OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

[Dion]

Or, you know, it's a puppet. It "talks" because Elan talks for it using ventriloquism. It "moves" because Elan moves his fingers inside the puppet. And it "smites" because Elan cast a cantrip.

Sure. That’s what Banjo wants you to think. But all this time he’s been secretly reordering your music collection, and trashing anything with mandolins.

[Jasdoif]

I think the idea is that with a slow cooker vs anything else, the same ingredients require significantly less prep time. A bad cut of meat can be roughly cubed and thrown in the slow cooker, but if you wanted to pan-fry it, you'd need to be prepared to bring out the big mace and pound that slab of connective tissue into submission before it could be browned in the pan if you wanted to be able to chew it after. These days, with easy, cheap access to various qualities of meat, that distinction is pointless, because you just wouldn't do that to yourself, you'd just buy a tender cut of meat for browning instead.

The primary feature of using a slow cooker with cheap cuts of meat is that it takes a combination of heat and time to melt tough collagen into flavorful gelatin, and a slow cooker provides both. It's very good for stews, compared to using a superior cut of meat that'd be better served on its own than as a supporting ingredient.

I'm not a fan of slow cookers myself, because I have a scheduled life and slow cookers take my "prep food" time and moves it to places where it barely fits. The last thing I want to be doing 6-8 hours before a meal is to prep for that meal. I like to prep the meal about 30 minutes before the meal, not the day before or in the morning or some other weird time. And, as you said, the actual work time is still roughly the same, it just extends the cooking time to infinity. I'll grant it that not having to stir or flip or anything else does mean it is not as labour-intensive during cooking, but that's not where the labour-intensive part of cooking is anyway, unless you are making risotto or something easily burnable.

Another feature is that a slow cooker can run unattended for the typical-workday-length that it takes to finish cooking. How significant this is will vary wildly (it doesn't sound like it'd be meaningful to you, for example); but if a household has sharply limited person-hours to devote to cooking and/or has people with demanding jobs that are famished the moment they walk in the door, it's very convenient to have a hot meal all ready to go.

[Ginasius]

I like the theory that there is a second creature that lives on the "large dog bed" who drew the crayon drawings, is strong, and bad at darts.

I don't know if this theory has been said before: the Monster in the Dark might have a long lost niece.

[Feruk]

I don't know if this theory has been said before: the Monster in the Dark might have a long lost niece.

A niece? Would that make the MitD RC's sibling? Sibling-in-law?

[Ironsmith]

Sure. That’s what Banjo wants you to think. But all this time he’s been secretly reordering your music collection, and trashing anything with mandolins.

Hmph! What kind of godly music collection doesn't have mandolins?

[Nightcanon]

The doors could be through what looks to be wardrobes directly below (and under the balcony on which O'Chul and Lien are standing). So... Narnia?
I love the inadvertent competitive Paladining, and the recognition that ultimately they are humblebragging their failures.

[Goblin_Priest]

Another feature is that a slow cooker can run unattended for the typical-workday-length that it takes to finish cooking. How significant this is will vary wildly (it doesn't sound like it'd be meaningful to you, for example); but if a household has sharply limited person-hours to devote to cooking and/or has people with demanding jobs that are famished the moment they walk in the door, it's very convenient to have a hot meal all ready to go.

I'll concede that the appeal for this, on my end at least, would sharply rise if we both started and finished work much later. I believe it's common in some places to work 9 to 6 or something like that? That's pretty unfathomable for us, who mostly work stuff like 8 to 4, more or less, and who also don't have much commute. If I finished work at 6, I would most likely be much less content to cook upon arrival. Though I probably still would.

My sympathies to all those who do such terrible hours, though.

[Nightcanon]

Dare I ask what the approprite PPE is for that lab, given the ventilation system? (for those not familiar with it ... PPE = Personal Protective Equipment in any facility with hazmat, etc)
Which is always a good thing.

Is anyone unfamiliar with what PPE stands for these days?

Re: slow cooking, yes, the big advantage is that you can leave something on to cook during the day so it is hot and ready to eat when you get in (and stews and casseroles work very well with slow cooking, where in a slow cooker or not). At various points in our working lives that's been a godsend for me and Mrs Nightcanon. We used to have a bit of a repertoire of things that took ~10 mins of prep (mostly opening cans, perhaps chopping an onion and a pepper) the night before, then in the morning just remember to take the pot out of the fridge and stick it on before going out to work.

[The MunchKING]

Is anyone unfamiliar with what PPE stands for these days?

