OOTS #945 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[Jordan Cat]

Uh oh :smalleek: This could end badly.

[Lord Ruby34]

Well, so much for that theory.

[Tvtyrant]

I knew there was something fishy about that Ocean!
Hate me if you must.

[Ezekiel]

So maybe the Snarl is still alive and has gotten...smarter/better at disguising itself. Clever Laurin, clever.

[Tuwr]

Is that a creature from another plane or some weird kind of energy?

[Argok]

Look into the void and the void looks into you.

[RNGgod]

Oh, oh my.


What IS going on?

[Shale]

And now Laurin learns what more powerful beings than she already know.

Do. Not. Taunt. The. God. Killing. Abomination.

[Caustic Soda]

I wonder how far the Snarl can reach through the portal. I'm reminded of the strip with the story of Soon Kim and how his wife got ganked through a similar rift. Although that one looked way smaller than this one.

[DaggerPen]

I KNEW her favor was going to involve the Rift!

I, uh. I did not see the rest coming.

[BowStreetRunner]

The part where there are no fish in the ocean should have given her a reason for concern... :smalleek:

[Arcane_Secrets]

So maybe the Snarl is still alive and has gotten...smarter/better at disguising itself. Clever Laurin, clever.

I was thinking possibly that as well.

[blunk]

Snarl dormiens nunquam titillandus.

[CoffeeIncluded]

What the...?! Was that water? The snarl? Snarl water?

[Elfich]

Oh, bad. This is not good.

[gerryq]

Bwahahahahaha!!! Snarlie's Back, Suckers!

[Fitzclowningham]

Tying up loose ends at a prodigious rate, here. The Snarl is real. And crayon art doesn't do it justice.

[Querzis]

I just wonder why this never happened with the rift above Azure city.

Then again maybe its happening at all the rift at the same time and now Redcloak perfect city is gonna be reduced to rumble. Could this be Xykon doing or is it just because too many gates have fallen?

[Datguy96]

oh dear... my guess is that either Snarl is going to take control/drive to insanity everyone at the gate and Tarquen will be forced to help the party in whatever way he can. Or Snarl will sink the continent and some divine intervention will have to stop him.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

So that's what Laurin's favor was! Hah!
It looks like this might end poorly for them.
And it's interesting that Vaarsuvius suggested leaving and that Roy said that he wouldn't stop them.

[Shale]

What the...?! Was that water? The snarl? Snarl water?

My guess? The planet everybody sees through the rift was camouflage. And Laurin's psionic probe poked it.

[Lord Raziere]

haha! Roy's having doubts about its existence as well!

but the attack is concerning yes. I still think its all a divine defense system created by the gods, this time activated by Laurin trying to scry upon the World Within, which contains a secret that is not meant to be known.

[Anarion]

Wow! That graphic at the end was wild. :smalleek:

So, it reacts to people? Or it fascinates people maybe? Would it have grabbed Blackwing back in Azure city when he was hypnotized had Xykon not set off explosive ruins just at that moment?

So many questions!

[ThePhantasm]

whaaaaaaaaaaaaat is going onnnnnnnnnn

You can see the Snarl in Laurin's eyes.

[AgentofHellfire]

So...what happened to her? Is Laurin's mind destroyed by the Snarl now? Or did she just react with shock towards a sudden off-the-charts reading?

Hopefully the latter. I rather liked her.

[DaggerPen]

For the record, the new effect on the Snarl tendrils (if that's what they are) is gorgeous. I am continually amazed by what can be done with stick figures.

[Roland Itiative]

So, it appears Xykon has just got sidelined to "first act antagonist" :smalltongue:

I wasn't expecting the Snarl to show up so suddenly, I guess 4 out of 5 Gates out of commission (with the help of a Psion meddling with the portal) is enough to call the attention of the god-killing abopmination. I wonder if this is the only rift where it comes through, or if the elves and goblinoids are dealing with mass destruction right now too.

Also, the non-scribble Snarl tendrils look great. I was expecting the Snarl to be always drawn with scribbles, for some reason.

[Chantelune]

If that's the snarl, looks like he got some change since the Scribble's time. Maybe evolved ? :smalleek:

[ThePhantasm]

In the final panel, is water splashing out of the rift along with the Snarl? Look at the bottom of the rift.

[TheOtherErnie]

So...what happened to her? Is Laurin's mind destroyed by the Snarl now? Or did she just react with shock towards a sudden off-the-charts reading?
No idea yet. But look at her eyes in panel 12.

[Porthos]

****.
/deadpan

[Thanatosia]

Unholy crap!

There ain't no horror like antideluvian Eldritch Horrors.

Will Lauren Survive? Is she mindwiped by the Snarl?

[Silva Stormrage]

If that's the snarl, looks like he got some change since the Scribble's time. Maybe evolved ? :smalleek:

Or maybe its just no longer crayon drawings. Hard to tell. Still this is a mighty interesting development :smalltongue:

Maybe the Snarl wanted his own planet so he made one just for himself :smallbiggrin:

[DaggerPen]

So...what happened to her? Is Laurin's mind destroyed by the Snarl now? Or did she just react with shock towards a sudden off-the-charts reading?

Hopefully the latter. I rather liked her.

I'm quite fond of Laurin as well, but I don't think we need to worry. Blackwing was fascinated by the Rift, too, and he got knocked out of it when the Explosive Runes went off. Laurin will likely be okay now that she's been yanked back.

[137beth]

It's the Water Snarl!
The Snarl as acquired the [Aquatic Creature] template!

[ThePhantom]

Oh dear. That is not good.

[Alaska Fan]

Now that's a plot twist.

If one remaining gate isn't enough to confine the Snarl, the rest of this story is going to be very, very brief.

[Shale]

In the final panel, is water splashing out of the rift along with the Snarl? Look at the bottom of the rift.

Ooh, good catch.

[Anarion]

In the final panel, is water splashing out of the rift along with the Snarl? Look at the bottom of the rift.

You're right, it is. You can clearly see the droplets near the bottom, especially by Laurin's feet.

So, I guess this means that at least it's not a total illusion, there is actually water in there. And also that stuff can cross the portal plane without getting destroyed or something.

[theNater]

Wow. When Roy is right, he doesn't mess around.

[Angband]

Well... that last panel (and dat cliffhanger!) sure looks like the last page of a book.

Also: compare Laurin's eyes to Blackwing's eyes while they are staring into the rift.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0659.html

[A Tad Insane]

That awkward moment when the retired adventurer learns there are still bigger fish in the water.

Pun not intended

[Thanatosia]

Maybe the Snarl wanted his own planet so he made one just for himself
Super-Grim Thought.

The Snarl is a living manifestation of Diefic conflict, Anger, and Frustration.

The Snarl claims the very souls of those it kills.

Maybe it created an entire world where it can 'vent' it's basic emotional construct upon the souls it has captured.....

[Pokonic]

So...what happened to her? Is Laurin's mind destroyed by the Snarl now? Or did she just react with shock towards a sudden off-the-charts reading?

Hopefully the latter. I rather liked her.

I think it's the natural reaction of a probs-epic level adventurer who's intelligence score is higher than the average Solar seeing something that she has absolutely no clue what to make heads or tails of.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

One other interesting thing to note (besides the whole "gigantic snarl thing"), is that Tarquin was found by Laurin and brought back to Bleedingham.

[zql]

Ladies and gentlemen: The Snarl





I'm thrilled.
And very happy.
And a little scared.




Also, now that rift above Gobbotopia seems more ominous.

[DolGrenn]

Looks like the lack of fish was a problem worth...
...sweating over. :smallbiggrin:

[Shale]

Looks like the lack of fish was a problem worth...
...sweating over. :smallbiggrin:

You're a bad person.

[ZestG]

"Your fate is sealed. The end of days is finally upon you and ALL who inhabit this miserable little seedling. UULWI IFIS HALAHS GAG ERH'ONGG W'SHH!."

Sorry, I had to!

Really looking forward to this change of events.

[ellindsey]

One other interesting thing to note (besides the whole "gigantic snarl thing"), is that Tarquin was found by Laurin and brought back to Bleedingham.

And the soldiers standing around are clearly from the Empire of Sweat, which makes sense if Laurin is now in control of the valley.

[Finagle]

10 years and 945 comics for the main antagonist to appear. Now that's a wait.

Maybe Lauren was communicating with it mentally? Maybe it can speak? Or form an avatar?

Maybe it's one of those commonplace modern plot twists where everything's not like it was described and the good gods are actually evil and the Snarl is actually good.

[Morgan Wick]

Looks like the lack of fish was a problem worth...
...sweating over. :smallbiggrin:

:smallcool:YEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHH

[blunk]

Maybe it created an entire world where it can 'vent' it's basic emotional construct upon the souls it has captured.....A little "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" action, eh?

Or, you know, other places where souls get tortured for eternity.

ETA:


Maybe it's one of those commonplace modern plot twists where everything's not like it was described and the good gods are actually evil and the Snarl is actually good.... and "good" allows for killing indiscriminately. (But that's not an "in" for another long-F-word debate!)

[CaDzilla]

Are Laurin's eyes supposed to be reflecting the snarl, or did the snarl's tendrils come into her mind?

