Solo time in the spotlight

[silas the monk]

It seems to me that since the fall of Azure City all the principle characters have had a solo adventure of some sort.

Elan - Therkla relationship problems
Varsuvius - Saving her children
Roy - the joys of experiencing the afterlife
Hayley - the joys of "leading" the order with a sick Belkar
Belkar - his character development

That only leaves Durkon. I am sure each will have his spot before the storey arc finishes and that the title of the book will be related to this. I expect his will be in Greysky city. But how will Elan be eliminated from the strip?

[Surfing HalfOrc]

It seems to me that since the fall of Azure City all the principle characters have had a solo adventure of some sort.

Elan - Therkla relationship problems
Varsuvius - Saving her children
Roy - the joys of experiencing the afterlife
Hayley - the joys of "leading" the order with a sick Belkar
Belkar - his character development

That only leaves Durkon. I am sure each will have his spot before the storey arc finishes and that the title of the book will be related to this. I expect his will be in Greysky city. But how will Elan be eliminated from the strip?

Huh... I never thought of it like that. But you're right, even though they were part of a group, everyone but Durkon has been flying more or less solo.

But what do you mean, Elan will be eliminated from the strip? Only Belkar and Durkon have Oracle Approved death sentences... Elan is destined for a happy ending. Belkar may well be out of here before the end of this book (another 30+/- strips by most people's estimates), but Durkon can make it all the way to the end, and be borne home on his shield.

[magic9mushroom]

Spoiler

Show

Probably Durkon's and Roy's will be consecutive: something will bog down Haley and Belkar, and Durkon will go solo, fight his way to Roy, resurrect him, and start the Great Cleavage.

[silas the monk]

But what do you mean, Elan will be eliminated from the strip?

I only meant that since Elan has already had a solo, it may happen that for some reason there will be a specifc reason why Elan does not get another one. And Durkon and Elan are currently together.

[Optimystik]

Technically, Durkon had the first solo adventure. (Or the second, if you count Belkar's encounter with the ninja as an "adventure.")

[Raging Gene Ray]

Technically, Durkon had the first solo adventure.

Hey, Hilgya helped. Also, I am firmly of the opinion that SOMEHOW Hilgya will return. After all (Spoiler'd for speculation that, unlike most of my other hypotheses, could very well actually happen):

Spoiler

Show

The return of Sabine's superiors may mean the return of Sabine and the rest of the Linear Guild. Perhaps with a re-recruited Hilgya, who has turned MORE EViL in response to being spurned by Durkon and, as a personal nemesis, is at least as powerful as him plus the power of PURE EViL!!! It will be up to Durkon to fend her off while trying to talk her down.

In fact, I think we have our evil opposites for Linear Guild Mach III: Durkon = Hilgya again. V = V under Fiendish control. Belkar = I dunno...another throwaway Kobold?

[silas the monk]

Technically, Durkon had the first solo adventure. (Or the second, if you count Belkar's encounter with the ninja as an "adventure.")

I was thinking specifically of after the fall of Azure City. What got me thinking about this was trying to guess the title of the next book. I don't think I have any chance of that but "Don't split the party" might work.

[David Argall]

It's an idea, and I suppose there is enough room, barely. The current chapter started at 623 and should end before 643, giving us room for one more chapter for Durkon. Still, it is a bit tight, and if we are to end the book with a raised Roy [finally!!], we do have things to do. A Durkon chapter on doing them is possible, but all in all, I'll bet against it.

[[TS] Shadow]

It's an idea, and I suppose there is enough room, barely. The current chapter started at 623 and should end before 643, giving us room for one more chapter for Durkon. Still, it is a bit tight, and if we are to end the book with a raised Roy [finally!!], we do have things to do. A Durkon chapter on doing them is possible, but all in all, I'll bet against it.

I agree with David here. Durkon should and will get a moment of true awesomeness before the strip is done. I suspect that he'll have major plot points in the next arc, or perhaps the one after that if Girard's Gate is lost.

[Rotipher]

Well, presumably we'll get to see what happened when Durkon received the Sending from Greysky City, assuming it got through. That could lead in to our seeing things from his POV for the finale segment of the book, even if Elan's also hanging around in the background.

Remember, Belkar's brush with character development only took a few pages to depict. If Durkon's is also internalized -- say, a look at what goes on in a cleric's head while they're resurrecting someone, which might require a bit of a spiritual side-trek to accomplish -- that might be all that's needed for him, too.

[Trebuchet]

I was glad to see this thread, since I was thinking almost exactly the same thing: that all the characters seem to be getting their own quest or story, and some added depth (or fake depth).

I do hope Durkon will be next. Though I don't know if I would want to see him meet up with Hilgya again. It doesn't take too many ranks in Knowledge (Religion) to see that they couldn't possibly even be friends, even if Hilgya weren't married, and forbidden love stories don't do much for me.

Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe something will change to make Durkon change his mind about her. After all, back in strip 81, Vaarsuvius swore rather emphatically never to renounce complete devotion to the ancient elven god of knowledge, and those IFCC guys don't look like elven gods to me.

[Rotipher]

The IFCC aren't asking V to worship them, though. It's purely a business transaction.

[Keris]

After all, back in strip 81, Vaarsuvius swore rather emphatically never to renounce complete devotion to the ancient elven god of knowledge, and those IFCC guys don't look like elven gods to me.

V was almost tempted by a coffee maker. The IFCC are offering far more than that, and they only want his soul for as long as V lets them have it, while the Elven Gods would want you to stay loyal your entire life.

[Janmorel]

I bet the IFCC will throw in an espresso maker for free*

It would be nice if Durkon got some b-story of his very own. Preferably not a romantic plot, either.


*
by using this espresso maker, the user agrees to extend the contract on hir soul by 10 years per coffee bean brewed

[Raging Gene Ray]

It would be nice if Durkon got some b-story of his very own. Preferably not a romantic plot, either.

I agree. I'll be sorely disappointing if Hilgya returns and it turns into that. I'd expect Hilgya to spark Durkon becoming

Spoiler

Show

The Heroic Anti-Drama Dwarf!

That's not a very catchy title...
It does nae matter.

Hilgya'd hysterically rant about how fate spurned her and drove her on the path of madness, while Durkon would have to restrain her and calmly dictate that no, they aren't going to live happily ever after, but no, she doesn't have to become an insane exemplar of evil over it, either.

*
by using this espresso maker, the user agrees to extend the contract on hir soul by 10 years per coffee bean brewed

Do grounds count as beans?

[Trebuchet]

V was almost tempted by a coffee maker.

Heh, maybe. I was convinced that V was only pretending to be tempted by espresso (but honestly, I could understand it leading someone to the dark side). I hadn't considered the possibility that Vaarsuvius was truly tempted by espresso, especially since it is anachronistic, but you could very well be right!