OoTPC SPOILERS: In The End, did our journey acomplish anything at all?

[Alex Warlorn]

Roy started on his quest to end Xykon for the murder of his dad's feather because he wanted to prove to his pop that metal could match magic.

The cleric joined because Roy was the first person who person he met on the outside who became his friend and went where he went.

The ranger joined simply to complete his jail break figuring the police wouldn't he looking for him with an adventure party.

The thief joined looking for cash.

The wizard joined because, for unknown reasons, the thief and the mage were friends.

The bard helped Roy form the group out of a random act of kindness (something the bard has in infinite supply), and was given a spot in the group to -return- that kindness.

But what did they acomplish?

They killed off an enslaved goblin clan in self defense, and a couple random hired killers.

They got suckered to help a band of evil adventuers who killed two random elemental fae, and tried to kill them. And the evil adventuers would never had been able to get the Amulet to control out of date monsters if the heroes hadn't been there, since it needed a good alinged person to unlock it's chamber.

Xykon would never had figured out what was needed to open the gate, and would have never come to close to unleasing a eat slaying beast older than creation if they hadn't come there.

They blew up Xykon's body and slayed his enslaved army of goblins. Forcing him to retreat, and in the process getting a much BETTER army.

They weakened the fabric of reality even MORE by blowing up the castle by accident.

They unwittingly set in motion the chain of events that lead to the death of Azure City's leader and the fall of the city's best paladin.

Xykon's fighting force has only gotten BETTER since they first clashed with him. He's an even BIGGER threat now.

In the end, did their journey actually acomplish anything positive at all?

Just about the only thing they were ever able to do right was restore one of the guild's victims from forever as a statue (and she was originally just going to hit the ground and shatter in the original script). And managed to kill off or otherwise nullify three members of the party of evil adventuers.

And Nale wouldn't have killed the people has if he had never met Elan and began his meaningless desire to see his twin dead (other than the fact they contradicted Nale's self image that he was perfect).

So seriously, for the Order of the Stick, it's been one defeat after another.

[Lunaya]

Well, the story isn't over yet. What kind of plot would we have if everything worked out well all the time? Good drama is in conflict.

[FujinAkari]

Ummm... the Story is currently in the second act, and in a traditional 3-act storyline, yes, things get VERY bad in the second act.

Wait for the end of the story before saying things like "In the end..." :P

[hendrake]

They killed off an enslaved goblin clan in self defense, and a couple random hired killers.Nothing wrong with that!

They got suckered to help a band of evil adventuers who killed two random elemental fae, and tried to kill them. And the evil adventuers would never had been able to get the Amulet to control out of date monsters if the heroes hadn't been there, since it needed a good alinged person to unlock it's chamber.Mistakes were made...

Xykon would never had figured out what was needed to open the gate, and would have never come to close to unleasing a eat slaying beast older than creation if they hadn't come there.Sometimes doing nothing might actually be the best idea...it's very Zen...maybe (to tell the truth, I don't really know all that much about Zen).

They blew up Xykon's body and slayed his enslaved army of goblins. Forcing him to retreat, and in the process getting a much BETTER army.Well, you can't have a party of adventurers go up a couple of levels and fight a weaker antagonist!

They weakened the fabric of reality even MORE by blowing up the castle by accident.A simple misunderstanding...it could happen to any incredibly good looking bard with not a lot going on upstairs!

They unwittingly set in motion the chain of events that lead to the death of Azure City's leader and the fall of the city's best paladin....kinda glossing over the fact that the death of Azure City's leader was the FAULT of the city's...best?...I prefer "most powerful," paladin there, ain'tcha?

Xykon's fighting force has only gotten BETTER since they first clashed with him. He's an even BIGGER threat now.Yay! Drama!!! It's like the Empire Strikes Back without muppets!

In the end, did their journey actually acomplish anything positive at all?Ummm...they're still together? No, that's not it. They're still alive? Wait...no. Um...they've still got a plan to save the world? Okay, you got me!

Oh wait! I know!!!

Their journey ain't over.

Yeah, that'll do.

[David Argall]

But what did they acomplish?

Xykon would never had figured out what was needed to open the gate, and would have never come to close to unleasing a eat slaying beast older than creation if they hadn't come there.
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0097.html

While the particular set of events involved the party, there were clearly a number of other ways to the same solution, and thereafter to opening the Gate and endangering all of the world. So they can claim credit here.


They weakened the fabric of reality even MORE by blowing up the castle by accident.
That depends on facts not on record. Given that it made sure Xykon could not use it, this too is a potential profit.


And Nale wouldn't have killed the people has if he had never met Elan and began his meaningless desire to see his twin dead (other than the fact they contradicted Nale's self image that he was perfect).
This depends on future facts, still a book away. But Nale can easily have much more reason[s] than petty revenge to eliminate Elan, so they need not take the blame here.

[The Extinguisher]

Ummm... the Story is currently in the second act, and in a traditional 3-act storyline, yes, things get VERY bad in the second act.


Really, I'd say we're more in the 3rd of a traditional 5 act story.

[Kurald Galain]

In the end, did their journey actually acomplish anything positive at all?

Yes. They earned XP, and lots of it.

Oh, and since Xykon's present army was located near his backup fortress, he would eventually have found them anyway.

