OOTS #911 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[DolGrenn]

And Malack was a vampire the ENTIRE TIME!!! :smalltongue:

[RNGgod]

Heheheh, classic.


Good to see the psion predictions were right. Also, in GitP forum tradition, we have a new mook needing a fan club.

[Thokk_Smash]

:elan: "Don't worry, you'll keep me safe."

Elan is best comic relief. :smallbiggrin:

[CoffeeIncluded]

Well, now we know who's been sleeping for the past...year and a half? Two?

Haha, that's actually a really good plan. And intimidating as hell too. Nowhere to run, and if they try to run into the rift, the Order will be pincushions before they can take a move action.

Guess this is as good a time as any for Elan's plan. I hope.

[monkeyslinger]

Wow, don't think I've ever been online when it updated before. Wonder what Tarquin wants to talk with Elan and Haley about.

[Grey Watcher]

Alright, she has a name! Four down, two to go!

[Pokonic]

"Good, Good."

Even if the Star Wars jokes have mostly stopped, I can't help but think that's a sign that Tarquin's about to do something nasty.:smalltongue:

[Thokk_Smash]

Also, minor thing, the last panel Tarquin says "Thought this division is also trained for plot-critical reveals." That should be a "though", I think.

Edit: Ninja'd by a second! Now I just feel like I'm badgering. :smallfrown:

[SaintRidley]

I had really thought the ioun stones had eliminated psion as a possibility.

And good job, plot-reveal mook. We never would have known without you.

[Blisstake]

Hm, is that the first time Belkar called V "she?" I guess he made up his mind :smalltongue:

[thatSeniorGuy]

Loved the last panel, thanks Giant!

[Forikroder]

saw the giants post in the alst thread to find out new ones up :P

very interested in what Tarquin is about to talk about... seems like there family has some special duty

[JSSheridan]

Thanks Giant!

[Bovine Colonel]

"Don't worry, you'll keep me safe" :smallbiggrin:

[The Giant]

Just a reminder that we don't allow "First!" or "First page!" posts or the like. Doing so will get your entire post deleted.

[Prospekt]

Oh my goodness, that last panel had me burst out in laughter so hard. Excellent work, Giant. I still giggle when I look back at it. :smallredface:

[R. Malcovitch]

I was going to edit my "first!" to be comic relevant. Found out it was deleted when I went back to do so, actually.

Anyway, this does raise the issue: did Tarquin REALLY bring the army for "dramatic tension"? I mean, probably not, but he does seem surprised that the Gate is gone, so it could have be that the wind is out of his sails and he's just keeping face. As for the family meeting... this is almost assuradly about whether or not to kill Nale.

[Jordan Cat]

"Don't worry, you'll protect me" :smallsmile:

That's was great.

[mattie_p]

No rest for the weary, and no resolution of V. Tune in next time, same OOTS time, same OOTS channel!

[Muenster Man]

I really hope that people don't read Belkar's line about V's gender as fact over his perception, but... who am I kidding

[Valanarch]

Just a reminder that we don't allow "First!" or "First page!" posts or the like. Doing so will get your entire post deleted.

Sorry. I can't believe that I actually thought that the army was there for something other than to make Tarquin look awesome.

[TheYell]

"That's a lot of mooks!"

[Tsyndrome]

"That's a lot of mooks."

Edit: Ninja!

[Henry the 57th]

Seems Tarquin is a lot more forgiving with even his least favorite son than with anyone else. Methinks Nale will be teamed up with the oots soon.

[RustyVenture]

Tarquin is going to be moving on the elves? Or something. I still don't quite know what his plan is here. Maybe he's headed to dwarven lands? I suppose Nale would have told him the last gate was there. Tarquin likes existing and I don't think he'd want Xykon ending it all.

[The_Admiral]

*looks at title*

you just couldn't resist could you?

[R. Malcovitch]

Sorry. I can't believe that I actually thought that the army was there for something other than to make Tarquin look awesome.

You too? High five!

So, who else bets that Tarquin is actually furious right now and is just hiding his emotions?

[Forikroder]

>Deleting my first post
I was going to edit it to be comic relevant. Found out it was deleted when I went back to do so, actually.

Anyway, this does raise the issue: did Tarquin REALLY bring the army for "dramatic tension"? I mean, probably not, but he does seem surprised that the Gate is gone, so it could have be that the wind is out of his sails and he's just keeping face. As for the family meeting... this is almost assuradly about whether or not to kill Nale.

dramatic tension AND ensure that Greenhilts aware of exactly the position Tarquin is negotiating from, he doesnt want the OoTS to think they can jsut escape and hes not aware exctly what sort of movement abilities they have, he wants to ensure they stay put unitl hes done talking

OH theres pyramid still intact under the rift, looks like V should be fine

[Mooplaid]

"That's a lot of mooks." :smalltongue:

I am curious, in the last panel, should he be saying "Though" or "Thought"? I just had interpreted it much like "although, this division..." Not trying to step on any toes, of course. :)

[MoonCat]

Is this the first time Belkar has ever given V a definite pronoun?

[Nicholas1024]

That last panel was amazing. I love how Tarquin even trains his soldiers for the sake of plot exposition. :smalltongue:

[M.A.D]

Belkar is being a team player? Like, for real? Even asking whether Vaarsuvius is alive! Normally, he should be hoping for the contrary!!

Edit: Also, if Belkar could shift V's position from Hate to Lust, it stands to reason that he perceives V as female

[Quorothorn]

Elan is just wonderful. (And Nale, being his opposite, is a slimy liar, as always. Wonder if he's fooling Tarquin at all with that line.)

[The Giant]

Typo fixed. You may need to reload it to see it.

[Ted The Bug]

Please, pleeeease tell me that the "lot of mooks" line was a Godzilla reference. That's all I'm asking.

Also, snap! Tarquin firmly in the driver's seat, as always.

Edit: Part of T's speech bubble in panel 6 is all sandy.

[Drake2009]

SHE!!! varsuvius has a defined gender or maybe he just took a guess...

[Torvaun]

I find it hard to believe that Tarquin would borrow one of his former party members from another empire without first knowing exactly what he was walking into. There couldn't have been surprise over the missing gate.

[Forikroder]

I find it hard to believe that Tarquin would borrow one of his former party members from another empire without first knowing exactly what he was walking into. There couldn't have been surprise over the missing gate.

with how he talked to Haley, something MASSIVE is going to be revealed soon

[MoonCat]

Edit: Also, if Belkar could shift V's position from Hate to Lust, it stands to reason that he perceives V as female

Not necessarily.

[Astral Avenger]

And here I was thinking that the "thought" line was implying that they were a division of low level psion mooks...

[KingFlameHawk]

My guess, Tarquin knows that the end of the book is coming and therefore will propose a final duel between his two sons to decide the fate of the Order of the Stick.

[Vinsfeld]

"I remember her from the flashback panels"

Good one. Really cracked me up :smallbiggrin:

[Muenster Man]

SHE!!! varsuvius has a defined gender or maybe he just took a guess...

I'm gonna go with guess...

[Gift Jeraff]

I was right about her being a psion!

[Forikroder]

considering the "bussiness before pleasure" rule, i wonder why the team psion is here instead of working in empire of sweat, is this trip considered short enough to not matter or is there bussiness involved despite the blown up gate

[Razanir]

And Malack was a vampire the ENTIRE TIME!!! :smalltongue:

Malack's a vampire? Next thing you know, people will be telling me Tarquin runs the empire or that Banjo became Banjulhu

[mhsmith]

considering the "bussiness before pleasure" rule, i wonder why the team psion is here instead of working in empire of sweat, is this trip considered short enough to not matter or is there bussiness involved despite the blown up gate

This strikes me as not good news for Nale. The more Tarquin finds out about how badly Nale screwed up (tricked by the last line of defense, got his own caster killed, killed Malack before business i.e. the OOTS was taken care of), the less happy he's going to be with him.

[thereaper]

with how he talked to Haley, something MASSIVE is going to be revealed soon

"Sons, I have the Vaporizing Flu. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0387.html)"

[rs2excelsior]

Wow, the whole Order failed those spot and listen checks SO hard. :smallbiggrin:

Awesome comic. No more wondering Tarquin's reaction to the gate getting blown; but what's he up to with Elan and Haley?

Gratuitous speculation on the size of Tarquin's army: in modern terms, a division is roughly 10,000 troops (give or take several thousand). Tarquin mentions THIS division, implying that either he brought only this one division (this division that I brought with me) but there are more back home, or he's got several divisions here. So 20-30 thousand troops in the Empire of Blood army, minimum. Of course, armies in the OOTS-verse might well be on a different scale, and especially in medieval times a military unit was of a different size and use than it is today. So this entire paragraph is really completely unfounded.

