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2019-09-18, 07:17 PM (ISO 8601)
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Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
We've focused on every character's backstory at least a little over the course of OotS, except for Belkar. We don't know anything about his past at all except that he lived in a halfling village. This village could easily be related to Serini, especially because of two reasons:
1. Belkar was absent during the background info, and thus probably only got a brief summary, later on. He may not have connected the name Serini to the gates, especially since he was absent for Girard's message, too.
2. Serini didn't stay at her gate, and instead continued adventuring. Perhaps she settled down and either founded or joined a small halfling town.
If anyone has any evidence to the contrary, please post it. If there is no evidence, I'll put 5 quataloos on it. Normal theory disclaimer applies, of course.Last edited by PhyrexianShovel; 2019-09-18 at 07:18 PM. Reason: formatting issues
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2019-09-18, 07:42 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2013
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- Los Angeles, CA
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
As for why there is no backstory on Belkar, my memory is that Rich commented (perhaps in one of the books - likely On the Origin of PC's) that providing an explanation of why Belkar was a psychopathic monster would detract from his usefulness as a character. What's the point of showing a terrible childhood where he was abused if that would just make him sympathetic? Can't find the book right now or I would look it up for you.
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2019-09-18, 07:44 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2015
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
It's not explicitly impossible, but that's the only thing going for this theory at the moment.
ungelic is us
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2019-09-18, 08:04 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2009
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- Washington D.C.
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
Cuthalion's art is the prettiest art of all the art. Like my avatar.
Number of times Roland St. Jude has sworn revenge upon me: 2
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2019-09-18, 08:15 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2015
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2019-09-18, 08:30 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2019
Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
Well, it's a little more likely then that, mostly because Belkar could actually know the name Serini, but has conveniently been out of the way both times her name was mentioned. I'll admit it's far-fetched, I just like the idea of one of the OotS being related to one of the Scribblers.
@dmc91356: I think he said that in SoD about Xykon, not about Belkar. For Belkar, I believe that he just said his backstory was short to reflect different D&D characters having different length backstories. My copies of both books are on loan to a friend right now, so I can't check either, unfortunately. I'm not really asking for an explanation as to why he's a psycho, though, so this bit of backstory could still exist.
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2019-09-18, 08:34 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2009
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- Washington D.C.
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
Cuthalion's art is the prettiest art of all the art. Like my avatar.
Number of times Roland St. Jude has sworn revenge upon me: 2
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2019-09-18, 08:42 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2018
Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
Maybe Belkar is actually Redcloak's niece.
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2019-09-18, 09:18 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2019
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2019-09-18, 09:34 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2006
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- Mangholi Dask
Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
The Order of the Scribble's adventures were... I forget the exact number, around sixty-five years ago? Halflings are based on Tolkien's hobbits, so they live longer and age slower than humans; hobbits considered the age of adulthood to be 33. So, not even enough time for Serini to have grandchildren.
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2019-09-18, 09:38 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2019
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- Magrathea
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
I'm going with a quick flat "no" on this one. Serini could be related to Belkar; she could be an aunt or something, but her being his mother/grandmother is unlikely. Halfling lifespans simply don't quite match up with the time frame we are working with (Belkar is too young to be a son and too old to be a grandson), and we would probably know if someone were to mention his mother by name?
I'm not entirely sure, but it seems highly unlikely that Serini is related to Belkar.
10/10, would theorize againLast edited by Squire Doodad; 2019-09-18 at 09:40 PM.
An explanation of why MitD being any larger than Huge is implausible.
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2019-09-18, 09:46 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2007
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- Oregon, USA
Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
He was, however, present for the later discussion where "Serini" and "halfling rogue" were mentioned.
So the question is: What difference will it make if Belkar is Serini's descendant, as opposed to if he's not? With no evidence supporting the theory, it'd go a long way towards establishing nominal plausibility if there's some reason it's more sensical/convenient for Belkar to be Serini's descendant than, say, for Hank to be Serini's descendant.
Yes, the introduction of On the Origin of PCs. Basically said Belkar would be "ruined" by a backstory, that explaining the motivation behind his antics would make them more sad than funny.Last edited by Jasdoif; 2019-09-18 at 09:48 PM.
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The Index of the Giant's Comments VI―Making Dogma from Zapped Bananas
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2019-09-18, 11:45 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2014
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
Let's go even more bananas. Serini is Belkar's daughter, born after Belkar somehow avoided his prophesied doom and his redemption, raised to be righteous and to value team work. She then was sent back in time by a powerful artifact on her first ever adventure.
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2019-09-19, 03:23 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2009
Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
Belkar is a rejuvenated and polymorphed version of Serini. With amnesia. If my understanding of how brain trauma works is correct, the amnesia will eventually be broken by a falling coconut.
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2019-09-19, 06:16 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2015
Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
Yes, because, as we all know, every Halfling is related to each other.
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2019-09-19, 06:57 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2015
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- Brazil
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
Last edited by D.One; 2019-09-19 at 06:57 AM.
Each one of us, alone, is but a drop in the sea
Our powers pale compared with the great heroes
Our battles dont hit theheadlines or shake the earth
But they are few, cant be everywhere, and we, many
So, when the world or universe needs saving, they come
But when people needs saving, we are the ones to appear
We're underdogs, but we rise up to the challenge to be heroes.
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2019-09-19, 07:00 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2017
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
There is actually only one halfling. Its an immortal who uses epic time-travel magic to hop between worlds and escape the XP-death of the universe by going back to the beginning. They use various disguises such as wigs and fake beards to pretend there are multiple different halflings.
Belkar is his angry teenager phase.Forum Wisdom
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2019-09-19, 07:02 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2013
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
Of course she is.
We are all brothers and sisters.
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2019-09-19, 07:11 AM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2015
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
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2019-09-19, 07:30 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2015
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- Brazil
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
Each one of us, alone, is but a drop in the sea
Our powers pale compared with the great heroes
Our battles dont hit theheadlines or shake the earth
But they are few, cant be everywhere, and we, many
So, when the world or universe needs saving, they come
But when people needs saving, we are the ones to appear
We're underdogs, but we rise up to the challenge to be heroes.
(Wishing Joe, a low-powered superhero)
"I really like the Geek Math'ology we do here"
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2019-09-19, 11:44 AM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2018
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
Speaking of Serini, has anyone else always assumed shes dead? Halflings, at least in core D&D, dont live much longer than humans, and Girad died of old age decades ago. Wouldnt she have died already?
Wait! I know! Shes actually the Dark One...and Redcloaks niece...and Belkars mother. And only she knows Vs gender, the exact species of the MITD, and the best possible use for a doily. It all makes sense!Like Star Wars, ponies, and/or unabashed silliness? Check out my YouTube channel, Nothing In Particular, for a healthy dose of absurdity. It's just what the doctor ordered!*
* Surgeon General's Warning: May cause chronic hideous laughter, eye rolling, or beleaguered sighs. Not intended to prevent, diagnose, or treat any disease.
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2019-09-19, 12:32 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2017
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
Some people have proposed that, yes, based mainly on that V gets no response from their attempt at comunicating which may be caused by her being deceased. However Dorukan was fine and a baseline human not even two years "ago" so she can definitely be alive and well. We don't know how long Girard has been dead either.
I don't think she's dead because the Giant will need someone to exposit on the Snarl and the planet within and the last living Scribbler sounds like the best fit for that role.Last edited by Fyraltari; 2019-09-19 at 12:33 PM.
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Mage avatar by smutmulch & linklele.
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2019-09-19, 12:39 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2013
Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
Best reason for her being dead is that Xykon went for her personal journal, and came back with it. He doesn't leave people alive without a very good reason. Using Miko to scry on the defenses of Azure City, for example.
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2019-09-19, 01:01 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2015
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2019-09-19, 01:21 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2017
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
Last edited by Fyraltari; 2019-09-19 at 01:21 PM.
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Mage avatar by smutmulch & linklele.
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2019-09-19, 01:30 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2009
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
That assumes Xykon would know about, and then be able to find, a diary explicating the details of the Gates, which was written by (and presumably hidden by) an epic-level Rogue. Which sounds significantly more difficult than the already-difficult-finding that Rogue and plucking the diary off her corpse.
Cuthalion's art is the prettiest art of all the art. Like my avatar.
Number of times Roland St. Jude has sworn revenge upon me: 2
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2019-09-19, 01:34 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
True, but on the other hand she would certainly be careful about where she hid it and she would keep silence about its very existence and what is actually means. At the beginning of his search, Xykon did not know about the diary so the most straightforward explanation would be he somehow learned about it from her.
Edit: (ninja'd by the dragon)Last edited by Mike Havran; 2019-09-19 at 01:35 PM.
There must be some sense of order - personal, political or dramatic - and if no one else is going to bring it to this world, I will.
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2019-09-19, 01:35 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2006
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- Missionary Pirate Ship
Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
3.5 edition halflings live to be 105-200, compared to 72-110 for humans. Serini might be dead, but she probably didn't die of old age, unless she was already pretty old when the gates were made (which she showed no sign of, but it can be hard to tell from crayon drawings).
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2019-09-19, 01:39 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2017
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
That "presumably" is doing a lot of work here. The simple fact that she recorded the coordinates in a diary means that she wasn't careful about that info. She should have burned it once they realized what they were dealing with. If you want to assume that diary was in magically sealed vault with two hundreds locks cast inside a twenty meter cube of steel, that's your prerogative but it may simply have been forgotten in a house she lived in forty years ago that Xykon found while trying to find her current whereabouts.
If he had been able to extract information from her he would not have had to decode the coordinates, nor would he have needed the diary in the first place.
EDIT:
She circled hearts around her drawing of the gang's resident bad boy. I'm confortable assuming she was young by halfling standards.Last edited by Fyraltari; 2019-09-19 at 01:40 PM.
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Mage avatar by smutmulch & linklele.
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2019-09-19, 01:44 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2009
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Re: Could Belkar be descended from Serini?
That completely depends on how she handled the diary. If it never left her person and she had a plan for the chain of custody (both who would have it and why they would have it as well as how they could potentially use it), then not at all. If she just tossed it in the drawer of the inn she was the day she finished it, then absolutely.
And while that's a spectrum and not a dichotomy, I'm inclined to believe the truth was significantly closer to the former than the latter.Cuthalion's art is the prettiest art of all the art. Like my avatar.
Number of times Roland St. Jude has sworn revenge upon me: 2