Morgan Wick
2009-07-05, 10:26 PM
First things first: As fitting as it would be to squeeze the whole Haley's-dad-Elan's-dad business in with Girard's Gate in one big huge Western Continent book, I'm starting to think that business - if the popular fanon is right at all - will wait for Book 6 (assuming we go seven).
There are two main reasons why I think that. First, the Linear Guild has not shown up in this book. The pattern established in the past is that major plots in one book have been heavily foreshadowed in the previous book. See the LG/Team Evil look-ins in Book 2 that led to the major plots in Book 3. Even Kubota showed up in Book 3, and the Thieves' Guild in Origin of PCs. It seems fairly obvious that the LG will turn up at Girard's Gate, but they could have a secondary role in the battle or moved ahead to Kraagor's Gate. (What is the evidence that Tyrinar/Elan's dad is on the Western Continent anyway? It would have to be from Origin of PCs...)
Perhaps more important is Haley breaking off Celia's deal with the Thieves Guild. When we first saw that deal, a lot of people thought it would lead to Haley taking another tack to springing her father. Now, however, the immediate consequences would seem to be the Thieves' Guild tracking down Haley to get Revenge(tm) (and their money of course). I think that's enough Haley-centric action for the next book. Besides, with the level of foreshadowing and anticipation the whole daddy problems thing might deserve a book of its own.
Now then:
Girard's Gate:
The OOTS beat their obstacles and have Xykon and Co. on the ropes. Roy declares, "Nothing can stop us now!" but V, in the same panel, suddenly sports yellow, orange, or purple eyes. Either the OOTS thinks he's doing something perfectly normal by recruiting either Durkon or Redcloak to help him do something, or think he's intentionally gone evil. In the former case, while the OOTS bickers, Belkar decides to show his new "team spirit" by blowing the gate and keeping V distracted as the gate crumbles, ending with both of them getting unmade by the Snarl. In the latter case, they just blow the gate and shoot to kill. Either way Team Evil escapes in the confusion and the OOTS now has to chase them to Kraagor's Gate.
Kraagor's Gate: (heavy SoD spoilers)
Either Xykon pwns the OOTS or just gets there first and is able to start the rituals. They perform the rituals to perfection and... the gate disappears, for reasons SoD readers will know. Xykon thinks Redcloak just pulled a fast one on him (which he did) and ruined The Plan (which he didn't) and activates his failsafe on the MitD. The OOTS then recovers (or shows up), defeats Xykon, but they also have to stop the Dark One's plan (possibly by moving the gate back). That could fall on Vaarsuvius' shoulders if "IIMS" was not the Four Words (and he's still alive or undead, or maybe just in the afterlife). Or Durkon's, being a cleric (and assuming he's undead), or Elan's, because of Banjo.
There are two main reasons why I think that. First, the Linear Guild has not shown up in this book. The pattern established in the past is that major plots in one book have been heavily foreshadowed in the previous book. See the LG/Team Evil look-ins in Book 2 that led to the major plots in Book 3. Even Kubota showed up in Book 3, and the Thieves' Guild in Origin of PCs. It seems fairly obvious that the LG will turn up at Girard's Gate, but they could have a secondary role in the battle or moved ahead to Kraagor's Gate. (What is the evidence that Tyrinar/Elan's dad is on the Western Continent anyway? It would have to be from Origin of PCs...)
Perhaps more important is Haley breaking off Celia's deal with the Thieves Guild. When we first saw that deal, a lot of people thought it would lead to Haley taking another tack to springing her father. Now, however, the immediate consequences would seem to be the Thieves' Guild tracking down Haley to get Revenge(tm) (and their money of course). I think that's enough Haley-centric action for the next book. Besides, with the level of foreshadowing and anticipation the whole daddy problems thing might deserve a book of its own.
Now then:
Girard's Gate:
The OOTS beat their obstacles and have Xykon and Co. on the ropes. Roy declares, "Nothing can stop us now!" but V, in the same panel, suddenly sports yellow, orange, or purple eyes. Either the OOTS thinks he's doing something perfectly normal by recruiting either Durkon or Redcloak to help him do something, or think he's intentionally gone evil. In the former case, while the OOTS bickers, Belkar decides to show his new "team spirit" by blowing the gate and keeping V distracted as the gate crumbles, ending with both of them getting unmade by the Snarl. In the latter case, they just blow the gate and shoot to kill. Either way Team Evil escapes in the confusion and the OOTS now has to chase them to Kraagor's Gate.
Kraagor's Gate: (heavy SoD spoilers)
Either Xykon pwns the OOTS or just gets there first and is able to start the rituals. They perform the rituals to perfection and... the gate disappears, for reasons SoD readers will know. Xykon thinks Redcloak just pulled a fast one on him (which he did) and ruined The Plan (which he didn't) and activates his failsafe on the MitD. The OOTS then recovers (or shows up), defeats Xykon, but they also have to stop the Dark One's plan (possibly by moving the gate back). That could fall on Vaarsuvius' shoulders if "IIMS" was not the Four Words (and he's still alive or undead, or maybe just in the afterlife). Or Durkon's, being a cleric (and assuming he's undead), or Elan's, because of Banjo.