The identity of the mysterious voices.

[WolvesbaneIII]

I forget the guys name but suppose super paranoid illusionist guy is behind this with all the stuff with the invisibility and what not.

This sounds like a strange idea on its premise I admit, and even with his dragon blood granting him an extended life span, I believe his life would have ended by now, and dodging familicide and having it effect his clan seems like an odd stretch that would need filling in.

So another idea might be nale who was reborn as a demon clansmen. But even I don't know if this is possible.

What ideas do you guys have? give me your best and worst ideas? I've heard kermit was the green voices identity, so we can only go up from here...I hope.

[BasiliskSoldier]

Considering that we've seen Girard Draketooth's very dead skeleton, it's safe to assume he's not one of the two voices. Also the voice doesn't really fit the way he's spoken in flashbacks. Nale has the same issue. Super dead, and the dialogue doesn't really fit his character.

I heard Serini-as-oathspirit floated as an option, which is possible I suppose. Honestly, my money is on 'new characters' until proven otherwise.

[i6uuaq]

Things we know:

They can become invisible.
They can climb cliff faces while carrying paladins.
They seem to be working towards the end goal of unmaking the world?

[Mad Humanist]

Things we know:

They seem to be working towards the end goal of unmaking the world?

We don't know this for certain though it is a plausible interpretation. An alternative is that they are there to protect the gate but that they only get one shot at protecting it before the cease to exist, at which point they are replaced by new spirits.

[Lexible]

I notice that the talk bubbles are not entirely unrelated to the Lawful Neutral with Good tendencies, and Lawful Neutral colors associated with the the outer planes in 1138.

[factotum]

They seem to be working towards the end goal of unmaking the world?

I'm not so sure. For a start, how does kidnapping O-Chul and Lien assist toward that aim? Sure, they said that ceasing to exist would be bad after so long, but there's a significant chance that will happen anyway at this point.

[Flame of Anor]

• They're not on Xykon and Redcloak's side. Well, I should say, they're not on Xykon's side or Redcloak's side.
• They're not on the Order, the Sapphire Guard, and Thor's side.
• They're almost certainly not on the IFCC's side, since the speech bubbles are wrong. And besides, fiends probably wouldn't worry about nonexistence, as the Prime Material is the plane in danger right now.
• They're almost certainly not on Hel's side, because that would be a very clunky place to take the narrative.
• They're probably not on Tarquin's side, because why would they be?

My guess is that this is yet another—and quite possibly the last—of the mysterious nine sides of the conflict.

[Theshipening]

[*]They're almost certainly not on the IFCC's side, since the speech bubbles are wrong. And besides, fiends probably wouldn't worry about nonexistence, as the Prime Material is the plane in danger right now.

I’m not saying they necessarily are the IFCC, but they’ve been known to use non-fiends as agents (see Nale&co).

[Aidan]

These two hidden figures, which I support calling Kermit and Scooter, have unique speech bubbles. Unique speech bubbles have historically been used for 4 main things, outsiders (IFCC, Celia, Devas, Archons, etc.), Gods (specifically the color matching their quiddity), undead (Xykon, Wights, ghosts), and while under some magical influence or power (Darth V, Oracle, Shojos illusionary head).

Given those classifications if we run through them like a checklist, undead is probably the one easiest to refute, as all undead up to this point have had darker colors prominently featured.

The other 3 options are all a bit more plausible, although if Kermit is a God, the green would indicate that he (she, it?), is from the lost green quiddity, an Olympian, and Scooter would have to be in the other categories.

Personally I'm placing all of my marbles on them being some form of magical defender of the gate, maybe an outsider who has escaped the mind-wiping, and the final line is them knowing that they must see this through to the end.

[Arutema]

My guess would be Invisible Stalkers, a type of naturally invisible elemental.

+ Naturally invisible.
+ Elementals have appeared in the comic before with unusually colored speech bubbles.
+ Can be summoned and given orders by a caster with Summon Monster VII.

- Are seen speaking common here, the SRD says they speak only Auran (the native language of air outsiders).

As for what summoned them? Your guess is as good as mine.

[hroþila]

We don't know this for certain though it is a plausible interpretation. An alternative is that they are there to protect the gate but that they only get one shot at protecting it before the cease to exist, at which point they are replaced by new spirits.

My initial reading was simply that their current task is dangerous and the Boss is not optimistic, not that the task will inherently lead to their undoing.

