OOTS #940 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[Shale]

Well that's about thirty gazillion loose ends tied up. I admit I'm kinda confused what Haley's doing there at all if he refused the ride, but I'll take the end result.

[tadkins]

Was wondering when we'd see Gannji and Enor again. :)

[Niwrad]

That was great. Nice way of tying up lose plot threads.

[Bubble]

Art bug: missing wound in last panel.

Edit: The font looks much more legible this strip! Did you change something up? If so, might be worth doing the same to the last few strips (especially if it makes a difference for print).

[Hogwarts9876]

It seems Haley listened to Roy's comment. I still thought this'd take multiple strips, but one is certainly better.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Well, that was quick. And cue everyone speculating on whether or not they'll actually take Tarquin down. I think a lot of it will hinge on Geoff.

But Haley, you know how the last resistance movement went! :smalleek:

[Thokk_Smash]

Very nice bringing back of Enor and Ganji. Slowly but surely all of the loose ends are being snipped.

And it goes a long way to show that the world exists outside of the Order. I like it.

[Ionbound]

What happened to Geoff? It looked like that door hit him pretty hard.

[Morty]

Looks like Tarquin's near-constant betraying of everyone he meets came back to bite him in the ass.

[Tvtyrant]

Did not see that coming!

[homeslice]

I wasn't expecting to see Ganji and Enor so soon.

[Skeletor]

When in doubt threaten to make fashion accessories out of your enemies.

I really like Haley's style.

[Cizak]

That was... quick... with alot of important characters just sort of... appearing at the same spot.

Need some time to process this one. Always nice with an update, though.

[Dr. Gamera]

I sense bonus comics here in Book 5.

[A.A.King]

Great update, glad to see the blue guy back, still don't trust one-leg.

[BlasTech]

I find it funny that the B-villain just got his own B-hero team to topple him.

Is ... this a win or loss for Tarquin? Im still confused about that :smalltongue:

[Psyren]

Art bug: missing wound in last panel.

Hmm, is it a bug? Or does he have fast healing/regen of some stripe?


I find it funny that the B-villain just got his own B-hero team to topple him.

Is ... this a win or loss for Tarquin? Im still confused about that :smalltongue:

If they topple him, he loses, because being pwned by this gallery of third-stringers would be completely demeaning to him and Elan would have no conflict at all.

[Golden-Esque]

When in doubt threaten to make fashion accessories out of your enemies.

I really like Haley's style.

Please, Haley's just a poser. Belkar's been doing that since Strip 63. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0063.html)

... oh gods. Belkar really IS turning into a hipster!

[Cuthalion]

Whew. Glad this got resolved in one page.

Great one, Giant. :smalltongue:

[Gift Jeraff]

Now they just need to somehow team up with Sabine when she gets back to the Prime.

[reaverb]

I know the title is pun on "Resisting a Rest," but does anybody know the other double meaning?

I wonder how this group started getting organized. I didn't notice any hints Enor had meet up with Tarquin's other enemies. Maybe they were found through other posters?

[Barstro]

I like the way all the loose plot lines are getting tied up so we can move on with the main story.

[Doxkid]

I hope their success is covered with a few strips of its own.

[PirateMonk]

Wait, what made Gannji think that was a good recruiting line? Is it just what he reflexively says when he finds someone?

[pendell]

Awesome.

Allow me to add that if .. what's her name , Amun-Zora? -- in collaboration with Ian and the bounty hunters is able to end Tarquin's reign and his life, I'm all for that conclusion. I just hope the story is told at some point as a spinoff, rather than having this incredibly neat little plot being resolved entirely off-panel.

Might be a kickstarter reward in future kickstarters, if any should occur.

And the last panel, as usual , brings a giggle. I should hope Haley wouldn't hold it against them. It's just business, after all.

ETA: And this shows the downside of the Evil alignment. Amun-Zora and the bounty hunters were all former allies of Tarquin , each of whom has been alienated by his treachery. That's the downside of putting oneself above all other living beings -- the more of them you screw for your own benefit, the more enemies you make. Eventually you have too many enemies and not enough friends.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Pandoren]

Wasn't Haley going to use Julio's Wand of Sending to speak to her father? Obviously we've missed a little bit of the story here? :smallconfused:

Thinking about it, she walked off with Julio's wand and then reappeared to be healed... so she might have spoken to him between those two events... Unless he said no then and she went to him in person to try to convince him but even then we are still missing a whole conversation.

[Dandria]

Oh, they actually found him! Didn't see that one coming!

[zimmerwald1915]

Hmm, is it a bug? Or does he have fast healing/regen of some stripe?
That might not be a bug, but the sixth panel features Haley's left wrist and fingers nowhere near her left arm.

[Shale]

I know the title is pun on "Resisting a Rest," but does anybody know the other double meaning?

I wonder how this group started getting organized. I didn't notice any hints Enor had meet up with Tarquin's other enemies. Maybe they were found through other posters?

Or they actively sought out people who oppose Tarquin. As it's the latest conquest, it would be natural to start with holdouts from the Free City of Doom.

[WolvesbaneIII]

nice! looks like things are going well for a change! what a surprise!

[Socksy]

What's the probability Sabine disguises herself as that dark-skinned girl (I'm bad with names) at some point, possibly to get in T's pants without magical disguise? Or that she told V to tell Haley to steal his True Seeing ring?

In other news, a lot of people are going to be very happy to see Enor and Gannji back!

[Yendor]

Yes! Totally called it! :smallbiggrin:

[Sapphire Guard]

Who says that's not Sabine right now?

[zimmerwald1915]

What's the probability Sabine disguises herself as that dark-skinned girl (I'm bad with names) at some point, possibly to get in T's pants without magical disguise? Or that she told V to tell Haley to steal his True Seeing ring?
Her name is Amun-Zora. She used to be a Captain in the army of the Free City of Doom, and acted as ambassador from that country to the Empire of Blood.


Who says that's not Sabine right now?
Judging by the color of the sky, this strip would have to take place either right after strip 939 or at least ten hours later. In either case, Sabine would still be banished.

[Thrair]

*snerk* Gannji is such an optimist.

Wonder how high-ranking this officer is? She says "my city", but that might just refer to it being the city she lives me, as opposed to rules over. Even if it's the former, though, she might just DeGaulle her way into power after this, eh?

[littlebum2002]

How did Haley get there? I certainly don't think the airship dropped her off.

I guess we'll find out in the bonus strips?

[Codyage]

I am curious how the bounty hunters found Ian so fast. He doesn't seem to know why they were there.

If the Geoff ratting him out thing is correct, I guess he could have been trying to get people to come and catch Ian, and got the Tarquin resistance Squad by mistake?

Edit: Littlebum, the airship is in the background of the first panel.

[Lexible]

Was wondering when we'd see Gannji and Enor again. :)

Am just delighted to see them, and Amun Zora, and Ian and Geoff. I do wonder about Aunt Ivy (was that her name?) though.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Who says that's not Sabine right now?

Even if she is, Sabine hates Tarquin more than she hates Haley.


How did Haley get there? I certainly don't think the airship dropped her off.

I guess we'll find out in the bonus strips?

The airship's in the background of the first panel.

[ellindsey]

Wasn't Haley going to use Julio's Wand of Sending to speak to her father? Obviously we've missed a little bit of the story here? :smallconfused:


I assume it happened off-screen in between strips. It's how they knew where to meet.

[Yendor]

How did Haley get there? I certainly don't think the airship dropped her off.

I guess we'll find out in the bonus strips?

It's in the background of the first panel.

[Ridureyu]

Oooh, Tarquin's got enemies! But will they make enough of a difference? Or will this be like the Azure City Resistance and the elves, who started out so well?

[DaggerPen]

Oh, Haley.

And wonderful to see all those loose threads coming together. Does a rendezvous at dawn leaves time for Sabine to show up and help, if she so desires?

Great comic, Giant.

[Shale]

How did Haley get there? I certainly don't think the airship dropped her off.

I guess we'll find out in the bonus strips?

Note the airship in the background of panel 1. How'd she convince them to land, that's a better question.

[The Giant]

Art bug: missing wound in last panel.

That might not be a bug, but the sixth panel features Haley's left wrist and fingers nowhere near her left arm.

Both fixed.


Wasn't Haley going to use Julio's Wand of Sending to speak to her father? Obviously we've missed a little bit of the story here? :smallconfused:

Thinking about it, she walked off with Julio's wand and then reappeared to be healed... so she might have spoken to him between those two events... Unless he said no then and she went to him in person to try to convince him but even then we are still missing a whole conversation.

It's of no consequence. The content of the conversation can be inferred from the fact that they successfully met up. Not everything needs to be shown on-panel.

[Gift Jeraff]

He doesn't seem to know them, but they knew he was here.

He should remember saving them with Belkar by freeing Bloodfeast 3~4 days ago.

[Xelbiuj]

If Tarquin was half as smart as this board pretended, he would have had a double agent with a "bounty on his head", just for situations like this.

[Shale]

It's of no consequence. The content of the conversation can be inferred from the fact that they successfully met up. Not everything needs to be shown on-panel.

Rereading the strip with that conversation, I realized where my (and maybe others') confusion was.

Roy says "you only get ten minutes to convince him to come along this time." He's talking about landing for ten minutes after Haley uses the Sending to set up a rendezvous. I thought he was talking about the ten-minute casting time of Sending, and figured that if Ian didn't immediately agree to come along, they would just keep flying.

[mistformsquirrl]

I'm so using that handbag line next time I have cause to threaten a lizardfolk >_>

[Reverent-One]

If they topple him, he loses, because being pwned by this gallery of third-stringers would be completely demeaning to him and Elan would have no conflict at all.

Sortof. Remember, before running into Elan, he was already expecting to one day be defeated, even by a "random peasant smuck". (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0763.html) And he was ok with that, if he got decades of living like a king before then (which he has). So it depends on whether the run-in with Elan and seeing the potential there has spoiled that idea for him now.

