Where the next gate is (Some speculation, some spoilers)

[Stmr5000]

So this seemed a little out there at first, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. The theory is as follows.

Draketooth's gate is in or near the Empress's throne room. The Empress is actually Draketooth disguised by an illusion. Tarquin is in on the whole gate dealie.

What I think could support this.

1) Draketooth has allies that we don't know the identity of. Who has a major stake of a doomsday device in the middle of their collective empire? Tarquin and Pals.

2) The Empress doesn't eat in public. This is because that could risk revealing her nature. (Draketooth could be eating with Malak.)

3) The Empress can fly, due to the fact that Draketooth could just be using a flying spell. Similarly, it's oversized appearance explains why it doesn't do dragony things.

4) (This is a stretch). The other gates have been in throne rooms (I know Lirian's wasn't but whatever). Why not this one?

[LOTRfan]

Well, the Empress is seen eating at least twice:

THOG LOOK STRANGELY HAPPY WHEN BEING EATEN (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0725.html)

Poor cows :smallfrown: (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0719.html)

[Zevox]

1) Draketooth has allies that we don't know the identity of. Who has a major stake of a doomsday device in the middle of their collective empire? Tarquin and Pals.
Problem: explain why Tarquin and company wouldn't be trying to exploit the Gate, rather than defending it the way Girard wants.

Also, Girard had his friends over fifty years ago, when the Gate was first set up, as evidenced by the fact that the clue we have pointing to them came from a message that was set so long ago that it mentioned Girard thinking that Soon would break his oath within 12 weeks of taking it. There's no way Tarquin is that old - especially since we know that Nale, who is in his early 20s, was already born when he first came to the western continent.


2) The Empress doesn't eat in public. This is because that could risk revealing her nature. (Draketooth could be eating with Malak.)
As noted already, we have seen the Empress eating. She was, in fact, eating when we first saw her.


4) (This is a stretch). The other gates have been in throne rooms (I know Lirian's wasn't but whatever). Why not this one?
Dorukon and Soon had throne rooms built around their respective Gates (and Dorukon's probably wasn't a throne room initially, just converted to such by Xykon). Why would Girard do the same when he wants to defend his Gate with illusion and misdirection? Why squander the difficulty of finding something hidden in the vast expanse of the desert by building up an obvious landmark around it like that?

Zevox

[Stmr5000]

Problem: explain why Tarquin and company wouldn't be trying to exploit the Gate, rather than defending it the way Girard wants.

Probably because you would need to be either a lunatic or desperate to try to exploit a god killing abomination (AKA Xykon and Redcloak). Besides, why would Girard need to use the gate, when he's already getting what he wants by conventional means?



Also, Girard had his friends over fifty years ago, when the Gate was first set up, as evidenced by the fact that the clue we have pointing to them came from a message that was set so long ago that it mentioned Girard thinking that Soon would break his oath within 12 weeks of taking it. There's no way Tarquin is that old - especially since we know that Nale, who is in his early 20s, was already born when he first came to the western continent.

So he came to the West, and started building his empire, when he comes across a group of people defending a hole in reality. Instead of trying to fight them, he decides to work with them (Although this is a very good point that I overlooked.)



As noted already, we have seen the Empress eating. She was, in fact, eating when we first saw her.

Well, the only time we've seen her eating out side of a flashback was when not in public, where it wouldn't matter if the disguise slips for a moment. The only people who would see her are Tarquin, Malack, and disposable guards. Were she eating in public, people the can't just, ahem, "Hush up" would see if the illusion slipped.



Dorukon and Soon had throne rooms built around their respective Gates (and Dorukon's probably wasn't a throne room initially, just converted to such by Xykon). Why would Girard do the same when he wants to defend his Gate with illusion and misdirection? Why squander the difficulty of finding something hidden in the vast expanse of the desert by building up an obvious landmark around it like that?

Zevox

Simple. Because he know's that people are looking in the desert. The trickery and deception is that the gate is in the middle of civilization, where no one would think to look. Afterall, they were told it's in a desert.

