The Order learns that the Gate is not hidden within Kraggor's Tomb.
Cast[]
- Order of the Stick
- Sapphire Guard
- Blackwing (Thought bubble)◀▶
- Serini Toormuck◀▶
- Minrah Shaleshoe◀▶
- Mr. Scruffy◀▶
Transcript[]
- Panel 1
The Order, Serini, and the Paladins are standing in a half-circle around the overturned cauldron, with Mr. Scruffy sleeping on the floor in front of Belkar.
Blackwing: (off-panel) (thinking) So, did anyone want to hear about the icicle, or...?
Vaarsuvius: (thinking) It is not possible to answer more strenuously in the negative.
Roy: How many chances to take them by surprise are we going to squander?!
Roy: Can I get an estimate to the nearest dozen??
Minrah: Maybe it can still work? Xykon is separated from Redcloak, right? That's got to work in our favor.
- Panel 2
Roy walks over to Belkar and Minrah, the panel focusing on them.
Roy: Yes...Yes, true. If we get up there quick and disable the swap-over, Redcloak will be trapped in the dungeon.
Belkar: Take it from someone who's also patience-challenged: Xykon's beady little glow-eyes are going to be glued to that door while he waits.
- Panel 3
The panel focuses on Roy.
Roy: So he's going to see us the moment we disable the trap.
Roy: Plus I really liked the idea of connecting with the back of his skull before he knew I was there, instead of eating a Meteor Swarm as I charge out the door.
Roy: But, it's still the best plan we have, and at least Xykon will be cut off from his healer.
- Panel 4
The panel zooms out to show Roy having turned left to face durkon, with Haley and Belkar behind him.
Durkon: Wait, Roy... Mebbe we need ta let this plan go. Thar's too much risk now.
Roy: We need to take a risk if we're going to beat them!
Haley: Sure, but what if we need to retreat and regroup? We'll be handing the secret of the swap-overs to them.
- Panel 5
The panel focuses on Roy and Haley.
Roy: That...Huh. That is possibly a good point.
Haley: Popping in out of nowhere is one thing, but if we use the swap-over to trap Redcloak then we'll be rubbing his face in how to get into this final dungeon.
- Panel 6
The panel zooms out again to show Serini on the other side of Durkon.
Serini: This isn't the final dungeon.
Durkon: Wha?
Haley: Wow, way to step all over my silver lining.
- Panel 7
Serini: Any half-decent rogue can spot and disarm the swap-overs! Did you bread-brains think that was enough security for something this important?
Durkon: Na.
Roy: Not really.
Haley: We explicitly had a discussion about how it probably wasn't, and we basically never do that.
- Panel 8
The panel focuses on Serini and Durkon.
Durkon: But...if'n tha final dungeon's na behind tha swap-ov'rs, then...
Durkon: ...Whar is it?
- Panel 9
Serini: Good news!
Serini: You don't need to know that!
Serini bonks Durkon with her staff. BONK!
Durkon: Oww!
- Panel 10
The panel focuses on Serini.
Serini: If you weak-kneed donut holes can beat Xykon at all, then you can beat him out here, away from Kraagor's Gate.
Serini: And if you can't, it's better if you don't have that information rattling around in your otherwise empty head-boxes for them to pull out.
- Panel 11
The panel shifts to Elan, Vaarsuvius and O-Chul.
Elan: Ooo, V! Aren't you protected from mind-reading now?
Vaarsuvius: Yes, but that is not the sole tactic by which an enemy might extract pertinent information.
O-Chul: There are divinations that would do the trick, in addition to more...traditional methods of interrogation.
- Panel 12
The panel shifts again as O-Chul walks over to Roy, Haley, Belkar and Minrah.
O-Chul: I know it is unsatisfying, but I must agree that it is safer the fewer of us that know.
O-Chul: As we used to say in the Sapphire Guard: "Loose brains end campaigns."
Belkar: Hey, I'm fully prepared to forget everything I know about this mission.
Minrah: If you're captured?
Belkar: Especially then!
D&D Context[]
- Meteor Swarm is a 9th Level Sorcerer/Wizard spell. As its name suggests, it summons a swarm of meteors to deal damage to its target. As Roy alludes to in panel 3, Xykon loves to use this spell against any attacker.
Trivia[]
- In Panel 7, when Haley points out that the team already discussed how the swap-overs were not enough security for the final Gate, she is referring to the discussion in #1224, Just Hang On.
- In Panel 11. O-Chul makes a reference to when he was held prisoner by Team Evil, and the numerous tortures he went through.
- In Panel 12, O-Chul alludes to a popular WW2 propaganda poster reading "Loose lips sink ships."