OOTS #1218 - The Discussion Thread

[Ekul]

I really do love seeing character development like this. The group is a far cry from the squabbling party they were at the start of the story. Especially with Roy so earnestly asking Elan without a hint of irony what he thinks.

[Yxylu]

whoa! the rare sunday posting, i did not expect that! no one expects a sunday posting!

I know! Only 6% of the comics come out on Sunday.

[137beth]

Wonderful, Minrah doesn't realize how dysfunctional this team used to be

[Ezekiel]

Genuinely laughed out loud at the last panel.

[BrotherHanson]

Whatever comes next, I'm loving even the prospect of seeing one or both parties in this dungeon for a bit. Rooting for thrilling hard-fought battles and many twistings and turnings! Especially if visually complex!

[KorvinStarmast]

... but then something new and unexpected will happen.

That's been a pattern over the course of the story, yes. The two biggest shocks to the system were (for me) Death of Roy and the moment V realized what familicide had done, with the third one being Durkula's first reveal of being Hel's servant.

Silent Image -- put a fake rock wall over an "X" door somewhere, so when Redcloak activates True Seeing, he thinks that's where they went.

I hope he tries that, he has been using illusions a lot.

Bonus being that Oona was wrong, so Xykon won't listen to her tracking a second time, because his personality is to quickly grow impatient with underlings who waste his time.

Yeah.

strip 22.

Nice call back.

Let's not forget the whole deal with the planet in the Gate...{snip} seems like a pretty important plot thread to tie up.

I thinks it's a Message. Well see.

Excellent strip. And now I finally get why Minrah is there. {snip} But mostly, audience.

Hmm, she looks to me like the crucial pivot for Belkar's next turn in character development, and I think she'll take over some of Belkar's 'truth teller' role once he's dead. And she'll have her own unique contributions that are as yet not clearly spelled out on screen.

Prestidigitation -- erase every trace of an X, and go there.

That would be neat, but I am not sure that V has the time for that.

Ooh, I just noticed the connection between Haley's suggestion of hide and her line in the second to last panel where she tells Roy that before she'd made the suggestion she had assessed the situation and picked a few likely doors. That's Smart Haley in action, again.

[Ezekiel]

That would be neat, but I am not sure that V has the time for that.

Couldn't Elan help? I thought Bards got prestidigitation also.

[KorvinStarmast]

Couldn't Elan help? I thought Bards got prestidigitation also.

Yes, they do, but I don't know if Elan has it prepared. We may soon find out.

[Silverraptor]

Alright, this one was pretty funny all the way through! Also shows how much the group has changed since their humble beginnings.

[Schroeswald]

Yes, they do, but I don't know if Elan has it prepared. We may soon find out.

Bards cast spontaneously, so he doesn't need to prepare it

[KorvinStarmast]

Bards cast spontaneously, so he doesn't need to prepare it

Has he ever cast it before?

[Arin]

The two biggest shocks to the system were (for me) Death of Roy and the moment V realized what familicide had done, with the third one being Durkula's first reveal of being Hel's servant.

The Durkula reveal? That was one of the very few things in the comic I actually saw coming. :) But yes, the other two were certainly great moments. The moment V connected the dots on Familicide particularly would definitely also be in my top three. By FAR the first place one would be the reveal of how many planets the gods have actually made, and the third would probably be when I first realized that Belkar was actually on a legitimate redemption arc. I think it was when he gave the speech to Durkula about people not changing who they are in one moment like that, because it was the first time I could really see how his fake character growth was becoming real character growth.

[Anitar]

Gotta agree with Durkon here. I, too, hope the wolf is doing charades.

[Horizon]

This is such an OOTS strip, in the best possible way. So many years of character development were needed to make this moment possible. :D I love this comic!

[Radar]

I notice all of these plans are predicated on the idea that Team Evil is will show up momentarily. I am going to predict that the Order hides behind a door, prepares their buffs, and...waits. That Team Evil does not chase after them because they have learned something important. If not the location of the Gate, then perhaps something that will change their search pattern. This would put a different time pressure back on the Order.

They will most likely learn that a lot of the X marks are fake in a simple manner of seeing an unexplored cavern full of monsters that will keep them occupied for a while.

Come to think of it, the Gate might not even be behind any of those doors. Serini is (was?) a rogue, the many doors is just like a typical shell game and we all already know, how those work.

[TigerT20]

Does anyone know what strips both sets of prophecies are in? I unfortunately feel like I've had my memory wiped on the Oracle.

[LuPuWei]

They're... they're almost ready wipes single tear

[FlawedParadigm]

The Minrah/Belkar part of the last panel absolutely needs to be a shirt or wallpaper or something.

[Yxylu]

Does anyone know what strips both sets of prophecies are in? I unfortunately feel like I've had my memory wiped on the Oracle.

331 and 572 are the main ones, in the online strips.

[Schroeswald]

Has he ever cast it before?

Panel 13 is probably Prestigitation.

[Riftwolf]

Endgame spoiler

Spoiler

Show

If Elan had been in my MCU, that film would've played out differently :b

[Wraithfighter]

The only loose end that really NEEDS tying up is the Monster in the Darkness' character arc - the rest can be handled by post-credits scenes.

Also, the MitD changing sides at the last minute is the kind of 11th-hour game-changer that our VASTLY outclassed party needs to turn the battle against Xykon from 'suicide mission' to 'desperate battle with a chance of success'.

There's also:

• Redcloak's deception over Xykon's phylactery
• Redcloak's deception about what the ritual will do
• IFCC's ultimate plans (and two time-shares on V's soul)
• The truth about what's happening with the Snarl and the planet in the rifts
• Who captured Lien and O-chul and what their part in all this is

...and probably a few other things. We're still in like Act 1 of the finale, there's a whooooole lot of unknowns still on the board.

[Qwerty Shrdlu]

Opening some more doors could be interesting- the more doors left open, the greater the odds that something will come out.

[elros]

Wonderful, Minrah doesn't realize how dysfunctional this team used to be

Minrah is experiencing her advice to Belkar:
"everyone who meets you from that point on... only knows the new version of you."

[Lex]

As Elan said, way too soon for a confrontation with team Evil. What I personally hope to happen now if for the Order to meet the invisible guys and be reunited with Lien and O-Chul.

[NobleCuriosity]

Personally I like the contrast between panels 2 and 3: Roy steeling himself to just go help and then not being able to keep himself from getting mad when he sees Durkon isn’t in immediate danger. “There’s something to be said for instant gratification,” indeed. I found that funny, the reminder that even Roy has limits to putting tactics first, even if he gets over it. That and the way he eloquently expresses something that most seekers of instant gratification leave unsaid.

[Arael666]

So you bet on D, nice!

Well, it is a good D

[Giggling Ghast]

Elan’s right, though. This really isn’t the right time for the climactic confrontation.

[Krakes]

So I'm sure someone's already noticed this, but Durkon (and maybe Minrah, too) now have the information they need to bring down the Redcoak-Xykon alliance by spilling the beans on what the ritual really does. That would certainly make for a dramatic reveal that Elan would love.

[Krakes]

331 and 572

Does anyone know what strips both sets of prophecies are in? I unfortunately feel like I've had my memory wiped on the Oracle.