OOTS #690 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[Dark Faun]

Oh, Haley, I love you.

[Eleven]

Akwaaard...

I agree about that. Totally unexpected with how the rest of the scene was going too.

Anyways, awesome comic!

[Shadic]

I'm surprised they managed to find a halfway private place on that thing, I mean, seriously.

And apparently Haley likes large 'worms', go figure.

[Tiktakkat]

I've heard of the Mile High Club, but the Worm Back Club?

[Green Bean]

Well, I suppose a giant purple worm is pretty much innuendo incarnate. Freud would have a field day with Haley right about now.

Also, why do I have a feeling that finding the Gate won't be as simple as casting a few True Seeing spells.

[Gamerlord]

(In C-3PO voice)

Oh my! :smalleek:

[Ruduen]

There's no way that that's going to be private for long.

Also, what's Belkar reading?

[Woodsman]

Strange ending, there.

Bit unecessary, I think, but still pretty amusing.

[Water-Smurf]

I hope for Roy's sake that he doesn't go looking for Haley and Elan. :smallwink:

[Gamerlord]

There's no way that that's going to be private for long.

Also, what's Belkar reading?

The monster manual.

That is the joke, he just learned that it has a poison bite.

[SPoD]

Also, what's Belkar reading?

Dune, the novel which is the source of the sandworm reference in the first place.

Furthermore, he's rooting for the villain. :smallbiggrin:

[Aaron]

Oh, Haley, I love you.

:smalltongue: Didn't see that coming... then again...:smallwink:

[Assassin89]

I wonder if Girard will even be present at the gate. I think that he would probably be watching the order from within an illusion that might not be able to be pierced by true seeing.

[The Dark Fiddler]

I like this comic. It appeals to the immature side I rarely let see the light of day. :smalltongue:

Now, how many 'proofs' of V's gender are going to be found in this comic? :smalltongue:

[Woodsman]

I just caught the Baron Harkonnen reference.

Best part of the whole comic, I believe.

[Lamorak]

I'm just glad to see Roy as the competent leader again rather than as a sack of useless bones. His character was getting kinda stale - the belts a good change of pace too :)

Hehe - giant worms.... :smallbiggrin:

[Dark Faun]

I just caught the Baron Harkonnen reference.

Best part of the whole comic, I believe.
Would you mind elaborating? I never read Dune. :smallfrown:

EDIT: never mind, I got it. I just remembered the movie.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Hmm, so the party's gone from riding Hinjo's junk to Belkar's worm...

[Jokasti]

Nice comic.

[AshDesert]

Great comic (I think Durkon's still kinda dull, but whatever), I love the Doors reference in the title:smallcool:.

[Phoenix Xul]

Wait... the fourth wall... it's still intact. Through the whole strip. WHY?

EDIT: Oh ****, never mind. Just noticed V's comment.

[Vaarsuvius4181]

Haley and elan 4ever :)

[Trenelus]

Excellent comic.

[Aaron]

Haley and elan 4ever :)

:smalleek:...On a giant worm in the middle of the desert... o boy....:smalltongue:

[J.Gellert]

Hehehe, awesome.

Let's see how their plan fails, now :smallsmile:

[Scarlet Knight]

:durkon: "How did ye both get sunberr' tha' agin?"

[Eldrys]

awesome comic, belkars always funny

[littlequietguy]

New comic! I assume it depicts the riding of worms?

Edit: Epic Facepalm. Always read the comic before posting. Accursed innuendo...

[TehSheen]

Awkward. But still pretty awesome. :smallbiggrin:

[Belkster11]

I'm glad Roy's around acting as a leader. Can't wait to see them overcome this new obstacle. :)

And Durkon probably shoulda figure out that V knows what starboard/port is consideringh V spent just as much time as they did on the boat.

[TerrickTerran]

*Laughs* Haley, you're so naughty. Great fun there.

[Belkster11]

Is Haley ripping Elan's shirt in half? Not that I don't think she shouldn't do it, btw. :)

[pendell]

Would you mind elaborating? I never read Dune. :smallfrown:

EDIT: never mind, I got it. I just remembered the movie.

So read it already! The movies are good, but the novel is better by far.

I missed the 'poison tooth' remark until our forumites caught it.

Hmm .. exposition time. Glad to see Roy's plan in action.

Ha ha! Those crazy kids! I remember being newlywed once. Enjoy it while you can, guys.

Also , I note that the Dune references has now exceeded three strips. Those of you who were considering it a one-shot like the GI joe appearance -- did GI joe show up in three consecutive strips? In multiple panels? Did he directly result in a monster encounter?

Do you want to revise your opinion at this time?

So... Belkar's reading Dune. I wonder if he's discovered what, exactly, deep blue-on-blue eyes mean in Dune?


I kind of hope for more Zany Dune whackiness with Belkar playing Baron Harkonnen. He's a natural for the part, yes?


Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Volkov]

Ah, doing it on a moving object, not only a moving one but a squirming one. I imagine that will be quite uncomfortable for Elan.

[Saintheart]

Why am I completely unsurprised that Belkar is cheering for Piter de Vries and Vladimir Harkonnen in that scene? :smallbiggrin:

[SteveMB]

New comic! I assume it depicts the riding of worms?

No, no, just the preliminary preparations.... :smallwink:

[AstralFire]

I'm not sure whether I find Elan/Haley more cute or creepy sometimes.

[Arzoo]

Hahaha, Belkar's line is the best part of the whole strip.

[Jagos]

Wow... Haley... Just wow...

[cabbagesquirrel]

well Elan does have 18 charisma...in his pants!

[Volkov]

And what happens if Elan, Haley or their clothing or their equipment or any combination of the four end up getting bucked off by the worm. A worm's way of movement won't provide a smooth ride.

[derfy]

Dune + The Doors = Epic win.

[Volkov]

well Elan does have 18 charisma...in his pants!

.................................................. ........

.................................................. ........................

.................................................. ....................................

That must be the third worst joke I ever read.

[BatRobin]

Hmm, so the party's gone from riding Hinjo's junk to Belkar's worm...

V's worm.

So V must be...

A GUY, IT'S SO OBVIO-

*shot*

[Geoffron X]

Oh, Girard's still alive? I expected the rest of the Order of the Scribble to all be dead by now.

I do expect him to have gone insane from decades of isolation if he's still alive, though.

[Silverraptor]

Weird. But nice update.

[BatRobin]

Oh, Girard's still alive? I expected the rest of the Order of the Scribble to all be dead by now.

I do expect him to have gone insane from decades of isolation if he's still alive, though.

He'll just be all gray-haired and wrinkly.

I think that Girard and Serini are alive because they were the two youngest, iirc.

[Maximum Zersk]

well Elan does have 18 charisma...in his pants!

Great, now I have the Lonely Island song stuck in my head. Thank you.

[BatRobin]

Great, now I have the Lonely Island song stuck in my head. Thank you.

And now I have various people screaming 'IN UR PANTS' stuck in my head.

[FoE]

You know, the worm does sort of look like a ...

[Knight13]

Oh, Girard's still alive? I expected the rest of the Order of the Scribble to all be dead by now.
The wizard (I can't think of his name off the top of my head) was still alive until Xykon killed him, I think he killed the elf druid too. It wouldn't be too surprising if Girard is still alive.

[Smexidecimal]

Excellent comic. I now eagerly anticipate a remark about the number of Dune references we've had so far, possibly by Girard. . . Or, more likely, that Girard himself is a Dune fan and the giant purple worm, the change in Belkar's eyes, the spice itself, the last comic title, the caravan, and all of the friends that Belkar has ever had in his life are all cunning illusions backed up by solid frames made entirely of wood and paperclips. :smalltongue:

[CoffeeIncluded]

...It's the Mile High Worm Club! :smallbiggrin:

[Ted The Bug]

Looks like this +18 Charisma is worth a fair amount under the hood after all. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0028.html)

[The Dark Fiddler]

Oh, Girard's still alive? I expected the rest of the Order of the Scribble to all be dead by now.

I do expect him to have gone insane from decades of isolation if he's still alive, though.

Now that you mention it, people don't seem to have considered that possibility when it comes to future speculation and fanfiction...

[BatRobin]

The wizard (I can't think of his name off the top of my head) was still alive until Xykon killed him, I think he killed the elf druid too. It wouldn't be too surprising if Girard is still alive.

He killed neither, he just trapped their souls in a headband

[MightyIgoo]

Ah, doing it on a moving object, not only a moving one but a squirming one. I imagine that will be quite uncomfortable for Elan.

Not to put too much thought into it, but actually, as long as Haley is the one, er, "grappling and pinning" Elan, I imagine the sinuous motion of the worm will be quite, erm, facilitating.

I'm going to get booted off the forums for this, aren't I...

[BatRobin]

Not to put too much thought into it, but actually, as long as Haley is the one, er, "grappling and pinning" Elan, I imagine the sinuous motion of the worm will be quite, erm, facilitating.

I'm going to get booted off the forums for this, aren't I...

