OOTS #368 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

See the News page for important information about *daily* OOTS for a while.

[Blood]

That was awesome! Go CitD!

[Jarl]

Can't wait to see what happens next.

-Also interested in that message.

[Swashbuckler]

Hehehehehe .... eating to fill the loneliness! :D LOL funny!

[Fillbert]

Absolutely Hillarious!!!! Thin Mints.... I eat to fill the lonliness....


OH and Miko's Back.... DunDunDUNNNNNNNN

[henebry]

"All we have remaining from the last delivery are tiny packets of soy sauce."

That sounds like my fridge. Ten years ago, before I got married.

[Blood]

So...

We've got Miko, who is humorously the messenger for Durkon's letter to his homelands (anyone who read OtOoPC's knows what it basically will say), and we have Xykon just about arrived in Azure City. And we've got the OotS (with Nale and without Elan) teleporting to Azure City, to head to a different gate, to stop Xykon. Elan is stuck in prison in Cliffport.

Gah!

[Atheist_Cleric]

Oh noes! What'r you gonna do now, Miko? True she is a damn powerful paladin, but up against Xykon and his whole army? She'll have to make a break for it back to Azure city, to warn them. And she has Durkon's reply from the high priest of Thor! Who knows what'll be written on that paper. And now we'll be getting daily strips! Awesome news Giant, this couldnt be better.

:xykon: :miko: :redcloak: :mitd: ??? Who will win?

[Felinoid]

Dun dun DUNNNNNN!!! Though I bet you'll switch back away to OotS (- Elan + Nale) in the next strip and leave us wondering. You evil monster! I bet it's YOU in those shadows!

[Nazzo, the 102nd]

They actually HAVE the encyclopedia set! :smallbiggrin:

So... :xykon: was actually following :miko: all along her way from the Dwarven Homelands?

What's in the letter of the High Priest of Thor?

What :durkon: just wrote to him?


Dun dun DUNNNNNN! :smallbiggrin:

[Rayek]

Thin mints and soy sauce. What's not to love?

[M._A._Foxfire]

Exploitation of peasantry - is there any problem it can't solve?

[Blaznak]

Yeah! A story telling us what's been happening while the Elan/Nale plot has been unfolding. Me Likey!

As I mentioned before, I'm not sure what it is about the "wrongfully identity swapped stories" that creep me out on a very basic DNA level (like nearly to the point of not wanting to read them at all). Still, I know Rich is a quality writer so I'm hangin' on for this ride!

Cheers, and Later....

[Darkspear]

Oh, this is going to get fun.

[Trobby]

Heh..y'know, I think Miko just dodged the proverbial bullet there...as Xylon will now probably just head forward to Azure City, arriving in two days, the day AFTER the OOTS has left.

Leaving Nale to follow Roy's orders, Xylon camped out in Azure, and Sabine meeing up with Xylon...possibly running 'cuz the LG failed him.

...Interesting run-ins. XD

[TroyXavier]

That took a bit to build up but that last panel was golden.

[Piedmon_Sama]

GET HER XYKON. GO GO FASTER PUSSYCAT KILL KILL KILL.

Also, dare I hope....

Page 1!?

[Darkjonny]

JAAAAAAAJAJAJAJAJA "Sometimes, I eat to fill the loneliness" INSTANT CLASSIC!!!

[Duffren]

Poor Durkon, he may never get his reply from the High Priest!

Love the title :smallbiggrin:

[Kadasbrass]

At last the Invasion will begin! oohhh and page 1, this is a good day/night!

[Rambi]

Heh, things don't look too good for Miko, and "eating to fill the loneliness" sweet!

Great comic, Giant.

[idksocrates]

actually, i doubt the high priests response of critical importance to shojo has anything to do with Durkons letter.

Anyway, apparantly people are looking forward to Miko's unitmely death at the lich's hands.

It actually makes you wonder why xykon wants the tower so bad. with all the siege weapons in the army, he could just tear it down. That is, unless he wants to kill the guards without them alerting other towers, and he's kept his army out of range...

solo adventuring ftw!

[Darkjonny]

oooooohhhh im sooooooooo looking forward to this Miko/Xykon meeting

cant wait!! =)

[Wikkin]

Awesome comic as always!

[Grunjon]

Good one, and good to see what Xykon's been up to. And Miko to boot! Everything's coming together.

What I want to know is this. Look at the first panel. Looks like wide-open spaces behind Miko. So, even if she failed to look over her shoulder, shouldn't the guards at the watchtower seen the HUGE F'ing ARMY THAT XYKON WAS ADVANCING WITH? :)

[Death, your friend the Reaper]

I never thought those four would met. I wonder who will come out top, or if Miko will leave before she mets the lich and the pooor lonely critter.

[Deuce]

Ooohhh, big power concentration around that door. Xykon and Redcloak are bad muthas, and the CitD, well he's . . . whatever he is. Still, I'm not sure I'd want to take odds that there'd still be 3 baddies standing at the end of their first round with Miko.

I'm guessing that the life expectancy of any and all low-level bystanders in a Miko/Redcloak/Xykon throwdown is going to be about .8 seconds:smalleek:

[Deuce]

. . .

What I want to know is this. Look at the first panel. Looks like wide-open spaces behind Miko. So, even if she failed to look over her shoulder, shouldn't the guards at the watchtower seen the HUGE F'ing ARMY THAT XYKON WAS ADVANCING WITH? :)

Paladin - Spot Check - You know the drill . . . :smallamused:

[Minimiscience]

Aww, poor monster-in-the-dark.

Miko seems a little more Good than usual here.

[Ephir]

Great stuff! Looks like the bad guys got the food too eh?

[Soul-shadow]

Holy crap, I'm awake, when OOTS is updated! WOOT!

Very funny. "Sometimes, I eat to fill the loneliness."

Good work Rich!

[Grey Watcher]

I was afraid of this. I thought Miko might be the one sent to deliver Durkon's letter, since they love getting rid of her for months on end.

Azure City has by now, no doubt, been sacked by Xykon, explaining the stop in supplies. Miko will no doubt blame the Order somehow, and, if Shojo and/or Hinjo is dead, or Shojo's duplicity is exposed, this may be what unmuzzles her and gets her hot on the Order's heels again. Can the Order handle Nale, Xykon, and Miko all at once?

[Erloas]

That was just great, except that now I want girl scout cookies.

Just one thing missing though :roach:

Not sure if this is a spoiler or not, but I want to use the tags anyway
I have a feeling Miko will really really want to fight Xykon but while be honor bound to run back to Azure city instead to finish her current task of delievering the sealed note. I think it would be a great fight, and it will probably start but Miko will be forced to leave to finish her previous task first. Forced as in not chancing loosing the scroll she was entrusted with, not because she is loosing

[Swivelguy]

And just when I thought nothing could be funnier than Thog and Elan stuck in jail together...

[CockroachTeaParty]

OOOOOOH SNAP! This is just getting better and better! Behold, the meat of the next book unfolds before us!

[BlythraB]

welllll this is about to be interesting! but... I feel bad leaving poor Elan languishing in prison.
:miko:+:xykon:=who knows?

[LtNOWIS]

What I want to know is this. Look at the first panel. Looks like wide-open spaces behind Miko. So, even if she failed to look over her shoulder, shouldn't the guards at the watchtower seen the HUGE F'ing ARMY THAT XYKON WAS ADVANCING WITH? :)
Well, we can't actually see the huge army either. It might not actually be with them, although I don't know why they'd want to travel ahead of it.

[RiderofStorms]

Lol, awesome comic! ^^ I was starting to wonder what had happened to them ;) And the the thing in the shadows is awesome whatever it is!

[Nerd-o-rama]

Hah! Not one not two not three but four antagonists! And good ol' CitD. Man, I just love feeling sorry for that thing.

