Predictions for book 7

[understatement]

No worries. I definitely plan to watch it anyway; I've been sold on it ever since my fellow English majors in college gushed about it being structured like a five-act Shakespearean tragedy, with each act roughly corresponding to a season. (Also lots of other stuff, of course - it's not that I care more about Shakespearean structure than great drama or storytelling or compelling characters, but that was the kicker that tipped the show into the "okay, gotta see this" category.)

That's really good to hear! Still sorry about spoiling.

For what it's worth, in Girard's uber-illusion the Order was fine with just taking Redcloak prisoner, and since then the only thing that's really changed is that they now have a very compelling reason to keep him alive. I think they'll be okay with letting him live - they won't be happy if he ends up walking free entirely, but at their core the Order is basically a group of pragmatists, so I imagine they'll allow it if they have to. Haley might have a hard time with it, but she'll likely be able to live with it.

That was before a) the Order knows that Redcloak has wiped out the Resistance, and Haley did not take that well, and b) they realize(?) Redcloak is actively and knowingly threatening the entire multiverse or something. Two strikes.

Also, trying to Disintegrate Roy and dropping an Elemental on them. That probably didn't earn him any points.

[Peelee]

That said, I was definitely going to watch it anyway, if only for Mark Proksch, whom I've been a huge fan of for ages. I got to have lunch with him once; one of the nicest guys ever.

Spoiler: None of this is actually a spoiler, it's riffing on his first lines, but just in case.

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Oh, you mean Pryce? Well, his name's not really Pryce. Pryce is his nephews name. But it's a really cool name, he always wanted a cool name, so, uh, I guess we're doing this, then, watching the show? I-I've heard good things, I just want to make sure that the agreed upon show we're going to watch is, uh, agreed upon, if we're all ready to watch, the show is loaded up

But no, he's amazing. Let me know when you get to the hanging chad, there's a short video on YouTube you may be interested to know the existence of.

[TheNecrocomicon]

Predictions? Okay, but this had better not be the kind of thread where I have to spend pages defending them from being dismissed as implausible by some wolf.

• The Order rush in to confront Team Evil, but something goes horribly awry, either the IFCC springing their artifact-powered ritual alluded to at the end of the last book, or the invisible coloured-voice beings intervene to break it up. Or maybe both; the invisible beings might break it up so that the threat of the IFCC can be countered.
• One of the IFCC's remaining V-possessions will go off without a hitch, but by the time they use the third and final one, the Order and anyone else who's with them at that point will exploit it to turn it against the IFCC or at least make the effect harmless.
• Tarquin gets defeated offscreen to make his ruin as a meta-story dictator complete ... but then he turns out to be the IFCC's promised "vessel", presumably so that they can intervene on the Material Plane directly in a body of sufficient power for their purposes.
• The Order tries to get Redcloak to cooperate with saving the world from the Snarl, but he can't get over his anti-humanoid prejudices and ultimately refuses.
• Redcloak will betray Xykon somehow, get slain by the Monster under some magical compulsion, then the cloak will pass to a more reasonable prominent follower of the Dark One, possibly Jirix, who is a reasonably capable cleric in his own right, but needs some time to work up to a 9th level spell slot to help. It's possible that the Crimson Mantle, being a very powerful artifact, might grant the temporary capability to provide that divine magic, possibly at the cost of the life of the user.
• Serini is alive but in suspended animation somewhere (possibly a demiplane), but is so advanced in mortal age that she is limited to offering tactical and cautionary advice. After the story, she goes to quietly enjoy her remaining years somewhere, possibly along with the remaining souls (trapped or otherwise) of her former party.
• The true final climactic battle will be against the IFCC and their forces, after they render themselves ever-so-slightly vulnerable by overreaching to use a vessel(s) to manifest on the Material Plane, as the culmination of the running theme of enemies setting aside differences to take on the true threat to life.
• Belkar will not "die" in the conventional sense, but will "take his last breath ever", in the sense of being permanently converted to some other form of life (spirit, deity, whatever). And his transformation will be voluntary to spare anyone else in the party from having to do it.
• The Monster gets revealed (as what, I have no idea) and at the end of the story goes off to travel the universe and its planes in freedom.
• O-Chul and Lien eventually survive to be the seed of a new and reformed Sapphire Guard under Lord Hinjo.
• Xykon gets rendered mortal by the destruction of his genuine phylactery and flees to his Astral Plane fortress to regroup and plot revenge. Then he and it get utterly unmade by a Rift getting plane-shifted into it after the successful completion of the control ritual.
• The invisible coloured-voice beings turn out to be powerful outsiders in service of forces that possess orange and green quiddities, so in addition to the red, yellow and blue gods and the purple Dark One, the Snarl gets sealed away by divine power bearing all six popularly-identified colours of the rainbow.

