THE OotS Thread, Part IV.

[RecklessPrudence]

Yeah, after all, Clerics generally have pretty awesome Willpower, and one of the first things we learned about Durkon is how much he hates the undead. He might have more than the average chance to break the chains holding him.

[Sharp-kun]

But obviously that's not what we got. As far as this goes, I guess its a sucker bet to predict that Durkon's soul will eventually start to influence Durkula in the end?

Depends. I'd prefer that it doesn't and eventually the order kill and ressurect Durkon after he's started his rampage of evil. Then we get Durkon questioning Roy as to why he didn't do something earlier, since as a good friend he should know that vampirisim is something Durkon would hate. At the moment there's not been a good opportunity to deal with Durkula, but I think Roy's going to pass a few up later on.

[Simon_Jester]

One obvious problem Roy would face is that he has no one handy capable of casting Raise Dead. It may be hard for him to find any such person if he's going directly to the final Gate dungeon for a violent confrontation against Xykon, especially since this dungeon is in the middle of a howling wilderness.

[Napoleon the Clown]

His best bet would be convincing Redcloak to do it, and that requires both of them being aware of Durkula's plans. Neither one would be terribly pleased about Hel fucking shit up, I would think.

[Simon_Jester]

Yes, but Redcloak's real goal is to remove the Order's interference- and he cares about that. He might well consider it desirable to kill Durkula without raising him, or simply kill Roy and worry about Durkula later. He'd probably worry about Hel's interference only after he's nullified the Order's ability to interfere in his plans.

The only way Redcloak would bother to help Roy that way is if there was some kind of massive realignment going on- say, a falling-out between Redcloak and Xykon, or a dramatic reveal of the inter-fiend committee's ambitions. Something that convinced Redcloak that the interests of the goblin race would be more furthered by cooperating with the Order than by pursuing his current plans and course of action.

[Napoleon the Clown]

True enough. About the only way I can see Recloak agreeing to Raise Durkula after whacking him is if there were that falling out with Xykon, and it were agreed V would take over the arcane part of Redcloak's plan. Assuming V is even high enough level. I can't recall offhand if it's ever been stated what level the arcane caster needs to be.


I don't foresee Durkon coming back, really. Keep in mind how much trouble they went through to Raise Roy. High enough level Clerics seem to be quite rare, so it's not as simple as grabbing 10k gold of diamonds and paying someone for their services. If you could just go down to the nearest temple of whoever Haley would have had Roy back in the game within a couple weeks at absolute most.

[Irbis]

One obvious problem Roy would face is that he has no one handy capable of casting Raise Dead. It may be hard for him to find any such person if he's going directly to the final Gate dungeon for a violent confrontation against Xykon, especially since this dungeon is in the middle of a howling wilderness.

High priest of Thor? One of half a dozen dwarven priests we see in DCF?

Heck, even Nale had 2 people working with him good enough to do that.

I don't foresee Durkon coming back, really. Keep in mind how much trouble they went through to Raise Roy. High enough level Clerics seem to be quite rare, so it's not as simple as grabbing 10k gold of diamonds and paying someone for their services. If you could just go down to the nearest temple of whoever Haley would have had Roy back in the game within a couple weeks at absolute most.

They only took 6 months because Haley welded her ass to Sapphire city. Once Celia told her to get moving Roy was resurrected in about 2 days.

[Sharp-kun]

Roy should really at least give it a shot on the way north. Just stop at a major dwarf city - there's bound to be one cleric there that can do it. If they stop and find its a faff then they move on and do it afterwards. I'm pretty sure they'll stop somewhere to do some shopping anyway.

He owes it to Durkon as a friend to try (and in the process it eliminates a potential wild card before the final fight).

[Ralin]

He owes it to Durkon as a friend to try (and in the process it eliminates a potential wild card before the final fight).

Except that his 'friend' is telling him not to worry about it and that they have more urgent problems.

And frankly, Durkula is going to be significantly better at kicking ass than regular Durkon by virtue of being a vampire on top of everything Durkon could do when he was alive, so there are good practical reasons to put off dealing with the issue until after the final fight.

[Simon_Jester]

One obvious problem Roy would face is that he has no one handy capable of casting Raise Dead. It may be hard for him to find any such person if he's going directly to the final Gate dungeon for a violent confrontation against Xykon, especially since this dungeon is in the middle of a howling wilderness.

