Plot twists you thought would happen (but totally didn’t)

[GreatWyrmGold]

-it's just last post, I don't need to quote it all-

1. Tsukiko would need to dig her legs out of the rubble and then stitch both halves together. Who does she look like, Grubwilliger?
2. I'm pretty sure that was a joke at the expense of people who had already assumed Miko would be raised as a powerful undead.
3. I wouldn't call her an annoying character, any more than Belkar or the Monster in the Darkness are. All three would be annoying to know in person (for very different reasons, of course), but the ways they annoy others are designed to create drama, comedy, or both. The reason I'd give for Miko not coming back is something more like "Her story was complete". Her intolerance and paranoia lead her to suspect a larger and larger conspiracy until she murdered her master and doomed her city (not at the same time), and never realized how her ironclad beliefs were blinding her to the truth. She couldn't atone because she never realized she was doing something wrong.

I'd like to apologize in advance if I started a multi-page flame war over Miko.

[Goblin_Priest]

1. Tsukiko would need to dig her legs out of the rubble and then stitch both halves together. Who does she look like, Grubwilliger?
2. I'm pretty sure that was a joke at the expense of people who had already assumed Miko would be raised as a powerful undead.
3. I wouldn't call her an annoying character, any more than Belkar or the Monster in the Darkness are. All three would be annoying to know in person (for very different reasons, of course), but the ways they annoy others are designed to create drama, comedy, or both. The reason I'd give for Miko not coming back is something more like "Her story was complete". Her intolerance and paranoia lead her to suspect a larger and larger conspiracy until she murdered her master and doomed her city (not at the same time), and never realized how her ironclad beliefs were blinding her to the truth. She couldn't atone because she never realized she was doing something wrong.

I'd like to apologize in advance if I started a multi-page flame war over Miko.

They coulda just grafted her top half on a zombie centaur's bottom half!

[GreatWyrmGold]

They coulda just grafted her top half on a zombie centaur's bottom half!

Yeah, but then they'd have to find a centaur to cut in half. That's work, you know? Easier to just find a whole centaur corpse and make a zombie out of that.

[Fyraltari]

Yeah, but then they'd have to find a centaur to cut in half. That's work, you know? Easier to just find a whole centaur corpse and make a zombie out of that.

No, no, no they stitch Miko's top half on the centaur's bottom half and then they stitch the centaur's top half on Miko's bottom half. Flawless plan!

[GreatWyrmGold]

No, no, no they stitch Miko's top half on the centaur's bottom half and then they stitch the centaur's top half on Miko's bottom half. Flawless plan!

Why not stitch the centaur's front half to Miko's bottom half, and the centaur's back half to Miko's top half?

[Resileaf]

How about stitching the centaur's top half to Miko's top half and its bottom half to her bottom half?

[Fyraltari]

I like where this is going.

[zimmerwald1915]

I like where this is going.

But pushmepullyous are stationary

[GreatWyrmGold]

But pushmepullyous are stationary

Not if they agree on which way to go!
Wait, half of the pushmepullyou would be Miko, never mind.

[Lord Vukodlak]

Agreed. I think Belkar will die, and the only twist/surprise will be how he dies, in order to prevent Raise/Ressurection.

There doesn’t need to be a twist the order could just elect not to resurrect him. Honestly if the world is saved would bringing him back be beneficial? He’s still a CE murderious psycho.
How’s this for a twist, The world is saved the order is preparing to disband. Everyone’s talking about what are you going to do now. Belkar says how he’s going to track down all the people who annoyed him but he missed the chance to kill. And Roy kills Belkar in the middle of his speech.

[Synesthesy]

There doesn’t need to be a twist the order could just elect not to resurrect him. Honestly if the world is saved would bringing him back be beneficial? He’s still a CE murderious psycho.
How’s this for a twist, The world is saved the order is preparing to disband. Everyone’s talking about what are you going to do now. Belkar says how he’s going to track down all the people who annoyed him but he missed the chance to kill. And Roy kills Belkar in the middle of his speech.

Then the next time Roy meets the Burocratic Deva, he'll be ready for a trip to True Neutral afterlifes for let's see.... all the eternity?

Then there is no way that Durkon leaves Belkar alone. Belkar saved Durkon from Greg. Durkon would save Belkar for everything he can, we can be sure about it. If Belkar will stay dead is only because Durkon cannot resurrect him, or if Belkar himself refuse the resurrection. Or Belkar won't die at all, in Oracle's face

[Resileaf]

Then the next time Roy meets the Burocratic Deva, he'll be ready for a trip to True Neutral afterlifes for let's see.... all the eternity?

I don't know about you, but I think "I'm off to kill about a million people" is motive enough to be killed. :P

[zimmerwald1915]

Something something preemptive action something something immanent threat

[Fyraltari]

How’s this for a twist, The world is saved the order is preparing to disband. Everyone’s talking about what are you going to do now. Belkar says how he’s going to track down all the people who annoyed him but he missed the chance to kill. And Roy kills Belkar in the middle of his speech.

That doesn't really sound like Belkar as he is now (nor as he was, hunting people down is work and he sucks at tracking). Nor does it sound like Roy.

[Lord Vukodlak]

Then the next time Roy meets the Burocratic Deva, he'll be ready for a trip to True Neutral afterlifes for let's see.... all the eternity?

Then there is no way that Durkon leaves Belkar alone. Belkar saved Durkon from Greg. Durkon would save Belkar for everything he can, we can be sure about it. If Belkar will stay dead is only because Durkon cannot resurrect him, or if Belkar himself refuse the resurrection. Or Belkar won't die at all, in Oracle's face

Yes because stopping someone who announces they are going to murder innocent people is a bad thing.

[Synesthesy]

I don't know about you, but I think "I'm off to kill about a million people" is motive enough to be killed. :P

Yes because stopping someone who announces they are going to murder innocent people is a bad thing.

Killing someone for something that he did not can't be a good act. For what we know, in the next 5 minutes a random O-Chul spawns and talks him into lawfull good.

Actually, Roy did point this out to the Deva, he said something like "unless you want me to murder him while he sleep"; the Deva said that it isn't what they want.

[KorvinStarmast]

One of my favorite lines in the comic:

In my top 5.

Take it from a professional.
Obviously most of this does not apply to D&D wizards, but some does.

Arrgh, I was hoping you'd be linking to a Bruce Lee line, something like "expect the unexpected."

[Fyraltari]

In my top 5. Arrgh, I was hoping you'd be linking to a Bruce Lee line, something like "expect the unexpected."

Maybe this will cheer you up, then.

[Peelee]

Arrgh, I was hoping you'd be linking to a Bruce Lee line, something like "expect the unexpected."

Ya know, if you'd taken that to heart, you would have expected the video that was linked.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Then the next time Roy meets the Burocratic Deva, he'll be ready for a trip to True Neutral afterlifes for let's see.... all the eternity?

Leaving Elan to die after he ran off to try and help people gets you chucked into True Neutral. Killing Belkar if he makes it clear that's the only way to stop him from killing other people...is literally what the Order does to goblins and thieves and vampires and stuff, only to a major character.
I don't think Belkar would make that kind of speech, and I don't think he'd want to do that anymore, but if he did make that speech and his heart was in it, killing him would be slightly more justified than killing Thog.

Ya know, if you'd taken that to heart, you would have expected the video that was linked.

The only way to expect the unexpected is to expect to see something you don't expect. (By definition.) Therefore, if you expect any specific unexpected thing, you're not expecting the unexpected—you're just explaining a low-probability event.

[Peelee]

The only way to expect the unexpected is to expect to see something you don't expect. (By definition.) Therefore, if you expect any specific unexpected thing, you're not expecting the unexpected—you're just explaining a low-probability event.

Just as I expected.

[Heksefatter]

- I thought the Snarl might be a myth.

- I thought the Eastern Gods might still be alive.

- I thought that Elan might defeat Tarquin as a storyteller by narrating him into a position that wasn't cool.

- I thought that Trigak might re - (no.)

[Emanick]

I haven't made many false predictions over the years - I learned early on not to expect any specific plot development, because Rich very rarely does something particularly predictable. I do remember, though, reading a prediction that V's mate might show up as an antagonist looking to hunt the party down and thinking "huh, that seems prescient! I bet that happens." Naturally, it didn't, and now I feel rather stupid for ever thinking it was a plausible theory. Of course, it was like ten years ago, when I was in high school, so there's that.

[Quebbster]

Now I started to wonder if Belkar's analysis about Shojo's failed Resurrection may foreshadow his eventual fate. Maybe he will end up in an afterlife he doesn't want to leave?
Consider that a prediction that can still fail to come true. :)

[Mike Havran]

During the hiatus after strip 873, I thought Malack and Vaarsuvius will meet deep in the bowels of the Girard's pyramid, but will not duel since V didn't know Malack joined the Guild and Malack will not care about Nale's plan. They discover the Gate together while Roy and the rest of the Order overcomes Girard's master illusions upstairs, and somehow end up destroying it just after Xykon arrives and starts to enter the pyramid.

[GreatWyrmGold]

- I thought that Elan might defeat Tarquin as a storyteller by narrating him into a position that wasn't cool.

From a certain point of view, that's what he did.

[understatement]

I thought [Oona] the masked figure would capture O-chul and Lien, but they'd kill [her] and use her mount to fly to the Gates.

I mean, who doesn't want to see two paladins riding a sonic reptillian unicorn?

[martianmister]

Do you mean ginko biloba? Because I can't find anything about ginko balboa and that's a more plausible typo.

I didn't know ginko biloba was believed to have anything to do with memory (although that's apparently unproven), so I just assumed Blackwing asked what's the best food he was ever going to eat or something along those line. However, I admit the thought that Blackwing was secretly dropping ginko nuts in V's plates the whole time is hilarious.

I don't really get the impression that Blackwing was trying to mend their relationship, though

Ginkgo biloba is famous as an aphrodisiac, so it's basically a "viagra joke." Whole memory thing is a forum rumor based on the Wikipedia article.

[Peelee]

Ginkgo biloba is famous as an aphrodisiac, so it's basically a "viagra joke."

"Famous" is relative. For instance, I never heard of that before you mentioned it. I know it as the memory aide (despite also knowing that's bunk), which it's also famous for. And considering V and Blackwing's relationship at the time, it makes sense to reference that. A viagra joke would be out of nowhere and make no sense whatsoever.

[Rrmcklin]

I feel like we've moved past the point where "just leave Belkar dead" is something the Order would actually do.

Yes, he's still evil, but at this point I feel like that he's not faking improving has been impressed upon at least Roy and Durkon, if not the others (yet). I've thought for awhile that his death would at least resonate with them on an emotional level.

So while I don't think it would actually be wrong to leave Belkar dead given everything he's done, I imagine there actually will be a concrete reason it just isn't possible for them to do anything about it.