[Peelee]

Great googly moogly. Please tell me this book is not within pages of being over.

[JessmanCA]

Theory: The Snarl or Rift grows a new Earth (or whatever stick-planet is) inside of it. And as the Snarl grows it envelops the current Earth. Eventually only the new Snarl-planet remains and time starts over again :)

Laurin was seeing the first life forms, maybe bacteria and single celled organisms.

[halfeye]

Oooooooooooh!

[Cicciograna]

Just a wild thought. What if the planet inside the Rift was the original dimension the Snarl undid and that, somehow, put itself together again? Or that the Snarl itself, slowly experimenting, is putting together again?

[Mauve Shirt]

Goodness gracious. :smalleek:

Well at least Laurin's favor is settled. Maybe we'll be lucky and Team Tarquin will die here. We don't need them to reoccur villainously.

[Gift Jeraff]

Cool, I guessed Laurin's favour right, I think.

And I hope those poor mooks can get out safely (looks like one poor soul got claimed). Assuming the Snarl is the threat we think it is. A damn shame Tarquin isn't around to get Snarled.

[Porthos]

You're right, it is. You can clearly see the droplets near the bottom, especially by Laurin's feet.

So, I guess this means that at least it's not a total illusion, there is actually water in there. And also that stuff can cross the portal plane without getting destroyed or something.

The Snarl could exist between RiftWorld and OotSWorld. In whatever metaphysical/magical whatever that sepreates dimensions. And it waited until it was POKED until it lashed out.

...

Which lines from Ghostbusters shall we use now?

"The Traveller Has Come?"
"I'm terrified beyond all rational thought?"

Maybe the Snarl asked Laurin telepathically if she was a god. :smalltongue:

Though I am reminded of a semi-famous movie quote that I can only half remember (and it's bugging me to no end that I can't :smallannoyed:). Something to the effect of:

"People should not be playing with things they don't understand."

As was said by the newly released Big Bad as it delivered Old Testament violence in its region.

Really bugging me that I can't quite remember this quote/where it's from, actually. :smallannoyed: Doesn't help that I'm probably horribly mangling it.

[Maryring]

Okay. I just have to say it. This. This here. This is how you do an excellent cliffhanger folks. I will hate the wait, and love how it torments me.

[bladequeen420]

To quote hcbailly,it's time for super tenticle hentai porn
Also looks like somthing from one of hp lovecraft's stories

[Arrowstorm122]

I guess this might happen with all the gate-free rifts, and we'll see them all and the book then ending.

[Ridureyu]

WOAH.

and again...

WOAH.

[Morgan Wick]

Worth noting: Mijung was a magician and might well have tried to poke into the rift. http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0275.html

[Shale]

Which lines from Ghostbusters shall we use now?

I'm sure that whatever the ultimate strategy is for stopping this thing will merit a hearty "I love this plan! I'm excited to be a part of it!"

And, of course, if this thing asks you whether you're a god, you should probably say "no."

[AutomatedTeller]

I know it's not quite the point of the comic, but have we seen Tarquin soldiers with helmets that looks like Tarquin's purple ones before? I don't remember them.

[Gift Jeraff]

Which lines from Ghostbusters shall we use now?

"The Traveller Has Come?"
"I'm terrified beyond all rational thought?"

Hopefully Elan is around when it asks to choose the form of the Destructor. :smalltongue:

:elan: We used to eat Sorcerer's Fruit Pies down by the fires at Bard Camp.

[Giggling Ghast]

So going through the Rift was a bad idea after all, huh?

The Snarl was formed from the threads of creation. Perhaps a dead, lifeless world is its dormant state.

[RMS Oceanic]

My theory: The "Snarl" is like an Anti-Matter Universe, and contact with the Material Plane is disastrous. Only instead of blowing it up, it changes it into raw threads of uncreation.

[JessmanCA]

It looks like the Snarll killed one of the 'storm trooper' guys. 3rd from the left took a tendril through the gut.

[Kariccia]

I can only think of one response to this comic: :eek:

[Ted The Bug]

HOOOOOOOOOboy, so, Book Five is gonna have one of those this-post-book-hiatus-is-killing-me endings, isn't it?

[Shale]

I know it's not quite the point of the comic, but have we seen Tarquin soldiers with helmets that looks like Tarquin's purple ones before? I don't remember them.

Those are from the Empire of Sweat, Laurin's turf. Which is appropriate, since she owns the valley now. Or "owned," if the Snarl got her.

[Brom]

Super-Grim Thought.

The Snarl is a living manifestation of Diefic conflict, Anger, and Frustration.

The Snarl claims the very souls of those it kills.

Maybe it created an entire world where it can 'vent' it's basic emotional construct upon the souls it has captured.....

After seeing that the other poster was right about water coming out of the Snarl, this was actually my thought too.

The Gods made the world, and the Snarl has eaten Gods. Who says it lacks the power to make its own world?

The idea that this was an illusion the Snarl was putting over itself to perhaps lure people in is a thought that comes to me -- perhaps it needs to be able to ensnare someone to come through again?

I wonder if mages will be able to sense what just happened, just as, like, 'a disturbance in the force.' If not, then the Order finding out about this hinges on either choosing to scry the portal over the next several days that they're in flight for (which I hope they thought to do)

Roy's casual dismissal of V seems...cold, knowing how those two are long term comrades and how V has every respect for Roy. Roy basically said he didn't care too much if the elf left or not, just that there was no deep reason to.

Without a divine caster, Team Tarquin can no longer hope to seal the gate unless Durkon gets sent back to them. Actually, I'm unsure if Miron is a sorcerer or not -- but he doesn't seem very smart, in which case HE might not even be able to do HIS half of the ritual.

[FLHerne]

Placing my bet now: #946 will be a montage of the Snarl emerging from the other three open Rifts, and will also end the book. :smallcool:

Also, I love the desalination idea (and the art).

[HandofShadows]

Wow, Snarl is VERY real and starting to break free. :smalleek::smalleek::smalleek:

[Oko and Qailee]

What Did You Do?!?!

[Who149]

I just realized that we have never seen the Snarl outside Crayon Drawings. Those silly colorful panels could not have prepared us for this.

And now, we are at the end game my friends. Plot lines have met there end. One more gate, one more stand.It seems like we are reaching the end of the comic. Everyone brace yourselves.

[RMS Oceanic]

I know it's not quite the point of the comic, but have we seen Tarquin soldiers with helmets that looks like Tarquin's purple ones before? I don't remember them.

I think these are soldiers from the Empire of Sweat, rather than Tarquin's Empire of Blood.

[Oko and Qailee]

Roy's casual dismissal of V seems...cold, knowing how those two are long term comrades and how V has every respect for Roy. Roy basically said he didn't care too much if the elf left or not, just that there was no deep reason to.
.

There is a very big difference between not caring and saying "I won't stop you."

[Gift Jeraff]

Interesting to note that there is also water splashing when the Snarl attacks. On my first read, I assumed that the whole world inside the rift turned into the Snarl, but that seems to suggest that the world and the Snarl co-exist.

[3WhiteFox3]

The Snarl could exist between RiftWorld and OotSWorld. In whatever metaphysical/magical whatever that sepreates dimensions. And it waited until it was POKED until it lashed out.

That's what I thought at first... However, looking at the art, the tentacles seem to be coming out of the water, which seems to imply that the Snarl is in the water somehow.

Anyway, this is a truly excellent strip. Awesome cliffhanger, awesome plot point resolution, great juxtaposition between Roy/V and Laurin/Miron, this was a great use of Laurin's favor to advance the plot significantly.

I also really love Roy's conversation with V at the beginning, it shows how rationally minded Roy is and that he's significantly calmed down from the last strip. It's also making clear that V isn't sure how to atone but is willing to work towards it however Ve can.

[Tvtyrant]

My personal theory is that the Snarl only kills living things, and what you are seeing is the original planet the gods made before the current universe. There are no fish because the Snarl kills everything, but the planet (and universe) are still there because the Snarl doesn't care about them.

[HardcoreD&Dgirl]

Omg the snarl... What did it do telepathically? What is going to happen next? OMG

[Porthos]

Presuming this is a response to my Ghostbusters Q:


What Did You Do?!?!

WINNER! :smallcool: :smallcool:

[JessmanCA]

My personal theory is that the Snarl only kills living things, and what you are seeing is the original planet the gods made before the current universe. There are no fish because the Snarl kills everything, but the planet (and universe) are still there because the Snarl doesn't care about them.

But the Snarl ripped that planet apart in the crayon drawings

[Martok]

Oh. Oh my. This is so, SO not good... :smalleek:

[Gift Jeraff]

Wait, so did Tarquin not tell Laurin and Miron what Nale told him about the rifts/Snarl before asking them to come to Windy Canyon? What a terrible teammate.

[Porthos]

But the Snarl ripped that planet apart in the crayon drawings

Did it though? That's what people were told. But that isn't the same thing as what might have really happened.

[kamuishirou]

Holy...I will admit, I was a little worried, but then I realized who it was, but then I realized would they be unmade?

