OOTS #1256 - The Discussion Thread

[danielxcutter]

Oh, it would definitely suck more for the people in the general area where he'd live settle, sure. But I don't see him appointing people for every state on the planet.

No really, I think the real risknwould be him deciding to blow up the planet put of boredom.

Besides, this is all a moot point anyway.

Considering that Xykon already would have slaughtered all the goblins in Gobbotopia if he hadn't found them dancing on the paladins' graves more amusing according to Redcloak, I imagine "slaughtering entire countries" would be a starting point.

[Mike Havran]

Considering that Xykon already would have slaughtered all the goblins in Gobbotopia if he hadn't found them dancing on the paladins' graves more amusing according to Redcloak, I imagine "slaughtering entire countries" would be a starting point.

Eh, I think that was a hyperbole on Redcloak's part. Killing so many few-HD creatures is tedious and boring. Xykon has better taste than that.

[Liquor Box]

For someone like Xykon, I think ruling is different from administration. Not in a trivial sense, either - when Xykon wanted his phylactery found, the whole city was put on it, immediately. If he wants to roll out and take your leadership with him, he will, and you better hope they have a plan for that, because he doesn't. He doesn't care about details, or prosperity, but he absolutely does care about being the area's ultimate power. You don't need to worry about him having armies from all his cities, sure. You just need to worry that there are no more armies against him.

Well said. As ruler of the world, if he wanted something to happen, it would happen.

[Larsaan]

Eh, I think that was a hyperbole on Redcloak's part. Killing so many few-HD creatures is tedious and boring. Xykon has better taste than that.

He wouldn't do it methodically, but sooner or later he'd definitely "use them up", so to speak. Once regular mortals have no more value to him as a resource, you just know he's going to start having contests like seeing how many people he can hit with a single Meteor Swarm, or playing Jenga with zombified villagers, or making his own armies fight each other, or hosting a caltrop eating competition where the winner's family gets to live... for now.

[Vikenlugaid]

You'll see a lot more dwarven souls sent to Hel in that case. Not much honor in getting into feuds between the local evil warlords. Come to think of it, ending this world appears to be the option that liberates future dwarves to start with.

Nah, dwarves will be out of hell if they die in battle, even uf they are evil. In fact, an evil society will have more chances to die in battle than a good one. {Scrubbed}

[bunsen_h]

You'll see a lot more dwarven souls sent to Hel in that case. Not much honor in getting into feuds between the local evil warlords. Come to think of it, ending this world appears to be the option that liberates future dwarves to start with.

Eugene suggests that they might "squeeze in a quick civil war before lunch tomorrow", though we don't know if that's a realistic option.

Well-said. Well-not-said. (^_~)

I've been suppressing the urge to bring up real-world politics...

He wouldn't do it methodically, but sooner or later he'd definitely "use them up", so to speak. Once regular mortals have no more value to him as a resource, you just know he's going to start having contests like seeing how many people he can hit with a single Meteor Swarm, or playing Jenga with zombified villagers, or making his own armies fight each other, or hosting a caltrop eating competition where the winner's family gets to live... for now.

"How many gobbos can fit into a phone booth, if they're minced finely? How about if it's a transdimensional phone booth? Ooh, yeah, realistic war games, because the table-top stuff is for losers. It's no fun if real people aren't getting hurt or killed."

[Throknor]

I think even more relevant is that the god who made the case at the godsmoot for not destroying the world yet included in the argument that they could still pull the plug quickly if the last gate falls.

I get the feeling they've had a meeting already once they learned of the plan when Lorian's Gate was destroyed. It would have been apparent that whether or not Xykon and Redcloak escaped someone else might figure out how to threaten them whether from the Dark One or on their own. In that meeting they may have already agreed to destroy the world if anyone started such a ritual.

The current meeting had a vibe more of 'should we bother waiting' feel. After all at least two of the rifts are definitely larger than they originally were and the only obvious obstacles for Xykon/Redcloak were a rag-tag bunch of adventures without a cleric (whose actions resulted in the gates destruction more often than not) and an elderly halfling's magic door trick that Redcloak would have eventually figured out.

Hmm, while the distinct mechanic mentioned was "nemesis" (for narrative reasons) that's a good point. Other similar avenues may also exist that are not shown on screen.

While not explicitly stated Hilgya may have considered Durkon her nemesis and benefited accordingly.

[KorvinStarmast]

While not explicitly stated Hilgya may have considered Durkon her nemesis and benefited accordingly.

Once she was mad at him for the way he gave her the brush off, that makes sense.

[tanonx]

Eugene suggests that they might "squeeze in a quick civil war before lunch tomorrow", though we don't know if that's a realistic option.

The key word in Hel's memory appears to be "die with honor."

Given Eugene's track record, I wouldn't trust him to grasp how honor works. And once the world's over, Hel will be a lot harder to pull one over on, where lawyering dwarves out of her domain is concerned.

And, while dwarves have a variety of workarounds to get out of this problem, how certain are we that they work? What's the dwarven caseworker-equivalent think of it? If they're much like the default Lawful Good ones, they may not take kindly to it.

[Larsaan]

{Scrub the post, scrub the quote}

I feel like I should point out that "viking" was a profession, one that only a portion of old norse society took part in. I'd also argue that they were no more or less brutal than most other professional soldiers of their time, though perhaps there's an argument to be made that medieval morality in general might be considered Evil.

As a side note, the show "Vikings" and the video game "Assassin's Creed: Valhalla" shouldn't be considered even remotely historically accurate, and the current pop-cultural image of vikings is deeply stupid.

