Will Belkar kill Ian?

[pendell]

I'm just puzzling this through to see how we get to Belkar drawing his last breath, ever. We've established by now that this sojourn in the Empire of Blood will be a major plot point and will probably take up much of the rest of the book.

And the Giant, in his way, has foreshadowed (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0736.html) the entire gladiator sequence from start to finish.

Further note (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0744.html) that Roy attempted to share his bread with Geoff and Ian, playing directly into the foreshadowing up above.

Possible conclusion: Geoff and Ian will be thrown into the gladiatorial ring. Belkar will kill at least one or both of them, crossing the 'moral event horizon' and getting thrown out of OOTS, this time for good. Roy kills him, and he's not raised. He's out of the story except for flashback sequences, or if the OOTS ever plane shifts to the lower planes, or if Belkar conquers Hell and takes over the job of the Fiend's Council. But not coming back to Prime as a living, breathing being.

Whaddaya think? Any takers ? I know this idea is my own pet hobbyhorse and I've beaten it to death, but it's looking more likely to me.

ETA: To continue to take this farcical logic to its conclusion, I'll wager that the bounty hunter and his half-dragon friend will be the 'tough guys knocked out in the first round'.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Dr.Epic]

I thought Ian found a way to stay out of the fights.:smallconfused:

[pendell]

No, they found a way to decrease the probability of being put on the roster by being extremely boring fighters. I suspect we'll see them in the arena to some extent. They're named characters now, after all. I have a hard time imagining Ian and Geoff just sitting inside while all the other named characters are having their big dramatic confrontation.

They may be good at dodging. I'll wager Belkar's better at hitting than they are at dodging.


Respectfully,

Brian P.

[super dark33]

im not expecting he will conquer hell, but i think he will be treated good for his 'good deeds' to hell.

[SaintRidley]

If Belkar does kill Ian, it won't be Roy who kills him. It will either be Haley (if Elan has time to figure out that the gladiator is Ian and has been able to tell her) or Elan himself (if he hasn't been able to tell her).

My money, if this happens, is on Elan.

[Stmr5000]

If Belkar does kill Ian, it won't be Roy who kills him. It will either be Haley (if Elan has time to figure out that the gladiator is Ian and has been able to tell her) or Elan himself (if he hasn't been able to tell her).

My money, if this happens, is on Elan.

The glaring problem with that is that Elan doesn't know what Ian looks like, and Roy doesn't know why he's important. Hell, I'm not sure if Elan even know's his first name. Who knows, Haley may not even recognize him.

[pendell]

If Belkar does kill Ian, it won't be Roy who kills him. It will either be ... Elan himself (if he hasn't been able to tell her).

My money, if this happens, is on Elan.

Elan? A killer? He's successfully killed one nameless samurai (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0592.html) and a couple wandering monsters or hobgoblins, but he doesn't strike me as the type who can kill in cold blood, no matter the provocation. And it'd have to be cold blood, because there's no way he'll ever take Belkar in a face-to-face confrontation.

Elan couldn't bring himself to kill Kubota, who'd just killed someone Elan cared a great deal about. If he couldn't do that, there's no way he'll kill Belkar.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[SaintRidley]

There's something about the combination of Belkar doing it and the fact that I think Elan would probably care at least as much about Ian for his relation to Haley as he did about Therkla.

As to recognising Ian, as I said, if he figures out that Ian is Ian.

[Scarlet Knight]

Ooh ooh ! Belkar is about to kill Ian and Haley freezes him! He stays as an ice sculpture and never draws another minty breath!

[pendell]

Ooh ooh ! Belkar is about to kill Ian and Haley freezes him! He stays as an ice sculpture and never draws another minty breath!


Desert. HOT desert.

Figure the ice would melt in a matter of rounds, wouldn't it?



Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Mr. Snuggles]

Well, for Belkar to "draw his last breath, ever" would require that he be raised as an undead of some sort. This needs Xykon or Redcloak to be there, and they're obviously not in this part of the story. The Oracle's words have a lot of wiggle room. Maybe the IFCC would be involved? Nah, because they can't act directly on the prime material plane.