[Mollez]

Well, Tarquin is fast becoming my favorite character. The normal, nonchalant way he arranged to meet Elan and Haley has won him a place in my heart.

[Forikroder]

This strikes me as not good news for Nale. The more Tarquin finds out about how badly Nale screwed up (tricked by the last line of defense, got his own caster killed, killed Malack before business i.e. the OOTS was taken care of), the less happy he's going to be with him.

actually for Nale killing Malack WAS bussiness (and also pleasure) like he said with the OoTS theyll jsut toss him in jail Malack was planning to kill him plus killing Malack lets him escape and try to get a gate for himself instead of for Tarquin

im 99% certain Tarquin knew exactly what happened in his absense he didnt ask about the gate or the pyramid just confirmed that the gate did indeed blow up, and he doesnt seem miffed about it at all

if he was going to get angry it would ahve been earlier

plus theres WHERE he apeared, not at the pyramid but at Nale

[DaggerPen]

How do I never manage to catch these before the thread's hit at least two pages? XD

Regardless - very interesting so far. Glad to see they're finally looking for V (and interesting that Belkar thinks of V as female - I mean, we could be pretty sure of that from the drunken kiss, but I don't remember him ever using pronouns before.) I still have no idea what Tarquin is up to - eagerly anticipating the next comic.

[Mooplaid]

Malack's a vampire? Next thing you know, people will be telling me Tarquin runs the empire or that Banjo became Banjulhu

This just reminded me of "The Simpsons":

Grandpa: We must kill the boy!!!
Lisa: Grandpa, how'd you know Bart's a vampire?
Grandpa: Bart's a vampire? AAAAAHHHH!!

:smallbiggrin:

[Anarion]

I wonder, despite Tarquin's statement, if the division might be used to do some scouting with the portal. At the very least, he intends to seize it here and I'd bet that Ms. Shattersmith is going to be taking a look at the portal and analyzing the details.

Apparently ominous plot-critical reveals require advanced training. Considering how well-trained most of Tarquin's forces have been to date, the unnecessary reveal by the happy soldier in the last panel looks a bit shoddy.

Oh, and since it came up: "Swooping is...bad"

[Mattarias, King.]

Comic 911, Operation Desert X?

HMM...

[MoonCat]

What's up with Tarquin's speech bubble in Panel 6? It's got a yellow top as if it's transparent for the panel above it, except that it is out of line because of the black panel dividers.

[With a box]

oh , new comic! brilliant

[Muenster Man]

What's up with Tarquin's speech bubble in Panel 6? It's got a yellow top as if it's transparent for the panel above it, except that it is out of line because of the black panel dividers.

Huh, didn't notice that until you pointed it out. It's on mine as well, but I can only see it when I tilt my screen. Not sure if I'd call it yellow, though.

[Ionathus]

Tarquin defines Affably Evil. Just absolutely fantastic.

But I mean, really. I think I'm just going to go back through all the panels between here and when V got checked out from the Soul Library, and count up how long it would take everybody to say the words they've said. I guarantee V is already back in the game and doing something. S/he's far too arrogant to not attempt some kind of plan.

EDIT: Seems the most important point of discussion on this thread, however, is - most applaudably - Tarquin's Panel 6 Speech Bubble.

[Porthos]

Being a psion helps 'explain' the larger than standard size Gate.

Want a bigger Gate (Psionic version)? Just pump up the power points. :smallamused:

[The Giant]

What's up with Tarquin's speech bubble in Panel 6? It's got a yellow top as if it's transparent for the panel above it, except that it is out of line because of the black panel dividers.

Looks like the sand clouds in the panel above were on top of the speech balloon instead of the other way around. Should be fixed now.

[rs2excelsior]

SHE!!! varsuvius has a defined gender or maybe he just took a guess...

It's funny, every time any character uses a pronoun to refer to V someone assumes that it nails down V's gender.

[Vaarsuvius-Mage]

Great strip :)

[CRtwenty]

:elan: "Don't worry, you'll keep me safe."

Elan is best comic relief. :smallbiggrin:

Well she IS apparently the only person in the Order who has ranks in Sense Motive. So Haley being there is a pretty good thing.

[Porthos]

SHE!!! varsuvius has a defined gender or maybe he just took a guess...


It's funny, every time any character uses a pronoun to refer to V someone assumes that it nails down V's gender.

The word you are looking for is:

*DRINK*

(For the Discussion Thread Drinking Game :smalltongue:)

[Forikroder]

Tarquin defines Affably Evil. Just absolutely fantastic.

But I mean, really. I think I'm just going to go back through all the panels between here and when V got checked out from the Soul Library, and count up how long it would take everybody to say the words they've said. I guarantee V is already back in the game and doing something. S/he's far too arrogant to not attempt some kind of plan.

EDIT: Seems the most important point of discussion on this thread, however, is - most applaudably - Tarquin's Panel 6 Speech Bubble.
were talking 20 minutes though, thats a long time im sure we'll see V again before he returns to the mortal coil

[Tris]

Apparently ominous plot-critical reveals require advanced training. Considering how well-trained most of Tarquin's forces have been to date, the unnecessary reveal by the happy soldier in the last panel looks a bit shoddy.


He must have been trained to deliver the punch line.

[CRtwenty]

I'm fairly certain Belkars called V a female before. Though I can't remember where. It's hardly a statement on what gender V actually is though, just Belkar's opinion. (I agree with him personally, but that's also just my opinion :smallwink:)

[AutomatedTeller]

Good comic - funny lines :)

Not quite sure why the psion moved - in panel 3, she is right next to Tarquin, in 8 she is a considerable distance. Not that it matters, of course.

I wonder if "a good swoop is hard to time" is a deliberate call out to the old "a good man is hard to find" line that gets referenced a lot in popular culture.

My first thought on the "I guess this crater is where the pyramid stood" was that Tarquin is being a little obtuse here - I mean, he was there and he got his army without easy walking distance... There was a pyramid before and there isn't now, and there wasn't a crater before and there is now... seems obvious to me. Not sure why he felt a need to mention it to Nale.

[Doxkid]

I kind of wish we could see the early days of this adventuring team travelling around. I'd definitely buy that book.

[Forikroder]

Good comic - funny lines :)

Not quite sure why the psion moved - in panel 3, she is right next to Tarquin, in 8 she is a considerable distance. Not that it matters, of course.

I wonder if "a good swoop is hard to time" is a deliberate call out to the old "a good man is hard to find" line that gets referenced a lot in popular culture.

My first thought on the "I guess this crater is where the pyramid stood" was that Tarquin is being a little obtuse here - I mean, he was there and he got his army without easy walking distance... There was a pyramid before and there isn't now, and there wasn't a crater before and there is now... seems obvious to me. Not sure why he felt a need to mention it to Nale.

the psion moved away so Tarquin can have his family chat in private

Tarquin confirmed with Nale because he teleported to where Nale was, he doesnt actually know where in the Windy Cavern they are

[AdmiralCheez]

Mobilizing an entire division, calling in the team psion from another nation, bringing in Haley on the off chance that she might join Tarquin's family one day? Something big is going to be revealed soon. What, exactly, I don't know, but it will be quite the bombshell. The suspense is agonizing.

[Sabeki]

Family meeting? Sounds ominous.

[BobVosh]

Time and Time again I'm reminded why Tarquin is one of my favorite characters on this strip.

[mhsmith]

Time and Time again I'm reminded why Tarquin is one of my favorite characters on this strip.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/Tarquin2.pngIt's weird, no matter how many people he kills, the audience still finds him lovable.

[Tris]

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/Tarquin2.pngIt's weird, no matter how many people he kills, the audience still finds him lovable.

I wouldn't want to meet him in real life, but he is a great character.

[JessmanCA]

Oh good, nothing bad happened in strip 911.

Or did it?!

Dun dun dun!

[Demolator]

I wonder what Tarquin has to say. No doubt it'll be quite interesting. On an unrelated note, I wonder where Kilkil went. Maybe back to the Empress to cover for Tarquin or something.

[Bluepaw]

Also, in GitP forum tradition, we have a new mook needing a fan club.

Yuuup. I don't know about you, but I could feel Anticlimactically Timed Ominous Reveals Guy as the spiritual successor to Wizard Guy...

