There are some who might call him a master debater
Out-of-Placers
A story of inconvenient changes
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OOPs now has a Russian translation which updates shortly after the English pages are posted!
Now also in French:
And Ukranian:
Truly he is the greatest of all orators. He makes pointed arguments and his intellect is a s keen as a razor’s blade. Though his remarks can be cutting he is ever magnanimous and will axept all earnest apology.
THIS GUY GETS IT
His opponent however just doesn’t know how to get aHead, and how will he ever be Head-and-soulders above the rest if he looses his Head in a debate.
On the up-side, think of all the money hes going to save on hats and haircuts?
A benevolent tyrant, then?
A benevolyrant!
He almost reminds me of the Patrician Vetinari from Discworld
I suspect he’s at least partially based on a number of city-state rulers in renaissance italy, including the one Vetinari got named after (punnily): Lorenzo de Medici.
D’OHOHOHOHO! Some political intrigue! Gettin’ juicy now.
It’s *technically* juice but is really more of a fruit purée mix with added water and corn syrup
And hemoglobin.
I thought I might be detecting a slight Vetinari vibe from Viracroix from the first. I stand corrected. It is actually a moderate-to-heavy vibe (at least in this scene), and I love it.
Granted, Vetinari was much more straight-faced about his Machiavellianism, but the underlying principle is the same: perfectly reasonable until someone crosses the line.
Ya gotta have fun with your Machiavellianism, I tell ya what
Yay for discworld!
Noted watch behind me if he wants to talk…
Naw, just don’t actively get on his bad side and avoid a few sensitive subjects, and you’re totally (possibly) safe!
His idea of a Debate is “My way or DEATH”. AKA the Dictator Debate.
The Trademaster is just a nicer version of Patrician Vetinari. My way or Death works, as long as his way is popular.
Good ol’ late-stage Feudalism; when you’ve got the most effective way and/or threat of delivering the aforementioned death, you’re pretty much the ruler!
I’ll quote CyberCorn Entropic from August 18, 2018, 9:19: Viracroix quite pointedly illustrated the flaw to Omarhan’s argument. The problem with arguing that some people are expendable and irrelevant is that, if so, there’s nothing preventing the one arguing the point to be counted among those very people he’s dismissing. People like Omarhan generally tend to overlook this counterpoint because they’re operating under the mistaken assumption that they personally aren’t one of those expendable and irrelevant people.
At least he didn’t pay yinglets to spear him to death or something slow like that. Plus, he was stealing from the poor. that’s just sick. Death was a bit harsh, but he didn’t see the issue with messing with power, either.
The trade rule violation was forgivable, but then he just haaaad to go and touch on some subjects the Trademaster has certain Opinions on.
Now that’s the kind of diplomacy I can get behind. ~Epic laughter~
The “diplomacy” sure got behind this guy I tell ya what, didn’t see it coming
I would like to mention a BURNING respect for his definition of debate. AND his method of “dressing for the occasion.”
Plus, it gives a child a much-needed job. Good things all around!
Now, is that her ENTIRE job, tossing a clean sheet over his head when he mentions debate? And does he dress the same for meetings with the in-laws?
Fair trade? Fair trade.
Also: I like spunky curious tiny Irina Spalko.
There’s a lot to the assistant’s job; you have to be able to pick up the subtle cues the Trademaster gives, so you don’t just accidentally toss a sheet over him during important negotiations for no reason.
It also works for last minute ghost costume.
No one can trully fathom the complexity that blunt force trauma brings to the table, they always get their minds blow.
A lit stick of dynamite usually does the trick, but that’s a little overkill sometimes.
There’s few forces as convincing and/or motivating as blunt force!
If only common men could speak with such eloquence and grace as Viracroix has just shown.
i.e. with a sheet assistant and sneaky executioner on the books
Executioner?! Surely that was just an upright citizen who happened to be passing (yes, the dungeons are a most convenient shortcut) and was properly appalled on good Master Salia’s behalf, having heard Mister Omarhan’s *outrageous* comments!
Master Salia will probably have to (gently) remonstrate with him for his regrettably hasty action, but will certainly grant him a certain recompense for his emotional distress (and cleaning bill).
To quote a movie, “If you’ve got the money, break as many eggs as you want.” That’s one ‘egg’ out of… how many? Wait! Don’t answer that, please.
Also, though you’ve already heard this 100+ times, really liking this series so far. Keep up the great work, dude!