[Belsirk]

Or maybe its just no longer crayon drawings. Hard to tell. Still this is a mighty interesting development :smalltongue:

Maybe the Snarl wanted his own planet so he made one just for himself :smallbiggrin:

I put my money there, after all the Snarl is the previous creation cords. Maybe after being trapped so long, the Snarl got rested and begin to restore the previous plane (without life only the material plane) until feel Laurin mind.

Oddly, that remind me Narnia and LOTR way to create their worlds.

mmm Laurin will become the "Queen of the snarl?"

[DaggerPen]

Roy's casual dismissal of V seems...cold, knowing how those two are long term comrades and how V has every respect for Roy. Roy basically said he didn't care too much if the elf left or not, just that there was no deep reason to.

I think it's less a casual dismissal and more an effort to let V make vir own choices? Like, it's basically, "I really messed up and I think it might be good for me to go fix it." "I'll let you decide that yourself, but I don't think that it's a very good time."


Placing my bet now: #946 will be a montage of the Snarl emerging from the other three open Rifts, and will also end the book. :smallcool:

Four. But entirely possible.


Also, I love the desalination idea (and the art).

Much yes to both of them. I guess that Laurin's favor would involve the Rift, but I don't think anyone saw the bit with Hannah being the desalination project manager, which is obvious in retrospect and also cracks me up. And the panel with the Snarl exploding from the Rift sent chills down my spine.

[MacBiodiesel]

Maybe the Snarl is like an anglerfish, and it dangles that world to attract souls on which to feast....

Kickass comic. I wish the caster guy had bought the farm there, though.

[ChristianSt]

:smalleek: :smallconfused: WTF :smalleek: :smallconfused: what is going on??? :smalleek: :smallconfused:

[Belsirk]

Wait, so did Tarquin not tell Laurin and Miron what Nale told him about the rifts/Snarl before asking them to come to Windy Canyon? What a terrible teammate.

Due Tarquin didn't care. The comic 0912 6-7 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0912.html), Tarquin never cared about the Snarl, he was "helping" Nale to rejoin him.

[Kariccia]

I wonder if this is how Tarquin's group gets involved with the main gate quest. At a minimum, Miron now knows something really nasty is in the valley. I just hope Laurin will be ok. Those eyes. :smalleek:

With the splashing water, there is both the snarl and a planet there. Weird given the crayon story, but time will tell what's going on.

[Porthos]

Random thought.

Guess it's a good thing Redcloak never tossed any prisioners into the Rift, eh? :smallamused:

[Doxkid]

I suppose setting up a direct magical/mental connection with the universe destroying abomination, born to kill gods before the world was formed, is a bad idea.

...Maybe they should put warning labels on these rifts.

[Mighty]

Blimey! Nice visualisation of the crayonstuff.

[SavageWombat]

Cool, I guessed Laurin's favour right, I think.


My track record for guessing future events is poor - but my track record for recognizing when other people have guessed correctly remains quite high.

I like this for final page, myself.

[Porthos]

Four. But entirely possible.

No, three. Presumably Kraagor's Gate is still sealed.

...

I sure as hell hope it is at least! :smalleek:

[Lord Raziere]

and y'know whats most terrifying about this?

none of the main characters know. Not OOTS, not Team Evil, not Azure City...

and

Redcloak's plan involves moving the gate near the gods, not controlling it.

so the OOTS might consider allowing the Snarl to be controlled to spare the world from destruction....only to find out that it cannot be controlled using his ritual and that now since the Snarl (if it exists) is coming through, all Redcloak is going to do, is make it worse...

which makes me think: Redcloak is pretty much anything but a card-carrying villain, not stating his plan, not even to his partner and generally being as competent as possible. All of this is only happening because Redcloak is so good at what he does. if he was just another cackling mad villain who shouted to the world "muahahaha! I'm going to move this Gate so that I can blackmail the gods into giving equal rights for goblins!" no one would be trying to destroy the Gates, because they all think he is trying to control the Snarl, when he isn't, which would mean he would have a better chance of actually getting his plan done, since no one would destroy the Gates, since they would know its all to just threaten the gods rather than rule over everyone else.

but then again maybe not, since there is probably shortage of wizards that would care about such a plan, and people would be trying to stop him specifically rather than protect the Gates.

so yeah, all this is happening because Redcloak is too good at what he does.

[Ridureyu]

Random thought.

Guess it's a good thing Redcloak never tossed any prisioners into the Rift, eh? :smallamused:


I'm pretty sure he did. He just didn't toss that one batch in.

[Bird]

Roy's casual dismissal of V seems...cold, knowing how those two are long term comrades and how V has every respect for Roy. Roy basically said he didn't care too much if the elf left or not, just that there was no deep reason to.
I think V and Roy would both agree that this is the time to think through the repercussions of their actions practically -- not to indulge in sentimentalism. "Maybe don't leave to atone for your genocide because because gosh I'd miss you" wouldn't make much sense.

[busterswd]

...Jeez.

That's... wow.

[Peelee]

I just wonder why this never happened with the rift above Azure city.

Then again maybe its happening at all the rift at the same time and now Redcloak perfect city is gonna be reduced to rumble. Could this be Xykon doing or is it just because too many gates have fallen?

My guess is that nobody tried to do anything with the Azure City rift. This is the first interaction we've seen with a rift (other than the goblin throwing chickens into it, and we saw how well that turned out).

Maybe an outside force is necessary for it to do anything out of its cage.

[reaverb]

Interesting to note that there is also water splashing when the Snarl attacks.
Actually it does splash a bit. Look closer.

[Kish]

Maybe the Snarl is like an anglerfish, and it dangles that world to attract souls on which to feast....

Kickass comic. I wish the caster guy had bought the farm there, though.
With luck, the next strip will feature the abrupt and permanent demises of Laurin and Miron, leaving the Laurinear Guild as Tarquin, Jacinda, and U. N. Owen.

No, I don't really expect it, unless Laurin and Miron do something uncharacteristically stupid rather than immediately fleeing as fast as they can. Sigh.

[ThePhantasm]

Actually it does splash a bit. Look closer.

That's what Gift Jeraff said... :smallconfused:

[Hopeless]

Hopefully Elan is around when it asks to choose the form of the Destructor. :smalltongue:

:elan: We used to eat Sorcerer's Fruit Pies down by the fires at Bard Camp.

Just imagined Elan choosing lemmings but that might not be appropriate... after all where would an 80'+ lemming find a cliff to jump off of?:smalltongue:

[The Zealot]

To the folks who are saying Roy is cold/uncaring for telling V that they could leave if they wanted, I want to share how I saw it.

I didn't see Roy as uncaring so much as understanding when he said that. V had just confessed to killing hundred if not thousands of innocents. V feels terrible about this and wants to do what s/he can to make it right. What right does Roy have to stop them from doing so?

Roy gave an honest answer, that he wouldn't stop V from leaving. But as pointed out s/he may be in the greatest position to do penance where they are now.

But that's just my take on it.

[DreadArchon]

One of the guards is clearly getting skewered. This is definitely Mr. Snarl. :smalleek:

[ChaosArchon]

D: And thats not even the Snarl's final form :smallbiggrin: I'll see myself out now

[Porthos]

To the folks who are saying Roy is cold/uncaring for telling V that they could leave if they wanted, I want to share how I saw it.

Don't forget, we can't hear the tone of voice which Roy said it.

Personally I didn't think it was cold at all.



I'm pretty sure he did. He just didn't toss that one batch in.

I doubt it. It was pretty obvious that Redcloak didn't want to do it. Combine that with all of the talk about 'sceintific method' and I'd say this was the first time he attempted such a 'test.

[Grimsage Matt]

The Snarl is the world in the rift, and the world is the snarl. There is no diffrence between them, which is why telepathy will hurt. You can understand a god, as it represents a facet of mortal extisence. But, it is a limited facet, nothing compared to the full burden of ecistence.

[blunk]

Reading the crayon drawings again, it sounds like the Snarl exists "in" a single planet in each of multiple dimensions - the OOTS planet being "Snarl planet" in the OOTS dimension - and those Snarl planets, critically, overlap each other somehow. So perhaps rifts appear between any two Snarl planets that have begun to diverge (for unknown reasons).

In other words, the Snarl could also reach from the OOTS planet into the desert-rift planet, but since there's nothing to destroy in the desert-rift planet, it doesn't bother. (Or perhaps it cleaned out the desert-rift planet sometime pre-Scribble). But when Laurin telepathically told the Snarl in the desert-rift planet, "hey, fresh meat here in OOTS planet", it listened.

To clarify: the Snarl can only act *between* Snarl planets, through a rift. Not upon a single Snarl planet.

ETA: I predict that the desert-rift planet and the Gobbotopia-rift planet are different.

ETA2: I posit that the IFCC desires to create/open as many rifts between Snarl planets as it can. Perhaps to let the Snarl tear stuff up, or perhaps because rifts are the only way to access those dimensions.

ETA3: perhaps the Snarl is there to prevent interdimensional travel.

Wild speculation, yes, but I'm still saving a link to this post for later :smallsmile:

[eilandesq]

"Snarl actually exists"--Now firmly established beyond any reasonable doubt.

