The Improbable String Of Events Required To Justify Belkar's Happy Ending

[oppyu]

It's not the afterlife. It's Shojo's quarters, as previously seen in one of the bonus strips in War and XPs.

Belkar's dream was entirely separate from that of the rest of the Order, and he never died in his. Instead, he saw whatever improbable string of events would be required to justify Shojo's resurrection so that Mr. Scruffy could get tummy rubs, because that's what Mr. Scruffy wanted.

So, how exactly did Belkar and Mr. Scruffy convince Shojo to return to the mortal coil, while dealing with all of the world-endy stuff? In his vision, was Belkar the one to kill Xykon? Did Xykon appear at all? Did the latest kobold return to life to serve as Mr. Scruffy's toilet? What do you think happened regarding Malack and Durkon?

EDIT: This is an open thread for speculation, not a specific question for the Giant. That was just to provide context.

[ChristianSt]

I have absolutely no clue, but I hope/would like that some of this "improbable string of events" will appear as Book 5 bonus content :smallbiggrin:

[rodneyAnonymous]

Also Shojo didn't accept a rez from the Lawful Good Azurite cleric. It's not super-improbable that he might accept one from someone else.

[King of Nowhere]

People from the afterlife can look at the mortal realm, so maybe shojo saw that his cat needed him and manifested, through mr scruffy, to get resurrected.

[Arrowstorm122]

Who knows the things Belkar and a housecat would accept without finding it odd?

[BaronOfHell]

I suppose we're trying to make our own take on the improbable story?

Making up unknown characters and factors seems like an easy way out, so I suppose it's more satisfying to use already known info.

So I guess that Belkar and Mr. Scruffy are with the order as they meet Xykon as well as the Linear Guild where the gate is. During the fight, someone from team good heroically sacrifices him/herself, blowing up the gate and in the process rid the world of the threat of Xykon and the LG (I don't think Belkar is very aware of the phylactery problem).

From there on, Belkar is alone, except he has Mr. Scruffy. Going around being Belkar, I imagine he doesn't find the pleasure of stabbing and whores he used to. It's still great, but it's like something is missing. Fortunately events shortly follows where Belkar happen to arrive at Azure City just as Haley leads an army of Thieves Guild members to retake the city.

As Belkar joins the fight, he falls upon the body of Shojo. Shortly after he bumps into the Cleric of Loki and puts two and two together. He gets Shojo resurrected by this Cleric who Belkar has no knowledge of what spells he can and can't cast, but just imagines a cleric can resurrect, and this guy isn't a lawful good azurite priest after all.

As the battle ends Shojo once again takes control over the city and Belkar gets hired as his personal chef and main caretaker of Mr. Scruffy.

I'm sure many more twists could be added, but that's one way I imagine it could go, if a guess should be made.
I imagine the main components are that Belkar has to separate from the party, has to come upon Shojo's body and has to find a cleric to resurrect Shojo shortly afterwards. Since Durkon is dead, I think the Cleric of Loki, if only known characters are to be used, would be the most likely bet.

[Porthos]

Mr. Scruffy gets Awakened by some random Druid and becomes a Cleric.

Mr. Scruffy and Belkar go on a wild series of adventures.

Mr. Scruffy, realizing he misses Shojo, eventually tries to resurrect him.

Lord Shojo, hearing the call of his beloved cat (and who is the only person he'd return to), agrees.

Insert scene as seen. :smallsmile:

[Reddish Mage]

As Roy and the gang heads down the corridor, the group is challenged to a competition by phantasmal chefs. Belkar saves the team and is restored by the magic ingredients used in the cooking which also can be used to cure Durkon from his vampirism. Then, Roy and the rest of the team realize that Belkar has actually been helpful and a team player and praise him for being so helpful. Roy apologizes for not seeing it earlier. Finally, Xykon arrives and is soundly beaten by the team with Belkar and Mr. Scruffy playing a key role.

Later, the team travels back to retake Azure city where Shojo accepts a resurrection this time so that Mr. Scruffy can get his tummy rubbed. Also, the paladins decide to leave everyone alone and Belkar is treated as a hero and gets his own gourmet kitchen.

[NZNinja]

Belkar and Mr Scruffy continue into the temple with the rest of the Order, and come across the gate first! Naturally, the LG swoop in to steal the prize, but then TE double-swoops them! In the confusion, a self-destruct mechanism is triggered! But where Dorukan and Soon's gates both exploded through space, Girard has booby trapped his gate... to explode through time!
Belkar, hanging on to Mr Scruffy for grim death, is thrown back in time 20 years, and the rest of the Order ends up {insert-deity-of-choice} knows where... or when!

Belkar figures out what happened and makes his way to Azure City, where he gains a private audience with Lord Shojo, due to having an older version of Mr Scruffy to lend credence to his crazy time travel story, and the knowledge that his senility is a giant scam (which he still admires).
Lord Shojo sends the paladins after a younger and less powerful Xykon and the world - including Azure City - is saved before it is ever threatened. Belkar is then employed as Lord Shojo's private chef (explaining why he appears to be bringing a tray of food into Shojo's private quarters) and retains ownership the older version of Mr Scruffy, although Lord Shojo also treats him as one of his own (explaining the affection seen lavished on him).

Secretly, Belkar distrusts that his life could end up so good, given his "lifetime of evil deeds" and believes that he deserves punishment for it, and he fears that something will go wrong to make his little slice of paradise into a living hell. As it turns out, that was having to listen to Elan's "country music" while he worked.

TL/DR: Time travel shenanigans; Azure City never fell; Shojo never died; Belkar is Shojo's private chef.

Shorter TL/DR: Time travel shenanigans.