Belkar's prophecy - a word game?

[Niley]

Okay... waaaay back in time, we had a strip in which Roy is visited by the ghost of his father. There we hear the words 'When goat turns red strikes true'. Roy thought his father meant 'When goat turns red | strikes true', but it was actually 'When goat turns | red strikes true', which kinda seemed to me like one of those 'word games'. So maybe it's the same thing with Belkar's prophecy?

'Belkar will draw his last breath--ever--before the end of the year.'

This '--ever--' part seems suspicious to me... Maybe we should read it as a single word? 'breath-ever-before'... Hm... Sounds weird.

What do you think?

[Bradakhan]

I don't think it is, but thse are the only to I can think of:

'Belkar will draw | his last breath--ever-- | before the end of the year.'
(In a fight) (a guy will die) (this'll all happen in a year)

or

'Belkar will draw his last breath--ever--before the end of the year.'
(Belkar will die before the end of the comic)

[Latch]

Either Belkar will die forever, or
he will draw his last breath ever; art must be his anti-forte.

However, needing to savor his birthday cake and not needing to worry about his IRA, as well as "not long for this world", point to the former.

Sorry, but Belkar's gonna bite it.

[Shanty Man]

I'm afraid that I must agree although I don't want to

[danneloftyr]

undead do not breathe perhaps Belkar becomes undead......that would fulfil the prophecy. I do not expect this.....but it would work.

[Latch]

"...not long for this world"; this implies that he leaves the face of the world for good. His physical presence, as well as his mental presence.

[[TS] Shadow]

I can't see Belkar leaving for good. He'll die for sure (cries) and I'm sure he won't become undead. However, I imagine that he'll appear as a ghost or something. Maybe he'll find out some important information about the gates or whatever in the Hell he's cast to, tells the remaining members of the Order, and is sent to a Neutral afterlife because of this act. That would make me happy.

[WildPyre]

Isn't it obvious?

Belkar will become a god with the domains "Sexy" "Shoeless" and "War".

What else could it possibly mean? :smallbiggrin:

[Sir_Hobbit]

Wait, epiphany.

"Belkar is not long for this world." Nope, he's short for this world! He's a halfling in a human world.

"Draw his last breath -ever- before the end of the year." Draw his last breath, perhaps literally? Ok, less plausible than the last one, but hey.

Well, they're some new ideas, anyway. :smalltongue:

[Latch]

...nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...:smalltongue:

I don't think the Oracle would make such an elaborate height joke that horribly out of context (no provocation for insulting the guy, and he was talking about something entirely different seconds before).

[Azriel]

*Imagines a future comic of Belkar leaning over a drawing pad, face screwed up in concentration, before throwing down the whole mess into the fire*
THAT'S IT. i cant get the breath to look right. Im never drawing again!
*Storms off and lives for another 200 years as the sexy shoeless god of war that he is*

[neFaerieous]

What if the "his" refers to someone other than Belkar?

Belkar will draw his last breath...

...as in someone else's? Too much of a stretch?

[Trazoi]

While I'm sure there's fun to be had with playing with the prophecy, I think the Oracle was just attempting to use the right sort of words for a universe where death is more an inconvenience than finality. The Oracle wanted to make it clear that Belkar would be gone once and for all.

Since I can't remember the Oracle specifically saying Belkar would die a "normal" death, I'm one of the ones who think the most likely explanation is the Belkar will be unmade by the Snarl. It's not so much death as it is... obliteration.

[Hydro Globus]

I'm sorry, Faerie, I think it is. But my idea (for laughs) is an even greater one though: What if there will be a card game based on the Order? Belkar will never draw "Belkar's Breath" (does a lot of DD to target player/creature, most likely refers to right after the MoJ was activated) ever again after New Year's Eve.

Or he'll die and not come back.

[mago]

belkar will change name, make a new persona, perhaps? Then "belkar" would be dead. this might require amnesia or alignment shift.

[mikeejimbo]

undead do not breathe perhaps Belkar becomes undead......that would fulfil the prophecy. I do not expect this.....but it would work.

In fact, undead don't breathe, eat cake OR have IRAs.

[G_Morgan]

I registered just to post this :smallsmile: .

Seems obvious to me. Belkar will draw his last ever breath before the end of the year. Meaning the last ever breath Belkar will draw this year. I.E. Belkar's final breath of 2008 before the transition into 2009. Then he will draw his first breath ever after the start of 2009.

[Latch]

In fact, undead don't breathe, eat cake OR have IRAs.

He "isn't long for this world"; in other words, he will no longer walk the lands, undead or not. Now can we please get back to the V's gender issue?:smallamused:

[Child Conscript]

I registered just to post this :smallsmile: .

