Aarindarius

[ZMiles]

Has a reason been given for why the Order hasn't tried Sending to Aarindarius (V's teacher) and asking him for help? V did mention during the soul-selling arc that Aarindarius's tower has defenses against someone like Qarr teleporting in, but V didn't raise any practical objection when the IFCC mentioned that the Order could Send to Aarindarius to have him help out with the black dragon problem. And now that V has gotten over the ego-driven 'I have to do everything' thing, that shouldn't be an issue either.

[Kish]

No.

They also haven't mentioned why the Order hasn't tried sending to Roy's Uncle Myrtok.

I suspect a similar answer to both questions.

[ZMiles]

I don't think Mrytok has been confirmed as having teleport, though. Whereas everyone seemed to accept that Aarindarius could in principle teleport to V's house and deal with the black dragon at very short notice, and so could presumably teleport to the Mechane or Firmament too.

[Draconi Redfir]

same reason why durkon couldn't ask thor to come down from the heavens himself and smack xykon around for them.

that'd be a deus ex Machina, or something simmilar to it. having a powerful ally pop up out of the woodwork to solve all the problems would be too easy, there would be no dramatic tension or goals to achive, it wouldn't be an interesting story.

[Keltest]

same reason why durkon couldn't ask thor to come down from the heavens himself and smack xykon around for them.

that'd be a deus ex Machina, or something simmilar to it. having a powerful ally pop up out of the woodwork to solve all the problems would be too easy, there would be no dramatic tension or goals to achive, it wouldn't be an interesting story.

As much as this is true, its also a plot hole if this powerful ally exists and is presented as being willing and able to help. For some inexplicable reason, Sending is an evocation spell, so V is certainly able to cast it (or a scroll of it, if he doesn't have it in his book for some reason), and Nale was able to buy a multitude of the scrolls in cliffport.

The resource is seemingly available, so at the very least I think a throwaway line is called for as to why they don't/cant take advantage of it.

[ChillerInstinct]

I don't think Mrytok has been confirmed as having teleport, though. Whereas everyone seemed to accept that Aarindarius could in principle teleport to V's house and deal with the black dragon at very short notice, and so could presumably teleport to the Mechane or Firmament too.

Unfortunately, and a touch ironically, V's made sure no one can Teleport to the Mechane. And the Mechane's Scry-proof, so it'll be hard for Aarin to get a lock on their location for a good Teleport regardless.

Firmament, maybe. But it's got to be quite some distance, even with how high of a level Aarin has got to be, and Teleport only reaches 100 miles per caster level. V's house was probably within feasible range, but a trip to near the Pole is unlikely, even if A prepared a full five Teleports. Which is to say nothing of the chance that the Teleport mishaps any of those five times, likely killing the squishy Elf Wizard outright. Oops.

[Keltest]

Unfortunately, and a touch ironically, V's made sure no one can Teleport to the Mechane. And the Mechane's Scry-proof, so it'll be hard for Aarin to get a lock on their location for a good Teleport regardless.

Firmament, maybe. But it's got to be quite some distance, even with how high of a level Aarin has got to be, and Teleport only reaches 100 miles per caster level. V's house was probably within feasible range, but a trip to near the Pole is unlikely, even if A prepared a full five Teleports. Which is to say nothing of the chance that the Teleport mishaps any of those five times, likely killing the squishy Elf Wizard outright. Oops.

Without knowing the exact nature of the anti-scrying measures, overcoming that could conceivably be as simple as V flying down to the ground and then having Aarin scry him. The dimensional lock is a nonissue for anybody who is familiar with the immediate area around the Mechane, as the radius really isn't that big.

[Murk]

I think Aarindarius isn't helping (or Roy's uncle, or whomever) because it isn't his business.

That might sound strange to us, since the world is about to end and that sure seems everyone's business, but it is the feeling I have about the OoTS-world: the word is almost ending every day.
Evil plots need to be stopped by adventurers on a daily basis.

The answer to: "Why don't the elves care about Azure City falling?", "Why doesn't the Mechane taxi the Order around for free?", "Why doesn't Aarindarius help the Order?" and all similar questions is the same: because the world being in danger isn't a big deal. If Aarindarius had to help every adventure party adventuring above their level, he would be working non-stop.

I think Roy and Belkar have a similar discussion in comic 881.
Roy: "Maybe we should retreat. Try to get the word out about what's going on and let someone more qualified handle it."
Belkar: "[...] Sound the alarm? Sure, whatever. I mean, that bell got rung when a billion hobgoblins stomped up and down on Hinjo's face. I don't hear the cavalry yet."

