2010-12-13: What is it?

[The Comment Golem]

Discussion thread for What is it?

[Swift]

Old dead elf?

It's likely that now it's a GENOCIDE! and that it'll be carry to the end of that city at least.

[Forrest]

"It's called a 'zombie'. It's a mindless, unliving automaton that does nothing but carry on along its preset orders, incapable of learning, devoid of any inner spark of life or creativity. In other words it's exactly like an ordinary elf in every way, except it lacks consciousness. Tell me, Mrs. Elle, how can we be certain that you aren't a zombie? Show us your qualia, please."

[ChunLing]

"I...uh...Ian can tell, I think. He's only killing the still alive elves, right?"

Okay...that gives me a thought for a second (if not very aesthetically pleasing) way for the elves to escape this mess. 'Cause the evidence that Ian actually can tell the difference between zombies and non-zombies is pretty limited, overall. And I'm sure the Ensigerium don't even want to try. Overall the fact that elves can probably magically regenerate some pretty harsh injuries should help a lot...since aside from the whole devoid of any inner spark thing Ian's elven zombies seem to have very little in the way of repair to any fatal injuries and postmortem damage. So, slice off a few showy bits that you can regrow later, stop the bleeding but don't really heal anything, shamble around and hiss a lot...and just wander the hell away (artistic draping of unused elven entrails for bonus points).

[l33tm44m]

The elves have noted one way to tell the difference. Ian Zombies don't stay down when you cut off their heads. Elves do.

[Nell]

That zombie looks plenty uncomfortable...

And I'm guessing it will remain undead no matter how much you hack it, and after the battle he'll just be...exactly the way it is now, wriggling and twitching and going Ow in zombielven.

-_- Leave it to Poe to somehow draw a zombie in such a state that makes me start thinking of notions of zombie cruelty or cruelty to the dead.

[davester65]

If Poe happens to be a fan of Dead Alive I'd expect to see undead elf zombie intestines strangling someone before this mess is over.

[Nell]

If Poe happens to be a fan of Dead Alive I'd expect to see undead elf zombie intestines strangling someone before this mess is over.

D: That would change Errant Story's genre...or add another to the mix...

Major D: at sentient intestines.

[Forrest]

Okay...that gives me a thought for a second (if not very aesthetically pleasing) way for the elves to escape this mess. 'Cause the evidence that Ian actually can tell the difference between zombies and non-zombies is pretty limited, overall. And I'm sure the Ensigerium don't even want to try. Overall the fact that elves can probably magically regenerate some pretty harsh injuries should help a lot...since aside from the whole devoid of any inner spark thing Ian's elven zombies seem to have very little in the way of repair to any fatal injuries and postmortem damage. So, slice off a few showy bits that you can regrow later, stop the bleeding but don't really heal anything, shamble around and hiss a lot...and just wander the hell away (artistic draping of unused elven entrails for bonus points).

As clever a thought that is (thus guaranteeing that it will not occur to the Elves), I don't think it would work. Remember, Meji said to her teacher something like "I don't even see 'you' anymore, I see the things that you're made of". Presumably Ian's sensory abilities are similarly enhanced, and he can see whatever the differences is between a perfectly reconstructed Elven body (except he seems to have gotten lazy, or his zombies have already taken a ton of damage) and a living Elf, like he could with 'Lyn.

[Neko7]

Why does almost everyone question Ian ability to distinguish elf and zombies?

There is a scene change, with background scenery, in most cinematographic scenary it synonym of change of focus for one group to another in the story.

Since the elves already made the comment of undead being monsters aberation of nature, it seems logical the comment "what the hell is this?" mean that we are back on our Heliomancers+civilian group, who have not encounter the zombie thing yet.