I tell ya, “keep up the good work” is something that even though I’ve heard/read a lot, it still gives me a bump in motivation every time. Reminders that there are people out there who are enjoying this stuff and appreciate the work I’m putting into it is always good for me! So thanks. : )
Awww, shucks. 😊
Well, keep up the good work.
A wise Trademaster knows that the power of the House is the power of its citizenry. A contented, protected, and well-fed workforce generates tradegoods more effectively than starved, vulnerable wretches. Never mistake the value of ‘a’ citizen’s life for the value of ‘the’ citizens’ lives. For as any proper Ambitious Would-Be-World Ruler knows, there’s nothing to rule if there’s no people left.
Also hueh hueh hueh Special Debate Outfit. Wonder if he uses the same one every time, or if he puts the Special Outfit up in a special room somewhere under the debatee’s name as a gallery of Reasons You Don’t Debate the Trademaster.
The Salia family educates its children very well on the subject of how no matter how solid a claim to power one might have, no ruler holds on to power long after the populace is starving and gathering in the streets in a decapitatey mood.
A cutting remark during the debate on a very divisive issue has left Mister Omarhan with a splitting headache.
One does not turn traitor to a trader of a master level. Well Executed!
YESSS THE GLORIOUS PUNNAGE
I feel I should point out, he did not put on the drape untell the fellow started going on about how ‘the little people’ are unimportant. When you add in some of the earlyer comments, such as when he was talking with the Baxxid leader? It was clear that he takes it very personaly that the people under his rule are taken care of. He holds some very strong views on some subjects, and will not let his underlings screw that up for him.
Another point, is that he reminds me rather much of the verious groups over the years, including the nazi, that started going on about how others where less important, and did not matter. When would he stop? yinglet hunting squads? Or just cause a crisis and let the lesser people starve to death?
Yet another point, where is Viracruix’s hat? How can I continue to argue with others about weather or not hes got the ‘reed of beconing’ in his hat if hes not wearing a hat? Thats so unfair!
And yet another point, Viracruix seems to understand that any money he makes, basicly comes from the little people. Without the farmers growing grain, the people making things, heck, even the yinglets scaving crap off the beach, he would have no money, and no power. Making a little less money now, means he makes more over the long run. Hes not looking for how much money/power he can have tomarrow, hes thinking long term, as in, how much money will keeping thies supplies on hand for emergancys make for me over the next couple decades. Really, looking at the teeth, hes got storage space to burn, so he looses nothing to hang onto emergancy supplys. hes not paying someone to store it for him, or anything, so keeping a good emergancy supply is really a smart plan.
Err rather that mr Omarhan, sorry, did not realize it might seem I was saying that Viracruix was the one the little people are just crap to be scraped off his boots.
That may all be well and true about him possibly giving Mr. Mutton Chops mercy, but the servant tarp child and the executioner were in the room for a very specific reason. I doubt he had them there without a fairly good chance things were already decided.
True enough, but, he does like to be prepaired. I was just saying that it was at that momant he made the choice to give him to chop, untell then it was rather up in the air. He was willing to give the guy a chance to explain himself, and I would say, was even willing to let him live, depending on how he responded.
Very true! I also had not seen Val Salia’s response above which read, “The trade rule violation was forgivable, but then he just haaaad to go and touch on some subjects the Trademaster has certain Opinions on.”
Dear me, Viracroix surely IS a touchy fellow. Perhaps it’s the mind of someone like that noble who thinks like that and would influence others that he was nipping in the bud. A truly progressive city does not need those kinds of minds!
Consider how diferent the present would be if someone went around and killed folks like Stalin and the nazi before thay came into power?
One thing I have seen out of Varacroix so far, hes fair, and willing to give people a hand up. Take Kass for example, he did not have to make Kass an officer, could have kept him as a grunt/recrute and let him deal, nope, he gave him rank, and position, and power, and gave pay raises to his/her friends, and gave them more position and responsabilitys too. He wants to be nice, but, don’t get his back up, he will slit your throat with not a momant’s regret. Err, fair is also when he told Kass, the more you demand of me, the more I can and will demand of you. Wich is also kinda saying, Charity is not endless.
Love it when a page sparks some good discussion.
And good catch there; Viracroix prepped for a possible execution, but it wasn’t a foregone conclusion until someone started talking about a no-no subject.
Yah hes not even wearing his hat with the ‘reed of beconing’ so I knew he was ready for anything.