"What happens to living sentient beings who are attacked/come under the Snarl's influence"--not yet firmly established.

[Throknor]

Ok, this has bothered me for a while: have none of the paladins told Roy about the Crimson Mantle, or has he completely dismissed it? Even Haley should have picked up that Redcloak was not just another mook. But Roy is still stating that he's stopping Xykon. It could just be he's been told and dismissed it, but that would seem worthy of visible page to me.

[Socksy]

One other interesting thing to note (besides the whole "gigantic snarl thing"), is that Tarquin was found by Laurin and brought back to Bleedingham.

Between that and Miron yanking Laurin safely out of harm's way, it's clear they care for each other *o* they are my pRECIOUS BABIES ALL THREE OF THEM

[GAAD]

I think the Snarl is passively defending itself, but is also growing steadily stronger. We have seen it emerge from its prison thrice.
1: Start of Darkness
Redcloak:[A]bout 35 years ago, when one of the Dark One's clerics was fleeing an elven war party deep in the elven forest [,] he discovered something ... weird. It appeared to be a hole in the sky itself, through which he could see a jumbled mix of blue and purple strands. He tried several divination spells on it before he tried sending a live chicken through the hole.
Right-Eye: That didn't work out so well for him.
2: No Cure for the Paladin Blues

The Crayons of Time: World 2.0 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0275.html)
Here, Mijung, described by Shojo as ""the most learned in the ways of arcane lore", is (presumably) attempting to cast moderately high level divination spells on the rift. She is shushing Soon, saying "Just a moment, dear". Thus, what she is doing requires concentration.
3: Blood Runs in the Family

Jumbled Up (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0945.html)
Here, Laurin is unambiguously attempting to cast an EPIC level divination spell on the Snarl, before she manages to wake it up.

Each of these three rifts were seen to be inactive until somebody decided to poke around in the rift. Each time, the attempts were stronger, but achieved the same result of eventually waking the Snarl.

In Don't Split the Party, A Familiar Conclusion (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0672.html), Blackwing is right up next to the rift, but doesn't provoke the Snarl. Thus, simply being next to the rift is NOT a provocation. Attempting to research it and violate its privacy IS. The Snarl is just trying to protect itself and its basic rights.
The Snarl is saying "Leave me alone, I'm dangerous, Rar!!!:smallfurious:" in the most epic way possible for it.
I wonder if we can get a rendition of the Snarl singing "Let it Go" from Frozen.

[Porthos]

*SNIP*

Referencing your sig:

ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOSNARL!!!!

[AdmiralCheez]

I am very glad that I decided not to scroll down too much while reading the first page. That giant panel would have certainly distracted me enough to skip the build up, and ruin that terrifying reveal.

[blunk]

Referencing your sig:

ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOSNARL!!!!Recognition is recognition. :smallyuk:

[Selphares]

Let us be honest, Roy sums it up best in the last panel. Everything else right now feels like wild assumptions.

[Ron Miel]

I know it's not quite the point of the comic, but have we seen Tarquin soldiers with helmets that looks like Tarquin's purple ones before? I don't remember them.

Purple? I don't see any purple helmets there.

I suspect you are talking about the Empire Of Sweat.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0758.html

[crimson5pheonix]

One other minor factoid, when we previously looked into the rift (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0900.html), it was daytime. It looks like the sun hasn't completely set in Ootsworld yet though.

[Eulalios]

Hoooh boy. So ... is the pretty world just an illusion? Is it haunted? Is it possessed by a psionic being that defends against intrusions?

ETA:
Look into the void and the void looks into you.
^ This. :smallamused:

[ChaosArchon]

After seeing what everyone has already said I noticed that it seems like any reaction from the Snarl has been triggered by an individual using magic on the rifts. This makes me feel like perhaps the Snarl isn't an anti-god entity but an anti-magic entity, which given that (it seems to me) the D&D/OoTSverse gods are essentially immortal beings with epic spell-like abilities, enabled the Snarl to defeat the Eastern pantheon (Zeus et al). Maybe it exists as V once said (albiet in jest and not in reference to the Snarl) as a method the universe uses the establish some form of equilibrium between those who can bend reality to their will (spellcasters and gods) and those who cannot.

Just a thought anyway, might be wrong and YMMV

[Porthos]

Look into the void and the void looks into you.


^ This. :smallamused:

More like:

Look into the void and the void TPKs you. :smallamused:

[Forealms]

I suddenly can't help but feel that the best solution is for the Dark One's plan to be enacted. It seems like only the gods can address an issue of this magnitude; the remaining gate is not enough.

That said, it's still the Dark One's fault for causing the race for the gates in the first place. Tough to say how much of this potential outcome he knew about beforehand.

If the OotS realizes this... they may even agree to help Redcloak's plan (if they trust him to be honest), if they assume that it's the only feasible option. V could maybe act as the arcane caster in a pinch.

[EccentricFellow]

Oh my stars and garters! I do believe things are going to get messy.

[DoctorIllithid]

Please, please, please let Miron and Laurin live.

Pleeeeeeeease.

[Ron Miel]

"Snarl actually exists"--Now firmly established beyond any reasonable doubt.

Not really. It looks to me like something that reacts to attempts to examine it through magic. Could be a natural force. Could be a protective barrier set up by the gods.

[jmucchiello]

Xykon doesn't have access to a psionicist. Apparently a psionic probe causes pretty streamers of blues and purples to come out of the gate. :)

[Porthos]

Please, please, please let Miron and Laurin live.

Pleeeeeeeease.

So they can ring the Alarm Bells? OK, that's valid.

Any other reason these fine examples of species-ity should continue to draw in air?

[orrion]

Oh thank GOD the rumors and speculations of Laurin's stupid favor are finally dead as last week's mutton.

[mikeejimbo]

That said, it's still the Dark One's fault for causing the race for the gates in the first place. Tough to say how much of this potential outcome he knew about beforehand.

The Dark One wasn't the one to create the goblins to be XP fodder.

[Burner28]

Man... Woah. What's going to happen next?

[rs2excelsior]

:smalleek:

Wow. Just wow. I don't know what just happened, but it looks bad. VERY bad.

Also, we did see Laurin's favor, and relatively quickly, too. Score one to all the people who swore the Giant emphasized it too much to be a throwaway.

Although, I wouldn't be all too surprised to find someone asserting that this wasn't actually it, and we are never going to see the real favor :smallconfused:

[Edric O]

WE LIVE... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4309Ll_ftiw&t=6m50s) :smalleek:

[Kariccia]

Any other reason these fine examples of species-ity should continue to draw in air?

Death is one thing. Cessation of existence is quite another. I don't believe the latter is appropriate for anyone, not even Xykon. Until we know otherwise, I'm going to assume the latter is what will happen here unless they get out now.

For Miron anyway. It may be to late for Laurin. :smallfrown:

[PhallicWarrior]

That...that is a lot of tendrils. We really DON'T know what's going on anymore.

[ShadowmageGalen]

I had to register to ask this question.

Did anyone else notice the top half of Orion on the horizon over the rift ocean? The angle of the belt, the two upper corner stars (or possibly lower). Or am I just channeling Daniel Jackson here.

SmG

The Truth is.......Out of fashion.

[Hopeless]

Makes me wonder what would have happened if Xykon's phylactery actually fell inside?

One scary thought I had is what if that sight of a world in space was actually the Snarl looking out from its side of the Rift?:smalleek:

Curious, I wonder about the other rifts, we've only seen inside two of the rifts so what about the other two?

One's atop a mountain and the other at the heart of a forest that was burnt down... how many years ago?

[Lissou]

People keep saying "So that's what Laurin's favour was".

But when I read this strip, I read "So I got Tarquin to give me control of this part of the desert in exchange of teleporting him back to his palace".

Completely new favours, nothing to do with the ones from before.

[Joseph_Lavode]

Well now... that is interesting. They better get some distance, and fast. Have we seen the Snarl outside of crayon art before?

Also, very good thing Roy nixed the whole "flee through the rift" idea earlier.

And good to see Roy continues to be practical.

[Renneth]

My reaction to today's strip:

"Huh, most of this sounds familiar. Looks like we're finally tying up the book's loose ends by summarizing all the prominent forum speculaAAAAHHHHHHH MAY THE DARK ONE PROTECT US THE SNARL IT LIVES"

[Porthos]

I had to register to ask this question.

Did anyone else notice the top half of Orion on the horizon over the rift ocean? The angle of the belt, the two upper corner stars (or possibly lower). Or am I just channeling Daniel Jackson here.

SmG

The Truth is.......Out of fashion.

RiftWorld is NOT Earth, if that's what you're asking. Rich has already gone on record to state that.


The Dark One wasn't the one to create the goblins to be XP fodder.

To be fair, we don't know if that's actually true or not.

The goblins claim it is. But that's not the same thing.

[Saturosian]

Wha... :smalleek:

Huh. It's real, and it can still do stuff through the rifts. Nicely played, making us question the snarl story.

So...does it maybe need a human(oid) host, or channel, to get into our world? Like a lightning rod?

Interesting.

