Hero Oh Hero

[lord_khaine]

Sure there were other ways to handle it. But none better. Even if the uncle hadn't been part of the conspiracy, trying to take the staff is treason. Getting your hair burnt off is a mild punishment for that crime, and should hopefully warn others to not even try it.

Well no -good- ways to handle it.

Basically a subordinate tries to handcuff her (stealing the staff is about that for Piper).
So seems a bit silly to think politely instructing the person not to do so would lead to anything but getting captured.

[Kantaki]

I mean, considering the chapter started with "the castle was on fire and it was not [Piper's] fault", she might've overreacted just a tad, but the general course of action isn't exactly wrong.

Meanwhile on Noah's arc, those are probably friendly creeply thin and tall monsters who make shadows fall towards the light. Entirely harmless.
Just look at them smile.

[Gez]

So yeah. Basically a quick fire spell was the only way for her to defend herself.
If anything she showed remarkable restraint in letting the moron keep his head - hair.

http://www.neorice.com/hoh_2334

Pictured: remarkable restraint.

[-D-]

http://www.neorice.com/hoh_2334

Pictured: remarkable restraint.

She's the hot head fire wielding sidekick. Do you expect her not to set stuff on fire?

[Gez]

http://www.neorice.com/hoh_2337
Here you see another mistake she made.

First, take a look at the last two panels. That's not her mistake, it's just to establish some facts. Reichfelt betrays he knows about Piper's entourage, and that makes Piper notice he wasn't supposed to know that by himself, proving that he's complicit in the conspiracy. Because Piper hadn't told him about Pablo and Burk before.

Now that this is covered, move back to the first two panels. Reichfelt talks about "spreading unfounded nonsense" and this doesn't cause the reaction that happens in the last two panels. Therefore, Piper has told him before about the content of the message she wanted to send through the lighthouse. Despite knowing that her cousin may have been in on the conspiracy.

From that we can basically reconstruct what happened: Piper arrives, announces she wants to use the lighthouse, she's asked why, she doesn't make up an innocuous-looking lie as the reason but instead reveals that She Knows Too Much, Reichfelt gives the order to try to grab her staff, and as a result Piper must now BURN EVERYTHING, which was presumably her intent in the first place.

[lord_khaine]

Pictured: remarkable restraint.

Yes. Thank you for supporting my point.

Here you see another mistake she made.

First, take a look at the last two panels. That's not her mistake, it's just to establish some facts. Reichfelt betrays he knows about Piper's entourage, and that makes Piper notice he wasn't supposed to know that by himself, proving that he's complicit in the conspiracy. Because Piper hadn't told him about Pablo and Burk before.

Now that this is covered, move back to the first two panels. Reichfelt talks about "spreading unfounded nonsense" and this doesn't cause the reaction that happens in the last two panels. Therefore, Piper has told him before about the content of the message she wanted to send through the lighthouse. Despite knowing that her cousin may have been in on the conspiracy.

From that we can basically reconstruct what happened: Piper arrives, announces she wants to use the lighthouse, she's asked why, she doesn't make up an innocuous-looking lie as the reason but instead reveals that She Knows Too Much, Reichfelt gives the order to try to grab her staff, and as a result Piper must now BURN EVERYTHING, which was presumably her intent in the first place.

Seriously. Your reaching this far now?
What other matters of precognition or hindsigt do you want Piper to have done, now people disagreed with your claim she should have politely protested when attacked.
Instead of defending herself?

For a start some jerks put a deadly force bounty on her head. She has an extremely valid reason to be angry.
And it seems unlikely she would have been allowed to use the Lighthouse anyway, if Reichfelt was in the conspiracy. At least this way she got him to reveal himself.
Instead of getting ambushed at closer range.

[Gez]

Yes. Thank you for supporting my point.

Continuing to shoot at people who are fleeing from you while taunting them is indeed a remarkable form of restraint.

Seriously. Your reaching this far now?
What other matters of precognition or hindsigt do you want Piper to have done, now people disagreed with your claim she should have politely protested when attacked.

It's more that she's lacking in postcognition and foresight.

She knew Reichfelt was on the list of suspects.
http://neorice.com/hoh_1266

She knew also they had to lie about their motives, hence the whole Sabrina persona and pretending to be tourists.

[Forum Explorer]

http://www.neorice.com/hoh_2337
Here you see another mistake she made.

First, take a look at the last two panels. That's not her mistake, it's just to establish some facts. Reichfelt betrays he knows about Piper's entourage, and that makes Piper notice he wasn't supposed to know that by himself, proving that he's complicit in the conspiracy. Because Piper hadn't told him about Pablo and Burk before.

Now that this is covered, move back to the first two panels. Reichfelt talks about "spreading unfounded nonsense" and this doesn't cause the reaction that happens in the last two panels. Therefore, Piper has told him before about the content of the message she wanted to send through the lighthouse. Despite knowing that her cousin may have been in on the conspiracy.

From that we can basically reconstruct what happened: Piper arrives, announces she wants to use the lighthouse, she's asked why, she doesn't make up an innocuous-looking lie as the reason but instead reveals that She Knows Too Much, Reichfelt gives the order to try to grab her staff, and as a result Piper must now BURN EVERYTHING, which was presumably her intent in the first place.

