AllisterH said:
I'll admit it, I'm weird. I liked Miko and think she got a raw deal....Basically since she was not the star of the strip, of course she got screwed over. Crazy you say, but let me back it up by facts.
She'd rather kill people than lie to them. I think that's crazy. But go on.
Of course people like Hinjo since apparently all he did was stay at home. Its easy being a paladin if all you do is stay home and handle the administrative duties. Remember, even after her fall, she kicked Hinjo's ass so you know, he's got to be damn lower on the level chart.
Who cares? Personality matters more than level when they're not fighting.
1. Miko was an orphan raised by monks. Seriously. Do we honestly expect Jim Carrey from that upbringing? Yet of course, since she's not funny like Belkar, she's a bitch and has a stick up her ass.
Who says she has to be funny? You can have a "straight man" in a humor comic.
Orphans raised by monks can be well adjusted, as well, and even humorous. It really depends on the person.
2. When she was frightened and crying after being unceremoniously taken from her only home, Shojo fills her head with "You have a great destiny". Remember, Miko was still a child when Shojo took her from the only family she knew. Oh yeah, Shojo is a GREAT leader. The ends justify the means. Did Shojo see her as nothing more than a weapon?
Shojo was a jerk, but that didn't make Miko right. Furthermore most people are told things like "you can be President" and they don't go insane.
3. Miko is sent by Lord Shojo to capture the Oots for "Threatening the existence of the world". Now, let's think about this for a moment. If the King of your nation comes up to your adventuring group and says "Oh, we need you to capture this guy. He's been accused of killing, raping and plundering entire villages and or diviners have determined it is this guy", are you or are you not going to out for blood.
I would be. However...
2. On the way there, Miko hears MULTIPLE stories (not just one mind you) about the evils of this gang. Hell, the description for Elan is an EXACT match and she hears about the evil dwarf and the fighter. Of course, she's going to ask them nicely to come along.
Her opening approach was valid. (I disagree that she has to announce herself as an officer of the law; she could only afford to do that if she had backup.)
3. She finally catches up with them and CHECKS again and Roy radiates EVIL, not jaywalking evil, but "I like to get my jollies by kicking small puppies off cliffs" EVIL.
Yeah.
So, how would your gaming group handle the OoTs party after all of these facts? Yet notice in the very next comic even after hearing what the charge is (a charge the OotS can't deny), the very first thought is, "let's just beat up this uppity bitch of a paladin and go on our way"...and worse yet, Rich presents it in a manner where we're supposed to like the OotS.
No, this is where she does things wrong. The OotS did not deliberately weaken the fabric of the universe. Mind you, there's still this thing about a trial.
However, the story was getting pretty bad at this point. Miko beats up the whole party (except Durkon) again, without any advantages this time? It was clearly a DM fiat story, as Roy himself comments, and those aren't fun.
In a real game, Miko would have been beaten up. The party (except Belkar) wouldn't want to kill her though, as she's obviously a paladin. (Hello, smite evil!) They might even accompany her to Azure City, as the party didn't seem to have much direction at that point. However, they wouldn't have to take any nonsense from her, and would prove that point by beating her anytime she tried to use violence against them.
4. Notice already how Rich is making us think Miko is a bitch yet she hasn't done anything. I mean, we have Elan saying that she's mean to the party, but during the stay at the Inn anmd previously, did Miko DO and SAY anything mean to them other than the lecture about "filthy lucre"? That is considered being MEAN? Again, she's presented as a bitch but they ARE HER PRISONERS. She is under no freaking obligation to put them up (which she did I might add) yet her complaints make her seem like the bad guy. Of course, the fact that SHE WAS RIGHT TO LECTURE THEM seems to escape most people's notice. It was Roy impersonating the king and Belkar running around like the killer he is, who blew up the inn.
Oh come on. The OotS consist of adults. They already know the difference between right and wrong, even Belkar. The heroes didn't go out to harm anyone innocent (except Belkar, but he's evil), and it wasn't their fault the assassins just happened to be around to try to kill people. In fact, IIRC the OotS (except Belkar) tried to rescue the innocents anyway.
5. Belkar. I just don't see the reason people love this homicidal halfling. This is the EXACT same type of character most of us here would NEVER tolerate. Let's look at the situation in Azure City. Belkar BRUTALLY kills a guard, desecrates the body and then taunts Miko yet people were rooting for Belkar? Um, why?
Because Belker isn't lawful stupid, a stereotype more tired and hated than chaotic stupid (which Belkar represents). Miko is so bad she makes him look good! Another thing I noticed about Belkar; he wasn't shown on-screen killing innocents until after he met Miko. Sure he failed to protect V from the Ghasts, but last time I checked mages do have access to defense spells.
He's also funny, in a low-brow kind of way. (Why do people find jerks like Homer Simpson funny?)
But yeah, no one would tolerate him in their party. Sometimes Haley is as bad, but at least she doesn't hurt people.
The entire storyline just showed to me how to screw over a paladin since I can't see how Miko did anything wrond other than looking at the facts presented to her.
She really screwed things up afterwards - she didn't "fall" when she was escorting the "prisoners".
Furthermore, if paladins can't show sense, then maybe there's something wrong with them.
