The Index of the Giant's Comments VI―Making Dogma from Zapped Bananas

[Jasdoif]

Okay then!

---

Proposed Updates for Index 6.6
🍌Don't Expect More OotS Magazine Strips(#10) "It was fun when I did it, but I'm really a lot more interested in the story than thinking up one-off gags over and over, especially when I can't hang them on the ongoing plot."	#1208	2020/07/31	No vote required, will be included.
🍌Elan Hasn't Told his Mother about Nale's Death(#2) "I don't think he would have had the opportunity to do so yet."	#1208	2020/07/31	No vote required, will be included.
🍌How a Name Sounds is More Important Than Its Meaning(#7) "After all, people butcher the name Xykon constantly (Zykon, Xyklon, Xkon) but everyone still knows who they're talking about because no other character in the strip has a name even close to his."	#1208	2020/07/31	No vote required, will be included.
🍌Minrah Isn't a "Main Cast" Character(#4) "Minrah is traveling with the team and helping them out, but she is not a member of the main cast, which is and has always been numbered at six."	#1208	2020/07/31	No vote required, will be included.
🍌On Nale's Focus on Malack(#11) "....Nale likely hated (the Vector Legion) equally but spent more effort planning Malack's death because Malack was harder to kill."	#1208	2020/07/31	No vote required, will be included.
🍌On the Flashback in 623(#1) "...it's intended to be a memory."	#1208	2020/07/31	No vote required, will be included.
🍌The Comic Cannot Be Posted on a Consistent Basis(#9) "What you're suggesting is not something I can actually do."	#1208	2020/07/31	No vote required, will be included.
🍌The Giant Does Check Older Comics For Consistency(#6) "...for something like Hilgya's reappearance, I thought it was important to go back and look at exactly what was said and done in that original scene."	#1208	2020/07/31	No vote required, will be included.
🍌The Julio Scoundrél story in Snips, Snails and Dragon Tales Indirectly Inspired the New Art Style(#5) "...I guess it was a test bed, but it wasn't an intentional one at the time."	#1208	2020/07/31	No vote required, will be included.
🍌There Could Possibly Be More Side-Story Books In the Future(#12) "I...can't rule out some stories that don't get released until after the main series ends, but there are no plans for a full-on spin-off or sequel or what have you."	#1208	2020/07/31	No vote required, will be included.
🍌There is no "Better" Possibility for What MitD ( ) Is(#3) "It's not a guessing game I added to the strip just for extracurricular fun and games, it's part of the story. There's no answer that's better than what he is because everything written for the last 15 years has been written with that answer in mind."	#1208	2020/07/31	No vote required, will be included.
🍍🍌Vaarsuvius is Genderqueer(#6) But "not talking about gender is just culturally part of being an elf". See also here(#8) ("Even though I played it for laughs at times during the early days, I always tried to make it so that V themselves was never the butt of the joke....").	#1193	2020/03/01	No vote required, will be included.

With nothing eligible to be voted on, there will be no vote; the Index has been updated.

[Sniffnoy]

New Q&A: https://www.patreon.com/posts/45605183

[Doug Lampert]

New Q&A: https://www.patreon.com/posts/45605183

1) Quiddities decision date: Yes.
2) Comic posting times: No
3) Crayon drawing difficultly: Yes.
4) Miko's worship: Yes.
5) Dark One and Redcloak Evil: YES.
6) Frustration with being locked in by previous decisions: No.
7) Names for books: Yes.
8) Durkon's accent: Yes.
9) Last strip: No.
10) Haley and Elan's fathers in conflict: No.
11) Red Cloak's Niece: Yes.
12) Writing Process: No.

[137beth]

I'd say yes to all of them except 2 and 9.

