The Fate of Hinjo and O-Chul [SPOILERS]

[Grey Watcher]

So, I'm curious, what do you guys think will happen to Hinjo and O-Chul now that the Gate is destroyed, the Sapphire Guard (except a few "newbies" Hinjo assigned to general defense) obliterated, and the city in flames?

The obvious answer for Hinjo, at least, might be "rebuild the Azure City." Except will he even be allowed to? Remember, the nobility abandoned him because he refused to parley with Xykon, despite knowing what Xykon wanted. So now they can come back mop up the now leaderless hobgoblins and blame everything on Hinjo. Against that, he'll likely be banished, if not sentenced to death. And, of course, O-Chul, the Order, and everyone else associated with him won't be too welcome either.

So, assuming they're booted out of their hometown, and everything else they've devoted their lives to is destroyed, what's left for them? Do they become Ronin/Knights-errant, wandering the land ni search of wrongs to right? They can't take up a collection for rebuilding the gate, because, well, I think their oath of secrecy still applies. So that leaves them precious little.

[Hel65]

O-Chul won't make it back to the good guys alive I think.

Hinjo will lead the OotS now in Roy's stead, because something will prevent Roy's (quick) resurrection and Xykon's must be stopped.

[Ink]

I think there is good reason for Hinjo, at least, to leave Azure City. There is nothing left for him there, the Sapphire Guard has been completely destroyed and so too the Gate. Daimyo Kubota has already tried to assassinate him once, and no doubt will try again if Hinjo remains on the throne. Hinjo will be almost defenceless if the nobles revolt against him now since pretty much all the guards that were loyal to him have been killed in the war.

Perhaps he'll play the classic deposed prince trick and pretend to be dead. He was last seen falling off the outer wall of the city as far as anyone knows. The only people who know he's still alive are the OotS and the two guards, and they'd probably keep the secret. As for where he'd go, I don't think he'd join the OotS per se, but maybe he could help them for a while? The OotS would be off to Girard's Gate, I wonder now that Soon's Gate and the Sapphire Guard are gone whether his Sapphire oath to not interfere with the other gates still holds.

[Victor Thorian]

If Hinjo gets banished by other nobles, he can join Oots. Since vultures ate Roy anyway. - don't take this too seriously though, but as Miko died ( no one expected her to die - I don't think this is impossible. The comic has evolved a lot since the first strips, it doesn't focus on making jokes about DnD rules anymore, there's major storytelling involved. Also, Giant likes to do things people think as unimagineable on regular basis.

[lonewolf23k]

There's one big problem with the idea of Hinjo joining the Order of the Stick..

And it's name is Belkar.

See, Belkar, in spite of his numerous defenders claiming otherwise, is EVIL. And the Paladin's Code clearly states a Paladin cannot knowingly associate with someone with an Evil alignment, or who constantly offends his moral code.

So if Hinjo joins the Order, then the rest of the Order is going to have to run themselves ragged trying to keep him from discovering Belkar's true alignment.

...Of course, that in itself might be very entertaining...

[MReav]

Actually, the whole of the Sapphire Guard wasn't obliterated. In fact, there are "many" survivors, since they were out of the city on missions when it was attacked.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0413.html

However, the Sapphire Guard is technically no more, since there isn't a Sapphire to Guard. What are they going to call themselves now? (Paladins can't lie and that name is no longer accurate, but they might just grandfather the name in).

[Twilight Jack]

Well, if Hinjo gathers up the remaining Paladins and leads them on a crusade to protect the next gate on the list, they could call themselves Girard's Guard. That has a nice ring to it.

[Admiral_Kelly]

There's one big problem with the idea of Hinjo joining the Order of the Stick..

And it's name is Belkar.

See, Belkar, in spite of his numerous defenders claiming otherwise, is EVIL. And the Paladin's Code clearly states a Paladin cannot knowingly associate with someone with an Evil alignment, or who constantly offends his moral code.

So if Hinjo joins the Order, then the rest of the Order is going to have to run themselves ragged trying to keep him from discovering Belkar's true alignment.

...Of course, that in itself might be very entertaining...Burlew might not be so strict as a DM. He may say that Hinjo can associate with Belkar and retain his palidin code "for the greater good".

