Serini and the Order forge an uneasy alliance.
Cast[]
Transcript[]
- Panel 1, Page 1
Serini still sits on the floor tied up, with the Order, the Paladins and Sunny around her.
Roy: With the information you had, I..guess...the decision to poison us made some sort of weird sense. But with new facts available, don't you need to reconsider your position?
Serini:Not when your "facts" smell fishier than a merman's jockstrap!
Lien: Wait, mermen don't have-
Serini: Exactly!!
- Panel 2, Page 1
The panel focuses on Serini.
Serini: The gods just happened to talk to you and tell you a bunch of stuff that adds up to you needing to do what you were already trying to do?
Serini: And there's no way to prove it, I just need to take your word for it?
- Panel 3, Page 1
Serini: Seems awfully convenient, if you ask me.
Roy: Oh, that's where you're wrong. Every part of this is hideously complicated.
- Panel 4, Page 1
Serini: And another thing your story doesn't take into account:
Serini: If the gods really have gotten together and decided to get involved, wouldn't it just be easier for them to give Xykon and his goblins what they want? Or at least negotiate?
Serini: Why would they be jumping to immediately destroying the world?
- Panel 5, Page 1
The panel shifts, showing Belkar, Durkon and V standing in a line behind Roy.
Durkon: 'Cause it's na...It's hard ta explain, but fer most o' 'em, they dinnae consider it tha much trubble ta...I mean, they've done it b'fore, so...
Roy: Right, and technically now they have tried to negotiate, by sending Durkon here back with the-
- Panel 6, Page 1
Belkar steps between Roy and Serini.
Belkar: Are you for real?!?
Roy: Belkar...
Belkar: Do you seriously not get the score here?
Serini: What are you talking about
Belkar: Look at what you're saying!
- Panel 7, Page 1
The panel focuses on Belkar and Serini.
Belkar: You're asking why the jerks at the top of the heap would rather burn it all down than let someone new get a piece of their action.
Belkar: That's the most believable thing I've ever heard!!
- Panel 8, Page 1
The panel shifts to Elan and Haley.
Haley: Yeah... yeah, think about it.
Haley: You're suggesting that the people in power with the most to lose are going to let themselves get extorted into concessions-
Haley: -when they have the option to just...not do that.
- Panel 9, Page 1
The panel shifts back to Belkar, Serini and Lien.
Belkar: All for the low, low price of all of us disposable schmucks!
Serini: ...
Lien: Hey, I don't appreciate that characterization. I'm sure my gods-
- Panel 10, Page 1
Serini turns back to look at Lien.
Serini: I'm sure your gods will wring their hands and tell each other they wish they didn't have to do it.
Serini: Right up until the moment they do it.
- Panel 11, Page 1
The panel pulls back to show Durkon, Roy, O-Chul and Sunny in addition to Belkar, Serini and Lien.
Belkar: Yeah, they'll be all, "Oooo, we can't let the bad thing fall into the wrong hands!"
Serini: Haha, yeah, good guys love that line.
Belkar: Like who decided their hands are so frickin' great?
Lien: First of all, my gods have paws. Or hooves. Or a squiggly part, in one case.
Lien: And second, I'm just realizing that it helps us if you start agreeing with what's-his-name so I'm going to be shutting up now.
- Panel 1, Page 2
The panel focuses on Roy, Belkar and Serini.
Roy: I think the key point is that all of us down here need to take out or own trash before the landlords come in and do it for us.
Roy: We need to figure out the best solution for the most people.
Serini: Even Xykon?
- Panel 2, Page 2
Roy: Excuse me?
Serini: If the best deal for the most people involves helping Xykon, would you still be up for it?
Roy: I mean... I guess? In theory?
- Panel 3, Page 2
Roy: But given that he's a huge fan of indiscriminate murder-
Roy: -it's going to take a lot to convince me that the majority of people wouldn't be safer if he was gone.
Serini: Hmmm. Well, I tend to agree with you there. Just wanted to see what you'd say, mostly.
- Panel 4, Page 2
The panel focuses on just Serini.
Serini: And the kid's logic checks out when it comes to the gods. I'm just pissed at myself for not factoring them in when was I working the angles.
Serini: I didn't think they'd get involved. No, that's not it: I forgot they were a going concern.
Serini: Not my thing, and it's been a long time since I used to hang out with a druid.
- Panel 5, Page 2
The panel pulls out again.
Roy: Believe me, I understand. I've never been a fan and my opinion of them is trending sharply downward.
Roy: We are not interested in making excuses for them. We're trying to protect the world from Xykon, the Snarl, and the gods, equally.
- Panel 6, Page 2
Roy: So...since it seems like we're getting close to being in the same chapter even if we're not on the exact same page...will you help?
Serini: ...I guess.
Serini: Fat lot of good it'll do you.
- Panel 7, Page 2
The panel shifts to Sunny, Elan and Haley.
Sunny: Now we're all friends!
Elan: Hooray!
- Panel 8, Page 2
The panel moves to show Lien and O-Chul standing left of Sunny and Elan.
Lien: I wouldn't say that, exactly.
Lien: We may be allies against a greater threat, but your mother still kidnapped us and...
- Panel 9, Page 2
Sunny and Elan look to the left with a pleading expression, with Sunny having puppy dog eyes.
- Panel 10, Page 2
Lien facepalms.
Lien: *sigh* Yes, we're all friends now.
Sunny: Hooray!
Elan: Wooo!
- Panel 11, Page 2
Elan and Sunny turn to leave to the right, as Haley is looking at them go.
Lien: I did a cool thing with my shark and it's just been all down hill for me from there.
O-Chul: There may be those that would shame you for failing to resist eleven puppy dog eyes, but I stand not among them.
Sunny: Wanna see a cool dead bug I found?
Elan: Uh, yes, obviously!
D&D Context[]
- Merfolk are only humanoid from the waist up, so Serini's comment about an athletic supporter for a merman is especially odd. Lien's extensive aquatic knowledge leads to difficulty following the analogy literally.
Trivia[]
- In panel 11 of the first comic, Lien is referring to the twelve animal gods of the Southern Pantheon, of which one is a snake.
External Links[]