OOTS #966 - The Discussion Thread

[rredmond]

But I do want to see flying hats...

I chuckled aloud at that part as well!
--Ron--

[Dissection]

Durkon's smile in the third to last panel is terrifying

[AdmiralCheez]

I've got to say, the product placement worked. Not only have I pre-ordered the book, I'm thinking of taking my airship over to that shop and getting it tuned up!


...Now I just need an airship.

[Sylthia]

What do you mean, we can't finish the side quests now? Stop railroading us! Jk

[Raphite1]

Looking at the reaction Durkula has when Belkar seems to not want to come along. It seems he believes that Belkar has finally let up on revealing him as a monster.

No, Durkula is evil-happy because Belkar's refusal makes it seem like Belkar doesn't care if Durkon gets resurrected. This fits perfectly with Durkula's efforts on the airship to make it seem like Belkar's hostility towards him is irrational. In reality, Belkar probably just doesn't want to be alone with him and possibly get killed.

[Macros]

I'm not sure what Durkula is trying to achieve here. Ok, I can see the immediate gain (one more argument for Roy to think he really is Durkon with a severe skin problem!), but he certainly can't risk his request to actually be granted ; not to mention, he's safe with the Order, but coming into contact with pepole who might have maxxed ranks in Knowledge (religion) might be a bad idea if he wants to maintain his mascarade (well, V once claimed he had ranks in it, but given what happened with Xykon, we have reasons to doubt it).

Obviously, Durkula had a lot of time to think about it, especially since he initiated the move, so it will probably work out well for him. I'm simply curious to see how.

[Bulldog Psion]

Wow. Durkula seems to be manipulating Roy like one would a hand-puppet god.
That is to say, Roy is Durkula's Banjo.

Two observations on that:

1. You're absolutely correct, and that's a great simile.

2. That comparison would absolutely infuriate Roy, which makes it even better.

[TheStranger]

It's possible this is just Durkula furthering his deception, but that doesn't feel right to me. He can't risk actually finding a high-level cleric and having his bluff called. And even if that doesn't happen, this really doesn't accomplish anything. Currently, I think Belkar's the only one who's suspicious, and I doubt this changes his mind. So if that's all this is, it just preserves the status quo.

My guess is that Durkula tips his hand here and sets up a conflict between him and the rest of the party. Maybe his bluff gets called and he can't quite talk his way out of it, or he attacks/mind-controls Roy once they're alone, or he starts turning clerics into vampires when Roy isn't looking. I see Belkar playing the hero in this arc, either by saving Roy from Durkula or being the one who learns about Durkula and has to convince the rest of the party. Belkar seems too blase about this; I think he at least sends Mr. Scruffy to see what happens with Roy and Durkula.

Sooner or later, we know that there's going to be a conflict between OotS and Durkula. The only question is whether it happens now or later. If the next strip is Roy and Durkula coming back and announcing that they couldn't find a high-level cleric, I guess it's later. But I think this is when Durkula starts doing something proactive to further Hel's plans beyond just building trust.

[Breccia]

Ah, airships and sidequests. Good times...good times...

[Gwynfrid]

Like everyone, I wonder what Durkula has planned... However, there's also another big question: What does Belkar want to do in town?

[oppyu]

Is there a meme of a TV character making a confused and thoughtful expression with 'I DON'T TRUST THIS' in large block letters? Because that would be very appropriate here. Just what is that sneaky bloodsucking bastard up to...

[Crusher]

Like everyone, I wonder what Durkula has planned... However, there's also another big question: What does Belkar want to do in town?

Gnome whores?

What exactly is Durkula up to? Hmm...

[ref]

I'm guessing the first panels would be slightly different on print, right? At the very least the "available now" part...

[rredmond]

Y'all don't think that Belkar is going to follow along at a discreet distance to get further proof against Durkon?

[Lheticus]

So, a lampshade hanging hat-trick AND some behavior from Durkula that nigh DEMANDS expansion on. In the same update. In a very short amount of time after the previous update, comparing relatively to recent days.

The Giant is truly a storytelling juggernaut. Which I suppose is appropriate, given he's a Giant. XD

[rewinn]

Like everyone, I wonder what Durkula has planned... However, there's also another big question: What does Belkar want to do in town?

Find something to help with Durkula's habit of Dominating him?

...Sooner or later, we know that there's going to be a conflict between OotS and Durkula. The only question is whether it happens now or later.....

Maybe. Hel might prefer to keep the Order as cannon fodder against Xykon, which would mean actually helping the Order right up to the moment of betrayal. My current theory ...

