| |
| Banjo the Clown | |
|---|---|
| Biographical information | |
| First Comic | |
| Last Comic | |
| Physical description | |
| Species |
Puppet / God |
| Gender |
Male |
| Chronological and political information | |
| Known masters |
Elan |
Banjo the Clown is a deity created by Elan. Banjo is nothing more than a clown hand puppet that Elan created while the Order of the Stick was exploring the Dungeon of Dorukan and Durkon Thundershield had gone missing so that Elan might be able to provide clerical services for the team.
Elan ends up using it to create small examples of divine power (because any god in D&D gets power based on the number of its worshipers).[1] Elan tried to get the members of the Order of the Stick to join the "Church of Banjo", so Banjo could smite Roy Greenhilt, an "unbeliever".[2] The Church of Banjo was quickly abandoned after Haley Starshine and Belkar Bitterleaf, the only worshipers other than Elan himself, lost interest and Durkon returned, causing Elan to state that although Banjo may be currently forgotten, he would later rise as a more evil incarnation: Banjulhu![3]
Banjo (actually Elan speaking for Banjo) later attempted to join the Northern Pantheon, who were apparently giving his application serious consideration. However, "Banjo" was put off by the attitude of their clerics and abandoned this effort, disappointing Odin, who stated that he likes puppets.[4]
Banjo had only had a handful of worshipers, primarily Elan, and thus his powers were limited; however eventually Banjo gained the following of an island tribe of orcs.[5][6][7] When Elan arrived on their island they instantly took to worshipping the puppet, whose clothing resembled the island itself. They did not take to Elan and his party, however, and they fled, with Lien being taken captive. She would have been sacrificed to Banjo, had Therkla not intervened and spoke for Banjo, ordering Elan to be freed. The party fled with Banjo, but at the beach Elan introduced them to a new god. Those orcs now worship Banjo's brother, Giggles the Clown, god of slap-stick, also created by Elan. As Banjo and Giggles are meant to be equally powerful rivals, these orc worshipers may increase the power of both puppet "gods".[8] The rivalry between Banjo and Giggles was settled with a pie eating contest.
Most recently, Banjo has been assisting Elan in his duties as the party's backup healer, with Durkon out of the picture. In this role he wears a doctor's scrubs, with Elan as his "nurse". In bonus strips released with Utterly Dwarfed, it is revealed that Elan uses Banjo, as well as a number of other puppets, to act out medical dramas, which the crew of the Mechane find unusual but oddly engaging.
Banjo did not cast a vote at the Godsmoot. Roy explained to Elan that this came down to three factors: he is not a part of any existing pantheon, he does not possess a cleric capable of casting the necessary spell to participate, and he is a puppet.
In the 2016 Order of the Stick calendar, the month of September featured a puppet made by Elan's father Tarquin. Its name was Dark Lord Mandolin. It may represent an evil counterpart to the puppet pantheon of Banjo and Giggles. Dark Lord Mandolin was also drawn as a Kickstarter reward for one supporter.[9]
Banjulhu[]
Banjulhu
Banjulhu was a version of Banjo that Elan considered. When he saw that his Church of Banjo was falling apart, he envisioned that he would be a forgotten god, until dark priests seek to awaken his unholy powers.[3]
References[]
- ↑ Comic #80, "Replacement Cleric"
- ↑ Comic #81, "First Church of Banjo"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Comic #85, "The Elder Puppet"
- ↑ Comic #137, "Teh Gewd Gods"
- ↑ Comic #553, "Diplomacy is a Beach"
- ↑ Comic #555, "Half-Dragons Are Even Worse"
- ↑ Comic #557, "The Puppet Mistress"
- ↑ Comic #561, "Pop Idolatry"
- ↑ The Order of the Stick Kickstarter Reward Collection, ChristianSt
| Appearances |
|---|
| 80, 81, 85, 137, 203, 232, 271, 302, 336, 402, 553, 554, 557, 558, 559, 560, 561, 772, 773, 834, 887, 888, 949, 1270 |