Latest Page Discussions/Comic Update Chitchat

[JoB]

Still wondering about hypothetical mages that could be on the Icelandic rescue boat and their capacity to reach those on the expedition, though.

The unknown factor there is how much of a preestablished link needs to be between the mages for them to find each other in the dreamscape. Lalli saw Reynir at a distance, but Reynir didn't see him until after they had made real-world contact. Next thing, Reynir "visited" Lalli in his haven, got treedirected - and chanced on Onnis haven, which he recognized from Tuuris family photo, effectively skipping over all the mages that must've been between Amager and Keuruu. (Yes, yes, officially no mages in post-Rash Denmark and Sweden, but there's still a bit of Finland on the trajectory and if Onni can show up in Mora unannounced, don't tell me that established travel itineraries to and from Finland will not be used by the occasional noita.)

[Grade E cat]

The unknown factor there is how much of a preestablished link needs to be between the mages for them to find each other in the dreamscape. Lalli saw Reynir at a distance, but Reynir didn't see him until after they had made real-world contact. Next thing, Reynir "visited" Lalli in his haven, got treedirected - and chanced on Onnis haven, which he recognized from Tuuris family photo, effectively skipping over all the mages that must've been between Amager and Keuruu. (Yes, yes, officially no mages in post-Rash Denmark and Sweden, but there's still a bit of Finland on the trajectory and if Onni can show up in Mora unannounced, don't tell me that established travel itineraries to and from Finland will not be used by the occasional noita.)

Interesting. Never considered the pre-established link part. I understood Reynir not seeing Lalli being due to Lalli getting dragged underwater by the time Reynir realized someone was calling him. I also had the impression that Onni had at least left Finland by the time Reynir ran into him (we have no idea how long he had been in Sweden by the time the quartet found him,  and that was only two days after Reynir ran into him). Never wondered about the lack of other Finnish mages on the way. Now, if a pre-established link is needed, there is always my objectively-dodgy-but-great-for-fanfics headcanon that one of Reynir's sisters is a mage.

[Purple Wyrm]

From what I understand (via http://www.sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=87), most Icelandic seiður operate more in the realms of prophetic dreaming and casting of spells via runes, and may not have grasped the concept that any strangers they see may be other mages, let alone manipulate the phenomenon as a method of regular communication.

That said, Onni did comment that Icelandic mages blundering into people's havens is "something they just do". Whether the seiður in question realise the people yelling at them are Finnish mages as opposed to particularly obtuse visions is another matter entirely

[midwestmutt]

I agree with JoB. In the sagas, the loss of Fylgja is usually a far more serious affair, distressing to both parties. It happens in rare instances where the behaviour of the human has so disgusted their fylga that she abandons them. Those people, when they die, can become the Icelandic style of evil ghost, quite material, capable of killing humans and other things, and very willing to do so. The kind that turns up in the Sagas, and in the rune list there is one to be used 'When troublesome ghosts/ ride the rafters aloft/ I can make it so that they wander astray'.

But usually the Luck doesn't leave a human until death.

I also think his disappearance was more a dramatic exit than a sinister development. He had delivered his message so it was time for the vision to end.

[Anna]

That said, Onni did comment that Icelandic mages blundering into people's havens is "something they just do". Whether the seiður in question realise the people yelling at them are Finnish mages as opposed to particularly obtuse visions is another matter entirely

*imagines future!Reynír bawling out a more experienced colleague for charging through a noita's haven…only to find that they had no idea what they were doing*

[JoB]

Whether the seiður in question realise the people yelling at them are Finnish mages as opposed to particularly obtuse visions is another matter entirely

Seiðkona [barging into Nordic Council meeting]: "I had a vision that we're going to discover a tribe of survivors, if amazingly rude and on the brink of losing their sanity, somewhere East of Sweden! We need to send an expedition at once to get them out of that barren place!"
Finnish representative: [gets ready to strangle her]

[Quirkwood]

Hi, ehm, is it all right if I slightly change the subject?

I'd just like to check if anybody else is quietly freaking out in an imaginary corner about the one week break and wondering what horrible, marvellous, still HORRIBLE things Minna might be drawing right now?! I mean, what kind of huge, man-eating thing would require something like 9 pages in a row just to wreak havoc? Or am I being a pessimist here? Maybe it's just 9 pages of a raging surprise party in the town (wait, that sounds just as scary)?

Do you think that, whatever it is, it's gonna take place during Emil's and Lalli's shopping trip?

Spoiler: show

I am laughing because I had accidentally typed "shipping trip"

Or is Reynir going to have some more of his weird magical journeys?

Sorry for the bursting into the thread, I'm merely looking for a way to hold on until next week @__@

[Lazy8]

Hi, ehm, is it all right if I slightly change the subject?

I'd just like to check if anybody else is quietly freaking out in an imaginary corner about the one week break and wondering what horrible, marvellous, still HORRIBLE things Minna might be drawing right now?! I mean, what kind of huge, man-eating thing would require something like 9 pages in a row just to wreak havoc? Or am I being a pessimist here? Maybe it's just 9 pages of a raging surprise party in the town (wait, that sounds just as scary)?

Do you think that, whatever it is, it's gonna take place during Emil's and Lalli's shopping trip?

