Belkars prophecy.

[Ulti]

Does nobody else find it extremely odd HOW the Oracle specified when Belkar would die? Going out of the way to say "Will draw his last breath -ever-" and then having the little fourth wall breakage right after leads me to believe that something is going to throw the Oracle's prophecy regarding Belkar for a loop somehow. I mean, he could've just as easily said "Will draw his last breath" without the ever, or even said ever without the punctuation marks making it stand out.

[T-O-E]

This is a world where resurrections are simple matters for high level adventurers. That's why the Oracle had to say "ever".

[Latch]

Saying "-ever-" clarifies that he will not be resurrected; this is supposed to diffuse theories about his return to life, which clearly hasn't worked.:smallamused:

[[TS] Shadow]

The fourth wall break was also to specify that Belkar will still be around for a while. There was a very short time between when that strip was posted (in August, I think) and December 31 2008. I can't see Belkar dying until the next story arc, at the earliest.

[Liwen]

And I can't see Belkar dying before the follwing :

He meets Roy again and tell him he owns him his +20 jumping ring.

He meets everyone else and fakes rejoice, only to do something mean and sneaky, like soaking Elan's sleeping bag with citric acid.

If he gets these two jokes, his most important duty in this world will be resolved at last.

[Trazoi]

This is a world where resurrections are simple matters for high level adventurers. That's why the Oracle had to say "ever".
That's my take too. The "ever" is to jam a wedge in the revolving door in the afterlife of this universe. :smallamused:

I think the more interesting bit is the phrasing of "draw his last breath" rather "Belkar will die and never return". It might just be a more poetic way of saying the same thing, but it might been Belkar might not die in a conventional sense. I can't remember if the any of the Oracle's hints said explicitly Belkar would die or whether he just wouldn't be around anymore.

Personally, I'm in favour of the leading theory regarding Belkar's fate:
that he'll be devoured by the Snarl, hopefully near the end. As long as he's nowhere near a gate, I'm feeling confident in his survival.

[David Argall]

Belkar is breathing his last before the end of the comic year, and the current date is at least October, possibly December. That does not give him much time to find the Snarl.

[Trazoi]

Counter spoiler:
I suspect the plot will start moving quickly soon. I think there's a very good chance they'll be at Girard's Gate before the end of the in comic year.

And I'm not sure how much weaseling is allowed in the date calculation to give them a few more months. :smallwink:

[factotum]

Another thread about Belkar's prophecy? Ah, I remember the old days, when one of these popped up every other day...hold on, my mistake, that's what's happening NOW! :smallfurious:

[kerberos]

Belkar is breathing his last before the end of the comic year, and the current date is at least October, possibly December. That does not give him much time to find the Snarl.

What makes you think it's Autum or Winter? In this comic (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0598.html) There's still leaves on the trees. That would suggest spring or summer.

[Trazoi]

What makes you think it's Autum or Winter? In this comic (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0598.html) There's still leaves on the trees. That would suggest spring or summer.
I always thought that that part of the comic was in the equivalent of South Pacific. In this hemisphere the year ends in the height of summer. Plus a lot of the trees are evergreen. :smallwink:

[Hydro Globus]

Counter spoiler:
And I'm not sure how much weaseling is allowed in the date calculation to give them a few more months. :smallwink:

It is allowed. It's most likely October, but maybe it's December already

[kerberos]

It is allowed. It's most likely October, but maybe it's December already

Again why is it October or December rather than June, Febraury, August or May?

[Hydro Globus]

The current date is around October 1 by the Southern Calendar.

The party leaves Azure City January 1 to visit the Oracle. The journey may take less than a day. As they camp afterwards, Nale tells them to be in Cliffport on Tuesday. They thus return to Azure City and teleport to Cliffport in less than a week. Possibly the next day. So Jan 2-15, they reach Cliffport.
Sabine takes 3-4 days to fly to Azure City. The next day Elan rejoins the party. The following day, Miko offs Shojo. The battle is the following day.
So we are Jan 8-22 when the party wakes up in the morning. Say Jan 15.
Roy discovers he has been dead for 103 days, and then runs down the mountain for 9 days to watch the marriage. That's May 7 or so.
We are told Kazumi is 8 weeks on, so she was knocked up about about March 20. She later talks of 6 months of hemroids, which are not common in early pregnancy. That makes a date of not earlier than Sept 20, and other pregnancy clues argue for at least that date.
Haley hung around in the basement for a week thereafter, which makes the current date at least September 27 and does not rule out a date in November.

Also, here's five unquoted words

[hamishspence]

estimates derive from the New Year bit in War and XPs, how long it took between then and battle, the three month gap between that and discovering Kasumi Kato has been pregnant for a period, her very late term when V left the party, and the 8-odd days between Haley and Celia going into hiding, and now.

[Trazoi]

If I wanted to be pedantic (and don't we all :smallwink:) there's a whole bunch of wriggle room in those calculations. Is the Oracle using the Southern Calendar? Is the calendar the same as ours (maybe it's lunar)?

More reasonable objection:
A little bit less pedantic - I can't remember how acurrately all those figures were stated in the strips, but I'm sure there's some spots where the estimates can be squashed or stretched. In particular, the scene with the deva assessing Roy in comic 489 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0489.html) shows a calendar graph which puts the date sometime in April or May rather than January. If that's the case, that puts the current date sometime around January or February the next year, suggesting that the time the Oracle made his prediction was early in the year and Belkar has a good ten months or so.

[David Argall]

The Oracle lives in Southern Lands. Why wouldn't he use the Southern calendar?
We can dream up alternatives, but they are just that, alternatives that we turn to when we find the prime idea is not working.