What will Curly do?

[D.One]

In the event of Hilgya's death, it is entirely possible that Durkon would choose to not Ressurect her. There are various ways that decision could be made.

I'll divert briefly from our main theme here (Curly*, the Brave) to comment on this. I can see a situation where Hylgia decides not to answer Durkon's raising/ressurection, out of sheer "I only do what I want and won't go back to life just because you say so", or in the event that she likes what she gets in the afterlife, even if it's not Hylgia's Gambit.

But I can't really see a situation where Durkon doen't give at least an honest and dedicated try to bring back his son's ma.

Brave Curly Hair ran away
Bravely ran away away
When danger reared her ugly head
She bravely turned her tail and fled
Yes, brave Curly Hair turned about
And gallantly she chickened out
Bravely taking to her feet
She beat a very brave retreat
Bravest of the brave, Curly Hair!

Her legend sung under fair moonlight
Her marvelous speed to escape a fight
With her resolve to never stand
She'll keep on running until the end
Untouched by time and death itself
She even dodges the arrows of Melf (Ok, I know, this one was forced as Hel)
Be a shinny day or a cloudy night
No one can reach her, not even light
For faster than her prodigious feet
Is her mistyfying smokerunning feat
And thus persists our Curly*, the Brave
Away from the fight, away from the grave.

[Cicciograna]

Maybe she'll realize that Hel's plan is a lost cause and choose to survive, rather than being smoked like all her other peers. Could Hel destroy her, if she chose to forsake her goddess?

[Onyavar]

My wild guess is that not all created dwarven vampires were involved in Undurkon's traps and plans.

Being evil masterminds, Hel and Undurkon would leave some behind, in case the biggest of all plans, complete with plan B, plan C and plan D failed.

So, this would be plan U: Undead plague in the dwarven caverns. And Curly is going to be their leader, until the vampires are necessarily crushed by the dwarven military, some months from now.

[D.One]

And Curly is going to be their leader

And her first act as bold leader will be to order a strategic retreat...

[Wizard_Lizard]

my best guess is die.

[Squire Doodad]

And her first act as bold leader will be to order a strategic retreat...

Reminds me of an old joke:
"Charge! Aim for the cannons before they can fire!"
*explosion*
"Retreat! Get out of the line of sight of the cannons before they can fire!"

[Riftwolf]

And her first act as bold leader will be to order a strategic retreat...

Her war-cry is 'Everyone but me CHARGE!'

[Schroeswald]

Her war-cry is 'Everyone but me CHARGE!'

Either we run away, or we DIIEEEEE!

[Squire Doodad]

Her war-cry is 'Everyone but me CHARGE!'

"You are great warriors! The best I have seen! You have great might, great skill, and great courage! Now all of you shall go into battle, not merely to win, but so I can get away and for justice!"

[D.One]

"You are great warriors! The best I have seen! You have great might, great skill, and great courage! Now all of you shall go into battle, not merely to win, but so I can get away and for justice!"

"Aye. Fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FLEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"

[EmperorSarda]

Doesn't matter what she will do.

Cause all the Order has to do while Curly is making a plan is make sure none of the elders are still dominated and the have Evan cast mending on the table. Call the meeting to order, new votes. And then Curly doesn't matter at all anymore.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Why would Elan cast Mending? First, as a non-dwarf he can't get in there, and second they aren't trying to fix a splinter. You need the much better spell Make Whole.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Why would Elan cast Mending? First, as a non-dwarf he can't get in there

The barriers are currently down. Elan can go up, fix the table, be asked to leave, and the meeting un-temporary suspended (I'm thinking that the meeting cannot be called to order if there are non-dwarves in the room).

Whether the table can be fixed magically, I won't comment. We'll see soon enough.

Grey Wolf

[Cazero]

The barriers are currently down. Elan can go up, fix the table, be asked to leave, and the meeting un-temporary suspended (I'm thinking that the meeting cannot be called to order if there are non-dwarves in the room).

Actualy, we don't know how long it takes for the meeting to reconvene after such a suspension. Proper procedure might require the council to issue a new set of invitations to the elders even if they're already there. That would take some extra time, especialy if they are to be delivered in dead-tree form to their respective home adresses.

