OOTS Polls (feat. Favourite NPC Tournament)

[Emperordaniel]

I vote Yes. Why? No reason... at all.

Also, I choose Lien.

[rgrekejin]

I kind of wish Belkar would hurry up and die just so we'd stop seeing threads about how Belkar is going to die within the next arbitrarily chosen number of comics, but I don't think Belkar is going to die until close to the end of the story. So, No, the funny little psychopath isn't going to die at Girard's Gate.

...as for the second question, I don't know. Lien is kind of underdeveloped as a character, and a tad boring when she did get screen time. Nale is a terribly tedious, one-note villain, but interesting things happen when he's around, and the rest of the Linear Guild is much more awesome than he is. So although Nale himself is not really any fun, his presence at least heralds the coming of cool events. I guess I'll have to vote for , but I'm not sure I want to.

[Lycunadari]

Yes and Lien

[Rahjan]

No and Lien

[zimmerwald1915]

Reader Poll for #851
Will Belkar die at Girard's Gate? Yes or No?

This question seems unambiguous...going with Roy's definition for "at Girard's Gate", to wit "within one thousand feet of Girard's Gate", I'm going to say No.

Round 1, Match 7
"So, if you were looking to sacrifice a virgin, you'll have to find a way to travel back in time to before my Junior Prom."

VS

"I'm considerably smarter than he is... I just need more data. I need to devise some scheme, some elaborate machination, by which I could unearth more information..."

Gonna go with , on the basis of his having had more characterization so far than "the other paladin".

[The Pilgrim]

Yes.

Nale.

[LadyEowyn]

Lien. She's cool and I hope we get to see more of her and O-Chul. And Nale's a boring villain with too high an opinion of himself.

[t209]

Reader Poll for #851
Will Belkar die at Girard's Gate? Yes or No?

Round 1, Match 7
"So, if you were looking to sacrifice a virgin, you'll have to find a way to travel back in time to before my Junior Prom."

VS

"I'm considerably smarter than he is... I just need more data. I need to devise some scheme, some elaborate machination, by which I could unearth more information..."

Yes- The Prophet says so.

I like Lien but it's a shame that

Spoiler

Show

shipping between Hinjo (Nobleman) was gone (and Lien already had a boyfriend). At least we can make a shipping between Niu and Hinjo (or Niuh, Hinjo and Elf Princess in Polygamy)

P.S- Do you think Azure City has caste system? I mean Fish Cleaner, along with Leather tanner, were seen as unclean. That could make a good ol' lower class to Paladin?

[rgrekejin]

Yes- The Prophet says so.

*snip*

P.S- Do you think Azure City has caste system? I mean Fish Cleaner, along with Leather tanner, were seen as unclean. That could make a good ol' lower class to Paladin?

Hold on now. The oracle only says that Belkar is going to die before the end of the year. He never says that he's going to die at Girard's gate.

And no. Azure City does not have a caste system. It clearly has social classes, as it has nobles and samurai, lords and vassals and the like. However, this is not the same as a caste system, and the example that you gave explicitly invalidates the suggestion that one might exist. The major difference between a class system and a caste system is that there is mobility in a class system, whereas there is none in a caste system. If Lien moved from a fish-cleaner to a paladin (which would be a movement from Untouchable to Samurai, I suppose), then we know mobility exists in the system. Just like when Hinjo formed House Kato, or Shojo chose Miko as one of his samurai. So no, there is no caste system in Azure City.

[Bulldog Psion]

And no. Azure City did not have a caste system. It clearly had social classes, as it has nobles and samurai, lords and vassals and the like. However, this is not the same as a caste system, and the example that you gave explicitly invalidates the suggestion that one might exist. The major difference between a class system and a caste system is that there is mobility in a class system, whereas there is none in a caste system. If Lien moved from a fish-cleaner to a paladin (which would be a movement from Untouchable to Samurai, I suppose), then we know mobility exists in the system. Just like when Hinjo formed House Kato, or Shojo chose Miko as one of his samurai. So no, there is no caste system in Azure City.

Exactly. A caste system views professions and ranks as being more or less separate species, meaning that if you're born at the top, you never fall, and if you're born as a fish gutter, you stay a fish gutter for your whole life regardless of what you do -- and will probably be driven out or even possibly killed if you try to pretend you're not a fish gutter and it's found out.

