OOTS #751 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[pendell]

See? SEE??? This is why I don't give up on this comic strip. Ominous foreshadowing and dimmer lights WIN! I certify this strip as being made of 100% win.

Interesting ... so Elan DOESN'T know their parents split over alignment differences. Mom kept Elan away from dad because she knew that her husband was a monster.

Why is it so surprising that mom would lie to you, Elan? Chaotic good, remember. You haven't always been totally forthright yourself.

Strange how they can be so close yet so far apart. Elan still hasn't figure out dad is evil. Tarquin still hasn't figured out that his son is as dumb as a box of chocolates.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Hatevah]

Yay for ominous forshadowing implying that Elan's dad isn't quite as nice as Elan thinks he is? /Is the ignoring of the nature v. nurture argument intentional? Hmm...

[DwarvenExodus]

Yay! Updates are speeding up again, and as always the quality is of an unquestionable brilliance. Great work! /advertising

[El Dorado]

It itched, Dad. It itched.

[Cicciograna]

Dun Dun Dunnnn!!!

[HUMVEE Driver]

First of all, they should take a page out of Roy's book!

[ThePhantasm]

Dimmers. Awesome.

One of my rooms at home has dimmers. I will have to go do some foreshadowing now.

[Mordae]

Epic stage whisper.

[ThreadKiller]

Wow, we finally get to see Tarquin's evil face. The plot thickens...

[OldFart]

Bounty or no, the Linear Guild desperately need to show up. Well, them and a daytime talk show host.

[Coidzor]

Tarquin you magnificent, magnificent man!

You know, I bet he's the kind of guy, that if he knew he had BBEG duties to attend to, he'd get a full orchestral and choral accompaniment for the boss fight.

Oh, and the Mustache line!

And the... oh man. I just love today's strip. The Dialogue. It just... YES!

[Kobold-Bard]

Trying to turn Elan against his mum? That's low.

Didn't like him calling her Mommy though, the child-like naivety is endearing/funny. That was just a bit weird for a grown man.

[deuxhero]

Did The Giant just imply that he kills his wifes because they are pregnant or am I just evil thinking?

[tcrudisi]

I know Tarquin is Lawful, but it seems to me that he was lieing in this strip. It just ... felt wrong. I know he probably wasn't... I just can't shake the feeling that he was.

Elan is also getting on my nerves. He used to be my favorite character, but he's just getting dumber and dumber. "Is that why the lights went down back there?" Elan - you are supposed to be good at drama. That was obviously a dramatization. I enjoy you being ignorant with other things - but not with that!

/edit I also agree with the Kobold-Bard. Elan saying "Mommy" was just a bit too far.

I'm liking the plot and characters involved with this current arch except for Elan. Elan, why? WHY?

[Mordaenor]

Interesting ... so Elan DOESN'T know their parents split over alignment differences. Mom kept Elan away from dad because she knew that her husband was a monster.

Why is it so surprising that mom would lie to you, Elan? Chaotic good, remember. You haven't always been totally forthright yourself.

When exactly has Elan not been forthright? I believe being straight forward and honest is exactly what gets Elan into 85% of his problems. The other 15% being his tenuous grasp of reality. Or maybe that's backwards.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Or maybe Elan's bardic training is telling him to go along with it? Regardless, loved the strip.

[dps]

Interesting.

Best strip in a while, IMO.

[Saph]

I know Tarquin is Lawful, but it seems to me that he was lieing in this strip. It just ... felt wrong. I know he probably wasn't... I just can't shake the feeling that he was.

I suspect he might have been telling the truth here. Good characters can do bad things on occasion, and Evil ones can still love their family. And it would be good character development for Elan to realise that neither of his parents is perfect.

Really liked the strip, by the way. I don't know what Tarquin's leading up to, but I bet it's going to make for a great story.

[JoeSkull]

you know, I really wanted Tarquin to be good.

[Lkctgo]

But sadly, he isn't. Heartbreak time.

[Kastanok]

Dun Dun Dunnnn!!!

I was hoping no-one would have got to that one yet :p

[Kobold-Bard]

I know Tarquin is Lawful, but it seems to me that he was lieing in this strip. It just ... felt wrong. I know he probably wasn't... I just can't shake the feeling that he was.

Elan is also getting on my nerves. He used to be my favorite character, but he's just getting dumber and dumber. "Is that why the lights went down back there?" Elan - you are supposed to be good at drama. That was obviously a dramatization. I enjoy you being ignorant with other things - but not with that!

/edit I also agree with the Kobold-Bard. Elan saying "Mommy" was just a bit too far.

I'm liking the plot and characters involved with this current arch except for Elan. Elan, why? WHY?

Glad I'm not the only one. I still love Elan and until this I was fine with how he acted. That was just a step too far and he went from "awwwww the little dimwit, how cute" to "wierdo, he probably breast-fed until he was 10".

It's the Giant's world, but here's hoping he tones it down a bit coz I really do like Elan and I hate disliking Order members. Makes me feel guilty for some weird reason.

[Morph Bark]

My house shall now require some dimmers in strategic rooms, command-activated of course!

[JonestheSpy]

It itched, Dad. It itched.

I was so totally going to post exactly that.

[faustin]

Now I´m intrigued with Tarquin´s Evil Master Plan involving the Blood Empire, Elan (and, i hope, Girard and the Gate).

[Faramir]

I've been loving this whole storyline. As I've said before, while death might seem like an attractive alternative to spending any length of time with Elan I love the character. And by extension his father.

Cluelessness rules!

[MammonAzrael]

Hilarious strip. First and foremost, hilarious strip.

But I do agree with the previous posters that Elan seems to be regressing a little. We saw some serious development for him during the party split and when they were reunited. I get that he has the same intelligence score and whatnot, but it felt a little pushed in the strip. I'm inclined to agree that the issue is Elean calling her "Mommy," as that seems a bit too dependent for Elan, who has never seemed to have mommy issues.

As for Tarquin being honest or lying...well Nale can muddy up the waters a bit more for us. In Elan/Nale's origin story it is shown quite clearly that Tarquin is suing for divorce, not visitation rights. Additionally the current strip implies that the mom was the one that pushed for divorce, which would make Tarquin suing for divorce rather odd. Granted this is being told be Nale, but Nale would only know the story from his father so....let the debate commence!

Of course, it could just be a minor accident too.

[Knaight]

Interesting development here. Unlike many, I actually like Elan's regression, the idea of him heading back towards childhood due to unstable growth and the sudden presentation of a parent is a good one, and shown well.

[Katana_Geldar]

I suspect he might have been telling the truth here. Good characters can do bad things on occasion, and Evil ones can still love their family. And it would be good character development for Elan to realise that neither of his parents is perfect.

Really liked the strip, by the way. I don't know what Tarquin's leading up to, but I bet it's going to make for a great story.

How about an epic swordfight between them that ends with Elan at his Dad's mercy and then Tarquin tempts him with power?
"Join me and we can rule as father and son!"

And then Haley, Roy or V knocks Tarquin out to save Elan's life.