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View Full Version : OOTS #380 - The Discussion Thread



The Giant
2006-11-23, 07:10 AM
New comic is up.

Happy Thanksgiving, for those who celebrate it.

wodan46
2006-11-23, 07:12 AM
uh oh
this could be problematic

Max_Sinister
2006-11-23, 07:13 AM
Thx Giant!

So Sabine has her own plans, and not-Elan is asking out Haley. Will she NOW get it?

ThorFluff
2006-11-23, 07:18 AM
Sweeet! we actually get some background infor on sabine!

Drakuul
2006-11-23, 07:21 AM
Finders fee... classic :)

Zeb The Troll
2006-11-23, 07:22 AM
Looks like some of those predicting Haley will giure it out during some not-Elan seduction may have been right after all since Sabine decided to absent herself from the situation for a day.

The Glitter Ninja
2006-11-23, 07:24 AM
No! Haley, it's a trap! Why can't she hear me?

Elftist
2006-11-23, 07:28 AM
Wow, Giant, you're really sticking to a strict schedule.

This one kinda reminds me of an episode of Buffy.

Ruduen
2006-11-23, 07:28 AM
Anyone else have the feeling this is how someone in the party is going to find out it's Nale? After all, Haley will probably realize that Elan would never realize her feelings.

Shatteredtower
2006-11-23, 07:31 AM
Oh, he's so going to Hell for this...

...what?

Tricia
2006-11-23, 07:32 AM
...this bodes not well.

Though I agree, Haley's probably going to figure it out.

faerwain
2006-11-23, 07:33 AM
Thanks Rich and have fun celebrating(same to the rest of the board).

To quote Haley, I also never thought this strip would have that much plot when I started reading :) Do I smell a little betrayal coming up to the once-bearded-man-who-likes-to-scheme ? :smallbiggrin: (Schadenfreude rules)

Sabines planar door liked quite cool, I think. Though I guess getting romantic suddenly is exactly what Nale shouldn't do to be believeable, the last panel made me strongly renew my wish: I really, really want to see Roy so beating the living hell out of Nale :smallfurious:

Suspense rises...

chibibar
2006-11-23, 07:33 AM
oh man.......... this is going to be... umm... interesting...

I'm sure Haley will either find out or too happy to notice.

Rumda
2006-11-23, 07:35 AM
the ending of two plot lines are very near, no more nale no more cryptograms

Wulfric
2006-11-23, 07:39 AM
Oooh yeah! And what happens if Miss Starshine decides she actually prefers the new decisive 'Elan'? I see a need for random alchemical metal in the near future!

Cheers,
Wulfric

carais
2006-11-23, 07:39 AM
I'm not so sure about Nale. Now, Haley's problem could approach its solution indeed. And a question to the rule advocats - planeshift once a day, does that supply a critital hint on Sabine's nature? Or is ist still ambiguous?

battleburn
2006-11-23, 07:39 AM
Awesome. Finally an answer to why she is on earth with Nale. Though we still don't know if it was coincidence that brought them together or that she alligned with Nale when she discovered he was after that talisman. Whatever the case is. She now has some crazy stuff to report.

Edit: I wonder. If the gods together created earth to keep the snarl from getting away. How will those people in hell react. Do they allready know it. And more importantly, do they want to set the snarl free (evil comes forth out of the snarl) or perhaps the snarl is just chaotic neutral and the demons want to harvast its powers without releasing it. Thereby starting an age where lawfull evil is winning.

ozmar
2006-11-23, 07:41 AM
UH OH!!! This is gonna be sooooo bad!

Look out Haley!!!

How am I going to enjoy my turkey now? I'll be worrying about this all weekend!

Ozmar the Anxious

Felinoid
2006-11-23, 07:41 AM
Oh dear. As much as I had been hoping that this would happen, so that Haley could get her speech back in mistaking Nale for Elan, now that it's here, all I can think is "NOOOOOO!" And I would say that Sabine made a good Bluff roll, but as we all know, feminine bluffs aimed at guys have a +10 bonus.

Comic was okay. The few jokes (The fate of the world hinges on our actions? What else is new? XD) are well balanced out by the good plot movement, and hopefully the next one will be the laugh riot we've come to expect. :smallsmile:

Shakalooloo_Doom
2006-11-23, 07:41 AM
Haley found some more loot somewhere, then...

lord_khaine
2006-11-23, 07:44 AM
pretty surprising that those lower plane buggers have not discovered the snarl before now, or maybe its just the portals that are a surprise?

Diabo
2006-11-23, 07:44 AM
Go Nale!!! Will Haley figured it out? Will She Able to warn the others?

WarriorTribble
2006-11-23, 07:51 AM
I get the feeling that the lower plane folks would consider this an important situation to keep track of so they'll portal Sabine back themselves ASAP, causing some akward situations.

Miklus
2006-11-23, 07:54 AM
I stand by my claim that Nale is the most EEEEVIL baddie ever. Not even Xykon would try to score with his own brothers girlfriend. And just because his regular partner is away for one day. Thats a 9.8 on the evil scale!

Fenix
2006-11-23, 07:55 AM
So, girls, what have you learned today? Never say these words to your boyfriend:
"What am I, your mother ? Find some way to amuse yourself."
:-)))))))

Archonic Energy
2006-11-23, 07:57 AM
i wonder who's gonna be annoied the most when they discover the truth?

Haley Vs Sabine II : The Grudge match.

Atheist_Cleric
2006-11-23, 08:01 AM
VERY interesting comic, raises a ot of questions. Biggest one is possibly how hell at large will react to the Snarl news. It's possible the high-ups there know about it, but the question is, would they want it released? For all we know, the Snarl is so chaotic that it would destroy hell as well, after all it destroyed some of the gods, and arnt the high-ups of hell just opposite sides of that same coin? Maybe they'll order Sabine to make sure that the Snarl is not released....that would mean....the Linear guild and the OOTS working together? Yeesh. Or maybe they'll want Nale to get the power of the gates on his side, and become their pawn on earth. And of course, on the other side, there's Nale and Haley....this could go any way. Suave as he is, could Nale really pull off Elan attempting to seduce Haley? And if not, when will Haley realise? I'm guessing that she'll either discover it, probably through the not-knowing-about-cryptograms thing, and rat him out.....or...she'll realise after a nice dinner etc when they are in the city alone...and Nale will realise she'll have to be silenced. He did plan on getting rid of them one by one...suspenseful!

Adlan
2006-11-23, 08:06 AM
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh dear lord the tension.

Alfryd
2006-11-23, 08:12 AM
New comic is up.
Not bad. 8.3 on the facetiascope, cap'n.

Oh dear lord the tension.
Agreed.

warmachine
2006-11-23, 08:19 AM
Nale hitting on his brother's girlfriend? That's really low. Where I come from, you don't get a cease-and-desist demand for that violation, it goes straight to fighting.

AngstSchreeuw
2006-11-23, 08:19 AM
Interesting information on Sabine, but the last panel is what made the comic, that one really made me laugh out loud, best panel in OOTS yet :smallbiggrin: .

Om
2006-11-23, 08:20 AM
And yet another party turns its attention to the Order... interesting.

Blood
2006-11-23, 08:25 AM
Pretty good comic. No real big punchlines, but this should get good - Haley who can't speak, and Nale disguised as Elan...

Haley will realize it's Nale, but won't be able to tell anyone. I wonder if she can write it down?

Merlin the Tuna
2006-11-23, 08:27 AM
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. Now, while this section of the story is sort of critical, I realize you're all waiting to see what happens to poor Elan. 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.

Graaah! I thought we were gonna find out what happened to Elan after Miko's segment! We've been had!

Ethdred
2006-11-23, 08:30 AM
Nale hitting on his brother's girlfriend? That's really low. Where I come from, you don't get a cease-and-desist demand for that violation, it goes straight to fighting.

Mind you, Haley isn't actually Elan's girlfriend, due to his inability to take a hint. So you could argue that she's fair game.

Adder
2006-11-23, 08:33 AM
Aww, I love Haley's expression in the last panel. Also I'm looking forward to learning more about Sabine, although I hope she will use the opportunity to change back. The schoolgirl dress starts to irritate me (must be a gender-based-thing :smalleek:).

Dawnstrider_Moogle
2006-11-23, 08:45 AM
Haha, Durkon suggesting parcheesi made me laugh for some reason.

Another unexpected laugh: it almost seems like Haley's just been in the same room as Sabine and Nale the whole time they were discussing their evil plans :P

Mr_Shrubber
2006-11-23, 08:45 AM
Another good one. I particularly enjoyed Nale's 'Pinky moment'.

:nale:: "So what evil stuff are we doing tonight?"

Oh, and
Sabine is out of town, because "the OotS are not leaving for Girard's Gate yet", and she can only use Plane Shift once a day. Talk of hammering home a plot point...

Varian7
2006-11-23, 08:49 AM
Yes, we get more background on Sabine, and Haley may get her voice back! Looking forward to the next installment.

Korith
2006-11-23, 08:50 AM
The plot thickens!

No doubt that Sabine's Plane Shift will fall as far off the mark as possible on her return trip...or at least put her in a position that's awkward for Nale.

Gentlemaniac
2006-11-23, 08:56 AM
Oh man, this is going to be great... but I really can't see how Nale is going to conceal his true identity from Haley. I do love the "it's that time of the century" excuse though.

My guess? Haley will see through his disguise but be unable to tell the others until it's too late.

Estelindis
2006-11-23, 08:59 AM
The last panel... Haley's expression looks so blank. She's so convinced that it'll never happen between her and Elan that she doesn't even react when he shows up with flowers. I can almost see her wondering if this is a case of "Hey Haley, want to play a game of count the flowers? How many blue ones do we have here?" or something else incredibly inane and Elan-like...

