OotS' suicide mission?

[martianmister]

It's look like in 896, Roy is trying to destroy the gate without any sort of protection or care about well-being of the order. What is he thinking?

[ellindsey]

It's look like in 896, Roy is trying to destroy the gate without any sort of protection or care about well-being of the order. What is he thinking?

He has no reason to believe that destroying the gate is by itself dangerous to anyone nearby it.

Liaren's gate didn't explode, not that Roy has any way to know that either way.

Dorukon's gate didn't explode. The explosion was due to the castle self-destruct rune.

Soon's gate did explode, but Roy didn't see it happen. For one thing, he was already dead at the time it happened, and I don't know if anyone informed him that destroying the gate caused a massive explosion that blew up a castle. For another thing, none of the Order know the explosion was caused by the gate's destruction itself.

So Roy at this time doesn't know that standing next to Girard's Gate at the moment it is destroyed is dangerous. Neither do we, for that matter. Only one of the gates we've seen destroyed so far has exploded on its own (rather than by an external self-destruct system)

[Math_Mage]

Roy explains exactly what he is thinking. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0896.html)

[Porthos]

If it explodes, the bulk of the explosion might be contained due to it being sealed in the led box.

Get everyone else to stand back while Roy smacks at the part of the Gate that is exposed. He might take a lot of damage due to being near the hole. But if he figures that the Gate will collapse slowly under its own weight when the base of the support is damaged, perhaps he figures he has enough time to get out of the blast radius.

[Vinsfeld]

Maybe Soon's gate exploded because of some sort of protection spell cast on the Sapphire or something. I mean, Lirian's gate didn't explode and we can't tell if Dorukan's exploded because the explosion would get mixed with the castle explosion, so I don't think there's any way to tell.

So, there's a chance that destroying Girard's gate won't make it explode and kill (or almost kill) the Order.

[Morty]

He knows it might kill them all. This is why he wanted everyone to agree first. Seriously, where are you getting the "no care for the well-being of the Order" part? It's right there.

[Amphiox]

When Dorukan's gate exploded, the Order was standing right beside it, and they all survived.

And they are much higher level now than then.

It is a calculated risk, but death is not a certainty (except for poor Belkar).

[Tock Zipporah]

When Dorukan's gate exploded, the Order was standing right beside it, and they all survived.

And they are much higher level now than then.

It is a calculated risk, but death is not a certainty (except for poor Belkar).

Actually, they ran away until they were at a safe, but dramatically fitting distance. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0119.html)

[137beth]

Actually, they ran away until they were at a safe, but dramatically fitting distance. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0119.html)

But that wasn't Dorukan's gate exploding, it was the castle.


Hmm, I just formulated a new completely ungrounded theory which I don't actually have any reason to think is true:
When a gate explodes, it's effect is purely auditory, possibly with some sonic damage. Any physical explosion is a result of something else.

[rodneyAnonymous]

The Order is expecting the gate to explode I think. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0696.html)

[KillianHawkeye]

When Dorukan's gate exploded, the Order was standing right beside it, and they all survived.

If you're referring to the BOOM in this strip (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0115.html), that is not the gate exploding. It is Xykon. The gate is still completely intact up until it is destroyed by the self-destruct rune (along with the castle).