What creatures don't breathe?

[Tiiba]

1) No D&D playing experience.
2) Read all the strips and the two prequel books.
3) Been lurking for a while, but this is my first post.

Okay, so Belkar's prophecy says he'll stop breathing soon, which most people assume means he'll die. Well, the one thing I know is that Rich Burlew is not in the habit of giving away a huge twist in clear text several hundred strips in advance, and none of the prophecies are what they look like.

And the "undead" twist seems unlikely, because it's been done already.

So what else doesn't breathe? Do gods breathe? Is Belkar Chubby Clarinet Boy?

Relevant. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0439.html)

[Copperdragon]

Too many to list.

All undead, elementals, constructs + a bazillion others. I also doubt you can simply suffocate devils, demons, angels, other outsiders, beings of energy, magic, ...

[Stormlock]

Given that the oracle seemed gleeful about Belkar breathing his last, it seems unlikely it would be a result of Belkar ascending to divinity. Aside from undead, there's not a whole lot. Constructs? Not likely. Ditto for most other creature types. Belkar isn't going to become an Ooze or Elemental.

Aside from outright death, there are other pseudo deaths; petrification or permanent stasis spells.

He could also become some other kind of intelligent undead besides a vampire, that might not be too obvious. Ghosts can retain class levels for example. So can Mummy Lords, though that's... not likely.

[hamishspence]

The Oracle says a few other things "off the record" that seemed like euphemisms for "he will die soon"

"shouldn't bother funding his IRA"
"should savour his next birthday cake".

[Kish]

Corpses do not breathe.

[Dissection]

Is Belkar Chubby Clarinet Boy?


I love you

[FLHerne]

The Oracle says a few other things "off the record" that seemed like euphemisms for "he will die soon"
"should savour his next birthday cake".
That same Oracle does seem to like misleading comments, though. Remember what Xykon hated most about lichdom? :smallwink:

[martianmister]

Xykon's mindless/soulless zombie/undead/whatevers don't breathe as well.

[Zmeoaice]

The Oracle says a few other things "off the record" that seemed like euphemisms for "he will die soon"

"shouldn't bother funding his IRA"
"should savour his next birthday cake".

"Not long for this world"

[FLHerne]

Xykon's mindless/soulless zombie/undead/whatevers don't breathe as well.

"Not long for this world"
Ah! I have it!

He'll be turned into some kind of [non-breathing, unable to taste things] undead (by Xykon or Malack?), then - when they blow up the Gate as always - fall into the rift and end up on that world inside that Blackwing saw.

That solves the cake-savouring, breathing and world problems, and I have no idea what an IRA is, so that doesn't count. :smalltongue:

Did that already get suggested? I haven't seen it, but then I don't forum-lurk around here very often. :smallsigh:

[Grogmir]

My vote is for Belkar being dead dead. Not coming back dead. But it not happening until the end of the story.
Stories normally speed up, and while he's only got what 4-5 weeks in comic time left? once this gate goes. KBoom. Then the race will be on to the next one.

Belkar will go down saving the world at the end.

[Menas]

The Oracle says a few other things "off the record" that seemed like euphemisms for "he will die soon"

"shouldn't bother funding his IRA"
"should savour his next birthday cake".

Obviously, because vampires don't need to retire and can't eat birthday cake :smalltongue:.

[Tiiba]

Well, gods definitely don't need an IRA. I suppose they can eat cake if they want, but Roy didn't when he was dead. I'm guessing they probably don't care about it.

I can see it now. Belkar does something super-cool that destroys Xykon and makes the Snarl at least unable to threaten the world. (But Tarquin is already dead by this point, and his fall, dramatic in its own right, is overshadowed and forgotten.) Elan tearily writes a ballad about the little man who did what three pantheons of gods couldn't, people hear the tale - and some time later, Belkar ascends as the patron god of warriors facing insurmountable odds.

This would be SO COOL.

[Zmeoaice]

I can see it now. Belkar does something super-cool that destroys Xykon and makes the Snarl at least unable to threaten the world. (But Tarquin is already dead by this point, and his fall, dramatic in its own right, is overshadowed and forgotten.) Elan tearily writes a ballad about the little man who did what three pantheons of gods couldn't, people hear the tale - and some time later, Belkar ascends as the patron god of warriors facing insurmountable odds.


And he'll be part of the Puppet Pantheon with Banjo and Giggles.

[Tiiba]

I'm afraid I forgot who Giggles is.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

I'm afraid I forgot who Giggles is.

Presenting Giggles, God of Slapstick (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0561.html), depicted wielding his signature unholy artifact weapon.

