Will somebody arrive mid-fight to seize The Gate?

[Blue Dragon]

After all the trouble Team Order and Team Evil had will some group of antagonists try to "seize it from them at the last minute"? I confess that I was thinking about this between the last strip and this one, but I am not much of a speculator myself. That said, it looks like a fair possibility now.

That said, I ask you:

Which group of antagonists is the least likely to appear, if any?

[Tzardok]

Samantha, the Bandit Queen, supported by that shadow dancer and his explosive dwarf companion.

[No good @ names]

Probably either of Laser-Snail’s or Milk-Dudes’ parties.

[Tzardok]

There's the one surviving dwarf vampire.

Wait! The single least likely antagonist to appear is the Heavily Templated Snail from the Dragon Magazine timeline.

[Blue Dragon]

Samantha, the Bandit Queen, supported by that shadow dancer and his explosive dwarf companion.

They are all dead, they don't count. I am talking about currently active villains.

[The MunchKING]

That said, I ask you:

Which group of antagonists is the least likely to appear, if any?

Redcloak's Niece, working with a Half-Celestial Hailey's Mom, Guy With a Halberd, and an Eastern-undead Miko.

[Tzardok]

They are all dead, they don't count. I am talking about currently active villains.

A) You wanted least likely, I gave you least likely. B) The shadowdancer and his companion aren't dead. They escaped through a shadow. To where, if there are no other shadows? No one can say. That's what makes them unlikely.

[hamishspence]

They've been seen once since the Inn sequence.



They were once again preparing to assassinate the King of Nowhere, around about the time of the battle of Azure City, but Thanh, who was away on a diplomatic mission before returning to Azure City after the battle, was present, so they decided against it.


https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0535.html

[Blue Dragon]

Redcloak's Niece, working with a Half-Celestial Hailey's Mom, Guy With a Halberd, and an Eastern-undead Miko.

Except by Miko, that went to the afterlife, none of those was portraited as an antagonist.

They've been seen once since the Inn sequence.



They were once again preparing to assassinate the King of Nowhere, around about the time of the battle of Azure City, but Thanh, who was away on a diplomatic mission before returning to Azure City after the battle, was present, so they decided against it.


https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0535.html

True, I forgot that! My bad.

Probably either of Laser-Snail’s or Milk-Dudes’ parties.

They are from long-gone worlds, they don't exist anymore.

There's the one surviving dwarf vampire.

Hum, Hel certainly didn't give up with her plan.

[Kish]

"What's this about being dead meaning someone can't be dangerous?"

[Precure]

Kubota, true resurrected by his household.

[Somniloquist]

Least likely of the not-dead antagonists? Pompey and Leeky, neither of whom would have felt any obligation to invite Nale even if he weren't dead.

[Peelee]

Kubota, true resurrected by his household.

Apropos of absolutely nothing but I love how this sounds like Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra.

[brian 333]

The Fellowship of the Ming. (Who knew those things were so hard to break?)

Frudo and Dim Sam we've seen, but Imagorn, Breakalegolas, and Gimpi are presumably still off at Helmet Hole dealing with Scaryman's d'Orks

[ZhonLord]

That said, I ask you:

Which group of antagonists is the least likely to appear, if any?

The bandit leader and his sorceress daughter, one of which can be given a bog-standard Raise Dead, and the other can get a regular Resurrection. They put aside their differences, learned about the Gates after hearing what happened to Azure City, and the daughter decided she deserves that power because of how awesome and sexy she is. Plus this sub-boss Zyklon fellow is a sorcerer too, who better to prove her magical superiority against?

[faustin]

Well, Leeky and Pompey are still around doing evil, and at least the former is a middle-high level druid.

Maybe both of them will be lured into the fight through the interdimensional wormhole commonly known as "plothole".

[RatElemental]

Jirix.

The forum won't let me just post that, though, so I'll say it again. Jirix.

[Mic_128]

Jirix.

The forum won't let me just post that, though, so I'll say it again. Jirix.

Sent by The Dark One himself, with a message for Redcloak: "You ass, I heard what that Dwarf was saying! Screw the skeleton and help em!"

