There is something so deeply adorable about his face on the last panel. Like, academia is his turf and he is just ecstatic to be back. Also, a bit of “I cannot wait to punt a racist out of the continent at the slightest provocation”
That’s cause it’s less arrogance then and more aware of of the reality of his privilege. All of them really are untouchable by association with the world’s most powerful and prestigious mage, and if something does happen he can either press charges or light’em up 6 different ways and get off on defense of another person in court.
YES EXACTLY I’ll be watching/reading a piece of fantasy that says there’s this awful discrimination against a fantasy group and then it’s just never brought up again unless a villain is taunting character of said group or something.
Terry Pratchett played with this quite a bit. Ankh-Morpork of old was very human-centric. And even as it became more cosmopolitan, there were still always certain races looked down upon. In the outskirts . . . I think it was goblins . . . were actually kept as slaves. And then there’s the whole dwarf/troll thing.
The first couple books in the series (“The Colour of Magic” and “The Light Fantastic”) aren’t his best work; he really hadn’t quite hit his stride and decided what he wanted to do with the series yet. Read them for the sake of completion, if you want, but you may not wish to start there.
There’s many ways to read the Discworld books. Some of them can be read on their own; some of them it’s helpful to have read others first. And there’s several different . . . call them subseries, I guess . . . within the main setting. Your best bet is probably to Google “Discworld reading guide” and pick one of the starting points that looks interesting to you.
If you’re reading the Guards books, keep in mind that Sam Vimes’ character arc takes place over several books. Yes, he starts out as a disillusioned, alcoholic, racist cop. He gets better.
4th panel
Kendal: Is that racism I have heard? I guess it’s the time for justice.
Alinua: What the fucking fuck was that fucking thing?
Falst: It took 30 seconds. I guess they are moderate with their racism here.
And like that the bespectacled ponytail guy fumbled his chance at joining the party.
Erin’s been saving that purple cloak hasn’t he? Though it does help contrast him and Falst in this environment, Falst seems very uncomfortable and withdrawn compared to Erin’s openness and confidence.
I think it’s important to show the systemic, and at times unconscious, nature of Ferin racism, the guy at the counter my not hate Ferin but assumes that Falst is a servant and on equal footing with the rest of the gang.
So this is the Aseran embassy in an undisclosed city, not sure if they’re in Zuurith yet though, I think Kendal would be a little more apprehensive if that were the case owing to Vash’s dislike of Zuurith’s practices. I wonder if that symbol on the counter is of this city.
Reminds me of the fact that every time I travel, the tour guides greet me with the wrong language- not English or their native language, so I’m sure it’s an assumption based on looks.
I know everybody is talking about Erin kicking racism in the face and I love that. But what I’m curious about is that metal coin with gem inlay. Is it the money or a badge of somekind? I need to know.
Do Alinua’s ears give her an advantage? I understand that Falst’s would, but I feel like Alinua’s pointy ears are just differently shaped ears. Biologically, the shape of ears don’t lend too much to their sensitivity; it’s more about what structures are inside, or how the ear can move in response to sound.
as a person with a minor birth defect of having one pointed ear, I can confirm that the only difference is that I can’t wear earbuds in that ear comfortably. it’s not as pointed as traditional elf ears, but still.
This is fascinating, i spose in a wold where magic can cause massive devesation and damage it would make sense to have a magicly resistant assistant
Obviously wrong that they made the assumption but still fascinating
Off topic- what kinds of incredibly dumb or disturbing videogame ads do you get? I’ve been seeing a string of match/ merging games with a caption along the lines of “no one has beaten *this incredibly easy level*” or “I’ve tried 3333 times bit still i cannot pass” (yes with the lowercase I) or *shows an easy task getting failed to anger the viewer into downloading the game*
Okay, my first two attempts at replying got eaten. Maybe if I censor “the bad words” I’ll have more luck:
I keep seeing ads for Raid: Shadow Legends that say things like: “This game is so beautiful it’s worth installing just to see!”, or, “Most realistic game for men over 50!”, with a picture of a female character with anime b**bs.
First of all: if I want to see a beautiful game, I already have Hollow Knight, Breath of the Wild, Subnautica, Minecraft, Pyre, and Hades, among others; secondly, the latter ad is obviously a p*rn tease, and I’m aroase; and to cap it all off, I’m not over 50.
