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Neddy Seagoon posted:I swear I've read somewhere he's looking for someone to take the empire off his hands via the tournament, but damned if I can remember where now. I think maybe the chapter where he's showing off the empire to Zaid, maybe? Good find! Looks like even there he is saying the winner of the tournament could have anything they wish. It is heavily implied that it would mean inheriting the empire is Dave's intentions, with which they could get whatever they wanted, as opposed to just being granted a random wish. A little vague though, probably on purpose, since later Allison says she doesn't want the empire per say, but is willing to enter the tournament to get what she wants.
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Apr 8, 2020 08:05
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I like to believe that Dave hasn't considered the possibility that a person would wish for anything other than to take his place. Or, at least, that anyone powerful enough and (in his mind, therefore wise and virtuous enough) to scratch him would - I'm sure he knows that there are plenty of fools who would wish for love or money or whatever, but, like, he created a perfect world-spanning empire, the greatest dominion ever to exist. It's forever his greatest achievement, obviously it's also the greatest desire of anyone sensible.
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Apr 8, 2020 08:31
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGp9P6QvMjY
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Apr 8, 2020 08:33
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I still think Solomon David is lying to himself about wanting to hand off his empire. Like, consciously, that's what he wants. That's what he knows it would be most virtuous and god-emperor-ly of him to want. But he is also completely incapable of letting anyone else make their own, in his eyes wrong, decisions. He's completely inflexible and self-absorbed, so nobody (even someone who beats him!) will ever be good enough for the Celestial Empire of Solomon David unless they are literally just Solomon David. There is no way in hell he would actually hand off his empire, because that would be an opportunity for something to do the wrong thing and threaten what he built. So, his search for an heir is futile and will always end in him obliterating the challenger because Solomon David cannot actually recognize anyone but himself as worthy. I'm interested in being proven wrong, but like, you don't become the tyrant of seven hundred thousand worlds (or about eleven percent more than that) without being some kind of hosed up, that just doesn't happen to reasonable people.
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Apr 8, 2020 08:52
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a computing pun posted:I like to believe that Dave hasn't considered the possibility that a person would wish for anything other than to take his place. Or, at least, that anyone powerful enough and (in his mind, therefore wise and virtuous enough) to scratch him would - I'm sure he knows that there are plenty of fools who would wish for love or money or whatever, but, like, he created a perfect world-spanning empire, the greatest dominion ever to exist. It's forever his greatest achievement, obviously it's also the greatest desire of anyone sensible. Joe Slowboat posted:I still think Solomon David is lying to himself about wanting to hand off his empire. Like, consciously, that's what he wants. That's what he knows it would be most virtuous and god-emperor-ly of him to want. What you're missing is it's also the greatest prison for him. He might've wanted to be Paternum when he was conquering and building and pillaging, but that's all done and over now with a successful Celestial Empire flourishing across the 111,111 worlds he owns and nothing left for a Conqueror to do. I think there's meant to be an inference that the "Commonwealth will last 10,000 years more" comes with "so long as I'm at the top", and the only way he can continue on his path to Royalty is by ensuring someone who at least approaches him in terms of power and discipline is sitting on the throne to keep things stable. He's in a holding position waiting and trapped by chains of his own making until then. Plus if a singular person tries to gently caress up the Empire from the top down while he's away, he can come right back and sort that very quickly. On a side-note, I dearly love the reason why his world has two suns now when the original was destroyed in the Universal War; "Because I put them there"  .
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Apr 8, 2020 09:04
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I'm not missing that, because that's the case for every Demiurge. Mottom's court was her prison; Yre was Mammon's. Mottom desperately wanted to escape, but without Allison would never have actually done what was necessary. Solomon will never accept an heir until he is forced to, because Solomon cannot actually bear to give up the prison he's built for himself (and more importantly, for his citizens).
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Apr 8, 2020 09:17
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Joe Slowboat posted:I'm not missing that, because that's the case for every Demiurge. Mottom's court was her prison; Yre was Mammon's. Oh I get what you mean now  ; He wants out, but at the same time he wants to hold on to everything?
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Apr 8, 2020 09:24
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The minor Gotcha moment I'm sensing is going to be that fidgeting or breathing disqualifies you from "standing completely still and doing absolutely nothing," so everyone's getting misted whether they meant to opt in or not.
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Apr 8, 2020 09:39
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So Dave is basically claiming he can accurately avoid all the contestants that are giving up while murdering the rest. This gunna be good.