And yes, it is shaping up rather nicely for a convergence of arrivals, departures, and coincidences "tomorrow"...

But I find myself wanting to find out what happens "tonight" with Nale and Haley more.

Superman's Ned
2006-11-23, 08:59 AM
Could this be the 'gift horse' that Haley isn't supposed to look in the mouth? (see #331)

~The Patriots~
2006-11-23, 09:00 AM
There are, like, 10 different directions this situation could go. Can't wait for the next one


Could this be the 'gift horse' that Haley isn't supposed to look in the mouth? (see #331)

true, I forgot about that

ShiftShaper
2006-11-23, 09:09 AM
I just thought of something. What if haley (who thinks Nale is Elan) makes it clear that she loves Elan. Because Nale isnt stupid he will know, and because Haley thinks she just spilled her secret she'll regain her voice.

Just speculating here.

wodan46
2006-11-23, 09:11 AM
given Haley's sense motive and super high DX, she is unlikely to be in serious trouble

fithi
2006-11-23, 09:11 AM
Wha--? Oh man, this is going to have an interesting fallout. Sabine's friends likely coming back for a visit, Nale and Haley interaction....

Like most other people, I expect that Haley is going to be getting her voice back soon.

This should be interesting....

Pegasos989
2006-11-23, 09:11 AM
Could this be the 'gift horse' that Haley isn't supposed to look in the mouth? (see #331)

You are a genius...

charik
2006-11-23, 09:21 AM
Ooohh, this is going to be fun!
I'm with the others: the Snarl thing is so important, the Greater Fiends will send Sabine back themselves, directly to Nale.
Anyone up for a quick game of bricce?:smallbiggrin:

DanMan
2006-11-23, 09:22 AM
Oh Noes!!
Haley! He's evil!
Oh Noes!!
:smalleek:

VMorticia
2006-11-23, 09:27 AM
Of course, to maintain suspense about the not-Elan/Haley scene we'll probably get to see Sabine visiting her folks next strip. It's also possible we'll see some of Xykon or not-Nale after that... just to keep us hanging for a while.

I hate cliffhangers, yet having written a few myself it makes perfect sense that this is meant to be a long one.

:belkar:

Sengoku
2006-11-23, 09:34 AM
When I saw the title of #380, I got it before reading the strip.

Let's see whether Nale has more Bluff or Haley more Sense Motive!! :)

SPOILER below.......











Of course, how many of you said, sabine will reappear in the worst situation (and Nale will probably pretend to be Elan, and Sabine will be forced not to say the truth)

StarWidget
2006-11-23, 10:16 AM
Oh, wow... I'm not sure she'll know he's Nale... she'll probably be too excited/happy to notice. And I'm pretty sure the situation puts her at a disadvantage with her sense motive.

If anything, she'll realize it's not him BECAUSE she doesn't get her voice back...

I wanna see what happens!!

B9anders
2006-11-23, 10:17 AM
I stand by my claim that Nale is the most EEEEVIL baddie ever. Not even Xykon would try to score with his own brothers girlfriend. And just because his regular partner is away for one day. Thats a 9.8 on the evil scale!

Xykon would kill his brother's girlfriend and raise her as a zombie.

Btw, 'the red knight requests lodging'? That's terrible.:smallbiggrin:

the afterman
2006-11-23, 10:25 AM
wonder who hides under those cloaks in the nine hells..

and, yeah, hittin' on the rogue is not much of a great idea, i guess
seriously, is he really that horny all the time? well, maybe there's something more to this "amusement" for him than just what everyone might think there is :smallcool:



Comic was okay. The few jokes (The fate of the world hinges on our actions? What else is new? XD) are well balanced out by the good plot movement, and hopefully the next one will be the laugh riot we've come to expect. :smallsmile:

Not bad. 8.3 on the facetiascope, cap'n.
uh.. up to this point i could never grasp what is it that people are tryin' to achieve with such comments
err.. a 10.0 score strip from the author? :smallannoyed: sorry if offended, but i was reading some of the comic threads occasionally for about a year now, and it looks like a lot of people here are desperate to outsmart Rich for some reason :smallconfused:

and i fail to comprehend how it is possible at all to make a spoiler in a webcomic forum where no one actually knows what's goin' to happen in the next strip :smallconfused:

Chaosmage
2006-11-23, 10:33 AM
Anyone else get the sudden urge to kill Nale when they saw that last panel?

Emmerson Grant
2006-11-23, 10:41 AM
Durkon and Parcheesi. I loved it. Hell, I'd buy a "The Order of The Stick Parcheesi set".

Neon Knight
2006-11-23, 10:49 AM
My personal bet is that Haley won't realize he is Elan until they do something that so obviously conveys affection, yet does not result in Haley's voice returning. And by that I mean a kiss or something. Yes. A kiss.

Sol
2006-11-23, 10:52 AM
so...is the "fiend" in the title of the comic an answer to the fiend vs. devil debate?

DarkLightDragon
2006-11-23, 10:53 AM
"Knock knock!"

*burts out in laughter*

Thomar_of_Uointer
2006-11-23, 10:56 AM
I love hating Nale. Come on, Haley, you've got the best Spot modifier in the group, and you're allowed checks hourly!

SupraGuy
2006-11-23, 10:59 AM
When the gift horse comes knocking...

"knock knock"

Uh ... Oracle prediction #1. Gotta be.

Korith
2006-11-23, 11:03 AM
Wait...on the subject of the oracle
Elan was promised a happy ending. Hmm...maybe he pull's a Joseph? (rises from prisoner to ruler of a nation)

Earthstar_Fungus
2006-11-23, 11:06 AM
Ooooo, the plot thickens like old oatmeal!

CelestialStick
2006-11-23, 11:07 AM
I love hating Nale. Come on, Haley, you've got the best Spot modifier in the group, and you're allowed checks hourly!

I wouldn't be surprised if Haley realizes that he's not Elan--but then can't tell anyone!

Woot! Sabine used Yiddish! Funny, she doesn't look Jewish! :smallbiggrin: She must be a Sephardic Jew. :smallwink: By the way Rich, it's spelled s-c-h-m-u-c-k; you're missing the 'c.' It's not one of the Yiddish words I learned from my mother! :D

Hey, what's all this talk of devils and hell in relation to Sabine? I thought she was supposed to be a succubus--a demon from the Abyss?:smallconfused:

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! :smallsmile:

Kish
2006-11-23, 11:41 AM
Hey, what's all this talk of devils and hell in relation to Sabine? I thought she was supposed to be a succubus--a demon from the Abyss?:smallconfused:


Whether she's a demon or a devil is supposed to be a mystery for the time being.

Laman_Stahros
2006-11-23, 11:42 AM
Hey, what's all this talk of devils and hell in relation to Sabine? I thought she was supposed to be a succubus--a demon from the Abyss?:smallconfused:
That is still unclear. It could go either way. Personally, I think :sabine: is a succubus, but we may never know for sure. Ain't the suspense great! :smallbiggrin:


Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! :smallsmile:
You too. :smallsmile:

Edit: Kish, your a meanie. You ninja'd me! :smallbiggrin:

Bilbo27
2006-11-23, 11:49 AM
Oh Haley, she will ever rue the day when she finds out she nailed Nale

The Hammer of Thor
2006-11-23, 12:00 PM
You know, some people thought this would happen. But they thought Haley would recognise Nale. What if she doesn't? What if Sabine catches Nale? Trouble looms!

Movoza
2006-11-23, 12:08 PM
"knock knock..."

:smalleek:

i am shocked... almost to shocked for words...

someone is going to get his a** kicked... :smalltongue:

nice comic overall again

skreweded
2006-11-23, 12:08 PM
Love it. The last panel was probably the best I have seen. Worst case scenario: she starts going out with nale, leaves party. Best case, she find out nale is nale, tells everyone. Funniest, goes out with nale, doesnt find out, then elan comes back.

CelestialStick
2006-11-23, 12:11 PM
Whether she's a demon or a devil is supposed to be a mystery for the time being.

Ah! Thanks Kish. It's been so long since I read the earlier comics and since I hung out here reguarly that I've forgotten what I don't know! :smallbiggrin:


That is still unclear. It could go either way. Personally, I think :sabine: is a succubus, but we may never know for sure. Ain't the suspense great! :smallbiggrin:


You too. :smallsmile:

Edit: Kish, your a meanie. You ninja'd me! :smallbiggrin:


Bleh, my memory isn't good enough anymore for me to feel suspense. I'm turning 46 in 6 days. I mean, I forgot that I didn't know she's a succubus!

Thanks for the Thanksgiving well-wishes. I got an e-card from my mother that showed a cat wearing a pilgrim hat. Now that's a happy Thanksgiving!:smallbiggrin:

FuziSlipers
2006-11-23, 12:15 PM
GASP! Evil! *points*

But terrifically so.

Nazzo, the 102nd
2006-11-23, 12:32 PM
When the gift horse comes knocking...

Actually, it's "When the gift horse comes calling, don't look it in the mouth."

Here is the spoooooky reference (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0331.html) that lives by the comic archive page. :smallbiggrin:

Telinyth
2006-11-23, 12:37 PM
The minute I read the Sabine-backstory, I had only one thought in my mind: Xykon versus "hell" for control of the Snarl. It would be too hilarious if the OoTs were forced to side with Xykon and/or Redcloak (I have misgivings about his so-called loyalty to Xykon), in order to prevent a much greater disaster.

There are a LOT of plot threads running around here, that's for sure.

theKOT
2006-11-23, 01:00 PM
Fabulous. It made me smile, the whole while advancing the plot and developing the characters a ton. It wasn't entirely unforseen, but it was still fun to see the twist at the end. This really leaves you feeling satisfied with the comic, but craving more. Additionally, the use of cutaways for pacing was very well done. 9/10

Aww, poor Haley. I feel so sorry for her, being taken advantage of like this. And poor Elan, what will his reaction be to all this? Makes me sad.... Which means this is a good one. Keep it up!

