OOTS #563 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[Forum Explorer]

That was an amazing comic, way to go! :smallbiggrin:

[Rockphed]

Woo-hoo! The Belkerster Lives!

Now, where is Celia?

[Enlong]

I'm getting the nav-bars and a blank white where the comic would be. Is it just me?

[Tussy the Druid]

Mmmm tasty assorted birds.

[ArlEammon]

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

Vaar should start a new chain restaurant.

[Child Conscript]

:vaarsuvius: <---- pwned!!

[lemonhoney]

LOL! Once again, you win Giant xD This is perfect

[Weirdlet]

Those veins on V do not look good...

[Turcano]

"We didn't receive any messages, and I definitely did not shoot this delicious plump breasted pigeon."

[ThePhantom]

Poor V, his intellect is no match for belkar's and harley's irresponisible natures.

[Yerocha]

Perhaps if V'd set the distance a little further away...well at least they didn't appear while Haley and Belkar were sneaking around a goblin encampment. Great stuff here.

[Yerocha]

Perhaps if V'd set the distance a little further away...well at least they didn't appear while Haley and Belkar were sneaking around a goblin encampment. Great stuff here.

[teratorn]

Ok, now I feel like having chicken...

[Mauve Shirt]

Omnomnom delicious enchanted birds.
"Daddy learned about encumbrance today." :smallbiggrin:

[Mr._Michael]

Aw! Daddy's talking to his unborn baby! How cute!

...and I don't know about you, but the shared look of expectation between Mr. Scruffy, Haley and Belkar does not bode well for the near future! :smallfrown:

[brilliantlight]

Poor V, his intellect is no match for belkar's and harley's irresponisible natures.

Why irresponsible? They had no reason to know that they were anything but regular birds and they were hungry.

[Blanth]

Today on Cooking with Belkar...

[Mr. Goodwraith]

If V had guessed that 2/3 of the intended recipients were undernourished resistance fighters, V would have known that plan was like trying to smuggle messages into Somalia in TV dinners...

[teratorn]

Woo-hoo! The Belkerster Lives!

Now, where is Celia?

It's a two course meal...

[Morgan Wick]

Why is the site slow at 1 AM ET on a Saturday night/Sunday morning?

Hmm, where's Celia?

Well, this is interesting. My first thought was that this will almost guarantee that Haley and Belkar's own efforts to contact the group will fail as well. But I'm starting to think that it'll succeed after all, and the reason why has to do with Elan and Therkla.

The failure of V's birds to return will be interpreted as a sign that Belkar and Haley are really dead, which could be enough to convince even Elan. That means that when he and Therkla meet again, Elan is MUCH more likely to be receptive to her advances. Which increases the "awk-ward!" factor when Haley and Belkar DO reunite with the rest of the OOTS.

Now, there's another element that could really send things off the rails: the third panel, where Lien takes Hinjo aside, evidently to talk about Therkla. A lot depends on how much Lien knows and suspects. If she suspects Therkla's crush on Elan, Hinjo may either a) warn Elan about Therkla being on the side of the Bad Guys, b) realize that Elan's presence prevents Therkla from coming after him and react accordingly, or c) both. If not, Hinjo may just start a chess match with Kubota, which may include tasking Elan as a double agent or counter-assassin, as I suggested in my rundown in the last discussion thread, or beefing up his own security.

But we'll have to wait to find out, because I'd be surprised if this isn't a neat segue into what's going on with Haley and Belkar, or at least a segue into a different storyline, as this stint with the boat crew seems to have reached its natural end.

EDIT: From the 562 thread:

Which redshirt will takes Elan's job as Hinjo's bodyguard just before beheadin' time comes?
Well, that's one way for Hinjo to respond to Lien's news.

[Borris]

Best BBQ ever! Or is it worst? At any rate, those birds looks rather tiny once on the spit. Will there really be enough to feed a human, a halfling, and a cat? Good things that, as an outsider, Celia does not need to eat.

[FoE]

That was hilarious. Gods, these people can't get anything right. :smalltongue:

[factotum]

Poor V. Seems everybody and everything in the universe are conspiring against his attempts to contact Haley and Belkar, even the duo themselves!

[Lunaya]

Poor V. At least Durkon's still trying to get through to hir. The last panel did make me laugh, though. :smalltongue:

[drengnikrafe]

This comic enduces sadness in me.