Grey_Watcher: Xykon and his Hordes haven't necessarilly gotten to Azure City yet. It's possible that they've been taking down these outposts one by one, and that Blueriver Fort just happened to be further away from AC than this tower, but more convenient to an area where they can get supplies, thus the food comes from there instead of the city.

Also, Miko vs. Xykon soon! Yay!

[Heloisa]

W00t! Daily OotS?! *faint* :D

Meh, I really dislike Miko... =/
But hey, I got to see the :mitd:
Hooray! \o/

[watermammal]

OMG! I so understand about the thin mints, they are so evilly addictive! I wonder if thin mints would cheer up Miko?

As for the pouch, I worry the dwarf won't like the news...

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

The only thing that went through my head at the end of that comic was;

"OOOOHHHHH
MYYYYYYY
GODDDD"

[Sky_Schemer]

Before we get carried away with the theory that the OoTS will return to a sacked Azure City, remember that Linear Guild battle all took place in the same day. They just teleported in from Azure City that morning and are now teleporting back.

Not to mention the tower appears to be a stop on the way to Azure City as that is the direction Miko is headed.

What we're witnessing here is the start of the assault, not the end of it.

[Ink]

Yay, Miko's back! :miko:

Most amusing that she was the one sent to deliver the letter to the dwarven lands. Lord Shojo sends his most powerful paladin forth as a messenger service? I agree with the earlier comment that she may indeed have dodged a bullet here. I don't know if :miko: and :xykon: will meet face to face, but it will be most interesting to see what happens next.

[charik]

I think :citd: and I would have a power struggle for the Thin Mints. I know I can eat a whole box in one sitting.

ok, what's the code for the creature in the darkness?

[theKOT]

Wow wow wow. It is like all my pathetic fanboy dreams coming true at once. Sigh...

Ehem, gotta be objective. Can't overrate comic because of Miko.....
Delightful. It was a nice way to tell a lot of things that had bee happening during the slightly overextended LG plot, along with a really good series of jokes. I really enjoyed this one. 8/10.

Oh wait, it featured Miko! 20/10! MORE MORE MORE!!!

sorry, can't help it.

Just read the news. 5-6 days of Miko strips? SCREW ELAN! I can't express how happy this makes me, but I'm gonna try! :smallsmile::smallsmile::smallsmile::smallsmile::s mallsmile::smallsmile::smallsmile::elan: !!!!oneoneoneelevenone!!!!!!!!!

[Ink]

^ I'm not even the biggest Miko fan but I'm certainly glad to see her back as well. Who needs Elan anyway? More Miko please!

[Dawnstrider_Moogle]

!!

"Sometimes I eat to make the pain go away". Awww, but also, Hahahahaha. Hahahahahawww?
Good to see Miko and the big bads again, though.

[theKOT]

Something to take note of: The watchtower sticks out of the panel. Nicely done G!

[Aerysil]

o...m...g...

This is going to get complicated.

[Haarculaneaum]

1) Obviously, Rich does not need the money I offered to never see Miko again.

2) I wonder if the CITD goes to the same head-shrinker as the Flumph?

Hoping the ethnocentric b!tch gets reanimated,
Haar

[Solara]

Miko and Xykon in one strip? And meanwhile the OotS are in Azure City with Nale and Elan is in prison with Thog and has to find a way to escape and I wonder if Miko even knows the 'critically important' letter she's carrying was actually a favor for a member of the OotS and she might be fixing to fight Xykon and either way she'll be back in Azure City soon and probably running into Roy and co, wih Nale in tow, and, and... *brain asplodes* :eek:

And as awesome as today's comic and all it implies is, I am so very, very happy to have nearly a week of daily OotS to look forward to that that fact alone nearly overshadows it all ...especially since I'm thinking the next few will be pretty heavy on plot, and I so love plot! :smile:

[Kadasbrass]

Azure City may or may not have been sacked already, I personally doubt it since I'm sure we would have seen the battle in the comics.

BUT we have had the whole time period since comic #300 Pick your doom for the invasion of Azure City, which includes the new years day celebration, the vally of the orcale quest, and the one day in cliffport (which has been almost 70 comics).

Xykon may be taking out the outpost before his invasion or may be finishing them off afterwards (Logic says that its the outpost first since theres a greater chance someone would have escaped a city during an invasion and warned the rest of the south)

[humanpylon]

I love it! Miko getting sent away on a long journey to do what any old lowly messenger could have done! The Saphire Guard folks must really get sick of her pretty quick; she can't have been home all that long after delivering the Order to Azure city and yet she's already been sent out again.

Oh and I'll agree that the mint girl guide cookies are awesome, way better than the traditional vanilla or chocolate ones.

One question: are the girl guide cookies make with real girl guides?:smallbiggrin:

[Argus]

ok, what's the code for the creature in the darkness?

Based on the "Smilies are here!" announcement, I suspect that it's the monster in the darkness, since :mitd: yields :mitd:.

As for the logistics of the food in this strip, a city isn't a great spot to grow food. Process it, yes, but it would seem easier for an outpost at that level of technology to tap into the shipments going toward the city rather than rely on turnaround. Sudden thought: This would have been a really good time for Xykon's team to be selling Girl Scout cookies (especially if they aren't made from genuine Girl Scouts).

[ElfLad]

Wow, it's nice to see Miko when she's not on criminal-hunting duty. I think this shows that she's definitely Good. Not as Good as she could be, but she loses a bit of her edge when there's less stress.

And I am listening to "All Along the Watchtower" by Jimi Hendrix right now. Serendipity.

[Pvednes]

Hahaha! It's ooon.

[Leo_Forestclaw]

At the risk for being drummed out of the playground, am I the only one kinda excited to see Miko back? ;-)

***

OK, now that I've read all of page two, I see that I'm not... my bad.

[ElfLad]

No, Miko has a pretty big fanbase.

Just the anti-fanbase is just as large. You don't have many people devoted to saying V sucks.

[Flak_Razorwill]

Ooh! My old flame is back!

Along with the firepower behind those encyclopedias, this should get INTERESTING!

[Quinton250]

Not only was that a great comic, but the news of the comic per day week is incredibly exciting. So exciting that I celebrated the Giant's generosity by buying Origin of PC's to show my thanks.

Here is my problem though, I realize now I could have bought Paladin Blues for a reduced shipping fee if I bought both at the same time. Can I cancel my order or add Paladin Blues to my old order?

Also, any plans on reselling Dungeon Crawling Fools?

[Heads_or_Tails]

Well, we seem to have a confrontation looming. It looms I tell you!! IT LOOMS!!

Other than that I love the announcement of daily OotS for a while, and hope that... actually I don't know what to hope for at the moment... uh... I hope... that... ooh! I hope they manage to sell the encyclopedias.

[Lord Zentei]

Aww, poor monster-in-the-dark.

Miko seems a little more Good than usual here.

Fnord? Throughout the comic, Miko has been consistently good - to people she deems are unflinchingly lawful and good, that is. It's merely that she has -ahem- rather strict standards. There is nothing unusual about her behaviour here.


As for the Watchtower being a target: it makes perfect sense for Xykon to take out the watchtowers before attacking Azure city, as their function is presumably to provide advance warning of any armies that may be approaching. If he were simply to pass them by, they might spot his army, and send messengers to the city - messengers that can move more rapidly than an army on the march.

As for Miko not spotting them by looking over her shoulder: who is to say that all of the thousands of hobgoblins are present in the last panel? If you're going to take out a relatively small watchtower in order to avoid being spotted, it makes far more sense to use a crack team. Otherwise the guys in the tower would see the army approaching and sound the alarm and send the messenger to the city, thus negating the advantage that such an attack would offer.

