A prediction

[ziggurat]

My prediction: Now will be a digression following Roy and his journeys in the land beyond the grave.

We will not hear about the fate of Azure city for at least a few weeks.

This is good storytelling, and will likely piss me (and a few others) off in that good story kind of way.

[jindra34]

already been mentioned sorry...
no one has seriously discussed what that would entail though...

[Icewalker]

Sounds interesting to me. I can see that happening, although I dunno what kind of goals he could have (other than getting back, but he can't really do that by himself right? and they'd get around to it before too long.)

[Assassinfox]

I figured the fate of Roy wouldn't be shown until after the battle. Either way, someone's gonna get impatient. :smalltongue:

[Gandal]

Hissy fight with his dad!

[Brickman]

I predict a good week's worth of comics delving into his reconciliations with his father before moving on. Whether that happens now or post-battle is unsure, but since nothing this pressing is happening there (they've killed the nasty undead at the breach and are probably gonna secure it, the assasin is dead, everyone is just fighting faceless hobgoblins until those other two clones get in the fight) I bet its now.

[Kreistor]

The Giant has been spending two strips at a time with each of the four main OotS fights (Roy, Belkar, E/H/D, V). If he continues that theme, we won't get anything about Roy's near-death experiences for two weeks.

I think a lot of people woould not be happy with a long, convoluted storyline in another plane between Roy and anyone. His father has nothing to say to him for the moment, since Roy already got the low-down on the Gates/Snarl. Lord Shojo doesn't really have anything new to offer. Really, there's nothing Roy can really learn in a near-death side quest, so it's very possible that we won't see anything of spirit-Roy.

[Geekus Maximus]

for me, with the blooming independence of Elan as an example, I think that this may be the culmination of the idea that the Order of the Stick doesn't need Roy to baby-sit or take on challenges by himself. I'm betting that the others will band together to win the battle...unless of course Xykon actually unleashes the Monster-in-the-Darkness heh.

[CardinalFang]

The Giant has been spending two strips at a time with each of the four main OotS fights (Roy, Belkar, E/H/D, V). If he continues that theme, we won't get anything about Roy's near-death experiences for two weeks.

I think a lot of people woould not be happy with a long, convoluted storyline in another plane between Roy and anyone. His father has nothing to say to him for the moment, since Roy already got the low-down on the Gates/Snarl. Lord Shojo doesn't really have anything new to offer. Really, there's nothing Roy can really learn in a near-death side quest, so it's very possible that we won't see anything of spirit-Roy.
Well, he could A) get more information on Xykon from his dad, as well as advice on fighting casters, B) discuss the fact that Xykon doesn't CARE about the Blood Oath in the slightest with his dad, C) be stuck watching his friends fight without him while his dad makes snarky comments, D) find out from Shojo about some secret weapon/passage/something in Azure City which might help. Each of those ideas definitely has its pros and its cons, but they're certainly feasible. And it wouldn't be TOO hard to have Roy and his dad chatting while the battle rages on down below, so it's not like it would even have to be a complete diversion from the action.

[Geekus Maximus]

C) be stuck watching his friends fight without him while his dad makes snarky comments, D) find out from Shojo about some secret weapon/passage/something in Azure City which might help. Each of those ideas definitely has its pros and its cons, but they're certainly feasible. And it wouldn't be TOO hard to have Roy and his dad chatting while the battle rages on down below, so it's not like it would even have to be a complete diversion from the action.

I like C and D as most in keeping with Rich's OOTS style. Maybe he'll be stuck on the battlefield as a ghost, but not know how to manifest as a new ghost, and won't be able to speak to his friends to help them. Kinda like when V was morphed into a lizard and had to cope with lack of communication.

[CardinalFang]

Or he'll decide to try and haunt the enemy, and then realize they're a bunch of undead and evil clerics and that ghosts don't really bother them.

[ziggurat]

Well, he could A) get more information on Xykon from his dad, as well as advice on fighting casters, B) discuss the fact that Xykon doesn't CARE about the Blood Oath in the slightest with his dad, C) be stuck watching his friends fight without him while his dad makes snarky comments, D) find out from Shojo about some secret weapon/passage/something in Azure City which might help. Each of those ideas definitely has its pros and its cons, but they're certainly feasible. And it wouldn't be TOO hard to have Roy and his dad chatting while the battle rages on down below, so it's not like it would even have to be a complete diversion from the action.

Good call on this.