Vaarsuvius has been up day and night (and day and night and day and....) working, and they just fry her birds...
I'm sad for V.

[MyrddinDerwydd]

He he he he he he he..... he he he he he he he..... he he he.... he he he he he he he he he..... he he he he...Crispy.:smallamused:

[Trazoi]

"We didn't receive any messages, and I definitely did not shoot this delicious plump breasted pigeon."
Heh, I was reminded of Blackadder too (although Blackadder the First, but your quote is funnier). If only V had the foresight to use an old fashioned written messages alongside the magic - redundancy is always a good idea when sending messages!

[Ellen]

Celia isn't there because -

A) There were only three birds and the cat gets a share before she does.

B) She's vegan.

C) She became outraged over Belkar shooting the little birdies (some of whom she recognized as endangered species) and left in a huff.

D) All of the above.

Note: Oops! As has been pointed out, I should have said HALEY shot the birds, not Belkar.

[teratorn]

C) She became outraged over Belkar shooting the little birdies (some of whom she recognized as endangered species) and left in a huff.
.

Haley did it, those are Haley's arrows in the corner: three arrows, three birds, a few feathers. Don't blame the cook.

[hajo]

Why did Roy's bird travel with the other two ?

[Killersquid]

Celia isn't there because -

A) There were only three birds and the cat gets a share before she does.

B) She's vegan.

C) She became outraged over Belkar shooting the little birdies (some of whom she recognized as endangered species) and left in a huff.

D) All of the above.


Haley likely shot them, Belkar probably graduated from the Imperial Stormtrooper Marksman Academy.

[Trazoi]

Why did Roy's bird travel with the other two ?
The physical reamins of Roy are with Haley and Belkar. I doubt the bird could travel to another plane, so it probably went for the next best thing.

[Kol Korran]

just wanted to say- absolutley fabulous! it's always the "little things" you forget to consider...

[Flash]

That really has to be one of the better ending panels. Thanks for the grin tonight!

[DSCrankshaw]

This was a great 4e joke, by the way. V's description is almost exactly how the animal messenger ritual works (with a few enhancements).

[bdares]

Poor V? Poor Oots? .... I'm feeling rather bad for the birds :( experimented on by a crazy (who isn't after that much sleep deprivation) wizard, then magically bound to a long journey, at the end of which they're... eaten.

Really though, this seems like a "GM block" on the party reuniting at this time. Maybe the parties have something important to do (separately) yet?

[Aethir]

Good to see Belkar getting use out of those cooking skills.

[Bitzeralisis]

The last frame was awesome. :smallbiggrin: :smalltongue:

[Elder Tsofu]

Hehe, well if V only would try the scrying agian - they should be outside the cloisterspell by now. :)

[Liwen]

Hehe, well if V only would try the scrying agian - they should be outside the cloisterspell by now. :)

As mentionned earlier when Celia described the cloister spell, anything in the range of the spell at the moment of casting will remain under effect for one week per caster level unless dispelled in some way. While we do not have a the means to assert if that much time has passed since Azure City's fall, it is not likely, since Xykon probably is level 23 or 24. Hell surviving the fight against Soon might have given him a new level.

And I don't feel a bit disapointed with the lastest outcome of V's attempts to contact Haley. It's been more than a hundred strips since their seperation now.

[Laurentio]

This was a great 4e joke, by the way. V's description is almost exactly how the animal messenger ritual works (with a few enhancements).
No no way. It's the "Vaarsuvius Enchanted Animal Messanger". A special spell fated to bring havoc in wizards' historical registration, because they can't know under which gender put it.
Or, it's a 4e joke (I doubt) and it show how idiots can ruin even a new and improved spell.

(4e. Found. Tried. Discarded.)

Laurentio

[silvadel]

She forgot the low tech solution -- she should have included a message strapped to each in case of their demise in such a manner. Maybe if she werent so inhumanly tired.

And yes V looks really really REALLY bad...

And her genius did shine through -- the birds actually did get there despite cloister.

[Trizap]

:vaarsuvius: 'sXanato's Roulette (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/XanatosRoulette)

meet

:haley: & :belkar:'s Xanatos Gilligan (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/XanatosGilligan)

[Dark Wolf]

If he'd attached message you'd just get the following,

"oh look it's got a little ring around its leg, there's a novelty"
"Really?. Is there a little paper hat as well?"

