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Post by Aris Katsaris on Oct 3, 2009 0:20:56 GMT
I think that the Court could be in for a lot of trouble if those six are actually dead - at the least, Marcia could get sacked for negligence. There might even be uneasy discussions about whether Gunnerkrigg is such a safe place to be schooling children (though unless Tom's planning on ending the webcomic earlier than we expected, I doubt that the school will be closed down). I think I imagine the Gunnerkrigg court to be under much less control from outsider humans than you imagine it to be. There's been the implication that the Gunnerkrigg founders left the rest of humanity behind them. To bring up a Harry Potter analogy, Gunnerkrigg to the UK seems to me less like Hogwarts in relation to the Ministry of Magic, and more like the whole of the wizarding community in relation to the Muggles. As such I doubt that any outsider human would be able to make trouble for the Court.
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blue
Junior Member
Posts: 69
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Post by blue on Oct 3, 2009 0:33:23 GMT
With that haircut the tree just looks like it's trying to make friends.
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Post by sandjosieph on Oct 3, 2009 1:57:43 GMT
I'm liking Kat's hair-do. Too bad the tree is going to mess it up.
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Post by TBeholder on Oct 3, 2009 10:12:04 GMT
Plus, Magic Hairband has returned to its original hue. Thus the Magic Washing defeats Grass-o-technology! Which still is better than Something Positive variant. Jeez, why does Tom change Eglamore's look all the time? If he didn't tell us in the comments, surely I wouldn't be able to recognize that this tree-looking guy is our PE teacher / Dragon Slayer. Really, Tom, how can we see it's still Mr. Eglamore if you keep changing his eyes color like that?! (BTW, this one is cool) Here's a terrifying thought: What if the "problems" Tom predicted people to be having with this chapter were referring to the emotional response to the death of a main character? Maybe he counted on us reminding each other of this prediction and taking this possibility more seriously (whether it will happen or not). After all, one can never say with Tom. It kinda figures: During decontamination they managed to sever the connection between the plant-creatures and the forest, only with the result that now no one is controlling them anymore and they run rampant with a free will of their own. The Court, having a bit of a blind eye for all things etherical, isn't aware of it. As far as i understand, the glowing sword trick and decontamination are supposed to work because trees are but puppets without any will at all, free or not. But if a tree is out of Ysengrin's reach now, it doesn't mean someone else can't put a hand in an empty glove to play little mischief. For all we know, it can be anyone. A ghost. Or Jack involuntarily does it in nightmares, though it's unlikely. I just hope it's not Paz. She's so cute and innocent. If something happens to Paz that kills her, no more troubles can happen to her. Ergo, she survives. ;D
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Post by todd on Oct 3, 2009 10:34:15 GMT
What if it was Annie's use of the Blinker Stone that awakened the tree? The disappearances began after she first used it to provide a campfire; perhaps the Stone's fire, being etheric, had some side effects that reversed the decontamination. (And it being fire - even if a magical fire that couldn't be detected as a heat source - wouldn't make things any better from a tree's perspective.)
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Post by Rasselas on Oct 3, 2009 13:08:37 GMT
I just hope it's not Paz. She's so cute and innocent. If something happens to Paz that kills her, no more troubles can happen to her. Ergo, she survives. ;D Oh no I mean, yes. No. Yes. ...poor Paz! Todd, that would work only if the "ghost" that Eglamore and Marcia mentioned is a prank, otherwise the effects wouldn't have been there before Annie even set foot in the forest.
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Post by adonis on Oct 3, 2009 14:16:30 GMT
I'm not really scared for Kat or the others. I just don't want another occassion to say "She died and we did nothing."
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Post by judgedeadd on Oct 3, 2009 15:52:34 GMT
My theory is: the "ghost" is a prank by Eglamore and the other teachers, but the "living tree" is something else altogether, something that the teachers did not plan.
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Post by todd on Oct 3, 2009 22:15:11 GMT
I hardly think that the Court would be holding the Recreational so close to those trees if they knew just how dangerous they were.
Maybe the ghost will show up, but turn out to be an ally rather than an enemy, with the trees having nothing to do with him.