[zimmerwald1915]

Wonder how high-ranking this officer is? She says "my city", but that might just refer to it being the city she lives me, as opposed to rules over. Even if it's the former, though, she might just DeGaulle her way into power after this, eh?
Once again, she used to be a Captain. Assuming the Free City of Doom used anything remotely like NATO army ranks, this makes her a commissioned officer, albeit a fairly low-ranking one compared to other commissioned officers.

[Codyage]

He should remember saving them with Belkar by freeing Bloodfeast 3~4 days ago.

Sorry, meant to type that as he doesn't seem to know why they are at his hide out.

[Pandoren]

Thanks Giant. I know... It's not so much that we missed every little detail but I guess it just seemed a bit sudden to go from there to here. Reading Shale's comment, and my own ignorance of D&D I assumed it was that she had 10 minutes to convince him via sending or they'd keep flying. I get the idea now :)

[The Giant]

Rereading the strip with that conversation, I realized where my (and maybe others') confusion was.

Roy says "you only get ten minutes to convince him to come along this time." He's talking about landing for ten minutes after Haley uses the Sending to set up a rendezvous. I thought he was talking about the ten-minute casting time of Sending, and figured that if Ian didn't immediately agree to come along, they would just keep flying.

Well, the casting time wouldn't really be part of "convincing" him, would it? I mean, you get 25 words each way with a Sending. I don't think she spent any of it convincing him of anything, just asking to set up a meeting. That would be tricky enough since she'd never been to this location before.

Still not interesting enough to bother showing, though.

[Osiris]

This is the fastest I've posted in a Discussion Thread. Also, nobody expected THAT. Tarquin, watch your back. They're coming, and you deserve it.

EDIT

Yes! Totally called it! :smallbiggrin:
OK, apparently somebody DID predict it. Cookies to you.

[JackRackham]

Both fixed.



It's of no consequence. The content of the conversation can be inferred from the fact that they successfully met up. Not everything needs to be shown on-panel.

Maybe more of a "where are you?" Conversation than an attempt to persuade him to do something with a word limit? That would make sense to me.

[Gift Jeraff]

Oh, Haley.

And wonderful to see all those loose threads coming together. Does a rendezvous at dawn leaves time for Sabine to show up and help, if she so desires?

Great comic, Giant.

I think Sabine was banished sometime in the afternoon (given that a few hours pass in the illusion and it's eventually sunset ~30 minutes later).

But I just remembered that Nale gave Amun-Zora his business card. I wonder if it has contact info for Sabine if he can't be reached.

[Xelbiuj]

Also, Haley taking a cue from Belkar? I like it.

[Socksy]

Note the airship in the background of panel 1. How'd she convince them to land, that's a better question.

She's a 16?th level, she could have swung down on one of the ropes and dropped about forty feet from there to the ground. She also has about +20 to Tumble, I think.

[Seward]

I'm so using that handbag line next time I have cause to threaten a lizardfolk >_>

My wife's elf rogue/wizard had three words for when her half-elf druid son went too far protecting dangerous predators.

"lizard skin boots"

(1st edition had a weird profession chart, she had "tanner". There was an incident where to recover a magic item that a giant lizard had swallowed, the part burned most of their spells to do surgery (sleep, cures, etc) and get it out alive. She threatened repeatedly to make boots out of the critter if it caused any more problems.....)

[Bulldog Psion]

So, we see the reptile bounty hunters again, eh? And now Haley's making threats about turning her foes into fashion accessories? :smallbiggrin: Belkar's a bad influence on her.

[Greatmoustache]

a new resistance is stewing. mmm smells nice! and 5 possibly great chatacters who had so little time on stage will probably have a big role in t's ultimate demise. and a great way to tie helluva lot loose ends. love it.

"just the way i like it. i'm in." heh heh :smallamused:

[Metahuman1]

I'm so using that handbag line next time I have cause to threaten a lizardfolk >_>

Likewise. =)

[Anajamois]

I was hoping to see those two again.

I don't know if they can be trusted exactly, but I'm pretty convinced they're anti-Tarquin at least. Which is good enough for temporary-allies-but-watch-over-your-shoulder status.

[Anarion]

Swift way to wrap things up and I like Haley's badass dialogue. She's gotten progressively more forceful as this comic has gone on.



Still not interesting enough to bother showing, though.

:smallsigh: Now we'll never get to know the secret Starshine code phrase.

[Vladier]

Looks like Tarquin's near-constant betraying of everyone he meets came back to bite him in the ass.

Technically, he did never betray anyone. To betray someone you need to be allied with that someone first. Tarquin's allegiance, however, was always to himself in any dealings except for the conspiracy one.

...

Also, I like how Tarquin's brought it on himself. He will probably survive the rebellion but he won't be able to return to being a shadow ruler behind the throne afterwards because Ian knows about his group's conspiracy. And Ian will most likely inform every ruler about that as well. And it wouldn't happen if Tarquin had the foresight to think about the possibility of his enemies, including one particular woman whom he made a widow, tried to forcefully marry and conquered her city, could start to seek out for Ian as well.
Congratulations, Tarqie, you've officially doomed your whole operation.

[Ridureyu]

The handbag threat is... hmmm... like threatening Ian with, "I know a guy who makes human-skin lampshades?"

[zimmerwald1915]

a new resistance is stewing. mmm smells nice!
They'll come to a bad end, just you watch.

[Shale]

Well, the casting time wouldn't really be part of "convincing" him, would it? I mean, you get 25 words each way with a Sending. I don't think she spent any of it convincing him of anything, just asking to set up a meeting. That would be tricky enough since she'd never been to this location before.

Like I said, my mistake. I thought it was Roy being super-harsh, saying he's willing to wait the ten minutes a Sending takes, but no more.

[Tiiba]

I'm so using that handbag line next time I have cause to threaten a lizardfolk >_>

Yay racism!

[Ridureyu]

Yay racism!

I'll wear your face as my chainsawin' mask, human!

[pendell]

I'm certain Ian is being ratted out, and I speculate that Geoff is responsible. I kind of hope that is solved and wrapped up in the next few strips.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Anajamois]

Yay racism!

You'll make a fine pair of boots, Lizard!

[zimmerwald1915]

I'm certain Ian is being ratted out, and I speculate that Geoff is responsible. I kind of hope that is solved and wrapped up in the next few strips.

Respectfully,

Brian P.
Nah, Geoff's gotta stick around so he can be the agent of the ex-Doom Resistance's (note to self: work on a better name) inevitable destruction.

[Ridureyu]

I see one problem with this:

How are they going to fight Tarquin if none of them are epic level? The dude's a tank.

[Reverent-One]

Also, I like how Tarquin's brought it on himself. He will probably survive the rebellion but he won't be able to return to being a shadow ruler behind the throne afterwards because Ian knows about his group's conspiracy. And Ian will most likely inform every ruler about that as well. And it wouldn't happen if Tarquin had the foresight to think about the possibility of his enemies, including one particular woman whom he made a widow, tried to forcefully marry and conquered her city, could start to seek out for Ian as well.
Congratulations, Tarqie, you've officially doomed your whole operation.

Actually, what's funny is how you can directly trace this to the Order's interference. Why is Amun-Zora free? Because Elan let her out. Why is Ian out of prison? The Order. Why are Gannji and Enor alive? The Order.

The Order may well cause the downfall of the system without even knowing it. :smalltongue:

[Seward]

I see one problem with this:

How are they going to fight Tarquin if none of them are epic level? The dude's a tank.



Send in Ian to kill him in his sleep? His sneak attack dice are likely enough on a coup-de-grace to beat Tarquin's fort save on anything but a 20.

(to paraphrase Miron's solution to Roy when faced with a similar question)

[zimmerwald1915]

How are they going to fight Tarquin if none of them are epic level? The dude's a tank.
Futilely and with great pathos I'm sure.

[RNGgod]

I find it mildly amusing that Amon-Zora appears to have the same "not doing anything with my hands" pose that Tarquin does, as seen in the penultimate panel.


Coincidence?

Quite probably.

[Ridureyu]

Send in Ian to kill him in his sleep?

(to paraphrase Miron's solution to Roy when faced with a similar question)

How are they going to get in there? Disguise Person to turn Ian into a beautiful woman?

[zimmerwald1915]

How are they going to get in there? Disguise Person to turn Ian into a beautiful woman?
Assuming you're referring to alter self, it wouldn't work. A mundane disguise, however...actually still won't, because there is no way in Hades that this resistance movement goes anywhere.

[Psyren]

Both fixed.

Well, there goes another theory! :smalltongue: And here I thought he had a ring or something.


It's of no consequence. The content of the conversation can be inferred from the fact that they successfully met up. Not everything needs to be shown on-panel.

Agreed - besides, yelling at her dad on the "phone" would make a great bonus strip.

[Crusher]

Clean, clean, clean, clean up all the lose ends!

[pendell]

Send in Ian to kill him in his sleep? His sneak attack dice are likely enough on a coup-de-grace to beat Tarquin's fort save on anything but a 20.

(to paraphrase Miron's solution to Roy when faced with a similar question)

Charm the Empress into eating him. Next!

After all, this isn't a video game. Not every powerful enemy has to be defeated in face-to-face combat. In fact, if you're a rogue, getting into face-to-face combat is the last thing you want to do anyway. Being a rogue is all about skullduggery, lies, and treachery, outsmarting the enemy rather than overpowering him.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Chadamantium]

I'm glad those two are still alive and kickin'.

[NihhusHuotAliro]

YESYESYES!

Ganji, Enor, Amun-Zora, Geoff and Ian Starshine, all together!

Such a great moment, the fall of an empire (or at least its beginning), the first cracks. Glorious.

Seriously, a huge fist-pump moment!

REPTILIA HAS A CHANCE NOW! REPTILIA HAS A CHANCE NOW! REPTILIA HAS A CHANCE NOW!

Ambassador Gourntok, you did not fail your people. You brought together the heroes that will topple the three Empires.