[Telinyth]

The pain of having Miko back is nicely offset by catching up with Xykon and Co. I know some people are spoiling for a fight between Miko and Xykon, but I'd rather not see it -- it would be far more ironic if she completely missed them, or, better yet, was instrumental in paving their way in to the city in some fashion. The guilt she would experience in either scenario would be funny in a scheudenfreude way, and might go a long ways towards redeeming her as a potentially likeable character.

Also, it occurs to me that the supply shipment likely ended up feeding a regiment or two of hobgoblins.

And yay for daily updates!

[Sliverghost]

OH and Miko's Back.... DunDunDUNNNNNNNN

oh no will she run into oots?:smallfurious: :smallwink:

nice comic as always:smallwink:

[Lord Zentei]

So...

We've got Miko, who is humorously the messenger for Durkon's letter to his homelands (anyone who read OtOoPC's knows what it basically will say)

Based on her dialogue, that is acutally the reply from the High Priest she is currently carrying. Moreover, she is carrying a message to Lord Shojo that is of "critical importance". Sounds like its more than just "yeah, Durkon can come home" or something like it.

[Solmage]

Omg, omg, omg, omg!!!! :-)

Miko!!! YAY! And.. Xykon! Yay! And erm.. hmm. He could really kill her. Noooooo!
Run Miko, run!

[mikeejimbo]

Is this indeed the first strip with Miko AND Xykon in it?

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

Four strips this week? HOW MANY STRIPS NEXT WEEK!?

Giant, you are awesome. Ask me for my money. All of it! I'll finish my college education just so I can give you more money than I would be able to without it. Just keep up the good work!


Miko... Miko Miko Miko... Why do I get the feeling that she strongarmed her superiors into letting her do the favor for Durkon? Miko likes Durkon, they're the same kind of Lawful. Well, it's always nice to see the way the Bad Guys do things for a change. Why do I get the feeling that the Thing In the Darkness's big reveal is going to be anticlimactic?

SPOILERWait, doesn't Xylon have an army of hobgoblins and undead behind him? Miko may be in over her head... However, her build means she can dispense with large groups of enemies with ease, moreso if she has some magic item or sword that lets her cleave (TWF is very feat-intensive for a paladin). She just dismissed her mount, which means she can't ride into battle. This looks very ominious indeed...

Wow, Miko would actually be well-equipped to go one-on-one with Xylon. If she has enough levels of monk, her unarmed strike can penetrate his DR. Combined TWF and flurry versus a low-AC spellcaster, she's an effective grappler even without Improved Grapple, and so on.../SPOILER

[Matuse]

Hehehe, I had scrolled down a little bit so that the last segment was offscreen, but as soon as "Have you ever considered the benefits of owning a fine set of encyclopedias?" showed up, I knew to my bones that Xykon was outside.

Oh, this is going to be good.

[Eldhrin]

Daily OOTS! Woooooooooooo! I'm so happy it's like I'm Thog in an ice cream shop next to a puppy store.

I'm very pleased to see the return of Miko and Xykon in the same strip. I can't wait to see Miko squaring off against them. Much applause, will be itching for tomorrow's strip now.

Miko vs Xykon... well Roy managed to destroy his body, so Miko might also be able to do it. However, it's not just Miko vs Xykon. Redcloak and :mitd: are there too, so it's liable to be a tad more one-sided than that. Messy either way though.

[Holy_Knight]

Is this indeed the first strip with Miko AND Xykon in it?

No, they both appeared at the end of the first story arc, along with Nale--contrasting with Elan's claims of all the OoTS had accomplished.

To victory! (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0120.html)


Just read the news. 5-6 days of Miko strips? SCREW ELAN! I can't express how happy this makes me, but I'm gonna try! :smallsmile::smallsmile::smallsmile::smallsmile::s mallsmile::smallsmile::smallsmile::elan: !!!!oneoneoneelevenone!!!!!!!!!

And here's where you've finally crossed the line from devoted Miko fan to horrible monster. :tongue:


^ I'm not even the biggest Miko fan but I'm certainly glad to see her back as well. Who needs Elan anyway? More Miko please!

And you as well! Despicable fiends!

[boolean]

As for Miko not spotting them by looking over her shoulder: who is to say that all of the thousands of hobgoblins are present in the last panel? If you're going to take out a relatively small watchtower in order to avoid being spotted, it makes far more sense to use a crack team. Otherwise the guys in the tower would see the army approaching and sound the alarm and send the messenger to the city, thus negating the advantage that such an attack would offer.

Except for Miko, all the soldiers in the tower are probably just low level Warriors. Redcloak could probably take them out just by himself. So sending just a small force to take out the tower makes a lot of sense.

Miko being there makes the chance of a message getting out much more likely.

[CookieRookie]

"State your business."

That's from Star Wars Episode I, the computer game. The robotic guard door to a miniboss says that in the Tatooine (sp?) level. Played it years ago, can't really remember. Anyway, I found the alliteration interesting. Interesting enough to register to post. :)

[Neopolis]

So Xykon was sneaking behind her... With an entire army... And probably an undead dragon, and she didn't notice it? Wow, her Wisdom score must be 2 or something.

[The Glitter Ninja]

All I have to say is: uh-oh.

[Paladine]

Yay Miko is back , im so happy now

And i cant believe no one noticed that we now know how the Creature in the Darkness looks like :
http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2005/04/13/cookie_narrowweb__200x277.jpg

[TMTree]

Nice to see Miko again, and I completely sympathise with the CiTD about the mints- whatever you are, you just can't stop eating them until they are gone and your evil plans are ruined.:smallbiggrin:

[The Hammer of Thor]

'Sir,have you ever considered the value of owning a really good set of encyclopedias?'
Great stuff.
Also, it seems Xykon has obviously started to destroy the Sapphire empire.
And Miko is heading for Azure city, where the Order has just teleported.
I sense a huge conflict coming up.

:mitd: 'Sometimes, I eat to fill the loneliness'

[RAMPAGE]

Monster in the darkness will have to get a larger umbrella if it doesn't lay off the thin mints

[SumGuy]

Ahhhh....the return of the main villans, mere days after the re-formed Linear Guild. How wonderful.

And may I add that its freakin SWEET that we're getting a full week of OotS!!! Awesome Rich!

[Ryltar_Swordsong]

With any luck, Xykon will flay Miko alive and then use her skull as a codpiece. Or let Redcloak use her as a footstool/garbage can.

Yeah, I hate Miko.

[Marller]

:miko: Miko is back and a week filled with OotS looking forward to. Life is good. :xykon:

[Cifer]

Miko... Miko Miko Miko... Why do I get the feeling that she strongarmed her superiors into letting her do the favor for Durkon? Miko likes Durkon, they're the same kind of Lawful. Well, it's always nice to see the way the Bad Guys do things for a change.

On the contrary: It was a mission into far-away lands -> a chance to get rid off :Miko: for some precious, precious days.

And yeah, the cookies probably would have been more welcome.

[battleburn]

Hahaha, poor Miko haters. Finally we get what every fanboy dreams of. An OotS strip everyday of the week. But wait, all of them dedicated to Miko.

LOL

I loved the comic. Miko not knowing the origin of the message, The watchtower not getting their food.
Then obviously the knocking on the door of the badguys.

But still a bit strange. Miko should ride much faster than the army. Even though she came from the dwarven lands and xycon came from a different direction, she should have noticed something on the way there.

How long before Miko can summon her horse again?
I didn't see a wall, so xycon, redcloak and the MITD can easily surround the tower and kill everyone inside. Miko shall have to fight in order to get out.
She most definitaly won't go before the three attack, since she doesn't have a clue right now and she wanted shelter for the night.

Conclusion: Hmmm, interesting :-D

[The_Weredragon]

In a batle betwen Miko and Xykon there is only ume possible ending...

UNDEAD PALADIN!!!!

go Xykon , go Xykon , go Xykon

[Need_A_Life]

Well... my 2cp (now with smilies)!