There's got to be reams more plot points to resolve, but at that point that's all I can think of off the top of my head.

[Oddstar]

*O-Chul will die.

I really hope not. He's been through so much already; I would really like to see him get a happy ending.

Spoiler: spoilers for How the Paladin Got His Scar

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Considering how hard he (and Hinjo) worked to prevent war between Azure City and the hobgoblins,

only for the war to happen anyway, I'm hoping that he will live to see peace negotiated between the Azurites and Gobbotopia.

Here's my prediction, and I am going to go a bit out on a limb here: Belkar is not going to die. The oracle said that Belkar "shouldn't bother funding his IRA"; "should savor his next birthday cake"; and, later on, "isn't long for this world"; and "will draw his last breath--ever--before the end of the year." All of that certainly sounds as though it means Belkar will die, but, if all the stories I've read involving prophecies and oracles has taught me anything, it's that they have a tendency to come true, but not in the ways people might expect, and often turn to have meant something other than what they appeared. Well, consider this hypothesis: when they made the first world, the world in the rift, the gods made Halflings underwater creatures with gills, sort of like the Shoal Halflings in Stormwrack, but even moreso; they only breathe underwater. When the Order goes to the rift-world, Belkar decides he wants to stay, so V polymorphs him so that he would fit in with the Halflings there. Then, all the oracles come true, without Belkar dying. Creatures with gills do breathe, but they don't technically draw breath, so that oracle would come true. His IRA on the stick-world would be useless on the rift-world, so there is no reason for him to fund it. You can't bake a cake underwater, so he should savor his next one, as he won't have any more, no matter how many birthdays he has. And, of course, he'll be on another world, so he won't have been long for the stick-world. Hence, all the oracles will have come true, even though Belkar will not have died.

[Squire Doodad]

[*]The Order rush in to confront Team Evil, but something goes horribly awry, either the IFCC springing their artifact-powered ritual alluded to at the end of the last book, or the invisible coloured-voice beings intervene to break it up. Or maybe both; the invisible beings might break it up so that the threat of the IFCC can be countered.

Are you assuming the voices are on Team Good or Team Evil in this situation?

[Peelee]

I really hope not. He's been through so much already; I would really like to see him get a happy ending.

Spoiler: spoilers for How the Paladin Got His Scar

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Considering how hard he (and Hinjo) worked to prevent war between Azure City and the hobgoblins,

only for the war to happen anyway, I'm hoping that he will live to see peace negotiated between the Azurites and Gobbotopia.

Here's my prediction, and I am going to go a bit out on a limb here: Belkar is not going to die. The oracle said that Belkar "shouldn't bother funding his IRA"; "should savor his next birthday cake"; and, later on, "isn't long for this world"; and "will draw his last breath--ever--before the end of the year." All of that certainly sounds as though it means Belkar will die, but, if all the stories I've read involving prophecies and oracles has taught me anything, it's that they have a tendency to come true, but not in the ways people might expect, and often turn to have meant something other than what they appeared. Well, consider this hypothesis: when they made the first world, the world in the rift, the gods made Halflings underwater creatures with gills, sort of like the Shoal Halflings in Stormwrack, but even moreso; they only breathe underwater. When the Order goes to the rift-world, Belkar decides he wants to stay, so V polymorphs him so that he would fit in with the Halflings there. Then, all the oracles come true, without Belkar dying. Creatures with gills do breathe, but they don't technically draw breath, so that oracle would come true. His IRA on the stick-world would be useless on the rift-world, so there is no reason for him to fund it. You can't bake a cake underwater, so he should savor his next one, as he won't have any more, no matter how many birthdays he has. And, of course, he'll be on another world, so he won't have been long for the stick-world. Hence, all the oracles will have come true, even though Belkar will not have died.

