Ed is also the local expert on SGV, She Is Fiercer, the dead god, etc. He told Digger (and us) all about it ages ago and seems well educated in hyena lore; only Boneclaw Mother might know more. I bet Digger will be glad to have him along.
Ed’s not only the local expert, he’s also a mortal analogue for the dead god. After, he also betrayed his wife (regardless of his reasons). He is also an outcast male. He _might_ represent a shot at redemption for He-Is, if he can redeem himself to his daughter and the tribe. All sorts of rules go right out the window when gods are involved, so he might be able to be forgiven, which means that He-Is might also be able to be forgiven. All in all, quite an apocalyptic turn of events for the hyenas and their gods.
I’m having trouble stating up the various races. The Hyenas were easy; boosts to Strength and Dexterity, Perception and Intimidate as skills, and a “lunge” ability that lets them charge from close range once per encounter. The Wombats, though? They’re stumping me.
Constitution is obvious for such a naturally hardy species, but it’s the last ability score that’s so difficult. Wisdom would seem a good fit, Wombats being responsible and cautious to a fault, but Wisdom is also the primary ability of the divine classes! We can’t have them so naturally cavorting with the gods, after all. Intelligence was my next thought, but that’s the purview of the arcane. What self-respecting Wombat takes up magic? Charisma is right out.
Now it’s just down to Strength or Dexterity, but I’m having a hard time with both. Digger doesn’t seem particularly agile, at least not in the same league as a race that’s supposed to have a Dexterity bonus, but Strength bonuses are usually reserved for tall, hulking races like Orcs. And after Goliaths, Warforged, and Minotaurs, does the game really need another Str/Con race?
It’s driving me nuts. Maybe I should just scratch the serial numbers off of traditional Tolkien Dwarves and call it a day, but that seems like cheating.
Ed calls himself lucky. We don’t know his old name. Rabbits / hare-like creatures can be associated with Luck, which the hyenas would’ve associated with him… Given how body-art works for creatures with fur, the name Hare also fits there, albeit as a pun… Other reasons, in increasing order of unlikeliness.. ..and it’d be an appropriate time to say “Even -I’m- not lucky enough for that”.
The only problem is that he probably wouldn’t off-handedly mention his old name. Even if he was specifying “the ghost of $name”. Hrm.
Looking forward to the next comic. Interested in seeing if I’m wrong, and if so, how far off…
I kind of doubt that Hare is Ed’s old name. As you say, Wirrit, he wouldn’t just mention it offhandedly. Ed seems to like folklore, and we’ve heard Hare mentioned before as an important character, so I’m guessing it’s just another myth reference.
But the parallels between Ed and He-Is are indeed completely fascinating and full of potential. Ed’s likely to be more helpful than Murai was the first time down the tunnel. I can see why Digger wants to protect him, but she needs to take a deep breath and come back to her usual engineerish logic.
I agree with pretty much everything Wayne said. It just makes too much sense, mythologically speaking, for Ed to go. When you have to mess with gods, Digger, do it right! 🙂
I almost wonder if Grim Eyes or Murai could find the way down to that cave without Digger also being there? Because if so…and if things in the Temple reach the point where they could run off…! But that’s just my imagination taking off with things.
Argh! Where’s that Time Travel Invention for Dummies book!?! Want to see what happens!!
@Wirrit I think Hare’s ghost is a sort of hyena exclamation, I don’t think Ed could bring himself to say his won name, though your logic is good. Also Ed seems more competent than the last person she went down there with, he’s not likely to faint.
Ed joining Digger on this already seemed entirely reasonable to me — but wayne clinched it, up there. The parallel symbolism is entirely too powerful, even if Ursula doesn’t go that way.
Hunter: “He seems too…gentle to go underground to kill a god.”
I’d say that’s exactly the kind of ally you want: someone who isn’t in the grip of passionate emotion, who’s helping because it’s a grim necessity, the “right thing to do”.
@Hunter: He’s a pretty gentle guy, yeah, but remember what happened to the last hyena that pushed him too far? Now consider that fact that the lesson he took from that was that he waited too long to do it last time. While Ed is generally a calm and peaceful individual, I would not want to piss him off.
The way both Boneclaw Mother and Ed use it makes me pretty sure you’re right about its being a cultural reference–the name of some god or long-dead hero.