[Gorbad Ironclaw]

The army probably has multiple purposes;
-Letting the Order of the Stick know that they're not in any position to do anything stupid
-Rebuilding the rift and guarding it from Xykon or anyone else who'd use it
-Just for the drama as said in the comic (duh!)

[Amphiox]

It looks like Tarquin did not gather his entire old party, just the psion, Shattersmith.

Hey, maybe the others are now preparing a homebrewed ritual that will restore Malack.... (not likely)

[amanamana]

Am I the only one seeing the three armed mook in the last panel?

[Forikroder]

I wonder what Tarquin has to say. No doubt it'll be quite interesting. On an unrelated note, I wonder where Kilkil went. Maybe back to the Empress to cover for Tarquin or something.

hes probably filling out all the army deployment forms, form for release of dinosaurs, form for one casting of Gate, form for hiding the filling of the previous forms e.t.c

[Gift Jeraff]

Am I the only one seeing the three armed mook in the last panel?

That's the next ominous plot-critical reveal.

[rewinn]

Family meeting? Sounds ominous.

Indeed. What does T want and how can this meeting help him get it?

If I had to bet, it's that T has decided his boys have got to stop trying to kill each other, at least until the last Gate is securely under T's control. OOTS doesn't want T to control ANY gate, but T can ask them whether they think they can beat both him (now that he's with his army) and Xykon too - with the world at stake?

(Especially if Sereni's Gate is defended by a dungeon whose defense is oriented around the idea of mighty creatures; Xykon's name for them would be "pre-zombies".)

Wouldn't it be better for OOTS to ally temporarily with T to defeat Xykon, then face him as the Evil Emperor in epic struggle? If T puts this proposal to Elan, its story value may be convincing.

[Ted The Bug]

Am I the only one seeing the three armed mook in the last panel?

The rift has very fast-acting radiation.

[SterlingAvenger]

Oh Roy, you should know by now. Breaks are for people who aren't you.:smallbiggrin:

[Verditude]

Interesting. I would guess Laurin is an epic psion, since no nonepic power does what she just did (at least no published ones that I know of; psionic teleportation circle is significantly less powerful and a 9th level power). And, she's probably a nomad.

Also, I assume that Tarquin's before-he-left-the-city thing was preparing the army to move out and possibly contacting Laurin, requesting her to leave her post in the Empire of Sweat for a little while, so that he could move his army to the right part of the desert easily.

[Oko and Qailee]

Whoa

I love Tarquin

[Shekinah]

Hm, is that the first time Belkar called V "she?" I guess he made up his mind :smalltongue:

He was lusting after her at one point.

[Forikroder]

Indeed. What does T want and how can this meeting help him get it?

If I had to bet, it's that T has decided his boys have got to stop trying to kill each other, at least until the last Gate is securely under T's control. OOTS doesn't want T to control ANY gate, but T can ask them whether they think they can beat both him (now that he's with his army) and Xykon too - with the world at stake?

(Especially if Sereni's Gate is defended by a dungeon whose defense is oriented around the idea of mighty creatures; Xykon's name for them would be "pre-zombies".)

Wouldn't it be better for OOTS to ally temporarily with T to defeat Xykon, then face him as the Evil Emperor in epic struggle? If T puts this proposal to Elan, its story value may be convincing.

the way he said it though... hes emphazing this is a family matter with family bussiness... not party bussiness or personal bussiness as if what hes about to talk about is some mission or job thats been passed down and now its his turn to act on it

[Demolator]

the way he said it though... hes emphazing this is a family matter with family bussiness... not party bussiness or personal bussiness as if what hes about to talk about is some mission or job thats been passed down and now its his turn to act on it

Could it be, perhaps, HEIRS TO THE EMPIRE? :smallbiggrin:

[Porthos]

Edit: Also, if Belkar could shift V's position from Hate to Lust, it stands to reason that he perceives V as female

You know, I'd just like to point out that just because V has a theory about how Belkar thinks, it doesn't actually follow that V is right.

Characters are allowed to be wrong when they make theories, you know. :smallwink:

[Oko and Qailee]

Family meeting? Sounds ominous.

I hate family meetings, they always start out just like this and escalated into high level D&D violence

[Tetsujin-28]

This theory might be too wild, but I'm going to throw it out there anyway:

Tarquin's going to tell Elan to enlist the Order into helping Tarquin capture Kraagor's Gate, and he's going to coerce Elan and Haley to try and sabotage the rest of the Order in case they try to mess up Tarquin's plan.

What I'm trying to figure out is how Tarquin will coerce Elan to do that. It'd be pretty easy to get the Order to enlist: "Join us or I crush you with my dino-army." But how he'd try to convince Elan to sabotage is another matter. Maybe he sent psion lady to capture his mother and bring her to Tarquin, and now she's being held hostage?

[Porthos]

Interesting. I would guess Laurin is an epic psion, since no nonepic power does what she just did (at least no published ones that I know of; psionic teleportation circle is significantly less powerful and a 9th level power).

Rich already pegged a researched Arcane version of Microcosm (with some alterations) as 9th level. No reason a psion couldn't research a Psionic version of Gate.

In fact, as I said, it makes perfect sense. Laurin made the aperture wider by pumping in more power points.

[Gift Jeraff]

There's also apparently a Wormhole power in an older edition.

[Faenhir]

Is it just me or does it look like Anticlimactically Timed Ominous Reveals Guy has three arms?
(Love the strip BTW) :D

[amanamana]

That's the next ominous plot-critical reveal.

Good... I thought it was those damn beers kicking in... :smallamused:

[Porthos]

There's also apparently a Wormhole power in an older edition.

It really is in line with a 9th Level Power, so I really don't see the problem. Either she researched a new edition version of that, or she researched a Psionic version of Gate.

Po-TAY-toe, PAH-ta-toe. :smallsmile:

[gooddragon1]

Rich already pegged a researched Arcane version of Microcosm (with some alterations) as 9th level. No reason a psion couldn't research a Psionic version of Gate.

In fact, as I said, it makes perfect sense. Laurin made the aperture wider by pumping in more power points.

Lycanthromancer did a psionic revision (which I got the free version of :D (though it's not complete D:)) with a version of gate called Dimensional Breach. You can make the portal larger with more power points.

[Turgon9357]

Notice how Tarquin addressed Roy first and not Elan. He's probably figured out at this point who's actually officially in charge of the group, which could enter into what he's about to say. It may have helped that Nale kept attributing the destruction of the gate to Roy, since he's already quite in the know about the OOTS.

[Caex]

I'm not sure if my favorite thing about this is the polite "Mr. Greenhilt? Excuse me, Mr. Greenhilt?" or the Anticlimactically Timed Ominous Reveal Guy (heretofore referred to as ATORG). Either way, great strip, though the coloring does make it look like ATORG has three arms like Faenhir observed. I'm really curious to see what Tarquin has planned here.

[Porthos]

It may have helped that Nale kept attributing the destruction of the gate to Roy, since he's already quite in the know about the OOTS.

I think it's pretty likely that Tarquin knows that Nale is.... leaving out critical details about the 'lack of swoopage'.

The critical detail is: How much does he care?

[The Giant]

Three-armed guy fixed.

[Xianthe]

I've really enjoyed this whole arc, but there is something about this one that hits me in just the right place.

I think it's probably got to be one of my new favorite strips.

[Forikroder]

This theory might be too wild, but I'm going to throw it out there anyway:

Tarquin's going to tell Elan to enlist the Order into helping Tarquin capture Kraagor's Gate, and he's going to coerce Elan and Haley to try and sabotage the rest of the Order in case they try to mess up Tarquin's plan.

What I'm trying to figure out is how Tarquin will coerce Elan to do that. It'd be pretty easy to get the Order to enlist: "Join us or I crush you with my dino-army." But how he'd try to convince Elan to sabotage is another matter. Maybe he sent psion lady to capture his mother and bring her to Tarquin, and now she's being held hostage?

dont be silly, everyone knows if you manage to make a Hero turn traitor hell always go back to his friends at the most innoportune moment for you

[Paisley]

Well that certainly was a lot more diplomatic than I'd been expecting. Then again, I don't know why I'm surprised. It's Tarquin, after all.

I love how the Order doesn't even bat an eyelash at the giant dino-army. Ah, the life of an adventuring party.

[Xelbiuj]

Pretty good dialogue in this one.
The guy at the end totally screwed up the reveal, that seems like that would be the kind of thing to get yourself a death sentence in Tarquin's army.



Three-armed guy fixed.

I laughed way harder than I should have. lol.


I going to call him Trag, for three armed guy

[mhsmith]

Three-armed guy fixed.