For some reason I think Haley will actually fall in love with nale. Not because that's how I want it to go, but because that is the way it seems to be heading. I hope this doesn't happen, but Elan seems to be slowly realizing his feelings for Haley and it would be very tragic were Haley to stop feeling attracted now. Then again, the Giant defended Haley and Elan as a couple in a thread quite vigorously, so perhaps this won't happen or is only a delay of the inevitable. I hope it is the former, because I would be driven insane if poor Elan became the odd one out.

CelestialStick
2006-11-23, 01:07 PM
I mean, I forgot that I didn't know she's a succubus!

What else could she be, really? There's a female devil called an erinyes, but she doesn't have the ability to alter her form.

Soniku
2006-11-23, 01:16 PM
Looks like someones gonna blow their coo-veer :smalltongue:

Though, given Haleys lack of oh, say, warning ability... Might take a whole while before anyone else gets it.

fractal
2006-11-23, 01:19 PM
Just goes to show why Shojo should have been more careful to whom he revealed the secret of the Gates. You clue in one small party of good-aligned adventurers, next thing you know, the hordes of Hell are knocking on your door.

KIDS
2006-11-23, 01:20 PM
That scene where Nale brought flowers for Haley shocked me so hard I almost gagged. ROFLMAO! I hope they have a long and happy life together. ahahhaha
Maybe Nale will be revelaed when Haley notices that his "weapon of choice" does not look the same!

CelestialStick
2006-11-23, 01:26 PM
Just goes to show why Shojo should have been more careful to whom he revealed the secret of the Gates. You clue in one small party of good-aligned adventurers, next thing you know, the hordes of Hell are knocking on your door.

While "hordes of Hell" has a nice consonance, it's the Abyss that has hordes; Hell has well-disciplined legions. :smallwink:

Nerd-o-rama
2006-11-23, 01:29 PM
Man, those evil male characters. Just can't keep the fiendish viper in the cage. At least he's mixing his business (of being Evil, at least) with pleasure here.

Also, those Archfiends look more like Yugoloths than anything to me...but I guess I'm just used to them being cloaked, and that's a discussion for another thread.

Also, Sabine's still in her schoolgirl outfit. Rich, you truly know the meaning of "fanservice."

imageek
2006-11-23, 01:42 PM
I loved it.. poor Elan

Lerch
2006-11-23, 02:14 PM
I guess Haley will have the chance to see if they are identical twins...

just wondering....

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!:smallbiggrin:

Frosty
2006-11-23, 02:17 PM
There's no way Haley won't figur eit out. Too many things can go wrong.

1) Nale assumes Elan already knows of (and returns) the feelings Haley has for Elan (probably). Haley would get tipped off if Nale doesn't act exactly right for someone who doesn't know that Haley is already in love with him, and is bringing flowers for the very first time, etc.

2) Nale will hear Harley's jibberish, and ask why she's speaking like that, and that'll REALLY tip Haley off.

Weiser_Cain
2006-11-23, 02:43 PM
I know they're just stick figures but I find this disturbing

PhoenixRisen
2006-11-23, 02:43 PM
I agree with the people who are saying that Haley will figure it out. Elan isn't that smooth. He never knew that Haley liked him. Whether or not Haley will be able to warn the others, that's another thing.

Megalomaniac2
2006-11-23, 02:45 PM
DANGER! DANGER! Imminent drama and ****uppery approaching! There are just so many ways this can go wrong for so many people. It's gonna be great.

Where to start? Well, Sabine. I always thought that the fact that she'd been sent by the archfiends as Nale's concubine would come up later. Looks like her loyalties are somewhat divided. Her report can only bode ill for existence in general; if Buffy's taught me anything, it's that when extradimensional evil gets involved in existential power struggles, the **** hits the fan. And here I was under the impression that, with Miko approaching, Xykon's army behind her, and Elan in jail, the fan was already saturated with brown stuff.

It appears that Nale and Sabine's relationship isn't the paragon of evil happiness it appears to be. They may be very passionate with each other, but there's no trust or committment there- Sabine's got divided loyalties, and it looks like Nale's cheating on her first chance he gets. They truly are Haley and Elan's opposites; those two might not be able to express their feelings, but they're deep and true.

Chalk another one up for redheaded beauty! Haley should be flattered that Nale's willing to ditch his shapeshifting, subservient fiend-skank for her. Obviously, this can only lead to Nale's plot unravelling, Haley expressing her feelings (and please GOD getting her voice back, it's been too damn long), and limitless drama, especially if Sabine finds out.

Oh, and Durkon and Parchesi? Too damn cute, along with Sabine's hints at demonic reproductive hygiene. ("Red Knight"... lol)

Tass
2006-11-23, 02:45 PM
There's no way Haley won't figur eit out. Too many things can go wrong.

2) Nale will hear Harley's jibberish, and ask why she's speaking like that, and that'll REALLY tip Haley off.

Except that Elan can't be expected too remember Varsuvious' haircolor.

Caractacus
2006-11-23, 03:10 PM
I can't understand why people are under the impression that Haley isn't able to warn the party that it's Nale. So long as she gets
a) a few minutes to write something down or
b) act it out to the others, and
she is able to do so without Nale being able to interfere (that would blow his cover even more swiftly, unless he kisses her and sweeps her off her feet and hot foots it from the room with her... hmm...), then he's doomed.

Heck, I'm pretty sure that I could act out 'Elan' and then do a shake of the head, followed by an act of 'Nale' followed by vigorous pointing at Nale, so I reckon Haley can too.

MY money is on the fact that they won't believe her and it will be at cliff-hangy moment. (After all, if the party sees Thog and 'Nale' approaching, they may well shoot first and ask questions later...)

Kython
2006-11-23, 03:13 PM
this'll be awesome; the archfiends'll probably find that they have some stake in keeping the snarl locked up (if it breaks out, eveyone on material plane dies, and they have no more source of souls... 'cept the ones already there), nale's attempt to woo haley will raise a few eyebrows (the sheer fact that just about everyone in the party knows about haley's feelings for elan... except for elan himself...)

and I wonder... will anyone notice when "elan" has 5-o'-clock-shadow? and when they do realize the mix up... what then? Xykon'll be at Azure City by then and without elan's bardic music they're all doomed!
...
...ok, fine, "inconvenienced"...

Snake-Aes
2006-11-23, 03:18 PM
HE'LL GIVE IT AWAY! YAY ! :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:

Shara_Littlebottom
2006-11-23, 03:21 PM
I really enjoyed this comic. :smallsmile:

Nale is fun and interesting to read. I hope he stays undercover for a long time and we get plenty of strips with him in the future. Elan? He can stay in jail, he has Thog to keep him company.

Go Nale! :smallbiggrin:

Alfryd
2006-11-23, 03:23 PM
I thought we were gonna find out what happened to Elan after Miko's segment! We've been had!
That is an unusual discrepancy, but perhaps this is a neccesary interlude.

uh.. up to this point i could never grasp what is it that people are tryin' to achieve with such comments
err.. a 10.0 score strip from the author? sorry if offended, but i was reading some of the comic threads occasionally for about a year now, and it looks like a lot of people here are desperate to outsmart Rich for some reason
and i fail to comprehend how it is possible at all to make a spoiler in a webcomic forum where no one actually knows what's goin' to happen in the next strip
And I failed to comprehend anything about what you just said, why it was spoilerised, or, for that matter, your capitalisation.

Then again, the Giant defended Haley and Elan as a couple in a thread quite vigorously...
I would be interested to read said thread. Is there a reference?

Just can't keep the fiendish viper in the cage.
"Would you care to wield my staff of unholy power?" *b-dum chish*

Sabine... Looks like her loyalties are somewhat divided.
Whereas Nale has none to divide.

Solmage
2006-11-23, 03:33 PM
Thx Giant!

So Sabine has her own plans, and not-Elan is asking out Haley. Will she NOW get it?

The question here is whether Nale Will get "it". :smalltongue:

SMEE
2006-11-23, 03:36 PM
This one was awesome. I had quite a good chuckle with it. :D

On a side, twisted, note...


If everything runs "as Nale plans", this might mean something too terrible to say aloud...

Haley... preagnant, bearing the child of her true love evil twin brother... :smalleek:

No... I don't have the guts to think about it anymore... :smalleek:

Megalomaniac2
2006-11-23, 03:47 PM
I can't understand why people are under the impression that Haley isn't able to warn the party that it's Nale. So long as she gets
a) a few minutes to write something down or
b) act it out to the others, and
she is able to do so without Nale being able to interfere (that would blow his cover even more swiftly, unless he kisses her and sweeps her off her feet and hot foots it from the room with her... hmm...), then he's doomed.

Yeah, I can't understand that either. I'm expecting Haley to just kick Nale's ass by herself once she realizes what he's done. She'll certainly be angry enough for it.

the_tick_rules
2006-11-23, 04:14 PM
Red knight is requesting lodging, never heard lady troubles metaphored that way before. But given the medievial era, bonus points for time relevance. Though for the love of everything decent, I pray Nale doesn't get a piece of Haley. Man that'd just be eww. I doubt he will, but still.

Neo
2006-11-23, 04:20 PM
yeah, don't get the Red Knight bit. Probably cos i'm an FR player where the Red Knight is a god of strategy and stuff.

BlueWizard
2006-11-23, 04:31 PM
"Go Nale!" says the evil Blue Wizard. from Bizarro World!

"Nooooooo!" says the good Blue Wizard.