[Jasdoif]

Okay, so, questions with condensed answers:

#	Question
1	"Was the importance of the quiddities a planned plot element far in advance? I'm asking because I didn't even notice the colors until Loki mentioned them in strip 998. I looked back through the archive and sure enough, the gods had their colors from the start. To have that set up so far back and not mention it until so late is very patient plotting!" (Yes.)
2	"You've mentioned you post the comic when you finish it, do you ever wait so that you can post it at a better time?" (Sometimes.)
3	"When you make strips that happen in the past, you usually use crayon as to give them a distinctive visual identity, which I find awesome. You use real crayons? Or some digital brush with a crayon effect? If you do use real crayons, do you find it more or less difficult then making digital art? (as I assume it's how the rest of the comic is made)." (Actual crayons.)
4	"Was Miko a paladin of all the Twelve Gods equally, or did she worship one of them over everyone else?" (She worshipped the pantheon equally.)
5	"Why does the Dark One count as evil? Same question about Redcloak, who presumably has been following the will of the Dark One? Based on strip #1208, what Redcloak wants seems extremely reasonable. So too were the demands of the Dark One, as we have been shown." (All the Evil they do.)
6	"In the long process of writing all the stories so far, have you ever felt frustrated with the decisions you made choosing the composition of the core party members? Such as wishing you had someone else to make a story point, or having an arc where you felt uninspired writing one or more members of the party? My mental context for this question is wondering whether you ever feel restricted much later by plot decisions you made early on, before you even thought this story would have continuity." (Yes.)
7	"At what point do you come up with the names for the trade paperbacks? I understand that, at first, you likely didn't have anything in mind for the series since you didn't even know how far it would go. But as time has gone on and you've now completed 6 main line books and 4 extra books (if I'm counting right in my head without looking to check) do you have an idea what the name of the book will be when you're getting started with it? Or is it something you only really think about when it's come time to release the physical book?" (It varies.)
8	"I've always found it takes longer to read Durkon's speech, and exponentially so when he has long mono-/dialogues. Ironically, I think during the last stretch of strips it's helped me to slow down my reading and increase my immersion in the strip. How much longer (if at all) does it typically take you to write Durkon's speech compared to others? Do you ever regret the decision to write his speech in the style you chose? Do you write it by hand, or use a spelling replacement algorithm, or take a "method" writing approach? Are there any particular frustrations or difficulties (or joys) regarding Durkon's speech?" (A little.)
9	"(W)hen you actually post the last strip, will you announce it to be such, or will it be obvious from the title, or what?" (Yes.)
10	"In some of the behind the scenes commentaries, you mentioned that you had major plans for each character when you started writing volume 0, including Durkon's touch with prophecy and vampirsm. Did you also plan for the conflict between Elan and Haley's fathers as the ruler and a prisoner of Tyriana respectively, or did that grow organically as more elements of the story fell into place?" (Since Haley looked at the ransom letter.)
11	"I realise this may edge into "stuff that hasn't happened yet" if the answer is yes but: do we ever find out what happened to Red Cloak's niece, Right Eye's daughter. I've wanted to know for years if she managed to grow up somewhere, hopefully happy." (Possibly?)
12	"What is a regular "creation day" for you? I mean, what is your process for writing and drawing? Like, do you listen to music/podcast while working, do you always take at least half an hour to tweek the writing, do you alternate days of heavy writing or heavy drawing...?" (A bunch of stuff.)

[Jaxzan Proditor]

After a quick look, I think the ones I would definitely support are 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11. 2 is a no from me, and the others I am ambivalent about.

4 and 5 to me seem especially likely to be relevant. 11 maybe as well, although not as much as I thought it would be before reading the last three words of that answer.

[theangelJean]

I actually think 11 is worth indexing in terms of the Giant's motivation for writing the plot the way he did in the first place (he needed this and this so that the character would feel such and such a way). I feel like the actual question and non-answer are better summed up as "Will this have consequences later on?" and "Oh geez, I wasn't thinking about that at the time" or even "Look, it already had consequences right there and then" respectively, but the description of what he actually was thinking about, as an author, is kind of neat. It would probably need to be spoilered for SoD though.

So I'd say yes to all of them except 2 and maybe 9.

ETA: I strongly support the inclusion of 12 because 1) it's a frequently-asked question for any author and Rich notes it was frequently asked even in this Q&A and 2) he's restricted it mostly to details specific to the comic-writing process. I can see how it could have fallen on the "prying into Rich's private life" side of the boundary if Rich had chosen to answer the question that way - there are people out there who will post about what they eat for breakfast and their daily routine, and that wouldn't be relevant to the comic. But the most private things he posted in this answer are that his sleep schedule is odd, he takes time away from his materials to think (with his cat) and he can't listen to music during the writing phase but he can while making art. Even the latter two are potentially relevant enough to put in the index.

