OOTS #528 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[reorith]

nicely done. i was wondering what happened to the talisman.

[vikinglief]

I was wondering when the talisman would show up...

[Querzis]

I wonder if Celia will be able to see Roy. Shes a sylph after all.

[Lira]

Ok, now I'm REALLY excited. :smallbiggrin: Great comic.

[ladditude]

Yay Cilia! Why couldn't he break it?

[Kyeudo]

Genius!!

4th wall breaking, refrencing the archives, then the lampshade hanging on the wild speculation on the nature of the Blood Oath, with all the common theories mentioned.

Now we get to see if Cecilia can see Roy, as some have postulated. Any bets on what's gonna happen?

My money says she can see him, but given the Giant's perversity, I wouldn't give myself good odds.

[osyluth]

*Sniff* the poor fourth wall...

[Raiser Blade]

Nice. Now we will get to see celia again!

[RTGoodman]

And we see the return of the booty talisman not-a-booty talisman!


Also, I love the half-through-a-wall Roy art!

(And good thing the 4th wall is so broken so he doesn't have to worry about it! :smallbiggrin: )

[Kyeudo]

Nice. Now we will get to see celia again!

There is the off chance the amulet doesn't work at all.

[Elrond]

My bets on cilia being able see :roy:

[hajo]

I wonder what kind of quality-control they have in place for these talismans, considering they are designed to be broken, and not reusable.
They should work every time, without the kind of problem Roy had when he tried...

[Dentarg]

I wonder if Greenhilt's tie to the Prime Material was tied to the amulet...

It "was" the last thing he held before he died...

[DrivinAllNight]

He should try verizon, then she'll always here him :)

[Johnny Blade]

My bets on cilia being able see :roy:
Mine too. I mean, we have a metaphysical link here, and while it is broken, well, it had to break in order to work as said link.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to see what Celia has to say when she arrives and finds her boyfriend decomposed. I guess seeing your significant other in this state can seriously mess with a relationship.:smallamused:

(Also: Damn, I really thought I was on to something with the MoJ theory. Ah, well, whatever.)

[Yendor]

Actually, I've been wondering why Durkon and V haven't tried to contact Celia themselves.

[Aerysil]

uh... oh.

Celia is gonna be mad. And sad. And trapped.

[memnarch]

Liked the first frame a lot. :smallamused:

[dogmac]

Yay, we get to see Celia again.

And YAY, I reckon she will be able to see Roy.

At least I hope so.

And yeah, lousy level in rogue if he hadn't escaped....

[Emmerson Grant]

It's not that the Talisman was unbreakable, guys. Roy simple fumbled his Strength check to break it and Haley nailed it.

[North]

I just hope that Celia doent get stuck there and dies.

[penitentmalleus]

Or you know what?
Maybe Celia won't be able to get there at all.
The giant is known to pervert rules, so his cloister might prevent Celia from showing up.
If you need further proof of rule bending, look at #353. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0353.html) Weather control most definitely can't do that.

[mause]

nice nice at last celia its back

[Wonton]

Ooh, was JUST about to go to bed, then hit 'refresh' and saw this update... :smallsmile:

I like this comic a lot.. it finally feels like the story is beginning to move forward for the good guys.

Is the title a reference to something? Seems like it should be, but I definitely don't get it. :smallconfused:

[Souju]

i'm scared...
in the thread about resurrecting Roy, i offhandedly mentioned Celia and now her it looks like she's gonna appear...
Mommy, please make my brain stop predicting things.
What's next? She flies Roy's corpse to Durkon?
*EDIT: the title is a reference to "The Ghost Whisperer"*

[Tordek]

Sylphs are ethereal, so I'm really hoping she can see Roy.

[musicnerd]

Yay, I've missed Celia! This could get interesting :smallbiggrin:

[Mauve Shirt]

Aha, that explains a lot.
I guess Celia would take the sword there and then relay Roy's messages back to Haley? If she can get through cloister at all, let alone go to the hideout multiple times without Xykon noticing.

[jmucchiello]

The first panel's depiction of Roy is awesome.

[Iliad]

Nice.

Roy could've survived. Unless the orb did a lot of damage to it

[Souju]

Actually, I've been wondering why Durkon and V haven't tried to contact Celia themselves.
they've probably been more focused on immediate concerns, such as contacting and/or seeing if haley is alive

[Superglucose]

Either nothing's going to happen or she's going to show up and see Roy. My hope is on the seeing roy part, cause I want this plot moving!

[holywhippet]

I'm slightly worried though. Xykon might have something set up to detect any arriving teleports.