The Oracle does not like Belkar and seems pleased he will be gone soon. Why would he be pleased for Belkar being underwater?

[Squire Doodad]

The Oracle does not like Belkar and seems pleased he will be gone soon. Why would he be pleased for Belkar being underwater?

Belkar is in the riftworld, and underwater at that. The Oracle never has to talk to him ever again, and no one will ever be able to bring Belkar back to the OOtS world, even with True Resurrection.

Prophecy fulfilled

[jwhouk]

An odd one, but one that I think may happen: One of the Eastern Gods (to us, the Olympians) did manage to survive the Snarl's initial wrath, but has become so weak that they are unrecognizable. Until something happens that releases their true nature.

[Oddstar]

An odd one, but one that I think may happen: One of the Eastern Gods (to us, the Olympians) did manage to survive the Snarl's initial wrath, but has become so weak that they are unrecognizable. Until something happens that releases their true nature.

Even if one of them had survived somehow, he would have had no worshipers for many thousands of years now, meaning that he would have starved eons ago. Unless he has worshipers on the world within the rift.

[Oddstar]

My predictions:

- Redcloak will end up working with the protagonists to save the world. I think this because the new information provided by Thor definitively switched to plot direction from “kill bad guys, restore status quo” to “find common ground with enemies, address longstanding social injustices that endanger the fabric of the world, create a better status quo”. There were elements pointing in that direction before, but making The Dark One and/or Redcloak indispensable to the Order’s victory confirmed that plot direction in my mind. And if one of them has to help the Order, it’s more dramatic for it to be Redcloak, a major character, than The Dark One, who’s been offscreen the whole time.

- Redcloak will not die, but will face something devastating that forces him to confront the realization that his pursuit of the Plan has done great harm to his people and is not “worth it”. (Possibly the destruction of Gobbotopia by the Snarl, though I really hope not.) This may be what leads him to work with the Order. This prediction is based on the indication, from characters like Miko, that the Giant considers “redemption equals death” to be an easy way out. Redcloak’s always been willing to die for his cause; having to live with the knowledge of how much harm his choices have done his people would be far more difficult.

I think we may already know the answer to this one, don't we? The thing that I think would simultaneously devastate Redcloak while also going a long way to bringing him around to working with the Order would be the final destruction of Xykon. Consider the ramifications of that: first, the plan would be stalled indefinitely, because he needs an arcane caster to make it work. If he loses his arcane caster, he cannot carry out the plan--at least not unless and until he finds another arcane caster willing to cooperate with him, which could take many years if it could be done at all--so he has a strong incentive to listen to and consider alternatives. Psychologically speaking, consider everything Redcloak has sacrificed to preserve his alliance with Xykon.

Spoiler: spoilers for Start of Darkness

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If Right-Eye was to be believed, it was the ultimate success of the plan, and Xykon's role in that, that justified all those sacrifices in Redcloak's mind, and if Xykon was to be believed, it was Redcloak's continued loyalty to Xykon that allowed him to continue pretending that he had had no choice in the crimes he committed.

If Xykon is destroyed, especially if he is destroyed right in front of Kraagor's gate, then all that comes crashing down. Redcloak has to face that it was all for nothing. That could destroy him, but I think he is too resilient for that. If Roy had succeeded in destroying Xykon in the dungeon of Dorukan, when Redcloak was at his lowest, then it might have, but he has recovered since then, and he seems much more resilient now. So I think that, psychologically speaking, Xykon's destruction will also be the thing that gets Redcloak willing to listen to alternatives. This, incidentally, was why I think Roy was right to reject Durkon's proposal to open negotiations with Redcloak now: Redcloak will not be willing to listen until Xykon has been destroyed.

- Thor’s plan will be heavily modified. Right now it’s not offering any incentives to Redcloak or TDO; it will have to be changed to offer the goblinoids equality, i.e. a major change in the metaphysical status quo. This change will make TDO a fellow “creator” of the current world, causing it to be made of 4 colours.