Seems obvious to me. Belkar will draw his last ever breath before the end of the year. Meaning the last ever breath Belkar will draw this year. I.E. Belkar's final breath of 2008 before the transition into 2009. Then he will draw his first breath ever after the start of 2009.

remember this? (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0572.html)
Please read panel six/comic before posting please.
apart from that good theory :)

[BG]

Yeah, I also have to say that it's pretty unambiguous as to the fact that the Belkster is gonna die.

While the "goat/red" prophecy involved wordplay, that came from Eugene, not the Oracle. Every prediction the Oracle made has been pretty much on key. Sure the predictions take a roundabout journey sometimes, but the destination is pretty literal.

[smashley346]

I keep trying to twist the words around so that it's saying that Belkar will stop killing before the end of the year. Which would be so un-Belkar I have no idea how it would work... But that way at least he wouldn't be dead.

Still, I haven't found a way to make the prophecy mean that. It would have to say "take his last breath" and not "draw his last breath" for it to work, I think... well it was worth a try anyway

[Otho Trois]

On a similar note, Durkon's prophecy says he'll be back home "posthumously." Does that necessarily mean that HE will be dead? Or could it be Belkar's death and Durkon, for some obscure reason, ends up going back to Tha Dwarven Lands after it? Just a thought.

[Zeful]

In fact, undead don't breathe, eat cake OR have IRAs.

But are on the world.

[Latch]

On a similar note, Durkon's prophecy says he'll be back home "posthumously." Does that necessarily mean that HE will be dead? Or could it be Belkar's death and Durkon, for some obscure reason, ends up going back to Tha Dwarven Lands after it? Just a thought.

By posthumously, he was referring to Durkon's status at homecoming.

[MReav]

Why is it that we always assume that he gives vague answers? He's given perfectly straight answers to Durkon (posthumously), Elan (Yes, for you at least), and Blackwing (Try ginkgo bilboa). I get the idea there is no alternate interpretation here.

Especially since the Oracle doesn't like Belkar, not wanting to change anything knowing he'd die (probably because he knew that he'd get killed by him)

[Latch]

The Oracle does not give the vague answers many forum goers are expecting of him, though they keep on truckin' with their ideas...:smallannoyed:

[theinsulabot]

i note that not long for this world does not have a time qualification, but last breath does. therefor, if belkar were to die, thus leaving the world, and later be resurrected as a free willed undead, the prophecy seems fulfilled.

[Zeful]

i note that not long for this world does not have a time qualification, but last breath does. therefor, if belkar were to die, thus leaving the world, and later be resurrected as a free willed undead, the prophecy seems fulfilled.

But because it doesn't have a time limit, it always applies. There fore Belkar leaves the material plane. Forever.

[EndlessWrath]

Belkar will draw his last breath -- Ever before the new year.

His last breath, before the new year starts. Which promises the idea of him being revived?

[theinsulabot]

But because it doesn't have a time limit, it always applies. There fore Belkar leaves the material plane. Forever.

thats an assumption. hell if no qualifier was needed there would be no point to that EVER at the end of last drawn breath. hell that one already came with a standard "last" already. yet not long for this world was left alone.

[Malotesta]

Eh, I don't think Belkar will die...or if he does, it won't be permanent. He's our sexy shoeless god of war... and he counter-balances the entire group too well IMO. Every good party needs someone borderline evil.

[David Argall]

There are maybe a half-dozen prophecies saying Belkar is a short timer. Unless your theory deals with all of them, forget it.

[keeperoflore]

im going to go put on a limb here.

what if the oracle is... WRONG! *GASP*

sure would be a mighty big twist in the story.

[Zeful]

im going to go put on a limb here.

what if the oracle is... WRONG! *GASP*

sure would be a mighty big twist in the story.

When has he been wrong before?

[keeperoflore]

never said he was, just said that it would be a huge surprise to basically EVERYONE that reads OotS.

come on, you know it would be awesome.

[Hydro Globus]

Well, what if there are odd numbers divisible by two?

never said I fond any, just said that it would be a huge surprise to basically EVERYONE that knows basic math.

come on, you know it would be awesome.

[keeperoflore]

dont have to be a jerk about it, my ideas just as plausible as some of the ones ive heard here...

[Zeful]

never said he was, just said that it would be a huge surprise to basically EVERYONE that reads OotS.

come on, you know it would be awesome.

And it would make little sense, especially since he made the "Last Breath" Prophecy whilst in his Oracle trance. Which would invalidate the comic where he said he was going to get torn to pieces by telling a druid his wife is cheating on him. All the evidence of the comic indicates that the Oracle can't lie, especially while in his trance. So no it wouldn't be awesome. It'd be silly.