[Bellmaethorion]

So... I'm not sure if this has been mentioned, because I didn't read the other threads, but couldn't it be that Haley just needs to be asleep to be able to notice Roy?
IIRC, Roy was always sleeping/trying to sleep when Eugene showed up.

[Cruiser1]

Yay, we get to see Celia again! :smallbiggrin: Or at least I hope, assuming the talisman wasn't damaged and she can be summoned through the cloister. Of course, there are downsides to being on call to a talisman like that:

Eek, what if she's in the shower when it's broken, or what if she sleeps naked? That could be embarrassing for all involved, except Belkar who I'm sure would enjoy having "a lot to think about" again. :smallredface:

[David Argall]

As usual, a development we didn't expect.


There is the off chance the amulet doesn't work at all.

It shouldn't work. The cloister spell from what we can understand should be able to keep her out just like it kept out V's probes. She does not have epic inside, and while we have yet to be told so, there has got to be no way anyone can physically enter the city.
However we have the shotgun on the mantle theory here. That stupid amulet has been onstage in a huge number of strips. It is not going to just break and nothing happens. The power of plot demands something happen.
So we can expect Celia to arrive. My bet is that she can't see Roy the spirit either, but she can see Roy the stiff, and sometime during the crying over that, she gets hold of the sword and is able to see Roy the spirit.

[The_Blue_Sorceress]

Excellent comic. As others have mentioned, first-panel-Roy is classic, and the lampshading was choice as well. I think I understand why the talisman didn't break the first time, but I'll keep my opinion to myself (mysylph?) until I see what comes of it. No one likes to be proven wrong, after all :)

-Blue

[vikinglief]

Random thought as fantasy & sci-fi collide in my head:

Since the talisman was obviously powered by a bolt of lightning...

What if it is secretly the magic evquivalent of a flux capacitor?

Celia shows up, sees Roy's ghost, takes herself & Haley back in time to catch Roy before he falls...

<I slap myself to stop the madness>

Never mind...

[/over-nerdness]

[Level4Druid]

Just wondering, DID anyone go back and see if Roy was touching the Greenhilt every time he conversed with his father?

I think that the sword will only act as a bond between Eugene and Roy seeing as it is an object that they have in common. He might need something else in order to talk to Haley. Then again, I could be completely wrong.

[Shadic]

Interesting turn of events, to say the least.

[Bitzeralisis]

And that, my friend, is how the universe works. :smallamused:

[Porthos]

I believe your gun has just fired, Mr. Chekhov (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chekhov's_gun). :smallbiggrin:

[chionophile]

Anyone else notice that the sound effect in the last panel (Crack!) completes Roy's sentence from the previous one? Assuming that was on purpose, it's very cute.

[Morgan Wick]

Clearly Roy is going to be hoping Celia can see him. My bet is on it working simply because it would be pointless for it to happen any other way. I call #529 being a series of jokes where Celia can see Roy and Haley expresses her confusion (not just over Celia seeing Roy but also on Celia showing up in the first place) while Roy is trying to talk to Celia. (Add Celia talking to Roy for further Haley confusion and, practically, Haley being put in the role Roy is now.) Crosstalk FTW.

EDIT: Also, as mentioned, Chekhov's Gun does apply to the talisman, so if Celia can't get through the cloister her being summoned should still have an impact on the story. I call #529 including Celia in some way, shape, or form, not being merely Roy wondering where she is. (Which, if that does happen, will likely include a line along the lines of "Geez, why would she give me the talisman if nothing was going to happen when it got broken?")

[humanpylon]

Personally I think it would be funny if Haley ended up having a strength of 20 and just was too embarrassed to mention it because she didn't want people to think of her as amazon woman or something.

[Morgan Wick]

Personally I think it would be funny if Haley ended up having a strength of 20 and just was too embarrassed to mention it because she didn't want people to think of her as amazon woman or something.

Well, then what's she doing as a puny little rogue?

[Jayngfet]

ATTENTION MEATBAGS, meatbag checkov is about to learn the dire consequences of firing before me, han solo style :amused:

[Mirrinus]

Excellent, I was hoping Celia would show up again soon. Nice turn of events; now let's just hope it pans out.

[humanpylon]

Well, then what's she doing as a puny little rogue?

Well two possibilities

1. Being a rogue is more fun for her.

2. She likes shiny treasures and it's easier to steal them as a rogue

Of course I wasn't really serious, it's just an idea that tickled my funny bone.

[Jonathan327]

If Roy can only talk to blood relatives...

...maybe he would be able to talk to Celia if she's summoned as she could be carrying his kid?

