New Order of the Stick Strip Up

[Vidmaster7]

Flap Flap flap flap

[Dragonchess Player]

Heh.

I had to take another look at the panel staring with Belkar saying "And Xykon and the goblins?" to catch the fringe of Blackwing crossing the ward on his way back out.

Pretty subtle.

[thejeff]

The floor color changing is the part that doesn't make sense to me.
There are two tunnels. The entrance is physically part of the same tunnel they're in now, but the floor color of the entrance matches the floor color of the tunnel the trap teleports you to. As does the dead end bit that's apparently part of that tunnel.
It's only the real tunnel that's a different color, that changes right along the trap line, even though the outside part is also part of that tunnel.

[Quark Blast]

The trap is a plane stretching across the tunnel. Looking through the trap zone is artistically indicated by a subtle change in tone?

[thejeff]

That doesn't cover the color change. It's called out in the dialog and is consistent whenever we see the "real" dungeon.

[Quark Blast]

Because it's a one-way effect on the destination side?

You can get there from either side of the zone in the initial tunnel but only go back where you came from in the destination tunnel.

So it keeps you trapped unless you can disable it twice?

Edit:
It also keeps you from traveling past the entrance of the initial tunnel if you never disable the trap?

[Thomas Seitz]

I guess something like that. Basically it's like the movie Cube only with magic. :)

[The Raven Black]

We'll have them think like Rogues, I tell you :-)

thejeff wrote:

The floor color changing is the part that doesn't make sense to me.

There are two tunnels. The entrance is physically part of the same tunnel they're in now, but the floor color of the entrance matches the floor color of the tunnel the trap teleports you to. As does the dead end bit that's apparently part of that tunnel.
It's only the real tunnel that's a different color, that changes right along the trap line, even though the outside part is also part of that tunnel.

I think all dust that came from outside deposited before the trap or passed through it and got teleported to the false tunnel. Which is why the false tunnel is the same floor color as the entrance while the true tunnel is not (and less dusty I think).

[The Raven Black]

Hmm. There are two teleporting traps. The first sends you from the entrance to the destination. The second sends you back from the destination to the entrance (since Blackwing used it to go back to their hiding place). When you disable the first, you go to the true tunnel. If you go back through it from the true tunnel, you reach the dead-end.

I wonder what would happen if someone disabled the second trap. I guess they would happen upon the dead end.

[BigNorseWolf]

thejeff wrote:

The floor color changing is the part that doesn't make sense to me.

There are two tunnels. The entrance is physically part of the same tunnel they're in now, but the floor color of the entrance matches the floor color of the tunnel the trap teleports you to. As does the dead end bit that's apparently part of that tunnel.
It's only the real tunnel that's a different color, that changes right along the trap line, even though the outside part is also part of that tunnel.

Given the title of the comic, maybe the bird can see a difference in floor coloring that most humanoids wouldnt?

[thejeff]

BigNorseWolf wrote:

thejeff wrote:

The floor color changing is the part that doesn't make sense to me.

There are two tunnels. The entrance is physically part of the same tunnel they're in now, but the floor color of the entrance matches the floor color of the tunnel the trap teleports you to. As does the dead end bit that's apparently part of that tunnel.
It's only the real tunnel that's a different color, that changes right along the trap line, even though the outside part is also part of that tunnel.

Given the title of the comic, maybe the bird can see a difference in floor coloring that most humanoids wouldnt?

Roy asks about the color difference, implying he sees it. Blackwing doesn't see one.

I guess the entrance floor color must have been altered to match the trap dungeon's color.

Another weird thing: the blast mark from the rat skill on the trap line is on the entrance side and on the Order's side, not on the dead end side or the trap dungeon the bad guys are in. But when Roy looks through into the dead end, we see Blackwing through the portal in the trap dungeon, with a rat blast mark. Which wasn't there in the earlier panel with Blackwing in the trap dungeon or when we're looking with him through the entrance.

[Quark Blast]

You could always smoke a reefer and reread to see what you can divine. I'm outta ideas and my pondering-cup is full over on this.
:D

[Dragonchess Player]

Wherever Lien and O-Chul are, the floor isn't yellow...

