OOTS #1007 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[Lord Raziere]

ah, the chaotic evil philosophy embodied: "you are who you are on your worst day, anything else is a lie"

this is why we have lawful good types, to say "NO!" to that noise, cause people are anything but that. My worst day is the day I'm the least myself.

but yeah, things aren't going well. we will need the cavalry or some other form of intervention possibly divine, sometime soon.

[Temotei]

There was a weird thing going on with the comic number (and ability to look at more recent comics than 866). Looks like it's resolved, though. Kind of funny that the name of 866 is Complex Math. I thought it was a joke at first.

And...well.

[CrispyCriminal]

Aggh, I swear durkula is channeling negative feelings. Freaking contagious.

[eilandesq]

If the Harm spell took Roy down to 1 hit point (implied by the rules of the spell and his heavy lidded appearance), that 2 level drain just took Roy down to -9 HP, just short of dead.

Let whoever is about to rescue Roy act now, or they'll be fighting Durkula over his corpse.

[Alex Warlorn]

We are all our days.

[Wonton]

I've said this in every one of the last 4-5 comic threads, but... this looks bad. This looks really, really bad. The way that comic started, I thought it was gonna lead to an epic "Durkon-asserts-his-willpower-and-breaks-free-of-control" moment, even for a second... but nope, it went in the opposite direction. At the present, it really doesn't seem like there's any hope for the good guys.

Really not sure what can save them now. Belkar? V? Tarquin? Xykon? Thor?

[The DeathKnight]

Poor Durkon, i wonder if this is where he will start manipulating Durkula from within.

[Alex Warlorn]

ah, the chaotic evil philosophy embodied: "you are who you are on your worst day, anything else is a lie"

this is why we have lawful good types, to say "NO!" to that noise, cause people are anything but that. My worst day is the day I'm the least myself.

but yeah, things aren't going well. we will need the cavalry or some other form of intervention possibly divine, sometime soon.

Yes, screw the vampire's spiel. We are all our days.

[Mike Havran]

That was kinda pointlessly cruel from Hurak, throwing Durkon out without a farewell to his Ma. Also, nice insight into how the vampires are formed.

[Quild]

Harsh one. Nice to see the art upgrade on a scene we already knew in part.

HPoH's bluff is terrible. How can it work?

[Aran Thule]

Isn't that 6 levels drained so far... not good

[Seto]

Also, nice insight into how the vampires are formed.

I don't know. This is basically how Buffyverse vampires work (and I myself think it makes sense), but HpoH might simply be telling Durkon what will crush his spirit the most. Doesn't have to be true. Especially the "another dwarf might have done the opposite" part.

[warmachine]

Guilt indicates you haven't thought about something properly. Durkon can hate his colleagues who threw him out whilst knowing his race, clan and even clan leader did not decide his eviction and are therefore blameless. Being a good person doesn't mean you can't hate injustice and the unjust. Bloody fictional, guilt-based religions.

[eilandesq]

Harsh one. Nice to see the art upgrade on a scene we already knew in part.

HPoH's bluff is terrible. How can it work?

Because the most effective lie is one that includes an element of truth. Durkon *has* been (completely justifiably) enraged at times at how he was treated by his people. He'd have to literally be a saint *not* to have had moments like that. The HPoH is using that simple fact along with Durkon's growing despair over how badly things are going to manipulate him. Overcoming that manipulation--as we all know he will--will be Durkon's greatest accomplishment as a hero.

[hroþila]

That was kinda pointlessly cruel from Hurak, throwing Durkon out without a farewell to his Ma.

As we already knew, "immediately" doesn't mean "later today".

[Velazquez]

All these years, finally first page and the comic strip is so sad I cannot even celebrate.
Btw ,we are who we are, not only in our worse days but also in our best days, too.I still hope that these days will help Durkon gain control.

[Sith_Happens]

DAAAAAYUUM. Way to lay it on thick, Durkula.

HPoH's bluff is terrible. How can it work?

The +8 racial bonus probably helps.

[Windscion]

This also explains why HPoH identifies itself as Durkon. It is literally formed out of his darkest parts.

[busterswd]

Ow, the feels. Well done, Giant.

Granted the vampire's putting the emotional mickey on Durkon to paint him as black as possible, but this is something about his past he clearly hasn't confronted yet, which is why it's so effective.

[Swordsmith]

I love how the Giant twists the entire basis of the D&D alignment system, rejecting it in favor of underlying philosophies. Here, A being created by a dark goddess to perfectly fit into dark underlying thoughts, I dunno, it just brings a tear to my eye.

[Laurana]

Great strip there! Durkon is finally becoming alive, countering the one his own friends could not recognize from any other dwarf (like in the sending part in Old Blind Pete's house).

So Roy is dead again. It's really time for the Belkar cavalry to step in!

[Fosco the Swift]

Fantastic comic as always Giant, every morning one of the first things I do is check for an update, but you're crueler than Durkula to keep us hanging like this

I still think it's Durkon who'll save the day. I keep getting the feeling that it'll be a quiet, soul wrenching argument that Durkon says that'll save Roy. Durkula may have simply been messing with him when he said that it's possible to turn a vampire against Hel, but that's the scenario I'm holding out for.

[Roland Itiative]

So, Durkon never even got to say farewell to his mother when he was kicked out... Depending on what happened to her in those 20 years, the whole death and destruction shebang might not be entirely Durkula's fault when it happens. For the first time now I fear for Durkon's moral integrity.

[Gwin]

Oh man, thats really touching

[Emperordaniel]

That was kinda pointlessly cruel from Hurak, throwing Durkon out without a farewell to his Ma. Also, nice insight into how the vampires are formed.

Spoiler: On the Origin of PCs

Show

The prophecy stated that Durkon would bring death and destruction to the dwarves "when next he returned home", which High Priest Hurak interpreted to mean when he returned to his physical home - thus, he couldn't let Durkon say farewell to Sigdi.

[Agnostik]

I don't know whether to be surprised or saddened. Think I'm gonna go with "Ouch".

[Malfarian]

Beautiful artwork, well done!

[Canuck617]

Dang, that is rough. This is really starting to turn into one of those "darkest before the dawn" scenarios. (I hope.) Very nicely done, Giant!

[SterlingAvenger]

Come on Durkon, an moment of justifiable anger over an injustice done to you is no more veil than a moment of anger over an injustice done to another. It all comes down to how you express if and from memory you've handled it by being the best dwarf you can be. Don't evil you nullify all the good you've done.