How Durkon will use his memories (Spoiler prediction)

[CowardlyPaladin]

Spoilers and Speculation ahoy

I've been reading this comic every since Nale couldn't figure out how to use a sending scroll and I have yet to make an actual prediction so here we go.

We have seen that the Priest of Hel doesn't have complete access to Durkon's memories, it needs to access them in the moment (at least for now). And Durkon has finally figured out how to custom tailer the memories he is showing it, but he still can't say NO to said memories. So how can that be useful, he can't plant false information, and he can't deny him information. However he can give him....parts.

Now we know that Belkar is the only person who suspects him, and Vamp Durkon is going to be trying to get him off its back, particularly now that he has that protection from evil charm. So Vamp Durkon might need to find some other way to appease him to get him off its back, and in order to do that it needs a memory to distract Belkar....and what memory does real Durkon have of Belkar that will change the Sexy Shoeless God of War's priorities.....oh wait.

And since Durkon can customize how he is going to show certain events, he could show "the Event" and not show the subsequent conversations afterwards about how said event needs to never be talked about again. And if Vamp Durkon brought that up, then Belkar would confront his old nemesis....who would realize something is wrong because Durkon promised to never speak of the event.


To stop speaking so obtusely, I am reffering to Belkar kissing V ;)

[Tom Lehmann]

I agree that a clear-cut reference to the "event that must not be discussed" in front of both V and Belkar will most likely tip V off that something strange is going on...

If that does turn out to be key to how Durkon sets events in motion to defeat the HPoH, then it will a nice example of just how long Rich has been plotting this entire sequence. Yes, we know from book commentaries that Durkon becoming a Vampire has been in the works since before strip #4, but to have this comic episode from book 3 come back and be so important in book 6 would be impressive.

Of course, manipulating circumstances so that Durkon can "innocently" set HPoH up to "naturally" talk about the Event in front of V and Belkar is going to be quite tricky...

[CowardlyPaladin]

I agree that a clear-cut reference to the "event that must not be discussed" in front of both V and Belkar will most likely tip V off that something strange is going on...

If that does turn out to be key to how Durkon sets events in motion to defeat the HPoH, then it will a nice example of just how long Rich has been plotting this entire sequence. Yes, we know from book commentaries that Durkon becoming a Vampire has been in the works since before strip #4, but to have this comic episode from book 3 come back and be so important in book 6 would be impressive.

Of course, manipulating circumstances so that Durkon can "innocently" set HPoH up to "naturally" talk about the Event in front of V and Belkar is going to be quite tricky...

I imagine that the Giant just placed a lot of seeds for all of the stuff he had planned, and then waited until which ones seemed more interesting. Like the stuff with Tarquin and red.

And the whole Belkar/V love feud was kinda thrown in there and yet never really resolved, which makes me suspect that it has a larger purpose. It might not be what I think it is, but it certainly took a great deal of time and then sort of ended so I think it is coming back.

And we know Durkon is going to use his memory mastery to escape, anybody have any ideas what else he could do?

[Zaclock]

I must admit, I'm totally jealous of this prediction. Whether it turns out to happen or not, it is incredibly good.

I remember reading recently the Giant (not sure if it was recent or archive comment) saying that the New Year arc in which the kiss happened received a lot of forum disapproval when it first appeared, but that he didn't care and went on as the forumites back then couldn't see he was setting up important key plot components, like Celia's amulet. It might well be that the kiss was another key plot element he had in mind for that arc.

[CowardlyPaladin]

I must admit, I'm totally jealous of this prediction. Whether it turns out to happen or not, it is incredibly good.

I remember reading recently the Giant (not sure if it was recent or archive comment) saying that the New Year arc in which the kiss happened received a lot of forum disapproval when it first appeared, but that he didn't care and went on as the forumites back then couldn't see he was setting up important key plot components, like Celia's amulet. It might well be that the kiss was another key plot element he had in mind for that arc.

Thanks a lot, it hit me just as I was telling a friend about how memory worked in Oots with vampires.

And I've noticed that almost all of the Giant's choices get negative feedback when they first come out, because people don't have the big picture, only for the pay off to come later.

[Caranda]

I think Durkon is somehow leaving things out of the view on purpose. It completly suits his style of always being honest and true and stick to the rules.

He's showing the Vampire a LOT of memories about his mother, and I think maybe his relationship with her is not as healthy as he is leading the Vampire to believe. I bet he's going to cross paths with Sigdi, and when the Vampire hurries to hug her in tears of joy, she will say something like 'how do even dare to speak to me after what happened between us?'.

Another thing i'm starting to think about is all this pilgrimage thing is just a plot device from Rich to have all powerful-enough clerics in the same place, and kill or end them somehow, leaving us asking ourselves how is Durkon going to end up in this vampire situation. It won't be 'he just needs to find a powerful cleric' anymore. It has to be deeper than that.

