OOTS #707 - The Discussion Thread

[Melamoto]

Maybe my memory is failing me, but isn't this the first time we've seen it on the main screen since strip #13?

Yes, but apart from in SoD, the only time humans and goblins have ever interacted with each other in the main strip that was out of a warzone has consisted of either goblins enslaving humans, or humans killing hobgoblins. And when you factor SoD into it, from everything we've seen only a small village with no military force doesn't seem to want to kill the goblins on sight.

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Yes, the goblin was not entirely trustworthy, and yes, it wasn't a completely unreasonable option, but compare it to the actions of the goblins. When the goblins have a human at their mercy, they take it to the prisons, and keep it there. They sometimes perform executions, but mostly they keep them alive. It can even be argued that Redcloak kept the humans alive in this strip as an act of compassion, rather than the reason he gave. And this is while the humans still want to kill every last goblin in the city.
Meanwhile, this hobgoblin who openly states that we wishes to join them, is completely at their mercy, and happens to have information that could prove invaluable, is killed because of his species. Doesn't seem like the elves are being quite the same.

Do you really think that all those prisoners should NOT have been liberated just because ONE really suspicious but unarmed hobgoblin got killed by the Commander? Do you want Niu and Thanh to get what the hobbo got, too?

Humans and goblins are enemies, pretty much. It's not really about the fact that they performed a prison break. It's more about the fact that the killing of the hobgoblin was mostly unnecessary, and done out of spite.

I'm amazed at the level of elf-hate here. That hobbo had to die, bottom line. Don't forget that they're vastly outnumbered in hostile territory, so anyone saying "the goblins take prisoners but the elves don't?" is forgetting that it's far easier to be merciful from a position of strength. They couldn't keep the hobgoblin a prisoner.

I disagree. Just because they don't have as many facilities doesn't mean they lack any real power. Caves are big places, and having 2 guards keep him safe for just long enough to verify his claims would hardly be a particularly high cost, considering how much use a spy would be to a resistance group. And even if that wouldn't work, they have elves who could easily take the goblin away to another prison and be summoned back afterwards, if not out of mercy then at least for purposes of interrogation.