Now if only one of the recipients had been a Ranger with, say, skills like Wilderness lore or survival to make him realise they were tropical birds, and thus out of the ordinary.

[H. Zee]

I feel very sympathetic for V at the moment - I think she and I share roughly the same sleep schedule at the moment, i.e. none at all.

Very good comic. Good to know Elan got to eat some pies.

[dogmac]

Oh dear, as soon as I saw the 5 feet thing, I knew what was going to happen. Poor little birdies.

Now, the big question is.... how many pies did they eat?

[Yendor]

Dammit, Giant, now you're just picking on V. You big meany-head. :smallannoyed:

At least Elan and company managed to remember what they were on the island for in the first place.

[Nasrudith]

Poor V, thought of eveything but attaching a message to their legs.

[Paragon Badger]

In a world with dragons, owlbears, and all other sorts of dangerous monsters- I'd find the idea that a trio of brightly-colored birds could make it hundreds of miles to their destination laughable. :smalltongue:

Edit: Shoulden't the strip's title be 'Air Meal'? :smallwink:

[David Argall]

Hehe, well if V only would try the scrying agian - they should be outside the cloisterspell by now. :)

It's a matter of time, not distance. The spell is described as covering them for Xykon's level/weeks. That is a minimum of 21 weeks, likely 23-4, of which 16 had passed when Haley left Azure City.

Our other clock, Kato Jr, was about 8 weeks along at that point, and is now obviously a good deal further along. Dealing with stick figure art is highly chancy, but it seems reasonable that it's been two months since last we checked in on them. That would put them out of the spell, and it means that any of V's spells would now work. [Xykon's spell should block this animal messenger spell as well, another sign they are no longer blocked.]

V will likely continue to try powerful magic to find Haley, and will continue to fail, until Haley reaches the party on her own and walks in on V.

[Evil DM Mark3]

GAHHHHHHH!!!!!

Damn you Belkar!:smallmad:

Stupid Haley!:smallfurious:

[vegetalss4]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA
briliant slimply briliant
way to go giant.

[Kato]

Aw man... it's so sad ^^'''
Why couldn't V simply put a letter on the birds? Than they'd at least gotten the news ^^'''''''
(Though, V invented a new way for fast food delivery ^^)

[nli10]

Varsuvius's Send Take-Out Chicken more like...

A useful spell to have when adventuring in areas with low food supplies, especially if you can put small explosive runes on them to have them self cook.

[MrEdwardNigma]

It's been more than a hundred strips since their seperation now.
It has? Really? :smalleek:
Wow.

[carebearbecky]

Nice! I very much enjoyed that! :smallbiggrin:

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Ahhh... The best laid plans of mice and Elves... :smallsigh:

Keep at it V! You'll get there someday!

[Electric_Monkey]

If he'd attached message you'd just get the following,

"oh look it's got a little ring around its leg, there's a novelty"
"Really?. Is there a little paper hat as well?"

Now if only one of the recipients had been a Ranger with, say, skills like Wilderness lore or survival to make him realise they were tropical birds, and thus out of the ordinary.

Ha.

:haley:"Now remember, Belkar, V's likely to be mad given all the failed attempts to contact us. We did not recieve any messages, and we definitely did not shoot those delicious plump-breasted parrots."
:vaarsuvius:"I've been trying to contact you for months! Why have you failed to reply?"
:belkar:"We did not receive any messages, and we definitely did not shoot those delicious plump-breasted parrots."

[Idless]

She forgot the low tech solution -- she should have included a message strapped to each in case of their demise in such a manner. Maybe if she werent so inhumanly tired.

And yes V looks really really REALLY bad...

And her genius did shine through -- the birds actually did get there despite cloister.

you mean "inelfsly"/"Inelvesly" tired?



(it's a he)


...Idless

[Selene]

Can someone please cast a sleep spell on the elf? He's looking like death warmed over right about now.

[Savageman]

Last panel is awesome.
Great comic poking fun at V.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

you mean "inelfsly"/"Inelvesly" tired?



(it's a he)


...Idless

^
Got Proof? No one does! :smalltongue:

I'll admit, Rich does say "he" when describing Vaarsuvius in "No Cure," but Miko was ALSO supposed to be Roy's love interest.

