Elan won't have his climactic duel years down the road

[Emo Samurai]

That's because while Elan's stumbling into tropes is a pattern, (Seducing the bandit queen, finding a mentor who teaches him to Dashing Swordsman, making a female working for the bad guys (Therkla) good through the power of "love") it's also true that these tropes will inevitably be broken. He gets interrupted while he's making out with the sorceress, his mentor cuts off their relationship because he realizes he's destined to die if he doesn't, and Therkla gets killed by her master in a mostly unforseeable move. So the fact that there's a perfect setup for a troperiffic event means it's not going to happen.

Plus, Elan's dad has already completely violated his own logic. He's already had the premature duel, and yet Elan gets to run away completely unscathed. Not a good move for someone who wants to fit everything into the Star Wars pattern.

[Liwen]

Also, he won't get his nice little climactic duel years down the road, because by then the MAIN PLOT of SAVING THE WORLD from and EVIL EPIC LEVEL SORCERER LICH and a GOD KILLING ABOMINATION will be over and they'll be no further point of continuing the story telling of a lesser plot. Which means Tarquin's involvement is going to be 100% solved out before this thing is over and we know the main plot is on a timer that's about the reach the 'what about team evil' zone in which is becomes completely unrealistic that Xykon and Co. haven't made enough progress to be worth mentioning. There's only two gates left, The Order is working on one, Team Paladin is on it's way to the other and 20 000+ goblins had several weeks now to find this phylactery in those sewers. We also know team evil is teleporting into Girard's business 12 seconds at most after that little detail is sorted out, so yeah. OotS doesn't HAVE a few years down the road left. (in comic at the least)

[The Dark Fiddler]

Also, he won't get his nice little climactic duel years down the road, because by then the MAIN PLOT of SAVING THE WORLD from and EVIL EPIC LEVEL SORCERER LICH and a GOD KILLING ABOMINATION will be over and they'll be no further point of continuing the story telling of a lesser plot.

Epilogue?tenchar

[Dr.Epic]

Epilogue?tenchar

Nope. Spin-off.

[Aron Times]

Elan the Valorous Bard vs. Tarquin the Resourceful Warlord?

Do want.

[Gorgondantess]

Plus, Elan's dad has already completely violated his own logic. He's already had the premature duel, and yet Elan gets to run away completely unscathed. Not a good move for someone who wants to fit everything into the Star Wars pattern.

No, actually, it fits perfectly. At the end of the Empire Strikes Back, Luke & Vader dueled. Then Luke ran off.
Later, in the Return of the Jedi, Luke returned (thus the title) for their epic duel.
Okay, so Elan doesn't lose a hand. So? They also didn't do it in a death star.
Although, it would be fulfilling the Chekhov's Gun setup of the ring of regeneration if someone did lose a hand.:smalltongue:

[RedSun]

I'm also inclined to think of what Orson Scott Card once said. That is, people only talk about the one time David slew Golaith, but never about all Davids that were killed by a Golaith.

People tell stories about the exceptional cases, and as Tarquin rightfully points out, many evil empires exist simply because they either could not or would not be opposed. It's perfectly reasonable for Tarquin to die of old age.

Of course, it wouldn't be as funny if Tarquin wasn't completely ruled by sense of dramatic flair the way Elan is.

[Innis Cabal]

No, actually, it fits perfectly. At the end of the Empire Strikes Back, Luke & Vader dueled. Then Luke ran off.
Later, in the Return of the Jedi, Luke returned (thus the title) for their epic duel.


Except that's not what the title was referring to at all. It was referring to the actual Jedi returning to the Galaxy. Not Luke returning as a Jedi. Since you know, the story isn't all about Luke.

[fimzo]

Elan's final duel could be worked into the final climax some way... After all, continuing with the Star Wars similarity, Luke's final climatic duel with Vader was occuring while the rest of the Rebels were either at the shield bunker on Endor's moon, or in the space battle outside of the Death Star. Although I'd expect that even if Elan had a final duel with Tarquin during such a battle climax, the focus wouldn't center on Elan.
And they haven't left the Empire of Blood yet, so Elan could still lose a figurative (or literal) hand.
Also, Innis Cabal is correct, as the title is referring to the Jedi in general, not specifically to Luke.

[snafu]

Epilogue?tenchar

Elan comes back to confront his father, only to find him crippled by some accident or assassination attempt. No climactic duel is going to happen; will he now strike down a broken old man, or walk away, or claim the throne himself?

Puts me in mind of a notion I've been playing with for a while, of a Dark Lord who is there on his Dark Throne in an hereditary capacity, great-grandson perhaps of the original necromancer, who isn't particularly committed to evil personally, but needs to be seen to uphold the traditional values in order to keep the dark priesthood of the human sacrifice cult and the orcish military on side, and to maintain really firm law and order. A Dark Lord that the heroes might actually have to do business with, while turning a blind eye to the atrocities that go on daily.

[Jagos]

That's because while Elan's stumbling into tropes is a pattern, (Seducing the bandit queen, finding a mentor who teaches him to Dashing Swordsman, making a female working for the bad guys (Therkla) good through the power of "love") it's also true that these tropes will inevitably be broken. He gets interrupted while he's making out with the sorceress, his mentor cuts off their relationship because he realizes he's destined to die if he doesn't, and Therkla gets killed by her master in a mostly unforseeable move. So the fact that there's a perfect setup for a troperiffic event means it's not going to happen.