[jeffk]

The comic in question where Celia gives Roy the talisman, in case anyone's hunting for it:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0320.html

[Blanth]

Longish speculation:
Celia will appear from the upper planes where she gets to do her business and thus get around the cloister (obvious this can happen as per Summon Boot etc). Once on the ground I think Haley will see her and be able to see Ray. Or Ray will be able to possess Celia. Does anybody remember "Ghost"? Maybe we'll get some copper piece moving or a panel with some pottery making. Anyways, my guess is Ray will speak to Haley through Celia.

Shorter Belkar Version:

Did somebody else think: "Threesome!" ?

[kabbor]

It's a Chekov's Gun, all right, but I'd just like to point out that it _Not_ successfully summoning Celia would certainly affect the plot - Namely, we would have a very sorry and depressed Roy, who may not think of reasons such as the Cloister (which he does not know about - all he knows is that V could not contact Haley), and may consider himself rejected.

Celia: Roy!!! (Hugs fresh air)

[Courier]

Hilarious comic. Not only did you put many of us would-be theorists in place, but there was some very funny art as well. :smallbiggrin:

[Fish]

Shorter Belkar Version:

Did somebody else think: "Threesome!" ?
Well, I thought:

:roy: And tell Haley I've missed her.
Celia: Roy says he's missed you.
:haley: Oh! *sniff*
:roy: And give Haley a big hug!
Celia: *hugs Haley*
:haley: *hugs Celia*
:belkar: Tell her to do that again!

[Siena]

He he he, I love it. I can't wait to see what happens.

[dsavereide]

Crack!

The amulet must have been damaged already from the big fall and Haley carrying it around with her all that time.

The cloister didn't stop Roy from getting through. I think Ceila will just be summoned there directly so technically doesn't have to pass through anything. Wonder what she's been up to.

[Niknokitueu]

Hoody Hoo!

Other posters have said basically all the good stuff there is to say, so I'll just add my congrats on the comic.

Nice that Haley is still appearing to be confidant to the troops, even if she is slowly falling apart inside.

Have Fun!
Niknokitueu
ps. I like the deus ex machina... Go figure.:smallbiggrin:

[Holammer]

Looking at panel #5, meta humour at its finest!

[V Junior]

Oh. Oh. Oh...

I'm the only one that sees this as a baaaad thing. If Celia shows up (which she will!!) she'll be utterly destroyed by Roy's death. And, if she touchs the sword, well...

And PLEASE, please PLEASE don't bring back the pregnant Celia theory!!! Please, please PLEASE!!!

(And now I've said that, it's gonna happen. Oops...)

[Courier]

I'm the only one that sees this as a baaaad thing. If Celia shows up (which she will!!) she'll be utterly destroyed by Roy's death. And, if she touchs the sword, well...


Maybe she'll simply already have the ability to see Roy. That's a more amusing situation - yours definitely has more potential for drama.

[Alaire]

Yay, hopefully we can see Celia again :smallbiggrin:

[War]

Damn it, it's times like these that I wish I could look back through the comic's archive.
At this point, I had already opened the archive in a new window for after I finished this comic.

Well played, Giant.

[Lumenadducere]

Good stuff. Hopefully we'll get some answers about why Roy can't be heard...Celia's gonna take his death pretty hard, though. Or maybe she'll have some way to resurrect him? Unlikely, but one can still hope.

[warmachine]

I hope Haley has a good Sense Motive skill 'cos, sooner or later, Redcloak is going to try placing spies in the prisoners and getting them liberated by the Resistance.

[Silverblaze]

Is the title a reference to something? Seems like it should be, but I definitely don't get it. :smallconfused:

There is a TV series staring Jennifer Love Hewitt called Ghost Whisperer - She sees and talks to dead people - Miss Starshine obviously doesn't ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Whisperer

[Raging_Pacifist]

Amazing!!! Best comic in a while!!! Great job RB!!!

[rakkoon]

Nice one Giant, didn't see that one coming at all.
OOTS where the surprises just keep coming

[Fabio_MP]

New comic is up.

poor Roy :)

hope that Celia can see him :)

[endoperez]

Poor, POOR Celia. :(

[maxon]

Ha ha ha - way to go, Giant, making fun of all the discussion on the boards.

I certainly enjoyed how you cracked that joke.

[Max_Sinister]

Whoah! I definitely hadn't expected this, and I had completely forgotten Celia. What now? I don't know, but I don't think it'll be good.

[kabbor]

OK, Let's do this thing.

#15, "Family time". (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0015.html) Roy was cradling the sword in his lap, but dropped it when he say Eugene. The conversation continued.
#78, "Unfinished Business". (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0078.html) Roy is wearing the sword throughout the conversation.

I think that they are the only two, unless anyone can think of another?
edit: thought of a third:
#39, "Date with Destiny". (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0039.html) Roy is poisoned, in bed, with no sign of the sword anywhere. Could be in hammerspace, though.