[Zweisteine]

I'm gonna bet that this is a setup for Tarquin to lose his story. Of this new rebellion deals with Tarquin, Elan won't need to give Trquin the father/son deul to the death he wants.
Problem is, this should take a lot longer than the OOTS will e occupied with Xykon and the gates, it seems, so Elan might need to return to the deserts after all...

Off to the roaches!

[Greatmoustache]

i'm deeply grieved by the board's lack of faith in this young resistance. t's been spiraling down from the moment he took that helmet off and said "i am your father." have a little faith people!

[Cirin]

I see one problem with this:

How are they going to fight Tarquin if none of them are epic level? The dude's a tank.

They don't have to fight him, not head-on.

In a toe-to-toe fight he's nigh invincible, it would take Team Evil to be a serious threat to him.

However, an army can take down anybody. Remember the speech to Haley right before the Battle of Azure City?

All Ian, Amun-Zora, Geoff, Enor and Gannij (we've got to come up with a name of this b-list hero team after Tarquin) have to do to really defeat him is to publicly expose that Tarquin is the real ruler and power behind the throne, that the Empress of Blood really is just a puppet ruler.

Tarquin is betting that once the Empress inevitably falls, he'll just be ruling from the shadows with a new puppet on the throne. However, if those who seek the throne know HE's the real power, then he becomes the target.

Tarquin's entire power system is based on a giant secret, and if they know it and can leverage it, they can bring the entire power structure of Team Tarquin and the desert kingdoms down.

That is a MUCH more plausible way to defeat Tarquin.

[hagnat]

wow, i think this is one of the rare -- if not first -- time we get to see ganji with its mouth closed :x

[Yendor]

I think Sabine was banished sometime in the afternoon (given that a few hours pass in the illusion and it's eventually sunset ~30 minutes later).

But I just remembered that Nale gave Amun-Zora his business card. I wonder if it has contact info for Sabine if he can't be reached.

If Amun-Zora brings the topic up, Haley might be able to provide the info needed.

[Kislath]

Whoa! Kinda jarring. I thought I had skipped a page or two, but no.

It IS nice to see all these characters again, and teaming up!

[Mister Non PC]

Well, now we know what the "Thing That is Not Going Not Happen Was." Ian Starshine is not coming along with the order.

So Elan may resume thinking up Sequel titles...

[Heksefatter]

YES! Hang Tarquin, Miron, Jacinda, Laurin and...uhm...shoulder-pad-guy.

[Porthos]

"Toldja we shoulda knocked".

Awesome. :smallcool:

[NihhusHuotAliro]

i'm deeply grieved by the board's lack of faith in this young resistance. t's been spiraling down from the moment he took that helmet off and said "i am your father." have a little faith people!

What part of REPTILIA HAS A CHANCE! Do you not understand?

[The Blackbird]

What's that grey line above the first few panels? Looks like a bit of the backdrop, is that an art error?

Anyways, looks like everything is wrapping up nicely, good comic. :smallsmile:

[Yendor]

Ian, Amun-Zora, Geoff, Enor and Gannij (we've got to come up with a name of this b-list hero team after Tarquin)

The Legion of Doom. Wait, that name's taken. Uh... League of Doom.

'Cause that's where she's from, see?


Well, now we know what the "Thing That is Not Going Not Happen Was." Ian Starshine is not coming along with the order.

It's the whole "come back to deal with Tarquin" thing. These guys will deal with it.

[Killer Angel]

Woah! the return of my favourite Bounty hunters, and this time on the right side... that's Amazing! :smallsmile:

[DaggerPen]

Re: the Sabine impersonating Amun Zora or Laurin theories: Sabine typically keeps her exact skin tone when she shifts, IIRC. Sabine, Amun Zora and Laurin all both dark-skinned, but Amun Zora and Laurin are like three shades darker than Sabine, so that's probably out.

[Mighty]

Seems half the world needs to be liberated!

[NihhusHuotAliro]

Haley is a total &@#$% for that "handbag" line.

Seriously, not cool.

[Snails]

I know the title is pun on "Resisting a Rest," but does anybody know the other double meaning?

I wonder how this group started getting organized. I didn't notice any hints Enor had meet up with Tarquin's other enemies. Maybe they were found through other posters?

The 1st meaning is avoiding getting arrested by Tarquin "law enforcement" forces, of course. Resisting Arrest.

The 2nd meaning is Haley would prefer her father hole up somewhere safe like, um, on an airship racing towards an epic battle. Resisting taking a rest.

[Crusher]

Futilely and with great pathos I'm sure.

I'm sad that I cannot "like" this.

[Snails]

Haley is a total &@#$% for that "handbag" line.

Seriously, not cool.

This particular target dishes, too.

[elros]

Glad to see Gannji and Enor back. True neutral rules!

Glad the Giant is able to wrap up these loose ends quickly. And the story has enough hooks to get us interested in the supplementary material that will be included in the next book. Well done (as usual).

[Morquard]

I'm gonna bet that this is a setup for Tarquin to lose his story. Of this new rebellion deals with Tarquin, Elan won't need to give Trquin the father/son deul to the death he wants.
Problem is, this should take a lot longer than the OOTS will e occupied with Xykon and the gates, it seems, so Elan might need to return to the deserts after all...

Off to the roaches!

I dunno.
Everyone thought now that Team Peregrine joined the Azure City resistance they're totally going to clean up and reconquer it... and yeah you see how well that went. A level 17 Cleric singlehandedly wiped them out...

I wouldn't be surprised if this Resistance group shares a similar fate.

[NihhusHuotAliro]

This particular target dishes, too.

???

What does that mean?

[Arrowstorm122]

Suppose we have a new Azure City Resistance to keep an eye on Tarquin's side of things. I think studying the rift or something will lead to Tarquin and Co. going for the last gate too or something.

[zimmerwald1915]

i'm deeply grieved by the board's lack of faith in this young resistance. t's been spiraling down from the moment he took that helmet off and said "i am your father." have a little faith people!
It's kindof a theme in the comic that popilar movements against the status quo are either co-opted by evil or pointless dead-ends. I suppose Amun-Zora could be some kind of Doom imperialist out to conquer the desert for herself, but this reads more like a pointless dead end to me.

[Snails]

???

What does that mean?

The particular person "dishes out", as in (by context) "also likes to dish out nasty and rude insults".

[JSSheridan]

Thanks Giant!

But what happened to Uncle Geoff?

[AKA_Bait]

Behold! The subject of one of the next peripheral books!

[NihhusHuotAliro]

The particular person "dishes out", as in (by context) "also likes to dish out nasty and rude insults".

OH, okay.

I know Ganjii dishes out lots of rude and nasty insults; but it's specifically the mention of handbags that gets me. A trophy made from someone's skin. That'd involve some sort of flaying; and that's just something beyond the pale.

I'm not saying Giant should change the line; it works as a joke (alligator handbags), and most people will have no problem with it. It's just me, I'm weird like that.

I just have this thing where I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea of stripping off the skin of a sentient and making a trophy out of it, even as a joke.

Personal pet peeve of mine (seriously, alligators deserve better than to be killed for skin). To me, it's roughly on the same level as a rape threat (please let this thread not go off-topic about that).

Reptile and all that.

EDIT: See, look at the responses to it in this thread. You guys must really hate us reptiles.

Apparently you're okay with the idea of flaying so long as it's done to a reptile.

[Vinsfeld]

It would be awesome if the Giant made a book (after Oots is over) about how this team defeated the EoB.

[The Pilgrim]

Great, we are going to have another "Resistance" subplot for the next book!

And maybe this time it will be successful.

[happycrow]

Three loose ends in a single strip. BAM!

[rs2excelsior]

Enor, Ganji, and Amun Zora are back! And going after Tarquin! I have to say, I didn't see this one coming.

Excellent work, as always.

[SympathyBot]

Hurray Enor and Ganji are back!

[ts20fan]

Large turn from what was happening.

Kinda quick, but good comic Rich!

[Giggling Ghast]

Well, that was resolved quicker than I expected.

Just hope they hold out better than the elven liberators of Azure City.

[Gnome Alone]

Does anyone else think that the Tarquin Vengeance Squad here are a pretty awesome set-up for a D&D party? Like, one of the more modern set-ups, not one of the classic fighter-rogue-wizard-cleric let's-go-kill-green-people-and-take-their-stuff ones.

We have Amun-Zora, the fight-y class something or other out for revenge against the evil dictator who murdered her husband and betrayed her city because she wouldn't sleep with him. Pretty standard heroic type there.

We have Enor & Gannji, bounty hunters who the dictator tried to kill out of spite, and Enormous has clearly been reading some CharOp stuff ("can I be a half-dragon half-ogre?")

And Ian Starshine, remarkably tactless paranoid master thief. Would totally be "The Roleplayer," willing to eat the aging penalties, except that spot is clearly taken by Geoff What's-his-name, someone who heard that one of the other players was playing an old-guy rogue and decided to one-up him by playing the same only with chronic backstabbing disorder.

I'm just saying, file the serial numbers off and I could totally see it being played out right on the PbP forum here.

[veti]

I see one problem with this:

How are they going to fight Tarquin if none of them are epic level? The dude's a tank.

Where do they say anything about fighting him? The goal is to bring the empire down. There's the bit about Tarquin ending up on the end of a sword, but I'd read that as "once the empire's fallen, lots will have happened, we'll have gained some levels, Tarquin will be distracted/diminished/damaged by fighting other people, we'll get our chance eventually".

What bothers me is, how did Amun-Zora (sp?) get out of "the tower (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0757.html)"?

[RMS Oceanic]

OH, okay.

I know Ganjii dishes out lots of rude and nasty insults; but it's specifically the mention of handbags that gets me. A trophy made from someone's skin. That'd involve some sort of flaying; and that's just something beyond the pale.

I'm not saying Giant should change the line; it works as a joke (alligator handbags), and most people will have no problem with it. It's just me, I'm weird like that.