I don't think that would be a modification, heavy or otherwise. My interpretation of Thor's instructions to Durkon was that he was giving him pretty much carte blanche to offer Redcloak whatever it would take to close the deal. If you are told that the fate of the entire universe, now and for all time, depends on your making a deal with someone, and you are not given any limits on what you can offer that person to secure his cooperation in saving the universe, then the logical conclusion is that you can offer whatever it takes.

-Durkon, Minrah, Belkar, amd V may all be crucial to convincing Redcloak to work with the Order. Belkar’s conversations with Minrah and Durkon have dwelt heavily on the idea that making evil choices in the past doesn’t mean you have to continue yo make them, which is at the core of Redcloak’s character arc.

I like that one, but I notice that you did not explain Vaarsuvius' inclusion on your list. But I do think that Vaarsuvius belongs there, because he, more than any other member of the Order, has faced the consequences of treating sentient beings as bundles of XP. Vaarsuvius murdered that young black dragon because he saw him as nothing more than a bundle of XP guarding treasure, not as a person with feelings or hopes, much less a mother who loved him, and that came back to bite Vaarsuvius in a big way. And since Vaarsuvius is in desperate need of redemption for the familicide, then perhaps the way for him to find it is in confronting the monstrous crime committed against the goblins by endless generations of adventurers who slaughtered them for XP.

[LadyEowyn]

@Oddstar: All good points! I wasn’t thinking along the lines of the Order killing Xykon being the thing that prompted Redcloak to switch sides, because it didn’t seem like the Order would have a decent shot at killing Xykon while he and Redcloak were still allied, due to differences in power. However, intervention from the MITD could have a major impact in that regard. So I agree that’s a good possibility.

I hadn’t read Thor’s mission that way but it does make sense. I’m still expecting some conflict in goals between the Order and the deities before this ends.

I agree on the role of V.

[Oddstar]

@Oddstar: All good points! I wasn’t thinking along the lines of the Order killing Xykon being the thing that prompted Redcloak to switch sides, because it didn’t seem like the Order would have a decent shot at killing Xykon while he and Redcloak were still allied, due to differences in power. However, intervention from the MITD could have a major impact in that regard. So I agree that’s a good possibility.

I hadn’t read Thor’s mission that way but it does make sense. I’m still expecting some conflict in goals between the Order and the deities before this ends.

I agree on the role of V.

Thank you. That's very kind of you to say. I think you are almost certainly right about conflict between the deities' goals and Roy's before it is all over. I do think that the Order has a chance against Redcloak and Xykon together, though, because, for all their power, they are both primary spellcasters and rely heavily on their magic and supernatural powers. So while I'm not saying that this is something that I predict will happen, it is something that I would like to see happen, because I think it would be fitting: in the final battle, Vaarsuvius casts (and maybe Durkon too, but it's an eighth-level spell for clerics and I'm not sure whether Durkon can cast eight-level spells, whereas it's only sixth-level for wizards) Anti-Magic Field. Maybe while saying something like 'Someone once told me that spells don't equal power, but that power equals power. But it occurs to me that if we turn the magic off, you become a fragile bag of bones, while Roy is still a highly trained warrior.' And then Roy proceeds to beat Xykon to powder while the rest of the Order takes Redcloak prisoner (I am assuming that Monster-san won't fight them if O-Chul is with them, and it also seems that Oona is not particularly dedicated to Redcloak and Xykon's cause, so she will probably surrender or run away if given the opportunity, at least once the fight is going against them). I would like that not just because it would be some nice callbacks to previous events, but because it would show how Vaarsuvius had learned from his past mistakes. In the past, V was obsessed with achieving supreme arcane power; it would be fitting, I think, if the most useful thing for V to do in the final battle would be to cast one spell to shut down all the arcane power, and then for the rest of the fight to be a non-magical melee. It would also show everyone the great vulnerability of spellcasters and the importance of melee capability, which has been an important goal for Roy. It is also the case that Team Evil's big potential vulnerability to the Order is that the Order has much more melee power than Team Evil does (at least if you subtract Monster-chan, which I think has been O-Chul's whole plot arc).