So, all in all, inconclusive, but that third one makes it a little less likely - If it had been required, Rich would have been more carefull with this Checkov's Gun.

[Castamir]

Bah... the Giant really could have waited till Haley undresses some more...

[Shademan]

seems pretty obvious to me that only a person that loves you can see you when youre a ghost.

[Rockphed]

Bah... the Giant really could have waited till Haley undresses some more...

Roy is her employer, so that would fall under "Sexual Harassment."

Best bit was the way *crack* completed Roy's sentence.

[FujinAkari]

OK, Let's do this thing.

#15, "Family time". (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0015.html) Roy was cradling the sword in his lap, but dropped it when he say Eugene. The conversation continued.
#78, "Unfinished Business". (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0078.html) Roy is wearing the sword throughout the conversation.

I think that they are the only two, unless anyone can think of another?

Sick Little Roy (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0039.html)

It is unclear if he actually had the sword or not...

[Agalyon]

Haha, great comic as always Giant

[Fingolfin]

Poor Roy, this must be very frustrating for him to still not be able to communicate with haley :smallconfused:

[RMS Oceanic]

Hey, what's that sound? *listens*

Sounds like Chekhov's Gun going off, and boy did it hit a doozie!

Looks like the plot's gonna pick up a couple of gears now. I can't wait for the next update!

And if anyone wonders how Haley did it, I imagine it got damaged by Tsukiko's spells, and Haley just got lucky on her strength check.

[banjo1985]

Oh...oh dear :smalleek:

Either Celia will be able to see Roy and mediate between him and Haley...or she's going to be seriously upset when she see's the state Roy's corpse is in.

[Elrond]

I wonder what kind of quality-control they have in place for these talismans, considering they are designed to be broken, and not reusable.
They should work every time, without the kind of problem Roy had when he tried...


I'm hearing you man we should like soo the talisman company:sabine:

WWWOOOOO a get rich quick sceem:haley:

[fractal]

Not that I think it's likely, but no one has mentioned this theory yet: the talisman might not be inherently linked to Celia. If, for example, it summons a lover, it could get Elan, since Haley broke it instead of Roy. (Think what Roy's reaction to THAT would be!)

[Green-Shirt Q]

Great comic!

I guessing Ceila will not be able to see Roy, but it won't really matter because she will fly them all to Durkon (one at a time of course) and he will be raised.

I'm also thinking we mght see Roy jr. :smallamused:

[WarriorTribble]

Think I noticed a typo: In the first panel Haley says "Not enough levels if he couldn't escape on his own." when it should be "they couldn't escape on their own", since Niu is talking about a fifth of slaves, and there has to be more than five.

Just to note, I don't hate Berlew or the comic because I decided to post this.

[Scutatus]

Regarding Haley undressing and Roy being her employer and "harassment" and all that.

He did follow Haley into her room even after she had clearly stated she was going to bed... I know he was motivated at the time - to say the least - but that was still a little low of Roy. What was he hoping to accomplish trying to finally get noticed as she was undressing? Did he honestly think that making an appearance when she was in her underwear would help!? :smallfrown:

[Blaznak]

Oh, man, NEVER break or lose jewelry your girlfriend gives you. Especially just before Valentines Day. Nothing good can come of this, I tell you :)

Later

[kierthos]

:elan: DUN DUN DUN!!
:roy: Stop doing that.
:elan: Sorry.

[T-Ice]

Think I noticed a typo: In the first panel Haley says "Not enough levels if he couldn't escape on his own." when it should be "they couldn't escape on their own", since Niu is talking about a fifth of slaves, and there has to be more than five.

Umm ... a fifth slave has levels in rogue (implying two or more), as in one slave after the four, not a fifth (1/5) of the slaves.


Not that I think it's likely, but no one has mentioned this theory yet: the talisman might not be inherently linked to Celia. If, for example, it summons a lover, it could get Elan, since Haley broke it instead of Roy. (Think what Roy's reaction to THAT would be!)

Talisman of "summon lover". Now that has some interesting implications! :smallamused:

[WarriorTribble]

Umm ... a fifth slave has levels in rogue (implying two or more), as in one slave after the four, not a fifth (1/5) of the slaves.:I stand corrected. Four soldiers and the fifth guy is a rogue, it sounds akward though imo.

[HOLEkevin]

Hrmm… It's funny, but in the frustrating, hair-pulling way.

[Caractacus]

Why do people suggest that 'Haley made her strength check'?

a) Why would she declare a strength check to try to break a piece of jewellery, and

b) especially when she has just said 'I hope it's not damaged'...?

