Comic for July 1st, 2017 Hitting a Road Block

[CrRAR]

Now just watch as Twokinds suddenly transforms into a Stephen King novel.

Something something Gordon Freeman something something crowbar.

...and the Moon is falling into the Earth.

[Ecthudan]

As someone who used to play WoW a lot, I'm quite familiar with the concept of invisible walls.

But I do wonder just what exactly is going on? The most important question here, which some people have already raised, is whether they are trapped outside or inside of that force field. If they are trapped outside of it, then they'll just have to go another way or possibly even turn back. But if they are trapped inside of that force field, then something truly sinister must be going on. First of all, who would even want to trap them like that? The Templars? The Wolves? A dragon? Some unknown force?

I can't remember ever seeing a force field like that in the comic, so that's probably not something that your average magic user could pull off. And there's the suspicious absence of Mrs. Nibbly. As unlikely as it might seem for that squirrel to have something to do with this, I can't help but think that her sudden disappearance just as they discovered that force field can hardly be a coincidence. If we take the previous comic into account, where Maren offhandedly mentions "not having slept that well in ages", it's starting to become more and more likely that that force field is meant to trap them. Also, whoever did that might have wanted to make sure they wouldn't wake up during that process.

So two questions still remain: Who and why? If whoever trapped them was also able to send them into a deep slumber, then why not just capture them? This leads me to think that this trap might have been conceived by something or someone benevolent in nature. That presence might want to protect them.

And all of this is just assuming that they are trapped inside of it. It's still possible that the force field serves as a kind of cloaking device that is meant to hide something sinister that is going on within that force field.

In any case, we'll just have to wait and see. There is too little to go on so far.

[IHeartMaeve]

There is one big question to answer here:
Are they trapped outside of the invisible wall or inside?

Really good question tbh. Considering that recently, crazy things have been happening, there is only one logical conclusion.

Mrs. Nibbly is a dragon, Natani's pregnant, the Wolf's have taken over, Zen escaped, the Templar have built a bubble around Group B, Alaric is back, and the Moon is falling into the Earth.

Huh?

[CrRAR]

And there's the suspicious absence of Mrs. Nibbly. As unlikely as it might seem for that squirrel to have something to do with this, I can't help but think that her sudden disappearance just as they discovered that force field can hardly be a coincidence.

While I 100% do find her disappearance suspicious, in defense of the sweet innocent squirrel we all think we know and love, wild creatures do tend to be more attuned to nature and flee places of immediate danger. You know, leading up to one of those, "It's quiet, too quiet." moments.

Could it be the wolves? Maybe. They know Raine can teleport, would a wall like this prevent that though? Do they have the magical sophistication? Errrm. Ehh? Trace is capable of creating forcefields for defense but we're talking former Grand Templar capabilities here. Not Wolves of the Forest stuff. Fire and pointy objects seem to be most familiar to them. Additionally, Trace is a magical exception to the rule, not even your standard hoooman. I wonder if this does have to do with Clovis and the amulet. I wonder if we may see Raine immobilized or similar if whoever the assailant is did their homework. :<

Who knows, with Nibbly watching from a safe distance maybe she's rallying a group of rag-tag woodland creatures for glorious battle.

[Schrodinger]

Now just watch as Twokinds suddenly transforms into a Stephen King novel.

Something something Gordon Freeman something something crowbar.

The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world.

[TorqueEffect]

They know Raine can teleport.

But she can't control it very well, as she only teleported them a matter of feet from where the originally were. And I am willing to bet a magic forcefield would block teleportation done by magic.

[Cyon]

Apparently, Group B hasn't unlocked that section of the world map yet. Damn invisible walls...

Pffffffft xD

I doubt that it's the barrier supposedly established around Edinmire. it wouldn't make sense for that barrier to extend miles and miles from the town; and if they are close to town, they would have gone on into town the previous day.

Which means someone spend a lot of magic and talent to build a barrier in the middle of nowhere, with no consideration for discression. It leaves two possibilities:

1) The wall is around an external area. Then someone (maybe with some company) is traveling, and is or considers himself a potential target (for wolves or templars) and made this wall for his protection. Alternatively he may have done it to protect someone/something coming with him.

2) The wall is around group B. It's an attack (an agressive control of identities at best). That someone got them by surprise and things are going to turn sour quick.

They are still by those magic hot springs, perhaps someone is just using the latent magic of the area to do something/to power something and they left a barrier up around whatever magic item is involved?