Pretty good dialogue in this one.
The guy at the end totally screwed up the reveal, that seems like that would be the kind of thing to get yourself a death sentence in Tarquin's army.




I laughed way harder than I should have. lol.


I going to call him Trag, for three armed guy

Yeah... something tells me there's a decent chance that he will be "fixed" by Tarquin pretty soon.

[Emanick]

Three-armed guy fixed.

He's still showing up as Three-Armed Guy for me, even after the page reloads.

[thereaper]

This is probably the part where Ian will return to play.

[Porthos]

He's still showing up as Three-Armed Guy for me, even after the page reloads.

Force a reload (CTRL-F5). It's now showing a two armed guy for me.

[DaggerPen]

Am I the only one seeing the three armed mook in the last panel?

Poor Rich just can't catch a break with this page, can he?

[Paisley]

Yeah... something tells me there's a decent chance that he will be "fixed" by Tarquin pretty soon.

Hmm, looks like Tarquin had him amputated off-screen? :smalltongue:

[Porthos]

This is probably the part where Ian will return to play.

It would be dramatically appropriate to have a full family reunion here, wouldn't it?

[littlebum2002]

1) I really need to start getting a jump on these new comics! I already missed out on a yellow speech bubble and a 3 armed man. Who knows how many interesting/funny errors I may have missed?

2) I'm assuming, from the talk so far, that the spell we saw must be home brewed, since there are apparently no psionic powers which do that. However, considering that if you take the 9th level spell "gate" and convert it to psionics somehow, you should be able to remove the by far most powerful aspect of it (calling for help from another plane) and replace it with making the gate slightly bigger and on the same plane without making it epic.

3) I love the reverse gender stereotype pointed out by Elan. Just like how he had to take the predominately female roll of being a helpless hostage, now he takes on the predominately female roll of the helpless person attending a dangerous meeting being protected by Haley, in the predominately male role of "oh, protect me!"

[t209]

A. Attack on Northern Gates, Oppa Seanchan Style.
B. Gate blew and everyone dies.

[Paisley]

It would be dramatically appropriate to have a full family reunion here, wouldn't it?

Yeah, all we need now is for Lena and Anel to get here.

[Bartle]

Guess this is as good a time as any for Elan's plan. I hope.You mean telling Tarquin that since Durkon made him Roy's adoptee, he no longer has to fulfill any dramatic role against his (ex-)father? Maybe, but he's still surrounded by powerful enemies.

[Agnostik]

This is one of those rare online strips that I didn't expect to end so quickly. I was all fired up for the second page... :smallfrown:

[Falcurin]

I believe that Tarquin knows quite a lot about the gates and their nature. I also suspect that he might be related to the Draketooths, though exempt from Familicide due to the loopholes that were established in other threads (I can't remember them off-hand.)

The destruction of the gate and its consequences would be a family matter for a Draketooth, wouldn't you say?

[137beth]

considering the "bussiness before pleasure" rule, i wonder why the team psion is here instead of working in empire of sweat, is this trip considered short enough to not matter or is there bussiness involved despite the blown up gate

I know this was awhile ago, but:

He says the army is there for dramatic tension (which is important)--how else do ya think he could have teleported a huge army:smalltongue:

[David Argall]

As we already knew, the party has a combined total of zero in spot and listen. Even if they were talking to each other, not noticing an army until they surrounded is not a good result.

[Verditude]

Rich already pegged a researched Arcane version of Microcosm (with some alterations) as 9th level. No reason a psion couldn't research a Psionic version of Gate.

In fact, as I said, it makes perfect sense. Laurin made the aperture wider by pumping in more power points.

Fair. Since it's augmented, she's at least an 18th level psion, and I'd wager higher.

[Sweet_Goddess]

Poor Rich, this stip is/was fraught with errors to fix.

Thought fixed
Yellow Sand Speech Bubble
Thar the Revealer's third arm

And now, to make matters worse, I notice Haley's Bow is the wrong way in panel 9... 1, 5, 7, 8, and 10 all have the bow's top over her right shoulder and its bottom coming past her left hip, but in 9 it is inverted... also, her hair strand is inverted... yet she and Elan are positioned with him on her left like in all the other panels...

Sorry Rich for finding another issue for you to correct. Great comic.

[J's]

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/Tarquin2.pngIt's weird, no matter how many people he kills, the audience still finds him lovable.

Thinking someone is a great character =\= finding them lovable.

[thegreatentropy]

I just registered, after some years lurking, to congratulate the Giant for this great comics...

... and also to say: Had everyone forgot about Ian? I think that is the reason he asked her to go there with Elan, so he could show that he captured her dad.

[Sermil]

Does anyone have a reference to the 'flashback panel' Elan is talking about? I can't find it... Thanks!

[Gift Jeraff]

Does anyone have a reference to the 'flashback panel' Elan is talking about? I can't find it... Thanks!

Here. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0758.html)

[mhsmith]

Thinking someone is a great character =\= finding them lovable.

I know, I was just being a wiseass :smalltongue:

[JackRackham]

I'm thinking Elan's recent character growth is about to be tested here....

[Paisley]

And now, to make matters worse, I notice Haley's Bow is the wrong way in panel 9... 1, 5, 7, 8, and 10 all have the bow's top over her right shoulder and its bottom coming past her left hip, but in 9 it is inverted... also, her hair strand is inverted... yet she and Elan are positioned with him on her left like in all the other panels...

Sorry Rich for finding another issue for you to correct. Great comic.

Can't say much about the bow, but I'm fairly certain Haley's hair strand is one of those things that just inverts itself whenever convenient.

[Knight.Anon]

Look like Nale has lied himself into a corner off panel. Can the Psion brainwash him? I think Tarquin is near epic, so she could be as well.

Is Tarquin playing dumb about the pyramid? I didn't expect him to go into affable mode without missing a beat.

[Tiiba]

Three-armed guy fixed.

Well, can you put him back in now? I want to know what it looked like.

[Goosefeather]

Can't say much about the bow, but I'm fairly certain Haley's hair strand is one of those things that just inverts itself whenever convenient.

Like Roy's boot size, no? Hence the joke in panel 2 here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0401.html).

[Vodnuth]

Yeah, all we need now is for Lena and Anel to get here.

:elan: Heh heh, Anel

[JackRackham]

Poor Rich, this stip is/was fraught with errors to fix.

Thought fixed
Yellow Sand Speech Bubble
Thar the Revealer's third arm

And now, to make matters worse, I notice Haley's Bow is the wrong way in panel 9... 1, 5, 7, 8, and 10 all have the bow's top over her right shoulder and its bottom coming past her left hip, but in 9 it is inverted... also, her hair strand is inverted... yet she and Elan are positioned with him on her left like in all the other panels...

Sorry Rich for finding another issue for you to correct. Great comic.

I figure her bow is like a lot of women with their purses. She keeps shifting it to the other shoulder when the bowstring gets annoying.

[MoonCat]

I hate family meetings, they always start out just like this and escalated into high level D&D violence

Really?

My family fights just escalate into reenactments of a Dwarven new years, except the counting down is actually the anger management technique our therapist recommended.

[RMS Oceanic]

Hmm, what sort of Family Conference - and future inlaws conference - is Tarquin gunning for?

I kinda figured the Order wasn't going to fight the army. The only options from that situation would be TPK, capture or implausible victory. Speaking of which, I wonder if Elan's plan for Tarquin will only be seen in another book? Tarquin feels too...in complete control of the situation to spring it now.

[factotum]

Look like Nale has lied himself into a corner off panel.

How has he lied? He said that Roy destroyed the Gate before he could claim it himself, which is 100% unvarnished truth. He doesn't actually know that he was standing right next to the gate and didn't realise it was there--Malack knew that the Order were standing in the final chamber in the pyramid, but we have no evidence he ever told Nale that (and he's certainly not going to tell him now, let's face it).

[Draz74]

I figure her bow is like a lot of women with their purses. She keeps shifting it to the other shoulder when the bowstring gets annoying.

I might think so too if she hadn't lampshaded the fact (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0649.html) that her bow was less consistent in the very early strips than it has been since.

EDIT: More on topic, Gah! I don't know if I've been this frustrated by a cliffhanger, hoping the next strip will come soon, since Darth Vaarsuvius's raid on Xykon's tower. I'm wondering if the upcoming strips will be comparable in importance to the original Crayons of Time series ...

[Knight.Anon]

I expect that in his family meeting he wants to know about the gate from both sides of his family so he can decide what his move should be. He's Lawful so if the fate of the world depends on it he help the party before ultimately killing most of them.