*raises hand*

I'll admit when I saw PPE in the context of a lab, I was trying to think of a number that starts with an E. Because my high school science classes all started flashing back, and PPB is Parts per billion in chemistry.

[bunsen_h]

I'll admit when I saw PPE in the context of a lab, I was trying to think of a number that starts with an E. Because my high school science classes all started flashing back, and PPB is Parts per billion in chemistry.

Exa. Metric prefix for 10¹⁸.

[Dion]

I have two questions about panel #4 (and apologies in advance if this has already been answered)

Do we know what the kettle says?
.
And, what direction are we looking in panel 4? The desk and the small tree in panel 4 don’t seem to be in panel 3, so I’m feeling disoriented.

Spoiler: pot spoiler

Show

Edit: oh, it actually says ‘magic instant pot’.

That explains the conversation about non-magic instant pots!

[after5cst]

I made it through the thread, and didn't see this detail:

• The paladins are clearly (about) 3 cinderblocks tall.
• The dartboard center is 3.5 cinderblocks high.

That puts the dartboard at an uncomfortable height for humans, much less shorter folk.

(Yes, I saw that others talked about the dart board being high, but nobody really went into how high based on what I read).

The bed is low (1 cinder block) and the cupboards underneath the Paladins have handles low enough for someone small.

The desk and the table appear to be in the middle range: too tall for a shorter folk, and too low for whatever sits/sleeps in the big red beanbag.

I'm thinking there's a group of three here. Perhaps Serini and the two voices.

[F.Harr]

Maybe they should play I Spy instead.

[a_flemish_guy]

the room reminds me of the opening sentences of the hobbit
“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.”
(it's also not just the art upgrade because lien describes it as cozy)

so yeah, I'm guessing serini and co or at least someone associated with her

[Arathorne]

I made it through the thread, and didn't see this detail:

• The paladins are clearly (about) 3 cinderblocks tall.
• The dartboard center is 3.5 cinderblocks high.

That puts the dartboard at an uncomfortable height for humans, much less shorter folk.

(Yes, I saw that others talked about the dart board being high, but nobody really went into how high based on what I read).

The bed is low (1 cinder block) and the cupboards underneath the Paladins have handles low enough for someone small.

The desk and the table appear to be in the middle range: too tall for a shorter folk, and too low for whatever sits/sleeps in the big red beanbag.

I'm thinking there's a group of three here. Perhaps Serini and the two voices.

As a former competitive Darter, it should be noted that all dartboards are supposed to be mounted at a standard height of 5 feet 8 inches, from floor to bullseye.

[Shining Wrath]

Once upon a time I would cook for the family on Sundays. I'd fix a big recipe in the crock pot, and then we'd eat leftovers for lunch most of the week. So we have half a dozen crock pot recipe books, and I can assure you that there's plenty of dishes that start with tender meat, and make it better.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Once upon a time I would cook for the family on Sundays. I'd fix a big recipe in the crock pot, and then we'd eat leftovers for lunch most of the week. So we have half a dozen crock pot recipe books, and I can assure you that there's plenty of dishes that start with tender meat, and make it better.

No-one is doubting this. The issue is that this requires you to assign time to cook the Sunday meal sometime on Saturday, or early Sunday. Which I'm sure worked well for you, if that was your one cooking spot on the week. But I cook for my family every day, twice per on weekends. Leaving aside that a slow cooker cannot be used for two meals in a single day, what with it taking longer than that to cook, it also means preping for a meal a long ways off, when my mind is either on something else, or on the meal we are about to have.

As to the ingredients, of course it can take good meat and make it better. But so does browning it on both sides in a pan, and deglazing with an acid. Total time, including prep: 15-20 minutes. And thus can be done whenever we are ready to eat.

(I too make a big pot of stuff to eat during the week, but I don't bother with a slow cooker for that. My usual go-to, a lentil soup thickened with rice, is a 15-minute simmer in a standard pot; hardier beans, I break out the pressure cooker for)

Grey Wolf

[danielxcutter]

No-one is doubting this. The issue is that this requires you to assign time to cook the Sunday meal sometime on Saturday, or early Sunday. Which I'm sure worked well for you, if that was your one cooking spot on the week. But I cook for my family every day, twice per on weekends. Leaving aside that a slow cooker cannot be used for two meals in a single day, what with it taking longer than that to cook, it also means preping for a meal a long ways off, when my mind is either on something else, or on the meal we are about to have.

As to the ingredients, of course it can take good meat and make it better. But so does browning it on both sides in a pan, and deglazing with an acid. Total time, including prep: 15 minutes. And thus can be done whenever we are ready to eat.

