…and now my plot sense is just going off that this “malicious undead” is probably somebody we’ve met before. Calamitus, but he’s not a creature. Grinner, but his death by lava seems kind of final. Oh heck, it’s probably Ezra isn’t it… (though she’s also not a “creature”) Maybe the Philosophical Zombie has returned? (That would make for a real weird but fun chapter)
Good reading into the title. That does sound like a correct reading of one of Mike’s puns. (Though I would assume an actual old elf ghost to be a friend to the good guys.)
@Mary, I don’t think the elven girl would fit with “old” very well.
I wouldn’t take Lily’s statement at face value. She may claim the undead creature to be malicious, but she also calls Roxie by a slur while asking for her help. She probably considers the Princess to be malicious for locking her up. I have a feeling this “malicious undead creature” will turn out to be more sympathetic, albeit still antagonistic until Roxie and co. have a chance to learn their story.
…What if Roxie and co. simply leave after getting the artifact from the creature? That would be discreet enough, and then Rue wouldn’t have to endure the hardship of talking to the one (mostly) nice elf we’ve seen this whole comic to boot.
Also, fascinating to learn the artifact’s name. I wonder if it can be used to power a Varial Suit?
Let’s see…a magic arm cannon equipped with Wands of Magic Missile, Fireball, Lightning Bolt, and Ice Storm…Boots of Jumping…Helmet of Improved Identify…Armor of Greater Heat Resistance…ah, and can’t forget the Orb of Electrified Spinning!
Or, alternatively, [elven word for centre-of-the-buttcheeks] we recover the artifact and vamoose home citing right of salvage, just because you’re so nice and pleasant.
Once again, oracles. Useful. They wouldn’t make it half back home if that was their plan. Asking other elves to recover the artifact that was stolen by a rogue elf isn’t nearly as embarrassing as admitting that an undead could infiltrate the palace.
Well, see that works only after they find out the wheres and whats… they don’t know where this ‘undead creature’ may be, so saying “Hey how’s about we just vamoose afters” won;t get them very far at this point. And I don;t think Roxy is the type to break her word once given.
From what I can tell, the elven word in the last panel is “[e/i]p[e/i]lna[o/u]rr” (probably “epilnaurr” or “ipilnaurr”), but I can’t find a translation for that word, in either Sindarin or Quenya (the Tengwar mode used is the one for Sindarin, but I tried both). Does anybody know what it means?
Pylinyarro, which is slang for ‘porcupine’, basically the Elvish equivalent of ‘coconut’ or ‘Twinkie’ in that it implies that they’re not ‘proper’ Elves.
See, you can actually say what it means, rather than just saying where to dig to in the archives.
Quenya generally uses tehtar for following vowels. The language that uses them for preceding vowels is Black Speech (the language the Ring inscription was written in).
Yeah, probably because Rue Lily and her pals are in trouble if she doesn’t get her McGuffin back — and she has proven incapable of retrieving it, and is too embarrassed to admit this to other elves.
She’s over a barrel, even if she won’t admit it in so many words.
The sad thing is that Roxie keeps being nice even after being called a slur by Rue at least twice and treated like dirt by basically every elf she’s met so far. You get the sense that she really would like to be friends with them, if they would give her a chance.
Roxy is a bard, and is being super stereotypically “bardy”, that is “makes friends/lovers out of enemies”.
I hate those bards (Roxy’s okay, she’s got a slightly different vibe), my bards are more the “punk-rockers” of the bard world, songs of destruction and rage style.
Another sad thing is that, though he may be a bit perverted, Mimic still likes Roxie, is much nicer to her, and actually cares about her, and yet she has no problem disrespecting, threatening, or outright beating him. Maybe that’s why I find it kind of hard to stomache.
It occurs to me that Rue only accepted the meeting on the “and you’ll give me papers I really don’t need” basis to get them here to accept what she really needs them for: recovering the artifact and covering her embarrassing failure. After all, she was super fast about making sure they were let into this meeting and I really don’t see why she’d care about a pardon from a foreign kingdom she’s probably “to good to ever step foot into again anyway”.
Adjutant-Comptroller, mind. That means she’s a subordinate to the actual Comptroller. Essentially, it’s her job to help the Comptroller make sure finances are properly managed. She’s an accountant’s assistant, in other words.
An accountant’s assistant is 4 or 5 ranks beneath adjutant comptroller. Adjutant comptroller oversees the implementation of accounting policy, internal controls, and executes internal audits. In other words, she’s the 3rd highest ranking accountant.
