OOTS death pool (thread #4)

[Askthepizzaguy]

I have to admit...

Spoiler

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I am sort of wondering if Durkula counts as being dead now.

I think he's gone.

I think Durkon's body may / may not be destroyed, but the distinct being that was 'Greg' might be Durkon now. Destroying him as a negative energy spirit and just replacing him with Durkon's spirit.

[Sniffnoy]

I have to admit...

Spoiler

Show

I am sort of wondering if Durkula counts as being dead now.

I think he's gone.

I think Durkon's body may / may not be destroyed, but the distinct being that was 'Greg' might be Durkon now. Destroying him as a negative energy spirit and just replacing him with Durkon's spirit.

I am not going to count that, particularly because they're still being shown as separate for now.

(Also I'm placing a bet of my own on "Greg".)

[Elenna]

Forgot about the anti-life shell, I thought Belkar was literally right about to stab him. Oh well, I already changed my vote.

[b_jonas]

The first post should probably list the significant deaths and the strips they happen in, as the rules of the thread defines them, but it would give useful history even for regular users. This would be useful especially for new users to see, so they can tell how rarely or how often significant characters die.

Let me try to collect the deaths while there's still only a few of them. Is there anyone I missed, perhaps because nobody bet on them? I've only been following theis thread recently, since later than Crystal's death.

• #848 Yukyuk (dies from Zz'dtri's acid damage spell)
• #877 Durkon (Malack drains his blood to death; his last request is to spare the rest of the Order)
• #906 Malack (Nale and Zz'dtri kill him with the desert sun)
• #908 Zz'dtri (the newly created Greg snaps his neck)
• #913 Nale (Tarquin kills him with a dagger)
• #981 Crystal (was already reanimated as a Crystal golem with memories; Haley drops her into waste incinerator)
• #1119 Vampire Dwarf with Blue Beard and Balding Head (Belkar kills him in panel 5; they have exactly 10 appearances including this strip, so it was not allowed to bet on him)
• #1119 Vampire Dwarf with Brown Beard (killed by Hilgya's Flame Strike in eighth panel; nobody betted on him)
• #1122 Vampire Dwarf with Red Ponytail (Roy kills her with a thrown sword in panel 9)
• #1128 Minrah (killed by Hilgya's Flame Strike in second page fifth panel; nobody betted on her)
• #1130 Ponchula (CotS Usher with Long Hair; nickname for human vampire who had a notable dialog in #1112 about a poncho; Belkar decapitates her)
• #1131 Durkon
• #1149 Durkon
• #1166 Kandro (Durkon's uncle; nightcrawler worm eats him)
• #1174 Exarch Gontor Hammerfell the vampire (overwhelmed by Durkon's family)
• #1175 Sandy the unnamed vampire (Hel implies that he's dead)

Once initialized, the list won't be hard to update, since you have to figure out which deaths are significant to maintain the bets anyway.

Update 2018-08-24: fixed pronouns, thanks to DeliaP
Update 2019-02-25: added #1122.
Update 2019-08-18: Sniffnoy confirmed Sandy's death.

[FlawedParadigm]

Ha HA! Ponchula does get a point now!

Think I'll go for the Exarch/Gonetor next. His failure is pre-ordained by narrative convention, and while his failure may not require death, I think if I pick any of the three people I really want to, I'm going to find out they all survive for now. :p

[Sniffnoy]

And, points for everyone who bet on Durkon/HPoH/"Greg". Bets may now be changed (yet again).

First post is now updated.

[Kish]

Yay!

Yeah, I'll bet on the Vampire Exarch, too.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

I’m going to change my vote to the Exarch (or whatever we want to call him) as well

[ti'esar]

Damn, I was reasonably certain Greg was a safe bet, but I wasn't in a hurry to say so because I figured the comic would take longer.

I guess having learned my lesson about bandwagoning means I'm changing my vote to the vampire Exarch. (Or "Gontor Hammerhel" as I like to think of him).

[Elenna]

Woo! A point!

Changing my vote back to the nameless vampire from strip 1111 because she's also narratively doomed to fail and I think she'll die before the Exarch.

[heretic]

Woo! A point!

Changing my vote back to the nameless vampire from strip 1111 because she's also narratively doomed to fail and I think she'll die before the Exarch.

I'll do the same.

[jwhouk]

I'm way behind in this thread, but I'm actually going to put my 5gp on The Exarch to be the next to die.

[b_jonas]

I for one do not change my bet from Belkar.

Analysis. I still think he's a pretty safe bet, avoiding risky bets. But more importantly, this leaves me open to potentially change my bet later when I get more information from future comic strips. Like, whether we see the Order actually catch up with wherever the Exarch is now, or we get our cut away to Team Evil and the MITD and O-Chul and Lien. I think the most likely is that, possibly after a cut to Team Evil, we'll see the Order have a random encounter or other obstacle before even reaching the Exarch. In this last case, the Belkar bet is probably still pretty safe, because anyone they meet will probably not be votable, I don't think Roy or Elan or Haley or Vaarsuvius or Blackwing will die yet. There's some chance that Hilgya gets his well deserved end first, or that Mr. Scruffy or Bloodfeast the Extreme-inator has to die to enrage Belkar into vengeance again, but it will be very difficult to guess which of these happens.

