The Order of the Stick

Good strip.

I feel like most of it was only done though because for some reason it wasn't obvious to a lot of people that Durkon would feel exactly like this, so Rich needed to lay it all out for them.

I mean, this forum alone spent a good week or so discussing how he would feel about that, so I think it's only fair he clarify it.

That's the thing though, has this character ever seem like the type to say "I value my eternal happiness over saving the world, including my beloved home and everyone in it, which also includes a son I just found out about?"

And I don't remember much discussion about whether he'd accept the Resurrection, just whether the Order would try.

Edited by LSBK on Aug 10th 2018 at 1:44:35 PM

Well, he's mostly responding to Minrah asking why he wouldn't, not just spontaneously volunteering the information.

That's generally how clarification of things like this go, say it to another character who would reasonably ask.

I didn't say I disliked it, just think that it's weird that his feelings on the matter need to be clarified to some people to begin with.

It's not a huge thing to me.

Edited by LSBK on Aug 10th 2018 at 2:23:11 PM

Oh, sorry. I completely misunderstood what you were saying there. My bad.

Yeah, no, you're right. It's weird there was ever need for the discussion to begin with.

That being said, I like how it was articulated.

I saw a lot of people saying they'd meet Thor, but I wasn't really counting on it. Well, possible infodump ahoy.

Edit:I remember in strip 1000 when Loki says that intention of the bet wasn't to keep Hel out of the godsmoot. I get the sense that the planet inside has something to do with it. dammit that's what I meant to post. Stupid me! I fixed it now.

Edited by jjjj2 on Aug 10th 2018 at 4:36:10 AM

Loki actually says that's not the intention of the bet.

Loki didn't have any specific intentions with the bet he just wanted to see what would happen.

Durkon's earned this meeting. This is the one relationship that's lasted (however one-sidedly for most of the time) from his time in Dwarven lands all through his exile, and the person he was calling out to as he died. I'm glad he's finally getting some facetime.

I was worried that perhaps Thor didn't even know who Durkon was. Given that he's just a major deity with so many clerics and, y'know, a drunk. So this is heart warming to see that Thor knows Durkon.

He probably didn't until the Snarl stuff started. I imagine the gods have started to pay more attention to things since Redcloak and Xykon began their plan. By the time the Azure City arc ended the gods probably would have realized that the OOTS is their best shot at having a mortal group stop the threat of the Snarl.

There's also the possibility that there's some limited omniscience in play. The Dresden Files often gave immortals something called intellectus, perfect knowledge of one specific thing; a Genius Loci always knows every inch of itself, a Torture Technician knows your greatest weakness. No need to think about it or cast a spell, they just know. So I could see Thor automatically knowing all his clerics even if he doesn't actually bother thinking about them most of the time.

So... if Thor wants to speak with Durkon, why is Minrah there as well? Other than narrative convenience for the last three pages?

Because they died at the same time?

For shipping purposes?

Because their being shipped at the same time they're both dead?

No, I mean romantic shipping. Because that's a thing people are doing now with the two of them.

People keep saying Thor's a drunk, but is he really? I only recall two times we've seen him inebriated in the comic's entire run time; once when the Order was captured by Miko and Durkon interpreted the weather as a sign from Thor when it was actually just him playing darts, and when we got the flashback to the bet with Hel being made, which we can bet on Loki timing purposely. He's been perfectly sober in the vast majority of his appearances, as I recall.

I mean, the last time Durkon wound up alone in a strange place with another dwarven cleric of the female persuasion, we got Kudzu, so it's not entirely without precedent...

Edited by Wryte on Aug 10th 2018 at 5:01:44 AM

Personally, I ould see this going more into the direction of a mentor-student relationship than anything romantic.

Edited by DrunkenNordmann on Aug 10th 2018 at 2:23:28 PM

It's possible that Minrah can be revived, but Durkon can't be at this point in time. (Minrah's a lower level character, which would make her easier to revive.)

Edit: I don't expect any romance from Minrah; Rich has tried before to make a female character who the fandom won't ship with anybody (the psionic who's allied with Tarquin, who didn't succeed at that task), and it looks like he's been more successful trying to do the same thing with Minrah.

Edited by thok on Aug 10th 2018 at 5:47:30 AM

I mean, from the way she's talking it honestly doesn't sound like she'd be interested in getting revived. She might not have wanted to die today but the entire conversation makes it sound like she wouldn't want to jinx it.

Of course, there might just be the option of Thor reviving them both himself.

Edited by LSBK on Aug 10th 2018 at 7:44:20 AM

Is he allowed to do that? Sounds kinda like gods aren't supposed to intervene like that.

Probably not, just something I've seen tossed around and wondering about.