Spoiler

Show

... Hel plans that at the final boss fight Order v. Xykon, Durkula joins Xykon after revealing Redcloak's betrayal (which Hel learns from Tsukiko's shade ... incidentally demonstrating the error of revealing your plan to someone you're about to kill)... and they Snarl on Thor, making Hel happy and amusing Xykon.

[Tiiba]

So... What is the name of the repair woman? You promise her publicity, and we still don't know what she looks like, what she's called, or what her business is called.

She's gonna sue.

[Gift Jeraff]

Don't worry, Elan. You still might get to fight the optional-but-stronger-than-the-final-boss boss if it's in the final dungeon.

I am actually concerned that HTOH may be able to BE resurrected without actually giving control back to Durkon. Vampirism represented Hel's chance to take over Durkon, but who is to say her containment of his soul would end simply if his body died?

Vampirism wasn't Hel's 'chance' to trap Durkon's soul, trapping the victim's soul is just what vampirism does in this setting.

Also, I think the vampire spirit cannot exist as a living entity. As he said earlier, he is composed entirely of negative energy.

Is there a meme of a TV character making a confused and thoughtful expression with 'I DON'T TRUST THIS' in large block letters? Because that would be very appropriate here. Just what is that sneaky bloodsucking bastard up to...

I think you mean 'image macro.'

[wkwkwkwk1]

For some reason, I don't like Durkon's face in the third to last panel...

[Keltest]

For some reason, I don't like Durkon's face in the third to last panel...

Its the sense of impending doom.

[ReturnOfTheKing]

Like everyone, I wonder what Durkula has planned... However, there's also another big question: What does Belkar want to do in town?

…I'm not sure if I really want to know. All I can say with certainty is, those gnomes are in a helluva lot of danger while he's around. But then, the same goes for most life-forms in this world.

Also, I really hope we get a proper look at a bit of Tinker Gnome-y awesomeness soon

[Solara]

No, Durkula is evil-happy because Belkar's refusal makes it seem like Belkar doesn't care if Durkon gets resurrected.

I interpreted that panel as Dukula being evil-happy because Roy was so easy to manipulate. Notice he only gets the really interesting expressions (that panel and the last panel) when Roy is facing the other direction.

[Keltest]

…I'm not sure if I really want to know. All I can say with certainty is, those gnomes are in a helluva lot of danger while he's around. But then, the same goes for most life-forms in this world.

Also, I really hope we get a proper look at a bit of Tinker Gnome-y awesomeness soon

Im not sure anything can top helicopter hat guy.

[Lheticus]

So... What is the name of the repair woman? You promise her publicity, and we still don't know what she looks like, what she's called, or what her business is called.

She's gonna sue.

Tiiba +1,000 YES points.

[Great equalizer]

Doesn't resurrecting a vampire require destroying it first? I'm not that familiar with the rules...

(also, made it to the second page!)

[Ezekiel]

So Durkula is looking to get some cleric thralls of his own I think...I'm sure Hel would love to have a bigger priesthood.

[Keltest]

Doesn't resurrecting a vampire require destroying it first? I'm not that familiar with the rules...

(also, made it to the second page!)

Yes, but in a hypothetical situation where the vampire wants a resurrection, that's trivially easy to do.

[bguy]

So Durkula is looking to get some cleric thralls of his own I think...I'm sure Hel would love to have a bigger priesthood.

If Hel wanted more vampire followers though then you would think that Durkula would have vamped Z back in strip #908? Yes, Z wasn't a cleric, but a high level vampire wizard (completely in thrall to her high priest) would have still been very useful to her. That Durkula passed on that opportunity suggests that whatever Hel's scheme is it doesn't involve acquiring additional powerful vampire minions.

[FolcoTook]

What do you mean, we can't finish the side quests now? Stop railroading us! Jk

I know, right?! It's like events in the world stay in motion even when we aren't a part of them. Ridiculous.

;)

[factotum]

Whatever Durkula has planned, he won't harm Roy--he knows that Roy and the others are his meal ticket to where he really wants to be (Kraagor's Gate), and if he comes back from this little journey either without Roy or towing vampire Roy behind him, I don't seriously think no-one will notice that. He's probably checked Macebook and realised that there are no clerics of high enough level to resurrect him in Tinkertown, so asking this is perfectly safe and earns him a few kudos with Roy to boot.

(Same applies to the question "Why didn't he vamp V?", by the way--it would tip his hand in a major way, and he's not daft enough to do that).