Nope, you probably won't.

[ralphmerridew]

Is it even possible to use a sextant by day?

[ocdscale]

any rooms on the worm?

[pendell]

Is it even possible to use a sextant by day?

Yes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sextant).



A common use of the sextant is to sight the sun at noon to find one's latitude. See celestial navigation for more discussion. Held horizontally, the sextant can be used to measure the angle between any two objects, such as between two lighthouses, which will, similarly, allow for calculation of a position on a chart.


Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Lamech]

I'm sure true seeing will have no trouble piercing those illusions. At all. None what so ever. No way an epic illusionist could make something that a fifth level spell couldn't defeat. Because we all know... crap.

[Woodsman]

I'm sure true seeing will have no trouble piercing those illusions. At all. None what so ever. No way an epic illusionist could make something that a fifth level spell couldn't defeat. Because we all know... crap.

Is he epic? Perhaps. It's pretty likely he's multiclass, too.

[HotAndCold]

He killed neither, he just trapped their souls in a headband

A gem, actually. After he did, indeed, personally kill them.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

V's worm.

So V must be...

A GUY, IT'S SO OBVIO-

*shot*
Why is it V's worm?

[Repzak]

...It's the Mile High Worm Club! :smallbiggrin:

No. It's the "Mile Long Worm Club" :smallbiggrin:

[CoffeeIncluded]

Doesn't change the fact that they're going at it on a worm.

It also doesn't change the fact that Roy, Durkon, V, Blackwing, and Belkar are almost certainly going to walk in right in the middle of it.

[Glory of Arioch]

Is Haley ripping Elan's shirt in half? Not that I don't think she shouldn't do it, btw. :)

Eh, they're fine. Elan's got Mending (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/mending.htm) on his spell list.

[Woodsman]

It also doesn't change the fact that Roy, Durkon, V, Blackwing, and Belkar are almost certainly going to walk in right in the middle of it.

V and Belkar won't. The two of them are guiding the worm.

Roy and Durkon? Yeah, I'm sure it'll happen.

[Xefas]

This comic made me smile more than normal.

Probably just because Haley reminds me of my own girlfriend in this one. :smallredface:

[Sijo]

UGH! Worst sex-related joke in the series yet. It felt forced too, as if Burlew realized this strip just wasn't that funny and had to throw something in.

Also, Elan and Haley 'doing it' on the worm is just *stupid*. They'll either fail to hold on, or be caught by one of the others (Roy will likely go check on them) or fail to notice an approaching threat, etc.

Still, nice to see Roy is planning things ahead as well as possible this time. Oh, and I think the poison tooth thing might a way to make clear that this is NOT a D&D Purple Worm (they have poison stingers). In case those Lawyers come back, y'know. :smallwink:

[Woodsman]

UGH! Worst sex-related joke in the series yet. It felt forced too, as if Burlew realized this strip just wasn't that funny and had to throw something in.

That just hurts. The poison tooth thing is hilarious.

[AtomicKitKat]

Why is it V's worm?

It's purple and he's the one guiding it by Belkar.:smalltongue:

[Mauve Shirt]

Heh. Good strip. :smallbiggrin: Better than the last one.

[Scarlet Knight]

It also doesn't change the fact that Roy, Durkon, V, Blackwing, and Belkar are almost certainly going to walk in right in the middle of it.
There's got to be a crack pairing story in there somehow...:smallredface:


Doesn't change the fact that they're going at it on a worm.
When all is said and done, don't we all? :smallwink:

[TheWerdna]

He'll just be all gray-haired and wrinkly.

I think that Girard and Serini are alive because they were the two youngest, iirc.

well Halflings live to about 200, so Serini is most likely still alive. Durokan was still alive but realy realy old. Girad might still be alive but realy old (though it probably has some sort of illision to make himself look young, he seesm like the kinda person who wouldn;t want to look old"

[CoffeeIncluded]

There's got to be a crack pairing story in there somehow...:smallredface:

I call dibs on it.

[plainsfox]

UGH! Worst sex-related joke in the series yet. It felt forced too, as if Burlew realized this strip just wasn't that funny and had to throw something in.

Also, Elan and Haley 'doing it' on the worm is just *stupid*. They'll either fail to hold on, or be caught by one of the others (Roy will likely go check on them) or fail to notice an approaching threat, etc.

Still, nice to see Roy is planning things ahead as well as possible this time. Oh, and I think the poison tooth thing might a way to make clear that this is NOT a D&D Purple Worm (they have poison stingers). In case those Lawyers come back, y'know. :smallwink:

The poison tooth comes from the book that Belkar's reading, not the Worm itself. I wonder what will happen when Belkar gets to the end?

[Woodsman]

The poison tooth comes from the book that Belkar's reading, not the Worm itself. I wonder what will happen when Belkar gets to the end?

I'm sure he'll be pretty ticked.

[Conuly]

I do expect him to have gone insane from decades of isolation if he's still alive, though.

HAS he been isolated? We know that Durokan and Lirian were still... uh... "in touch", and Serini seems to have had a crush on him (if the hearts in her journal are any indication). Maybe the two of them have also kept up contact. Heck, for all we know ALL the Scribblies stayed in touch EXCEPT for Soon!

[Edric O]

Has anyone considered the possibility that we're entering territory where anything could be an illusion - including the identity of some party members? Maybe that isn't really Haley...

Yeah, yeah, I know, epileptic trees. :smalltongue:

[ericgrau]

Haha, triple title meanings.

Hey, someone go start another Hinjo's Junk type thread. Start it off with something clever. I got nothing.

[Laeric]

Why is it V's worm?

Because he charmed it?

[HotAndCold]

HAS he been isolated? We know that Durokan and Lirian were still... uh... "in touch", and Serini seems to have had a crush on him (if the hearts in her journal are any indication). Maybe the two of them have also kept up contact. Heck, for all we know ALL the Scribblies stayed in touch EXCEPT for Soon!

The other Scribble members aren't even the only options he has for interaction. He can always go out and have a chat with passing traders or somesuch, or even have some sapient monsters of some sort hanging out in his whatever-it-is-he-has-exactly.

[Dr Bwaa]

Fantastic strip. I've been loving the Dune references (and have had to reread Dune as a result of this comic putting it so much in my head...) I partially expect (if the book continues to exist) that we'll see Belkar lose the book one way or another about halfway through...
...Like around the start of the Sardaukar's Fremen-pogroms, followed by a comment from him about how awesome the book was and so on. :smallbiggrin:

[DukeGod]

can somone explain me Belkar's speech?is he reading the Monster Manual and getting the stats on the worm?

[Woodsman]

can somone explain me Belkar's speech?is he reading the Monster Manual and getting the stats on the worm?

He's reading Dune. The line is a reference to the Duke Atredies poison tooth, which he plans to bite open and release a poisonous vapor, killing both himself and his mortal enemy, the Baron Harkonnen. Baron Harkonnen is a man very similar to Belkar, except Harkonnen is fat, fat, fat (Seriously, the guy needs personal repulsors to move his 300 kilo weight. It's disgusting).

[Mando Knight]

Haley Starshine appears to have decided to not let any unresolved sexual tension remain unresolved anymore, eh?

[TelemontTanthul]

I want to know when we are going to see the search for Xykon's phylactery is going to begin.

[itaibn]

I don't think doing that on a fast-moving object would as pleasurable. Think of the effects of space dilation on Elan's worm. Time dilation is also a problem, as it would make the experience seem much shorter.

[Leliel]

*reads last panel*

*wah-wah horn plays*
:smallbiggrin:

[Dvandemon]

What spell is Durkon using in the 2nd panel? Its just on the tip of my tongue

[CoffeeIncluded]

Find the Path?

[Acero]

(In C-3PO voice)

Oh my! :smalleek:

agreed. why is Belkar reading? its absurd!

[Acero]

He'll just be all gray-haired and wrinkly.

I think that Girard and Serini are alive because they were the two youngest, iirc.

nah, he'll probably have an illusion of his younger self on at all times.

[NakedCelt]

Oh, Girard's still alive? I expected the rest of the Order of the Scribble to all be dead by now.
CRACK PREDICTION:No, he has recently died -- because the surname "Draketooth" refers to his dragon ancestry.
As in, black dragon ancestry.
As in, this (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0639.html) black dragon.

[devel31]

well, that certainly would be a plot twist, but i doubt an epic level wizard is gonna get blown away SO easily...
but if we are gonna continue the dune fanfic, belkar definitely needs a crysknife
or two

[Omergideon]

Well now, the worm has revealed it's purpose as a plot device, but an extremely useful one. So I overall enjoyed the strip, but of course I need more detail than that.

