OOTS #821 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[Guancyto]

Oh yes.

Interesting that Nale missed the why of how bards are underpowered in this universe...

[ThePhantasm]

Nice strip! The last panel was pretty funny. I do wonder who killed Tarquin's wife. Also, I really want Malack to kill Nale...

[Merellis]

This calls for it!

Well, the Order of the Stick certainly have their work cut out for them now.

[Giggling Ghast]

So we're transitioning from referencing Star Wars to Indiana Jones now, are we?

Tarquin is right. And more often than not, the antagonists end up somehow dodging all the obstacles that the protagonists had to deal with. It's as though death traps give villains a pass.

[ThePhantasm]

So we're transitioning from referencing Star Wars to Indiana Jones now, are we?

Windy Canyon does sound reminiscent of the canyon at the end of Last Crusade...

[Aron Times]

It turns out neither Tarquin or Nale killed Penelope. My bet is on one of the other members of the Linear Guild.

[ShenCS]

Hah, so we know how that other party failed against Tarquin. And why Nale chose his classes. I find it interesting that he may have been a bard had he not misunderstood.
Also, I'm feeling really sorry for Malack

[Mordokai]

I'm digging the update schedule here.

Keep on rockin'!

[Starscream]

It turns out neither Tarquin or Nale killed Penelope. My bet is on one of the other members of the Linear Guild.

I'm thinking maybe she isn't really dead.

[AutomatedTeller]

Brilliant :)

"That's a meaningless compliment to a shapeshifter." "yes, I know"

"That's not how I raised you!"

[Roland Itiative]

I don't know why, but Malack's timely interruption made me suspect him of having killed Penelope EDIT: Less random idea: or maybe the frowning lizardman ambassador from here did it.

Anyway, it's interesting how Tarquin sees the potential of bards... May he be a bard himself (one that does not abide by following the narrative conventions unless they favour him)?

And I'm loving how the last few comics were released while I was online

[ThePhantasm]

I don't know why, but Malack's timely interruption made me suspect him of having killed Penelope

I thought that too, but I think he just really really wants to kill Nale.

[Darkfyre99]

Of all the reasons why Tarquin would consider bards underpowered, not ruling the cosmos through their understanding of narrative causality wasn't one I had considered. Given Tarquin's successes to date, he definitely has a point.

[Trufflehound]

Makes you wonder what Roy could have been, had he chosen to be a bard instead of a fighter.

[Kish]

Hm. Did Orrin or Girard kill Penelope?

...Did Penelope actually die at all, or was her death faked?

Makes you wonder what Roy could have been, had he chosen to be a bard instead of a fighter.

Nonlawful.

[ORione]

Wait a second. How does Nale know about the ritual?

[ThePhantasm]

Wait a second. How does Nale know about the ritual?

Sabine and the IFCC. I think. Scratch that, on a reread it seems plain he is talking about Xykon / Redcloak. "I've worked with them before..."

[tcrudisi]

I suspect Sabine of having killed Penelope due to her reaction when she popped in. It could be about the ritual, but something about it just implies to me that she's got a lot more going on in the background than what she lets on.

[RndmNumGen]

Wait a second. How does Nale know about the ritual?

Good question... it's not like Xykon would have ever told him, and he certainly didn't learn it from Shojo.

Could they have overheard something while imprisoned in Azure City?

[Alaska Fan]

Tarquin is falling for Nale's stall tactics far too easily. Redcloak and Xykon aren't going to give Nale the ritual, and we know that only Redcloak knows the truth about the ritual. Someone as impressively genre-savvy as Tarquin shouldn't fall for Nale's half truths. Nor is Tarquin likely to be blinded by lust for power.

And mark me down as one of those who is suspicious of Malack's role. He's not angry enough, and raises Nale's death at odd times in the narrative.

We're not being shown all of the cards...

[The Pilgrim]

Mandatory "Indiana Jones" reference after Tarquin's exposition, of course.

It's kinda cute to see evil Father and evil Son building the bridges back between them.

[faustin]

Of all the reasons why Tarquin would consider bards underpowered, not ruling the cosmos through their understanding of narrative causality wasn't one I had considered. Given Tarquin's successes to date, he definitely has a point.

The problem is, trying to overplay the laws of narrative causality can lead to Wrong Genre Savvy.
A good narrative is the one which has no problem averting any tropes. For example, in strip #663

Has anyone noted, now that Team Nale is working for Team Tarquin, they are a classic team themselves? The Durkon vs Malack is coming....

[Sunken Valley]

That seems like an unusual thing for Tarquin to do. He should know that playing with cosmic powers goes badly.

Also, how is penelope an old woman now but not in Tarquin's flashback? And Both times Tarquin is still same age I think we found a real plot hole.



And who killed penelope?

[NerfTW]

So we're transitioning from referencing Star Wars to Indiana Jones now, are we?

There haven't been ANY Star Wars references since that one strip. This isn't The Order of the "let's constantly reference and follow the plots of other stories". The only reason people have been finding references is because at it's core, Star Wars is a very simple, common hero's tale, and shares many traits with a lot of stories.

Wait a second. How does Nale know about the ritual?

Because he was working for Xykon originally in Dorukon's dungeon. Also, because the Order and the Sapphire guard both know why Xykon wants a gate. They just don't know Redcloak's real plan.

[Sethala]

Wait a second. How does Nale know about the ritual?

He was hired by Xykon when he first showed up, waaay back. Chances are he found out something about it back then. He may have known about the gate, too, just not that there's more than one or that there's an interdimentional god-killing horror on the other side.

[Roland Itiative]

Wait a second. How does Nale know about the ritual?

Nale already suspected Xykon had found a way of controlling the gates. And Sabine went to her superiors on the IFCC right after learning about the gates herself. It's probable that they, knowing more about Xykon's plans through scrying on V, gave some of that info to the Linear Guild.

Also, the same comic strip linked above indicates that while he was working under Xykon in the dungeon of Dorukan, Nale knew next to nothing about his real plans.

[Gift Jeraff]

Great strip. Panels like the last are why OOTS is so amazing. And I like how Tarquin finds both of his sons' girlfriends hot.

As for Penelope's killer, Sabine or Qarr not wanting anyone else to get involved seems likely, though I wouldn't rule out a Draketooth or someone new.

[rbetieh]

Fantastic strip. Of course, it turns out that Tarquin thinks bards are underpowered because they are lazy...I wonder now if he isn't a bard himself.....love that last joke too.

[faustin]

That seems like an unusual thing for Tarquin to do. He should know that playing with cosmic powers goes badly.

Having control over a Gate isn´t really different to having nuclear armament in the Cold War. Is not about really using it, but the mere menace of that possibility