#1273 - Is she really Julia?

[Metastachydium]

So I've been reading this thread and the main one, and it almost seems like nobody got the joke in the last panel - that Roy doesn't realize that a minor difference between two swords is something only a fighter would find funny. Of course Julia doesn't remember the details of Roy's college admissions test, she never cared about that!

Wel, um, like,

I still think Julia just couldn't care less about Roy's graduation

[Peelee]

So I've been reading this thread and the main one, and it almost seems like nobody got the joke in the last panel - that Roy doesn't realize that a minor difference between two swords is something only a fighter would find funny. Of course Julia doesn't remember the details of Roy's college admissions test, she never cared about that!

I'm pretty sure a lot of people got the joke. There's just not much discussion to be had there.

[johnbragg]

I don't understand 3.5e well enough to understand how that works. I am curious, though perhaps for a different reason than Peelee is since IIRC our dragonmod has ample 3.5e experience.

I think the Giant is way past caring about the details of 3.5 rules and lore. If the plot wants Qarr to go to point X, the IFCC can teleport Qarr to point X, Serini's wards notwithstanding

The IFCC are powerful enough that it's entirely plausible they can bypass mortal spellcasters' wards, even epic level spellcasters. So it's plausible enough.

[Metastachydium]

The IFCC are powerful enough that it's entirely plausible they can bypass mortal spellcasters' wards, even epic level spellcasters. So it's plausible enough.

I mean, they absolutely could scry into a Cloistered area.

[johnbragg]

I mean, they absolutely could scry into a Cloistered area.

I thought I deleted. But as someone linked above, Super-Vaarsuvius was able to prevent Qarr from teleporting. So I'm not sure that Qarr can just handwave Serini's wards. The IFCC themselves probably, but not a minion like Qarr

[Metastachydium]

I thought I deleted. But as someone linked above, Super-Vaarsuvius was able to prevent Qarr from teleporting. So I'm not sure that Qarr can just handwave Serini's wards. The IFCC themselves probably, but not a minion like Qarr

That was regular V, with the common old Dimensional Anchor spell, which only reinforces your point.

[Peelee]

Also the IFCC can't act directly on the mortal plane anyway.

[Metastachydium]

Hrm. One must wonder how capable Randy might be on that front.

[Resileaf]

Do remember that the teleportation traps behind each door are thin portals that activate when someone physically passes through them and that if you teleported or dimension doored beyond them, you would not trigger them.

[WanderingMist]

Now that I'm reading the strip again...Panel 4 is too Julia to be anyone else. It doesn't make sense for Sabine to say that, since her employers don't want either side winning, and Eugene would be smart enough to realize Xykon couldnt be stopped with a simple anti-magic field.

[gbaji]

I think the Giant is way past caring about the details of 3.5 rules and lore. If the plot wants Qarr to go to point X, the IFCC can teleport Qarr to point X, Serini's wards notwithstanding

But he does care about making his own world rules consistent. And it's not Serini's wards that block teleportation. It's the stone the hollow is made up of, that blocks all means to teleport, ghost form, etc through it. That does not preclude the IFCC having some epic powers that may allow for it anyway, but it's not as easy as a minor minion using regular teleport to do so.

The IFCC are powerful enough that it's entirely plausible they can bypass mortal spellcasters' wards, even epic level spellcasters. So it's plausible enough.

Absolutely. It's plausible. But with that level of power *anything* becomes plausible. The question is whether this one thing being speculated is any more likely to be what's actually going on that any of an infiinite number of other things the IFCC could be doing instead.

I also doubt the IFCC would use their own power (or any source of power at that level) so directly and in such a blunt manner as "force a teleport into an area right next to the gate". The gods may not be able to interfere directly, but it's a very very good bet that they're all watching closely. Any use of that level of magic would presumably alert them all. At the end of the day, for all that they are highly ranked and powered outsiders, they still are well below the gods in the outer plains heirarchy, and fall directly under the purview of several of the evil deities. They'd get pretty rapidly curbstomped doing something so direct.

