Laurin's Favor (No 'Shipping, no sexytime, none zero no just no)

[johnbragg]

Premises:

1. The favor will be revealed in-comic.
Reason: Giant had Laurin specify "I even have one in mind, so it can be cleared before the end of the day."

2. The favor is not likely to be sexual, because Word of Giant among other reasons.

3. The favor is not likely to be trivial ("Help me move this couch")--Tarquin sat on Miron's favor for 12 years, indicating that these favors are not trivial.

More than a premise:
4. The favor is based on Laurin's knowledge as of #924. "I even have one in mind"--this indicates that the favor doesn't involve Julio Scoundrel or Durkula.

My current guess:

Tarquin is to move out of the shadows and seize the throne of the Empire of Blood.

The current setup of three empires guided by three teams-of-two is obsolete without Malak. So the Empire of Blood is having a reshuffling at the top anyhow.

[BaronOfHell]

Tarquin is to speech to his nation, during which he will, from personal experience, promote the use of a certain, EoT, brand of diapers.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Give Jacinda her semi-annual flea bath.

Having given those to uncooperative felines before, a Ring of Regeneration is required equipment.

[Kruploy]

Tarquin gets her daughter the best suitor Tarquin's empire can offer.

[zimmerwald1915]

Laurin: Replace your big statue with one of me!

[David Argall]

My current guess:

Tarquin is to move out of the shadows and seize the throne of the Empire of Blood.

The current setup of three empires guided by three teams-of-two is obsolete without Malak. So the Empire of Blood is having a reshuffling at the top anyhow.
This is a business decision, not a favor decision. It will affect all 5 of them and so is more than a favor. It might be good policy, or it might be better to recruit a replacement [which might be easy to do. Tarquin's comment about finding someone at the next bar is a joke, but still...]
A favor would be more like giving Daughter the contract for building a bidet for the Empress.

[Loreweaver15]

Tarquin gets her daughter the best suitor Tarquin's empire can offer.

This will rather explicitly (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0921.html) not be happening.

[Kruploy]

This will rather explicitly (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0921.html) not be happening.

Why not? Hannah doesn't have to get involved with the Empires scheme to marry the guy, in fact he is totally unrelated.

Laurin is a fifty-something woman, she wants grandkids!

[Kish]

Even a thread which says "No shipping, none zero no just no" gets it.

[Loreweaver15]

(Not to mention handing over husband-selection duties to Tarquin would be imbecilic on the highest order :P)

[Kish]

Now I have this image of Laurin asking Tarquin, "My daughter is considering these three suitors. Could you tell me which one you think she should pick, and which you think her second choice should be?" and immediately arranging accidents for the two suitors Tarquin names so that Hannah has to wind up with the one Tarquin least approves of.

(No, that's not the favor. Aside from the fact that it would be stupid, there's no reason Laurin would need a favor to ask Tarquin's opinion on her daughters suitors. The favor is more likely to be something like "Stop giving me your unsolicited opinion all the time"--and it's not going to be that, either.)

[Loreweaver15]

Now I have this image of Laurin asking Tarquin, "My daughter is considering these three suitors. Could you tell me which one you think she should pick, and which you think her second choice should be?" and immediately arranging accidents for the two suitors Tarquin names so that Hannah has to wind up with the one Tarquin least approves of.

Why isn't there a like button for forum posts

[johnbragg]

This is a business decision, not a favor decision. It will affect all 5 of them and so is more than a favor. It might be good policy, or it might be better to recruit a replacement [which might be easy to do. Tarquin's comment about finding someone at the next bar is a joke, but still...]
A favor would be more like giving Daughter the contract for building a bidet for the Empress.

:smallsmile:Thank you for not shipping. :smallsmile:

I think having Hannah get the contract to build a dragon-bidet is more on the scale of having Laurin open a wormhole--a favor, not a Favor.

Recruiting a partner for a secret scheme is a little trickier than recruiting a new member of an adventuring party. Especially for Evils, you can't replace 25 years of history.

[Forikroder]

Premises:

1. The favor will be revealed in-comic.
Reason: Giant had Laurin specify "I even have one in mind, so it can be cleared before the end of the day."

2. The favor is not likely to be sexual, because Word of Giant among other reasons.

3. The favor is not likely to be trivial ("Help me move this couch")--Tarquin sat on Miron's favor for 12 years, indicating that these favors are not trivial.

More than a premise:
4. The favor is based on Laurin's knowledge as of #924. "I even have one in mind"--this indicates that the favor doesn't involve Julio Scoundrel or Durkula.

My current guess:

Tarquin is to move out of the shadows and seize the throne of the Empire of Blood.

