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I can't wait to hear more about Serini, myself. She seemed to be the heart of the Order of the Scribble, and I wonder if she kept up that attitude even after the group fell apart or if she grew cyinical.
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Jan 24, 2021 13:23
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ikanreed posted:I'm a bit annoyed because the gate spell already lets you see the far side of the gate, is innately permanent, and is a 2d plane you can walk through. Its not dissonant if you think for two seconds why a rogue would want "roguery" to matter
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Jan 24, 2021 14:05
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Ugh why aren't characters perfectly rational at all times amirite
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Jan 24, 2021 15:42
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The final boss will be O-Chul and Lien.
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Jan 24, 2021 15:50
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I don't get it, why didn't Serini take this other option that the people she was trying to defend against would have immediately seen through and destroyed rather than the more complicated route that worked
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Jan 24, 2021 17:10
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paradoxGentleman posted:I can't wait to hear more about Serini, myself. She seemed to be the heart of the Order of the Scribble, and I wonder if she kept up that attitude even after the group fell apart or if she grew cyinical. My prediction is that she was always a cynical bastard, and that she either lied in her diary to cover it up, or just put up a front to her teammates. I'm thinking that she's probably strikingly similar to Belkar, just mellowed/wizened by age.
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Jan 24, 2021 17:21
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Gwyneth Palpate posted:My prediction is that she was always a cynical bastard, and that she either lied in her diary to cover it up, or just put up a front to her teammates. I'm thinking that she's probably strikingly similar to Belkar, just mellowed/wizened by age. Calling it now: Serini: Belky!!! Belkar: Mom?!!
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Jan 24, 2021 20:59
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TheAceOfLungs posted:Calling it now:  That'd be too much plot for Belkar. I AM expecting Serini to rag on Belkar for dual wielding like her, as a callback(?) to the 4th edition story in one of the books though. I was thinking more about Serini, and I realized that there just aren't that many halflings in the story. Aside from Belkar and Serini, there are two high priests (Loki and Balder), and Hank from the Greysky Thieves Guild. Except for Balder's high priest, all of the halflings that have been shown in the story (and not in crayon) are evil! Obviously, this means that halflings in the OotS universe are all evil and furthermore 
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Jan 24, 2021 21:05
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TheAceOfLungs posted:Calling it now: Elan asks why Belkar never mentioned that Serini was his mom's name any of the times it came up. Belkar replies that he never paid attention to any of that plot poo poo they were always rambling on about. Although, iirc, Belkar was not present when the story of the rifts was first explained, so it's entirely possible he was actually somewhere else literally every time Serini's name was mentioned. Unlikely, but I'd have to read back through the story and check.
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Jan 24, 2021 21:35
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He and Minrah got a plot recap at the end of the last book. It's possible Elan blanked on the names, but I think we are to assume they're up to speed at this point.
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Jan 24, 2021 21:49
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Gwyneth Palpate posted:My prediction is that she was always a cynical bastard, and that she either lied in her diary to cover it up, or just put up a front to her teammates. I'm thinking that she's probably strikingly similar to Belkar, just mellowed/wizened by age. Heck, I was thinking that maybe it’ll turn out that Kraagor was the Belkar of their group, but much, much worse... And for whatever reason, after his death, they collectively decided that the best thing to do was to recast him in the best light that they feasibly could while also downplaying his role in the Scribble. If you really want to lean into it, that could also be some foreshadowing of history repeating itself if things don’t change by revealing that Soon also got a prophecy about Kraagor’s impending death, didn’t do anything to stop it (because he figured the world would be a better place without him), and the fallout from everyone else finding out about his sheer indifference was the tipping point for them breaking apart on bad terms with everyone else.
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Jan 24, 2021 21:59
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Gwyneth Palpate posted:
I propose the belkdar test. Your story must have two named halflings who talk to each other about something other than murdering humans.
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Jan 24, 2021 23:00
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SlothfulCobra posted:It looks like Serini wasn't duped by lazy contractors at least. Well her Sense Motive would be a lot better than Dorukan's.
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Jan 25, 2021 13:26
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Post poste posted:Could you dispel the trap with an epic dispel blast? I know it's mostly pointless. Possibly? They could have or find a way to cast Legally Distinct from Mordenkainen's Disjunction, or Xykon could research Xykon's Epic Disjunction, or something. The details don't really matter, since if a spellcaster is aware of a problem and he's not under immediate time pressure, he's gonna find a way to solve the problem in short order. There's nothing that either the Wizard/Sorcerer or the Cleric/Druid spell list can't solve. Of course, the setup here means spellcasters can't really become aware of the problem that needs solving. Once Team Evil finally realizes that the trap is there, it'll be gone in two pages top.
