Prediction Page, (bring your quatloos, gps, and internets, you'll need them.)

[Mic_128]

Xykon will return to being a normal human.

Huh... I know Rich hasn't been sticking super close to the game rules, but is there anything in the rules that mentions how to reverse something like that?

[Kish]

Sure. Kill him, smash his phylactery, have a cleric of at least level [how many decades Xykon's been dead] cast Resurrection or True Resurrection. Boom, done.

[brian 333]

The last gate is under Kraagor's statue.

Snarl's intelligent and the mastermind behind Dark One.

Belkar won't die and won't go to jail.

MitD's species is going to be plot important.

Vaarsuvius will return to their family and make amends.

Xykon will return to being a normal human.

What are you willing to bet on these predictions? If this is a parlay, what odds are you giving?

[Metastachydium]

Sure. Kill him, smash his phylactery, have a cleric of at least level [how many decades Xykon's been dead] cast Resurrection or True Resurrection. Boom, done.

Unless he's past his expiration date natural lifespan, which is, to be frank, not unlikely.

[Peelee]

Unless he's past his expiration date natural lifespan, which is, to be frank, not unlikely.

He didn't die of natural causes yet, so at the very least hes got a few hours. Assuming he got lich'd on birthday eve.

[SlashDash]

Going over some things posted already -

For 10 quatloos:
MitD and Sunny know each other and are friends. When they meet in a later scene both will stop fighting, or whatever they are doing, to catch up.

I'll easily bet against this. This would reduce O-Chul's role in all of this - since he is the person MitD is trying to protect.

The Order of the Stick will progress to a finale somewhere besides Kraggor's Gate.

I agree. There's no way we are close to the end. There are so many open threads left to deal with.

A side bet of 100 gps:
The location of the finale will be Xykon's Astral Fortress, in a kind of mirror battle of the Battle of Azure City, which will show all of the remaining factions, (not the deities themselves) pulling out all the stops to achieve the outcome they desire.

I don't think so. The only thing I could see as a foreshadow for this, is that the Monster said he might have been in the astral plane so maybe that's a hint he can guide them?

But I think considering we've seen there's a world behind the portal that it's likely they'll actually step through it at some point.

The last gate is under Kraagor's statue.

I don't think under the statue specifically, or otherwise Redcloak would have seen it. I do think the fact that Redcloak moved the statue when he fought Durkon would come to play.

Snarl's intelligent and the mastermind behind Dark One.

Betting everything against this. I know Redcloak not talking to the Dark One feels like a foreshadow for something like this, but I don't see the point for this to happen because it nullifies Thor's plan.

Belkar won't die and won't go to jail.

We got full confirmation on his death multiple times. Belkar started off as too evil to be allowed to just walk around even if he has a change of heart. The author clearly cares about morality as a major focal point of the story. Killing Belkar - while him showing some remorse would be the best way to end his story. It would also make his death be actual redemption as opposed to Miko - And you know him being to rub that in her face in the afterlife is the best happy ending he can get.

Vaarsuvius will return to their family and make amends.

They clearly care about their family, but I don't see their story ending if they don't continue making restitution to the black dragons. Unless maybe they'll get the gods as a thank you to revive them all?

Xykon will return to being a normal human.

Hard disagree.

[SlashDash]

My predictions :

* Hel will send a vampire to the north pole. The vampire will try to join team evil and will try to rush Xykon to do the ritual (or some other variation that Hel will offer). This will be Hel's way of trying to get the gods to panic and reset the universe giving her victory.

Redcloak will object because this will put the goblins in danger somehow or make him realize that Xykon would never allow him to have his Goblin nation. This is what will push him over the edge to switch sides.


* Miron, Tarquin or both will show up as well. There is 0 percent chance that we're done with them after the cliffhanger in the desert.

* Roy is likely to come up with a plan to intentionally force or trick the IFCC into wasting their last summon of V. Perhaps the idea is to get them to convince Sabin or Qarr to help them somehow (truthfully or by trickery). Or maybe get them closer to whatever artifact they are going to use. Either way, it will be revealed as intentionally done by the heroes.

* Xykon will be destroyed by Roy - not turn human again. Then they'll release Lirian and Dorukon. Being that both are epic divine and arcane casters, it's possible they'll do something with the gate.

* Redcloak will die. The last time we see him will be him going into the afterlife and finally meeting the dark one. Maybe his family too?

* Hinjo is likely to show up as well - Belkar will die protecting him somehow.
Hinjo in the epilogue will sign a peace treaty with Jirix.

* Less likely but possible? Durkon will end up taking care of Mr Scruffy as a final act of friendship between him and Belkar and the "debt" will be considered paid.

* The final conflict won't be with the final gate or Xykon's fortress. Likely it will be on the other side of the rift.

* Something has to force Serini to tell the story of how the original party fought and split up. There's no way we'll never learn that - especially after Girard's message and how Roy acted to it. I'm not sure what could do that though.

