OOTS #1226 - The Discussion Thread

[Edric O]

Wait... I feel like there's something important missing here. Hmm... Oh yes! I got it.

Dun dun DUUUUN!!

[Wraithfighter]

God I love the O-chul/Lien double-act. Panel three is just chef's-kiss perfection.

Seriously, anyone that complains that Paladins are dull, rote, boring characters needs to be forced to see all of their scenes. Clearly Lawful-Good, clearly heroic, but funny as **** with markedly different personalities that still gel incredibly well. Them and Hinjo really shows the many different ways you can play really excellent Paladin-types, they're all just so good...

[ManuelSacha]

Can I just say that I love the fact she's wearing a very long cape, covering both herself and the ladder, just for the dramatic effect?
Elan would be proud.

[locksmith of lo]

wait a second... do we know who sent that scrying green eye? maybe that was serini that was looking in on them, after girard's exploding message, green like her speech bubble. or was that answered elsewhere?

[Rogar Demonblud]

That was ZZ'dtri and the rest of the Linear Guild, during their whole search all of the desert to 'help' Penelope fond the Draketooth clan.

[Mariele]

It's still my crackpot theory that when the Order meets her, Belkar will go up to her and say "Hey, Grandma." Having never had a reason to divulge that information.

Ahahaha! Hahaha. Hehe. Heh. Heh.



Boy, am I glad we got a reveal so soon! Has to be Serini (or a daughter? I think it's probably just Serini though). I guessed she might be one of the voices when we first saw em, didn't expect it to actually happen, though. Now I'm wondering who the orange voice is. I think a construct assistant sounds right.

[Ironsmith]

Boy, am I glad we got a reveal so soon! Has to be Serini (or a daughter? I think it's probably just Serini though). I guessed she might be one of the voices when we first saw em, didn't expect it to actually happen, though. Now I'm wondering who the orange voice is. I think a construct assistant sounds right.

I'm thinking it's probably still someone we met (once), but haven't seen since. The Giant did say such a character was going to be an important ally.

Hey! Wasn't he talking about Sereni?

Eh, maybe? She's had more than one appearance before now, and I don't think the Giant screwed up in his reckoning of that fact. It could just as easily mean he wasn't talking about her.

[CountDVB]

I don’t think it is Serini. At least, not the brain part.

1) Serini should have good ability with projectiles, being a halfling. Instead we see that she can’t hit a dartboard particularly well.
2) Serini was a chirpy, happy go lucky, bubbly character. Yeah, I suppose it could be conceded this might have changed given the severe trauma she had obviously suffered.
3) Making potions like this isn’t really rogue skill set. It’s something else...

Yeah, but if she did become part golemized, it would affect her motor skills and eyesight, especially precision and meanwhile, would make sense she became jaded by truama.

Well, amnesia could fall under the sort of brew classification as making poisons...

[Ron Miel]

I gotta admit, seeing Serini alive was a total surprise. I stated several times before that she wouldn't have survived Xykon taking her diary. Seems I was wrong.

[Peelee]

I gotta admit, seeing Serini alive was a total surprise. I stated several times before that she wouldn't have survived Xykon taking her diary. Seems I was wrong.

You and me both. Imean, I thought she very well may have still been alive for story reasons, but I didn't think she'd have been able to survive the lich storm.

[Ariko]

wait a second... do we know who sent that scrying green eye? maybe that was serini that was looking in on them, after girard's exploding message, green like her speech bubble. or was that answered elsewhere?

We have know for a long while that it was Zz'dtri

[Bilbo Baggins]

I don’t think it is Serini. At least, not the brain part.

What I suspect is happening is that “Serini” is Redcloaks niece. She had some conflict with Xykon gone poorly and was left in a badly damaged state. In the same conflict, Serini was killed.

At this point I'm never sure if people are serious when bringing up Redcloak's niece :P
But if you are then I want to point out that the Giant confirmed in the latest QA post that Redcloak's niece will have no significance or further presence in the comic. (Yeah, I know, "unless she is". But it's pretty clear that Rich doesn't have big plans for her.)

