The Order arrives at where O-Chul and Lien previously were, and Elan elaborates on a clue.
Cast[]
- The Order of the Stick
- Roy Greenhilt (also in gaseous form) ◀ ▶
- Elan (also in gaseous form) ◀ ▶
- Haley Starshine (also in gaseous form) ◀ ▶
- Belkar Bitterleaf (also in gaseous form) ◀ ▶
- Durkon Thundershield (in gaseous form) ◀ ▶
- Vaarsuvius (also in gaseous form) ◀ ▶
- Blackwing ◀ ▶
- Sapphire Guard
- Minrah Shaleshoe (in gaseous form) ◀ ▶
- Therkla ◀
- Team Evil
- Greyview ◀ ▶
- A Bugbear Guard
Transcript[]
- Panel 1, Page 1
The Order flies above the bugbear village. Oona and Greyview are seen walking about.
- Panel 2, Page 1
The Order flies before Kraagor's Gate.
- Panel 3, Page 1
The Order arrives onto the ledge.
- Panel 4, Page 1
Roy: OK, so, that went surprisingly well.
Vaarsuvius: I did note a heartening paucity of swarms, meteor or otherwise.
- Panel 1, Page 2
Elan: Wow, look at all the doors!
Haley: I know, right? No wonder Xykon hasn't found the Gate yet, if there's a whole dungeon level behind each one.
Roy: I don't understand how there could be. They're so close together, they'd have to be basically a straight hallway to avoid running into one another.
- Panel 2, Page 2
Roy: You know what, let's not worry about the Gate right now. Focus.
Roy: Fan out, take a look around and see if we can't at least confirm that this is where Lien and O-Chul were hiding.
- Panel 3, Page 2
Vaarsuvius: Detect Magic!
Elan (singing): ♪♪Look, look, look, look for clues, but quietly!♪
- Panel 4, Page 2
Roy: Anything?
Vaarsuvius: Not yet, which should in and of itself be slightly reassuring.
Vaarsuvius: Spells of the caliber most often employed by our undead adversary would ordinarily result in an aura that lingers for several days.
- Panel 5, Page 2
Belkar: Well, I've got tracks, sort of. Scuffs, at least. Medium-size armor boots.
Roy: Anything else? Goblins, bugbears?
- Panel 6, Page 2
Belkar: ...No, those big-toed shoes they wear would stand out.
Belkar: Looks like just them and us. Armored boots, regular boots, ridiculous wizard slippers, and proper bare halfling feet
- Panel 7, Page 2
Haley: Hey, I found something!
- Panel 8, Page 2
Haley: It's like...a little black bead?
Elan: Oooo, I recognize that! That's a piece from the game Hinjo tried to teach me!
- Panel 9, Page 2
Flashback to Elan and Hinjo on the boat, with Therkla spying through the window.
Elan: What's this game called?
Hinjo: Go.
Elan: Awww, but I just got here!
Hinjo: No, it's named that.
Elan: The game is called That?
Hinjo: Not That. Go.
Elan: Oh, that's a very confusing name.
Hinjo: It's not named That!
Elan: You just said it was!
- Panel 10, Page 2
Back to present day.
Elan: It went on like that for an hour and a half.
D&D Context[]
- On page 1, panel 4, V is referring to Meteor Swarm, the 9th level spell which is a staple of Xykon's combat tactics.
- Detect Magic is a cantrip (0-level spell). Concentrating on a magic aura over a period of time allows progressively more information about the magic to be learned.
- Page 2, panels 5 and 6 are one of the very few examples of Belkar using the Ranger tracking bonus feat.
Trivia[]
- This is the latest appearance of Lord Hinjo, ruler of the Azurites in exile as well as commander of the Sapphire Guard. Hinjo is the nephew of the previous lord, Shojo. Hinjo fought his way out of Azure City after leading the army during the Battle of Azure City. He took Elan, Durkon, and Vaarsuvius aboard his junk and they adventured together with the refugees of Azure City. Hinjo remains aware of the events and has sent his last remaining paladins north to Kraagor's Gate, while he establishes a new colony for the Azurites on an island off the coast of the Western Continent. He has appeared in seventy-nine strips, first appearing in #265, "A Tale of Two Paladins".
- This is the final appearance of Therkla, the half-orc Ninja assassin with an unrequited love for Elan. She appeared in twenty-one strips overall. She first appeared in #484. Her last appearance chronologically is #593.