Everyone is making murder jokes and I’m just sitting here trying to figure out what kind of weapon that was.
I’d say it was a lethal one…
Head cheese slicer?
Appears to be an epsilon axe or something similar, which actually fits with some of the other middle east themes of the comic.
Bronze axe, looks to be one of the ones made specificly for beheadings and such, solid, and heavy, to help make it easyer to take the head/limb off in one blow.
More of an ornamental blade than a true “weapon.” Its weight and balance would make it a terrible choice for use in actual combat.
Yah but thats common with that sort of thing. The waight is to help the blade come down more firmly, and be more liikely to compleat the removal, rather than, as has happened in RL too often. missing up or down, or not taking the head off, or worse. Beheadings where saposed to be a ‘mercy’ type exicutiuon, and screwing it up made them look really really bad.
As a bonus, Viracruix is all set for the Gallagher concert tonight! 😀
Or a front row seat at Evil Dead: The Musical.
Well drawn blood effect there.
The Trademaster and the Blademaster, Debate Team Champions once again! All other Debate teams tend to come up…short and, if they do happen to pull…ahead, quickly find themselves without any…body supporting them.
There’s certainly symbolism in Viracroix shielding himself from the sight and effects of bloodshed with that pure white cloak of his. He blurs the lines of being there and not being there for Omarhan’s execution. And it’s entirely intentional.
The Trademaster enjoys the paradox of both being a saint and a murderer. He realises that both perception of him, though seemingly incompatible, are more beneficial together than either one on their own. The power of House Salia is built on both love and fear. With this move he gained a bit of both.
I like my debates the same way I like my yinglets: JUICY AND WARMY!!! :V
Just the way I also like my coffee, breakfast pastries, women, and the state of my internal organs
Endothermal metabolism is overrated, dude!
COLD BLOOD IS THE HOT STUFF RIGHT NOW!…in a very figurative way…cuz…you know..it’s cold and shit.
*Darth Sidius voice* Yes… come to the Dark Side. We have Cookies and Milk. As well as amazing Political Debates with a Senate of Other Worlds… ohh and we have Light Sabers and Space Wizards!!!
The Special Debate Outfit if an excellent way to avoid messy trade disagreements. it also amuses younglets and serves as a way to allow clever Trademasters to get away with saying ‘they didn’t see what happened’ if an explanation is needed.
In other news Viracroix’s approval rating is at an all time high.
I respect this man, so far.
Ooh, I like this guy. Killing political opponents for the pursuit of happiness for the populace? If only everyone had such good ethics as his!
You know, I have only been following this comic for a few weeks now, and here I am debating points with folks who have been around for ages. Kinda nice to get something to interest me again.
Oh there you go, bringing class into it again.
seems you gotta watch your step around Viracroix. don’t have a sharp tongue, don’t axe the wrong questions, and don’t lose your head. keep yourself together and don’t stare daggers at him, even if you’re mad. and most of all, don’t mess with the FECKIN grain.
He should have realized that you can’t offer *anything* to a regent if you’re stealing from them and breaking the laws for personal gain and then hiding it.
Especially as the hardest and arguably most important job a regent has is staying in that throne alive.
The ‘citizenry’ might offer nothing, but you’re managing to offer less than that.
That grain and the treasury it represents is literally his only way to stay in that throne alive. Especially in a merchant empire. Whether or not selling it is a better idea isn’t the point (maybe it was); none of that money was going back to the treasury anyways.
That’s the last boat you want to rock.
Hey, it’s the Axe Dude! Didn’t this happen before?
Is this it? Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiibi inu I just spent the last two to three hours reading this comic from start to finish. And now I’m burdened with hoping to see Kass hook up with another Yinglet, hoping to see Kass hook up with Ish at some point, hoping to see Kass hook up with Lopin at some point, hoping to actually see Lopin who is so adorable I can die peacefully and I want to see him with his own cute yinglet boyfriend, too!! I want to make my own Yinglet OC and I… and… ugh I’m a huge fan now. Thank you for existing, Mr.Comic-maker person. This world would be pretty sucky if this comic didn’t exist for us!
I like that Viracroix fella, right to the point, knows the value of being prepared well and doesn’t show leniency to traitors and thieves. Charming character!
Gosh dangit I love this comic. Keep up the excellent work, please!
Viracroix just earned a ton of pointsin the favorite character pool! Btw that’s a rather interesting umbrella.