SupraGuy
2006-11-23, 04:58 PM
:thog: nale nail not-nale girl while nale girl not nail not-nale. thog so confused!

Maratanos
2006-11-23, 05:05 PM
I'm seriously getting vibes that barring something UNUSUALLY odd (even for OotS), Nale's about to get Busted. I mean, he totally doesn't even KNOW Haley can't speak Common, for pity's sake!


I can't understand why people are under the impression that Haley isn't able to warn the party that it's Nale. So long as she gets
a) a few minutes to write something down or
b) act it out to the others, and
she is able to do so without Nale being able to interfere (that would blow his cover even more swiftly, unless he kisses her and sweeps her off her feet and hot foots it from the room with her... hmm...), then he's doomed.

Not necessarily, for all we know not speaking common conveys an inability to write things down, either... And Roy has already shown himself to be exceptionally bad at charades... Besides, Haley may be in more immediate danger than that will allow

xyzchyx
2006-11-23, 05:12 PM
Whether she's a demon or a devil is supposed to be a mystery for the time being.Is it?

Erinyes don't have the ability to level drain, Succubi do. Sabine can level drain.

Custom creations notwithstanding, it seems pretty clear-cut to me...


I'm seriously getting vibes that barring something UNUSUALLY odd (even for OotS), Nale's about to get Busted. I mean, he totally doesn't even KNOW Haley can't speak Common, for pity's sake!

It took them several days to journey back home, thanks to a mis-teleport. Do you think in that entire time Haley never said _anything_?


yeah, don't get the Red Knight bit.Here's a hint: It's being used as a euphemism for something else that makes for uncomfortable dinner conversation.

MonkeyHead
2006-11-23, 05:12 PM
Now is the time for a "HEAD SNEAK ATTACK!"

5tephen
2006-11-23, 05:23 PM
Hmm.
There have already been lots of questions about Hell's reaction to this news. Here's my take on it.
Everybody (heaven & hell) already knows about the Snarl. Possibly about the gates. What they don't know about is the potential 'exploit' of the gates that Xykon thinks he can wrangle.

After all: the terms 'heaven' and 'hell' are kind of misnomers here. People keep talking like the demons in hell wouldn't know about the Snarl, because they're not gods, and the gods made the world to imprison the Snarl.

Remember folks- this isn't Christian theology. It isn't even one distinct theology. Where do Tiamat and Loki live, after all?

And Supraguy? You are a GENIUS.

Adeptus
2006-11-23, 05:23 PM
Aww, I love Haley's expression in the last panel. Also I'm looking forward to learning more about Sabine, although I hope she will use the opportunity to change back. The schoolgirl dress starts to irritate me (must be a gender-based-thing :smalleek:).

No it doesn't. It annoys me too, and last time I checked I was a heterosexual male of the species.

Cifer
2006-11-23, 05:27 PM
wonder who hides under those cloaks in the nine hells..
Wonder whether we'll find out since it may be that the cloaks are in the Abyss, Carceri or Gehenna.


so...is the "fiend" in the title of the comic an answer to the fiend vs. devil debate?
Well... there has never been such a debate. She most certainly is a fiend, but that only means she is a being of the lower planes - fiend does not mean demon.


Erinyes don't have the ability to level drain, Succubi do. Sabine can level drain.

Custom creations notwithstanding, it seems pretty clear-cut to me...

I think there have been one or two exceptions from the rules by now, so a custommade fiend wouldn't be that surprising... especially since the cold-iron-or-silver discussion wouldn't make sense otherwise.


I agree with the people who are saying that Haley will figure it out. Elan isn't that smooth. He never knew that Haley liked him.
Actually, I doubt she will, for a simple reason: She wants it to be true. The oracle has said she will get her speech back by not looking into the mouth of the gift horse and that's exactly what she would be doing by questioning whether that is really Elanish behaviour.

Maratanos
2006-11-23, 05:47 PM
It took them several days to journey back home, thanks to a mis-teleport. Do you think in that entire time Haley never said _anything_?

YES. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0378.html) (see 8th panel).

AyuVince
2006-11-23, 05:52 PM
It may very well be that the Outer Planes in the OotS world don't have this clear-cut boundary between lawful evil devils und chaotic evil demons as it is in normal D&D/Planescape. I mean, in Eberron you have planes whose inhabitants have all kinds of alignments. Perhaps Sabine is a Erinyes/Succubus-hybrid.

Cifer
2006-11-23, 05:55 PM
Oh, and this might advance Haley's plot even further: After all, Nale knows a lot more about his father than Elan does - and said father might be the guy who imprisoned Haley's father.

CelestialStick
2006-11-23, 06:07 PM
I can't understand why people are under the impression that Haley isn't able to warn the party that it's Nale. So long as she gets
a) a few minutes to write something down or
b) act it out to the others, and
she is able to do so without Nale being able to interfere (that would blow his cover even more swiftly, unless he kisses her and sweeps her off her feet and hot foots it from the room with her... hmm...), then he's doomed.

Heck, I'm pretty sure that I could act out 'Elan' and then do a shake of the head, followed by an act of 'Nale' followed by vigorous pointing at Nale, so I reckon Haley can too.

MY money is on the fact that they won't believe her and it will be at cliff-hangy moment. (After all, if the party sees Thog and 'Nale' approaching, they may well shoot first and ask questions later...)

I wondered whether Haley can write normally or if that comes out as gibberish too. :smallbiggrin:

Khantalas
2006-11-23, 06:29 PM
Well, if she has full-blown aphasia, she will be unable to even write correctly, thinking her writing to be, in fact, actual, meaningful words. Although, since I vaguely remember reading a translation to the effect of "Wait, why am I speaking like this?", so she is aware of the fact that her words are wrong.

By the way...

Holy cow!

Nale will most likely blunder and Haley will see through her disguise...

OR WILL SHE?

Dun dun dun!

Maratanos
2006-11-23, 06:32 PM
Not necessarily, for all we know not speaking common conveys an inability to write things down, either...


I wondered whether Haley can write normally or if that comes out as gibberish too. :smallbiggrin:

Ninja'd... :biggrin:

warmachine
2006-11-23, 06:42 PM
"The Red Knight is requesting lodging" must be a corruption of an American euphemism and I've never heard of anything like it. It's obvious what it means but what is the correct euphemism?

CelestialStick
2006-11-23, 06:53 PM
Ninja'd... :biggrin:

Oh, mine was an inadvertent ninja. Celestials don't act that way--at least not unless we fall from grace. Dun dun dun!:smallbiggrin:

Grey Knight
2006-11-23, 07:00 PM
Could this be the 'gift horse' that Haley isn't supposed to look in the mouth? (see #331)
Um, wouldn't it be a good idea to look this particular gift horse in the mouth?


so...is the "fiend" in the title of the comic an answer to the fiend vs. devil debate?
"Fiend" is a generic term covering both "demon" and "devil".

PePe QuiCoSE
2006-11-23, 08:24 PM
Nale is not evil.
He's mean and a jerk (Elan dixit).
Xykon IS evil.

Aliquid
2006-11-23, 08:30 PM
Nale is not evil.
He's mean and a jerk (Elan dixit).
Xykon IS evil.So... brutally killing dozens of innocent civilians just to get revenge on your brother isn't evil?

Megalomaniac2
2006-11-23, 08:36 PM
Um, wouldn't it be a good idea to look this particular gift horse in the mouth?

The less Haley has to do with Nale's mouth, I think the better off we'll all be. So she should look the gift horse in the mouth by not looking in its mouth... wait, now I'm confused.

Krimm_Blackleaf
2006-11-23, 09:04 PM
I have a feeling Rich is an evil genius.

Big_Robot
2006-11-23, 09:22 PM
Hmmm, why do I suddenly think Haley will be speaking normally soon?

Solara
2006-11-23, 09:27 PM
So by 'mouth' the Oracle meant 'goatee'? (Which I guess is close enough to count.) :D


I have a feeling Rich is an evil genius.

I have a feeling you are right.

I can see it now:

Sabine turns out to be working for fiends that want to destroy the universe (including that bit Nale happens to be standing on), so he finds himself fighting with the OotS against her. Then somewhere along the way he discovers he actually cares about Haley and heroically sacrifices himself to save her. Then she and Elan live happily ever after. The End. (Okay it's far fetched, but everything else does the wild speculation thing all the time...I felt left out. :smallbiggrin:)

divine
2006-11-23, 09:55 PM
oh Haley.. she's gotta know it's not Elan! I can't wait for the next one!

Nazzo, the 102nd
2006-11-23, 10:28 PM
Why do I have this feeling that we'll switch to the REAL Elan in the next strip? :smallbiggrin:

ElfLad
2006-11-24, 01:03 AM
Because you're cynical. Probably justifiably so.

Tobimaro
2006-11-24, 01:20 AM
Maybe this is Haley's chance to see through Nale's deception. Remeber that she went to see what Elan's 18 charisma looked like "under the hood".

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0028.html

:smallbiggrin:

And I suspect that, even though she is Chaotic Evil, we might see just how jealous Sabine can get when Nale is allowed to play.

I also liked the image of the heroes playing Parcheesi.

chionophile
2006-11-24, 01:30 AM
Does anyone else get the distinct feeling that Nale and Haley are going to be interrupted? This feels like waaay too obvious of a blunder for it to actually be one.

Zeb The Troll
2006-11-24, 01:34 AM
What else could she be, really? There's a female devil called an erinyes, but she doesn't have the ability to alter her form.
I'm on the side of "custom creature" because there are things that lead me to believe she's not a true succubus. Additionally, the half-fiend template accounts for a lot of what we've seen from her, except the level-drain, of course. Here's (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4913) a link to a discussion thread on this topic.


"The Red Knight is requesting lodging" must be a corruption of an American euphemism and I've never heard of anything like it. It's obvious what it means but what is the correct euphemism?
It's normally expressed as "Aunt Flo is in town for a visit."

