OOTS #1112 - The Discussion Thread

[Reboot]

So we have Durkon who actively fights his vampire, the Exarch who is held in absolute contempt by his vampire for throwing away a perfect life to go worship rocks and made him hate it when things don't go as planned, and Ponchula who is giving her vampire suggestions for future atrocities and enjoying the ride. Vampire/host dynamics are fascinating.

And Sandy, who's a spectator in her head to a vampire who's a spectator in her own unlife.

[Talion]

That wall of rich donors definitely raises a few interesting questions. Like if there's a name that Durkon recognizes from his friend/family circle. Or what these donations actually achieve, if they are separate from the church's income from preforming magic and other services. That could raise the possibility of the churches being able to preform magic for the needy/less fortunate who couldn't normally get clerical care. Which could also raise possibilities and queries such as if Durkon's mom didn't know about that for some reason, or knew and refused to get the help out of sheer Dwarven stubbornness (ie the new dress or the broken dishes incident) or, more charitably, a sense that someone else could need that 'free'/discounted help more than herself.

Also I would hazard a guess that the spawn is getting a protection spell or a buff of decent duration, rather than healing (since it naturally recovers 2 Health per Round and isn't expecting combat for at least a few minutes, and probably has had a few minutes to recover anyway).

[Marlowe]

Well. Now I have a new favourite character.

[Ornithologist]

Durkon, when you stare into the eyes of the work orientation, the work orientation stares into you.

[The MunchKING]

...I kinda want to know what the poncho is for now.

There's going to be some Splatter is all I've got to say.

[lio45]

Pet peeve:

An action that prompts another action is a "cue."
A billiards stick is also a "cue."
A line made up of people waiting for a service is a "queue."
"Coup" is a loanword from French, where it means "blow," that in English has come to mean a sudden seizure of power or stroke of success.
"Que" is not a word in English at all.

Interestingly, FYI a billiards stick for us Francophones is called a "queue", which is also the word for people waiting in line (which eventually made its way into English from French) and in its most general sense means "tail". (And slang for penis, too.)

[Dragolord]

I don't suppose that the Giant's dwarves use a recognisable rune system which could theoretically be translated?

[CletusMusashi]

I was going to suggest that her name is Camarilla. Glad the ice has already been broken by other Zappa fans.

[SaintRidley]

Twilight's been done, and some folks would rather not see it raised from the dead in another form.

Yeah, none of my comment resembled Twilight in the slightest.

[Michaeler]

I am reminded of Vampire the Masquerade - Bloodlines, where a group of angry vampires jump you and start ranting about revenge. One of them turns to face the screen and very formally says "Those of you in the first few rows will get wet!" then turns to attack the PC.

[Fyraltari]

Loved that strip "I'm really looking forward the neverending misery of Hel at this point. the place, not the goddess. I imagine she'll be fairly chipper." ^^

I get the impression that Durkon showed this memory for a reason other than just irritating the vampire, and--based on panel 8--he accomplished whatever he was trying to do.

Anyone have thoughts on what it might have been? I feel like it has to be related to the wall of rich donors, since Durkon is shown looking directly at it in the memory.

I wonder--can Durkon be compelled to show the same memory twice? If not, maybe he was deliberately "using up" the only memory containing valuable information that he expects the vampire to ask for later?

The vampire saw Durkon's worst day twice though. Maybe these memories are special but I can't see why a memory could only be seen once.

So...

1- A poncho? Why?

2- So... That crazy psychopathic Evil vampire with the Evil host who is discussing the use of a poncho maybe to prevent blood spatter or something... Does anyone else think she might be kinda hot?

Well she's dead and a stick figure so... no? You do you but I don't think you'll have much competition on that one.

I dunno--he doesn't look like a man whose clever plan has just started coming together in panel 6, he looks like someone who's beaten.

Yes because when your plan just started and your ennemy is looking straight at you is the perfect moment to show triumph. On a completely unrelated not, are you up for poker night?

What is the spell Ponchula casts on No-Name in panel #7?

I'm gonna say protection from fire.

Also have we seen that particular vampire before? The closest one I can find is the vampire left and down from Sandstone here but the color of the beard doesn't match 100%. He probably is the fourth vampire V saw escape but if he's not...

Can't a girl suggest any activity without people taking it for a romantic move?

No. Men and women interactions are solely based around wether they want to shag one another because people are just sacks of walking hormones.
Urrgh...

I'm curious about the theological implications of Noname-cula's circumstances. Her host is technically still not in control, but now she gets to act on evil desires like she's always wanted. The way it was phrased implies that what will soon be known as the Poncho Run is entirely her idea.

Under these circumstances, will she be held accountable for the evil committed here, or did she just successfully shift the sins to her vampire?

