2010-01-15: Chapter 43 Commentary

[The Comment Golem]

Discussion thread for Chapter 43 Commentary

[Graybeard]

Merger-fu needs to occur, but it's past my bedtime.

[Evader]

So, immediate plot aside, I guess I'm interested in how Meji adapts to her new power vs. Ian. Sure he's older, more experienced, more powerful in mage combat, but she's had a relaxed life with easy-going formal magic education, where even if she didn't work too hard in school, at least all sorts of ideas were tossed into her head. This all assumes that her assimilation goes as well as Ian's. At least she knows exactly what happened, and by the time she wakes up will have a full realized idea of the sheer power she has to work with, even if her 'mental muscles' have yet to adjust to the sheer amount of wattage she now holds.

I can only assume that so long as Sarine and co are not executed on the spot, Meji will eventually deus-ex-magus them to some degree of safety. Then it's time to see just how much she's grown since this little adventure started, as Ian seems to be consumed by his (not entirely unjustified) temper tantrum. Whatever happens, the godmages should optimally act in cold blood, as everything Ian's done while riled has been a terrible idea. That is, for an ideal end. For a dramatic story arc, who knows. If the gods really have 'moved on' (or died) and the things that got absorbed were just wisps or remainders (corpses) then the magic each one gets would have a flavor but not a influence . . . aside from simple power -> corruption.

I half wonder if the errant 'insanity' is just a byproduct of some sort of rare-ish extra-potent magical ability, which is then downplayed or rejected by society at large, resulting in mad-geniuses spawning everywhere swearing to "MAKE them understand" and as such spark the war from the existing racial kindling. Have we MET any ape-shit-crazy errants yet? Legends aside? Been a while since I reviewed my net knowledge of this story.

[Graybeard]

So, immediate plot aside, I guess I'm interested in how Meji adapts to her new power vs. Ian. Sure he's older, more experienced, more powerful in mage combat, but she's had a relaxed life with easy-going formal magic education, where even if she didn't work too hard in school, at least all sorts of ideas were tossed into her head. This all assumes that her assimilation goes as well as Ian's. At least she knows exactly what happened, and by the time she wakes up will have a full realized idea of the sheer power she has to work with, even if her 'mental muscles' have yet to adjust to the sheer amount of wattage she now holds.

On the evidence so far, I'd guess that the psychological difference between Meji and Ian isn't as great as the difference between Anilis and Senilis. Remember that the Paedagogusi claim there isn't much of Senilis left. Not clear what that means, but it's manifestly untrue of Anilis.

I half wonder if the errant 'insanity' is just a byproduct of some sort of rare-ish extra-potent magical ability, which is then downplayed or rejected by society at large, resulting in mad-geniuses spawning everywhere swearing to "MAKE them understand" and as such spark the war from the existing racial kindling. Have we MET any ape-shit-crazy errants yet? Legends aside? Been a while since I reviewed my net knowledge of this story.

Derren Felmel, snuffed by Sarine at the very beginning of the story, certainly qualifies. His psychopathic tendencies equally certainly had nothing to do with "extra-potent magical ability."

[Kian]

And let's not forget Ian's mom, who set the house ablaze with his sick sister inside.

[wrog]

On the evidence so far, I'd guess that the psychological difference between Meji and Ian isn't as great as the difference between Anilis and Senilis. Remember that the Paedagogusi claim there isn't much of Senilis left. Not clear what that means, but it's manifestly untrue of Anilis.

I wouldn't say that. We still don't know much about what Anilis was like "before", i.e., how much of her personality really is left vs. whatever there was however many thousand years ago. Ian's behavior could still be mostly innate craziness pushed over the edge by having all of that power available and nobody to be accountable to.

We also haven't really gotten to see much of Senilis in action yet, either.

[Neko7]

Here are my 5 cents:

We know Ian arrive at the god's retreat/magic potatos before team Meji, and fall in darkness. The next time we see him he is flying in town melting and remodeling a couple of wall while adduction (a willing) Meji.

Both by his reaction to the strengh he use again Sarine thru the wall and the flying exercise while Meji observe him and comment his unatural magic stamina for us, we can understand that everything is relatively new for him, and that he didn't have/took the time to see how much he can do. So if we assum that the time needed to adapt himself to his power was from the falling in darkness before team Meji even arrive at the god place to the evening when 'Ian did it', Meji is not ready to use her potencial yet.

[Scient]

So what's left of Anilis' consciousness manifests as dreams of smiting Ian in Ian's dreams. Who else is waiting to see the... smiting... that Senilis' remnants will act upon Meji's dreams?

[ChunLing]

"Nice try, but the weekly smitings are only held on Wednesdays."

The teaching pets know nothing. Nookie was effectively sure Anilis was dead before they discovered that she was gone, at which point she and Chicanery probably agreed to upgrade Senilis to "vegetative".