I think it's clear that it's supposed to have suffered sufficiently that it finally broke - perhaps through helping Haley by shielding her from some of the effects of the spell as she postulates, or it responds to the presence of ghosts or some such...

It's also possible that in fact one 'breaks' it by twisting or something, not by snapping. maybe Rogue skills helped in a way, even if she wasn't really trying to.

[Roderick_BR]

I guess what I liked more is Roy going through all the theories, trying to figure out what's wrong :smallbiggrin:

[Useless]

Just a thought, does anyone else think it could have been the talisman that zapped Hayley once she had landed back in the panel in 519 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0519.html)?

Hayley was nearby when Roy got given the talisman in the first place (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0320.html), wouldn't she have overheard what it was for? And if so, why hasn't she broken it earlier?

[Vulion]

Gasp! Celia's coming back! Huzzah!

[TAG]

Hayley was nearby when Roy got given the talisman in the first place (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0320.html), wouldn't she have overheard what it was for? And if so, why hasn't she broken it earlier?

My guess is that she kept it on her (rather than in the cart) specifically so that she could break it as a last resort in case of an extreme emergency, but hasn't broken it because she doesn't want to risk trapping Celia in the city. My guess is that Celia will be able to see Roy or will be more familiar with the mechanics of how Roy was able to see his father and arrange to see Roy, but that she will now be trapped in the city.

And for those of you critizing Roy following Halley into the bedroom, remember that he went through all conditions of his father's appearance to him except being near a sleep state. Maybe he was hoping Halley going to bed would make him appear to her. Of course maybe his father rubbed off (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0510.html) on him ;)

[Daibhid C]

I wonder what kind of quality-control they have in place for these talismans, considering they are designed to be broken, and not reusable.
They should work every time, without the kind of problem Roy had when he tried...

How would the quality-control guys test them?

*SNAP!* "Yeah, that one works. Uh, worked..."

[Mad Scientist]

Ha ha! That was hilarious that Roy couldn't break the talisman and Haley just snapped it in half without trying. Now we know who the "opener of stuck jar lids" is in that group.

-the opener of stuck jar lids/killer of spiders/cleaner of vomit
(my other half is the investigator of spooky sounds in the night/cleaner of truly nasty things)

[kunou126]

I'd say she was able to snap it due to Rogue levels. UMD skill. I believe that is supported by the earlier clues in the strip.

[Morgan Wick]

Roy is her employer, so that would fall under "Sexual Harassment."

Roy probably figures since Haley can't see him, she wouldn't know... and then it turns out the "has to be sleeping" theory is correct, so Haley suddenly snaps back awake, sees Roy apparently ogling her, and... Awk-ward... (If Belkar walks in as they're arguing and can see Roy too, add even more awkwardness!)

Incidentially, the mentioning of the two popular theories means that neither is likely correct. Yes, this may still be relevant.

[galdon]

or what if she cant see roy but happens to know a revive spell

[galdon]

I stand corrected. Four soldiers and the fifth guy is a rogue, it sounds akward though imo.

a fifth of the 20 rescued have levels in rogue.

that makes 4 soldiers and 4 rogues, why they didn't simply say that is beyond me

[vegetalss4]

i liked how the crack completed roys sentence.
oh and galdon i think that the fact that hayley talk about the rogue as one guy makes it clear that there are four guards and that a fifth guy is a rouge on that there where four rogues that was rescured

[garylian]

Ah, the plot moves onwards!

Did anyone else start to hear Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" while reading the first panel?

Hello <echos> Is there anybody in there? Just knock if you can hear me. Is there anyone home?

I don't know why, but that struck me as Roy was yelling, trying to get Haley's attention. lol

Thanks for the comic, as always, Giant!

[lovelyluthien]

Well, maybe the talisman broke at the speedcrack of the plot? Maybe it's not that hard to snap; Roy was probably slightly stressed when he tried to snap it, falling.

[Doug Lampert]

a fifth of the 20 rescued have levels in rogue.

that makes 4 soldiers and 4 rogues, why they didn't simply say that is beyond me

Fifth is being used as an ordinal not a fraction. This is made clear by the use of the SINGULAR verb form "has" rather than the plural "have" and is completely correct english. Were it being used as a fraction the sentance would be not just awkward but incorrect, as is it is both clear and correct. There is ONE rescued character with rogue levels. Jeez.

[Prowl]

I expect stick-figure interspecies hot lesbian fanservice comic OOTS #529 to be hitting the presser any day now.

[Wolfie_1066]

I expect stick-figure interspecies hot lesbian fanservice comic OOTS #529 to be hitting the presser any day now.

ahem...thats really not PG-13

[nybbler]

Also, as mentioned, Chekhov's Gun does apply to the talisman

The talisman already satisfied Chekhov, when Roy tried to use it but failed.