If they are meddling in some way with the whole Julia/Roy communications, they'd be more subtle. The previously proposed idea of using some form of possession to control Julia and then use her to send to Roy to try to influence things would be more their style, and would be far less likely to result in divine wrath. I'm still not convinced of that either, but it makes a lot more sense and matches far better with what we've seen than that someone has physically teleported there and is doing something to manipulate this communication on site. It's frankly easier, has less risk, and you have the benefit of using the actual Julia to do things, so you can use her own memories and knowledge to trick Roy (assuming that's the goal).

[KillianHawkeye]

With how the newest comic ended, I now agree with whoever said that it's Eugene in disguise. That outburst about being unable to help, being stuck "up here" and family obligations...

And I'm pretty sure Eugene was an illusionist, so disguising himself would be pretty trivial.

[Mike Havran]

Put me down for "Julia is being used as a vessel for IFCC"

[KorvinStarmast]

Put me down for "It's Julia"

[Devlerbat]

There is the sass now. With update 1274 I am now convinced that this is Julia.

[Gurgeh]

On the contrary, I'm 100% convinced with 1274 that it's Eugene doing a decent impression and occasionally slipping. Bottom left panel refers to them "being stuck up here" and the delay after "my" makes it pretty clear that the original phrasing was "my burden" rather than "my family's burden".

EDIT: I'm obviously not the first to draw this conclusion, shows you that it's worth reading the thread instead of jumping to the latest message.

[Devlerbat]

My issue with this being Eugene is that he has no reason to do so. While they disagreed with their last conversation about what to do with the Hel situation it didn't end with Roy suggesting that he would refuse to hear his father's advice outright. Which is something he would be risking by needlessly tricking Roy like this. My only suspicion was if this was the IFCC or some other faction as unlikely as that may be. That suspicion has been dashed.

[ti'esar]

On the contrary, I'm 100% convinced with 1274 that it's Eugene doing a decent impression and occasionally slipping. Bottom left panel refers to them "being stuck up here" and the delay after "my" makes it pretty clear that the original phrasing was "my burden" rather than "my family's burden".

EDIT: I'm obviously not the first to draw this conclusion, shows you that it's worth reading the thread instead of jumping to the latest message.

If those were slipups on Eugene's part, though, they'd be highly unusually selfless slipups given his past attitude towards sticking his family with the Blood Oath. I lean now much more strongly towards thinking this really is Julia - I suspect the hesitation was actually a last-second word swap for possibly either "my father's burden" (more openly critical for Eugene than she'd want to be) or "my brother's burden" (more openly affectionate for Roy than she'd want to be).

[WanderingMist]

Eugene wouldn't have paused before saying family is the problem with it being Eugene. He absolutely shifted all the responsibility onto his kids and does not consider the burden to only be on himself.

[Dante2001]

#1272 second to last panel.

"Does that mean you've done nothing but fix something that wasn't a problem this morning?".

That smells also like Eugene. Granted Julia is also sometimes a bit of a jerk, but it feels too strong there.

Edit: As for why Eugene is impersonating Julia, its because last conv didn't go too well.

Roy: —then, why are you here, exactly?
Eugene: Do I need a reason to come for a visit?
Roy: At this point in our relationship? Yes. Especially since you just said you regretted having a family.

Maybe Eugene is starting to regret to treat his family this bad.

[Devlerbat]

#1272 second to last panel.

"Does that mean you've done nothing but fix something that wasn't a problem this morning?".

That smells also like Eugene. Granted Julia is also sometimes a bit of a jerk, but it feels too strong there.

Edit: As for why Eugene is impersonating Julia, its because last conv didn't go too well.

Roy: —then, why are you here, exactly?
Eugene: Do I need a reason to come for a visit?
Roy: At this point in our relationship? Yes. Especially since you just said you regretted having a family.

Maybe Eugene is starting to regret to treat his family this bad.

But his reason for calling would be the same as Julia's reason for calling anyways. And impersonating your daughter to trick your son doesn't seem like the act of someone that wants to repair their strained relationship with said son. At least not a smart one.

[brian 333]

But his reason for calling would be the same as Julia's reason for calling anyways. And impersonating your daughter to trick your son doesn't seem like the act of someone that wants to repair their strained relationship with said son. At least not a smart one.

I don't think Eugene wants to repair his relationship with his son. I think Eugene wants to control Roy through manipulation, guilt, and a magical trap he created which forces his offspring to complete a project he started and abandoned before discovering that it also trapped him.