I just have this thing where I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea of stripping off the skin of a sentient and making a trophy out of it, even as a joke.

Personal pet peeve of mine (seriously, alligators deserve better than to be killed for skin).

Reptile and all that.

I think you're overthinking it, the threat "I'll skin you alive" is not really uncommon to use against your enemies: Haley's just taking it to the next level.

I think what I like most about this comic is that this is something Tarquin has brought entirely upon himself: An alliance between someone who I infer to be skilled in battles and tactics, two impressive trackers and a guy who is not only effective at sneaking around, but has critical information about the wider political situation that can be put to use. And hopefully, the presence of three other people will protect Ian from Geoff if it indeed turns out he's been working for Bozzok this whole time. I'm all for Sabine turning up to complete the gang, it would really underline how Tarquin's faults have set the stage for this.

[veti]

Does anyone else think that the Tarquin Vengeance Squad here are a pretty awesome set-up for a D&D party?

Yes, now you mention it, I can totally imagine one of my campaigns starting with the PCs being briefed by Tarquin "This character has offended me. Kill them, and kill them hard, make sure everyone knows I did it, but under no circumstances mention me in any way at all."

... Oh, you meant "the party that wants revenge on Tarquin"? OK, I guess that works too.

[NihhusHuotAliro]

I think you're overthinking it, the threat "I'll skin you alive" is not really uncommon to use against your enemies: Haley's just taking it to the next level.

Yeah, but when you say it to humans, they know you probably don't mean it (unless you're a terrible person).

There's a history of reptiles being killed for their skin; and it's a common thing, even in real life. It's a much more credible threat; a much more common, heck, socially accepted, thing. People being killed and having their skin worn is horrifying, reptiles having the same happen to them is simply a handbag.

I mean, it's familiar enough to make sense as a joke or real-life reference.

I don't know, considering that it's a thing that is accepted, and is not at all uncommon, the threat reads as a lot more real, a lot more sinister.

But yeah, nobody else sees it this way, so I'll drop it. Especially because Ganjii himself isn't bothered by it. If he's not, then why should I be.

[Gift Jeraff]

Where do they say anything about fighting him? The goal is to bring the empire down. There's the bit about Tarquin ending up on the end of a sword, but I'd read that as "once the empire's fallen, lots will have happened, we'll have gained some levels, Tarquin will be distracted/diminished/damaged by fighting other people, we'll get our chance eventually".

What bothers me is, how did Amun-Zora (sp?) get out of "the tower (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0757.html)"?

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0801.html
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0804.html

[Mike Havran]

Geoff seems to be left behind...how convenient.

[Ridureyu]

I'll wear your face as my chainsawin' mask, human!

[jere7my]

Apparently you're okay with the idea of flaying so long as it's done to a reptile.

I certainly am, though I hope the insides are made into alligator sausage so they don't go to waste. Mmmmm.

Seriously, though, it's not just reptiles. You've heard of leather, right?

[silvadel]

Listen to Haley -- she is not bluffing. You will make a nice handbag.

[Canuck617]

Sweet! Page 5!

Hahahaha! Man, this comic has been hi-larious recently, more so than I normally notice.

Also, it's the return of 4-LOM and Zuckuss Gannji and Enor! Wonderful! Plus, it's the return of Amun-Zora. I guess that means Tarquin isn't done in this story yet. All Tarquin fanboys rejoice!

I guess this means Ian is safe for now, as Haley's letting him go.

I'm really digging the comics recently. Keep up the good work, Mr. Giant!

[Mister Non PC]

OH, okay.

I know Ganjii dishes out lots of rude and nasty insults; but it's specifically the mention of handbags that gets me. A trophy made from someone's skin. That'd involve some sort of flaying; and that's just something beyond the pale.

I'm not saying Giant should change the line; it works as a joke (alligator handbags), and most people will have no problem with it. It's just me, I'm weird like that.

I just have this thing where I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea of stripping off the skin of a sentient and making a trophy out of it, even as a joke.

Personal pet peeve of mine (seriously, alligators deserve better than to be killed for skin)...

Did you miss the recurring joke about Belkar making a hat out of a Kobold head? Or using a Kobold head for a kitty litter box? And killing people for the hell of it?

Seriously, this may not be the strip for you....

[Ron Miel]

Last panel - "We cool."

Typo? I think "We're cool" makes more sense.

Or is this a colloquialism I don't know?

[Aquillion]

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0804.htmlAlso, she likely still has Nale's card, which probably also has contact info for Sabine -- who has a very good reason to join them now and would be extremely useful.


Who says that's not Sabine right now?Would it make a difference if it was? They share the same goal at the moment.

[pendell]

She is exaggerating for effect. She has no history of making her enemies into either items of apparel or side dishes. That's a Belkar thing, not a Haley thing.

IF you want a dynamic equivalence (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_and_formal_equivalence) version of what Haley said, it would read:

"If my father comes to harm because of your actions, I will take terrible and brutal vengeance upon you."

As she did with Crystal.

This is NOT an idle threat, but I strongly doubt she would go on to defiling the corpse after death. She has no history of doing that to anyone else, and it's unlikely she'll start now.

I believe reading her as making a literal threat to be reading too much, and I think some reactions posted here to her word choice are ... oversensitive. This isn't a tea party or a drawing room. This is two people who live outside the law coming to a ... mutual understanding. The language of a Mafia negotiation is considerably rougher than that used to order a meal in a high-class restaurant.

If anything, I think it is more appropriate. Haley's communication is blunt, brutal, direct, and economical in word choice. EXACTLY what is needed in this situation, where her greatest concern is for her father's well being and not at all for Ganji's feelings.



Or is this a colloquialism I don't know?


It's a colloquialism. This suggests a lack of formal education on Gannji's part and reinforces the idea that Haley should use short, simple phrases to communicate her meaning rather than something indirect or polite.

Possibly "I will floss my teeth with your spine" (threat made in Sly Cooper 3, and not literal there either) would be more correct, but I submit that when we start criticizing this sort of thing as racially insensitive we've kind of lost the plot. These are underworld figures. Sensitivity training is not, I suspect, high on their list of internal priorities.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[zimmerwald1915]

Or is this a colloquialism I don't know?
The latter. Elisions like this are fairly common in American slang.

[jere7my]

Last panel - "We cool."

Typo? I think "We're cool" makes more sense.

Or is this a colloquialism I don't know?

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=We%20cool%3F

[Canuck617]

Last panel - "We cool."

Typo? I think "We're cool" makes more sense.

Or is this a colloquialism I don't know?

I like to think it's a colloquialism. It gives Gannji more street cred. :smalltongue:

[Oko and Qailee]

Ganji is such a chill guy.

I would have 0 hard feelings after such a nonchalant question like that.

[dps]

I certainly am, though I hope the insides are made into alligator sausage so they don't go to waste. Mmmmm.

Seriously, though, it's not just reptiles. You've heard of leather, right?

Yeah, I really don't get the apparant belief that being killed for your skin is something that happens to reptiles but not mammals. And yeah, you can use human skin, too.

[Tragak]

Please, Haley's just a poser. Belkar's been doing that since Strip 63. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0063.html)

... oh gods. Belkar really IS turning into a hipster! :smalltongue: I love it.

[Psyren]

wow, i think this is one of the rare -- if not first -- time we get to see ganji with its mouth closed :x

Not (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0738.html) the first, (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0748.html) no.



Would it make a difference if it was? They share the same goal at the moment.

It might not be her right now, but giving dark skin to that very angry woman that Tarquin very clearly underestimates could be a useful red herring later. (Though they need to get his True Seeing ring off for it to work.)

[hamishspence]

It's a colloquialism. This suggests a lack of formal education on Gannji's part and reinforces the idea that Haley should use short, simple phrases to communicate her meaning rather than something indirect or polite.

I thought he was using the colloquialism simply to spoof "guy with street cred"

since he began "I'm going to choose to hear that as..."

[Thrillhouse]

I never saw "epilogue-quest" as a likely (or satisfying) way for Tarquin to get taken down, so this looks promising.

[Toper]

Ha, nice. "You're coming with us!" from the bounty hunters is silly and clever. And always nice to see loose ends being... not actually tied up, but at least tied together.

The setting confuses me, though. Why is the Border Patrol HQ abandoned with no signs of a fight? Does "CLOSED" apply to the country (as its placement would imply) or the building (which is more likely true)? Who wrote it, the departing patrol or some rebels who cleared the place out?

My best guess is that it's just an old abandoned building convenient for Ian to set up the meeting in; but I'm not sure of myself there because the sign is so prominent.

edit: Oh, right! It's not called Tyrinaria anymore, duh. :smallredface:

[hamishspence]

This suggests a lack of formal education on Gannji's part and reinforces the idea that Haley should use short, simple phrases to communicate her meaning rather than something indirect or polite.
Gannji's been pretty erudite in his phrasing in the past, at least:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0724.html

[halfeye]

The setting confuses me, though. Why is the Border Patrol HQ abandoned with no signs of a fight? Does "CLOSED" apply to the country (as its placement would imply) or the building (which is more likely true)? Who wrote it, the departing patrol or some rebels who cleared the place out?

My best guess is that it's just an old abandoned building convenient for Ian to set up the meeting in; but I'm not sure of myself there because the sign is so prominent.
The country is the one Myron sent the ransom note to Haley from, it's closed now, it was one of the countries that used to be part of the three empires scam.

[zimmerwald1915]

The country is the one Myron sent the ransom note to Hayley from, it's closed now, it was one of the countries that used to be part of the three empires scam.
But its territory (probably a little more in some places and a little less in others, given how the scheme works) is now under the sovereignty of the Empire of Blood. So it's reasonable to wonder why the new government didn't continue using the old government's infrastructure if it's ready to hand.

[Thrillhouse]

But its territory (probably a little more in some places and a little less in others, given how the scheme works) is now under the sovereignty of the Empire of Blood. So it's reasonable to wonder why the new government didn't continue using the old government's infrastructure if it's ready to hand.

