So, IS the Mark of Justice real?? (Spoilers)

[mockingbyrd7]

What do you think? Not getting a response from Roy doesn't really answer the question, so has he been duped the whole time? He still has his daggers, as we saw in Comic 395 (I think) when he was chasing Durkon.

[skreweded]

yes, i think it is real.

And I request you change your signature. It shouldnt be longer than your post...

[Setra]

Well V 'did' Detect it, so it IS real. As to its effects though, I don't know.

[Alair]

Lord Shojo certainly had the resources to make a real one. The only reason I can think of why it might not be would be if Roy was too concerned that it would impede Belkar's effectiveness, but I would think that Lord Shojo would want to have some insurance against Belkar committing another murder while in Azure City at the very least. Ethics of letting a murderer walk free aside, there's the whole matter of the dummy they set up in the cell and the likelihood of the guards recognizing him.

So, yes, I'd think it's almost certainly the real thing.

[Demented]

Oh, it's real.

And there have been much longer sigs made, and out of more than just enter keys and single letters, too!
Though, the longest, ever, was on usenet.

[Yzorth]

V used detect magic on it, remember? I don't think they would just fake that.

[Yzorth]

AND, this all fits with the oracle's description of what happens.

[That Lanky Bugger]

I originally belived it to be a bluff on Roy and Shojo's part, perhaps being a simple Arcane Mark or (more likely) some sort of tracking rune should Belkar escape from Roy or refuse to believe he was enchanted with a real Mark of Justice.

However, with the recent developments I can only conclude that the mark is real. Miko is broken and ineffective. She will either be completely destroyed by this battle, or she will escape and either atone OR become a credible threat to the OotS in some other way. Escaping requires her to escape the citadel... and currently, poor little Belkar is the only one capable of stopping her. Roy is clearly too slow.

Belkar could have stopped, or at least hindered her long enough for Roy to catch up if Belkar was able to deal lethal damage. As it is, he's got nothing. Miko will escape, because the Mark is real and Roy won't tell Belkar it was all a bluff. The plot dictates Miko escape unless she wishes to fall into obscurity as quickly as she fell from Paladinhood, and I believe the Giant has put too much work into her as an antagonist for him to cast her aside now.

Though, Roy might not tell Belkar even WERE it a bluff. Just another item for thought.