For the sake of the storyline, I don't think it would be there for passive reasons especially considering its proximity to the group. Looking at the group, there are now 3 wolf Keidran (which could be a potential reason for assault by human soldiers).

Not to forget that "joke" reference to baby dragons' abilities to shape-shift into other creatures. If this gets brought up now I would be very impressed!

[CrRAR]

They know Raine can teleport.

But she can't control it very well, as she only teleported them a matter of feet from where the originally were. And I am willing to bet a magic forcefield would block teleportation done by magic.

She did manage a warp far enough to get them a surprise head-start beyond a fence (10 meters away). In this situation right here the barrier is very close but yeah it would probably defeat any meager attempt Raine could accidentally muster.

It could also be a coincidence maybe like Rafe said that this is a perimeter boundary around the city or something that Karen ran into. Team B might just conclude that there's bad news that way obviously and beat feet the way they planned (away from Karen's personal side-adventure). I just wonder because they seem pretty isolated where they're at, you know, so far in the woods for it to be something unrelated to them directly. Even Red seems to be concerned about covering lots of ground, so they must still have a ways to go before reaching civilization.

[steelabjur]

My money is still it being a "natural" effect of the magic of the spring that just happens to occur during the day and will fade by nightfall, just in time for Party B to miss Party A in Edinmire.

[Dadrobit]

You know, there's a "writers block" joke in here somewhere...

[IHeartMaeve]

You know, there's a "writers block" joke in here somewhere...

*facepalm* Grrr... Worst. Force-field pun. Ever!

[Cpt.Obvious]

They know Raine can teleport.

But she can't control it very well, as she only teleported them a matter of feet from where the originally were. And I am willing to bet a magic forcefield would block teleportation done by magic.

She did manage a warp far enough to get them a surprise head-start beyond a fence (10 meters away). In this situation right here the barrier is very close but yeah it would probably defeat any meager attempt Raine could accidentally muster.

It could also be a coincidence maybe like Rafe said that this is a perimeter boundary around the city or something that Karen ran into. Team B might just conclude that there's bad news that way obviously and beat feet the way they planned (away from Karen's personal side-adventure). I just wonder because they seem pretty isolated where they're at, you know, so far in the woods for it to be something unrelated to them directly. Even Red seems to be concerned about covering lots of ground, so they must still have a ways to go before reaching civilization.

Well you have to remember that at the time Raine was wearing the manacles that her mother enchanted to suppress her magic and keep her looking human. We really don't know just how strong her magical abilities are, though we do know she's more than a little behind on her training...

[Qwe304]

Apparently, Group B hasn't unlocked that section of the world map yet. Damn invisible walls...

Pffffffft xD

I doubt that it's the barrier supposedly established around Edinmire. it wouldn't make sense for that barrier to extend miles and miles from the town; and if they are close to town, they would have gone on into town the previous day.

Which means someone spend a lot of magic and talent to build a barrier in the middle of nowhere, with no consideration for discression. It leaves two possibilities:

1) The wall is around an external area. Then someone (maybe with some company) is traveling, and is or considers himself a potential target (for wolves or templars) and made this wall for his protection. Alternatively he may have done it to protect someone/something coming with him.

2) The wall is around group B. It's an attack (an agressive control of identities at best). That someone got them by surprise and things are going to turn sour quick.

They are still by those magic hot springs, perhaps someone is just using the latent magic of the area to do something/to power something and they left a barrier up around whatever magic item is involved?

For the sake of the storyline, I don't think it would be there for passive reasons especially considering its proximity to the group. Looking at the group, there are now 3 wolf Keidran (which could be a potential reason for assault by human soldiers).

Not to forget that "joke" reference to baby dragons' abilities to shape-shift into other creatures. If this gets brought up now I would be very impressed!

perhaps it has to do with the legacy estate, we dont currently know its exact location relative to Edinmire (or the location of team b for that matter), perhaps they are close to the estate, and it is some wall trace put up long ago to keep unwanted trespassers off of his lands?

[HSishi]

Sometimes an obviously trap reveals later as protection. Maybe Group B is trapped inside this bubble, but for protection from someone.

OR, since Natani tried to tell Zen, they should be blocked off Edinmire because of the trouble which is going on there.
Another bunch of visitors with two wolves in the pack ... not much welcomed there at the moment, I think.

[Kaeto]

Now just watch as Twokinds suddenly transforms into a Stephen King novel.

Stephen King by way of Sam Peckinpah.