[SPOILERS!!!] Don't Split The Party, Strip 665b

[sam79]

Probably been asked before, but can't find it.

In this bonus strip, we see a prophesy given to Shojo that Hinjo's life will be saved twice by Belkar. I can recall one occasion (Strip 435) when this happened; has there been another?

[RMS Oceanic]

There are two theories about that:

1. Using the Eye of Fear and Flame to buy them some time to find cover counts as a second time.
2. The second saving has not taken place, and this is foreshadowing.

I personally lean to the latter.

[sam79]

Thanks for that. The Eye of Fear and Flame thing could be it, I suppose. It looks a little indirect, but it doesn't require Oracle-like causation logic (Strip 467) to make it fit. It is certainly less clear-cut than 435.

But if there is a second save to come, Belkar better get his skates on; he can't have much longer to live, and now is quite a way away from Hinjo.

[Moogleking]

I reckon he'll die in someway that saves the whole world, hence Hinjo aswell.

[Maximum Zersk]

Wait, didn't Belkar save him when he stopped the thief guy from shooting an arrow at him?

[sam79]

I reckon he'll die in someway that saves the whole world, hence Hinjo aswell.

Maybe, but I think that would be kinda lame. The Eye of Fear and Flame explanation would be better than that.

[sam79]

Wait, didn't Belkar save him when he stopped the thief guy from shooting an arrow at him?

Which is in Strip 435, the first occasion I referred to above.

[Thanatosia]

I realy dislike the eye of flame theory because it did not appear to alter the outcome in any way. Hinjo and the Order did not spend the time the Eye attack bought them to move closer to cover, they just stood there chatting with Belkar.... and the vast majority of the HObos survived and shot at them anyways. Given the hundreds of Hobos that appearantly fired on them, claiming that the dozen or so that Belkar killed with the fireball was the difference between Hinjo living or dying just strikes me as utterly and completely ridiculous.

[FabuVinny]

The joke wouldn't work as well if we hadn't seen the second time by that point so I lean towards the first explanation.

[waterpenguin43]

Wait, didn't Belkar save him when he stopped the thief guy from shooting an arrow at him?

Yeah, but it was he'd save Hinjo's life TWICE, not once.

[Cleverdan22]

Yeah, I'm definitely on the side that the first time was stopping the thief from killing Hinjo, and the second time hasn't happened yet.

[waterpenguin43]

Yeah, I'm definitely on the side that the first time was stopping the thief from killing Hinjo, and the second time hasn't happened yet.

I am too.
Hey, are avatars look like opposites, but we can still agree.

[silvadel]

Hmm -- that seems kind of important for a bonus strip actually... Are there any other really important bits of information that people who have the prequel books but didnt buy the ones that are mostly the strips on the site in print are missing?

[factotum]

Why is it important? Chances are that prophecy has been fulfilled already, considering Belkar doesn't have long to live and is unlikely to be heading back to Hinjo anytime soon. The Giant has said that he won't put anything solely in the books that is vital to the plot of the online strip, and I've seen no evidence so far he's broken his word.

Oh, and the other obvious answer is: how are we supposed to know what's important and what isn't? I bet most people thought the Belt of Gender Changing was a one-off gag, but it became fairly important to the plot!

[waterpenguin43]

The Giant has said that he won't put anything solely in the books that is vital to the plot of the online strip, and I've seen no evidence so far he's broken his word.

Technically, it isn't vital. It's just a bit of foreshadowing; He also said there was some in "Elan's Underwater Adventure" about another force trying to get the gates, didn't he?

[Gift Jeraff]

It's just a little bonus for people who bought the book when it happens. For people who have read the bonus strip, it'll be a "There it is!" moment. For people who have not, it'll be "Hey, Belkar saved Hinjo's life again!"

Technically, it isn't vital. It's just a bit of foreshadowing; He also said there was some in "Elan's Underwater Adventure" about another force trying to get the gates, didn't he?
Nah, he said there was foreshadowing for another villain's appearance--that of the ancient black dragon.

[hamishspence]

What catches my attention is that it shows at least one member of Shojo's organization who is in the know, about his use of Marks Of Justice.

Sangwaan. In fact, it was because of her prediction, that Shojo chose to put the Mark on Belkar, and let him out, in the first place.

It also constrains the amount of time that has taken place. It says "Eight months ago" and the splitting of the party lasted nearly as long as that.

Suggesting very little time lapsed, between Belkar being Marked, and Roy'd death.

[factotum]

Suggesting very little time lapsed, between Belkar being Marked, and Roy'd death.

We could have guessed that anyway. After Belkar got marked they visited the Oracle (which I think is about a week's journey there and back--can't remember where that was stated, but the map in DSTP certainly shows the Oracle being quite close to Azure City), then rescued Julia in Cliffport (no more than four days, since they teleported there, spent very little time on the actual rescue, and then Sabine said it would take her 3-4 days to fly to Azure City). Elan's rescue of Haley from Nale took place the same evening, as far as we can tell, and Miko killed Shojo the next day (before he'd had a chance to order the resurrection of the teleport wizard). So, although that sequence took up getting on for a hundred strips, it occupied less than two weeks in Stickverse time.

[Teleporker]

The way I see it, "Don't split the party" is the most recent book, so I think the whole point of this specific bit of prophecy is to tell the readers "yes folks, Belkar is going to save Hinjo's butt one more time! Look forward to it!"

For all we know, maybe this is exactly how Belkar dies.