Speculation regarding the future Book 5 (Semi-spoilers ahead!)

[Crisis21]

Well, first let's talk about what I mean by semi-spoilers. Basically, it means that I'm going to be revealing a few things that are exclusive to the books, but are not directly related to the actual plot in any way.

If this bothers you, then please read no further.






What I would like to speculate on is in regards to a few cosmetic choices regarding Book 5. Most specifically, which order members will be: on the cover, doing the preface, and doing the recap.


So far, the covers of each book have displayed:

-1 Start of Darkness: Redcloak
0 On The Origin of PCs: Durkon Thundershield
1 Dungeon Crawlin' Fools: Elan the Bard
2 No Cure for the Paladin Blues: Roy Greenhilt
3 War and XPs: Haley Starshine
4 Don't Split the Party: Vaarsuvius

Well, since there is only one member of the order who hasn't been on the cover of a book yet, and may not live through this one, I feel safe in claiming that Belkar Bitterleaf will be on the cover of Book 5.


In regards to the prefaces of each book we have:

-1 Start of Darkness: Miko Miyazaki
0 On The Origin of PCs: Redcloak
1 Dungeon Crawlin' Fools: Belkar Bitterleaf
2 No Cure for the Paladin Blues: Vaarsuvius
3 War and XPs: Elan the Bard
4 Don't Split the Party: Roy Greenhilt

To date, Durkon Thundershield and Haley Starshine are the only members of the Order to have not written a preface for any of the books. Personally, my money is on Haley since she has more of a personal investment in the events of Book 5 than Durkon does.



Now for the recaps:

2 No Cure for the Paladin Blues: Elan the Bard
3 War and XPs: Vaarsuvius
4 Don't Split the Party: Belkar Bitterleaf (With Haley Starshine guest starring)

Obviously since neither Book 1 nor the prequels need a recap of previous events, they don't have one. It also leaves Durkon Thundershield and Roy Greenhilt as the only members of the Order to have not done a recap (if we count Haley for appearing in Belkar's recap). My money is on Durkon doing the recap as I would bet on Roy doing the recap for the final book.


Anyone have any thoughts or alternative speculation?


Edit: Some people mentioned the color trim, so I felt a need to update and include that here.

-1 Start of Darkness: Grey
0 On The Origin of PCs: Yellow
1 Dungeon Crawlin' Fools: Red
2 No Cure for the Paladin Blues: Blue
3 War and XPs: Orange
4 Don't Split the Party: Violet/Pink

Now, the trim colors are interesting, and some of them have a great deal of reference to the books they adorn. Book 2's blue is obviously a reference to the Sapphire guard, and the color is also part of the title; Book 3's orange is likely related to the massive army of hobgoblins under Xykon's command; and Book 4's particular shade of violet/pink that matches so perfectly with the shade of Vaarsuvius's magic is clearly a reference to that same wizard. The two colors under debate for Book 5's trim are green for Belkar and a sandy color for the desert the Order is searching. My money is on green as the sandy color would be too close to the yellow of Book 0.

[Gift Jeraff]

I always felt it would go up to 7, so book 5 would look like:

Cover: Belkar
Preface: Blackwing
Recap: Haley

I feel that Durkon should do the next recap since he has the least biased opinions on Belkar. (Then again, Belkar was tasked with describing briefly mentioning Roy's death.)

[Bedinsis]

We have to stand an entire recap with Durkon's accent?

Your logic holds water, though I dislike the conclusion.

[hamishspence]

I lean to the view that it will also be green in trim- a colour most associated with Belkar in outfit, and one not represented so far.

[Ancalagon]

A preface by Xykon would be more interesting than one by... someone else.

[Joerg]

My guess is that Xykon will be on the cover of the final book. And that there won't be a recap any more.

As for the preface, it has several times been done by characters who had no important part in the book. I speculate that the next preface will be made by Blackwing or O-Chul.

[Acero]

I could easily see Hinjo doing any of them for book 5 or 6. Remember, he's the one in contact with the Order, the Paladins, and the Elven Resisitance

[Crisis21]

My logic is that only Order members have 'written' prefaces for the main books while other characters (Redcloak and Miko) have 'written' prefaces for the prequel books.

A preface by Xykon, O-Chul, or Hinjo would be pretty fun to read, but I'd expect them to be in a non-main book.

[Ted The Bug]

I'm not sure if Durkon would be very good at doing a recap, but I'm not sure who else would, either. Elan and V fit perfectly, but Belkar/Haley didn't have personality traits that would relate to telling a story, so I felt theirs was a little bit flat. Blackwing would be pretty interesting, because he(?)'s had a unique perspective on everything that's happened so far. Haley might be a god choice to do the preface, and I think it's pretty much unanimous opinion that Belkar will be on the cover.
I think if the trim isn't green, it'll either be the purple/blue of the Azure City sky, or the color of the desert sand.

[Crisis21]

Ah, yes the color trim. I'll go ahead and update the first post.

[hamishspence]

I thought book 3's orange was also a reference to Haley's hair and Haley's story- since she appears on the front cover.

Still, that reasoning doesn't really apply to book 2's blue- where Roy appears on the front cover.

So "blue refers to Azure city" and "orange refers to hobgoblin horde" might be pretty feasible hypotheses.

[Tass]

You forgot red refers to the Redmountain Hills

I think a sandy color would fit best with book five.

Then it would make sense to have some forest adventure involving elves and Belkars death as book six, with green. (Except that we already had quite a bit of forest in book two and elves in book 4.)

And then of course finishing with the white at the frozen north at Kraagors gate.

[Gift Jeraff]

I originally would have gone with green, but now I'm thinking purple to go with Girard, the Snarl/rifts, and Gobbotopia/Azure City's sky. Though I guess that might go better with a book that takes the Order to the world within the world.

[Souhiro]

Poor Belkar...he at least will have a kick-ass tombstone: The cover for the book!

I think that Durkon will do the recap, but mr Scruffy will translate it from Durkon's accent. Mainly because Durkon can resurrect people, and some hardcore fans won't quit about Durkon resurrecting Belkar, unless Durkon explicity says that he cannot or won't do it.

But a recap from Mr Scruffy could make anyone weep in tears. Mr S. is the only good thing in Belkar's life.

[Crisis21]

I think that Durkon will do the recap, but mr Scruffy will translate it from Durkon's accent. Mainly because Durkon can resurrect people, and some hardcore fans won't quit about Durkon resurrecting Belkar, unless Durkon explicity says that he cannot or won't do it.


I think some people are forgetting Durkon's own prophecy. Tha cleric cannae raise anyone if'n he's dead too. (How's my Durkonese?)



But a recap from Mr Scruffy could make anyone weep in tears. Mr S. is the only good thing in Belkar's life that he doesn't try to kill.

Fixed.