Also, paladins are not aloud to associate with someone he knows to be evil, and Hinjo believes Belkar to be reformed (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0420.html). So as long as Hinjo doesn't put two and two together and discover Belkar's true alignment what he doesn't know won't hurt him. It's not very far-fetched that the Order would be able to keep this a secret from him (hilarity would certainly ensue, I know that much).

Also, can Hinjo tolerate Belkar and still be a palidin? Such as upon seeing that Belkar is truly evil could he simply not associate with him without going into a homicidal rage? Hinjo could simply separate himself from Belkar and be of the same party. (Remember, Hinjo is not Miko.)

I'm not saying that Hinjo will join the OotS (although that would be kickass in my opinion) but I also wouldn't dismiss the theory off the bat.

[Lord_Butters_I]

I honestly think Hinjo will join the OOTS. Rich has put some major character development into Hinjo, and it would supprise me quite a bit if he let a major character disappear into the folds of history. He may not actually join the OOTS, but he will persist beyond the battle of Azure City.

[PaladinFreak]

I could see Hinjo staying (at least temporarily) with the Order, even after Roy gets Resurrected. That would be cool, as he is pretty much my ideal of a Paladin.

[Tirian]

Well, if Hinjo gathers up the remaining Paladins and leads them on a crusade to protect the next gate on the list, they could call themselves Girard's Guard. That has a nice ring to it.

The Sapphire Guard seems to have two principles: protecting their gate and not meddling in the affairs of the other gates.

The order will fold without a sapphire to guard, and the paladins will move on to serving the Twelve Gods in a different capacity. Which, for quite a long time, will probably be the reconstruction of Azure City.

[David Argall]

I honestly think Hinjo will join the OOTS. Rich has put some major character development into Hinjo, and it would supprise me quite a bit if he let a major character disappear into the folds of history. He may not actually join the OOTS, but he will persist beyond the battle of Azure City.

That is what he just did. Miko ranks as arguably the major NPC. Only Nale has appeared more often, and that only if we count the offline stuff. She appears far more often than Hinjo does, and is more plot central when she does. Many of Hinjo's appearances are as exposition or as scenery. Miko is involved in the actual deeds when she is onstage.
Now she is dead, quite permanently so. The scene is just wrong otherwise. Granted our author has this urge to fool us, but there were so many ways to put in "I'll be back" hints. Instead we get "I can live with that", which means being passive, and not coming back.

So Hinjo has no immunity at all, and he has a host of reasons to stay with the city. Nor does he provide much of anything to the party. Miko did, but he is just another straight man and Roy will fill that role. Unless the OOTS stays in the city, you will be seeing pretty much the last of Hinjo pretty soon.

[Admiral_Kelly]

David, I would think that given extenuating circumstances, the Sapphire Guard can change its goals. This is shown when O-Chul went to destroy the gate given that it would be better than Xycon getting at it.

The Gate is destroyed. Most of the Guard is dead. Azure City is in ruins and under the rule of Hobgoblins. Other factions of Azure City are going to try and take it back. It is not unreasonable to say that Hinjo might join with the Order for awhile either to stay low and/or to help prevent Xycon from taking over the world.

[Wyrd]

In the eventuality the Hobgoblins do not make Azure City their new capital and decide to move on to Girard's Gate, letting the Azurites come back, I personnaly predict :

- Hinjo will be kicked off his throne by Azurite Nobles. After all his army is now composed of 1 seriously damaged Paladin who might not survive waking up next to MotD and 2 nameless soldiers.
- O-Chul will be sent off to muster the few paladins that were too far away from the city to get slaughtere.. hum to help in the defense of the Gate and prepare them for later, either defense of a Gate or action againt Team Evil.
- With Roy feeding the vultures, Hinjo will become the new meatshield of the OotS

[Twilight Jack]

The Sapphire Guard seems to have two principles: protecting their gate and not meddling in the affairs of the other gates.

The order will fold without a sapphire to guard, and the paladins will move on to serving the Twelve Gods in a different capacity. Which, for quite a long time, will probably be the reconstruction of Azure City.

Yes, but as I pointed out previously, the oath not to meddle becomes void the moment that the Guard receives any sort of proof that a danger exists to all the gates. I find it improbable that a group of Paladins are going to contemplate the destruction of the world and say, "Well, our job was just the gate in Azure City. Xykon trying to rule the world using one of the other gates? Not my problem."