I'm wondering what the Psion will do.

[Mike Havran]

Is Tarquin's division trained to stand half-visible when in the background so it won't steal spotlight from him and those he considers important? :smalltongue:

Also, Laurin Shattersmith. I like that name. Sounds so...peaceful.

[Torrasque]

Yuuup. I don't know about you, but I could feel Anticlimactically Timed Ominous Reveals Guy as the spiritual successor to Wizard Guy...

Oh please, he is not even worthy to be mentioned in the same sentence. Noone will remember Tarquins most recent 4th wall breaker in 2 strips time.
Now stop dishonoring the great wizard guys good name, may he rest in piece (and be thrown in Roys face).

[redbeard]

Tarquin's ease toward Nale has me thinking that Nale is in trouble.

And I was one who thought that Tarquin expected only one of Nale or Malack to be there when he returned, and was ok with either outcome.

But how affable his toward Nale? Tarquin's dialogue toward Nale is so very much disinterested small talk while he waits for what he wants - Elan and Haley.

Plus Tarquin is so big on dramatic reversals. When he's nice to you, expect trouble. If I was Nale, I'd be ready for another Dimension Door to ....

[LForce]

Tarquin needs to hire a new ominous plot-critical reveal guy, that one is terrible.

[Storel]

"A good swoop is hard to time"

Makes me think that although Tarquin was agreeing with Nale, he may also have been referring to him and his army not getting to the gate in time with their own "swoop".

[ti'esar]

This is perhaps the most suspenseful strip involving nothing but polite conversation that I can remember.

[androkguz]

So where is the rest of Tarquin's team? Just the psion?

Well, since she is been revealed to be a psion, I am gonna go ahead and guess that Miron is a Warlock multiclass and Shoulder-pad guy is a hexblade.

[Paseo H]

I guess to be V's opposite in Team Tarquin, her theme is that her powers come from within her, as opposed to seeking arcane external power.

[Stella]

It's funny, every time any character uses a pronoun to refer to V someone assumes that it nails down V's gender.
And it does. It also doesn't. Until, kinda like a certain cat in a box we've read about, V's robes come off and collapse the wave form.*

Also: Awww, Thread #910 was closed and I wanted to talk about dinosaurs in the desert some more. *waves a fist in the air* Curse you, morality discussers! Anyways, as far as I'm aware dinosaurs never lived in the desert. They should be used to eating huge piles of vegetation, for the triceratops, and probably huge piles of meat, for the tyrannosaurs and the pterodactyls. And then settling down for a nap for a week.


I hate family meetings, they always start out just like this and escalated into high level D&D violenceIt's kinda like Thanksgiving! :smallwink:



* But, yeah. It's always amusing to see at least one poster yell "OMG!!! V's gender revealed at last!!!1!!!!!Eleven!!1!!"

[Deliverance]

Of course Tarquin has a division trained for "ominous plot critical reveals".

[Bulldog Psion]

:elan: "Don't worry, you'll keep me safe."

Hilarious. :smallbiggrin:

[dps]

I frankly have no idea what's coming next.

[The Pilgrim]

I'm under the impression that "family reunion in private" and "this is our team's psion" are not exactly good news.

[Damaris]

Also: Awww, Thread #910 was closed and I wanted to talk about dinosaurs in the desert some more. *waves a fist in the air* Curse you, morality discussers! Anyways, as far as I'm aware dinosaurs never lived in the desert. They should be used to eating huge piles of vegetation, for the triceratops, and probably huge piles of meat, for the tyrannosaurs and the pterodactyls. And then settling down for a nap for a week.


Aw. I only lurked a bit, but that dinosaur discussion was fascinating stuff. :smallbiggrin:

[pendell]

Nuts. If they didn't dispose of Zzd'tri's corpse by now it's too late.

"Family meeting" -- I'm worried for the rest of the team. Tarquin has shown a disregard for any life not related to his own by blood. Pulling Elan and Haley out may be a first step to wiping out the rest of the party.

I'm glad Haley is going with Elan. Between his dramatic sense and good instincts and her cleverness, this might be salvageable after all.

Last panel -- the division is "specially trained for dramatic reveals" -- is a giggle. Appreciated!

Still, I find the strip *by itself* unsatisfying. It feels like a bridge leading up to something else.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[davidbofinger]

Hm, is that the first time Belkar called V "she?" I guess he made up his mind :smalltongue:

Maybe he's been reading up on squamate sexual morphology (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0177.html).

[Pory]

It seems like we're going to finally know what's the exact meaning of Tarquin's ominous foreshadowing (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0751.html) and probably Elan's plan (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0836.html) in the next few strips.

[gerryq]

im 99% certain Tarquin knew exactly what happened in his absense he didnt ask about the gate or the pyramid just confirmed that the gate did indeed blow up, and he doesnt seem miffed about it at all


Of course "Well, it happens. A good swoop is hard to time" *could* mean "I'll wring the truth out of you later, you lying incompetent!" But on the whole, I think not. Tarquin has some plan, possibly involving his departure.

[Hardcore]

Do I love this comic or what?

"A good swoop is hard to time."


:smallbiggrin:

[gerryq]

I expect that in his family meeting he wants to know about the gate from both sides of his family so he can decide what his move should be. He's Lawful so if the fate of the world depends on it he help the party before ultimately killing most of them.

If he wanted to know stuff he'd call for Roy to be present.

This is related to family and/or Empire and/or Tarquin's group

[Cifer]

Soo... I'm guessing whatever is to be talked about does not involve a plan to take the last gate - now that Tarquin definitely knows Roy is in charge (and doesn't have to play dumb about it), he'd ask him over for that.

[gorocz]

Is that Nale lying to his dad to keep a good villain face?

:nale: "Greenhilt managed to destroy the Gate before I could swoop in."

That's not exactly true, is it? He was at the Gate before the Order...

[Deathtongue]

Considering what happened to Gannji and Enor when they tried to dramatically upstage Tarquin, that soldier in the last panel may only be minutes away from death.

[Paseo H]

Nuts. If they didn't dispose of Zzd'tri's corpse by now it's too late.

"Family meeting" -- I'm worried for the rest of the team. Tarquin has shown a disregard for any life not related to his own by blood. Pulling Elan and Haley out may be a first step to wiping out the rest of the party.

I'm glad Haley is going with Elan. Between his dramatic sense and good instincts and her cleverness, this might be salvageable after all.

Last panel -- the division is "specially trained for dramatic reveals" -- is a giggle. Appreciated!

Still, I find the strip *by itself* unsatisfying. It feels like a bridge leading up to something else.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

Revealing another member of Team Tarquin seems pretty important to me. :smalltongue:

Bridge or not, the plot has thickened even more greatly. To paraphrase an earlier poster, "let's have a family meeting" and "this is my team psion" are two things you don't want to hear in the same sentence.

[Diadem]

"I remember her from the flashback panels". Oh Elan, never stop breaking that 4th wall :)

[Dracon1us]

classic Tarquin, classic Elan

I sniff something as "your team can't achieve anything. follow me (to the dark side) and we'll secure the gate (conquer the world)

[Ghost Nappa]

Comic on my birthday? :smallbiggrin:

Somebody better call 9-1-1, because the Order is surrounded, doesn't have a plan, and desperately needs help! xD

Tarquin's discussion with Nale seems to either not started or ended famously. I want to say the former because the fact that we haven't seen something that relates to basically everyone involved is a little weird, and not something I think we're gonna miss.

[Newwby]

"Thought this division is also trained for ominous plot revels."
Divison. Division.

That does not bode well for anyone against the side of Tarquin.

[Emperor Flumph]

Holy crap. That twist was almost three years ago.
It just hit home how long this arc has been going.

EDIT: That isn't intended as a criticism. I'm loving it all the more for its length.

[Tragak]

Anticlimactically Timed Ominous Reveal Guy (heretofore referred to as ATORG) Nonsense, we must name him Spoilericus :smallbiggrin:

[SinsI]

Strange that they didn't each carry a full set of blood drops for the whole party all the time...

[Shale]

There's no way Tarquin is going to be fooled by Nale's "mistimed swoop" story, right? And not to mention whatever excuse he came up for to explain Malack's absence? I wonder if this family chat is of the "you have failed me" variety...

(Alternately, the Giant has hinted a few times now that there's more to Elan and Nale's backstory than we know. This might be a good time for that.)

[Solse]

That mook could be the next big internet meme.

