17th October, 2013: No!

[morikahn]

Nice job on the Ruby panels Thunt, especially on the Ken necklace. You are getting the hang of it

You are still missed, though.

You know... now that THunt's schedule is more spread out from before, being every 5+ days...

... just sayin' ...

That is all.

Heh, sorry

I got my own comic now to color, and write, and storyboard.. on top of my regular work week. By the way, my title still says 'The Colorist'. Could it be changed to something like "Former Colorist" or "Goblin Poop" or something?

[kohlerikson]

It's official. The snake-bitch deserves to die.

No, not to die.

If one stops and thinks about what Ruby has truly done here, it'd give serious pause. She didn't just destroy the love Minmax and our Kin shared--she ripped a memory from Kin against her will. Whatever Ruby may have thought, Kin did offer her choice plainly and Ruby FORCIBLY ALTERED HER MIND so she *might* see things Ruby's way.

She used a dangerous and entirely alien form of destruction to MAYBE sway Kin's decision.

It's a horrible thought, but something that would be direct and ironic justice that Ruby should face is not death. She essentially took something intimate from Kin, something that no one else should have power over.

Ruby deserves to have her leash held again by someone--to have her own choices manipulated as she has decided to do.

...
...
......This.
Oh my, yes. This.

No. That is a horrible solution because violating Ruby in that way would not make anything better or erase what she did. "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" as Gandhi said. Ruby is intelligent enough that if Kin figures out what happened and confronts Ruby with her feelings, she will realize how wrong she was. Furthermore, as anybody who has ever made a grave mistake knows, living with real remorse, without forgiveness (because I doubt Kin would forgive her), is soul crushing and a far more fitting result.

[heridfel]

My view on the Oblivion holes - they aren't always consistent on how the lack of memory works. In the very first example of something falling into them (one of the alt-Maxes), the other Kin and Forgath simply didn't remember him. In many of the other cases, including MinMax throwing his clothes in, other folks have been somewhat aware of their memories being changed. It definitely seems like this is the case here, where Kin seems confused as to why her feelings and thoughts have just changed, even though she isn't aware that they have changed.

I think it's more likely that Ruby's plan will backfire due to the timing, rather than succeed due to the timing. Kin was in the middle of doing something that hinged on her relationship with MinMax. I think that change will lead to introspection, even if it doesn't lead to a realization of exactly what was done, or by whom.

(For my part, I sort of want to see MinMax try to figure out what is going on, and decide that it's because he failed to give her a birthday present when he held her birthday party. We saw Forgath remember his beard when it was restored; it'd be cool if Kin pieced together what had happened when he "restored" her gift.)

[Davis8488]

That +7 ax of Racism might be a pretty handy birthday present.

[willpell]

Furthermore, as anybody who has ever made a grave mistake knows, living with real remorse, without forgiveness (because I doubt Kin would forgive her), is soul crushing and a far more fitting result.

That's assuming Ruby feels any remorse at all, which is unlikely. 1) she doesn't remember dropping something into the o-hole. 2) if she did know what she had done, she'd assume it was for Kin's own good, just as she did when planning to do it. And 3) you're assuming she's not simply a heartless bitch, of the sort who feels no remorse for anything she does. Makes a crappy punishment, expecting someone to be guilty when they might just be a sociopath.

That +7 ax of Racism might be a pretty handy birthday present.

It's unlikely K156 is proficient in martial weapons.

[LAYF]

That +7 ax of Racism might be a pretty handy birthday present.

It's unlikely K156 is proficient in martial weapons.

Still... +7 to attack. so if Kin is not proficient with it, she still gets +3 to hit..
and hand axes are Martial Weapons, so any close combat class she might choose befoer a fight will give her proficiency in it...

[Jochi]

Selfish people without compassion would stand there and make Libertarian noises and feel justified in holding onto their bag and watching their fellow drown, hell, we see them do it every day, and they will even get angry telling you why you should be the same way. But they are scum, and not human(e) imho, so fuck them, because ONE AND ALL of them would demand and insist that you or I drop our riches if it was THEM in the river drowning.

Speaking as a Libertarian, my position is NOT that I should not drop my bag of gold and extend my hand, it's that YOU should not point a gun to my head and ORDER me to do so. It's MY choice, and I make it based on my own ethics and mores. If I have no choice, I do not show (or grow) my worth as a human being.

But this is getting perilously close to belonging in the Controversy area.