Good:
1) The art again is superb as always. The worm maintains it's wonderful sense of scale. Of special note is the presence of the dust clouds behind the worm in the close up scenes. They are faint enough that you could miss them if you didn't look closely, but when you see them complete the image and keep everything consistent as always. I like this. Also if you look at the character's you can see a flapping cloak, an askew pendent etc. The motion is in there. Very nice, better even than normal I would say.
2) The minor jokes throughout the strip are very good sources of humour. As good a set of minor jokes as in any recent comic. Belkar reading Dune was incredibly funny, V commenting on starboard was good, even Roy's little scarcasm at Durkon was amusing.
3) The overall plan. I just find it impressive. Roy has really thought things through and planned everything out in nearly perfect detail. This helps us again to look at the changes Roy has made since death. he is just so much more....driven to succeed, and yet still able to laugh when it is needed as well. Very much appreciated.
4) The exposition. It was well delivered and immeadiately establishes several of what are likey to be important character dynamics in the future. It is consistent with Canon and everything pulls together seemlessly. A small moment in the Scribble crayon strips becomes what looks like it is going to be a big deal in the final showdowns. Impressive and pleasent to read as well.
5) Every member of the order gets at least one moment to (try to) shine in this comic. A true ensemble piece in every sense. This just ups the comic in a small way for me ater so long with indiviual focus on the characters.

The Bad.
1) The final joke. It seemed....well not out of character for Haley as we know she is often like that with Elan. But it seems both innappropriate at the time and somewhat forced. That they might do it is not in question, but the joke feels forced and unfunny. considering the high quality of the other humourous comments in the strip this is a real letdown.
2) The only really OOC moment appears to be Roy's continued reluctance to trust Elan's abilities. If the previous arc taught us anything it was that Elan is growing up and better able to handle himself. He has become a real and proper adult, and Roy knows that. Or at least he should if his scrying is remembered as well as it has been suggested. This sign of mistrust is something that feels like a regression for Roy and Elan's relationship.A sour note in this comic.


So overall I found this comic to be necessary plotwise to introduce the exposition Girard needs, and also to be generally amusing and entertaining. However as the major flaws are contained within the final panels it does sour my impression of the strip as a whole. With that in mind I rate it as 3.5 Stars. Good work, but needed a stronger end to earn 4.

[Dr Bwaa]

agreed. why is Belkar reading? its absurd!

People don't actually read what we post here, do they?

EDIT: I (ironically) thought the above comment said "what is Belkar reading?" My bad! :smalltongue:


He's reading Dune. The line is a reference to the Duke Atredies poison tooth, which he plans to bite open and release a poisonous vapor, killing both himself and his mortal enemy, the Baron Harkonnen. Baron Harkonnen is a man very similar to Belkar, except Harkonnen is fat, fat, fat (Seriously, the guy needs personal repulsors to move his 300 kilo weight. It's disgusting).

He's repulsive, but the pieces of technology he relies on to move are called suspensors :smalltongue:

...Seriously though guys, the man is vile. Read the book (just the original, possibly add the prequels by K.J. Anderson along with Herbert's son if you want) and see for yourself. This guy (http://what-buddha-said.net/Pics/300.Kg.Taiwan.jpg) doesn't even begin to cover it.

[Lvl45DM!]

The worm is covered in chitin which is hard but warm and they are shielded by a segment of the chitin, and whilst the body moves the head would be rather stationary otherwise V couldnt cast a spell so i think Haley and Elan will be rather comfortable

Although getting turned on by a worm? squick!

[Hrairoo]

i'm lovin' roy's new belt, he looks totally ba in it.

i too, cannot tell what spell durkon is using to tell time, but i'm sure it will come up...

belkar's line is pure genius, a dune reference to those informed, and still working as a monster manual for those who have no idea...

haley's punchline does seem kind of forced, but it makes sense, seeing as every player in dnd history has made fun of the purple worm's, ummm, penile appearance...

[Shale]

People don't actually read what we post here, do they?


Um....it's a joke. The "Oh my!" is referring to Elan and Haley getting busy, and Acero deliberately missed the point to humorous effect. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Ptitle0t9r68ih)

[Xesirin]

The Bad.
1) The final joke. It seemed....well not out of character for Haley as we know she is often like that with Elan. But it seems both innappropriate at the time and somewhat forced. That they might do it is not in question, but the joke feels forced and unfunny. considering the high quality of the other humourous comments in the strip this is a real letdown.

I'll admit that I (and probably many others) weren't expecting that, but the phallic imagery was noticable from 2 strips ago. Call it a lampshade and we're good. :smallbiggrin:

Freud would have a field day with me.

[Nilan8888]

lol, Belkar upset over Piter makes SO much sense.

[dogmac]

I dunno, Haley. You're probably going to get some pretty serious chafing on your knees there....

[charl]

Possibly a Doors reference in the title?

[lyric76]

<shopping list>

scented candles
mood music
massage oil
big purple worm

[HUMVEE Driver]

Sheesh, and Haley calls all those other girls 'skanks'.

[JonestheSpy]

Damn - "Riding the Worm"! Last panel! Stick figures in x-rated poses! Ah, my inner eye!

[neoseph7]

The strip brings out the sex in sextant apperently.

[Acero]

Um....it's a joke. The "Oh my!" is referring to Elan and Haley getting busy, and Acero deliberately missed the point to humorous effect. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Ptitle0t9r68ih)


i got the joke. me not THAT stupid :smallbiggrin:
:smallsigh:

[Shale]

You made the joke. For reasons unknown to me, Lordhenry took you seriously.

[spectralphoenix]

The other part of the last joke is that Roy is worrying about whether Elan's diplomacy skills are worth anything while Elan is getting laid on a giant monster in the middle of the desert through sheer force of personality. I thought it was amusing. *Dissects metaphorical frog*

[the_tick_rules]

Haley is a total horn dog. She's gonna have a bun in the oven at this rate.

[Doctor Xerox]

Liked the comic, though I agree that the final panel, while funny, feels a little bit forced.

2) The only really OOC moment appears to be Roy's continued reluctance to trust Elan's abilities. If the previous arc taught us anything it was that Elan is growing up and better able to handle himself. He has become a real and proper adult, and Roy knows that. Or at least he should if his scrying is remembered as well as it has been suggested. This sign of mistrust is something that feels like a regression for Roy and Elan's relationship.A sour note in this comic.We never see Roy scrying on any of the characters aside from when the book begins and he first learns why they haven't rez'd him. After that, its kind of (but not entirely) implied he spends his time in the celestials with his family. So we never see him witness Elan maturing even more. Plus, old habits die hard, and with how unreliable Elan has been in the past, any sane person would have a hard time getting used to trusting him with any task.
He killed neither, he just trapped their souls in a headbandThis is... very wrong.First of all, they are dead, a soul bind can only be performed on a recently deceased person. The spell only took their souls when they died and imprisoned them rather than sending them off to the celestials. And they are trapped in a single black gem, not the headband which is simply a focus for the cloister spell.

[Manicotti]

Haley is a total horn dog. She's gonna have a bun in the oven at this rate.

Someone check the CR on the Beast With Three Backs!

[charl]

Haley is a total horn dog. She's gonna have a bun in the oven at this rate.

I am sure there must be some kind of magical contraceptives around. There are spells for just about everything else.

[Random832]

Love the clock (what spell is that) - an acknowledgement of the fact that you need the time to navigate longitude.

[charl]

Love the clock (what spell is that) - an acknowledgement of the fact that you need the time to navigate longitude.

Deathwatch? :smallbiggrin:

[Nimrod's Son]

Possibly a Doors reference in the title?
Definitely a Doors reference in the title.

[charl]

Definitely a Doors reference in the title.

I know. It was a rhetorical question.

[ChandraD]

Well, I suppose a giant purple worm is pretty much innuendo incarnate. Freud would have a field day with Haley right about now.

Also, why do I have a feeling that finding the Gate won't be as simple as casting a few True Seeing spells.

Let's see -- maybe because they are PC's and nothing is ever easy. Or because if I were a really high level illusionist trying to hide something -- I'd cast one illusion over the gate turning it into a nice sand dune and a second illusion a mile or so away turning a dune into the gate?

[Hacktor]

Nice one Giant. Still strong with the "Dune" and "the Doors" references I see. And still as fun as ever to read.

[Dr Bwaa]

i got the joke. me not THAT stupid :smallbiggrin:
:smallsigh:


You made the joke. For reasons unknown to me, Lordhenry took you seriously.

When I saw the next post down I realized I'd actually misread what you said and missed your joke entirely :smalleek: Edited! Forgive me!

[Liwen]

Has anyone considered the possibility that we're entering territory where anything could be an illusion - including the identity of some party members? Maybe that isn't really Haley...

Yeah, yeah, I know, epileptic trees. :smalltongue:

OMG :smallbiggrin: I just realized...

The next few weeks on the forums are going to be awesome.

[Crod]

I thought Belkar was reading the monster manual, being afraid to get too close to the mouth, which confused me since the stinger is in the tail.