[Gift Jeraff]

Presumably, Soon knew it was at least in the Great Barren Desert (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0698.html), he just didn't know the co-ordinates. I doubt Girard thought that Soon had forgotten that the Gate was where a nation might someday conquer rather than a featureless, uninhabitable wasteland.

[Nimrod's Son]

Well, the only time we've seen her eating out side of a flashback was when not in public, where it wouldn't matter if the disguise slips for a moment. The only people who would see her are Tarquin, Malack, and disposable guards. Were she eating in public, people the can't just, ahem, "Hush up" would see if the illusion slipped.
And why would Malack want to feed Elan to an illusion?

[Porthos]

And why would Malack want to feed Elan to an illusion?

More importantly, why would Rich copy the exact same idea as he did for the Azure City Gate? :smallconfused:

Besides, it doesn't exactly look like there is any sort of city where the Desert Gate is. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0276.html)

[Zevox]

Probably because you would need to be either a lunatic or desperate to try to exploit a god killing abomination (AKA Xykon and Redcloak). Besides, why would Girard need to use the gate, when he's already getting what he wants by conventional means?
In which case why does he have an interest in the Gate at all? You suggested he would have a "major stake in it." What would that be if he can't use it? He doesn't seem the altruistic type who would think it worth devoting his life to defending the Gate simply because it's dangerous.


Well, the only time we've seen her eating out side of a flashback was when not in public, where it wouldn't matter if the disguise slips for a moment. The only people who would see her are Tarquin, Malack, and disposable guards. Were she eating in public, people the can't just, ahem, "Hush up" would see if the illusion slipped.
Point is, we see her eating, and it looks quite genuine. Her guards are feeding her cows, and she has one in her mouth when we first see her. That would be impossible if she were an illusion, as she could only grab the cow if it too were an illusion, and in that case the guards would notice that the cows they brought weren't actually getting eaten.

Plus, if she were really an illusion, she would insist on having no one around when she eats, and Girard would eat then instead. There's no point in putting on an illusion of her eating in private like that.

Also, as Nimrod's Son said, the threat to feed Elan to the Empress seems telling as well.


Simple. Because he know's that people are looking in the desert. The trickery and deception is that the gate is in the middle of civilization, where no one would think to look. Afterall, they were told it's in a desert.
Except that only those who learn about the Gates in the first place would be doing that, and that is not an easy thing to do. Putting his Gate in a populated area, on the other hand, significantly increases the odds of someone stumbling upon it accidentally. It's a risk that makes no sense.

Zevox

[KingFlameHawk]

I think that the biggest problem with the theory is that Girard is an extreme form of chaotic "good". Hell, he is probably an anarchist. Kind of like V (for Vendetta comic version) so there is no way I can see him working with a lawful evil government like the empire.

[cho_j]

Besides, it doesn't exactly look like there is any sort of city where the Desert Gate is. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0276.html)

Well, it may not have been in a city way back when it was found, but that certainly doesn't mean it's not part of a city now. Remember, Soon built the entirety of Azure City around the rift, after sealing it in the sapphire. I'm not sure that the desert gate will end up being in any city we've seen, but it could certainly be in a city.

[Nimrod's Son]

Well, it may not have been in a city way back when it was found, but that certainly doesn't mean it's not part of a city now.
Ever tried building a city in a desert?


Remember, Soon built the entirety of Azure City around the rift, after sealing it in the sapphire.
No, Soon already lived in Azure City when he first discovered Lirian's rift. He built the castle around the sapphire; the city itself existed long before.


I'm not sure that the desert gate will end up being in any city we've seen, but it could certainly be in a city.
Not unless it was never a desert gate in the first place, it couldn't.

[Tazar]

If Draketooth is anyone, it's Tarquin.

It's pretty strongly implied the dragon kills some people when it takes over; it could hardly have deposed an empire otherwise, and Tarquin has shown that he uses bloody tactics.

Tarquin, on the other hand, is quite roguish and has two sons that also have a distinct flair and rather abrasive personalities.

[Drakonzeta]

If Draketooth is anyone, it's Tarquin.

Or another relation of Elan. In his picture on the poster if you can zoom in, he has Elan-hair, and a Goatee. :smalleek: