OOTS basic plot?

[Froogleyboy]

Okay, I love oots but certain stuff makes no sense to me, What are the trying to do at the moment? And why are they messing around with gates?

[xelliea]

Okay, I love oots but certain stuff makes no sense to me, What are the trying to do at the moment? And why are they messing around with gates?

They want to stop Xykon from controling the gate(s).
...I think.

[Froogleyboy]

What do gates do?

[The Dark Fiddler]

They contain the Snarl, but if someone controls them, they can release the Snarl and unmake the world. Then remake it.

I think... -.-'

[xelliea]

What do gates do?

They contain the Snarl. The controler can chose what the Snarl unmakes. (part of the dark one's plan to make the goblins important.) I think.

[Morty]

What do gates do?

Wouldn't it be a better idea to reread some earlier comics than to ask questions on forum? It's clearly explained at least several times.

[FujinAkari]

Are you talking about the OOTS themselves, or Redcloak and Xykon?

Background: There are five gates in the world which were built by the Order of the Scribble about fiftyish years ago. They are meant to contain a being of pure chaos which destroyed the Gods of the East and the First World the Gods had created (though the most recent comic casts doubt on whether said world is actually destroyed)

Redcloak: Redcloak's exact motivations are detailed in Start of Darkness

Redcloak is the high cleric of the Dark One, and the Crimson Mantle is a blessed artifact of the Dark One. Wearing it allows Redcloak to learn 'The Plan.' The Plan is two-fold:

1) If Redcloak is able to secure a working Gate, he will gain the ability to manipulate the Gate's seal, allowing him to unleash the Snarl pretty much wherever he wants. The Dark One will use this power as a point of blackmail in order to force the other Gods to give the Goblin Race a fair chance, giving them better land and better stats, since Goblins currently exist as experience-fodder for low level adventurers. ((To expand on this idea a bit, SoD explains that Goblins, Kobolds, Orcs, and the like were created some time after the world began because the Gods grew bored with how few of their followers were able to survive to get to the interesting spells they had designed. Thus, they made intentionally weak races for the sole purpose of getting slaughtered by adventurers so that said adventurers would eventually be able to handle the 'interesting' monsters they'd already created.))

2) If Redcloak is unable to secure a working Gate, he will simply destroy all five gates and unleash the Snarl on the world itself. This will force the Gods to remake the world yet again and this time the Dark One will be there to ensure that Goblins get fair treatment.

Xykon:

Again, from Start of Darkness

Xykon doesn't actually know Redcloak's goals. He believes that Redcloak is able to tap into the power of the snarl and unleash chaotic -power- at will, once he has a Gate. When they met, Xykon was going through something of a late-life crisis and thinks getting a gate will let him rule the world... plus its more interesting than just sitting about.

OOTS:

The Order doesn't actually know why RC and Xykon are after the gates, they just know that the Gates are very dangerous if left to the wrong hands, so they are trying to defend them.

[The Blackbird]

What do gates do?

This (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0273.html) should help.

Read the next few pages.

[NerfTW]

Have you considered starting at the beginning of the strip instead of jumping into the middle?

[FujinAkari]

Have you considered starting at the beginning of the strip instead of jumping into the middle?

Well to be fair, Xykon and Redcloak's motivations are never actually explained in the online material.

[Morty]

Well to be fair, Xykon and Redcloak's motivations are never actually explained in the online material.

You don't really need to know them to understand what's going on and what is the Order trying to do, though.

[Ichneumon]

The gates control a god-killing abomination. Xykon is an evil sorceror who wants to control/destroy the gates for some kind of evil purpose. Roy and the adventuring party want to stop this from happening.

[theinsulabot]

If Redcloak is unable to secure a working Gate, he will simply destroy all five gates and unleash the Snarl on the world itself. This will force the Gods to remake the world yet again and this time the Dark One will be there to ensure that Goblins get fair treatment.







i don't remember that part ever being mentioned in SOD, though i may of missed it, it is as i understand, a working fan theory. not one i personally believe in, because if the dark one releases the snarl, i am of the mind that the dark one's godly allies will abandon him and they and the other gods would probably ensure he was eaten by the snarl by banning him from the pocket universe they hid in last time it was freed. i just cant see how tiamat and the others would stand by and allow him to help remake the world if he was the one who killed it, and potentially the gods themselves, by releasing the god killing abomination. once again though, that may actually have been in SOD and i just overlooked it, in which case the dark one has some serious 5/5 cojenes of godly power

[Blue Ghost]

:mitd: Wait, what "gates" are you talking about?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Elfin]

Wouldn't it be a better idea to reread some earlier comics than to ask questions on forum? It's clearly explained at least several times.

Agreed. Reread the "Crayons of Time" strips.
Seriously.

[Gnomish Lab]

:mitd: Wait, what "gates" are you talking about?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Oh, man.

I wanted to say that ! :smallwink:

[Zevox]

i don't remember that part ever being mentioned in SOD, though i may of missed it, it is as i understand, a working fan theory.
That actually was in Start of Darkness in part. It's Redcloak's worst-case scenario consolation. He'll never intentionally destroy the gates, but if the Snarl should accidentally be released (whether because something goes wrong with his ritual to control a gate or because all the gates get destroyed accidentally), he feels it will be worth it anyway, since the Dark One will be involved in the creation of the next world.
Zevox

[Ted The Bug]

This is the Giant In The Playground forum. 'Basic' and 'Plot' do not appear together. Ever.
That being said, Xykon is evil, and wants to control the gates because...well...he's a bad guy and he loved power. RC is helping him because of a mixture of guilt and ambition. The good guys are basically trying to prevent this.

[BatRobin]

Have you considered starting at the beginning of the strip instead of jumping into the middle?

This.


10char

[Cizak]

Wait...

You're a Bugbear in the Playground and you haven't even read the comic?

[Axl_Rose]

I wonder how many more people will post not knowing when they've just read a post by a troll.

[The Dark Fiddler]

I wonder how many more people will post not knowing when they've just read a post by a troll.

I wonder how many people will accuse others of being trolls for no reason.

You're saying you've never been confused by the plot of anything?


Wait...

You're a Bugbear in the Playground and you haven't even read the comic?

Froogleboy, if that is who you are talking about, did indeed read it, and was simply confused.

[theinsulabot]

I wonder how many people will accuse others of being trolls for no reason.

You're saying you've never been confused by the plot of anything?





don't mind axle, he is one of a growing number of people on the intertubes who find it easier to assume everyone who asks a silly question must be doing it on purpose. now me, i say, lot of trolls around, but some people just weren't paying attention. the OP could of got most of it had he simply reread the order of the scribble bit, but to be fair, even if sarcasm and contempt filled, by posting it on the forums he did get an answer (or several) to his question

[Ripped Shirt Kirk]

Gate? What gate?

[David Argall]

Okay, I love oots but certain stuff makes no sense to me, What are the trying to do at the moment? And why are they messing around with gates?

Roy is trying to snuff Xykon, and to defend the gates from Xykon. He does not know what evil plan the lich has, but knows it involves a risk to the entire world [and that if it doesn't destroy the world, that might be worse], and that it involves these gates. So his idea is to be waiting at the next gate and take Xykon out. The rest of the party is following his lead.

Xykon and Redcloak SoD
Xykon assumes that control of a gate is an easy way to conquer and rule the world since he will be effectively able to use the Snarl as a weapon by releasing it on anybody who dares oppose him.
Redcloak knows this will not happen. When/if they gain control of a gate, the magic they will perform will grant the Dark One control of the gate. He assumes this power will be used to blackmail the gods into giving goblins, and to a lesser extent other humanoids, a better deal. Whether it will or not depends on the whim of an evil god, but Redcloak has faith.
Both are easily distracted since they assume they are more or less immortal and thus can wait a bit. Redcloak has been kicking back and helping the hobgoblins secure rule of Azure City, and Xykon has been amusing himself torturing O-Chul, and likely killing most everybody else who got in range at the wrong time [there being seldom a right time].
However, they are now on their way to the next gate, as soon as they find Xykon's phylactery.

The future may be The party will have a little fun here in town and will set off across the desert. However, at some point, they will be diverted to [or may just walk thru] Tyrinaria, which will be ruled by the twin's father. There will be a mess involving rescue of Haley's father and family interactions for Elan.
From there, it will be off to the gate, again with possible interruptions. Once at the gate, they will set up a trap of some sort for Xykon, and probably interact with the gate's guardian. Xykon will arrive and there will be a fuss, during which the LG will make an appearance, and, possibly aided by a controlled V, will take over the gate. However, something will go wrong and the gate is destroyed. The party, and likely some of the villains, will then be pulled into the rift and end up on the Snarl's world.
Book 6 will be their adventures there, which could be most anything. However they will discover something about the nature of reality/the Snarl and a way to make their way back, at which time, they will rush to the final gate in the North and the dwarves. There will be quite a bit of fuss before they finally win out.

[Elfin]

They'll still have to deal with Kraagor's Gate, though.

[Onyavar]

Okay, I love oots but certain stuff makes no sense to me, What are the trying to do at the moment? And why are they messing around with gates?

Ok, there are many good answers to this question in this thread yet. But in my opinion, none of them explains what the OotS wants at Girards Gate! What do they hope to achieve, when they've solved all the riddles before Xykon flies in and conquers the unprotected gate!

How do they expect to defend the Gate? Ah, right: Walled city with a big castle! (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0508.html)


So... the OotS wants to find Girads Gate before Xykon does, but they hopefully just wait there for the bad guy, not interfering with the gates defenses. Might be waiting there six months!
Well, at least there was a hint in 672... nosy V will probably try to research the mystery of hidden stars and planets within the rift. Disaster ensues!