Rich has been known to change his mind from time to time... V could be any/all/no gender by now.

[KIDS]

Oh my.... those poor birds! How could you! LOL!

[ralphmerridew]

Aw man... it's so sad ^^'''
Why couldn't V simply put a letter on the birds? Than they'd at least gotten the news ^^'''''''
(Though, V invented a new way for fast food delivery ^^)

Like many people with highly specialized skills, V tends to think of every problem in terms of those skills.

[xatm092]

Genius. I wonder was paladin chick overheard? About the plot to kill Hinjo?

[T-O-E]

I'm disappointed, I was hoping the birds would be able to get the message to Haley, Belkar and Roy's corpse. A good comic nonetheless.

[Steven the Lich]

Haley and Belkar obviously aren't attempting to make contact with the others. Though V is to blame partially, since he should've tied a message to the birds in the case they got shot down and roasted on a spit.
Vaarsuvius truly is becoming restless, but he/she can meditate for like three hours and be nice and healthy.
As a friendly suggestion, if Celia has a detect magic spell, she should use it on the birds for the heck of it and discover they were from Vaarsuvius... or at least detect the spell that was cast on it (Which would inadvertently tell them it was from V).
I have to say, it was very funny, and incredibly ironic.:smallamused:

[maxon]

Do you prefer breast or leg?

[luxgladius]

Heh, this reminded me of this classic Sluggy moment:

http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=020902

Nicely done.

[raekuul]

[Xykon's spell should block this animal messenger spell as well, another sign they are no longer blocked.]

Except that the Cloister spell does not block the physical movement of the birds, so we'll never know if those birds could have even delivered the message, even if they found Haley and Belkar.

[NeonRonin]

Can someone please cast a sleep spell on the elf? He's looking like death warmed over right about now.

Sleep spell on an elf? Um...

Never mind.

Verily, V may be an intellectual giant, but seems to be completely deficient in the common sense department. Still, the BBQ did get a good deal of snickers out of me. :smalltongue:

[shylocxs]

Mmmm tasty assorted birds.

Not just tasty assorted birds... apparently tasty assorted tropical and endangered birds! Yummy! Belkar I'm sure appreciates V's efforts on that front!

[Lira]

Now that's just mean. Poor V. :smallfrown:

There may be one good thing to come of this though: Perhaps Vaarsuvius will finally rest while waiting for the birds to come back.

I also have to add: That scene with Daigo and Kazumi was very cute. :smallredface:

[otakuryoga]

Skill:Gourmet Chef makes its long awaited re-appearance :smallsmile:

Doh!!!!


hmmm, last panel...if the birds placement corresponds to the way they are standing that means mr scruffy gets the biggest bird....AS IT SHOULD BE!!!

speaking of birds....couldnt :vaarsuvius: send her everpresent raven familiar as a messenger?

[kinch]

How utterly distressing.
I was hoping the two seperated groups would finally have a fair opportunity to contact eachother - although I must say I feared the worst once I'd scrolled down far enough to discover that the final panel contained no speech bubbles and therefore could be nothing but a visual punchline, the despicable little buggers, I resent them. :smallfurious: *Shakes fist in anger*
(Dramatization; I don't resent visual punchlines, I think they give a nice, creative, and oftentimes hilarious finishing touch to a comic - as was the case in today's strip - aswell as a mental breathing space away from the seemingly unending stream of words.)

On the other hand, however, this comic ultimately serves to prove one thing: that the two teams most definitely still have important things to do seperately.
Crucial, intriguing, exhilarating, plot-twisting, insane things?
We can only hope.

The Giant moves in mysterious ways.

[rosebud]

Love :durkon:'s constant frown, :vaarsuvius:'s "logic" :smallsmile:, :elan:'s pie-stained face and shirt (Azure city blue, no less! Well, okay, purple is close to blue), their trade items, yet another reference to the non-interfering to the point of uselessness twelve Southern gods, :vaarsuvius:'s callousness yet logical consistency, and :vaarsuvius:'s inability as a wizard to see the physical attack. :roy: would be so proud.


