@FujinAkari
I was afraid of that, which is why I was hesitant to ask. I couldn’t find the discussion thread for #602, and even if I had, it would have been a bit much to read its no doubt dozens of pages (and adding my input would have been grave digging, which too is distasteful).

Still, Rich is good at long-circuit plots, so I trust that he’ll get back to her (Otherwise, he could have simply killed her in the first dungeon).

@rgrekejin
I agree that Belkar got a lot of good traction out of the nameless cleric, which is why I was on the fence about this particular sequence.

@Avaris
1.) I wasn’t trying to imply that there should only be one Cleric of Loki in the comic. In fact, I do believe the nameless cleric achieved things that Hilgya could not, particularly regarding interactions with Belkar. My main point was that the scene could have had Hilgya, and while it would have altered the events of Greysky it would be a minor plot deflection, one that would not have altered the final outcome of “Don’t Split the Party”

2.) I thought it was intriguing because Greysky was within travel distance of the first gate, and Hilgya was commissioned by Loki to steal the amulet as soon as Nale acquired it. In my mind, I joined those two facts and assumed she was somehow affiliated with the Greysky Thieves Guild.

3.) Yes, and a later appearance allowed Belkar to work on his charade. For this reason, I agree that her exclusion was probably better than it was worse.

@Finagle
Yeah, the Sending was one of the focal reasons why I would have liked to see Hilgya, particularly because of the hilarity of Nale’s Sending to Roy earlier in the series. I also agree that, with that cleric used in the scene, it was much better that he did not have a name.

@Jay R
Actually, she might have. See #2 from my response to Avaris. Also, having her would have fired a red herring of the Linear Guild across the party’s bow, further complicating the situation. And complication is the primary ingredient of plot.

@Bulldog Psion
Yeah, now that I’ve had time to think about it, the delay will make her next appearance more meaningful.

@Boogastreehouse
I’ll see your prediction and raise you a counter-prediction.
Durkon is killed by Malack during the fight with the Linear Guild (Malack, along with Tarquin, is several levels higher, after all, and he told Tarquin he wanted to deal with Thundershield). When the LG are finally defeated, arrangements are made to send Durkon back to the dwarven homelands for burial. Hilgya intercepts his body and resurrects him, bearing their child as you predicted. But Durkon knows that Xykon is on his way to Girard’s gate, and is forced to abandon both of them so he can reach the Order of the Stick in time to help (Making him eat his words, as it were, because he spurned Hilgya over a similar offense).
Then again, that’s pretty unlikely too.



So the general consensus is ‘better, because the buildup was not yet sufficient’. I’ve been swayed by your arguments, and I agree. Thank you for the vigorous discussion.