I would also like to say something that is maybe more of a meta-prediction, in that it is more about how this whole story will come to be understood when it is all over. For most of the story, we have thought that Redcloak was one of the chief villains, but ever since Thor's revelation (pardon the pun) to Durkon and Minrah, it has become clear that Redcloak is the hero of the story. Redcloak is going to save the universe by stopping the Snarl and ending the cycle of destruction forever. The Order is just guiding him to his destiny. What that means is that, when we look back at the whole tale, all the things that we thought were catastrophic defeats for the Order will actually be revealed to be necessary steps in the process of salvation. At the time, it seemed like a disaster that the Order failed to prevent Redcloak from escaping from the Dungeon of Dorukan. If they had, they could have destroyed Xykon's phylactery then and there, but if that had happened, it would have been too soon for Redcloak to bear the psychological burden, and he would not have been able to save the world. At the time, it seemed like a disaster that Miko prevented Soon from killing Redcloak in Hinjo's throne-room: if only he had, the threat would have been ended and Azure City would have been saved, but, again, with Redcloak dead, there would have been no one to save the world. Even Durkon's death at the fangs of Malack and everything that followed had to happen, because Durkon needed to go before Thor in the afterlife knowing about the Snarl. None of those events were defeats; they were all victories, because they were key steps in getting the hero of the story where he needed to go. That, I predict, is how it will all be seen when it's all over.

[understatement]

[...] At the time, it seemed like a disaster that the Order failed to prevent Redcloak from escaping from the Dungeon of Dorukan. If they had, they could have destroyed Xykon's phylactery then and there, but if that had happened, it would have been too soon for Redcloak to bear the psychological burden, and he would not have been able to save the world. At the time, it seemed like a disaster that Miko prevented Soon from killing Redcloak in Hinjo's throne-room: if only he had, the threat would have been ended and Azure City would have been saved, but, again, with Redcloak dead, there would have been no one to save the world. Even Durkon's death at the fangs of Malack and everything that followed had to happen, because Durkon needed to go before Thor in the afterlife knowing about the Snarl. None of those events were defeats; they were all victories, because they were key steps in getting the hero of the story where he needed to go. That, I predict, is how it will all be seen when it's all over.

Wow, I was rereading Miko's death-arc yesterday and those are exactly my thoughts. I'll even throw in a guess that Redcloak will serve as some sort of living capture-the-flag (or king of the hill? I dunno) , where the Order tries to keep him alive even though he wouldn't know why.

I do think Roy will be the one to land the final blow on Xykon, but the antimagic field also hugely cancels some of the Order's advantages (and in any case V would become really, really vulnerable). Who knows.

[hungrycrow]

I would also like to say something that is maybe more of a meta-prediction, in that it is more about how this whole story will come to be understood when it is all over. For most of the story, we have thought that Redcloak was one of the chief villains, but ever since Thor's revelation (pardon the pun) to Durkon and Minrah, it has become clear that Redcloak is the hero of the story. Redcloak is going to save the universe by stopping the Snarl and ending the cycle of destruction forever. The Order is just guiding him to his destiny. What that means is that, when we look back at the whole tale, all the things that we thought were catastrophic defeats for the Order will actually be revealed to be necessary steps in the process of salvation. At the time, it seemed like a disaster that the Order failed to prevent Redcloak from escaping from the Dungeon of Dorukan. If they had, they could have destroyed Xykon's phylactery then and there, but if that had happened, it would have been too soon for Redcloak to bear the psychological burden, and he would not have been able to save the world. At the time, it seemed like a disaster that Miko prevented Soon from killing Redcloak in Hinjo's throne-room: if only he had, the threat would have been ended and Azure City would have been saved, but, again, with Redcloak dead, there would have been no one to save the world. Even Durkon's death at the fangs of Malack and everything that followed had to happen, because Durkon needed to go before Thor in the afterlife knowing about the Snarl. None of those events were defeats; they were all victories, because they were key steps in getting the hero of the story where he needed to go. That, I predict, is how it will all be seen when it's all over.