[SlashDash]

Well, I knew there was a reason everyone kept talking about investigating that particular rift. Thoguh I was thinking that the party would be the one investigating.


One thing though, why did Blackwing saw the planet from outer space and and this rift seems to be inside the planet? Is the planet really small?

[Jaxzan Proditor]

People keep saying "So that's what Laurin's favour was".

But when I read this strip, I read "So I got Tarquin to give me control of this part of the desert in exchange of teleporting him back to his palace".

Completely new favours, nothing to do with the ones from before.

What I read in that comment is that Laurin chose then to ask Tarquin because she knew he probably wouldn't refuse her if she "sweetened the deal" by offer him a lift back to his city.

After all, for all she knows, he might consider her favor voided since she fled the battle. By asking him when he is weakened, she has a better chance of her favor being accepted.

[SaintRidley]

Laurin may have just mind-melded with the Snarl.

[Porthos]

People keep saying "So that's what Laurin's favour was".

But when I read this strip, I read "So I got Tarquin to give me control of this part of the desert in exchange of teleporting him back to his palace".

Completely new favours, nothing to do with the ones from before.

Not at all. She said she wanted this from the very beginning. She just agreed to port him back before telling him what the favor was.

IMO, mostly so Tarquin wouldn't be in a position to really object. :smallwink:

Opps got my order slightly wrong. :smallredface: That's what I get for not double checking. :smalltongue:

I have to agree with the later poster who said asking for her favor before taking Tarquin and his group home was additional leverage to make sure that Tarquin followed through with his end of the bargin.

No, I'd say that the favors are all cleared up now.

Not that Laurin is in any position to really haggle about things right now. :smalltongue:

[JSSheridan]

Thanks Giant!

[Solara]

In this world of magic, Laurin's original plan was just so refreshingly practical. What's more useful in a desert than a source of water?

Too bad for the world she accidentally woke up Cthulhu in the process though...

[Particle_Man]

For the record, the new effect on the Snarl tendrils (if that's what they are) is gorgeous. I am continually amazed by what can be done with stick figures.


Also, the non-scribble Snarl tendrils look great.


Blimey! Nice visualisation of the crayonstuff.

So pretty . . .


Just a wild thought. What if the planet inside the Rift was the original dimension the Snarl undid and that, somehow, put itself together again? Or that the Snarl itself, slowly experimenting, is putting together again?

I think the Snarl created a dead world, because that would be what existed before the Gods started disagreeing about the nature of the life forms that were to be on it. By killing everything, the source of all disagreements will be gone. The Snarl wants only peace. :smallsmile:


People keep saying "So that's what Laurin's favour was".

But when I read this strip, I read "So I got Tarquin to give me control of this part of the desert in exchange of teleporting him back to his palace".

Completely new favours, nothing to do with the ones from before.

I read it is Laurin basically saying "This is my favour. Give it to me now or you can walk home, wounded man." They may be teammates but they are willing to play hardball.

[Jay R]

So out of idle curiosity ...

... why did we continue to believe Xykon was the BBEG, even while watching the plot slowly, one by one, blow up the locks on the prison holding a god-killing abomination?

[Gift Jeraff]

Not at all. She said she wanted this from the very beginning. She just agreed to port him back before telling him what the favor was.

IMO, mostly so Tarquin wouldn't be in a position to really object. :smallwink:

Porting armies back and forth doesn't seem to be 'favorworthy'.

Also, Miron says he's surprised Tarquin agreed to Laurin's favour. This suggests that he thinks that they failed to do anything substantial against the OOTS in the first place that would garner a favour.

[NihhusHuotAliro]

I always thought that the Snarl was the huge evil; and Xykon was the actual evil trying to bring about the Huge Evil.

[Matt620]

When it all happened, Miron pulled Laurin out of the way of the...whatever the purple things are.

I like him even more. He's a bad guy, but they're friends. I sure hope this thing doesn't turn Laurin crazy and she kills him.

[Deliverance]

Hah. "Of course" Team Tarquin has a finders keepers rule.

[Clistenes]

The best part? Laurin now knows how big the stakes are. And she will tell Tarquin. She will tell him how insignificant he is in the grand scheme of things, and how little a part he plays.

[orrion]

People keep saying "So that's what Laurin's favour was".

But when I read this strip, I read "So I got Tarquin to give me control of this part of the desert in exchange of teleporting him back to his palace".

Completely new favours, nothing to do with the ones from before.

You should get "I got Tarquin to agree to honor my favor before I teleported him back to his palace."

If Laurin were in the habit of getting favors for mere single instance teleports like that then she would have gotten a massive one for porting Tarquin's army to the rift in the first place. Yet there's been zero reference to a favor like that.

The timeline meshes as well. Laurin said she viewed the portal right before the battle started. When she did ask for her favor? Right before the battle started.

[zimmerwald1915]

Laurin may have just mind-melded with the Snarl.
Does that make the Snarl V'Ger? That's a thought.

What a strip.

[Asteroid Bomb]

The idea of the Snarl not existing always bugged me. If it didn't, then what killed Soon's wife, Lirian's animals that went missing, and that random goblin in Start of Darkness that made Lirian's Rift get the Dark One's attention? Looks like it's still part of the mystery.

[Edric O]

So out of idle curiosity ...

... why did we continue to believe Xykon was the BBEG, even while watching the plot slowly, one by one, blow up the locks on the prison holding a god-killing abomination?
Because it was made very clear that there's no way the Order could possibly even do so much as slightly inconveniencing the god-killing abomination?

The Snarl is simply too powerful to be the BBEG. Unless the Order suddenly acquires god-like powers or the Snarl is far weaker than we were told, the only way to win against it is not to fight at all (i.e. keep it imprisoned).

[Porthos]

The Snarl is simply too powerful to be the BBEG. Unless the Order suddenly acquires god-like powers or the Snarl is far weaker than we were told, the only way to win against it is not to fight at all (i.e. keep it imprisoned).

Parphrasing: "Gods might be more vulnerable to the Snarl than mortals".

Just a reminder.

Not that I disagree that Team OotS is quite tall enough to ride that ride, yet. :smalltongue:

[NihhusHuotAliro]

My theory is that the world in the snarl is the first world. The one that Zeus and the Eastern Gods helped make. When the Snarl consumes souls, it brings them to that world. That world is where Mijung is, and where Hestia and gentle Demeter are. And the chicken. Poor chicken.

[homeslice]

Curse you Rich! Curse you!

Everything was wrapping up so nicely and then you have to draw this amazing comic that creates so many more questions.

We probably won't know what exactly happened here until the next book either.

:smallfurious:

[Cikomyr]

Why are they Gates?

Why did the original party designed GATES, and not.. shall I say, plugs? Or shutters?

Why did they created GATES, which the word actually implies it's meant to be a passageway between places?

[Shale]

Parphrasing: "Gods might be more vulnerable to the Snarl than mortals".

Just a reminder.

Mortals of a similar level. Which would be...40, or 60? I forget which.

[mindsword]

At least a few others already mentioned this, but I feel its worth repeating.

When i first saw Laurin's eyes change, I thought "It has chosen an avatar."

With any luck, I'm wrong and this is just a visual way of showing Laurin's mind telepathically talking with it. But if not, then Laurin may have become a puppet of the Snarl.

Also, I agree that it seems like interaction with the Rift can call the Snarl out. Its quite passive until it gets poked. Fits with what we know too. The Gods beat it by working around it and hiding. It didn't seek them out after killing Zeus and his pals.

Of course, it was also passive throughout all of existence after that even though the rifts were open. Opening all the Rifts does not guarantee that it will get free. It only means the Gods are likely to destroy everything to make sure it won't. As such, while Redcloak's plan will keep the Rift intact, I dislike any plan that Leaves the Gods in a situation where they either get killed, give in to another God's demands to alter their world, or destroy everything and fix it properly this time.

[zimmerwald1915]

Mortals of a similar level. Which would be...40, or 60? I forget which.
I don't have Deities and Demigods anymore (not that is particularly valuable when talking about OOTS gods), but I do have Elder Evils, and the creature in that book with the most HD is Atropus, whose plan involves absorbing the life force of the gods it created, with 66.

[orrion]

Why are they Gates?

Why did the original party designed GATES, and not.. shall I say, plugs? Or shutters?

Why did they created GATES, which the word actually implies it's meant to be a passageway between places?

Another meaning for a gate is a "barrier used to close an opening," and that fits exactly what the Scribble did. They used barriers to close the rifts.

[Nosferatu]

Man, and for a second there I thought I understood what was going on...

[Porthos]

Why are they Gates?

Why did the original party designed GATES, and not.. shall I say, plugs? Or shutters?

Why did they created GATES, which the word actually implies it's meant to be a passageway between places?


Another meaning for a gate is a "barrier used to close an opening," and that fits exactly what the Scribble did. They used barriers to close the rifts.

