What will Curly do?

[pendell]

"Curly" being the nickname of the last surviving vampire in the existing strip (1175 and up).

Hel seems to be investing a lot of hope in this one vampire who will go out and recruit a legion of vampires and spawn to do this all over again.

I'm watching the character and, assuming she isn't dusted at Hilgya's hands in the near future, I'm just not seeing the possibilities in the character. She seems a bit cowardly and timid, not the charismatic leader type.

How does that work, anyway? The vampire-spirit has stats based on the original host. If the original host had extremely low values, would the vampire also be mediocre to below average? Can a timorous host really give rise to a courageous and charismatic leader?

I'm just not seeing how Curly is going to pull any of this off, given she's been the first to run from every encounter we've seen her in, thus far. Is she the Rincewind of Vampires?

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Squire Doodad]

...trip on Hilgya's Flame Strike?

That seems to be the most likely path if she tries to do anything Hel wants.

[The MunchKING]

How does that work, anyway? The vampire-spirit has stats based on the original host. If the original host had extremely low values, would the vampire also be mediocre to below average?

Yup. "Just a bit under average" can be compensated for with the boost the Vampire Template gives, but for the most part it's "Bad Stats in, Bad stats out".

[The Pilgrim]

Get a haircut.

[Squire Doodad]

Yup. "Just a bit under average" can be compensated for with the boost the Vampire Template gives, but for the most part it's "Bad Stats in, Bad stats out".

"Templates are just a trick to make weak NPCs stronger"

[DavidBV]

Well, Elan would say that she's practically immortal at this point. If Rich intended to kill her it would have happened when Hel said "I still have one vampire left" for more dramatic effect. Or at any rate, while Hel watches her die... which has become highly unlikely; Hel's gonna be giving shingles to old people, hopefully off-panel too. Knowing as we do that this book is about to end, and with Hel out of the scene, my guess is she's not gonna reappear until book seven.

[Schroeswald]

Well, Elan would say that she's practically immortal at this point. If Rich intended to kill her it would have happened when Hel said "I still have one vampire left" for more dramatic effect. Or at any rate, while Hel watches her die... which has become highly unlikely; Hel's gonna be giving shingles to old people, hopefully off-panel too. Knowing as we do that this book is about to end, and with Hel out of the scene, my guess is she's not gonna reappear until book seven.

She's gonna reappear, because she's right in front of Hilgya and I can't imagine you arguing that she won't return before next book.

[KorvinStarmast]

Two thoughts:

1. She escapes and eventually creates vampires Moe, Larry, and Shemp.

2. Hilgya torches her with a flame strike.

I like option 2 better.

[Schroeswald]

I'm a big fan of the Hilgya and Curly team up, Curly starts taking levels in rogue (IDK, her build seems better for that), and then they form their own Evil adventuring party and fade into the sunset theory.

[Rogar Demonblud]

She's gonna reappear, because she's right in front of Hilgya and I can't imagine you arguing that she won't return before next book.

We don't know that she's anywhere near Hilgya. She passed her in the hall. Likely she's somewhere with nobody else around. And it's not like Hilgya is at all invested in what's happening now that she's away from Sigdi.

[2.5 cats]

My $ is on her running off to a good hiding place. The dwarves will feel compelled to go all in to hunt her down before she starts creating spawn, and thus won't be able to help the OotS.

[Riftwolf]

I'm guessing she's too low level for the encounter if she runs into the Order or Hilgya, but not as an opportunist in dwarven society. She'll probably ignore Hel's demands to single handedly jump-start the whole campaign, get her cleric powers revoked, and have to retrain in the vampire-friendly prestige class 'Tormented Sexy Loner'.

[Snails]

I'm guessing she's too low level for the encounter if she runs into the Order or Hilgya, but not as an opportunist in dwarven society. She'll probably ignore Hel's demands to single handedly jump-start the whole campaign, get her cleric powers revoked, and have to retrain in the vampire-friendly prestige class 'Tormented Sexy Loner'.

It is a fun build, but, given her personality, Curly does not yet meet the prereqs for that PrC, which includes the Brooding feat.

Brooding [General]
Benefit:
You get +2 on Sense Motive checks.
You get a +2 bonus on all Saving throws against Charm and Compulsion spells and spell-like effects, unless the source of the spell or spell-like effect has the Brooding feat.

[Goblin_Priest]

Get dusted.

[DavidBV]

She's gonna reappear, because she's right in front of Hilgya and I can't imagine you arguing that she won't return before next book.

She is past uninvolved-Hilgya, not in front of her. And she's well-past the OoTS.

If the Giant was going to kill her, he'd have done it while Hel watched. I mean, seriously, it'd be a little pointless to just kill her now instead of adding her death to Hel's grievances before her tantrum.

Maybe the end of the story requires a new Godsmoot and she'll play a role there.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

My guess is that if anything important happens with the vampire, it’ll happen now. Since we’re wrapping up this book, and I don’t see them playing an important role in the next one, I’m guessing either Hilgya defeats her, or she escapes off to be another story‘s problem. I’d put more money on defeat, however.

[elosga]

My guess is that if anything important happens with Curly, it’ll happen now. Since we’re wrapping up this book, and I don’t see them playing an important role in the next one, I’m guessing either Hilgya defeats her, or she escapes off to be another story‘s problem. I’d put more money on defeat, however.

Given the personality of the Curly he is a fun build but Hilgya will defeat her

[D.One]

As for Hilgya dusting, burning or some other form of destroying Curly*, I really think she's more of the "Oh, there's a weak vamp over there. Whatever. Not my problem" mindset.