(I too make a big pot of stuff to eat during the week, but I don't bother with a slow cooker for that. My usual go-to, a lentil soup thickened with rice, is a 15-minute simmer is an standard pot)

Grey Wolf

Wow, being a responsible adult sounds hard.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Wow, being a responsible adult sounds hard.

Nah. It's being a responsible parent that really makes you realise "maybe I should grow up a bit". I was ok with bad eating habits, by and large, before I suddenly became responsible for another human being.

GW

[Fyraltari]

Wow, being a responsible adult sounds hard.

Nah. It's being a responsible parent that really makes you realise "maybe I should grow up a bit". I was ok with bad eating habits, by and large, before I suddenly became responsible for another human being.

GW

*creeping dread*

[danielmayer]

before I suddenly became responsible for another human being.
GW

Bah, you lucky guy! We got only half-angel/half-demon babys (or half-celestial demons?), which is naturally a difficult mix. The boy has inheritet my demon-half, the girl got the mix the other way.
Human. Pff... sounds so simple...

Ontopic:
maybe the The Sorcerer got a rez? ;)

[Grey_Wolf_c]

*creeping dread*

Congratulations seem to be in order?

GW

[Fyraltari]

Congratulations seem to be in order?

GW

Far from it. I'm a long time dreader.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Anticipation is easily half the nightmare.

[KorvinStarmast]

the room reminds me of the opening sentences of the hobbit
“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” ... Lien describes it as cozy ... guessing serini and co or at least someone associated with her

Nice call.

I'm thinking there's a group of three here. Perhaps Serini and the two voices.

My usual go-to, a lentil soup thickened with rice, is a 15-minute simmer in a standard pot; hardier beans, I break out the pressure cooker for)

Our last lentil soup/stew recipe was a pressure cooker one, but we started with dry lentils. For my own (locally famous) pinto bean recipe, I start with raw / dry pinto beans soaking in water overnight, drop the various things in (onions, various spices, veg or chicken broth, beans, etc) and then it's no less than 4 hours simmering to get the beans soft enough to meat my wife's standards. (She's not a fan of al dente pinto beans). Pressure cooker approach never did it for us in that case. The bonus to that long simmer is that the house gets that nice flavorful smell going ... I usually do that on the weekends since I am an early riser. Faster for me to get it started whilst dogs and others are still abed. If you've got a little one, though, different situation. (I rarely had the luxury of a bit more cooking time when ours were little ...)

Wow, being a responsible adult sounds hard.

Yeah, it's a tier 3 adventure.

Nah. It's being a responsible parent that really makes you realise "maybe I should grow up a bit".

That too.

[Peelee]

*creeping dread*

Nah, they more than make up for it pretty damn fast. When my kid was born, I could not stop crying for a long, long time. Pure happiness.

[linkhyrule5]

A point in favor of this being Serini I didn't see being brought up until now: Kraagor's entire Tomb has as a major element the trick of there being a line that automatically and seamlessly teleports you somewhere else when crossing it. That's nontrivial magic; both teleportation circle and gate, the core 3.5 spells that do freestanding teleportation, are ninth level.

This is a sealed room accessible only through teleportation.

Even aside from the common modus operandi, there's practical concerns to living in a place like this as well. Either it's got a similar dedicated portal, or whoever lives here has so many spell slots to burn that they think casting teleport is about as convenient as having a front door. (Or magic items with uses per day.)

Either way, "epic character with access to stupid amounts of magic and/or directly allied with the original creator of the Tomb" seems rather strongly indicated from that alone.

[bunsen_h]

This is a sealed room accessible only through teleportation.

Again: we don't know that. All that we know is that Lien couldn't see any doors or windows. That doesn't preclude there being windows and/or doors that she couldn't see: hidden, out of sight (e.g. inside something like a closet), or out of her line of sight.

EDIT: If I'm right about the dungeon being a bunch of sections in the multidimensional stone, whose connections are controlled by means such as the "trap", this room could be part of the same system. Adjust some kind of control, and a connection to some part of the dungeon appears. A section of wall might seem to disappear, leading to a tunnel, or an opening might appear in the air, looking like a portal.

[a_flemish_guy]

another thing: the state of the room says that this is clearly a permanent (or at least they've been there for a long time) operation, not something set up in response to team evil turning up at kraagor's a few weeks ago

[Fyraltari]

Nah, they more than make up for it pretty damn fast. When my kid was born, I could not stop crying for a long, long time. Pure happiness.

Oh I know, which is why I plan on having some, eventually. But the thought of being responsible for the well-being of a small, defenseless human when I've already got a hard time adulting is still pretty scary.