[Courier]

The talisman already satisfied Chekhov, when Roy tried to use it but failed.

I think that was more of a fake-out Chekhov, getting the reader to go "Oh, okay, she'll come and save... er, nevermind."

[Keri Thornwood]

Yay! Celia to the rescue. She'll probably be able to see Roy while Haley can't and more hilarity ensues....

[MagicPrime]

ahem...thats really not PG-13


When I was 13 I would have enjoyed that.

[SteveDJ]

It's not that the Talisman was unbreakable, guys. Roy simple fumbled his Strength check to break it and Haley nailed it.

I don't think she was trying to break it - just checking that it wasn't damaged. Clearly it was, and 'accidentally' snapped when she checked.

At least, that's how I view what happened. :smallsmile:

[SteveDJ]

What's next? She flies Roy's corpse to Durkon?

Sorry, not gonna happen - unless she carried Belkar at the same time (that whole MoJ thing, remember?)

[Tobrian]

Originally Posted by Emmerson Grant
It's not that the Talisman was unbreakable, guys. Roy simple fumbled his Strength check to break it and Haley nailed it.I don't think she was trying to break it - just checking that it wasn't damaged. Clearly it was, and 'accidentally' snapped when she checked.
I doubt it. The fact that the talisman only broke after it was zapped with an orb of electricity is probably not a coincidence. Celia is a Sylph, an air elemental creature.... who has the spell-like ability to fire bolts of lightning (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0070.html). There you go.

Magical items that you need to break to summon something shouldn't break prematurely, so it makes sense if the talisman was somehow keyed to electricity. I wonder, though, why would Celia 1) give Roy such a talisman when he's a fighter with no natural magic ability, and 2) neglect to tell him about it?

[Gilmiril]

This one is hilarious! It's almost as if the Giant is mocking those who were speculating why Haley couldn't see Roy (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71507)!

[Animefunkmaster]

really pumped about the next strip now.

[Yoritomo Himeko]

Once again, this is yet another great strip.

I love the way the Giant addressed all of the possible theories as to why Haley couldn't see Roy.

And I'm glad he finally addressed the talisman. That's probably what shocked her back in #519.

I hope Celia shows up and helps them out somehow. It's about time the Resistance got a boost in the magic department.

[galdon]

I hope Celia shows up and helps them out somehow. It's about time the Resistance got a boost in the magic department.

"Ok Ms. Starshine, all my spells for today are will saving rather than reflex saving throws. i DARE you to-- hey you're not haley"

[xatm092]

I hope I'm not the first person to point out the advantages of following a girl round while invisible.

[Raider]

I hope I'm not the first person to point out the advantages of following a girl round while invisible.
This was a major lol

[Keri Thornwood]

I hope I'm not the first person to point out the advantages of following a girl round while invisible.

Probably not, but I hope you're the last.

[David Argall]

The talisman already satisfied Chekhov, when Roy tried to use it but failed.
It has been re-Chekhoved by its presence on stage since then. Now our writer has brought up things before just to shoot them down, but that is generally only in a 1-2 picture process, not spread over several strips. And this is a cliffhanger. It would hardly be right for the next strip to start with Haley looking for some glue.



I expect stick-figure interspecies hot lesbian fanservice comic OOTS #529 to be hitting the presser any day now.
In which case, I am going to request a guest artist. The stick figure style has a number of advantages, but porn is not one of them.



Not that I think it's likely, but no one has mentioned this theory yet: the talisman might not be inherently linked to Celia.
Not absolutely ruled out, but Celia says "..summons me to you.." in 320. Given it has not acted so far as it apparently was intended, we can't rule out another flaw in it, but it's not how the logic goes.



Hayley was nearby when Roy got given the talisman in the first place, wouldn't she have overheard what it was for? And if so, why hasn't she broken it earlier?
Why would she? She can't be sure it would work for her. It might work for Roy only. And if she can't be contacted by V, and can't leave the city [the apparent state] she can't be sure Celia can even get to her. And what good can Celia do? True, she would be a useful recruit, but she is nothing epic and is not going to swing the tide of battle. Better to save it for when you do get Roy back, or for some case where a flier would be really great or...



The cloister didn't stop Roy from getting through. I think Ceila will just be summoned there directly so technically doesn't have to pass through anything.
Roy was using "Epic Inside". Celia's toy sounds much like a bracelet of friends, which operates at a "mere" 15th level. So if our understanding of Cloister is correct [a very major if], it's not going to get Celia thru.



Oh. Oh. Oh...