As others have pointed out, he's not reading the monster manual at all. Belkar cheering for the Baron. Haha

[Crod]

Doesn't the grasping hand spell have a quite limited duration in terms of rounds or turns? Although the Bugsby version might have longer duration :smallamused:

[Liwen]

About Haley and Elan, this is the reason I like being human. There's never been a bad time or place for sex :smallbiggrin:

*awaits dozen of replies mentioning disturbingly accurate counter examples of this claim*

[Tobimaro]

I guess that Belkar needed something to do during this long trip. And I loved the snark that V had towards Durkon. But it was Haley and Elan that stole the show.

[Crod]

About Haley and Elan, this is the reason I like being human. There's never been a bad time or place for sex :smallbiggrin:

*awaits dozen of replies mentioning disturbingly accurate counter examples of this claim*

I agree. How come people think Haley is so naughty? I believe it's the first time we
get such a clear reference in a strip, but likely they are doing it off panel
on a regular basis. A bit exotic place though, but fits good with the strip.
They are young and in love, having nothing to do for a few hours, it speaks
for itself :smallredface:

[AxeD]

Nice strip Giant! I'm also wondering about what spell durkon is casting. I presume he's keeping track of time, although, no cleric spells come to my mind that could do that.

[grungar3x7]

I'm just wondering; did anybody else pick up on the fact that the strip number alludes as to the goings-on? I mean 690?!:smalltongue::smallbiggrin::smallcool:

[NYYanks6083]

Belkar's rooting for the Baron, fantastic :smallamused:

[Mordokai]

About Haley and Elan, this is the reason I like being human. There's never been a bad time or place for sex :smallbiggrin:

*awaits dozen of replies mentioning disturbingly accurate counter examples of this claim*

Not that I've ever tried it, but I would imagine doing it on a back of a colossal monster that's moving at what can't be a small speed does constitute as bad place for having sex :smalltongue:

Which may yet be subverted or parodied in next comic...

[warrl]

I am sure there must be some kind of magical contraceptives around. There are spells for just about everything else.

Rest assured, this matter IS dealt with in the Encyclopaedia Arcane of Nymphology and Blue Magic.

[Squall83]

Can anyone explain Panel 6 to me? I tried to understand what Roy is talking about, but I just didn't get it at all.

First the sentence "That's another reason the paladins went to check Kraagors Gate." What reason is he talking about? The sentences before that (in panel 5) don't fit at all. Was it a typo and Roy was meant to say "There's another reason" instead of "That's another reason"? But then the following sentence should explain this reason. But it doesn't explain why the paladins went to check Kraagors Gate. It's just about Soons and Girards Gate.

Also: Who was walking in the door with 2 of Soons disciples?
If it was Soon himself who gave the order for 2 disciples to go there, then the sentence should have been something like this:
Because Soon was walking in the door using two of his disciples Girard may have soured against us. What Roy is saying sounds more like the OOTS themselves "walked in the door" at some earlier point, but that can't be, right?

[Kish]

Can anyone explain Panel 6 to me? I tried to understand what Roy is talking about, but I just didn't get it at all.

First the sentence "That's another reason the paladins went to check Kraagors Gate." What reason is he talking about?

Wanting to make a good first impression on Girard.

But it doesn't explain why the paladins went to check Kraagors Gate. It's just about Soons and Girards Gate.

Roy is proceeding on the assumption that the paladins were going to go to one of the two remaining Gates. Hence, a reason for them not to go to Girard's Gate equals a reason for them to go to Kraagor's Gate (and vice versa).


Also: Who was walking in the door with 2 of Soons disciples?
The Order would have been, if they'd had Lien and O-Chul with them.

[Athaniar]

Can anyone explain Panel 6 to me? I tried to understand what Roy is talking about, but I just didn't get it at all.

First the sentence "That's another reason the paladins went to check Kraagors Gate." What reason is he talking about? The sentences before that (in panel 5) don't fit at all. Was it a typo and Roy was meant to say "There's another reason" instead of "That's another reason"? But then the following sentence should explain this reason. But it doesn't explain why the paladins went to check Kraagors Gate. It's just about Soons and Girards Gate.

Also: Who was walking in the door with 2 of Soons disciples?

Roy is saying that Girard and Soon didn't like each other. Therefore, if the Order bring his disciples (i.e. Hinjo and Lien) with them, Girard might become offended, thinking they were sent on official Guard business. So, while the Order is going to Girard's gate, the paladins are off to investigate Kraagor's.

[HotAndCold]

Soon founded the Sapphire Guard. O'Chul and Lien, as members of said group, are Soon's disciples. Roy's saying that the paladins went to Kraagor's Gate, because if they'd gone with the Order to Girard's Gate, Girard would probably turn them away without even listening to a word they had to say, because Soon and Girard Did Not Get Along.

[Lord of Syntax]

Rest assured, this matter IS dealt with in the Encyclopaedia Arcane of Nymphology and Blue Magic.

Don't forget the Book of Erotic Fantasy!

[lothos]

I loved this comic. Yes, Durkon answering the question about how Roy will tell the accurate time to navigate longitude. Nice attention to detail (again).

Good title.... kind of double meaning and a reference all in one go. Elan is a lucky guy :-)

And yes - what is Belkar reading ?

[Squall83]

Ok, thanks, now I understand. So when Roy is saying that the paladins went to check Kraagors Gate he was NOT talking about the past, but about the present. ^^

edit: Shouldn't Roys last sentence in panel 6 be "... may sour him against us."? I don't see why it has to be past tense.

[sam79]

About Haley and Elan, this is the reason I like being human. There's never been a bad time or place for sex :smallbiggrin:


Agreed, but you gotta wonder about the DC of the Balance check needed on this instance!

EDIT: AWESOME comic, by the way!

[Killer Angel]

Definitely a Doors reference in the title.

After all the peoples realizing the Dune references, I only hope that no one will start a new thread to show us the Light...

[factotum]

I want to know when we are going to see the search for Xykon's phylactery is going to begin.

What? They've been searching for that for days already--Xykon ordered that the search start right away shortly after V and O-Chul escaped, and that was way back on the island off the coast. Since then the Order have resurrected Roy, had time for various heart-to-heart talks, taken ship to the mainland, done their shopping, spent an unknown amount of time with a trade caravan, charmed the worm...I don't think all that took place in a few seconds!

[Squall83]

I think he wanted to know when we are going to actually see what Xykon and friends have been doing during all this time. ;)

[Tundar]

So Roy is using a sextant.
Haley and Elan getting a sextaint.
My mind is playing The Doors.

Strange times indeed :D

[Cuthbertson]

Great comic! Many thanks to the Giant for this tribute to Frank Herbert, a legend in the scifi genre and a personal favourite.

Nice touch to have Belkar reading a copy of Dune.

(He's gonna hate the ending if he's already hoping the villains will win...)

[Selene]

He's reading Dune. The line is a reference to the Duke Atredies poison tooth, which he plans to bite open and release a poisonous vapor, killing both himself and his mortal enemy, the Baron Harkonnen. Baron Harkonnen is a man very similar to Belkar, except Harkonnen is fat, fat, fat (Seriously, the guy needs personal repulsors to move his 300 kilo weight. It's disgusting).

Thank you! I didn't remember that.


edit: Shouldn't Roys last sentence in panel 6 be "... may sour him against us."? I don't see why it has to be past tense.

Because they made the decision not to bring them in the past. The sentence is saying "if we had brought O-Chul and Lien with us, it may have soured Girard against us." Implying, "but since they went off to Kraagor's instead, we no longer need to worry about it." The option is no longer on the table, so it's past tense.

[Adeptus]

Go Haley!

What else is there to do? :amused:

[Squall83]

Thank you! I didn't remember that.



Because they made the decision not to bring them in the past. The sentence is saying "if we had brought O-Chul and Lien with us, it may have soured Girard against us." Implying, "but since they went off to Kraagor's instead, we no longer need to worry about it." The option is no longer on the table, so it's past tense.
Wouldn't it be better if Roy had used "might" instead of "may"? To me that sentence looked like it meant "Since we brought them with us he may be sour at us now", which just couldn't be, so I thought it meant "since at an earlier point in time someone went there with 2 of Soons disciples in tow he may be sour at us now". But I'm not a native-speaker and thus I'm don't remember having seen a gerund in a conditional sentence like this.

And thanks for re-reading enough of this thread to find my question. :)

[Thrax]

It's funny how some people said V must be male because he's got a worm.

Of course it's a female - he's riding on a worm, after all.

[oxinabox]

Hawt......................................

[Omergideon]

We never see Roy scrying on any of the characters aside from when the book begins and he first learns why they haven't rez'd him. After that, its kind of (but not entirely) implied he spends his time in the celestials with his family. So we never see him witness Elan maturing even more. Plus, old habits die hard, and with how unreliable Elan has been in the past, any sane person would have a hard time getting used to trusting him with any task.

Well we do see him directly witness Belkar and co with the oracle, and hang around them a fair bit before the oracle banishes him back upstairs. I just felt it was implied that once he left celestia he stayed hanging around his dad and checking up on his friends as much as possible. It is true we don't see it but I feel it would be odd if he did not do so. The only things we really know for sure are
1) He learnt the sweet new sword manouver from his Grandpa.
2) He did not see V make h** deal with the devils.
3) He definately scryed on Elan at the start of the book.
4) He was hanging around his body as they rescued it (but was focusing elsewhere when Celia lost it).

