Sea Trolls (SPOILER)

[VetMichael]

So, now that the Sea Trolls have attacked, how does Therakla fit into all this? Is she a Sea Half-Orc ninja (that's SOOO cool, remind me to make a character like that) or is her employer able to organize a raid by Sea Trolls? Or is it a move by another AC faction? Or is it all a strange coincidence? Is the attack a distraction to get the OOTS characters away from Hinjo?

And why Sea Trolls and not Sahaugin or Locatha? Will it affect the direction of battle?

Will there be witty repartee between Elan and the Trolls? Do the trolls need to understand his witticisms in order for his Dashing Swordsman bonuses to work?

[Avardion]

Will there be witty repartee between Elan and the Trolls? Do the trolls need to understand his witticisms in order for his Dashing Swordsman bonuses to work?

Yes. It was determined in a previous comic (478) that Elan did not gain his Charisma bonus during the battle because the Demonic Octopus could not understand him.

[Occasional Sage]

So, now that the Sea Trolls have attacked, how does Therakla fit into all this? Is she a Sea Half-Orc ninja (that's SOOO cool, remind me to make a character like that) or is her employer able to organize a raid by Sea Trolls? Or is it a move by another AC faction? Or is it all a strange coincidence? Is the attack a distraction to get the OOTS characters away from Hinjo?

And why Sea Trolls and not Sahaugin or Locatha? Will it affect the direction of battle?

Will there be witty repartee between Elan and the Trolls? Do the trolls need to understand his witticisms in order for his Dashing Swordsman bonuses to work?

Personally, I'm hoping for half-sea-troll, but maybe that's just me.

I doubt this is a coincidence, given the black-and-red dialogue recently. My money's on the sea trolls being the effect of a Monster Summoning (whatever) by the boss. And yeah, the goal is (implicitly) to isolate Hinjo prior to an assassination. I wouldn't look too deeply into the Giant's motivation to choose sea trolls over anything else, though. They look cool, what else do you need?

[Greg]

Yes. It was determined in a previous comic (478) that Elan did not gain his Charisma bonus during the battle because the Demonic Octopus could not understand him.

Unless Elan speaks Giant (unlikely, as Haley has more bonus languages (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0247.html) than him).

[*Templar*]

I must be dense. It never occurred to me that the sea trolls were part of a coordinated attack by Kubota or anyone else until I read people suggesting it here. I figured they were just a random encounter of some sort. Personally, I think it would be more interesting to have a sort of three-way battle, with the OOTS and remnant AC forces duking it out with the trolls and Therkla trying to carry out her own mission in the midst of it, possibly having to take on both sides at different times as they get in her way.

[VetMichael]

Ooooh! I like that idea!

[Holammer]

Remember the drake that spoke lizard? I'm sure there will be enough trolls speaking common so Elan can dispense his witty repartee.

[*Templar*]

Well, just because I stupidly forgot that the telepath said he was "ordering the attack" doesn't mean my scenario is impossible. It may be that his telepathic control on the trolls is somewhat tenuous and not precise enough to prevent them from getting in Therkla's way even while they're supposed to be a diversion for her (presumable) assassination attempt.

[VetMichael]

which just goes to prove my theory about an Aboleth attempting to turn AC into an underwater lair with level-appropriate encounters and inexplicably hoarded treasure is on the right track!!!

And Thereakla CAN be a Sea Half-Orc afterall!!!



YAY! I'm Participating!

[MCerberus]

Sea Trolls
Sea Trolls run
run Trolls, run

okay I had to...


Therkla is likely to use the distraction to attack.

[Crimson Avenger]

Wow, and here I had given up hope of ever seeing a **** and jane refference on the boards.

Bravo!

[bluish_wolf]

I must be dense. It never occurred to me that the sea trolls were part of a coordinated attack by Kubota or anyone else until I read people suggesting it here. I figured they were just a random encounter of some sort. Personally, I think it would be more interesting to have a sort of three-way battle, with the OOTS and remnant AC forces duking it out with the trolls and Therkla trying to carry out her own mission in the midst of it, possibly having to take on both sides at different times as they get in her way.

I was under the impression that the assassins were merely waiting for a random encounter before striking. There's always at least one per voyage, after all. Not more than that, though, since random encounters are boring and whatnot.

[*Templar*]

I was under the impression that the assassins were merely waiting for a random encounter before striking. There's always at least one per voyage, after all. Not more than that, though, since random encounters are boring and whatnot.

My initial thoughts were along those lines as well, but when you remember that in 503, the telepath says that he's going to "order the attack," it seems fairly clear that he's responsible for the sea trolls. Unless, of course, he was referring to ordering some other attack and the trolls really are just a random unforeseen encounter...in which case things get REALLY interesting.

[Chronos]

Wow, and here I had given up hope of ever seeing a **** and jane refference on the boards.Methinks the automated censor might be just a touch too sensitive.

If it makes you feel any better, I've also seen

c:\dos\
c:\dos\run\
\run\dos\run\

[AyuVince]

Methinks the automated censor might be just a touch too sensitive.

It censors that word? Nickname for Richard? So much for my plans to open a discussion thread about the U.S. vice president.

As for the sea troll raid.. even if it was not planned or provoked by Therkla's superiors, she can (and will) use the ensuing chaos to her advantage. Dun dun DUUUN!

[VetMichael]

It censors that word? Nickname for Richard? So much for my plans to open a discussion thread about the U.S. vice president.

As for the sea troll raid.. even if it was not planned or provoked by Therkla's superiors, she can (and will) use the ensuing chaos to her advantage. Dun dun DUUUN!

You mean to sweep Elan off his feet and spirit him away to her Sea half-Orc love nest? Ooooohhhh! that'd be AWESOME!

[TRM]

You mean to sweep Elan off his feet and spirit him away to her Sea half-Orc love nest? Ooooohhhh! that'd be AWESOME!
You beat me to it VetMichael! The first thing I thought when I saw Ayuvince's post was: ...use the ensuing chaos to romance Elan.

[Occasional Sage]

You beat me to it VetMichael! The first thing I thought when I saw Ayuvince's post was: ...use the ensuing chaos to romance Elan.

Just how euphemistic is "romance" in that sentence? There's only limited time during battle, and I'm reminded of the House of Horrors thread, where it discusses Haley's "sneak attack" of Sabine.

Change that to "kidnap and romance" and we're back on classic storytelling ground, albeit with the typical gender roles reversed. That's very in keeping with Rich's style.

[*Templar*]

We've already done the "Elan gets taken prisoner by a hottie female bad guy" story once, a loooooong time ago. It's not like Rich to repeat himself so uncreatively.

[VetMichael]

We've already done the "Elan gets taken prisoner by a hottie female bad guy" story once, a loooooong time ago. It's not like Rich to repeat himself so uncreatively.

While I appreciate Rich's humor and sense of parody, there is something to be said about stock characters engaging in stock situations, just with different players and a slightly different outcome (like "Dangerprone" Daphne from Scooby Doo). Besides, Elan was kidnapped by the forest bandits to which you alluded, AND was kidnapped by Nale in Cliffport (certainly for different reasons) so he MIGHT be kidnapped again. OOTS battled Xykon in front of a Gate in the early days, and again just before the fall of AC. etc. etc. etc.


besides, if I can't engage in a little speculative fiction now and again why did I pay top dollar for this mint-condition imagination on eBay? :smallbiggrin:

[Mordan]

You're all assuming you know who the ninja is, and who the ninja is speaking with.... to take this ballgame in a different direction, the ninja could be telepathically speaking with Sabine/Nale and could simply be a new recruit to the Linear Guild. And the reason the discussin about how cute Elan is could simply be disgust over that the fact that the ninja did not find Nale to be a hottie (I can just hear Sabine now, "But, they're twins!")

[Occasional Sage]

You're all assuming you know who the ninja is, and who the ninja is speaking with.... to take this ballgame in a different direction, the ninja could be telepathically speaking with Sabine/Nale and could simply be a new recruit to the Linear Guild. And the reason the discussin about how cute Elan is could simply be disgust over that the fact that the ninja did not find Nale to be a hottie (I can just hear Sabine now, "But, they're twins!")

Have a look at Therakla's first appearance in At the End of the Day (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0484.html); the telepath is working with Kubota, who is from Azure City. Nale has been in AC's jail until after Kubota left. It can't be Sabine, either; her speech isn't in anything but the standard white and black, nor is that of her masters (I'll add a link to that page when I get around to finding it, unless somebody else is on it first).

It's a safe bet that the faceless player coordinating Therakla's and Kubota's actions is a completely new cast member.

EDIT: Here it is. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0380.html) The speech certainly looks to be the same type, but not one of the guys who spoke.

[....]

We've already done the "Elan gets taken prisoner by a hottie female bad guy" story once, a loooooong time ago. It's not like Rich to repeat himself so uncreatively.

Oh really? (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0471.html)

[*Templar*]

Oh really? (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0471.html)

The thing is that I really don't think the incidents Elan refers to are very similar at all.

Besides, those are "B-plots." Having Elan get kidnapped by a female villain was already an "A-plot" and would be one again if the idea got re-used.