For a more detailed explanation:

The gem reinforces the Gate; the gem is NOT the Gate, and the Gate is not the seal, and the seal is not the rift. The gem is the deadbolt, not the lock, or the door, or the doorway. The "door" is a complex spell that is not actually visible but is what Dorukan and Lirian are casting in the first panel of the second page of #276. The "lock" is the Gate, a tiny magical object that later had a throne crafted around it; it's about the size of a raisin in the case of Azure City. The "doorway" is the rift itself, and it is not really inside the gemstone, it's just that the gem (and Gate) are translucent and we can see through it (because it's a visual medium and it made it easier to understand). The gemstone is an enchanted object that further seals and reinforces the Gate; thus, the "deadbolt."

When Soon hands over the Sapphire to Shojo's father, he is essentially giving the last piece of the Gate's security system over so that it might be put into place. Think of the Sapphire as an additional seal that Soon and his followers came up with. The Sapphire does not NEED to be in the same place as the Gate in order to seal it, because it's magic, but moving it around is risky. There's a chance that it will just fail and the Gate will swing open. Before the panel shown, Soon likely kept it somewhere else safe, but chose as he was dying to consolidate the protections (because that's where he was going to be hanging out as a ghost-martyr). I guess the magic might have been stronger being in the same spot as the Gate, too.

So, no, the Gate or the rift could not have been physically moved. The Sapphire could be moved, and Xykon would have been obligated to track it down and undo its magic before he could perform his ritual, but there would be a risk in doing so, and it wouldn't really have stopped Xykon from sieging the city at that point (because he still would have needed the immovable Gate).

The use of Redcloak's magic ritual to shift the Gate into another plane is entirely unrelated, and in fact can only shift a Gate to another plane—not to another place in THIS plane. Think of it like moving a Bag of Holding from the Prime to an Outer Plane: you've moved the entranceway to an extradimensional space, but opening it still leads to the same interior.

Hopefully, that clears the issue up.

The Index (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=313510) is a VERY helpful tool at times. :smallsmile:

[Shale]

At least a few others already mentioned this, but I feel its worth repeating.

When i first saw Laurin's eyes change, I thought "It has chosen an avatar."

With any luck, I'm wrong and this is just a visual way of showing Laurin's mind telepathically talking with it. But if not, then Laurin may have become a puppet of the Snarl.

Bear in mind that Blackwing's eyes did something similar (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0659.html) when he looked deep into the Rift (see the second-to-last panel) and he doesn't seem to have been turned into a feathery Snarlvatar.

[Rockbender]

Hopefully Elan is around when it asks to choose the form of the Destructor. :smalltongue:

:elan: We used to eat Sorcerer's Fruit Pies down by the fires at Bard Camp.

No No No! It wouldn't be the Giant Fruit Pies...

Do you really want the OOtS to have to fight a 200' Banjo?

Just the concept of Banjo ascending to true godhood is ... wrong...

[The Pilgrim]

The Snarl. Is. Aliveee!!!

[Dragolord]

What are the odds that Miron will start an order of blue-clad wizard/sorcerer/whatevers to rebuild the gate and then defend it, as revenge for his lost partner/lover, Laurin?

Edit:
No No No! It wouldn't be the Giant Fruit Pies...

Do you really want the OOtS to have to fight a 200' Banjo?

Just the concept of Banjo ascending to true godhood is ... wrong...

And what would be wrong with that? As his prophet, Elan would be ascended to godhood, persuade the other Gods to join the OotS, defeat the Snarl and live happily ever after! Now that's a story!

[Finagle]

Lesser Confusion also causes the same squiggly eye effect. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0927.html)

[Hopeless]

Bear in mind that Blackwing's eyes did something similar (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0659.html) when he looked deep into the Rift (see the second-to-last panel) and he doesn't seem to have been turned into a feathery Snarlvatar.

He has become somewhat smarter which might have been put down to V not understanding what a familiar can do, but there's always the possibility that its not chance the fiends dragged it down with V when they wanted to see what Roy and the others would do without V interfering?

[blunk]

RiftWorld is NOT Earth, if that's what you're asking. Rich has already gone on record to state that.He said the planet seen through the Gobbotopia rift was not Earth. Did he ever say that about the planet seen through the desert rift?


Did anyone else notice the top half of Orion on the horizon over the rift ocean? The angle of the belt, the two upper corner stars (or possibly lower).That is a fun observation! Betelguese is somewhat out of place, but that could either be an art error or a view from a different part of our universe (I don't know what Orion is like in 3-space, off-hand).

And I won't say that's Gemini above it if you don't. :smallwink:

[Porthos]

You know. I just realized THIS IS ALL ROY'S FAULT! :smallfurious:

:elan:: After all you NEVER say "I wonder if the Eldritch Abomination really exists." That's just begging for it to appear somewhere out of your sight.

Really, Roy. Has travelling with Elan taught you nothing. :smallannoyed:

[LadyEowyn]

Oh, wow.

That's a lot of plotlines advanced at once. This just got a whole lot more interesting.

[Thrillhouse]

My current hypothesis is that the snarl is both a creature AND a planet. It's not camoflague, precisely--since it's a thing made of creation strands, it takes the form of a sentient world, which may or may not have inhabitants.

[Porthos]

He said the planet seen through the Gobbotopia rift was not Earth. Did he ever say that about the planet seen through the desert rift?

...

If you want to claim those are different planets and that one of them is Earth, knock yourself out. Don't expect me to get anywhere near it though. :smalltongue:

A tad more seriously, Rich wanted to nip those It Was Earth Along theories in the bud when he commented on that. I seriously seriously SERIOUSLY doubt he was trying to pull a double bluff here by trying to introduce different planets and saying "AHA! This one really is Earth". IMO, that's not his style. :smallwink:

[orrion]

He said the planet seen through the Gobbotopia rift was not Earth. Did he ever say that about the planet seen through the desert rift?

What makes you think they're different planets? Even if they were, why wouldn't you treat such a quote intended to dispel the rumors of exactly what you're thinking as universal?


What are the odds that Miron will start an order of blue-clad wizard/sorcerer/whatevers to rebuild the gate and then defend it, as revenge for his lost partner/lover, Laurin?

I'd say zilch since he looks a little old for that, and there's no evidence of romantic involvement with Laurin.

[quasit]

Woah.
Not sure if someone brougth this one before, but: Snarl== Worlwide genius loci like being?
Doesn't seem that far of a stretch to me :smalleek:

[NihhusHuotAliro]

Guys, does aqnyone know where Cleverdan22 went? I liked his posts...

[Rogar Demonblud]

whaaaaaaaaaaaaat is going onnnnnnnnnn

You can see the Snarl in Laurin's eyes.

She just made telepathic contact with something that makes Cthulhu look like a testy alley cat.

My first thought on finishing the page:

:vaarsuvius: "Expeditious Retreat! Expeditious Retreat!"

Then I realized that was so ten levels ago, and went with:

"Quickened Plane Shift!"

[DaggerPen]

No, three. Presumably Kraagor's Gate is still sealed.

...

I sure as hell hope it is at least! :smalleek:

Lirian's
Dorukan's
Azure City's
And now Girard's

:P

[Vinsfeld]

HOLY CRAP! :smalleek:

(I hope Laurin dies)

[Porthos]

Lirian's
Dorukan's
Azure City's
And now Girard's

:P


Placing my bet now: #946 will be a montage of the Snarl emerging from the other three open Rifts, and will also end the book. :smallcool:

My highlight. :smalltongue:

[Breccia]

"And on that day," Elan will eventually tell his children, "many a 'dun dun DUN!' was said."

[Porthos]

"And on that day," Elan will eventually tell his children, "many a 'dun dun DUN!' was said."

Unshown cutaway in 945: :smallwink:

:elan:: Hey, did anyone else get that forbodding feeling just now? (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0461.html)

[Lombard]

In Tyranaria, what is in that valley controls YOU


/selfhighfive

[Living Oxymoron]

Awesome strip. The revelation of Laurin's favor, some more information about the "Team Tarquin" (a "Finders Keepers" rule? Why am I not surprised?), and a brilliant cliffhanger involving the main plot (or the major mystery of this comic).

About the Clairvoyance power, is this an existing power of the game or just an invention? I suppose Laurin used it here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0912.html) when she goes off-panel and returns later (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0913.html).

[blunk]

If you want to claim those are different planets and that one of them is Earth, knock yourself out. Don't expect me to get anywhere near it though. :smalltongue:
What makes you think they're different planets? Even if they were, why wouldn't you treat such a quote intended to dispel the rumors of exactly what you're thinking as universal?I'm not trying to champion a theory that the desert-rift planet is Earth, merely stating that it's still on the table. Personally, I think bringing Earth into the OOTS story is incredibly cheesy and I wouldn't expect Mr. Burlew to do it.

I *do* believe that he enjoys a) misdirection and b) subtle clues, though. So if they *are* different planets, I could see him enjoying that everyone thinks they're the same, *and* I could see him enjoying putting the desert-rift planet in our dimension (but not as Earth) so that he could give a subtle clue - through the constellations - that it is a different one than the Gobbotopia-rift planet (which, as not-Earth, might be widely assumed to be in not-Earth-dimension).

