The Return Of The Linear Guild

[Military Man]

:nale:The Return Of The Linear Guild!!:sabine:

In Strip 458 we see Nale, Thog, and Sabrine fly off to get some new weapons (all of Theirs being left back in Cliffport) and and new team replacements;

In this thread you may post anything about their comeback, new replacements, new weapons they might have, where they went (Most likely Cliffport), and any new plans they have to crush the OOTS

[Zordrath]

As Xykon and Redcloak are currently sitting in Azure City and not really doing anything, I think the Linear Guild will be the main opposition the OOTS will have to face when racing for the next gate. I presume it will be Kraagor's gate, as there are only two gates left right now: Kraagor's, guarded by monsters, and Girard's, guarding by cunning spells we don't really know about. The latter sounds more interesting and difficult, and therefore more fitting for being the last of the five.

They might have acquired some new levels or weapons, but, as Nale said, probably no new members. Which is fine with me, Leeky, Pompey and Yokyok were pretty stupid anyway :smalltongue:

[Deepkicker]

Wouldn't it be awesome if while the Order of the Stick are busy trying to reunite and Team Evil are busy trying to get more info in Azure City the Linear Guild have actually gotten closer to the the next gate than either of them during the months since we've last seen?
Remember, Nale had Shojo tell him the entire history of the gates. I have little doubt that the next time the Linear guild appear they will be tied in closer to the overarching plot. In other words- Nale has the team looking for the gates. Personally I'd love to see them reach the next one first. It would be such a nice twist.

[Zordrath]

Yes, that would be my idea, too. It would really come as a surprise to all parties involved, and to the readers as well, as the Guild has so far never been a global threat, and has frequently been bested by the OOTS' most dumb member :smalltongue:

[FoE]

I'm pretty sure the Linear Guild will be at the next gate, which will likely be Girard's Gate.

The question I have is: do you think Sabine and Nale will still be together? Since they were bf/gf when Haley and Elan were apart, I'm going to bet they'll be separated by the end of this comic, especially when Sabine betrays Nale in order to turn one of the Gates over to the control of Hell.

[Military Man]

I presume it will be Kraagor's gate, as there are only two gates left right now: Kraagor's, guarded by monsters, and Girard's, guarding by cunning spells we don't really know about. The latter sounds more interesting and difficult, and therefore more fitting for being the last of the five.

Sorry to burst you bubble but due to the Oracle's prediction we know the Team Evil is heading to Girard's gate next

[CaptainIreland]

Sorry to burst you bubble but due to the Oracle's prediction we know the Team Evil is heading to Girard's gate next

No, that's exactly what he said.

LINEAR GUILD - Heading to Kraagor's. Next fight.
XYKON - Heading to Girard's. Final fight.

For some reason, I always had it in my head that Nale was heading to Girard's gate, and the final showdown would occur at Kraagor's, but the Oracle's prediction would make that complicated. I like the idea of the final battle happening at the top of the world.

[David Argall]

I think the Linear Guild will be the main opposition the OOTS will have to face when racing for the next gate. I presume it will be Kraagor's gate,

It will be Girard's.
The presumption is that Haley's dad is being held by Nale/Elan's paw and is on the way to the gate on the Western Continent. So the LG will be heavily involved in that story.

[factotum]

It's also assumed that Durkon "returning posthumously" to his homeland has something to do with Kraagor's gate, since that gate is in dwarven territory; makes it considerably more likely that it's the last in the sequence.

[Texas Jedi]

Wasn't Durkon kicked out of the dwarven lands because if he ever returned he would bring death and destruction? That could mean he is going back with the OotS to defend the gate and it leads to many peoples deaths.

[Lissou]

My husband and myself have a bet going on aout whether Thog will still be wearing his leprechaun costume or not when we next see him.

What are your thoughts on that?

[Querzis]

I have been wondering about that. After Roy death, we saw what happened with everyone, even the Oracle or the two assassins...but still no Linear Guild. Everytime the story switched side, I wondered if we would saw them but at this point, I think the Giant is trying to make us forget about them. Why? Because now, I suspect the next time we see them is in the next fight for the gate. team Evil and the OOTS are fighting to get to Girard gate first. They fight each other while also having to fight Girard Illusion and, when they finally open the last door, the Linear Guild are already there, doing the ritual.

Either that, or we are gonna see them when Roy finally realize he should probably spy on them too.

[Green-Shirt Q]

I have a theory that the Linear Guild already have returned.

That's right. Sabine has disguised herself as old blind Pete!

Or not. It's just a theory. I don't even believe it.

[Ganurath]

I theorize that the Linear Guild will try to rescue and recruit Therkla as the new Belkar counterpart as stealthy fighter with utility skills and crippling weakness (crush and vomit, respectively) after Sabine finds out from her via pillow talk with Qarr.