I'm the only one that sees this as a baaaad thing. If Celia shows up (which she will!!) she'll be utterly destroyed by Roy's death. And, if she touchs the sword, well...

And PLEASE, please PLEASE don't bring back the pregnant Celia theory!!! Please, please PLEASE!!!
But it is such a tempting idea.
Celia shows and is all broken up about Roy, and throws herself on him, and the sword, at which point she can see Roy the spirit. After the needed screaming and crying, she explains to Haley, who touches sword, and nothing happens.
They wonder about this, and Roy mentions the relative theory, saying that wouldn't apply he.... and then both he and Celia say "...Oh..." followed by considerable confusion.
It looks like it would work.



seems pretty obvious to me that only a person that loves you can see you when youre a ghost.
See Roy and Eugene.



Roy is her employer, so that would fall under "Sexual Harassment."
This falls [or doesn't] under sexual harassment whether or not Roy is still deemed her employer. The idea that the boss-assistant relationship is automatically so is the prosecution wanting a free ride, and ignores the history of such relationships in all times and all cultures. The boss is in fact often a prime sexual target of the underling. There are of course a good number of bosses who say "No play, no pay", but if you go down the list of things a woman wants in a man, the boss has a large number of them, and she is apt to resent you trying to "protect" her from him.

[JasonDoomsblade]

Anyone else get the reference in the title? I just did. Great comic BTW.

[Zienth]

Nice comic.



So, is anyone else wondering what is happening back on the boats? I wouldn't put it past the Giant to think that now would be a great time to go back there for a few comics, just to see what's going on. :-O



Zienth

[The Tygre]

Ooh, this ought to be good.

[Pyro]

Woot things are finally looking up for team OotS.

[ref]

She's Heeeeeeere!

[Morgan Wick]

This one is hilarious! It's almost as if the Giant is mocking those who were speculating why Haley couldn't see Roy (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71507)!

And if he was (and we all know he doesn't read the forums), I sort of read the whole "comic archive" panel as a sly reference to me, since I was the one who looked for the sword in Eugene's previous appearances. I got a strange sense of self-satisfaction from that.

Though this is pretty much the case for all the future strips, #529 is kind of like Schroedinger's cat - it could be pretty much anything until we see it. We could get an immediate Celia appearance or we might not. We could get a resolution to the problem or we might not. We could get...

529 ("I Don't See Dead People"):
Beat panel.
:haley:: Well that sucks. Now I won't be able to use it when I really need it.
:roy:: Wait a second, where is she? Isn't she supposed to come when her talisman was broken?
:haley:: I should have figured it out when I got zapped that second time. If Belkar hadn't forgotten about the Mark of Justice I would've really needed it.
:roy:: Great. First my friends can't contact Haley, then I can't contact Haley, then Celia doesn't even show up when she's called. It's almost like she's on another plane of...
:celia:: Roy, is that you?
:haley:: Uh, what? No, Roy's -
:roy:: Celia! Am I glad to see you! I wish we could have seen each other a bit sooner, though.
:celia:: Me too, me too! I haven't seen you in ages! Something's different about you, though...
:haley:: Um, I don't know who you think you're talking to, but -
:roy: Oh yeah. Let's just say I really, really wish I could have seen you sooner.
:celia:: What's with Haley, though?
:haley:: Unless I suddenly lost my voice again, I think the question is -
:roy:: Oh yeah. She can't see or hear me, and not for lack of my trying.
:celia:: Just a sec. Haley, could you give me some time alone for a sec? I need to have a talk with someone.
:haley:: Um.... Okay. (walking off): What a weirdo.
One of Haley's manifestations: You said it, sister.