I like the idea of separate planets because it opens up some other interesting possibilities, and fits nicely with "The gods built their planet to exist in multiple coterminous dimensions" (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0275.html), at least in one reading. But I'm going to just develop my post up-thread in-place, and never mention it again. No need to champion what will be revealed (to be true or false) eventually anyway. :smallsmile:

[Muenster Man]

Between that and Miron yanking Laurin safely out of harm's way, it's clear they care for each other *o* they are my pRECIOUS BABIES ALL THREE OF THEM

I don't know if I would go as far to say they care for each other, but it was a nice touch to show Miron pulling Laurin from the Rift. Probably due to a lot of comaraderie built from years of adventuring together with a vested interest in each other's well-being. In spite of that, I found myself a little disappointed when I didn't see any of the "tendrils" pass through Laurin or Miron. My thought was more of: "stupid, lucky dodge!"

I also like that Rich managed to sum up and answer virtually all of the debate concerning V from the last thread in just two and a half panels of dialogue.

[NihhusHuotAliro]

In Tyranaria, what is in that valley controls YOU


/selfhighfive

As a swede, I will high-five you, my fellow germanic tribesman!

-high-five!-

Awwww, it's so cute how Miron cares for Laurin and Hannah, and how Laurin cares for Hannah.

Miron yanked her out of the way of the snarl like a good friend. :smile::smile::smile:

[DaveMcW]

Why are they Gates?

Why did the original party designed GATES, and not.. shall I say, plugs? Or shutters?

Why did they created GATES, which the word actually implies it's meant to be a passageway between places?

I can't answer for the original party, but there's clearly a joke coming.

"And Hold Portal (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0178.html), a spell that holds doors shut for a few minutes. And, I might add, a spell so inherently without merit that I shudder to consider under what sort of malaise I might have suffered when I decided to scribe it into my tome."

[ManuelSacha]

Amen to that, Roy.

If anybody has a half-way decent theory, I'd be instered in hearing it.

[Kislath]

Okay one thing...

How come Blackwing saw a whole planet, but Laurin and our heroes saw only an ocean?

Do these portals have their other ends in wildly different places? If so, I wonder what we'll see through the next one? A divine palace interior or something?

[Lheticus]

Jessica Z. Louise! "Oh ****" doesn't even DESCRIBE this! O_O O_O_O O_asldfkna;fh;fkja

[Particle_Man]

Why are they Gates?

Why did the original party designed GATES, and not.. shall I say, plugs? Or shutters?

Why did they created GATES, which the word actually implies it's meant to be a passageway between places?

Gate? What gate? :mitd:


He has become somewhat smarter which might have been put down to V not understanding what a familiar can do, but there's always the possibility that its not chance the fiends dragged it down with V when they wanted to see what Roy and the others would do without V interfering?

Well, familiars do get smarter anyhow when their wizards level up enough.

[zimmerwald1915]

Do these portals have their other ends in wildly different places? If so, I wonder what we'll see through the next one? A divine palace interior or something?
The Rifts are in wildly different places on the Order's planet. Why shouldn't they be in wildly different places on the Snarl's planet?

And why don't these planets have names? Granted, given the Giant's geographic naming conventions I'd expect the planet's name to be "Planet" or something, but still!

[Darmarc]

Was that... THE SNARL!?!

[Particle_Man]

And why don't these planets have names?

I think they should be named after Greek gods. :smallbiggrin:

[Living Oxymoron]

Someone realized that a Sweaty warrior was pierced by the Snarl-y energy/body/dontknowwhatisthatanymore? Looks like there is already a first victim and he will probably be undone.

[LordRahl6]

Was that... THE SNARL!?!

I say yes, and I believe it is FINALLY aware of the cracks in its prison!:smallwink:

[DaggerPen]

More like:

Look into the void and the void TPKs you. :smallamused:

Do not taunt Happy Fun Snarl.


My highlight. :smalltongue:

... oops. :smallredface:

[Lheticus]

I think I have a theory--I'll use spoiler tags:

The "rifts" don't lead to a location like an alternate dimension or something--they just lead to some place or another in the OOTSverse. The purple bits around the edges of the rifts? THEY are infinitessimal pieces of the Snarl, trapped in an ooga-booga-booga limbo place outside of time and space, and the Rifts can allow it to escape because they're tears in the fabric of reality itself. The whole "Gate" thing is nothing more than a MASSIVE misnomer.

[Demolator]

Needless to say, I'm extremely happy it looks like the focus is back on the gates.:smallbiggrin:

[DaggerPen]

I can't answer for the original party, but there's clearly a joke coming.

"And Hold Portal (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0178.html), a spell that holds doors shut for a few minutes. And, I might add, a spell so inherently without merit that I shudder to consider under what sort of malaise I might have suffered when I decided to scribe it into my tome."

Damn, and I was literally just planning to make that joke when I caught up with the thread. Ah well.

[Amphiox]

No, three. Presumably Kraagor's Gate is still sealed.

...

I sure as hell hope it is at least! :smalleek:

What if Kraagor's Gate is actually down? As in, Xykon and Redcloak teleported in off-panel, and set off the krakakoom thing...?



I had to register to ask this question.

Did anyone else notice the top half of Orion on the horizon over the rift ocean? The angle of the belt, the two upper corner stars (or possibly lower). Or am I just channeling Daniel Jackson here.

SmG

The Truth is.......Out of fashion.

I suspect it is just pareidolia on your part. If The Giant really intended to illustrate earth's sky, he would have included the other nearby constellations and stars, particular Sirius, which would have been in-line with Orion's belt (and the stars are not that *dense* in earth's sky around Orion)


In this world of magic, Laurin's original plan was just so refreshingly practical. What's more useful in a desert than a source of water?

Too bad for the world she accidentally woke up Cthulhu in the process though...

Reminds me of the thread about how a good-aligned team might have tried to fix the problems of the western continent. Miron's throwaway line about the "last time" involving a plane of water suggests Laurin's been trying something along these lines for some time now. I find it intriguing that she throws out "desalination magic" as if it were no big thing, but apparently never, along the way, considered simply creating water with magic, which, per those previous discussions, was cantrip-level magic.


Mortals of a similar level. Which would be...40, or 60? I forget which.

Is there any functional distinction in D&D between a level 40-60 mortal and a god?


He said the planet seen through the Gobbotopia rift was not Earth. Did he ever say that about the planet seen through the desert rift?

Laurin stated that she could not sense the mind of even a single fish in that sea. Earth's oceans, notwithstanding the continuing efforts of human overfishing, still has plenty of fish in them. (Unless earth fish are immune to psionic probing...?)


That is a fun observation! Betelguese is somewhat out of place, but that could either be an art error or a view from a different part of our universe (I don't know what Orion is like in 3-space, off-hand).

Orion would look like Orion in the sky of a planet that is not earth only if that planet is close to earth. Betelgeuse is 650ly away from earth, Rigel is 860ly away from earth, and the three belt stars are 736, 1340, and 915ly away from earth.


She just made telepathic contact with something that makes Cthulhu look like a testy alley cat.

My first thought on finishing the page:

:vaarsuvius: "Expeditious Retreat! Expeditious Retreat!"

Then I realized that was so ten levels ago, and went with:

"Quickened Plane Shift!"

Well, Laurin, assuming she's alive and still capable of independent action, at least has got her Gate....

[Tolvan]

Oh... OH.

This... can't be good.:eek:

[Porthos]

Is there any functional distinction in D&D between a level 40-60 mortal and a god?

In what they are capable of doing? Only the lack of Divine Ranks. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineRanksAndPowers.htm)

When it comes to pure power potential, there's very little difference, even without getting into CharOps shenanigans.

[ti'esar]

Yikes.

I have nothing else to say or speculate at this moment.

[commander panda]

Holy ****!
Mayday!
Mayday!
Containment Breech!
Abandon Ship!
Abandon Plane!
ABANDON PLANE!

[Ridureyu]

Will Laurin Survive?

Has Miron danked his last shew?

Tune in next week!

[Waar]

The snarl is back, all hail the snarl? :smallwink:

[blunk]

Laurin stated that she could not sense the mind of even a single fish in that sea. Earth's oceans, notwithstanding the continuing efforts of human overfishing, still has plenty of fish in them. (Unless earth fish are immune to psionic probing...?)I mentioned up-thread that I don't believe it's Earth, so take it when I say "it could be past Earth or future Earth" very lightly. :smallsmile:


Orion would look like Orion in the sky of a planet that is not earth only if that planet is close to earth. Betelgeuse is 650ly away from earth, Rigel is 860ly away from earth, and the three belt stars are 736, 1340, and 915ly away from earth.Thanks. "Close to Earth" is still pretty far, though.

I agree that pareidolia is the simplest explanation, though "three stars in a tight row" is so evocative that it's easy to believe that it was intentional, either as a clue or as continued misdirection.

Luckily, my "different planets" idea doesn't hinge on desert-rift planet being in our universe. I just think it being in our universe would be a clever trick, one way or another, on Mr. Burlew's part.

[Bulldog Psion]

I called it waaaaay back that Laurin's favor was going to be control of the Gate.

Pardon me while I gloat briefly:

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16751224&postcount=57


Well, as I've analyzed it before:

1. Laurin's favor can't be trivial, it has to be something pretty important because they treat these favors very seriously.