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Post by wynne on Oct 3, 2009 22:16:15 GMT
Now Kat, you just know that's going to end badly. This just made my day. It needs to be repeated. ;D
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Post by Ulysses on Oct 3, 2009 22:59:03 GMT
I had to look up the quote, I couldn't remember it exactly. I was surprised no one had done it before though. Everyone's coming up with great ideas for the tree/ghost. Personally my money's on the tree being used by the 'ghost' (whatever the ghost actually is) in the same way that the Bound Dogs are used by Shadow Men. I fully expect Tom to come up with something that blows all our minds though, and we'll all be left open-mouthed going "Why didn't I think of that?!" Also: Is it the same tree Janet shot? Both have three main branches which form vaguely the same shape. It's possible. If they are the same tree, is this coincidence, or tree-vengeance? Was this why Marcia was so angry at this tree being damaged? Edit: Just noticed, the archery tree has no rock in front of it, so unless the kids moved the rock there so Kat had something to sit on, it's not the same tree. Another though - maybe when Kat first sat there it was just a rock. Between pages the tree crept up behind her silently. In that first panel there, Kat has no idea the tree is behind her
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Post by Mezzaphor on Oct 3, 2009 23:13:05 GMT
Both trees have three main branches, but the tree Janet shot did not have a big rock nearby.
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mike
Junior Member
"Fighting evil improves the children's moral character."
Posts: 58
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Post by mike on Oct 4, 2009 4:21:33 GMT
The rock does look like the one Jack was sitting on when he had the blinker stone. Not to say that Jack has anything to do with Ribtree, but... hmmm...
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Post by hal9000 on Oct 4, 2009 5:31:25 GMT
The rock does look like the one Jack was sitting on when he had the blinker stone. Not to say that Jack has anything to do with Ribtree, but... hmmm... That's pretty interesting, in that if it is the same rock, the tree doesn't show up in etherspace like you would expect it to. I'm not sure what to make of that.
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Post by fuzzyone on Oct 4, 2009 6:54:55 GMT
It may, or it may not. Now, I am jumping SEVERELY into the realm of Wild Spec here, but I'm looking over the 'Blinking' chapter to support my hypotheses.
Our previous experiences with Etherspace leave me with an Impression... Annie was looking for her blinker stone... so that's what she saw. My impression is that Sight works kinda backwards in Etherspace. Instead of being presented with a big picture and then having to focus in on something small, as normal sight and perception work, Annie didn't see the colors of the wood, until she was directed to look around. In normal circumstances, something like a fireworks display would be more noticeable than a little shiny rock at your feet. However, Currently, Annie's first step to seeing into Etherspace is her Blinker stone. She Starts with that, then works her way out. When she located Jack with her stone, she probably stopped there, rather than pausing to look around the forest to see where he was. I don't think she Automatically sees to her maximum range when she looks through her Blinker Stone. It's not how it's normally presented. It shows her what she focuses on. She focuses on the stone, so it shows her the stone. She wants to see where it is, so she sees a little more. When Anja asked her how far she could see, that was where Annie's focus went, so, her vision extended as far as it could.
Just my thoughts on it.
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Post by judgedeadd on Oct 4, 2009 7:00:18 GMT
Okay, my stupid theory:
The trees were once controlled by Ysengrin, but now have been decontaminated. However, there is still some magical potential within them - "free etheric slots", if you will. Jack's etheric disease/parasite has (deliberately?) infected them and turned them into evil trees!
EDIT: Or maybe the tree is possessed by a shadow man? Did anyone suggest this already?
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jon77
Full Member
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Post by jon77 on Oct 4, 2009 9:28:57 GMT
Now Kat, you just know that's going to end badly. This just made my day. It needs to be repeated. ;D Let me repeat it. This is brilliant.
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Post by Uglyhead on Oct 4, 2009 13:15:35 GMT
The comic's dipped into some fairly dark places before, so I'd guess it's a possibility that these kidnappings are fatal, but I wouldn't think it likely.
The tree-creature is also of a humanoid form, not Ysengrin's preferred canine type. Perhaps that's a clue.
