Why is Girard young?

[Cybertoy00]

In OotS 693, Girard's appears, or at least an illusion of him.
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0694.html
What bothers me is that how young he looks. While the other men of the Order of the Scribble looked like the old geezers time has turned them into, the only thing time did to Girard is give him a slight beard, even though he shouldn't be that much younger than Dorukan.
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0196.html
Any ideas why this is? Did he get a transfusion from Lirian? Or is he just hiding his wrinkles with illusions?

[Dr.Epic]

:smallconfused: It's a stick figure comic. How can you even tell how old some characters look? Look at all the detail that goes into creating their facial features.

[Wou]

Illusion was ‘recorded’ just after they split. Dourkon vs Xykon fight took place many many years later, just before beginning of the comic.

[Morquard]

Also we know that Dorukan was epic level. And considering that the magic to create the gates etc is most likely epic as well, it stands to reason to assume that the entire Scribbles were epic in the end.
There's an epic feat that prolongs your lifespan by 50% I think, and it can be taken multiple times. It doesn't make you younger, but you won't pass into the next age-category till the extended time is up.
So for all we know Girard could have that 2 or 3 times.

Also he's a freaking illusionist. Making stuff appear different than what they are is basicly the description of his class.

And third we don't know when it was recorded. Theory is it was right after the Scribbles split, which makes sense from the message, but we can't be sure about that. But see the first two points about why he'd still look young.

[Shale]

He's an epic-level illusionist. He could be three feet tall and the color of prunes and still look like that if he wanted to.

[Fallbot]

Illusion was ‘recorded’ just after they split. Dourkon vs Xykon fight took place many many years later, just before beginning of the comic.

This. The illusion says "if it's been no more than 12 weeks", which suggests it was recorded very soon after the split.

[Tass]

even though he shouldn't be that much younger than Dorukan.

I'd say he should definitely be older. After all Dorukan was described as the "new kid" by Serini.

[137beth]

Its a recording of something he said years ago. Simple as that.

[Scarlet Knight]

He's an epic-level illusionist. He could be three feet tall and the color of prunes and still look like that if he wanted to.

This. :smallsmile:

[Zevox]

As has been pointed out, that message seems to have been recorded long ago, certainly shortly after the Scribblers split up, due to the timframe Girard ascribed to the bet.

Even if that weren't the case though, it is an illusion, and he could make it look like whatever he wanted. As others have also pointed out, he could even do this with himself, masking his own appearance in person under an illusion of his youthful one if he so chose.

Even if neither of those were the case, there would even be the possibility that he researched epic magic which allowed him to actually remain physically young no matter how old he got. Epic mages are well-known for finding ways to extend their lifespan after all, so why not? But of course we've never seen Girard in person, so we have no reason to believe he did that just yet.

Zevox

[Nilan8888]

As I understand it Girard was sort of at the mean age of those in the Order of the Scribble. The way I've thought of it in approximation is, when they started out:

Durokan -> early-mid 20s
Girard -> early 30s
Soon -> late 40s
Kraggoor -> (Dwarf equivalent) late 20s
Lirian -> (Elven equivalent) mid 20s
Serini -> (Halfling equivalent) mid-late 20s


Naturally by current comic timeline they're all much older, with Soon already having died from old age. I'm not sure how old Girard would be but if he's alive, he'd be up there in age.

[Bongos]

Maybe he is still that young looking. Because you know, MAGIC!

[Lemur Bear]

As I understand it Girard was sort of at the mean age of those in the Order of the Scribble. The way I've thought of it in approximation is, when they started out:

Durokan -> early-mid 20s
Girard -> early 30s
Soon -> late 40s
Kraggoor -> (Dwarf equivalent) late 20s
Lirian -> (Elven equivalent) mid 20s
Serini -> (Halfling equivalent) mid-late 20s


Naturally by current comic timeline they're all much older, with Soon already having died from old age. I'm not sure how old Girard would be but if he's alive, he'd be up there in age.

According to what I remember of what Shojo said, it has been 60 years since the Scribbles quest. Easily placing Girard a little over 90 when he does show up. What likely happened was he went to wherever he built the gate (hopefully somewhere near where the OOTS is looking for it), built it, went to the desert and waited for Soon to break his promise, set the illusion and the gambling pool with whomever is in it and left. All without taking the time to shave because he was too aggravated from the time he just spent doing all the things I listed. My question is how an illusion was able to set off Explosive Runes?

[Zevox]

My question is how an illusion was able to set off Explosive Runes?
That was not Explosive Runes. That blast was far and away more powerful than that spell is capable of. Whatever it was, the way it was set off was most likely with some sort of modified Contingency spell (modified to operate on an area instead of a person, and with a permanent duration).

Zevox

[SPoD]

:smallconfused: It's a stick figure comic. How can you even tell how old some characters look? Look at all the detail that goes into creating their facial features.

If you can't tell the difference in age between Lord Shojo and Hinjo, or Dorukan-in-the-diary and Dorukan-fighting-Xykon, I think the failing is yours, not the art's.

[Zevox]

If you can't tell the difference in age between Lord Shojo and Hinjo, or Dorukan-in-the-diary and Dorukan-fighting-Xykon, I think the failing is yours, not the art's.
True, but Shojo and old Dorukon use one of the few means of showing age in a stick figure comic - white hair. Beyond that and the wrinkles and spots Shojo and Xykon (SoD) exhibited, there's no way to tell peoples' ages apart in the comic once they're adults. For instance, we had a previous poster guess that Dorukon was in his 20s and Girard in his 30s during their adventures, but there's no basis for that, it's a complete random guess, as there is no way to tell a character in his 20s from one in his 30s using the strip's art.