:redcloak: was as great as ever... the very presence of him greatly enhanced the comic.

:miko: was as uptight as ever... hope she chokes on something (I'm not anti-miko, I'm anti-"lawful good j****ss").

:xykon: doesn't say anything really funny, but I know he will soon.

:mitd: whines... liked him better when he was just clueless.

[Freelance Henchman]

Miko's back! Hurray!

Could Redcloak try to "Turn Paladin" on her? What level are they?

[Miklus]

I make it a habit to resize my browser before I go to the comic, that way I only see one strip at a time...I highly recommend it! I diden't see Xykon before I scrolled down. And I yelled out "YESSS!".

So...Miko vs Xykon & Co? Any bets? Well Miko beat the OotS and the Oots beat Xykon so logic say Miko wins...unless the Creature in the darkness does something we haven't seen before...Dun Dun Dunnn! Can't wait!

[Oppolo]

I am SO looking forward to the next storyline after this strip. I LOVE Miko, please don't kill her off in this next chapter! (No, zombie Miko would not be as cool as Miko Miko!)

[Noneoyabizzness]

moneys on xykon, but maybe MitD going in first, since I don't really know he might be legitimately evil. would be interesting to have him get hit with a smite, then hear "oh wait, I'm neutral I forgot all this time..."

[Saithis Bladewing]

Oh boy. I'm feeling the anticipation now. ;D

[Nighthawk4]

This is looking promising for the next couple of strips. Miko v Xykon?

My only minor criticism is to wonder why the guards on top of the Tower didn't notice what happened to those outside the door - unless of course, they are dead as well. :smallsmile:


:haley: <3 :elan: (I had to try out the new OOTS Smilies).

[MonkeyHead]

hahahahahhaha

that was great lol

Anything with Xykon :xykon: and RedCloak :redcloak: is sure to be comic gold.

And girl scout cookies should be coming out soon.


p.s. Miko vs. Xykon...and Xykon wins...please please please make that "skinny, uptight, self righteous w(?)itch who Roy would not touch with a standard 10 foot pole" get what she deserves!

[dragon95046]

Based on her dialogue, that is acutally the reply from the High Priest she is currently carrying. Moreover, she is carrying a message to Lord Shojo that is of "critical importance". Sounds like its more than just "yeah, Durkon can come home" or something like it.

Even if the message was "Yeah, Durkon can come home" I believe Miko would still consider it of critical importance as the mission orders came directly from Shojo. Hell, if Shojo sent her to the Dwarven lands to learn the recipe for Dwarven Ale and she was returning with that recipe, I still think she would deem it of critical importance. All in all, Miko seems to be incapable of any real independent thought. If her superior is taking orders from a cat, she may well end up fetching kitty-litter.

However, ... ...I do believe there is more to the message than a simple yes/no response. You really don't need a sealed pouch to carry a letter. I believe Miko really has no idea what she carries, and I think it may be more than a simple letter...like maybe a ring that needs to be cast into a vol...oh wait, wrong story.

[Barbarossa]

Heh, more Monty Python quotes. *Goes away to giggle in a corner*

[Kadasbrass]

My only minor criticism is to wonder why the guards on top of the Tower didn't notice what happened to those outside the door - unless of course, they are dead as well. :smallsmile:


Zombies with Wings!

[Shara_Littlebottom]

:mitd: I feel your pain.

[fwiffo]

Hahaha, poor Miko haters. Finally we get what every fanboy dreams of. An OotS strip everyday of the week. But wait, all of them dedicated to Miko.

We got daily updates during crayon saga. Why? Because, while they were interesting and informative, they were a little dry and slow. Stretching them over long time was a pretty much certain guarantee of losing readership, so big G tried to compress schedule to avoid making his fan base disinterested.

Likewise now. This is not slow exposition like crayon saga, this could be an exciting conflict-filled series of strips. But, it does involve the only unlikeable villain in OOTSverse, thus the need to rush before people start saying "I don't care about this character, I am leaving".

And, no, I am not talking about anyone on Xykon's team.

[Heads_or_Tails]

Uh, didn't he say the reason he would do daily strips was because everyone wants to know what's going to happen with Elan and Thog, not because Miko is unpopular?

[Allandaros]

When Miko and Xykon fight...

...EVERYBODY WINS! :)

[sklar dansig]

yeah, GO MIKO :smallbiggrin:
rich, please dont hurt her :smallfrown:

[fwiffo]

Uh, didn't he say the reason he would do daily strips was because everyone wants to know what's going to happen with Elan and Thog, not because Miko is unpopular?

Oh, please. It's a cliffhanger for Elan and Thog. They are stuck in jail, on the verge of being executed by a very motivated city government, while likely to form an unusual alliance with Elan being in charge and on his own for once.

Leaving characters on a cliffhanger is perfectly normal storyteller technique, so that while you are covering something else, you maintain people's interest in the story you left behind.

No... there can be only one explanation for this, and that is a storyline dealing with a character so stiff that turning her into zombie might actually make her more lifelike. It's important for the storyline, sure; but I bet this is a case where over half of the audience would be rooting for Xykon's team to win, villainous though they might be.

[Alfryd]

As you can see, the strip online here has turned away from the main characters for a brief interlude featuring the lovely and divisive Miss Miyazaki... ....Therefore, I'm going to try to get through this section as soon as possible, running one strip a day (barring an emergency) until it's done, probably in 5-6 strips. So tune in tomorrow evening for bonus Saturday OOTS.

OH and Miko's Back.... DunDunDUNNNNNNNN
Wow! It's like a premature fulfillment of all my puerile adolescent fantasies. Only Miko isn't. And she doesn't... or, at least I presume she wouldn't... ...ah, there's no catsuit involved, is there?


New comic is up.
Pretty good. You may take a cookie.

Sometimes, I eat to fill the loneliness.
You may take a cookie.

That sounds like my fridge. Ten years ago, before I got married.
And you may also take a cookie.



But, it does involve the only unlikeable villain in OOTSverse, thus the need to rush before people start saying "I don't care about this character, I am leaving".
I would suspect, if you must look for ulterior motives, that Rich is trying to cater to both the pro and anti-Miko camps by including plenty of material that won't take long to present on our heroine.

No... there can be only one explanation for this, and that is a storyline dealing with a character so stiff that turning her into zombie might actually make her more lifelike.
Unless, of course, Rich actually happened to say something along the following lines:
"Now, while this section of the story is sort of critical, I realize you're all waiting to see what happens to poor Elan."
Gosh! That happened!


Oh noes! What'r you gonna do now, Miko? True she is a damn powerful paladin, but up against Xykon and his whole army? She'll have to make a break for it back to Azure city, to warn them. And she has Durkon's reply from the high priest of Thor! Who knows what'll be written on that paper. And now we'll be getting daily strips! Awesome news Giant, this couldnt be better.
I concur.
Waitaminute. Let me check that. ...Odd, I still concur.
AHA! You missed the apostrophe in 'couldn't'! VICTORY is mine!

We've got Miko, who is humorously the messenger for Durkon's letter to his homelands (anyone who read OtOoPC's knows what it basically will say), and we have Xykon just about arrived in Azure City.
A couple of days away yet, unless the footsoldier army somehow manages to outpace a lone cavalry unit on an urgent errand.

I thought Miko might be the one sent to deliver Durkon's letter, since they love getting rid of her for months on end.
Hmm. I guess I should have paid more attention.


Anyway, apparantly people are looking forward to Miko's unitmely death at the lich's hands.
No news there. Still, she'd hold up pretty darn well against evil/undead primary spellcasters with low AC, such as... ah. Hmm. Yes, well.

Miko seems a little more Good than usual here.
Just a little more Good than she was last time we saw her.

I'm not anti-miko, I'm anti-"lawful good j****ss"

With any luck, Xykon will flay Miko alive and then use her skull as a codpiece. Or let Redcloak use her as a footstool/garbage can.