Wether or not he saw Elan's character growth is a question but he certainly will have witnessed some of it, heard some more from his comrades and was present when Elan described his new spell choices after he leveled up. I just think that he has seen enough to be able to say that he should Trust Elan more than he shows in the comic. Wariness to be sure but not the manifest lack of confidence we see here.

[Slayn82]

well Halflings live to about 200, so Serini is most likely still alive. Durokan was still alive but realy realy old. Girad might still be alive but realy old (though it probably has some sort of illision to make himself look young, he seesm like the kinda person who wouldn;t want to look old"

Well, he could have made a few dozen Simulacrums of himself and the other members of his order, to pass the time.

[factotum]

I think he wanted to know when we are going to actually see what Xykon and friends have been doing during all this time. ;)

Searching for the phylactery, which I think would be a remarkably tedious thing to watch, to be honest. I'd be more interested in seeing what the Elven incursion force is doing in Azure City, but even then I don't think it's going to be directly relevant to the plot--we know Xykon isn't leaving Azure City until he gets his phylactery back, and when that DOES happen he's leaving pretty much instantly, so I doubt a few elves are going to encourage him to move any faster.

[Big Hungry Joe]

Another nice sextant / sex taint juxtaposition. Also like the Baron Harkonnen reference.

If I were Elan, I'd watch out though -- she's wearing boots of speed...

[Blaznak]

I have no idea what to think after this comic...

Belkar was funny, and the idea of Elan and Haley going for a bit of, uh, snuggle time is wonderful. However, staring at a carnivorous giant sand worm triggers erotic thought? Yikes!

[jlvm4]

I'm not sure whether I find Elan/Haley more cute or creepy sometimes.

Actually, I think another poster somewhere mentioned that Rich was considering taking the comic into more 'adult' territory. (Dang it but I can't actually find that post, of course) and it occurs to me that this is the most blatantly depicted 'hanky-panky' we've seen thus far. Other incidents have occurred off-screen, in shadow, cut from before, or joined after. This is the first time I remember the innuendo and actions getting so close to the actual act since Roy and Celia (which as also very recent in the strip's history).

Anyway, I was wondering if there was indeed a plan to bring OOTS to darker adult waters and shed some of its more family-oriented audience in the shallows?

[NobleSavage]

I have to admit, it took me a second to get the book reference, but that only made it better.

Running through the characters Belkar might emulate/become a fan of I had trouble for a second. But I now disagree with the rest of you. Belkar will love where the story goes. He may like Harkonnen now, but he will loooove Leto II.

God help the party if he finds any sandtrout...

[sihnfahl]

(He's gonna hate the ending if he's already hoping the villains will win...)
He'd be mollified by what happens in later books.
Just HOW many people died as a result of Paul's actions?

[Milandros]

So overall I found this comic to be necessary plotwise to introduce the exposition Girard needs, and also to be generally amusing and entertaining. However as the major flaws are contained within the final panels it does sour my impression of the strip as a whole. With that in mind I rate it as 3.5 Stars. Good work, but needed a stronger end to earn 4.

Whilst I don't in any way doubt or deny you your right to pass polite comment or review on any strip, I think the strip has passed the point where it can easily be treated this way.

Rich switched a long time ago from writing individual strips to writing comic books. We are seeing it in a webcomic format with a noteable time passing between each strip, but the impression given by a "boring filler" strip when it's the only one you see for three days and the same strip being a decent segue from one scene to another in a book needs to be considered. I would argue that it's not necessarily sensible to review strips until all their consequences and future implications are clear.

It's a bit like reviewing a book a page at a time. What review does one give to page 224 of Fellowship of the Ring? How about page 71 of Dune?

If you really enjoy reviewing TOoTS, perhaps it might be better to switch to reviewing completed story arcs, or ones that have reached significant waypoints? The individual strips of the Darth Vaarsuvius arc look different in the light of his eventual attempt at self-reformation,for example.

In this strip, we don't know any of the implications. Will Elan and Haley's dalliance be a throw-away joke, gone in the next panel? Will it result in them not being present when the group is atttacked? Will it result in the not-lime-green-anymore boots of speed being lost overboard? The problem with reviewing this strip based on how it ends is that it hasn't ended yet...

[root9125]

He'd be mollified by what happens in later books.
Just HOW many people died as a result of Paul's actions?



Oh, god, the later books... Where Herbert devolves into the essence of the creepy old voyeuristic man... Please, for the love of God, don't bring those up. O.o


Back on (off) topic, this is the first extended reference I remember. I'm impressed (especially since I liked Dune).

[73 Bits of Lint]

UGH! Worst sex-related joke in the series yet. It felt forced too, as if Burlew realized this strip just wasn't that funny and had to throw something in.
Yeah, it was just gross and awkward and it doesn't make any sense. Unless Haley is supposed to have some sort of giant invertebrate fetish, which is just too ... ew ... to even think about.
Seriously, who is aroused by looking at worms? Are most women really this easy to please? And why have none of my girlfriends been that simple? Is this why most reptile houses have no bathrooms, because the anaconda would send all the visiting women into a wild orgy?

As for pregnancies, I'm sure that Elan is aware that action girls can't become pregnant until after the adventure is over. That's probably why they've been so active thus far, being a main character on an quest to save the world like this is the best contraceptive known to PC-dom.

[Fragenstein]

Yeah, it was just gross and awkward and it doesn't make any sense. Unless Haley is supposed to have some sort of giant invertebrate fetish...

Or Girard is using magic which plays hell with emotions in order to protect his gate. They're quite a distance away yet, but we're probably dealing with Epic level magic. Why not cover as much barren sand as possible?

[AutomatedTeller]

the belkar/dune reference is one of the most brilliant things I've seen.

I didn't get it at first, and thought that Belkar was saying that the worm had a poison tooth and for V to be careful.

That Belkar is acting as bait and casually reading a novel that relates to their situation (where did it come from? I didn't even know he could read) AND rooting for the bad guys...

Just brilliant.

Kudo's to Rich.

[Nimrod's Son]

Anyway, I was wondering if there was indeed a plan to bring OOTS to darker adult waters and shed some of its more family-oriented audience in the shallows?
No, there is no such plan. As usual, his words are suffering from Chinese whispers. All Rich ACTUALLY said (in a discussion sparked by people up in arms about Erfworld's one-time-only-and-entirely-justified-in-context use of the F word) was that someday OotS will be finished but this website will remain, and he doesn't NECESSARILY want to have to limit his future publishings to OotS's PG13 rating. So he wasn't particularly bothered if publishing Erfworld on his site had lost him a few readers, since sooner or later they'd have to get used to the change anyway.


Yeah, it was just gross and awkward and it doesn't make any sense. Unless Haley is supposed to have some sort of giant invertebrate fetish, which is just too ... ew ... to even think about.
Seriously, who is aroused by looking at worms? Are most women really this easy to please? And why have none of my girlfriends been that simple? Is this why most reptile houses have no bathrooms, because the anaconda would send all the visiting women into a wild orgy?
So you find the possibility that Haley actually has a "giant invertebrate fetish" more likely than the possibility that she was simply joking? :smallconfused:


That Belkar is acting as bait and casually reading a novel that relates to their situation (where did it come from? I didn't even know he could read)
Not only that, but he can spell and punctuate properly too. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0357.html) (I know of more than a few people who'd have written "Hero's needed" there. :smallamused:)

[SteveMB]

I am sure there must be some kind of magical contraceptives around. There are spells for just about everything else.

In Roy's prequel story

Eugene tells Roy that he's the result of a spell failure. Classy guy, and a great Dad, as always....

[Sleypy]

So if Haley is doing the Grappling does she lose her reflex save, cause if not I don't think there is a problem here.

Also, Durkon and Roy have no chance of sneak up on Haley without her noticing. The question would be if she would have a problem with being caught.

[sam79]

Will it result in the not-lime-green-anymore boots of speed being lost overboard?

Of course not; surely Elan would ask her to keep the boots on.



So you find the possibility that Haley actually has a "giant invertebrate fetish" more likely than the possibility that she was simply joking? :smallconfused:


QFT. It made me chuckle and seemed a quite in character bit of banter for Haley. Didn't seem to be a great departure from the other innuendos in OotS. So it is not quite comedy gold perhaps; this doesn't reach the heights of "AC on beast with two backs" or "Treasure Type O" but it is was better than "sex-taint"!

[Darius Midnite]

"Riders on the Worm, there's a killer on the road..." I felt a rush of joy when I read the title. The comic was one of the lesser good though, but fairly entertaining.

[The MunchKING]

The monster manual.

That is the joke, he just learned that it has a poison bite.


ahhh... I was assuming Dune, cause I thought the MM was Black.

[Larkspur]

Belkar is reading Dune?! LMFAO.

