OOTS #1214 - The Discussion Thread

[dancrilis]

And now we see why negotiating straight away was such a bad idea. It's tough to see how Durkon will get out of this.

Maybe he is luring them into a false sense of security.

But yea if he had any easy ways out, wind walk, word of recall etc you would have expected him to use them already - talking to Xykon might be his best option, and as Xykon might be one of the only people (maybe the only person) who can get Redcloak to co-operate with him so it is worth a shot anyway to find out what Xykon actually wants in order to give up the plan.

[hungrycrow]

Maybe he is luring them into a false sense of security.

But yea if he had any easy ways out, wind walk, word of recall etc you would have expected him to use them already - talking to Xykon might be his best option, and as Xykon might be one of the only people (maybe the only person) who can get Redcloak to co-operate with him so it is worth a shot anyway to find out what Xykon actually wants in order to give up the plan.

As Redcloak said though, they only need one dwarf to talk to.

[Worldsong]

Maybe he is luring them into a false sense of security.

But yea if he had any easy ways out, wind walk, word of recall etc you would have expected him to use them already - talking to Xykon might be his best option, and as Xykon might be one of the only people (maybe the only person) who can get Redcloak to co-operate with him so it is worth a shot anyway to find out what Xykon actually wants in order to give up the plan.

Everything else aside, I don't think Durkon is going to see Xykon as being approachable after Redcloak has already turned him down.

[Darth Paul]

Something about frying pans and fires would be appropos here, I think.

[Giggling Ghast]

Well, this just went from bad to worse.

Where the hell did Oona get a jar of insects in a polar climate?

https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Jar_of_Bees

[Kaed]

I think the theory was that the statue was his remains, or something?

Even if it is somehow his remains it's been explicitly mentioned a number of times the Snarl will destroy your soul. It did the same to Soon's wife. They were also high-level adventurers so if they were capable of bringing him back to life they would have done that.

He is dead. Permanently. There is no secret Kraagor Resurrection plot twist and speculating over whether the statue is his corpse and/or he's been secretly not dead is silly.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

Well, this just went from bad to worse.

Where the hell did Oona get a jar of insects in a polar climate?

Well, at the very least there are certainly artic mosquitoes in our world, so I don't think she'd have to venture too far to find some critters.

[hamishspence]

Well, this just went from bad to worse.

Where the hell did Oona get a jar of insects in a polar climate?

Midges are very common quite a long way north - right across the Palearctic:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_midge

Whatever biting insects trouble reindeer, would not be at all out of place here.

EDIT: Swordsaged

[Psyren]

Any time now, Roy! Really!

[Gift Jeraff]

Can't believe they're going to beat the main villain already.

[hroþila]

I wonder if Durkon can somehow use the threat of telling Xykon stuff about the discussion they just had as a way to get Redcloak to protect them for the time being. Redcloak didn't say anything that gave away his Plan, and while Xykon would not be happy with the terms actually proposed (I imagine he'd accept nothing but total capitulation), the fact is Redcloak very clearly rejected those terms. So it's not at all obvious how Durkon talking could endanger Redcloak's position. But it's all I got right now.

[ByzantiumBhuka]

Wow. This is bad.

I think this is going to be the first time Xykon casts an offensive spell on-panel since Meteor Swuhh. And the MitD isn't here...this is bad.

[Jasdoif]

Can't believe they're going to beat the main villain already.

I don't believe they're going to beat the main villain already, either.

[JSSheridan]

Bogus!

Thanks Giant!

[littlebum2002]

Okay, not really a surprise that Xykon was lurking off panel. Wonder how much he learned?

I dont think he was lurking off panel. I think he was in the ravine and saw the head fall off the cliff.

?????

Who comes up with a theory like this? He was literally, canonical eaten by the Snarl.

Not necessarily. We heard a story about him being killed. We did not see it happen. Of course the events probably happened as they were related to us in the story, but the possibility exists that they did not. After all, we already know that the story was wrong on one fact: that the current world is the second one that was created. So maybe the story was wrong about other things as well.

[The Outsider]

Welp. This could have gone better.

You know, the expectation here is that someone is going to swoop in and save these two from what looks like certain doom. And this comic loves to subvert expectations. So, my prediction is that one or both of them is going to be killed/captured, and that the plot is going to center around dealing with that.

[KorvinStarmast]

Of course Roy was right, losing the element of surprise screws Roy's play to take out Xykon rather badly.
But from Durkon's perspective, it was worth a try.

How much of that conversation between (variously) Durkon, Redcloak, Minrah, and Oona did Xykon hear? His reaction to that will be interesting to see.

Oona: nice job, again.

I'll be sorry to see Minrah die, but it looks like she's down quite a few HP and in over her head.

Giant has surprised us before, we'll see if he does it again.

[kenlund]

From where the Order was when Durkon and Minrah split off, it can't be too difficult for them to see what is going on. I wonder what Roy is going to do? Losing his two clerics is disastrous for the party, but direct engagement without the element of surprise seems likely to bring about a total party wipeout. Especially if the MITD joins in the fight.
I assume this all works out somehow in the greater story arc, but at the moment it was obviously a huge mistake for Roy to trust Clerics who have direct orders from their God. It wasn't sufficient to make Durkon agree to just not use Sending to contact Redcloak.

If there any chance that the Xykon who just appeared is an illusion cast by Elan? Probably not...the comment Xykon made about the dwarf statute was a little too on the nose.

[Lkctgo]

Xykon has entered the building

[JSSheridan]

With Xykon hanging out over that canyon, I'd try greater dispell magic

[Lombard]

Durkon Leroy'd and charged the boss camp, TPW inc

[137beth]

Oh, snap, the big X is here! And something tells me he is less inclined to take prisoners than Redcloak.

[KarlMarx]

Let's hope the cavalry brought cavalry of their own.

I do wonder what the rest of the order is doing. Do we know if they knew about Durkon's attempt to parley?

[mjasghar]

Redcloak looks to be wanting Minrah as a captive - he tries to kill Durkon. Likely because Durkon exposes his sunk cost fallacy.
Whilst we could see a Minrah MitD friendship to parallel OChul, I think it’s unlikely.
But, if she was a prisoner and got talking to the MitD she might have some of her own forceful will rub off. Which is what the MitD is lacking atm to push it to self empowerment.

[Velaryon]

Durkon perfectly illustrated what 'high wisdom, low intelligence" looks like by walking into Team Evil's camp with no exit strategy. I don't see any way this could have blown up worse in his face.

Also, can we take Redcloak's comment to mean that he was aware of O-Chul's presence near Kraagor's Tomb, or simply that he's still expecting the paladin to show up eventually?

[Pory]

"We can heal on tha way ta- " where? The ravine? Are they going to try the old Cleric's Feather Fall ?

Damn, this is the final book alright, so tense!

[The Pilgrim]

**** finally hit the fan.

[Fyraltari]

If I had to choose I'd definitely want to see more Minrah rather than Durkon; she's relatively unexplored and interesting while I've seen more than enough of him in the past decade plus. But I'm not the one writing the comic.

Okay, I see what you are saying. But the thing is, you don't have to choose. The two of them getting out alive is still on the table.

Can't believe they're going to beat the main villain already.

I don't think anybody believe they will.

[hamishspence]

Also, can we take Redcloak's comment to mean that he was aware of O-Chul's presence near Kraagor's Tomb, or simply that he's still expecting the paladin to show up eventually?

Or Oona eventually reported her showdown here,

https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1035.html


and Redcloak's been on the watch for them to show up, ever since.

[Ghosty]

Maybe he is luring them into a false sense of security.

But yea if he had any easy ways out, wind walk, word of recall etc you would have expected him to use them already - talking to Xykon might be his best option, and as Xykon might be one of the only people (maybe the only person) who can get Redcloak to co-operate with him so it is worth a shot anyway to find out what Xykon actually wants in order to give up the plan.

As I see it, about the only entities with the power to YOINK! them away from Xykon are the Unseen Duo. The Fiends might, if it was V at jeopardy. If V were Scrying on the negotiation, with the mind of triggering a spell like Refuge, they're a little late. Would the MITD care enough to unconsciously trigger the Escape! scene again?

I guess the Order could show up and turn this into a meeting engagement. I think they lose that, on paper.

I don't want to get popped by the mods for multiposting---which is why I'm editing this one, but without a quote---but @hamishspence, Oona does mention in the next strip that she tried to bring two humans home for dinner for the MITD, and RC's trancing right there. However, she doesn't elaborate, says she's embarrassed about the whole thing, and won't bring it up again.

Is that enough to clue RC in that O-Chul is there? Or is he still going off of what the MITD came up with in 901: https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0901.html ?