[mjasghar]

My guess would be Invisible Stalkers, a type of naturally invisible elemental.

+ Naturally invisible.
+ Elementals have appeared in the comic before with unusually colored speech bubbles.
+ Can be summoned and given orders by a caster with Summon Monster VII.

- Are seen speaking common here, the SRD says they speak only Auran (the native language of air outsiders).

As for what summoned them? Your guess is as good as mine.

Air elementals would likely have a blue and white tinged speech bubble

[Riftwolf]

A big problem with trying to guess their intentions at this stage is their dialogue doesn't make sense at this point. Kermit successfully poisoned both the paladins, which looked like what they planned to do, but then they said 'well, that could've gone better', as if knocking both the paladins out wasn't what they wanted. Then they said they were going to do something else, the implication being whatever they did would cease their existence.
I would, however, suggest there's more than two. Kermit is the boss, but there might be more than one Scooter. I'm basing this on the positions of the paladins and their weapons as they're being carried away (assuming a humanoid is carrying them)

[Calavera]

I'm just going to go with my gut: Agents of the Snarl, possibly the remains of the Vector Legion who got dominated. The weird colour text is because they are somewhere between slave and avatar of the Snarl. The major weakness to this theory is that green seems an odd choice of colour for the "boss".

[Kelenius]

Maybe some kind of improved version of unseen servant? Some magically created invisible creature that was ordered to fetch the paladins and will cease to exist (hence the last frame) once the task is complete?

[Lycaon Caesar]

I think it's important to remember they used a blowgun with top-notch paladin-felling poison. That eliminates a lot of monsters.

[Turin_19]

I'm just going to go with my gut: Agents of the Snarl, possibly the remains of the Vector Legion who got dominated. The weird colour text is because they are somewhere between slave and avatar of the Snarl. The major weakness to this theory is that green seems an odd choice of colour for the "boss".

Almost. I think the Boss is actually Redcloak’s niece, thus making it a green speech balloon.

[Calavera]

Almost. I think the Boss is actually Redcloak’s niece, thus making it a green speech balloon.

This "Redcloak's niece" rubbish is not funny, witty or clever. I've never been a regular here so I don't know what incident or series of incidents started it, but it's as of now all over the board and is hackneyed, overplayed and idiotic.

[SlashDash]

I heard Serini-as-oathspirit floated as an option

Why would this be an option? I honestly don't get it.
When they described how the scribbles protected the gates, Soon was specifically mentioned as using the honor of a paladin - hence the oathsworn.

But Serini had nothing to do with it. There's no reason to think they all had oaths, otherwise we'd have seen Girard by now.

Honestly, my money is on 'new characters' until proven otherwise.

This I agree with 100%

Things we know:

They seem to be working towards the end goal of unmaking the world?

Based on what? We have no idea what they were talking about.

It's possible they meant they would cease to exist in the sense that they are magical creatures and are done as soon as their task is finished.

It's possible they are on a good team, but they fear that Xykon would unmake the world or possibly they know that he'll trigger the world unmaking by the gods.
They don't say they want to be unmade, the Boss just said that he thinks that will happen and that it was nice while they lasted.

• They're almost certainly not on Hel's side, because that would be a very clunky place to take the narrative.

Not just clunky, it won't make any sense.
Hel doesn't care about the paladins. In fact, if Hel had invisible minions spying on what's going on, she would inform Xykon on what the MITD is doing. Hel wants the other gods to think that Xykon is about to win so they'll reset the world.

Her options are either that or somehow win the council vote. The latter seems extremely unlikely.

My guess is that this is yet another—and quite possibly the last—of the mysterious nine sides of the conflict.

Yes, in general. Except for the word "last" here. My guess is that based on expected length, there would be at least one more new comer to the story.

[Accountant]

This "Redcloak's niece" rubbish is not funny, witty or clever. I've never been a regular here so I don't know what incident or series of incidents started it, but it's as of now all over the board and is hackneyed, overplayed and idiotic.

Without spoiling anything, it was a character in one of the prequel books. I don't think that's who it is, but I also don't think it's such an "idiotic" suggestion that you need to shoot it down so harshly

[CriticalFailure]

Without spoiling anything, it was a character in one of the prequel books. I don't think that's who it is, but I also don't think it's such an "idiotic" suggestion that you need to shoot it down so harshly

I mean, I highly doubt this is Redcloak’s niece but I don’t think her appearing in the last book is completely out of the question. She’d most likely have a normal speech bubble though.