[AntMac]

Selfish people without compassion would stand there and make Libertarian noises and feel justified in holding onto their bag and watching their fellow drown, hell, we see them do it every day, and they will even get angry telling you why you should be the same way. But they are scum, and not human(e) imho, so fuck them, because ONE AND ALL of them would demand and insist that you or I drop our riches if it was THEM in the river drowning.

Speaking as a Libertarian, my position is NOT that I should not drop my bag of gold and extend my hand, it's that YOU should not point a gun to my head and ORDER me to do so. It's MY choice, and I make it based on my own ethics and mores. If I have no choice, I do not show (or grow) my worth as a human being.

But this is getting perilously close to belonging in the Controversy area.

Yeah, point taken, I was talking about selfish people, and shouldn't have added the unwarranted crack nor the stupid generalisation at Libertarians. Not all of whom are selfish by any means. I offer an apology.

[Buta]

That +7 ax of Racism might be a pretty handy birthday present.

I really hope it won't become Ruby's weapon of choice if Kin does find out...

Just saw THunt's most recent Tweet on the main page... :/

[Lady Dawn]

What bothers me most now is the element of patience.
Kin will eventually find out that she does trust/loves Minmax for a reason.
Kin still has to bring the teapot to her clan.

She will probably show up after delivering the teapot and then using it to teleport to Minmax.
It would be the logical and intelligent thing to do.

[Orga the Strange]

I don't know if it's been mentioned yet, but has anyone else noticed the way that Forgath's new magical beard seems to be slowly eating the rest of his beard?

EDIT: Nevermind, that's just his beard having grown out some. Although, he does look like he has a Kick'asso-esque mustache.

[Maur]

It definitely seems like this is the case here, where Kin seems confused as to why her feelings and thoughts have just changed, even though she isn't aware that they have changed.

No, she is confused because she does not understand why she feels that way. She is not confused about change in her feelings/thoughts, because there is no such change.

[extrabigmehdi]

The countdown for next update has been disabled...

[Master TMO]

In a way, the loss of the necklace might be an indirect good thing. Compare it to looking at the night sky from a street corner. Over here you've got a single bright white light lighting you up. It's comforting and familiar, but you can't see much else past the glare. If that light is taken away, suddenly you can see all the stars in the sky, a whole 'scape of other things. Without the necklace being the brightest thing in her relationship with MinMax, the other things he's done for her stand a better chance of being noticed and recognized for what they were. Instead of it looking like he's only done one very significant good thing for her, she'll see all the many other good things he's done too.

[stevedj]

The countdown for next update has been disabled...

Ummm... no... it is working just fine for me. THunt may have adjusted it, perhaps, but it is counting down just fine.

[DrinksTooMuchCoffee]

Now if MinMax were a doofus who would inevitably betray Kin, wouldn't we be relieved that now she'd be spared that?

[AntMac]

Now if MinMax were a doofus who would inevitably betray Kin, wouldn't we be relieved that now she'd be spared that?

We have never seen him betray anyone, it's not in his nature. It would be much worse than that. He would fail her through stupidity. Then have to spend the rest of his life living with that. It would spoil his whole outlook, his whole shtick.

[Krulle]

The next page might be worse...

Final separation of Kin and Minmax maybe?

1 day, 18 hours until the next Goblins update. I honestly have no idea how you'll react. I may disappear from the internet for a week after.

[RidcullyJack]

The next page might be worse...

Final separation of Kin and Minmax maybe?

1 day, 18 hours until the next Goblins update. I honestly have no idea how you'll react. I may disappear from the internet for a week after.

I think you're right, except I wonder if hope that plead it won't be final.
Forgath and Minmax use the Jade Teapot and leave, teleporting to GAP/Kore.
Kin joins the Kinship, and levels up in the MoM on repeated runs.
During this time, she figures out that she did love Minmax; or at least that she wants to see him again.
Level 4 adventurer Kin then uses the Jade Teapot to teleport to Minmax et. al. (almost no 'real world' time has passed).