[Jasdoif]

I suppose after a four-month lull, I can't be sure how much activity should be expected. Looks like we're currently at....

Spoiler: Summary

Show

#	Question	In Favor	Against	Disposition	Voters
1	"Was the importance of the quiddities a planned plot element far in advance? I'm asking because I didn't even notice the colors until Loki mentioned them in strip 998. I looked back through the archive and sure enough, the gods had their colors from the start. To have that set up so far back and not mention it until so late is very patient plotting!" (Yes.)	4	0	Include	In Favor: Doug Lampert, 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean Against:
2	"You've mentioned you post the comic when you finish it, do you ever wait so that you can post it at a better time?" (Sometimes.)	0	4	Exclude	In Favor: Against: Doug Lampert, 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean
3	"When you make strips that happen in the past, you usually use crayon as to give them a distinctive visual identity, which I find awesome. You use real crayons? Or some digital brush with a crayon effect? If you do use real crayons, do you find it more or less difficult then making digital art? (as I assume it's how the rest of the comic is made)." (Actual crayons.)	4	0	Include	In Favor: Doug Lampert, 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean Against:
4	"Was Miko a paladin of all the Twelve Gods equally, or did she worship one of them over everyone else?" (She worshipped the pantheon equally.)	4	0	Include	In Favor: Doug Lampert, 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean Against:
5	"Why does the Dark One count as evil? Same question about Redcloak, who presumably has been following the will of the Dark One? Based on strip #1208, what Redcloak wants seems extremely reasonable. So too were the demands of the Dark One, as we have been shown." (All the Evil they do.)	4	0	Include	In Favor: Doug Lampert, 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean Against:
6	"In the long process of writing all the stories so far, have you ever felt frustrated with the decisions you made choosing the composition of the core party members? Such as wishing you had someone else to make a story point, or having an arc where you felt uninspired writing one or more members of the party? My mental context for this question is wondering whether you ever feel restricted much later by plot decisions you made early on, before you even thought this story would have continuity." (Yes.)	3	1	Include	In Favor: 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean Against: Doug Lampert
7	"At what point do you come up with the names for the trade paperbacks? I understand that, at first, you likely didn't have anything in mind for the series since you didn't even know how far it would go. But as time has gone on and you've now completed 6 main line books and 4 extra books (if I'm counting right in my head without looking to check) do you have an idea what the name of the book will be when you're getting started with it? Or is it something you only really think about when it's come time to release the physical book?" (It varies.)	3	0	Include	In Favor: Doug Lampert, 137ben, theangelJean Against:
8	"I've always found it takes longer to read Durkon's speech, and exponentially so when he has long mono-/dialogues. Ironically, I think during the last stretch of strips it's helped me to slow down my reading and increase my immersion in the strip. How much longer (if at all) does it typically take you to write Durkon's speech compared to others? Do you ever regret the decision to write his speech in the style you chose? Do you write it by hand, or use a spelling replacement algorithm, or take a "method" writing approach? Are there any particular frustrations or difficulties (or joys) regarding Durkon's speech?" (A little.)	4	0	Include	In Favor: Doug Lampert, 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean Against:
9	"(W)hen you actually post the last strip, will you announce it to be such, or will it be obvious from the title, or what?" (Yes.)	0	2	Exclude	In Favor: Against: Doug Lampert, 137ben
10	"In some of the behind the scenes commentaries, you mentioned that you had major plans for each character when you started writing volume 0, including Durkon's touch with prophecy and vampirsm. Did you also plan for the conflict between Elan and Haley's fathers as the ruler and a prisoner of Tyriana respectively, or did that grow organically as more elements of the story fell into place?" (Since Haley looked at the ransom letter.)	3	1	Include	In Favor: 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean Against: Doug Lampert
11	"I realise this may edge into "stuff that hasn't happened yet" if the answer is yes but: do we ever find out what happened to Red Cloak's niece, Right Eye's daughter. I've wanted to know for years if she managed to grow up somewhere, hopefully happy." (Possibly?)	4	0	Include	In Favor: Doug Lampert, 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean Against:
12	"What is a regular "creation day" for you? I mean, what is your process for writing and drawing? Like, do you listen to music/podcast while working, do you always take at least half an hour to tweek the writing, do you alternate days of heavy writing or heavy drawing...?" (A bunch of stuff.)	2	1	Include	In Favor: 137ben, theangelJean Against: Doug Lampert

Spoiler: Breakdown by Poster

Show

Voter	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Doug Lampert
137ben
Jaxzan Proditor
theangelJean

[Fyraltari]

I'll throw in an Include for all but #9.

[ti'esar]

A very, very emphatic vote for including 11. The rest I can go with the consensus on one way or the other, but I've argued for years about how Redcloak's niece was not necessarily intended as a dangling plot point. Rich's response supports that, but also casts an entirely different light on his reasoning (I always thought the idea was to provide a 'ray of hope' so Right-Eye's story didn't end on a total downer, and never considered the angle that his actions at the climax were motivated by still protecting her).

[Kish]

Include all.

[theangelJean]

A very, very emphatic vote for including 11. The rest I can go with the consensus on one way or the other, but I've argued for years about how Redcloak's niece was not necessarily intended as a dangling plot point. Rich's response supports that, but also casts an entirely different light on his reasoning (I always thought the idea was to provide a 'ray of hope' so Right-Eye's story didn't end on a total downer, and never considered the angle that his actions at the climax were motivated by still protecting her).

I propose summarising that one as

Spoiler: SoD spoilers

Show

"Why Redcloak's niece got away."

I assume it will be in an SOD spoilers section?

[Peelee]

A very, very emphatic vote for including 11. The rest I can go with the consensus on one way or the other, but I've argued for years about how Redcloak's niece was not necessarily intended as a dangling plot point.

That sounds like something Right Eye's niece would say...

[Ron Miel]

You mean Redcloak's niece. Right-Eye doesn't have a niece.

I suggest the following summary:

Spoiler: SOD

Show

On Redcloak's niece adopted by humans
This little detail was added as a motivation for Right-Eye's actions. It was never intended as a plot hook with an eventual payoff, and probably will never be referred to again.

Now that he has cleared up that point, could someone please ask him for clarification on the nine sides.

[Emanick]

You mean Redcloak's niece. Right-Eye doesn't have a niece.

I suggest the following summary:

Spoiler: SOD

Show

On Redcloak's niece adopted by humans
This little detail was added as a motivation for Right-Eye's actions. It was never intended as a plot hook with an eventual payoff, and probably will never be referred to again.

I think you mean:

Spoiler: SOD

Show

On Redcloak's niece adopted by humans
This little detail was added as a motivation for Right-Eye's actions. It was never intended as a plot hook with an eventual payoff, and probably will never be referred to again. Unless it is.

(And yeah, based on the wording of Rich's comment, I think that actually makes sense.)

[Gwynfrid]

Yay, interesting answers to interesting questions. Well, I don't find all of them equally interesting, but folks asked them, so they're of interest to the Index.

I would include every one except #2. That one runs into the standard exclusion of anything relative to the rate of comic posting. Everything else is fine to include.

[fuschiawarrior]

Include all except #2.

Unrelated question: Is the repeated text in rule E on purpose?

[b_jonas]

On the new Q&A post on Patreon.

Definitely exclude question 2, to steer clear of trouble with forum rules.

Include question 3. “The Giant finds it harder to draw with crayons than he used to when he made the Crayons of Time sequence in #273, because of his hand.” Incidentally, do we have a word from the Giant about how his eyesight (vision) is bad nowadays? This answer doesn't say, and I can't find it in first post. It might not even be true, I may have just imagined it.

Exclude question 4. This is about worship of the twelve gods, already covered by the forum post from 2012-04, which is linked from the “Religions and Deities in OOTS World” entry. Because of that, don't add this question as a new heading, though you may link it as an addition from the same entry.

Include question 8. “The Giant is careful so that Durkon's transcribed accent doesn't make him hard to understand to readers.”