[The MunchKING]

No. It's the "Mile Long Worm Club" :smallbiggrin:

really?? How does he keep it in his pants then?? :smalltongue:

[The MunchKING]

I am sure there must be some kind of magical contraceptives around. There are spells for just about everything else.

Acccording to Eugine there are.

And they occasionally screw up. I guess someone made a Fort Save. :smalltongue:

[Thor Person Guy]

Oh, HELL yes! :biggrin:

[The MunchKING]

I agree. How come people think Haley is so naughty? I believe it's the first time we
get such a clear reference in a strip, but likely they are doing it off panel
on a regular basis. A bit exotic place though, but fits good with the strip.
They are young and in love, having nothing to do for a few hours, it speaks
for itself :smallredface:

Nah during the war we got a clear shot of them in bed.

[DBear]

Am I missing something? I thought one of the earlier strips said that it had been 60-odd years since the Order of the Scribble. Girard should be dead or near to it from old age.:smallconfused:

[Calmness]

Goddamnit Haley...

[sam79]

Am I missing something? I thought one of the earlier strips said that it had been 60-odd years since the Order of the Scribble. Girard should be dead or near to it from old age.:smallconfused:

Can't remember off hand, but I think it is more like 30 years...there is an excellent chronology thread somewhere on the forum which goes into some detail. Even if it is 60 years, it would only be a problem if we assume he is human, and/or not under some magical effects to prolong his life.

[hamishspence]

"66 years ago" was the date the Order of the Scribble started. It split up before Shojo came to the throne. And Shojo has been on the throne for about 50 years.

[Iranon]

I can't recall that scene of Dune in enough detail... is Belkar is worried about Baron Harkonnen or Piter de Vries?

I remember being upset at the latter's death... when I read Dune as a little lad I thought he was insanely cool :)

[rewinn]

It's a bit like reviewing a book a page at a time. What review does one give to page 224 of Fellowship of the Ring? How about page 71 of Dune?


Back off on page 224 man! It was teh bomb!

Page 71 was a bit tedious though. Nothing that happened pre-Arrakis was all that interesting.

[sam79]

"66 years ago" was the date the Order of the Scribble started. It split up before Shojo came to the throne. And Shojo has been on the throne for about 50 years.

So even if Girard was a fresh-faced teenager when he joined (unlikely), he would certainly be drawing his pension by now. I guess it is a little odd that Roy is just assuming he'll be around; but given that we're probably talking about an epic-level person here, I guess that's fair enough.

[HOLEkevin]

Heh heh heh… Where's Elan?

Seriously though, how are they planning on getting rid of that worm once they get to the drop off? I can only think of one good way…

[Random832]

No. It's the "Mile Long Worm Club" :smallbiggrin:
:smallconfused:You call it the...

[Asta Kask]

I am sure there must be some kind of magical contraceptives around. There are spells for just about everything else.

There's a Swedish RPG where there's a spell for very old, male wizards called "Malax' Magnificent Monolith"...

Good page!

[Larocs Macalar]

He he, Haley wants it even if she is on a colossal worm....

I didnt know belkar likes to read. when the tedious came, everything is possible.

As I saw Roy has all under his control. Xykon didnt appeared yet, so any time he could appear in the comic, next one or two I guess. Ow, good memories at the second square, with V.


One more thing, can someone tell me how many time does V's spell may act on belkar:smallconfused:?

[One Skunk Todd]

CRACK PREDICTION:No, he has recently died -- because the surname "Draketooth" refers to his dragon ancestry.
As in, black dragon ancestry.
As in, this (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0639.html) black dragon.

I was thinking the same thing. Did we know his surname before now? I looked up Girard to see if it meant anything but as far I can tell it's just a variant of Gerard which means roughly, "brave spearman".


Seriously though, how are they planning on getting rid of that worm once they get to the drop off? I can only think of one good way…

A giant Robin? :P

[Nimrod's Son]

Did we know his surname before now?
Yep. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0276.html)..........

[One Skunk Todd]

Yep. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0276.html)..........

Girard is the one who looks a lot like Nale/Elan?

[theinsulabot]

:smallconfused:You call it the...


NOT THE POINT!

[Nimrod's Son]

Girard is the one who looks a lot like Nale/Elan?
Most people seem to think he looks like Haley. Quite a few people think he's related to Haley (and they're both secretly dragons, or some such nonsense) and I'm sure there are some who think he IS Haley. I'm gonna assume he's a just a human with red hair until we're told otherwise.

There's a better picture of him, and his group, here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0196.html).

[Ridureyu]

1. I want a wallpaper-sized artwork of the purple worm in panel 1.

2. I still swear that Elan and Haley's relationshipis PG-rated. They were just cuddling.

[fangthane]

Just one nitpick... If V is adjusting their course based on Belkar's position relative to the worm's head, from the perspective of (the top of) that worm's head, he can't possibly determine when the required course correction has been achieved; that's up to Roy and Durkon.

Other than that, quite a good comic. I liked the triple-entendre-and-a-reference in the title. :)

[Faramir]

Is he epic? Perhaps. It's pretty likely he's multiclass, too.

almost certainly some Ranger as he was the Order's tracker and used 2 weapons.

[The MunchKING]

So even if Girard was a fresh-faced teenager when he joined (unlikely), he would certainly be drawing his pension by now. I guess it is a little odd that Roy is just assuming he'll be around; but given that we're probably talking about an epic-level person here, I guess that's fair enough.

If nothing kills it, Wizards just keep getting more powerful.

Int bonuses for Old Age you know.

[Faramir]

... I would argue that it's not necessarily sensible to review strips until all their consequences and future implications are clear.

It's a bit like reviewing a book a page at a time. What review does one give to page 224 of Fellowship of the Ring? How about page 71 of Dune?


Very well put

[The MunchKING]

Girard is the one who looks a lot like Nale/Elan?

A duel-sword using illusionist?? :smallconfused:

he HAD to have grabbed some ranger levels in there...

[Faramir]

Actually, I think another poster somewhere mentioned that Rich was considering taking the comic into more 'adult' territory. (Dang it but I can't actually find that post, of course) and it occurs to me that this is the most blatantly depicted 'hanky-panky' we've seen thus far. Other incidents have occurred off-screen, in shadow, cut from before, or joined after. This is the first time I remember the innuendo and actions getting so close to the actual act since Roy and Celia (which as also very recent in the strip's history).

Anyway, I was wondering if there was indeed a plan to bring OOTS to darker adult waters and shed some of its more family-oriented audience in the shallows?

This hasn't gone any further than things we've seen all the way back with Durkon and Hilgya. We know that none of the OOTS are virgins (Elan's willingness to seduce the bandit, Elan and Haley, Roy and Celia, V and his spouse, Durkon and Hilgya). I really don't think that showing 2 stick figures making out with the understanding that they're likely to have sex between strips constitutes darker adult waters :).

[factotum]

So even if Girard was a fresh-faced teenager when he joined (unlikely), he would certainly be drawing his pension by now. I guess it is a little odd that Roy is just assuming he'll be around;

Well, we know Dorukan was still alive as recently as 6 months before the online strip started, and I doubt he was any younger than Girard. Anyway, as you kind of point out, when you're dealing with epic-level characters it's probably best to plan for them still being around rather than go blundering in on the assumption they're not...less kicking of the butt is likely to occur that way!

[Eran of Arcadia]

In Roy's prequel story

Eugene tells Roy that he's the result of a spell failure. Classy guy, and a great Dad, as always....

Heh, my parents gave us a detailed list of who was a surprise and how. (I assumed, once I did the math of my parent's anniversary and my older brother's birthday, that something like this had happened at least once.)

[sam79]

Well, we know Dorukan was still alive as recently as 6 months before the online strip started, and I doubt he was any younger than Girard. Anyway, as you kind of point out, when you're dealing with epic-level characters it's probably best to plan for them still being around rather than go blundering in on the assumption they're not...less kicking of the butt is likely to occur that way!

I think he probably was younger than Girard; Dorukan is described in the halfling's diary in Strip 196 as the "new kid", and looks a little younger than Draketooth there.

But your right; assume a legendary Epic-level character is alive until you've seen the corpse. And even then, maybe disbelieve that as an illusion.

[lothos]

Thank you! I didn't remember that.

Because they made the decision not to bring them in the past. The sentence is saying "if we had brought O-Chul and Lien with us, it may have soured Girard against us." Implying, "but since they went off to Kraagor's instead, we no longer need to worry about it." The option is no longer on the table, so it's past tense.

Ohhhh! Selene Smart! (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0458.html)

Seriously, good explanation. I'm not mocking you or anything, I just feel like Thog sometimes when people point out stuff on these threads that I didn't see. This particularly applies to Woodsman's book explanation. That does make sense. I read the first Dune book years ago. Maybe I ought to re-read it and actually make time to read the sequels.

[Dr Bwaa]

I can't recall that scene of Dune in enough detail... is Belkar is worried about Baron Harkonnen or Piter de Vries?

