Level 10: #6
Chapter: Comic, Level 10 — Speakeasies & Sea Monsters
Rusty & Co.
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I like Stabs’ new outfit, but I don’t think she appreciates it.
Depends on how many knifes she can hide in it.
Knowing Stabs, it’s way too much for anyone else, not enough for her.
I bet she has a sweet pair of stilettos, though.
A halfling in shoes! On the other hand, that would explain how much taller she looks. And, yea, heels to kill with, probably has its own appeal.
They’re shoes… but sharp. But shoes… but sharp.
Steel “boning” in the corset and petticoats. She probably has more blades concealed than wearing pants.
Oh my. Stabs cleans up real nice.
well, genre obliges, she’s a dame now. Probably also has a voice so husky it can pull a sled all the way to the North Pole.
If she were animated that way, I’d be in love. Unfortunately I already have a mental voice for her and it’s pretty grating.
Right? I was expecting pinstripes, but this is a pleasant surprise.
Still alive? That’s great.
I’m sure some of those details will matter, but with Mimic not paying attention, now we don’t know either!
“Thank you for helping me l[ook] … father … wander …
I know he used to fight a lot of monsters … to talk to other monsters.
I really think you’ll be able to help … [pl]ace his … the … where they last saw him.”
It sounds like she wants help finding her father.
Also, Mimic last shaved two or three days ago.
I guess the stubble was there since 10-1, but I only noticed it now.
The real question is, how does he guide the razor without fingers….
Noir detective sport stubble without shaving. The genre just gave him it.
Or maybe he can just grow stubble whenever he feels like it. He *is* a mimic after all.
A dwarf, looking for her missing father? Who may have talked to monsters? Uh oh. http://rustyandco.com/comic/40/
Luckily, he got better again.
http://rustyandco.com/comic/level-4-19/
I guess Rue Lily and her friend like the Hook more than they let on.
And is Robespierre on the right? I bet he’d be cranky, being forced to wear a suit. Too bad we probably won’t get to see Roxy as a lounge singer though, considering she’s filling in for the Princess. Or maybe the bar is exactly the place she would be, considering that she’s filling in for the Princess.
No Slobber at the door, though. I hope the big goof is alright, considering that the last time we saw him, he had just painted Dorilys blue.
It’s Noir. You don’t go to place you like, you go to places you can afford.
True, being a snob doesn’t necessarily mean she can afford better. I shouldn’t be overanalyzing the set dressing anyway, it’s all just for fun.
That hover-over text talking about “Anti-M”
Now I’m getting Wizard of Oz vibes.
Anti-M = Aunti-Em?
So the question is, is this something Mimic’s dreaming up in his own head, or is this real? Is something affecting reality?
Or is it just a silly conceit to frame the story, and I’m overthinking it? It could honestly be any of those, heh.
The Belt of Genre Changing — the item Mimic is searching for — is indeed affecting reality. That’s why Rusty stated a few strips back that he knows someone has gotten to the Belt before he did: the genre has changed to Noir.
If you want to see the Belt in action (and just read a generally fun chapter!) then check the Archive and read chapter 2: Another Notch in the Belt.
Correction: Mimic, not Rusty, stated that someone had beat him to the Belt.
Ah, I’ve been reading since the beginning, but my memory is horrible. Thanks for the reminder! That does answer that.
I’m still wondering who we know of that would pick noir as a genre…
The blackguard might think it could get him some respect but I doubt he really has it in him.
Malevolous is a fantasy wizard.
Grinner… probably not…
the Tenticallis would fit, I just noticed they aren’t on the cast page anywhere.
Until we see evidence otherwise, I’m going to assume it’s a new villain we haven’t seen before, just like Myrmarch Antropas.
It won’t be the Tenticallis, they aren’t coming back for the same reason that YT is now a Lamia.
But could he rework them into being legally distinct like he did for YT? Because Speakeasies & Sea Monsters suits them perfectly.
I suppose they could maybe rebrand themseles as some sort of non-brain eating sea monster. But on the other hand, it’s part of the settlement of the lawsuit that the tentaclis don’t reappear and it’s dangerous to poke into the letter of legal matters even if you’re making an effort to stick to the spirit of it. Then again, mike might’ve asked someone for permission.
It also just occured to me that plaidbeard & crew would have a kind of relation to sea monsters on account of being pirates.
Storywise it doesn’t make much sense for the Tentacallis to never appear again. They’re the entire reason Grinner and the Circus Minimus were hired to go after the heroes in the first place. They’re not just going to let that grudge go, and it’s going to be weird having Grinner show up again in a way that acknowledges his history but not theirs.
It’s annoying when stupid legal chest-beating gets in the way of telling a good story. It’s simple bullying, using force to ruin other people’s work without doing anything worthwhile of your own.
As for other sea monsters that might show up, my personal guess was the puppet-show kraken.
Ah, okay. I don’t know exactly what the terms of the settlement are, that all happened before I started reading the comic.
Grinner actually did show up already during circus minimus. It seems the devils or whatever it is that the viscount is working with is taking the place as his employers. He even said somewhere towards the end that he had ‘friends in low places’.
It hasn’t explicitly been said, IIRC, that the tentaclis can’t reappear, but the page with information about the legal settlement says that certain characters can’t reappear in new comics, and it would stand to reason that that includes the tentaclis given that the wizards of the coast are known to be protective of their mind flayers.
I seem to have missed that detail, or possibly the ridiculousness of a massive corporation needlessly targeting a harmless fan simply melted my brain. Seriously H@$ br0 needs to…
Nope, sorry, I’m not going to start that again. The matter is settled… in court… still bugs me…
Anyway I read this comic because it is incredibly fun and funny.
If it *is* a recurring villain and not a new one, methinks that noir would be quite in-character for the Viscount. After all, one of the central conceits of the genre is that you can’t trust anybody.
I’m loving the aesthetic shown in this genre. Is there any way we could get a noir wallpaper of the cast?
Mimic must be pretty hardboiled if he comes to a joint where they stab common, unassuming pieces of furniture (like barrels in panel 4). OTOH probably he IS the reason why they get stabbed in the first place…
I’m surprised nobody else has commented on the “druid magic is emotion-based” statement. It’s an interpretation of the class that I’ve never come across before.
Yeah, I associate “emotion-based” more with Charisma-based rather than Wisdom-based casters. I suppose it’s pretty unlikely that she’s one of these.
It makes more sense if you ignore the exact mechanics and focus more on the “animal” aspect. Animals generally don’t have very complex thoughts and so operate mostly on emotions and instinct (this is, for example, why green and red are considered to be “allied” colors in Magic: the Gathering).
Granted, I think the exact distinctions between the different mental stats are too fuzzy for my liking, so this might be coming down to an interpretation difference. But, an argument could be made that, if Druidic powers are emotionally based, that’s why they need a high Wisdom. Part of wisdom in real life is knowing when it’s okay to act on your emotions, and when it’s not.
Hobbit lady slings the booze.
(Ala Spider Robinson)
Wrong Genre, but still “Aren’t you a little tall for a Halfling?”
Stabs looks almost twiceling size here, dunno maybe she’s standing on a box?
Well, it’s hard to be a bartender when you can’t see over the bar.