What happened to the giant army led by...?

[Eloel]

What happened to the giant army led by Elan & Nale's father? From the comic, it looks like it 'just disappeared', but an army would still be known by nearby countries, and if it was defeated in a war, there's gotta be a bigger army somewhere closeby.

Isn't it odd that the people in desert just have no idea?

[Nimrod's Son]

I so thought this was going to be another update schedule thread. That's one misleading title you got there, mister.

[rainbowjo]

I think you enjoy the fact that most people will click this thread thinking its about Richs health.


Anyways, the most likely of the two would be the army either got taken over or conquered.

[drengnikrafe]

I feel like there was some point at which it was established that there was a little area of major bloodshed in which armies and countries rose over the course of days, and fell days later to similar armies and dictators. They could've been that army.

On the other hand, I may have drempt the whole thing up. I can't remember anymore.

EDIT: After about 10 minutes of searching, I found what I was thinking of.
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0680.html
In retrospect, it probably doesn't apply, huh?

[Pyron]

EDIT: After about 10 minutes of searching, I found what I was thinking of.
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0680.html
In retrospect, it probably doesn't apply, huh?

I think it does. That comic implies that the army didn't disappear but, instead, it could been conquered by any of the five new desert kingdoms.

Then again, the army might had traveled west towards Girard's gate and actually disappeared.

[Starscream]

So, we're bored enough to be picking on Roland now? For your sake I hope the recent glut of "Me Want Update" threads haven't completely worn away his sense of humor.:smalltongue:

[Prowl]

It seems the army has been indefinitely delayed without notice. It is getting a bit boring waiting for them to return. It does seem like an interminable wait, doesn't it?

[Turkish Delight]

Damn it! I was going to do a thread like this, but kept putting it off.

"When are we going to get an update....on the current whereabouts of Xykon's phylactery and what Team Evil is up to?" or something similar.

Ahhh, sweet sadism.

[Conuly]

It's a REALLY big desert. And that was a long time ago, too - Nale was a baby-on-board.

[LordZarth]

There is no mind control, citizen. Go back to your business.

[Ancalagon]

Who said the army did not disappear? Armies, winning as well as losing, tend to get smaller and smaller as more fighting (won as well as lost ones) happens.

In fact, real armies disappear even when you do not fight... soldiers usually expect to get paid and leave when you do not pay them (for whatever reason).
Trivia: in the RL-middle ages sieges had to be over quickly (within a few months max) or the besieging(!) army would dissolve because the soldiers went back to their homes (fields do not attend to themselves).

[Jokasti]

Who said the army did not disappear? Armies, winning as well as losing, tend to get smaller and smaller as more fighting (won as well as lost ones) happens.

In fact, real armies disappear even when you do not fight... soldiers usually expect to get paid and leave when you do not pay them (for whatever reason).
Trivia: in the RL-middle ages sieges had to be over quickly (within a few months max) or the besieging(!) army would dissolve because the soldiers went back to their homes (fields do not attend to themselves).

They also get bigger and bigger with more volunteers, drafts, slaves, etc.

[Turkish Delight]

I'm pretty sure the original post was just a lame excuse for the thread title, but to answer for real there are many, many explanations:

1) If you have a huge army, and it's largely made up of mercenaries, and you don't pay them, then in very short order you will no longer have a huge army.

2) If you have a huge army, and another huge army wipes it out, you will also no longer have a huge army. There is no particular reason to think that another huge army doesn't exist; it sounds like the desert is a pretty warlike place where warlords get toppled as a matter of course.

3) If you have a huge army, and you defeat another huge army but with enormous losses, then even though you won and the other army is gone you will still no longer have a huge army. The term is pyrrhic victory. Simple attrition without a chance to make up losses would work as well.

Probably many more. All kinds of things can happen to deprive someone of an army. Assuming Nale and Elan's daddy has even lost his army.

[Quirk]

Yay, I got something! And that is the first time on this forum I got something before someone else does! Or maybe it's just another time I get something before finding out that many other people else got it some time ago... Or maybe it's one of the many times for me to get something wrong...
But whatever, at least it made me finally register and post here. :smallbiggrin:

In comic 680 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0680.html) the cart of gophers - sorry - the cartographer tells Haley and Elan about some new kingdoms with strange names. Then she adds: "But it might be worth asking around in this new place that's -" but there Haley and Elan stop listening.

Maybe i am reading wayyy to much in this, but my spider sense is tingling and i think she wanted to tell about a new place that's -
called NALERIA !