Remember that the old countries are technically "overthrown" so it makes sense that some of the old buildings would be allowed to fall into disrepair. Plus, making a new building means more jobs for slaves, which is totally good for the economy.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Awesome strip. Multiple threads dealt with in a page.

And I'm still hoping to see Book 5 on my shelf before the end of summer.

[CaDzilla]

Tarquin can't kill this new resistance, he no longer has an evil cleric of destruction.

[Rogar Demonblud]

But its territory (probably a little more in some places and a little less in others, given how the scheme works) is now under the sovereignty of the Empire of Blood. So it's reasonable to wonder why the new government didn't continue using the old government's infrastructure if it's ready to hand.

The border is probably a hundred miles away by now. There's a similar border outpost by Kansas City from when that was the western edge of the U.S., frex.

[Dracon1us]

good funny strips! :smallamused:

the chemistry for the Order of Thermal Detonator is already there!

[Gift Jeraff]

But its territory (probably a little more in some places and a little less in others, given how the scheme works) is now under the sovereignty of the Empire of Blood. So it's reasonable to wonder why the new government didn't continue using the old government's infrastructure if it's ready to hand.

Their borders are expanding, so this is probably no longer a border to anything and now just a random spot in the desert.

[drazen]

I sincerely hope Amun-Dora's folded arms aren't a clue that she's really Tarquin in disguise. It is his signature pose, though.

[zimmerwald1915]

Their borders are expanding, so this is probably no longer a border to anything and now just a random spot in the desert.
All these are good surmises. But coming upon them required first asking the question of why the border post was no longer in use.

[Ron Miel]

The setting confuses me, though. Why is the Border Patrol HQ abandoned with no signs of a fight? Does "CLOSED" apply to the country (as its placement would imply) or the building (which is more likely true)? Who wrote it, the departing patrol or some rebels who cleared the place out?


But its territory (probably a little more in some places and a little less in others, given how the scheme works) is now under the sovereignty of the Empire of Blood. So it's reasonable to wonder why the new government didn't continue using the old government's infrastructure if it's ready to hand.


The Empire has assimilated several neighbouring countries. It is no longer the border.

[rewinn]

And the endless cycle of kingdoms rising and falling continues ...

... although if Tarquin plays his cards right, Amun-Zora can take the role of antagonist in his personal epical legend. Revealing to her that Ian is the father-in-law of the hated Elan should be worth a second-act scene (although "Luke, I am your father" doesn't work as well when rewritten "Look, I am your associate's father in law!".

[David Argall]

Ha, nice. "You're coming with us!" from the bounty hunters is silly and clever. And always nice to see loose ends being... not actually tied up, but at least tied together.

Actually they are being untied. If these 5 had simply never been heard of again, their stories would have endings. Maybe we would like to hear more of them, but "they ran away and left the story" is enough. That is what we had for Scoundrel for 500 pages. We have no story need to provide more for any of them. They would have just gone off to unrelated stories.
Now we have them back in the story, and interest in how well they will do vs Tarquin. [Probably not well. As with the Azure City resistance, the B listers are there to show how tough the A opposition is, and so die in droves.] So they will make 5?10?20? more appearances

[hamishspence]

[Probably not well. As with the Azure City resistance, the B listers are there to show how tough the A opposition is, and so die in droves.]

Tarquin's a "B-list villain" though - so same rules may not apply.

[Bovine Colonel]

[Probably not well. As with the Azure City resistance, the B listers are there to show how tough the A opposition is, and so die in droves.]

I'm sure the B-lister heroes will do just fine against the B-lister villain :smalltongue:

[NihhusHuotAliro]

This would make a perfect ending to the book.

[oppyu]

I like this new, fast-paced method of resolving sidequests. I bet Roy wishes he could have cut straight to the strip where he found the... precious metal which makes his sword glow all funny. Probably would have been better for V and the black dragon population as well.

[Breccia]

I love cameos almost as much as I love variable-speed corn muffins.

[Mr. Pants]

Enor and Gannji are back, huh?

[Zmflavius]

Have to like the tying up of loose ends, but if Geoff is still hanging around, I can still see things seriously going pear-shaped, not to mention that Ian might still find a way to mess this up, what with his instinctive distrust of everyone except the people he should be distrusting.

[NihhusHuotAliro]

Have to like the tying up of loose ends, but if Geoff is still hanging around, I can still see things seriously going pear-shaped, not to mention that Ian might still find a way to mess this up, what with his instinctive distrust of everyone except the people he should be distrusting.

You do realize the entire world is kinda pear-shaped, right?

[Lexible]

Last panel - "We cool."

Typo? I think "We're cool" makes more sense.

Or is this a colloquialism I don't know?

Yes, it is a colloquialism you don't know.

[Cynric]

Oh dear. I really can't see this going well for Ian. For a paranoid rogue who's gotten by as long as he has, he really doesn't seem particularly sharp.

[Caex]

This is everything I wanted to see. Way to tie up my various hopes into one conspiracy.

Also, I laughed out loud at Gannji's idea of how to invite Ian to join the rebellion. It seems that bounty hunter habits die hard.

[drazen]

Waaaaaait a minute. How would Amun-Zora know Ian was FRAMED for treason? Gaanji and Enor may have known him from prison, but that doesn't prove he was framed.

[Kish]

Waaaaaait a minute. How would Amun-Zora know Ian was FRAMED for treason? Gaanji and Enor may have known him from prison, but that doesn't prove he was framed.
She observed that Tarquin's lips were moving, and from that knew that he was lying.

(This is a metaphor.)

[Jaxzan Proditor]

Awesome strip, like usual. And some loose ends tied up. I'm rooting for the new resistance now, although, given the luck of our previous resistance, I don't think they will do so well.

[Kish]

The previous resistance was second-string heroes against first-string villains.

This resistance is second or third-string heroes against third-string villains.

We'll see how this goes.

[BrotherMirtillo]

Wait, what made Gannji think that was a good recruiting line? Is it just what he reflexively says when he finds someone?

In comedy, there's at least a 25% chance that any diplomatic greeting will be followed by, "Wait, that came out wrong."

Best of luck to the Doom Squad, in all their roguey goodness.

I missed the speculation during strip #770, so besides Geoff or Ivy being a traitor, what theories were there for how Tarquin tracks Ian? I'm kinda curious, but I suspect it doesn't have to be complicated.

Fact: One of Tarquin's Tips (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0766.html) was for the guards to be observant enough to remember their co-workers.

Other fact: Kilkil keeps triplicate records (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0915.html) on Ian at least, if not every prisoner the Empire holds.

What if it's standard protocol during mid-level prisoner breakouts for the warden to call up an arcane caster and get a Scrying spell? All they would need is a 7th-level wizard on staff, plus a bonus if Kilkil's records include pictures (almost certainly, seeing as they threw together the wanted poster easily) or clips of hair (I wouldn't rule it out).

[Tragak]

The previous resistance was second-string heroes against first-string villains.

This resistance is second or third-string heroes against third-string villains.

We'll see how this goes. Calling it now:

After dealing with Xykon, Elan goes to see if his father is still ruling so much of the continent, and he meets up with the second-stringers who tell him: "Nah, already taken care of."

:smallbiggrin:

[Kolhammer]

And then did Nale start the path to his Father losing power. Hooray!

[wyrmhole]

I like this new, fast-paced method of resolving sidequests. I bet Roy wishes he could have cut straight to the strip where he found the... precious metal which makes his sword glow all funny. Probably would have been better for V and the black dragon population as well.

Well it's no surprise since Roy fell through that magic portal to the alternate universe where long-running sub-plots get resolved.

It wouldn't have helped with the starmetal side-quest, if Roy had fallen through earlier, because it has to be long-running before the bizarre properties of this alternate universe cause it to be resolved nigh-simultaneously with lots of others. :smallwink:

[Lheticus]

Well that's about thirty gazillion loose ends tied up. I admit I'm kinda confused what Haley's doing there at all if he refused the ride, but I'll take the end result.

Yeah...I think the Giant just set a record for most plot points tied up in a single webcomic page. He may or may not have been trying to do that. Also, oh snap--a new adventuring party hitting the scene! Go team Tarquin Takedown! ^_^

[zimmerwald1915]

Calling it now:

After dealing with Xykon, Elan goes to see if his father is still ruling so much of the continent, and he meets up with the second-stringers who tell him: "Nah, already taken care of."

:smallbiggrin:
When did Elan learn to cast speak with dead?

[ThePhantasm]

Yeah...I think the Giant just set a record for most plot points tied up in a single webcomic page. He may or may not have been trying to do that. Also, oh snap--a new adventuring party hitting the scene! Go team Tarquin Takedown! ^_^

I have a feeling Sabine will be joining the team shortly.

[Byzantine2]

I can see this Resistance winning. The difference here is that the Resistance in Azure city was going after the Big Bad, and only the MC's are capable of beating Xykon, basically by definition, and certainly by trope. On the other hand this is a bunch of side-characters forming a resistance to a side-boss. Side characters against the main bad guy always lose. Against a side boss? They have a very good chance, particularly if The Giant has no intention of The Order ever returning here, but still showing Tarquin's fall (probably in bonus strips).


When did Elan learn to cast speak with dead?

Why do you keep equating this team with the Azure City Resistance? Tarquin is just a side boss, not the main bad guy as he deluded himself into thinking, and that means it is entirely probable a team of side characters will take him down, especially since The Giant clearly has no intention of having the Order return here to finish Tarquin off.

[zimmerwald1915]

I can see this Resistance winning. The difference here is that the Resistance in Azure city was going after the Big Bad, and only the MC's are capable of beating Xykon, basically by definition, and certainly by trope. On the other hand this is a bunch of side-characters forming a resistance to a side-boss. Side characters against the main bad guy always lose. Against a side boss? They have a very good chance, particularly if The Giant has no intention of The Order ever returning here, but still showing Tarquin's fall (probably in bonus strips).
Why do you think the Giant wants to say something about the narrative hierarchy of various characters rather than something about the legitimacy of organizing popular resistance groups in general?