You mean with regards to the afterlife? I hope not.

Pet peeve:

An action that prompts another action is a "cue."
A billiards stick is also a "cue."
A line made up of people waiting for a service is a "queue."
"Coup" is a loanword from French, where it means "blow," that in English has come to mean a sudden seizure of power or stroke of success.
"Que" is not a word in English at all.

Actually "coup" is a shortened form of "coup d'état" meaning the exact same thing. Just like you shortened "maître d'hotel" to "maître d' " which always confuses me for a moment when I read/hear it.

If they're not plot-relevant, my guess would be Kickstarter donors. I believe Rich has used this font for gags about "NOSECRETMESSAGE" as well, but I'm not able to make it out well enough to decode it.

Yeah the Kickstarter seems like a good guess.

Is this comic a hint that Durkon can show Durkula not only memories, but also fantasies? Or am I reading this wrong?

What makes you think that?

[SlashDash]

My guess? Last strip Greg ignored vital info for not paying attention. Durkon is trying to overload him with info so he'll stop asking.

Possibly something in the place itself is still there, after all the cleric was about to show a tour, wasn't he?

[JCAll]

Ah yes, the pure evils of a mid-90s Gallagher performance.

[factotum]

What makes you think that?

That puzzles me a bit too--what about the memory Durkon showed is an obvious fantasy?

[Fyraltari]

That puzzles me a bit too--what about the memory Durkon showed is an obvious fantasy?

Also it's been made clear he can't fake memories.

[schmunzel]

I like the bit of characterization from Ponchola and her host. I'm glad they're getting to be friends for a short time, <snip>
I agree with folks saying she's seemed like the most independent of the new vampire clergy - maybe she was enthralled to a vampire that got killed at the moot, or maybe she was too high level to raise as a thrall even with Durkon* and Ex-arch.

I'd imagine not, given what Durkon* has said so far about the lack of bodily function in the corpse. He's an evil spirit driving the corpse around like a stagecoach powered by magic. I don't think living spirits can do that.

That said, the woman's spirit is clearly involved at the highest levels of decision-making for the vampire, to the point where it feels more like an interesting symbiosis than parasitism. I wonder how different the woman and her vampire spirit actually are, given that Durkon and Durkon* are like night and day.

So we have Durkon who actively fights his vampire, the Exarch who is held in absolute contempt by his vampire for throwing away a perfect life to go worship rocks and made him hate it when things don't go as planned, and Ponchula who is giving her vampire suggestions for future atrocities and enjoying the ride. Vampire/host dynamics are fascinating.

This is absolutely fascinating. Given what we learned about Vampires the evil spirit is the opposite in behaviour (and likely tendencies) to its host.
Taken that into account (and I realize its propbably more complex than that) I wouldnt be surprised if its a Vampire with secretly hidden good tendencies. Does that make sense in an evil spirit??? Rich clearly went to some lengths to characterize the Vampires and what makes them "tick" why and how they display their behavioural quirks. So I guess, yes this might be relevant.

Is anyone here good enough at cryptograms to be able to decode the names on the Wall of Very Rich Donors? If there is any plot relevance to this scene, it's gotta be in those names. It looks like they are written with very intentionally-chosen non-English characters.

The council. He just burned his memory of the councildwarves' names.

I guess the plot relevance is in the vampirical characterization which will set up their future behaviour. But that the stone masonery displays the dwarven council names makes a whole lot of sense.
What I wonder is why Durkula shouldnt be able to command Durkon to display the memory again??

the only answer I could possibly come up with is because Durkula didnt pay attention to the memory - but is this possible??
The second question would be whether the dwarven councillors names arnt already known in the first place (or soon will be) as its the Exarch who is on his way to the council.

sch

[aabicus]

The council. He just burned his memory of the councildwarves' names.

This makes the most sense to me. In panel 4 the art goes out of its way to show Durkon looking directly at the wall of donor names.

That being said, why exactly couldn't Durkula just force Durkon to re-show him that memory?

[Michaeler]

I do note that Durkon* appears to have lost his train of thought. Sadly it didn't look like he was actually doing something in the first place but he's dropped whatever it was to complain about Durkon to his colleagues.

[Daibhid C]

I get the impression that Durkon showed this memory for a reason other than just irritating the vampire, and--based on panel 8--he accomplished whatever he was trying to do.

Anyone have thoughts on what it might have been?

I don't know exactly, but I feel like it's not just this memory. Back in #1086, Durkon* asked Durkon (First Edition) for a useful memory, and Durkon showed his ordination while murmuring "Thar's defin'ty a use fer it". Since then he's been using various justifications to show Durkon* his entire first day as a cleric. I think this is building up to something, but I'm not sure what.

[Cirin]

This makes the most sense to me. In panel 4 the art goes out of its way to show Durkon looking directly at the wall of donor names.