[Deathtongue]

Nonsense, we must name him Spoilericus :smallbiggrin:

Spoilericus becoming a meme is the only way we can save his life; a villain like Tarquin would be loathe to kill a fan-favorite even if he did something as unforgivable as wreck his narrative groove.

... unless he's sparing Spoilericus only temporarily so that he can brutally execute him when the audience is getting too mushy on him. In order to remind the audience that yes, he IS the villain. They do that sometimes in this comic.

[Zephyr1011]

Wait, does Tarquin even know that Malack is dead?

[Kish]

We don't know what Nale told him off-panel...or what he learned from other sources, for that matter...but he knows Malack isn't present, and he sees Malack's former thrall standing once against with his prior-to-that companions.

[Traab]

I was going to edit my "first!" to be comic relevant. Found out it was deleted when I went back to do so, actually.

Anyway, this does raise the issue: did Tarquin REALLY bring the army for "dramatic tension"? I mean, probably not, but he does seem surprised that the Gate is gone, so it could have be that the wind is out of his sails and he's just keeping face. As for the family meeting... this is almost assuradly about whether or not to kill Nale.

Im looking at it as a chance to do a family reveal of some sort, perhaps a chance to join his side, and an easy way to get his son and future daughter in law out of the line of fire when he drops the freaking army on the OOTS.

"So, will you guys join me?"

"No"

"Pity, ah well, you are free to go. But first. DINO ARCHERS FIRE!"

/order of the stick gets pin cushioned

"Didnt want to risk dealing with them a few levels from now, you know how it is."

At least, thats how I would guess tarquin sees this going.

[Gusion]

So, did Nale tell daddy the entire truth?

I think that's a big question.

But I expect a big, "you two need to stop fighting until after the world is saved" speech coming up. Along with, "you can continue trying to win my affections after," of course.

Sadly, no Mr. Scruffy. He should be next to Belkar at this point. Please think about this Giant - every time you don't show him it opens up the chance for stupid threads about "oh he must have jumped in the rift." Or something.

[Kish]

Sadly, no Mr. Scruffy. He should be next to Belkar at this point. Please think about this Giant - every time you don't show him it opens up the chance for stupid threads about "oh he must have jumped in the rift." Or something.
I do not think finding room for and drawing Mr. Scruffy in every comic in order to ward off speculators who haven't noticed by now that Mr. Scruffy spends most of his time in hammerspace, would be a productive use of Rich's time.

[Deathmachine]

Pretty simple where this is heading:

Before that little Malack-Nale-Action, Malack would have taken over the empire after Tarquins death. Now that Malack has been destroyed someone else has to take that place, and who would you better put into that position than one of your own sons?
Only problem is: Elan is too good for that kind of empire, Nale is too greedy and.. well, stupid. So who to pick?

For the rest of the party: There wont be an execution by Tarquin or his army. He knows that kind of stuff never works on the heroes, and I got the impression that he respects Roy for his strategical thinking. He also needs them for the next move to Kraagors Gate.
Nale, on the other hand, might be in BIG trouble here. Not because of killing Malack, but because his timing was SO bad its incredible. And he got fooled by that obvious trick in the pyramid.

For Spoilericus: Someone else mentioned that they might also be trained for being a comic relief/delivering a punchline, so he might have done a perfect job there. Also, guards dont grow on trees ;).

[Ron Miel]

Am I the only one seeing the three armed mook in the last panel?

I'm not seeing it.

Edit - just seen Rich's message

[137beth]

I do not think finding room for and drawing Mr. Scruffy in every comic in order to ward off speculators who haven't noticed by now that Mr. Scruffy spends most of his time in hammerspace, would be a productive use of Rich's time.

I don't think it is actually even possible for the giant to even remotely slow the ridiculous speculation on the forum. He shouldn't waste time trying.

[Sir_Leorik]

"Ioun Stone Woman" now has a class and a name! Nice to be formally introduced to you Laurin, please don't teleport me into a solid object!

Plus: PFC Plot-Critical-Reveal clearly missed the memo about Tarquin spilling the beans to Elan. Are there any other plot points you want to announce Private? Malack is a Vampire? Nale and Z'zditri destroyed Malack? Roy destroyed the Pyramid? Xykon recovered his phylactery and is on his way to Girard's Pyramid with Redcloak and the MitD? The "champion" in the arena is Thog? thog likes puppies? Get back to your unit and give me twenty push-ups! :smalltongue:

[Aolbain]

Is that Nale lying to his dad to keep a good villain face?

:nale: "Greenhilt managed to destroy the Gate before I could swoop in."

That's not exactly true, is it? He was at the Gate before the Order...

He didn't know he was at the gate.

[ellindsey]

Strange that they didn't each carry a full set of blood drops for the whole party all the time...

The body part used for Resurrection needs to have been part of the person at the time of death. Taking a blood sample or lock or hair or whatever beforehand just in case won't work.

[Jimorian]

I don't think it is actually even possible for the giant to even remotely slow the ridiculous speculation on the forum. He shouldn't waste time trying.

Speaking of ridiculous speculation:
Tarquin is going to name his heir, then jump into the rift with his army to conquer a new world.
:smalltongue:

[Breccia]

What a family. I don't know which I like more:
-- bringing a massive army in mostly for dramatic tension, or
-- murdering a vampire's spawns as a practice run, or
-- breaking the illusion spell

If those 3 got along, they could probably RULE THE UNIVERSE!

[Lossoth]

So is the black line a Psion ability of some sort, like the one that zapped Nale in the gate room?

Also, terrific reference Giant. For those of us that remember. A "line in the sand" was a significant factor in the original Operation Desert X.

[Sir_Leorik]

I wonder what Tarquin has to say. No doubt it'll be quite interesting. On an unrelated note, I wonder where Kilkil went. Maybe back to the Empress to cover for Tarquin or something.

He's probably catching up on his paperwork. He's a bureaucrat, and they tend to have work pile up when they're out of the office, for any reason.

[elros]

Tarquin has mastered dramatic tension, but how can he keep his family together? He's not belittling Nale for his failure (at least not yet), and he seems intent on helping Elan, so he's doing his part. I just don't see either of his son's playing along.

I was also surprised the Belkar showed some concern for the Elf. Aren't they mortal enemies?

[Sir_Leorik]

Interesting. I would guess Laurin is an epic psion, since no nonepic power does what she just did (at least no published ones that I know of; psionic teleportation circle is significantly less powerful and a 9th level power). And, she's probably a nomad.

Also, I assume that Tarquin's before-he-left-the-city thing was preparing the army to move out and possibly contacting Laurin, requesting her to leave her post in the Empire of Sweat for a little while, so that he could move his army to the right part of the desert easily.

It's possible the power she used is in "Comple Psionic", or it could be homebrewed. Whatever it was, it has to be at least 8th or 9th level, comparable to the most powerful psionic power a Nomad Psion has access to.

[Harry Leipzig]

Hm. Now, this is interesting. Tarquin doesn't seem like he's here for a fight- yet. What in the world does he know that requires him to bring an entire division to generate proper dramatic tension for its reveal?

On a separate note, anyone want to hazard a guess as to the classes of Tarquin's remaining teammates? The catfolk lady is almost certainly a rogue, the bald guy looks like a wizard or sorcerer, and the last guy... I'm not sure. Maybe another fighter? A barbarian? A blackguard? Would love to see bonus comics of Team Tarquin in action from back in the day.

[Sir_Leorik]

I just registered, after some years lurking, to congratulate the Giant for this great comics...

... and also to say: Had everyone forgot about Ian? I think that is the reason he asked her to go there with Elan, so he could show that he captured her dad.

That might be the real reason Tarquin chose this division, to have his crack team, trained for ominous, plot-critical reveals, to haul out her Uncle Geoff and Aunt Ivy (I don't think they would have caught Ian twice) to use as leverage. Dun, dun dun!

And welcome to the forums thegreatentropy!

[Sir_Leorik]

Look like Nale has lied himself into a corner off panel. Can the Psion brainwash him? I think Tarquin is near epic, so she could be as well.

Is Tarquin playing dumb about the pyramid? I didn't expect him to go into affable mode without missing a beat.

We only know Laurin is a Psion, we don't know which type. My personal bet is that she's a Nomad, who specializes in teleportation effects (hence her ability to open a portal to teleport an entire army, which Tarquin probably uses regularly to conquer new territory).

[Cuthalion]

Whew. It looks like the OOTS is not going to be hurt. But, then again, we'll see.

[Sir_Leorik]

Tarquin needs to hire a new ominous plot-critical reveal guy, that one is terrible.

They're really hard to train, so don't be too hard on this guy. He's probably new.

