We got to see Roy in Celestia... What about the Belkster?

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Assuming the MoJ is lethal, or at least debilitaing enough to keep Belkar from defending himself against the angry citizens of Lickmyorangeballs, Belkar may not be long for this world.

Where will Belkar end up? Will his case worker be another Deva, or a demon of some sort?

And will he be able to return, either "improved" (meaning he doesn't kill everything that moves on a whim), or will he return even more kill-krazy?

Roy most likely will return, Miko might return (I'm a member of the "why fall, without hope of redemption?" crowd), but Belkar's perma-death takes things to a whole new level...

Actually, I'd kind of like to see the Belkster in the Abyss, sitting on a throne built from the bones and skin of his conquored foes, but that's just me. :smallbiggrin:

[Morty]

Belkar will go straightly to whatever Chaotic Evil afterlife there is in OoTS cosmology. The real question is whether he'll face eternal punishment or be rewarded for causing so much evil and chaos.

[TigerHunter]

I don't think this is it for Belkar. If Rich wanted to get rid of him he would have just left him in the AC prison rather than give him the mark.

Since the OotS wouldn't bother getting him resurrected, I don't think he's going to die. The mark's description just says he'll get too sick to hurt anyone, doesn't say anything about killing him.

It would be cool to see him in the CE afterlife, though.

[Holammer]

Seems to me that the MOJ itself isn't fatal, but he will surely be vulnerable. I don't think he'll die just yet, going from the Sexy Shoeless God of War to a useless wreak (sharing the cart with Roy's corpse) with stats in the negatives would be hilarious and a source of many possible plot twists.

Belkar in hell would be hilarious tho.

[factotum]

I don't think this is it for Belkar. If Rich wanted to get rid of him he would have just left him in the AC prison rather than give him the mark.


I don't see that follows. Without Belkar, chances are good that the OotS wouldn't have survived the battle of Azure City--remember that he used the Eye of Fear and Flame to torch the hobgoblins who were about to pincushion the Order with arrows while they were on the wall (see strip #455). Tsukiko would have captured or killed Haley in strip #520 without Belkar. It's only really since they left Azure City that Belkar has become more of a liability than a help, which just goes to show how effective the Mark of Justice really was!

[Kato]

I also don't think, B'll die... he will surely get somehow rid of the mark, probably soon. He's not much fun with it, except Rich got a hell lot of jokes about him wanting to hurt people but being unable.
Though... I like the idea of B going to CE afterlife and then... hehe... anyone read 8 bit theatre, when black mage went to hell, killed the big boss and became ruler of hell for like... 5 strips? The world was shaken and good would have perished, hehe... B'd give the world hardly 2 strips to stop him, then he'd enslaved the snarl and killed anything, being any competition to his evil.

[Healer Hobo]

anyone read 8 bit theatre, when black mage went to hell, killed the big boss and became ruler of hell for like... 5 strips? The world was shaken and good would have perished, hehe... B'd give the world hardly 2 strips to stop him, then he'd enslaved the snarl and killed anything, being any competition to his evil.

I was thinking the exact same thing when I saw this post. And I'd give Belkar 1.5 strips, tops. One for him wondering where he was, the next half showing him atop a pile of demon bones, into a makeshift throne. But I doubt he would die.

[Fitzclowningham]

It would be soooo cool to see how Rich would draw the Abyss. I'd love to see a 30-comic arc about that.

[Chronos]

I don't think this is it for Belkar. If Rich wanted to get rid of him he would have just left him in the AC prison rather than give him the mark.The Oracle already implied, the last time they saw him, that Belkar was not long for this world. Maybe this is it for him, maybe not, but we shouldn't be surprised.

[Plactus]

I very much doubt we'll see Belkar in Celestia. Ever.

(Sorry. I know that's not what you meant. :smallbiggrin:)

[David Argall]

I don't see that follows. Without Belkar, chances are good that the OotS wouldn't have survived the battle of Azure City--remember that he used the Eye of Fear and Flame to torch the hobgoblins who were about to pincushion the Order with arrows while they were on the wall (see strip #455). Tsukiko would have captured or killed Haley in strip #520 without Belkar. It's only really since they left Azure City that Belkar has become more of a liability than a help, which just goes to show how effective the Mark of Justice really was!

It's not a matter of his utility to the party. It's a matter of literary form. The standard here is that the entire party makes it, if not to the final frame, at least to within sight of it. Belkar is highly likely to make it to the final gate [tho surviving that is quite another matter]. There are alternate forms, such as losing 1 at a time here and there thru the story. But since everybody has survived 3 1/2 books, they are pretty certain to survive to the final book.

[An Enemy Spy]

But since everybody has survived 3 1/2 books, they are pretty certain to survive to the final book.

Roy hasn't

[TigerHunter]

I don't see that follows. Without Belkar, chances are good that the OotS wouldn't have survived the battle of Azure City--remember that he used the Eye of Fear and Flame to torch the hobgoblins who were about to pincushion the Order with arrows while they were on the wall (see strip #455). Tsukiko would have captured or killed Haley in strip #520 without Belkar. It's only really since they left Azure City that Belkar has become more of a liability than a help, which just goes to show how effective the Mark of Justice really was!
Rich could easily have changed the minor details to ensure that Belkar wouldn't be needed. Belkar hasn't really contributed anything major to the plot since AC aside from killing the Oracle, and that's only important because it set off the mark. If Haley'd never remembered the Oracle existed, he would have been just as gone from the story as he is now.