Why do you keep equating this team with the Azure City Resistance? Tarquin is just a side boss, not the main bad guy as he deluded himself into thinking, and that means it is entirely probable a team of side characters will take him down, especially since The Giant clearly has no intention of having the Order return here to finish Tarquin off.
Well, just reverse my statement above. I don't see any sympathy at all in this story for the act of organizing popular resistances. There are two examples, three now, of this in the story so far: Redcloak's organizing the hobgoblins to march on Azure City, the Azure City Resistance, and now this new Doom Patrol. The first was generated by an evil man for the purpose of ethnic cleansing. The second was brutally crushed after having been co-opted by a racist imperialism looking to reverse its waning world power. This one is starting out as badly as Redcloak's, its current leadership animated by vengeance (like Redcloak) or profit, its most recent recruits being a paranoid loon and a probable traitor, and its most likely next recruit being a fiend (and we've seen just how much sympathy consorting with fiends gets you in this narrative, not to mention that said fiends' employers might want to co-opt the Doom Patrol as their latest pawns).

[Grey Watcher]

Ian gets to be part of a (nearly) all-Rogue adventuring party. Neat!

Also, did Gannji put any ranks into social skills at all? I mean, barging in on someone with a bounty on their head yelling "You're coming with us!" is just asking for a misunderstanding.

[King of Nowhere]

Wow... I never saw so many loose plot threads tied up so smoothly in such a short time!
And all without feeling forced.
My congratulations to you, giant, for this wonderful achievement!

That was meta-story-wise.

Story-wise, I have an impression we didn't saw the last of tarquin a few strips ago. Maybe we'll get to see him killed in his moment of weakness, when alone, low on hp and without much of his equipment he is trudging the desert to go back to civilization.
Or maybe we'll just know that now his secret plan got spoiled and many people know of it and are resisting it, but we still won't see tarquin again.

[Byzantine2]

Why do you think the Giant wants to say something about the narrative hierarchy of various characters rather than something about the legitimacy of organizing popular resistance groups in general?

Because I don't think he intends to do either. I think it would have made a lame story if halfway through some side characters show up, beat the big bad, and end the threat, and thus the comic out of the blue. (Unless it was very well done, but that was not the story The Giant was going for). So the resistance had to lose, and them dying was in part to reduce the allies avaliable to the Order.

[Nilan8888]

My sense of this is that this alliance will never actually face Tarquin, but will clean things up while Tarquin -- or rather, his team -- chases after the Order.

So basically, the Order is never coming back here. It will become the inverse of the Azure City resistance, and will succeed while Team Tarquin leaves with no-one to take over while they're gone (Kilkil comes to mind...) that's adequate to the task.

But my gut says we've seen too much of Team Tarquin and had too many questions dealing with it for they themselves to be regulated to this B-Plot. The main plot is moving forward, and they'll be coming along with it. Tarquin because he wants to face his son again, and the rest of them because, you know, GATES.

But their 25-year shell game? It's done.




And all without feeling forced.

Weeeeeelll... in truth, it did feel a little bit forced and convenient. To me. But if we're something like only 5 strips until the end of the book, this could work as the sort of ending rush of resolving plot threads. One could argue a lesser version of this "you go here, I'll go here" thing happened at the end of last book.

[zimmerwald1915]

Because I don't think he intends to do either. I think it would have made a lame story if halfway through some side characters show up, beat the big bad, and end the threat, and thus the comic out of the blue. (Unless it was very well done, but that was not the story The Giant was going for). So the resistance had to lose, and them dying was in part to reduce the allies avaliable to the Order.
I responded to your earlier post by editing mine, but just to develop what I said there a little bit, I don't see the point of introducing as many resistances as the Giant has (three now) if there wasn't a theme developing about the legitimacy of doing so. I think that theme is broadly unsympathetic. If it wasn't, why would they be portrayed conducting ethnic cleansing (hobgoblins), condoning the war crimes of their patron powers (Azurites), and seeking personal vengeance above all else (Doom Patrol; Roy pointed out in his speech on the dragon that this was the wrong reason to get into something)?

EDIT: y'know, it occurs to me that each patsy Tarquin and co. placed on their thrones could be considered to have been part of a resistance movement of their own. So that's scores more resistance movements that wound up being co-opted by evil men off-panel.

[halfeye]

Because I don't think he intends to do either. I think it would have made a lame story if halfway through some side characters show up, beat the big bad, and end the threat, and thus the comic out of the blue. (Unless it was very well done, but that was not the story The Giant was going for). So the resistance had to lose, and them dying was in part to reduce the allies avaliable to the Order.
That wasn't a plausible option for the Azure City resistance, what they stood a real chance of doing was taking the city from (Jeric?) <edit>Jirix of course, my memory had a blank. </edit> and the other goblin mooks while Xykon and Redcloak were off chasing gates.

Tarquin and co. are much tougher than the goblin mooks who would have been left behind after Xykon and co. moved on, and this resistance needs to build a lot of experience and allies to have any hope of winning.

[oppyu]

Also, yay for another high-status woman leading stuff in this narrative. Here's hoping the Empire of Blood resistance plays a larger narrative role than 'martyrs to re-establish Tarkie's badarse cred' or 'plot devices to illustrate how far Tarkie has fallen on the hierarchy of villain importance by defeating him off-panel'.

[t209]

The Azurite Resistance are dead. But Doom City will rise up.

[zimmerwald1915]

Also, yay for another high-status woman leading stuff in this narrative. Here's hoping the Empire of Blood resistance plays a larger narrative role than 'martyrs to re-establish Tarkie's badarse cred' or 'plot devices to illustrate how far Tarkie has fallen on the hierarchy of villain importance by defeating him off-panel'.
Just a curiosity, but what do you mean by "high-status?" Because Amun-Zora had about the same rank and assignment as Thanh; a mid-level military officer serving as an ambassador in a foreign country.

[oppyu]

Just a curiosity, but what do you mean by "high-status?" Because Amun-Zora had about the same rank and assignment as Thanh; a mid-level military officer serving as an ambassador in a foreign country.
Narrative importance. High-status may have been exaggerating, but she has more of it than Samantha and Eyepatched Resistance Leader.

[Demolator]

Omagawsh my face when Enor and Ganjii came back.

[Siosilvar]

:smallsigh: Now we'll never get to know the secret Starshine code phrase.

Well duh, if we hear it it's not a secret any more.

[Inst]

I'm waiting for Elan to come out with the line: "This is a story, evil never wins, except if you're on the Outer Limits". Anyone remember the Outer Limits; I mean, the 1990s series? That was ridiculously dark and the evil side won half the time.

===

It is, in my view, bluntly a train wreck; and it's the best way to ruin Tarquin's life, because his life is now de-narrativized, chaotic, and vulgar. As to whether or not this story arc makes OOTS better is another story.

[zimmerwald1915]

Well duh, if we hear it it's not a secret any more.
It could still be secret if we all became Starshines!

[Siosilvar]

It could still be secret if we all became Starshines!

I like the way you think. Mm, red hair...

[Tragak]

It could still be secret if we all became Starshines! But I'm a Human, not a Celestial Draketooth :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin:

[Onyavar]

Whew. Glad this got resolved in one page.

Great one, Giant. :smalltongue:

:smalleek:
Isn't that a bit hasty?
With the plot condensed that much as in 940, the final book is going to have 12 pages.

[zimmerwald1915]

:smalleek:
Isn't that a bit hasty?
With the plot condensed that much as in 940, the final book is going to have 12 pages.
Belkar said something of the sort once...almost three hundred strips ago (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0649.html). I don't think you have anything to worry about.

[Another_Poet]

Why do you think the Giant wants to say something about the narrative hierarchy of various characters rather than something about the legitimacy of organizing popular resistance groups in general?

Because every major plot arc has ultimately been about calling out literary tropes. The whole point, since the "evil twin" to the most recent Elan-refuses-to-lead, is that this is a story will blatantly call out dramatic structure and then show what it would be like to live by those rules.

Thus, using side-heroes to defeat a side-villain makes sense, and is even better because Tarquin thinks of himself as the "main" villain.


I don't see the point of introducing as many resistances as the Giant has (three now) if there wasn't a theme developing about the legitimacy of doing so.

That seems a bit steep for a light-hearted comic by an artist who forbids political commentary on his forums. I don't suspect the Giant's going in that direction.

And I can see a different reason for introducing multiple resistances: it's a story about people who do combat as their day job, and then moonlight with combat as their second job. In a world torn by war. It's hard to do 900+ strips about that and not run into a few resistances.

P.S. I love your avatar and I also love your sig poem.

[ss49]

I'm happy that we (I) don't have to endure a hundred strips of Ian being an insufferable idiot.

But does this change Haley's focus on gathering mass quantities of loot? Freeing Ian was the reason given long ago; will gold lose its luster or was the ransom a rationalization?

[BenjaminGeiger]

For those saying that Haley's comment to Gannji is particularly harsh, let me remind you of a bit of dialogue from a 'family movie':

Mufasa: What am I going to do with him?
Zazu: He'd make a very handsome throw rug.
Mufasa: [Surprised] Zazu!
Zazu: And just think, Whenever he gets dirty you can take him out and beat him.

So even Disney has used effectively the same schtick. (Granted, not to his face, but...)

[zimmerwald1915]

That seems a bit steep for a light-hearted comic by an artist who forbids political commentary on his forums. I don't suspect the Giant's going in that direction.
This is also a comic whose author claims to want his work to help combat sexism and racism. It is a comic whose content includes genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and torture (both actual and attempted). Discussion of such ultimately political topics, far from being banned on the boards, make up a significant percentage of threads. The forbidden fruit is not politics, but real-world political references.

P.S. Thank you.

