OOTS #1183 - Discussion Thread

[Schroeswald]

I get on my phone to see the latest thread up, immediately click for the comic, and then (literally) jump for joy to see the IFCC and Qatar return, without me getting the chance to read it until a few minutes in.

[Mad Humanist]

Can someone remind me how many sides were involved in this conflict again?

We all know it's nine. Not sure if we ever worked out which nine though.

[KorvinStarmast]

As Elan might say:

Dun dun DUN!

Glad to see Sabine will return. Like Quarr's "I thought she was taking vacation days" line.

Artifact? What high level campaign doesn't include an artifact?

Thanks Giant!

I laughed out loud at "it's time to roll our sleeves up and get our followers' hands dirty"

Yeah. But who are their followers, I wonder? I don't think Xykon figures in following anyone.

[Athas]

Huh
I'm also looking forward to every character we see doing something even the slightest bit not normal, will earn everyone assuming that they're Sabine.

I'm already suspicious of the dwarf. (I don't know D&D can a succubus change size?)

Also laughed at
It would be unkind of me to speculate on your assorted shortcomings.

[Schroeswald]

The line that really made my eyebrows rise is "...get our followers' hands dirty" in that last panel. Followers, plural, and Qarr is already present so they're not just talking about him and Sabine. The IFCC are high-ranking infernals, so one could assume they'd have minions to do their dirty work, but we've never seen any thus far beyond those with names (and that Erinyes secretary from a gag panel). Makes me wonder what new characters aligned with the Forces Below we'll be seeing soon.

Some wild (and mostly nonserious) guesses include: Sabine reforged a Linear Guild, Curly somehow, Oona, And Redcloak’s Niece!

[Reboot]

I'm already suspicious of the dwarf. (I don't know D&D can a succubus change size?)

I feel like we've seen Sabine change size - when she impersonated the cop, at least - but we've never seen her change colour

[Wowlock]

Wouldn't those Fiends also get destroyed if the Gods decided to destroy the world?

[Schroeswald]

I feel like we've seen Sabine change size - when she impersonated the cop, at least - but we've never seen her change colour

She did impersonate a dwarf too, but said dwarf matched her skin color.

[Anitar]

So, the Directors don't bother covering their hands, despite covering the rest of their bodies. And their skin (for all three of them) is dark red. That's new.

Wouldn't those Fiends also get destroyed if the Gods decided to destroy the world?

No, they'd get their memories wiped. Logically they shouldn't have a way to know that. Not unless they're in contact with a god.

[Gift Jeraff]

Wouldn't those Fiends also get destroyed if the Gods decided to destroy the world?

The Outsiders get a memory wipe according to Thor.

[JeenLeen]

So, it sounds like the IFCC wanted Hel to succeed, since her not succeeding means that the gods did not wind up doing the work for the fiends. So does that mean the fiends want the world destroyed/re-made, or at least that such is the most obvious interpretation?

That seems very odd, considering that outsiders get their memories wiped. I guess it's been unclear if such would apply to fiends as they aren't necessarily outsiders loyal to a given deity (e.g., have a non-compete clause with evil gods implies working with them, not for them.)

I reckon we don't really have enough info to know, but I would have guessed they'd want Hel thwarted.

[Psyren]

Yeah. But who are their followers, I wonder? I don't think Xykon figures in following anyone.

They don't seem to have any kind of love for Xykon. So far the only followers we know about are the Linear Guild, who are down to.... Sabine and maybe Thog, if he didn't die in that collapse.

If they have any besides the Linear Guild, we haven't seen them yet, though of course the "vessel" could be someone we've seen before (Julia?)

[DeTess]

If they have any besides the Linear Guild, we haven't seen them yet, though of course the "vessel" could be someone we've seen before (Julia?)

I reckon it's going to be Tarquin. Sabine has an axe to grind with him after all, and somehow I doubt being a vessel will be particularly healthy.

[KhelArk]

Something about the particular emphasis placed on the rubies (even moreso than the usual, "OK nerds, I'm following the rules!"), juxtaposed with the IFCC's plans for V, just made me think there's some very particular foreshadowing happening here.

So I researched which OTHER spells require ruby or ruby dust for spell components, and one interesting possibility does stick out: Simulacrum!

I'm wondering if those rubies may thus turn be the key to providing a "suitable vessel," or perhaps even a means by which V can evade the terms of his contract.

I think those are both maybe silly ideas, but I'm still wondering if there isn't something more to these rubies than meets the eye.

[Psyren]

I reckon it's going to be Tarquin. Sabine has an axe to grind with him after all, and somehow I doubt being a vessel will be particularly healthy.

Uh, I highly doubt this, why on earth would he agree to that?

1) It makes him a deuteragonist/Dragon to the IFCC instead of the scenery-chewing main villain he firmly thinks he is.

2) He's considerably stronger than Sabine so she can't force him.

3) He already got rescued from the desert by Laurin so Sabine has no leverage there either.

4) There's already a secondary plot brewing right under his feet with the Resistance he has to worry about. (And incidentally, getting bumped off by a minor NPC who also happens to be a woman of color would be so poetic that I genuinely can't imagine him going out any other way now.)

[Doug Lampert]

I'm already suspicious of the dwarf. (I don't know D&D can a succubus change size?)

Also laughed at
It would be unkind of me to speculate on your assorted shortcomings.

Dwarfs are medium. The only different sized character in the OotS is Belkar at small.

However a succubus has this power:

Change Shape (Su)
An succubus can assume the form of any Small or Medium humanoid.

[Rogar Demonblud]

I don’t know why but the thought of fiends / demons having vacation days just made me chuckle.

They also get unholy-day bonuses, as Sabine's was docked for the TV she smashed.

The only artifact (or artifact-adjacent thing) I can think of to exist in this comic is Xykon's phylactery, and I doubt that's what they're referring to.

The phylactery is just a standard magic item. The only confirmed artifact is the Crimson Mantle, although the Greenhilt Sword may qualify as a minor artifact by this point.

[Fyraltari]

maybe they know about the world inside and destroying the world wont do anything anymore, it would just peel back the shell on that one

They do know. V mentioned it last time V was with them and they weren’t surprised nor did they try to learn more (the opposite in fact).

Lots of foreshadowing for developments to come here. Should fuel the speculation for well after more pages start appearing.

The only artifact (or artifact-adjacent thing) I can think of to exist in this comic is Xykon's phylactery, and I doubt that's what they're referring to.

Their crimson mantle, Dorukan and Lirian’s gemstone, Roy’s sword.

The line that really made my eyebrows rise is "...get our followers' hands dirty" in that last panel. Followers, plural, and Qarr is already present so they're not just talking about him and Sabine. The IFCC are high-ranking infernals, so one could assume they'd have minions to do their dirty work, but we've never seen any thus far beyond those with names (and that Erinyes secretary from a gag panel). Makes me wonder what new characters aligned with the Forces Below we'll be seeing soon.

It’s the Vector Legion, mark my words. Way too much unfinished business there and they already know about the Gates.

I'm also looking forward to every character we see doing something even the slightest bit not normal, will earn everyone assuming that they're Sabine.

I don’t think any of the main characters match her skin colour, though.

I get on my phone to see the latest thread up, immediately click for the comic, and then (literally) jump for joy to see the IFCC and Qatar return, without me getting the chance to read it until a few minutes in.

I’m not sure wether Qarr or the entire country of Qatar should be the one offended here.

Something about the particular emphasis placed on the rubies (even moreso than the usual, "OK nerds, I'm following the rules!"), juxtaposed with the IFCC's plans for V, just made me think there's some very particular foreshadowing happening here.

I think it’s just a parallel between how V treats rubies and how the Directors treat everybody. Also The Giant doesn’t follow the rules.

Uh, I highly doubt this, why on earth would he agree to that?

1) It makes him a deuteragonist/Dragon to the IFCC instead of the scenery-chewing main villain he firmly thinks he is.

2) He's considerably stronger than Sabine so she can't force him.

