So what is the Oracle's plan here? Save the world or don't bother?

[Particle_Man]

I assume that the Oracle could see that the world is in danger of being destroyed. Does the Oracle care? Dying sucks, but there at least is an afterlife. If the Oracle wants to live (and thus wants the world to continue to exist) does the Oracle have ways to influence that? Perhaps by helping the Order of the Stick, the protagonists in this whole Save the World business?

Just wondering.

[Aveline]

The Oracle has read all the book publications and knows the Order will save the world and improve conditions for everyone.

Presumably the Oracle has also seen that he will do nothing about the matter.

Edit: Love your username by the way. Doing the things a particle can.

[Peelee]

I assume that the Oracle could see that the world is in danger of being destroyed. Does the Oracle care? Dying sucks, but there at least is an afterlife. If the Oracle wants to live (and thus wants the world to continue to exist) does the Oracle have ways to influence that? Perhaps by helping the Order of the Stick, the protagonists in this whole Save the World business?

Just wondering.

He could help by giving the protagonists prophecies in exchange for payment.

[Emanick]

The Oracle knows everything will be fine (under a rather loose definition of "everything," granted). I imagine that he might have been willing to help the Order more if he thought that he could make the difference between the world ending and not ending, but since that probably isn't the case, he was content to behave the way he did.

[Aveline]

The Oracle is not an agent; he is a phenomenon, and an existential quandary.

[The Pilgrim]

He could help by giving the protagonists prophecies in exchange for payment.

And could help further by not giving the antagonists prophecies in exchange for money.

[D.One]

He gave Belkar a prophecy that made Belkar kill the Oracle, thus activating the Mark of Justice, and to get rid of the curse, Belkar had to become a more productive party member.

If making Belkar a productive party member isn't helping, I don't know what else can be called helping.



OTOH, this thread got me thinking. The Oracle is an agent of a goddess, Tiamat, who had (supposedly) been involved in trying to bring the Dark One to help sealing the Snarl. Maybe, the same way Odin has put the pieces in the right places by giving Durkon's prophecy, Tiamat is acting through the Oracle to help things happen the way they should do.

[factotum]

Given what we know of Goblin Dan's all-you-can-eat hydra buffet, we know the world won't be destroyed, at least before said Goblin Dan is old and grey--and even as short lived as goblins are, that's probably 20 years at least. The Oracle knows this as well, so he knows the world doesn't end here too. Therefore, why does he need to do anything more than he's already doing?

[martianmister]

He already know the outcome, so...

[luagha]

The Oracle is not an agent; he is a phenomenon, and an existential quandary.

The Oracle is a Gollux, and not a mere device!

[Resileaf]

If the world was going to be destroyed, he'd just pay someone to plane shift him somewhere else.

[JT]

The Oracle is a Gollux, and not a mere device!

"You resemble one," said Xorn.
"I resemble only half the things I say I don't. The other half... resemble me."

.
.

I've encountered very few people who know Thurber's "Thirteen Clocks."

[MartianInvader]

He could help by giving the protagonists prophecies in exchange for payment.

"I'm pretty sure that's exactly what I'm doing."

[D.One]

He could help by giving the protagonists prophecies in exchange for payment.

"I'm pretty sure that's exactly what I'm doing."

I believe Peelee is refering to this (panel 7).

[Peelee]

I believe Peelee is refering to this (panel 7).

.....yeeeees, I'm totally referring to both of them, and absolutely didn't luck into that Thor one. Totally planned.

[D.One]

.....yeeeees, I'm totally referring to both of them, and absolutely didn't luck into that Thor one. Totally planned.

Well, lucky you

[Synesthesy]

OTOH, this thread got me thinking. The Oracle is an agent of a goddess, Tiamat, who had (supposedly) been involved in trying to bring the Dark One to help sealing the Snarl. Maybe, the same way Odin has put the pieces in the right places by giving Durkon's prophecy, Tiamat is acting through the Oracle to help things happen the way they should do.

We don't know this. We know Loki did, but we don't know about Tiamat. Instead, we know that

Spoiler: Start of Darkness

Show

Tiamat is the God that DOESN'T want the Dark One to know about the Snarl

so maybe Tiamat is actually working for the destruction of the world (remember that the majority of Western Pantheon voted yes), and maybe Tiamat is working against the Dark One too. Maybe he's working against the idea that the Dark One help saving the world.

