Author Topic: Comic 227  (Read 11082 times)

VirBot

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on: December 21, 2012, 09:02:49 PM

This message has been auto-posted by VirBot.  VirBot is not a real person and cannot answer your replies.  VirBot has no plans to take over the world and subjugate the flesh-creatures whatsoever.


Juubi

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Reply #1 on: December 21, 2012, 09:04:33 PM
Three weeks. I'm busy.

The look on his face...

Revivification! *sips his tea*


Aira Fox

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Reply #2 on: December 21, 2012, 09:08:52 PM
I read Julian's expression in the first panel as, "Why is my right paw smaller than my left?"  [:P Nice page, Virmir.



Generic Meatbag #14

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Reply #3 on: December 21, 2012, 10:05:59 PM
The Chair of Disinterest strikes again!

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Reply #4 on: December 21, 2012, 10:20:29 PM
I just realized you actually drew claws on those paws...

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Miles

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Reply #5 on: December 22, 2012, 08:15:58 AM
That did not go well, but it could have been so much worse considering that Julian is on the throne. Expelling the diplomats of the vassal's Master will create a diplomatic incident, and if Julian does not turn up in two weeks time then Caerreyn will become hostile (King Herrot will be insulted twice, and you do not insult a monarch twice, let along once, and expect no retribution, especially since the Auberwood is not an independent nation).
If a Master feels that the vassal has become a threat then the vassal is branded as being disloyal, and disloyal vassals need their loyalty reaffirming (meaning that the Master will bring down massive political sanctions and even military intervention to eliminate all elements of rebellion as well as permanently remove the current rulers of the vassal from power. Even if the Master is unable to completely overrun the vassal itself, the Master could offer lands and titles for other vassals and nobles in exchange for their help to bring Julian down, if that is what it takes).
For the Greys sake, this can not be allowed happen for it will bring the whole of the Auberwood to complete ruin, and it will take decades to rebuild and recover from the Reds campaign across the vassal. If Julian even cares enough to hold his own throne then he must do something fast to save everything that he and the Greys have, including their lives.

As for the assassination, I would be surprised if the Reds were behind it since they already have control over the Auberwood, Caerreyn may not hold the throne of the Auberwood but they can demand what they require of the vassal from its Lord. It would be completely pointless to assassinate the Lord of the Auberwood.
No, it must be someone else, someone who would benefit from a conflict between Reds and Greys.

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LurkingWolf

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Reply #6 on: December 22, 2012, 02:32:37 PM
Clearly Julian has already mastered political finagling....



Generic Meatbag #14

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Reply #7 on: December 23, 2012, 12:39:40 AM
Clearly Julian has already mastered political finagling....
Such an excellent word, finagle.

"There is a theory that states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.

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William Swiftfoot

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Reply #8 on: December 23, 2012, 12:43:05 AM
Not taking in the part of that there is a flashback here, I have to disagree with you on one point Miles. Control or not, having a "Figurehead" on the throne of the vassal is better control than having someone who would dissagree with you and be forced to negotitate to get things done, especially if one is to "keep the peace." The other thing I do wonder here is how much the situation has changed between the flashback and the present, cause the Red's may have not been as much in power at the time.



Foxotcw

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Reply #9 on: December 23, 2012, 07:29:37 AM
@Miles

Very thoughtful analysis.  He is agreeing to a future meeting, so I think it's clear he isn't breaking off diplomatic relations, but simply ending the meeting (and reminding them that he is in charge of his own court).

Also, while the Reds consider the Grey's "vassals" in a formal sense, the political reality is really that of one kingdom subjugating another by force.  In a normal liege-vassal relationship, the Auberwood would be granted as a fief to the Grey lord in return for the lord's fealty.  In this case, however, the Greys clearly don't think of the Auberwood as a "fief" belonging to King Herrot.  They have their own royal line and recognize Julian as having authority by birth, which puts Julian in a far more powerful political position than a typical fief-holder.  The Reds are powerful enough to insist that Julian meet certain demands, but not powerful enough to force the Greys to accept whatever lord or regent they choose.

Whoever arranged the assassination of Julian's father, the Reds would certainly benefit from replacing the de-facto king of the Greys with a regent subject to political control and patronage.  Minor crown-princes are usually easy to manipulate or even quietly dispose of.

Note that Julian seems to have taken the Red ambassadors completely by surprise.  They didn't even know his name originally, and certainly never imagined that he would show up and start giving orders.  Most importantly, his father's former court seems happy to rally around him, throwing a major wrench into any plans the Reds might have had to play Grey factions against each other.



LurkingWolf

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Reply #10 on: December 23, 2012, 11:50:51 AM
I'm sort of expecting to see that he's seen and survived several assassination attempts since then.



Miles

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Reply #11 on: December 23, 2012, 05:32:03 PM
@ Kenku

I know it is only a flashback, my posts are only speculation at best, and I like to speculate.
The system of control in a feudal monarchy would be one where the ruling monarch heavily relied on the co-operation of the landowning aristocrats to maintain control of the country. It was very hierarchical, and if a High Noble Lord died (such as Julian's father) then not only would the monarch loose control of that Lords office and lands but also all the nobles below him that the Lord controlled, leading to a huge problem. The only reason I can see that the Reds would want Julian's father dead is if he was becoming too powerful to control through conventional means since killing him would lead to huge problems.
That is why I don't believe they were behind it, the Reds already defeated and conquered the Auberwood when it was in a far more prominent and powerful position than it is now (or even during the flashback), so it would not make sense to eliminate Julian's father.

@ Foxotcw

There is where we have the problem between the Reds and Greys. The Reds believe that they should control the Auberwood, possibly because they conquered it, and the Greys believe that they, themselves, should control the Auberwood because it is their homeland. "Reminding" your "betters" that you are in control is inadvisible, especially if your "betters" are far bigger, stronger and more powerful than you are.
Although, I don't think the Reds really want to control the Auberwood directly through a regent, the Greys are obviously suspicious of the Reds at best and they would know it, it would be far easier to allow a Grey on the throne and control that one Grey lord rather than trying to control possibly millions of Greys all across their forest.
The only problem they would have for allowing Julian to take the throne is that they would doubt whether he is capable of exerting control from those below him because of his young age and lack of experience. Not every Grey would see Julian as "Lord of the Auberwood", some may want to control him, manipulate him or cheat him out of what they want from him. The Reds want someone who would keep the whole region in line, and the Reds suggested their regency plan in order to establish a new government as quickly as possible to avoid any crashes or conflicts from those who would want to take the throne for themselves. Despite the fact that the Greys obviously hate the Reds, it truly is to the Reds advantage to have the Greys united, whether that is behind Julian or in mutual opposition to a Red regent.

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Eboreg

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Reply #12 on: October 27, 2014, 07:34:30 PM
I'm picking up two things from this comic.

a) The Reds' victory over the Grays' may have been very much Pyrrhic.

b) Julian reminds me of Charles the 12th aka Carolus Rex.