2011-10-31: Mental Assault

[Bytemite]

Sure?
See last speech bubble on this page: http://www.errantstory.com/2010-02-12/4652

Ha, the hypertext on that one is particularly relevant.

[Sareth]

Well, the thing is, all the damage he has shrugged off has been while he had magic/goddessjizz available. Now that he's cut off I suspect the damage shrugging off ability has been drastically reduced. At this point even a forehead in the face is probably more damaging than he is used to dealing with. A bullet to the brainpan? I don't think he can just ignore that one. But he's too hyped up to realize it.

As for the whole "not thinking he's evil" thing, I concur. However, there is another option, one similar to my own perspective when I chose to join the military. If the only way to protect those I care about is to choose to bathe my hands in blood, then that is the price I pay. Ian could very well realize that he's doing wrong, but is choosing to do so out of the belief that his willing damnation will save and protect everything he loves. Now if only Meji would wise up to this and just let him be the noble self sacrificing hero everything would be perfect! Of course, this no more excuses his attempt at GENOCIDE! than the idea that he doesn't know what he's doing is wrong. It's still sociopathic. It's just sociopathic in a different (and in fact a bit scarier) way.

[throwrug]

Sareth, let me see if I can rephrase what you're saying...

You believe that Ian is the combination of a moral and a deity, who sees a world wronged by the evils of those who followed his religion from thousands of years ago. He is taking sole responsibility for the greatest sin imaginable to ensure a peaceful good world after his death.

So Ian is Jesus?

Well... he does have the abs for it.

[Slamlander]

Also, remember that Ian doesn't think that he is doing evil.

Sure?
See last speech bubble on this page: http://www.errantstory.com/2010-02-12/4652

No, he considers himself doing a much needed good deed for his people, the half-elves, that dialog box not with standing. The whole Errant Story is based on that. That panel was a bit of comic relief; perhaps a momentary self-doubt. Overall, Ian thinks that he's doing the world a favor by his actions.

[mindstalk]

Meji's a girl-mage and Ian, elven-GENOCIDE! campaign notwithstanding, is a pretty peaceable mage. He's mugged a few Veracians for clothes and tickets but hell, he probably has spells for that. It's quite probable IMO that between the two of them they have experience with less than one real physical fight lacking the surprise element and narrative comedy of beating people up with an indestructible cat.

[Sareth]

Aside from the fact that I myself don't believe that Ian is Jesus, the analogy doesn't fit. As this animist/pagan understands it, the Christian belief holds that Jesus was innocent of all sin, but willingly took on the sins of others past, present and future, then died as punishment for those sins so that sinners might live guiltlessly. My possible alternative character interpretation has Ian knowing full well that he is committing the unforgivable sin of murdering a race rather than taking on the sins of others. However he would be justifying it to himself (and others) by an ends justifies the means argument. "the elves are an entire race of murderers. Therefor, to protect the hundreds of thousands of half elves (and anyone else the elves choose) he is selflessly murdering them in their scant few thousands first. Besides! They started it!"

Basically the difference between what the popular theory and what I am saying is the case of knowing right from wrong. Most people are arguing he doesn't know it's wrong. I'm just saying it's possible he does know, but feels he must do a "small" wrong to keep the elves from continuing a much greater wrong. Either way he's still wrong. It's just in one he's delusional and in the other he's psychotic.

[Alberich]

The way I read him - and I think it's a great bit of characterization, btw - is that, having decided on his genocidal course, he simply refuses to think it through any further. If anyone tries to make him think, he responds by blowing his top and insisting on "action now." He always goes back to repeating his little justification about making everyone safe, but press him and mask slips - he wants a "final act" so he can kill himself and not have to live with making decisions anymore, or he wants revenge for the sake of it, or whatever.

[Flintlock]

Why is it that when I read Ian's rant just before Meji nutted him I saw Meji saying "I see your point and I respect but your views but let me put the following argument up for debate..." before she nutted him.

In response to Sareth's point about 'Ian is Jesus' thing or rather refuting of it, I think what Jesus was supposedly killed for was apparently Original Sin. According to the Church, everyone is guilty of Adam and Eve's eating of the apple simply because they descended from him, and his death was supposed to end God's damnation of us as long as we followed Jesus, as it apparently signed a new contract with us (seriously, I went to a Catholic school when growing up despite my parents being Protestant, they actually taught us that God used the blood of his own sprog to sign a contract to not automatically damn us to hell for something a naked woman and her naked horny husband did because an animal told them to do it, despite apparently having no sense of right and wrong until after eating the apple and therefore not able to know that what they were doing was wrong...extenuating circumstances methinks, especially the 'Voices made me do it" insanity plea at least). Anyway, regardless I don't think that is what Ian is doing here. He may be making a contract in Elf blood, perhaps for a twelve year warranty or something, but not his own, hence not Jesus.

[Mojinr]

Meji has always been hardheaded, at least she's putting it to good use now.

[Lukkai]

Bullet to the stomach would most likely stop him, yes. And very efficiently at that.

Truth be told, a stomach wound from such a calibre will stop just about everyone.


As for the other Ian discussion in here: I think Alberich puts up a very valid point there.
Also I think that Ian is absolutely aware that this course of action is evil to some part. But he sees it as necessary evil. As something that must be done, as cruel as it might appear to some. Sacrifice a few (the elves) to safe a many (everyone else). Of course that he absolutely hates the elves is not exactly holding him back in that belief.