[Green-Shirt Q]

I theorize that the Linear Guild will try to rescue and recruit Therkla as the new Belkar counterpart as stealthy fighter with utility skills and crippling weakness (crush and vomit, respectively) after Sabine finds out from her via pillow talk with Qarr.
Of course, the Nale specifically stated that he isn't going to add any more team members.Here is a link to that comic. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0458.html)

[David Argall]

Now one theory of mine is that Haley will have a run-in with the LG on the way to reuniting with the others. This is getting unlikely since the party should be done with Azure City about 660 and we need some of that space for party reunion, Roy raising, and heroics in the recovery of the city. There is still room, but it is looking like we will next see the LG in the next book.



My husband and myself have a bet going on aout whether Thog will still be wearing his leprechaun costume or not when we next see him.
I would bet he is back to normal, but we are talking Thog... Don't offer to pay off in advance unless he is willing to reduce the penalty substantially.



I have been wondering about that. After Roy death, we saw what happened with everyone, even the Oracle or the two assassins...but still no Linear Guild.
We saw these others when they interact, quite indirectly in the case of the assassins, with the party. Redcloak and Xykon are just too deeply involved not to cover, but the rest pretty much only rate air time when their plans bump into the party.
Now we might get a cutaway to Nale, but right now the writer seems to want to keep the Western Continent unknown, and that's going to make it difficult to say much about what Nale is up to. So the odds are we won't see the LG until about 700.

[Dunesen]

No, that's exactly what he said.

LINEAR GUILD - Heading to Kraagor's. Next fight.
XYKON - Heading to Girard's. Final fight.

Roy and the others should be able to piece together that Nale knows about the gates after impersonating Elan, but so far we haven't been given any indication of that. Their only worry is about Xykon getting to another gate, and per the Oracle, they know it's Girard next.

[Dunesen]

The Linear Guild are not a single-episode group of villains that serve as a diversion from the regular villains (think of a single issue of Spider-Man with the Rhino vs. a four-issue arc with the Green Goblin). They're significant figures in their own right, and both confrontations they've had with the Order were built up before the actual fighting.

Especially the Cliffport encounter, where we had an entire mini-arc of recruiting V's counterpart and then a couple individual appearances leading up to the team getting to Cliffport.

Bringing them back right after (or especially during) the current Greysky story would be a step down for them that they as recurring villains don't deserve (there's already too many sides in this fight).

To do things properly, and the Giant is nothing is not deliberate in his story telling, means that the next time we see them will be as they prepare for their next attempt against the Order. If they're not getting new members then they're at least going to be formulating needlessly complex plans and taking steps to prepare.

Greysky will be finished up, Roy will get rezzed, and right now I'm betting that the team will reunite RIGHT AS the Linear Guild makes a return to the scene.

(We could have the LG kidnap Haley and try to contact Elan to save her, but that's just a retread of their previous plan)

At David:

660? Nice round number, would make the next book's length equal to the other books so far, but is 660 itself Word of God?

[Deepkicker]

Personally I don't think we're going to get to see the build up to their next plan, like we did for their Cliffport caper. Too much time has passed without seeing them, so having a cutaway (or several cutaways) where we get to watch them prepare for their plan or recruit new members or whatever would just be awkward at this point. No. I think the Linear Guild need to just show up unexpectedly to the Order. With no warning. Then have Nale monologue (perhaps with the aid of visual flashbacks) about what they've been up to since escaping Azure City.
If not that- if we're going to have a sudden cutaway and see them in a completely different place than all the main characters, then it has to be after this arc. At this point there's no room for the Linear Guild, unless they are in some way "crashing the party" and getting involved with one of the ongoing plotlines.

[Military Man]

Bringing them back right after (or especially during) the current Greysky story would be a step down for them that they as recurring villains don't deserve (there's already too many sides in this fight).


Very true we probably won't see them in anytime soon, someone said until Strip 700 more likely 650 in my opinion (If it counts :smallamused:)

[Berserk Monk]

I think we'll see the LG at Girard's Gate. Kraagar's Gate has epic climax written all over it. Remember, Roy asked which gate Xykon would be within 1,000 feet of first. I predict Team Evil gets within exactly 1,000 feet of the gate then see it blow up.

As for new members I kind of want Belkar's next "evil" opposite to be the granddaughter of Yik Yik named Yin Yin who is a monk. It has the whole opposite thing for Belkar as well as it being hilarious that he caused the death of three generations of kobolds in one family.

[Linkavitch]

My husband and myself have a bet going on aout whether Thog will still be wearing his leprechaun costume or not when we next see him.

What are your thoughts on that?

It would be awesome if he was, and had some sort of leprechaun-themed weapon he will use(+5 Pot-O-Gold, maybe?). But, sadly, I don't think so.