OOTS #945 - The Discussion Thread

[Gift Jeraff]

Cool, I guessed Laurin's favour right, I think.

And I hope those poor mooks can get out safely (looks like one poor soul got claimed). Assuming the Snarl is the threat we think it is. A damn shame Tarquin isn't around to get Snarled.

[Porthos]

You're right, it is. You can clearly see the droplets near the bottom, especially by Laurin's feet.

So, I guess this means that at least it's not a total illusion, there is actually water in there. And also that stuff can cross the portal plane without getting destroyed or something.

The Snarl could exist between RiftWorld and OotSWorld. In whatever metaphysical/magical whatever that sepreates dimensions. And it waited until it was POKED until it lashed out.

...

Which lines from Ghostbusters shall we use now?

"The Traveller Has Come?"
"I'm terrified beyond all rational thought?"

Maybe the Snarl asked Laurin telepathically if she was a god.

Though I am reminded of a semi-famous movie quote that I can only half remember (and it's bugging me to no end that I can't ). Something to the effect of:

"People should not be playing with things they don't understand."

As was said by the newly released Big Bad as it delivered Old Testament violence in its region.

Really bugging me that I can't quite remember this quote/where it's from, actually. Doesn't help that I'm probably horribly mangling it.

[Maryring]

Okay. I just have to say it. This. This here. This is how you do an excellent cliffhanger folks. I will hate the wait, and love how it torments me.

[bladequeen420]

To quote hcbailly,it's time for super tenticle hentai porn
Also looks like somthing from one of hp lovecraft's stories

[Arrowstorm122]

I guess this might happen with all the gate-free rifts, and we'll see them all and the book then ending.

[Ridureyu]

WOAH.

and again...

WOAH.

[Morgan Wick]

Worth noting: Mijung was a magician and might well have tried to poke into the rift. http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0275.html

[Shale]

Which lines from Ghostbusters shall we use now?

I'm sure that whatever the ultimate strategy is for stopping this thing will merit a hearty "I love this plan! I'm excited to be a part of it!"

And, of course, if this thing asks you whether you're a god, you should probably say "no."

[AutomatedTeller]

I know it's not quite the point of the comic, but have we seen Tarquin soldiers with helmets that looks like Tarquin's purple ones before? I don't remember them.

[Gift Jeraff]

Which lines from Ghostbusters shall we use now?

"The Traveller Has Come?"
"I'm terrified beyond all rational thought?"

Hopefully Elan is around when it asks to choose the form of the Destructor.

We used to eat Sorcerer's Fruit Pies down by the fires at Bard Camp.

[Giggling Ghast]

So going through the Rift was a bad idea after all, huh?

The Snarl was formed from the threads of creation. Perhaps a dead, lifeless world is its dormant state.

[RMS Oceanic]

My theory: The "Snarl" is like an Anti-Matter Universe, and contact with the Material Plane is disastrous. Only instead of blowing it up, it changes it into raw threads of uncreation.

[JessmanCA]

It looks like the Snarll killed one of the 'storm trooper' guys. 3rd from the left took a tendril through the gut.

[Kariccia]

I can only think of one response to this comic:

[Ted The Bug]

HOOOOOOOOOboy, so, Book Five is gonna have one of those this-post-book-hiatus-is-killing-me endings, isn't it?

[Shale]

I know it's not quite the point of the comic, but have we seen Tarquin soldiers with helmets that looks like Tarquin's purple ones before? I don't remember them.

Those are from the Empire of Sweat, Laurin's turf. Which is appropriate, since she owns the valley now. Or "owned," if the Snarl got her.

[Brom]

Super-Grim Thought.

The Snarl is a living manifestation of Diefic conflict, Anger, and Frustration.

The Snarl claims the very souls of those it kills.

Maybe it created an entire world where it can 'vent' it's basic emotional construct upon the souls it has captured.....