I get those too! They used to be worse, though. I was seeing frequent ads of anime-ish characters, mostly female, with very little clothes. The ads would usually be “do a makeover” or “you’re a king choosing a lady for your harem, so you kick out one for having an ugly baby or not obeying you” and other sexist junk. There was a particularly disturbing one in which the game shows a monarch strolling down a street and helping a poor man, then the ad claims it was a failure and repeats the scene, but with the monarch beating up the beggar. I just thought it sent a really awful message.
And I get a bunch of “check this out if you’re 18 or older” ads and all I can say is NO, I’m 17….
It’s probably all because my dad watches so much anime and movies. I’ve seen a few disturbing glimpses.
Whatever anime he watches sounds like the kind of anime I definitely wouldn’t like… I’ll stick to Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Inuyasha, thanks.
The only ads I get are grammarly ads and dramatic requests to sign up for the air force (yes, really). Grammarly makes sense because I watch nerd videos and it’s kinda the default ad for people when google has no online shopping data to draw from, but the air force? What? I’m not even old enough to consider that! And as much as it would help with becoming an astronaut, if I can get flight time some other way, I’d rather do that.
Also, @TheUnknownGame, I’d ask what you’re doing that’s making the internet think you’re over fifty and allosexual, but apparently I’m doing something to make the internet think I want to join the military, so the only conclusion I can draw is that the internet is often wrong. Which I already knew, but like, you can’t get much more worng than that.
I’ve been getting this one specific ad for a credit card and I immediately cringe every time I see it because 1) it’s a perfect example of an ad trying to be funny and just failing so much and 2) I am not old enough to purchase a credit card.
Yeah, I’ve gotten several of those. Also ones like “Only left-brained people can do this!” On platforms that allow such, I report them with “misleading”.
Erin looks so happy to be able to flex his privilege a bit for the sake of his friends.
Makes sense, really. Erin is both smart enough to have realized that up to here he’s been the least useful party member by a country mile, and proud enough that this knowledge has to rankle a lot. Being able to just get shit done as the Elemental Magus must be kind of therapeutic for him after these past weeks.
The reply function probably doesn’t work anymore, but anyways:
I was doing a reread and wouldn’t you know; my second guess was right! (for one of them xD)
Erin’s arrogance is less of a frustrating flaw and more a cute perk when he uses it to defend his new friends
There is something so deeply adorable about his face on the last panel. Like, academia is his turf and he is just ecstatic to be back. Also, a bit of “I cannot wait to punt a racist out of the continent at the slightest provocation”
Erin’s really thinking: “Fighting racism? What a fun new enterpise!”
“Ah, you don’t understand, I’m a privileged smart person and I have power here by right of my smartness and privilege.”
That’s cause it’s less arrogance then and more aware of of the reality of his privilege. All of them really are untouchable by association with the world’s most powerful and prestigious mage, and if something does happen he can either press charges or light’em up 6 different ways and get off on defense of another person in court.
Already in Zuurith? I honestly thought we were gonna get an opening shot a la Chapter 4, overlooking the city from the outside
Wait… a fantasy thing that depicts interspecies racism as a systemic thing instead of something a few bad people do?
How unusual.
YES EXACTLY I’ll be watching/reading a piece of fantasy that says there’s this awful discrimination against a fantasy group and then it’s just never brought up again unless a villain is taunting character of said group or something.
Terry Pratchett played with this quite a bit. Ankh-Morpork of old was very human-centric. And even as it became more cosmopolitan, there were still always certain races looked down upon. In the outskirts . . . I think it was goblins . . . were actually kept as slaves. And then there’s the whole dwarf/troll thing.
Ooooh, i’ll have to check that out.
The first couple books in the series (“The Colour of Magic” and “The Light Fantastic”) aren’t his best work; he really hadn’t quite hit his stride and decided what he wanted to do with the series yet. Read them for the sake of completion, if you want, but you may not wish to start there.
There’s many ways to read the Discworld books. Some of them can be read on their own; some of them it’s helpful to have read others first. And there’s several different . . . call them subseries, I guess . . . within the main setting. Your best bet is probably to Google “Discworld reading guide” and pick one of the starting points that looks interesting to you.
If you’re reading the Guards books, keep in mind that Sam Vimes’ character arc takes place over several books. Yes, he starts out as a disillusioned, alcoholic, racist cop. He gets better.
Kendal’s protective expression in the 4th panel tho
“You wot mate?”
ah, racism
Ok how many pages till they get arrested for no reason? Eight? Twelve?