[b_jonas]

Back in the Escape scene, the MitD has found that he can capture the escaping souls of the powerful evil wizard Ganonron (or the sorcerer Jephton, we don't know which one), and allow him to cast spells. He agreed with Ganonron, or perhaps forced him, to cast the spell that let O-Chul and Vaarsuvius ESCAPE.

The MitD has hired escaped souls again, and they're the Mysterious Voices. The MitD wants O-Chul as company, and asked the souls to bring him (as well as Lien) to him. He doesn't want Xykon or Redcloak to know about any of this, so he couldn't just ask them or Oona. The souls are invisible and so can be stealthy, so they're suitable for this task. They used poison darts to knock O-Chul out, perhaps because they're evil or because it would be difficult for them to take two paladins in a fight without such a surprise attack. But the MitD knows that O-Chul is good company even while paralyzed and his saving throws are good, so he accepted the poison dart plan.

(Don't take this speculation too seriously, it's almost certainly wrong.)

[Calavera]

I mean, I highly doubt this is Redcloak’s niece but I don’t think her appearing in the last book is completely out of the question. She’d most likely have a normal speech bubble though.

I am aware of the existence of RN in SoD and can extrapolate that at one time some person(s) made some threads that suggested RN would have an important role coming up, which then got mocked, copied and turned into a meme. Fair enough, but now it's all over the place, been going on far too long, and everybody who brings up "Redcloaks Niece" still thinks they're being clever when they're actually being repetitively eye-rollingly annoying.

[KorvinStarmast]

This "Redcloak's niece" rubbish is not funny, witty or clever...{snip}but it's as of now all over the board and is hackneyed, overplayed and {scrub}

I agree. In about the same league as the Banjo stuff.

That said, I believe that with the call back to Hilgya, Rich opened the door for Redcloak's niece to show up somewhere in the last book as his past coming back to haunt him, or for him to confront his past based on his various errors and sins while he was so focused on The Plan.

This is hardly the place for her to be introduced.

[factotum]

I am aware of the existence of RN in SoD and can extrapolate that at one time some person(s) made some threads that suggested RN would have an important role coming up, which then got mocked, copied and turned into a meme.

I think it was more that people would seriously ask "So, is that Redcloak's niece?" every time anybody vaguely non-human showed up--they were suggesting it for Therkla for some time, despite her being an acknowledged half-orc and thus not a goblin in any way. Now people just jokingly suggest it.

[Calavera]

Now people just jokingly suggest it.

I know I've derailed the thread a bit and I'm sorry so this will be my last word on this subject in this thread. But the people jokingly suggesting it is exactly the problem when it's done at the repetitive volume that it is done here.

[CriticalFailure]

At this point Redcloak’s niece is so memed that no one will see it coming when she does show up.

[Malfarian]

I'm sure it's been said already, but I think it's the two bounty hunters from down south, yes the speech bubbles are wrong-ish, but I'm sure that'll be explained humorously in the first panel of the next strip. The "What was boss?" makes me think of them.

[littlebum2002]

This "Redcloak's niece" rubbish is not funny, witty or clever. I've never been a regular here so I don't know what incident or series of incidents started it, but it's as of now all over the board and is hackneyed, overplayed and idiotic.

Yeah we need to go back to That Guy With A Halberd, the original forum meme.

[LeMossBoss]

I really like the idea that the green voice - Kermit, I suppose - is a surviving Eastern Pantheon god or demigod. The orange voice makes that far more confusing, though.

My original thought was it was Lirian and Dorukan, now in a spirit form, but Dorukan's color scheme is yellow and they were equals while alive, which would make the 'Boss' line weird. Same with Serini - I'd imagine she'd have an orange bubble, and I imagine her to be the unbossed type, so I doubt she's Scooter.

Personally, my bets are on new characters, possibly from inside the Snarl. The reveal of there being a world inside the rifts has been such an intriguing undercurrent this whole time, and I figure the Giant will want to pick that thread up ASAP in the last book.

Also, besides undead/gods/outsiders/magical effects, colored speech bubbles have been used for dragons (Empress of Blood, the Mother Dragon that sparked Familicide, etc.), though I doubt that's relevant information.