Predictions for book 7

[littlebum2002]

The existence of the riftworld is a mystery within the strip. The order know it exists, but not what it is. It will be resolved before the end. It would be surprising if the Stickies don't actually go there at some point.

It would be almost as surprising as everyone mentioning that Girard was into illusions and then not see, like, any.

[Bedinsis]

The existence of the riftworld is a mystery within the strip.

Agreed.

The order know it exists, but not what it is.

Agreed.

It will be resolved before the end.

Agreed.

It would be surprising if the Stickies don't actually go there at some point.

Disagreed. It can be resolved through scrying magic or something; saying it would be surprising if they don't go there implies they are more likely to go there then they are not. I don't think so.

I still am curious about this supposed foreshadowing.

[hungrycrow]

It would be almost as surprising as everyone mentioning that Girard was into illusions and then not see, like, any.

We did see an illusion already: that weird purple dream world.
Girard didn't have any reason to make an illusion that could only be seen after the gate is destroyed. What, after his whole family is dead and his mission is failed, he's going to mildly confuse the enemy?
The only way it being an illusion would make sense is if we were still stuck in the dream, which would be silly.

Also, there was an image of the world in the rift at azure city too. Why would there be an illusion in both rifts?

[littlebum2002]

It can be resolved through scrying magic or something; saying it would be surprising if they don't go there implies they are more likely to go there then they are not. I don't think so.

I mean you can think whatever you want, if you enjoy thinking things that are wrong. This planet is so mysterious that the gods themselves don't even know about it. This mystery is not going to be solved "by scrying". The Order is going to visit that planet, at some point in the story. You can believe that, or you can be wrong, your choice

We did see an illusion already: that weird purple dream world.
Girard didn't have any reason to make an illusion that could only be seen after the gate is destroyed.

I know, I was just quoting what Elan said after the purple dream world.

[hungrycrow]

I know, I was just quoting what Elan said after the purple dream world.

Okay, i see what you're saying now. Still, I think we could get sufficient payoff just by learning about the planet without going to it physically. Given Laurin couldn't sense any life, and the Snarl has been stomping around for ages, I don't think there's anything left on the planet for the Order to interact with.

I guess they could jump to the planet to fight the Snarl personally at some point.

[Dion]

I mean you can think whatever you want, if you enjoy thinking things that are wrong.

It’s a good thing I do enjoy being wrong every day before breakfast.

Julio and Tarquin have their final battle above the rift. They fall in, revealing the world of forgotten stories.

[Edreyn]

Friends, with all this discussion about how Belkar's prophecy will unfold, you are being too serious. Especially when comparing it to prophecies from Greek mythology. Remember what Rich was saying from the beginning? The idea for OOTS is to be funny, and characters will do what's funny and not what's smart. Of course I don't know if Belkar will die, or the prophecy will "shoot" in an unexpected way, but what I think is based just on the idea that this plot twist should be funny, and not on some scientific research of what and why. I recommend for you not to treat comic, especially this one, like something that needs deep rationalization.

[Schroeswald]

Rich cares about his story and his characters, he doesn't just choose the funniest option, whatever happens to Belkar won't be the funniest option, its the one that will help the story and conclude his character arc best, Rule of Funny is no longer the only or even most important rule of the comic.

[Ron Miel]

I still am curious about this supposed foreshadowing.

Maybe foreshadowing is the wrong word. It's more of a Chekhov's gun, really. It's an object that has been placed in sight of the audience. It is reasonable to suppose it will be plot-significant at some point.

[Dion]

My other predictions:

Sabine and Nale have a baby.

Kudzu will fight that baby.

Kudzu maybe won’t fight that baby until book 8.

MiTD will continue to not eat babies.

Xykon does not play Go.

[Squire Doodad]

Maybe foreshadowing is the wrong word. It's more of a Chekhov's gun, really. It's an object that has been placed in sight of the audience. It is reasonable to suppose it will be plot-significant at some point.

I'd suppose it's reasonable to assume it'll be the location of the final showdown. After all, it's been made relevant and presumably would have to have some value. I can think of a few other ways that would involve it that make sense as well, and one or two that I feel make more sense, but regardless it'll be of some importance.

[littlebum2002]

Okay, i see what you're saying now. Still, I think we could get sufficient payoff just by learning about the planet without going to it physically. Given Laurin couldn't sense any life, and the Snarl has been stomping around for ages, I don't think there's anything left on the planet for the Order to interact with.

I guess they could jump to the planet to fight the Snarl personally at some point.

