Question on how this would work...

[ken]

What if Girard took archlich?

He'd be undead - would that have protected him from familicide?

I know it would be a lot like Soon/ghost martyr scenario - but who would Girard trust most to do the job.... Himself!

He could actually be laying there in the coffin "playing dead" observing the Order right now...!

A setup for some sort of "it's been a while since a redhead with nice round ... eyes ... was attempting to grapple me" comment to Haley when she performs her inevitable search for his rift!)

(My other epileptic tree was that he had gone the vampire route - and was "under his own feet" hanging upside down as a bat watching them from above...)


Ken D.

[FujinAkari]

It would protect him from Familicide, but it would also NOT make him look the way his skelleton looks, and be totally out of character for him. Girard specialized in illusions, not necromancy.

[phantomreader42]

Girard has the necessary magical ability, and has shown willingness to do some very questionable things to achieve his goals. An undead, of course, cannot be killed in the traditional sense. And it would be fitting for Rich to subvert the expectation that undead are always evil, especially after the incident with Tsukiko and her wights.

But the likelihood of the "Girard is a lich" idea falls in the category of "theoretically possible, if, for example, the cosmos hated us (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0693.html)". And lying in his own crypt awaiting invaders seems much too farfetched.

[ken]

But the likelihood of the "Girard is a lich" idea falls in the category of "theoretically possible, if, for example, the cosmos hated us (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0693.html)". And lying in his own crypt awaiting invaders seems much too farfetched.

So... It is "A premise that I am not ready to dismiss, given our adventures thus far."? B->

Ken D.

[Forikroder]

Girard has the necessary magical ability, and has shown willingness to do some very questionable things to achieve his goals. An undead, of course, cannot be killed in the traditional sense. And it would be fitting for Rich to subvert the expectation that undead are always evil, especially after the incident with Tsukiko and her wights.

But the likelihood of the "Girard is a lich" idea falls in the category of "theoretically possible, if, for example, the cosmos hated us (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0693.html)". And lying in his own crypt awaiting invaders seems much too farfetched.

well if he used his tomb like some sort of bed then it makes some sense, perhaps with some sort of meditation or trance like state he can put himself into and an alarm system that warns him when some enemy comes into the canyon (an alarm system that no longer works)

i could definently see Girard being a lich and TBH id prefer it over him being dead, all the others members (with the possible exception of Serini) got there chance to defend the gate

[Anarion]

One piece of evidence against this theory is the fact that Girard's body was neither white nor a skeleton. Xykon, when he became a lich, turned into his skeleton form, even though there was still flesh on his body at the time. Girard, on the other hand, looks quite rotted and his teeth are adequately decayed as to indicate time of death.

Still not impossible though.

[Augmental]

One piece of evidence against this theory is the fact that Girard's body was neither white nor a skeleton. Xykon, when he became a lich, turned into his skeleton form, even though there was still flesh on his body at the time. Girard, on the other hand, looks quite rotted and his teeth are adequately decayed as to indicate time of death.

Still not impossible though.

Well, the whole illusionist thing might help explain why he looks like he "died" so long ago.

[Gurgeh]

He could actually be laying there in the coffin "playing dead" observing the Order right now...!
Ahem.

"Lying", please.

[Forikroder]

One piece of evidence against this theory is the fact that Girard's body was neither white nor a skeleton. Xykon, when he became a lich, turned into his skeleton form, even though there was still flesh on his body at the time. Girard, on the other hand, looks quite rotted and his teeth are adequately decayed as to indicate time of death.

Still not impossible though.

one lich isnt really a good sample size, normally Lichs keep there flesh and slowly rot (or preserve there bodies to rpevent rotting) so it can be safe to assume that Lichs in OoTS-verse are all skeletons and the lichifying ritual blasts there flesh right off, but assuming that Girard is a lich then tehre are a few differences between Xykons situation and Girards

1) assuming Durkons analysis is correct, Girard has been a lich for a long time so with the absence of any magical assistance theres not much preventing his bones from losing there luster

2) if we further assume that Girard has a less active role in the Girard clan then Xykon does in Team Evil it could be Xykons frequent activity help keep his bones shiny white

3) its possible Xykon has redcloak periodically brush his whole body (okay this probably doesnt happen but i cant help but laugh with the idea of RedCloak with a giant toothbrush scrubbing Xykons back)

4) there environment Girards been in harsh dry environments so the colour could be partly due to harsh desert winds and sand build up

most likely Girard really is on the other side of the big revolving door in the sky, but it is possible the giant has thrown a huge curveball


Ahem.

"Lying", please.

actually im pretty sure lay can be used in any tense (im laying down right now, im going to go lay down, im about to lay down) and its just fallen out of use like many older terms and phrases

[jere7my]

actually im pretty sure lay can be used in any tense (im laying down right now, im going to go lay down, im about to lay down) and its just fallen out of use like many older terms and phrases

It's not a question of tenses — in modern usage, lay (meaning "place in a position of rest") is a transitive verb, which means it takes an object: "He lays the book on the table." "He lays in the tomb" would technically mean he's producing eggs in there. Lie is intransitive, so "He lies in the tomb" is just fine.

You're correct, though, that there was, once upon a time, no distinction — from the 13th through the 18th centuries, lay and lie were used indiscriminately. Starting in the 19th century, the transitive/instransitive distinction was drawn, and Byron was dinged for using "there let him lay" when he needed a rhyme for "spray." Nowadays, many people still use lay for lie, and a descriptivist would say it doesn't matter, but if you care about sounding grammatically correct lay does take an object.

[Crisis21]

I'm personally expecting some manner of epic permanent illusion that manifests as Girard. It's what makes the most sense for (part of) a final line of defense on his gate.