OOTS #896 - The Discussion Thread

[Cicciograna]

Sort of expected. But a real cliffhanger nonetheless.

[Mordae]

...Ah, hell.

Exactly!

I wonder if there's going to be some strenuous disagreements about who the Big Bad really is, both in the strip and in the forums...

[TerrickTerran]

Very cool twist. I can't wait to see what happens next. Just when I start to wonder why I like the comic so much,a comic like this shows me why. Just awesome.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

NO! NO NO NO NO! ARGH!!!!!!!!!!*

The shoe finally dropped. Ooh howdy did it pick the wrong/right time to drop.

*Said with all due affection for Rich's storytelling.

[squirrl811]

Love the way everything is coming together at once! Random speculation -- could the baddies not be monitoring the discussion our heroes are having about the gate, but rather something else? Perhaps the ominous "now" refers to taking control of V (or other actions) to respond to something Tarquin or even Xykon are up to off-screen? We don't really know their agenda, but maybe it has nothing to do with the gate and everything to do with one of the other parties in play. Of course, whatever happens will surely complicate things for Roy and company even more.

Can't wait to see what happens!

[The Zealot]

Well, it had to happen eventually...

Now, do they seek to take him/her over to attack The Order, preventing the destruction of the gate...

or to shut him/her up, to keep 'em from saving the gate?

[Shred-Bot]

Huh. I thought you could use Disintegrate in situations like this. Maybe V was worried about hitting something in the room above, or something. That said, at least now we'll finally get some more insight into the Fiends' game plan. Maybe.

Disintegrate could get through a chunk of the rock, but unlike passwall it could collapse the whole chamber if cast on a load-bearing section. And I doubt V has the skill ranks in knowledge (architecture and engineering) to find a safe spot to cast it.

[ChristianSt]

So what happens 'Now.'? ... :can't wait to see the next strip:

But most likely it doesn't get better for the Order (I wouldn't be surprised if Team Evil will show up in the next one or two strips), and IFCC calling their debts alone is probably worse enough.

[JSSheridan]

Thanks Giant!

But I can't help but wonder, why post 2 1/2 pages rather than each page when you get it finished?

[BeethroBudkin07]

Oh man, this is getting intense!

I personally think

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the IFCC will try to stop the Order from destroying the gate so it will be there when Team Evil shows up. After all, they said they wanted conflict, did they not?

Can't wait for the next strip! Keep up the amazing work, Rich!

[Syncrogti]

Wow this is a great comic! Thanks for the extra long one today, I love that Belkar knows his role in the party, and that the OOTS may not know exactly what the riftsgates do. Cliffhanger on the three splice guys, just wow.

[The_Tentacle]

And once again, I am reminded why this is a great comic.

So will this be a recurrence of Darth V, or just some kind of possessed V?

[F.Harr]

GOD FRAKKIN DAMMIT
The next strip won't come soon enough.
*shakes fist dramatically* RIIIIIIIIIIIICH!*




*preemptive clarification: I'm not actually angry at Rich, and the next strip will come when it comes.

I can see that. :D

[pendell]

Huh, I was expecting the three fiends checkhov's bargain to manifest in the next book. Still, the fact that the three fiends are taking effect now implies that the entire LG plotline will be resolved in this book. All to the good.

Vaarsuvius' efforts are well-intentioned, but I think Girard's Gate is going boom in the near future. Should have briefed Roy sooner!

Also, I think V is wrong. Whatever is on that inhabited world isn't going to be made better when Tarquin and Xykon arrive to fight over the gate. I believe Roy's logic remains sound.

ETA: I can only hope the archfiends are forced to call the entirety of their debt now, and it isn't left hanging over the next few books.

Also, I don't belief V has the benefit of soul-splice, so Darth V will not have any powers beyond those of normal Vaarsuvius. Which are still impressive but nowhere near the threat level of ultimate arcane power Vaarsuvius. Well, unless the soul splices are re-applied in the next strip.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Gift Jeraff]

If the archfiends are watching, that means they know (or now know) about the world within the world. I wonder how that factors into their plans.

[_Jarlaxle_]

Ohhh myyy god.

You are a mean person Rich...

[Agnostik]

Arrrgh! The cliffhanger, it burns! In more ways than one!

[gallagher]

I love when several plot points come together!

[One Skunk Todd]

Yowza! The other poo-filled shoe about to drop into the fan (and however many other metaphors we can throw in there).

So I guess you actually have to be in the passageway for the mega illusion runes to activate. I'm surprised they didn't put any defenses in the service tunnels.

[internisus]

oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh

[thatSeniorGuy]

After reading the last panel, I have two words:
....
Oh fudge ...

[DaggerPen]

Oh.

Oh, ****.

I'd expected the payoff of V's discovered tunnel to be zir discovering the real Gate, not for the IFCC to choose now to strike.

This is going to be baaaaad.

[jidasfire]

Thanks Giant!

But I can't help but wonder, why post 2 1/2 pages rather than each page when you get it finished?

Probably because each strip, however many pages it takes, is what Rich considers to be a proper incriment of story. Sometimes that's just one page, sometimes as many as three. I imagine it's not an exact science so much as where the muse takes him and what he needs to get across certain story points. I recall Bill Watterson complaining of being confined by newspaper-defined strip size, especially regarding the Calvin and Hobbes Sunday comics. It's the advantage, I imagine, of working for himself that Rich can structure his strips however he likes.

As to the actual strip, OH CRAP! I suppose this was inevitable, but now that it's here, there's no way this isn't really really bad. It's extra tragic since V was trying so hard to do the right thing and has been taking so many steps toward personal development. The Fiends, no doubt by design, seem determined to dash all of that.

[Syklone]

I think the title "Taking Control" would have fit nicely.

[FlawedParadigm]

No good can come of this.

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I rather expect that, whatever happens, the party is going to blame V for it. Hopefully such conflict doesn't go beyond words...

[Kancsar]

Awesome story development. Genuinely worried for V now. Will we see the return of the spliced "sub-contractors"? Otherwise the Fiends risk losing their puppet after just one use.

Last strip forum I predicted V needed to tell OotS of the eorld within the Smarl and that they will flee through the Gate. I still think they will end up in the otter world at which point this Book will end.

*edit* some pretty amusing autospellcorrect artifacts in this post (thanks Apple!) which I will leave up as a testimony to early 21st century AI. Good thing Sending doesn't have spelling correction though the effect with Durkon might be hilarious.

[Syklone]

Wait, what are the eyes in the first few panels?

[Mido]

I've been dreading the gotcha moment for a while now. Uh oh, here it comes.

[Asis]

Smart. Since the price of the deal with V was to remain in their 'care' for an hour (more or less) she can't warn the Order to not destroy the gate. That'd leave only one gate left and then they can focus on using their agents to destroy/use it.

Of course we don't know what happens when the gates are destroyed but smart is that whatever happens it'll only occur once ALL the gates are destroyed. The only worrisome thing is that V will be (even more) devastated...

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Two Paths? Could that be a reference to Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven?

I remember two paths at Sunday school. Might be time for V's redemption.