Cipher
2006-11-24, 03:01 AM
Oh my Lord. "That Time of the Century." I think I about died laughing right there.

Great comic, Monsieur Giant.

Aerysil
2006-11-24, 03:30 AM
Getting... so... complex... *dies*

Manga Shoggoth
2006-11-24, 04:40 AM
Does anyone else get the distinct feeling that Nale and Haley are going to be interrupted? This feels like waaay too obvious of a blunder for it to actually be one.


Miko is on her way back to Azure City, and given her habit of using Detect Evil on people at the slightest provocation...

I'm not sure who I would hope does the interrupting in this case: Miko or Sabine (or, indeed, both at the same time)...

Adeptus
2006-11-24, 05:50 AM
Nale is not evil.
He's mean and a jerk (Elan dixit).
Xykon IS evil.

I don't know if you are talking about D&D evil, or the more common meaning. Nale is self declared Lawful Evil in D&D alignment, and a pretty nasty headcase by any measure. He's pretty much a James Bond movie villain. Charming, clever, and a sociopath. He just get's a kick of being the villain, and also seems to have a whole lot of "issues". "Nobody denies me!"

Atheist_Cleric
2006-11-24, 06:16 AM
Ugh, Nale better pray Miko doesnt show up...a high-level paladin with levels in monk, detect evil, and a grudge against all the OOTS? A paladin he knows nothing about? She'd eat him alive (metaphorically speaking)

Caractacus
2006-11-24, 06:25 AM
Not necessarily, for all we know not speaking common conveys an inability to write things down, either... And Roy has already shown himself to be exceptionally bad at charades... Besides, Haley may be in more immediate danger than that will allow

Quite. As I said: IF she gets a few minutes.

I also mentioned: "and it will be at cliff-hangy moment".

It seems obvious to try to have the revelation at a moment of high drama and not just have her knock on Roy's door at about eightish in the evening for an hour or two's explanation of the fact that it isn't Elan over a glass of port and a few nice cheeses...:smallsmile:

Em
2006-11-24, 07:09 AM
That is the best comic for ages - absolutely hilarious, and tension-filled... I actually said "Oh No!" out loud at the last panel.

nagora
2006-11-24, 07:59 AM
Erinyes have the ability to polymorph self, and the plane-shift could be an amulet or something given to her to aid her mission. Either way, I think Sabine is a "DM-special", but I do think Hell rather than the Abyss is her home.

CelestialStick
2006-11-24, 09:13 AM
Erinyes have the ability to polymorph self, and the plane-shift could be an amulet or something given to her to aid her mission. Either way, I think Sabine is a "DM-special", but I do think Hell rather than the Abyss is her home.

Erinyes do not have any ability to change shape; check your Monster Manual.

Honestly, Sabine has the appearance and abilities of a succubus, so I don't see why anyone doubts what she is.

PePe QuiCoSE
2006-11-24, 10:30 AM
LOL, you guys overanalyzed my silly post. What i meant is that Nale is mean and a jerk (and that makes him evil). He is evil to get full of himself, but if things were differente he could be "less evil". Xykon is just evil, like... just for the sake of it.
And no, of course i wasn't referring to D&D alignment, that has been already stated in the comic (after the wall of ice in the talisman chamber).

grinner666
2006-11-24, 10:43 AM
I get the feeling Haley isn't gonna realize ANYTHING unless it's forced on her (i.e. Sabine returns, finds them in the middle of ... something ... assumes demon form and goes berserk).

After all, it's pretty obvious Nale has few, if any, ranks in Bluff. Or Disguise, for that matter. If he says, "Right! Because I'm Elan!" one more time I may barph. And the remains of the goatee are a dead giveaway. But NONE of the members of the Order has any ranks in Spot (see http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0003.html (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/../comics/oots0003.html)), and I get the distinct feeling Haley may have used Wis as her dump stat.


:amused:

As to her warning the rest of the party, don't you think she'd be more likely to let him continue the charade until she got a chance to Sneak Attack him?

Tiako
2006-11-24, 10:46 AM
Either this comic will bring about Nale's downfall, or will give Haley the ability to speak again.

Still, I think the reason that Haley was unable to break the curse at the diner was a problem with intent, not method. Haley can't reveal the secrets because she wants to break the curse, the only way Haley will break the curse is by revealing a secret because she wants the other person to know.

Zeb The Troll
2006-11-24, 10:52 AM
Either this comic will bring about Nale's downfall, or will give Haley the ability to speak again.
Or both, as previously speculated.

Haley gets her speach back, then discovers the truth and kicks Nale in the Charisma hard enough to do permanent damage or kill him. Or Sabine reappears after said speach return and they both beat him about the head and shoulders until brain damage or death sets in.

Still, I think the reason that Haley was unable to break the curse at the diner was a problem with intent, not method. Haley can't reveal the secrets because she wants to break the curse, the only way Haley will break the curse is by revealing a secret because she wants the other person to know.
That's an interesting theory. I can't wait to see how this pans out.

nagora
2006-11-24, 11:37 AM
Erinyes do not have any ability to change shape; check your Monster Manual.


In 1st ed they do; that's good enough for me. Apart from anything else, it makes more sense.

Miguel.Baierle
2006-11-24, 11:42 AM
Hi. That's my first reply and I don't speak english very good..
I didn't read all the replys, but didn't anyone see the relation of the window on Nale's room and the "parcheesi"?

CGM3
2006-11-24, 11:56 AM
Oh, he's so going to Hell for this...

...what?

The special hell, the one reserved for child molesters and people who talk in the theater. :smallbiggrin:

CelestialStick
2006-11-24, 12:20 PM
In 1st ed they do; that's good enough for me. Apart from anything else, it makes more sense.

Even if it's true--and I can't find my 1st Ed Monster Manual to confirm it--they didn't drain energy the way that Sabine and succubi do. Sabine looks like a succubus, acts like a succubus and has the powers of a succubus. Succubi are sent to corrupt mortals into chaotic evil--it would be a waste to send them only to mortals who are already chaotic evil.

Now that it's become a matter of debate, as with the gender of V, I suspect that Rich will never give a definitive answer.

Khantalas
2006-11-24, 12:42 PM
Actually, I think the Giant himself created the opportunity for us to discuss this, by specifically not making clear whether she has DR #/silver or #/cold iron.

I think she's a unholy scion, though. (Nah, she's not that, either. She has wings and plane shift and she doesn't have DR #/magic or good)

CelestialStick
2006-11-24, 12:44 PM
Actually, I think the Giant himself created the opportunity for us to discuss this, by specifically not making clear whether she has DR #/silver or #/cold iron.

I think she's a unholy scion, though. (Nah, she's not that, either. She has wings and plane shift and she doesn't have DR #/magic or good)

Yes, he seems to like these debates.

sir Shaemus
2006-11-24, 12:52 PM
I'mworried more about Nale's usage of the phrase "first alone, first killed"... WATCH OUT HALEY!!!

Zeb The Troll
2006-11-24, 01:15 PM
(Nah, she's not that, either. She has wings and plane shift and she doesn't have DR #/magic or good)
I thought this strip (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0349.html) showed she has some sort of DR #/magic.

grinner666
2006-11-24, 01:17 PM
I'mworried more about Nale's usage of the phrase "first alone, first killed"... WATCH OUT HALEY!!!

Well, at least he's unlikely (at best) to be able to sneak attack Haley. She's pure rogue ... of relatively high level, whereas he's multiclass fighter/rogue/wizard. He ain't got the rogue levels to be able to sneak attack her. She, on the other hand ... :smallbiggrin:

Khantalas
2006-11-24, 01:25 PM
That may be because the sword is made out of starmetal. After all, in Complete Arcane, it did inflict extra damage to extraplanar creatures.

CelestialStick
2006-11-24, 01:26 PM
I thought this strip (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/../comics/oots0349.html) showed she has some sort of DR #/magic.

It looks more like DR #/starmetal. You know, that reminds me that adamantine can come from meteors. It would be funny if she had DR #/admantine. Maybe she's a shapechanging intelligent construct--T3! :smallbiggrin:

You know what Rich could do to really mess things up regarding Sabine? She could give her a dagger of venom. In 1st Ed, as I recall, the erinyes came with a dagger of venom. Nowadays, though, accessories are extra. :smallwink:


Well, at least he's unlikely (at best) to be able to sneak attack Haley. She's pure rogue ... of relatively high level, whereas he's multiclass fighter/rogue/wizard. He ain't got the rogue levels to be able to sneak attack her. She, on the other hand ... :smallbiggrin:

Assuming he follows the rules in this case.

Zeb The Troll
2006-11-24, 01:32 PM
That may be because the sword is made out of starmetal. After all, in Complete Arcane, it did inflict extra damage to extraplanar creatures.
Hmm, never read Complete Arcane. I kinda thought Rich just made up starmetal. :smallsmile:

CelestialStick
2006-11-24, 01:34 PM
That may be because the sword is made out of starmetal. After all, in Complete Arcane, it did inflict extra damage to extraplanar creatures.

Ah, rats! You have used evidence to undermine my T3 theory. Curses! But wait! I use my Evidence Immunity (Ex) ability to hang onto my outlandish theory! :smallbiggrin:

Khantalas
2006-11-24, 01:36 PM
Hmm, never read Complete Arcane. I kinda thought Rich just made up starmetal. :smallsmile:

:roach: You must study harder, apprentice, so you can truly see the workings of the Giant's mind.

Besides, it also overcomes damage reduction as if it is adamantine.

