Start of Darkness Question (Spoiler Abound)

[Lorenzo]

Was Xykon's soul gem destroyed here? (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0115.html) I don't see why he wouldn't have it on him at the time, and I don't see why Redcloak would be holding it. And I don't know if it would have survived the explosion of the castle, but I don't see when he would've gone back and gotten it. Same goes for the Headband too now that I think of it.

[Kish]

Why would Rich introduce the soul gem, make a big point of Lirian and Dorukan both being trapped in it, and then have it destroyed off-camera without comment?

The headband, Xykon used when he cast Cloister on Azure City. The soul gem, he still has somewhere.

[Forbiddenwar]

I'm fairly certain that the soul gem was kept safe, like the diary. Probably in the back-up tower.

[Ashram]

Probably still in his left pocket.

[Ancalagon]

Probably still in his left pocket.

... next to his keys...

[Cizak]

He still has it. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0532.html) (Panel 7)

[Seppl]

He still has it. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0532.html) (Panel 7)

But that is a flashback. It happens before comic 115.

[Mitl]

Im pretty sure that redcloak would just pick up of the important magic objects xykon loses

[factotum]

I agree with Kish. The gem is a Chekov's Gun of some sort--I seriously doubt it would have been destroyed off-camera without the slightest word. As for HOW it got out of the castle, both it and the headband were pretty small items; considering Redcloak managed to find a Hello Kitty parasol for the MitD from somewhere once they left the dark tunnels, I don't think finding somewhere to put those items would have been hard.

[Larkspur]

...Does a lich regenerate what they were wearing/carrying when they were destroyed? Because the Order don't get any powerful magical items from that dungeon crawl, which you'd expect given that they defeated Xykon. The only thing they get off him is the crown.

And Xykon shows up again in his blue robe and red mantle. Either Redcloak carried everything with him, he found an exact replica in hobgoblin land, or Xykon regrew it. That seems kind of stupid, but regrowing bones from thin air doesn't exactly make biological sense either, so why couldn't you regrow your inventory?

[treyh37]

most dnd sources say lichs come back with their stuff when they regen, but theres a bit of inconsistence in Oots here, he seems to have gotten his equipment back except the ring of wizardry taken from his remains as seen here in 130 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0130.html)

so its either destroyed, regened with him, in the ruins, with his keys, or maybe in the bag of holding haley took in 130, and she just thinks its a black gem to sell

[Ancalagon]

so its either destroyed, regened with him, in the ruins, with his keys, or maybe in the bag of holding haley took in 130, and she just thinks its a black gem to sell

This is an awesome theory and would make a very interesting turn of events or at least a cool surprise. BUT why should she keep the gem when she can sell it for money?
It does not make any sense at all that she'd keep anything that is not useful per itself but that could get turned into cash.

The gem might also have registered as "evil" in Miko's view. The souls in it surely are not evil, but the two spells that bound them surely are. I'm not thinking that we will see Haley have the gem but it's a pretty entertaining thought.

[Thanatosia]

In a similar vein, where are the zombified corpses of Xykon's Parents, Professor Xavion, Righteye, Lirian, and Mastery Fyron?

[Forbiddenwar]

In a similar vein, where are the zombified corpses of Xykon's Parents, Professor Xavion, . . . and Mastery Fyron?

Destroyed at Lirian's gate in SOD. He left there with only redcload, lirian and a few roaches.

[Katana_Geldar]

Weren't Xykon's parents killed by his grandma? And I have reason to think that all of them, apart from Lirian, could have been gone long before Xykon met Redcloak. He mentions there he had run out of minions and had to "get them" himself.

[Dr.Epic]

I think the bigger question about SoD is where was Master Fyron's son? (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0110.html)

[Ancalagon]

I think the bigger question about SoD is where was Master Fyron's son? (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0110.html)

I'm not sure if that's the or even a bigger question. We know he's dead now and he probably did not play a bigger role. He probably was just some bystander who got whacked by Xykon before the battle with Fyron senior.
Even more: until other information shows up, I consider that to be one of the rare screwups by Rich (one that might not even get retconned in the future but left as it is!)

[Ron Miel]

Why would Rich introduce the soul gem, make a big point of Lirian and Dorukan both being trapped in it, and then have it destroyed off-camera without comment?

If the gem is lost beneath a collapsed mountain, with the souls still in it, it has a definite purpose in story terms. It means that Lirian and Dorukan are permanently dead, they cant be rezzed, nobody can speak with dead to them, and so on. The gem has removed them from the story permanently. I don't see any reason why Xykon would have taken it with him.

[Morquard]

Well, in SOD Xykon taunts Dorukan with the gem in in return gets attacked right away. And while he did win, it was a close call at times.
Dorukan said something like "You made a mistake, you showed me where you keep her soul".

Xykon might have figured that with two souls in the gem now its a bad idea to carry it around and attract even more unwanted rescuers, and rather put it somewhere safe.

You have to remember that SOD was written long after Xykon got whacked in the Redmountain Gate, I agree it doesn't sound like Rich to introduce a soulgem that has already been destroyed, and then not comment on it at all.
If it was a mean to remove Dorukan and Lirian from the story permanently (possible), I guess he'd have driven that point home somehow by Xykon or Redcloak mentioning it, even in passing "Hey, have you seen my black gem?" - "What? the one that we lost in Dorukan's dungeon?".
Otherwise its not really a great way to remove someone from the story if noone knows they've been removed. And besides as long as Xykon has the gem they're just as equally "removed".

[Thanatosia]

My guess is that the Order will discover the Soul Gem at the very end of the story after Xykon is defeated once and for all and the Snarl-world mystery is resolved and Durukon and Lirian will be released for +1 happy endings before things fade to black.