High Priest of Loki!?

[woweedd]

I wonder what the odds of Nale and Sabine running into the soul of a certain soon-to-be-deceased halfling are?

Do you have any idea how many Evil people die on a regular basis, putting aside that Nale is LE anyway?

[Ruck]

I wonder what the odds of Nale and Sabine running into the soul of a certain soon-to-be-deceased halfling are?

I'd say approximately zero, given my own predictions for how Belkar's story will be resolved (not only how he dies, but that it'll happen late enough in the story for "Belkar's Adventures in the Underworld" not to be a thing).

[B. Dandelion]

I wouldn't take it for granted that Hilgya has any further part to play in the plot at all, but I would still like to point out that her being in Dwarven lands currently doesn't necessarily require her to have moved back there. She could be visiting, on a mission or quest, etc. Depending on the reason I think she could probably overcome her antipathy long enough to stomach a fortnight or so. "Ivan died and named you as the sole beneficiary in his will, but in order to collect you have to show up in person," "Loki commanded you to join another evil adventuring group that's planning on robbing the biggest vault in the Church of Thor," "an old childhood friend is deathly ill and you wanted to visit her one last time before she passes"... I'm sure something could be contrived, and the fact that it's an incredible coincidence that the timing worked out in the way that would impact the story for maximum possible drama is not really an obstacle in this particular comic.

[Ruck]

"Contrived" is the key word there, though. Even though The Order of the Stick does run on the power of dramatic narrative, I can't think of a single instance where a character reappearance felt contrived. I get the impression that Rich creates the side characters by and large for their plot functions, and then develops them from there. Hilgya has served her plot function, and I think the only way she could be relevant, if Durkon's feelings about her were strong enough to trigger some kind of internal strife that let Durkon get an advantage over his vampire captor, A)Is a contrivance itself (I don't think Durkon has strong feelings about her), B)Would require a contrivance to get her back to Dwarven lands (since she hates them), and C)Would cheapen the victory of Durkon and the Order over the vampire (since the story of the Order is learning to work together, trust one another, and become more effective, a character who hasn't been seen for 1,000 strips coming back in a contrived manner to bail them out in some manner would undermine that.)

[Wristlet Eater]

Note that it's probably more likely that Nale's soul *would* go to a member of the IFCC because he was fundamentally working for them. However, I don't see why they would bother raising him from the dead and sending him back into the fray--he's served his purpose of disrupting the Order's plans and he isn't needed for that while Durkula is doing such a bang-up job.

He could just become a fiend. Some souls would even do that on their own and Nale is certainly persistent enough to try.

[woweedd]

He could just become a fiend. Some souls would even do that on their own and Nale is certainly persistent enough to try.

I imagine that takes quite a while. Especially given that, in the Evil afterlife, your power is based on your ability to control others and not being anywhere near as clever or cunning as he thinks he is is most of Nale's personality.

[Wristlet Eater]

I imagine that takes quite a while. Especially given that, in the Evil afterlife, your power is based on your ability to control others and not being anywhere near as clever or cunning as he thinks he is is most of Nale's personality.

Only in the LE afterlife, not necessarily in any other afterlife.

[Dr.Zero]

There are plenty of explanations for Hilgya being there which are not contrived (ie: whatever explanation sounds as a good explanation is by definition not contrived).

Starting with the fact she is a high level cleric of Loki. If she still mirrors Durkon, she probably is one of the few clerics in this world in the high teens, level-wise.

With that premise, I don't find particularly contrived an explanation like: "Hey, little one, Loki here. Yes, yes, praise me. I want to inform you and your new 5 questing friends that the world is going to end, if no one acts and that you dwarves are going to get a particular short end of the stick from it. Yes, that includes you, even if you hate all other dwarves. So: [buy one of those teleport ball and go/explain it to your mage or psion and teleport/windwalk, if close enough] to Firmament to fix this mess. More details will follow. Remeber: Vote Loki 2017!"

Edit: just adding that, thinking twice about it, I find much more contrived that only Hel and Thyrm act through their followers, while all the other gods -starting with Loki, Odin and Thor- sit down on their thumbs.

[woweedd]

There are plenty of explanations for Hilgya being there which are not contrived (ie: whatever explanation sounds as a good explanation is by definition not contrived).

Starting with the fact she is a high level cleric of Loki. If she still mirrors Durkon, she probably is one of the few clerics in this world in the high teens, level-wise.

With that premise, I don't find particularly contrived an explanation like: "Hey, little one, Loki here. Yes, yes, praise me. I want to inform you and your new 5 questing friends that the world is going to end, if no one acts and that you dwarves are going to get a particular short end of the stick from it. Yes, that includes you, even if you hate all other dwarves. So: [buy one of those teleport ball and go/explain it to your mage or psion and teleport/windwalk, if close enough] to Firmament to fix this mess. More details will follow. Remeber: Vote Loki 2017!"

Edit: just adding that, thinking twice about it, I find much more contrived that only Hel and Thyrm act through their followers, while all the other gods -starting with Loki, Odin and Thor- sit down on their thumbs.

hse stopped being Durkon's personal rival a long time ago.

[Quebbster]

We even know Loki can give Hilgya orders since that was the only reason she joined the Linear Guild to begin with.

hse stopped being Durkon's personal rival a long time ago.

She could have spent the last 1000 strips adventuring and gaining levels that way though. The "personal rival" bit just explained why Crystal was at Haley's level despite staying in Greysky city.

[woweedd]

We even know Loki can give Hilgya orders since that was the only reason she joined the Linear Guild to begin with.

She could have spent the last 1000 strips adventuring and gaining levels that way though. The "personal rival" bit just explained why Crystal was at Haley's level despite staying in Greysky city.

Yeha, she could've but, honestly, I feel like you're reaching.

[Ruck]

There are plenty of explanations for Hilgya being there which are not contrived (ie: whatever explanation sounds as a good explanation is by definition not contrived).

Starting with the fact she is a high level cleric of Loki. If she still mirrors Durkon, she probably is one of the few clerics in this world in the high teens, level-wise.

With that premise, I don't find particularly contrived an explanation like: "Hey, little one, Loki here. Yes, yes, praise me. I want to inform you and your new 5 questing friends that the world is going to end, if no one acts and that you dwarves are going to get a particular short end of the stick from it. Yes, that includes you, even if you hate all other dwarves. So: [buy one of those teleport ball and go/explain it to your mage or psion and teleport/windwalk, if close enough] to Firmament to fix this mess. More details will follow. Remeber: Vote Loki 2017!"

Edit: just adding that, thinking twice about it, I find much more contrived that only Hel and Thyrm act through their followers, while all the other gods -starting with Loki, Odin and Thor- sit down on their thumbs.

What makes you think "she still mirrors Durkon," or that she ever did?

Why Hilgya and not some other high-level cleric of Loki? How would her appearance specifically benefit the story? If her appearance isn't going to specifically depend on her relationship with Durkon, why have it? If it is, how does that improve the story?

[woweedd]

What makes you think "she still mirrors Durkon," or that she ever did?

Why Hilgya and not some other high-level cleric of Loki? How would her appearance specifically benefit the story? If her appearance isn't going to specifically depend on her relationship with Durkon, why have it? If it is, how does that improve the story?

He's working off of the personal rival thing we saw with Haley and Crystal.

[Ruck]

He's working off of the personal rival thing we saw with Haley and Crystal.

I don't think Hilgya could remotely be considered a personal rival of Durkon, then.

[factotum]

He's working off of the personal rival thing we saw with Haley and Crystal.

That was never suggested to work for Durkon and Hilgya, and I don't see their history supporting it anyway--they only knew each other for a matter of hours, and while Hilgya might well be the "woman scorned" and thus somewhat annoyed at Durkon, would that really make her his personal rival?

[hroþila]

Not that I expect to see Hilgya again, but I think it's a bit overkill to suggest it's impossible, that she can't have kept up leveling up on her own (in a world governed by mysterious forces that largely keep things level-appropriate) or that it couldn't possibly make for good storytelling.

[Ruck]

That was never suggested to work for Durkon and Hilgya, and I don't see their history supporting it anyway--they only knew each other for a matter of hours, and while Hilgya might well be the "woman scorned" and thus somewhat annoyed at Durkon, would that really make her his personal rival?

And if Hilgya really feels herself a woman scorned, wouldn't she be more of an obstacle to Durkon and the Order than an aid? Alternately, would the story really benefit from a character we haven't seen in 1,000 strips returning to grapple with her belief in staying true to her feelings above all else vs. her loyalty to the god she serves?

Not that I expect to see Hilgya again, but I think it's a bit overkill to suggest it's impossible, that she can't have kept up leveling up on her own (in a world governed by mysterious forces that largely keep things level-appropriate) or that it couldn't possibly make for good storytelling.

Well, no one said that. I gave multiple reasons I thought it would be contrived and make for poor storytelling, and saying "But it's not impossible" isn't a convincing case otherwise.

[woweedd]

Not that I expect to see Hilgya again, but I think it's a bit overkill to suggest it's impossible, that she can't have kept up leveling up on her own (in a world governed by mysterious forces that largely keep things level-appropriate) or that it couldn't possibly make for good storytelling.

To be fair, i'm pretty sure that only applies to PCs and the occasional NPC adventurer.

[Quebbster]

To be fair, i'm pretty sure that only applies to PCs and the occasional NPC adventurer.

Bozzok and Xykon[ both seem to have been able to earn XP without any PCs around... All in the interest of keeping the scales balanced when they next face the Order...