Faramir
2006-11-24, 01:43 PM
Okay, here's my not especially serious prediction:

Nale woos Haley. She confesses that she loves him but she's already married to someone else (her big secret). She regains her speech. Nale says he loves her so much it doesn't matter to him and embraces her. While they're snuggling Sabine gets back early and yells out "Nale!" Haley yells, "Nale?!" They join in beating him up, until Haley runs off realizing that Elan must be in prison. Miko gets back and bursts into the room where Nale and Sabine are fighting. Sabine disguises herself as Haley in the mistaken belief that this is a good idea and declares herself to be Haley and thus a guest of Lord Shojo. Miko does Detect evil and confirms (as suspected) that both Elan and Haley are evil. In the confusion the real Haley gets away, warns Roy (thus breaking up the Parcheesi game) and they leave the city to go rescue Elan minutes before Xykon's army shows up on the (other) horizon.


BTW, is it just me or would anyone else love to one day see either Redcloak or Roy trapped in a room with Thog, Elan and the MitD?

Khantalas
2006-11-24, 01:53 PM
I pity da Redcloak who is in the same room with the Dreaded Utter Idiocy Triad (DUIT).

Kadasbrass
2006-11-24, 02:03 PM
Hmmm, why do I suddenly think Haley will be speaking normally soon?

I agree that Haley may soon start speaking soon, after Nale kisses her. Will Nale be the gifted horse Haley not to look in the mouth? :smallbiggrin:

Caractacus
2006-11-24, 03:52 PM
I agree with the fear expressed by sir Shaemus (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/member.php?u=19449) that Nale said 'First alone, first killed', but there are reasons to believe that she's not in that much danger yet:

Firstly, he knows that Sabine wants to get her, so he may decide to leave her for a bit, but this is Nale we are talking about, so

secondly, perhaps he's planning to use her to get more information on the gates somehow, or

thirdly, he has become intrigued by the fact that his twin loves her and is now not sure of what he is doing, but nonetheless finds himself wooing her (perhaps initially mostly cynically, but later with a real involvement).

However, I REALLY like the scenario postulated above by Faramir (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/member.php?u=2761). If not that exactly, I hope that Rich is really going to make this brilliant - it has all the ingredients now for a truly fantastic series of episodes!

Thanks for everything, Rich! :smallcool:

Arin
2006-11-24, 04:00 PM
So, let's review... who's coming to the party now?

* Xykon's Army
* Shojo's Paladins
* The Order of the Stick
* The Linear Guild
* Red-Robes Beings of the Lower Planes

Hmmm.... anyone feeling a little hobbitish? :) "And so began the battle that none had expected; and it was called the Battle of Five Armies, and it was very terrible. Upon one side were the (hob)Goblins (http://www.glyphweb.com/Arda/g/goblins.html) and the armies of hell, and upon the other were Elves (http://www.glyphweb.com/Arda/e/elves.html) and Men (http://www.glyphweb.com/Arda/m/men.html) and Dwarves (http://www.glyphweb.com/Arda/d/dwarves.html)."

Maratanos
2006-11-24, 05:04 PM
Even if it's true--and I can't find my 1st Ed Monster Manual to confirm it--they didn't drain energy the way that Sabine and succubi do. Sabine looks like a succubus, acts like a succubus and has the powers of a succubus. Succubi are sent to corrupt mortals into chaotic evil--it would be a waste to send them only to mortals who are already chaotic evil.

Now that it's become a matter of debate, as with the gender of V, I suspect that Rich will never give a definitive answer.

Except that Sabine doesn't drain energy like a succubus either. Succubi do it by kissing people. Sabine doesn't... :smallwink:

CelestialStick
2006-11-24, 05:27 PM
Except that Sabine doesn't drain energy like a succubus either. Succubi do it by kissing people. Sabine doesn't... :smallwink:

Earlier versions of the game allowed energy drain with any attack. In fact some DMs used to rule that if a monk hit an energy-draining creature with an unarmed attack the monk suffered energy drain from the physical contact with the creature's body. Only on 3rd Ed did they clarify that only a specified attack drained energy. :)

nagora
2006-11-24, 05:47 PM
Even if it's true--and I can't find my 1st Ed Monster Manual to confirm it--they didn't drain energy the way that Sabine and succubi do. Sabine looks like a succubus, acts like a succubus and has the powers of a succubus. Succubi are sent to corrupt mortals into chaotic evil--it would be a waste to send them only to mortals who are already chaotic evil.


I meant that it makes more sense that Erinyes can shape change than they can't, not that it makes more sense that Sabine is one. Although she seems quite lawful, or at least loyal. Hard to be sure. I still think the most likely answer is that she's neither Erinyes nor Succubus.

nagora
2006-11-24, 05:50 PM
Earlier versions of the game allowed energy drain with any attack. In fact some DMs used to rule that if a monk hit an energy-draining creature with an unarmed attack the monk suffered energy drain from the physical contact with the creature's body. Only on 3rd Ed did they clarify that only a specified attack drained energy. :)

Actually, 1st ed does specify a kiss for succubi. In fact, I think "Eldrich Wizardry" did before that, though my copy is upstairs.

CelestialStick
2006-11-24, 05:54 PM
Actually, 1st ed does specify a kiss for succubi. In fact, I think "Eldrich Wizardry" did before that, though my copy is upstairs.

Now that I can find, and you're right: it does. That doesn't mean that Rich remembered the rule when he had her drain someone. Most likely he just remembered that it had an energy drain ability.

Why does it make sense for erinyes to have some sort of shapechanging ablities?

silvadel
2006-11-24, 06:12 PM
I find it interesting that both the head of the OOTS and the linear guild are shacking up with outsiders....

And as for nale nailing haley -- if it happens she will figure he isnt her true love and such would probably end things for elan before they even started in his mind.

nagora
2006-11-24, 06:16 PM
Why does it make sense for erinyes to have some sort of shapechanging ablities?
Well, how much harder is it going to be to corrupt a lawful good cleric if you show up with bat-wings and fangs? Might put him on his guard a little!

I think the female devils and demons obviously need the shape-shifting ability for their jobs.

Holy_Knight
2006-11-24, 06:23 PM
Sabine looks like a succubus, acts like a succubus and has the powers of a succubus.
So clearly, Sabine is a duck.

Khantalas
2006-11-24, 06:27 PM
Well, how much harder is it going to be to corrupt a lawful good cleric if you show up with bat-wings and fangs? Might put him on his guard a little!

I think the female devils and demons obviously need the shape-shifting ability for their jobs.

Erinyes? Bat wings? Fangs? Exclusively female?

Where do you get this stuff?

Erinyes look like angels (devas more than others), not true fiends.

CelestialStick
2006-11-24, 06:34 PM
Well, how much harder is it going to be to corrupt a lawful good cleric if you show up with bat-wings and fangs? Might put him on his guard a little!

I think the female devils and demons obviously need the shape-shifting ability for their jobs.

Who says that the purpose of the erinyes is to seduce anyone? As I recall they ran around with daggers of venom poisoning good characters, not seducing them.
Edit: I forgot to say earlier that I'm sure that now that people have debated whether she's a succubus or not Rich will probably make sure to never let us know.

Hey, why don't we start a debate over what Roy is? I mean, who says he's human anyway? :smallbiggrin:

Celisasu
2006-11-24, 06:43 PM
Who says that the purpose of the erinyes is to seduce anyone? As I recall they ran around with daggers of venom poisoning good characters, not seducing them.
Edit: I forgot to say earlier that I'm sure that now that people have debated whether she's a succubus or not Rich will probably make sure to never let us know.

Hey, why don't we start a debate over what Roy is? I mean, who says he's human anyway? :smallbiggrin:

I thought that 3rd Edition upgraded Erinyes to flaming long bows. :smallsmile:

Personally I think Sabine is a Lawful Evil Succubus. Obviously OoTs doesn't follow the strict "You must be this alignment" rules that some settings do. Plus if she's Haley's evil opposite she needs to be Lawful Evil. :smallwink:

CelestialStick
2006-11-24, 06:48 PM
I thought that 3rd Edition upgraded Erinyes to flaming long bows. :smallsmile:

That's why I said they ran aroundn with daggers of venom. :)


Personally I think Sabine is a Lawful Evil Succubus. Obviously OoTs doesn't follow the strict "You must be this alignment" rules that some settings do. Plus if she's Haley's evil opposite she needs to be Lawful Evil. :smallwink:

Why do you think that she's lawful evil? I'm sure that demonic (chaotic evil) forces try to seduce lawful evil characters too. It's probably easier to seduce someone to chaotic evil from lawful evil than from any good alignment, and thus has a higher expected payoff. :)

Khantalas
2006-11-24, 06:50 PM
I'd say Sabine is LN. Cause she's Haley's evil opposite.

Which makes her a what, Formian or Inevitable?

Celisasu
2006-11-24, 06:57 PM
That's why I said they ran aroundn with daggers of venom. :)



Why do you think that she's lawful evil? I'm sure that demonic (chaotic evil) forces try to seduce lawful evil characters too. It's probably easier to seduce someone to chaotic evil from lawful evil than from any good alignment, and thus has a higher expected payoff. :)

Well it's just a guess based on the fact that the first batch of characters seemed to be evil opposites. Nale has stated his LE alignment(although that's questionable now due to the whole serial killing mess, he might be NE at this point). Thog is obviously CE to Roy's LG. Hilga was CE to Durkan's LG. Nale was really fanatical about that evil opposite thing. He even found what seemed to be either a LN or LG kobold to throw at Belkar(well the 2nd time anyways, the first time he probably didn't realize that Belkar was evil). And the Drizzt clone we didn't know the alignment of due to the ambigiousness of V's alignment. So a LE Sabine to be the CG Haley's evil opposite. Although really at this point we have no idea of Sabine's Law/Chaos stance as nothing has come up to test it.

