Zz'dtri's loyalty?

[The Oni]

Other than Sabine, Nale's party has been mostly mercenary in all of its incarnations; but, for some reason, Zz'dtri has always stuck with Nale for some inexplicable reason. His character is the least explored of any of those mercs, but he's stuck around the longest; why is it that he's so prominent but

My theory is that Nale rescued him from the seriously screwed-up caste system (accidentally) during one of his schemes. Unlike a certain Supiciously Similar Counterpart in D&D, he didn't have anyone to show him how to be Chaotic Good so he stuck around Nale by default (which Nale was OK with because he was a damn good spellcaster).

Assuming Nale's comment regarding all Drow being Chaotic Good rebels was just snark and not actual in-world info (this is likely, since Tarquin figured he was being scouted for an alliance with them, and no well-to-do CG society would ally with the EoB), it's safe to say that OOTS's Drow are huge *******s, as they are in D&D, so Nale seems like a really nice guy in comparison.

Chalk his suspicious lack of verbosity up to minmaxing - a very high INT and low CHA character content to make Nale's enemies go boom out of gratitude and because it's fun.

[Baron Pineapple]

Chalk his suspicious lack of verbosity up to minmaxing - a very high INT and low CHA character content to make Nale's enemies go boom out of gratitude and because it's fun.

You forgot that Zz'dtri wasn't a wizard. He was a sorcerer. So the Cha score would generally be higher than the Int by gaming priorities.

More likely it's just that he had a charismatic presence but was a private individual who figured out he had more appeal being quiet and enigmatic than verbose.

[TaiLiu]

You forgot that Zz'dtri wasn't a wizard. He was a sorcerer. So the Cha score would generally be higher than the Int by gaming priorities.

More likely it's just that he had a charismatic presence but was a private individual who figured out he had more appeal being quiet and enigmatic than verbose.
...What? He is a Wizard; he has a spellbook and all.

[Tiiba]

You forgot that Zz'dtri wasn't a wizard. He was a sorcerer. So the Cha score would generally be higher than the Int by gaming priorities.

More likely it's just that he had a charismatic presence but was a private individual who figured out he had more appeal being quiet and enigmatic than verbose.

No, he's a wizard. Nale calls him a wizard in #44.

Beaten to the punch as expected... :(

[Kornaki]

You forgot that Zz'dtri wasn't a wizard. He was a sorcerer. So the Cha score would generally be higher than the Int by gaming priorities.

Last panel of the comic is Nale and V talking in the NE afterlife (cue alignment debate! :smalltongue:)

:vaarsuvius: It took me eight hundred strips but I finally bested your thrice damned wizard
(blackwing: Or was he sextuple damned?)
:nale: Wizard? No, he was a sorcerer. It took all your arcane might and intellectual prowess just to need an imp's help to beat a sorcerer!
:vaarsuvius: NOOOOOOOOO!!!

And thus is V's eternal punishment for casting Familicide.

The Giant has been planning this reveal since the comic began

[Avaris]

...What? He is a Wizard; he has a spellbook and all.

In fact, his being a wizard was a key plot point when fighting V : http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0799.html

[Roland Itiative]

Is there any evidence for any of the original members of the LG being mercenary? Sure, the Cliffport replacements were, but that's because Nale wanted to get an "evil opposites" team fast, and was missing two roles, but the original team probably was entirely loyal to Nale for some reason. And I guess now we'll never find out what they were, unless a prequel book about them is released.

[Mike Havran]

Is there any evidence for any of the original members of the LG being mercenary? Sure, the Cliffport replacements were, but that's because Nale wanted to get an "evil opposites" team fast, and was missing two roles, but the original team probably was entirely loyal to Nale for some reason. And I guess now we'll never find out what they were, unless a prequel book about them is released.Hilgya planned to betray Nale as soon as he got hold on the Talisman. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0074.html)

[The Oni]

^ That, mainly. Thog obviously wasn't a keystone member of the team, and neither was Hilgya, as they both left when it was inconvenient. The Kobold, of course, dies horribly, as he is wont to do.

Thog didn't really care who or what he was doing as long as he had a good reason to stab someone (as mercenary an attitude as it gets).

Only Zz'dtri sticks around, and even comes back long after he's hauled off by the Lawyers. He goes undercover in an extremely dangerous locale for Nale's sake, too.

And remember his response when V asks him if he's working for Nale again? "Never stopped."

[Kish]

Hilgya planned to betray Nale as soon as he got hold on the Talisman. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0074.html)
In fact, Nale seems to have a knack for picking divine spellcasters who have absolutely no loyalty to him, finally culminating with inviting to the Guild a divine spellcaster who responded to his offer by slaughtering his wizard and pummeling Nale himself within an inch of death.

I guess it's an unavoidable result of all his divine spellcasters being evil opposites of the ultra-loyal Durkon.