Clearly, people just aren't that interested in evil plots. There is always an adventure party around to save the world, and even though evil lichs have been around since the world was made, the world still exist.
Why bother with saving the world if you can also dedicate yourself to higher knowledge and let some adventurer looking for xp solve it?

[thereaper]

Are we even certain Aarindarius can cast Teleport? The fact that a sleep-deprived V might have believed so doesn't prove anything.

[Kish]

I think he probably can cast Teleport, but I think it is very likely that, humorous scenes illustrating a ridiculous plan the IFCC rushed past Vaarsuvius aside, he's lower-level than the Order now, and Vaarsuvius realized it as soon as they regained some perspective and tranced.

I don't think "what's going on isn't anything special" is an intended or appropriate takeaway. "What's going on is actually a serious threat to the world and since it's not set in the Forgotten Realms the author can actually say no one but the heroes is able to stop it" is.

[Morty]

People consider Aarindarius to be far more important than he actually is - a background figure in Vaarsuvius' backstory, briefly used by the IFCC to psychologically undermine Vaarsuvius and make them more likely to take a desired direction.

Space on a page, and time spent drawing those pages, are both in limited supply. I can think of many better ways to spend them than explaining why a character who only appears in a prequel and a hypothetical situation won't be showing up to save the day.

[snowblizz]

Space on a page, and time spent drawing those pages, are both in limited supply. I can think of many better ways to spend them than explaining why a character who only appears in a prequel and a hypothetical situation won't be showing up to save the day.

That's always my take on it. As already presented in this thread there are numerous reasons why everyone else in this world doesn't drop what they are doing and fix this thing we know is The Most Important Evvar. When we cna easily think of several palusible explanations what is gained by the author spending time going through why all of those options won't work right now.

It is very similar to the explanation of why "X didn't do the optimal choice Y that would entirely solve issue X" which the giant replied to with "because they didn't think of it".

[ScaredHobgoblin]

Also, for all we know Aarindarius might be dead or busy with something even more important. Or in a coma, or otherwise indisposed. Although, I will admit I don't remember if V ever said if he had some sort of link that made it so he knew whether or not his master was dead.

[georgie_leech]

Also, for all we know Aarindarius might be dead or busy with something even more important. Or in a coma, or otherwise indisposed. Although, I will admit I don't remember if V ever said if he had some sort of link that made it so he knew whether or not his master was dead.

When has that even come up as a possibility?

[ScaredHobgoblin]

When has that even come up as a possibility?

I'm not sure it has come up in the strip, but I'm saying that no one in the party knows. It could very well be Aarindarius is busy with something even more important. Or, at least something he himself views as more important, and therefore if called upon wouldn't help.

Again, not saying this is the case, but it could very well be.

[georgie_leech]

I'm not sure it has come up in the strip, but I'm saying that no one in the party knows. It could very well be Aarindarius is busy with something even more important. Or, at least something he himself views as more important, and therefore if called upon wouldn't help.

Again, not saying this is the case, but it could very well be.

Should we also wonder if Roy has some unmentioned link with his College Attacks of Opportunity instructor? We have just as much evidence for that link existing as we have for V's.

[TheNecrocomicon]

Isn't Aarindarius the head of a wizard college or guild or some-such? I would imagine he would be busy teaching his current students, or protecting them from either Xykon's intermittent rampages or Tarquin's imperialism.

I was going to speculate Aarindarius might be a delegate to the Western Pantheon's godsmoot, but then he's an arcane caster and the representatives are all high-level clerics.

[snowblizz]

Isn't Aarindarius the head of a wizard college or guild or some-such? I would imagine he would be busy teaching his current students, or protecting them from either Xykon's intermittent rampages or Tarquin's imperialism.

I don't recall anythign like that. Aa IIRC took V on through "family connections", and with the longevity of elves quite possibly hasn't take on another yet. Vs been away from his master for 1-2 years at most, compare that to the decades of aprenticeship would V had gone through. In elven terms Aa has had like a days break from his apprentice, whom he forcibly evicted no less.

There's no need to protect anyone from Tarquin or any other would be emperor. It's been made quite clear the elves are not bothered by the rubes in the desert and quite powerful enough to keep them away as is.

[RatElemental]

There's also the fact that the spell has a ten minute cast time. Maybe not a big deal before all the giants started chucking rocks and jumping off of mountains, but ever since then I don't think the order or Mechane's been in a position to let someone stand around chanting for ten minutes.