Khantalas
2006-11-24, 07:00 PM
Celisasu's logic, although it doesn't apply to the utterly insane world of OotS, is greatly appreciated.

CelestialStick
2006-11-24, 07:03 PM
Well it's just a guess based on the fact that the first batch of characters seemed to be evil opposites. Nale has stated his LE alignment(although that's questionable now due to the whole serial killing mess, he might be NE at this point). Thog is obviously CE to Roy's LG. Hilga was CE to Durkan's LG. Nale was really fanatical about that evil opposite thing. He even found what seemed to be either a LN or LG kobold to throw at Belkar(well the 2nd time anyways, the first time he probably didn't realize that Belkar was evil). And the Drizzt clone we didn't know the alignment of due to the ambigiousness of V's alignment. So a LE Sabine to be the CG Haley's evil opposite. Although really at this point we have no idea of Sabine's Law/Chaos stance as nothing has come up to test it.

I'd forgotten about the whole opposites thing. How did we know though that the kobold was LG and the female dwarf CE? The kobold didn't seem LG, but pretty much no different in alignment from Belkar (obnoxious evil), and the female dwarf seemed nice, albeit hardly lawful.

Celisasu
2006-11-24, 07:16 PM
I'd forgotten about the whole opposites thing. How did we know though that the kobold was LG and the female dwarf CE? The kobold didn't seem LG, but pretty much no different in alignment from Belkar (obnoxious evil), and the female dwarf seemed nice, albeit hardly lawful.I was talking about the 2nd Kobold. He seemed like a Lawful sort. "I would normally never stoop to travel with scoundrels such as the Linear Guild but Nale promised to deliver you to my waiting blade without requiring anything from me other than fulfilling my oath to destroy you." as well as "I need no money to kill you villian!" and "I'm pure righteous justice here to deliver your rightful punishment!".

The first kobold was probably evil though. Or maybe he was just a bigot who hates halflings. His first comment was "blech, halflings" after all.

CelestialStick
2006-11-24, 07:19 PM
I was talking about the 2nd Kobold. He seemed like a Lawful sort. "I would normally never stoop to travel with scoundrels such as the Linear Guild but Nale promised to deliver you to my waiting blade without requiring anything from me other than fulfilling my oath to destroy you." as well as "I need no money to kill you villian!" and "I'm pure righteous justice here to deliver your rightful punishment!".

The first kobold was probably evil though. Or maybe he was just a bigot who hates halflings. His first comment was "blech, halflings" after all.

Someone provided a link to the comic with "blech, halfling" in it so I just saw that one, but I don't even remember the second kobold. I've forgotten at least half of the stuff I've read in the strip. I should go back and read them all. :)

Maratanos
2006-11-24, 07:41 PM
My name is Yokyok. You killed my father. Prepare to die. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0348.html)

CelestialStick
2006-11-24, 07:45 PM
My name is Yokyok. You killed my father. Prepare to die. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0348.html)

Ah yes, from the Princess Bride. Now I remember. Thanks. Ironically that's the only thing I really remember from the Princess Bride. :)

Zeb The Troll
2006-11-24, 07:53 PM
:roach: You must study harder, apprentice, so you can truly see the workings of the Giant's mind.
Well, since I've been playing 3.x, I've been playing in a very, very homebrew (d20) system based on Core but not using any of the base classes or races except human. We have three new (GM created, and rather extensive) rule books at the table that we rely on. I mean, we still use a lot of the core stuff like feats and spells (why reinvent the wheel after all?) but what we use from it is available as OGL stuff so we really don't have any splat books at the table.

*So extensive, in fact, that he hopes to be able to publish it in the near future. If he does, I'll say more and pimp it out because it's awesome. It brings a LOT of the "role" playing back to the game (through the use of social feats and templates, for example) instead of making it a set of combat rules.


I agree with the fear expressed by sir Shaemus (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/member.php?u=19449) that Nale said 'First alone, first killed', but there are reasons to believe that she's not in that much danger yet:

Firstly, he knows that Sabine wants to get her, so he may decide to leave her for a bit, but this is Nale we are talking about, so

secondly, perhaps he's planning to use her to get more information on the gates somehow, or

thirdly, he has become intrigued by the fact that his twin loves her and is now not sure of what he is doing, but nonetheless finds himself wooing her (perhaps initially mostly cynically, but later with a real involvement).

However, I REALLY like the scenario postulated above by Faramir (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/member.php?u=2761). If not that exactly, I hope that Rich is really going to make this brilliant - it has all the ingredients now for a truly fantastic series of episodes!

Thanks for everything, Rich! :smallcool:
You forgot, also, that this declaration was made before he found out about the Snarl.


Earlier versions of the game allowed energy drain with any attack. In fact some DMs used to rule that if a monk hit an energy-draining creature with an unarmed attack the monk suffered energy drain from the physical contact with the creature's body. Only on 3rd Ed did they clarify that only a specified attack drained energy. :)
Actually, the write up specifies that if the succubus can't get in a kiss, it has other draining options.


If the target is not willing to be kissed, the succubus must start a grapple, which provokes an attack of opportunity. The succubus’s kiss or embrace bestows one negative level.

Manga Shoggoth
2006-11-24, 07:53 PM
I agree that Haley may soon start speaking soon, after Nale kisses her. Will Nale be the gifted horse Haley not to look in the mouth?

Unless, of course, the gift horse is Windstriker...

:miko: Excuse me? What are you doing with my warhorse?

:haley: Vn...Qsbdujdjoh up cfdpnf b efoujtu?

CockroachTeaParty
2006-11-24, 08:20 PM
:nale: But what am I supposed to do tonight?

AAAAH!!

Maratanos
2006-11-24, 08:22 PM
:haley: Vn...Qsbdujdjoh up cfdpnf b efoujtu?

Translated, for those who care: Um...Practicing to become a dentist?

CelestialStick
2006-11-25, 01:30 AM
Actually, the write up specifies that if the succubus can't get in a kiss, it has other draining options.

Ah, well there you go: she's a succubus for sure then!


Unless, of course, the gift horse is Windstriker...

:miko: Excuse me? What are you doing with my warhorse?

:haley: Vn...Qsbdujdjoh up cfdpnf b efoujtu?

LOL!

palavus
2006-11-25, 03:31 AM
Hi! My first post here. I've been reading OOTS and the forums for a while now and just reached the point where one is forced to register and post. :smalltongue:

I must say you people write some really good stuff here. Only those "Power word - Great!"-oneliners seem useless to me although they may be good for cheerleading Rich into creating more of this excellent comic. Maybe there could be some poll type thing in these strip discussions so the greedy ones wanting to level up in the forum could just rate the strip and get the "post" for it? And a button on the admin side that would sound out a seductive female voice describing how good the strip was according to the ratings (the cheer). That would probably improve the reading experience on these strip discussion threads around 24.72% - 24.85%.

Oh and I just love the "plot expositions" here. :smallsmile: I really hope Rich isn't reading them as I recall him stating somewhere that if he reads some scenario of what will happen in OOTS, he gets an urge to make it not happen. I mean, some of the ideas here are pretty damn good and keep you going while you wait for the next strip to be unleashed. :smallsmile:

Well, anyway.. Here's my guesswork on how the nale-haley-sabine scenario will turn out.


:nale: <=:smallredface::smallredface:=> :haley:

:haley: - Ooh, I got my speech back. :smallsmile:
:sabine: - >POF!< (ports in) Wassup? Hey..? NALE!??! :smallfurious:
:haley: - Nale!? :smallconfused:
:nale: - No, I ... erm.. :smalleek:
:haley: - :smallannoyed:
:nale: - Great...

(...after some internal fight, sabine convinces herself to aid trecherous Nale in the capture and packaging of Haley and assumes Haleys shape to take her place in the group for now. But the thrill is gone, she's only doing it for her masters... )

:sabine: - I still don't understand why we didn't just kill her. I thought you said you were just playing the field? :smallannoyed:
:nale: - I ..uh... :smallredface: We need her for later. You know, we're just NPC's controlled by the GM and as GMs don't really want to spoil thier game/plot by killing the players too lightly, we really had no choise. :smallfrown:

dragon95046
2006-11-25, 04:19 AM
Aww, I love Haley's expression in the last panel. Also I'm looking forward to learning more about Sabine, although I hope she will use the opportunity to change back. The schoolgirl dress starts to irritate me (must be a gender-based-thing :smalleek:).


No it doesn't. It annoys me too, and last time I checked I was a heterosexual male of the species.

You're a heterosexual male succubus? :P

nagora
2006-11-25, 04:25 AM
Ah yes, from the Princess Bride. Now I remember. Thanks. Ironically that's the only thing I really remember from the Princess Bride. :)

The only thing? Inconceivable!

~The Patriots~
2006-11-25, 05:13 AM
Ah yes, from the Princess Bride. Now I remember. Thanks. Ironically that's the only thing I really remember from the Princess Bride. :)

It works well since belkar also runs away.

Atheist_Cleric
2006-11-25, 05:38 AM
Awwww Haley looks so cute in the last panel, sitting there counting her gol...wait...where did she get that big bag of gold? Wasnt her gold destroyed in the inn explosion, and that as why her voice went cryptic? I might be wrong, but I dont think there has been any real loot-plentiful adventure since then. So where'd she get that sack of gold? Did one sack survive the fire? I thought all they saved were bottlecaps.

Faramir
2006-11-25, 07:43 AM
Awwww Haley looks so cute in the last panel, sitting there counting her gol...wait...where did she get that big bag of gold? Wasnt her gold destroyed in the inn explosion, and that as why her voice went cryptic? I might be wrong, but I dont think there has been any real loot-plentiful adventure since then. So where'd she get that sack of gold? Did one sack survive the fire? I thought all they saved were bottlecaps.

Two bags were saved, Haley saved a bag of treasure and V saved a bag of bottlecaps. Also, Haley still had all the treasure she got from the dungeon of Dorukon (a double-share!) in her bags of holding.

charik
2006-11-25, 07:44 AM
Did one sack survive the fire? I thought all they saved were bottlecaps.

I do believe both :haley: and :vaarsuvius: carried out one bag of holding each. V, being weak, carried the lightest bag findable (hm, tough to leave out a gendered pronoun there). So, one bag bottlecaps, one bag gold saved, lots of bags gold lost in the explosion. curse you faramir and your simu-posting too!

Kish
2006-11-25, 08:52 AM
I do believe both :haley: and :vaarsuvius: carried out one bag of holding each.

Not "of holding," just "bag."

VMorticia
2006-11-25, 09:45 AM
Though why they couldn't have stashed the gold safely away into a bag of holding... then again, none of the fun cryptogram-plot would have happened if they'd done that smart thing.

:haley:

CelestialStick
2006-11-25, 09:47 AM
Not "of holding," just "bag."

Hey, who you calling a bag?! :smallwink:

Amon Star
2006-11-25, 09:52 AM
Though why they couldn't have stashed the gold safely away into a bag of holding... then again, none of the fun cryptogram-plot would have happened if they'd done that smart thing.

:haley:

Even Bags of Holding can only hold so much and they found a lot of treasure in that Dragon's Hoard.

PePe QuiCoSE
2006-11-25, 11:05 AM
and as for that, everyone has payed the oracle for it's predictions so it is assumed they have some cash around.

Alfryd
2006-11-25, 11:18 AM
Oh, and this might advance Haley's plot even further: After all, Nale knows a lot more about his father than Elan does - and said father might be the guy who imprisoned Haley's father.
You exhibit surprising perspicacity, sir. I salute you.

...somewhere along the way he discovers he actually cares about Haley and heroically sacrifices himself to save her. Then she and Elan live happily ever after. The End. (Okay it's far fetched, but everything else does the wild speculation thing all the time...I felt left out.)
You neglect to mention anchovies. I want anchovies.

Nale woos Haley. She confesses that she loves him but she's already married to someone else (her big secret). She regains her speech. Nale says he loves her so much it doesn't matter to him and embraces her. While they're snuggling Sabine gets back early and yells out "Nale!" Haley yells, "Nale?!" They join in beating him up, until Haley runs off realizing that Elan must be in prison. Miko gets back and bursts into the room where Nale and Sabine are fighting. Sabine disguises herself as Haley in the mistaken belief that this is a good idea and declares herself to be Haley and thus a guest of Lord Shojo. Miko does Detect evil and confirms (as suspected) that both Elan and Haley are evil. In the confusion the real Haley gets away, warns Roy (thus breaking up the Parcheesi game) and they leave the city to go rescue Elan minutes before Xykon's army shows up on the (other) horizon.
That was suprisingly plausible. I don't know what to say.
I like... blue.


Miko is on her way back to Azure City, and given her habit of using Detect Evil on people at the slightest provocation...
No. 6 in the Miko FRC. I smite thee! I smote thee good and true!
That was awesome.

She'd eat him alive (metaphorically speaking)
Barbecue Evil! It's a specialised feat available from The Complete Divine.

The special hell, the one reserved for child molesters and people who talk in the theater.
But she was all naked! And... articulate!

...there are reasons to believe that she's not in that much danger yet:
Flowers, for instance.

Maratanos
2006-11-25, 01:51 PM
Say, did I miss something? Was it said somewhere that there wasn't going to be a comic for yesterday, or is Giant just late?

Calamity
2006-11-25, 01:52 PM
[spoiler]
Miko is on her way back to Azure City, and given her habit of using Detect Evil on people at the slightest provocation... No. 6 in the Miko FRC. I smite thee! I smote thee good and true!
That was awesome.


Isn't it number 5?

Anyhoo, great comic as usual, and the only way I can think of to summarise the last panel is, "oh no!"

Felinoid
2006-11-25, 08:57 PM
What Haley has is likely "expressive aphasia", a condition that afflicted my mother toward the end of her brain cancer's development. The problem is purely one way, and you find yourself unable to express yourself adequately, while you can still hear that what's coming out of your mouth doesn't sound right and see that those squiggles on the paper don't make sense. Extremely frustrating as you are suddenly unable to do something that you always have before, while you continue to see people around you still able to do it. The quieting down that Haley's been doing is rather normal as a result (to say nothing of helping the Giant not have to think of cryptograms).

Now, being an ailment of the mind and not the mouth, expressive aphasia would also prevent her from writing anything legible, as others may have said. However, there are a couple ways out of this requirement. A) New diseases pop up all the time, so it could be just something new. We could call it "Haley's Knotted Tongue" or something like that! B) It's Rich's world. If he wants aphasia to act differently in his universe, not even the gods can stop him (because he created them too).

NOTE: I apologize for the lateness, but I've just gotten back from Thanksgiving.

CelestialStick
2006-11-25, 09:00 PM
What Haley has is likely "expressive aphasia", a condition that afflicted my mother toward the end of her brain cancer's development.

I'm very sorry about your mother. :smallfrown:

Haggis_McCrablice
2006-11-26, 04:00 AM
That's going in my all-time favorite menses euphemism list, right along with "flying the crimson flag" and "saw a cardinal in my window today".

Klio
2006-11-26, 01:11 PM
Has anyone mentioned that the evil beings are very reminiscent of the evil extra-dimensional beings from the comic Yamara (http://www.yamara.com/yamaraclassic/index.php?date=2005-07-18)? The ones who give the heroine the headgear of unspeakable power? I am bemused by the idea that they get around. They are extra-dimensional, after all, so I guess they could go anywhere they want.

Because I don't think anyone had mentioned that, at least up to the point where I opened this window to reply, which point was, like, days and days ago. This sort of procrastination is why I hardly ever, ever post on the forum....

Manga Shoggoth
2006-11-26, 02:00 PM
Translated, for those who care: Um...Practicing to become a dentist?

Maratanos, thanks for posting a translation for me.

I really should have done it myself, but I was suffering from a combination of too late at night and not yet knowing how to do those nifty "spoiler" things...

Xi-1
2006-11-26, 03:13 PM
:thog: not nale, not-nale. thog help nail not-nale, not nale. and thog knot not-nale while nale nail not-nale. nale, not not-nale, now nail not-nale by leaving not-nale, not nale, in jail. now not-nale not nale, nail not-nale-girl while not-nale, not-nale, nailed in jail, and nale-girl not nail nale

:elan: Whatever you said, I don't like it. Now run.
:thog: why not-nale not-nale tell thog to run?
:elan: Because if you don't run and help me, I'll cry. In front of your friends, your family, and anyone else you might like. And I'll tell them it's because you won't be my friend.
:thog: Thog not sure what not-nale not-nale said, but thig like puppies. and ice cream. and sprinkles.
:elan: :smalleek: Puppies?! My bad. You can have puppies IF you help me.
:thog: really? not-nale not-nale will let thog have puppies? Nale never let thog have puppies.
:elan: Also, if I get you ice cream with sprinkles, can you stop calling me 'not-nale'?
:thog: what not-nale not-nale's name?
:elan: Elan,
:thog: Yay! Elan-man let thog have puppies and ice cream and sprinkles!
:elan: Hurry up, Thog. Nale hid all the puppies and ice cream and sprinkles in Azure City!
:thog: Thog get rocketskates and get there faster!
----------------------------------
Here is the progression as I see it:



1. Nale starts nailing Haley
a. Haley begins to notice something not-Elanish about the way Nale is acting
2. Miko arrives in Azure City and goes to apprehend OOTS
3. Haley is still puzzling through what's not Elan about 'Elan'
4. Sabine is teleported back to help Nale
5. Miko opens the door to see Nale nailing a puzzled Haley and Sabine standing behind Haley in fiend-form, ready to strike
a. Miko uses Detect Evil and ascertains that Nale and Sabine are, in fact, evil
6. Elan and Thog arrive, and see all this
a. Elan prepares to rescue Haley
b. Thog prepares to earn his puppes. and ice cream. with sprinkles
7. Miko vs Sabine fight
8. Haley nails what's not-nale-ish about not-nale and nails him in the head with a Head Butt Sneak Attack!
a. Haley vs Nale fight
b. Elan vs Nale rematch
9. Xykon attacks Azure City
a. everyone in Azure City vs the Zombie & Hobgoblin Hordes of Xykon the Dread Dead Lich

Esabelle Ryngin
2006-11-26, 05:42 PM
No! Haley, it's a trap! Why can't she hear me?

because she failed her listen check and spot check :smallbiggrin:

Esabelle Ryngin
2006-11-26, 05:47 PM
Hehe... it'd be fun to watch Nale think 'good' for once :smallbiggrin:

Xi-1
2006-11-26, 06:10 PM
Hehe... it'd be fun to watch Nale think 'good' for once :smallbiggrin:

You think Nale can think or act Good? Better question, you think he's trying to do so?

:nale: [think like my idiotic brother. think like my idiotic brother. think like my...]
:elan: Can I help?
:nale: Sure, why not? [think like my...]
:elan: So what are you trying to do?
:nale: I'm trying to think like my idiotic brother,
:elan: Think, think, think like your idiotic brother!
:nale: You know, for some reason I think that's actually starting to work. :confused: Where did you get that?
:elan: What? This lute? My twin brother left it on the streets for me to find.
:nale: Whoa. Crappage.
:elan: Defeat, defeat, defeat my evil twin brother!

Caractacus
2006-11-27, 09:05 PM
Felinoid, I echo what CelestialStick said. I admire your ability to still find this strip amusing given the references. It IS funny, but sometimes these things accidentally strike home. Good on you.