Well, this is a “major adjutant-comptroller”. I’m guessing the significance is borrowed from “(sergeant) major general”, which ranks below the “lieutenant general” (somewhat confusing since a major outranks a lieutenant).
By that logic she’s not an adjutant-comptroller, not a lieutenant adjutant-comptroller, but a major adjutant-comptroller. I don’t know where that ranks in the pointy ears’ system, but by the looks of it, it sounds better than it is. Still quite a grand office with secretary /and/ security. In her own words, “Hooray!”
Well, elves tend to make other people want to punch them really, really hard…and after the Games, one certain royal – who’s certainly rough enough – may well be on that list.
Keeping up pretenses? Or, Alyssa is an elf, but that doesn’t make her a genius, or even smart for that matter. So far Alyssa has been coming across as somewhat dumb. Maybe she got the job through nepotism rather than ability.
Possibly Rue Lily didn’t draw the connection until they actually showed. Perhaps Roxy hadn’t mentioned her companions, and it’s our amazing monster trio that brought the idea to mind.
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See, classic cellar ghost situation.
…and now my plot sense is just going off that this “malicious undead” is probably somebody we’ve met before. Calamitus, but he’s not a creature. Grinner, but his death by lava seems kind of final. Oh heck, it’s probably Ezra isn’t it… (though she’s also not a “creature”) Maybe the Philosophical Zombie has returned? (That would make for a real weird but fun chapter)
Didn’t the derro’s golemification powder or whatever it was empty into the lava where Grinner was melting? Has that Chekhov’s gun fired yet?
Well, the Derro showed up with an army of lava golems in castle life.
I bet the undead creature is an old elvish spirit.
I hope it’s not the elven girl who wanted to know how she did on her test. Even if she used glitter pen.
Hmm — she might be the oracle.
Good reading into the title. That does sound like a correct reading of one of Mike’s puns. (Though I would assume an actual old elf ghost to be a friend to the good guys.)
@Mary, I don’t think the elven girl would fit with “old” very well.
Why would Calamitus and Ezra not be a “creature”? Sure, it’s a denigratory term, but considering who’s saying it…
What other word would you use for a nonspecific undead? “Monster”? “Thing”? I suppose “Entity” would work, but that’s very clinical language.
If he’s undead, he’s a creature.
So…
How many nat 1’s are gonna be rolled on “discreet” part?
Only once, but at the worst possible moment after a long string of successes.
Typo in panels 4 and 5: “embarrassing” is misspelled in both.
Fixed, thank you.
Sounds like a quest. Now since nobody said anything about handing those documents over as part of the arrangement…
I wouldn’t take Lily’s statement at face value. She may claim the undead creature to be malicious, but she also calls Roxie by a slur while asking for her help. She probably considers the Princess to be malicious for locking her up. I have a feeling this “malicious undead creature” will turn out to be more sympathetic, albeit still antagonistic until Roxie and co. have a chance to learn their story.
…What if Roxie and co. simply leave after getting the artifact from the creature? That would be discreet enough, and then Rue wouldn’t have to endure the hardship of talking to the one (mostly) nice elf we’ve seen this whole comic to boot.
Also, fascinating to learn the artifact’s name. I wonder if it can be used to power a Varial Suit?
Don’t give Perkins any more ideas…
Let’s see…a magic arm cannon equipped with Wands of Magic Missile, Fireball, Lightning Bolt, and Ice Storm…Boots of Jumping…Helmet of Improved Identify…Armor of Greater Heat Resistance…ah, and can’t forget the Orb of Electrified Spinning!
Considering the elves apparently have oracles spying on the castle, yeah… malicious.
Or, alternatively, [elven word for centre-of-the-buttcheeks] we recover the artifact and vamoose home citing right of salvage, just because you’re so nice and pleasant.
This plan is good. I like this plan.
Once again, oracles. Useful. They wouldn’t make it half back home if that was their plan. Asking other elves to recover the artifact that was stolen by a rogue elf isn’t nearly as embarrassing as admitting that an undead could infiltrate the palace.
We were just giving you plausible cover so you didn’t have to admit you let us borrow it.
Well, see that works only after they find out the wheres and whats… they don’t know where this ‘undead creature’ may be, so saying “Hey how’s about we just vamoose afters” won;t get them very far at this point. And I don;t think Roxy is the type to break her word once given.