After seeing that the other poster was right about water coming out of the Snarl, this was actually my thought too.

The Gods made the world, and the Snarl has eaten Gods. Who says it lacks the power to make its own world?

The idea that this was an illusion the Snarl was putting over itself to perhaps lure people in is a thought that comes to me -- perhaps it needs to be able to ensnare someone to come through again?

I wonder if mages will be able to sense what just happened, just as, like, 'a disturbance in the force.' If not, then the Order finding out about this hinges on either choosing to scry the portal over the next several days that they're in flight for (which I hope they thought to do)

Roy's casual dismissal of V seems...cold, knowing how those two are long term comrades and how V has every respect for Roy. Roy basically said he didn't care too much if the elf left or not, just that there was no deep reason to.

Without a divine caster, Team Tarquin can no longer hope to seal the gate unless Durkon gets sent back to them. Actually, I'm unsure if Miron is a sorcerer or not -- but he doesn't seem very smart, in which case HE might not even be able to do HIS half of the ritual.

[FLHerne]

Placing my bet now: #946 will be a montage of the Snarl emerging from the other three open Rifts, and will also end the book.

Also, I love the desalination idea (and the art).

[HandofShadows]

Wow, Snarl is VERY real and starting to break free.

[Oko and Qailee]

What Did You Do?!?!

[Who149]

I just realized that we have never seen the Snarl outside Crayon Drawings. Those silly colorful panels could not have prepared us for this.

And now, we are at the end game my friends. Plot lines have met there end. One more gate, one more stand.It seems like we are reaching the end of the comic. Everyone brace yourselves.

[RMS Oceanic]

I know it's not quite the point of the comic, but have we seen Tarquin soldiers with helmets that looks like Tarquin's purple ones before? I don't remember them.

I think these are soldiers from the Empire of Sweat, rather than Tarquin's Empire of Blood.

[Oko and Qailee]

Roy's casual dismissal of V seems...cold, knowing how those two are long term comrades and how V has every respect for Roy. Roy basically said he didn't care too much if the elf left or not, just that there was no deep reason to.
.

There is a very big difference between not caring and saying "I won't stop you."

[Gift Jeraff]

Interesting to note that there is also water splashing when the Snarl attacks. On my first read, I assumed that the whole world inside the rift turned into the Snarl, but that seems to suggest that the world and the Snarl co-exist.

[3WhiteFox3]

The Snarl could exist between RiftWorld and OotSWorld. In whatever metaphysical/magical whatever that sepreates dimensions. And it waited until it was POKED until it lashed out.

That's what I thought at first... However, looking at the art, the tentacles seem to be coming out of the water, which seems to imply that the Snarl is in the water somehow.

Anyway, this is a truly excellent strip. Awesome cliffhanger, awesome plot point resolution, great juxtaposition between Roy/V and Laurin/Miron, this was a great use of Laurin's favor to advance the plot significantly.

I also really love Roy's conversation with V at the beginning, it shows how rationally minded Roy is and that he's significantly calmed down from the last strip. It's also making clear that V isn't sure how to atone but is willing to work towards it however Ve can.

[Tvtyrant]

My personal theory is that the Snarl only kills living things, and what you are seeing is the original planet the gods made before the current universe. There are no fish because the Snarl kills everything, but the planet (and universe) are still there because the Snarl doesn't care about them.

[HardcoreD&Dgirl]

Omg the snarl... What did it do telepathically? What is going to happen next? OMG

[Porthos]

Presuming this is a response to my Ghostbusters Q:

What Did You Do?!?!

WINNER!

[JessmanCA]

My personal theory is that the Snarl only kills living things, and what you are seeing is the original planet the gods made before the current universe. There are no fish because the Snarl kills everything, but the planet (and universe) are still there because the Snarl doesn't care about them.

But the Snarl ripped that planet apart in the crayon drawings

[Martok]

Oh. Oh my. This is so, SO not good...