Now if only one of the recipients had been a Ranger with, say, skills like Wilderness lore or survival to make him realise they were tropical birds, and thus out of the ordinary.Hee hee. Belkar's culinary skills probably told him how rare a treat came in their range. And Haley's triple shot dispatched them accordingly. (It's funny. Four birds might have been able to get a message through if that required two rounds to shoot.) :smallsmile:


:vaarsuvius: 'sXanato's Roulette (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/XanatosRoulette)meet :haley: & :belkar:'s Xanatos Gilligan (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/XanatosGilligan)Random, over referenced site. :smallyuk: I don't understand the obsession here. A simple wizard meet rogue is sufficient, especially since the plan was not convoluted and the result was not that of a fool.


absolutley fabulous! it's always the "little things" you forget to consider...

Wizards tend to downplay or ignore the physical attack. (Although it does remind me of some RPG's where the inventory is common to all parties, even if they are split up and in different regions of the world. How one somehow transports food, armor, money, and magic items amongst groups is an amusing loophole in such a world.)


And her genius did shine through -- the birds actually did get there despite cloister.They were outside the city. But even if it affected the two, hopefully this means cloister has worn off.
I am curious how Roy's bird was supposed to get a message back. And a bird staring intently at a skeleton forever would be a bit disturbing.
I'm also hoping Vaarsuvius can finally get some meditation rest in now. Of course, the cruel true Giant puppetmaster is probably having her wait restlessly, instead. :smallyuk:


Shouldn't the strip's title be 'Air Meal'? :smallwink::smallbiggrin: Or Airline food?


Can someone please cast a sleep spell on the elf?Elves are immune to sleep spells (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0065.html).

[TigerHunter]

Poor birdies. :smallfrown:

[Blaznak]

I loved poppa talking to baby in the first panel. This is the kind of detail that I think helps take this web comic out of the realm of the generic to the outstanding. I mean, all of the NPCs have lives, fer cryin out loud!

Oh, and the big set up with Varsuivius? Hilarious. Roasted Magic Messenger Bird, anyone?

Later!

[fang_q]

I literally rolling on the floor laughing.

[SirBel]

I saw it coming and I still laughed out loud at this one on the last panel...:smallbiggrin:

[Trizap]

Random, over referenced site. :smallyuk: I don't understand the obsession here. A simple wizard meet rogue is sufficient, especially since the plan was not convoluted and the result was not that of a fool.




shoot me down will you? you have made a dangerous enemy.

[Flickerdart]

Instead of using delicious, plump-breasted parrots, could not Vaarsuvius, with its oft-highlighted intellect and constant reliance on magic, have summoned up something inedible to make the trip?

[Haruspex]

Poor V's attempts to contact the other half of the party seem a bit obssessive. Did something happen to the elf we know and love? Or is it that V is more concerned than the others?

[SirGhandi]

I'd have thought that given the time that they've been separated and traveling and all, that flying directly would imply a straight line, and such a straight line around a globe would lead to them attempting to fly through the water. Admittedly, I like the ending of the comic better than my own misguided speculation.

[Zephra]

that's so horrible! Poor V...
oh, man...

[Hiraghm]

With the speed that the birds got to them, maybe they're just on the other side of the island now or something.

[eilandesq]

[notes on "V's Improved Greater Animal Messenger," written three years later]

"Messengers are accompanied by fifty foot high glowing letters that read "DONT EAT US, YOU IDIOTS!" in a language known to be readable by one or more of the intended recipients." ]:-)

[The Sandman]

Genius. I wonder was paladin chick overheard? About the plot to kill Hinjo?

Perhaps she overheard Therkla's cunning plot to get Elan to herself, and decided to test her ideas. :smallwink:

[Caractacus]

Great! It's my birthday and to celebrate I get a double helping of Ootsy goodness! :smallcool:

Given that Celia is missing, can we assume that the birds are starters and that the main course is another winged delicacy that is even rarer than parrots in a temperate zone? :smalltongue:

Off-panel tied up bundle: "Mmmf mfff MMMFF!"

[VForVaarsuvius]

As I predicted, this one is awesome. Now we're getting somewhere!:smallbiggrin:

Is it bad that I agree with V?

[Daen]

I love that Mr. Scruffy is patiently awaiting his serving, lol! Excellent! :smallbiggrin:

[Shatteredtower]

Speculation:

Are we absolutely certain that Belkar's cooking the birds V sent? True, it's funny, but it would be just as funny to have a "meanwhile" panel immediately refute the elf's "My solution is flawless!" claim, without preventing the spell from working at a later date.

