Speculation on Tarquin's ending/fate

[Zevox]

Me neither. Luckily, I never said what you think I said: I claimed from the start I think he said the truth there. It's Kish who thinks he lied.

You said "his speech must contain a grain of truth," implying that you thought I was claiming that it didn't, and ergo that I was saying that he was lying.

Zevox

[Kish]

Kish isn't saying he lied, or that it isn't his truth. I believe he was saying that it wasn't the truth. I don't like, as someone on these boards put it, 'arguing by proxy' but I believe he meant as in he may say/think he'd be fine with Elan or someone defeating him, but his reaction were it to actually happen would be rather different.

I think I was the one who used that phrase, actually.

And yes, you're right about what I'm saying. Tarquin's ego demands that he phrase everything in terms of, "Heads, I win, tails, I win" (remember his reaction when the bounty hunters escaped from the arena?). It demands that without reference to how he will actually react when/if the coin comes up heads or how much effort he is liable to put into making sure it comes up tails or never lands at all.

[Ancalagon]

You said "his speech must contain a grain of truth," implying that you thought I was claiming that it didn't, and ergo that I was saying that he was lying.Zevox

I was trying to convince Kish that Tarquin lying there does not make sense, imo.

I might be inclinde to agree with Kish on this heads-tails-formulation. But if Tarquin had to decide his end, he clearly would go for the "most epic" one - and what he told Elan is more epic than "Silent Heartstroke".
The issue just is: He could have had the heads-tail-win without the public "legend" fluff, he could have said "I already won, no matter if you defeat me in the end". Why include the public epic tale at all when talking to Elan?

It's not necessary and Tarquin is someone who doesn't do stuff that's not necessary thus I must assume it's actually somewhat true from his perspective.

[Kish]

I was trying to convince Kish that Tarquin lying there does not make sense, imo.

I might be inclinde to agree with Kish on this heads-tails-formulation. But if Tarquin had to decide his end, he clearly would go for the "most epic" one - and what he told Elan is more epic than "Silent Heartstroke".
The issue just is: He could have had the heads-tail-win without the public "legend" fluff, he could have said "I already won, no matter if you defeat me in the end". Why include the public epic tale at all when talking to Elan?

Well, it served its purpose, didn't it? It took Elan from "You need to be removed now!" to, "Gaah, if I remove you I'll make you a legend!"

It's not, in my opinion, a particularly convincing argument. Any member of the Order except Elan could drive a truck through the "only if the story of your scheme and how long it worked becomes widely known" loophole. But that may well matter for Tarquin's eventual demise but didn't matter for the duration of that one strip: it worked on Elan.

Mind you, I believe Tarquin believed it at the time he said it.

[Zevox]

I was trying to convince Kish that Tarquin lying there does not make sense, imo.

Kish hadn't posted yet when you made the statement I was quoting.

Zevox

[Fish]

My vote: backstabbing by Ian Starshine. Haley's dad kills Elan's; Tarquin is killed by some unknown old man and career prisoner. Drama ensues between H & E.

[Kish]

Drama ensues between H & E.

Why would it? Elan knows his father needs killin'.

[Dark Matter]

Tarquin's main goal has already been accomplished: he's gotten to live a life of luxury as the ruler of nations for decades. Everything else, from further expansion of his empires to becoming a legend, is just icing on the cake for him.

Agreed.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people think that becoming a legend is Tarquin's main plan. How does eveyone keep missing that it's just a bonus he figures he'll get now that Elan has shown back up as a hero?

I think he's just manipulating Elan.

"Defeat me and I'll become more powerful than you can possibly understand!"

...(subconscious whisper: So joining me would be the least of all evil possibilities, you might even be able to turn me to the light side, and in the meantime you'd be doing good... eventually you'll take my place, and you can turn the empire to good).

[Boogastreehouse]

I'm still contemplating the possibility that Elan helps to redeem his father, thus adding more happy to his (Elan's) happy ending. Tarquin probably won't adopt Roy, though...

