OOTS #632 - The Discussion Thread

[DrivinAllNight]

I still don't understand their names.

Lee is Lawful Evil - LEe
Nero is Neutral Evil - NEro
and Cedrik is Chaotic Evil - CEdrik

Thats my impression anyways

-- Ninja'd because of my slow dial-up connection --

[Wadoka]

Dear Powers!

Don't you see?

Spending all this time debating the alignments... how can you?

For Pete's sake... Vaarsuvius is about to accept to a pre-approved CREDIT CARD OFFER!!!

Oh, the humanity! The absolute horror! The bone-chillingly slimy evil...!

Pray, Brethren! Pray for salvation! Dave Ramsey, preserve us!

[zzyss]

Maybe I'm reaching, but does anybody else think that - considering the music references - the IFCC is a play on the RIAA / MPAA organisations?

[Optimystik]

I'm wondering if Nero will be connected in some way to the Dark One.

The Dark One appears to possibly offer the Law domain, going by Redcloak being able to cast Hold Monster (in SoD) But otherwise, we haven't seen much Law in the Dark One.

I wonder if, like a reverse Maglubiyet (D&D goblin deity: NE, offers Chaos domain) he will be NE offering Law domain.

And also, having Nero allied with Redcloak and The Dark One would be an interesting possibility.

Interesting you mention that. That would make Redcloak's domains Law and Destruction (since he casts Disintegrate in SoD as well, and Shatter, though the last is also a general cleric spell.)

But why debate it all here when I can make a shiny new thread for it? :)

[Bilbo27]

The end is near

[Horatio@Bridge]

Dear Powers!

Don't you see?

Spending all this time debating the alignments... how can you?

For Pete's sake... Vaarsuvius is about to accept to a pre-approved CREDIT CARD OFFER!!!

Oh, the humanity! The absolute horror! The bone-chillingly slimy evil...!

Pray, Brethren! Pray for salvation! Dave Ramsey, preserve us!

You, sir, win the internet.

[David Argall]

Aaand let's not forget, it was Sabine who originally sicced the OotS on the black dragon... which led to V's current predicament.
Based on Sabine's dialogue in that strip, I don't think the IFCC planned this from back then, though. However, that tieback could become significant later....

Sabine was set on the OOTS by Nale, and neither Nale nor Sabine knew a thing about the dragon, tho they did suspect something nasty would be out there. Nor did they know about the Snarl at that time.

Some things are just co-incidences.

[ericgrau]

And indeed Sabine's Bosses stake their claim in Vaarsuvius.

I suspect they've incercepted this message and are acting of their own accord...

Nice catch. Yeup, we have a perfect match. And note the context with that comic. I wonder the deal will play out, considering what they're after and what V is after. Heck, I wonder how the deal will play out anyway. What exactly will V give in return, what form will the power come in? Oh the anticipation.

[Zevox]

Well, that answers a couple of lingering questions about the Fiends in the OotS. There is indeed a Blood War, and so the same major distinction between demons and devils as in basic D&D. But Sabine reports to neither side, but rather to a trio of fiends who are trying to unite their races. Interesting.

Well, looks like we may indeed be seeing the much-anticipated Four Words^TM and V's acquisition of complete and total ultimate arcane power within the next few strips. I look forward to seeing exactly how this plays out.

Zevox

[Vargtass]

I'd love to be able to speak in footnotes. *

*The talking in footnotes, while being easy, is not recommended for chidren under the age of 13, or persons with a sensitive mind.

[ss49]

yugoloths were 3.5, 3.0, and possibly 2nd ed as well- Daemon is their name in even earlier editions- but the term isn't used in 3.0 and 3.5

That's sort of what I was going for, OotS has a strong flavor of AD&D (1st Ed) with the common sense adjustments (like no more THAC0) and funny opportunities of the more complex 3.5.

[Raging Gene Ray]

Lee is Lawful Evil - LEe
Nero is Neutral Evil - NEro
and Cedrik is Chaotic Evil - CEdrik

Thank You! I was trying to find some hidden meaning when you said all their names together "'Lean era,' said Rick," "Lean Eros Head-Wreck," or something like that.

I'm also hoping that since these are Sabine's superiors, that we bring her and the rest of the Linear Guild into this...maybe even a segue into something about Hilgya or Nale's Father.

[Kaytara]

Sabine was set on the OOTS by Nale, and neither Nale nor Sabine knew a thing about the dragon, tho they did suspect something nasty would be out there. Nor did they know about the Snarl at that time.

Some things are just co-incidences.

Even so, isn't there a 'no coercion' clause in the whole selling your soul deal? If I'm not mistaken, it's one of the few conditions that can allow such a deal to be made invalid.

While Sabine and Nale did not intend to make the Order kill a dragon and earn its mother's wrath, their actions still ended up causing it, and through that causing the circumstances that will/might force V to accept this deal. A lawyer may consider that coercion or otherwise illegal interference. A stretch, of course, but a potential loophole nonetheless.

[Kgw]

Can anyone provide a transcript of what the fiends said (especially the one with the purple script on the black background--incredibly hard to read, dark script on a dark background...)?

Me too. Specially the last ballon of the last panel... I am becoming old :p

[kusje]

Me too. Specially the last ballon of the last panel... I am becoming old :p

Already done by someone in post #75!

[RolyPoly]

Based on the little information we can glean about the trio of fiends from this strip, my guess is that Cedric is the one with the purple eyes and font, Nero is orange and Lee is yellow.

Cedric opens with a joke, and while he shouts "good gods, y'all!" he seems to be flailing his arms around. [...]

Hmm, so Cedric is the Entertainer?

[osyluth]

Petty squabbles between fiends have taken far too much fiendish effort away from the greater Evil. Hooray for the Inter-Fiend Cooperation Commission! If they handle Faustian devil contracts for high-profile costumers like Vaarsuvius, then they must be bigger than Qarr's lack of knowledge on them makes them seem.

[Taekwondodo]

Does anyone remember the number of the strip where V asked how to achieve ultimate power, and the Oracle told him to "say the right (some number) of words to the right being at the right time?"

"The right four words at the right time to the right being for all the wrong reasons"

It depends on it being for all the wrong reasons aswell though and surely saving your family is for the right reason? Unless the dragon just wanted V to suffer the agonny of thinking hir family were all dead and the dragon never planned on actually carrying out the plan. This would mean that V had sold hir soul for nothing although se would still think se had done it for the right reasons. I the end I would say probably not.

[Firest Kathon]

Am I the only one who first thought of this (non-OOtS-) strip* when reading the word "daemon"? And of course this one, which also shows some possible way out for V...

*Reading through the other posts, these sound unfortunately much more logical**

** Footnotes are fun***!

*** Based on typical fun for previous readers matching my demographic profile. Additional terms and restrictions may apply

[DrGonzo]

Hmm, so Cedric is the Entertainer?

I really did LOL about that..

Giant, for you sir, I take of my hat.

[banjo1985]

Go on V...give in to the surprisingly multi-coloured darkside...

[unstattedCommoner]

*The talking in footnotes, while being easy, is not recommended for chidren under the age of 13, or persons with a sensitive mind.**

**Known side-effects include loss of vision, loss of hearing, stomach cramps, projectile vomiting, death. For external use only. Keep away from mortals.

[Pr0tag0nist]

hey,
i didnt see it posted in the forums yet...
im neither native english speaking nor am i into D&D and im just guessing i must miss out a joke in this strip...
the purple dude of the ifcc says in his first picture: "I just transferred my consciousness from hte Lower Planes and boy, are my arms tired!"

there must be sense somewhere in this sentence.. but for me its just nonesense right now

[snafu]

hey,
i didnt see it posted in the forums yet...
im neither native english speaking nor am i into D&D and im just guessing i must miss out a joke in this strip...
the purple dude of the ifcc says in his first picture: "I just transferred my consciousness from hte Lower Planes and boy, are my arms tired!"

there must be sense somewhere in this sentence.. but for me its just nonesense right now

It's an extremely corny old joke. A bad stand-up comedian - or indeed a businessman who thinks it a good idea to begin some speech or presentation with a joke - might start by saying something like 'So, I just flew in from Boston - and boy, are my arms tired!' The implication being that he's been flapping them all the way.

To me, the fact that someone would actually make that awful joke is more than enough evidence that they are utterly and irredeemably evil.

[Grunjon]

I still don't understand their names.

Lee is Lawful Evil - LEe
Nero is Neutral Evil - NEro
and Cedrik is Chaotic Evil - CEdrik

Hmm, so Cedric is the Entertainer?

Not sure if the Giant had anything else in mind when he picked these names, but I thought it might be interesting to point out that legendary actor Christopher Lee played both "Nero the Magician" in the 1960 film The Hands of Orlac and a character named "Cedric" (with a "c", instead of a "k") in the 1992 film Jackpot.

Neither of these are films that most people would know, however, so Giant probably wasn't shooting for these. It's probably just an interesting coincidence.

[Ghastly Epigram]

While these are certainly the same folk we saw back here, anyone else notice they seem a little shorter now?

[ref]

I am ashamed that another one of the typical footnotes hasn't appeared yet. You know, the one that goes something like "Void in Delaware and Rhode Island".

Also, we need Lee, Nero, and Cedrik smileys.

[Darzil]

"The right four words at the right time to the right being for all the wrong reasons"

It depends on it being for all the wrong reasons aswell though and surely saving your family is for the right reason? Unless the dragon just wanted V to suffer the agonny of thinking hir family were all dead and the dragon never planned on actually carrying out the plan. This would mean that V had sold hir soul for nothing although se would still think se had done it for the right reasons. I the end I would say probably not.

If, however, V allies with the three to keep the Snarl imprisoned, but is doing it to save hir family, rather than the universe, that could be argued to be saying the right words at the right time for the wrong reason.

Darzil

[Dilvish]

or, a Duke of hell, a minor demon lord, and a yugoloth lord-

- Walk into a tavern. Supply your own punchline.

I feel better now.

dilvish

[CalenLoki]

We know for a fact that Sabine deals in souls (and gets commission, apparently). Maybe she set the whole order up with pre-approved offers just in case?