530:
:celia:: So why can't Haley see you? And what's with the floating and the weird aura? Did someone put some weird curse on you?
:roy:: Yeah, you see, I'm actually dead.
:celia:: WHAT?
:roy:: Yeah, my corpse is in the other room.
:celia:: Oh man, I am so sorry! I-I'm having trouble coming to terms with it.
:roy:: Aah, it'll probably be a month, tops, before I can score a Resurrect spell, at least if this whole talk-to-Haley thing finally works. Of course, it would have helped if I could have broken your talisman, but I tugged and tugged and nothing happened and boom! I hit the ground and go die-die. So naturally Haley there goes and breaks it without even trying. Which makes me feel like a wimp. Of course, it did get zapped by some electric attack earlier in the day...
:celia:: Yeah, that's probably it - it needs to be zapped before it can be broken.
:roy:: Fascinating. Then I have one question. WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS WHEN YOU GAVE IT TO ME IN THE FIRST PLACE?
:celia: (while Roy's seething): Hey, I said it wasn't a Booty Talisman. But what makes you think you could talk to Haley in the first place?
:roy:: Oh, if you look out there where my corpse is, you'll find my sword. You see, remember when you met us back in the Dungeon of Dorukan? Well, when I was adventuring in there, on occasion my dad would visit me when everyone else was asleep and give me cryptic warnings. I found out later that - well, what he told me was...
:eugene: (in flashback to #291): The sword you're carrying around right now is the metaphysical link that allows me to appear to you in spectral form.
(Note that everything beyond this point could go all sorts of different ways.)
:celia:: "Metaphysical link"? That sounds like you'd need to be "linked" to the sword somehow...
:roy:: See, that occured to me too, but I couldn't remember whether I had the sword with me all the time when my dad was talking to me.
:celia:: Yeah, I don't like that idea, and I don't think it needs to stay in the family either, because that's just stupid.
:roy:: Well, as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter anymore, because you're here. You can deliver my message for me.
:celia:: Um, Roy? I'm kind of in a time crunch here, and besides, I don't know anything about this situation...
:roy:: It's really quick.
:celia:: Wait. Didn't you say your dad came to you when everyone else was asleep?
:roy:: Um... yeah.
:celia:: Well, isn't Haley wide awake?
:roy:: Um...
:celia:: From what I understand of such things you have to try to enter the subject's mind as they're going to sleep. Those times you saw your dad were really dreams. And as we all know, dreams are always things of great import.
:roy:: Great! I was just about to try that anyway, but now I know it should work! Thanks, Celia!
:celia:: Whew!
:roy:: By the way, what was with the delay?
:celia:: Some sort of weird spell over the city. Didn't stop me, though.
:roy:: Weird. Explains a lot, though.

531 ("Chekhov, Your Gun Has Fired"):
:celia:: Okay, Haley, you can come back now.
:haley:: You're done talking to yourself?
:celia:: Not exactly. First, was there any specific reason you broke my talisman?
:haley:: No, sadly. It just kind of slipped when I was playing with it.
:celia:: Hmm. He did say "without trying"... Well, I'm a little irritated at not being summoned for a more plot-relevant moment - like, oh say, Roy DYING - but I just got done talking with Roy's ghost. He's been trying to contact you from beyond the grave - some business about some sword link - but hasn't succeeded. But I think he'll be able to see you in your sleep tonight. I wouldn't count on another two spirits though.
:haley:: Fascinating. Then I have only one question. WHY THE HELL DID YOU GIVE ROY THIS THING THAT CAN ONLY BE BROKEN ONCE IF IT WAS GOING TO BE TO TELL ME ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN ANYWAY?
Cut to Xykon and Redcloak, in a place that doesn't give away their situation too much:
:redcloak:: Sir, about that sylph that we detected coming in earlier... I think I see how she got past what you thought would stop her.
:xykon:: Ah, we're probably screwed already. I'll see if I can dig that thing up, though.
:haley:: I mean, why make a big deal about the thing and have it show up in strip after strip if it was going to be so anticlimactic?
Cut to someone else seeing the hole in the Cloister caused by Celia's entry.
:haley:: I mean, it doesn't even make any sense! It could have come in a much more dramatic fashion, at a much more suitable time and place, when you could have saved our lives!
Cut to:
:vaarsuvius:: Wait... There she is! I see her! Miss Starshine!!
:celia:: I don't know. I don't like it any more than you, Haley. Good night.
:haley:: Sigh... good night.

...or we might not.

EDIT:


Nice comic.
So, is anyone else wondering what is happening back on the boats? I wouldn't put it past the Giant to think that now would be a great time to go back there for a few comics, just to see what's going on. :-O
Zienth
Ri-i-i-i-ight at a huge cliffhanger. Yeah, we'll react well to that. And Rich is willing to piss on the fans like that. (Wait a minute...)

[picklepenguin]

Hah! Anyone notice that after Roy said ,"...get it to-", Haley makes it Crack!? Nice comic, anyways!

[Mythlor]

Be warned, the thief in the rescued group could be a infiltrator planted by Redcloak. He has been trying to stop the resistance with sending Tuskiko after Haley for a long time.

[Jaffo]

If Roy can only talk to blood relatives...

...maybe he would be able to talk to Celia if she's summoned as she could be carrying his kid?

That is a truly awesome idea. Wish I'd thought of it.

[Steven the Lich]

Whaaaaaa?
I'm not sure that would work... that would mean the child is half human half sliph... I think.
Would be interesting though.

[Zebasiz]

Just a thought for those who are sayin Roy is being a bit "pervish" for following Haley to her room, he could be waiting to try the person being sleepy scenario, and could just... I don't know... Turn around when she's changing? :smalltongue: