Possible case of foreshadowing?

[Meta]

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0115.html

Could Xykon be seeing inside the gate, and thus what may be the planet seen by blackwing? I didn't quite understand his reaction to being thrown into the gate before, but after seeing 'inside the snarl' I think it's at least semi-plausible.

[Lvl45DM!]

Nah hes looking the other way he meant "oh you know im not in that much pain why am i screaming in agony?"

[Puns de León]

It's because instead of continuing through to the rift, the seal on the gate holds him motionless in the air at the gate's entrance for a few seconds before blowing him to pieces. He has just enough time to regain some confidence in the matter and utter his Last Words of Futile Self-assurance. Don't know if this is a documented trope, but it should be.

I'm surprised that he didn't seem to expect the BOOM! part, though, since he'd sent so many goblins to their deaths at the hands of that symbol already.

[factotum]

I'm surprised that he didn't seem to expect the BOOM! part, though, since he'd sent so many goblins to their deaths at the hands of that symbol already.

Maybe none of them blew up? Besides, he's a high level lich, he probably thinks that what affects Random Mook #437 won't affect him to the same extent; and in most instances he'd be dead right!

[David Argall]

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0115.html

Could Xykon be seeing inside the gate, and thus what may be the planet seen by blackwing? I didn't quite understand his reaction to being thrown into the gate before, but after seeing 'inside the snarl' I think it's at least semi-plausible.

The odds are very high that Xykon saw nothing of note. If he had seen anything like what Blackwing saw, his reaction is apt to be what ours was... What? But what does this mean?... And does this totally change things? While he might have continued to take over Azure City, he would have then wanted to study the rift very closely instead of ignoring it. After all, he is betting his unlife on a theory of the Snarl and the rifts, and that planet brings forth the possibility that the whole kit and kaboodle is wrong. Xykon may not be particularly sane or bright, but risking your existence to control a gate that may do nothing? Or may work poorly? No, he wouldn't take the chance, and so he never got the hint that there is something unexpected beyond the rifts.

[Kaytara]

Also, remember that the rift over Azure City had grown to a frickin' HUGE size by the time Blackwing was able to see anything in it. A relatively small, fully contained rift is unlikely to have the same effect.

[Thanatosia]

Also, remember that the rift over Azure City had grown to a frickin' HUGE size by the time Blackwing was able to see anything in it. A relatively small, fully contained rift is unlikely to have the same effect.
At the same time, is it not rather illogical that Redcloak and Xykon have held the Rift right next to their evil tower for months and not once taken a close look at it? Even if they were afraid of getting that close in person, I'm guessing they know how to use a Scrying Censor - Xykon uses a widescreen TIVO crystal ball often enough.

[Optimystik]

I'm surprised that he didn't seem to expect the BOOM! part, though, since he'd sent so many goblins to their deaths at the hands of that symbol already.

DCF bonus strip:
Xykon sends a hapless minion into the gate wearing a talisman that allows himself and Redcloak to monitor his final moments. Though many screams of pain are heard through the link, I don't remember there being a "BOOM" at the end.

[Alaska Fan]

At the same time, is it not rather illogical that Redcloak and Xykon have held the Rift right next to their evil tower for months and not once taken a close look at it? Even if they were afraid of getting that close in person, I'm guessing they know how to use a Scrying Censor - Xykon uses a widescreen TIVO crystal ball often enough.

Perhaps you are confusing Gated Rifts (Durkuon's castle) with unGated Rifts (Azure City)? We never saw the Rift at Dorkuon's castle after the Gate was blown up. Presumably, the explosive features of Dorkuon's Gate were a part of its protections. The unGated Rift at Azure City is the only one any PC (or PC's familiar) has looked into.

That said, the world inside the Azure City rift is very puzzling. The Giant has me baffled with that bit of foreshadowing...:smallconfused:

[Spiky]

Gate? What gate?

[NerfTW]

Xykon couldn't see into the rift in the dungeon. They were sending minions in and only getting reports of purple swirls. The gate was protecting it, remember. The Azure city rift has no such protection, so they could see into it.

He said it wasn't that bad because being blown up wasn't hurting as much as he thought. Nothing else to it.

[factotum]

At the same time, is it not rather illogical that Redcloak and Xykon have held the Rift right next to their evil tower for months and not once taken a close look at it?

Why would they bother? Without the Gate the rift is useless to them, and if it weren't for Redcloak's misdirection they'd have headed off to Girard's Gate months ago.

[rewinn]

Why would they bother? Without the Gate the rift is useless to them, and if it weren't for Redcloak's misdirection they'd have headed off to Girard's Gate months ago.

It may be ironic that Redcloak doesn't know about the planet because he just did think of, or didn't bother to, fly up high enough to get the necessary view.

Perhaps his strategic thinking is limited by his desire to control rifts by a gate, and so he may be overlooking a possible ENTIRE PLANET for the oppressed races.

[Bibliomancer]

It may be ironic that Redcloak doesn't know about the planet because he just did think of, or didn't bother to, fly up high enough to get the necessary view.

Perhaps his strategic thinking is limited by his desire to control rifts by a gate, and so he may be overlooking a possible ENTIRE PLANET for the oppressed races.

This would work, except for the rule that, for some reason, alternate universes tend to be more interesting, violent, and powerful than the "basic" world of any series. What would be the point in visiting a stable, boring, low-tech world?

For all we know that world occasionally parodies Forgotten Realms instead of Eberron and so suffers from sporadic outbreaks of Pun-Pun.

This would make it a very bad world to which to move.

[Forbiddenwar]

DCF bonus strip:
Xykon sends a hapless minion into the gate wearing a talisman that allows himself and Redcloak to monitor his final moments. Though many screams of pain are heard through the link, I don't remember there being a "BOOM" at the end.


It wasn't his final moments but his final words.
"this magic amulet will transmit your words"
expecting him to say "boom" doesn't make any sense. Instead he says, "Gak! Gurrgle."

[Bibliomancer]

It wasn't his final moments but his final words.
"this magic amulet will transmit your words"
expecting him to say "boom" doesn't make any sense. Instead he says, "Gak! Gurrgle."

But would it transmit merely the sounds originating in his voicebox or sounds from the region around it?

[Forbiddenwar]

But would it transmit merely the sounds originating in his voicebox or sounds from the region around it?

Well, We have Xykon saying " Your words" and Redcloak saying "what is he saying." And the ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ of Jeff being fried by the symbol is not transmitted. I think that we can safely assume it is the sounds originating from his voicebox.

[Laughing Dragon]

This would work, except for the rule that, for some reason, alternate universes tend to be more interesting, violent, and powerful than the "basic" world of any series. What would be the point in visiting a stable, boring, low-tech world?

For all we know that world occasionally parodies Forgotten Realms instead of Eberron and so suffers from sporadic outbreaks of Pun-Pun.

This would make it a very bad world to which to move.

The REAL problems with falling onto a planet from orbit are: 1) insuficient air, & 2) impact with the planet itself.

Anyone who can overcome these problems would find living there a piece of cake. Besides, it's probably just the original world that was thought to be destroyed by the snarl the first time around.

[David Argall]

The REAL problems with falling onto a planet from orbit are: 1) insuficient air, & 2) impact with the planet itself.

The air problem is normally solved by just ignoring it. For the fall, V has Feather Fall.

[Teddy]

The air problem is normally solved by just ignoring it. For the fall, V has Feather Fall.

It's even more possible to ignore the fall, to the level that you can fly if you're ignorant enough.

[Puns de León]

It's even more possible to ignore the fall, to the level that you can fly if you're ignorant enough.

All you have to do is fall and miss hitting the ground.

[Bibliomancer]

All you have to do is fall and miss hitting the ground.

Unfortunately, Arthur Dent isn't here to teach them that.


The REAL problems with falling onto a planet from orbit are: 1) insuficient air, & 2) impact with the planet itself.

Anyone who can overcome these problems would find living there a piece of cake. Besides, it's probably just the original world that was thought to be destroyed by the snarl the first time around.

Once you crossed through the gate, you could use teleportation to get down to the planet. However, if that wasn't available, you could commission a very large one of these (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0138.html) [panel four], or just make the fortitude saves associated with vacuum as mentioned in the Elder Evils supplement, or find a spelljamming helm, or research a spell that traps air around you and then cast mass feather fall. Redcloak is a high level cleric. He'd be able to get around it somehow.

However, even if it was just the original world, how safe would it be to live in a world of ninjawizards* with an arbitrary landscape and creatures with changing natures about which you know nothing? I maintain it would be a more dangerous environment than the current world, and we all know goblinoids aren't exactly thriving there either.

*Not multiclass. A unbalanced, cheese filled homebrew** that was the only way the inhabitants could survive.

**Or supplemental material from Forgotten Realms.