On the topic of altitude and pulmonary condensation.

[7RED7]

Since strip #992 the characters (with the exception of Durkula) have had cold climate breath condensation added to their art when outside. It should now be possible to reliably see the difference between a character who is and is not breathing (with some allowance granted for non-humanoids with different physiology), and possibly detect invisible characters hiding in the strip from their breath.

How do you think this will affect Durkula's ability to carry out his schemes?

How do you think this will interact, if at all, with Belkar's prophecy of taking his last breath?

What else might come into play plot-wise from this?

[LuisDantas]

How do you think this will affect Durkula's ability to carry out his schemes?

Not much in the short term. His vampiric status is probably already acknowledged by the Moot. And were he to become invisible, one has to assume that True Seeing is widely available among the present clerics. I don't expect the HPoH to attempt to hide.

Besides, #994 shows that the effect does not happen inside the building. Roy even takes his winter cap off.



How do you think this will interact, if at all, with Belkar's prophecy of taking his last breath?

I don't expect it to. I expect Belkar to actually die, albeit not for a while yet.

[Onyavar]

How do you think this will interact, if at all, with Belkar's prophecy of taking his last breath?


I just think it's art and a nice touch.

And even if Hpoh vampirizes Belkar (Belkar is not a representative, and belongs to Hpohs delegation, so it's officially up to Hpoh how he treats them), he will keep the minion close to himself and not send the guy outside.

Also, even if Belkar draws his last breath before end of the year (solstice = end of year?), and becomes a vampire, he also isn't long for this world. I hope that includes his body. While Durkula is kinda okay as character (most-hated character since Miko I guess?), Belkula would be unbearable for the readers.

[Peelee]

While Durkula is kinda okay as character (most-hated character since Miko I guess?), Belkula would be unbearable for the readers.

A.) I don't get the impression that the vampire is hated very much at all.

2.) Why would a vampirized Belkar be unbearable? You have no idea what he'd be like.

[Onyavar]

A.) I don't get the impression that the vampire is hated very much at all.

2.) Why would a vampirized Belkar be unbearable? You have no idea what he'd be like.

While Durkon really needed a break from life to finally get some character growth (I think everyone could see that), I can't imagine a forumer who won't cheer once that break is over, though I think it will be a while. Hpoh is truly unsympathetic. Besides being an evil abomination, he appears to be pedantic, witless and seems to have a snake mentality. Unless Hpoh reveals new exciting character traits now that he doesn't need to pretend anymore, I'm hoping that Durkon is revived before book 6 ends.

But you're actually right on all accounts. I shouldn't assume my opinion to be a majority one, and I can't speak for all of the forum, and we don't even know how Belkar would be in that case.

[Reddish Mage]

Your absolutely right. Durkon was so generic a personality that when asked to "identify a trait that distinguishes him from every other dwarf" no one could. Until recently, Durkon had no family, nothing adding substance to his desire to go home, always second to the mission at hand anyway...he lacked any real substance as a character.

Belkar, on the other hand, is in the middle of a growth arc, and getting vamp' dis an utterly nonsensical interruption of that growth.

Belkar conclusion of growth can only be by becoming a truly better person...through action or through his death.

[LuisDantas]

I like Durkula better than I ever liked Belkar, although I will readily grant that he is indeed growing as a character and has, in fact, become bearable as of the last 100-150 strips.

If I could go on reading at the time when he was freed from the Greater Mark of Justice, I can go on reading if he becomes a vampire. Although I doubt that will happen and I hope it does not.

[littlebum2002]

How do you think this will interact, if at all, with Belkar's prophecy of taking his last breath?


Somehow, I doubt that the fact that we can now see Belkar's breath will affect the prophecy that involves him stopping breathing.

[Wereboar_It]

Since strip #992 the characters (with the exception of Durkula) have had cold climate breath condensation added to their art when outside. It should now be possible to [...] detect invisible characters hiding in the strip from their breath.


nitpicking: I don't think that's how invisibility works. The illusion hides from the view of others all the signs commonly associated with one's presence.

[Gift Jeraff]

I find it hard to hate Durkula when he's effectively a non-character. His first appearances were as an amusing yet generic undead thrall, indistinguishable from Tsukiko's wights, and this personality seems to have ceased to exist. Then between killing Z and draining Laurin, he did nothing but stand around and take orders from Roy. And since the reveal, half of his appearances have been a fake personality, and the other half has been negatively commenting on Durkon's memories.

Not complaining about the character, as I think the blank slate personality is an intentional plot point.