[Beni-Kujaku]

Eh, I think that was a hyperbole on Redcloak's part. Killing so many few-HD creatures is tedious and boring. Xykon has better taste than that.

He has a bouncing ball of insanity and most probably has Blackfire as an 8th level spell. If he wants to slaughter a city, he is absolutely able to in a minimal amount of time.

[danielxcutter]

Also, he’d totally start a Wightpocalypse because he was bored.

[JonahFalcon]

The cool dead bug that Sunny wanted to show Elan?

[bunsen_h]

The cool dead bug that Sunny wanted to show Elan?

Spoiler: Hiding the giant picture

Show

A Spinal Centipede, I gather? I don't know Magic-ese, but I think it's harmless as long as it's dead?

[JonahFalcon]

[/SPOILER]
A Spinal Centipede, I gather? I don't know Magic-ese, but I think it's harmless as long as it's dead?

Monstrous Centipede.

[bunsen_h]

Monstrous Centipede.

The image is from Magic: The Gathering.

[Quizatzhaderac]

The cool dead bug that Sunny wanted to show Elan?

To me that's rather a-hat-on-a-hat, what with having an endoskeleton outside an exoskeleton.

My silly suggestion for cool-dead bug is Shedinja. Which is cicada-ghost-ninja-pokemon.
.

[Jay R]

So, who here thinks the cool dead bug will turn out to have important plot significance?

[Thermophille]

So, who here thinks the cool dead bug will turn out to have important plot significance?

Considering that the punchlines of each comic generally have less plot significance than anything else that's said, it's unlikely.

[Ionathus]

Really, REALLY enjoyed Belkar's perspective here. I remember back in the middle of DStP, I was so annoyed with him and lost no tears over his impending permadeath. But these days with every update, Belkar's character deepens more and more. His convo with Minrah on the ship made me genuinely sad about the prophecy breathing down his neck. I'm aching to see how his arc wraps up...maybe moreso than any other PC!

Also, he’d totally start a Wightpocalypse because he was bored.

I mean, I've done that because I was bored, and I'm not even an evil lich!

Rest in peace, Infectonator. Bring back Flash Player! (except don't)

[Ezekiel]

I mean, I've done that because I was bored, and I'm not even an evil lich!

Rest in peace, Infectonator. Bring back Flash Player! (except don't)

You can get Infectonator on Steam FYI

[Vikenlugaid]

I feel like I should point out that "viking" was a profession, one that only a portion of old norse society took part in. I'd also argue that they were no more or less brutal than most other professional soldiers of their time, though perhaps there's an argument to be made that medieval morality in general might be considered Evil.

As a side note, the show "Vikings" and the video game "Assassin's Creed: Valhalla" shouldn't be considered even remotely historically accurate, and the current pop-cultural image of vikings is deeply stupid.

I am just saying that as far as we know, according to #737 every dwarf who die in battle doesn't go to hel, they go wherever their alignment send them, but not to hel.

[mjasghar]

Since Thor is the main battle god of the pantheon and dying in battle is the easiest way to die honourably it makes sense most go to Thor. It’s interesting that other northern gods haven’t made that effort and surely they know about the Bet. Then again, maybe not.

[Fyraltari]

Since Thor is the main battle god of the pantheon

I would see this world torn to shreds, before I allow anyone to gain a strategic advantage over us. Tyr, God of War, votes Yes.

[Peelee]

Since Thor is the main battle god of the pantheon

Source?

and dying in battle is the easiest way to die honourably it makes sense most go to Thor.

Even assuming that Thor is the main battle god, why would dying in battle have them go to Thor? Dying honorably only gets the souls to get out of the Hel deal, they go wherever they would have without the bet. Not specifically to Thor.

[mjasghar]

War =/= battle
Strategy =/= tactics
If he isn’t the battle god what is he? God of beer? And if they go to other gods after then why aren’t we seeing those gods arguing the case for their worshippers? Sure, we see Loki doesn’t care much about his but a LG like Tyr seems to be would surely be fulfilling his duty.

[Fyraltari]

If he isn’t the battle god what is he? God of beer?

We owe it to our followers to give them every chance to make this right. Thor, God of Storms, votes No.

And if they go to other gods after then why aren’t we seeing those gods arguing the case for their worshippers?

Either:
A)Because Thor is the one who made the Bet in the first place so he feels it is his responsability to help every single dwarf damned by his fault.
B)They do, but we haven't been shown it because they're not relevant to the story unlike Thor who is Durkon's chosen god.

Sure, we see Loki doesn’t care much about his but a LG like Tyr seems to be would surely be fulfilling his duty.

Assuming thr one handed god from 1143 is Tyr (and come on, he totally is), his willingness to doom an infinity of planets just to spite and ennemy makes me doubt he's LG in this universe.

[Quizatzhaderac]

If he isn’t the battle god what is he? God of beer?

I believe it has been mentioned about a thousand times that Thor is the god of thunder, and explained in detail once that he the god of weather in general.

Also, were you being sarcastic about "God of beer"?

[Vikenlugaid]

War =/= battle
Strategy =/= tactics
If he isn’t the battle god what is he? God of beer?

God of thunder?

[Peelee]

War =/= battle
Strategy =/= tactics
If he isn’t the battle god what is he? God of beer? And if they go to other gods after then why aren’t we seeing those gods arguing the case for their worshippers? Sure, we see Loki doesn’t care much about his but a LG like Tyr seems to be would surely be fulfilling his duty.

So, just to be clear here, you have no source for Thor being the god of battle?