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Apr 8, 2020 09:45
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lightrook posted:The minor Gotcha moment I'm sensing is going to be that fidgeting or breathing disqualifies you from "standing completely still and doing absolutely nothing," so everyone's getting misted whether they meant to opt in or not. No, he’s absolutely going to reward the well behaved survivors; it demonstrates his power and magnanimity and the rightness of his rule.
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Apr 8, 2020 09:59
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Neddy Seagoon posted:Oh I get what you mean now Yes - he believes that what he wants, what he pursues, is Royalty and higher things. What he actually, factually pursues in life is his empire and eternal control. Solomon David is as much a prisoner of his own inability to recognize his failings as every demiurge we've met. He hasn't won yet, as Incubus puts it, because what he wants (permanent, absolute control over his life and the world around him) is impossible. He can always slip, he can always fail. In theory, he wants to lose so that he can leave, but he'll never accept that. (Incubus remains fascinating because he himself clearly wants what's impossible, to have the universe validate him for his position and his skill, but he seems to recognize that in himself and in the other New Gods - his understanding of ambition is pretty developed, if terrifying.) Joe Slowboat fucked around with this message at 10:06 on Apr 8, 2020 |
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Apr 8, 2020 10:00
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That tower quote about Mammon perfectly describes Solomon as well.
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Apr 8, 2020 10:02
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yeah if he killed them he could be perceived as going back on his word and that does seem contrary to his whole Thing
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Apr 8, 2020 10:02
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i think the people who just sit or kneel will be fine i think solomon might go gank the people who ran for being punk asses
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Apr 8, 2020 10:29
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Patware posted:i think the people who just sit or kneel will be fine I don't think he would go that far, but I think it's safe to say they have forfeited any of the benefits he offered them. assuming that he still feels inclined to offer them after White Chain clowns on him somehow
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Apr 8, 2020 10:33
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Clearly they were running to get the best sniper positions, you all saw it!
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Apr 8, 2020 10:34
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I fully expect White Chain to go nuclear and suicide bomb Salami Dave.
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Apr 8, 2020 10:39
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Demiurge4 posted:I fully expect White Chain to go nuclear and suicide bomb Salami Dave. I suppose she will have to make her demand in advance. probably something like, "aid allison in her quest" or something I doubt even an angel explosion would kill David the Goliath, but it'd probably at least get a little trickle of blood
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Apr 8, 2020 10:41
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"You have drawn blood from me. What is your desire?" "I want three wishes" "..."
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Apr 8, 2020 10:44
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I'm so hype for the next page
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Apr 8, 2020 10:55
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So how exactly did the previous iterations of this tournament end? Someone comes out on top, Solomon unceremoniously explode them? Rinse and repeat every time?
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Apr 8, 2020 11:03
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Swole Dave is swole.
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Apr 8, 2020 11:08
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pseudorandom name posted:No, he’s absolutely going to reward the well behaved survivors; it demonstrates his power and magnanimity and the rightness of his rule. A true ruler knows to treat those who submit to their rule well, so as to prevent unneeded dissent and conflict in the future; it's a foolish tyrant who slays even those who surrender, for that will only ensure that all those in hopeless situations in the future will fight to the end and cost you to pay more for your victories than necessary.
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Apr 8, 2020 11:10
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YaketySass posted:So how exactly did the previous iterations of this tournament end? Someone comes out on top, Solomon unceremoniously explode them? Rinse and repeat every time? I believe they get a choice between fighting him for control of the empire or getting a silly-huge reward, likely similar to what the smart battle royale contestants are getting by standing still and doing nothing
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Apr 8, 2020 11:16
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Darth Walrus posted:I believe they get a choice between fighting him for control of the empire or getting a silly-huge reward, likely similar to what the smart battle royale contestants are getting by standing still and doing nothing It's not control of the empire, it's to be granted a wish by Solomon. Solomon's just really banking on that wish being "I want your entire Empire". And anyone wanting to get that prize is probably stupid enough to think they can fight Solomon. See; Literally everyone on the current page taking a step forward.
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Apr 8, 2020 11:20
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It's amazing how many of them considered "chill and get loads of rewards, titles etc" vs "fight a demigod who is literally empowered by the magic word that represents DIAMOND and get a wish if you hurt him, die if you fail" and still go at it. Like, do they not know what demiurges can do or do they look at their own skills and go "I can make my sword go swoosh with swishy lightning and am good at backflips, I bet thats roughly demiurge-tier"? Mottom lifts cities with her loving brain sorceries. Dave puts suns in skies because why not. Goggles is you and you are goggles because worms, etc.
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Apr 8, 2020 11:43
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Mindblast posted:It's amazing how many of them considered "chill and get loads of rewards, titles etc" vs "fight a demigod who is literally empowered by the magic word that represents DIAMOND and get a wish if you hurt him, die if you fail" and still go at it. Every single one of them has levels in Furious Dumbassery and as it turns out that's not quite a cheat code.
