*SPOILER* Sealed Predictions Episode 2, etc.

[Max_Sinister]

So who's the monster in the strings? Some people mentioned the flying Spaghetti Monster and Barney... At first I had thought there might be a relationship with Xykon's monster under the umbrella, but now I guess it's more of your standard galaxy-eating super-monster.

[Ilaun_Undil]

I heard a good one about Elmo, but I'm pretty sure that will just end up cutting the strings of reality in order to stop the Knot of Doom.

[Amalthea]

Okay, I predict that each pantheon has one gate associated with it, with one extra gate (Dorukan's).

So, with the Southern Gods firmly associated with Shojo, and the Asgardian Pantheon almost certainly associated with Durkon...

What are your guesses for the other pantheon-gate-old adventurer associations? And Why?

[Nerd-o-rama]

This all assumes that the gates are associated with the Pantheons, which I'm not certain of.

Well, it's been widely guessed that there's a gate associated with with the Temple o' Thor, where Durkon's from. So that's the Northern Gate, likely associated with Kraagor, but not necessarilly.

The Southern Gate has almost got to be in or around Azure City, and associated with Soon. The Sapphire Guard likely exists to protect it.

That leaves the Greek and Mesopotamian Pantheons, and Girard and Lirian. Recapping, Lirian appears to be a Druid, and her gate was in the wilderness before it was destroyed in a forest fire. All we know about Girard* is that short women have a thing for him. Any speculation here would be pretty much a random guess.

*New speculation about Girard: He has not only a goatee, but an eye-area tattoo. Therefore, he is evil.

[Lao_Dragon_Ninja]

Well this should be fairly obvious but I think the ultimate evil snarl is the creature in the shadows. :o

Drat! Someone beat me to it.

[Nerd-o-rama]

More stuff. Stuff I should have posted here, just as I should have put my last post where this one was, but...oh never mind. I'm tired.


Everyone: rather obvious theory about the Snarl I feel like posting here: the magical portals, as sealed by the Five Gates, lead to the prison/abode of this massive malevolent Snarl in the fabric of reality. The Gates bind it, Xykon looks to free it, and while destroying Gates will not free it, it will weaken the fabric of reality by severing the large clumps of Reality Fabric flowing through the Gates.

I'm gonna go repost this in Sealed Predictions, as its slightly offtopic here.

[Amalthea]

This is my take on the Snarl. I had it in the thread on The Sneer, but realized there wasn't a spoiler tag. >:(

The below is in response to comments that the Mysterious Shadow Beast is too naive to be The Snarl:

It could be that The Snarl is beginning to manifest itself in the OotS's world. Possibly beginning with the destruction of Gate #1. Xykon and Redcloak's conversation seemed to indicate that the Mysterious Shadow Beast wasn't aroumd then.

And the MSB could have started out rather innocent and stupid and grow more malevolent and knowledgable as more gates are opened or destroyed.

And this would be why Xykon wanted to open the gates - to manifest the MSB and use the power of The Snarl to take over the OotSverse.

[Max_Sinister]

About V's gender: For a while I had thought the strip would end one day with V meeting his/her mate, who's exactly as gender-ambigous.

But now I had an idea: What if V's "mate" is really an Elvish woman so good-looking that Galadriel looks like a wallflower next to her, and V justifies himself like that: "If I ever had told you I had a wife, you would want to know how she looks, and never leave me alone but asking questions all the time."

[gadren]

This is my take on the Snarl. I had it in the thread on The Sneer, but realized there wasn't a spoiler tag. >:(

The below is in response to comments that the Mysterious Shadow Beast is too naive to be The Snarl:

It could be that The Snarl is beginning to manifest itself in the OotS's world. Possibly beginning with the destruction of Gate #1. Xykon and Redcloak's conversation seemed to indicate that the Mysterious Shadow Beast wasn't aroumd then.

And the MSB could have started out rather innocent and stupid and grow more malevolent and knowledgable as more gates are opened or destroyed.

And this would be why Xykon wanted to open the gates - to manifest the MSB and use the power of The Snarl to take over the OotSverse.
Heh, I came here to post exactly that. Looks like I was beat to it.

[Max_Sinister]

But if the monster in the shadow was the snarl - would Xykon really use it to fight the OOTS as he planned to do at first?

I simply cannot imagine. The SM has round yellow eyes, is neither very smart nor really evil. Nice idea, but I don't think it's right.

[Amalthea]

The SM has round yellow eyes, is neither very smart nor really evil. Nice idea, but I don't think it's right.
The MSB can have mean eyes. (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=23) But making mean eyes is a lot of effort

[Gralamin]

about starmetal: if snarl ripped up a planet in 27 minuintes, chances are their is peices still floating around, when those peices fall into world #2's gravitanitonal field, they fall down like a meteoroid. Starmetal is one that makes it to the ground.

[LurkerBeneath]

I just realized: the Snarl has 5 claws (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=274) and there are 5 gates, so presumably 5 planar rifts (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=275). Is there a different claw behind each gate? Did the Snarl tear open each rift with one of its claws?

[gadren]

Hey I don't know if this has been said before but, I'm thinking...
GIRARD BECAME XYKON!
Maybe its just me. But Girard has a goate, and a tatoo on his face, which means he's probably secretly evil. He was a teammate of Dorukan (and how many times have we seen that cliche before), and since his teammates were the ones who knew the most about the portals, it makes sense that he'd turn to the darkside to start his long campaign to bring back snarl through the five portals his former friends were in charge of.

[King_Troll]

So if the gates hold the rifts closed and the gate at Red Mountain was destroyed, does that mean that the rift is open, albeit under several hundred tons of rubble?

[Deuce]

Hey I don't know if this has been said before but, I'm thinking...
GIRARD BECAME XYKON!
Maybe its just me. But Girard has a goate, and a tatoo on his face, which means he's probably secretly evil. He was a teammate of Dorukan (and how many times have we seen that cliche before), and since his teammates were the ones who knew the most about the portals, it makes sense that he'd turn to the darkside to start his long campaign to bring back snarl through the five portals his former friends were in charge of.


Only if he suffered some massive memory loss on becoming a Lich, as he's needed to do a lot of research just to find each gate, and seems to know very little about their use.

[Amalthea]

Hey I don't know if this has been said before but, I'm thinking...
GIRARD BECAME XYKON!
Maybe its just me. But Girard has a goate, and a tatoo on his face, which means he's probably secretly evil. He was a teammate of Dorukan (and how many times have we seen that cliche before), and since his teammates were the ones who knew the most about the portals, it makes sense that he'd turn to the darkside to start his long campaign to bring back snarl through the five portals his former friends were in charge of.
Xykon didn't look anything LIKE Girard. (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=78)

[Amalthea]

from Wrecan
Who's to say the rift didn't manifest in a castle that already had a self-destruct mechanism in it? (And that's why they put the sign on it telling people never to activate it.)
It could have done just that, and it would explain the incongruity of having a self destruct rune with a sign that says "(Do Not Touch Ever.) (No Not Even Then.)"

In fact, that would explain why Dorukan joined up with the old adventuring party!

[Nutmegger]

So, I'm wondering if Lord Shojo will spare their lives on the condition that OotS will be sent back out with a magic comb to untangle the Snarl. ;D

[Tharr]

I wonder then if Xykon is related to anybody.

[Fishies]

I don't know if this has been mentioned before but...

there are five ordinary, valueless, grey rocks. There are five gates. Maybe they are connected? Maybe in the future, the OotS will guard the gates? Haley can record the locations in code...

Also...

the Monster in the Shadows might be the Snarl's... I dunno, spawn?

[Deuce]

I don't know if this has been mentioned before but...

there are five ordinary, valueless, grey rocks. There are five gates. Maybe they are connected? Maybe in the future, the OotS will guard the gates? Haley can record the locations in code...

Also...

the Monster in the Shadows might be the Snarl's... I dunno, spawn?

I don't know, I wouldn't get too hung up on the number 5. We *know* of five gates from the halflings journal. Other gates could have been built after that time - or perhaps other gates (or other means of stopping the fissures) may have been created elsewhere in the world (With Shojo only knowing of the ones raised by his group/organization). There were five plain rocks, because Haley had 5 party members to pull a con on. If she indeed happened to scoop up the "5 super-special rocks of Plot Device" then there should be some sort of "The gods have guided her hand" explanation (Haley the Prophetess??? Not quite as cool as a pirate, but . . . )

I guess I'd just be carefull about jumping on any numerology that seems significant without some more plot development. doing otherwise seems a little, hmmmm, Elan-ish maybe (Hey, 5 Gates? I've got five fingers on this hand, the gods have chosen me - and Banjo!!!!)

[Fishies]

(Hey, 5 Gates? I've got five fingers on this hand, the gods have chosen me - and Banjo!!!!)


3 fingers.*

[Deuce]

3 fingers.*

I know, just like when OotS and Linear Guild teamed up, he thought that all 10 of them (12 sweetie) would do better against Xykon. His counting checks are all untrained. ;)

[ARMOURERERIC]

You could be right, but Elan's and Haley's stories are so intertwined that it could be read either way.

Now, Elan's story got set up during Roy's story, and now we're dealing with the direct results of what Elan did during Roy's story.

But Haley's story is just now going thorugh a similar set up, while Elan's trial is going on. I think we'll get to Haley's story next, and that the two will have a considerable bit of overlap, because part of their individual stories involve each other.

I wanted to use your post as an intro to one of my long standing predictions:

Which is that Gerard is an ancestor to both Elan and Haley and they find their feelings are based on familial relation (ala Leia and Luke)

Eric

[LurkerBeneath]

Xykon (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=78): LukeElan, I am your father.

[Amalthea]

I wanted to use your post as an intro to one of my long standing predictions:

Which is that Gerard is an ancestor to both Elan and Haley and they find their feelings are based on familial relation (ala Leia and Luke)

Eric


It wouldn't be ala Leia and Luke, it'd be ala Arwen and Aragorn.

[Deuce]

Speaking of romantic entanglements and such, I'm predicting that Hilgya's return to the strip will have something to do with a little bundle of Dwarven joy? What's the gestation period for Dwarves anyway?

[DreamAtelier]

to paraphrase gimli...

dwarves don't gestate, they just spring out of the ground fully formed!

[Tharr]

Durkon becomes a daddy now pay a child support.

[Deuce]

And so with todays comic, Belkar moves one step closer to his actual goal - getting Miko into the OotS for good. He's stated that he llikes the challenge of commiting evil acts right under her nose, and getting away with it. I don't see a romance here (he'll let Roy chase that Dragon), but I think he's doing his own take on a subdual. Another pass or two on killing her and she'll pretty much be bound by the concept of honor to admit he's beaten her. If she realizes he's passing on chances to kill her, at some point it becomes dishonorable to refuse to do the same. There's still the whole dead guard thing, but I'm pulling for one of those nice high-level clerics to Raise him - no harm, no foul.

[nailohi8]

And so with todays comic, Belkar moves one step closer to his actual goal - getting Miko into the OotS for good.
are you crazy?

[Vaarsuvius_Prime]

This is just the most recent iteration of something that's been bugging me for a while. It's the "OMG Elan has something to do with the psionic race named Elan!!!1!" train of thought. Elan the character was introducded in September 2003. The XPH (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/966660000) was released in April 2004.

[/public service anoucement]



But I'm saying Girard...

[Deuce]

are you crazy?



Maybe, but not as crazy as Belkar. ;)

[Duric]

Belkar provokes Miko to lose her paladin status. Hence the sapphire guard is proven wrong according to the closing argument http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=282 Panel 6.3

My prediction is that Belkar unintentionally saves the day.

[Max_Sinister]

I predict Rich will unite the two stories somehow (Belkar-Miko resolved, Lord Shojo decides what to do with the OOTS next). We seem to be pretty close to that.

[Deuce]

Prediction about Elan's note. I think the note says something to the effect of "I was the one who touched the rune and destroyed the gate, punish me if you must, but let the others go." Still like the idea that the OotS will be sent to close the rifts and check on the other gates, but Elan will be sentenced, with the rest of the party making their decisions about going along with him.

Haley - a no brainer, she'll go.

Duekon - he'll go, even if he dosn't wanna go, cuz that's what being a Dwarf is all aboot.

Roy - will really think about not going (especially if he gets a Sending from Nale about his sis) but guilt will get him too.

V - Hey, there's still massive arcane power to fool around wit...erm, understand and control.

Belkar - in as long as there's something to kill

Miko - only along if Geased/on mission of atonement/keep the rest of the world safe from Belkar. May yet qualify as Belkar's "something to kill".

Celia - won't be along for the ride, but OotS will keep her on a Sending scroll speed dial for future legal trouble.

Hinjo - might be involved if Miko isn't. His level may be more compatable with the party, as his stick seems smaller and less obtrusive.

[Electric_Monkey]

And so with todays comic, Belkar moves one step closer to his actual goal - getting Miko into the OotS for good. He's stated that he llikes the challenge of commiting evil acts right under her nose, and getting away with it. I don't see a romance here (he'll let Roy chase that Dragon), but I think he's doing his own take on a subdual. Another pass or two on killing her and she'll pretty much be bound by the concept of honor to admit he's beaten her. If she realizes he's passing on chances to kill her, at some point it becomes dishonorable to refuse to do the same. There's still the whole dead guard thing, but I'm pulling for one of those nice high-level clerics to Raise him - no harm, no foul.

If she admits defeat by Belkar, will that cause her to fall? I'd say that a paladin probably has an obligation to fight to the death against Evil, and surrendering to an evil being would count as "knowingly associating with evil", but then again, I've never played or DMed for a paladin.

[Deuce]

If she admits defeat by Belkar, will that cause her to fall? I'd say that a paladin probably has an obligation to fight to the death against Evil, and surrendering to an evil being would count as "knowingly associating with evil", but then again, I've never played or DMed for a paladin.

Oh, she could end it sort of like the wonderful sword fight in "The Princess Bride" where Inygo knows he's beaten and asks the Man in Black to "Make it quick", at which point the Man in Black knocks him out. I'd imagine that would lead to Belkar dragging a bound-up Miko into the court room just in time for her to come to, and hear Shojo order her to travel with the OotS on the Great Rift Sealing Adventure. (At this point she'd probably ask Belkar to kill her again, and he, being very evil, will refuse ;D ).

[Sesquedoodle]

My first thought was that Elan would vote guilty. But not even Elan can be that stupid. Can he?

Ah, who am I kidding.

[Nitrof]

I think Mr. Scruffy will converse with the big guy and get him to call them guilty, but on probation w/ Hinjo as probation officer...

[Lady_Orc]

If she admits defeat by Belkar, will that cause her to fall? I'd say that a paladin probably has an obligation to fight to the death against Evil, and surrendering to an evil being would count as "knowingly associating with evil", but then again, I've never played or DMed for a paladin.

No, I don't think she should Fall in such a case - I don't believe a paladin is obliged to sacrifice her life, unless perhaps it is the only way to protect an innocent person. If she is defeated, refuses to surrender, and is killed, that will serve no paladinic purpose at all, she'll just be dead.

Sorry if that was rambling, I hope I managed to at least make it clear what I meant.

[Squeezal]

I wonder what would happen to the plot if the linear guild sent the message of roys sister to the Lich by accident?

[Jothki]

No, I don't think she should Fall in such a case - I don't believe a paladin is obliged to sacrifice her life, unless perhaps it is the only way to protect an innocent person. If she is defeated, refuses to surrender, and is killed, that will serve no paladinic purpose at all, she'll just be dead.

Sorry if that was rambling, I hope I managed to at least make it clear what I meant.


You know what would make a paladin fall, though? Attempting to slaughter someone out of pure hatred.

[Max_Sinister]

That gives me an idea:

Miko tries to slay Belkar because of pure hatred, thus losing her paladin powers immediately.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Prediction:

The Being of Pure Law and Good is not a Being of Pure Law and Good.

[Amalthea]

Prediction:

Some other faction has already come into control of the Azure gate, and is manipulating the Azure Guard.

There were plenty of other groups in the flashbacks that were seeking to use the gates for their own purposes.

Alternatively, the Snarl itself may have freed itself at the Azure gate, and is using the Azure guard to bring about the other gates destruction so it can free itself.


Either way, my money is on Hinjo being the chief maninpulator. He's exceptionally charming, everyone likes him, and that makes me think something is up.

[Max_Sinister]

Note he has a goatee! And we all know what this means (except that he might look much better without it ;D )

[Garron]

This is my first post and i wanted to say, wow predictions/the cleverness of others is what dragged me into here.

Firstly, on the translation

"Wait - Elan, what did you just say?"

"Oh my gods, Elan! That's it! Elan, you're a genius!"

In reference to Elan's comment on looks being decieving is some GREAT foreshadowing of a potential revelation and my train of thought goes two ways.

The first is that the "lawful" being is actually some form of fiend, this is just based on my own hopes for an epic fight. Apart from the firey glowing sword and the red wings AND text there is nothing to back this up (but it would be cool).

The second was theorised by someone who's post i can't find now (arg, come forward if you want to). That Mr. Scruffy was in fact the elven druid in the original party which sealed in the Snarl. If you can find their post (damn lack of sleep) they came up with very reasonable ideas/facts to back up this potential character revelation.

Either of these would be cool (although Mr. Burlew has enough on his plate in terms of side characters at the moment so introducing a fiend would not be likely).

GREAT COMIC!

[Winged One]

Nobody's yet posted here that Miko's speech in 285 is likely to send her on the road to Blackguardhood? Tsk, tsk, what's the world coming to? Well, I am of said opinion, in case my sarcasm confused anybody.

[Sesquedoodle]

Whether or not Hinjo turns out to be evil, I bet he'll be important in some way. Just because it would be strange to have a character mentioned and hanging around so much but not actually play a role.

[Aeek]

The OOTS was just found not guilty. That includes Belkar.
He killed the guard before the verdict.
So there should be no next trial, he's already being found not guilty !

[Gorm_the_DBA]

Pretty straightforward from here, really...

The Powers That Be (which is the cat, really) wants OOTS to go and check on (at least one of) the other gates.

Roy says "Okay, but on one condition, unconditional pardon for Belkar, he's on my team, I need him, and I'll take care of him. You can rez the killed guard, no harm no foul"

Cut to the next plotline.

Boom, next problem.

[Nerd-o-rama]

The OOTS was just found not guilty. That includes Belkar.
He killed the guard before the verdict.
So there should be no next trial, he's already being found not guilty !
Even with Azure City's rather silly legal system, this still (probably) doesn't fly; the murder of Sir Redshirt is an entirely seperate crime from Weakening the Fabric of the Universe, and means a seperate trial.

I predict though, that some deus ex machina prevents a verdict from being rendered on Belkar (e.g. Xykon and his Horde,) or the Being of Pure Law and Good really is a Fiend in disguise, as theorized by many earlier, for various reasons.

[Deuce]

As to the Belkar murder charge, I'm going with "the guard has been raised - Belkar is hearby ordered to either pay restitution for the cost of the spell and level-loss damages, or (2 options here) A.) Join with the OotS in a quest to defend the remaining gates, and replace those destroyed . . . or . . . B.) Be hearby exiled from the lands of Azure City to suffer harsh consequences should he ever return.

Whatever the reason, it will be dispensed with quickly by Shojo, in order to get the plot moving along again.

[tis_tom]

About Hinjo- it was mentioned in strip 277 that he was the heir to the Shojo throne, as he was Shojo's nephew, maybe this plays a part in the story?- after all Xykon will be attacking soon (in theory), maybe Shojo is about to die :(

In addition to this I reckon either the stick will save Miko's life from Xykon- thus making her reconsider their 'choosing evil over good' opinion, or, Miko might save their lives, proving that she's truly lawful good, just a total bitch sometimes :P

[Deuce]

I'm hoping we do get to see Miko fall at some point - not that I hate her, but that I see some real good funny between her and Windstriker whould it come to that. Would it be like an awkward lay-off, would the horse be bitter? Would Windstriker wait faithfully for Miko's atonement, or go pick up work elsewhere - oooh, good idea, Miko atones, summons Windstriker and finds Hinjo on Windstriker's back . . .

[Electric_Monkey]

I see Belkar being completely absent from the strip until the party are clear of Azure City, then being caught by Roy while trying to sneak up on the OOTS camp.

Roy: Belkar! You're free - did Lord Shojo pardon you?

Flashback of Belkar running through Azure City with a trail of dead guards in his wake

Belkar: um.....yes

[Deuce]

I see Belkar being completely absent from the strip until the party are clear of Azure City, then being caught by Roy while trying to sneak up on the OOTS camp.

Roy: Belkar! You're free - did Lord Shojo pardon you?

Flashback of Belkar running through Azure City with a trail of dead guards in his wake

Belkar: um.....yes

Ooohh, good - only:

A) I doubt Roy would ever catch Belkar sneaking (of course, Belkar couldn't catch Belkar sneaking either)

B) Belkar would most likely breeze into camp with a "Hey there, ya miss me?" and act like it was no big deal that he was gone.

But the flashback idea is great.

[Archangel62]

Another possibility that I could see is a sort of 'amazing race' bit going with Belkar hiding with the rest of the OotS in order to get away from the tracking Miko.

Reason I put this is that if she sees Belkar leaving she might think that he's sneaking away, not improbable given what she knows of him. Unless she's stopped I could imagine her tracking him and the order, possibly leading the way to some interesting NPC interactions

[tis_tom]

hey here's an idea about one of the gates- could one be in the dwarven homelands?- it was said that Durkon would bring all these troubles with him should he return, and if there was a gate there then Durkon visiting them might happen to coincide with Xykon attacking it.

It would kinda wrap up that plot line

[Nerd-o-rama]

or the Being of Pure Law and Good really is a Fiend in disguise, as theorized by many earlier, for various reasons.
Eh, I was close.

And I'm fairly certain that Kraagor's Tomb is at least near the Dwarven Homelands.

[AngieL]

I agree about the flashback. great stuff!!!



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