Ultimately it's up to the Dark One, not Redcloak, whether this all works out. If Redcloak had died earlier, Thor would have had even more time to try and reach out to TDO and make a deal.

[Oddstar]

Wow, I was rereading Miko's death-arc yesterday and those are exactly my thoughts. I'll even throw in a guess that Redcloak will serve as some sort of living capture-the-flag (or king of the hill? I dunno) , where the Order tries to keep him alive even though he wouldn't know why.

Yeah, I took a few levels of Psion a few years back.

Ultimately it's up to the Dark One, not Redcloak, whether this all works out. If Redcloak had died earlier, Thor would have had even more time to try and reach out to TDO and make a deal.

Thor can't reach out to the Dark One at all. That was the whole point of why he needs Durkon to convince Redcloak. And he couldn't give Durkon that mission until Durkon already knew about the Snarl and then went to the afterlife, which required first that Durkon be taken with the rest of the Order before Shojo, and then for Durkon to die.

[Squire Doodad]

An odd one, but one that I think may happen: One of the Eastern Gods (to us, the Olympians) did manage to survive the Snarl's initial wrath, but has become so weak that they are unrecognizable. Until something happens that releases their true nature.

That has been discussed, but given the...dietary requirements of gods, as well as Thor particularly stating that their "light passed from the multiverse long ago" indicates that they are, indeed, very long gone. It would also be pretty much a Deus Ex Machina in comparison to Redcloak having a new perspective on life.

It's an interesting prospect, but I don't really see it happening.

[Adun]

We will get to know V's gender.

[Peelee]

We will get to know V's gender.

Given the author's commentary in the last book, that is one bold guess.

[Schroeswald]

Given the author's commentary in the last book, that is one bold guess.

It’s very bold, because the commentaries have already told us V’s gender, they’re genderqueer, as is typical in elven society (I personally would say that based on their opinions and caring of gender the variety of genderqueer is agender but that’s not explicit at all).

[Peelee]

It’s very bold, because the commentaries have already told us V’s gender, they’re genderqueer, as is typical in elven society (I personally would say that based on their opinions and caring of gender the variety of genderqueer is agender but that’s not explicit at all).

I was kind of riffing on my favorite line in Better Call Saul there.

Spoiler: S1E6, "Bingo", super minor spoilers. Final line is my fave, the rest is context

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[note: In a previous meeting, Jimmy intentionally spilled coffee on Detective Abbasi so Ehrmantraut could furtively steal Abassi's notepad out of his pocket.]

DETECTIVE ABBASI: Hand it over.

JIMMY: Now, before that happens-

DETECTIVE ABBASI: Hand it over.

JIMMY: No. Hey. I've got it right here.

Jimmy reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a notepad.

JIMMY: Is this it?

Detective Abbasi quickly snatches the notepad from Jimmy.

JIMMY: I'll take that as a yes. Very well. Mystery solved.

DETECTIVE ABBASI: You know, I could take you into custody right now, you son of a bitch. Both of you.

JIMMY: Whoa, whoa. Where's this coming from?

DETECTIVE ABBASI: You're the one who spilled the coffee, you ambulance-chasing piece of ****!

JIMMY: Can we dial it down, you know, just a notch? Look, 45 minutes ago, I'm sound asleep. I get a call from Mr. Ehrmantraut. He's concerned. He's getting threatening voicemails from you accusing him of petty theft. I tell him, "hey, we're gonna nip this in the bud. I don't care what the hell time it is. We're gonna go talk this thing out." And walking across the parking lot, just now boom there's a notepad, plain as day, lying on the asphalt, where I can only surmise you accidentally dropped it, Detective. Now, guys, that's that's all we know.

DETECTIVE ABBASI: Let me tell you something, Slick... wait till I get you back to Philadelphia.

JIMMY: I'm confused. The state of Pennsylvania can extradite people for returning lost property? Wow, that is one bold legislature.

[Emanick]

The Oracle does not like Belkar and seems pleased he will be gone soon. Why would he be pleased for Belkar being underwater?

