I actually want elan's mother and tarquin to get back together now

[krossbow]

He's evil, but he's just such an ENTERTAININGLY evil character. pure affable evil character.


yes, i'm obviously ignoring his horrific evil acts due to his personal charm, and the fact that i've never seen any of his victims personally besides his new wife, but still; it would make elan happy at least!

[Scarlet Knight]

I can see a Sitcom for this: "He's an Evil Warrior! She's a wacky & lovable wench! Can he complete his plans to rule the land while raising 2 boys in a one room apartm hut?"

[Occasional Sage]

Other than to see her wildly convoluted plans drive him crazy, why?

[Kish]

yes, i'm obviously ignoring his horrific evil acts due to his personal charm, and the fact that i've never seen any of his victims personally besides his new wife,

...and the slaves Haley and Vaarsuvius rescued?

And Enor and Gannji? All right, not exactly endearing victims.

[BlackestOfMages]

He's evil, but he's just such an ENTERTAININGLY evil character. pure affable evil character.

Faux Affably Evil. he looks nice and freindly, but he's shown himself to be as bad as Xykon, and potentially worse since at leasy Xykon pays attention to what he's crushing (so he can gloat, but I digres...)

[hamishspence]

I preferred it when this was called Evilly Affable.

[ThePhantasm]

I have a crazy theory that in the end, part of Elan's "happy ending" will be that his mother settles down with Julio Scoundrel, who she has a crush for (and presumably Elan's mom isn't bad looking either, though it is hard to tell).

[rbetieh]

I can see a Sitcom for this: "He's an Evil Warrior! She's a wacky & lovable wench! Can he complete his plans to rule the land while raising 2 boys in a one room apartm hut?"

I'm actually more interested in the prequel sitcom. He was a retired Adventurer married to a barmaid. Odds are he owned the Bar.....

TARQUINS!

Sometimes you want to go....
Where all the drinks where made by slaves....
And you'll leave with half a brain....

[Bulldog Psion]

That would probably be exceptionally fatal for Elan's mother.

[krossbow]

That would probably be exceptionally fatal for Elan's mother.

Now i have to object to this view. Its highly plausible tarquin DOESN"T just kill his wives like people assume.

Lets look at what we know about the past two wives: His last one didn't seem to have been on bad terms with him at the end, and she was unwittingly talking with Sabine before she dissapeared; it seems HIGHLY likely that she was murdered by Nale and co.

Elan's mother was quietly divorced; According to Tarquin, it was even her that wanted the divorce and he handled that very civilly.


I think one might be jumping to conclusions that he'd up and murder Elan's mother.

[Bulldog Psion]

Now i have to object to this view. Its highly plausible tarquin DOESN"T just kill his wives like people assume.

Lets look at what we know about the past two wives: His last one didn't seem to have been on bad terms with him at the end, and she was unwittingly talking with Sabine before she dissapeared; it seems HIGHLY likely that she was murdered by Nale and co.

Elan's mother was quietly divorced; According to Tarquin, it was even her that wanted the divorce and he handled that very civilly.


I think one might be jumping to conclusions that he'd up and murder Elan's mother.

Ah, but think of the drama that would result -- the tropes that would be invoked!

He needed her alive and well when he divorced her so that she could bring up the hero-son who would try to depose him. Now, killing her would ratchet up the intensity of the drama between Tarquin and Elan 10000%. IMO, she wouldn't live a minute longer than was dramatically necessary.

[H Birchgrove]

I'm actually more interested in the prequel sitcom. He was a retired Adventurer married to a barmaid. Odds are he owned the Bar.....

TARQUINS!

Sometimes you want to go....
Where all the drinks where made by slaves....
And you'll leave with half a brain....

Explains why he doesn't need to pay alimony; he gave up the bar instead. (Fridge brilliance?)

Also, I bet clients who didn't pay in cash ended up as Zombies sold to Tarquin's good friend and former partner, Malack the Cleric.

[WickedWizard17]

Faux Affably Evil. he looks nice and freindly, but he's shown himself to be as bad as Xykon, and potentially worse since at leasy Xykon pays attention to what he's crushing (so he can gloat, but I digres...)

He is NOT as bad as Xykon. He does not kill people for FUN. All the deaths at his hand that we've seen have been for the furthering of his plans and to the benefit of the nations he controls. There's a different between murdering for gain and for entertainment. Tarquin is willing to kill, but so is almost everyone else in the OotS universe. And D&D. He is not a Complete Monster like Xykon. He loves Elan, at some point he loved Nale, and he loved their mother. If people can be useful to him, he's polite. Xykon is cruel and brutal to everyone who comes near him. Redcloak, his most trusted servant and valuable ally without which none of his plans could come to fruition, is treated like dirt. And not good dirt, but the cracked dry kind in the desert no one likes.