Exclude question 9. I just don't like it, seems too obvious.

Include question 10. “The Giant invented the role of Tarquin and Ian by #131, when Haley rereads the ransom note.”

Include question 11. “The Giant made Redcloak's niece survive in order to give personal motivation to Right-Eye.”

Include question 12 somewhere. It doesn't tell us anything really new, but it gives a very clear summary of all that the Giant has told already about his creative process for the OotS.

Abstain for the remaining few questions.

[Sir_Norbert]

No to 2, 4 and 9 (same reasoning as b_jonas above), yes to the rest.

[Jasdoif]

Spoiler: Summary

Show

#	Question	In Favor	Against	Disposition	Voters
1	"Was the importance of the quiddities a planned plot element far in advance? I'm asking because I didn't even notice the colors until Loki mentioned them in strip 998. I looked back through the archive and sure enough, the gods had their colors from the start. To have that set up so far back and not mention it until so late is very patient plotting!" (Yes.)	9	0	Include	In Favor: Doug Lampert, 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean, Fyraltari, Kish, Gwynfrid, fuschiawarrior, Sir_Norbert Against:
2	"You've mentioned you post the comic when you finish it, do you ever wait so that you can post it at a better time?" (Sometimes.)	2	8	Exclude	In Favor: Fyraltari, Kish Against: Doug Lampert, 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean, Gwynfrid, fuschiawarrior, b_jonas, Sir_Norbert
3	"When you make strips that happen in the past, you usually use crayon as to give them a distinctive visual identity, which I find awesome. You use real crayons? Or some digital brush with a crayon effect? If you do use real crayons, do you find it more or less difficult then making digital art? (as I assume it's how the rest of the comic is made)." (Actual crayons.)	10	0	Include	In Favor: Doug Lampert, 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean, Fyraltari, Kish, Gwynfrid, fuschiawarrior, b_jonas, Sir_Norbert Against:
4	"Was Miko a paladin of all the Twelve Gods equally, or did she worship one of them over everyone else?" (She worshipped the pantheon equally.)	8	2	Include	In Favor: Doug Lampert, 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean, Fyraltari, Kish, Gwynfrid, fuschiawarrior Against: b_jonas, Sir_Norbert
5	"Why does the Dark One count as evil? Same question about Redcloak, who presumably has been following the will of the Dark One? Based on strip #1208, what Redcloak wants seems extremely reasonable. So too were the demands of the Dark One, as we have been shown." (All the Evil they do.)	9	0	Include	In Favor: Doug Lampert, 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean, Fyraltari, Kish, Gwynfrid, fuschiawarrior, Sir_Norbert Against:
6	"In the long process of writing all the stories so far, have you ever felt frustrated with the decisions you made choosing the composition of the core party members? Such as wishing you had someone else to make a story point, or having an arc where you felt uninspired writing one or more members of the party? My mental context for this question is wondering whether you ever feel restricted much later by plot decisions you made early on, before you even thought this story would have continuity." (Yes.)	8	1	Include	In Favor: 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean, Fyraltari, Kish, Gwynfrid, fuschiawarrior, Sir_Norbert Against: Doug Lampert
7	"At what point do you come up with the names for the trade paperbacks? I understand that, at first, you likely didn't have anything in mind for the series since you didn't even know how far it would go. But as time has gone on and you've now completed 6 main line books and 4 extra books (if I'm counting right in my head without looking to check) do you have an idea what the name of the book will be when you're getting started with it? Or is it something you only really think about when it's come time to release the physical book?" (It varies.)	8	0	Include	In Favor: Doug Lampert, 137ben, theangelJean, Fyraltari, Kish, Gwynfrid, fuschiawarrior, Sir_Norbert Against:
8	"I've always found it takes longer to read Durkon's speech, and exponentially so when he has long mono-/dialogues. Ironically, I think during the last stretch of strips it's helped me to slow down my reading and increase my immersion in the strip. How much longer (if at all) does it typically take you to write Durkon's speech compared to others? Do you ever regret the decision to write his speech in the style you chose? Do you write it by hand, or use a spelling replacement algorithm, or take a "method" writing approach? Are there any particular frustrations or difficulties (or joys) regarding Durkon's speech?" (A little.)	10	0	Include	In Favor: Doug Lampert, 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean, Fyraltari, Kish, Gwynfrid, fuschiawarrior, b_jonas, Sir_Norbert Against:
9	"(W)hen you actually post the last strip, will you announce it to be such, or will it be obvious from the title, or what?" (Yes.)	3	5	Vote-able	In Favor: Kish, Gwynfrid, fuschiawarrior Against: Doug Lampert, 137ben, Fyraltari, b_jonas, Sir_Norbert
10	"In some of the behind the scenes commentaries, you mentioned that you had major plans for each character when you started writing volume 0, including Durkon's touch with prophecy and vampirsm. Did you also plan for the conflict between Elan and Haley's fathers as the ruler and a prisoner of Tyriana respectively, or did that grow organically as more elements of the story fell into place?" (Since Haley looked at the ransom letter.)	9	1	Include	In Favor: 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean, Fyraltari, Kish, Gwynfrid, fuschiawarrior, b_jonas, Sir_Norbert Against: Doug Lampert
11	"I realise this may edge into "stuff that hasn't happened yet" if the answer is yes but: do we ever find out what happened to Red Cloak's niece, Right Eye's daughter. I've wanted to know for years if she managed to grow up somewhere, hopefully happy." (Possibly?)	11	0	Include	In Favor: Doug Lampert, 137ben, Jaxzan Proditor, theangelJean, Fyraltari, ti'esar, Kish, Gwynfrid, fuschiawarrior, b_jonas, Sir_Norbert Against:
12	"What is a regular "creation day" for you? I mean, what is your process for writing and drawing? Like, do you listen to music/podcast while working, do you always take at least half an hour to tweek the writing, do you alternate days of heavy writing or heavy drawing...?" (A bunch of stuff.)	8	1	Include	In Favor: 137ben, theangelJean, Fyraltari, Kish, Gwynfrid, fuschiawarrior, b_jonas, Sir_Norbert Against: Doug Lampert

Spoiler: Breakdown by Poster

Show

Voter	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Doug Lampert
137ben
Jaxzan Proditor
theangelJean
Fyraltari
ti'esar
Kish
Gwynfrid
fuschiawarrior
b_jonas
Sir_Norbert

---

Okay, so the entries will probably be like:

Tentative Updates for Index 6.7
🍍🍌On Coming Up with a Book's Title(#7) "Sometimes, it just comes to me before I'm even done with the strips....Sometimes, I sit and wrack my brain when the printer is waiting for my files to start production....Most of the time, though, I have a vague idea that I need to hammer into shape." More about "Blood Runs in the Family" in particular here.	#1222	2020/12/30	Tentative, appears will be included without vote
🍌On Planning and the Conflict between Elan's and Haley's Fathers(#10) "Well, I had plans for it starting when I drew the strip where Haley is looking at the letter. Which might count as being planned in that it wasn't paid off for like ten more years, but I'm pretty sure I didn't know it was going to happen until I created that page."	#1222	2020/12/30	Tentative, appears will be included without vote
🍌On Redcloak's Niece(#11) Right-Eye "needed the exact right mix of doing it to protect someone while not putting that same person in more danger in the process, and his daughter being out there alive somewhere--but in a way that he couldn't just run away and be with her--felt like a good compromise."	#1222	2020/12/30	Tentative, appears will be included without vote
🍌On Transcribing Durkon's Accent(#8) "As far as regrets...yeah, a little. It adds so much flavor but at the potential cost of clarity."	#1222	2020/12/30	Tentative, appears will be included without vote
🍌The Crayon Drawings are Made with "Actual Crayons"(#3)	#1222	2020/12/30	Tentative, appears will be included without vote
🍌The Giant on Being Constrained by His Own Decisions(#6) "...I accept the downside of being locked into certain aspects that I decided early as the price I pay for the freedom of getting to invent everything else as I go."	#1222	2020/12/30	Tentative, appears will be included without vote
🍌The Giant on How He Works on the Comic(#12) "...I'll take a shot at answering it in more depth even though I don't really have 'regular' creation days. That is, I don't plan out what I'm going to work on ahead of time or schedule specific tasks for specific days. I usually...."	#1222	2020/12/30	Tentative, appears will be included without vote
🍌The Importance of Gods' Colors was Planned in Advance(#1) "...from the time I introduced the different pantheons during the first set of crayon strips."	#1222	2020/12/30	Tentative, appears will be included without vote
🍌The Last Strip Will Be Identifiable As the Last Strip(#9) "If nothing else, it will probably end with THE END on a black panel or something similarly blatant."	#1222	2020/12/30	Tentative, appears will be eligible for vote
🍍🍌Religions and Deities in OOTS World Background details on who worships whom, and on Thor, Hel, and the Twelve Gods. See also here(#4) ("...the vast majority of citizens of Azure City, Miko included, worship all twelve gods as a single pantheon")	#848	2012/04/11	Tentative, appears will be included without vote
🍍🍌Redcloak is Evil More here(#5) ("If you're reading Redcloak's dialogue and uncritically accepting every word of it, you're overlooking one of his defining character traits: that he cloaks his vile actions in lofty rhetoric to convince himself that he is morally and ethically superior to the likes of Xykon.")	#830	2012/01/23	Tentative, appears will be included without vote

---

You mean Redcloak's niece. Right-Eye doesn't have a niece.

That's just what she wants you to think. Having spent her childhood in the shadow of her mother's survivor's revivee's guilt over being the only recipient of a raise dead spell by a wandering cleric that lacked the diamonds and/or caster level to try a second time, she's stridently avoided being the subject of any dramatic revelation that could lead her uncle's murderer (also her uncle) to her mother; for the sake of her mother's sanity if not her life.

Or maybe not.

Unrelated question: Is the repeated text in rule E on purpose?

It was there when I took over curatorship of the Index almost seven years, the Department of Redundancy Department approved its use, and there's been neither cause nor impetus to remove the amusement I derive from referencing the Department of Redundancy Department from the Index guidelines.

So yes, it's on purpose.

[Gwynfrid]

Regarding #4, b_jonas has a good point, this answer is redundant with the pre-existing quote. I change my take to exclude. Using a see-also insertion is a possible compromise, but not really necessary.

[Ron Miel]

🍌On Redcloak's Niece(#11)
Right-Eye "needed the exact right mix of doing it to protect someone while not putting that same person in more danger in the process, and his daughter being out there alive somewhere--but in a way that he couldn't just run away and be with her--felt like a good compromise."

I don't like this wording. It doesn't include the point that it was a minor detail with no plans to follow it up, which I think was the main point of the question and answer.

Include all of them, except for "the end." Some of them should be "see also" as appropriate.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

I‘m fine with #4 being not it’s own separate entry, but I think it should definitely be a “see-also”, based on the fact that adds the information about preference based on sign of birth.

[Jasdoif]

🍌On Redcloak's Niece(#11) Right-Eye "needed the exact right mix of doing it to protect someone while not putting that same person in more danger in the process, and his daughter being out there alive somewhere--but in a way that he couldn't just run away and be with her--felt like a good compromise."

I don't like this wording. It doesn't include the point that it was a minor detail with no plans to follow it up, which I think was the main point of the question and answer.

I don't think that point was ever made. There's a lot of ground between not being "a whole thing" and being a "minor detail"...which may not be the same lot of ground as between not being "a while thing" and "with no plans to follow it up". To say nothing of the tautological "she won't be dealt with again, unless she is". It all looks a heck of a lot like the other times the Giant's responded to questions about the future story/plot that he understandably doesn't want to spoil, by putting down a seemingly-related statement to kind of imply something that may or not be correct.

That aside, statements about specific things the Giant did do are generally more useful/memorable/interesting than statements about a general category of things the Giant didn't do...and, well, the description of the entry is already rather long; expanding it further seems like a bad idea.

[Ron Miel]

I don't think that point was ever made.

QUESTION : " do we ever find out what happened to Red Cloak's niece, Right Eye's daughter. I've wanted to know for years if she managed to grow up somewhere, hopefully happy. "

ANSWER : But the truth is that this has been dramatically blown out of proportion as an “obvious” plot thread that will someday be paid off when it’s…not that.

I think that this is the main part of the question, and the most important part of the answer.

What does anyone else think?

It all looks a heck of a lot like the other times the Giant's responded to questions about the future story/plot that he understandably doesn't want to spoil, by putting down a seemingly-related statement to kind of imply something that may or not be correct.

I'm not seeing anything there about not spoiling future stories. Did you link to the wrong comments?

The first is a reply to claim that new vampire Durkon shouldn't be able to cast spells this soon. The reply was basically to say "Oh yes he can."

The second is a reply to someone who misunderstood him as saying that Durkon is a non-theistic cleric.

[Gwynfrid]

QUESTION : " do we ever find out what happened to Red Cloak's niece, Right Eye's daughter. I've wanted to know for years if she managed to grow up somewhere, hopefully happy. "

ANSWER : But the truth is that this has been dramatically blown out of proportion as an “obvious” plot thread that will someday be paid off when it’s…not that.

I think that this is the main part of the question, and the most important part of the answer.

What does anyone else think?

I agree. On the other hand, the detailed description of how the Giant built a motivation for Redcloak's actions isn't needed in the summary, imho.

[137beth]

Quote nine, at the very least, validates this ten year old prediction.

[Peelee]

Quote nine, at the very least, validates this ten year old prediction.

T-O-E didn't warn me.

[Jasdoif]

QUESTION : " do we ever find out what happened to Red Cloak's niece, Right Eye's daughter. I've wanted to know for years if she managed to grow up somewhere, hopefully happy. "

ANSWER : But the truth is that this has been dramatically blown out of proportion as an “obvious” plot thread that will someday be paid off when itÂ’sÂ…not that.

I think that this is the main part of the question, and the most important part of the answer.

The (non)answer to the question asked is "Redcloak’s niece will never be mentioned again or dealt with in any way, shape, or form, unless she is."

It all looks a heck of a lot like the other times the Giant's responded to questions about the future story/plot that he understandably doesn't want to spoil, by putting down a seemingly-related statement to kind of imply something that may or not be correct.

I'm not seeing anything there about not spoiling future stories. Did you link to the wrong comments?

No. I might have been slightly off in the presentation, though...there's certainly some intersection between the Giant not being interested in spoiling upcoming content and not wanting comic dialog to spoil an upcoming scene; but the thing that sticks foremost in my mind is how the former linked post was originally included in the Index as saying "Vampire Durkon" could cast spells because he wasn't worshipping a deity, and only addressed removed after a vote years after the latter linked post showed it was an incorrect inference...the sort of scenario I'm hoping to avoid here.

---

On the other hand, the detailed description of how the Giant built a motivation for Redcloak's actions isn't needed in the summary, imho.

Hm, I suppose the earlier (and much shorter) "I felt Right-Eye needed the motivation his family provided in order to do what he attempted at the very end of Start of Darkness" would have a similar effect....

[theangelJean]

The (non)answer to the question asked is "Redcloak’s niece will never be mentioned again or dealt with in any way, shape, or form, unless she is."

No. I might have been slightly off in the presentation, though...there's certainly some intersection between the Giant not being interested in spoiling upcoming content and not wanting comic dialog to spoil an upcoming scene; but the thing that sticks foremost in my mind is how the former linked post was originally included in the Index as saying "Vampire Durkon" could cast spells because he wasn't worshipping a deity, and only addressed removed after a vote years after the latter linked post showed it was an incorrect inference...the sort of scenario I'm hoping to avoid here.

---

Hm, I suppose the earlier (and much shorter) "I felt Right-Eye needed the motivation his family provided in order to do what he attempted at the very end of Start of Darkness" would have a similar effect....

I'd support the latter suggestion, much more than any comment on possible/unlikely upcoming appearances. The question may have been about whether Redcloak's niece will appear again in the comic, but what we get is a non-answer. What we do have is a much more detailed and concrete answer to a question not asked, which is "Why was Redcloak's niece in that position in the comic in the first place?" and I feel like that is in itself worth indexing. And I don't think it would be the first time we indexed something that was tangential to a question asked, which was also interesting in itself.