New Order of the Stick Strip Up

[John Woodford]

I think Belkar got a prot/evil item to keep Durkula from charming him. Unfortunately, OotS is blocked at work, so I can't check the archives.

[spectrevk]

Andostre wrote:

I'm glad stuff is happening! But yeah, I'd like that flame aura explained. I assume that those are heat waves in panel 9?

Also, why did he dismiss the silence spell at the end?

Probably to avoid suspicion.

[PathlessBeth]

That aura is probably the Protection from Evil item from 969.

Now that the former host of the Moot gets power from Hel, he is protected from the other clerics by the terms of the Moot. Ironically he got that protection a moment after he needed it most.

[KingOfAnything]

137ben wrote:

That aura is probably the Protection from Evil item from 969.

You can see Belkar rub his cloak clasp and grimace in pain as the protection from evil activates.

[Drejk]

Andostre wrote:

I'm glad stuff is happening! But yeah, I'd like that flame aura explained. I assume that those are heat waves in panel 9?

Also, why did he dismiss the silence spell at the end?

I assume that he had silence on oneself (no saving throw) so had to remove it to speak with his new meal guide.

[The black raven]

137ben wrote:

Now that the former host of the Moot gets power from Hel, he is protected from the other clerics by the terms of the Moot. Ironically he got that protection a moment after he needed it most.

Not sure about that at all. Way I understand it, only the representatives are bound/protected by the Moot's rules. Hel's representative is Durkula. And I do not think Hel could have 2 representatives at the Moot (likely it is one per deity, with some speaking for several faiths).

[PathlessBeth]

The black raven wrote:

137ben wrote:

Now that the former host of the Moot gets power from Hel, he is protected from the other clerics by the terms of the Moot. Ironically he got that protection a moment after he needed it most.

Not sure about that at all. Way I understand it, only the representatives are bound/protected by the Moot's rules. Hel's representative is Durkula. And I do not think Hel could have 2 representatives at the Moot (likely it is one per deity, with some speaking for several faiths).

Fair point. However, Wrecan says

Wrecan wrote:

The cathedral is considered neutral ground for the servants of all of the gods.

(emphasis mine)

I initially interpreted the plural, 'servants', as referring to all the servants of the Northern gods. However, you might be right in interpreting it to refer only to the high priest of each of the gods.

We'll just have to wait and see, then. Whatever the Moot rules are, I suspect HPoH knows them better than we do.

[Shadowborn]

I realize that Belkar bought the protection from evil item, but hopefully he also got a couple of things off-screen we didn't see, like a ring of feather fall or maybe a potion of fly.

[Drejk]

Shadowborn wrote:

I realize that Belkar bought the protection from evil item, but hopefully he also got a couple of things off-screen we didn't see, like a ring of feather fall or maybe a potion of fly.

What is 20d6 points of damage for a high level Ranger/Barbarian.

Coming back up... That's another matter...

[Drejk]

Belkar had and probably still has ring of jumping giving him +20 to Jump checks. It still be a long way up unless he has us something better.

[Shadowborn]

Drejk wrote:

Shadowborn wrote:

I realize that Belkar bought the protection from evil item, but hopefully he also got a couple of things off-screen we didn't see, like a ring of feather fall or maybe a potion of fly.

What is 20d6 points of damage for a high level Ranger/Barbarian.

Coming back up... That's another matter...

Depends on how much damage and how many negative levels he took before going out the window.

[Drejk]

Shadowborn wrote:

Drejk wrote:

Shadowborn wrote:

I realize that Belkar bought the protection from evil item, but hopefully he also got a couple of things off-screen we didn't see, like a ring of feather fall or maybe a potion of fly.

What is 20d6 points of damage for a high level Ranger/Barbarian.

Coming back up... That's another matter...

Depends on how much damage and how many negative levels he took before going out the window.

Looks like 2 bites (or three if the second scene of holding in maw was another turn when Durkula maintaied the grapple and inflicted bite damage but I think it rather represented Belkar's turn and failure to release oneself) which would be 4 negative levels... That fall can hurt, depending on Belkar's Constitution. -20 hit points for negative levels, plus 2d8 plus something around 20-30 damage from bites (I don't remember if alternate form used creature stats, creature stats plus vampire bonus or just vampire's stats).

What happened with Belkar's weapons? Durkula does not appear to pick them up... Can Roy or someone else find them lost or was the scene of them being throw/hidden just omitted?

[Lord Fyre]

Shadowborn wrote:

I realize that Belkar bought the protection from evil item, but hopefully he also got a couple of things off-screen we didn't see, like a ring of feather fall or maybe a potion of fly.

Remember the Oracle's prediction.

[lucky7]

I find "Last breath" open to interpretation. Perhaps he comes back as some sort of undead?

[The black raven]

I wonder whether Durkula had enough time to use the Instant Spawn spell on the Exarch. Or if he only cared about taking him out of the game. Obviously the Exarch is not currently available to show Durkula where the Great Nave is.

Also not sure why Durkula seems intend on killing the lady Cleric when he could just hypnotize her into serving his will.

[Drejk]

The black raven wrote:

I wonder whether Durkula had enough time to use the Instant Spawn spell on the Exarch. Or if he only cared about taking him out of the game. Obviously the Exarch is not currently available to show Durkula where the Great Nave is.

Also not sure why Durkula seems intend on killing the lady Cleric when he could just hypnotize her into serving his will.

That one could fit Hel's priesthood proliferation policy.

[strayshift]

The page seems too... fleeting to be Belkar's death, he's too established character to die in that way.

[Kobold Catgirl]

The black raven wrote:

I wonder whether Durkula had enough time to use the Instant Spawn spell on the Exarch. Or if he only cared about taking him out of the game. Obviously the Exarch is not currently available to show Durkula where the Great Nave is.

Also not sure why Durkula seems intend on killing the lady Cleric when he could just hypnotize her into serving his will.

Aside from Drejk's theory, she's a high-level cleric, so mind control would be very likely to fail.

I don't know, Stray. Belkar is the sort of character would would get a fleeting death—he's an evil character whose presence is generally ignored or minimized by the other party members. His slow redemption, for instance, has not been noted meaningfully by his teammates, and it may well stay that way. It's a classic tragic death—Belkar dies trying to do the right thing, and nobody really notices (or at most not until it's too late).

He may yet survive. We'll have to wait and see.

[markofbane]

For a main character like Belkar, I can't imagine Rich killing him without showing us the x's on the eyes. Either he is going to survive this somehow (I'm guessing Blackwing and V save him) or the next strip will show him bouncing down the hill, landing at the bottom with some smart ass remark before his eyes go to X's.

[strayshift]

By way of observation, in Norse myth Hel and Fenrir (the giant wolf) are both offspring of Loki, as are a few other monsters...

[baron arem heshvaun]

strayshift wrote:

Fenrir ...

Destined to kill Odin the All Father himself.

----

In 2nd Edition Planescape I had a Drow Cleric of Hel with an Gravestone ash grey Hell hound who bit off enemies hands and a giant constrictor as well, no one readily drew the connections.

[The black raven]

Just noticed that Durkula is not carrying Malack's staff anymore. Worst case scenario : he used it to cast Instant Spawn on the Exarch then gave the staff to him so that the Exarch can start "converting" the rest of his previous brothers and sisters of the Creed.

Not sure Durkula can cast Instant Spawn by himself though. We might see soon enough I guess.

[The black raven]

New strip Plan B

[The black raven]

Makes perfect sense. As in "Better you than me".

Here's hoping Roy has sky-high levels in Diplomacy.

[Drejk]

Spoiler:

Destroy the world? Do they mean this world or the world beyond the rift? We still don't know if the story about the rifts is a BS sold to mortals or are the gods believing it as well. They might never actually checked the rifts themselves, afraid of snarl (if it exists at all).

[Drejk]

Hel?:

Has she sent her new high priest to vote Yay Yea or Nay?

[Drejk]

Roy or Belkar:

Will either of them give the gods a piece of their mind about gods deciding to destroy the world without checking with the mortals first if maybe they like the world and don't want it to be destroyed and replaced by another one?

[Fromper]

Well, Rich is obviously setting up #1000 to be something HUGE.

[The black raven]

Drejk's musings fondly remind me of a game from 20 years ago when I saved the world by debating with a cosmic evil Dragon God who threatened universal extinction in order to get rid of all these pesky mortals.

Because, as an immortal being, Death was utterly strange and terrifying to him, while in the end it is par for the course for all mortal beings.