I have a crazy theory that in the end, part of Elan's "happy ending" will be that his mother settles down with Julio Scoundrel, who she has a crush for (and presumably Elan's mom isn't bad looking either, though it is hard to tell).

. . . THAT is brilliant.

[H Birchgrove]

I have a crazy theory that in the end, part of Elan's "happy ending" will be that his mother settles down with Julio Scoundrel, who she has a crush for (and presumably Elan's mom isn't bad looking either, though it is hard to tell).

. . . THAT is brilliant.

I love it! (I've thought the same myself, and regret not posting it earlier. )

[Dark Elf Bard]

That would probably be exceptionally fatal for Elan's mother.

This is correct.

[Scarlet Knight]

That would probably be exceptionally fatal for Elan's mother.

No no no! That's the beauty! No matter what Tarquin schemes, her convoluted plans always make them crash! Remember, HE filed for divorce, not her... she was driving him crazy! Try and imagine Burns and Allen with The Brain as George...

[tribble]

I preferred it when this was called Evilly Affable.

The two are separate and distinct tropes, mmk?

[Gift Jeraff]

He is NOT as bad as Xykon. He does not kill people for FUN. All the deaths at his hand that we've seen have been for the furthering of his plans and to the benefit of the nations he controls. There's a different between murdering for gain and for entertainment. Tarquin is willing to kill, but so is almost everyone else in the OotS universe. And D&D. He is not a Complete Monster like Xykon. He loves Elan, at some point he loved Nale, and he loved their mother. If people can be useful to him, he's polite. Xykon is cruel and brutal to everyone who comes near him. Redcloak, his most trusted servant and valuable ally without which none of his plans could come to fruition, is treated like dirt. And not good dirt, but the cracked dry kind in the desert no one likes.



. . . THAT is brilliant.

Isn't entertainment just a form of gain? Besides, Tarquin clearly gets entertainment out of doing evil, as seen by his unnecessary "he only missed it for a few seconds" remark.

[krossbow]

Isn't entertainment just a form of gain? Besides, Tarquin clearly gets entertainment out of doing evil, as seen by his unnecessary "he only missed it for a few seconds" remark.

there's a difference between doing a job that you love and doing something merely for pleasure.

Its the difference between going to a job that you love and going to the movies.

[rbetieh]

Explains why he doesn't need to pay alimony; he gave up the bar instead. (Fridge brilliance?)

Also, I bet clients who didn't pay in cash ended up as Zombies sold to Tarquin's good friend and former partner, Malack the Cleric.

The biggest question is what happened to his George Wendt like friend? That guy was always in that bar...always

[Steward]

Isn't entertainment just a form of gain? Besides, Tarquin clearly gets entertainment out of doing evil, as seen by his unnecessary "he only missed it for a few seconds" remark.

Didn't he also impale a bunch of slaves and light them on fire? I don't really understand the distinction between that and what Xykon is doing. Tarquin is really likeable -- I like him, but he's a butcher, just like Xykon. On an interpersonal level he's much easier to get along with and he's probably not as sadistic but let's not turn him into a cold pragmatist who only does what needs to be done because he really isn't.

That being said, I don't think he would kill Elan's mother.

No no no! That's the beauty! No matter what Tarquin schemes, her convoluted plans always make them crash! Remember, HE filed for divorce, not her... she was driving him crazy! Try and imagine Burns and Allen with The Brain as George...

Ha!

[krossbow]

Didn't he also impale a bunch of slaves and light them on fire? I don't really understand the distinction between that and what Xykon is doing. Tarquin is really likeable -- I like him, but he's a butcher, just like Xykon. On an interpersonal level he's much easier to get along with and he's probably not as sadistic but let's not turn him into a cold pragmatist who only does what needs to be done because he really isn't.

That being said, I don't think he would kill Elan's mother.



Ha!

nah, that has very good point! by responding in a horrific manner to slaves escaping, you send a message to the other slaves NOT to do so; its called massive retaliation.
By instilling fear in the populace, you force them to submit to your will; because if they raise even a small resistance, your going to respond in a horrifically disproportionate manner.

Xykon doesn't care about sending a message; he just kills people because they're there and its tuesday (or monday, or saturday, or friday....)

[Dr.Epic]

it would make elan happy at least!

Yeah, but unfortunately it'll most likely make Elan's mom dead.

[Occasional Sage]

No no no! That's the beauty! No matter what Tarquin schemes, her convoluted plans always make them crash! Remember, HE filed for divorce, not her... she was driving him crazy! Try and imagine Burns and Allen with The Brain as George...