Don’t underestimate Ed!. He’s a carnivore who’s lived alone for years, so he at least has hunting skills (or he would have starved!). Don’t forget when we met him he was going to eat Digger for going into his cave.
I keep hoping that Ed will somehow manage to be reunited with the tribe. Perhaps he could marry back into it. I hear there’s an eligible female named Digger…
Yeeaaahh, that would be a pretty awkward family reunion, especially since a certain member of the family probably hasn’t been told who she’s related to. Would you tell someone her father is the one whose name was eaten?
I’ve been secretly hoping for something like that myself Ortonmc. If there’s no rules against it I think it would be great but Digger may need some convincing.
You keep saying those words, digger, i do no think they mean what you think they mean….
Really, Ed has a point. And it can’t hurt to have more help, Digger. Really.
Well, okay, it probably can, but Ed does strike me as fairly competent, so we’re gonna go with “take Ed because I want to see more of him anyway.”
And in Ed’s world, facing a dead god can’t be that much worse than what he’d face if he stayed behind.
Wow, Ed’s being super logical…it’s kind of strange to me. Poor Digger 🙂
Ed is also the local expert on SGV, She Is Fiercer, the dead god, etc. He told Digger (and us) all about it ages ago and seems well educated in hyena lore; only Boneclaw Mother might know more. I bet Digger will be glad to have him along.
Did Ed just say his eaten name?
Ed’s not only the local expert, he’s also a mortal analogue for the dead god. After, he also betrayed his wife (regardless of his reasons). He is also an outcast male. He _might_ represent a shot at redemption for He-Is, if he can redeem himself to his daughter and the tribe. All sorts of rules go right out the window when gods are involved, so he might be able to be forgiven, which means that He-Is might also be able to be forgiven. All in all, quite an apocalyptic turn of events for the hyenas and their gods.
I’m having trouble stating up the various races. The Hyenas were easy; boosts to Strength and Dexterity, Perception and Intimidate as skills, and a “lunge” ability that lets them charge from close range once per encounter. The Wombats, though? They’re stumping me.
Constitution is obvious for such a naturally hardy species, but it’s the last ability score that’s so difficult. Wisdom would seem a good fit, Wombats being responsible and cautious to a fault, but Wisdom is also the primary ability of the divine classes! We can’t have them so naturally cavorting with the gods, after all. Intelligence was my next thought, but that’s the purview of the arcane. What self-respecting Wombat takes up magic? Charisma is right out.
Now it’s just down to Strength or Dexterity, but I’m having a hard time with both. Digger doesn’t seem particularly agile, at least not in the same league as a race that’s supposed to have a Dexterity bonus, but Strength bonuses are usually reserved for tall, hulking races like Orcs. And after Goliaths, Warforged, and Minotaurs, does the game really need another Str/Con race?
It’s driving me nuts. Maybe I should just scratch the serial numbers off of traditional Tolkien Dwarves and call it a day, but that seems like cheating.
‘Hare’s Ghost’ ? Oo, that sounds promising. Or is there a reference I might have missed?
…could “Hare” be Ed’s old name?
Ed calls himself lucky. We don’t know his old name. Rabbits / hare-like creatures can be associated with Luck, which the hyenas would’ve associated with him… Given how body-art works for creatures with fur, the name Hare also fits there, albeit as a pun… Other reasons, in increasing order of unlikeliness.. ..and it’d be an appropriate time to say “Even -I’m- not lucky enough for that”.
The only problem is that he probably wouldn’t off-handedly mention his old name. Even if he was specifying “the ghost of $name”. Hrm.
Looking forward to the next comic. Interested in seeing if I’m wrong, and if so, how far off…
Ed just convinced ME that he should go.
I don’t know, I really hate it when people get reasonable at me. It makes it so hard to say no.
I kind of doubt that Hare is Ed’s old name. As you say, Wirrit, he wouldn’t just mention it offhandedly. Ed seems to like folklore, and we’ve heard Hare mentioned before as an important character, so I’m guessing it’s just another myth reference.
But the parallels between Ed and He-Is are indeed completely fascinating and full of potential. Ed’s likely to be more helpful than Murai was the first time down the tunnel. I can see why Digger wants to protect him, but she needs to take a deep breath and come back to her usual engineerish logic.
I agree with pretty much everything Wayne said. It just makes too much sense, mythologically speaking, for Ed to go. When you have to mess with gods, Digger, do it right! 🙂
I almost wonder if Grim Eyes or Murai could find the way down to that cave without Digger also being there? Because if so…and if things in the Temple reach the point where they could run off…! But that’s just my imagination taking off with things.