[Clistenes]

Oooh, Tarquin's got enemies! But will they make enough of a difference? Or will this be like the Azure City Resistance and the elves, who started out so well?

Tarquin:

1.-Has lost Malack, who helped to keep him grounded, which combined with his current frustration is probably going to make him become even more nonsensical than usual, which will make his allies avoid him, which will make him lose the other people who could keep him grounded.

2.-Is expecting Elan to come back to defeat him. Somebody else doing it would ruin the plot even more, from his point of view.

3.-Since he expects Elan to come back and defeat him, he will expect to be virtually invincible, untouchable and immortal until Elan comes. Now it is the moment to show how evil he really is, to make his final battle with Elan more interesting.

4.-He will expect Haley's dad and the Doomgirl to be victims that will help to establish him as a Very Bad Person, so he will never believe that they can actually hurt him.

[Solara]

Laughed out loud at the pun in the title, then even harder when the whole thing turned into a convention for secondary (and third...iary) characters. Wasn't expecting any of this at all, but fantastic way to wrap up all those plot threads and give us a little status update on characters I wasn't expecting to see again for a long while.

[Amphiox]

From the point of view of narrative mechanics, this can serve either as the tying up of loose ends:

All of this book's important side characters are now assigned to a plot point. If anyone asks "what happened to Enor/Ganji/Ian/Geoff/Amun Zora?" the answer is "they formed a resistance against Tarquin".

And since the fate of this resistance has only peripheral impact on the larger plot, we may never hear of them again until the epilogue. (Or, more darkly, if Tarquin shows up in the main narrative again, they could get dismissed with an offhand remark like "oh, yeah, I killed them all", while he waves Ian's severed head in Haley's face for THE DRAMA).

Alternately, this is not the tying up of a loose end, but the introduction of a new plot thread, which will see further panel time in the next book.

(If one wraps up enough plot threads, one ends up with a ball of threads. Which one can then send rolling downhill in a new direction! Alternately.... sequel hook!)

About the only certain thing I can predict is that there WILL be an argument over this somewhere on this forum. Will it take 1 thread page? 5? 10? 15? Any bets?


Random plot thoughts and questions:

If rampant speculation that Geoff is a mole is true, then will recruiting Ian turn out to be Amun Zora's biggest mistake? Will she live to regret it?

Since we already saw a plucky resistance get crushed with great pathos, the laws of narrative variety suggests that this plucky resistance will not meet with the same fate. On the other hand, the laws of narrative symmetry suggests that they will.

But plucky resistances composed of tertiary characters in a side-plot have a much greater chance of survival if going up against a B-villain than they do going up against an A-villain...

Will Sabine end up joining Team Amon-Zora? (Should we call it Team DOOM? Or Team DOOMED?)

Given its name and the general history of all the regimes in the Western Continent, the Free City of Doom could not possibly have been THAT benign an entity. Are Amon-Zora's hands clean? Does she have skeletons in her closet? Could they come back to haunt her?

Do Enor and Ganji owe Amun-Zora a favor, and if so, for what? Or did the "debt" they talk about refer solely to their "debt" against Tarquin? Could it be both?

When Haley turns Enor into a handbag, will there be sequins?

[Chance Gardener]

Haley's comment in the last panel makes me think of Moriarty's phone call at the beginning of Sherlock's A Scandal in Belgravia.

"...I'll make you into shoes."

[AutomatedTeller]

ok - well, that wraps up some loose ends that we didn't even know needed wrapping.

Course, the last time that we had a resistence unit left behind as the order moved on, they didn't come to a good end...

[Jay R]

I'm so using that handbag line next time I have cause to threaten a lizardfolk >_>

In a recent game, the fighter was threatening to make boots out of the lizard-man (2E) we had just slain. My elven wizard/thief announced, "This sentient non-human is not willing to watch you make boots out of a sentient non-human."

[I'm not sure that line was effective. More convincing was the fact that my character was the only one with Leatherworking and Cobbler NWPs.]

[137beth]

Looks like the resistance gained one of the few melee combatants who could reasonably stand up to Tarquin. And he is completely oblivious...

[bladequeen420]

Looking forward to this battle between tarquin and the resistance!

[Finagle]

Would have been more believable if Gannji was working for cash. He's Neutral, after all, that's sort of his thing. What does he care if a nation is oppressed or not?

[Forikroder]

Would have been more believable if Gannji was working for cash. He's Neutral, after all, that's sort of his thing. What does he care if a nation is oppressed or not?

ignoring that the nation recently tried to have him and his BFF kill each other

besides it may be pro bono now but he may have first looters right

[Shale]

Would have been more believable if Gannji was working for cash. He's Neutral, after all, that's sort of his thing. What does he care if a nation is oppressed or not?

Nothing, but apparently he cares plenty for revenge.

[zimmerwald1915]

Would have been more believable if Gannji was working for cash. He's Neutral, after all, that's sort of his thing. What does he care if a nation is oppressed or not?
Tarquin put him in a loincloth and forced him to fight his best friend in the name of entertaining a couple hundred humans. I'd imagine he's pretty pissed. Then again, as Roy put it, revenge is a bad reason to get into this sort of business.

[Knaight]

Regarding "The Resistance": I'm not seeing a popular resistance movement here. Amun Zora is specifically collecting Tarquin's most bitter enemies, and those that are at least somewhat dangerous. Ian was worth framing for treason. Gannji threw a spear at Tarquin in the middle of Tarquin's own arena, with the help of Enor. Zora's next move is specifically gathering the survivors of a special forces unit. Thus far the group as a whole is a whopping 5 people, and that's assuming that Geoff even gets involved. That's smaller than the order of the stick, the order of the scribble, and for that matter the adventuring party behind the three empires.

[zimmerwald1915]

Regarding "The Resistance": I'm not seeing a popular resistance movement here. Amun Zora is specifically collecting Tarquin's most bitter enemies, and those that are at least somewhat dangerous. Ian was worth framing for treason. Gannji threw a spear at Tarquin in the middle of Tarquin's own arena, with the help of Enor. Zora's next move is specifically gathering the survivors of a special forces unit. Thus far the group as a whole is a whopping 5 people, and that's assuming that Geoff even gets involved. That's smaller than the order of the stick, the order of the scribble, and for that matter the adventuring party behind the three empires.
Their next destination is to meet with ex-soldiers of the Free City of Doom. What we see here is more akin to a Central Committee or a General Staff than to the whole shebang.

[dtilque]

They'll come to a bad end, just you watch.

Not if they're "plucky"...

[Shale]

Although given that a few hundred soldiers would have been enough to turn around an apparently hopeless battle for the Free City, there can't be too many of them left after a losing battle.

[Paseo H]

Most interesting thing here is the implication that Amun-Zora is evil too.

Like, perhaps Lawful Evil in the more positive sense (honorable but too 'pragmatic' in the service of king and country), compared to Tarquin (uses the law as an excuse to be an amoral Complete Monster).

[Finagle]

Tarquin put him in a loincloth and forced him to fight his best friend in the name of entertaining a couple hundred humans. I'd imagine he's pretty pissed. Then again, as Roy put it, revenge is a bad reason to get into this sort of business.
Well, that's what a mercenary is. If he gets betrayed and captured, and then escapes, his thought isn't "I'm going to get that bastard" but rather "I am going far away and never setting foot in that country again. I was lucky to get away once and I'd be an idiot to tempt fate a second time."

It's idealists who think the first way, not neutral mercenaries.

[Knaight]

Their next destination is to meet with ex-soldiers of the Free City of Doom. What we see here is more akin to a Central Committee or a General Staff than to the whole shebang.

The Free City of Doom was itself fairly small. It's special forces wouldn't be all that large even before the whole 'being conquered' thing came in. I'm not seeing a resistance movement out of them. Added to that, Gannji and Enor aren't exactly General Staff material, as Gannji's clearly close to a loner (with Enor as an exception) and Enor isn't exactly bright. They are much better suited for an adventuring party type of situation. Similarly, Amun Zora's military title is worth absolutely nothing now, and she's been presented thus far as an individual who does her own things more than a leader of troops.

It's also worth noting that an adventuring party with allies has precedent within the story (the order of the stick and the refugees of Azure City under Hinjo come to mind), which is an easy place for the remnants of the special forces to fit in, if meeting with them even works at all.

[Gnoman]

Most interesting thing here is the implication that Amun-Zora is evil too.

Like, perhaps Lawful Evil in the more positive sense (honorable but too 'pragmatic' in the service of king and country), compared to Tarquin (uses the law as an excuse to be an amoral Complete Monster).

Um, what? I'm afraid that I don't see how any sane person could have reached that conclusion from this strip.

[mucat]

Most interesting thing here is the implication that Amun-Zora is evil too.

I might be missing something. How was that implied?

[Paseo H]

Um, what? I'm afraid that I don't see how any sane person could have reached that conclusion from this strip.

I said 'perhaps.'

She could easily be Lawful Evil in other more positive ways, or Neutral Evil, or maybe even Chaotic Evil, who knows.

[thatSeniorGuy]

I said 'perhaps.'

She could easily be Lawful Evil in other more positive ways, or Neutral Evil, or maybe even Chaotic Evil, who knows.

I think people (including me) aren't even seeing the implication Paseo. Are you getting it from the "end on my blade" line or the "You don't, and you shouldn't" line (or something else)?

[Necris Omega]

Mmm, dat's some good loose end wrangling.

Also, I can't help but laugh at Gannji getting I toldja so'd by a half-ogre - particularly on a matter of social grace and etiquette. There's rolling a one, and then there's having your dice get rube golberged down the DM's girlfriend's shirt.

[Ridureyu]

In a recent game, the fighter was threatening to make boots out of the lizard-man (2E) we had just slain. My elven wizard/thief announced, "This sentient non-human is not willing to watch you make boots out of a sentient non-human."

[I'm not sure that line was effective. More convincing was the fact that my character was the only one with Leatherworking and Cobbler NWPs.]

That elf was rude. I hope the fighter killed him and turned him into a lampshade.

