So what was up with that scrying sensor?

[Fortuna]

I was just poking around in the archives, looking at 698 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0698.html), and thinking about the scrying sensor. I get that the unpronounceable drow is the one who cast it - what I don't understand is why he would cast it on Mr. Scruffy, or on that particular random patch of desert. The way the comic was drawn suggests to me that he wasn't specifically scrying on the order, so...

Any thoughts?

[Porthos]

I was just poking around in the archives, looking at 698 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0698.html), and thinking about the scrying sensor. I get that the unpronounceable drow is the one who cast it - what I don't understand is why he would cast it on Mr. Scruffy, or on that particular random patch of desert. The way the comic was drawn suggests to me that he wasn't specifically scrying on the order, so...

Any thoughts?

It was Zz'dtri. :smallsmile:

[137beth]

If was Z....
EDIT: Ninja'd:smallfurious:

[Fortuna]

I was just poking around in the archives, looking at 698 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0698.html), and thinking about the scrying sensor. I get that the unpronounceable drow is the one who cast it - what I don't understand is why he would cast it on Mr. Scruffy, or on that particular random patch of desert. The way the comic was drawn suggests to me that he wasn't specifically scrying on the order, so...

Any thoughts?


It was Zz'dtri. :smallsmile:


If was Z....
EDIT: Ninja'd:smallfurious:

Both of you ninja'd by the first post. Not quite the question I was asking. :smallwink:

[Kish]

The way the comic was drawn suggests to me that he wasn't specifically scrying on the order, so...
I'm fairly certain the way the comic is drawn is lying to you.

Or more directly, I'm pretty sure scrying on the Order is exactly what he was doing.

[Porthos]

Both of you ninja'd by the first post. Not quite the question I was asking. :smallwink:

If you read the link, you'll see why. :smalltongue:

As for more why? Looks like we'll find out in a bonus strip in Book 5.

[Fortuna]

I'm fairly certain the way the comic is drawn is lying to you.

Or more directly, I'm pretty sure scrying on the Order is exactly what he was doing.

Alright. I'll write it off as <insert excuse here>.

[Bulldog Psion]

Well, I do find it a curious choice of scrying subject myself, and would appreciate some more clarification on what was going on.

[DaveMcW]

It took months of casting, over and over, before we were able to eliminate every part of the desert except Windy Canyon. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0821.html)

[Gift Jeraff]

It took months of casting, over and over, before we were able to eliminate every part of the desert except Windy Canyon. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0821.html)

They already narrowed it down to Windy Canyon the day before Penelope died. Penelope died like a week before #698.

[allenw]

The way the Scrying spell works in 3.5, it only succeeds if the target fails a Will save (with various special modifiers). So, if you're looking for a group, it's often a good idea to target the member of the group with the lowest Will save. Which would often be an animal companion (though Belkar/Mr. Scruffy may be an exception).
That being said, I don't see why the Linear Guikld would be scrying for the OotS at that time.
In any case, where the scenario as described all breaks down is that, except for the quite short-range spell "Clairvoyance," I don't think you *can* scry on a location in D&D 3.5 (or 3.0), just on an individual (which then gets you their immediate location as well). If Rich ignores this restriction, I don't blame him.

[factotum]

That being said, I don't see why the Linear Guikld would be scrying for the OotS at that time.


They've been watching them for some time--you don't think Nale wants to keep tabs on what his brother is doing? Anyway, Nale said in strip #801, and I quote:

"Last week, you're hundreds of miles away in the middle of the desert--"

How would he *know* that if the LG hadn't been keeping tabs on the Order?

(Oh, one other thing--scrying in OotS clearly doesn't work according to RAW, because we see people being able to scry on places as well as people. See the Azure City people scrying on the location of Dorukan's gate after it blew up, for instance).

[F.Harr]

If that's called a "scry-eye", it should be.

[Sir_Leorik]

I was just poking around in the archives, looking at 698 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0698.html), and thinking about the scrying sensor. I get that the unpronounceable drow is the one who cast it - what I don't understand is why he would cast it on Mr. Scruffy, or on that particular random patch of desert. The way the comic was drawn suggests to me that he wasn't specifically scrying on the order, so...

Any thoughts?

IMO, Nale became paranoid after Penelope was died. Since Nale didn't know about the Familicide spell, he probably assumed Tarquin had killed his latest wife. That still left him worried that the OotS might come to the Western Continent and get to the Gate before the Linear Guild, so he had Zz'ditri scry on them. Hence the green "eyeball" and the fact that Zz'ditri was disguised as the Elven ambassador to the Empire of Blood.

[Lord Torath]

Well, there was a fairly large "BOOM" just before the eye appeared. It could be that Zz'dtri was somehow alerted to the explosion. Either by scrying a location at the time near enough to see/hear it, or by some other means. The eye was visible, so it was probably a Wizard eye, rather than a clairvoyance spell.