[faustin]

I wonder if at this point, even a direct command of the Dark One will be enough to make Redcloak desist the Plan.

[wilphe]

That TDO has never directly communicated or interacted with RedCloak is probably going to be significant at some point.

RC would likely rationalise it away as a trick or deception if he tried

[Errorname]

I wonder if at this point, even a direct command of the Dark One will be enough to make Redcloak desist the Plan.

Probably not, just because if Redcloak ditches the plan it ought to be his own decision, not one his god is making for him.

I've been assuming for a while that Gobbotopia's going to get devoured by the Snarl. Redcloak left the city he built with a looming sword of damocles hanging overhead to pursue his scheme, that should probably have consequences for him.

[Fish]

Probably the flumphs, hell-bent on revenge for all of the falling damage they've absorbed. They have turned to the dark side and are out for revenge.

[Metastachydium]

Probably the flumphs, hell-bent on revenge for all of the falling damage they've absorbed. They have turned to the dark side and are out for revenge.

Well, they are coming!!

[KorvinStarmast]

I've been assuming for a while that Gobbotopia's going to get devoured by the Snarl. Redcloak left the city he built with a looming sword of damocles hanging overhead to pursue his scheme, that should probably have consequences for him.

While that would be a neat ending, and would likely force the Azurites to setting into their new homeland for good, I also like the idea of the more charismatic Jirix (whom the Darke One has spoken to) being the better choice to lead Gobbotopia into a new future. It like: it takes one kind of person to win a war, but it takes another kind of person, usually, to run/govern a country.
(The history of the Bolivarian revolutions carries that as a part of its message ...)

[No good @ names]

They are from long-gone worlds, they don't exist anymore.

See below for accurate summation

A) You wanted least likely, I gave you least likely.

[Metastachydium]

I also like the idea of the more charismatic Jirix (whom the Darke One has spoken to) being the better choice to lead Gobbotopia into a new future. It like: it takes one kind of person to win a war, but it takes another kind of person, usually, to run/govern a country.

That's basically obvious enough for Redcloak to figure out on his own (hence his leaving Jirix in charge), yes.

[doctor23]

After all the trouble Team Order and Team Evil had will some group of antagonists try to "seize it from them at the last minute"? I confess that I was thinking about this between the last strip and this one, but I am not much of a speculator myself. That said, it looks like a fair possibility now.

That said, I ask you:

Which group of antagonists is the least likely to appear, if any?

Vector Legion (well what's left of it) swoops in to deal with that "sub-boss' "Zyklon" and teach Elan about giving things a thematically appropriate end. Ian Starshine and the Free City of doom woman (sorry can't remember her name) along with Enor and Ganji show up on their heels to deal with him. t

Then in a great swerve, Team Evil, The order and Ian's crew all team to together to TPK the Legion in one round.

Ian's Crew leaves to go set up a new order in The Empire of Blood and we get back to the story

(yes I know not likely but it sure is funny)

[KorvinStarmast]

Will somebody arrive mid-fight to seize The Gate?

Short answer: no, unless you refer to the IFCC showing up once The Order and Team Evil commence combat.
Here is my estimate on how IFCC does that: the three fiends have a link to V provided by the soul splice event and their ability to call V back two more times.
That link permits them to intercede on the mortal plane wherever V is.
I have no idea if D&D 3.5 has a mechanic like this, but it seems a heck of a lot less complicated, as magic goes, than the soul splice was.

[Metastachydium]

Zyklon

"Zyklon"

Oh. Guys, I know! It's going to be Xyklon the Consequential (and his assorted fiends) from SoD!

[No good @ names]

Vector Legion (well what's left of it) swoops in to deal with that "sub-boss' "Zyklon" and teach Elan about giving things a thematically appropriate end.

(yes I know not likely but it sure is funny)

Not sure the remainder of the Legion gives two Copper pieces about a thematically appropriate end. And Tarquin’s authority is much diminished by managing to have an actual Legion of the army kind get beaten 6 by misfits who were already worn out from a previous engagement.