Quick question concerning the blood oath...

[xyzzy]

If J. Random Adventurer were to kill Xykon with no involvement of any of the Greenhilts involved, would Eugene be able to enter the afterlife? I can't really tell given the definition given in-comic.

[SPoD]

It hasn't been specified.

[Optimystik]

It would really depend on the exact wording he used. If Eugene said "until I or my descendants destroy Xykon," then no. If he said "until Xykon is destroyed," then yes.

Personally, I think he should have an epiphany of some kind before being allowed in, whether Xykon dies with his help or not. It would be strange to allow the same man that bound his own offspring to his personal vendetta to profit from such a selfish action.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

It would really depend on the exact wording he used. If Eugene said "until I or my descendants destroy Xykon," then no. If he said "until Xykon is destroyed," then yes.

Personally, I think he should have an epiphany of some kind before being allowed in, whether Xykon dies with his help or not. It would be strange to allow the same man that bound his own offspring to his personal vendetta to profit from such a selfish action.

But Eugene didn't profit from his Blood Oath... Even though Roy "Failed" to destroy Xykon, he was allowed up the mountain. Only Eugene was blocked.

In fact, Eugene could have ended up seriously stuck in the waiting room if Roy and Julia failed in their quests to destry Xykon, and neither left any grandchildren behind. The entire Greenhilt family could enter the afterlife, leaving Eugene to bemoan his fate, even after Xykon eventually disentigrates to dust and demilich status...

Eugene earned his ticket to Celestia by the other actions of his life, he's just blocked by the unfinished Blood Oath of Vengance.

[TheBST]

Just checked SoD. The oath reads "I shall not rest in this life or any other, until I or my heirs have enacted horrible vengeance on those who have slighted me, named here as Xykon the Sorcerer"

So yeah, Eugene's screwed if anyone other than Roy or Julia or their ancestors enact the oath.

Although 'enacted horrible vengeance' certainly does leave room for interpretation, doesn't it?

[Shhalahr Windrider]

But Eugene didn't profit from his Blood Oath... Even though Roy "Failed" to destroy Xykon, he was allowed up the mountain. Only Eugene was blocked.
Yep. It turns out that the only reason any of Eugene's descendants will ever have for fulfilling the Oath directly is to be kind to their anscestor.

Hm. Sudden thought: Roy's no longer interested in fulfilling the Blood Oath, right? His beef with Xykon is now only a matter of saving the multiverse. So would destroying Xykon in defense of the multiverse rather than for the purposes of vengance really fulfill the Oath? Isn't Eugene pretty well screwed at this point?

[RMS Oceanic]

No. Roy's still out to destroy Xykon, albeit for a different motive than Eugene had. The oath takes no notice of motive, just action.

[Kaytara]

But now I have to wonder if the oath is touchy on who gets to deal the killing blow. If, say, Haley shoots him, or V blasts him, or he gets crushed under tons of rock due to Roy's actions... Would that still count as Roy defeating him?

[Shhalahr Windrider]

No. Roy's still out to destroy Xykon, albeit for a different motive than Eugene had. The oath takes no notice of motive, just action.
The Oath might not care about motive in the strictest sense. But what makes vengance vengance is motive. It's not enacting vengance if you kill a guy in self defense. That's just survival. What makes it vengance is taking something as a personal affront and making a point of punishing the offender specifically in retaliation for the percieved wrong.

[Optimystik]

The Oath might not care about motive in the strictest sense. But what makes vengance vengance is motive. It's not enacting vengance if you kill a guy in self defense. That's just survival. What makes it vengance is taking something as a personal affront and making a point of punishing the offender specifically in retaliation for the percieved wrong.

I don't think Roy can get away from the vengeance aspect at this point. No matter what reason he proclaims as being his motivation for killing Xykon, he never would have been aware of Xykon's threat had it not been for the blood oath. Thus his every action against Xykon would count towards its fulfillment.

The deva at Roy's review backs me up - she says that he died "in the process of fulfilling" the oath, and that was why he was allowed up. Since his death came after stating his changed motives in Shojo's throne room, we can only assume that his actions after that point were valid as far as the Oath was concerned.

[Jan Mattys]

But now I have to wonder if the oath is touchy on who gets to deal the killing blow. If, say, Haley shoots him, or V blasts him, or he gets crushed under tons of rock due to Roy's actions... Would that still count as Roy defeating him?

I'd say definitely yes.
Hadn't it been for Roy, Haley or V wouldn't have been there in the first place. So after all the final kill is still the result of an avalanche of events started by Roy.

(I know this sounds a bit Oracle-ish, but I think it makes sense)
:smallbiggrin:

[Edna]

But now I have to wonder if the oath is touchy on who gets to deal the killing blow. If, say, Haley shoots him, or V blasts him, or he gets crushed under tons of rock due to Roy's actions... Would that still count as Roy defeating him?

I think it still counts--they wouldn't have ended up battling Xykon in the first place without Roy's leadership.

Edna