Did she? Or did she just not catch it immediately? Or jump on that statement because that statement isn't blatantly obvious that he's criminal. For all we know, Piper simply asked to use the Lighthouse.

[Kornaki]

Is hoh slow to load for everyone else also the last couple days?

[Welf]

The JSP leader seems a bit trigger happy. He isn't entirely wrong for asking, but it's the wrong moment.

[Kornaki]

I feel like the right question to ask right now is why the hell did Noah think the sewers were safer than the rest of the city.

[-D-]

I feel like the right question to ask right now is why the hell did Noah think the sewers were safer than the rest of the city.

Noah? Noel said mists are certain death. Noah weighted his options before legs charged him.

Also see latest chapter. Spiders are attracted by loud sounds. Like that gun JSP uses.

[Kornaki]

Noah? Noel said mists are certain death. Noah weighted his options before legs charged him.

Also see latest chapter. Spiders are attracted by loud sounds. Like that gun JSP uses.

https://www.neorice.com/hoh_2247

"It might not sound like the most obvious suggestion but these nightmares seem to spawn near people... there's barely anyone down there"

Does that sound like an accurate description of the density of monsters they've encountered?

[-D-]

https://www.neorice.com/hoh_2247

Does that sound like an accurate description of the density of monsters they've encountered?

Hmm. Touche.

Eh, they spawn near people, and above is murder fog + 100 monsters.

Below is a smidge better.

[Kornaki]

These are clearly the fake people that noel was talking about earlier, right?

[Kantaki]

These are clearly the fake people that noel was talking about earlier, right?

They do kind of look off, yes.
Besides, seeing that they were explicitly mentioned they will probably show up sooner or later.

[lord_khaine]

pretty unlikely Noel would not be able to spot fake people.

[Forum Explorer]

pretty unlikely Noel would not be able to spot fake people.

Why would he be? He couldn't tell anything was off with the cat.

[Kantaki]

Okay, so at least good old Theo is probably not a nightmare, being a known criminal and all that.
Jury's still out on the rest of the crowd.

Also, congratulations to getting named.
Now his death will actually mean something to the readers.

[lord_khaine]

Why would he be? He couldn't tell anything was off with the cat.

You mean he could tell something was likely off with the cat.
And its a -lot- easier to make a believeable fake cat than a believeable fake person.

[TeChameleon]

Why on Earth is Noel smirking non-stop on this page? What is he finding so amusing?

Also, I love how Noah seems to have BSOD'd (again). Then again, with his abilities (that he refuses to use) he could potentially seriously weaponise his existential angst.

[Forum Explorer]

You mean he could tell something was likely off with the cat.
And its a -lot- easier to make a believeable fake cat than a believeable fake person.

No he couldn't

Wait, scratch that. I thought you were talking about Noah, not Noel (the Esper). Friggin similar names.

[lord_khaine]

Why on Earth is Noel smirking non-stop on this page? What is he finding so amusing?

Who knows? perhaps he is into dark humor?
And his worst enemy did screw up so badly they might have to nuke a town.
(seriously. If not for plot armor i would personally have done so and called it a mercy).

Also, I love how Noah seems to have BSOD'd (again). Then again, with his abilities (that he refuses to use) he could potentially seriously weaponise his existential angst.

Or die a messy death. We still lack evidence Noah is able to affect anything inside someone's headspace.
So far it seems he is a visitor.

[Kornaki]

https://www.neorice.com/hoh_2358

Just noticed the shadow on the left in the last panel. Are the monsters already in the room?

[Gez]

Why on Earth is Noel smirking non-stop on this page? What is he finding so amusing?

The fact that he is in a sprite comic and that therefore he can only change expression through investment in a new custom-modified sprite is something he finds darkly humorous.

[TeChameleon]

... a dean that recognizes a random student on sight? Now I know this is a fantasy.

[Welf]

Okay, the JSP is done being "nice".

So are they correct? Noel did send them (and Nail) towards the monsters and later said they were attracted to sound, causing his group to abandon the JSP.
Also it seems Nail is dead? Dead as a doornail?

[Grim Portent]

I think that whatever Nail is is harder to kill than most humans, so even if he's wounded I doubt he's down for the count.

As for the JSP, yeah this is what happens when you give people the right to summarily execute people. It's generally speaking a bad thing to give anyone that kind of power. Then again, this is the group that had orders to nuke the city without hesitation so on a rather grim level they are still playing nice. Disturbing thought.

[lord_khaine]

I find it not entirely impossible Nail is one of the sentient automaton we heard off earlier.
His secrecy and lack of spirit at least hint towards it.

... a dean that recognizes a random student on sight? Now I know this is a fantasy.

Not a random student. As he said one of his star pupils.

Also yeah. Increasingly shows the JSP is one of the biggest hindrances towards this mission.

[Ibrinar]

Sadly they also have the nuke. Though hmm do they have a way to phone home during the mission? I forgot. If not someone could just kill these two off.