Although being shackled to a wall is probably not a good sign, given that there are several shackles:

1) O-Chul has already been through torture;
2) There's probably something else going on, considering the way the plot has been developing.

[TriOmegaZero]

1225: Chain Reactions

[Sharoth]

HA!!!

[Thomas Seitz]

I love the fact they realize that while heroically keeping hope is good, getting captured...less good.

[TriOmegaZero]

1226: Half Expected

[Mark Hoover 330]

TriOmegaZero wrote:

1226: Half Expected

I feel like the last panel is a dramatic reveal but I haven't been reading long enough to know who that is at the cauldron?

[TriOmegaZero]

Either Serini or a relation to her.

[Thomas Seitz]

Yeah something like that Tri. It's clear though she's not a fan of Xykon.

[Andostre]

Mark, Serini is explained in either comic 275 or 276. I'd link to it, but strangely, my work is blocking those two specific comics. I can link to the start of that section, comic 273.

[Andostre]

Also, nice diversion by putting the halfling on a stepladder behind a human-sized cloak.

[Thomas Seitz]

Yep. I thought it was some human too, Andostre.

[Dragonchess Player]

I wonder if we will find out who the orange speech bubbles belong to?

Now that I've reviewed the Snarl backstory (thanks Andostre), I also wonder about whether the damage to Kraagor's memorial statue will be relevant to the last gate?

[John Woodford]

1227: Like Riding a Bike

[Thomas Seitz]

Yep. Never trust a rogue to change...or to not lie to paladins.

[John Woodford]

You have to figure that it's a conditioned reflex, after years of adventuring with Soon.

[Thomas Seitz]

That may be...but doesn't mean that I feel this isn't true for many rogue/paladin work relations.

[John Woodford]

Serini was also the peacemaker in the party, so presumably she didn't bluff about the important stuff.

[TriOmegaZero]

1228: No Intention

[John Woodford]

So what are the odds that the same paladin is going to be in a position to destroy *two* gates? Pretty slim, I'd say.

[thejeff]

John Woodford wrote:

So what are the odds that the same paladin is going to be in a position to destroy *two* gates? Pretty slim, I'd say.

Especially if he stays chained up on the wall.

[Thomas Seitz]

I mean it's POSSIBLE...but I don't see this going very far.

[Andostre]

I'm wondering if Serini is aware of the gods' perspective in all of this, and if the paladins will get a chance to tell her.

[Thomas Seitz]

Doubtful. I mean it doesn't look like she has many divinities on speed dial...

[TriOmegaZero]

1229: No Chance

[Thomas Seitz]

Well that got ominious. Also I don't think she understands the stakes as well as she might think...

[John Woodford]

She has a point, but she's operating without a critical piece of information about what Redcloak et al plan to do with the gate.

[Thomas Seitz]

John that and if the Gods would even let it get that far...

[TriOmegaZero]

It’s obvious that no one is operating on complete information and are making the best choice they can based on what they do know. But the unknown unknowns are going to keep throwing wrenches in things.

[Lord Fyre]

Something is wrong here.

O-Chul didn't destroy Soon's gate!

[TriOmegaZero]

But he tried.

And his sword certainly was used to do it.

[Thomas Seitz]

Yeah so one could make the argument he DID help with that...

Tri,

Now you got me thinking of that episode of Boondocks where SLJ parodies both Rumsfeld and his character in Pulp Fiction.

[The Raven Black]

I think Serini is Chaotic Neutral, not Good.

[Thomas Seitz]

I'd say that high probability, Raven.

[Phillip Gastone]

Opinions I have seen is that she is underestimating Xykon. While he wants to be able to have his fun in the world, he is currently a coffeeless, grumpy lich who will do anything to avoid the big fire below. So given the choice of negation or eternal fire, he will probably cut the Snarl loose.

[Vidmaster7]

Reasons not to use int as a dumb stat.

[Thomas Seitz]

Vid, not sure it's an int stat dump so much as a Wisdom dump..

[Vidmaster7]

1 for one one. 1 for the other?

[Thomas Seitz]

Maybe.