"And as for the elf -"

[psijac]

A lot of people think Belkar will kill Vaarsuvius i the future, because the Oracle said(rationalized) (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0567.html) he would. My theory is that Belkar has already set in motion events that in this strip. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0476.html) He Accidentally tells MitD that they are order of the stick with causes them to delay returning to the ship splitting the party which results in V obsessing over the loss of Haley and we all know what that leads to...

[psijac]

This pivot in time will prevent Vaarsuvius from attacking Xykon. Redcloak keeps his eye and They stay in Gobbtopia indefinitely while the party heads to Girard's Gate. O'Chul is saved from months of tourture Familicide is never casted...

[Cavenskull]

A lot of people think Belkar will kill Vaarsuvius i the future, because the Oracle said(rationalized) (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0567.html) he would. My theory is that Belkar has already set in motion events that in this strip. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0476.html) He Accidentally tells MitD that they are order of the stick with causes them to delay returning to the ship splitting the party which results in V obsessing over the loss of Haley and we all know what that leads to...
I don't think the few minutes they would have gained would have been enough to get them through the city (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0483.html) in time.

[psijac]

I don't think the few minutes they would have gained would have been enough to get them through the city (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0483.html) in time.

They are at the shop where Elan stole a Lute (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0471.html) two strips later he is at the boat.

[Flame of Anor]

They're not even at the docks when they see the junk already on the horizon. Sailing ships are not fast. The ship must have left a while ago, so they would not have had time to get there.

[Cavenskull]

They are at the shop where Elan stole a Lute (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0471.html) two strips later he is at the boat.
The passage of time between individual panels is not known to be constant, let alone the passage of time between strips. Hinjo's junk was already out to the horizon when Haley spotted it. If Haley and Belkar could have teleported all the way across the city at that exact instant, the boat would still be at the horizon.

[Porthos]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/redxiv/oracle.gif: And as for the elf...

... Your actions helped set events in motion which will cause Vaarsuvius to change his outlook in such a radical fashion as to, quite literally, no longer exist. From a certain point of view, Vaarsuvius will murder himself and allow Darth Vaarsuvius* to be born.

:belkar:: What! That's lamer than all the other ones put together!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/redxiv/oracle.gif: Hey, it was good enough for George Lucas.

:belkar:: That was a copout by a third rate hack who backed himself into a corner, and you know it!

* Naturally Rich couldn't write this because it would give far too much away, though he probably could have written it in such a way as to not give that much away.

Still, I think this is the reason why he didn't write out anything about what came after "as for the elf". Well that and the possiblility that Rich just wanted to mess with our minds somewhat. :smalltongue:

===

This fits the pattern that the excuses get lamer and lamer as The Oracle speaks. Of course, the only person Belkar really killed was, in fact, The Oracle. The whole point of the strip was that he didn't cause the deaths of any of the others, as The Oracle himself admitted as he was dying.

[Flame of Anor]

Of course, the only person Belkar really killed was, in fact, The Oracle. The whole point of the strip was that he didn't cause the deaths of any of the others, as The Oracle himself admitted as he was dying.

Although the others (mostly) did die.

[Porthos]

Although the others (mostly) did die.

Ah, but the progression was from death to not death. :smallsmile:

Roy (Dead, decent connection to Belkar) ----> Miko (Dead, slight connection to Belkar) ------> Windstrider (Not At All Dead But Can't Visit the Prime, even less connection to Belkar). The natural progression there would be (Not Even The Slightest Bit Dead Unless One Is Looking At It "From A Certain Point of View (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HalfTruth)", with a perhaps even more tenunous connection to Belkar).

Works for me on a stylistic level, at the very least. :smalltongue:

[ti'esar]

Ah, but the progression was from death to not death. :smallsmile:

Roy (Dead, decent connection to Belkar) ----> Miko (Dead, slight connection to Belkar) ------> Windstrider (Not At All Dead But Can't Visit the Prime, even less connection to Belkar). The natural progression there would be (Not Even The Slightest Bit Dead Unless One Is Looking At It "From A Certain Point of View (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HalfTruth)", with a perhaps even more tenunous connection to Belkar).

Works for me on a stylistic level, at the very least. :smalltongue:

Honestly, this makes a lot of sense, besides being funny.

[WindStruck]

If Belkar hadn't said anything about the order of the stick, then they'd be dragging both roy's corpse AND O-Chul -- at least for much longer -- so I don't see how that lead to them missing the boat...