Hoping the ethnocentric b!tch gets reanimated,
Haar
Ah, this brings back old times. :) *cracks knuckles*

All in all, Miko seems to be incapable of any real independent thought.
First she's criticised for allegedly taking action inconsistent with her code of conduct, then she's criticised for lacking initiative. I am confused.


This should get interesting!
"Define 'interesting?'"
"Oh God, Oh God, we're all gonna die?"

[Neo]

A cruel spin would be if the message pouch had a little letter for Durkon saying he can come home and he never sees it :smallbiggrin:

Reminds me of Devil's Advocate on last night: 'Is not liking someone justification to sentence them for murder'

In the world of cartoons....probably yes.

But i'd expect something to come up between Miko and Belkar as they are polar opposites, and all that fair fighting business when he dueled her :smallbiggrin: Hate/Lust my friend :smallbiggrin:

[Tussy the Druid]

hhahahahahah when i was reading it i was like "ho hum.... whoop de doo..." As soon as i got to Xykon, Redcloak, and CitD, i just burst out laughing. Great line rich.

[Solara]

Based on her dialogue, that is acutally the reply from the High Priest she is currently carrying. Moreover, she is carrying a message to Lord Shojo that is of "critical importance". Sounds like its more than just "yeah, Durkon can come home" or something like it.

Well, from OotPCs I'm guessing the answer is more like, "NO! No, no, no! Hell no he can't come home!" and I imagine the High Priest would also told her it was of very critical importance that 'Shojo' get the message quickly. (And I'm also pretty sure that she would consider any message to or from Shojo of critical importance anyway, and also that he might have left out the little detail that the letter was on Durkon's behalf in the first place.)

[Tawkis]

YAY more OOTS!!!


Ahhh how painfully stereotypical of the guards to eat rice and soy sauce.

good times, good times.
Curse you Burlew and your lovingly distracting comics, you cost me my ship whilst I was reading, poor mining Barge.

[sugarmouse121]

Miko returns! SHE was given Durkon's letter?!?

[Starla]

Actually I started laughing as soon as Xykon said "see I told you we should have used Girl Scout Cookies" because that totally would have worked! No one can resist the power of THIN MINTS! (Except me now that I quit eating chocolate) I could eat a box full of them in one sitting.

[mikeejimbo]

No, they both appeared at the end of the first story arc, along with Nale--contrasting with Elan's claims of all the OoTS had accomplished.

To victory! (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0120.html)

Ah yes, I thought that if they actually had, it would be in the context of a sort of summary strip. So they weren't actually interacting in that one, but now they are. Or will be, at least.

[vampeel]

Booo the evil arrives again. (refering to Miko)

Yah for the Liche and his followers, let the moster who cannot be seen, or was it the monster who lives in his shadow... well anyways I have not a clue what I am talking about, but I very happy to see the undead evil guys then the pally.

There are so many things going on, that I was disappointd when the story went to Miko, but I did like the fact she, once again, was sent to the wasteland on a far away erron.

And in the over all sense, thank you Giant, you make me hate the LG and love the evil.

[Lord Zentei]

:miko: was as uptight as ever... hope she chokes on something (I'm not anti-miko, I'm anti-"lawful good j****ss").

Really? Are we reading the same comic? :smallsigh:


Well, from OotPCs I'm guessing the answer is more like, "NO! No, no, no! Hell no he can't come home!" and I imagine the High Priest would also told her it was of very critical importance that 'Shojo' get the message quickly. (And I'm also pretty sure that she would consider any message to or from Shojo of critical importance anyway, and also that he might have left out the little detail that the letter was on Durkon's behalf in the first place.)

But why would the High Priest send a reply specifically to Shojo if the original message was Durkon's request? There is more here than meets the eye. It's not as if Shojo's people were unaware that he was granting them favours, so I find it unlikely that Miko would not have been aware of the fact that the mission was on Durkon's behalf.


Even if the message was "Yeah, Durkon can come home" I believe Miko would still consider it of critical importance as the mission orders came directly from Shojo. <snippa>
However, ... ...I do believe there is more to the message than a simple yes/no response. You really don't need a sealed pouch to carry a letter. I believe Miko really has no idea what she carries, and I think it may be more than a simple letter...like maybe a ring that needs to be cast into a vol...oh wait, wrong story.

I concur with your spoiler. And yes, it is not a ring that needs to be disposed of. Probably not, anyways. :smalltongue:

[Lord Zentei]

So Xykon was sneaking behind her... With an entire army... And probably an undead dragon, and she didn't notice it? Wow, her Wisdom score must be 2 or something.

Unless it was not the entire army as I suggested earlier. And on that note:


This is looking promising for the next couple of strips. Miko v Xykon?

My only minor criticism is to wonder why the guards on top of the Tower didn't notice what happened to those outside the door - unless of course, they are dead as well. :smallsmile:


:haley: <3 :elan: (I had to try out the new OOTS Smilies).

Long range death spell of some kind? Invisibility, 10' radius? The secret powers of :mitd:? Something else? And with two powerful spellcasters, there are a number of possibilities.

[TigerHunter]

Long range death spell of some kind? Invisibility, 10' radius? The secret powers of :mitd:? Something else? And with two powerful spellcasters, there are a number of possibilities.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0193.html
First post!

[theKOT]

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0193.html
First post!
But that's a touch spell.

[mikeejimbo]

But that's a touch spell.

I think his point is that they have flying zombies.

[Lord Zentei]

But that's a touch spell.

I do beleive TigerHunter means that Xykon could have sicced the flying zombies on the guys in the tower.

But I suspect that they would have been seen before they reached combat.

For all that, welcome to the board, TigerHunter.

[Shea Landford]

I loved the title of this one. All hail Jimi Hendrix!

I also enjoyed the girl scout cookies thing. And rice and soy sauce. MMMMM...

[theKOT]

I think his point is that they have flying zombies.
Oh. I see. Very obvious. I'm dumb. Two words.

[Bribri]

Hmmm well this is an interesting meeting, granted it wasn't a laugh with every panel, but still a darn funny comic, but what's happening is more important then the jokes.

Reading this comic one idea jumped into my head right away... and glancing over the forums I'm surprised to find most of the debates over who will win the fight which is rather obviously everyones favorite lich.. as other wise there goes half the plot.

Pointing out the obvious, Miko truly knows NOTHING about what it means to be a paladin. I think Roy put it best when he made the comment about her following the rules to the letter but ignoring the purpose, and it's twits like this in normal d&d games that have convinced so many people that 'lawful good' is the worst alignment in existence. This combined with her obvious large amount of hate.... well....


I honestly think this whole situation is going to be leading to Miko becoming a Blackguard. Lich+Army invades fort, killing all the guards while Miko fights bravely, and well, but still isn't powerful enough against their numbers or Xykons power. She's on her last leg, and either she, or one of the bad guys makes a comment about order of the stick, which starts a discussion. They find out both hate the order of the stick, and Xykon notes how much of an anger monger Miko is, and figures why not add another ace to his sleeve? He Gives miko a choice: join him and get a chance to destroy the order she hates so much, or die following her code. I personally think Miko will end up picking hate in this situation, maybe not right away, her stubbornness may hold out for a bit, but without anyone to pull her from the edge, I think Miko will walk right over.

[Obezageip]

"State your business."

That's from Star Wars Episode I, the computer game. The robotic guard door to a miniboss says that in the Tatooine (sp?) level. Played it years ago, can't really remember. Anyway, I found the alliteration interesting. Interesting enough to register to post. :)

Allusion, not alliteration :P

Considering Miko's uncanny luck/skill with dealing with forces that have much more raw power than her (aka: the entire OoTS...twice) she might actually wound Xykon or Redcloak enough to send them packing, which would cause the order and azure city to have some time to prepare for a siege. The creature in the darkness won't fight, because Xykon wouldn't consider one paladin and some lowly guards enough of a threat to reveal his "secret weapon".