Maybe Kraggor is still alive and would become an antagonist at some point like Valgav? Farfetched I know. Still wondering about the how.

* Likely the epilogue includes some new agreements between the gods. Not just Dark One getting a fair seat - but also the Hel\Thor bet has to end one way or another. Part of me wonders if maybe they will just turn the world beyond the gate into a habitable place? Maybe the eastern gods are still there? Then Hel maybe can go there and since it's not the same world anymore the bet is off on the other side?

[Metastachydium]

* Miron, Tarquin or both will show up as well. There is 0 percent chance that we're done with them after the cliffhanger in the desert.

Well, if you ignore the whole thing with BRitF ending on the note of "yeah, we're done with Tarquin" and the little issue that for all we know, Miron might be deader than dead now…

Dorukon

Unlikely, whoever that is.

The last time we see him will be him going into the afterlife and finally meeting the dark one. Maybe his family too?

That would be nice, in actual fact.

* Something has to force Serini to tell the story of how the original party fought and split up. There's no way we'll never learn that - especially after Girard's message and how Roy acted to it. I'm not sure what could do that though.

I mean, that's practically author-confirmed truth.

Maybe Kraggor

Unlikely, whoever that is.

is still alive and would become an antagonist at some point like Valgav? Farfetched I know. Still wondering about the how.

And if you mean Kraagor, we all know he was his own statue and is therefore destroyed utterly now.

Maybe the eastern gods are still there?

…and one of them is Redcloak's niece, also known as Roy Greenhilt.

[Peelee]

Ya know what, ill place a new bet out there. 200 gold on Tarquin being defeated offscreen probably but not necessarily by background characters (eg Captain Amun-Zora or Enor and Gannji), but certainly not by the Order or Elan.

[Mic_128]

Redcloak will object because this will put the goblins in danger somehow or make him realize that Xykon would never allow him to have his Goblin nation. This is what will push him over the edge to switch sides.

Aside from already having that nation, assuming the rift hasn't eaten it, Redcloak knows Xykon isn't going to let him go happily ever after. He basically used Xykon's ability to snuff him as a reason to accept the Mortron's payment.

* Xykon will be destroyed by Roy - not turn human again. Then they'll release Lirian and Dorukon. Being that both are epic divine and arcane casters, it's possible they'll do something with the gate.

Ooh, I could see that. I honestly keep forgetting they're not dead and just 'incredibly indisposed'.

* Something has to force Serini to tell the story of how the original party fought and split up. There's no way we'll never learn that - especially after Girard's message and how Roy acted to it. I'm not sure what could do that though.

We already know what happened.

[Ruck]

Ooh, I could see that. I honestly keep forgetting they're not dead and just 'incredibly indisposed'.

Well, no; they are dead, it's their souls that haven't been allowed to proceed to the afterlife.

[Peelee]

..... Five gold says Lirian and Dorukan are dead.

[Precure]

What are you willing to bet on these predictions? If this is a parlay, what odds are you giving?

6.66 percent of my remained lifespan.

[Ruck]

The last gate is under Kraagor's statue.

Snarl's intelligent and the mastermind behind Dark One.

Belkar won't die and won't go to jail.

MitD's species is going to be plot important.

Xykon will return to being a normal human.

My predictions :

* Hel will send a vampire to the north pole. The vampire will try to join team evil and will try to rush Xykon to do the ritual (or some other variation that Hel will offer). This will be Hel's way of trying to get the gods to panic and reset the universe giving her victory.

Redcloak will object because this will put the goblins in danger somehow or make him realize that Xykon would never allow him to have his Goblin nation. This is what will push him over the edge to switch sides.


* Miron, Tarquin or both will show up as well. There is 0 percent chance that we're done with them after the cliffhanger in the desert.

I'll bet against all of these.

Vaarsuvius will return to their family and make amends.

I'm split on this one. I don't think it will happen, but I think it's certainly possible it could. Since I don't know what V's quest for redemption will look like-- or even if V survives the final battle, honestly-- I'm not particularly willing to rule out any possibilities.

* Hinjo is likely to show up as well - Belkar will die protecting him somehow.

* Something has to force Serini to tell the story of how the original party fought and split up. There's no way we'll never learn that - especially after Girard's message and how Roy acted to it. I'm not sure what could do that though.

These two are practically guaranteed to happen. I believe Rich has more or less confirmed the latter. And the former?

Spoiler: Bonus Strips

Show

"I see him saving your nephew's life. Twice."

[Mic_128]

Well, no; they are dead, it's their souls that haven't been allowed to proceed to the afterlife.

Right, I probably should have said "gone" instead of dead.

[Ruck]

Right, I probably should have said "gone" instead of dead.