Argh! Where’s that Time Travel Invention for Dummies book!?! Want to see what happens!!
Determined Ed is adorable! And very right.
I wonder how well Ed can fight. He seems too…gentle to go underground to kill a god.
Thought for the day: Ed is going to take the place of He Is.
We’re ignoring the best potential here…
The underground is chock full of skin lizards.
Ed is a skin painter.
This is going to be FUN.
Heh. I love that Digger backed herself into this particular corner, by sending Surka to fetch the hyena tribe …
Don’t forget to VOTE, everyone! http://topwebcomics.com/vote/10180/default.aspx
*looks at last slide*
FACEPALM!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!
(How am I the first one to give a shoutout about that after so many comments?)
@Wirrit I think Hare’s ghost is a sort of hyena exclamation, I don’t think Ed could bring himself to say his won name, though your logic is good. Also Ed seems more competent than the last person she went down there with, he’s not likely to faint.
I’m assuming it’s the same Hare that once ate meat
Ed joining Digger on this already seemed entirely reasonable to me — but wayne clinched it, up there. The parallel symbolism is entirely too powerful, even if Ursula doesn’t go that way.
Hunter: “He seems too…gentle to go underground to kill a god.”
I’d say that’s exactly the kind of ally you want: someone who isn’t in the grip of passionate emotion, who’s helping because it’s a grim necessity, the “right thing to do”.
@Hunter: He’s a pretty gentle guy, yeah, but remember what happened to the last hyena that pushed him too far? Now consider that fact that the lesson he took from that was that he waited too long to do it last time. While Ed is generally a calm and peaceful individual, I would not want to piss him off.
Hare’s Ghost-didn’t Boneclaw-Mother say that, in a previous comic? Oh, and I’m hoping the bundle is a paintbrush with a sword on the end.
I’m pretty sure Hare’s Ghost is a reference to hyena mythos, not to Ed’s name. Didn’t Bone Claw Mother also mention the name?
@Lissy (and everyone): Found it.
http://www.diggercomic.com/?p=430&cpage=1
The way both Boneclaw Mother and Ed use it makes me pretty sure you’re right about its being a cultural reference–the name of some god or long-dead hero.
Don’t underestimate Ed!. He’s a carnivore who’s lived alone for years, so he at least has hunting skills (or he would have starved!). Don’t forget when we met him he was going to eat Digger for going into his cave.
I keep hoping that Ed will somehow manage to be reunited with the tribe. Perhaps he could marry back into it. I hear there’s an eligible female named Digger…
Yeeaaahh, that would be a pretty awkward family reunion, especially since a certain member of the family probably hasn’t been told who she’s related to. Would you tell someone her father is the one whose name was eaten?
I’ve been secretly hoping for something like that myself Ortonmc. If there’s no rules against it I think it would be great but Digger may need some convincing.
@ Madam Atom
OH! I remember that page. It makes me laugh every time.
Thanks for that, Madam Atom. Boneclaw Mother’s smirk makes me giggle every time I see it… which is quite a lot, now that I think about it.
well that does it… im rolling Ed as my character in my next campaign
Gnoll :Bard
might find a way to put grim eyes in there too XD
! I wonder… Ed definately has potential to be a mouthpiece/avatar of He is…
If He is really wanted to die and is being denied… this might prove interesting… well, for us 😛 The Cold Ones, less so maybe 🙂
Digger looks kinda… fierce. In the second panel. Also, yay Ed!
i’ll see your Gnoll Bard and raise you a Worg Paladin named “Digger” (when the new WoW extension finally comes out).
and that’s only because “Little Mother of Earthquakes” exceeds the character limitation on names.
I actually found myself saying “Blood and shale” the other day. It’s contagious.
Ed is scared of… what?!
now all we need is Surka (Bard) , Grim eyes (Fighter or Ranger), Murai (monk of course), and finally shadow child (Shapeshifter, artificer XD)
no no no no – WoW has a Hunter class, which is obviously Grim Eyes.
…..although it does bring up interesting questions of what creature she might tame to be her fighting “pet”.
@ Madam Atom… thanks for the reference. I would guess some sort of culture hero by the way the name is used in conversation
On my second read-through… Knowing what happens… *tear*