I'm a big fan of the Hilgya and Curly team up, Curly starts taking levels in rogue (IDK, her build seems better for that), and then they form their own Evil adventuring party and fade into the sunset theory.

Fading into the sunset can have unintended consequences for Curly*...

[Schroeswald]

As for Hilgya dusting, burning or some other form of destroying Curly*, I really think she's more of the "Oh, there's a weak vamp over there. Whatever. Not my problem" mindset.



Fading into the sunset can have unintended consequences for Curly*...

She can fade into the dusk then.

[Emanick]

The Giant had Hilgya show up to the fight for a reason. Helping out can't have been the whole reason - she didn't really contribute anything important to the battle, at least not from a story perspective, and she's too important a character to include in a sequence without more justification. She would have had to stay longer if the whole reason for including her was so she could complete her arc at the battle. Instead, she left early - so it must be important that she did so.

That likely means she's going to encounter Curly, rather than just notice the mist drifting by (we don't know how close she is, but probably not that far away). And I don't expect an instant dusting, because that'd be boring. Instead, something interesting is likely to happen. I don't know what it is - a complete team-up seems like it would be against Loki's teachings, but Hilgya is due to do something else surprising by the end of the book. What that will be is probably as unpredictable as the table being split, but it might involve something like a detente, or Hilgya and the vampire forming some kind of agreement, maybe involving what the vampire knows about the Gates (assuming it knows anything, which is entirely possible but by no means certain).

[Rogar Demonblud]

Hilgya showing up was the point. It showed the extent to which Sigdi had established dominance over her. Notice Ms Firehelm skipped the round Sigdi was out of sight.

[hroþila]

Hilgya showing up was the point. It showed the extent to which Sigdi had established dominance over her. Notice Ms Firehelm skipped the round Sigdi was out of sight.

It's pretty adventurous to say what the point was and was not before the scene and the arc are over. If it was meant to show Sigdi's dominance over her, it wasn't emphasized at all and it was undermined by Hilgya's very act of leaving, whether or not Sigdi saw it. Personally I'm not sure Hilgya was there so that she could interact with Curly as an extension of Loki's interaction with Hel (maybe Hilgya was there just for the sake of the joke where she left, who knows?), but it's certainly a distinct possibility.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Hilgya's actions in this Round are a: being indirectly threatened by Sigdi b: Flame Striking some elementals and c: booking it as soon as Sigdi was gone. With maybe a dozen pages left in Utterly Dwarfed, there isn't room for much else now.

[Schroeswald]

Hilgya's actions in this Round are a: being indirectly threatened by Sigdi b: Flame Striking some elementals and c: booking it as soon as Sigdi was gone. With maybe a dozen pages left in Utterly Dwarfed, there isn't room for much else now.

She could do quite a few things that would all take about a page, maybe Sigdi locks her up, maybe she kills Curly, maybe she teams up with her, maybe she’s ordered North, maybe she hops on the Mechane, she may leave with Kudzu, who knows, but she won’t just vanish.

[Gift Jeraff]

Get a job as a carpenter to expedite the construction of the new table, wacky slapstick antics pursue, Curly's heart gets poked with a pointy piece of wood.

[D.One]

Curly*, the Brave Vampire, will escape, and for an undead group along Eugene, the Friendly Ghost, and Thog, The Schrodinger's Half-Orc.

[The Pilgrim]

Brave Curly Hair ran away
Bravely ran away away
When danger reared her ugly head
She bravely turned her tail and fled
Yes, brave Curly Hair turned about
And gallantly she chickened out
Bravely taking to her feet
She beat a very brave retreat
Bravest of the brave, Curly Hair!

Someone had to do it.

[Worldsong]

I'm inclined to say "Die".

[Squire Doodad]

Brave Curly Hair ran away
Bravely ran away away
When danger reared her ugly head
She bravely turned her tail and fled
Yes, brave Curly Hair turned about
And gallantly she chickened out
Bravely taking to her feet
She beat a very brave retreat
Bravest of the brave, Curly Hair!

Someone had to do it.

Encore! Encore!

[Snails]

It's pretty adventurous to say what the point was and was not before the scene and the arc are over. If it was meant to show Sigdi's dominance over her, it wasn't emphasized at all and it was undermined by Hilgya's very act of leaving, whether or not Sigdi saw it. Personally I'm not sure Hilgya was there so that she could interact with Curly as an extension of Loki's interaction with Hel (maybe Hilgya was there just for the sake of the joke where she left, who knows?), but it's certainly a distinct possibility.

I am going with being adventurous.

I hold that Hilgya's ultimate fate would be decided by her choices, and that the one more key moment would come where she would Evolve or Die.

It think the moment just passed, and she failed the test.

Hilgya could have grumbled and hung in the back of this fight. Instead she specifically chose to ignore and/or not care about the fate of the world, which so happens to include her child, and just walk out because she just felt like it. Hilgya did not even bother to think through the fact that there may not be time to reach Kudzu and Plane Shift away -- after the vote is complete the destruction of the world could easily be a few minutes away. We do not know for sure, but neither does Hilgya.

She feels more comfortable alone.

Unfortunately for her, alone is very dangerous with a vampire about. There are various ways it can go, but a lot of them end up with Hilgya is dead (or a dusted vampire).

In the event of Hilgya's death, it is entirely possible that Durkon would choose to not Ressurect her. There are various ways that decision could be made.