The current setup of three empires guided by three teams-of-two is obsolete without Malak. So the Empire of Blood is having a reshuffling at the top anyhow.

you forgot 5. has to be worth risking your life for

[DaggerPen]

1. Thank you.

2. I think it kind of depends on the role of Tarquin in the narrative after this.

If he's going to come back, then I expect it to be something with the Rift - Laurin's a psion who specializes in manipulating spacetime (psychoportation), and there's a huge rift in reality right here. It'd be a way to keep the Laurinear Guild in play without it being Tarquin's impetus.

If he's being shuffled out with this book, I expect the favor to do something to serve that, such as "Stop it with the drama stuff. It's creeping us all out" or "Stop chasing after your other son" or something much better phrased.

Of course, Laurin's favor might just be for her to complain about not getting once something else entirely offs Tarquin.

[Forikroder]

If he's being shuffled out with this book, I expect the favor to do something to serve that, such as "Stop it with the drama stuff. It's creeping us all out" or "Stop chasing after your other son" or something much better phrased.

"laurin i need your help to set up this awesom narrative with my son"
"fine but only if you abandon the narrative with your son"

[BroomGuys]

Even a thread which says "No shipping, none zero no just no" gets it.

The sad part is that I read the thread title and immediately thought "there's gonna be shipping."

I expect we'll find out what the favor is some time early in the next book, but who knows? Tarquin's role in the rest of the story is still very much up in the air, so it's really tough to call.

[IW Judicator]

Laurin: Replace your big statue with one of me!

Actually pretty close to my thought, actually, except I was thinking more of "You know that big statue of yourself? Build a bigger one of Malack. Without building a bigger one of yourself."

[johnbragg]

you forgot 5. has to be worth risking your life for

Not really. I don't think Miron or Laurin saw their lives at risk. They weren't reluctant to help because they were scared of the Order, they just didn't see a relevant profit. (When you have a kingdom's treasury to exploit, even adventurer WBL becomes a rounding error.)


1. Thank you.

2. I think it kind of depends on the role of Tarquin in the narrative after this.

If he's going to come back, then I expect it to be something with the Rift - Laurin's a psion who specializes in manipulating spacetime (psychoportation), and there's a huge rift in reality right here. It'd be a way to keep the Laurinear Guild in play without it being Tarquin's impetus.

This is logical, but I'm not sure what Laurin would need Tarquin's help for there. She has access to the resources of the Empire of Sweat, etc.

Maybe she just wants to hire the flying kobold.


If he's being shuffled out with this book, I expect the favor to do something to serve that, such as "Stop it with the drama stuff. It's creeping us all out" or "Stop chasing after your other son" or something much better phrased.

"Disown your son Elan and stop this nonsense." Works.


Of course, Laurin's favor might just be for her to complain about not getting once something else entirely offs Tarquin.

But then it wouldn't have to be today.

[Kish]

This is logical, but I'm not sure what Laurin would need Tarquin's help for there. She has access to the resources of the Empire of Sweat, etc.
The favor could be, "That funky purple rift thing is mine. Don't interfere with it and support my claim to it should anyone else in the group contest it."

[johnbragg]

The sad part is that I read the thread title and immediately thought "there's gonna be shipping."

True. But I did what I could to declare shippers to be OT and threadjackers and general nuisances who should feel shame.


Actually pretty close to my thought, actually, except I was thinking more of "You know that big statue of yourself? Build a bigger one of Malack. Without building a bigger one of yourself."

Possible. Fits her knowledge as of #924, it can be accomplished (or at least agreed on) in a day. It's sizable enough to count as a Favor. It would reinforce that Evil characters can have friendships.

[falsedot]

hmm how about something about malack only bigger..

eg some sort of true ressurection (on the other hand I got the impression that that's not something likely to exist here).

then how about a blood frenzy through the continent to deify malack; cant really be cleared today though unless it's some sort of destroy everything after we die setup.

or just letting the high priest of nergal in the scheme and let him fullfill malack's vision

just brainstorming :/

[Harbinger]

hmm how about something about malack only bigger..

eg some sort of true ressurection (on the other hand I got the impression that that's not something likely to exist here).

then how about a blood frenzy through the continent to deify malack; cant really be cleared today though unless it's some sort of destroy everything after we die setup.

or just letting the high priest of nergal in the scheme and let him fullfill malack's vision

just brainstorming :/

Even if true resurrection did exist, I seriously doubt Malack is ever returning.

[PyCryptoFTW]

:smallbiggrin: I really have different expectation, but just because I've recently complete my mind probe on Tarquin.