In a feudal society, with ranks, a commoner is (in western European terms, just for the sake of my laziness) one blow on the shoulder (accolade) away from being a knight. Mobility isn't necessarily easy, but it's there, and in warrior-centered cultures, it's often attainable by conspicuous acts of courage.

(I suggest we carry this to another thread if anyone wants to discuss this further, lest we derail an interesting thread here.)

[t209]

I think I should have said "Would Lien's background (Fishery workers) be considered as Untouchables in Caste system?" Since Azure City has no caste system, it's safe to say that she came from lower class and manage to move to equivalent of knight position.
Prophet said that Belkar will die before his birthday (not specifically said one day or anyday before his birthday).
Okay, we can move on to the poll system.

[Vulkos]

No.

Nale.

[Othniel Edden]

Yes.

Lien.

[Ellye]

Yes, Belkar will die at this gate.

And as for the NPC Tournament, Nale.

[Defiant]

No.

Lien.

[Temotei]

No and Lien.

[Aricandor]

No and Lien.

[Gandariel]

No

And, of course! =)

[Ferreroni]

Yes, because the Linear Guild vastly overpowers them, and Xykon is coming with Redcloak. unless Team Evil fights The linear guild or a BIG deus ex machina is pulled (and i dont think Rich would do that to us), someone has to die to show the gravity of the situation. And Belkar is perfect for it, even if the comedy world will suffer a great loss
Nale has more development, Lien is just the girl with the shark, and i think the sole purpose of her existance is having another paladin.

[king korath]

I vote NO, will probably bite it at the last gate.

My character vote is for I am partial to secondary villains with delusions of grandeur.

[DemonRoach]

Belkar dies.

Nale wins, probably by excessive treachery

[ThomasMink]

I'll vote no, Belkar won't die here.

Also Nale.

[Rorrik]

Dang, Lien came so close, passed right at the finish by Nale.

[oppyu]

#851 - Passive Voice
Will Belkar die at Girard's Gate?
Yes: 10 - 41.66%
No: 14 - 58.33%

This was such an awesomely close contest, going right down to the wire and generally being very exciting. It was so close that I had to go through and double check the votes for the first time (every other match-up was so one-sided that a couple of votes wouldn't have mattered).

Round 1, Match 7
: 12 - 48.00%
: 13 - 52.00%

#852 - Under the Helmet
Will the Order be able to figure out Tarquin's identity without him intentionally giving it away? Yes or No?

Round 1, Match 8 (Last match of Round 1)
"I prefer to think of myself as a super-advanced flying stealth dinosaur!... Also, you're a moron."

VS

"purrrrrr"

[RSLee]

Could go either way. I'm leaning towards Yes though.

And, I've got to put my vote for Mr. Scruffy. The little guy is just so much more bad ass.

[Mike Havran]

I say yes. At the latest, it will be all clear the moment one of the Order spots Malack.

And I will go with Blackwing. He's smart enough to come up with a victorious strategy. And he's more likeable.

[Adanedhel]

Yes because contrary to popular opinion there are members of the order with both the intelligence and wisdom to find this out.

Blackwing, cause he adds something to the story by himself rather then just being an object which happens to influence others due to it's sheer existence. Furthermore everyone who tries to avoid becoming evil could due with a sarcastic additional conscience :)

(Though by now I am wondering whether Rich picked a raven familiar because he knew one day having it speak could be useful, though he probably hadn't yet imagined this way, since V was meant to be good.)

[rgrekejin]

The Order probably can, in theory, but I don't think they will. So No.

And I'll abstain from voting on the second. It's too close to call.

[MeanMrsMustard]

Yes, Tarquin's Thog disguise was so see-through because of the way he acted (fighting defensively, resisting magic, using second-person pronouns), so I think that the Order will unmask him (literally or figuratively) very soon.
It's pretty close, but I think I'm voting for Blackwing. Don't get me wrong, I love the Scruffinator (and I won't be too disappointed if Mr. Scruffy wins), but I think I like Blackwing better.

[Smolder]

Yes, Roy guesses Tarquin's identity, if not already, then soon. He'll know for sure because Haley has been pickpocketing Tarquin from off-panel and has read his identity from his villainy license.

You're killing me. I hate to see V's external conscience eliminated so soon in the tournament... but I gotta give it to Belkar's animal companion, for some very funny moments for which we're all going to hell.