[Morchaint]

OMG! ( great comic ) x 10000000000000

[Karkadinn]

You know, this has gotten to the point where I need to stop reading the forum whenever Miko appears, because every thread with her even slightly mentioned gets drowned out in raw hatred. It's like trying to talk about politics - no matter what you have to say, everyone's gonna use it as an excuse to insult George Bush for the millionth time.
Why the frell are people so eager to see her blood but not Nale's, given that Nale is much more of a selfish, dishonest, cruel-hearted bastard on his BEST day than Miko is on her WORST?
Jeez, people, just let go of the hate. It's seriously tiresome.

[Evil_Pacifist]

Pure awesomeness! Monty Python references For The Win!

[Movoza]

Yey, Monster in the Dark!
still love his umbrella

[theKOT]

You know, this has gotten to the point where I need to stop reading the forum whenever Miko appears, because every thread with her even slightly mentioned gets drowned out in raw hatred. It's like trying to talk about politics - no matter what you have to say, everyone's gonna use it as an excuse to insult George Bush for the millionth time.
Why the frell are people so eager to see her blood but not Nale's, given that Nale is much more of a selfish, dishonest, cruel-hearted bastard on his BEST day than Miko is on her WORST?
Jeez, people, just let go of the hate. It's seriously tiresome.
Because some people who read comics care more about affability that goodness in those comics. It does get a bit tiresome though-that's why Alfrydd made the Miko FRC.

[theKOT]

Hmmm well this is an interesting meeting, granted it wasn't a laugh with every panel, but still a darn funny comic, but what's happening is more important then the jokes.

Reading this comic one idea jumped into my head right away... and glancing over the forums I'm surprised to find most of the debates over who will win the fight which is rather obviously everyones favorite lich.. as other wise there goes half the plot.

Pointing out the obvious, Miko truly knows NOTHING about what it means to be a paladin. I think Roy put it best when he made the comment about her following the rules to the letter but ignoring the purpose, and it's twits like this in normal d&d games that have convinced so many people that 'lawful good' is the worst alignment in existence. This combined with her obvious large amount of hate.... well....


I honestly think this whole situation is going to be leading to Miko becoming a Blackguard. Lich+Army invades fort, killing all the guards while Miko fights bravely, and well, but still isn't powerful enough against their numbers or Xykons power. She's on her last leg, and either she, or one of the bad guys makes a comment about order of the stick, which starts a discussion. They find out both hate the order of the stick, and Xykon notes how much of an anger monger Miko is, and figures why not add another ace to his sleeve? He Gives miko a choice: join him and get a chance to destroy the order she hates so much, or die following her code. I personally think Miko will end up picking hate in this situation, maybe not right away, her stubbornness may hold out for a bit, but without anyone to pull her from the edge, I think Miko will walk right over.
Check out the Miko FRC. (http://giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4911) That should rebut most of your criticisms. However, your spoiler scenario is a much more likely version of many similar ones, and I can't say right off the bat no. but... number one, she isn't quite as vengeful as you might think. Quoth the Giant

In #120, she's under the impression that some clearly evil force like a giant demon or something is responsible, so the speech there is mostly grandstanding. Once she sees Durkon explains they are not evil, the bloodlust backs away. She doesn't like them, but she doesn't consider killing them and brings them back to trial. Belkar and the rest have now brought it back, and pushed it to the point of her wanting to kill Good and Neutral characters. She's been pushed beyond what had been a line she didn't cross.

For the record, by the way, Miko's final speech is not swearing revenge; it's more like promising that karma will come back and punish them, and hoping she gets to be there. As in, ";I hope you all get found guilty of something and I get to be the one to execute you," not, "I'm going to kill you no matter what happens."
Two:
If Shojo could stop her from killing the OOTS at all even in the heat of battle, I highly doubt she will pledge herself to Evil simply for revenge. Remember that you don't go blackguard simply by an evil action. It takes a complete alignment change and considering how lawfully good she is, I don't think she will do that.

[Grunjon]

Not only was that a great comic, but the news of the comic per day week is incredibly exciting. So exciting that I celebrated the Giant's generosity by buying Origin of PC's to show my thanks.

Here is my problem though, I realize now I could have bought Paladin Blues for a reduced shipping fee if I bought both at the same time. Can I cancel my order or add Paladin Blues to my old order?

Also, any plans on reselling Dungeon Crawling Fools?


All I can say about deals on Paladin Blues is that, earlier today, I was at my local comic book store and picked up that very book for $23.96! WoooHOO!!!! :smile:

[Solara]

But why would the High Priest send a reply specifically to Shojo if the original message was Durkon's request? There is more here than meets the eye. It's not as if Shojo's people were unaware that he was granting them favours, so I find it unlikely that Miko would not have been aware of the fact that the mission was on Durkon's behalf.[/spoiler]

Durkon gives the letter to Shojo, Shojo gives it to Miko, Miko takes it to the High Priest, High Priest sends it back to Shojo?

Makes sense to me, anyway.

[Piedmon_Sama]

From what I've seen Miko just has a few really die-hard haters/supporters. Most people (and I identify with this group) wouldn't like her as a person if we knew her, but are interested to see where she takes the storyline. But it's always the extremists who are the loudest, which tends to distort the actual number of people involved.

And the reason why people like absolute bastards like Xykon, Belkar, Nale and even Thog in preference to Miko? Well, there's more than one. They're completely forthright about their nefariousness and have no pretensions, wheras Miko has absurdly high expectations of everyone she meets and is completely unable to notice her own flaws.

The villains are free in a way the protagonists are not. That's the whole allure of being a villain. They're free to laugh at situations where we're supposed to be dour and serious, and that gives them a charm and a likability. Miko has all the negative traits of a villain and none of that role's redeeming qualities. Thus most of us will probably be rooting for a quick Finger of Death to the face from Bone Daddy Xykon.

[Solara]

And the reason why people like absolute bastards like Xykon, Belkar, Nale and even Thog in preference to Miko? Well, there's more than one. They're completely forthright about their nefariousness and have no pretensions, wheras Miko has absurdly high expectations of everyone she meets and is completely unable to notice her own flaws.


Also, there's the fact that they're funny. It may not be Miko's fault, but with a few rare exceptions Rich seems to use her entirely in more serious or plot-heavy strips where all of her...ah, 'less than pleasant' personality traits are put in the spotlight without the benefit of the humorous dialogue and situations the other antagonists (and CE protagonists) get to soften up people's perception of them.

[AyuVince]

Xykon's flying zombies may be able to fly, but they are still zombies. Their fly speed isn't much better than their ground speed. You can't stage a sneak attack on a fortified tower full of soldiers with maxed out Spot modifiers by sending in zombies that fly at 20 ft. per round.

[LurkerBeneath]

Was it ever explained why Xykon has a hole in his skull where a nose would be if he had had one when he was alive?

[Bilbo27]

The lovely Miko is back with that darn horse of hers. Which will Belkar kill first? Can't wait for daily strips--and Doesn't redcloak know that selling encyclopedias is so old school?

[Kython]

YESS!!!

Xykon and MTID are back!

wonder what'll happen now... if Miko can defeat Xykon (probably not gonna happen) the hoard will likely disperse. if Miko runs Xykon will follow her to Azure City (btw, why would Xykon want to go to a city swarming with paladins/samurai? for kicks probably (see oots195)) and there'd be a HUGE confrontation scene. or Xykon and Miko fight and he defeats her...

UNHOLY CRAP!!... Blackguard Miko!?!

cause if Xykon kills and then animates her, she will become an undead. if she retains her intelligence however, she'd become an evil-undead version of herself!

[the_tick_rules]

return of xykon (cue the imperial theme from star wars lol). wonder what he wants at that tower? or better yet, who would win between him and miko. her smite evils would work on him just fine.

[DougWykstra]

I don't know about Miko's character. While I don't think that "she has no idea what it means to be a paladin," I think that the guy that made the Miko FRC was being just a bit too forgiving. And while she may have started out as a representation of people who play paladins as a way to justify their behavior, she's undergone a lot of development since. I actually think this new comic is an attempt to paint Miko in a more positive light. We find that she is concerned for the starving guardsmen, and generally respectful and polite to them.

But as for Miko's character as a whole... well, I'll say two things for now. First, Miko does appear to have too much of a black-and-white view of the world, and this occasionally leads her to solutions that aren't in keeping with the tenets of the "good" alignment (remember Samantha?).

Second, Roy gets off way too easily in these discussions of Miko's character. Unlike the author of the Miko FRC, I'd say that her speech to the Order after the inn burns down is the exact worst thing she could do. Her self-righteous and condescending lecture is a purely selfish gesture that accomplishes nothing but giving the entire order a negative opinion of her (and possibly the whole Lawful Good alignment). So, that's bad. But is Roy's response any better? He responds to her self-righteous lecture with one of his own, and like Miko's speech, it accomplishes nothing except making it's recipient angry. In fact, Roy's had more self-righteous blowups than Miko has had. We just seem to accept it because Roy is the protagonist.

Anyway, this story event promises to reveal even more of Miko's personality, and I for one can't wait to find out what happens.

[mikeejimbo]

Second, Roy gets off way too easily in these discussions of Miko's character. Unlike the author of the Miko FRC, I'd say that her speech to the Order after the inn burns down is the exact worst thing she could do. Her self-righteous and condescending lecture is a purely selfish gesture that accomplishes nothing but giving the entire order a negative opinion of her (and possibly the whole Lawful Good alignment). So, that's bad.

Ah, so you're saying her speech is kind of like an "I told you so" thing? I think you pushed my opinion of that scene over the edge and into the "evidence against miko" side.

As for Roy, well I don't forgive him for being the protagonist. Although he can get away with being a little more selfish, since he's not a paladin, he's also supposed to be lawful good. Lately in fact, I not only refuse to forgive him for it, but I dislike him.

If he shows any sort of kindness to Elan, it can be forgiven.

[DougWykstra]

Yeah, it kind of struck me as an "I told you so" thing. Notice when she says "I hope you have all learned your lesson." Her eyes are closed when she said that. And as they say in South Park, closing your eyes while speaking is a sign of smugness.

And I don't know... is Roy being selfish? He has been doing the condescending speeches thing more, but he does try to do the right thing, he just gets it horribly wrong, which= comedy. And his attitude toward Elan has always struck me as more of an older brother/younger brother thing. Yes, I know they aren't brothers. It's just part of Roy's character that he can't stop acting like a big brother to anybody who definitely needs his help.

[mikeejimbo]

Well, I meant selfish in his condescending speechs, as Miko was in hers. The point about the older brother/younger brother makes sense, though I don't know if an older brother, when it comes down to it, would leave his little brother after he was captured by bandits.

[DougWykstra]

No, but an older brother might initially let his younger brother get kidnapped by bandits, then later regret it and try to rescue him... at least, in a D&D world. But yeah, I think eventually Elan will tell Roy off for all the times Roy's discounted him.

[theKOT]

I don't know about Miko's character. While I don't think that "she has no idea what it means to be a paladin," I think that the guy that made the Miko FRC was being just a bit too forgiving. And while she may have started out as a representation of people who play paladins as a way to justify their behavior, she's undergone a lot of development since. I actually think this new comic is an attempt to paint Miko in a more positive light. We find that she is concerned for the starving guardsmen, and generally respectful and polite to them.

But as for Miko's character as a whole... well, I'll say two things for now. First, Miko does appear to have too much of a black-and-white view of the world, and this occasionally leads her to solutions that aren't in keeping with the tenets of the "good" alignment (remember Samantha?).

Second, Roy gets off way too easily in these discussions of Miko's character. Unlike the author of the Miko FRC, I'd say that her speech to the Order after the inn burns down is the exact worst thing she could do. Her self-righteous and condescending lecture is a purely selfish gesture that accomplishes nothing but giving the entire order a negative opinion of her (and possibly the whole Lawful Good alignment). So, that's bad. But is Roy's response any better? He responds to her self-righteous lecture with one of his own, and like Miko's speech, it accomplishes nothing except making it's recipient angry. In fact, Roy's had more self-righteous blowups than Miko has had. We just seem to accept it because Roy is the protagonist.

Anyway, this story event promises to reveal even more of Miko's personality, and I for one can't wait to find out what happens.
If you read the entire Miko FRC, you would have a pretty good explaination of the samantha incident.

As to her speech, I think Miko did "I told you so" a little bit, but she was also trying to help them by advising them against a path that she thought would be self-destructive. What was she supposed to do, sit by and let them continue to hurt themselves(and others, such as the innkeeper)? I think that would have been worse.

Now compare that with Roy's speech: his didn't even contain the possibility of promoting self-improvement. All he did was bash her and hurt her just after she had opened up a little bit.

Miko sees things in black and white? Pretty much true, although she doesn't enforce her views upon others, she simply notifies them of said views(albeit in a somewhat self-righteous way).

Yeah, it kind of struck me as an "I told you so" thing. Notice when she says "I hope you have all learned your lesson." Her eyes are closed when she said that. And as they say in South Park, closing your eyes while speaking is a sign of smugness.
South Park doesn't necessarily apply here. From V's (and others) speeches, I have gotten the sense that closed eyes is a way of showing a level of passion in the speaker.

[DougWykstra]

I wouldn't agree so much. V is pretty arrogant. Whenever she closes her eyes, it generally seems to be when she is explaining something that is obvious to her, but not to everyone else. The South Park reference was just an inside joke for anyone who'd seen the "Smug Alert" episode.

Also, the Miko FRC does not give a good reason for Miko killing Samantha. Yeah, Samantha said "You'll join me or you'll die," but as Miko herself explained, the whole situation could have been avoided had she used a gather information check. I'd also point out that most in most RPGs (especially videogames), the path considered most consistent with the "good" alignment involves converting evil characters to good ones rather than killing them, as Miko killed Samantha and her dad and tried to kill Belkar.

And as for the speech- I'm sorry, but no. I've read through that speech several times, and there is nothing constructive about it. In fact, it shows that Miko considers herself superior to the Order ("I will have to keep a closer eye on you all to keep you from straying from the right path"), and detectable underneath the speech is Miko's belief that she, personally, can do no wrong. All in all, it seems like Miko is venting in the way self-righteous people do, by disguising insults in the form of "lessons" that basically all boil down to "I'm right and you're wrong." Of course, that's a part of Miko's character. Even when she is actively alienating people from her alignment, she has to convince herself that it's the right thing to do. Of course, a large part of this could also be due to a low Charisma score- I'd say Miko's is 7, maximum.

But please, don't freak out- I'm not saying that Miko isn't really a good-aligned character- just that her character is more complex than "she's awesome" or "she's a bitch." What I'm really wondering right now is what happened to her parents (she was orphaned at a young age) and how that might have affected her character.

[mikeejimbo]

Of course, a large part of this could also be due to a low Charisma score- I'd say Miko's is 7, maximum.

But isn't physical appearance part of Charisma? Roy seemed to think she was pretty hot.

[theKOT]

I wouldn't agree so much. V is pretty arrogant. Whenever she closes her eyes, it generally seems to be when she is explaining something that is obvious to her, but not to everyone else. The South Park reference was just an inside joke for anyone who'd seen the "Smug Alert" episode.

