here you want to talk about? Don't worry, you're among friends. Only that she's adopted so I didn't have the chance to eat her in utero like I did my other potential siblings. By the way, she used to lurk this forum and may still do so. Hey, Doodlebug! |
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Post by Daedalus on Mar 31, 2014 14:31:55 GMT
In the last panel, Kat looks really terrified. I think that is because this is the psychopomp she 'believes' in (considering her regional heritage or whatever) and thus this the one which will eventually take her to the ether.
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Post by alpacalypse on Mar 31, 2014 15:18:37 GMT
All I can say about Kat's reaction is, lolololol.
But I mean if she is seeing him as he is, then who wouldn't get freaked out by a withered corpse twice your size holding a giant scythe. Especially after all the goofiness she has been seeing, I would find it quite a shock.
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Post by The Anarch on Mar 31, 2014 15:55:41 GMT
Stupid Ankou! I-it's not like I like you or anything! |
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chaosvii
Junior Member
I absolutely did not expect this!
Posts: 84 
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Post by chaosvii on Mar 31, 2014 16:01:38 GMT
Given the existence of the RoTD, I wouldn't be surprised if there were an entire court system to resolve such issues. I think with the case of the burned boy, Annie merely acted as an impartial outside arbiter before things escalated to the "legal" side. The idea is interesting though; even then she was acting as a medium of sorts (though between psychopomps rather than between Court and Forest). Also, if there were an etheric legal system, I wonder who the judges would be? The jury? Will we find out? Well the precedent of fiction regarding afterlife juries doesn't look promising. |
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And in general, "Nope, no two opinions on this" would be their style.