[Grey_Wolf_c]

At this point I'm never sure if people are serious when bringing up Redcloak's niece :P
But if you are then I want to point out that the Giant confirmed in the latest QA post that Redcloak's niece will have no significance or further presence in the comic. (Yeah, I know, "unless she is". But it's pretty clear that Rich doesn't have big plans for her.)

You may want to re-read Rich's careful avoidance of both truth and lies when discussing Malack, Greg and vampirism. If Rich does not have plans for RC's niece to come back, that's the response he would use. But so would it be if he did have plans for her to come back.

Grey Wolf

[Jasdoif]

At this point I'm never sure if people are serious when bringing up Redcloak's niece :P
But if you are then I want to point out that the Giant confirmed in the latest QA post that Redcloak's niece will have no significance or further presence in the comic. (Yeah, I know, "unless she is". But it's pretty clear that Rich doesn't have big plans for her.)

You may want to re-read Rich's careful avoidance of both truth and lies when discussing Malack, Greg and vampirism. If Rich does not have plans for RC's niece to come back, that's the response he would use. But so would it be if he did have plans for her to come back.

Indeed. I think it's most accurate to say the Giant had no big plans for Redcloak's niece to return when he was writing Start of Darkness. Whether he has plans (big or otherwise) for her to return now, around a decade-and-a-half later, isn't anywhere near as certain.

[LuPuWei]

Not recent, but we see two non-crayon flashbacks to Dorukan way back in Don't Split the Party: https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0532.html

Lirian is also there.

Ah, yes...

Correct. Kraagor died before the gates were built. Soon, Dorukan & Lirian were dead pre-comic 1. Girard we aren't sure of time of death, but long enough to be properly interred and a statue commissioned or conjured, so likely also pre-stip 1.

Thanks!

[ebarde]

I'm really surprised considering this strip has an older hero coming back all bitter and cloaked after a dramatic encounter with a bad guy this thread has yet to mention that one movie once...you know the one! Terminator Dark Fate, yes

[locksmith of lo]

We have know for a long while that it was Zz'dtri

ok, i remember seeing something about that, someone's signature, but reading around i could not find a specific strip that confirms that. did i miss something, or is it just an circumstantial confirmation because his magic was green too and they were on scene fairly soon thereafter? i am not doubting that conclusion, but just wondering how it was arrived at or where it was found.

[Xlsfd]

Okay, this invalidates my personal theory that Serini had a child with Girard Draketooth (she did mark him with hearts in her diary) and died when V cast Familicide on that ancient black dragon back in book 4.

[Ruck]

I'm thinking it's probably still someone we met (once), but haven't seen since. The Giant did say such a character was going to be an important ally.

Hey! Wasn't he talking about Sereni?

Eh, maybe? She's had more than one appearance before now, and I don't think the Giant screwed up in his reckoning of that fact. It could just as easily mean he wasn't talking about her.

I don't think Serini is the "unexpected ally who appeared on only one page before."

[Peelee]

ok, i remember seeing something about that, someone's signature, but reading around i could not find a specific strip that confirms that. did i miss something, or is it just an circumstantial confirmation because his magic was green too and they were on scene fairly soon thereafter? i am not doubting that conclusion, but just wondering how it was arrived at or where it was found.

It was in a book commentary, IIRC.

[Werbaer]

did i miss something, or is it just an circumstantial confirmation because his magic was green too and they were on scene fairly soon thereafter? i am not doubting that conclusion, but just wondering how it was arrived at or where it was found.

In the online strips, there's only the fact that Nale knows the Order was in the middle of the desert a week before.

It's explicit mentioned in a bonus strip in the printed book.

[Agi Hammerthief]

gives a whole new meaning to „half-ling“

[Jasdoif]

ok, i remember seeing something about that, someone's signature, but reading around i could not find a specific strip that confirms that. did i miss something, or is it just an circumstantial confirmation because his magic was green too and they were on scene fairly soon thereafter? i am not doubting that conclusion, but just wondering how it was arrived at or where it was found.