I... am kind of in love with your analogy.

[Zmflavius]

nah, that has very good point! by responding in a horrific manner to slaves escaping, you send a message to the other slaves NOT to do so; its called massive retaliation.
By instilling fear in the populace, you force them to submit to your will; because if they raise even a small resistance, your going to respond in a horrifically disproportionate manner.

Xykon doesn't care about sending a message; he just kills people because they're there and its tuesday (or monday, or saturday, or friday....)

You know, I would think that would make him less, not more affable.

[Steward]

nah, that has very good point! by responding in a horrific manner to slaves escaping, you send a message to the other slaves NOT to do so; its called massive retaliation.
By instilling fear in the populace, you force them to submit to your will; because if they raise even a small resistance, your going to respond in a horrifically disproportionate manner.

Xykon doesn't care about sending a message; he just kills people because they're there and its tuesday (or monday, or saturday, or friday....)

You could easily make an almost identical argument for Xykon. (When he slaughters people for very little reason, he generally reanimates them as undead minions, thereby increasing the size of his military, reducing their cost, and sending a message to the others not to mess with him.)

Just because something has a purpose doesn't mean that it's not monstrous.

Tarquin is nice person-to-person; that's probably why he manages to maintain real friendships, but that doesn't make him a good person overall or even that much different from Xykon on a grand scale. They're different but not that much so.

[Bulldog Psion]

nah, that has very good point! by responding in a horrific manner to slaves escaping, you send a message to the other slaves NOT to do so; its called massive retaliation.
By instilling fear in the populace, you force them to submit to your will; because if they raise even a small resistance, your going to respond in a horrifically disproportionate manner.

Xykon doesn't care about sending a message; he just kills people because they're there and its tuesday (or monday, or saturday, or friday....)

I think that's a really, really moot point to the people who end up dead.

[Kish]

Also? No, that does not work. You can push people just so far--considerably less far than the Empire of Blood pushes its slaves--and then you can't push them any further or they'll rebel no matter what the consequences are for rebelling. I don't doubt that Tarquin believes it will work, but that he's as deluded as Ian or Girard of any of the other deeply deluded characters in the comic isn't something I'd really want to highlight about him if I were one of his fans.

[rbetieh]

Actually, the nature of the plan allows it to work every time. Since he can actually co-opt any resistance movement, remove the actual leaders, and use the rebel band to replace the current puppet with a new puppet. Thus the party on the left becomes the party on the right, no one will ever be fooled again, I can go back to listening to The Who.

But he could always go back into semi-retirement and run his bar again.... Ohh he could start a new drink and call if Flaming Nale!

[Lynn]

Elan's mom is never coming back to a man who thinks turning people into compost is an appropriate retribution for being a douche to a waitress, even if he loves her and would not hurt her. But I would love to see him getting married to an other not evil woman. Someone who would love him back and that Elan would feel bad about making a widow. That would create so much drama.

About the difference between Tarquin an Xykon:
Xykon is a card carrying villain, Tarquin does not not even understand the difference being good and evil.

Xykon is unable to bond with people, the closest you can get to being his friend is laughing at the same thing at the same time, the closest he can get to trusting people is knowing they are to weak/scared to betray him.
Tarquin has friends, and even trough he is the mastermind, he seems to be on an equal footing with the rest of his party. Generally he seems to genuinely care for people who are "a somebody" to him.

Tarquin obviously enjoys causing pain, but he inflics it only to people who, in his twisted mind, "had it coming".

Tarquin seems to actually think he uses his power for the best interest of the people. Xykon, on the other hand wants power for power because that's just who he is.
power is something you are

I think that's a really, really moot point to the people who end up dead.

But it matters to the living. People can cope with a lot of abuse but they need to know what leads them to being killed.
Tarquin is a monster but you can be around him without being in a constant danger. Tarquin is not morally better than Xykon but his evil is more bearable.

Also? No, that does not work. You can push people just so far--considerably less far than the Empire of Blood pushes its slaves--and then you can't push them any further or they'll rebel no matter what the consequences are for rebelling. I don't doubt that Tarquin believes it will work, but that he's as deluded as Ian or Girard of any of the other deeply deluded characters in the comic isn't something I'd really want to highlight about him if I were one of his fans.

But the slaves were not rebelling or about to rebel when the OOTS arrived. People usually don't rebel suddenly,it takes eitherthe fear the situation would get worse or the hope it could get better. Haley gave slaves them the hope of freedom. The message Tarquin send by catching and executing publicly every last one of the escaped slaves was not just "if you disobey, you will be gruesomely punished", they already knew that. It was "Even if you escape, we will catch you again. There is no hope." Even if people don't care about the consequences, they wont try something they think impossible.