Wondering: a stand-alone book incoming?

[Thieves]

Do you think it is possible that Rich is now working on another stand-alone book, like "On the Origin of PCs" or "Start of Darkness"?

And, whether if he actually is or not - what do you think would the next such book be about? Given probability - I'd say Team Peregrine (that elf commando). Given what I'd prefer... Oh-my-god. I know. Miko's plane-hoppin' hell-crawlin' death-denyin' revenge-driven extravaganza in all the Hells of the Afterlife.

You?

[Ancalagon]

Possible? Yes.

Apart from that... there's no way to know until it's announced.

[hamishspence]

So far, stand-alone books have been prequels.

I would expect the next to be a prequel as well- maybe focussed on the Sapphire Guard, possibly from the break-up of the Order of the Scribble.

It might go on late enough for Miko to play a big part in it.

There have been a lot of guesses, from Linear Guild, to Order of the Scribble, to Short Stories, but I think Sapphire Guard+Miko is the most likely.

It might show the massacre in SoD, from the point of view of the "other side".

We can't be certain there will be a next, but I think it was suggested in one of the books, that The Giant will write another prequel.

[Ancalagon]

The part of the sapphire guard seems over though. You also cannot really tie the heroes in...

"Adventures of the Thieves' Guild" (dealing with the old guild with Haley and her father) and similar shorts about various parts of the world would be cool - one of those could be about the Sapphire Guard. Each like 5 to 20ish comics, then five eight of those in one book.

That'd be much cooler than a book about the Linear Guild (as many people (including me) seem to think they have their part in the story but are also quite annoying).

I really hope for a collection of short stories comics.

[ThePhantasm]

I think a book on the Order of the Scribble would tie in nicely with the current comics, since there is so much mystery surrounding that order and since those characters are becoming a bit more fleshed out...

[Shhalahr Windrider]

The part of the sapphire guard seems over though.
The Order still intends to remain in contact with what remains of the Sapphire Guard. They’re around. Just not for a while.

Don’t Split the Party commentary:
Rich did hint in the commentary that O-Chul, at least, still had a bigger part in the story. Though he admitted O-Chul would not appear within the following book.

[Ancalagon]

The Order still intends to remain in contact with what remains of the Sapphire Guard. They’re around. Just not for a while.

Don’t Split the Party commentary:
Rich did hint in the commentary that O-Chul, at least, still had a bigger part in the story. Though he admitted O-Chul would not appear within the following book.

Yeah. You talk about the three remaining Paladins that are not the Sapphire Guard anymore? ;)

What was known as "Sapphire Guard" mostly (for decades!) took place without the Main Characters and is now utterly destroyed.

[TriForce]

I think a book on the Order of the Scribble would tie in nicely with the current comics, since there is so much mystery surrounding that order and since those characters are becoming a bit more fleshed out...

i agree, we have seen bits and pieces of them, and their relations toward each other, but hardly what they did during the discovery of the rifts and the building of the gates. it got plenty of potential

[hamishspence]

One reason I'm a bit unsure about it being based on The Scribble- who'd be on the cover?

So far, there has been a trend of each book having somebody on the cover, and the events in the book seem slightly more focussed on that person.

Start of Darkness- Redcloak
Origin- Durkon
Dungeon Crawling Fools- Elan
Paladin Blues- Roy
War & XPs- Haley
Don't Split The Party- Vaarsuvius

If I had to speculate, I'd say that if another prequel is released, it will have a major NPC on the front.

Miko, Shojo, and possibly Nale seem like possible candidates.

Would we recognize one of the Scribble on sight if we saw them on the cover?

[Kish]

Would we recognize one of the Scribble on sight if we saw them on the cover?
I'd certainly expect to recognize Soon, Girard, Lirian or Dorukan; and since apparently Soon was the leader, I would expect him to have the most prominent place on the cover of a single book about the Order of the Scribble.

[Snake-Aes]

Would we recognize one of the Scribble on sight if we saw them on the cover?

Likely. We have seen most of them on normal figures anyway, and they are all very distinct.
I dunno about other prequels... the characters with a lot of story to play with were already written. Maybe a sapphire guard one, with short (or not) stories about the most prominent members. Or more likely something about multiple big npcs like hinjo/o-chul/miko/scribblers/guy with a halberd...

[hamishspence]

Hmm- what colours are left?

Maybe we can speculate on general traits based on what we've seen so far.

Both the earlier prequels had an NPC doing the Introduction (Redcloak, and Miko).

Both were in greyscale.

One had Durkon on the cover, the other had Redcloak.

I'm inclined to suspect it won't be Green though- I think Green spine (and Belkar on the cover) will probably be book 5.

[Gift Jeraff]

One reason I'm a bit unsure about it being based on The Scribble- who'd be on the cover?