Plus, Elan's dad has already completely violated his own logic. He's already had the premature duel, and yet Elan gets to run away completely unscathed. Not a good move for someone who wants to fit everything into the Star Wars pattern.

I just had that very same thought. Link (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9900048&postcount=110)

[Thanatosia]

If Tarquin is not resolved by the end of the strips main storyline, I could easily see the Giant releasing a Book detailing it... he's already done several prequels, why not a couple sequels?

[Daimbert]

Recall the Oracle's prediction that Elan will have a happy ending.

Will having to kill his father give him a happy ending?

Will his father reforming at the last minute, perhaps realizing that while villains are remembered, villains who reform to save their son are even more remembered give him a happy ending?

[Procyonpi]

You're cherry picking examples. Sure, occasionally Elan's fairy-tale tropes don't always go according to plan, but often, his knowledge of tropes is invaluable. Take for example knowing not to try to escape the next when captured by orcs. Or the dramatic entrance through the window for the fight with Nale. Or teaming up with enemies (thog) under mutual duress.

Also, the example's you use aren't that great. I wouldn't really view the samatha thing as "seducing the bandit queen" so much as being tempted by the evil temptress, and that never ends well for the hero. Especially if the plot pretty clearly indicates a non evil official love interest (Haley).

The Julio Scoundrel not dying (yet) thing was just due to Julio's Genre savvy. Besides that, the entire sequence was full of tropes.

Finally, Therka being turned non-evil by Elan pretty much satisfies the trope. And as for the whole thing about her dying, well... (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RedemptionEqualsDeath)

If I had to guess what elan's preferred outcome for his dad would be, I'd guess redemption and death after a climactic duel.

[Emo Samurai]

Could you point me to the part where they decide not to escape from the orcs?


No, actually, it fits perfectly. At the end of the Empire Strikes Back, Luke & Vader dueled. Then Luke ran off.

Except they specifically talked about how Elan has to get away from the premature confrontation with some sort of injury, an injury that has yet to occur.

[Nilan8888]

Narratively speaking in terms of what comes before what, it might be good to remember that Xykon & Team Evil != Jabba The Hutt

That is, Luke ran off from ESB to then conclude the B level plot. Xykon is clearly the A level plot. Frankly at this point Tarquin is almost an A- level plot, like Saruman versus Sauron (whereas Jabba was kinda this guy getting more attention than he deserved).

You could then compare Tarquin to Saruman and you'd ALMOST have it, except the "scouring of the shire" would be WAY smaller than what a Tarquin-level plot segment would require. Saruman was wrapped up in a single chapter and appeared almost as a surprise. That fit as a semi-epilogue or a sort of coda. Tarquin and the Empires of BST is way too large to fit in that context. Yet it is at the same time less epic than the plot with Xykon. So my vote is that it would either have to get wrapped up before the Xykon situation with the Gates (like the Starmetal did or Therakla), or, more likely, get wrapped up in with the main plot.

[Emo Samurai]

Plus,the OOTS is more than powerful enough to take down the Empire by itself. Keep in mind that Tarquin kicking Elan's ass means nothing. He's pretty much the weakest melee fighter in the party aside from V and MAYBE Haley. Sure, Tarquin beat Nale 1 on 1, but Roy crushed both him AND Thog without a sweat. Roy may very well be the most powerful melee fighter alive, and aside from Malak, there are no other high-level bad guys in the castle.

Tarquin is doomed.

[Jay R]

Could you point me to the part where they decide not to escape from the orcs?

Strip 556 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0556.html) has that scene.

[Jay R]

If Elan won't have his climactic duel with Tarquin fairly soon, then what secondary storyline will be finished up to end the current book? It seems likely to me that the Tarquin storyline will end with the end of this arc.

[Procyonpi]

If Elan won't have his climactic duel with Tarquin fairly soon, then what secondary storyline will be finished up to end the current book? It seems likely to me that the Tarquin storyline will end with the end of this arc.

While I DO think Tarquin will be defeated in a chilmactic duel, this one is pretty easy. Ya know, this little thing called GIRARD'S GATE BLOWING UP.

[Emo Samurai]

Roy will be the one to kill Tarquin. They've already shown that the gladiator narrative can subvert the Star Wars one.

[Supercomputers]

Plus,the OOTS is more than powerful enough to take down the Empire by itself. Keep in mind that Tarquin kicking Elan's ass means nothing. He's pretty much the weakest melee fighter in the party aside from V and MAYBE Haley. Sure, Tarquin beat Nale 1 on 1, but Roy crushed both him AND Thog without a sweat. Roy may very well be the most powerful melee fighter alive, and aside from Malak, there are no other high-level bad guys in the castle.

Tarquin is doomed.

A stupid giant red dragon is still a giant red dragon.

[Emo Samurai]

A largely immobile red dragon is still largely immobile.

[Supercomputers]

A largely immobile red dragon is still largely immobile.

A largely immobile flying red dragon is still a large immobile fly.

[Kish]

Ewwwwwwww.

[Swordpriest]

This seems to be turning into a comedy sketch of some kind. Is Roy around here? :smallbiggrin: