Three Cheers For V!

[Porthos]

You guys have no idea how long I've been wanting to say this, so here goes....

Hip Hip, Hooray!
Hip Hip, Hooray!
Hip Hip, Hooray!

(once more, with feeling)
Hip Hip, Hooray!
Hip Hip, Hooray!
Hip Hip, Hooray!

(I can't hear you. Louder!)
Hip Hip, Hooray!
Hip Hip, Hooray!
Hip Hip, Hooray!

Now let's blow this thing kid O-Chul and go home!

[doodthedud]

Three cheers to V for reviving O'Chul! YAAAY!! O'Chul!!

[Xesirin]

You know, I'm reasonably certain V could have held onto those potions himself and drank them. Nice to see he hasn't completely gone off the deep end.

Of course, the effect the fiends were talking about earlier probably doesn't have any effect anymore.

[shadzar]

Spoiler

Show

V has finally taken the first steps to the true power V was searching for all along....friends and teamwork.

[Ichneumon]

Spoiler

Show

V has finally taken the first steps to the true power V was searching for all along....friends and teamwork.

That is so cheap that it might actually be true.

[shaxberd]

That is so cheap that it might actually be true.

Or like any spellcaster, he/she can use Detect Meat Shield as an innate class ability.

[Grushvak]

He trusted a paladin more than himself to defeat Xykon. This is the most modest and selfless act V has ever performed.

And I'm kind of disappointed. That this whole soul splice ordeal was just thrown in there for V to learn a lesson about humility and teamwork. It's just... corny, I guess.

[colonelslime]

You're assuming, of course, that V will survive this ordeal. This is more a last ditch effort to redeem himself, after having gained ultimate arcane power, and finding out it wasn't worth what he has given up for it.

[shadzar]

Or like any spellcaster, he/she can use Detect Meat Shield as an innate class ability.

But Run Away is an immediate action like a failed morale check and you must do it like undead being turned. So that would override any ability to come back for a meat shield.

Spoiler

Show

Next strip will probably be the fiends making bets again, meaning more in store for V yet if they have their way....That or we find out what is in O'Chul's hand.

[Porthos]

He trusted a paladin more than himself to defeat Xykon. This is the most modest and selfless act V has ever performed.

And I'm kind of disappointed. That this whole soul splice ordeal was just thrown in there for V to learn a lesson about humility and teamwork. It's just... corny, I guess.

Errr, not to be a buzz kill in all of the celebrating, but I'd just like to point out that V still has to pay the bill for taking the Soul Splice in the first place. So there's plenty of room left for fallout from the Soul Splice.

But today is not the day to think about such things. Today is the day to celebrate the return of Awesome!V.

[Callista]

It could just be the same old V at work, though. Giving the potions to O-Chul and not drinking them is quite logical, since V's just seen O-Chul make Redcloak turn tail and run. V is probably thinking tactics at this point, not altruism.

After drinking the potions, V would still have the obstacle of that closed door, and Xykon's full attention, to contend with; and that's a problem that probably doesn't have a very good solution because Xykon can take off all of V's newly gained hit points with an area-effect spell (like that handy little Meteor Swarm he just threw at O-Chul) without even having to pinpoint V's location.

On the other hand, if V gives the potions to O-Chul, then the paladin keeps doing the same thing he's been doing before--distracting Xykon, giving V another chance (and, incidentally, getting another chance himself).

This isn't truly selfless, not if V used reasoning similar to the above. However, it's a solidly True Neutral action, motivated by self-preservation, which is a hopeful sign. It's an indication that V is thinking in terms of just getting out of this mess... an admission of failure that would've been foreign to the V with the trance-deprivation and soulbind.

[Porthos]

It could just be the same old V at work, though. Giving the potions to O-Chul and not drinking them is quite logical, since V's just seen O-Chul make Redcloak turn tail and run.

After drinking the potions, V would still have the obstacle of that closed door, and Xykon's full attention, to contend with; and that's a problem that probably doesn't have a very good solution because Xykon can take off all of V's newly gained hit points with an area-effect spell (like that handy little Meteor Swarm he just threw at O-Chul) without even having to pinpoint his location.

On the other hand, if V gives the potions to O-Chul, and the paladin keeps doing the same thing he's been doing before--distracting Xykon, giving V another chance (and, of course, giving O-Chul another chance, too).

This isn't truly selfless, not if V used reasoning similar to the above. However, it's a solidly True Neutral action, motivated by self-preservation, which is a hopeful sign. It's an indication that V is thinking in terms of just getting out of this mess... an admission of failure that would've been foreign to the V with the trance-deprivation and soulbind.

Yes, but look at the expressions on V. Those aren't the looks of calculating self-preservastion. That is the look of someone staring into their soul and, yes, realizing that they're getting a Second Chance.

[Callista]

I'm interpreting those expressions as V accepting that s/he's actually failed--which is a new thing all by itself. Turning point, but not an entire 180 in a few seconds. That just doesn't happen outside soap operas and Helms of Opposite Alignment.