From what I can tell, the elven word in the last panel is “[e/i]p[e/i]lna[o/u]rr” (probably “epilnaurr” or “ipilnaurr”), but I can’t find a translation for that word, in either Sindarin or Quenya (the Tengwar mode used is the one for Sindarin, but I tried both). Does anybody know what it means?
“Pylinyarro”
See level 8, #19 and #20
Pylinyarro, which is slang for ‘porcupine’, basically the Elvish equivalent of ‘coconut’ or ‘Twinkie’ in that it implies that they’re not ‘proper’ Elves.
See, you can actually say what it means, rather than just saying where to dig to in the archives.
But where’s the fun in that?
Say what you want, the references are useful. Linkies would be better still.
On another note, anyone want to expound on why the vowel accents indicate following rather than preceding vowels in this case?
Quenya generally uses tehtar for following vowels. The language that uses them for preceding vowels is Black Speech (the language the Ring inscription was written in).
What is this discreet???? Is it good to eat???
The elves are probably NOT going to get things the way they want. I predict explosions, very loud and flashy ones.
Eat discreet?
Actually that would help. The thing to be kept discreet is that they are helping her. Crass adventurers being crass are a distraction.
Oh, yeah. =_= Making with the racist slurs again is definitely going to make Roxie want to help you out, jailbird.
Roxy’s bargaining point is not real strong.
OTOH, Mimic is unfair. It did work again.
Yeah, probably because Rue Lily and her pals are in trouble if she doesn’t get her McGuffin back — and she has proven incapable of retrieving it, and is too embarrassed to admit this to other elves.
She’s over a barrel, even if she won’t admit it in so many words.
The sad thing is that Roxie keeps being nice even after being called a slur by Rue at least twice and treated like dirt by basically every elf she’s met so far. You get the sense that she really would like to be friends with them, if they would give her a chance.
Roxy is a bard, and is being super stereotypically “bardy”, that is “makes friends/lovers out of enemies”.
I hate those bards (Roxy’s okay, she’s got a slightly different vibe), my bards are more the “punk-rockers” of the bard world, songs of destruction and rage style.
Another sad thing is that, though he may be a bit perverted, Mimic still likes Roxie, is much nicer to her, and actually cares about her, and yet she has no problem disrespecting, threatening, or outright beating him. Maybe that’s why I find it kind of hard to stomache.
It occurs to me that Rue only accepted the meeting on the “and you’ll give me papers I really don’t need” basis to get them here to accept what she really needs them for: recovering the artifact and covering her embarrassing failure. After all, she was super fast about making sure they were let into this meeting and I really don’t see why she’d care about a pardon from a foreign kingdom she’s probably “to good to ever step foot into again anyway”.
Yes, I think the mimic figured that out in the second panel.
Oh come on Rue Lily, you’re negotiating like a mid-level manager, not a Comptroller. You’re an embarrassment to the profession.
Adjutant-Comptroller, mind. That means she’s a subordinate to the actual Comptroller. Essentially, it’s her job to help the Comptroller make sure finances are properly managed. She’s an accountant’s assistant, in other words.
An accountant’s assistant is 4 or 5 ranks beneath adjutant comptroller. Adjutant comptroller oversees the implementation of accounting policy, internal controls, and executes internal audits. In other words, she’s the 3rd highest ranking accountant.
Well, this is a “major adjutant-comptroller”. I’m guessing the significance is borrowed from “(sergeant) major general”, which ranks below the “lieutenant general” (somewhat confusing since a major outranks a lieutenant).
By that logic she’s not an adjutant-comptroller, not a lieutenant adjutant-comptroller, but a major adjutant-comptroller. I don’t know where that ranks in the pointy ears’ system, but by the looks of it, it sounds better than it is. Still quite a grand office with secretary /and/ security. In her own words, “Hooray!”
What /does/ she need that security for, anyhow?
Well, elves tend to make other people want to punch them really, really hard…and after the Games, one certain royal – who’s certainly rough enough – may well be on that list.
Wait a minute…if the elves knew they were coming and why, why did Alyssa try to turn Roxie and co. away? That’s…suspicious.
Keeping up pretenses? Or, Alyssa is an elf, but that doesn’t make her a genius, or even smart for that matter. So far Alyssa has been coming across as somewhat dumb. Maybe she got the job through nepotism rather than ability.
OTOH, perhaps it was Alyssa who came up with the idea. Rue Lily wanted the papers and didn’t draw the connection.
Possibly Rue Lily didn’t draw the connection until they actually showed. Perhaps Roxy hadn’t mentioned her companions, and it’s our amazing monster trio that brought the idea to mind.