The Order of the Stick

Minor point but am I the only one that didn't realize the High Priest of Odin was a woman until this strip?

Another note, why is the upper level so barren looking in the last page? Did Rich just forget to put in a bunch of guards or are they all clustered around one side?

The votes already given are probably irrevocable. That's why Hel waited until the last moment to gloat.

Is the Dark One a demigod?

Roy's fight with Durkon is going to hinge on his intelligence and possible interference by Belkar. As already noted in this thread, he doesn't have a snowball's chance in Hel of winning a straight fight, stat-for-stat.

Especially since Durkon is a Cleric with near-full spell slots and almost certainly planned his spells in advance for this exact eventuality. There's no way he didn't get up this morning and go, "Okay, what spells will maximize my combat potential against Roy, specifically, when I murder him in the middle of the Godsmoot after he attacks me."

I predict Belkar triumphantly returning to turn the tables against Durkon, possibly dying in the process but probably not. As I mentioned last time Belkar fought Durkon, dying heroically in a grand hall filled to overflowing with high-level Clerics doesn't exactly meet the criteria for Belkar to never be resurrected.

edited 28th Aug '15 7:09:54 AM by TobiasDrake

I'm sure the votes are binding, but if the clerics are able to offer support then the number likely to help Durkula may now be significantly lower than the number willing to help Roy. A 9:8 advantage is not the same as an 11:6 advantage.

It's a little early for Belkar to die, I think. The arc's barely started.

I doubt the clerics are allowed to interfere one way or another.

The vampirized clerics of the Stone might, because they're not bound by the rules of the Godsmoot. They're low on spell slots but they're still able bodies, and Durkon doesn't need much to turn the tide against an adversary he's already significantly more powerful than.

edited 28th Aug '15 7:25:23 AM by TobiasDrake

In straight physical combat, Roy has a dramatic advantage. In magical combat, as long as Roy can remain in melee range, he can use his disrupting strike feat to stop spellcasting. His Will save has been demonstrated to be fairly strong, so direct use of Dominate Person or other mind-affecting magic seems unlikely, and Durkula is unlikely to be foolish enough to try spells requiring a Fortitude save. Grapple attempts are utterly foolish thanks to Roy's Strength and size advantage. That leaves direct damage vs. direct damage, and CoDzillas lack sustain in that area.

Durkula's biggest tactical advantage is that he can, as a standard action, become gaseous and therefore virtually impossible for Roy to attack. As Xykon proved so dramatically at Azure City, being able to fly is an invincible trump card against melee.

edited 28th Aug '15 7:28:32 AM by Fighteer

I believe this fight will be the You Can't Thwart Stage One part of this book. Maybe Roy will at least manage to stall the vote?

I get the feeling, that Durkon will manage to overpower the vampire spirit, while he's distracted during the fight and probably gain control of his body again. he's still stuck as Hel's priest, but he'll have more control over his choices.

edited 28th Aug '15 7:29:22 AM by dazai

Ugh. Kinda pissed that this happened because Hel's plan was so obvious.

Not that there's anything wrong with obvious plans, but the fact that none of the other gods apparently realized that all the souls go to Hel makes precisely zero sense. It's a sloppy Diabolus ex Machina.

I'm sure they realized, they just considered it an acceptable consequence. None of them were all, "OH MY US SHE'S RIGHT, I change my vote, Hel must not have the souls!" after she made her speech.

She was gloating, not introducing new information to the deliberation.

edited 28th Aug '15 7:40:24 AM by TobiasDrake

But one of them voted in favor of destruction because of the "tactical advantage".

"She's a stronger god than most of us now" isn't quite as strong an advantage as "he's pointing a creature that can slay any god at us."

Personally, I guess the gods' battle of influence has been going on forever and the fact that one of them suddenly gains the upper hand is a bad thing, but not unprecedented and still part of the game... Letting the Snarl free, on the other hand, is Serious Business.

It's basically "I manipulated the board meeting so that I steal the promotion you've been going after" vs "the building is on fire and we all die".

edited 28th Aug '15 8:00:26 AM by Cozzer

I think the subtext of Hel's comments is that Thor and Loki (and by extension Odin too) probably knew of the consequences of a Yes vote which is part of why they voted No.

I'm not sure if the other gods did though. One issue for all of them (Thor, Loki, and Odin included) is that they didn't really seem to expect Hel to vote (since she had no High Priests as far as they knew) and so it didn't seem as great of a risk.

Wait, Durkula is Roy's priest???
Also, purple-hair in the last panel sure looks happy.

"Wait, Durkula is Roy's priest???"

I don't get the question/surprise. Roy is there as Durkula's bodyguard, just like Wrekan is Veldrina's bodyguard, etc.

A few people look happy in the last panel, presumably because they know what Roy is intending to do and that it will shift the vote back in their favor.

Leaping from the balcony screaming Durkon's name in a bloody rage is a pretty unsubtle explanation of one's motives.

What I find curious is that Balder's priest is actually fleeing the event.

edited 28th Aug '15 8:10:56 AM by TobiasDrake

Ah, right, thanks. I'm the idiot

Can't be too careful. One of them might be carrying mistletoe.

Hope he doesn't run too far. He's a No vote. If he leaves the Godsmoot, Hel wins.

What?

They just needed him to phone Baldr and hear his vote. Honestly, whatever he does now doesn't change what Baldr already said.

@ACW- No problem. I initially thought you were asking if somehow Durkula/Hel would get Roy's soul.

In straight up physical combat, a cleric is always like three spells from being able to do the fighters job for him.

and that's without being a vampire who can, you know, just turn into. Bay and fly away.

The cleric needs to be present for the vote to count. That's why Roy is going after Durkula in the first place.

Although I think we're ok regardless. He's probably just fetching the clerics of the demigods.