I Forfeit My Title...

[Maxgoof]

Somehow, I don't think that is going to work.

I think they are trapped into either giving the land back, or sending Quentyn on this impossible quest.

[Sariah]

I think Ralph got the desired effect out of me. "WHAT?!?! He can't just DO that?!"

And then I thought, no, he can't just do that. It's called "Tales of the Questor." But I was right earlier about how we all just assumed that he would be sent into the human world. But I didn't expect anything like this. Now I'm just totally lost.

[Jaydub]

Somehow, I don't think that is going to work.

I think they are trapped into either giving the land back, or sending Quentyn on this impossible quest.

I agree. The lawyers are not going to let Quentyn off the hook that easy.

The judgement was made while Quentyn was Questor and stepping down now will not work. Quentyn will have to take up the quest of everyone will lose all their land.

[TMLutas]

Somehow, I don't think that is going to work.

I think they are trapped into either giving the land back, or sending Quentyn on this impossible quest.

Agreed, if it would have worked, the original Quentyn could have quit and kept the land

[Siirenias]

Actually, it's only an issue because Quentyn became the Questor of Freeman Downs. If the original questor had quit, he would have had to forfeit the land...

This was a pretty unexpected twist. I like how he does a storyline

[Grumpywolfhound]

I agree this won't get the town out of hock, but it speaks volumes of Quentyn. willing to give up his lifes' dream to save his town... THAT'S putting your money where your mouth is

[Madmoonie]

Dang it! Everyone has already said what I was gonna say! Phooey! Oh well, I will just say it anyway. It is an incredibly noble and selfless thing that Quentyn did, but the lawyers did not come all this way for the matter to be solved that.........well, techinically, easily.

[T.s.a.o]

can anyone else not stand it when you predict someting in a sotry that you think is soooo going to work and be right and then find out the creator has outdone you again?

[Calbeck]

For that matter, I don't think that a Questor CAN quit. Something tells me that in the lawbooks there isn't going to be found any room for resignation.

EDIT: On the other hand, the solution is readily apparent...Quentyn is going to have to go on the quest. Whether he succeeds or fails becomes irrelevant at that point, because HE has no successor. It could even be argued that the wording of the clause limits liability to only one successor, so the town could have another Questor without any problems if Quentyn died in mid-quest.

Of course, this screws Quenty --- either he manages to pull off something considered impossible, or he essentially has to remain on-quest in human lands for the rest of his life, a form of self-imposed exile.

[Sariah]

Of course, this screws Quenty --- either he manages to pull off something considered impossible, or he essentially has to remain on-quest in human lands for the rest of his life, a form of self-imposed exile.

What if he stays away long enough to be declared legally dead? It may not make any difference, but it is a thought.

[Acolyte]

Of course, this screws Quenty --- either he manages to pull off something considered impossible, or he essentially has to remain on-quest in human lands for the rest of his life, a form of self-imposed exile.

I think Quenty has already demonstrated that jobs considered impossible simply take him a little longer....

[StrangeWulf13]

Let me turn things upside down by pointing this out:

If the goal of the ones behind this is to eliminate the Questor of Freeman Downs, have they not just accomplished it? He's given up his title; no more Questor. He doesn't have the rights or responsibilities he had before. No more "frontier justice" from this young kit.

...but you can all sense this is bigger, can't you? You know Ralph, and you know he wouldn't take the easy way out in a story. So it can't end here.

So, if the Questor is not allowed to give up his title, either because the contract forbids it or giving up would mean the town's doomed anyway, then what is the purpose behind this bit of legal commotion?

Think about it.

[Shyal_malkes]

somehow, that quentyn would try that is unsurprising to me. he's already been threatened to lose the title of honorary questor, losing the title altogether would sting but it would still feel good knowing he did it to save his home town.

personally I think that because he ever was (and probably still is despite what he's already said) the village questor the situation still stands no matter what he does with his title, it would be as though (I assume) Q of R had given up the title whilst in the midst of the quest in question. and they probably wouldn't have let him get away with that then.

although even if he succeeds it's a very bold and dangerous (dangerous to the story continuing that is) move I still say...

YAY QUENTYN! GO! QUENTYN GO!

[Madmoonie]

Let me turn things upside down by pointing this out:

If the goal of the ones behind this is to eliminate the Questor of Freeman Downs, have they not just accomplished it? He's given up his title; no more Questor. He doesn't have the rights or responsibilities he had before. No more "frontier justice" from this young kit.

...but you can all sense this is bigger, can't you? You know Ralph, and you know he wouldn't take the easy way out in a story. So it can't end here.

So, if the Questor is not allowed to give up his title, either because the contract forbids it or giving up would mean the town's doomed anyway, then what is the purpose behind this bit of legal commotion?

Think about it.

Uh..........uh..........they want their stuff back?

[DracoDei]

[Edit: It looks like Shyal M. beat me to these points(or at leastmost of them), but I will leave this message regardless.]

I don't think our Quentin's cares about a title. If he isn't the Questor of the village then the claim is void. As far as he knows all he has to do is not be the VILLAGE questor anymore, or, at most, move out of the village and hang out his shingle anywhere else. In other words it is the ROLE of the hero that he desires, not the title of one. This was a lesson likely learned, in part, from the thing with the tarnishing of his official reputation by the censure of the council. His expression doesn't look all that heart-broken in any of the panels as far as I can see(I could be wrong). He has gained maturity about his world view, and it is serving him well.

I also agree that renouncing the title won't change the legal fact that he held it, and thus the village is liable. He propably has thought of this possibility, or at least would have if he had stopped a moment to think about it. He isn't stupid.

[The JAM]

Or, he could issue a new challenge and go for being questor of ALL of Rac Cona Daimh? Freeman Downs would then be off the hook like that.

[Chaser617]

Don't think it is that easy, once he became questor he inherited the previous questor's debt. When you inherit debt through death of the previous family member, you can't just say 'I forfiet my claim to anything I could have gotten out of this, so you can't make me pay' Don't work like that, you STILL have to pay no matter what.

[EdBecerra]

Don't think it is that easy, once he became questor he inherited the previous questor's debt. When you inherit debt through death of the previous family member, you can't just say 'I forfiet my claim to anything I could have gotten out of this, so you can't make me pay' Don't work like that, you STILL have to pay no matter what.

Indeed. Speaking as a member of a private credit union, I'd like to point out that this is PART of the reason they were founded. Banks that insisted "We won't let you walk away from a worthless inheritance if that means you also escape a debt. We own you, your son, your grandson, and on to the 7th generation, if needs be."

The motto of some of the first few credit unions was "The debt dies with the debtor." However little some banks might have liked that.

This seems to be one area where humans (currently) are ahead of the rac'coonians, at least in legal circles.

[Squeaky Bunny]

He can't quit.

Quentyn now knows of the obligation that his predecessor had made, and through said contract, himself. To quit would break the contract and the village would be forfeit to the Archivist's guild.

[Maxgoof]

Please remember also what he said at the town meeting:

"You can censure me all day long. You can take away the honorary village title--but I'll still be a questor. Maybe just a no-name freelance questor, but still a questor--and I'll be there for whoever needs me."

He can give up the title...but he is still a questor. Quitting the title does not remove the obligation to fulfill the contract.

I don't think this is aimed at Quentyn. He is merely a means to an end, that end being Freeman Downs.

I really don't think they think Quentyn has the cahones to do the quest.

I think he will prove them wrong.