Oots 642

[senna]

Anyone else notice they are not speaking Elven anymore?

Probably the childrem dont speak common yet, so its easier for them to speak im common so that they dont listen to the conversation.

 

[freyar]

The stick on the ground in the first and second panels -- can someone with the book at hand check to see if it looks exactly like the stick that gave Elan the idea to name the group Order of the Stick? Forshadowing of the group getting back together? Or am I overanalyzing a random element?

Bullgrit

I don't have the books with me, but I don't think so. At least it doesn't look like the one used in the board game as the OotS symbol.

 

[Lord Zardoz]

I don't think so. Actually, I don't think I've ever been more certain about the party never getting back together than I am after this strip. At the very least, V won't be rejoining, ever. She always viewed the rest of the party (save Roy and Hailey) as a complete waste of her time. She'd sooner kill Belkar than ever fight on the same side as him again. She's to proud to say she's sorry to Elan. She's never going to be able to rejoin her family again as a member of it. She has no where to go, except to become a more powerful villian than all members of Team Evil combined. She'll destroy them all and finally become worse than they. She'll continue the work started by Redcload/Xykon of finding a gate and performing some ritual for disgustingly obscene arcane power once she is no longer able to maintain the sould slice.

V is now the strip's new main Villian.

V might have more power, but V is not the strips main villain. There is a conversation between Xykon and Red Cloak near the end of the Start of Darkness book in which Xykon puts Red Cloak in his place.

Spoiler

After RedCloak kills his brother to protect Xykon, and the plan to release the Snarl, Xykon mocks Red Cloak. Red Cloak is 'evil' with a small 'e' because he is still trying to act for what he thinks of as a greater good. Xykon is 'Evil' with a big 'E' because Xykon is feels no need to justify his actions, and said how evil you are is measured at least in part by how much you are willing to debase yourself before you let yourself feel badly about it.

V still feels the need to make excuses for his behaviour, and V has not had yet truly had a *'Rape the Dog' moment, and is still redeemable. There is no way that I can forsee which would allow Xykon to act in character while redeeming himself. That makes Xykon the main villain.

# Moral Event Horizon - Television Tropes & Idioms The trope was renamed, but I prefer the original name of the trope.

END COMMUNICATION

 

[Nymrohd]

I don't consider Xykon the main villain. He is more like the utterly evil and very powerful tool used by Redcloak who is for me the true antagonist. The main antagonist of a party is not the strongest force arrayed against them but rather the one who advances the plot that endangers them/their world. And that person is redcloak (Also considering redcloak has Xykon's phylactery I am sure he has safeguards against the lich if ever Xykon goes out of control.)

 

[Roman]

I have a sneaking suspicion that V will use his newfound power not only to locate Haley, but also to slay Belkar, thus fulfilling the prophecy.

 

[Lord Zardoz]

I don't consider Xykon the main villain. He is more like the utterly evil and very powerful tool used by Redcloak who is for me the true antagonist. The main antagonist of a party is not the strongest force arrayed against them but rather the one who advances the plot that endangers them/their world. And that person is redcloak (Also considering redcloak has Xykon's phylactery I am sure he has safeguards against the lich if ever Xykon goes out of control.)

My interpretation of the events in the Start of Darkness book differs from your view. In all seriousness, reading that book will give new insights to the dynamic of Xykon and RedCloak.

Spoiler

The original plan may have been RedCloak, but he is no longer really in control of events. The reason Xykon trusts Red Cloak with his Phylactery is because if Red Cloak were to destroy it after everything he has done, Red Cloak would have to admit to himself that everything he has sacrificed to this point (his personal happiness, his brother), was all a waste. Red Cloak will do as he is told by Xykon because Xykon has made him his 'Female Dog'.

Narratively, the character that is driving the plot onward changes depending on the events presently detailed in the strip. For the past few weeks, V has been driving the story. The next 'chapter' may return the narrative focus to Roy, or Xykon, or any other character

END COMMUNICATION

 

[Lackhand]

I don't consider Xykon the main villain. He is more like the utterly evil and very powerful tool used by Redcloak who is for me the true antagonist. The main antagonist of a party is not the strongest force arrayed against them but rather the one who advances the plot that endangers them/their world. And that person is redcloak (Also considering redcloak has Xykon's phylactery I am sure he has safeguards against the lich if ever Xykon goes out of control.)

... yeah, their relationship is more complex than a reading of the webcomic alone gives you. That's a facet of it, but there's a lot more there. It's kind of brilliant.

It's worth picking up Start of Darkness if you can spare the cash.

 

[Andor]

V is off to 'Fix things'.

This will almost certainly mean locating Haley and Roy's carcass and getting the party back together again. It is nigh certain however that V's chronic inability to bother asking people what's going on means he will do so in some way that seriously pisses someone (probably Haley) off. He will then be baffled as to why everyone isn't fawning and praising his arcane might and cool new hair.

 

[MarkB]

V is off to 'Fix things'.

This will almost certainly mean locating Haley and Roy's carcass and getting the party back together again. It is nigh certain however that V's chronic inability to bother asking people what's going on means he will do so in some way that seriously pisses someone (probably Haley) off. He will then be baffled as to why everyone isn't fawning and praising his arcane might and cool new hair.

Is Roy's carcass still currently animated as a bone golem? It's been so long since that plotline.

V will probably show up to find Haley and Belkar battling to subdue the golem, and go right ahead and Disintegrate-Gust-of-Wind Roy's bones (or something equally unhelpful - sending to a random plane, perhaps).

 

[Filcher]

700

Is this presaging the end of OOTS? I'm having a hard time imagining things coming out well with V addicted to ultimate power and the idea of righting the world.

It's not as if he can res. Roy, reunite the party and everything goes back to normal. These sorts of changes/actions are pretty final, in my opinion.