[spargel]

It could just be the same old V at work, though. Giving the potions to O-Chul and not drinking them is quite logical, since V's just seen O-Chul make Redcloak turn tail and run. V is probably thinking tactics at this point, not altruism.

1. V's expressions don't look like self-preservation.
2. V has never thought about tactics once in her entire life.

[Porthos]

I'm interpreting those expressions as V accepting that s/he's actually failed--which is a new thing all by itself.

Isn't that enough reason to celebrate for right now? Seems like a major turning point for V, to me.

[Callista]

Yes. Yes, it is.

[petersohn]

V did something that he would never have done even before the Soul Splice. He's just dropped te "if I can't solve the problem, then nobody can" attitude. Not that he has any other choice. But this time, he had to figure out his only choice left, and not served on a plate, like in the case of the Soul Splice.

[Raenir Salazar]

Woot! Woot!

[Soronhen]

Spoiler

Show

V has finally taken the first steps to the true power V was searching for all along....friends and teamwork.

Spoiler

Show

Does that mean V's 4 words are "Urrk! Unnh! Gllch! skrrlch." ?

[Silverraptor]

Oh what the heck, I'll give it a good hoot.

GO V!

[shadzar]

Spoiler

Show

Does that mean V's 4 words are "Urrk! Unnh! Gllch! skrrlch." ?

Wasn't that the band in that cartoon where the neaderthal learned about making music before someone learned how to make octaves by cuting the strings of the harp in half.

I can't for the life of me find anything about it, but remember it around the time of the Dot and the Line cartoon.

[Aaron]

V did something that he would never have done even before the Soul Splice. He's just dropped te "if I can't solve the problem, then nobody can" attitude. Not that he has any other choice. But this time, he had to figure out his only choice left, and not served on a plate, like in the case of the Soul Splice.

Nope. Look at V's expresion. V realizes that, "I...I can't leave him behind." V had to stand and helplessly watch as Azure City troops were pleading for help and were killed. V's thinking, "I couldn't help and save them, but I CAN save the palidin."

In short, V did the right thing! Horay!!!

[Dr. Cthulwho]

And I'm kind of disappointed. That this whole soul splice ordeal was just thrown in there for V to learn a lesson about humility and teamwork. It's just... corny, I guess.

Well, it is a component. V's previous experience of being invisible and apparently helpless while people suffer is a big part.

Plus the splice sets up the IFCC/V conflict in the future. It's not like it wont have some sizable ramifications at some point down the road.

That is the IFCC ins't going to pull off masks, Scooby style, and reveal some Devas or something who say "Ah, he has learned his lesson, our work here is done."

[choie]

For pity's sake, Vaarsuvius was halfway out the window with a clear path to escape, since Xykon was walking in the opposite direction. But upon hearing that Xykon was threatening to torture O-Chul even more, V's eyes close in apparent shame/agony, and then V gets a frown of resolution and crawls back inside ... moving away from freedom and heading right back to what seems like certain death. Especially since V uses the potions not to restore V's own strength, not even a little so as to be in a better position to defend him/herself, but instead to save O-Chul and hopefully allow O-Chul to either survive, escape or damage Xykon.

And that's still not considered selfless and brave?

Dayum, some of y'all are a tough crowd. :)

[Forbiddenwar]

For the first time EVER V looks for help outside of herself. And looks to help someone else. That is saying something.

[Dr. Cthulwho]

And that's still not considered selfless and brave?

Dayum, some of y'all are a tough crowd. :)

I think it is pretty selfless and brave. Fueled by months of unacknowledged guilt on V's part (if this had been prior to the fall of Azure City V probably wouldn't have looked back), but V has certainly found it within hirself to replicate O-Chul a short while before - that is "While I will likely die, perhaps my sacrifice wont be in vain".

[Optimystik]

For the first time EVER V looks for help outside of herself. And looks to help someone else. That is saying something.

Mistaken on both counts...

[Forbiddenwar]

Mistaken on both counts...

opps, guess your right. But I doubt V will be lecturing O how to fight, like in this strip.

[Mannryu]

I think V has finally learned about "true power" and realized Xykon speaks truth. So go V!! I just hope V's neck ain't broken yet.

[Kaytara]

It's not the selflessness that's important. I mean, it is important, but not nearly as much as the fact that V is thinking outside the box.

I think I can see the morale of the story here.

Vaarsuvius' standard set of mind is that he needs power to be worth anything, and power equals spells. Back in Azure City, V considered himself to be powerless because he was out of spells. (Even his ability to assist Elan reinforced that belief rather than refute it, because he was still using spells, through someone else.) Now, especially after Xykon has hammered it in, V has realised that power has many manifestations, and the ability to sneak past a Lich and feed some healing potions to the badass paladin is power, too.

V should now be in the process of realising that he doesn't need his magic to be powerful - it's every aspect of who he is, rather than just his spell list, that determines his power.

It is truly ironic that it was Xykon's sadistic Hannibal Lecture that proved so helpful to V's self-realisation here....

We may be seeing the birth of a new and much more effective and dangerous V. :)