2. It can't be related to the OotS in general, since she was willing to kill them outright.

3. It won't be anything Tarquin would be unwilling to do. It's not a no-save enchantment that compels people to do stuff they wouldn't do. So it isn't anything like "kill yourself," "kill Elan," "give up your empire," etc. because Tarquin would just say, "You think a favor is worth THAT? Ha!"

4. Since Tarquin is useful to their scheme, I doubt it will be anything harmful to Tarquin, even leaving out the "no compulsion anyway" part. Why do something to harm a friend and asset? Because some of the audience beyond the 4th wall wants him gone? No way.

5. It seems unlikely to be related to Elan, since she knows nothing of him, plus she would have had to ask the favor before Tarquin set up whatever he was planning with Elan.

6. If it's going to be revealed to the audience, it has to make sense to them, IMO. So it has to relate to something in the story. If it's not revealed, it's moot, because it doesn't matter if it makes sense or not if not revealed.

7. By process of elimination, the one thing left that makes sense to the audience AND is important AND won't get Tarquin's back up AND won't interfere with their scheme, is something with the Gate. What, it's hard to guess, but the Gate/Rift seems likely to be involved. To me, anyway. Due to everything else being eliminated one way or another.

Heh, heh, heh. :smallcool:

[Bird]

Something I'm unsure of -- did Laurin & Myron just fall over in surprise, or did the Snarl (or whatever it is) push them somehow? None of the soldiers fell over in surprise, though one looks like he's been run through with a purple tendril. Did Myron grab Laurin and pull her down to protect her?

[Bulldog Psion]

Something I'm unsure of -- did Laurin & Myron just fall over in surprise, or did the Snarl (or whatever it is) push them somehow? Also, did Myron grab Laurin and pull her down to protect her?

It sure looks like Miron is pulling her back, to me.

[Ridureyu]

Placing my bet now: #946 will be a montage of the Snarl emerging from the other three open Rifts, and will also end the book. :smallcool:

Also, I love the desalination idea (and the art).

That's my hope, too!

[Bird]

It sure looks like Miron is pulling her back, to me.
Yeah. Even blowing up the page, there's not enough detail to be sure, but it would make sense -- Laurin's silence in the previous panel implies she's too overwhelmed to act, so it would make sense for Miron to pull her back.

[Sikon]

What if Kraagor's Gate is actually down? As in, Xykon and Redcloak teleported in off-panel, and set off the krakakoom thing...?

Unlikely. Rich wouldn't foreshadow going to the north so persistently if he didn't plan to actually send the Order there. Durkon has yet to fulfill his posthumous prophecy.

Not to mention it would be really anticlimactic to have the last Gate destroyed off-panel when each of the other four had a whole book devoted to it.

[Enlong]

I'm not sure if it is the Snarl. I'm noting a distinct lack of claws or... any life-esque features, really. It could be any sort of cosmic backlash from tampering with a fraying divide in the fabric of reality.

That it would look somewhat like the Snarl would be no surprise, as the Snarl was made out of tangled threads of the fabric of reality.

[ti'esar]

For the record, what the Giant actually said about "Riftworld" not being our world was:


Until then, the secret of the world-within-the-world (which no, is NOT our Earth) will remain unknown.

So no real room for verbal trickery about Soon's and Girard's Rifts leading to different worlds.

Incidentally, I'm now even happier than before that the rift-did-something-to-Blackwing theory was formally shot down.

[Ridureyu]

The Giant might have used a star chart or template. Orion being there does not make it earth.

[PhallicWarrior]

Holy ****!
Mayday!
Mayday!
Containment Breech!
Abandon Ship!

ABANDON PLANE!

[sirwhiteout]

Awesome strip. And a very scary prospect.

Crazy theory time:

The Snarl is a meta-game creature born of argument between friends, as is also pointed out by The Giant's comments in Round 8 of No Cure for the Paladin Blues. These last events may be foreshadowing towards answering the question laid out by Roy in 695 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0695.html):

:roy:: "What the hell happened between these people to turn them against each other like this?"

Maybe the greatest challenge to the OOTS is about to be revealed: the Snarl destroyed the Order of the Scribble from within by seeding conflict and turning them irreparably against each other. We may be witnessing it starting to do the same with Tarquin's team; perhaps even its methods of doing so. If this is the case (and by the way, nice move making it clear that they are friends at the beginning, so we can see it all falling apart), then the OOTS will have to overcome the internal ruptures that will be spawned by the Snarl in order to defeat it (banish, seal, insert favorite term here).

Maybe that's where all the character growth and group bonding so far is going to make its stand. Will it be enough? (dun-dun-DUNNN)

In any case, what a story.

[Matt620]

Yeah. Even blowing up the page, there's not enough detail to be sure, but it would make sense -- Laurin's silence in the previous panel implies she's too overwhelmed to act, so it would make sense for Miron to pull her back.


There is enough detail if you look closely: Miron's hand is on Laurin's collar, and the angle of Laurin's arms and legs suggest she is being pulled.

On a related note, does anyone else notice that it looks like the hole is filling up with water? Hope they don't all get drowned.

[oppyu]

Holy Gods that's an awesome looking final panel. And a nice resolution to Laurin's favour, and whether or not Tarkie makes it back to his palace, and whether or not the Order should have gone through the Rift (the answer is no).

New questions now, like will Laurin, Miron and co. die a horrible and soul-destroying death?

[The Giant]

The Giant might have used a star chart or template. Orion being there does not make it earth.

You guys give me way too much credit. What I used was a scatter brush.

In Illustrator, you can make custom brushes that let you put down a row of the same image over and over as you draw a line. You can set the preferences for those brushes to have random size, random spacing, and random scatter off the main line. I made a tiny round "star" brush with high spacing and scatter values and just scribbled around a bit until I liked the way it looked. By pure random chance, three of those stars ended up in a relatively coherent line.

So no, it STILL isn't Earth in the Rift. It will never be Earth in the Rift. Earth will never show up.

[Tragak]

Did anybody else hear foreboding music in their heads when the Snarl erupted?

My brain has been going back and forth between Hello Snarl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5NzpMYmfNQ), Dark And Endless Snarl Night (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeWQr3scW-s), and Dance With The Snarl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMSkC2PGyTs)

EDIT: and now The Seal of The Snarl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0_up7G34ak)

[Gnoman]

In retrospect, I now cannot believe that nobody predicted that Laurin wanted to steal the water from the rift. In retrospect, it seems incredibly well foreshadowed, between Hannah's occupation, and her rants against the elves.

[ti'esar]

Did anybody else hear foreboding music in their heads when the Snarl erupted?

My brain has been going back and forth between Hello Snarl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5NzpMYmfNQ), Dark And Endless Snarl Night (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeWQr3scW-s), and Dance With The Snarl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMSkC2PGyTs)

Can't identify it off the top of my head, but this was one of the few times in the history of the comic where I actually did hear music inside my head, without prompting or looking for it.

[WindStruck]

Release the Kraken!!

[ti'esar]

Incidentally, there's something I've been curious about for a while: why was "the riftworld is Earth" ever a theory? There's absolutely no sign of a narrative setup for it and the continents bear no resemblance whatsoever to Earth's. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0672.html) Was it really just because of this? (http://www.giantitp.com/Images/fanart/ootslate1.gif)

[Ron Miel]

Why are they Gates?

Why did the original party designed GATES, and not.. shall I say, plugs? Or shutters?

I thought the same thing
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117311


Another meaning for a gate is a "barrier used to close an opening," and that fits exactly what the Scribble did. They used barriers to close the rifts.

No, that would be a plug, or a seal. A gate gets opened sometimes.

[Tragak]

In retrospect, I now cannot believe that nobody predicted that Laurin wanted to steal the water from the rift. In retrospect, it seems incredibly well foreshadowed, between Hannah's occupation, and her rants against the elves. Idunno, I think somebody might have. Never mind, I was thinking of something else.

[warrl]

Snarl dormiens nunquam titillandus.

Revelabitur quasi area ridens.

(Petatis mei ut Interpretor Google.)


Are Laurin's eyes supposed to be reflecting the snarl, or did the snarl's tendrils come into her mind?

Most likely.


Roy's casual dismissal of V seems...cold, knowing how those two are long term comrades and how V has every respect for Roy. Roy basically said he didn't care too much if the elf left or not, just that there was no deep reason to.

Roy said he wouldn't stop V from leaving, which is a really smart move for a number of reasons, one being that at their level a fighter who tries to singlehandedly stop a wizard is named Spot - and then wiped up with a damp cloth. Another, of course, being that even if he succeeded in stopping (as opposed to persuading) V, he'd then have a hostile wizard in the party and it would probably be better to have no wizard at all.

However, he then proceeded to list reasons why V leaving might be counterproductive or unwise. In other words, he tried to persuade V to stay. (Apparently successfully.)

[CaDzilla]

Miron's scarf keeps on switching sides. Why does he even wear a scarf anyway, wouldn't that interfere with his casting?

[Everyl]

Miron's scarf keeps on switching sides. Why does he even wear a scarf anyway, wouldn't that interfere with his casting?

To keep dust and sand out of his mouth so the weather of the Western Continent doesn't interfere with his casting.