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Apr 8, 2020 11:52
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FIVE POINT PALM HEART EXPLODING TECHNIQUE!
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Apr 8, 2020 12:38
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shirts and skins posted:FIVE POINT PALM HEART EXPLODING TECHNIQUE! I was literally just thinking that Solomon's about to explode a lot more than a single heart with his five-point finger technique  .
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Apr 8, 2020 12:54
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Neddy Seagoon posted:Oh I get what you mean now It's exactly this. If he really wanted out, there are so many less insane ways he could go about it. He's a master of ki rata, the secret literally unbeatable superweapon martial art he used to take down a demiurge and take their key. If he wanted a successor capable of standing up to the other demiurges, he could choose someone worthy and...teach them ki rata. Instead he makes sure he's the only one who knows the literally unbeatable martial art, and challenges people to martial arts contests. Rats I won again, no-one worthy this time round! Well, enlightenment will have to wait, I'll stick around as God-Emperor for a little longer, build another couple of 100-metre high statues of my face thanks guys. Like the other demiurges his actions are self-defeating. He can't let go of his empire (and/or can't fully commit to trying to achieve Royalty because he's afraid of the possibility of failure), but he can't admit that to himself. So he convinces himself he's staying out of a noble sense of duty to the empire, and he can't leave until he's beaten - which he doesn't really believe will ever happen.
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Apr 8, 2020 12:58
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Mindblast posted:It's amazing how many of them considered "chill and get loads of rewards, titles etc" vs "fight a demigod who is literally empowered by the magic word that represents DIAMOND and get a wish if you hurt him, die if you fail" and still go at it. Everyone's the hero of their own story. Every one of them stepping forward is thinking some variation of "I've trained my whole life to get this far. I've fought endless duels for months/years/decades/centuries and won them all. I need to avenge my school/save my family/rule the Empire/etc. at all costs. This is my moment. This is it!" The next strip is when they realize, belatedly, that they are in fact bit characters in someone else's story.
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Apr 8, 2020 13:22
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Dave wants to hand off the empire because you don't have a perfect empire until you've perfected a method for (mostly) peaceful transfer of power at the top to someone competent. Dave thinks the only person who can properly rule is one capable of immense personal violence because of his own experiences. Ergo, it has to be someone at least close enough to him in power to wound him. Personally I'd think anyone who drew that drop of blood would ask him to teach them Ki Rata. Then you can get your own celestial empire. With blackjack, and hookers. paragon1 fucked around with this message at 13:51 on Apr 8, 2020 |
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Apr 8, 2020 13:48
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I kind of feel that Solomon is the kind of guy who would spend his entire 1 on 1 match perfectly defending before effortlessly defeating his foe, maybe even non-fatally. But this time he's going to atomise a whole heap of dudes
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Apr 8, 2020 13:53
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Neddy Seagoon posted:I was literally just thinking that Solomon's about to explode a lot more than a single heart with his five-point finger technique The explosion starts in the heart.
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Apr 8, 2020 13:57
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Mindblast posted:It's amazing how many of them considered "chill and get loads of rewards, titles etc" vs "fight a demigod who is literally empowered by the magic word that represents DIAMOND and get a wish if you hurt him, die if you fail" and still go at it. It has been ages since the universal war. No one has seen a demiurge fight in earnest for generations. Some contestants may even come from worlds where their individual might has never been known. Ki Rata is a lost art of which there is one practitioner and also has not been seen in public for an age. They are entirely unprepared.
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Apr 8, 2020 14:11
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akulanization posted:I don’t think the mantis guy is kindfolk but I only count six. Mantis man is my spirit animal because he knows what's up and made sure to put his blade away. Now he's just going to watch the show.
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Apr 8, 2020 14:15
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Glad to know that there were some people who probably only entered this for bragging rights/to hype their energy drink brand/etc. and have no interest in actually taking a swing at Solomon.
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Apr 8, 2020 14:24
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There are 2 people who know Ki Rata, but the other one actually adheres to the oath he took not to use it.
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Apr 8, 2020 14:56
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I'm happy that my main man, politely kneeling mantis dude, is going to get all kinds of riches & titles out of this
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Apr 8, 2020 15:42
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YaketySass posted:So how exactly did the previous iterations of this tournament end? Someone comes out on top, Solomon unceremoniously explode them? Rinse and repeat every time? Oh no, don't be ridiculous, I'm sure there's a lot of ceremony.
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Apr 8, 2020 15:51
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