[Hydro Globus]

Yeah, I know. Actually, I am quite sorry, but this is the thousandth (rounded up to the closest 1000) time I hear such theories, and also, I could use some sleep. But only time will tell (or won't). Couldn't we debate Vaarsuvius' gender instead? Please?

(Also I still think my last post was appropiate).

[keeperoflore]

well in the end, speculation is nothing be it from someone that has done enough studying of the comic to "prove" hes correct, or just some random idea like mine. what it all comes down to is what Rich decides, and there is no way we will ever be able to tell that until he lets us know whats going to happen(most likely through waiting till the point in the comic were the prophecy is completed)

[Kaytara]

I think having Belkar ascend to literal godhood in the end would be a more awesome and satisfying way to fulfill the prophecy. :)

[Glome]

I think having Belkar ascend to literal godhood in the end would be a more awesome and satisfying way to fulfill the prophecy. :)

Damn, you beat me to it, I was just going to make such a prediction. I think the prophecy will be fulfilled when Belkar literally becomes the sexy, shoeless god of war. It fulfills every single one of the oracles prophecies.

Question is, will Banjo be able to stop him?

[KerfuffleMach2]

i note that not long for this world does not have a time qualification, but last breath does. therefor, if belkar were to die, thus leaving the world, and later be resurrected as a free willed undead, the prophecy seems fulfilled.

My idea is similar to this.

Belkar dies by the end of the year, stays undead for a little while longer, and then ends up disappearing forever.

I think he'll be gone forever when he dies, but that idea came to me, so I was wondering what you guys thought about it.

[vegetalss4]

hydro globus bad example. ALL odd numbers are divisible by to 3 for example becomes 1.5

[Hydro Globus]

Fine. Then what"s the correct term in English for "divisible with an integer quotient"?

[David Argall]

im going to go put on a limb here.

what if the oracle is... WRONG! *GASP*

It would negate just about all the reasons for having the Oracle in the story in the first place. So no.



my ideas just as plausible as some of the ones ive heard here...
True, and a very low standard.



I think having Belkar ascend to literal godhood in the end would be a more awesome and satisfying way to fulfill the prophecy.
Well, if you just like Belkar... But as a god, Belkar is presumably still a part of the world, still breathes, still can collect on his IRA, and still can eat birthday cake, and could still be annoyed by the Oracle.

[Parlik]

Hmm it could be the his part that is being played with as someone suggested, maybe the belt of gender bending will rear its head again? Hmmm a female Belkar......... :smalleek:

[Rockphed]

Whether Belkar dies has lots to do with how much the Giant thinks free-will can overcome prophecy. And whether or not anybody cares enough about Belkar to save him from his fate.

[Evel]

Um... When is the end of the year? Cuz if the author wants, he can just keep this one going and going and going. And if that means I get infanant (I think I mispelled that) Belkar, who I really read this to see, then so be it for me. :D

[Trazoi]

Fine. Then what"s the correct term in English for "divisible with an integer quotient"?
You want "is there any odd number that is a multiple of two". Or alternatively, "is two a factor of any odd number?"

[Hydro Globus]

So there is no one word for it in English? I didn't know, sorry. In my language (Hungarian), "divisable" (osztható) already assumes that "with an integer quotient", because otherwise everything is divisable by any non-zero number...

Thanks for correcting me. I do want to perfect my English.

[Trazoi]

So there is no one word for it in English? I didn't know, sorry. In my language (Hungarian), "divisable" (osztható) already assumes that "with an integer quotient", because otherwise everything is divisable by any non-zero number...
Actually now I've read the original quote again, you were right the first time. :smallsmile: "Divisible by two" does mean "divides by two and leaves no remainder".

[Zeful]

Actually now I've read the original quote again, you were right the first time. :smallsmile: "Divisible by two" does mean "divides by two and leaves no remainder".

3/2=1.5

What remainder?

[hamishspence]

division using remainders does not use decimals.

[Child Conscript]

Hmm it could be the his part that is being played with as someone suggested, maybe the belt of gender bending will rear its head again? Hmmm a female Belkar......... :smalleek:

No, I don't want to even think about it.

Can't people just accept the fact that Belkar will die??
Just like Miko all over again. *cringes*

[Tyrmatt]

Given the Oracle's fourthwall breaking panel, I believe Rich was merely trying to derail these kind of threads by stating absolutely that Belkar will no longer breathe, ever again, within the next solar year of the comic.

[Hydro Globus]

Okay, so you people don't even know. Great! :) :P