Then again, I've known players who, if they were in Haley's situation, would still shoot the birds and eat them, even if the player knew they were part of another player's efforts to find her character. Some of us are just contrary that way, and sometimes it's even amusing.

Also, with this spell cast, there's no good, logical reason for V to delay sleeping any longer. If the wizard truly has confidence in the spell's efficacy, it's only a matter of waiting a few days.

[David Argall]

Why couldn't V simply put a letter on the birds? Than they'd at least gotten the news ^^'''''''

See the FAQ
http://www.giantitp.com/FAQ.html#faq7

But in summery, because then what would there be to laugh at?



Poor V's attempts to contact the other half of the party seem a bit obssessive. Did something happen to the elf we know and love? Or is it that V is more concerned than the others?

As described, she deems his performance a gross failure since she ran out of spells. So he is trying to compensate for the failure by rescuing Haley.



There may be one good thing to come of this though: Perhaps Vaarsuvius will finally rest while waiting for the birds to come back.
Almost certainly not. This gag will be repeated, with V even more tired and sure that this time she has the solution, despite the failures he has suffered.



On the other hand, however, this comic ultimately serves to prove one thing: that the two teams most definitely still have important things to do seperately.
Crucial, intriguing, exhilarating, plot-twisting, insane things?
The prime thing they have to do is make bumbling attempts to get back together. That is the sum total of it for plot purposes, tho it is quite possible to hang any element one wants onto either party.



the Cloister spell does not block the physical movement of the birds, so we'll never know if those birds could have even delivered the message, even if they found Haley and Belkar.
The logic of the spell should make it impossible for the birds to find Haley & Belkar, or to recognize them once found. You tell the bird "go to Haley" and the bird would sit there and in a bird way say "where is Haley?"

Hmm... now that may be a point. V should now know that the three do exist [tho not that they are alive]. But given normal story luck, when the spell fails, the birds just fly away, and Haley was in the direction of the nearest island.



I wonder was paladin chick overheard? About the plot to kill Hinjo?
No, tho she likely assumes that.
She has seen a ninja who is friendly with Elan, and who is entirely willing to dice the rest of the party. That is enough to need reporting to Hinjo, and away from Elan.

Now from what she knows, she can speculate just about everything we know. [She would be wildly guessing in the case of Qarr, but she does know of a hidden spellcaster] But this is all speculation, not knowing.
We can expect Hinjo to dismiss it, because he is not too bright, and is not at all devious, and more important, his saying that what we know to be true is false is more likely to be funny.

[King of Nowhere]

Poor V, it was working perfectly this time... I wonder how he will react when knowing the truth.
Tip: the next time, it will be a good idea to cast stoneskin on the birds

[North]

Maybe he should have used a less tasty bird.

[Meshakhad]

I worry about Vaarsuvius.

[fractal]

"You see some birds flying towards you." "I shoot them with my bow." "Ooh! I cook the birds for dinner."

[Morty]

I have to say, seeing V failing utterly once again cheered me up.

[Alex Warlorn]

If this was a D&D game, this is where V's player would declare the Dungeon Master was now just being a jerk! Or is it one of those situations where 'you see three colorful birds in the sky that move with intent and purpose towards you and-' 'We shot'em down and cook'em for dinner!' 'Eep! You sure you want to do that?!' 'Duh! Of course we do!'

[Aron Times]

This was a great 4e joke, by the way. V's description is almost exactly how the animal messenger ritual works (with a few enhancements).
Really?

/me goes to check the Player's Handbook.


You target a nonhostile Tiny animal, such as a sparrow, a raven, a fox, or a carp. The animal must remain within 5 squares of you for the time necessary to perform the ritual. Once the ritual is complete, you whisper a message of up to 25 words to the animal and name a recipient and a location. The animal bounds off toward the location, in search of the recipient. The animal avoids danger along its path. Upon finding the recipient, the animal approaches until it is adjacent to the recipient, and then your whisper issues from the animal’s mouth, conveying the message. When the animal delivers its message or the ritual’s duration ends, your influence ends and the animal reverts to its natural behavior.

Your Nature check determines how long the animal is affected by the ritual.

