OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

[Kareeah_Indaga]

Also have the sneaking suspicion Trenchcoat Stirrer is two people standing totempole style.

Nice observation by O-Chul though.

[Hiro Quester]

This fits with my expectation that we will cut away to the paladins for a few episodes, and the OOTS team will be able to make ambush preparations without us knowing what they are, preserving dramatic tension.

[Shining Wrath]

Random thought:
If the IFCC or allies thereof have our two noble paladins, then they could be in hell - a very comfy hell, as they don't deserve eternal damnation but are just being kept out of the way for a while, so the universe can be destroyed. That would explain the lack of doors.

[Personification]

I don't know Lien seems to be reaching to try and make her case let alone call it a draw - I think O-Chul has her solidly beat.

I completely agree.

On a different note, those plants look familiar, and I, like the rest of the forum, am desperately hunting out our single-paged ally. Therefore, my bid on the cloaked figure is the dryad indirectly responsible for getting Roy and Celia together.

[hroþila]

I wanted to dismiss the greenish skin by saying that might be distortion caused by saving the picture due to the hand being so small, but Lien and O-Chul are even smaller and their skin colour shows up perfectly right. And if that's a "magic instant pot", and not just some random stew, that makes Serini even less likely.

At least one of the drawings on the wall seems to be a kind of dragon.

[Cicciograna]

I wanted to dismiss the greenish skin by saying that might be distortion caused by saving the picture due to the hand being so small, but Lien and O-Chul are even smaller and their skin colour shows up perfectly right. And if that's a "magic instant pot", and not just some random stew, that makes Serini even less likely.

At least one of the drawings on the wall seems to be a kind of dragon.

OTOH a "magic instant pot" sounds like some enabling device that would allow people who can't do magic to, well, do magic. Like, you know, "instant coffee" is not really real coffee, but is "as good as". As far as we know Serini is not a spellcaster, but she is a high level rogue, and she might have a very high rank in Use Magic Device. Maybe she can't actually do magic, but the pot allows her to.

[Shining Wrath]

Oh, we've now discovered what the wisps floating by the paladins are - they are the fumes of whatever's being stirred. Soup? Potions? Laundry? Your guess is as good as mine.

[Yxylu]

And, of course, that means the important character from one page is

Spoiler

Show

Cyclops, from #560

Unfortunately not. He also appears on page 7 of Start of Darkness.

[Fnordius]

Hmm, the way the upper level does seem sort of warehouse-like and the way there are many more manacles than required for our pair of proud paladins, I am going to guess this is the refill point for the dungeons. The manacles are there to hold "monsters" before they get dropped into their new lairs.

Welcome to the back stage area.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

I'm interested to learn more about this mysterious hooded figure. Of course, it's also a great question to ask where they are, since clearly this place is set up for holding more people captive, but does not really seem like much of a jail. Then again, not having any way out is a pretty effective method for keeping people locked in.

[ianm1981]

Anyone have theories as to why there are so many sets of manacles on the wall?

it implies an intention to hold I think up to 6 medium humanoids, which is an oddly specific form of restraint given the diverse nature of creatures and the escape capabilities they might have.

[Fitzclowningham]

The cauldron-stirrer could be wearing gloves, so the skin color could be anything

Edit: the darts in the wall, away from the dartboard, indicate that whoever was playing is *not* a halfling

[JSSheridan]

Thanks Giant!

[MoonCat]

Hmm . . . in terms of hex codes, the fingers (which are on weirdly small arms, as people have pointed out, for a body that tall) are #818C6C, which is a kind of grey-green. Not the usual goblinoid green, and while I was on board with the dragonic origins for the voices, I don't know if we've seen skin that unsaturated for dragon-related creatures so far. The only thing I can think of would maybe be that one green hag? Not quite as desaturated, though. Looking forward to seeing what they are!

Two theories present themselves to me given the hands—one is the green voice, which has been discussed. The other is that the pot-stirrers' hands may have been stained green by whatever they're stirring. Just judging on sight, that acid color could make pale-to-medium toned skin that shade of green, couldn't it?

I'm reading the contents of the pot itself as being something fairly benign, incidentally. My first instinct, seeing the coziness of the rest of the room, was 'soup.' Albeit a weird color, but the Azurites drink blue wine. The 'instapot' reference in the runes might corroborate that interpretation.

[RichTF]

Note, what follows does not stem from me having great eyesight, but rather from the fact that I'm a Patreon supporter, and Rich sends out high resolution version of his pages.

[…] there are three drawings on the wall, which seem to be very crude and simple, like the ones a child could make. One of them seems to be just doodles, I can't discern anything specific.

Similarly based on the high-res version of the panels, those doodles remind me a lot of the Draketooth clan’s facial tattoos, both in colour and style.

But maybe that’s just a coincidence, given that any two sets of scrawly squiggly lines have a fairly good chance of looking similar to each other.

[Kareeah_Indaga]

Anyone have theories as to why there are so many sets of manacles on the wall?

it implies an intention to hold I think up to 6 medium humanoids, which is an oddly specific form of restraint given the diverse nature of creatures and the escape capabilities they might have.

Isn’t the usual size of an adventuring party 4-6? The builder of this room is genre-savvy.

[Ron Miel]

The third one is VERY interesting: there's a large pink blob with some spiked thingies on top of it, and a smaller figure on the side. The small figure is very crude, just a green rectangle for the body, and a pink circle for the head, but it really gives me "dad and son" vibes. The pink blob with spiked thingies could be interpreted as a very large head next to a smaller creature? And the spiked things could be hair, or a crest?

I only have the low rez version, but it reminded me of this:

[Bookshelfstud]

The one crayon drawing with the big pink blob that has spiky hair made me think of...well, a particular entity that popped up in #32. You know, a big orby guy with one eye and some eyestalks.

[WolvesbaneIII]

Given the dragon drawings, maybe its the black dragon descendant who was a spell caster

The title "chain reaction" could be a clue to the actual chain the familicide spell created. He or she was killed, and since it wasn't in a swamp, the corpse could be revived.

or this is the dragon wizards assistant. mama dragon was somewhat versed in magic herself, so this being a sorcerer or something could make sense.

there were 2 kidnappers involved, so maybe this is related to 1 of the dragon descendants.

[Kareeah_Indaga]

On the low dresser there is what resembles a green truncated cone, maybe a vase of some sort; some orange rags that could be interpreted as a cloak; and two dun (DUN DUNNNN!!) colored sacks or something like that. Also, as you notice, there's a green thingie coming out of the right side of the top drawer, and that seems to be a plant leaf. Could be a tentacle, though.

I’m just going off the low-res version, but the orange thing looks to me like a wig or possibly a hood.

[KorvinStarmast]

Random thought:
If the IFCC or allies thereof have our two noble paladins, then they could be in hell - a very comfy hell, as they don't deserve eternal damnation but are just being kept out of the way for a while, so the universe can be destroyed. That would explain the lack of doors.

The plants suggest to me otherwise, but that's more of a 'feel' thing than any explicit 3.5e lore in re the evil planes.

OTOH a "magic instant pot" sounds like some enabling device that would allow people who can't do magic to, well, do magic. Like, you know, "instant coffee" is not really real coffee, but is "as good as". As far as we know Serini is not a spellcaster, but she is a high level rogue, and she might have a very high rank in Use Magic Device. Maybe she can't actually do magic, but the pot allows her to.

That's what I was thinking.

... I am going to guess this is the refill point for the dungeons. The manacles are there to hold "monsters" before they get dropped into their new lairs.

Hmm, {someone} planning to use the Paladins as "Monsters" defending the gate? Does that mean they try to capture more of the Order as well?

it implies an intention to hold I think up to 6 medium humanoids, which is an oddly specific form of restraint given the diverse nature of creatures and the escape capabilities they might have.

Might just be a case of "that's how many sets fit on that wall" or "misery loves company" ...

Edit: the darts in the wall, away from the dartboard, indicate that whoever was playing is *not* a halfling

+1.

Isn’t the usual size of an adventuring party 4-6? The builder of this room is genre-savvy.

Self aware stick figure parody ... check.

[Ironsmith]

„access by teleport only“ lair, excellent idea.

Security-wise, maybe. Logistically, it's a nightmare. No ventilation, no naturally-occurring food, and an environment that's hostile to growing your own. Magic can solve most if that, but it'd have some pretty hefty upkeep costs.

[Yanisa]

I only have the low rez version, but it reminded me of this:

High res version here. It could be something like that, the larger reddish shape is a circle with 3-4 triangles. Which could be a beast with spikes. The smaller green and red seems to be a O atop a squarish U. Which could be a basic humanoid body + head shape.

Also the right painting is clearly a dragonlike creature. Batwing, lizardtail, round body and round head with a squiggly line for a jaw (sharp teeth).

The middle painting is two symbols. They look like a 2 with a horn and S-shaped tail, and 4 with a 3-shaped tail.

P.S. Explaining pictures in tekst is hard.

[Tvtyrant]

Happened to be inexplicably still awake, lucky me. Looks like those of us who suspected the final panel of #1224 suggested a scene transition were right.

Of course, lots to speculate on the identity of the hooded individual. Maybe this is the unlikely ally!

I'm guessing it is the epic level halfling. That costume has too much costume going on, like a facsimile of a mysterious person.

[Peelee]

P.S. Explaining pictures in tekst is hard.

Well, you didn't use a thousand words. There's your problem.

[InvisibleBison]

Edit: the darts in the wall, away from the dartboard, indicate that whoever was playing is *not* a halfling

Why do they indicate that?

[Cicciograna]

Why do they indicate that?

Because halflings have very good aim with thrown stuff.

[HandofShadows]

Why do they indicate that?

The board and darts are too high off the floor. If a halfling was using it, it would be closer to the floor.

There are a lot of plants about and in the "close shot" there seems to be a small tree, Whoever this is they came form a place where there was a lot of green and they have all the plants about as a way to make themselves feel a little more at home.

[Peelee]

The board and darts are too high off the floor. If a halfling was using it, it would be closer to the floor.

There are a lot of plants about and in the "close shot" there seems to be a small tree, Whoever this is they came form a place where there was a lot of green and they have all the plants about as a way to make themselves feel a little more at home.

I don't think either of those are necessarily supported. The aim thing makes much more sense.

[Ephemera]

OTOH a "magic instant pot" sounds like some enabling device that would allow people who can't do magic to, well, do magic. Like, you know, "instant coffee" is not really real coffee, but is "as good as". As far as we know Serini is not a spellcaster, but she is a high level rogue, and she might have a very high rank in Use Magic Device. Maybe she can't actually do magic, but the pot allows her to.

I don't know if I agree with this. An instant pot isn't like an instant coffee maker, it's a vaguely faddish cooking appliance that is a slow-cooker/stockpot with the ability to brown things, but they are more likely to be owned by people who like to cook; it's not like they're for reheating frozen dinners or otherwise not cooking.

So I think this is more of a foodie in-joke than an indication one way or another about whether the pot-stirrer can brew potions or use magic devices.