[rbetieh]

If Belkar hadn't said anything about the order of the stick, then they'd be dragging both roy's corpse AND O-Chul -- at least for much longer -- so I don't see how that lead to them missing the boat...

Man for a guy who broke free of a hold person enchantment quickly enough while completely un-equipped and having been tortured, he sure had a hard time rolling his saves earlier on didn't he? I wonder how much XP he gained from beating MiTD at go and the random torture sharks....

[B. Dandelion]

Man for a guy who broke free of a hold person enchantment quickly enough while completely un-equipped and having been tortured, he sure had a hard time rolling his saves earlier on didn't he? I wonder how much XP he gained from beating MiTD at go and the random torture sharks....

Enough that we're explicitly told he gained a few levels (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0671.html). I think Xykon rather inadvertently engineered the whole catastrophe involving his phylactery with that nonsense, not to mention it gave O-Chul a really good idea of what his spell library looked like.

[psijac]

Man for a guy who broke free of a hold person enchantment quickly enough while completely un-equipped and having been tortured, he sure had a hard time rolling his saves earlier on didn't he? I wonder how much XP he gained from beating MiTD at go and the random torture sharks....


Maybe paralyzing touch is stronger than mass hold person

[Math_Mage]

I agree with those who argue Belkar didn't cause them to miss the boat, unless it was by the time he took to cook stew.

[Porthos]

Maybe paralyzing touch is stronger than mass hold person

Just a bit stronger. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/lich.htm) :smallwink:


Paralyzing Touch (Su)
Any living creature a lich hits with its touch attack must succeed on a Fortitude save or be permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a curse can free the victim (see the bestow curse spell description).

The effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a lich seems dead, though a DC 20 Spot check or a DC 15 Heal check reveals that the victim is still alive..

vs: (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/holdPerson.htm)


Hold Person
The subject becomes paralyzed and freezes in place. It is aware and breathes normally but cannot take any actions, even speech. Each round on its turn, the subject may attempt a new saving throw to end the effect. (This is a full-round action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.)

[Alex Warlorn]

I agree. Belkar killed the birds that were going to deliver the message. This left V going basically insane. And a prime target for the Fiends.

[Flame of Anor]

I agree. Belkar killed the birds that were going to deliver the message. This left V going basically insane. And a prime target for the Fiends.

Don't be silly. Haley shot them--how would Belkar knife a bird? It's not like a ring of jumping +20 allows you to be more manoeuvrable in the air than a bird.

[psijac]

Don't be silly. Haley shot them--how would Belkar knife a bird? It's not like a ring of jumping +20 allows you to be more manoeuvrable in the air than a bird.

V spell ordered the birds to stay still until the message was delivered. Also belkar did kill a vulture mid flight for the stew

[Cavenskull]

V spell ordered the birds to stay still until the message was delivered. Also belkar did kill a vulture mid flight for the stew

Those are valid points. However, three of Haley's arrows (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0563.html) and a feather are on the ground right next to Belkar's improvised rotisserie. It's a pretty safe bet Haley shot them.

[Marsala]

It had to have been an explanation of how Belkar had already caused V's death by that moment in time. Perhaps the Oracle was about to have said that V had "died" and been replaced by an eviler version of himself thanks to Belkar's influence.

[Bulldog Psion]

I think it was more along the lines of "and as for the elf, he's going to kill you."

Really, my pet theory on Belkar's death is that V will disintegrate him while under the control of the fiends.

[SavageWombat]

I think it was more along the lines of "and as for the elf, he's going to kill you."

Really, my pet theory on Belkar's death is that V will disintegrate him while under the control of the fiends.

Oh, that's good.

[rrgg]

A lot of people think Belkar will kill Vaarsuvius i the future, because the Oracle said(rationalized) (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0567.html) he would. My theory is that Belkar has already set in motion events that in this strip. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0476.html) He Accidentally tells MitD that they are order of the stick with causes them to delay returning to the ship splitting the party which results in V obsessing over the loss of Haley and we all know what that leads to...

Belkar also refuses to let roy be put in the bag of holding.

[Morty]

If it could be said that Belkar will cause the death of V with any degree of truthfulness, don't you think the Oracle would have mentioned that before spouting inane explanations that make the plot of Star Wars prequels logical by comparison?

[androkguz]

Hey, Belkar will cause the death of V because ultimately Yukyuk will free himself and kill V in vengeance.
And there would be no Yukyuk if Belkar wasn't part of the Order, as he is his "evil twin attempt"

So yeah, even lammer excuse