You know, this could be a red herring. Maybe they got the message and decided to "recycle" the messengers. :smallbiggrin:

[David Argall]

This is the 2nd level version. V has apparently created a 5th or 6th level version.

[The Gremlin]

Noooo poor birdies! How could they?

[Raging Gene Ray]

How could they?

Because they're hungry...AND it's fun!

[Martok]

Heh. I loved Daigo's line at the beginning when he's talking to his unborn child: "Daddy learned about encumbrance today." :smallamused:

[Halvormerlinaky]

Heh. I loved Daigo's line at the beginning when he's talking to his unborn child: "Daddy learned about encumbrance today." :smallamused:

Encumbrance, thy name is Dwarf.:smallbiggrin:

[Halvormerlinaky]

Today on Cooking with Belkar...

Much better title, except that it gives away the punchline.

[Fascisticide]

It looks so tasty!

[Forealms]

I'm making my bet right now on Celia. Since she has been known to worry about the digestive tracts of cute, fuzzy creatures, I doubt that she'll have to wanted to eat this dinner. Or it might have been that they have wings, too.

Following this instinctive nature up with what somebody else said, they might have already received the message and Celia was shocked that they would eat animals that talked to them.

[Red XIV]

Yeah, Celia was probably upset for all the wrong reasons that they killed those birds.

[Forum Explorer]

Celia probly forgot that humans need food :smalltongue:

[David Argall]

they might have already received the message

Not much chance of that. A-it doesn't fit the joke. b-Aware the animal was a messenger [which presumably said it was able to carry an answer back], it would be obviously too valuable to be a snack. Haley would very much want to send a message to Durkon and V.

They shot on sight or at least before the messeage could be delivered.

[HOLEkevin]

Gaaah! Damn my foolish eyes! I accidentally looked ahead to the last panel before I was through reading the rest of the page!

Curses!

(Funny joke though!)

[Morgan Wick]

Not much chance of that. A-it doesn't fit the joke. b-Aware the animal was a messenger [which presumably said it was able to carry an answer back], it would be obviously too valuable to be a snack. Haley would very much want to send a message to Durkon and V.


Unless Haley has been framed, because we know Belkar would not hesitate even for a nanosecond. :D

[fractal]

Not much chance of that. A-it doesn't fit the joke. b-Aware the animal was a messenger [which presumably said it was able to carry an answer back], it would be obviously too valuable to be a snack. Haley would very much want to send a message to Durkon and V.
Well, you could picture them cooking two and returning one... ;)

[kukn]

Hehehe. Epic punchline. Nice, nice, nice.

[Superglucose]

First off, Hinjo will believe Lien. Seriously, paladin's word?

Second, owned! Seriously owned.

[David Argall]

Unless Haley has been framed, because we know Belkar would not hesitate even for a nanosecond. :D

Well of course Haley has been framed. She is framed just about every time we see her. 518 is about the only exception that comes to mind.
And Belkar would hesitate, or rather he would hesitate if he had hesitated in the first place. As far as Belkar knows, Hinjo and party are the only people willing and able to get this curse off him. That should make him very hesitant about killing the birds once he knows they are messengers who might go back to V or friends.

Oh yes, Haley is smiling. So Belkar didn't act before she could stop him. [probably she did the shooting.]

[RosesOnConcrete]

Oh, dear. *headdesk* I don't even know what to say...it's like the "players" are trying NOT to get the party back together.

On the other hand, Daigo talking to his unborn child is adorable enough to make up for it. LOVE that bit.

[Red XIV]

Celia probly forgot that humans need food :smalltongue:
Well, it's not as if humans (and halflings, I guess) have to eat meat (hence the existence of vegetarians), most of us just like to.

But Mr. Scruffy is definitely a carnivore. Cats can't survive on a vegetarian diet.

[Selene]

Elves are immune to sleep spells (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0065.html).

Sorry. Thought it would force him into trance. Best just club him unconscious, then.

[Lunaya]

Two words: Tranquilizer dart.

[Pandabear]

SOD Spoiler:
Is it just me, or does V start to look like Xykon right before he concented to become a Lich? Imagine V becoming one.. No more need to rest (although it would still be restricted to a daily spell alotment, etc) and it would help to maintain the gender ambiguity..

[silvadel]

It isnt just you but I cant see that happening spontaneously.