I remember being upset at the latter's death... when I read Dune as a little lad I thought he was insanely cool :)

I'm pretty sure he's associating with the Baron.Piter is standing behind Leto at the time and jump into the area as he sees something start happening, whereas the Baron is leaning in to inspect the Duke.


Back off on page 224 man! It was teh bomb!

Page 71 was a bit tedious though. Nothing that happened pre-Arrakis was all that interesting.

But they're on Arrakis on page 71! In fact, it's where Jessica discovers the Conservatory, just before Paul shows up with the dead hunter-seeker.

[Sebastian]

"Haley, What's gotten into you?"

"nothing ... yet" :smallwink:

Sorry, I could not resist. :smallbiggrin:

[Omergideon]

Whilst I don't in any way doubt or deny you your right to pass polite comment or review on any strip, I think the strip has passed the point where it can easily be treated this way.

Now I did read the whole post, and so I appreciate what you said. And often yes the comics make much more sense in the light of later strips as well and I do plan to do more detailed reviews then if I review the arcs themselves. However I feel that your analogy is inaacurate as regarding reviewing the strips as standalone works. I will explain below.

In a novel, be it graphic or otherwise, no page is intended or indeed able to be read as a standalone piece of work. Simply put they were never written to be able to be read without the context of the book. By contrast in a regular comic book or television series each episode (or issue) is written with the idea that they can be watched to a degree in a standalone fashion. One could read a page of a book but it would be meaningless. An episode of a TV show or issue of a comic has within it a self contained story or plot arc that requires it to be able to stand on it's own 2 feet. The reason for this is simple. A weekly TV show is only released once a week and in order to attract viewers each must be compelling in itself. Plot heavy shows may well require that you have seen the series to get the most out of it but they are created to be seen in isolation. No book is written to be read one page at a time.

Now I do suppose that an episode of a TV show could be compared to a chapter of a book, in which case I would maintain that you could view each chapter as it's own entry or episode and review that. It is a less than perfect comparison though as books nowadays are released completed compared to the days when they might be released chapter by chapter. However if asked to review a book I would feel it appropriate to review each chapter (if the space was available of course, as doing so might mean a very long review) if you so desired. But reviewing pages would be impossible.

Wether this works for OoTS is really about how you view it. I view each strip in a similar fashion to how I view episodes of a TV show. When I consider that updates come periodically, not say hourly, I believe that the Giant attempts to write each strip to both stand on it's own 2 feet and also to fit into the story arc as a whole. It is in light of this that I review the comics. I would consider the individual panels to be closer to indiviual pages of the book, to continue the analogy. However all such comparisons are tenous at best. A book is a different medium to a comic or a TV show and so must be approached from a different perspective. But put simply, I think that you can view the strips from a semi-independent light. I have indeed changed my mind regarding strips once I have read future ones (see my giving 688 a retroactive increase due to the wormmbeing plot relevent) but for now I look at them independently. And again, I probably will do an arc review at some time if anyone is interested in reading it. An attempt to understand the meaning of the comic as well as comment on it's always rather high quality.

Anyways, I only do this because I got tired of 1 line comments in the thread with little substance to them (they are OK but 4 pages of it gets tiresome) and wanted to post something with more substance.:smallwink:

[Dark Faun]

"Haley, What's gotten into you?"

"nothing ... yet" :smallwink:

Sorry, I could not resist. :smallbiggrin:
I was waiting for that joke. :smallwink:


But they're on Arrakis on page 71!
I think it depends on which edition of the book you have.

[t_catt11]

Wow. Giant worm/sexual organ joke. Way to appeal to the lowest common denominator, Giant.

I love it. :smallbiggrin:

[Raging Gene Ray]

Wow. Giant worm/sexual organ joke. Way to appeal to the lowest common denominator, Giant.

If the charm is somehow dispelled, Roy will have to crush the worm with his great cleavage.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Anyways, I only do this because I got tired of 1 line comments in the thread with little substance to them (they are OK but 4 pages of it gets tiresome) and wanted to post something with more substance.:smallwink:

Substance? TLDR is... at best questionably "substance". And as a math person with affected disdain for the softer subjects, I dare say that literary criticism of this sort is not substantial at all.

[SoC175]

or be caught by one of the others
But they'll be invisible :smallbiggrin:

[Lunaya]

Oh good lord. :smalleek: I hope someone knows a good protection spell or there could be some awkwardness ahead. :smallamused:

[Mr. Pin]

Eeeewwwwww, kissin' scene .... :smallyuk:

*covers eyes*

[AyuVince]

I just caught the Baron Harkonnen reference.

OH! Thanks for pointing that out! Belkar need not fear, though, Harkonnen wasn't killed by a poison tooth.. unless Belkar is a mentat, which would be somewhat weird.

It is by stabbity death alone that I set my mind in motion...

[Woodsman]

It is by stabbity death alone that I set my mind in motion...

Sounds like something BM would say.

[warrl]

Don't forget the Book of Erotic Fantasy!

Please, I really would prefer to.

[Edna]

Definitely a Doors reference in the title.

For those of us who have been living under a rock our entire lives, what is the Doors reference?

When I looked at the title, the reference that came to mind was Riders of the Purple Sage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riders_of_the_Purple_Sage).

[sam79]

For those of us who have been living under a rock our entire lives, what is the Doors reference?

When I looked at the title, the reference that came to mind was Riders of the Purple Sage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riders_of_the_Purple_Sage).

The Doors performed a song called 'Riders on the Storm'. Its on Youtbe, and one Playgrounder has written a pretty funny parody of the lyrics on another thread.

[BossMuro]

Does that last panel seem vaguely suspicious to anyone else? I mean, they're on thier way to a dungeon with protections set up by an epic-level illusion specialist (who probably knew more than his share of enchantments, as well), and Haley gets a sudden, inexplicable urge to separate Elan and herself from the party, and remove off all thier (protective) clothes? The joke wasn't nearly funny enough by itself to justify taking up the two panels of the comic, so I'm guessing something's up.

Now, onto the realm of wild guessing!

1) Either Haley's been enchanted somehow, or she's really a succubus in disguise (It's thier standard M.O., and it would explain why Girard didn't get along with the Paladin of his group).

2) They're already at Girard's fortress. Either thier navigation has been tampered with, or his defenses span a huge chunk of the desert.

[DougTheHead]

I like this comic. It appeals to the immature side I rarely let see the light of day. :smalltongue:

Now, how many 'proofs' of V's gender are going to be found in this comic? :smalltongue:

V is capable of following directions, and is therefore a woman.

Yep. I figured it out, everyone, you can all go home now!

[JosephHeller]

V is capable of following directions, and is therefore a woman.

Yep. I figured it out, everyone, you can all go home now!
V knows what starboard is, and only men are allowed to know how to use ships, therefore V is a man! I've been intentionally avoiding the "V's gender" threads. Has anyone used the "women stay in the kitchen" "reason" for V being male? It'd require someone to ignore the possibility of a same-sex marriage (adopted children, remember), but someone who uses that reason for something other than parody is probably a closed-minded fsckhead anyways.

Really, Doug, you underestimate the Fan Dumb (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FanDumb).

Me, I was more curious about that hole in the center of Elan's shirt. Until I realized it was a wrinkle/fold.

[Carnivorous_Bea]

V is capable of following directions, and is therefore a woman.

Yep. I figured it out, everyone, you can all go home now!

If only that were true. I was driving with my mom and one of my mom's female friends through upper Michigan a few years back, and the friend was at the wheel. I had the map, and I knew the route anyway. I told her to reach a certain highway, we had to turn right. She refused to believe me. I showed her the map, and she still turned left anyway.

Of course, we got lost, and then we had to stop and get directions at a gas station, which she almost didn't follow again. It was only the fact that she saw the sign at the last moment that she didn't take ANOTHER wrong turn, even though everyone in the car was urging her to take the correct one.

So to such a theory, all I can say is -- pffffffft. :smallamused:

[root9125]

Just one nitpick... If V is adjusting their course based on Belkar's position relative to the worm's head, from the perspective of (the top of) that worm's head, he can't possibly determine when the required course correction has been achieved; that's up to Roy and Durkon.

Other than that, quite a good comic. I liked the triple-entendre-and-a-reference in the title. :)

Triple Entendre: When you actually DO just want some hot sausage.
Quadruple Entendre is inexplicably a reference to obscure British Naval History. (http://questionablecontent.net./view.php?comic=545)

[Slayn82]

Well, for the people worried about Haley's innuendo, go look for a picture of a Century Worm from one of the books of D&D. Then, come back, after bleaching your brains.

It was a joke, and a good one. People bored in a long trip in a bus often do things like that. The same logic works here, the Worm is just a rental vehicle.

And Haley knows she needs to take the chances while they can, because, well, tomorrow they can be all dead, as she learned in Azure City, "The most important place to be".

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0417.html

So, it's very in character for both.

[maxon]

Staring at a purple worm all da.... ewww - not a connection I would have made I have to say.