Well you have to remember that spells (and psionic powers) all have ranges, and I am not aware of any that have ranges on the order of thousands of miles (although I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong). Therefore, unless Laurin is SERIOUSLY augmenting the range of her power, I don't think she is scanning the entire planet for life. Plus, she never actually said she is scanning it for life, she just said she was scanning it for fish. If I was a betting person, I would bet that she is using a Psionics version of Detect Animals, meaning that

1) she is only looking for fish, and
2) the range is on the order of ~1000 feet, not the entire planet.

Also, remember that the gods dont even know about the planet, and I think it would be pretty disappointing if nothing came of it.

"Hey, there is a planet in the rifts! And hey, one of the rifts is near the planet's surface! And hey, if you start poking magic and psionics at the rift, the snarl somehow knows and attacks you! And hey, THE GODS DONT EVEN KNOW IT EXISTS! How interesting is that? Oh well, i'm sure there is nothing of interest there so there is no reason to explore it any further, it's just an enormously hinted at plot device that will turn into nothing at all, that totally is a thing that happens all the time"

[Peelee]

Well you have to remember that spells (and psionic powers) all have ranges, and I am not aware of any that have ranges on the order of thousands of miles (although I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong). Therefore, unless Laurin is SERIOUSLY augmenting the range of her power, I don't think she is scanning the entire planet for life. Plus, she never actually said she is scanning it for life, she just said she was scanning it for fish. If I was a betting person, I would bet that she is using a Psionics version of Detect Animals, meaning that

1) she is only looking for fish, and
2) the range is on the order of ~1000 feet, not the entire planet.

This is well after the Giant decided to start obfuscating specific powers/abilities (there is famously -on here, at least - no consensus for Tarquin's entire build, for example) in the interest of being more freely able to convey what he wants, and Laurin says she can't detect life. I take that more to mean that the planet is likely lifeless than that the very small regions she scanned just happened to be empty.

[Neponde]

Sorry to back up the discussion to Belkar, but I felt compelled to emerge from lurking to toss in a theory. I have noticed that as the comic goes on, the Giant is more and more focused on displaying character change and growth. Belkar began a homicidal maniac, taking others lives for his own enjoyment. He was a static character, until the Giant hung a lantern on that with the hippy vision quest (606.. Sorry, cant post URLs yet). Belkar then vowed to pretend to have character growth. It was mostly a sham (except Scruffy breaking the shell), until Durkon really messed him up by sacrificing himself (beginning 879). We see how much this affects him in future strips. 881 (final panel) is perhaps the first time he truly recognizes his own bankruptcy. We see the internal battle continue (1115). If 1115 isn't a super clear foreshadowing that Belkar is going to lay down his life for someone, i don't know what is. The one who killed for himself will discover what it is to die for another, and Roys self appointed mission to minimize Belkars evil will be completed, as he makes the ultimate good act.

[Squidtm]

I take that more to mean that the planet is likely lifeless than that the very small regions she scanned just happened to be empty.

In 672 (sorry, can't post links yet) the planet has green landforms, so there's probably at least some plant life.

[Squire Doodad]

In 672 (sorry, can't post links yet) the planet has green landforms, so there's probably at least some plant life.

Or MAYBE the entire surface is just covered with copper! Why doesn't the media ever acknowledge that side of things?

The Snarl might just not register plant life as something worth consuming? If nothing else, it could just be Rich getting the point across that there was a planet inside the rift. He might not have decided it had lifeless waters at that point.

[Dion]

My prediction: Redcloak tries to help seal the rift, but dies. Thor's plan fails.

We learn more about the nature of the rifts and the planet seen in the rifts. Perhaps we even learn something significant and previously unknown about the snarl as well. That new information is used to achieve a new stable equilibrium, saving the world.

Xykon lives, sealed away in some terrible prison created by redcloak.

Belkar really does die.

MitD and O’Chul continue their friendship for the rest of their lives, eventually moving into an apartment on New Yorks upper west side, exactly like Felix and Oscar from the odd couple.

[Bedinsis]

For people visiting the thread from the future, page 1204 (where Durkon initiates contact with Redcloak) is as of this post the latest page. Given that that is the first legit curveball of this book I thought it prudent to mention that any predictions made beyond this point is made with this knowledge in mind.

* Belkar will at one point in this book notice that his clasp that harms Evil creatures no longer seems to harm him.

[understatement]

Since yesterday's strip was such a charmer...I predict:

*the mysterious allies will show up to save Durkon, because he really needs it at this point

*Xykon doesn't come out of wherever he is, or else Durkon and Redcloak are both toast

*Redcloak won't be persuaded by Durkon, but will 'think it oveer' -- because the alternative of Durkon dying again depresses me. Durkon needs to go back home to his son!

[F.Harr]

I think we see Yokyok again! I like that little guy with his moustache and overdeveloped sense of vengence!

[Dion]

Suppose Durkon convinces Redcloak. Durkon says “help us seal the rift and save the world”, and Redcloak says “OK”.

Then what? What does the rest of the book look like?

[Jasdoif]

Suppose Durkon convinces Redcloak. Durkon says “help us seal the rift and save the world”, and Redcloak says “OK”.

Then what? What does the rest of the book look like?

If Redcloak readily agrees this early, we're probably looking at the Dark One balking (which may result in withholding the needed spell slots from Redcloak) or the ritual somehow screwing things up even worse than before (five-quddity Snarl?); each of which will require some sort of serious effort to resolve...and that's what the rest of the book covers.

[littlebum2002]

This is well after the Giant decided to start obfuscating specific powers/abilities (there is famously -on here, at least - no consensus for Tarquin's entire build, for example) in the interest of being more freely able to convey what he wants, and Laurin says she can't detect life. I take that more to mean that the planet is likely lifeless than that the very small regions she scanned just happened to be empty.

She says she can't detect fish, not that she can't detect life

https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0945.html

I'm not saying the planet ISN'T empty. An empty planet can definitely serve the plot: Since the planet has survived at least one end-of-the-world, maybe the gods can Epic Teleport everyone there to save them if everything goes down? I dunno. I personally think it's more likely from a story perspective that the planet contains someone important to the plot. Kraagor, perhaps.

[hungrycrow]

She says she can't detect fish, not that she can't detect life.

She says she can't even detect any fish; she was definitely searching for other life forms. And she had to have scanned a significant chunk of the ocean to be able to claim that nothing would interfere with their plans.

[Peelee]

She says she can't detect fish, not that she can't detect life

A distinction without a difference, I'd contend. Assume, for the moment, that mamillian, crustacean, and other non-fish sea life exists in the water, just not where she was scanning. What would be the point of that line?

[littlebum2002]

A distinction without a difference, I'd contend. Assume, for the moment, that mamillian, crustacean, and other non-fish sea life exists in the water, just not where she was scanning. What would be the point of that line?

She's just saying what she knows. Like I said, I doubt she has a spell which is capable of scanning for all life on an entire planet. So she only scanned for fish (which one would assume is the most abundant life in an ocean), assuming that if there are no fish, there probably is no other life in the ocean as well. Thus her line: "I haven't even sensed a fish". I would compare that to the line "He wouldn't even hurt a fly" (although not the subversion of that line seen in the comic). If someone wouldn't hurt a fly, you can safely assume they wouldn't hurt anyone else. So Laurin scanned for fish, found nothing, and as you pointed out, that probably means there is no other oceanic life in her scanning radius or anywhere else in the ocean.

But I'm saying that just because there are no fish in that part of the ocean, and therefore most probably no oceanic life in the entire ocean, doesn't mean the entire planet is void of life. On the contrary, we know there is plant life on the planet. So the question isn't "Is there life on the planet?" but "What kinds of life are on the planet?" I personally think that there is some humanoid life on the planet, namely because I think it would kind of be boring otherwise, but that prediction could be wrong.

[Peelee]

She's just saying what she knows. Like I said, I doubt she has a spell which is capable of scanning for all life on an entire planet. So she only scanned for fish (which one would assume is the most abundant life in an ocean), assuming that if there are no fish, there probably is no other life in the ocean as well. Thus her line: "I haven't even sensed a fish". I would compare that to the line "He wouldn't even hurt a fly" (although not the subversion of that line seen in the comic). If someone wouldn't hurt a fly, you can safely assume they wouldn't hurt anyone else. So Laurin scanned for fish, found nothing, and as you pointed out, that probably means there is no other oceanic life in her scanning radius or anywhere else in the ocean.

But I'm saying that just because there are no fish in that part of the ocean, and therefore most probably no oceanic life in the entire ocean, doesn't mean the entire planet is void of life. On the contrary, we know there is plant life on the planet. So the question isn't "Is there life on the planet?" but "What kinds of life are on the planet?" I personally think that there is some humanoid life on the planet, namely because I think it would kind of be boring otherwise, but that prediction could be wrong.

I know she is just saying what she knows, but this is a work of fiction, not a documentary; there is a Doylistic reason for her to have said that. As for the green on the planet... I think Antilife Shell would be helpful here.

Antilife Shell

You bring into being a mobile, hemispherical energy field that prevents the entrance of most types of living creatures.

The effect hedges out animals, aberrations, dragons, fey, giants, humanoids, magical beasts, monstrous humanoids, oozes, plants, and vermin, but not constructs, elementals, outsiders, or undead.

This spell may be used only defensively, not aggressively. Forcing an abjuration barrier against creatures that the spell keeps at bay collapses the barrier.