[Hydro]

Oooo, brilliant. I usually post when I lol myself and this is my first post in awhile.

This sounds weird, but the last pannel might have been better if it had been a three-pannel-wide one at the very bottom. Because most of us scroll as we go, we wouldn't have seen it coming as easily.

Still really good though. I feel awful for V, but man, that was pretty funny.

[Saint Nil]

Wow, poor V

[Eric]

Not much chance of that. A-it doesn't fit the joke. b-Aware the animal was a messenger [which presumably said it was able to carry an answer back], it would be obviously too valuable to be a snack. Haley would very much want to send a message to Durkon and V.

They shot on sight or at least before the messeage could be delivered.

Not necessarily. Belkar at least would be thinking "so, the birdie's waiting there and we can't think of anything to say, since there's no way to get there. Isn't it +4 to hit/damage for a stationary target?"

[Hydro]

Not necessarily. Belkar at least would be thinking "so, the birdie's waiting there and we can't think of anything to say, since there's no way to get there. Isn't it +4 to hit/damage for a stationary target?"

You're right. I could see the bird dlivering their message, Haley trying to think of something to say while Belkar stares at them with his blank I-think-I'm-going-to-stab-you look.

One round later Haley is fuming and screaming.

Five minutes later Haley's stomach is growling.


However, I think we would have seen that if that's what had happened (I mean, it -would- be pretty funny). The way the giant presented it strongly implies that they were forraging for dinner and Haley shot them down as soon as they came within sight; especially with those three arrows sitting in the corner.
Guess you never know for sure though.

[Pandabear]

It isnt just you but I cant see that happening spontaneously.

Granted, it would take a divine spellcaster with the means and the will to do it, but still.. despite some technicalities which might or might not make things impossible for the moment, I can't shake the feeling that that might change.

SOD Spoiler again:
Redcloak does need another arcane spellcaster, and although people probably have mentioned the possibility dozens of times on these boards of V aiding him for some reason or another (I haven't checked to be honest) it's easier to control a Lich that isn't epic level..

[fractal]

However, I think we would have seen that if that's what had happened (I mean, it -would- be pretty funny). The way the giant presented it strongly implies that they were forraging for dinner and Haley shot them down as soon as they came within sight; especially with those three arrows sitting in the corner.
Guess you never know for sure though.
Given that one arrow even still has a blue feather on it, I think it's safe to assume that it was, indeed, Haley who shot the birds.

[Valnatron]

Why doesn't V just use his/her Raven familiar to carry the message? I mean, at least there then might be a slim chance of Haley recognizing it....or not, but still it would have saved him/her a trip to the island.

Ugh....someone Vulcan neck-pinch V before something horrible happens.

~Valnatron

[Warren Dew]

Why doesn't V just use his/her Raven familiar to carry the message?

I seem to remember that Vaarsuvius and her raven are not on good terms.

[Ninja]

Why doesn't V just use his/her Raven familiar to carry the message? I mean, at least there then might be a slim chance of Haley recognizing it....or not, but still it would have saved him/her a trip to the island.

Ugh....someone Vulcan neck-pinch V before something horrible happens.

~Valnatron

:elan: Hey V, why don't you send your familiar to look for Haley?
:vaarsuvius: My what, now? (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0154.html)

[Ghastly Epigram]

Curse you, I keep seeing this thread in the forums list and thinking it is the thread for a new strip! Curse you all I say! (Though I suppose we need a refuge from the actual current newest strip thread :smalltongue:)

And yes, V's treacherous avian is obviously no longer to be trusted.

[sihnfahl]

I seem to remember that Vaarsuvius and her raven are not on good terms.
No, they're on good terms - well, I'd say good terms...

V just can't remember that Blackwing exists...

I guess Blackwing hasn't been able to sneak 'ginkgo bilboa' into V's food.

[VForVaarsuvius]

... Am I the only one who can't see the comic...?

If this is some cruel joke, someone will pay...:smallyuk:

EDIT: Oh, oh my. 563... You cruel, heartless thread necromancers.:smallsigh:

[Ninja]

... Am I the only one who can't see the comic...?

If this is some cruel joke, someone will pay...:smallyuk:

EDIT: Oh, oh my. 563... You cruel, heartless thread necromancers.:smallsigh:

gotcha!!!!! :smallbiggrin: