OOTS #819 - The Discussion Thread

[Stitch531]

I generally just lurk, but I registered to say how much I enjoy how much subtle detail the Giant manages to put into a stick-figure comic strip. In this one, we have Tarquin looking off to the side in panel 5, which seems like just a "I'm monologuing" gesture until you read the punchline.

And then we have the next-to-last panel, which lets us see Nale's moment of realization. If that panel had been left out, and the comic had immediately shown Nale fleeing in terror, it wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable.

Then there's Tarquin's cool smile in the final panel. He's saying, "Yes, Nale, I see you. I know you have a sword, while I'm not carrying any obvious weapon. I don't care. I'll even give away the advantage of surprise. Don't care. I'll still kick your back end..."

Tarquin is the most awesomely genre-savvy villain I can think of.

[Shoelessgdowar]

True Seeing is a Level 5 Cleric Spell, pretty sure Malack can use it and then do so many things to Nale, and since he has more time to think now, he probably can use his spells way more efficiently.

And I now see that while Tarquin shares many of Elan's emotional stylings, neither of his sons is a match for his mind. Tarquin isn't top of my list yet, but he just moved up many positions.

[SpaceBadger]

Good one! Thanks, Giant.

[SpaceBadger]

I can just imagine the wheels that turned in his Nale's head:
"Heh, so those fools are 'following me' to Girard's? That's convenient. It'll leave dear old dad much less protected. Just have to wait for the ri--"
"... So he thinks I'm still here. Fine. Should have figured he'd be paranoid; cowards always are, and that's what he is for not grabbing the glor--"
"... Did he just look at me? No, no, that's silly."
"Hmph. Well, at least he acknowledges my brilliance. I'm certainly not running off half-co--"
"I AM NOT AN EGOMANIAC! I mean, just because I was hanging off every word you two were saying about me just now doesn't mean I need to know. In fact, I'm done listening. ... Just as soon as he changes topics from me."
"... Birthday present? What in all the hells cou--"
"..."
"!!!!!!!!!!"

Nice! Sounds just like him.

[Laws of Chaos]

Every time I read a strip with Tarquin I cant help but like him even more! He also keeps moving up the list of all-time favorite villains.
Thanks for the update Giant!

[DougTheHead]

S*** just got real.

On one hand, I feel like Nale will try to bargain his information about the gates for his life. On the other, I don't see him walking out of this alive.

[ShikomeKidoMi]

Now here's the question: Is he gloating just for fun (because it is fun) or is he giving Nale a fair chance to flee in the hopes that this experience (and others like having a bounty put on his head) will eventually lead him to learning his lesson and shaping up?

Remember, Tarquin wasn't even offended when Elan challenged him to a duel to the death, so this may be his version of tough love for Nale-- giving him a chance to run. Just a chance, mind you, if he catches him than clearly Nale didn't learn enough.

Or maybe he really does want to catch Nale and just loves bragging, it's hard to say.

[Shatteredtower]

As entertaining as that was, I suspect it's leading us straight into the next curve ball.

[legomaster00156]

Ahahaha... yes... kill him! Destroy him!

[SamBurke]

Take Down Nale!

[doodthedud]

This is my favorite strip in all of the forever.

[Forikroder]

why are people thinking Tarquin for some reason botched his attempt to catch Nale?

Nale is alone in Tarquins castle, this comic was jsut Tarquin showing Nalei jsut how mcuh more amazing then him he is he probably has big plans for Nale and step one is "make him run around for a while terrified and let him think he has a chance to escape before showing him theres no way out"

maybe he even plans to run him down until hes too tired to take another step and then hand him to Malack

[Ridureyu]

Wow! In reading the comic, I expected a lame twist like Tarquin being Nale in disguise, and shanking Malak.

Instead, we got a genuinely hilarious strip!

[Squark]

HAHAHAHA!

Didn't see that one coming.


Ah, Nale. When will you ever learn?

[thereaper]

Nale. Got. Owned.

[Prophet_of_Io]

Tarquin is such a deliciously conniving +5 Vicious Keen Bastard Sword.

How can this man NOT be anyones favorite after his Evil Unveiling Rant and this most beautiful of plays. He's like an evil Batman that Majored in Villainy and minored in Theater. He's brilliant, devious and epic. I love him.

[Curious]

The villain should not be this likeable.

[Cranica]

"For instance, right now, Awesome takes the form of a Ring of True Seeing".

[Whiffet]

I gotta love that moment where a character I want to see suffer realizes he is in big trouble.

[Morgan Wick]

This, of course, raises the question of why Tarquin sent the OOTS off: to reinforce Girard against Nale, to get them out of his hair, for some reason related to why Penelope died, just to get the band back together and to their destination, or because he knows Girard is predisposed to hate them? Or some other reason entirely?

Also, so much for any theories that Tarquin and Nale are in cahoots.

[Ted The Bug]

Ok, seriously, I have two words.
Tarquin. Prequel.
This was fantastic.

[Zevox]

Ah, now that right there is why I love Tarquin. Intelligent and genre-savvy, plus humiliating Nale like it was second nature to him. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Zevox

[Rockphed]

The villain should not be this likeable.

Tarquin isn't the villain. He is evil and a tyrant, but he isn't the villain.

Then again Xykon is always fun to watch too.

Rich, why do your villains all rock so much? Despite being clearly evil, they are all far too much fun to read about!

Also, I think the appropriate foil in the Order for Tarquin is Roy. They would probably have a nice philosophical discussion while beating each other to pieces.

[silvadel]

Like Tarquin or Hate Tarquin, everyone respects Tarquin and his competence, genre savviness and style. Poor Nale. And Tarquin is smart enough not to simply kill him.... Nale + little black gem = karma.

[Ryu_Bonkosi]

Tarquin has the looks and drama knowledge of Elan and the intelligence of Roy, wrapped into one ball of delightful awesome. Good show.

[SlyJohnny]

You're all assuming that Tarquin is going to tell Malack that Nale is right there, and then apprehend him. I don't know if that's his priority.

I'm not entirely sure what his priorities are, at this point... he seems to want the OOTS to go off and complete their quest, and he says that's just because it's in his interest for them to defeat the resident scenery chewing villain before said villain conquers the world, but I'm suspicious. He's foreshadowed that Elan's choices are going to decide the fate of the empire, one way or the other, but I figured that was just because he "knew immediately" that Elan will be the one to depose him.

[Faltenin]

You're all assuming that Tarquin is going to tell Malack that Nale is right there, and then apprehend him. I don't know if that's his priority.

I agree... I'm not convinced that Tarquin is letting Malak wreak vengeance on Nale, it seems more like he's giving him a snarky lesson. Nale is his own "evil spawn" after all, the tyrant in training.

[fruityjanitor]

Another epic Tarquin strip! I literally laughed out loud at the last 2 panels

Can't wait to see what Tarquin is going to do with Nale. My first thought was that he will kill him (or let Malack kill him), but now I'm not so sure.

If he did kill him, I wonder what Sabine would do... And how would Elan react when he found out that his dad killed his brother?!

[DaggerPen]

Epic. Just epic. At first I was disappointed that we were remaining with Tarquin and Malack just where the scene left off- much as I love those two, Tarquin's last line was so great and the Order's utter lack of subtlety so obvious that it seemed like the explanation of how Tarquin figured it out would just kill the strip. Then he revealed Nale was still in the city, and I thought it was a good set-up strip for the next plot twist. Then we got to the Ring of True Seeing and I just started cackling with glee.

Utterly depraved b******* should not be this likeable.

[Anarion]

I genuinely did not see that coming. Bravo, Giant, bravo.

I'm going to take one from Elan and say that the way Tarquin set up the story while embarrassing Nale was an absolutely masterful way to lay out the upcoming plot. Now we get to wonder what the Order of the Stick will be facing (since they're clearly NOT facing Nale) and wonder what Tarquin's plans are towards Nale other than making him look the fool.

You might even say...

*sunglasses*

He saw right through him

/Internet slap