[RatElemental]

The barriers are currently down. Elan can go up, fix the table, be asked to leave, and the meeting un-temporary suspended (I'm thinking that the meeting cannot be called to order if there are non-dwarves in the room).

Whether the table can be fixed magically, I won't comment. We'll see soon enough.

Grey Wolf

Now I'm wondering if a human who was inside when the meeting was called to order would be unable to leave at all because of the barrier.

On one hand, it would be consistent. On the other, it's friggin' magic, a one way door isn't that hard to imagine.

[D.One]

Now I'm wondering if a human who was inside when the meeting was called to order would be unable to leave at all because of the barrier.

On one hand, it would be consistent. On the other, it's friggin' magic, a one way door isn't that hard to imagine.

On the other hand, it would be (physical) comedy gold if non-dwarves were suddenly expelled from the room when the bariers went up again (possibly with a shout of WEEEEEEEEEEE!). Giggles would approve such magic.

[pendell]

Even if Hel's plan completely fails will Curly go on to initiate the Vampire Holocaust in Dwarfdom? Say what you will about Malack, he either wasn't interested -- or was too rational and long-term -- for such a plan.

Malack's approach seemed to be to help the living set up a society where he could farm criminals and live in luxury. It was a lawful evil society in which he lived, but he was able to live within human society without trying to force a short-term vampire legion which would ultimately end in his destruction.

Will Curly attempt the vampire holocaust? Will she simply run and hide? Something else? What are her options?

That also sort of begs the question: If vampires are so powerful and super-rare, then why hasn't one of these very powerful but super-rare creatures not already attempted the vampire holocaust?

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Because as soon as they do 1d3+3 heroes pop out of the woodwork and kill them.

[Squire Doodad]

Because as soon as they do 1d3+3 heroes pop out of the woodwork and kill them.

Honestly, this is really a 1d4+2 Situation. Most adventurers do at least a group of 3.

[Stabbey]

I am certain that Curly's fate will be tied up with Hilgya somehow. I can't see Curly being any sort of influence on the vote after this point.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Well, no, of course not. The dwarf councilor specifically stated that they will take a lot of time to find a new tree to make the next table with. The vote subplot is paused until after the Order solves the issue next book. Also means a bunch of high-level clerics aren't available for the next book.

[KorvinStarmast]

Well, no, of course not. The dwarf councilor specifically stated that they will take a lot of time to find a new tree to make the next table with. The vote subplot is paused until after the Order solves the issue next book. Also means a bunch of high-level clerics aren't available for the next book.

As I read your idea, I get the feeling that Roy and Company (Durkon becoming flesh by a bunch of dwarves dragging him out of the council chamber, and then he's not stone anymore ) re board Mechane confident that the council will vote in a way that is against Hel's plan and so they head for Kragor's gate. In other words, the vote is resolved off screen.

So we will get a cut scene to what's going on up north with Xykon, MiTD, Reddie, Oona, O'Chul, and Lien ... and then ... book seven begins after a break.

[pendell]

Well, no, of course not. The dwarf councilor specifically stated that they will take a lot of time to find a new tree to make the next table with. The vote subplot is paused until after the Order solves the issue next book. Also means a bunch of high-level clerics aren't available for the next book.

Yes. This is why I thought Durkon would remain petrified if the council remains not-adjourned for any length of time -- not adjourned means he stays petrified.'

*Sigh* I suppose someone will pay the gold for a scroll of Break Enchantment or something like, but perhaps the Giant will surprise me with a more satisfying resolution.

"Satisfying" in this sense meaning "Durkon is un-stoned, but in some way that makes use of the rules, rather than simply overriding them with more powerful magic. " After all, if Vaarsuvius can simply dispel the petrification magic, presumably ze could dispel the barriers as well. And if V could do that, why not do that during the battle instead of making that last battle for dwarves only?

*Thinks*

Maybe the scroll they will cast on him won't be Break Enchantment, but something along the lines of something that converts the statue into a stone golem? Will a stone cold Durkon march across the world with the certainty of an avalanche?

...

yeaaah no. Still a cool mental image , at least to me.

Yes, I had voiced the hope earlier that Durkon would be written out of the story, a stone statue for the duration of the meeting which would last the rest of the comic. Well, the Giant is obviously not going that way so I've adjusted my expectations. I trust him to write a good story even if it doesn't go exactly the way I would write it. That's why you're paying to read him and not me!

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Rogar Demonblud]

As I read your idea, I get the feeling that Roy and Company (Durkon becoming flesh by a bunch of dwarves dragging him out of the council chamber, and then he's not stone anymore ) re board Mechane confident that the council will vote in a way that is against Hel's plan and so they head for Kragor's gate. In other words, the vote is resolved off screen.

So we will get a cut scene to what's going on up north with Xykon, MiTD, Reddie, Oona, O'Chul, and Lien ... and then ... book seven begins after a break.

No, the vote is not happening period. The dwarves are going to follow the law so precisely they never have a chance to vote until long after the Order solves the problem. The name of the comic is The Order of the Stick, not Random Collection of Dwarf Clan Leaders.

[Jasdoif]

No, the vote is not happening period. The dwarves are going to follow the law so precisely they never have a chance to vote until long after the Order solves the problem. The name of the comic is The Order of the Stick, not Random Collection of Dwarf Clan Leaders.

: Shouldn't we stay for the vote? What if that invisible crow is still working for Hel?

(cut-away panel: Xykon and Redcloak standing in front of Kraagor's Gate)

: We don't have time.

[RatElemental]

"Satisfying" in this sense meaning "Durkon is un-stoned, but in some way that makes use of the rules, rather than simply overriding them with more powerful magic. " After all, if Vaarsuvius can simply dispel the petrification magic, presumably ze could dispel the barriers as well. And if V could do that, why not do that during the battle instead of making that last battle for dwarves only?

It's not unlikely that the barriers themselves are stronger magic than the magic they themselves cast on lawbreakers.

As basis for this, several artifacts in 3.5 cast the insanity spell on you if you don't fit certain criteria when you try to use them, or if you fail to use them properly. However, insanity (while hard to reverse) is reversible with a small list of spells, while breaking the artifact is much harder to do and comes with the risk of losing the ability to cast spells ever again.

[Squire Doodad]

It's not unlikely that the barriers themselves are stronger magic than the magic they themselves cast on lawbreakers.

As basis for this, several artifacts in 3.5 cast the insanity spell on you if you don't fit certain criteria when you try to use them, or if you fail to use them properly. However, insanity (while hard to reverse) is reversible with a small list of spells, while breaking the artifact is much harder to do and comes with the risk of losing the ability to cast spells ever again.

Probably this: the spells the barriers casts are easily dispelled with Dispel Magic, while the barriers themselves can only be shut down by a natural 20 and a high-level caster.

(V possibly could dispel it, but it would be luck that determines it).

Of course, I don't know if there's a DnD equivalent for the barriers themselves.

[hroþila]

No, the vote is not happening period. The dwarves are going to follow the law so precisely they never have a chance to vote until long after the Order solves the problem. The name of the comic is The Order of the Stick, not Random Collection of Dwarf Clan Leaders.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this stems from what The Giant wrote here about the protagonists being the ones who have to surmount the story's obstacles. Is that right?

Personally, I think people often take that quote way too far, even in cases where it doesn't mesh with the comic at all (because in the comic we see supporting characters resolving more minor problems all the time). It doesn't mean that only the Order can do stuff and that they need to fix every single problem directly and personally. In this case, whether or not the dwarves vote, the Order already did what needed to be done in order to solve the problem. Without them, the council is dominated and votes Yes. If the council now votes No, that's still thanks to the Order. The council would be comparable to Bandana regaining control of the Mechane after a mutiny while the Order defended the ship from a lethal frost giant attack.

[BasiliskSoldier]

I think it's a safe bet that the godsmoot will not be resolved until after the main plot is.

It's a good excuse to keep all those high-level clerics out of the action back at the Godsmoot. Durkon can unstoned by other means.

[2.5 cats]

No, the vote is not happening period. The dwarves are going to follow the law so precisely they never have a chance to vote until long after the Order solves the problem. The name of the comic is The Order of the Stick, not Random Collection of Dwarf Clan Leaders.

My guess is that Sigdi's family will be admitted as a great clan. And between her vote and the previously-dominated dwarf who didn't vote before the meeting was suspended, NO will have a (bare) majority and Durkon becomes flesh again without any additional magic required.

There has to be a reason why it was emphasized that a "slim majority" was dominated, and Sigdi's backstory be worth more than her having lots of friends to call on.