Spoiler: Pointless teasing of other players, don't read if you're sensitive and may take offense

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You all have read the rules, especially rule 3, before changing to the Exarch, because you actually think he'll die in the very next strip, before you get a chance to change your vote, right? You're entitled to bet however you choose, but I won't do that.

I'm way behind in this thread, but I'm actually going to put my 5gp on The Exarch to be the next to die.

You're not behind, you only have to change your vote before the Exarch dies.

[FlawedParadigm]

I for one do not change my bet from Belkar.

Analysis. I still think he's a pretty safe bet, avoiding risky bets. But more importantly, this leaves me open to potentially change my bet later when I get more information from future comic strips. Like, whether we see the Order actually catch up with wherever the Exarch is now, or we get our cut away to Team Evil and the MITD and O-Chul and Lien. I think the most likely is that, possibly after a cut to Team Evil, we'll see the Order have a random encounter or other obstacle before even reaching the Exarch. In this last case, the Belkar bet is probably still pretty safe, because anyone they meet will probably not be votable, I don't think Roy or Elan or Haley or Vaarsuvius or Blackwing will die yet. There's some chance that Hilgya gets his well deserved end first, or that Mr. Scruffy or Bloodfeast the Extreme-inator has to die to enrage Belkar into vengeance again, but it will be very difficult to guess which of these happens.

Spoiler: Pointless teasing of other players, don't read if you're sensitive and may take offense

Show

You all have read the rules, especially rule 3, before changing to the Exarch, because you actually think he'll die in the very next strip, before you get a chance to change your vote, right? You're entitled to bet however you choose, but I won't do that.

I made my bet because he's narratively doomed to fail. Now that failure may not involve dying, or we may switch away to Team Evil, Sabine, the IFCC, or Hinjo and someone else entirely may die next, but as we're in the denouement of the book, I don't think we'll see any more combat not related to Durkon's arc this book. Ergo, the Exarch seemed like the safest bet (my other three options I couldn't decide between were the curly-haired vampire that fled when Ponchula died, Durkula, and Belkar - who I don't think will die until the last 30 strips or so of the comic, but still looked to be in danger a moment being the only conscious one against three vampires.)

[DeliaP]

Did I get a point? I did! I got a point!!! Woohoo! Sure, I got it just because I'd been letting my vote ride since the Godsmoot, and each time I was thinking of changing it (Ice Giantess, Ponchula) they went and got killed before I managed... but it still counts! Yeah! (And I'd even forgotten that it was Durkula I was voting for.... I thought I was still on Lien....)

OK, new vote. Let's see.... let's see.... last time we were this close to the end of the book I decided there would be no more deaths likely, only for Malack, Zzdriti and Nale to die in quick succession, so no form there. I would say the ex-Exarch, but if he doesn't escape (and with Ponchula already down) who is going to keep Hel's faction going in the multi-car pile up at the final gate?? Someone has to be advancing a "Blow up the gate, force the Gods to remake the world" agenda.... Ah, what the Hel, he's a safe bet to be destroyed sooner or later (only Belkar and Xykon are safer bets, I'd say, but I doubt either will happen til much closer to the end of Book 7) so it's good enough for now!

I vote: the ex-Exarch, Gontorkula Somethingorother Hammerfell.

- - - Updated - - -

• #1128 Minrah (killed by Hilgya's Flame Strike in second page fifth panel; nobody betted on him)
• #1130 Ponchula (nickname for human vampire who had a notable dialog in #1112 about a poncho; Belkar decapitates him)

Um, btw, they should both be "her" not "him".

(But thanks for keeping this list updated! It might be a nice addition to the posts at the start of the thread.)

[Alabenson]

I'm putting my (figurative) money on nameless vampire for the next to croak.

[Askthepizzaguy]

I also put my money on nameless vampire girl who was one of the original 4 to teleport to Firmament. I feel Gontor is going to outlive her, but surprise me.

I'd like to be right even once!

[Samba Mentality]

I’m putting my money on Mr. Scruffy.

[username1]

I put my gp on Hilgya

[Harrisonvinny]

I vote the Vampire Exarch!

[Son of A Lich!]

Banjo needs souls to be a god, so I'm taking a LOOOOONG shot in the dark here.

Elan

[Sniffnoy]

Welp, it turns out that the correct answer was Durkon, again! Nobody gets points! Bets may now be changed once again.

[FlawedParadigm]

Sticking with the Exarch.

[Sniccups]

I also put my money on nameless vampire girl who was one of the original 4 to teleport to Firmament. I feel Gontor is going to outlive her, but surprise me.

I'd like to be right even once!

I agree with this.

[Sniffnoy]

I agree with this.

Sorry, is that you placing a new bet? It's not clear.

Edit: To be clear, I'm not going to count this as a new bet unless you confirm fairly quickly that you intended it that way.

[b_jonas]

I was thinking a lot because either Hilgya or Belkar could die in the next strip. I still don't know for sure, but I made up my mind now.

I change my bet to Hilgya.

[Alabenson]

I'm going to stick with Nameless Vampire

[Sniffnoy]

(Bumping for visibility.)

[Sniffnoy]

Bumping for visibility again.

[PopeLinus1]

A million Quatloo's that every character in the comic dies next comic. (1162)