[Roland Itiative]

Hilgya planned to betray Nale as soon as he got hold on the Talisman. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0074.html)

Fair point, but that's one out of 5. Meanwhile, Thog, Z and Sabine have all shown loyalty to Nale, while the kobold didn't live long enough to show any character motivation. And this very comic shows that Hilgya certainly wasn't a mercenary, she was on a mission from her god.

It's also interesting to note that Hilgya was possibly not part of the team back when Nale first escaped the Empire of Blood (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0725.html) (though it's also possible that she was just off-panel, and Z himself is not shown there either, and probably wasn't part of the team, as Tarquin didn't recognise him when he was disguised as an elf).


^ That, mainly. Thog obviously wasn't a keystone member of the team, and neither was Hilgya, as they both left when it was inconvenient. The Kobold, of course, dies horribly, as he is wont to do.

Thog didn't really care who or what he was doing as long as he had a good reason to stab someone (as mercenary an attitude as it gets).

Only Zz'dtri sticks around, and even comes back long after he's hauled off by the Lawyers. He goes undercover in an extremely dangerous locale for Nale's sake, too.

And remember his response when V asks him if he's working for Nale again? "Never stopped."

Thog never left. He was left behind, twice, and still kept loyal to Nale even then. And even then, he was still loyal to Nale (enough to accept to stay put in jail until he came back (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0387.html)). Also, your description of a mercenary attitude isn't a mercenary attitude at all, it's a sociopathic murderer's attitude (and Thog certainly was this). A mercenary would work for Nale only as long as he is kept paid, and Nale was never seen giving Thog any money.

So, out of the five original LG members, two were very loyal, one tags along because it's fun (which is still loyalty, even if a very childish kind), one flat out hated Nale and one's loyalty is completely unknown. Z is not on the minority there, at all.

[AKA_Bait]

So, out of the five original LG members, two were very loyal, one tags along because it's fun (which is still loyalty, even if a very childish kind), one flat out hated Nale and one's loyalty is completely unknown. Z is not on the minority there, at all.

Have to agree. Most of the LG seem far more loyal than simply as guns for hire. Although, it does seem that other than Thog and Zz the others are loyal to someone or something other than Nale himself. And, to be fair, Thog sort of gets paid (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0252.html) when he's not killing things.

[The Oni]

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0054.html

How's this: Nale specifically asks Sabine to make sure it's her or Z who touches the Seal, meaning Z would be at least as trusted as his long-time girlfriend? And there's obviously no supernatural requirement since Haley could do it too, as a normal Human rogue.

I'm not saying this confirms some elaborate backstory, I'm just saying, there's more to this partnership than just loot and glory, I think.

[Kish]

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0054.html

How's this: Nale specifically asks Sabine to make sure it's her or Z who touches the Seal, meaning Z would be at least as trusted as his long-time girlfriend? And there's obviously no supernatural requirement since Haley could do it too, as a normal Human rogue.

I'm not saying this confirms some elaborate backstory, I'm just saying, there's more to this partnership than just loot and glory, I think.
You might want to reread the surrounding strips for a little more context. That note was reverse psychology; the person touching the seal had to be someone "of pure heart" and so Nale wrote the note to trick Haley into touching it.

[The Oni]

So why not Thog, the Kobold or Hilgya on the list? None of them appear to be "pure of heart" and Thog probably can't even read.

[hamishspence]

And he didn't instruct any of them to activate the sigils.

Haley was the only one who Nale figured he needed to use reverse psychology on- Roy he figured Thog could give a note to, and Elan he could personally persuade.

[Jasdoif]

So why not Thog, the Kobold or Hilgya on the list? None of them appear to be "pure of heart" and Thog probably can't even read.None of them were going to the Air Sigil, either.

[137beth]

I guess it's an unavoidable result of all his divine spellcasters being evil opposites of the ultra-loyal Durkon.

Huh, that never occurred to me, but it makes sense:smalltongue:


So why not Thog, the Kobold or Hilgya on the list? None of them appear to be "pure of heart" and Thog probably can't even read.
They weren't there. I thought the reverse psychology on Haley was suppose to be obvious:confused:

[The Oni]

A'aight, you guys win. :smallannoyed: I just wanted people to care about Z, I for one am gonna miss him a lot more than Nale.

[TheYell]

I thought Zz'dtri was with :nale: to get :vaarsuvius:.

If :vaarsuvius: was destroyed or :nale: stopped pursuing :vaarsuvius: then I figured Zz'dtri would have gone back where he came from.

Altering your build to slag one particular guy is pretty much the definition of personal nemesis.

[The Oni]

...My god.

If Z exists only as V's personal nemesis, and V didn't kill him, that means Z's been deposed as V's nemesis...Because V's new nemesis is her(?)self!

*headsmack* It's so obvious!

[Bulldog Psion]

I always liked Z showing up, if only for such lines as "burn, you insufferably terse dullard!"