Oh, and remember that Tiamat does business with the IFCC, who may be involved with the Snarl in the last book.

Spoiler: Theory none will buy

Show

Maybe the Oracle said something against our heroes, maybe because on something Tiamat lies to him. Maybe the Order will need Belkar to save the world, so the Oracle told Roy that Belkar will die to make sure that Roy won't save him. Only that Roy saves him, and Belkar doesn't die and the world will be safe!

Seriously, I think that the Oracle will fail sooner or later. Everyone seems to be sure that he won't, but this is my own bet.

[Ruck]

Seriously, I think that the Oracle will fail sooner or later. Everyone seems to be sure that he won't, but this is my own bet.

Why do you think that? Also, the only outstanding prophecy the Oracle could fail at is Elan getting a happy ending.

[Peelee]

Seriously, I think that the Oracle will fail sooner or later. Everyone seems to be sure that he won't, but this is my own bet.

Imean, dude has the books, so I'd be pretty surprised, to say the least.

[thereaper]

The Oracle hasn't bothered to look that far ahead.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

The Oracle hasn't bothered to look that far ahead.

I like to think he can only look into the future on real time, so he can only look so often or for so long, lest he stops living in the present.

Grey Wolf

[Kish]

Why do you think that? Also, the only outstanding prophecy the Oracle could fail at is Elan getting a happy ending.

I really, really hate to point this out, but...

...theoretically speaking, Belkar could survive past the end of the year. If Rich was the kind of author to randomly do "and now I have a prophecy not come true because screw prophecies," which he is, of course, not.

[Ruck]

I really, really hate to point this out, but...

...theoretically speaking, Belkar could survive past the end of the year. If Rich was the kind of author to randomly do "and now I have a prophecy not come true because screw prophecies," which he is, of course, not.

Ah, of course. I ran down the list of the questions each member of the Order asked the Oracle, and so I just remembered that Belkar did in fact kill someone on his list.

[Peelee]

I really, really hate to point this out, but...

...theoretically speaking, Belkar could survive past the end of the year. If Rich was the kind of author to randomly do "and now I have a prophecy not come true because screw prophecies," which he is, of course, not.

You could have gone for the druid, but noooooooo.

[Mightymosy]

Or Blackwing, for that matter......

[theMycon]

I've encountered very few people who know Thurber's "Thirteen Clocks."

It's my dog's favorite bedtime story, so I could probably recite most of it from memory if you gave me an hour and some change.

He growls along to the cold Duke, because I used to make my voice sound like an iron dropped on velvet.

[Dion]

The Oracle hasn't bothered to look that far ahead.

I like to think that he can only see the things he looks at.

And in a world of millions of people, where each person may have infinite possible futures, he never really has a chance to look at most of it.

[JT]

It's my dog's favorite bedtime story, so I could probably recite most of it from memory if you gave me an hour and some change.

He growls along to the cold Duke, because I used to make my voice sound like an iron dropped on velvet.

Hark, hark, the dogs do bark,
But only one in three.
They bark at those in velvet gowns;
they never bark at me.

[Goblin_Priest]

He gave Belkar a prophecy that made Belkar kill the Oracle, thus activating the Mark of Justice, and to get rid of the curse, Belkar had to become a more productive party member.

If making Belkar a productive party member isn't helping, I don't know what else can be called helping.



OTOH, this thread got me thinking. The Oracle is an agent of a goddess, Tiamat, who had (supposedly) been involved in trying to bring the Dark One to help sealing the Snarl. Maybe, the same way Odin has put the pieces in the right places by giving Durkon's prophecy, Tiamat is acting through the Oracle to help things happen the way they should do.

Belkar was stabbing enemies to death before.

Now, Belkar stabs enemies to death.

I don't really see much impact. ;)

[Papa_Hewi]

Belkar was stabbing enemies to death before.

Now, Belkar stabs enemies to death.

I don't really see much impact. ;)

But he's only stabbing enemies to death now. Heck, the only party member he's shown hostility towards is Durkula, and that was for the right reasons.

As far as The Oracle goes, if he does have a plan to save the world it's a pretty obvious one. It amounts to ''Let the heroes save the world'' What new information can he provide that the heroes aren't going to find out for themselves when the time comes?