PS: Is there a consensus on what the Forum is calling him? He doesn't have three arms anymore, he's not revealing anything actually plot critical, and he's mostly there for a punch line. Can we call him PFC Punchline?

[quasit]

Nice strip, thought I'm wondering if Thog's fate or Ian's plan loose ends are going to be resolved before wrapping this arc up...


Strange that they didn't each carry a full set of blood drops for the whole party all the time...

According to the phb, they'd need any remain of the deceased body at the moment of it's death (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/resurrection.htm) to cast resurrection.

[Adeptus]

"Don't worry, you'll keep me safe" :elan:

"That's a lot of mooks" :belkar:

Utter brilliance Giant!

[137beth]

What a family. I don't know which I like more:
-- bringing a massive army in mostly for dramatic tension, or
-- murdering a vampire's spawns as a practice run, or
-- breaking the illusion spell

If those 3 got along, they could probably RULE THE UNIVERSE!

Did...did you just figure out how to control the snarl?:smalleek:

[Sir_Leorik]

Is that Nale lying to his dad to keep a good villain face?

:nale: "Greenhilt managed to destroy the Gate before I could swoop in."

That's not exactly true, is it? He was at the Gate before the Order...


There's no way Tarquin is going to be fooled by Nale's "mistimed swoop" story, right? And not to mention whatever excuse he came up for to explain Malack's absence? I wonder if this family chat is of the "you have failed me" variety...


Nale is in fact being 100% honest, so far as he knows. He failed to find the Gate, Roy found it, and then destroyed it before Nale could find it. Nale has left out a few details that make seem incompetent, but he's otherwise told the entire truth. Nale doesn't know that Xykon was on his way, and that that's the reason Roy decided to destroy the Gate. And Tarquin is also correct that villains need to practice sweeping in and snatching treasure from the heroes. Not everyone is born a Bellouq.


Considering what happened to Gannji and Enor when they tried to dramatically upstage Tarquin, that soldier in the last panel may only be minutes away from death.

This is less egregious than what Gannji did. Gannji was trying to extort money from Tarquin in front of Elan, he was scaring the Empress of Blood, and he was treading on Tarquin's "Star Wars" gag. The soldier was doing what he was trained to do, although he apparently was not aware that this info was learned by Elan, Roy and Haley roughly 150 strips ago. He'll probably get a stern chewing out from his commanding officer, a demerit, and then a promotion for stylishly starting a meme.

Speaking of which:


Spoilericus becoming a meme is the only way we can save his life; a villain like Tarquin would be loathe to kill a fan-favorite even if he did something as unforgivable as wreck his narrative groove.

... unless he's sparing Spoilericus only temporarily so that he can brutally execute him when the audience is getting too mushy on him. In order to remind the audience that yes, he IS the villain. They do that sometimes in this comic.

Tarquin doesn't kill minions and flunkies for the sake of killing minions and flunkies. He prefers to discipline them in ways that teach them not to do what they've done wrong again, while maintaining morale. See the employee manuals (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0766.html) and emergency procedures (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0812.html) that Tarquin has implemented. Tarquin is trying to get his soldiers to stop acting like stereotypical mooks; summary execution for a single infraction is not going to help his cause, because it makes him look like a stereotypical Evil Overlord, (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EvilOverlordList) when he's actually the poster child for Dangerously Genre Savvy (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DangerouslyGenreSavvy).


Strange that they didn't each carry a full set of blood drops for the whole party all the time...

Strands of hair or fingernail clippings would be even better, but we're talking about the OotS. They aren't exactly the most optimized party of adventurers. :smallamused:

[Tannhaeuser]

I wonder if the mook isn't being deliberately anticlimactic. He may have been trained for ominous plot reveals, but I can't imagine he would want to upstage Tarquin, particularly in a manner both public and familiar. On the other hand, he may suppose that just remaining silent would demonstrate a lack of zeal. Horns of a dramatic dilemma...

[DeadMG]

Goddamnit. Why not just name the comic "Operation Desert Cliffhanger"? :(( want to buy plot-critical details!

[Psyren]

I had really thought the ioun stones had eliminated psion as a possibility.

Not only do ioun stones work fine for psions, there are some that work exclusively for psions.

Also, good to know psionics exists in OotSland outside of gags :smallbiggrin:

[Kislath]

I have a feeling the psionicist is there for a lot more than just opening portals.

[Ashiver]

I completely get the feeling this is Tarquin asking the only two people he cares about to get out of the crater while he nukes everybody still in it.

[Sir_Leorik]

Not only do ioun stones work fine for psions, there are some that work exclusively for psions.

Also, good to know psionics exists in OotSland outside of gags :smallbiggrin:

There have been multiple Psions in "OotS": The Psion in the tavern scene in "OtOoPCs", the Blue that Redcloak used to probe O-Chul's mind, and the most famous of Psions, Psteve! You remember Psteve, right?

[Harry Leipzig]

Do you think Tarquin knows something about the Snarl? That would be the most relevant plot-point at this point. Is there a psionic ability that can create projections of mental images, translating thoughts into a visible form? I think it would be hilarious if Tarquin used Laurin as a human PowerPoint. :smalltongue:

[Deathmachine]

I completely get the feeling this is Tarquin asking the only two people he cares about to get out of the crater while he nukes everybody still in it.

Why should he?

- That NEVER works on heroes
- He respects Roy for being a good tactitian
- He may need a new cleric, even if only for the time being
- They may still know stuff about the gates that he doesnt
- He wants them to stop Xykon from destroying/ruling the world

Opposite to that, I barely see any reasons why he should nuke em.
Because they destroyed the gate and hes mad at them? Nah, Tarquin is not a guy who kills because of spite. Thats Nales part.
Because they are good and hes not? Please, he said it himself that "good" and "bad" are just stupid labels.

[Deathmachine]

Do you think Tarquin knows something about the Snarl? That would be the most relevant plot-point at this point. Is there a psionic ability that can create projections of mental images, translating thoughts into a visible form? I think it would be hilarious if Tarquin used Laurin as a human PowerPoint. :smalltongue:

Since there is a bard spell doing exactly that (summon plot exposition, pretty early in the comic) - sure, why not?

[Ron Miel]

It seems like we're going to finally know what's the exact meaning of Tarquin's ominous foreshadowing (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0751.html) ... in the next few strips.

I'm pretty sure it's already been revealed here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0763.html).

[Psyren]

There have been multiple Psions in "OotS": The Psion in the tavern scene in "OtOoPCs", the Blue that Redcloak used to probe O-Chul's mind, and the most famous of Psions, Psteve! You remember Psteve, right?

Hence outside of gags, which I said. The blue, the tavern psion, all of them were joke characters. This is the first one with any narrative importance.

[Death by DM]

I'm pretty sure it's already been revealed here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0763.html).

But could it mean more than that?

[Forikroder]

I'm pretty sure it's already been revealed here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0763.html).

waitasecond

Tarquin saids Elan found his way here "not a moment too soon" implying that whatever he was foreshadowing is an event thats going to happen soon yet after there duel he mentions how there fight is going to be postponed for a number of years wouldnt Tarquin prefer Elan NEVER find his way there so he can reveal I AM YOUR FATHER after there climactic duel but before Elan finishs him off?

[Sir_Leorik]

Hence outside of gags, which I said. The blue, the tavern psion, all of them were joke characters. This is the first one with any narrative importance.

You take that back! Psteve died to save the party from those monsters!

Of course if V had just used the Hold Monster spell earlier, Psteve's tragic death could have been avoided. :smallsigh: I suppose you were too cool for this world, Psteve.

[David Argall]

I completely get the feeling this is Tarquin asking the only two people he cares about to get out of the crater while he nukes everybody still in it.
Doubtful. Tarquin is not the type to eliminate the potentially useful. And since there is an opening on his team, putting in a Roy or Durkon or a V seems at least possible. Most vital at the moment may be that Roy is the only one who knows where the last gate is. If Targuin has any idea there is even another gate, the party should not be eliminated before they spill what they know. Now in an hour or two...

[Scifne]

I loved the dino head in the third panel. Like a big puppy!

I wonder if Tarquin's old team will be ok with Malack dying at the hands of Tarquin's son, or if he's leaving all discussion of that out when in front of the psion.

[BroomGuys]

Rich, you slay me. The soldier's face when he gives the "reveal" gets me every time.

[NerdyKris]

Because they destroyed the gate and hes mad at them? Nah, Tarquin is not a guy who kills because of spite. Thats Nales part.

So what about Gaanjil and Enor? He tried to kill them out of spite.