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Jan 25, 2021 14:35
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ultrafilter posted:The Order of the Scribble failed because they couldn't work together, so Serini protected the gate with a series of obstacles that no single high-level adventurer would be able to overcome. The Order of the Stick is actually a functioning team, so they'll be able to get to the gate. MechanicalTomPetty posted:I'm wondering how Team Evil gets past this if (when) they figure out what's up. My moneys on Meter Swarm powered mass-excavation. I think this sets up an interesting twist. Team Evil is not a functioning team, and I think Rich may use this for two purposes: first, to highlight how The Order of the Stick has grown and bettered itself as individuals and as a team over the last several years; and also to put a final rend between Redcloak and Xykon. I wouldn't be surprised to see Redcloak taking out Xykon and taking charge of Team Evil to follow the Order into the dungeon. The meeting with Durkon may have pushed hard on Redcloak how important it is to get the Gate under his control rather than let it fall to a now-aware Pantheon, and he may just not be willing to put up with Xykon taking everything only semi-seriously.
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Jan 25, 2021 19:53
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skeleton warrior posted:I think this sets up an interesting twist. Team Evil is not a functioning team, and I think Rich may use this for two purposes: first, to highlight how The Order of the Stick has grown and bettered itself as individuals and as a team over the last several years; and also to put a final rend between Redcloak and Xykon. Redcloak still needs a powerful arcane caster to complete The Plan. He can't just "take out" Xykon even if he could, which is by no means guaranteed.
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Jan 25, 2021 19:59
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Xykon and Redcloak are both aware that they want to do away with each other, but it's not out in the open yet. I see that changing soon, but it's going to set up an interesting dynamic because neither one can execute their plans without the other.
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Jan 25, 2021 20:09
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They're stuck with each other until the end of the gate ritual, I'd imagine. Xykon less so since there's at least some chance he'd say gently caress it and decide to do something entirely different.
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Jan 25, 2021 20:22
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I always thought the whole evil plan seemed really vulnerable to Xykon getting bored and giving up, but I suppose he's invested at this point, as the narrative needs him to be.
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Jan 25, 2021 20:40
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What else is Xykon gonna do with his unlife at this point? He's long since realized that Redcloak is lying about the ritual, and I'm guessing he's resigned to the odds of the plan turning out in his favor being a real long shot. My read is that he's just along for the ride, partly out of inertia, partly because he's excited to see where it goes, and partly because it's the only villainous plot he's encountered that genuinely threatens the gods themselves.
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Jan 25, 2021 20:50
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I wonder if the gate ritual wouldn't end up a standoff between them where neither is willing to pour in the relevant magic because that would leave them less armed in case the other immediately attacks after ritual completion.
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Jan 25, 2021 21:22
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I don't know if Xykon has any actual plans to complete the gate ritual. He might just plan on winging it once he has control.
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Jan 25, 2021 21:29
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Is there anything stopping Xykon from just bringing in another holy caster and cutting out Redcloak completely? I know they’re in the middle of nowhere right now but that’s not really an obstacle for an epic level spellcaster. Edit: VVV Yeah I remember that, I was talking more like now specifically. It’s been a while since then and Xykon has been known to take off on his own occasionally, maybe he cut a deal with someone in secret. MechanicalTomPetty fucked around with this message at 21:40 on Jan 25, 2021 |
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Jan 25, 2021 21:33
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MechanicalTomPetty posted:Is there anything stopping Xykon from just bringing in another holy caster and cutting out Redcloak completely? I know they’re in the middle of nowhere right now but that’s not really an obstacle for an epic level spellcaster. That's what he tried to do with Tsukiko.
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Jan 25, 2021 21:35
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Zulily Zoetrope posted:What else is Xykon gonna do with his unlife at this point? He's long since realized that Redcloak is lying about the ritual, and I'm guessing he's resigned to the odds of the plan turning out in his favor being a real long shot. My read is that he's just along for the ride, partly out of inertia, partly because he's excited to see where it goes, and partly because it's the only villainous plot he's encountered that genuinely threatens the gods themselves. Yeah it's this. Despite being powerful and ambitious, Xykon never learned how to formulate and execute a long term plan. When he met Redcloak he was just blowing up random paladin fortresses for kicks, and apparently had been stuck doing more or less that for decades. Xykon knows he needs someone else to plan and administrate for him; he doesn't have the patience for it.
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Jan 25, 2021 21:41
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MechanicalTomPetty posted:Is there anything stopping Xykon from just bringing in another holy caster and cutting out Redcloak completely? I know they’re in the middle of nowhere right now but that’s not really an obstacle for an epic level spellcaster. Redcloak is the only one in all of existence who knows the divine half of the ritual, and he's not exactly keen on sharing it.
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Jan 25, 2021 22:02
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AnoHito posted:Redcloak is the only one in all of existence who knows the divine half of the ritual, and he's not exactly keen on sharing it. More specifically, the knowledge of the ritual is granted by the red cloak itself. Put it on, say, Jirix, and he would know it instead.
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Jan 25, 2021 22:07
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AnoHito posted:Redcloak is the only one in all of existence who knows the divine half of the ritual, and he's not exactly keen on sharing it. I thought Xykon had Tsukiko researching the ritual to figure that part out? Or was that just the arcane half? Efb: I forgot about the stuff with the mantle.
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Jan 25, 2021 22:09
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MechanicalTomPetty posted:I thought Xykon had Tsukiko researching the ritual to figure that part out? Or was that just the arcane half?
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Jan 25, 2021 22:15
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Zulily Zoetrope posted:What else is Xykon gonna do with his unlife at this point? He's long since realized that Redcloak is lying about the ritual, and I'm guessing he's resigned to the odds of the plan turning out in his favor being a real long shot. My read is that he's just along for the ride, partly out of inertia, partly because he's excited to see where it goes, and partly because it's the only villainous plot he's encountered that genuinely threatens the gods themselves. Kill everything Redcloak cared about as revenge for wasting his time/tricking him, mostly. That is, if he finds out how badly Redcloak did trick him. He knows Redcloak isn't being entirely honest about the ritual, but that's a far cry from knowing HOW Redcloak isn't being honest.
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Jan 25, 2021 22:37
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PMush Perfect posted:Well, she sure did try. Not being able to work it out was really eating her up
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Jan 25, 2021 22:52
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Shugojin posted:Kill everything Redcloak cared about as revenge for wasting his time/tricking him, mostly. Well yeah, but there’s no time limit on that. He can wrap things up with Redcloak and then burn everything to the ground. That actually wouldn’t be the worst set piece for the final showdown; poo poo hits the fan and Xykon pops off to murder every man, woman and child in Gobbotopia. The order and the paladins then follow him and fight on the side of the goblins, going against the strategic interests of the Azure City remnants out of a principled stand against genocide.
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Jan 25, 2021 23:05
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Zulily Zoetrope posted:What else is Xykon gonna do with his unlife at this point? He's long since realized that Redcloak is lying about the ritual, and I'm guessing he's resigned to the odds of the plan turning out in his favor being a real long shot. My read is that he's just along for the ride, partly out of inertia, partly because he's excited to see where it goes, and partly because it's the only villainous plot he's encountered that genuinely threatens the gods themselves. Wait, Xykon knows that Redcloak is lying? I'm sure he's suspicious, but I don't remember any smoking gun.
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Jan 25, 2021 23:11
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I guess know is a strong word, but I'm mostly thinking of the very pregnant pause in this strip before Jirix hands both of them an out. Redcloak is letting Xykon off the hook for passing the ritual to Tsukiko because his own lie is bigger, and Xykon has a history of noticing that kind of thing and pretending he doesn't. My read is that he's doing the same thing there; he knows drat well that Tsukiko spilled the beans and that Redcloak must be guilty of something bigger to not press the issue, but lets him take the win.
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Jan 25, 2021 23:25
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Xykon either suspected Redcloak when he sent Tsukiko to steal the ritual, or just felt more comfortable putting it in the hands of a more pliable minion. There's no practical difference here, it's not like Xykon particularly cares about whether people did anything wrong. I'm sure he didn't believe Redcloak was ignorant to what she was doing either, but since Redcloak was clearly willing to keep up a facade of working together then so is he. They're the bad guys, and they know it. They knew going in they were going to betray each other at the last minute, because that's what villains do. You work together just enough that whoever wins between you gets to do more than they ever could alone.
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Jan 25, 2021 23:42
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Zulily Zoetrope posted:I guess know is a strong word, but I'm mostly thinking of the very pregnant pause in this strip before Jirix hands both of them an out. Redcloak is letting Xykon off the hook for passing the ritual to Tsukiko because his own lie is bigger, and Xykon has a history of noticing that kind of thing and pretending he doesn't. My read is that he's doing the same thing there; he knows drat well that Tsukiko spilled the beans and that Redcloak must be guilty of something bigger to not press the issue, but lets him take the win. Yep, that was very uncharacteristic from x
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Jan 26, 2021 01:07
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Part of the reason for showing the Tarquin squad was as a foil to team evil's relationship. There's no basis of mutual respect and trust here. Even their stated goals, to one another, don't coincide and both parties are aware of that. Each is planning to betray the other the instant that the ritual goes off, and both sides are pretty sure the other is panning the same.
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Jan 26, 2021 01:09
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Xykon's more clever than he looks.
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Jan 26, 2021 01:09
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sebmojo posted:Yep, that was very uncharacteristic from x Xykon has shown that level of cleverness even back in Start of Darkness and I'm sure there's been other times, he's just lazy.
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Jan 26, 2021 01:12
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Gwyneth Palpate posted:Xykon's more clever than he looks. Don't confuse not caring with not knowing E: idk, it was less the cleverness and more the deadpan. I think he was sort of shocked that redcloak had the balls.
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Jan 26, 2021 01:12
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