[VetMichael]

I'm telling you it's an Aboleth! they're psychic, intelligent, and EVIL !!!! :smallsmile: :smallsmile: :smallsmile: :smallsmile:

I'm plotlining!!!

[Twisted Otaku]

I was under the impression that the assassins were merely waiting for a random encounter before striking. There's always at least one per voyage, after all. Not more than that, though, since random encounters are boring and whatnot.


If you think how clever and devious Kubota and his companions are doesn't it seem likely that they'd order an attack to make it seem like a random encounter, if only to provide momentary confusion, and a moment is all a skilled assassin needs.

[JMobius]

An Alboleth seems unlikely to me. Its been a while, but from what I recall, they view ALL life as inferior. Any sort of alliance with the sinister noble or the ninja seems unlikely, they only go for magically dominated slaves.

[Setra]

Yes. It was determined in a previous comic (478) that Elan did not gain his Charisma bonus during the battle because the Demonic Octopus could not understand him.
Are you sure? It doesn't seem like that was true to me.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

I'm telling you it's an Aboleth! they're psychic, intelligent, and EVIL !!!! :smallsmile: :smallsmile: :smallsmile: :smallsmile:

I'm plotlining!!!

I like that idea as well! Are aboleths OGL? Rich has used distinctive non-OLG monsters, but only as a joke about not being able to use non-OGL mosnters.

I've played/read/DMed several published adventured where the aboleths (usually a single individual) uses outside non-enslaved individuals as agents for its plans and desires.

Some of the "protected by copyright" monsters seem to be relatively "generic," with Yuan-ti first leaping to mind. Snake men/monsters? Seems a bit common knowledge to be "we invented them, and you can't use them without our express written permission!"

[Setra]

Some of the "protected by copyright" monsters seem to be relatively "generic," with Yuan-ti first leaping to mind. Snake men/monsters? Seems a bit common knowledge to be "we invented them, and you can't use them without our express written permission!"
Goblins has a Yuan-Ti

[Greg]

I like that idea as well! Are aboleths OGL? Rich has used distinctive non-OLG monsters, but only as a joke about not being able to use non-OGL mosnters.

I've played/read/DMed several published adventured where the aboleths (usually a single individual) uses outside non-enslaved individuals as agents for its plans and desires.

Some of the "protected by copyright" monsters seem to be relatively "generic," with Yuan-ti first leaping to mind. Snake men/monsters? Seems a bit common knowledge to be "we invented them, and you can't use them without our express written permission!"

Aboleths are in the SRD, Yuan-ti aren't.

[Vectner]

Goblins has a Yuan-Ti


He is a lizardman.

[Setra]

He is a lizardman.
He? The Yuan-Ti is female, her name is Kin.

Heck, she's even called a Yuan-Ti in the strip!

See? (http://goblinscomic.com/d/20061022.html)

[VetMichael]

I like that idea as well! Are aboleths OGL? Rich has used distinctive non-OLG monsters, but only as a joke about not being able to use non-OGL mosnters.

I've played/read/DMed several published adventured where the aboleths (usually a single individual) uses outside non-enslaved individuals as agents for its plans and desires.

Some of the "protected by copyright" monsters seem to be relatively "generic," with Yuan-ti first leaping to mind. Snake men/monsters? Seems a bit common knowledge to be "we invented them, and you can't use them without our express written permission!"

Well, if Sea Trolls are OGL and Aboleths are, I'm gonna stop playing AD&D with randomly-scattered Aboleths in them (Players:"What do you mean there's an Aboleth? it's the middle of the frickin' desert?" Me: "It's an iconoclastic Aboleth spurning the oppressive strictures his kind have imposed upon him - his name is Drixx't." Players: But they're aquatic, they have gills!" Me: "Racists! just for that you lose initiative and are considered flatfooted for this round" Players: "What???" Me: "you want me to make it two rounds?")

[daggaz]

I must be dense. It never occurred to me that the sea trolls were part of a coordinated attack by Kubota or anyone else until I read people suggesting it here. I figured they were just a random encounter of some sort. Personally, I think it would be more interesting to have a sort of three-way battle, with the OOTS and remnant AC forces duking it out with the trolls and Therkla trying to carry out her own mission in the midst of it, possibly having to take on both sides at different times as they get in her way.

I still think they are just a random encounter. Especially when you think how they just randomly interrupted the plot.

[Leewei]

I'm telling you it's an Aboleth! they're psychic, intelligent, and EVIL !!!! :smallsmile: :smallsmile: :smallsmile: :smallsmile:

I'm plotlining!!!

Also Aquatic. I like this idea.