OOTS 457 - Elemental Fury

[Sammael]

* The Creature in Darkness is also annoying, and stupid on top of it, but Redcloak doesn't seem to want to engineer its death.

This is possibly because the Creature in Darkness is Ridiculously Strong and Tough(TM), as seen in its encounter with Miko.

 

[AFGNCAAP]

I liked this one. And I agree that Redcloak may be starting to feel competent enough to step out from under his boss's shadow not long from now. I kinda wonder if

Spoiler

Xykon may meet his end in this battle or a future one, and Redcloak may take the role of the BBEG in subsequent strips

...

The CITD is what I'm really wondering about. I'm guessing it's probably a rather potent evil outsider of some sort (though with somewhat low mental stats), or

Spoiler

it's actually a piece of the Snarl brought forth to this plane--it'd be powerful as is yet not powerful enough to cause worldly havoc as the complete Snarl would be, and maybe comparatively weaker mentally because it's a piece seperated from the whole

...

Also, I wonder if Redcloak would stay loyal to Xykon if he knew about the Snarl (and what it's return would prompt the gods to do). There's a couple of unlisted prisoners in the jail who could provide some insight about it... While Xykon may not care about existence continuing (he seems to be an "aw the heck with it" sort), I think Redcloak would want to stick around.

 

[wingsandsword]

The CITD is what I'm really wondering about. I'm guessing it's probably a rather potent evil outsider of some sort (though with somewhat low mental stats), or

Spoiler

it's actually a piece of the Snarl brought forth to this plane--it'd be powerful as is yet not powerful enough to cause worldly havoc as the complete Snarl would be, and maybe comparatively weaker mentally because it's a piece seperated from the whole

...

Also, I wonder if Redcloak would stay loyal to Xykon if he knew about the Snarl (and what it's return would prompt the gods to do). There's a couple of unlisted prisoners in the jail who could provide some insight about it... While Xykon may not care about existence continuing (he seems to be an "aw the heck with it" sort), I think Redcloak would want to stick around.

I don't think the creature in the darkness is that alternate idea, after all:

Spoiler

When he was summoned by Xykon, all the gates were intact and apparently uncorrupted.

As for the guess about Redcloak, I think he's got his own agenda, and knows fully what the Snarl is and what the gates are. Miko seemed to indicate that Redcloak himself ("wearer of the crimson mantle") is a specific enemy of the Sapphire Guard (which exists mainly to protect the gates), and Redcloak apparently has a specific matching rivalry with the Sapphire Guard.

One good theory I heard put forth (and I don't recall by whom), is that since the Elves and Goblins ascended their own deities after the creation of the world, if somehow the snarl were released and the world unmade, the goblin deities would have to have a say in it's recreation, thus making the world a better place for goblins in the aftermath. So, Redcloak could be wanting to destroy the world, knowing that it will be remade as a better place for goblins afterwards. The "Dark One" apparently Goblin deity may even have that as a specific part of their faith, to do everything they can to destroy the world.

 

[SPoD]

37 counting low levels, but he's pulled out IIRC four (very) high level summonings, one of them with a ridiculously long duration, and a Destruction spell; and that's not counting buffs casts off camera, and a plethora of 5-6th level spells he's casting on camera.

The Titanium Elementals could have been scrolls, though. They were summoned off-screen and were clearly part of his original planning for the battle. He's only cast two summoning spells on-screen, one an 8th level spell (which is the only spell of that level that he's cast) and one unknown (if that's a Large elemental, it's only a 6th level spell).

That makes his spell use so far:
4th: 1 (Poison)
5th: 2 (Slay Living and Plane Shift)
6th: 2 (SM VI and Blade Barrier)
7th: 1 (Destruction)
8th: 1 (SM VIII)
1 unknown spell to kill cleric in #457

That's it. As far as off-camera buffs, who's to say there are any? You're assuming. Would it not be reasonable for a high-level cleric to use scrolls or potions for buffs, or have his dozens of low-level cleric lackeys do them? Or heck, who's to say he even HAS any buffs on? It's not fair to criticize Rich for something that isn't actually in the strip but you are putting into it yourself.

If I have a problem (very minor and understandable, though) is that Rich's spellcasters look like they can spontaneously cast all the spells in the PHB.

Only because you 1.) can't see their spell lists ahead of time, and 2.) are assuming more spells are being cast than you have any proof of.

 

[DreadArchon]

While Xykon may not care about existence continuing (he seems to be an "aw the heck with it" sort), I think Redcloak would want to stick around.

Except that Xykon isn't trying to destroy the world, and we know this (I, at least, think that he was telling Roy the truth). I think that Redcloak almost certainly knows Xykon's plans.

I'd just about bet money that Xykon and Redcloak turn on each other at some point, but I'm really hoping they don't. (It's about as cliche as you can possibly get--two powerful villains, neither flat, stupid, or stereotypical, working together? I can't think of a single story where that happens.)

 

[Balathustrius]

Also, I wonder if Redcloak would stay loyal to Xykon if he knew about the Snarl (and what it's return would prompt the gods to do). There's a couple of unlisted prisoners in the jail who could provide some insight about it... While Xykon may not care about existence continuing (he seems to be an "aw the heck with it" sort), I think Redcloak would want to stick around.

Remember, though, that Miko called Redcloak a "soulless nihilist who seeks to undo creation," and Miko seemed quite familiar with the concept and duties of the position of 'Redcloak.'

Redcloak will eventually turn on Xykon, to take the power of the Snarl for his own, thereby allowing him to undo creation and perhaps remake it in the image of the Dark One.

Or at least, that's what I'm thinking.

 

[orsal]

If I have a problem (very minor and understandable, though) is that Rich's spellcasters look like they can spontaneously cast all the spells in the PHB.

Except Varsuvius, who actually ran out?

Spellcasters run out of spells at the speed of plot. Plot called for Vaarsuvius to be out of spells at this point; plot called for Redcloak not to be.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

I'm liking Xykon more and more each strip. I love how he does so many things on a whim, sometimes seemingly just for pure humour value. It certainly makes him different to a lot of other evil villains that have appeared in other stories.

Olaf the Stout

 

[Someone]

It's not fair to criticize Rich for something that isn't actually in the strip but you are putting into it yourself.

OK, I've learned the lesson. Next time I have the temptation to interpret the comic on my own, I'll just remember Rich is the god of webcomics.

 

[Drowbane]

OK, I've learned the lesson. Next time I have the temptation to interpret the comic on my own, I'll just remember Rich is the god of webcomics.

ahh... melodrama.

goodtimes