[TigerHunter]

I don't see that follows. Without Belkar, chances are good that the OotS wouldn't have survived the battle of Azure City--remember that he used the Eye of Fear and Flame to torch the hobgoblins who were about to pincushion the Order with arrows while they were on the wall (see strip #455). Tsukiko would have captured or killed Haley in strip #520 without Belkar. It's only really since they left Azure City that Belkar has become more of a liability than a help, which just goes to show how effective the Mark of Justice really was!
Rich could easily have changed the minor details to ensure that Belkar wouldn't be needed. Belkar hasn't really contributed anything major to the plot since AC aside from killing the Oracle, and that's only important because it set off the mark. If Haley'd never remembered the Oracle existed, he would have been just as gone from the story as he is now.

Basically, Rich had a chance to eliminate Belkar from the story back in Azure City. Instead, he introduced a plot point that would allow him to get rid of Belkar 300 strips down the line, if he so chose.

[krossbow]

Personally, i'd find it hilarious if belkar got sent to a chaotic good plane as his punishment for eternity, because that'd be the most annoying, unbearable place for him to exist.


The people there couldn't die since they'd already be dead, and its possible they'd be unable to feel pain too. Plus, there'd be plenty of ultra sappy do-gooders there.



Kind of like what they did to saddam in southpark when he got sent to heaven to stay with the mormons.

"you're here forever!"
"No...NOOOOOOOOO!"

[Sir_Elderberry]

Let's just hope Rich doesn't decide to make the strip into extreme anyone can die. Order of the Ice and Fire and Stick would get in the way of the comedy, I think. (And while the plot is important, it is a humorous webcomic after all.)

[Corsair]

Elderberry, you just stumbled upon something ingenious. Order of the Ice and Fire and Stick? The idea of Tyrion Lannister facing off against Belkar is alluring.

[Sir_Elderberry]

Elderberry, you just stumbled upon something ingenious. Order of the Ice and Fire and Stick? The idea of Tyrion Lannister facing off against Belkar is alluring.

Brienne and Miko would hit it off spectacularly, I'm thinking.

[Raging Gene Ray]

After being incapacitated for a while, Belkar could start to feel guilty...when he perishes, he still goes to the CE afterlife and that just makes him more determined than ever to change.

He is raised and, much to everyone's surprise, he wants to redeem himself. There could be some good jokes to be had from the concept of him trying to be good but in a way that still lets him stab things and having to listen to his teammates correct him.

[Halvormerlinaky]

Actually, I'd kind of like to see the Belkster in the Abyss, sitting on a throne built from the bones and skin of his conquored foes, but that's just me. :smallbiggrin:

If that isn't the Belkster's final fate, I'll be seriously irked. But if he's completely removed from the strip I'll cancel all my account and make all my friends do likewise!:smalltongue:

Edit - and he'd have to have one twisted, evil grin of EVIL on his face while doing so.

[TigerHunter]

The idea of Tyrion Lannister facing off against Belkar is alluring.
...best idea ever.

[silvadel]

Belkar would have no fun in the abyss -- he would end up as one of those worm things or something else that is relatively harmless and end up being demolished by the other demons.

[brilliantlight]

I picture Belkar as becoming a fairly weak demon like a dretch or something. The best he could hope for is being a babau which is possible as he would make a damn good assassin but that wouldn't be a punishment for him but a reward.

[mandarinka]

Belkar would have no fun in the abyss -- he would end up as one of those worm things or something else that is relatively harmless and end up being demolished by the other demons.

Ah, that sounds great! Well, I'm hoping for the best :B

[AceOfFools]

It's not a matter of his utility to the party. It's a matter of literary form. The standard here is that the entire party makes it, if not to the final frame, at least to within sight of it. Belkar is highly likely to make it to the final gate [tho surviving that is quite another matter]. There are alternate forms, such as losing 1 at a time here and there thru the story. But since everybody has survived 3 1/2 books, they are pretty certain to survive to the final book.

This is why I suspect Belkar may die for real in the immediate future.

Rich loves doing the unexpected, and it seems inconceivable to have only five members of the Order make to the end.

Even so, my money is on him sticking around.
NCfPB:Commentary on page facing 260: "Well, just so there's no misunderstanding: Belkar is a protagonist of OOTS, regardless of his alignment. The strip will continue to follow him even if he leaves the OOTS."

Word of God

[Lupy]

I think Belkar will die, but not until the final gate. And then in the post story wrap up we see him has King of the Abyss, leading an assult on Celestia, who's defense is lead by Miko on her "Stupid Horse" :smallamused:

[Corwin Weber]

There's also the possibility that Belkar will die and we'll see him in the Abyss... chained to an iron post and gagged. Forever.

AD&D Hell is only a fun place if you're strong enough to not end up as somebody's bitch. While Belkar may be that strong, this is not assured.

[donkyhotay]

If your going to see roy in CE afterlife then he would absolutely have to meet up with miko somehow. While I don't know where miko ended up roy didn't see her CL afterlife so theoretically she could have ended up in CE afterlife (though my money would be on somewhere in the middle).

[FrankNorman]

Belkar likes killing people. If he dies, he goes to a plane where everyone is already dead. No more killing.

[David Argall]

Roy hasn't
A quibble. Roy is still part of the story and he will be raised, tho not quickly or easily. Durkon will also likely bite it temporarily in a book or two. Belkar may get killed at some point, but he will be in the final book, likely well past the halfway point.
We are talking about Belkar being out of the story soon.



Rich loves doing the unexpected, and it seems inconceivable to have only five members of the Order make to the end.
There is [wisely] a definite limit to his originality that way. He mocks the overused forms, not forms in general, most of which he follows OOTS gets quite a few mentions in TV Tropes as examples, not counter-examples. So unless there is a good reason to violate a form, he is unlikely to do so. And Belkar looks to be a form that belongs in the story to the end or close to it.