So far, there has been a trend of each book having somebody on the cover, and the events in the book seem slightly more focussed on that person.

Start of Darkness- Redcloak
Origin- Durkon
Dungeon Crawling Fools- Elan
Paladin Blues- Roy
War & XPs- Haley
Don't Split The Party- Vaarsuvius

If I had to speculate, I'd say that if another prequel is released, it will have a major NPC on the front.

Miko, Shojo, and possibly Nale seem like possible candidates.

Would we recognize one of the Scribble on sight if we saw them on the cover?
A Sapphire Guard book could also have Mr. Scruffy (considering he's part of the main cast nowadays) or Hinjo. As for Linear Guild...

:thog:!!! Because he will become Belkar's replacement, clearly.

Okay, I doubt there will even a replacement for the Belkster, but still...Thog is awesome...

[hamishspence]

I was idly speculating on Belkar dying in book 5, and book 6 having a white spine, and Mr Scruffy on the cover (since if Belkar appears the cover of book 5, every OoTS character will have appeared at least once)

But I don't think its that likely.

[Kish]

I think Xykon appearing on the cover of book 6 is more likely.

[DavidBV]

Well, Belkar had already his character development in Don't Split the Party, but as he is supossed to die relatively soon, I guess his death will be a very climatic moment, probably the end of a book, a book with green covers of course. I hope it's not next book... but seven weeks after strip 666 is very little time indeed.

I have also wondered about another stand-alone book and I think it's very possible, after all it's good for us the fans and good for Rich and for the story, a win-win situation. Featuring what? Order of the Scribble, likely, as they're central to the story and have been carefuly left out of the existing prequels.

[hamishspence]

I think Xykon appearing on the cover of book 6 is more likely.

That seems like a reasonable possibility.

While he was almost Redcloak's "co-star" in Start of Darkness, maybe he could get some spotlight all to himself.

[Asta Kask]

I wonder if Mr. Scruffy will do the foreword...

[hamishspence]

Haley and Durkon haven't done forewords yet.

What's the recap going to be like? We've seen Elan and finger-puppets, V and chalk on blackboards, or rather, greenboards, and Haley and Belkar doing theater.

As for another prequel, whatever it will be, I'd like Shojo or maybe Xykon to do the introduction- I suspect both would have an amusing turn of phrase.

[SaintRidley]

I don't think a prospective prequel at this point would be about the scribbles. It would be tipping the Giant's hand too much to do that yet.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Yeah. You talk about the three remaining Paladins that are not the Sapphire Guard anymore? ;)
Well, they might not technically be part of the Guard any more, but the point is that the actions of the Sapphire Guard have certainly had serious effects in the past and these actions are likely to continue to have serious consequences reaching into the future.

The question is: Do any of those actions from the past require a detailed story for us to have a better appreciation of current and future events? I think they could, if only because many people don’t find “Because the twelve gods said they could,” to be an acceptable excuse for some of those actions.

[Gift Jeraff]

I was idly speculating on Belkar dying in book 5, and book 6 having a white spine, and Mr Scruffy on the cover (since if Belkar appears the cover of book 5, every OoTS character will have appeared at least once)

But I don't think its that likely.

I'm thinking the rest of the compilation books will be something like this:
Book 5: Green Cover - Belkar; Foreward - Blackwing; Recap - Haley (I don't think DStP's counted)
Book 6: Purple Cover - Thog (Okay, I'm just unsure); Foreward - Haley; Recap - Durkon (I'm of the opinion that Belkar will die in book 5, and Durkon would definitely present that in the least biased way--he doesn't consider Belkar a friend like Elan, but he also doesn't hate him as much as the rest)
Book 7: White Cover - Xykon; Foreward - Durkon; Recap - Roy (I think it's fitting the wisest member gives the foreward and the main character gives the recap in the last book)

I suppose we could have Mr. Scruffy with a white cover and Xykon with any colour. (Book 1 and Origins didn't really have relevant colours--I always felt it would have made more sense for book 1 to be yellow (Elan and Nale being blond and all), Origins to be grey (Durkon's armour and the first greyscale OOTS book), and SoD to be red (durr).)

[Capt Spanner]

I'd love to see a Sapphire Guard book. (Hopefully along with reprints and the books being made more easily available in the UK...but I'm guessing only one of those two will happen).

Especially, I'd love to see more of Miko. I thought she was really well written (she was supposed to be annoying, guys!) and a really tragic character who could fill far more screen time. I hear Rich killed her mostly due to bad reaction to her from the fans, though, so it would be interesting to see how this pans out.

[Kish]

I hear Rich killed her mostly due to bad reaction to her from the fans, though,
Someone said what to you in the Telephone Game, now?

(As memes go, "Rich does everything because of how fans react" is down there.)