[Stormlock]

Belkar falling into the rift would definitely fulllfill the prophecy- even if it doesn't kill him, I doubt even the oracle knows that. Snarl dimension seems like more than just 'another plane'.

Though it would be rather odd if he fell in alone, didn't die, and the order didn't follow him and he never came back. I can't imagine how that would happen, and without all of those factors you'd think the oracle wouldn't single him out or think he's dead.

[factotum]

Corpses do not breathe.

+1. He's a goner, he just hasn't stopped moving yet.

[Siosilvar]

Things that do not need to breathe:

Dead things
Constructs
Elementals
Undead
Deities
Things in Sepia Snake Sigils (temporarily)
Anything that specifically doesn't breathe

Interestingly, oozes and plants both "breathe" and "eat".

[Roland Itiative]

Obviously, because vampires don't need to retire and can't eat birthday cake :smalltongue:.
Of course. Because tradition halfling birthday cakes have garlic in them, and Belkar would never eat a cake without it.

[Charity322]

That same Oracle does seem to like misleading comments, though. Remember what Xykon hated most about lichdom? :smallwink:

Not being able to drink coffee? How does that make the Oracle misleading?

[Shred-Bot]

1) No D&D playing experience.
2) Read all the strips and the two prequel books.
3) Been lurking for a while, but this is my first post.

Okay, so Belkar's prophecy says he'll stop breathing soon, which most people assume means he'll die. Well, the one thing I know is that Rich Burlew is not in the habit of giving away a huge twist in clear text several hundred strips in advance, and none of the prophecies are what they look like.

And the "undead" twist seems unlikely, because it's been done already.

So what else doesn't breathe? Do gods breathe? Is Belkar Chubby Clarinet Boy?

Relevant. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0439.html)

But since the Giant has developed such a reputation of doing the unexpected, wouldn't it thus make it more surprising if he did exactly what was telegraphed repeatedly so many strips ago? Twists are much more effective and surprising in a story if you occasionally play it straight.

[Silverionmox]

IMO he already toyed with that line of though by making it seem for a moment that Belkar would become vampirized. But now with Durkon absent, Belkar's death would be permanent.

[Starwaster]

Presenting Giggles, God of Slapstick (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0561.html), depicted wielding his signature unholy artifact weapon.

"Water Walk!"

"You had Water Walk prepared?"

"I live onna boat an' wear heavy armor."

"Good point."

[Red_Lava]

{Scrubbed}

[Peelee]

Corpses do not breathe.

Best answer thus far.

[skim172]

I've been expecting Belkar to get wiped out by the Snarl since the prophecy. It's the specific wording of "Not long for this world," probably getting me to think that way. Especially since this is a world where characters carry on in an afterlife and regularly return from the dead, the Snarl signifies a permanent end that doesn't really exist otherwise.

[rodneyAnonymous]

Strongly doubt Belkar will ascend to godhood, the Oracle wouldn't have been happy about that.

[Tiiba]

Destruction by the Snarl is certainly an option, especially considering that nobody's been fed to it in a while. But I'm pretty sure it won't be a regular death. The Oracle seemed really reluctant to put it that way.

By the way, where does it actually say that the Snarl destroys souls?

[gorocz]

Well, Belkar getting to the world in the world through the rift would explain the world part and possibly the IRA or even the cake if it's some sort of pastry-less world but not the breath part.
Sentient undead would explain the latter three, but not the first.
Some kind of outsider would explain the world but not the breathing or cake (Outsiders have to breathe and can eat according to this (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/glossary&term=Glossary_dnd_outsidertype&alpha=)).

Elemental is the only explanation (apart from actual death or a mindless undeath of course) that'd explain all of them. They are from another plane (world, sort of), they do not eat or breathe (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/glossary&term=Glossary_dnd_elementaltype&alpha=E) and I'm guessing that the US government would see being turned into an elemental as a good enough reason to close your IRA. Another explanation for the last part would be that Belkar turns into a golden (platinum) elemental, which would mean he wouldn't need to bother to fund the IRA because he'd be set for life anyway...

[brionl]

Destruction by the Snarl is certainly an option, especially considering that nobody's been fed to it in a while. But I'm pretty sure it won't be a regular death. The Oracle seemed really reluctant to put it that way.

By the way, where does it actually say that the Snarl destroys souls?

During the Crayons of Time sequence. The Snarl totally destroyed the Eastern Gods (Greeks). Later on, Soon & everybody else seemed to think that Soon's wife & Kraagor were gone for good.

Anyway, I'm going with plain ol' dead dead for Belkar.