Premises:

Laurin cannot claim any favor back, because the agreement was based on "some dude to kill" "kill greenhilt" "stop a chase" and nothing is just happened. Or, I believe that this missing achievement binds Laurin and ScarfGuy to follow OOTS again, despite the political schema.



1. The favor will be revealed in-comic.


why ? The Favor has probably place in the Continents of DesertBlood, but OOTS is flying away. The Favor, most probably, would never be mentioned except for Laurin's swearing

"oh **** I've not to start this **** just for a ****ty Favor and now I'm an Evil NPC against the Protagonits damn damn damn!!"

Tarquin Team can very likely come back as sidekick villain the the next 500 strips, but they would simply chase OOTS, or make revenge against innocents (Azurites, Elves, Julia Greenhilt, Greysky city), beside all, everyone appears to know that piss off Tarkie mean have the family wiped off.




Reason: Giant had Laurin specify "I even have one in mind, so it can be cleared before the end of the day."


Yes but this seem a sort of lenitive for Tarquin. like "it's easy, don't worry, say yes and we start teleporting"

[BeerMug Paladin]

I have no expectation of seeing Laurin's favor, or even the favor being something that important to the narrative of the comic.

It would be hard to guess what it could be simply because we don't know that much about Laurin. We only know that she's mildly annoyed by Tarquin and doesn't like having to involve herself in the scheme more than she has to.

The only thing I can think of:
She wants out of the scheme. To go spend time with her daughter. Surely if she raided a little from the treasury of each nation she could afford to retire permanently and just go.

[NihhusHuotAliro]

"Tarquin, spell ICUP".

"Tarquin, stand right on the red X under this tree and close your eyes..." -waterballons-

"Tarquin, promise to get a cleric to resurrect me if I die, regardless of the cost or consequences. In writing. I have the form, you can sign it today. HEre's paper and pencil.".

"Tarquin, figure out whether the Reimann Hypothesis is true or not. Here's paper and pencil."

"Tarquin, figure out the great cow riddle of Archimedes. Here's paper and pencil".

"Tarquin, draw a map that requires more than four colors to color in each nation so that no adjascent nations have the same color (kitty-corner doesn't count). Also, no parts of nations not connected to the rest of the nations (like alaska). Here's paper and pencil."

"Tarquin, finish Xanadu. Here's paper and pencil."

"Tarquin, promise me that you will stop doing that thing where you pretend to eat the food that Shoulderpadguy cooks but then you spit it out onto the ficus. IN writing. Here's paper and pencil."

"Tarquin, I want a loan equal to about one third of your annual revenue. Don't ask why. Just sign it over. Here's paper and pencil."

[CaDzilla]

Sign this document that you are legally bound within your own kingdom to uphold. This document specifies alll that you must do to complete my favor.

[Techmagss]

If I may ask, what is Word of Giant?
Then I might add my two cents to this convo.

[Kish]

If I may ask, what is Word of Giant?
Then I might add my two cents to this convo.
It means the author of the webcomic, whose name is Rich Burlew and whose screen name is The Giant, has posted stating as much.

[Socksy]

If I may ask, what is Word of Giant?
Then I might add my two cents to this convo.

Something the author has stated to be true, but which isn't in the comic itself.

EDIT: Swordsage'd by four entire minutes due to my mediocre phone. :smallredface:

[reaverb]

why ? The Favor has probably place in the Continents of DesertBlood, but OOTS is flying away. The Favor, most probably, would never be mentioned except for Laurin's swearing The foreshadowing in #924 seems really obvious. There was no need to show Laurin mentioning she had a favor in mind unless it's going to become relevant at some point. The only way I see the favor not being shown if it gets turned into another meta-gag about Tarquin's attempts to control the story.

Looking at #924 again, I get the impression Laurin has been thinking about this favor for a long time, and hasn't acted because she didn't want to be in Tarquin's debt.

I think this is one of those hints that will take a while to play out, like when Xykon first cast Cloister after Azure city's fall. I don't see any way to determine more about the favor except wait for more information.

[johnbragg]

If I may ask, what is Word of Giant?
Then I might add my two cents to this convo.


It means the author of the webcomic, whose name is Rich Burlew and whose screen name is The Giant, has posted stating as much.

Well, even if this thread sinks into the mire of Laurin wanting sexytime and/or marriage for her and/or her daughter that previous "Laurin's Favor" threads have sank into, at least someone learned something. So that's a small, small win.


I don't see any way to determine more about the favor except wait for more information.

Oh, so I suppose blind guessing isn't good enough for some people.....

[Socksy]

Blind guessing, huh?
Other than that Tarquin marrying Miron going on in the other thread?