Seriously though, they did wipe out the bandits of Wooden Forest, defeat an evil dragon, and prevent assassination of the King of Somewhere. Also, they stimulated the heck out of the economy of Smalltown, were instrumental in the fall of a lying, deceitful, manipulative ruler of a paladin force, and defeated an evil druid bent on the destruction of cities (it's not the OOTS's fault that the local police force was incompetent at holding him).

And they make us laugh.

[Gravedjinn]

Yes. They earned XP, and lots of it.

Oh, and since Xykon's present army was located near his backup fortress, he would eventually have found them anyway.

Seriously though, they did wipe out the bandits of Wooden Forest, defeat an evil dragon, and prevent assassination of the King of Somewhere. Also, they stimulated the heck out of the economy of Smalltown, were instrumental in the fall of a lying, deceitful, manipulative ruler of a paladin force, and defeated an evil druid bent on the destruction of cities (it's not the OOTS's fault that the local police force was incompetent at holding him).

And they make us laugh.

you forgot to mention one of the best things that happened.....

Belkster made nachos and salsa. :smallbiggrin:

[SPoD]

As has been mentioned, using the phrase, "In the end," on a story that might not even be halfway completed is fairly pointless.

You wouldn't watch Empire Strikes Back and say, "You know, in the end, Darth Vader just defeated them," if you knew Return of the Jedi was still to come.

[Zencao]

Well, if it helps, YOU accomplished spoiling OOTPCS for me.

Douche.

[Milandros]

I'm sure Xykon would have found three people to touch the sigils in Dorukan's castle eventually. It's not like it's beyond him to go grab three decent people from a nearby village. So from that point of view, they stopped Xykon conquering the world.

They've done a few little things - killing an evil dragon, the bandits, preventing the assassination of the king, etc.

Azure City's defences lasted a heck of a lot longer thanks to the OoTS than they would of. Roy kept Xykon busy and not blasting the walls with meteor swarm spells and killed a zombie dragon, V dismissed the titanium elementals which were causing havoc, then helped hold the breach far longer than it would have been held, Durkon and Haley helped get Hinjo to safety and the sexy shoeloess god of death pretty much turned back the southern attack all by himself. This allowed thousands of Azurites to escape by sea who would probably otherwise have been killed.


Their victories have been more of the "mitigating the loss" type rather than actually weakening Xykon directly, but they are there. After all, the Empire didn't crumble after losing the first Death Star either, and in fact struck back even harder. As has been said, if the OoTS was seriously beating Xykon at this point in the story, that would either mean the story was nearing its end, or that they are about to have something go very, very wrong.

[factotum]

I'm sure Xykon would have found three people to touch the sigils in Dorukan's castle eventually. It's not like it's beyond him to go grab three decent people from a nearby village. So from that point of view, they stopped Xykon conquering the world.


He didn't need three people. Nale needed three because there were three separate sigils to touch to open the way to the Talisman, but the gate Xykon was interested in only had the one sigil and therefore only needed one pure-hearted person to touch it.

[pendell]

Positive achievements:

1) Destroyed the Dungeon of Dorukan and it's gate, preventing Xykon from using it to open the gate and either rule as a god or destroy the world (depending on just how that encounter with the snarl went).

I think it likely that *eventually* xykon and co. would have figured out they needed pure-hearted people to open the gate. At which point the hobgoblin army and so forth would have been unnecessary; Xykon would either have attained ultimate power and the army would have been unnecessary, or he would have destroyed the world by accident and the army would be irrelevant.

Destroying the gate bought the world time. It also cost Xykon his army and forced him to go on an adventure which *almost* ended in his destruction at the hands of an ancient silver dragon.

Roll of the dice, roll of the dice ... were it not for the almighty power of Plot, and those different chances et al were played as straight, Xykon might never have found the hobgoblin army. He might have been destroyed there in the backup fortress. He might never have been a threat again, or taken generations to build up a new army.

In Azure City itself ... they did provide additional firepower to the defenders, delaying their conquest and perhaps saving the lives of some azurites who fled to the mountains or by ship.

And they DID save Hinjo's life, directly. That one act may have far-reaching consequences down the road.

All this besides minor random acts of kindness such as saving the dirt farmers from the ogres, routing the forest bandits and sending them back to normal lives. And some inadvertent good such as saving the King of Nowhere's life.

So yes. They have accomplished some good. Not as much good as they might wish, but who does?

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Dolash]

I must say, the view that they have accomplished nothing is very skewed and suffers from a lot of selective observations.

Most notable of their accomplishments is that they have foiled the villain's aims and fought against their forces. Every soldier who kills an enemy or indeed participates in a battle and draws fire away from his comrades has effectively accomplished something, even if the battle is lost. In this way are small accomplishments able to weaken an evil until it is beatable. Though they did not destroy Xykon at Redridge they prevented him from seizing the gate there, and though they did not stop him at Azure City they did battle with his forces and inflicted much damage.

Obviously these successes are limited, but they are definite contributions on the side of good. Accomplishment isn't always measured in total victory, sometimes it is the gradual struggle that matters.

[Rayzin]

It was really funny for the reader. I think thats the best thing about it.

[Gamerlord]

Ummm... the Story is currently in the second act, and in a traditional 3-act storyline, yes, things get VERY bad in the second act.

Wait for the end of the story before saying things like "In the end..." :P
yeah like in the empire strikes back which is in a way the second act of the origanal triolgy