Fair enough. I still think they would need a True Resurrection to come back-- if Lirian hasn't been dead for too long-- and thus for it to be "possible they'll do something with the gate." In other words, I don't think they're going to be active participants in any of the endgame.

[Kish]

Barring the rest of this book explicitly including Durkon losing multiple levels, it would be trivial for Rich to have Xykon's defeat be immediately followed by Durkon having access to 9th-level spells, so "will take True Resurrection" doesn't equal "won't happen."

Not that I think anything nearly as pedestrian as "the original Gates are restored" will happen.

[Ruck]

Barring the rest of this book explicitly including Durkon losing multiple levels, it would be trivial for Rich to have Xykon's defeat be immediately followed by Durkon having access to 9th-level spells, so "will take True Resurrection" doesn't equal "won't happen."

Not that I think anything nearly as pedestrian as "the original Gates are restored" will happen.

Not impossible, no. As much as anything I'm basing my statement on two things:

1)Rich's distaste for the spell-- which is only a small part of my reasoning, as I don't think Rich's reasons for not liking the spell will necessarily be relevant in a denouement.
2)More importantly, I think the story will be cheapened if people besides the Order and their allies are the ones who come in and fix everything/anything.

[KorvinStarmast]

The Fannie Award will then be displayed on a mantlepiece ..

... right next to the hemorrhoid award.

Elan will get a happy ending.

[Mic_128]

Fair enough. I still think they would need a True Resurrection to come back-- if Lirian hasn't been dead for too long-- and thus for it to be "possible they'll do something with the gate." In other words, I don't think they're going to be active participants in any of the endgame.

Is there any reason they couldn't communicate with their souls while they're still in the gem?

[Ruck]

Is there any reason they couldn't communicate with their souls while they're still in the gem?

I'm not familiar enough with the rules to say.

I will say I've warmed up a little to them at least being consulted somehow if that's possible, likely on how the Gates were built. Mostly this comes from thinking that it's entirely possible Rich chose Lirian and Dorukan specifically as the first two to be killed with a future reason in mind. Or maybe he chose them because they were lovers, or maybe he made them lovers to add to that part of their story.

Maybe, though, he chose them to take the idea of any of other Gates' guardians asking them to rebuild their Gate off the table.

[Liquor Box]

I reckon that if I covered every bet in this thread, I'd come out well ahead.

[Peelee]

I reckon that if I covered every bet in this thread, I'd come out well ahead.

I will not bet against you here.

[KorvinStarmast]

Maybe, though, he chose them to take the idea of any of other Gates' guardians asking them to rebuild their Gate off the table.

Three electrum pieces bet on that being at least part of why they are off the table. Nice analysis.

[brian 333]

... right next to the hemorrhoid award.

Elan will get a happy ending.

Until this post I was unaware that Elan's happy ending was contingent on the actions of a reader. Now it is so completely obvious that I wonder why it has not been guessed before.

The only way this can work, though, is if the trophy sports hundreds of tiny tattoos.

[enq]

Until this post I was unaware that Elan's happy ending was contingent on the actions of a reader. Now it is so completely obvious that I wonder why it has not been guessed before.

Eh... still isn't obvious to me, unless Rich is betting on it and will rig the story to win the bet.

[Synesthesy]

My prediction are:

1) Belkar won't die, because the Oracle was wrong. For reasons important for the story

2) Sooner or later this thread will become a huge discussion about a single prediction (probably about Banjo being a real god)

3) In the last strips we'll se Elan's and Hailey marriage, and Belkar will bake the cake

4) Tarquin will appear in this last book, but still will be defeated off panel by the women he wanted to marry (I don't remember her name)

5) Both Xykon and Redcloak will die - but Redcloak's dream will be fulfilled, with the help of O-Chul, and he'll know that in his last moment

6) Sunny will have some nice punchlines with MitD, and they'll be friends

7) The jokes will be even funnier strip after strip

[Peelee]

100 gold on "Belkar dies".

4) Tarquin will appear in this last book, but still will be defeated off panel by the women he wanted to marry (I don't remember her name)

Bolded for emphasis.

Ya know what, ill place a new bet out there. 200 gold on Tarquin being defeated offscreen probably but not necessarily by background characters (eg Captain Amun-Zora or Enor and Gannji), but certainly not by the Order or Elan.

[Metastachydium]

My prediction are:

1) Belkar won't die, because the Oracle was wrong. For reasons important for the story

I wanted to express my disagreement, but the end of the world is known to occasionally affect the quality of such prophecies, so…

[brian 333]

100 gold on "Belkar dies".

I'm going to put another 100 gp on Peelee's side of this bet.

If Peelee does not want me ruining the odds on any possible return, I will make it a side bet that Belkar dies trying to save someone else.

If that lacks enough specificity, then:

60 gp for Roy
50 gp for Vaarsuvius
50 gp for Durkon
60 gp for Mr. Scruffy
40 gp for Generic Commoners