If Eugene had managed to get past the Pearly Gates, you can bet your last copper piece that he would be happily ignoring Roy right now, blood oath or not.

[Metastachydium]

I don't think Eugene wants to repair his relationship with his son. I think Eugene wants to control Roy through manipulation, guilt, and a magical trap he created which forces his offspring to complete a project he started and abandoned before discovering that it also trapped him.

If Eugene had managed to get past the Pearly Gates, you can bet your last copper piece that he would be happily ignoring Roy right now, blood oath or not.

Yup. It's not even "I think" material, if you ask me. Eugene quite explicitly wants one thing: to move on into a cozy afterlife he doesn't deserve.

[Devlerbat]

I don't think Eugene wants to repair his relationship with his son. I think Eugene wants to control Roy through manipulation, guilt, and a magical trap he created which forces his offspring to complete a project he started and abandoned before discovering that it also trapped him.

If Eugene had managed to get past the Pearly Gates, you can bet your last copper piece that he would be happily ignoring Roy right now, blood oath or not.

Sure, but that isn't what the person I was quoting was suggesting and how does impersonating Julia help him do that anyways? Especially since Roy is already trying to destroy Xykon for good and isn't going to just outright ignore all of Eugene's advice (just the parts that get innocent people killed and he is ignoring that same advice when it comes from Julia). To risk alienating Roy even further than he already has would be to Eugene's detriment and he gets nothing out of it that he doesn't already have going for him.

Point is, it doesn't make sense for this to be Eugene either way.

[KorvinStarmast]

"Does that mean you've done nothing but fix something that wasn't a problem this morning?".

That smells also like Eugene. Granted Julia is also sometimes a bit of a jerk, but it feels too strong there.

She is Eugene's kid, followed in his footsteps as a wizard, and inherited some of his habits, style, and attitudes. Who saw that coming?

Maybe Eugene is starting to regret to treat his family this bad.

Interesting thought, we'll see if Rich shows that in later strips.

I don't think Eugene wants to repair his relationship with his son.

Rich has done things which fooled us before. Maybe he does...but that will need to be shown "on screen".

[Ionathus]

I just figure as a popular, up-and-coming young woman, Julia naturally assumes any powerful new allies will also be women.

Kind of like how I, a cis-gender male, typically assume new characters will be male in the absence of any clarifying information. It's just the default assumption. (I'm not saying it's a good assumption, just that we generally assume new people will be like us.)

ding ding ding, we have a winner. I agree completely: the most straightforward example is that Julia either knew already (because there's an unspoken recap between #1272 and #1273), or she just assumed unspecified people would be like her. It's an entirely reasonable thing for her to do. That is, if she did guess, which I personally don't even think she did. I think Roy filled her in between strips.

I feel like I've had this type of conversation a dozen times on this forum before, and my position remains the same: is it not impossible for Julia to be an impostor, given the minor discrepancies we've seen? I suppose. Would that be interesting and worth the convoluted explanation to get us there? And would it be a better scene than the current one? I'm not seeing it.

[Peelee]

ding ding ding, we have a winner.

I didn't get any prize for suggesting that like two weeks ago

[Ionathus]

I didn't get any prize for suggesting that like two weeks ago

Yes well, you see, the thing you have to understand is that I wasn't paying very much attention.

but this ain't no zero sum game, so ding ding ding for Peelee too

[Peelee]

Yes well, you see, the thing you have to understand is that I wasn't paying very much attention.

but this ain't no zero sum game, so ding ding ding for Peelee too

That's all I ever wanted - recognition that I am the greatest.

[Sir_Dr_D]

I think people are over analyzing. I just took things to mean that there was dialog between 1272 and 1273 that wasn't on panel. As in Roy gave a brief summary on what happened, and 'we found an ally now' is the conclusion.

For a character we now so little about and who is important to Roy, it seems more important from a story perspective to flesh out Julia's character then to have a fake Julia subplot. And if she was fake, Roy should be able to tell easily. You would think he would at least give a statement like 'You seem a little off. Are you okay?' I don't think even Sabine could fool someone's close friend or relative.

Edit: Also you would expect Roy to say something like 'I never told you it was a She' . I see little reason to be suspicious unless Roy is. Roy knows her better then us.