What the death of Therkla REALLY means

[GSFB]

Who is the other half-orc character we haven't seen in a while?

What connection does that other half-orc character have to Therkla?

How will that other half-orc character react when he learns that Therkla is dead?

It might make the jailbreak (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0387.html) look mild and timid in comparison...

[AstralFire]

Ho snaps. Krusk'll be breaking out the pimp hat again, right?

>.>

[Jorgo Mono]

Wait, Thog is connected to Therkla?
:smallsigh:
I'm confused.

[EndlessWrath]

as am i. I had no idea Thog was a half-orc.

[GSFB]

Thog is a half-orc. There may be no connection to Therkla, but then, there may be a big one. We don't know yet.

[InuSaga]

Or, it could be, you know, just a coincidence.

[Shady_halfling]

your over-thinking.

[Jorgo Mono]

How can you rationalize any sense of connection? Solely based on the fact they have the same race? Oh I know! There must be some hidden connection between Hinjo and Old Blind Pete! :smallannoyed:

[Mauve Shirt]

How can you rationalize any sense of connection? Solely based on the fact they have the same race? Oh I know! There must be some hidden connection between Hinjo and Old Blind Pete! :smallannoyed:

You mean Roy and Blind Pete (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0581.html) right? :smalltongue:

Seriously, this was analyzed to death when we first learned Therkla was a half orc. Just because they are the same race and in the same universe, it means nothing. It's a coincidence. :smallannoyed:

[GSFB]

In real life, coincidences happen all the time. In a work of fiction, where every word is deliberately chosen by the author to communicate as much as possible in as few words as possible, where every picture is drawn to express as much as possible with as little effort as possible, there are no coincidences.

Thog will soon discover that his sister Therkla, who he hasn't seen in years, is dead. And he will learn she died to save Not-Nale. And Thog will weep. And seek vengeance.

And it will again be no coincidence that Thog will learn the real evil behind Therkla's death wasn't Kubota, but Qarr and his fiendish conspiracy... the same conspiracy that is linked to Sabine and her recent visit to the lower planes...

Thog will kill Sabine! And he will do it while Sabine is about to kill both Haley and Not-Nale... a perfect moment!

[Kranden]

Gods forbid there would be another half Orc in the story :smallamused:

Besides do you really think even if Thog knew her he would ever know she was dead.

[AstralFire]

In real life, coincidences happen all the time. In a work of fiction, where every word is deliberately chosen by the author to communicate as much as possible in as few words as possible, where every picture is drawn to express as much as possible with as little effort as possible, there are no coincidences.

I'm guessing you haven't written much for an audience. Trust me. Fans will, after a certain point, find coincidences and allegory in the shape of your morning bran flakes.

[GSFB]

I write plenty, and have had many readers. But that is not the point. The point is, you can look at virtually any book, movie, tv show, etc., and the story is choc full o' coincidence. It is the convenient tool for driving the plot.

A person driving a car hits a pedestrian. The pedestrian is a complete stranger. Or is he? It turns out, the pedestrian is the driver's long lost father. That's exactly the sort of thing that shows up in fiction writing. When done poorly, you immediately say to yourself, "oh sure, a million random people in the city, and THIS is who you hit." But if done well, you don't even think about the ridiculous odds - you just take in the story.

Think about all the coincidences in this story so far. It is completely improbable that everything that has happened to the OotS would have happened without the hand of the author steering events. I mean, Nale and Elan? Landing on an island where the locals worship Banjo? All the times the same flumph gets landed on? But you don't think about how improbable these coincidences are, because they are written well enough to entertain and engage you.

[FujinAkari]

I write plenty, and have had many readers. But that is not the point. The point is, you can look at virtually any book, movie, tv show, etc., and the story is choc full o' coincidence. It is the convenient tool for driving the plot.

A person driving a car hits a pedestrian. The pedestrian is a complete stranger. Or is he? It turns out, the pedestrian is the driver's long lost father. That's exactly the sort of thing that shows up in fiction writing. When done poorly, you immediately say to yourself, "oh sure, a million random people in the city, and THIS is who you hit." But if done well, you don't even think about the ridiculous odds - you just take in the story.

Think about all the coincidences in this story so far. It is completely improbable that everything that has happened to the OotS would have happened without the hand of the author steering events. I mean, Nale and Elan? Landing on an island where the locals worship Banjo? All the times the same flumph gets landed on? But you don't think about how improbable these coincidences are, because they are written well enough to entertain and engage you.

... duh?

You aren't making any revelations here, but nor are you proving that Durokan must be Durkon's shapeshifted cousin due to the similarity of their na-

wait, no, thats actually a BETTER argument than the one you're makiing. You're claiming that Thog and Thelkea must be related since they have the same race. You are therefore also arguing that V and Lirean are related, as are Leeky Windstaff and the Gnomish Merchant Belkar killed, as are Redcloak and Goblin Dan.

Have I made my point yet?

[Raging Gene Ray]

Thog will soon discover that his sister Therkla, who he hasn't seen in years, is dead. And he will learn she died to save Not-Nale. And Thog will weep. And seek vengeance.

And it will again be no coincidence that Thog will learn the real evil behind Therkla's death wasn't Kubota, but Qarr and his fiendish conspiracy... the same conspiracy that is linked to Sabine and her recent visit to the lower planes...

Thog will kill Sabine! And he will do it while Sabine is about to kill both Haley and Not-Nale... a perfect moment!

:thog:All this character development make Thog's brain hurt. Thog no want hot sister anymore.

[GSFB]

The other characters you mention have not been as fleshed out as Therkla and Thog. Both were drawn to Elan - for different reasons, but still drawn to him. Both started off as enemies, but in both cases that changed. Both were being used by an evil leader.