PS: it's my first post here and English is not my mother language, so please be kind. I never wanted to post, but this Durkon story is really making me wonder what's going to happen next.

[Aquatosic]

I think Durkon is somehow leaving things out of the view on purpose. It completly suits his style of always being honest and true and stick to the rules.

He's showing the Vampire a LOT of memories about his mother, and I think maybe his relationship with her is not as healthy as he is leading the Vampire to believe. I bet he's going to cross paths with Sigdi, and when the Vampire hurries to hug her in tears of joy, she will say something like 'how do even dare to speak to me after what happened between us?'.

Another thing i'm starting to think about is all this pilgrimage thing is just a plot device from Rich to have all powerful-enough clerics in the same place, and kill or end them somehow, leaving us asking ourselves how is Durkon going to end up in this vampire situation. It won't be 'he just needs to find a powerful cleric' anymore. It has to be deeper than that.

PS: it's my first post here and English is not my mother language, so please be kind. I never wanted to post, but this Durkon story is really making me wonder what's going to happen next.

I love this theory, although she's probably going to be ticked off by the whole vampire thing in general, seeing as Durkon probably got his views on the undead from her partly

PS: I wouldn't even have been able to tell if you hadn't pointed it out. Your English is no worse than most posts on the internet, a bit better even.

[Kantaki]

I think Durkon is somehow leaving things out of the view on purpose. It completly suits his style of always being honest and true and stick to the rules.

He's showing the Vampire a LOT of memories about his mother, and I think maybe his relationship with her is not as healthy as he is leading the Vampire to believe. I bet he's going to cross paths with Sigdi, and when the Vampire hurries to hug her in tears of joy, she will say something like 'how do even dare to speak to me after what happened between us?'.

Another thing i'm starting to think about is all this pilgrimage thing is just a plot device from Rich to have all powerful-enough clerics in the same place, and kill or end them somehow, leaving us asking ourselves how is Durkon going to end up in this vampire situation. It won't be 'he just needs to find a powerful cleric' anymore. It has to be deeper than that.

PS: it's my first post here and English is not my mother language, so please be kind. I never wanted to post, but this Durkon story is really making me wonder what's going to happen next.

I agree that there might be something important Durkon is hiding from the HPoH, maybe some context maybe an outright misinformation he slipped in.

But I disagree that the pilgrimage is only there to kill of powerful clerics. I think they are going to provide something the Order will need, be it information, some kind of (Anti-Snarl) weapon or backup/ a distraction.

Re: the PS: Don't worry most people there are friendly. Maybe a little bit crazy but friendly.

[Morquard]

For all we know they might actually be on a "pilgrimage" to the last gate. They might be the ones Serini entrusted her secrets with, and they're the guardians (aside from the monsters). When they saw one gate after the other flicker out they decided to call in all the high level clerics and march to the gate.

That's what I predict.

[CowardlyPaladin]

the mother theory doesn't add up, Durkon only figured out memory manipulation after the scene where he dropped the plates, and we have already had 4 memories of his mother before hand. Its possible, but considering how memories worked before hand, I don't think so
.

An ex girlfriend maybe

[Ornithologist]

the mother theory doesn't add up, Durkon only figured out memory manipulation after the scene where he dropped the plates, and we have already had 4 memories of his mother before hand. Its possible, but considering how memories worked before hand, I don't think so
.

An ex girlfriend maybe

Bold for emphasis. Maybe Hilgya!

This is a thing that needs to happen!

[CowardlyPaladin]

Bold for emphasis. Maybe Hilgya!

This is a thing that needs to happen!

wait...I didn't think of that....OMG

[Ornithologist]

though I am pretty sure that Hilgya is not a high priestess of Loki. So her chances of showing up are quite low now... But still It would make for a great hook!

[Alchemist_Fire]

If that does turn out to be key to how Durkon sets events in motion to defeat the HPoH, then it will a nice example of just how long Rich has been plotting this entire sequence.

Rich is on record, somewhere, saying that by the end of the first book he wanted to use Tarquin, the mysterious warlord father of Nale; he has also said that Malack only existed to vampirize Durkon.

[Darth Paul]

I remember reading recently the Giant (not sure if it was recent or archive comment) saying that the New Year arc in which the kiss happened received a lot of forum disapproval when it first appeared, but that he didn't care and went on as the forumites back then couldn't see he was setting up important key plot components, like Celia's amulet.

I'm not sure (because, to be totally honest, I'm too lazy to go get the book out), but I think this was in the author commentary for BRitF. Please let me know if I'm right. I've re-read the book 6 times and had to set it aside for awhile. (I'm now reading Nation by the late, great Sir Pterry Pratchett for the 5th time.)