What will Xykon do now?

[Ancalagon]

We all know that Xykon does not care about the resistance because, so far, they had no chance to hurt or even annoy him. That they might kill a few goblins once in a while might even have amused him - and even if they posed some thread for the city he'd not care because he cares not about keeping the city.

What is Xykon now going to do once he finds out "someone" took his phylactery? I think there's a very grim time for the goblins and everyone else coming up.
Now that he knows "someone in the city" has his shiny bauble, he'll not stop with "Oh, I do not know who took it, I better let it rest", but he might start to take the city apart, stone by stone and also cut everyone involved if he has to in the attempt to find the phylactery.

It could very well be this "victory" by the resistance means the physical end of Azure City/Gobbotopia.
And should Xykon learn or believe his phylactery got destroyed, it'll become very, very grim (and bloody and fiery) for everyone within a radius of five miles.

[Sunken Valley]

Who says he won't be getting it back soon?

[Ancalagon]

No one. But anyway, the current comic seems to have rendered my point moot: Finding the amulet actually was the Resistance's End.

[factotum]

No one. But anyway, the current comic seems to have rendered my point moot: Finding the amulet actually was the Resistance's End.

Hardly. It may actually have been their salvation, because the leaders and shakers were all on the raid that captured it, which means they've escaped Redcloak's little pogrom. (I don't think Redcloak is talking to the newly-arrived Resistance members in that last panel, and even if he is, they can run away back down the tunnel they just came up).

[Ancalagon]

They can run. But where to? Azure City is closed and apparently, they have no one with them who can teleport. Do they plan to swim out while 20000 goblins + mages + cleric are looking for them? They just have lost their base of operations and without someone who summons new allies, they are also on their own.

[dancrilis]

Well since the devils can teleport at will, and are also faster then the resistance ignoring that, I would not be to sure they can run.

[_Jarlaxle_]

One or two Blade Barriers can work wonders too

[Ancalagon]

I also doubt Redcloak is one who starts his Gloating Speech without being prepared to stop some ad hoc and very forseeable escape-attempt.

[Jay R]

If the last two strips show us anything, it's that we cannot successfully extrapolate what happens next from current information.

Just read the comic when it comes out. Rich is driving.

[Ancalagon]

I posted before the last strip came out. And as I said, the strip 825 voided what I was talking about in the first page.

And if we shut up about what might happen, the forum could just as well close. Speculating on stuff is part of the thing, even if it is pointless as the story is pre-written and contains information we cannot deduct from what is shown.

[Morty]

I agree that as the situation looks now, the Resistance has little chance of escaping. Unless something unexpected happens, they're likely to be butchered by the devils and the phylactery will fall into Redcloak's hands. Whether or not he'll present it to Xykon is another matter. It's all a question of what prevails - his fear of Xykon or his hatred for him.

[SowZ]

I agree that as the situation looks now, the Resistance has little chance of escaping. Unless something unexpected happens, they're likely to be butchered by the devils and the phylactery will fall into Redcloak's hands. Whether or not he'll present it to Xykon is another matter. It's all a question of what prevails - his fear of Xykon or his hatred for him.

I highly doubt he will present it to Xykon unless he has to. This is his first big advantage over the lich and why use a handful of mostly summoned creatures to stop the resistance if Redcloak didn't intend on keeping it?

[dancrilis]

A lot of people seem to think that Redcloak is going to turn on Xykon, why would he.
His alliance with Xykon has helped establish a goblin nation that is going well, and that alliance helps at least in part to keep the nation safe.

In contrast after the The Red Mountains gate was destroyed he had a perfect opportunity to destroy Xykon and no goblins left and had just watched Xykon kill goblins for fun by sending them into a gate he knew would kill them, and it didn't bother him at all.

Heck Xykon has even started to see the value in the lives of others (getting Jirix raised).

Could Redcloak turn on Xykon, sure he could ... but Xykon has been shown to have a decent grasp of people and so a single passed Sense Motive risks blowing the whole plan, not to mention if Xykon has got some Epic item to help him that Redcloak doesn't know about.

As near as I can tell Redcloak best plan may be to sit tight and stick with the initial plan (already dangerous enough) without adding any more complications to how he interacts with Xykon.