3) He already got rescued from the desert by Laurin so Sabine has no leverage there either.

4) There's already a secondary plot brewing right under his feet with the Resistance he has to worry about. (And incidentally, getting bumped off by a minor NPC who also happens to be a woman of color would be so poetic that I genuinely can't imagine him going out any other way now.)

Tarquin only cares about getting back at Elan he’d follow any lead to it. The VL has to deal with a rampaging Snarl on their territory, they’re going to want that dealt with wether Tarquin agrees or not anyway and the rest of the team can force him to comply because
A) he’s not the boss and
B) they have rules for this kind of things ‘Business first’.

It was heavily foreshadowed in ‘Where her loyalty lies’ that Sabine would betray the Directors for Nale’s sake, the only way this pays off now is if the Directors want her to work with his murderer.

[Windscion]

When I saw the title I figured we'd get an update on Team Evil. And we did, just not the evil team I was expecting.

And yes, I am sure Sabine mixes business with pleasure, most conspicuously with Nale. Which just makes me wonder, giving that she is using vacation days, if she isn't trying some angle to get Nale back.

As far as the idea of fiends having vacation days, um, devils would have a bureaucracy, but Sabine is a demon, right? So never mind.

[Psyren]

Tarquin only cares about getting back at Elan he’d follow any lead to it.

No, you're thinking of Nale; Tarquin cares about procedure.

The VL has to deal with a rampaging Snarl on their territory, they’re going to want that dealt with wether Tarquin agrees or not anyway and the rest of the team can force him to comply because
A) he’s not the boss and
B) they have rules for this kind of things ‘Business first’.

That's a fair point, we don't know how they're reacting to the Snarl. I do think Tarquin going up against Elan again wastes a bit of foreshadowing and damages Elan's thesis though, since a final showdown with Elan is exactly what Tarquin wants (and what ordinary story convention would demand.)

It was heavily foreshadowed in ‘Where her loyalty lies’ that Sabine would betray the Directors for Nale’s sake, the only way this pays off now is if the Directors want her to work with his murderer.

She sort of showed her defiance already by secretly tipping V off in how to beat Laurin.

Though it's interesting that they apparently wanted Hel to succeed, which would have meant wanting Durkula to get where he was going, so they shouldn't have wanted Tarquin to dust him... gah, my head hurts.

[MossyMeow]

I was excited when I saw the new comic, got more excited when I saw the three fiends, and then got even more excited when I read their dialogue. And, as always, Blackwing delivers the final-panel punchline like a pro.

[Arkain]

"it's time to really roll our sleeves up and get our follower's hands dirty"

Good to see the IFCC again.

[Anitar]

As far as the idea of fiends having vacation days, um, devils would have a bureaucracy, but Sabine is a demon, right? So never mind.

Yes she is, but she works for Lee, the devil among the directors.

[Peelee]

It’s the Vector Legion, mark my words. Way too much unfinished business there and they already know about the Gates.

I'll take that bet.

[Edward15]

The next book is the last, IIRC.

The next book will be about both, seeing as it is the final one :P

Where was that mentioned?

[Malfarian]

IMO that would be a GREAT last strip, but since it isn't and the Bard tells us it will be great, we KNOW something even bigger is coming.

[kaoskonfety]

Yes she is, but she works for Lee, the devil among the directors.

Probably because of the vacation days...

[Rogar Demonblud]

Dorukan and Lirian’s gemstone

Just an ordinary shiny rock. The important part there is the Trap the Soul spell.

[Phhase]

Oooooh...I feel like the IFCC has somehow found a way around being mind-wiped at the end of each world's lifetime...after all, they know exactly what's going on. Perhaps THIS what happens if you forget to wipe every outsider...

[bronzeclaw]

This is completely unrelated to this comic, but I thought this the easiest way to get this idea into reality.
I went to go buy an apron with "You can't make an omelette without ruthlessly crushing dozens..." but found that it was only available in shirts...
Does anyone want to second that this should be an apron?

Also, Where should I have posted this?

thanks,