Evil chalice?

[MSK]

I was re-reading through the archive and noticed that in 631 (www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0631.html) Qarr mentions "some evil chalice that [his] supervisor won't shut up about." Since I can't find the search function I don't know if this has been asked before, but is this relevant? Just some meaningless fluff? Or is it a reference to something that I'm not getting?

[Sniffnoy]

Probably just meaningless fluff. We know The Giant likes to throw in (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8991248#post8991248) little details like that (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=11671842#post11671842).

[Trillium]

Maybe it was the Ming of Power (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0415.html)? Though the One Ming looks more like a vase...

[Tiiba]

Maybe it was the Ming of Power (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0415.html)? Though the One Ming look more like a vase...

I move to declare this fanon. Vote "yay" or "abstained".

[Domino Quartz]

I move to declare this fanon. Vote "yay" or "abstained".

I vote "nay," because a chalice is a drinking vessel (like a fancy cup) whereas the Ming of Power is a vase.

[Chantelune]

I was re-reading through the archive and noticed that in 631 (www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0631.html) Qarr mentions "some evil chalice that [his] supervisor won't shut up about." Since I can't find the search function I don't know if this has been asked before, but is this relevant? Just some meaningless fluff? Or is it a reference to something that I'm not getting?

Since Qarr changed bosses till then, I doubt this will come up again. I think this was just to point out that Qarr is mostly a go-getter that is not working for himself, but for higher power. "Useless" details that just add flavor to the setting and characters.

[Klear]

I thought it was some pop-culture reference I didn't get but somebody would have pointed it out already if it was so.

[jedipilot24]

The Goblet of Fire!
Seriously, it can force you to obey a contract that you never signed. The devil's would just LOVE an item like that.

[littlebum2002]

Someone pointed out that "Evil Chalice" is very similar to "Holy Grail". I think that's where Rich was trying to go with this.

[Gift Jeraff]

The line establishes 3 things:

-Qarr wasn't some evil mastermind pulling Kubota's strings. He has a superior.
-Qarr wasn't after the Gates. I believe at the time there was speculation that Kubota and/or Qarr knew about Soon's Rift and that's why they wanted to conquer Azure City, and/or that Qarr was working for Sabine's bosses. This establishes that he had an agenda completely separate from all that.
-There are other quests and artifacts out there. The whole world doesn't completely revolve around around our protagonists and the Gates.

So yeah, character and world building fluff, as well as a play on things like the Holy Grail and Goblet of Fire.

[Jay R]

It doesn't matter any more. They broke the chalice from the palace, and replaced it with a flagon with the figure of a dragon.

[Sir_Leorik]

I was re-reading through the archive and noticed that in 631 (www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0631.html) Qarr mentions "some evil chalice that [his] supervisor won't shut up about." Since I can't find the search function I don't know if this has been asked before, but is this relevant? Just some meaningless fluff? Or is it a reference to something that I'm not getting?

It's not relevant to the main plot of the webcomic. You can think of it as a detail dropped in for world building purposes, or as background noise. (Although I think of everything that comes out of Qarr's mouth to be background noise. :smallannoyed: )

For those of us old enough to have played Infocom's text-based Interactive Fiction games back in the 1980's, you could think of the "evil chalice" as one of the dummy entries in the Invisiclues books (http://www.resonant.org/games/infocom/Infocom_Homepage/Invisiclues/). The dummy entries were there to provide false clues for players who just revealed hints at random, rather than revealing them when they were legitimately stumped.

So your dummy entry would be:


"How do I help Qarr find the evil chalice to make his quota for July?"

The fake responses could be:

"The chalice is guarded by a pseudonatural dire armadillo."
"Have you tried giving the pseudonatural dire armadillo the sweet potato you found in Greysky City?"
"What pseudonatural dire armadillo?"
"The evil chalice is not relevant to the plot of "The Order of the Stick"."
"This space left blank intentionally."

[angry_bear]

I vote "nay," because a chalice is a drinking vessel (like a fancy cup) whereas the Ming of Power is a vase.

But his old boss could be some sort of sentient fiendish plant.

:elan:

Yeah, the chalice wasn't important to the story. Was just something for Qarr to be going after without being tied to the main plot at the time.

[Tiiba]

I vote "nay," because a chalice is a drinking vessel (like a fancy cup) whereas the Ming of Power is a vase.

I will post a picture of myself drinking from a vase as soon as I have a clean vase and a little privacy.

[Domino Quartz]

I will post a picture of myself drinking from a vase as soon as I have a clean vase and a little privacy.
It still doesn't work, because a chalice and a vase are rather different in appearance.

[Sir_Leorik]

I will post a picture of myself drinking from a vase as soon as I have a clean vase and a little privacy.


It still doesn't work, because a chalice and a vase are rather different in appearance.

Yeah, plus we don't know what the Evil Chalice looks like, while we know what the Ming looks like.

[Lord Torath]

It doesn't matter any more. They broke the chalice from the palace, and replaced it with a flagon with the figure of a dragon.What happened to the vessel with a pestle? Wait, so which one should I drink from again? Just let me pry this screwdriver off my breastplate... :smallwink:

[Bulldog Psion]

What happened to the vessel with a pestle? Wait, so which one should I drink from again? Just let me pry this screwdriver off my breastplate... :smallwink:

I thought the chalice from the palace had the pellet with the poison, but the vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true. :smallbiggrin:

[Studoku]

Someone pointed out that "Evil Chalice" is very similar to "Holy Grail". I think that's where Rich was trying to go with this.
The Unholy Grail?

[Blacky the Blackball]

The chalice is the one from the palace that contains the brew that is true.

As opposed to the vessel with the pestle that contains the pellet with the poison.

And if you get the reference it means you're very old!

[Lord Torath]

Or you torture* your kids regularly by making them watch really old films.

*actual enjoyment of said torture is possible

[Kalrany]

The chalice is the one from the palace that contains the brew that is true.

As opposed to the vessel with the pestle that contains the pellet with the poison.

And if you get the reference it means you're very old!

I do not count my 36 years as old.... but The Court Jester is still one of my favorite Danny Kaye movies! And White Christmas. I can quote both.
EDIT: No qualifer needed.

[Miaow]

Maybe he's looking for the chalice from the old Atari Adventure game.