[Holy_Knight]

I assumed Tarquin's plan included a "This man (and his friends) has (or have) been subjugating the continent for years/decades!" revelation.

This is what I was leaning towards, too. Tarquin probably assumes that any kind of dramatic showdown (or at least, one with any chance of succeeding) would come on the heels of his system being exposed.

[Zevox]

I'm still contemplating the possibility that Elan helps to redeem his father, thus adding more happy to his (Elan's) happy ending. Tarquin probably won't adopt Roy, though...

I could see Elan trying to do that. Succeeding, on the other hand...

Zevox

[Procyonpi]

Yo forgot the most obvious fate: remarrying Elans mom, settling down, and adopting Roy! :P

[Tobrian]

-He beats the crap out of Xykon, let the OOTS live and rule the whole world? :D

Well, not the whole world, because that causes too much of a hassle (and paperwork). In Tarquin's eyes only morons like Nale and Xykon stand atop a mountain of skulls and yell "I want to rule the whole world!" without formulating any plans beyond that. Tarquin has found the perfect balance of power, why should he change his winning formula?

I fully expect Tarquin to help the OotS to beat Nale, Redcloak and Xykon, for the same reason why the vampire Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer helped Buffy against Angelus when Angelus tried to open a portal to Hell to destroy the world... because Spike, as he himself said, liked the world, and he was smart enough to recognize that letting an insane villain destroy the world will ruin your day even if you are evil yourself.

Tarquin is too genre-savvy to fall into the cardboard villain trap. And he is smart enough to know that dimensional rifts and a god-eating creature from beyond the universe are bad news, and trying to twiddle around with them is a horribly stupid idea... like most of Nale's ideas.

Xykon figures himself an unconquerable villain because he has lots of power, and claims that against ultimate power no plan can prevail. I hope Tarquin will prove him wrong. Tarquin will never let a two-bit chaotic idiot rule the world if he has any say about it.

The only thing that worries me is that so far, the OotS, Nale, and Tarquin believe that Redcloak and Xykon want to control the Snarl. Even Xykon thinks there's a way to control the Snarl. Only Redcloak knows that the Snarl cannot be controlled, neither by mere mortals or by gods, and that destroying the last seal will result in the unmaking of both Redcloak and Xykon. But then Redcloak is a religious fanatic. That's the vital piece of information that Tarquin, Nale, and the OotS are all missing, and it worries me.

But I firmly believe that the reason Tarquin was introduced to the storyline in such detail and as a recurring character is to give the OotS an unlikely but powerful ally who can contribute skills and attributes they themselves lack: Vast resources and -even more importantly- a talent for thinking ahead, for formulating long-term plans and planning for every contingency. Tarquin can outsmart Xykon.

So far all the OotS (and other characters like Miko) have done is acting like a typical band of heroes: Blundering into a villain's lair, reacting to what the villains are doing (thus always being one step behind them), spontaneously trying to beat Xykon in one-on-one combat (Roy and V especially) and getting their asses handed to them as the result.

The only smart thing Roy did was visiting the Oracle to figure out which one of the remaining Gates the Team Evil would go to next, to be there before them. But it backfired due to Roy not being about to count to three. One... two... THREE! Three Gates! Mwahahaha!

I'm still contemplating the possibility that Elan helps to redeem his father, thus adding more happy to his (Elan's) happy ending. Tarquin probably won't adopt Roy, though...

Redemption always ends with the former villain dying heroically. It's a narrative law. Tarquin has already told Elan that he doesn't facy changing sides if all he gets out of it is a case of inconvenient morals and karmic death.

[Gift Jeraff]

I used to be a fan of Nale killing Tarquin, but since it's starting to seem that Tarquin loves both of his sons equally, I think he'd be proud if Nale killed him.

So now I'm leaning towards Xykon casually murdering him, making him realize how insignificant he was in the long-run, and then Nale is cradling his dying father while swearing revenge on Xykon...because he wanted to be the one who killed him.

[t209]

About V coming out of the Plane and fry Tarquin into ashes.