Why did Qarr put Vaarsuvius into action again?

[Bedinsis]

If you recall, in comic #884 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0884.html), Qarr was the one to initiate contact with Vaarsuvius, under the order of the IFCC.

My only question is: why? What benefit did it serve the IFCC that Vaarsuvius would be an active agent again? What ended up happening was that Vaarsuvius nearly stopped the Order from destroying the Gate, so the IFCC was forced to use one of their Vaarsuvius-times: a net loss for the IFCC. One could argue that they prevented Vaarsuvius from dying in the explosion, and hence they still have an active agent on the Order of the Stick(a moping unprotected Vaarsuvius might have been killed by the pyramid debris).

Of course, this is taken from a retrospective view with what actually occurred in mind. My question then is, what were they hoping Vaarsuvius could provide by being active? Perhaps they realized that the Order was underpowered without a caster and hence decided that it was in their interest to empower them, ensuring that an eventual encounter with the Guild would be a more even match and thus meaning that there would be a smaller chance for an obvious victor, feeding into their goal of "Needless conflict".

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

Qarr was probably under orders to ensure that V didn't go any closer to the gate. Being incompetent, he failed miserably, which forced the IFCC to tip their hand and call in V's debt.

I think you're correct. The IFCC probably predicted that Qarr would fail, and did this so that it wouldn't be quite as obvious when they made V invulnerable.

It's also likely that they wanted V mobile and in a position to cause conflict, since the Linear Guild and Team Evil were afoot. They probably had nothing specific in mind, they just wanted to tip the odds a little in their favor. The IFCC has explained before that they're not prescient but they're really good at guessing what is likely to happen. It's also likely that they wanted V to get over his emotional turmoil early, possibly for a full-spell-slots smackdown against the Linear Guild.

[Weiser_Cain]

V killed all(?) the Black Dragons and descendants, opening the gate to be destroyed in the first place. And who knows what other thing this put in motion.

[Quild]

V killed all(?) the Black Dragons and descendants, opening the gate to be destroyed in the first place. And who knows what other thing this put in motion.

Seems to me that the IFCC manipulated V in order to achieve this. That's not a really long shot since V wanted to kill a black dragon and they provided her "Familicide" telling her she wouldn't be responsible of her actions, blah, blah, blah. Sort of.

The hardest part may have been to know that the Draketooth were kin to this precise ABD but I guess they have the means to achieve that.
Also they were incredibly lucky to get an occasion to propose their bargain to V. Lucky that the ABD didn't simply destroyed V right away and waited for V to be totally helpless before attacking. They had time enough to expect the attack, but couldn't know V would made it and would need power. Or do they have their own oracles? Did they prepare a resurrection, an afterlife bargain or whatever?

And as a bonus, they have a way to put V out of game thrice. We all expected them to be able to control V, that's still nice.

[martianmister]

If you recall, in comic #884 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0884.html), Qarr was the one to initiate contact with Vaarsuvius, under the order of the IFCC.


We don't really know that's the case. He could acted alone upon seeing Draketooth family tree. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0856.html)

[Bedinsis]

We don't really know that's the case. He could acted alone upon seeing Draketooth family tree. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0856.html)

He claimed to be under the IFCC's order in #884 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0884.html). And technically, he only left the Guild once he was alone with Malack in #861 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0861.html).

But I see your point, it is possible that Qarr invented a lie on the spot to keep Vaarsuvius from killing him. And he only arrived there to taunt Vaarsuvius.

The only objections I have to this interpretation are:
1. How did he know precisely where Vaarsuvius was? If he came from the fiends, I imagine that they could perfectly pinpoint Vaarsuvius' location, but how would Qarr think to do that? I guess he could have teleported round the pyramid 'til he found Vaarsuvius and that would explain why he wasn't in the comic between 861 and 884.
2. Why would he risk his employment with the IFCC by lying about what they've said? But then again his life was threatened, and the things you do under those circumstances are hardly the things of a rational being.

[DeliaP]

A possibility:

Qarr returns to IFCC home base after being shut out with Malack.

IFCC are scrying on the scene and witness Malack vamp Durkon and regroup with the LG.

Looking at the active LG vs. OotS line up, they predict the most likely result is
- if LG vs OotS fight, LG wins.
- if OotS realise this too, they will likely blow the gate as their only viable stratety.

They also can see V huddled in a tunnel in a guilt-striken heap. If OotS blow the gate, V will possibly get wiped out, and they lose one of their hidden cards. They want to save V, so they can play that card later.

The IFCC also want the gate blown. So they want this to be OotS only viable strategy, so they also don't want V to rejoin the Order.

They would rather not use up some of their contract with V if they can help it, so they have it available later. They also don't want to show their hand to V, about what the contract realy allows them to do, if they can help it. So they'd rather not just wait until the gate is about to blow and make V invulnerable.

Instead Qarr is sent down to get V moving out of the pyramid, to prevent V from being blown up with the gate, and to prevent V from rejoining the Order. Qarr succeeds on the first part (in spite of his own incompetence) of getting V moving (which might imply there's more to Qarr's 'silver medal' comment that he suggests!) but then fails on the second part, as V and Blackwing decide to head in the right direction to rejoin the Order (and towards the potentially explosive gate).

That was, I'd guess, the plan. As it failed on the second part, the IFCC were finally forced to show their hand to V after all, as the only way to prevent V from stopping the Order from blowing the gate.

[Fish]

Proposed: We have heard them say "if the elf dies, this will all have been for nothing." This could have been a move to protect V. They were hoping to provoke V into going somewhere out of sight.

Out of sight of whom? Maybe the IFCC sent Qarr when they knew Xykon was en route. We know it took hours for Soon's people to get the word to the Order. Had Xykon seen the elf, he would not have gone to the next Gate so hastily.

So what are they playing for? They want unnecessary destructive conflict, that can overshadow the slaughter of 5 good dragons for every black dragon killed by Familicide. How does this advance their goal? Are they on Xykon's side? Or are they after something else?

I think they're playing for Xykon's soul, myself. He's been holding out on them.