[Javada]

Someone has probably brought this up, so I apologize if I am repeating anything, but I am a little concerned with what's going to happen next. See, I just started reading the comic a few weeks ago (curse my fiance for telling me about this comic. Now I have something else I am addicted to reading) and took the following comics into consideration after reading Thunt's Twitter feed "1 day, 18 hours until the next Goblins update. I honestly have no idea how you'll react. I may disappear from the internet for a week after":

http://www.goblinscomic.org/12142005/ - The Seer's prophecy
http://www.goblinscomic.org/01212011-2/ - The last time we saw the Goblins
http://www.goblinscomic.org/08102013-2/ - The last time we saw Oblivious

The whole problem with prophecies is that they are vague. They can be interpreted in many ways. One interpretation might be with the necklace destroyed, Minmax may no longer think of Kin as "normal", just another monster, and may convince Forgath to attack and kill her. But that would imply destroying the necklace also destroyed his memory of the birthday party for Kin, which I don't think has happened. The "serpent" may refer to one of the other Kins, the 'friends to enemies' in Kin turning of the boys or the other Kins turning on them, and the 'love will fuel hatred' may mean Kin starts hunting them or Kin starts hating the other Kins or Minmax coming to hate Kin or the Alt Kins.

But the Seer was telling Forgath his future and the prophecy came AFTER Forgath learned of his fate, so it may have nothing to do with Minmax and the Alt Kins at all. If the "your" in the prophecy is singular, than it is Forgath who will fight the "serpent" and possibly lose Minmax as a friend if that serpent is Kin. Kore might have the ability to influence or charm fellow Dwarves into obeying his order and if Kin changes her mind and goes after them, then she may be Forgath's first target under Kore's control and it is his friendship with Minmax that will be lost. After all, the Seer said 'with' not 'against'. It could also mean that he and Minmax team up with Kore to fight the Goblins (Names' demon sword took the form of a serpent during his fight with Kore). If Kin follows after them, she may try to save the Goblins, as they helped her earlier, which would break Minmax's heart.

Serpent might not refer to Kin at all, but a boss-monster or something, the second and third line may not refer to the boys at all but the Goblins. What ever it is, considering when and where the boys are about to teleport, I fear that we may be losing Forgath and Minmax.

[Maur]

The next page might be worse...

Final separation of Kin and Minmax maybe?

1 day, 18 hours until the next Goblins update. I honestly have no idea how you'll react. I may disappear from the internet for a week after.

Okay, i am sharpening my pitchfork.

[Unlucky-for-Some]

I'll prepare some flaming torches

[Jazyl]

Perhaps this is naive optimism on my part since no-one has even suggested this yet, but I get the feeling that Minmax will make a new necklace for Kin as a parting gift. After all, the fact that he does not recall making the first one does not necessarily negate the impulse he felt to make it. He may simply assume he was too distracted to actually follow through with the thought during their journey.

So yeah, I think he'll make her a new necklace, and that will once again convince Kin he can be trusted. Heck, he might even spell her name right this time! (I did say I was being naively optimistic!)

[kohlerikson]

That's assuming Ruby feels any remorse at all, which is unlikely. 1) she doesn't remember dropping something into the o-hole. 2) if she did know what she had done, she'd assume it was for Kin's own good, just as she did when planning to do it. And 3) you're assuming she's not simply a heartless bitch, of the sort who feels no remorse for anything she does. Makes a crappy punishment, expecting someone to be guilty when they might just be a sociopath.

I see where all your points could be (and with regard to number 3, probably are) completely valid; however, my train of thought (and the station it left from) is a little different. We know that all the Kins (at least these 4) share above-average intelligence, so if it is possible that our Kin can figure out what happened, it should be possible that the others can as well, or at the very least accept the logic of Kin's conclusion, if (and hopefully when) she reaches it. I personally believe that, despite how some of the readers feel, Ruby does want what is best for Kin and is simply misinformed as to what that is, which would make her misguided and not sociopathic. In this scenario (as far fetched as it might be) Ruby, when faced with Kin's true feelings, would realize the error of her thinking and feel remorse that she nearly caused Kin a lifetime of loneliness.

On a different track, I hope that Thunt is trying to get us all worked up with his Twitter comments, only to pay it off in the next update with Minmax bumbling his way into a fix for the situation, a la making a new necklace or another present of some kind.

[Jazyl]

On a different track, I hope that Thunt is trying to get us all worked up with his Twitter comments, only to pay it off in the next update with Minmax bumbling his way into a fix for the situation, a la making a new necklace or another present of some kind.

Here's hoping! If it does play out that Minmax manages to make another meaningful memento for Kin (mangled moniker or no) and successfully manages to remind her why she trusts him, we might well have Ruby see the error of her ways and reconsider her own perception of humans. I know, I'm -really- pushing this optimism thing right now.