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Post by bisected8 on Oct 4, 2009 14:53:22 GMT
The comic's dipped into some fairly dark places before, so I'd guess it's a possibility that these kidnappings are fatal, but I wouldn't think it likely. The tree-creature is also of a humanoid form, not Ysengrin's preferred canine type. Perhaps that's a clue. He doesn't seem to think humanoid form's too good for himself though...
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Post by TBeholder on Oct 4, 2009 14:58:37 GMT
Is it the same tree Janet shot? Both have three main branches which form vaguely the same shape. It's possible. If they are the same tree, is this coincidence, or tree-vengeance? IMO it should be so, given the origin: Ysengrin doesn't look like a guy who will show extra creativity and artistic embellishment when it's not required. If so, he'd make new form if he's up to something really new, otherwise there's more or less typical shrub-dog, typical tree-paw, etc.
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Post by Ulysses on Oct 4, 2009 19:12:10 GMT
Both trees have three main branches, but the tree Janet shot did not have a big rock nearby. That's pretty interesting, in that if it is the same rock, the tree doesn't show up in etherspace like you would expect it to. I'm not sure what to make of that. | | | V Another thought - maybe when Kat first sat there it was just a rock. Between pages the tree crept up behind her silently. In that first panel there, Kat has no idea the tree is behind her ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interesting idea that Kat's rock is the same rock Jack was on, but personally I think a rock is a rock is a rock. There are lots of rocks around. Still, you never know...
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Alex
Full Member
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Post by Alex on Oct 4, 2009 21:59:44 GMT
Yeah, the rock looks similar, but that could just be a "Tom usually draws rocks the same way" thing.
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Post by Tierra Y Libertad on Oct 4, 2009 22:15:57 GMT
I would like to add my voice to the chorus of
ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT ENT !!
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Post by todd on Oct 4, 2009 23:52:00 GMT
Speaking of both Birnam Wood and Ents (I'll admit that this is slightly off-topic), I've long thought it appropriate that John Rhys-Davies (who did the voice of Treebeard in the "Lord of the Rings" movies) also did the voice of Macbeth in the animated series "Gargoyles". (Though the Macbeth of "Gargoyles" wasn't that much like his Shakespearean counterpart - for one thing, he was portrayed as the hero and Duncan as a suspicious, treacherous tyrant rather than a saintly old man - and Macbeth even defeats and slays Duncan in battle rather than murdering him in his sleep!)
But I think that Birnam Wood and the Ents go together well, especially since Tolkien once said that the Ents marching on Isengard was his idea of how the Birnam Wood scene *should* have gone.
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Post by King Mir on Oct 5, 2009 4:31:16 GMT
I wonder if Annie is smart enough to be watching Kat though the blinker stone right now.
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Post by zingbat on Oct 5, 2009 5:02:13 GMT
Oh man I can't waaaaait for tomorrow
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Post by Ulysses on Oct 5, 2009 17:21:16 GMT
and Macbeth even defeats and slays Duncan in battle rather than murdering him in his sleep!) That's how it happened in real life. Macbeth wasn't quite the b_____d Shakespeare makes him out to be, and he was only about 5 years younger than Duncan. (I have a book)
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Post by wynne on Oct 5, 2009 20:36:54 GMT
Ah, well, Shakespeare just wanted to suck up to King James.
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Post by todd on Oct 5, 2009 22:33:31 GMT
Yep, the makers of the "Gargoyles" series were drawing on the historical Macbeth. (They brought in the three Witches, but handled their role a bit differently; the Witches appear to Duncan and Macbeth on the blasted heath and predict that Macbeth will someday be King of Scotland. Duncan, already paranoid about that - to such an extent that he'd even had Macbeth's father assassinated to deprive him (Macbeth) of his (Macbeth's father) influence - decides to dispose of Macbeth once and for all and goes to war with him.)
John Rhys-Davies, incidentally, initially thought that the writers were engaged in revisionism, until they explained to him that it was based on the real Macbeth, whereupon he changed his mind and became enthusiastic about the change.
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