how many sides are there in OotS?

[twinkletoes]

In OotS # 548 the demon roach said that he counted "at least nine sides" but I can only count 6.:smallconfused:

1.The order of the stick.
2.Xykon.
3.The linear guild.
4.Tarquin and his friends.
5.The IFCC.
6.The snarl.

[DoomITP]

Maybe Azure City's paladins count as a side.

There was also Kubota before he died.

[TimelordSimone]

Also Redcloak pretty clearly does not have the same plans as Xykon.

Also this topic comes up a lot. Just FYI.

[Zxo]

1. The Order
2. Xykon
3. Redcloak and goblins
4. Linear Guild
5. IFCC
6. Sapphire guard
7. Tarquin
8. Oracle? Thieves Guild? Elves? Dragons? Unknown?
9. My bet is that one of the parties will be whoever there is in power at Kraagor's Gate (dwarven priests?). There has been a pattern of the local political power at every gate playing an important role in the story (if there was such a power - Dorukan's dungeon and Lirian's forest looked like they were outside of any jurisdiction, at least in practice).

And, yeah, this comes up a lot.

[twinkletoes]

Yeah I thought of all that, but I deciced that every one would say that Kubota was dead, the paladins were with OotS and Redcloak was with Xykon,so I didn't mention them.

[TimelordSimone]

Redcloak clearly isn't with Xykon though. They explicitly have different plans.

[Mutant Sheep]

I thought it was an alignment joke. You guys keep forgetting about Banjo!

[Gift Jeraff]

It's getting repetitive saying this for every Nine Sides Thread, but here goes:

The only sides we can be sure of are OOTS & friends, Xykon, Redcloak, Nale, and the fiends; I'm guessing Tarquin & co. and/or Girard & pals are another side based on what Rich said in DStP; I think the elves might be another side because there's a rift in their land and the land they're helping to reconquer; I have a feeling Tsukiko will end up hating the undead as well and want to undo existence if the ritual can be done solo; I doubt the gods or the Snarl are sides until they start actively playing a role; I doubt the Sapphire Guard is another side because I see no good reason for them to go against the OOTS; etc. etc.

[hoff]

Frudu and Samwase (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0415.html) count as one

[Zxo]

I'm not 100% about the SG being a side, but I included them, because their loyalty is still to their sovereign and their city/nation, not to OoTS. They work with the Order now, but they may have, at some point in the future, a different idea about how to proceed. Paladin code not always equals common sense or the happiest ending for everyone else involved. Of course I may be wrong about it, future will show.

[Swordpriest]

This topic has come up, like, 500 times already. There's probably a thread a week about it.

[Icedaemon]

Of the threads that appear nigh-every week, this is probably one of the few with an actual excuse, as new sides appear and before-seen sides show signs of potential partnership.

[DrGonzo]

And even though a topic like this pops up once a week, people are still happy to reply to it, it seems.. :smalltongue:

[Zevox]

In OotS # 548 the demon roach said that he counted "at least nine sides" but I can only count 6.:smallconfused:
The other Roach also said we don't know about some of the nine referenced sides yet. Are you so surprised then that you can't figure out for sure what they all are?

Anyway, I did a quick search for the last thread about this, and I'll just copy and paste my response from there. Quicker than re-writing it:

Is it that time of month again? Well, my standard answer to these threads goes like so:

Sides I think are definite:
- The Order of the Stick
- Xykon, Tsukiko, their undead. (And probably MitD, for now.)
- Redcloak, Jirix, the Goblins, their undead.
- The Linear Guild
- The IFCC

Sides I think are possible:
- Tarquin/The Empire of Blood (Need to get involved in the Gate struggle to count.)
- The Sapphire Guard (Unclear whether they form one "team good" side with the Order or not.)
- Girard and friends (If V's speculation is correct.)
- The Order of the Scribble (Seems unlikely though since they'd mostly just be on the Order's side, except perhaps Girard. But in any even only two of them are left, one of which may be his own "side," as mentioned above.)
- The Elves (Currently trying to help liberate Azure City, where one rift is, and Lirian's rift is located in their lands, so it's possible they'll become involved.)
- The Dwarves (The last Gate is probably located near their lands, so them becoming involved is a possibility.)

"Sides" I've seen suggested which I reject due to them not being active in the struggle over the Gates and seeming unlikely to ever become involved:
- The Gods
- The Snarl
- The Oracle/Tiamat/Dragons
- The Greysky City Thieves' Guild

Zevox

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Yeah I thought of all that, but I deciced that every one would say that Kubota was dead, the paladins were with OotS and Redcloak was with Xykon,so I didn't mention them.
The more important reason to discount Kubota: However Redcloak was defining “This conflict, (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0548.html)” it certainly wasn’t the one in which Kubota was participating it. Redcloak’s primary conflicts involve the Gates, The Plan, and the establishment of Gobbotopia. Kubota was just concerned with solidifying his power over the exiled citizens of Azure City. The only time Kubota would have entered any conflict involving Redcloak would have been sometime in the future if he should decide to try and re-take Azure City. But that was, and remains, a nonexistent conflict.

On the topic of the Azurites as a side:

I think it’s been pretty clear, especially if you read the print commentaries, that the relationship between the Order and and the Azurites is one of allies, not of a unified team. As such the Azurites are clearly their own side, similar to how Redcloak and Xykon are allies rather than a unified team.

Consider also that while the Azurites and the Order of the Stick have overlapping goals, they are not entirely identical. While the remnants of the Sapphire Guard are interested in saving the world, they also have to look over the welfare of their exiled city. The Order has no split in its priorities. They are entirely focused on finding the Gates and defeating Xykon. This view of overlapping but not identical goals is how Redcloak defined “Sides” with regard to the “at least nine sides” line. This is what makes the Order and Azurites allies rather than a single side in the conflict.