Wow, I have a theory (Spoiler Spoiler)

[TOAOMT]

Alright, here's my idea

Roy is dead now, and Xykon is likely to be headed for the throne. Meanwhile, Elan's song rings over the battlefield, and also into the prison. Hearing this, Miko looks up from her prayers and sees the damaged Xykon flying toward the throne room. As the battle with Xykon heats up, any and all prison guards have left to join the fray. Miko realizes now not only her mistake, but also the weight of her decision to murder Shojo. As this happens, Nale stages an escape which leaves Miko a viable exit. Taking the sword of a guard that she finds on a deceased guard (and saying a prayer for his sacrifice), she charges toward Xykon, power attacks and to everyone's surprise, Smites Evil. With Miko in the fight, the paladins are able to overcome Xykon and Miko has found her redemption.



I tried to make this as spoiler-protected as possible to avoid the giant accidentally hearing it and changing it if I'm right.

[Threeshades]

Alright, here's my idea

Roy is dead now, and Xykon is likely to be headed for the throne. Meanwhile, Elan's song rings over the battlefield, and also into the prison. Hearing this, Miko looks up from her prayers and sees the damaged Xykon flying toward the throne room. As the battle with Xykon heats up, any and all prison guards have left to join the fray. Miko realizes now not only her mistake, but also the weight of her decision to murder Shojo. As this happens, Nale stages an escape which leaves Miko a viable exit. Taking the sword of a guard that she finds on a deceased guard (and saying a prayer for his sacrifice), she charges toward Xykon, power attacks and to everyone's surprise, Smites Evil. With Miko in the fight, the paladins are able to overcome Xykon and Miko has found her redemption.



I tried to make this as spoiler-protected as possible to avoid the giant accidentally hearing it and changing it if I'm right.

Very nice idea.

it's a shame that it is so unlikely to happen

[Geilan]

Better yet, Xykon finger of death's her as she charges.

[jindra34]

One problem: Miko can no longer smite...

[CardinalFang]

As interesting as that is, wouldn't she still need a Cleric to cast Atonement to regain her powers?

[TOAOMT]

Well, not with the power of plot. And to Jindra, the point was that in realizing her mistake and trying to rectify it by throwing herself into immediate peril to protect the city, she would regain the favor of the gods and her powers.

[Copacetic]

Mabye....

But probably not. The trouble is, nobody likes Miko as a paladin, but as a raised paladin, there's irony and stuff. The Giant likes irony.

[happyturtle]

I do want to see Miko redeemed, but i think it will be a longer path than that.

[Guildorn Tanaleth]

How exactly would that make her realize her mistake? I see no reason for her to stop thinking that Shojo & the Order were working with Xykon.

[Mewtarthio]

The trouble is, it would be a bit unrealistic for Miko to view Xykon's approach as anything but proof that the Order is Evil, for they were high-level adventurers that should have stopped him.

[TOAOMT]

I was thinking her realization would stem from the fact the Roy just died trying to stop Xykon. I realize now that my theory has a lot of flaws, but I till think it's cool.

[Demented]

Seems a bit cheap, to me.

Sans the sword bit, however...

:miko: SMITE EVIL! *punch*
Xykon's head flies off.
:xykon: Not again. Stop doing that!

[jindra34]

:miko: SMITE EVIL! *punch*
Xykon's head flies off.
:xykon: Not again. Stop doing that!
It would only be funny if he then got blown up by something... Xykon probably would not go Dejavu...

[Demented]

Hmm... would Overland Flight affect his body or his skull?

[jindra34]

Hmm... would Overland Flight affect his body or his skull?

his skull... the rest of his body is just decoration...

[Demented]

Sounds like fun.

:xykon: Demilich Trial Run! Chain Lightning!

[SirEdward]

It would seem dramatically cheap for Miko to self-atone under any circumstance. With that in mind...

It could be arguable for her to regain her favor in a fight with Xykon if and only if she was at less than 10 hp in the throne room. The cheapness of dying in a futile attack moments after regaining favor could balance the cheapness of self-atonement.

[Squark]

I personally think Miko's sanity score is so low that she wouldn't beleive Elan's song, or believe that Roy had been killed by, say, Hinjo or another Azure City Defender

[CardinalFang]

Or that it's all part of Roy's plot to come back as a super-powerful undead in the service of Xykon.

[Pronounceable]

As unlikely as it is, this one is a nice idea. But Miko regaining paladinhood is just wrong. I had a similar idea before.

She may redeem herself by attacking Xykon and delaying him long enough for the gate to be "accidentally" destroyed by Redcloak (see the other spoiler thread). She'll have a heroic death and be (somewhat) forgiven.

[NeonRonin]

I don't see Miko getting a clue anytime soon, and even if she DOES redeem herself and regain her paladin abilities, I can't see it happening during the current battle. Not without some major industrial karma whupping her upside the head and making her rething everything she believes about the OotS.

The primary one being- has she even opened her eyes from praying and glanced outside the window ONCE during the whole battle? Last time we saw her, she wasn't paying attention, so there's a high likelihood she isn't seeing or hearing anything that might change her mind.

[EvilElitest]

I'm pretty sure that she will fight in the coming battle, but most likely join LG
from,
EE

[The Extinguisher]

Hmm, Miko falls, only to redeem herself less than a hundred strips later. Seems kind of pointless.

No, Miko is set up to be an antagonist of the order long into the comic, possibly 'till the strip's end

No atonement for Miko, at least not for a long while.

[Gilligan]

I hate Miko too much as a person to allow this too happen. That's right. I will not allow this to happen.

[Jade_Tarem]

Atonement is... really not that easy.

The Giant has bent the rules before in the comic, but just scrapping the atonement rules altogether would be a little cheesy.

[TOAOMT]

I suppose, maybe she'd step in as a step toward atonement though. If Miko were going to enter the battle this seems like the only real plausible way for it to happen in my opinion without Xykon attacking the prison.

Also, I do believe that she will take a part in the fight. The Giant has already made a point to remind us all that she's in the area of the fight by having that arrow plink off the wall near her. As for the theory that she'll join the linear guild, that would in no way be in keeping with the way Miko's mind works. Miko fell because she thought people were evil that weren't, they didn't even show up on her alignment radar. There's no way she'd join up with people who both admit to being evil and show up on her radar, it just wouldn't happen. Still, my bet is that Rich is going to do something with Miko that we didn't see coming, but I still like my little theory.

[Droodle]

There's no way she'd join up with people who both admit to being evil and show up on her radar, it just wouldn't happen.What radar? Miko fell.

[Demented]

Thing is, attacking Xykon wouldn't be an atonement for Miko. Her crime ultimately came from her being smite-happy.

:miko: "It's evil!? SMITE EVIL!"

:elan: "No, I was only kidding! The table isn't evil!"

:miko: "...You tricked me into smiting something that isn't evil? You little demon! SMITE EVIL!"

Story-wise, Miko's atonement would come from learning not to be so smite-happy. Which isn't going to be demonstrated by smiting Xykon the moment she sees him, or from doing anything involving participating in the battle at hand.

Though, Miko doesn't need to redeem herself to be badass.
(Far from it!)