V's Friends

[silversnowe]

So, as I was re-reading the comic, I noticed the thread where Vaarsuvius speaks of his/her master, and that made me think: V ought to know a few rather powerful wizards from back home who would be a rather powerful asset in a fight against Team Evil. Even if she/he could only convince one of them to help, it might be worth the effort. So why doesn't she/he?

[Crisis21]

V had trouble relating to his/her own mate in a social way. I would be unsurprised to learn that V does not have any true friends outside the Order of the Stick.

[silversnowe]

V expected to be able to get a favor from his/her master, Aarindarius, at least. And given the nature of their quest (Epic worldwide domination/destruction shall ensue if they fail), some other elves might help for that reason.

[Dr.Epic]

Well, if V did that, where's the struggle?

[Gift Jeraff]

According to Origins, V became isolated from the world in their (literal) Ivory Tower. So it is quite possible that V's only "friends" are Aarindarius and the Order.

[Crisis21]

Exactly. Besides, do you really think it is a good idea to go around advertising that you are on a quest to stop the possible release of a God killing abomination that resides within the planet?

While V might have been able to get some capable allies, there is just as much of a chance as either causing an unnecessary panic, or getting an entirely new side interested in the rifts. We already have 9 sides (some known, others not) with varying goals concerning these things, the last thing the Order needs is to create a new one because they couldn't keep their mouths shut.

[Dr.Epic]

Exactly. Besides, do you really think it is a good idea to go around advertising that you are on a quest to stop the possible release of a God killing abomination that resides within the planet?

Actually, yeah, because there's a bad guy who if he's not stopped could be responsible for the release of the God killing abomination that resides within the planet.

[Crisis21]

Actually, yeah, because there's a bad guy who if he's not stopped could be responsible for the release of the God killing abomination that resides within the planet.

Exactly, do we want to risk more of them? Besides, this is assuming people believe you in the first place, which is probably not a likely scenario.

[Elfey]

V doesn't want Master to come clean up 'the mess V made'.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0634.html

aka, V has too much pride to do it. At least for now.

[Dr.Epic]

Exactly, do we want to risk more of them? Besides, this is assuming people believe you in the first place, which is probably not a likely scenario.

So they should do nothing and just let the evil lich take control of the world and doom us all?

[Crisis21]

So they should do nothing and just let the evil lich take control of the world and doom us all?

My point is that you don't tell random people something like this until you know how they will react. Normal people when told of a possible impending disaster are known to start doing things like rioting and looting in real life. Intelligent and ambitious self-serving people (like Nale, Xykon, Redcloak, and the IFCC) will try and twist things to benefit them instead of aiding others. You're also assuming that anyone the Order tells would actually believe them.

Telling people about the Gates is more likely to impede the quest than aid it. That's the whole reason the 'Order of the Scribble' went to such lengths to hide the things in the first place. So far, every new group/person (not those that already knew) that learns about the Gates has ended up making the quest more complicated, even if they haven't actively opposed the Order directly on the issue yet.

[Dr.Epic]

My point is that you don't tell random people something like this until you know how they will react. Normal people when told of a possible impending disaster are known to start doing things like rioting and looting in real life. Intelligent and ambitious self-serving people (like Nale, Xykon, Redcloak, and the IFCC) will try and twist things to benefit them instead of aiding others. You're also assuming that anyone the Order tells would actually believe them.

Telling people about the Gates is more likely to impede the quest than aid it. That's the whole reason the 'Order of the Scribble' went to such lengths to hide the things in the first place. So far, every new group/person (not those that already knew) that learns about the Gates has ended up making the quest more complicated, even if they haven't actively opposed the Order directly on the issue yet.

I think V telling his master - a highly more skilled wizard who V has known for decades and s/he can trust - wouldn't be a danger to the quest. I'm not saying tell everyone one with one level of any class to pick up a sword or spell book and battle team evil, just people who can be trusted and could really help battle Team Evil

[Crisis21]

I think V telling his master - a highly more skilled wizard who V has known for decades and s/he can trust - wouldn't be a danger to the quest. I'm not saying tell everyone one with one level of any class to pick up a sword or spell book and battle team evil, just people who can be trusted and could really help battle Team Evil

A) Same reason V didn't ask for his/her master's help with the dragon. V still has pride issues, regardless of how much V is attempting to correct them.

B) V's mate is suing for divorce. Contacting V's master could bring V into contact with V's mate and V is probably not ready for that at this time.

C)

Spoiler

Show

V's master essentially kicked V out of the tower to go out into the world.

D) We don't know anything about V's master beyond that they are V's master in the arcane arts. Who is to say that V's master would be willing to aid them?

[Dr.Epic]

A) Same reason V didn't ask for his/her master's help with the dragon. V still has pride issues, regardless of how much V is attempting to correct them.

V's gone through character development, not to mention it's the fate of the world and there are a lot of other people helping him.

B) V's mate is suing for divorce. Contacting V's master could bring V into contact with V's mate and V is probably not ready for that at this time.

Sending spell. Only V's master would see it. V would never have to see his/her mate.

C)

Spoiler

Show

V's master essentially kicked V out of the tower to go out into the world.

Yes, but his/her master didn't send him/her out into the world to save the world by him/herself. I think the fate of everything would take priority over V's master teaching V a lesson about social skills.

D) We don't know anything about V's master beyond that they are V's master in the arcane arts. Who is to say that V's master would be willing to aid them?

Granted, we don't know what V's master is like, but I think it's safe to say that since they trained V and were worried about V being all antisocial rather than just train V to be powerful, V's master can't be evil.

[Crisis21]

Granted, we don't know what V's master is like, but I think it's safe to say that since they trained V and were worried about V being all antisocial rather than just train V to be powerful, V's master can't be evil.

That does not mean that V's master would be helpful either.

[the_tick_rules]

Or V doesn't want to admit failure, the whole do it yourself thing, so many possibilities.

[Crisis21]

Whatever V's reasons for not contacting his/her master, we are not privy to them, and it is likely the rest of the Order is not either. All V has to say is that such a course would not be productive and no one in the Order has enough knowledge of V's master to contradict such a claim.

Hey V, do you think your master could help us find Girard's Gate?
I do not believe that such a course would be advisable at this time, no.
All right.

[factotum]

It doesn't look like V's master is exactly prone to roaming the wide world helping people out from what little we've seen of him. In addition, until relatively recently V was of the (inflated) opinion that only his own arcane power would do to help out--asking someone else for help would have gone against everything he stood for.

One other question arises, of course: how do we know V's master could help anyway? He's a powerful wizard, but that doesn't mean he knows where Girard's Gate is--I'd say it's a racing certainty that he DOESN'T know, considering he's up in Elven lands on the opposite side of a near-impassable mountain range. Help with his magic? Well, why? There's nothing they're facing at the moment that ought to be beyond their capabilities--it's only when they reach the Gate and face Xykon that more power might be needed.

[faustin]

Yeah... V has Friends in the Other Side

""Are you Reaaaady....?"

[Crisis21]

Yeah... V has Friends in the Other Side

""Are you Reaaaady....?"

I loved Dr. Facilier. He's an old school manipulative tempter villain. We don't have enough of those anymore, and most of those we do have are also combat-powerful on the side.