That being said, why exactly couldn't Durkula just force Durkon to re-show him that memory?

I thought they'd established that he could only show a specific memory once. Once he shows all his memories, then Durkula can just store Durkon away permanently as he never needs to interact with him again.

Vampires don't have photographic memory, so presumably he can't just go back and replay key memories over and over again.

Maybe burying an important memory, a key bit of info, in the middle of staggeringly boring stuff Durkula is trying to ignore is how Durkon is resisting and what this is setting up?

[Keltest]

I thought they'd established that he could only show a specific memory once. Once he shows all his memories, then Durkula can just store Durkon away permanently as he never needs to interact with him again.

Vampires don't have photographic memory, so presumably he can't just go back and replay key memories over and over again.

Maybe burying an important memory, a key bit of info, in the middle of staggeringly boring stuff Durkula is trying to ignore is how Durkon is resisting and what this is setting up?

When did they establish that? Greg has thus far only needed to see each memory once, but that doesn't mean he couldn't reference it again if he needed a new detail.

[guguma]

All I know at this point is that I want this new no-name vampiress to be a part of the order, I mean the order of the stick, like, the team. The team could certainly use a bipolar, multialignment vampiress (due complex host alignment and a faulty transformation process) who also happens to be super cool looking.

[hroþila]

When did they establish that? Greg has thus far only needed to see each memory once, but that doesn't mean he couldn't reference it again if he needed a new detail.

In fact, Vamp Durkon has already been shown on panel revisiting a memory: the one where Durkon was kicked out. "I've already watched these-", he said, before playing it again. Not sure whether he had Durkon show it himself, or whether the vampire played it himself, since he had already "absorbed" it, but it makes no difference, really.

[The MunchKING]

Actually "coup" is a shortened form of "coup d'état" meaning the exact same thing. Just like you shortened "maître d'hotel" to "maître d' " which always confuses me for a moment when I read/hear it.

aren't there other forms of coup though? like a coup de grâce. :p

[BelgarathMTH]

Since I've been watching a lot of Stargate recently, I just realized, vampires in OoTS are a lot like the Goa'uld.

[zimmerwald1915]

Actually "coup" is a shortened form of "coup d'état" meaning the exact same thing. Just like you shortened "maître d'hotel" to "maître d' " which always confuses me for a moment when I read/hear it.

"Coup" can stand on its own, in both French and English. "Coup d'état" is a usage referring specifically to the overthrow of a government.

[zimmerwald1915]

Since I've been watching a lot of Stargate recently, I just realized, vampires in OoTS are a lot like the Goa'uld.

Been making this comparison since Strip 946. Harumph.

[KillingAScarab]

Well someone's never seen Army of Darkness.

Nor Evil Dead: The Musical. The actor who played Ash slipped on the stage blood when I saw it.

[Dr.Zero]

This is absolutely fascinating. Given what we learned about Vampires the evil spirit is the opposite in behaviour (and likely tendencies) to its host.
Taken that into account (and I realize its propbably more complex than that) I wouldnt be surprised if its a Vampire with secretly hidden good tendencies. Does that make sense in an evil spirit??? Rich clearly went to some lengths to characterize the Vampires and what makes them "tick" why and how they display their behavioural quirks. So I guess, yes this might be relevant.

My understanding of the process -and my headcanon- is that, since the vampire absorbs the painful memories from his host, he hates what generated that memories.
Being kicked away from a bunch of LG dwarves? I hate them all.
Reaching lvl 14-15, which should be pretty rare, missing your mommy and still refusing to go back because you're Lawful, and suffering because of it? I hate being lawful.
Having a hard time because you are so much independent to refuse a nice and comfy life your parents have prepared for you? I hate being independent!

For Ponchula, it seems that the original host has gone all way to the dark side and -aside becoming evil- she has no more qualms about the idea of extracting revenge, so, according to my headcanon, now they hate the same things.

That's actually really interesting. I wonder if the female vampire sometimes gives control back to her host, because it definitely seems like they're a tag team.

Probably not giving control back, but definitely planning things together and enjoying them.
Kinda cute the way Ponchula doesn't say: "I'm gonna go try some messed us stuff she's been thinking" but: "me and her are gonna go try".
Who knows, maybe there will not be the eternal dormancy for her host.

[Draconi Redfir]

This makes the most sense to me. In panel 4 the art goes out of its way to show Durkon looking directly at the wall of donor names.

That being said, why exactly couldn't Durkula just force Durkon to re-show him that memory?

maybe he could. but upon seeing it, durkula scoffs, wondering how the useless orientation day came up. and every time he asks for the names, the SAME memory shows up that was useless the first time, ergo useless now. eventually he stops asking, not knowing the names.