High priest of Thor? One of half a dozen dwarven priests we see in DCF?

Heck, even Nale had 2 people working with him good enough to do that.

OK, if he makes a suitable detour then that's a practical solution. The real question is, is he going to consider it a higher priority than defeating Xykon? If not, he won't take the side-trip until after the resolution of events at Kraagor's Dungeon.

[Irbis]

OK, if he makes a suitable detour then that's a practical solution. The real question is, is he going to consider it a higher priority than defeating Xykon? If not, he won't take the side-trip until after the resolution of events at Kraagor's Dungeon.

Why detour? We know Durkon will revisit his home town. It had been telegraphed 600 strips ago (and if we count DCF, since before OotS even began). Will it really be so difficult to take 10 min out for resurrection? Especially seeing I don't think high priest of Thor (or anyone with knowledge ranks, really) is going to like vampire priest of Hel that much to allow passage for the group.

[Terralthra]

OK, if he makes a suitable detour then that's a practical solution. The real question is, is he going to consider it a higher priority than defeating Xykon? If not, he won't take the side-trip until after the resolution of events at Kraagor's Dungeon.

Why detour? We know Durkon will revisit his home town. It had been telegraphed 600 strips ago (and if we count DCF, since before OotS even began). Will it really be so difficult to take 10 min out for resurrection? Especially seeing I don't think high priest of Thor (or anyone with knowledge ranks, really) is going to like vampire priest of Hel that much to allow passage for the group.

Yeah, but Roy also knows both prophecies about Durkon's return home doesn't he? He knows by now that one is 100% true, and has to suspect the other might be as well.

[Crazedwraith]

No-one knows about the prophecy about Durkon from 'Origin of PCs' (Not DCF which is the first complication book) Only the High Priest that sent Durkon on his mission and he's dead. (Well okay maybe the other dwarf the High Priest told it to in OoPC is still around)

But Roy, Durkon and the current High Priest know nothing about it.

[Crazedwraith]

Right on schedule; New Book/New Strip

eta: Ugh. Art evolution. But Durkon's memories are cool I guess?

[AniThyng]

The new hands will take some getting used to...

[Simon_Jester]

Could someone expand a bit on- ah. The hands are now colored in. Yeah, that's not really a good move. Three fingered black-line hands are just part of the stick-figure nature of the characters; now they look like they actually have weird anatomy of some kind.

[Spekio]

You made me notice the hands. Now I can't ignore them.

[Crazedwraith]

Yeah it is like that isn't it. And the legs now have trouser colour in them as well.

But in the main part of the strip. Durkon's mum is a pretty epically badass but humble one armed lass. Easy to see where he got his inspiration from.

[Irbis]

But in the main part of the strip. Durkon's mum is a pretty epically badass but humble one armed lass. Easy to see where he got his inspiration from.

Hmm, from what Durkon said here, either she changed later, or was unusually emotional that day.

[Gaidin]

But in the main part of the strip. Durkon's mum is a pretty epically badass but humble one armed lass. Easy to see where he got his inspiration from.

Hmm, from what Durkon said here, either she changed later, or was unusually emotional that day.

Could be she taught him later. Durkon looks...well...rather young for training in that comic possibly.

[Ahriman238]

Emotional repression IS the dwarven (dwarfish?) way. But they are allowed to get cranky, and unwind after a few drinks. And I do believe they can express affection for family.

Durkon's also said that Mama Thundershield's peach cobbler tastes like a Poison spell, but that might just be banter.

[Starglider]

The new hands will take some getting used to...

Definitely descending into the uncanny valley there, I'm not a fan of the change.

[Irbis]

New comic up. And yeah, that Roy in last page really starts to get uncanny valley-ish seen up close.

[AniThyng]

New comic up. And yeah, that Roy in last page really starts to get uncanny valley-ish seen up close.

I guess we'll stop caring in two dozen strips or so and declare it has always looked this way, but I would have been just fine with the characters staying as they were and the objects getting the detail treatment.

[Ahriman238]

Yeah, the legs were easier to take on the dwarves, though art evolution has long been a part of the series. Roy has a little hauberk split below the waist, which I actually approve of.