MitD XIX: The Potted Plant Is Starting To Look Reasonable

[Kish]

In an effort to avoid reliving an argument, I'd like to point out that the first three points are the theory, and the second three points are an example that fits the theory. You can reject the example if you wish, but I think the theory applies even to a modest Monster in the Dark whose importance to the plot isn't mission critical.

As discussed previously, the theory might be true but only at an amazingly low level of "need." A reason to be in the story before the reveal? Aside from all his character development (which might not matter if the only characters who actually matter here are the members of the eponymous Order, that is, in a comic written by someone who isn't Rich Burlew; remember the forum complaints when there was a subplot focused entirely on Bandana's becoming captain of the Mechane?), he saved one of the protagonists' lives already. A reason for him not to be immediately and casually revealed? I can't fathom how that claim, without "the guessing game is the reason," goes with anything Rich Burlew...or any fiction writer ever, has written.

Or to put it another way: Sure. He needs as much to do in the comic as his friend O-Chul, and as much reason not to have been revealed as Malack had to have not been revealed prior to the comic where he was revealed. I...am really not seeing any way those could point to any creature; he has both of them multiple times over even now, before the reveal.

I mean fair, I should have read the statblock more attentively, but Proteans can look like any creature or combo of creatures (which let them get the special capacities of up to four creatures).

I guess revealing an ever-shifting soup of random creature parts could be a big, dramatic reveal, but IDK, doesn't seem like it would be that to me.

I'm pretty sure it would be significantly more shocking than (looks in Crusher's guess post for Unoriginal's guesses, doesn't find any) than pretty much anything else that's been seriously proposed.