The spell very explicitly calls out plants, as plants are undisputably alive. However, it also rather notably specifies "creatures" twice, instead of "life". So, for example, if I were to cast Antilife Shell and move against an Assassin Vine, the barrier would collapse. If I were to recast Antilife Shell and move against the grass, it would not.

That is a much more serviceable term that I think we could all agree was the intent of Laurin's speech there - that she could not detect any creatures (said in a less clinical way). I don't want to posit that the rocks and dust is just naturally green on Riftworld; chances are that is indeed plant life, like grass. But I believe her statement is expressly given in order to convey that there are no creatures on Riftworld.

In the future, I'll try to keep that distinction, but if I forget or anything, and I mention "life" when talking about Riftworld, feel free to mentally replace that with "creature(s)".

[littlebum2002]

I know she is just saying what she knows, but this is a work of fiction, not a documentary; there is a Doylistic reason for her to have said that. As for the green on the planet... I think Antilife Shell would be helpful here.

The spell very explicitly calls out plants, as plants are undisputably alive. However, it also rather notably specifies "creatures" twice, instead of "life". So, for example, if I were to cast Antilife Shell and move against an Assassin Vine, the barrier would collapse. If I were to recast Antilife Shell and move against the grass, it would not.

That is a much more serviceable term that I think we could all agree was the intent of Laurin's speech there - that she could not detect any creatures (said in a less clinical way). I don't want to posit that the rocks and dust is just naturally green on Riftworld; chances are that is indeed plant life, like grass. But I believe her statement is expressly given in order to convey that there are no creatures on Riftworld.

In the future, I'll try to keep that distinction, but if I forget or anything, and I mention "life" when talking about Riftworld, feel free to mentally replace that with "creature(s)".

I'm not entirely disagreeing with you, I think it's very likely that the planet is void of creatures. However, I also think it is possible that there is a small population on the planet, since no such spell would ever be able to search the whole thing. My personal prediction is that it is home to those "killed" by the snarl, like Kraagor and Mijung.

[Peelee]

I'm not entirely disagreeing with you, I think it's very likely that the planet is void of creatures. However, I also think it is possible that there is a small population on the planet, since no such spell would ever be able to search the whole thing. My personal prediction is that it is home to those "killed" by the snarl, like Kraagor and Mijung.

And in that case, I question why the author had her say "I can't detect any fish" instead of "i can barely detect any fish" or "that's weird, there should be hundreds of times more fish", or something not "no fish". She is conveying information to the reader about a mysterious plot element. The information is not the specific "there is no fish in the region she scanned," because that is useless information. I contend that the information is "there is no creature life on this world".

I don't want to discount that Kraagor or Mijung could potentially be on the world (Mijung I would doubt, as Soon presumably saw her killed, and not trapped in the rift; Kraagor is more likely, if anyone), but I'm not counting "other-worldly creatures who happened to fall through the rift and now inhabit Riftworld".

Or, put more simply, there is no creature life native to Riftworld. And, compared to the size of the planet, the population of creatures inhabiting it (like Kraagor and some chickens) can be rounded to zero.

[littlebum2002]

And in that case, I question why the author had her say "I can't detect any fish" instead of "i can barely detect any fish" or "that's weird, there should be hundreds of times more fish", or something not "no fish". She is conveying information to the reader about a mysterious plot element. The information is not the specific "there is no fish in the region she scanned," because that is useless information. I contend that the information is "there is no creature life on this world".

Because there aren't any fish. The riftworld clearly wasn't (purposely at least) created by the gods. Therefore, no life could have been created there. Therefore therefore, the only life that could be there is life that was brought there externally, which ass you pointed out is pretty close to zero.

I question why the author had her say "I can't detect any fish" instead of "I can't detect any life", especially considering there IS a "fish detecting spell" in 3.5 but no "life detecting spell". And of course the possibility exists that he's just making up a homemade spell, but the first thought many people would have is of the spell that acts exactly the way the power she is using acts, instead of a spell or power that doesn't exist anywhere in literature. All she had to say was "I don't detect any life" and it would have been 100% clear to everyone what she was searching for.

I don't want to discount that Kraagor or Mijung could potentially be on the world (Mijung I would doubt, as Soon presumably saw her killed, and not trapped in the rift; Kraagor is more likely, if anyone), but I'm not counting "other-worldly creatures who happened to fall through the rift and now inhabit Riftworld".

Or, put more simply, there is no creature life native to Riftworld. And, compared to the size of the planet, the population of creatures inhabiting it (like Kraagor and some chickens) can be rounded to zero.

I totally agree with all of this. Any potential creatures in the Riftworld would have had to been brought there, not created there.