Zevox

[eilandesq]

As far as I can tell, Girard's race isn't given during the original "Order of the Scribble" strips, or since then. If he is a half-elf, then he could easily still look early middle age even with the very human Soon and Dorukan being venerable or dead of old age.

[Nimrod's Son]

As far as I can tell, Girard's race isn't given during the original "Order of the Scribble" strips, or since then. If he is a half-elf, then he could easily still look early middle age even with the very human Soon and Dorukan being venerable or dead of old age.
Rich has said he won't be using any more half-elves, since he has no narrative need to include them and doesn't want to run the "one pointy ear" joke into the ground (not that Girard has a pointy ear anyway).

[Ninjaman]

As far as I can tell, Girard's race isn't given during the original "Order of the Scribble" strips, or since then. If he is a half-elf, then he could easily still look early middle age even with the very human Soon and Dorukan being venerable or dead of old age.

Elves don´t normally grow beards, i don´t know about half elves however

[hamishspence]

The PHB black and white picture of members of the player races side by side, does depict the male half-elf with a short beard.

[Goosefarble]

...so to put it simply, Girard recorded that message years and years ago, so now would be much older, or possibly even dead.

[AgentofOdd]

The Fortify spell seed allows one to create a spell that adds "+1 year (or more) to its current age category." This means an epic mage won't get younger, but he/she wouldn't age either correct?

[Shale]

If they kept casting it once per year, and kept pace with the XP cost so they never stopped being epic, sure.

[Ancalagon]

As "Epic Illusionist" you could probably also transfer your soul into some item, let your body die and decay while having your "illusion body" running around in the world and "being you". So much for aging. ;)

[SPoD]

True, but Shojo and old Dorukon use one of the few means of showing age in a stick figure comic - white hair. Beyond that and the wrinkles and spots Shojo and Xykon (SoD) exhibited, there's no way to tell peoples' ages apart in the comic once they're adults. For instance, we had a previous poster guess that Dorukon was in his 20s and Girard in his 30s during their adventures, but there's no basis for that, it's a complete random guess, as there is no way to tell a character in his 20s from one in his 30s using the strip's art.

Zevox

Yes, but the post I was replying to was a direct response to the OP, who suggested that Girard should have wrinkles. The post was incredulous that the OP would have any idea how old any character in this comic was, due to the stick figure art. And that's absurd.

If the OP was asking who looked older, Haley or Roy, then perhaps Dr. Epic's response would have been warranted. But the OP was specifically referring to a situation where those markers you're talking about--wrinkles and white hair--were expected and appropriate. So it's silly to then for Dr. Epic to say that the OP was being unreasonable for wondering where they were.

[Lecan]

As "Epic Illusionist" you could probably also transfer your soul into some item, let your body die and decay while having your "illusion body" running around in the world and "being you". So much for aging. ;)

If this turns out to be the case, I call the gate being the item Girard's soul is in.

[schwarzc]

as there is no way to tell a character in his 20s from one in his 30s using the strip's art.


actually, i thing, if rich wanted us to know, that a character is 35 rather than 25 (if it matters), he´ll figure a way out, to let us know, .....

for example:
0 - 10 small
10 - 20 smaller than average, various accessoires (piercings, fancy haircut, clothing, .... )
20 - 30 pretty standard
30 - 40 short beard in hair color
40 - 50 short beard in hair color, wrinkles
50 - 60 short white beard, wrinkles, glasses
60 + long white beard

(counts just for humans, and is just a theory - you´re almost certanly going to prove me wrong :D )

[Zevox]

actually, i thing, if rich wanted us to know, that a character is 35 rather than 25 (if it matters), he´ll figure a way out, to let us know, .....

for example:
0 - 10 small
10 - 20 smaller than average, various accessoires (piercings, fancy haircut, clothing, .... )
20 - 30 pretty standard
30 - 40 short beard in hair color
40 - 50 short beard in hair color, wrinkles
50 - 60 short white beard, wrinkles, glasses
60 + long white beard

(counts just for humans, and is just a theory - you´re almost certanly going to prove me wrong :D )
That makes no sense though, as Humans can start growing facial hair in their teenage years, and wrinkles of any significance wouldn't really make sense for someone merely in their 40s, especially considering we've already seen much older characters without them, such as Dorukon. The facial hair thing also quite obviously would not work for females. Not to mention the rather silly assumption that all pre-teens and teenager should be drawn as if they're rebellious punks.

Zevox

[Doxkid]

I was more concerned with the fact that non teens arent wearing clothing by that progression.

[wightpower]

Not to mention the rather silly assumption that all pre-teens and teenager should be drawn as if they're rebellious punks.

he could just give them pimples like he did with the goblin teens in dorukans dungeon

[Nimrod's Son]

he could just give them pimples like he did with the goblin teens in dorukans dungeon
He could, but as a rule he doesn't. Only one of the five goblin teenagers had pimples, and as far as the art goes there's no way of telling the age difference between, say, Julia and Haley.

[Rotipher]

I'd say he should definitely be older. After all Dorukan was described as the "new kid" by Serini.

Technically, that could just mean that Dorukan was the newest addition to the OotScribble, not necessarily that he was young. For all we know, Serini might've called everybody younger than herself "kid" as a matter of course.