Spoiler: show

I am laughing because I had accidentally typed "shipping trip"

Or is Reynir going to have some more of his weird magical journeys?

Sorry for the bursting into the thread, I'm merely looking for a way to hold on until next week @__@

Nope, I've also totally been freaking out in my own little corner. Things that have occurred to me:

• Tuuri's infection
• Sigrun's arm (nope, still haven't forgotten the infamous Amputation Discussion)
• Sleipnope
• "It"
• Any number of other things that could happen now that they've lost their shelter and their runic protection and one experienced mage is in a coma and the other is asleep on his feet and their leader is sick and the person who's taken charge instead might not actually know what he's doing...

Yeah. I've been panicking.

[Róisín]

I think we've all been panicking. At least for me, this being the busiest time of my working year, I haven't much free time in which to panic! I guess we could always distract ourselves with making art, fanfic, cosplay or just conversation. Ironically, I won't have a chance to actually see the first new page next week, at least not until very late in the evening, since that is the day I have a garden club visiting my garden, and I'm still clearing up storm damage.

[Quirkwood]

Exactly. I mean, from the overall style of the comic I'd rather exclude that things like amputation and main character death could actually happen, but there's not much more to really discard the possibility.
I guess the question about Tuuri now is: IS she infected? If she's not, great. If she is, how is she going to be cured (because I'm in denial and refuse to consider the idea she can't)? I wouldn't rely on Mikkel, he seems like a pretty lame simple doctor. Also, any kind of Onni intervention, regarding Tuuri or otherwise, is unlikely. He acted as a deus ex machina a bit too much, that's why he's knocked out and I think he's gonna stay that way.

Another question is: what the hell is Reynir doing right now?! Is he having a major freakout somewhere in the tank? Or is he bursting into everybody's dreams through the whole Scandinavia, just kicking doors open and screaming?

Oh, and Sleipnope. Sleipnope would certainly be a good enough reason to draw 9 consecutive pages of absolute panic.

I think we've all been panicking. At least for me, this being the busiest time of my working year, I haven't much free time in which to panic! I guess we could always distract ourselves with making art, fanfic, cosplay or just conversation. Ironically, I won't have a chance to actually see the first new page next week, at least not until very late in the evening, since that is the day I have a garden club visiting my garden, and I'm still clearing up storm damage.

Well, at least a garden club seems like a relaxed thing which can keep you sane during the day...

[JoB]

that is the day I have a garden club visiting my garden

Yie. Good luck keeping your garden unclubbed ...

I guess the question about Tuuri now is: IS she infected?

Having the progression of Tuuris infection mirrored in how Kitty reacts to her presence would be a very good reason to work on the pages depicting it en bloc. Since Kitty cannot speak, it would all need to be mirrored in body stance, which is something that might necessitate revising the pages to death ... just sayin'.

Another question is: what the hell is Reynir doing right now?! Is he having a major freakout somewhere in the tank? Or is he bursting into everybody's dreams through the whole Scandinavia, just kicking doors open and screaming?

That would be, well, panicking. With no hope to improve anything with it. No other mage has experience with murderghosts (yet), no Danes (who might know about A) who are mages, etc..

[Purple Wyrm]

I guess the question about Tuuri now is: IS she infected? If she's not, great. If she is, how is she going to be cured (because I'm in denial and refuse to consider the idea she can't)?

My theory (which I've brought up before) is a combination of the old vaccine (kills the disease but casts the soul out of the body) and Finnish magery (guiding the soul back into the body long before it can become an insane murder ghost) would work.

Having the progression of Tuuris infection mirrored in how Kitty reacts to her presence would be a very good reason to work on the pages depicting it en bloc.

No no no no no no no no no!

(Obligatory no no kitty)

[MR_PLINKETT]

My theory (which I've brought up before) is a combination of the old vaccine (kills the disease but casts the soul out of the body) and Finnish magery (guiding the soul back into the body long before it can become an insane murder ghost) would work.

No no no no no no no no no!

(Obligatory no no kitty)

Probably a bit of a mixture of Finnish and Norse magic in reality, but likely Norse as well because Norse has a bit more to do with medicine than Finnish. Mikkel mentioned a spiritual healer during the hospital getaway. http://www.sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=616

The Disease pretty much corrupts T H E S O U L as well.The rash destroys your humanity, thats why they get confused and family members can't reach them anymore. Because they lose the essence of who they are.

Sounds like Dark Souls.

[Kitty_katie]

Probably a bit of a mixture of Finnish and Norse magic in reality, but likely Norse as well because Norse has a bit more to do with medicine than Finnish. Mikkel mentioned a spiritual healer during the hospital getaway. http://www.sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=616

The Disease pretty much corrupts T H E S O U L as well.The rash destroys your humanity, thats why they get confused and family members can't reach them anymore. Because they lose the essence of who they are.

Sounds like Dark Souls.

I have a fic along similar lines. Now I just need to post it before we're proven wrong. curse my desire to finish another fic before posting it

[wavewright62]

Minna plays with time regularly, from the one extreme of 90 years passing between two pages to the several (6-7) chapters it took to depict events spanning less than a week.
I reserve judgement on what she has cooking for us in that amazing cauldron of hers for this page dump.