Heh, Team Evil vs. Tarquin. Who would win?

[Stmr5000]

Well, for Belkar to "draw his last breath, ever" would require that he be raised as an undead of some sort. This needs Xykon or Redcloak to be there, and they're obviously not in this part of the story. The Oracle's words have a lot of wiggle room. Maybe the IFCC would be involved? Nah, because they can't act directly on the prime material plane.

Heh, Team Evil vs. Tarquin. Who would win?

Or for him to be, you know, dead. Permanently.

[BridgeCity]

. . . Elan couldn't bring himself to kill Kubota, who'd just killed someone Elan cared a great deal about. If he couldn't do that, there's no way he'll kill Belkar . . .

Elan fully intended to kill Kubota, he said so, the whole "now you're going down with her ship" line. It is just that Kubota surrended before Elan could strike. Elan was perfectly willing to kill an escaping murderer, he was not willing to murder an unarmed prisoner.

There is a big difference between those situations, and I don't see Belkar surrendering to Elan if they ever got into a fight. I wouldn't put money on Elan not being willing to take that little sucker out.

His ability to do so, however, is another matter . . .

[Red XIV]

Well, for Belkar to "draw his last breath, ever" would require that he be raised as an undead of some sort.
Of he does something that causes the rest of the Order to completely turn against him and thus Durkon won't raise him when he dies.


Heh, Team Evil vs. Tarquin. Who would win?
Xykon could probably solo Tarquin's shadow empire if he cared.

[Katana_Geldar]

I am wondering if we'll get the classic gladiator "thumbs up, thumbs down" thing if Belkar fights Ian....and he ignores it!

[KillItWithFire]

Depends if he knows about him or not. Or if he's actually up to fight. No one could blame Blekar if he "had no other choice" see such an easy excuse would be too good for him to pass up. If he's not forced and knows who Ian is, he probably won't kill him for the same reason he didn't kill Crystal. (Exact strip number unknown at the moment)

[Kislath]

I've LONG thought that Belkar would kill Ian while Haley watched, thusly making Haley kill Belkar.

Team Evil making Belkar an undead minion and setting him loose upon the heroes? I like it.

[Trazoi]

Whaddaya think? Any takers ? I know this idea is my own pet hobbyhorse and I've beaten it to death, but it's looking more likely to me.
I think it's a likely possibility.

My own wild mass guessing theory of how it goes down:

All four of Roy, Belkar, Geoff and Ian end up in the ring together.
Roy tells Belkar to fight to defeat, not to death. Belkar ignores him.
Roy is given the opportunity to finish off Belkar, but he hold back allowing Belkar to recover.
Haley reveals that Ian is her father to everyone, including Roy and Belkar.
Belkar kills one or both of Geoff and/or Ian.
Roy, realising Belkar cannot be controlled and that Geoff/Ian's death is his responsibility, kills Belkar. No-one wants him resurrected after that.

Of course, there's a good chance absolutely none of that will happen either. :smallwink:

[rokar4life]

I don't really see Elan as actually being able, within the constraints of his own strength rather than morals, being able to kill Belkar. So if Belkar were to kill Ian, it would definitely be Haley that got revenge.

[super dark33]

Ian will kill belkar for killing his stepbrother!
my money is on THAT

[Ender Wigin]

Possible conclusion: Geoff and Ian will be thrown into the gladiatorial ring. Belkar will kill at least one or both of them, crossing the 'moral event horizon' and getting thrown out of OOTS, this time for good. Roy kills him, and he's not raised. He's out of the story except for flashback sequences, or if the OOTS ever plane shifts to the lower planes, or if Belkar conquers Hell and takes over the job of the Fiend's Council. But not coming back to Prime as a living, breathing being.



I don't know about taking over the entire lower planes, I mean, its already been done on this web comic. (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2004/02/28/episode-390-a-deal-with-the-devil/)

(Sigh)...Oh, how I wish Brian was still making these...