[teratorn]

So, I'm curious, what do you guys think will happen to Hinjo and O-Chul now that the Gate is destroyed, the Sapphire Guard (except a few "newbies" Hinjo assigned to general defense) obliterated, and the city in flames?

I would like to see Lien arriving with a few boats full of warriors to take the city back from the hobgoblins. That would be so cool!

If that happens I view a problem with Belkar though. He would need to stay one year in prison. Now for some reason Rich is attached to the little bag of ****. So you're probably right and something will happen to keep Hinjo out of the throne. Hinjo may in fact join the order just to keep an eye on Belkar.

[Dusk_Rider]

I doubt that Roy will stay perminently dead. He's sort of the main character, after all. I think that Hinjo will hang with the OotS until Roy gets resurrected, after which he will go and rejoin O-chul (who has been rallying the remains of the Sapphire Guard).

[AyuVince]

Every time someone makes a "Hinjo will join the OotS" thread, God kills a webcomic. Please think of the webcomics.

[Ladorak]

Many webcomics that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, OotS forum?

[MReav]

Every time someone makes a "Hinjo will join the OotS" thread, God kills a webcomic. Please think of the webcomics.

Honestly, if the spritecomic Nintendo Vs Sega were still around, I'd start as many threads about that I could have gotten away with in the hopes of taking it down.

[Alysar]

O-Chul is ALIVE, people.

Xs in the eyes are, first and foremost, a way of letting the reader know that the character is dead. Their being a comical physiological effect that other characters can actually see is a secondary function. If O-Chul were dead, Rich would have drawn his eyes as Xs, paralyzation or no paralyzation.

[MReav]

O-Chul is ALIVE, people.

Xs in the eyes are, first and foremost, a way of letting the reader know that the character is dead. Their being a comical physiological effect that other characters can actually see is a secondary function. If O-Chul were dead, Rich would have drawn his eyes as Xs, paralyzation or no paralyzation.

And he'd still look pissed. The incomic people would still need a DC 20 Spot or DC 15 Heal check to notice the X's, though.

[David Argall]

David, I would think that given extenuating circumstances, the Sapphire Guard can change its goals. This is shown when O-Chul went to destroy the gate given that it would be better than Xycon getting at it.
This was always part of its goals. Properly speaking, the Gate was merely a means to an end, and not a goal of the SG at all. They are there to guard the Rend, which was best done by preserving the Gate.


The Gate is destroyed. Most of the Guard is dead. Azure City is in ruins and under the rule of Hobgoblins. Other factions of Azure City are going to try and take it back.
This all describes how much work the paladins need to do here, and how vital it is that they stay at the city and replace the Gate.


It is not unreasonable to say that Hinjo might join with the Order for awhile either to stay low and/or to help prevent Xycon from taking over the world.
Laying low is not a proper paladin tactic. Maybe if he is forced into it, but otherwise...

But we still have clear and definite duties for Hinjo here, and no good reason for him to join this party of adventurers.

Not to mention no good story reason. Replace Roy? Roy is not going to need replacement. He has to come back. When you come down to it, none of the other members of the party have that much reason to go chasing off after the lich. He is the one with the motive. The rest are more or less just his hirelings. Absent his leadership, they have good reasons not to try this highly dangerous task.
Nor have we been properly prepared for a final Roy death. It simply does not fit.

And as noted, we have the Belkar problem. The lead sheet was a good gag with Miko. It would not fit with Hinjo. We like seeing Miko frustrated and fooled. We just don't laugh at Hinjo making the same mistake. [Again, we see where Miko joining the party makes much more sense than Hinjo] So you really have a choice of Belkar or Hinjo, and that doesn't require any consideration.

Hinjo is goin to stay behind and wave to the party as it sails off to the next gate.

[Chronos]

Daimyo Kubota has already tried to assassinate him once, and no doubt will try again if Hinjo remains on the throne.Oh, Hinjo's definitely not going to stay on the throne. Because it's in several pieces, and covered with bits of Miko. I mean, eww.

More seriously, we've already seen that the Sapphire Guard, under the terms of their oath, were allowed to range far and wide to eliminate potential threats to their Gate. Well, Xykon is still a potential threat to the Gate (er, rift, now), so Hinjo could join a group that's going after Xykon without even modifying the terms of his duty, so long as he goes after him somewhere other than one of the other Gates.