Well, for starters, he could be glad that the world is rid of Belkar. Also, Belkar might grow to hate RiftWorld soon after the Order leaves but be unable to return to his home planet at that point, meaning that he spends the rest of his life trapped in a place where he's miserable.

Don't get me wrong, I definitely don't buy the theory, just trying to figure out a way it could conceivably make any sense at all.

Spoiler: None of this is actually a spoiler, it's riffing on his first lines, but just in case.

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Oh, you mean Pryce? Well, his name's not really Pryce. Pryce is his nephews name. But it's a really cool name, he always wanted a cool name, so, uh, I guess we're doing this, then, watching the show? I-I've heard good things, I just want to make sure that the agreed upon show we're going to watch is, uh, agreed upon, if we're all ready to watch, the show is loaded up

But no, he's amazing. Let me know when you get to the hanging chad, there's a short video on YouTube you may be interested to know the existence of.

Oh, I definitely will! Depending on which show I decide to watch next, I'll hopefully get to it by this fall. Looking forward to it!

[CriticalFailure]

I’m pretty sure he’s sAid it won’t be revealed.

[littlebum2002]

I really hope not. He's been through so much already; I would really like to see him get a happy ending.

He's a Paladin, it is very possible he dies and still gets a happy ending.

[Mox]

He's a Paladin, it is very possible he dies and still gets a happy ending.

*O'chul dies and the MITD becomes a paladin to follow his example

[CriticalFailure]

*O'chul dies and the MITD becomes a paladin to follow his example

That would be adorable and MiTD would be one badass paladin.

[Darth Paul]

My sole (subject to updates) prediction:

The MitD will be instrumental in defeating Xykon, and it will come about in something like this wise;

During their confrontation, Team Evil and the OOTS will be evenly matched. Suddenly, Oona and her bugbears intervene, threatening disaster. But the cavalry arrive, in the form of the Azurites, specifically including Hinjo (so Belkar can fulfill his bonus-strip prophecy and save his life one more time) and O-Chul.

Xykon, who holds a grudge against O-Chul for escaping him before, will go all-out to kill him this time, triggering the MitD to come out of the shadows to the rescue, not only revealing himself but also delivering an epic beat-down to Xykon, not only physically but verbally, culminating with:

YOU!! smash ARE!! smash NOT! smash MY! smash FRIEND!!!

Leaving it to a stunned Roy to deliver a coup de grace and then destroy the phylactery, when MitD rushes to succour O-Chul.

Anyway, I think this would be a fitting wrap-up to MitD and O-Chul's friendship arc.

[KorvinStarmast]

Unless he has worshipers on the world within the rift.

Cha Ching; fun speculations of the world in the rift are fun. I like this one.

Anyway, I think this would be a fitting wrap-up to MitD and O-Chul's friendship arc.

That would be cool.

[Vrock Bait]

No way this is the final battle. If the entirely of Book 7 is just War and XPs with only like 12 people, I’m ragequitting the Internet.

[EyethatBinds]

The comic will go unfinished and abandoned, rendering all speculation pointless.

[Edreyn]

My thoughts:

• Belkar will survive. Prophecy will unfold in some unexpected way, without him actually dying. Neither he will become a deity, vampire or another creature. Oracle will be upset or angry, but won't be able to do anything.

• MitD will be revealed as a specific known creature, but it won't be anything people tried to guess so far. He will survive and possibly join one of good teams

• Xykon will obviously be defeated, but Redcloak might survive and become the leader of goblin community, that will be accepted as equal by other nations

• Snarl will be permanently "shut down" or maybe pacified and stop being a threat, but forever, in any case

• O-Chul, Lien and other named paladins will survive

• Tarquin will live and stay on the throne. He isn't one of critical antagonists

• The lizard vampire that turned Durkon will be punished and killed, but not necessary by Order

• Dark One will be accepted by other deities

• Banjo will also join pantheon as new deity

• Evil trio of demons won't be shown again, and even if they will, they won't have any impact. They will survive and continue to plot, but without consequences. Same about Hel and other supernatural evil entities I forgot about.

The epilogue will be with everyone being old, married with relevant pairs from story , and having children and grandchildren, heroes telling stories about the past, and children not believing them.
This includes Belkar and MitD.