Also, the other characters weren't as prominent in the story. It is one thing for there to be another elf or two gnomes mentioned in passing. But it is completely different to be a recurring character with many lines of dialogue and direct interaction with the primary characters.

[Innis Cabal]

Oh my god. I never thought of this! Your right! You win the thread!

[Liwen]

For the sake of it being a potential nice plot twist, I consider this theory possible.

For the sake of it being a cliché, but still nice and entertaining plot twist, I also consider the "V turning evil" and "Roy being rezzed only at the worst possible *(?5ing time to save everyone" theories plausible too.

[Fish]

Obviously, Yik-Yik is related to the Oracle.

[TheNovak]

"Say, Therkla, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Well, you know Thog upstairs?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, he's Thog the half-orc, and you'r Therkla the half-orc."

"Right."

"You're both half-orcs."

"Yeah."

"...Are you two related?"

"WHAT? Elan, I'm surprised at you! I find that racist."

"I'm sorry, I was just asking!"

"Well, it's a touchy subject! No, not all half-orcs are related! What're you trying to say, huh, that we all look the same to you?"

[DarknessLord]

"Say, Therkla, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Well, you know Thog upstairs?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, he's Thog the half-orc, and you'r Therkla the half-orc."

"Right."

"You're both half-orcs."

"Yeah."

"...Are you two related?"

"WHAT? Elan, I'm surprised at you! I find that racist."

"I'm sorry, I was just asking!"

"Well, it's a touchy subject! No, not all half-orcs are related! What're you trying to say, huh, that we all look the same to you?"

I award you this thread.

Also youtube link. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKg_ca3AgW0&feature=related)

[BigAlzBub]

The other characters you mention have not been as fleshed out as Therkla and Thog. Both were drawn to Elan - for different reasons, but still drawn to him. Both started off as enemies, but in both cases that changed. Both were being used by an evil leader.

Also, the other characters weren't as prominent in the story. It is one thing for there to be another elf or two gnomes mentioned in passing. But it is completely different to be a recurring character with many lines of dialogue and direct interaction with the primary characters.

While your theory is not without merit,
"Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar"
(attributed to Sigmund Freud)

[Laurentio II]

As the original poster underlined, coincidences are much more frequent in literature than in real life, for plot need (on the other hand, real life coincidences are several orders more unbelievable...). But he pointed that fact, too, that they are supposed to be well played, and necessary (or cosmetic) to the story.
I personally would be disappointed to find such a cheap and cliched situation, linking two characters that are, literally, on opposite sides of the world. And I can't see, to the best of my writing skill (that while not excellent, are not non existential), how the Therkla-Thog relation would improve the comic.

Anyway, by the same terms and conjecture, one could say that Elan is Captain James Kirk, and Therkla a green skinned alien. She felt in love, they never had real business, and she died dramatically. Coincidence? Not in a comic that is in the same site on another one that cited the teleport room of a Federation ship.

[Linkavitch]

It may be that they will, but it also may be that it is just a coincidence. Although, Therkla did seem pretty smart, and Thog, pretty dumb, so what if they were twins, and Therkla kept hitting Thog in his poor, undeveloped cranium?

[Jophes]

Well Therkla briefly says something about her childhood... her speech is very intelligent compared to Thogs which makes me think that Therkla's father taught her how to speak properly, and Thog probably was raised by his orc father/mother (most likely mother since I doubt orc fathers are very maternal) and only learned very crude speech.

[Xandro]

Hey, don't forget about Therkla's and Thog's older brother Bozzok (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0580.html). He looks very half-orcish too from my point of view!

And he will be even more upset :smallfurious:

[GSFB]

Bozzok has the wrong color eyes... and his skin isn't quite the same shade of green... but I like the way you think!

[Heroic]

I xan't believe you're actually speculating a connection beween to people solely because of race!
Then my death will mean a lot to Brad Pitt! :smallannoyed:

[TheNovak]

I don't see how Therkla and Thog being siblings makes any narrative sense. Therkla's permadead and of a Neutral-ish alignment, while Thog's alive and Chaotic Evil; they will never meet, so there's no reason for them to have a connection.

[David Argall]

It is an article of faith among a good number of our posters that any two characters in the story are in fact related by blood or some other relationship and the idea of the strip is to identify the relationship.

[TheNovak]

So it's just for fun? Pshaw! Back in my day, we'd construct detailed arguments concerning the Miko's alignment, and that was our fun! And whenever a new comic was posted, you'd have to wait a good twelve hours just to get enough bandwidth to look at the boards! You kids have it easy these days, with your new servers and rock n' roll music.

[Felixaar]

How can you rationalize any sense of connection? Solely based on the fact they have the same race? Oh I know! There must be some hidden connection between Hinjo and Old Blind Pete! :smallannoyed:

Blind Pete, is, infact, one of Julia's many children, returned from the future. He also happens to be a giant robot.

[Samurai Jill]

Keep pretty girls away from Thog!

[Scatman]

I theorize that the death of Therkla means Thog will be doing 587+1d12 damage sometime soon. But seriously, I don't think Thog and Therkla are related. By the same logic, Haley's dating her brother Elan. And Nale is Roy's cousin. Meanwhile, Shojo is Xykon's grandmother going come back in time wearing a gender changing belt, causing the birth of Miko.

Therkla is Rick Astley.

[busterswd]

Well, I'm surprised no one has made this shocking revelation, but Kubota is clearly one of Soon's descendents. They've both been fleshed out, and look at those spiffy Fu-Manchu style mustaches. And they're both from Azure City!



Seriously, a good writer can foreshadow and hint at connections, but another mark of a good writer is knowing when to just leave things as they are; if you make everything connected to each other for no reason other than to increase a pre-existing character's relevance, the storyline just gets completely screwed up. See: Final Fantasy VIII.