[oppyu]

The Free City of Doom was itself fairly small. It's special forces wouldn't be all that large even before the whole 'being conquered' thing came in. I'm not seeing a resistance movement out of them. Added to that, Gannji and Enor aren't exactly General Staff material, as Gannji's clearly close to a loner (with Enor as an exception) and Enor isn't exactly bright. They are much better suited for an adventuring party type of situation. Similarly, Amun Zora's military title is worth absolutely nothing now, and she's been presented thus far as an individual who does her own things more than a leader of troops.

It's also worth noting that an adventuring party with allies has precedent within the story (the order of the stick and the refugees of Azure City under Hinjo come to mind), which is an easy place for the remnants of the special forces to fit in, if meeting with them even works at all.
They were large enough to go to war with one of the empires and only be conquered by betrayal. They probably would have lost eventually, but the fact remains that the army didn't just walk over them like in Azure City v. Goblin Horde. It probably won't be an army on par with the goblin horde, but enough for an underground resistance fighting with guerilla warfare. Haley led an Azure City resistance against an A-List villain team with Niu, Thanh, Isamu and Belkar as the only people in her team with names, and they weren't exactly the A-team.

Plus, we know at least Gannji and Enor are high-level enough to take out Haley and Elan. And we've seen what happens when you put high-level characters against an army. (Hint: A lot of dead soldiers.)

[Ridureyu]

We can't let those non-humans get uppity!

[LadyEowyn]

In retrospect this development has been set up pretty well - we've seen Tarquin continuously make enemies through his evil actions and brush them off as unimportant, and we've seen that Tarquin's understanding of stories isn't as perfect as he thinks. (EDIT: Also, in strip 804 Amun-Zora specifically said she needed allies in her vendetta against Tarquin.)

Theory:
Sabine is likely to end up involved with this group and - to tie in one other recent event - Reptilia may get involved as well if they're told their ambassador was actually assassinated. That would make things a little more even by distracting and preoccupying the Empire of Blood's military, especially as this group is going for covert action to decapitate the regime, rather than a straightforward war. Furthermore, Ian knows about Team Tarquin's little tripartite scheme, so he can clue the others in on that.

Things are adding up very nicely. I like that we're not just completely dropping the Empire of Blood subplot with Tarquin ranting in the desert. This increases the relevance of a lot of the earlier stuff that was going on with the Order in the Empire of Blood (rather than the Amun-Zora and Gannji-and-Enor stories just being a way to show Tarquin was evil, petty, and vindictive).

I thought the "handbag" thing was funny at first, but other posters make excellent points about how creepy it would be if you said anything similar to a sapient character that was roughly human-looking.

[David Argall]

The resistance has some serious problems.
There is the worry about a spy. Now as far as we can see, any spy is being greatly underpaid. Essentially the spy is being mistreated too, and is not really being paid at all. Of course, Bozzak presumably has human relatives who might back him even at the cost of personal suffering, and there are other ways too, but there is a major chance there is no spy.
However, there is a definite chance that Tarquin will be able to round up the resistance any time he wants to.

More important, they seem to be playing right into Tarquin's plans. Per 758, the weepers are to stomp all over any resistance, possibly with Tarquin's assistance. And when the resistance is crushed, the sweaters will "liberate" the country which will become a loyal part of that empire. So the resistance is doing what Tarquin wants.
The resistance can try exposing the truth, but all the evidence they really have is the alleged word of the girlfriend of a disgruntled son. On the other side, we have whole armies marching around like the liberation is real. It's not easy to convince people, especially when they see the execution of General Butcher, the man who has been executing lots of locals for the last few months or years. [And if you think Tarquin won't set up the general, I have some bridges to sell you.]

And this is before we even consider this is just a few troops vs an army.

Oh yes, there is only a limited chance of Sabine helping out. She is a minion, and her bosses have bigger fish to fry. All too much chance she is headed North.

[Another_Poet]

This is also a comic whose author claims to want his work to help combat sexism and racism.

Right, and it mainly does that by exploring what it would be like to live by - or defy - in-game concepts like alignment, or story concepts like protagonist, villain, sidekick etc. These rigid literary roles that we all know are contrived then serve as a stand-in for stereotypes we sometimes accept blindly. It's, like, literature.

But I don't know that the Giant has chosen specific military tactics to show as more effective or moral than others, nor how criticizing the concept of armed resistance would send a message about beating racism and sexism.

Bear in mind that we've seen lots of repeat tactics. There've been at least three caster duels (Redcloak's, the recent one on the airship, and V-versus-Unpronounceable-Drow). If you inventoried all the combats and strategems I suspect you'd find a lot of repeats which doesn't necessarily mean Rich is commenting on the effectiveness or correctness of each of them.


It is a comic whose content includes genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and torture (both actual and attempted). Discussion of such ultimately political topics, far from being banned on the boards, make up a significant percentage of threads. The forbidden fruit is not politics, but real-world political references.

Right, and I didn't mean to suggest otherwise.

And you're welcome :smallsmile:

[Yendor]

I wonder how much Haley can help here. She can provide a lot of intel, maybe sweet-talk Julio into providing some resources. I don't know if Roy will give her more time to do much.

[Ramien]

Apparently you're okay with the idea of flaying so long as it's done to a reptile.

Not true, I'd also be fine with threatening a minotaur to become a nice leather jacket (They're big, you could make a jacket out of them, right?). And any monster with long fur has probably been threatened with future rug-dom at some point.

[Snails]

Well, that's what a mercenary is. If he gets betrayed and captured, and then escapes, his thought isn't "I'm going to get that bastard" but rather "I am going far away and never setting foot in that country again. I was lucky to get away once and I'd be an idiot to tempt fate a second time."

It's idealists who think the first way, not neutral mercenaries.

It is easy to pretend to be so mercenary and professional as to be above petty indulges like revenge. It makes for good banter with the wannabe heroes.

It is easy up until the moment it becomes undeniable that you (and your best friend) care about something (or someone) far, far more than your own life. Then suddenly idealism seems to have its advantages.

[Liliet]

Ho ho ho

Tarquin's going to be squashed off-panel.

And this is a group that targets him, not his stupid dragon. The jig is up, and he is toast.

[luna the cat]

twist: by the time Xykon is defeated and the team returns to focusing on the empire of blood, it turns out that the coup led by Ian Starshine has introduced a despotic empire spreading "democracy" by the sword after deposing Tarquin and his allies, spanning beyond the continent and allying with the goblin nation.

the bewildered order of the stick team struggles to understand the situation, attempts to help Azure City and the Elven nations resist but fail, as Tarquin emerges from the shadows and explains that this is why he and Team Tarquin ended up in the role that they were in, and Elan and the team realize they have to be the same kind of high level powerbrokers and manipulators as Team Tarquin were, vampire cleric and all, except while trying to not be evil.

[Snails]

The reason Tarquin can expect resistances to fail or be usurped is there is enormous incentive to accept assistance from "an enemy of my enemy". The shell game means that picking one of the two very obvious enemies is a lethal error. (Although if you happen to have a particularly feeble officer in your crew, he or she might get promoted to the throne. The competent will all be executed, of course.)

This resistance will not make that mistake.

[jidasfire]

There seems to be a lot of talk floating around about how this new anti-Tarquin league is doomed, but I'm not personally convinced. Under ordinary circumstances, yes, I think it's fair to say that Tarquin and company (perhaps even Tarquin himself) would crush them without breaking a sweat. However, I don't think it's going to go down that way for a couple of reasons. For one thing, Tarquin and company are down a boatload of resources. Malack's dead, Tarquin's lost all his weapons, the man is currently trapped out in the desert with no easy means of returning home since his casters are gone, the casters themselves are pretty much exhausted, and the army, or at least one army, is away from the capital. That's a lot of stuff going for Amun-Zora and her crew, largely because Tarquin foolishly threw his resources behind a reckless cause. For another, I think we are meant to see here that Tarquin is being undone by all the mistakes he's made, and the people he's stepped on, rather than some climactic duel with a hero.

For those who draw parallels to Redcloak's destruction of the Azure City resistance, they're both about very different things, so the results will not be the same. Redcloak's arc in this book has been about him becoming a true master villain in his own right, and the readers seeing how powerful, clever, and evil he's become. It creates tension regarding the power struggle growing between him and Xykon. In Tarquin's case, we're meant to see, based on the story as well as things Rich has said, that his viewpoint is to be rejected, and that much of what he believes about himself is delusional. Given this, a victory for him here would be a validation, something I don't think is too likely given his increasing breakdown.

Of course, the strip always seems to zig when I expect a zag, so I could be wrong. Still, I think the story's about to kick into high gear with the trip to the final gate, and I doubt there's going to be a messy return to the desert when all is said and done. I think between the Order's various good deeds and Tarquin's arrogant mistakes, we'll see the Western continent free of Tarquin and company soon enough.

[DougTheHead]

Geoff is still definitely Bozzock's sleeper agent though, right? He's making sure Ian stays locked up on the eastern continent, right? How is he going to get Ian back into jail this time?

[Ridureyu]

Not true, I'd also be fine with threatening a minotaur to become a nice leather jacket (They're big, you could make a jacket out of them, right?). And any monster with long fur has probably been threatened with future rug-dom at some point.

Not to mention halfling-foot slippers, dwarf beards, and necklaces of elf ears!

[KoboldRevenge]

Yeah we coo' (fist bump).

I hope we see more of their zany adventures, what should would you call this group? Order of the Scales?

[Belwynn]

Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune.
If you have a problem - if no PCs can help - and if you can find them - maybe you can hire:

The B-Team.

[Dracon1us]

Ho ho ho

Tarquin's going to be squashed off-panel.

And this is a group that targets him, not his stupid dragon. The jig is up, and he is toast.

"just the way I like it"

[HeeJay]

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/gannjismileysmall.png "We cool."
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/Malack.png "Actually, when active, exothermic organisms like lizards have comparable body temperatures to—"