You're probably looking for this:

Yes, the scrying beacon was Zz'dtri, checking up on Elan at Nale's request. It was primarily a bit of foreshadowing that Zz'dtri was coming back, since at that point no one expected him to ever show up again. You'll note that Nale confirms that he's been keeping tabs on Elan right after Z reveals himself (both to V and the reader).

[lio45]

I'm thinking it's probably still someone we met (once), but haven't seen since. The Giant did say such a character was going to be an important ally.

Hey! Wasn't he talking about Sereni?

Eh, maybe? She's had more than one appearance before now, and I don't think the Giant screwed up in his reckoning of that fact. It could just as easily mean he wasn't talking about her.

I don't think Serini is the "unexpected ally who appeared on only one page before."

I was precisely going to ask: is there any consensus in this community as to whether Serini is the "unexpected ally who appeared on only one page before"...?

She appeared on several pages, for sure. But never as herself. So it would be either >1 appearances or 0.

Plus, Rich said "unexpected", and it was logical to expect to hear from Serini at some point--she's the only Scribbler not dead yet, and this Gate is her Gate. Even the comic title admits the half(ling) was expected!

So, IMO, it's a firm "no, we haven't seen that mysterious ally yet".

[Squire Doodad]

Delurking to say my piece:

If I had to guess, Serini knows Soon would never betray his oath, but that Soon must also be quite old. It'd be hypothetically possible for Soon to pass down power to someone less lawful, or perhaps have his power be usurped by someone hoping to exploit the gate. Maybe some Blatantly Evilchancellorson claiming power as the poor old paladin lord is senile and has no living heir, or a different cliche.
If she's seeing paladins and the gates are down, she may have come to the conclusion that Soon is dead and someone from Azure City is trying to conquer the gates.

She may believe Xykon is a real threat, but then have trouble believing it's actually him since Roy's party technically caused the destruction of two of the gates

Other things to note:
*Assuming they maintained communication, Girard's clan and Serini may have talked after Azure City fell, as there's a several month stretch before V wiped them out. Suspicions put up by Girard's clan would have been somewhat validated from Serini's perspective after they all died and Roy set off the trap that was set to alert all of them about Soon looking for Girard's Gate.

*Also Serini may not be aware Xykon specifically is in the encampment, as the Bugbears have been there for a long time.

*It's unclear if Serini knows Roy exists, odds are at most she knows Roy is associated with them.

[Rogar Demonblud]

It's also possible that after she heard about Soon's death (Gather Information check), she eventually went to Azure City and saw Shojo. And immediately spotted that he was no paladin.

[Squire Doodad]

It's also possible that after she heard about Soon's death (Gather Information check), she eventually went to Azure City and saw Shojo. And immediately spotted that he was no paladin.

Something along those lines would work, yeah. Then she sees all the gates are destroyed, doesn't know why, then paladins show up at her door and things go from there.

As an aside, I'd like to point out how wonderful the rest of the room is. Beanbags, dart boards, a houseplant...
Odds are she's living with "Beaker" and this is their living room/potion chamber.

[GreatWyrmGold]

It would be odd if Resurrection wouldn't fix her problems, at a cost of a level, of course. Unless Xykon did something creepy with her soul but still left her body wandering around.

I realize this is going to sound crazy, but maybe Serini just didn't want to die? I hear that there are some weirdos like that.

It'd be hypothetically possible for Soon to pass down power to someone less lawful...

(And also that's exactly what happened. Even if it's largely unrelated to what's going on now.)

[Squire Doodad]

(And also that's exactly what happened. Even if it's largely unrelated to what's going on now.)

I mean, yeah, technically speaking the plot in Azure City is literally "someone not a paladin takes control, wants to look into the other gates, and then one of the paladins destroys the gate to keep it out of evil hands", but in a precisely different way XD

[Malloon]

I. CALLED. IT!

As did many people, but still. I am looking forward to learning what happened to her.

I'm pretty sure Orange has at least four arms considering the spear and saber's positions.

Could be, but it works equally well if you presume the katana and spear are tucked into a belt.