[Jasdoif]

Should we also wonder if Roy has some unmentioned link with his College Attacks of Opportunity instructor?

If such an unmentioned link were to exist, that Roy got a C- doesn't inspire too much hope that it'd turn out to be a helpful connection.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Not really. The grade is because Eugene was his usual time-wasting self when Roy was trying to get some studying done.

But we don't have a name for said instructor, so they're irrelevant. The only named faculty member for Bash University was Mister Sword-and-Board, the librarian.

And now I'm wondering if he was a Ripper in his youth.

[Finagle]

Aarindarius being a deus ex machina has been spoken about, and the author is known to hate deus ex machina like Wish and True Resurrection. So I doubt he will ever appear. If he does, it will be at the very end, or he will refuse to help as he is too busy in magical research, or some other averted outcome.

[littlebum2002]

This brings up an interesting point: If this world is seemingly often in crisis, isn't it possible that another adventuring group is also chasing Xykon? It would be pretty funny, albeit anticlimactic, if they got to the final room of his dungeon only to find someone else already defeated him.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Make it Roy and Durkon's previous group, and show us Xykon mopping the floor with them, and I will mail Rich a check for his bonus.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

This brings up an interesting point: If this world is seemingly often in crisis, isn't it possible that another adventuring group is also chasing Xykon?

They are. Remember when a dozen druids popped out of RedCloak's potted fern?

It would be pretty funny, albeit anticlimactic, if they got to the final room of his dungeon only to find someone else already defeated him.

It would be - which is why, almost certainly, we are reading the story of the group that will manage to defeat Xykon, and the Author is not bothering to tell us the stories of the failures.

GW

[Snails]

I would guess that Aarindarius was awesome in power to a lowish level V, but V has no idea whether he is all that powerful. V and Aarindarius do not have a close relationship, obviously; I find it unlikely a master would divulge specifics to a pupil unless the master had already decided to maintain a close relationship. That Aarindarius could take out the ABD is probably just one lie in a big pile of lies told to humiliate V.

One of the problems of a great gathering of someteenth level Big Name worthies, pooling their resources for one massive campaign, is a large and unwieldy group could be detected and squished by Xykon before they got their ball rolling. Maybe it already happened off panel, but The Giant did not fill in the details for us? Maybe other adventuring groups did catch up with Xykon, and lost?

The advantage the Order has is they really are a bunch of nobodies who keep moving, thus staying under the radar of real threats to anybody. There are sufficiently unimportant that even Redcloak would not bother to hunt them down, although he would happily argue for murdering them if the opportunity fell into his lap -- an argument he he lost BTW.

[hroþila]

Indeed, Xykon and Redcloak often talk about other bands of adventurers attacking them.

[Rodin]

This brings up an interesting point: If this world is seemingly often in crisis, isn't it possible that another adventuring group is also chasing Xykon? It would be pretty funny, albeit anticlimactic, if they got to the final room of his dungeon only to find someone else already defeated him.

Been done, and in epically anti-climactic fashion too. It even got set up too, in the first few comics of the strip. Courtesy spoiler:

Spoiler

Show

8 Bit Theater

[snowblizz]

This brings up an interesting point: If this world is seemingly often in crisis, isn't it possible that another adventuring group is also chasing Xykon? It would be pretty funny, albeit anticlimactic, if they got to the final room of his dungeon only to find someone else already defeated him.

Possible but unlikely. I can see other adventurers chasing Xykon, but not for reasons of Gates (tm). A lot of the world runs on plot so would make sense if there was a limit on the adventuring for same goals. Also the whole gates thing seems fairly well hidden away as a plot hook goes.

While I usually point out that the point of this story isn't the Gates or Xykon it would kinda mess up Roy if he wasn't the one to take out Xykon, which is why I feel he will.

We do also kinda get pointers that our story isn't necessarily the only one. We are all invested in it and tend to take it for granted, and it sur eis palyed up that way, but who knows?

Now I kinda want see someone kick the door in to avenge Master Fyron's son occupying Xykon and leaving Redcloak to face the music alone. Followed by a "we are all tired but fight anyway" battle with Xykon where he gets the badass bossfight.

[Jasdoif]

That Aarindarius could take out the ABD is probably just one lie in a big pile of lies told to humiliate V.

The IFCC never said Aarindarius could do anything besides "intercede", but Vaarsuvius thought meaningful intervention was plausible.