[J.J.J-H-Schmidt]

What happened to the giant army led by Elan & Nale's father? From the comic, it looks like it 'just disappeared', but an army would still be known by nearby countries, and if it was defeated in a war, there's gotta be a bigger army somewhere closeby.

Isn't it odd that the people in desert just have no idea?

well to derive a loose quote a famous people we all know and love, i think they are still marching around at the "speed of plot"... or were a random piece of backstory that just helped things move along... and to quote another famous people... "the world may never know" MUAH HA HA HA!

[banthesun]

There is no mind control, citizen. Please go back to your fun.

I'd be more forgiving if it wasn't such a good quote in the first place.

[TheBlackShadow]

Yay, I got something! And that is the first time on this forum I got something before someone else does! Or maybe it's just another time I get something before finding out that many other people else got it some time ago... Or maybe it's one of the many times for me to get something wrong...
But whatever, at least it made me finally register and post here. :smallbiggrin:

In comic 680 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0680.html) the cart of gophers - sorry - the cartographer tells Haley and Elan about some new kingdoms with strange names. Then she adds: "But it might be worth asking around in this new place that's -" but there Haley and Elan stop listening.

Maybe i am reading wayyy to much in this, but my spider sense is tingling and i think she wanted to tell about a new place that's -
called NALERIA !

That's a good point, but I still hold to my gut instinct that the Linear Guild aren't even in the West, and that they're still in the North, going for the Sneak Attack by seizing Kraagor's Gate while everyone else is occupied.

[Gamerlord]

What happened to the giant army led by Elan & Nale's father? From the comic, it looks like it 'just disappeared', but an army would still be known by nearby countries, and if it was defeated in a war, there's gotta be a bigger army somewhere closeby.

Isn't it odd that the people in desert just have no idea?

This is going to be another "Morally justified" debacle isn't it?

[Kareasint]

Which should be interesting when the Paladins show up at that gate then.

One word: O-Chul

I hope we get to see some of that fight.

[Eloel]

Which should be interesting when the Paladins show up at that gate then.

One word: O-Chul

I hope we get to see some of that fight.

O-Chul doesn't fight. Enemies just die of fear.

[The Dark Fiddler]

There is no mind control, citizen. Go back to your business.

That's my shtick! :smallannoyed:

[Gamerlord]

O-Chul doesn't fight. Enemies just die of fear.
God I hate O-chul jokes, Chuck Norris isn't awesome guys!
:smallsigh:

[J.J.J-H-Schmidt]

God I hate O-chul jokes, Chuck Norris isn't awesome guys!
:smallsigh:

noone likes chuck norris jokes, but to deny them as a staple of pop culture reference is not awsome guys... if you have ever been in iraq, then you would come to appreciate them as being a valuable source of QRF boredom release, and an appealing port-a-john passtime.

[J.J.J-H-Schmidt]

plus the whole oots tie in is truly classic!:smallwink:

but if someone implies that there is a third sword beneath his beard then that may be considered a step too far...

[Gamerlord]

noone likes chuck norris jokes, but to deny them as a staple of pop culture reference is not awsome guys... if you have ever been in iraq, then you would come to appreciate them as being a valuable source of QRF boredom release, and an appealing port-a-john passtime.

I know their a staple, its just tiring to see any discussion turn into O-chul jokes, which I blame Chuck Norris for.

[J.J.J-H-Schmidt]

I know their a staple, its just tiring to see any discussion turn into O-chul jokes, which I blame Chuck Norris for.

fair enough... please forgive me then, this was my first time seeing it as i am a newb. just put yourself back in the mindframe of hearing it for the first time. i had a real life lol moment, not just the fake lol that people text with a dead pan face while truly loti (laughing on the inside)...but true lol. not quite rotfl, mind you...(which i cant remember ever doing since the popular abbreviation of the phrase) but lol nonetheless.

[Mariel Dragon]

Buddy, you got my respect for maybe tripping up Roland St. Jude

[Kastanok]

To further derail this (admittedly tenuous excuse for a thread), I find myself deriving more than enough enjoyment from all the 'where is post?' threads to barely mind the lack of comics themselves. It's like a meta-comic post or something...

*Re-reads above writings* Okay, can anyone explain to me why my style of writing becomes increasingly convoluted and V-like the more sleep deprived I become?

[BRC]

I think it's been the same couple giant armies fighting in the desert for some time, they just switch leaders and names.

Todays Legions of Tyrannar are tomorrows Armies of Dictatus.

[The Dark Fiddler]

To further derail this (admittedly tenuous excuse for a thread), I find myself deriving more than enough enjoyment from all the 'where is post?' threads to barely mind the lack of comics themselves. It's like a meta-comic post or something...

*Re-reads above writings* Okay, can anyone explain to me why my style of writing becomes increasingly convoluted and V-like the more sleep deprived I become?

I enjoy the threads because they let me put my jerk hat on.

"Sure, you may be new, but that's no damn excuse for making this thread when there's already about 5 locked threads on the subject, and the rules explicitly say DO NOT DISCUSS. You did read the rules, right?"

[Asta Kask]

*Re-reads above writings* Okay, can anyone explain to me why my style of writing becomes increasingly convoluted and V-like the more sleep deprived I become?

Saying things in a brief and uncomplicated way is difficult?

As for the giant army - well, like someone said it probably disappeared. Comparisons with the real world is always difficult, but a medieval army was like a shark* - unless it was constantly on the move it would suffocate.

*although some sharks have been found hibernating on the sea floor. So, like a certain type of shark.

[Nimrod's Son]

but if someone implies that there is a third sword beneath his beard then that may be considered a step too far...
You think that's a step too far? Man, you ain't seen nothing yet. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77064)

[Kish]

noone likes chuck norris jokes, but to deny them as a staple of pop culture reference is not awsome guys...
What does "staple of pop culture reference" even mean? Other than that you're going to go on to contradict the first part of your first sentence?

I feel no guilt or hesitation in saying that Chuck Norris jokes are a waste of space, air, paper, bandwidth, and whatever else one uses to make them.

Oddly, I don't mind them nearly as much with O-Chul's name in them, though they're still not going to win any awards for being particularly funny.

[Gamerlord]

The only way I can see O-chul beating supercharged V or xykon is through sheer attrition. He can outlast their flight spells, take any save they dish out, and outlive them, if he roles one "1" though he is toast.

What he doesn't win through is his so-called awesomeness and "+9000 to intimidate through his beard alone" .

[LuisDantas]

Huge Armies tend to spontaneously dissolve unless somehow associated with a huge support network. Soldiers must eat and are likely to eventually settle and become farmers or something. Of course, as already stated, they may also diminish through attriction or major conflict.

[ref]

And what Luis just said can be found under rule 5.241.

[J.J.J-H-Schmidt]

well, apparently girard is nale and elan's dad, so maybe his army is guarding the gate...

[HotAndCold]

well, apparently girard is nale and elan's dad, so maybe his army is guarding the gate...

That's not apparent. Or even likely, really.

[J.J.J-H-Schmidt]

i know, but that would be cool. :smallbiggrin:

[The Pink Ninja]

I assumed Nale killed him

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0061.html

Then again I doubt Giant could resist passing up the opportunity to have Elan meet his dad

[Turkish Delight]

Huge Armies tend to spontaneously dissolve unless somehow associated with a huge support network. Soldiers must eat and are likely to eventually settle and become farmers or something. Of course, as already stated, they may also diminish through attriction or major conflict.

Really, though, these rules have a tendency to not apply to fantasy armies. Or at the very least not apply with the same force. Fantasy armies don't have to disband to work the fields at harvest time, have nearly inexhaustible reserves, and often enough seem to work for little or no pay and for leaders who randomly execute their own soldiers to show off how evvvviiillll the villainous overlord really is.

[Berserk Monk]

What happened to the giant army led by Elan & Nale's father? From the comic, it looks like it 'just disappeared', but an army would still be known by nearby countries, and if it was defeated in a war, there's gotta be a bigger army somewhere closeby.

Isn't it odd that the people in desert just have no idea?

(A) His dad had that "army" when he was a little kid. That was like what 20 years ago? The soldiers could had died for various reason or just quit. (B) We're not sure how big his "army" was. In this comic (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0050.html), the only one talking about Nale/Elan's father, you only see about a dozen soldiers behind their dad.

[theinsulabot]

oooh, chuck norris jokes, let me try!


*ahem*

chuck norris is a washed up old has-been who ran out of money late in life and now does crappy fitness adds on low rated, after hours, cable tv networks!




M I DOIN IT RITE GAIZ????

[Djibril]

In a continent in constant war wouldn't one find more gain for his "Nigh Unstppable Army" to play mercenary?

So he'll always have a war to fight and profits to gain instead of setting up a kingdom wich would probably be conquered within the year?

With a bunch of such mussolini wannabe would be easy money

[Optimystik]

oooh, chuck norris jokes, let me try!


*ahem*

chuck norris is a washed up old has-been who ran out of money late in life and now does crappy fitness adds on low rated, after hours, cable tv networks!




M I DOIN IT RITE GAIZ????

Yes. Yes you are.