I give them seven, maybe eleven if Erin can try to do something about it
I think around four, more depending on how long it takes for sir Robin to get here.
Erin: “Don’t worry, i just forgot to show them my ‘no casual racism’ badge. No biggie
What do you know, a fantastic racism that is actully systemic and not something only few bad people do.
Panel 4 Floof Squad: “So you have chosen… DEATH”
Do we ship it, or course we do, we ship Falst and Erin. Ferin? Eralst?
falerin best ship I will use violence to defend this
I do believe we ship it
4th panel
Kendal: Is that racism I have heard? I guess it’s the time for justice.
Alinua: What the fucking fuck was that fucking thing?
Falst: It took 30 seconds. I guess they are moderate with their racism here.
Alinua, sarcastically: “A whole 30 seconds? Wow, this is the most woke city I’ve ever been to.”
Erin: “…I’m so sorry.”
Honestly, though, I think panel three is a bit more profound.
Kendal and Alinua: ooh, fancy!
Falst: *expecting misery*
And like that the bespectacled ponytail guy fumbled his chance at joining the party.
Erin’s been saving that purple cloak hasn’t he? Though it does help contrast him and Falst in this environment, Falst seems very uncomfortable and withdrawn compared to Erin’s openness and confidence.
I think it’s important to show the systemic, and at times unconscious, nature of Ferin racism, the guy at the counter my not hate Ferin but assumes that Falst is a servant and on equal footing with the rest of the gang.
So this is the Aseran embassy in an undisclosed city, not sure if they’re in Zuurith yet though, I think Kendal would be a little more apprehensive if that were the case owing to Vash’s dislike of Zuurith’s practices. I wonder if that symbol on the counter is of this city.
That’s Erin’s “look how rich I am” cloak. He doesn’t want to mess in up on the thorns and branches of the countryside.
Upon closer inspection, I think it might be a cape, not a cloak. Just to add to the “look how rich I am” vibe.
(Honestly, I like it… he looks good with a cape)
Floof Squad ready to fight your bullshit
TL;DR: Racism at its finest.
Welcome to the USA… hhhhh…
Reminds me of the fact that every time I travel, the tour guides greet me with the wrong language- not English or their native language, so I’m sure it’s an assumption based on looks.
“It won’t happen again”
Yes, and all that fern discrimination backstory is definitely going to waste.
I know everybody is talking about Erin kicking racism in the face and I love that. But what I’m curious about is that metal coin with gem inlay. Is it the money or a badge of somekind? I need to know.
That’s Erin’s ambassador’s badge! I think he explained more about it during his character introduction, you might have to go back for that.
That would be an emissary sigil from Asera given to Erin due to his unique position as elemental magus (all explained on page 1-6-2)
Second line of panels be like: “Everyone disliked that.”
“With me on your side, you’re untouchable.”
Erin, you’ve doomed them all.
Bet y’all dollars to donuts Erin’s gonna lose that Aseran badge soon
Can’t wait for heckling on the street
Erin’s face in the last panel gives me butterflies o.o
Famous last words.
I would like to point out that Kendal is like 2 feet taller than Falst.
“With me on your side, you’re untouchable.”
*Ten minutes later out on the street against angry mob with pitchforks and torches*
“Untouchable, am I?”
today’s memes.
panel 4, all faces
erins face on the last panel
“with me on your side, you’re untouchable”
racist hotel clerk is sentenced to death
I just realized: with Kendal’s supernatural senses and Alinua’s and Falst’s pointy ears, I think Erin might have the worst hearing of the group.
Do Alinua’s ears give her an advantage? I understand that Falst’s would, but I feel like Alinua’s pointy ears are just differently shaped ears. Biologically, the shape of ears don’t lend too much to their sensitivity; it’s more about what structures are inside, or how the ear can move in response to sound.
Ah. Forgive me; when it comes to science, I’m definitely more knowledgeable in astronomy and geology than I am in biology.
I mean, this is a fantasy webcomic. Alinua is an elf; she could have enhanced senses anyway. Maybe just not for the reason you’re thinking.
as a person with a minor birth defect of having one pointed ear, I can confirm that the only difference is that I can’t wear earbuds in that ear comfortably. it’s not as pointed as traditional elf ears, but still.
Oh, that’s…that’s horribly adorable, Erin, you silly thing.