Although I agree, I don't think he has any reason to kill the party at this time. He has a vested interest in saving the last gate as well.

[Joseph_Lavode]

:elan: "Don't worry. You'll keep me safe."

Oh Elan, truly chivalry isn't dead. :smallbiggrin:

[gorocz]

Even though he has only one line in this comic, I really like how it shows that Belkar really became an actual member of the team, as opposed to...what he was before :smallbiggrin:

(two lines actually, I meant the one about V)

[Saturosian]

Haha, yes.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/Tarquin.png Dramatic tension, mostly. Though this division is trained for ominous plot-critical reveals.

Is just the kind of army that Tarquin would have. So, basically, this is an eco-friendly army, running on such green, renewable resources as plot, drama, and wind-power winding-up-the-book power.

:smallbiggrin:

[Forikroder]

Doubtful. Tarquin is not the type to eliminate the potentially useful. And since there is an opening on his team, putting in a Roy or Durkon or a V seems at least possible. Most vital at the moment may be that Roy is the only one who knows where the last gate is. If Targuin has any idea there is even another gate, the party should not be eliminated before they spill what they know. Now in an hour or two...

Nale knows where Kraagars gate is


So what about Gaanjil and Enor? He tried to kill them out of spite.

Although I agree, I don't think he has any reason to kill the party at this time. He has a vested interest in saving the last gate as well.

he tried to kill them because he thought Elan would enjoy the spectacle

[busterswd]

Off the wall prediction:

Not only did Tarquin want Nale to kill Malack, the reason he's been plotting on killing Malack for years is Tarquin TOLD Nale that that was his test.

[littlebum2002]

I know this has been said before, but it needs to be said again. Our heroes really, really suck at listen checks.

[Tsyndrome]

Anyone else thinking it might be along the lines of, "Nale, you've failed me for the last time. Elan, here's your first army. Show me what you can do with it."

Nah, while Tarquin's overly attached to family ties, he's not dumb.

[denthor]

For those that missed the joke comic 9/11 is in a desert. Rich is just a month off. But funny anyway at least to me. Operation desert storm.

[Mad Humanist]

Nale knows where Kraagars gate is.

Sorry, you've lost me. Sure Nale knows about Kraagars gate but he needed the Draketooth clue and his step-mother to get a handle on the location of Girard's gate.

[Giggling Ghast]

I wonder if Tarquin intends to force some kind of final confrontation between Elan and Nale here.

Elan: Son, I know that you're building up to some kind of climactic battle, and you can't really have your brother trying to hone in your racket. As such, I think it's high time we settle this dispute once and for all. And by 'settle,' I mean fight to the death. Now.

:elan: But Dad, I can't …

Tarquin: Do it, or your friends will be resembling pincushions in 4 … 3 … 2 …

[Burner28]

I wonder if Tarquin intends to force some kind of final confrontation between Elan and Nale here.

Elan: Son, I know that you're building up to some kind of climactic battle, and you can't really have your brother trying to hone in your racket. As such, I think it's high time we settle this dispute once and for all. And by 'settle,' I mean fight to the death. Now.

:elan: But Dad, I can't …

Tarquin: Do it, or your friends will be resembling pincushions in 4 … 3 … 2 …

I actually like that theory.

[ManuelSacha]

I laughed at Belkar's reaction after seeing the army.

Then I laughed more at Elan "reassuring" Haley.

Then I laughed again at him remembering someone from the flashback panels.

And of course, the punchline: "Yes, yes, we did that one already."

Just sayin'... making me laugh 4 times in 10 panels. That takes talent.

[SaintRidley]

Hence outside of gags, which I said. The blue, the tavern psion, all of them were joke characters. This is the first one with any narrative importance.

How dare you speak ill of Psteve! He was very narratively significant!

[Bulldog Psion]

As you might guess from my username and avatar, seeing a psion in the comic warms the cockles of me heart. :smallcool:

[Reathin]

Dramatic Reveal Mook is so enthused! That man deserves a promotion. Maybe Tarquin will single him out as a possible Ensemble Darkhorse? :smallbiggrin:

[Knight.Anon]

As far as the Belkster saying that V has a V goes: B. does have some sort of special scent ability and was able to spot Nale posing as Elan. On the other hand maybe elven gender is too subtle for him to discern. Who knows maybe elven gender is interchangeable and/or intermittent on this world.

[BrotherMirtillo]

Strips like this make me feel really uneasy about speculating. If I'm wrong, I get the legs kicked out from under me. If I'm right, I've ruined the surprise.

So I'll fly off the handle and suggest that it's Tarquin's birthday! And his army's going to throw the biggest picnic and dino-ultimate-Frisbee game EVER!!! Elan will help the party escape by producing an illusion of them sitting around the meal and chatting. Tarquin will be hurt that they aren't eating his owlbear barbeque ribs.

More seriously, I see this next thing as a big ol' powder keg waiting to go off. I'm not enough of a player to really know how dangerous an advanced psion is to be standing at your back, but a glance at a few core descriptions (and this forum) suggests you won't even have the time to scream.

You know what that means? Diplomancers. This poster said it well:


This is perhaps the most suspenseful strip involving nothing but polite conversation that I can remember.

On first reading here, I had an unfortunate flashback to Malack being content (for a little while) to engage Durkon in polite conversation. We all know that ended.

But this isn't the same set of players. Elan understands Tarquin best of any Order member, and Haley is the Order's expert at talking. If anyone in the group could defer Tarquin on the warpath, they could.

That's not to say they will. His poker face is at least as good as Haley's, and I saw a spoilered guess on why he's calling her up that sounds uncomfortably plausible. Or perhaps he's got something worse in mind. Still, I have hope. Elan may be a relatively-innocent guy with unfortunately-goofy oratory, but he's good at winning even when he's got almost nothing going for him. Also, his father loves him. Can't forget that.

Yeesh, so much tension. I'll just have to content myself with Spoilericus and this bit to ease the harshness of the cliffhanger:


I love how the Order doesn't even bat an eyelash at the giant dino-army. Ah, the life of an adventuring party.

[warrl]

Originally Posted by M.A.D
Edit: Also, if Belkar could shift V's position from Hate to Lust, it stands to reason that he perceives V as female

Not necessarily.

Correct. After all, he did take the skill Craft: Disturbing Mental Image

[F.Harr]

Tarquin, gentelmanly, as always. I don't know about YOU guys, but I find that ominous.

Also, assuming a more-or-less standard NATO deffinition of "division", that's ten to fifteen thousand troops trained for ominous plot reveals. That's. . . a LOT of people. A very Tarquin thing to do.

[RNGgod]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is a question of succession to the empire. Malack is dead (I'm guess Tarquin knows), and when Tarquin dies, someone needs to take over. Hence he needs his sons, and of course his son's girlfriend.


So after some big speech that has Nale grinning ear-to-ear, Tarquin is going to ask Elan to kill Nale. He may threaten Elan with the rest of the Order, but he wants to force an end to the sibling conflict and decide once and for all who is the better heir. Previously it was blatantly Elan, but Nale's attack on Malack (even if he screwed up the next stage) was impressive enough.


Even if details are different, I'm still going to wager that this is about Nale vs. Elan and the heir to the empire.

[warrl]

Wait, does Tarquin even know that Malack is dead?

I assume Nale told him about Roy and Belkar killing Malack.

[warrl]

I know this has been said before, but it needs to be said again. Our heroes really, really suck at listen checks.

It needs to be said again because they didn't hear it the first time, or the second, or the 10,387th...

[Porthos]

I know this has been said before, but it needs to be said again. Our heroes really, really suck at listen checks.

That's totally not fair. Haley is quite sure she might have heard something. :smalltongue:

[shadowpriest]

He didn't know he was at the gate.

:mitd: Gate? What gate?

[Giggling Ghast]

I actually like that theory.

It would also be a good lead-in to the death of Sabine. Nale dying would cause her to flip her s**t and then be killed by either V or the IFCC. And since she's in the Lower Planes, that means permanent death.

[Bulldog Psion]

It would also be a good lead-in to the death of Sabine. Nale dying would cause her to flip her s**t and then be killed by either V or the IFCC. And since she's in the Lower Planes, that means permanent death.

Interesting idea, but is V's soul capable of spellcasting when separated from the body?

[Knight.Anon]

Operation Desert Inform on strip 911? Sounds like an inside job.

[DaveMcW]

Interesting idea, but is V's soul capable of spellcasting when separated from the body?

More importantly, is V capable of spellcasting when tied up and gagged? :smallwink: