Major character who has only appeared on 1 page in the entire OOTS saga

[Rogar Demonblud]

The only person we know of to scan the planet found no life at all. Not even fish.

[halfeye]

The only person we know of to scan the planet found no life at all. Not even fish.

She was then attacked, and we don't know whether she died.

[Dire_Flumph]

The only person we know of to scan the planet found no life at all. Not even fish.

That's misleading. She didn't detect life sensing through the portal, and found it unusual she wasn't able to find fish in the ocean, but it's not remotely the same as "scanning the planet", and I think that would have been well beyond the abilities of even high-level psionics. What I assume is it means it doesn't have a normal ecosystem, but it doesn't preclude life or sparse populations on the inner world.

[Emanick]

That's misleading. She didn't detect life sensing through the portal, and found it unusual she wasn't able to find fish in the ocean, but it's not remotely the same as "scanning the planet", and I think that would have been well beyond the abilities of even high-level psionics. What I assume is it means it doesn't have a normal ecosystem, but it doesn't preclude life or sparse populations on the inner world.

Yeah, there could easily be, say, small communities who live huddled around the planet, living in fear of The Snarl’s periodic rampages where it scours all life from portions of its world.

It’s a much less parsimonious explanation than “Laurin detected no life because the world is lifeless,” so I’m not betting on it, but it’s always possible.

[Goblin_Priest]

That's misleading. She didn't detect life sensing through the portal, and found it unusual she wasn't able to find fish in the ocean, but it's not remotely the same as "scanning the planet", and I think that would have been well beyond the abilities of even high-level psionics. What I assume is it means it doesn't have a normal ecosystem, but it doesn't preclude life or sparse populations on the inner world.

I mean, what's the range on that scan? 30ft? 60ft? 1 mile?

I doubt a non-epic psion can scan an entire planet.

[Doug Lampert]

I mean, what's the range on that scan? 30ft? 60ft? 1 mile?

I doubt a non-epic psion can scan an entire planet.

Laurin apparently expected to find life with a scan and considered it significant that she did not.

We don't know if she's done a survey of how many fish are in range on average on open ocean, but she's convinced there's nothing on the other side till the snarl goes active on her and she knows what her range is and may know something about how common fish are in open ocean.

I'll accept that life is either rare or non-existent in the oceans of snarl-world till proven otherwise.

[Goblin_Priest]

Laurin apparently expected to find life with a scan and considered it significant that she did not.

We don't know if she's done a survey of how many fish are in range on average on open ocean, but she's convinced there's nothing on the other side till the snarl goes active on her and she knows what her range is and may know something about how common fish are in open ocean.

I'll accept that life is either rare or non-existent in the oceans of snarl-world till proven otherwise.

I don't know if I'd say she expected anything at all, or that she displays inordinate levels of surprise. She's probing it, to try to know what it is.

Also she only detects the Snarl moments before it blows up in her face.

[ReaderAt2046]

I'm thinking the Green Voice, or possibly the Orange depending on whether each webcomic strip counts as one page.

[Metastachydium]

I'm thinking the Green Voice, or possibly the Orange depending on whether each webcomic strip counts as one page.

I'm inclined to assume a page is a page (rather than a strip). Also, that wouldn't be nice of the Giant.

[Peelee]

Well, assume that the Snarl isn't entirely destructive. Instead, it is building something. Possible evidence of this is the world behind the gate.

This world could have mortals taken by the Snarl. It could also have the Eastern gods. They would then survive on the worship of mortals in there.

I am not certain, but I consider it an option.

Indeed, the Snarl could be some kind of wormhole thingy, that sucks in things from this world and brings them to another. The eastern pantheon, as well as mortals from past lost worlds, could all be over there.

Not betting on this being the case, but if there's a planet there... there also being people isn't much of a stretch.

Assume this is true. The original mortals from the first planet continued on, then. They knew about the other pantheons, and certainly would have worshipped thr other pantheons. As belief and worship makes reality on a cosmic scale, it stands to reason that Snarl-World has all four pantheons (albeit probably in somewhat different forms than Stickworld). These pantheons have had a peaceful co-existancr with the Snarl for billions upon billions of years. Why would they have any desire to help these other pantheons who are effectively mirror dimension pantheons?

Further, the Snarl is definitely destructive in that it is constantly destroying the planet/Material Plane, so arguing that it is not destructive in terms of mortal life or gods seems like a tenuous claim, especially with very little supporting evidence.

Finally, any solution that has the Eastern pantheon survive would seem to completely remove any agency that The Dark One has, turning him from a massively existential moral dilemma into a one-dimensional plot device. It's possible that would not be the case, but I cannot figure out how myself.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Just because the gods of green survive doesn't mean they're willing to have anything to do with the other pantheons. So they'd still have to deal with TDO, it's just that with the possibility of them going green TDO would have a reason to start talking instead of just killing the messenger.

This won't happen, of course, because it would mean that the Order would become spectators in their own comic.

[Ruck]

I'm thinking the Green Voice, or possibly the Orange depending on whether each webcomic strip counts as one page.

A page is a page. Many strips are one page; some are more than that. When a strip is more than one page, it's usually broken up as such when it's posted. (For the most recent example, #1223 is two pages.)

[GuySmiley1970]

I'm thinking the character might be Demeter? She's a green pantheon goddess that was only shown once. Also, the plants in the warehouse might be flourishing there due to her influence.

[Rogar Demonblud]

The Eastern pantheon is dead and gone for eons at this point.

[WanderingMist]

The Eastern pantheon is dead and gone for eons at this point.

Or so we've been told. But it's outright confirmed the gods don't know everything about the Snarl.

[Ruck]

Any Eastern Pantheon members still being alive undercuts many of the major conflicts of the plot.

[Rogar Demonblud]

And again removes the focus from the Order and makes them spectators as the DMPCs solve the problem. Which Rich isn't going to do. Half the point of the last book was making sure the power players are tied up for the duration of the crisis.

[WanderingMist]

Any Eastern Pantheon members still being alive undercuts many of the major conflicts of the plot.

Not if they're trapped on the world the Snarl seems to have created and unable to communicate the fact they're still alive. Remember, the gods have zero clue about that.

[The MunchKING]

Not if they're trapped on the world the Snarl seems to have created and unable to communicate the fact they're still alive. Remember, the gods have zero clue about that.

Then the question becomes how did she survive all those eons without any worship?

[WanderingMist]

Then the question becomes how did she survive all those eons without any worship?

By being worshipped on the world the Snarl created?

[Emanick]

By being worshipped on the world the Snarl created?

Alternatively, The Snarl itself could be sustaining them - keeping them prisoner, learning from them, whatever.

To be clear, I don’t think that’s what’s happening, as we have no evidence that the Eastern Gods are still around in any capacity - I just don’t think it’s quite as implausible as some other people think. There are ways they could theoretically be included that would be dramatically appropriate. For instance, perhaps the Order has to choose between (1) letting the OOTSverse gods know that their Eastern brethren are still alive, which would provide them with a fourth quiddity and make The Dark One unnecessary, and (2) keeping the Eastern Gods a secret, forcing the gods to negotiate with The Dark One and thus helping to relieve the goblinoids of the unjust situation they find themselves in.

[halfeye]

For instance, perhaps the Order has to choose between (1) letting the OOTSverse gods know that their Eastern brethren are still alive, which would provide them with a fourth quiddity and make The Dark One unnecessary,

Unnecessary? Five quidities would totally trump the four that the Snarl is made of. Four is to draw even, five would be a clear win.

Having said that, I am convinced that the Eastern Gods are dead-dead and not coming back.

[Kelenius]

I don't think any green gods will show up, because an important part of the plot hinges on Redcloak being the only way to permanently seal the Snarl. Having a green god show up would completely invalidate that.

[Emanick]

Unnecessary? Five quidities would totally trump the four that the Snarl is made of. Four is to draw even, five would be a clear win.

Having said that, I am convinced that the Eastern Gods are dead-dead and not coming back.

Sure, but it might not make a difference; the gods might not be able to agree on negotiating with The Dark One if they can work with the Eastern Pantheon instead. Similarly, if the Order is sufficiently motivated to help bring about justice for the goblinoids, they might not want to even take the risk of making TDO irrelevant. It all depends on how The Giant would like to write the story.

That being said, I agree that the Eastern Gods are highly unlikely to reappear. They are very probably dead and gone forever.

I don't think any green gods will show up, because an important part of the plot hinges on Redcloak being the only way to permanently seal the Snarl. Having a green god show up would completely invalidate that.

Not if The Order has to choose between (1) somehow freeing the Eastern Gods from The Snarl, making TDO irrelevant, and (2) keeping the Eastern Gods out of the picture so as to help the goblinoids get justice.

Additionally, the Eastern Gods could be unwilling to help, either because of Stockholm Syndrome or because surprise, they've been buddies with The Snarl all along! Or maybe they've lost their status as full deities and are too weak to help. I don't like any of these options as much as the first one I mentioned, but they're all theoretically possible.

Basically, my point isn't "The Eastern Gods are alive" or even "it's reasonably likely that any of the Eastern Gods are alive." It's "The Eastern Gods are probably gone for good - but that's because we have no evidence that any of them are still alive, not because there's no way for Rich to make the story work well if any do happen to be around."

[The MunchKING]

By being worshipped on the world the Snarl created?

By whom? The only scan we've had declared the area scanned to be lifeless, even of animal minds.

Alternatively, The Snarl itself could be sustaining them - keeping them prisoner, learning from them, whatever.

If it could feed them with it's divine-rage based power, I'm guessing that only counts as one kind of food. So Demeter would come out seriously Bonkers and possibly way less powerful than she was...

[HalfTangible]

Not if The Order has to choose between (1) somehow freeing the Eastern Gods from The Snarl, making TDO irrelevant, and (2) keeping the Eastern Gods out of the picture so as to help the goblinoids get justice.

I really don't think that's Redcloak's goal anymore, whatever his protestations to the contrary.

Like Minrah said, Redcloak's a big phony. He's just pushing forward, throwing good lives after bad because finishing the Plan is more important to him than his reasons for doing it.

[Dion]

Then the question becomes how did she survive all those eons without any worship?

Fruit Pies. Delicious and nutritious. Everything a growing god needs.

[Ruck]

I don't think any green gods will show up, because an important part of the plot hinges on Redcloak being the only way to permanently seal the Snarl. Having a green god show up would completely invalidate that.

Yes, this is my point, so, to this:

Not if they're trapped on the world the Snarl seems to have created and unable to communicate the fact they're still alive. Remember, the gods have zero clue about that.

What purpose would they have to the story besides providing a green quiddity, which would undermine the major conflicts of the plot?

[The MunchKING]

Fruit Pies. Delicious and nutritious. Everything a growing god needs.

But Demeter is fully grown. We weren't even talking about Persephone.

[Peelee]

I, for one, find it interesting that despite the numerous accusations of plot advancement being deus ex machinae, some people like to theorize "what if a god just showed up out of nowhere all of a sudden to fix everything?"