[see]

Because he charmed it?

If V charmed a big purple worm into doing what V wants, isn't it more likely that it's evidence V is a she?

Similarly, sure, it's V's big purple worm. It's also not part of V's body, but something else that's V's using to give Vself a great ride.

[Slayn82]

And what would prevent the male V of riding the Giant Worm if he decides to?:smallredface: Only Belkar could not have a chance...

[elonin]

Where are these titles everyone mentions in these comics? And great comic giant.

Hey baby is that a worm in your pants or are you happy to see me? On the other hand it's good to have Elan mellow for his diplomatic negotiations.

[moxproxy]

So at least two of them will be getting off a lot quicker than Roy was expecting. :smallamused:

[Zienth]

And what happens if Elan, Haley or their clothing or their equipment or any combination of the four end up getting bucked off by the worm. A worm's way of movement won't provide a smooth ride.

I think Haley may be counting on that. :smallwink:

[Shale]

Where are these titles everyone mentions in these comics?

They're listed with their titles in the archives, and the title of the latest comic is in the sidebar.

[Scarlet Knight]

If the charm is somehow dispelled, Roy will have to crush the worm with his great cleavage.

:roy: "The charm is broken! Stand back & I will cleave the great worm!"

:vaarsuvius: ""Are you sure you can do that?"

:roy: "Of course, I have ranks in Profession (mohel)"

:smalleek:

[brionl]

I read the first Dune book years ago. Maybe I ought to re-read it and actually make time to read the sequels.

Re-read Dune. Don't bother with the sequels or prequels.

[brionl]

:roy: "The charm is broken! Stand back & I will cleave the great worm!"

:vaarsuvius: ""Are you ure you can do that?"

:roy: "Of course, I have ranks in Profession (mohel)"

:smalleek:

Special today on Circumcisions. Half off.

[Lkctgo]

So his 18 points of Charisma is worth something UNDER THE HOOD (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0028.html).

[Kyronea]

Blurgh. Last panel was completely unnecessary and felt far too forced.

[Shale]

Special today on Circumcisions. Half off.

Yeah, it sounds like a good deal, but the mohel always expects a tip.

[Charmy]

Does that last panel seem vaguely suspicious to anyone else? I mean, they're on thier way to a dungeon with protections set up by an epic-level illusion specialist (who probably knew more than his share of enchantments, as well), and Haley gets a sudden, inexplicable urge to separate Elan and herself from the party, and remove off all thier (protective) clothes? The joke wasn't nearly funny enough by itself to justify taking up the two panels of the comic, so I'm guessing something's up.


I think you might be reaching a little..
Sometimes spontaneous desire for sex is just spontaneous desire for sex!

And I suppose they've gotta put their likely high ranks in Balance to good use somehow... :smallbiggrin:

[Arutema]

Wow. Giant worm/sexual organ joke. Way to appeal to the lowest common denominator, Giant.

I love it. :smallbiggrin:

With all the worm innuendos thrown around on the forums this last week, I'm just surprised Haley was the first one to make one "in-character."

[SatyreIkon]

Didn't read through the whole of the thread, but - as a special service for anyone who did not get the "poison tooth" reference:

In Frank Herbert's "Dune", Duke Leto Atreides is captured by the Baron Harkonnen (fat, ugly, gay archvillain - go enjoy the queer issues, literature students!). Unbeknownst to the Baron, Leto aquired a hollow tooth that releases a poisonous gas when you bite down hard. When Baron Harkonnen leans toward Leto under the impression that he wants to tell him something, Leto releases the gas and kills everyone standing nearby. Unfortunately, the Baron is saved from dying by his personal shield.

Obviously, because he shouts "Don't lean in!", Belkar sides with the villains in the book. Who would have though anything else? :smallbiggrin:

[warmachine]

It is not clear how the worm is moving itself. However, Elan and Haley are hiding behind a segment layer. If the worm twitches, it might raise the rearward segment and squash the two lovebirds between the layers. Aren't they keeping their minds on the job?

[bluewind95]

I laughed at the last panel. Tis a good comic. :smalltongue:

[Fragenstein]

1) Either Haley's been enchanted somehow, or she's really a succubus in disguise (It's thier standard M.O., and it would explain why Girard didn't get along with the Paladin of his group).

2) They're already at Girard's fortress. Either thier navigation has been tampered with, or his defenses span a huge chunk of the desert.

Yeah. I brought this up yesterday -- at least about the emotion-manipulating magics. Even if it's not specifically designed to split off party memebers it'd still make it hard for them to work together.

Belkar alone, if he gets hit, could well be a more lethal threat than the dungeon itself. That could also be his 'death fulfillment', as the party would have to dispatch him personally. Whether or not he gets raised will be determined by the outcome of the mission.

I've also been scanning the last several pages for hints that Sabine may have replaced Haley. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any clues at all that this has happened. There are a few scenes where she's off panel, but nothing about her character has changed since the revelations she layed onto Elan. Not really seeing anything.

But, yeah. The break-away seemed very amateurish. She was given a lesson during the battle at Azure city that you take your cuddling when you can, but this seems like a very inopportune moment. You'd think she would have found someplace quiet to play this card back at Sandsedge, where they weren't in danger of random monster attack/gate protection.

Of course, there's always the other possibility of this being Kraagar's gate rather than Girard's, with the master illusionist laying false clues to get invaders to mis-prepare for what they think they're about to face. the recent Haley'ness could be the result of monstrous possession or some other factor.

Or maybe she just has really bad timing. Tough call.

[Sewblon]

I wonder what book Belkar was reading. I now understand why some forum members hate Elan, good things really do happen to him with little to no effort on his part.

[Dark Faun]

That's an interesting point of view. I'll have to think more about it.

He's reading Dune and cheering for the villain.

[Scarlet Knight]

Yeah, it sounds like a good deal, but the mohel always expects a tip.

I knew a mohel who would make wallets from leftover foreskin. Very practical; if you rubbed it you'd end up with an overnight bag...'course it had the nasty habit of popping out of my pocket if I walked past a Victoria's Secret...

:smallredface:

[Milandros]

In a novel, be it graphic or otherwise, no page is intended or indeed able to be read as a standalone piece of work. Simply put they were never written to be able to be read without the context of the book. By contrast in a regular comic book or television series each episode (or issue) is written with the idea that they can be watched to a degree in a standalone fashion. One could read a page of a book but it would be meaningless. An episode of a TV show or issue of a comic has within it a self contained story or plot arc that requires it to be able to stand on it's own 2 feet. The reason for this is simple. A weekly TV show is only released once a week and in order to attract viewers each must be compelling in itself. Plot heavy shows may well require that you have seen the series to get the most out of it but they are created to be seen in isolation. No book is written to be read one page at a time.

...

Wether this works for OoTS is really about how you view it. I view each strip in a similar fashion to how I view episodes of a TV show.
Anyways, I only do this because I got tired of 1 line comments in the thread with little substance to them (they are OK but 4 pages of it gets tiresome) and wanted to post something with more substance.:smallwink:


I do see your point, but I would argue that, while there are obviously a few compromises for the webcomic format, each strip still stands in context to those around it rather than by itself.

I wouldn't see each strip as a TV episode; a TV episode will usually have a single plot line or action that resolves itself within the episode (as well as ongoing plots), while we often now have strips that begin and end in media res.

Perhaps an episode might be better thought of as a small collection of strips - e.g. the slaver raid, the worm start to end, Roy's ressurection and the reuniting of the order, the trial, Miko's fall from overhearing Shojo to her being carried out unconscious, and so on.

I still feel that reviewing a single strip does not often work. That's not to say there aren't exceptions, on a small scale; Roy's meeting his brother in Celestia was a powerful emotional scene that stands well on its own - but in general, I think that a strip shouldn't be reviewed until after a few more strips have passed.

I agree with you completely on the one-line comments, though. Lots of "awesome!" or "that strip was the. Worst. Strip. Ever." comments, or ones like "It was ok" and "I didn't really like it as much as some others" do fill up a lot of space without providing more than scroll-past material; however, I'm sure the Giant feels differently, at least about the complimentary ones. :)

[Milandros]

I wonder what book Belkar was reading. I now understand why some forum members hate Elan, good things really do happen to him with little to no effort on his part.

Little to no effort?

Wrongly imprisoned for a crime his brother committed and framed him for, he breaks out from jail, recruits the aid of a famous scoundrel, studies and learns the path of the Dashing Swordsman (it was a really *tough* montage, ok? :) ), swoops down on Azure City, bursts through the window, engages his brother and his minions in a deadly duel to save Haley, triumphs in spectacular and most uncharacteristic fashion, saves the day, then, at just the right moment, rolls his first ever natural 20 wisdom check and gets the girl.

I have to say, that hardly fell into his lap.

Not to mention the "marooned at sea" bit, or the "fighting trolls and orcs and a massive demon", the "Therkla moments", the "save the Katos" or anything else he did to try to get back to her.