The IFCC and Long Term Plans

[Bibliomancer]

Looking back at old comics, I noticed something:

The Order of the Stick was sent into the woods to find the starmetal by the Linear Guild, who work for the IFCC. In fact, the person who gave them the location of the metal was Sabine, the IFCC's agent on the team

This led to V killing the black dragon, which led to the ABD coming after V's family, which led to the soul splice, which is a major plot point. The question, now, is this: was the start of this chain of events (including the fact that the ABD wasn't there to destroy the Order) coincidence or shockingly good planning on the part of the IFCC?

What do you think?

[Turkish Delight]

If it was planned, it's Xanatos Roulette at it's finest and most completely absurd.

[Forbiddenwar]

Interesting idea. Except Sabine was against sending them in the forest.

[Porthos]

There is only one slight problem with your theory.

Sabine (and by extension the IFCC) didn't know about the Gates until after the Starmetal Quest was over. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0380.html) :smalltongue:

Thus the IFCC had no reason to test out the Soul Splice on V.

The whole reason of the Soul Splice is so the IFCC can (via a chain of events) get control of The Snarl.

So why set up this gambit when there's no payoff for the IFCC? No, the only way this makes sense, from what we have seen, is if Team OotS got on the radar screen of the IFCC thanks to the report that Sabine gave in comic #380.

[Turkish Delight]

So why set up this gambit when there's no payoff for the IFCC?

Yeah, that's one slight problem.

Another slight problem is building an entire scheme around the assumption that V specifically will cast disintegrate on the Young Adult Dragon (and thus be the most responsible for Young Adult Dragon's death), V will eventually have a breakdown that leaves him isolated and vulnerable to Mama Dragon, Mama Dragon will show up and warn V about how she's going to do something horrible rather than just eating V or killing V's family beforehand or any other possible scheme, and so on and so on.

So no. That wouldn't be fiendishly clever planning. It would just be an crazed stretch of all probability.

[Shale]

This is entirely hypothetical, but the plan wouldn't need to be that specific. Drop them in a room with the YABD, and a fight naturally ensues. Either they're all eaten or somebody lands the fatal blow on the dragon, and Mommy goes after him or her. The IFCC then just has to make sure that when the Ancient Black Dragon springs her trap, they're available to offer a way out.

[UglyPanda]

Strip 142 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0142.html)

Nale knew about the starmetal first, not Sabine. It's not clear whether or not Nale works for IFCC or even knows about them (Probably not since Sabine had to lie to Nale in order to contact them), just that Sabine was sent by somebody to be Nale's concubine.

[David Argall]

As noted, the "plan" to send the party after the starmetal was Nale's, not Sabine, and the fiends had no reason to consider the party worth their time until after Sabine told them about the gates. And the whole idea is extremely likely to fall apart at some point. [What if Ma had decided that death was not too good for V?]
The fiends are shown as extremely intelligent, such that they could make their plans almost on the fly, and so we really do not need a plan much beyond
"watch them and look for a chance".

[Turkish Delight]

This is entirely hypothetical, but the plan wouldn't need to be that specific. Drop them in a room with the YABD, and a fight naturally ensues. Either they're all eaten or somebody lands the fatal blow on the dragon, and Mommy goes after him or her. The IFCC then just has to make sure that when the Ancient Black Dragon springs her trap, they're available to offer a way out.

The plan only really pans out perfectly with V. He is the only party member with the perfect storm of sufficient arrogance, non-good alignment, a family (including children), and a burning need to prove the power of magic to solve any problem.

God help the IFCC if Belkar had landed the fatal blow. When Mama Dragon showed up, he might have offered to come along and help her harvest his family's souls.

[DukeGod]

maybe,they would only need the black dragon to be slain,after all it was the Oracle that told who killed her son (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0628.html)and in the same comic(and before when whe see him using his powers,and when he says he is not a cleric)it is stated that he gains his powers from Tiamat,who might be allied with the IFCC,if they told her to say the Oracle that it was V...
well then it was one absurdly good plan...

[spargel]

Impossible unless they can see into the future.

[GSFB]

I think it is pretty clear that Tiamat and the IFCC are NOT in cahoots. I also think the IFCC had nothing to do whatsoever with ABD, other than seeing an opportunity present itself.

What actually surprises me is that the IFCC didn't try to get involved somehow in the battle for Azure City. Someone like, well, Miko, could have been an excellent recruit...

[spargel]

What actually surprises me is that the IFCC didn't try to get involved somehow in the battle for Azure City. Someone like, well, Miko, could have been an excellent recruit...

Detect Evil would screw that up. Although she doesn't use it often enough.

[Turkish Delight]

Someone like, well, Miko, could have been an excellent recruit...

Nah. Miko was psychotic, but she was psychotic in the sense that she believed with absolutely 100% conviction that she was an agent of good. She'd have just started slashing at them the moment they appeared.

[factotum]

well then it was one absurdly good plan...

Under no circumstances is a plan that relies so much on chance a good plan, sorry.

[DukeGod]

Under no circumstances is a plan that relies so much on chance a good plan, sorry.
8th line,3rd panel,Shojo's baloon... (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0406.html)
the more complex a plan is,the more likely it is to fail
and the only way they could recruit Miko would by bringing her back to life,giving her a Deck of Many Things them hope she pulled the Balance card...
(hell that has already happened to me...)

[Bibliomancer]

8th line,3rd panel,Shojo's baloon... (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0406.html)
the more complex a plan is,the more likely it is to fail
and the only way they could recruit Miko would by bringing her back to life,giving her a Deck of Many Things them hope she pulled the Balance card...
(hell that has already happened to me...)

Actually, drawing the balance card would have mad her CG, at that point. Also, they might have been able to recruit her with a few Bluff checks and a simple illusion spell to disguise themselves as angels. As a fallen paladin, Miko would have lost the Detect Evil ability and would have almost certianly been willing to believe that her gods sent her allies in her time of need, especially allies bearing a sacred technique of battle known as the "white"guard prestige class.

Miko was a high enough level that she could have instantly become a 10th level blackguard if someone convinced her to take the class, and still had some extra abilities on the side.