I reckon she wants to ban him from chewing up any more scenery :smallwink:

[CaDzilla]

She wants him to burn his entire personal library













or castrate himself

[zimmerwald1915]

She wants him to burn his entire personal library
That'd be Malack's personal library, yes?

Although she could want that library for herself. Magical knowledge is always useful, and I don't imagine Malack left a will.

[johnbragg]

Although she could want that library for herself. Magical knowledge is always useful, and I don't imagine Malack left a will.

That's a very good suggestion. "I want Malack's library." Fits all the criteria.

[Yendor]

I'm not convinced the exact nature of Laurin's favour is relevant. The important part is that it gives her power over Tarquin, whatever purpose that may serve. And I don't think Tarquin is in any position to weasel out. He's basically screwed up everything he's done today, he got Malack killed and could have got Laurin and Miron killed, and he's on his own in the middle of the desert, so trying to deny Laurin is unlikely to work out well for him.

I definitely don't think this is about wanting out. On one hand, Tarquin would never agree to that, and on the other hand, if she did want out, how is Tarquin going to stop her?

Oh, and one other thing: she's probably going to want compensation for the ioun stone she lost.

[IW Judicator]

Or, sticking with the Malack theme, mayhaps her Favor is "Stick around for a bit while I find you a dustpan and a broom. We'll need Malack's ashes if we're going to have a proper funeral."

[Kish]

If she thought gathering together Malack's ashes was a serious possibility, her favor would almost certainly be more along the lines of "Find a tractable level 21 cleric and a vampire who can be persuaded to turn Malack immediately after he's resurrected without realizing we'll immediately destroy Malack's new sire to free Malack; you might be content to write him off, but I'm getting my friend back."

[SavageWombat]

Maybe Laurin's favor is for him to promise to stop writing bad fan-fic about the two of them.

[Taelas]

The foreshadowing in #924 seems really obvious. There was no need to show Laurin mentioning she had a favor in mind unless it's going to become relevant at some point. The only way I see the favor not being shown if it gets turned into another meta-gag about Tarquin's attempts to control the story.

Looking at #924 again, I get the impression Laurin has been thinking about this favor for a long time, and hasn't acted because she didn't want to be in Tarquin's debt.

I think this is one of those hints that will take a while to play out, like when Xykon first cast Cloister after Azure city's fall. I don't see any way to determine more about the favor except wait for more information.

The existence of the favor could be simply to show that Laurin does not dance to Tarquin's tune. She has no grudge against the Order specifically, so she has no reason to attack them just on his say-so. The favor itself could easily be irrelevant.

[jere7my]

The existence of the favor could be simply to show that Laurin does not dance to Tarquin's tune. She has no grudge against the Order specifically, so she has no reason to attack them just on his say-so. The favor itself could easily be irrelevant.

That's true for the first half of her speech bubble, but the second half, in which she talks about having one in mind that can be completed by the end of the day, is oddly specific if it's never going to come up again.

[Forikroder]

Not really. I don't think Miron or Laurin saw their lives at risk. They weren't reluctant to help because they were scared of the Order, they just didn't see a relevant profit. (When you have a kingdom's treasury to exploit, even adventurer WBL becomes a rounding error.)

Laurin is smart enough and adventurerd for long enough and saw enough of the order to know theres a possibilt of dieing, or at least getting injured

plus there was the hole "enabling tarquin" that she didnt like to do so whatever she wants isnt something petty like a statue


The favor could be, "That funky purple rift thing is mine. Don't interfere with it and support my claim to it should anyone else in the group contest it."

its too valuable its potentially a very major asset i doubt anyone would agree to ahve one person have sole possesion, and i dont think Tarquin would consider it a fair price

its a favour, he has to actually agree

[BeerMug Paladin]

I wonder why we're not all talking about what Miron's debt was all about. It seems exactly as relevant.

The fact is, Laurin doesn't seem to like Tarquin much, but if she had a favor beforehand in mind, that would explain why she would agree right away to his request when he makes it.

If she agreed to owe him a favor, but didn't have one in mind, that would imply that she really doesn't mind indulging Tarquin's craziness. So the favor, whether revealed or not, does serve a plot purpose. It shows that at least one of Tarquin's allies doesn't like him much, regardless of his charm.

[The Giant]

We do not need two separate threads about Laurin's favor.

Please refrain from starting new threads with the exact same topic as an existing thread, which means looking at the list of active threads and seeing if there is one similar to what you want to talk about already transpiring. Just having a new idea about an existing topic is not enough reason to start a new thread—it must be a wholly distinct subject matter.

Normally, I would merge threads, but since several of these threads each have several pages of discussion, I'm locking all but the oldest active one, here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=326272