Tarquin has one more trump card...

[RickDaily12]

Not sure if this has been pointed out by anyone.

Last couple of panels of 933; look closely at what Tarquin is doing after being shot at by the Mechane's massive arrow...

He drops his dagger on the ground, but his left hand slips to his cape. But he isn't putting the dagger away. (Why would he sheathe ANYTHING while Juilo hasn't even escaped yet?) And his hand still just kind of hangs there...

Not that it will necessarily succeed to do anything against him, but Tarquin has already pulled enough things out of his magical arsenal to make me feel uncomfortable at the thought at just what he could be hiding there...

[Tass]

Tarquin always puts his hands behind his back if he has nothing else to do with them.

[Roland Itiative]

Tarquin always puts his hands behind his back if he has nothing else to do with them.

This. Plus, he puts his hand on his back when he wasn't even expecting an escape, and thought the arrow was aimed at himself. It's not impossible he can pull something useful out of his arsenal (a crossbow, maybe), but it's unlikely that he was going to do that before Julio made his escape.

[Gift Jeraff]

He's just constantly scratching his ass.

[2.5 cats]

The biggest danger I see is Laurin doing a psionic disintegrate on the rope.

[Nilan8888]

Tarquin's not holding the whip, so unless he's about to throw something, I dunno.

Unless the Belkar prophecy is going to unexpectedly turn up, I think this is the last of character deaths until the end of the book. It's true Julio is a mentor-type character, but he hasn't had enough of a presence in the story for his death to fit the trope the comic cites. He may die later on, but prior to comic #930, he'd only made a 4-comic appearance run which ended 530+ strips prior. And while the first of those comics was a double-run, and the last comic was a triple-run, I don't think that constitutes a character whose death would register the way something like that should.

[King of Nowhere]

Tarquin's not holding the whip, so unless he's about to throw something, I dunno.

Unless the Belkar prophecy is going to unexpectedly turn up, I think this is the last of character deaths until the end of the book. It's true Julio is a mentor-type character, but he hasn't had enough of a presence in the story for his death to fit the trope the comic cites. He may die later on, but prior to comic #930, he'd only made a 4-comic appearance run which ended 530+ strips prior. And while the first of those comics was a double-run, and the last comic was a triple-run, I don't think that constitutes a character whose death would register the way something like that should.

Despite that small appearence in the main story, he's been a fan favourite for a long time, and he has extra material devoted to him in SS&DT. So I disagree on him being a secondary unimportant character.

[ChristianSt]

I don't know, but I have the feeling there are much more reasonable prediction around here at the moment than I would except them.

First I had thought about the content of this thread after reading the title was, that the OP would speculate how Tarquin planted his last two party members as board members onto the Mechane :smallcool:

Reading something about him possibly drawing some item is really boring (and possible - but as other have noted Tarquin likes to put his hands behind his back [In fact he does it in 33 different strips - from the first time we see him in his empire (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0722.html) to the last time before 933 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0924.html) - making the probability that he has his hand behind his back in any given strip a whopping 33/89=37%], I don't think he has anything there).

[Turgon9357]

There is a very small part of me that has always wondered if Tarquin is doing something with his hands when he puts them behind his back. Although it is a common way to stand, no one else in the comic has employed it IIRC. Could a silent spell be cast in such a manner?

[Nilan8888]

Despite that small appearence in the main story, he's been a fan favourite for a long time, and he has extra material devoted to him in SS&DT. So I disagree on him being a secondary unimportant character.


Eeeh, that he's a fan favorite wouldn't effect whether Julio's time has come or not, I wouldn't think. It's more about story mechanics than popularity.

And the SS&DT material isn't part of the main strip. In fact, since it's a totally separate continuity, one could say that one's a completely different character.

... Or a regeneration of the old one! (cue Dr. Who music)

[ti'esar]

I think it's a standard pose for intellectual villains (or ones who want to give off that impression), nothing more.

[Lorick]

I think it's a standard pose for intellectual villains (or ones who want to give off that impression), nothing more.

I find it's generally more for classy than intellectual. An idiot noble is more likely to pose that way than a mad scientist.

[MtlGuy]

The only thing I can see him doing is going after Ian Starshine, but he has to find him first.

[Joerg]

There is a very small part of me that has always wondered if Tarquin is doing something with his hands when he puts them behind his back. Although it is a common way to stand, no one else in the comic has employed it IIRC.
Kubota (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0592.html) also likes that stance.

[martianmister]

Kubota (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0592.html) also likes that stance.

In many ways, he is the proto-Tarquin.

[Greatmoustache]

the story has made it clear that everyone made their escape alive, methinks. this was a heroic, agains-all-odds attempt and they've done it (say this in eurosport commentary voice) they are off the woods as of 933.

so even if tarkie flashes a flying tarrasque miniature, summons and commands it to destroy everyone but elan, the oots and mechane crew are perfectly safe.