Falst in the second last panel is basically me whenever I go out.
This is fascinating, i spose in a wold where magic can cause massive devesation and damage it would make sense to have a magicly resistant assistant
Obviously wrong that they made the assumption but still fascinating
I don’t think that’s the reason Ferin are often seen as servants…
Panel 4
Kendal: Excuse you?
Alinua: Wait, what?
Falst: There it is.
Our boy got microaggressed at!
And Erin continues to be the best character in the comic.
Off topic- what kinds of incredibly dumb or disturbing videogame ads do you get? I’ve been seeing a string of match/ merging games with a caption along the lines of “no one has beaten *this incredibly easy level*” or “I’ve tried 3333 times bit still i cannot pass” (yes with the lowercase I) or *shows an easy task getting failed to anger the viewer into downloading the game*
I just get weird Final Fantasy XIV ads about their free trial
Okay, my first two attempts at replying got eaten. Maybe if I censor “the bad words” I’ll have more luck:
I keep seeing ads for Raid: Shadow Legends that say things like: “This game is so beautiful it’s worth installing just to see!”, or, “Most realistic game for men over 50!”, with a picture of a female character with anime b**bs.
First of all: if I want to see a beautiful game, I already have Hollow Knight, Breath of the Wild, Subnautica, Minecraft, Pyre, and Hades, among others; secondly, the latter ad is obviously a p*rn tease, and I’m aroase; and to cap it all off, I’m not over 50.
I get those too! They used to be worse, though. I was seeing frequent ads of anime-ish characters, mostly female, with very little clothes. The ads would usually be “do a makeover” or “you’re a king choosing a lady for your harem, so you kick out one for having an ugly baby or not obeying you” and other sexist junk. There was a particularly disturbing one in which the game shows a monarch strolling down a street and helping a poor man, then the ad claims it was a failure and repeats the scene, but with the monarch beating up the beggar. I just thought it sent a really awful message.
And I get a bunch of “check this out if you’re 18 or older” ads and all I can say is NO, I’m 17….
It’s probably all because my dad watches so much anime and movies. I’ve seen a few disturbing glimpses.
Whatever anime he watches sounds like the kind of anime I definitely wouldn’t like… I’ll stick to Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Inuyasha, thanks.
Glad you found anime you enjoy. I am not really a fan (despite having a very anime-esque art style) but to each their own.
The only ads I get are grammarly ads and dramatic requests to sign up for the air force (yes, really). Grammarly makes sense because I watch nerd videos and it’s kinda the default ad for people when google has no online shopping data to draw from, but the air force? What? I’m not even old enough to consider that! And as much as it would help with becoming an astronaut, if I can get flight time some other way, I’d rather do that.
Also, @TheUnknownGame, I’d ask what you’re doing that’s making the internet think you’re over fifty and allosexual, but apparently I’m doing something to make the internet think I want to join the military, so the only conclusion I can draw is that the internet is often wrong. Which I already knew, but like, you can’t get much more worng than that.
I have ad personalization turned off on all my devices, so the internet just chucks random bullshit at me.
And I also occasionally get ads propagandising the military. I hate them.
Same, they are so irritating. The music is super cheesy too.
I’ve been getting this one specific ad for a credit card and I immediately cringe every time I see it because 1) it’s a perfect example of an ad trying to be funny and just failing so much and 2) I am not old enough to purchase a credit card.
I get ads for a meal company that for some reason use the cooking sound effect from Breath of the Wild
Yeah, I’ve gotten several of those. Also ones like “Only left-brained people can do this!” On platforms that allow such, I report them with “misleading”.
Great,now Erin’s created the in-universe equivalent of dalit, but instead of social caste it’s literal appearance?
ouch
Look, the gang’s finally getting their capes back!
Erin looks so happy to be able to flex his privilege a bit for the sake of his friends.
Makes sense, really. Erin is both smart enough to have realized that up to here he’s been the least useful party member by a country mile, and proud enough that this knowledge has to rankle a lot. Being able to just get shit done as the Elemental Magus must be kind of therapeutic for him after these past weeks.
The reply function probably doesn’t work anymore, but anyways:
I was doing a reread and wouldn’t you know; my second guess was right! (for one of them xD)
“Untouchable” is probably a poor choice of words
Alt text: that’s privilege, baby!
Is that a (fantasy) racism I spy?
falst went to the alinua school of kitty-cat cloak silhouettes, i see