Also, the Miko FRC does not give a good reason for Miko killing Samantha. Yeah, Samantha said "You'll join me or you'll die," but as Miko herself explained, the whole situation could have been avoided had she used a gather information check. I'd also point out that most in most RPGs (especially videogames), the path considered most consistent with the "good" alignment involves converting evil characters to good ones rather than killing them, as Miko killed Samantha and her dad and tried to kill Belkar.

And as for the speech- I'm sorry, but no. I've read through that speech several times, and there is nothing constructive about it. In fact, it shows that Miko considers herself superior to the Order ("I will have to keep a closer eye on you all to keep you from straying from the right path"), and detectable underneath the speech is Miko's belief that she, personally, can do no wrong. All in all, it seems like Miko is venting in the way self-righteous people do, by disguising insults in the form of "lessons" that basically all boil down to "I'm right and you're wrong." Of course, that's a part of Miko's character. Even when she is actively alienating people from her alignment, she has to convince herself that it's the right thing to do. Of course, a large part of this could also be due to a low Charisma score- I'd say Miko's is 7, maximum.

But please, don't freak out- I'm not saying that Miko isn't really a good-aligned character- just that her character is more complex than "she's awesome" or "she's a bitch." What I'm really wondering right now is what happened to her parents (she was orphaned at a young age) and how that might have affected her character.

Shoot! I had written a long, detailed response to this, but the stupid system logged me out, and now it is lost... WAAAAAAAAAAAA


I guess I'll just respond to the end of it, then: me too.

[Haarculaneaum]

Oh come now, :xykon: and/or :redcloak: wouldn't reanimate Miko as a Zombie. They would make her something intelligent.
You know, so she would still hate Belkar and be able to hunt him down.

Not "as cool," no. Infinitely cooler.

Hooray for Undead Miko!

Haar

[Faramir]

Miko and Xykon in one strip? And meanwhile the OotS are in Azure City ...


Well, they might be in Azure City. They might also be somewhere halfway across the continent.

I loved the indirect reference back to http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0265.html
It's nice that the Giant respects our intelligence enough not to spell things out.

Lord Zentei beat me to the observation that it's likely Xykon and his few powerful companions are taking out the watchtowers first so they don't catch sight of the huge army. And Solara beat me to the likely contents of the high priests letter. :


"Nay Durkon, ye've only met with humans on one continent so far? We're ashamed of thee. Thor wishes ye t'meet humans on every continent! The further away the better. And, um, islands too. Don't forget the islands. All of them. Better do them twice t'be sure."

[Varian7]

Yay! Miko vs Xykon! She has Smite Evil and great magic resistance. Go Miko!

[Lord Zentei]

Durkon gives the letter to Shojo, Shojo gives it to Miko, Miko takes it to the High Priest, High Priest sends it back to Shojo?

Makes sense to me, anyway.

Well, yes: though as I pointed out, she would presumably know what the mission to the High Priest was about, as Shojo's gifts to the OOTS were not a secret or anything; this in conjunction with the manner in which she described what she was carrying leads me to suspect that there may be more than just the reply to Durkon.

[KeiranHalcyon]

My take on that is that Lord Shojo, knowing Miko's history with the Order, would have deliberately withheld that info from Miko, and added a coverletter to Durkon's message instructing the high priest to do the same.

[SPoD]

Yeah, that's my thinking as well. Shojo needed to send someone to the dwarves with a message, and according to Hinjo, Miko is the first choice for long missions that keep her away from home. Plus it minimizes the chance of her accidentally running into OOTS while they are entering or leaving Shojo's palace.


Well, yes: though as I pointed out, she would presumably know what the mission to the High Priest was about, as Shojo's gifts to the OOTS were not a secret or anything;

They absolutely WERE secret. Those gifts were Shojo's payment for getting the OOTS to embark on a secret mission for him, one that the paladins specifically could not be told about. Thus, no one but Shojo would know about the gifts; Miko wouldn't even know that the OOTS was still hanging around Azure City.

[Laman_Stahros]

Was it ever explained why Xykon has a hole in his skull where a nose would be if he had had one when he was alive?

The simple answer is that the nose is made of cartilage and there is a hole in your skull right under it.

[KeiranHalcyon]

But it has been established that no one in OOTSland has noses. http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0339.html

[Alfryd]

I think that the guy that made the Miko FRC was being just a bit too forgiving.
Hence the term 'advocacy.'

I actually think this new comic is an attempt to paint Miko in a more positive light.
The alternative was that she Fall, since her prior conduct was sub-borderline-Good by Rich's indirect admission.

Miko does appear to have too much of a black-and-white view of the world, and this occasionally leads her to solutions that aren't in keeping with the tenets of the "good" alignment (remember Samantha?).
Given you've read the FRC, you'll have to explain that in a little more detail.

...as Miko herself explained, the whole situation could have been avoided had she used a gather information check.
Yes, but she only knew so after the fact of the engagement. And it's an RP-related joke, for fracksake.

Unlike the author of the Miko FRC, I'd say that her speech to the Order after the inn burns down is the exact worst thing she could do.
Oh, that's quite plausible. The question is whether she *knew* this was the worst possible thing to do. She is socially inept, so she might very well not recognise the problem and genuinely believe she's just trying to help. Roy, on the other hand, should know at least slightly better.

I've read through that speech several times, and there is nothing constructive about it.
She points out that had they stayed outside the Inn, they would have avoided the whole messy fracas and loss of lucre in the first place- which is entirely correct. She attributes this to divine providence- which is *probably* wrong, though Roy used the same excuse- but she probably has a nagging suspicion the entire truth is not being told, given the extravagant hotel bill.

All in all, it seems like Miko is venting in the way self-righteous people do, by disguising insults in the form of "lessons" that basically all boil down to "I'm right and you're wrong."
I think she's entitled to a little venting under the circumstances, consciously or otherwise. After all, the OotS are ticked off largely due to the fact that she's pretty close to the truth. Calling a skinny man fat has no effect, call a fat man fat and he'll take umbrage.

Of course, a large part of this could also be due to a low Charisma score- I'd say Miko's is 7, maximum.
Combat analysis indicates 16+. I don't understand it, but there you are.

But isn't physical appearance part of Charisma? Roy seemed to think she was pretty hot.
Hence my belief that Miko's body amounts to at least a +8 cha bonus.

I'm not saying that Miko isn't really a good-aligned character- just that her character is more complex than "she's awesome" or "she's a bitch."
We noticed.

And as they say in South Park, closing your eyes while speaking is a sign of smugness.
I'd go with 'didactic.' And, I'll take 'tenuous evidence', for 500.

[Solara]

Really, sometimes I wish people could just enjoy the comic without making such a huge deal about every little detail.

Even though things have been (mostly) civil so far, I get sick of that undercurrent of fanaticism in so much of the discussion whenever Miko shows up...it can make the forums very unpleasant to hang out in.

[Lord Zentei]

They absolutely WERE secret. Those gifts were Shojo's payment for getting the OOTS to embark on a secret mission for him, one that the paladins specifically could not be told about. Thus, no one but Shojo would know about the gifts; Miko wouldn't even know that the OOTS was still hanging around Azure City.

Except that the wizards knew that V was getting to copy from their spellbooks, the clerics knew that Haley was getting examined to get her voice back, Elan got a "gift card" that could be used anywhere, and the blacksmith knew that Roy got his sword reforged. In fact, the only gift that was genuinely secret was Belkar being released. No one was told why they were getting all this: Shojo could simply claim that Mr Scruffy wanted them compensated for having been dragged halfway across the world to stand trial during which they were aquitted. Who would say otherwise? Not the Sapphire Guard, certainly.

Also: Hinjo knew that the order was still hanging around Azure city. He even spoke to them when Elan told them about the New Year's party. Why should Miko be in the dark?

[ARMOURERERIC]

I was expecting more Jimmy Hendrix puns like:

Consuming soy sauce packets all day keeps our minds too much in a purple haze to do our jobs properly.