[baron arem heshvaun]

Drejk wrote:

Hel

Well maybe Rich will not go with the obvious and her emissary will vote against type, as Ragnarök is not ready to roll.

[thejeff]

baron arem heshvaun wrote:

Drejk wrote:

Hel

Well maybe Rich will not go with the obvious and her emissary will vote against type, as Ragnarök is not ready to roll.

Well, I'm assuming this all has to do with the Snarl and what's actually going on there. Which we don't necessarily know, since some of what we've been told doesn't match what we've been shown. Likely some revelations to come here.

Also interesting that this decision is made at a meeting of mortal representatives, not by the gods directly.

[The black raven]

Spoiler:

Let's see : The Snarl kills gods. The Snarl is linked to the world. The worlds' mortal inhabitants are unable to prevent the return of the Snarl and are actually hastening it through devious purpose or blundering mistakes.

Wonder what I would vote were I a God.

Knowing that among all this we have Hel's plan, the three Fiends' plan, Xykon's plan, the Dark One's plan and who knows what else (Banjo's plan ?).

Note that plans seem to belong to Evil. Good apparently mostly relies on luck ;-)

[Drejk]

thejeff wrote:

baron arem heshvaun wrote:

Drejk wrote:

Hel

Well maybe Rich will not go with the obvious and her emissary will vote against type, as Ragnarök is not ready to roll.

Well, I'm assuming this all has to do with the Snarl and what's actually going on there. Which we don't necessarily know, since some of what we've been told doesn't match what we've been shown. Likely some revelations to come here.

Also interesting that this decision is made at a meeting of mortal representatives, not by the gods directly.

And we have no idea what happened around the Girard's gate rift after the party left... We only know that Laurin peeked inside and something (that looked either like Snarl is supposed to look or like the strands of the reality itself) came out. Or it could be just strands of the reality lashing back against the psion.

[Drejk]

baron arem heshvaun wrote:

Drejk wrote:

Hel

Well maybe Rich will not go with the obvious and her emissary will vote against type, as Ragnarök is not ready to roll.

Quite possible. Destruction of world will probably sever the supply of souls to her domain.

When Durkula communes with Hel for the first time, she states that her aim is bringing the world to ruin and drive that buffoon Thor to his knees...

She might just ordered Durkula to vote opposite the Thor if that vote would decide against his option, or vote the same if that vote would decide for him, just to be able to tell he owes success to her. I suspect that her plan is more complex, though.

Lots of depends on what she meant by ruin? Actual destruction, or still existing but in shambles?

[countchocula]

here's hoping that Elan's god the almighty banjo wielding clown casts the deciding vote

[PathlessBeth]

Fortunately, Odin is on record as liking puppets.

[baron arem heshvaun]

137ben wrote:

Fortunately, Odin is on record as liking puppets.

Then he will be one of the many fans who will enjoy The Muppet's triumphant return on ABC!

[PathlessBeth]

998: Three Sides to Every Story

[John Woodford]

He's been on a roll lately.

[Lord Fyre]

Let the Voting Commence!

[Drejk]

I had something like that (Roy speaking too gods) in mind. Not the flaw of his speech, though.

[Drejk]

Loki votes no. I think that it might increase chance of Hel votin no...

And just a thought... What if Hel will try to prevent destruction of the world and lead to confrontation with Snarl, because, even with Snarl unmaking deities this will still fall into her portfolio of death and empower here?

[The black raven]

I VOTE LOKI.

Never thought I would type this :-(

And we still do not know what Durkula's plan is.

[The black raven]

NEW ONE

[Drejk]

It's 999? So the next will be something big?

[The black raven]

Talk about keeping the tension high to the end.

Well done indeed.

BTW : love some of the justifications. Would Balder be the god of sorcerers perchance ?

[Drejk]

Hel:

Dramatic tension requires that Hel vote Yes to lead the council to stalemate.

[Drejk]

Spoiler:

Unless Rich will decide that Hel votes against killing the mood of issue #1000. Or keeps the mood by giving a big speech like "you all owe me for not voting yes"

[Drejk]

Anyway the voting results are not binding in any way, as absolutely all of the voters failed to follow established protocol which required saying "yea" or "nay" instead of some fancy but invalid "yes" or "no" :P

[John Woodford]

The black raven wrote:

NEW ONE

Dun dun DUN!