Threadbare

The Order and Serini encounter an unexpected obstacle.

Cast[]

Transcript[]

Panel 1

The panel shows Roy and Serini, with the former pointing to the left at something off-panel.
Roy: Whoa... What are those?
Serini: Not a good sign.

Panel 2

The panel expands to show Elan, Belkar and Mr. Scruffy as well as the Threads of Creation at the panel's left edge, with the panel's upper edge pierced and dissolved by the Threads.
Serini: Dorukan called them the Threads of Creation. They're like the raw materials that the gods made this plane out of.
Roy: And the Snarl, too. Right?
Serini: Right.

Panel 3

Serini, Elan, and Roy approach the Threads of Creation, with the panel's right edge dissolved and pierced by the Threads.
Serini: When we were building the Gate, sometimes they would sort of...pop up near the hole. Like reality was getting a bit frayed around the edges.
Serini: But they never showed up this far away from the Rift.

Panel 4

The panel shifts to show Elan, Roy, Durkon, Lien and Sunny from behind the Threads of Creation, with the panel's left edge being pierced and dissolved by the Threads.
Roy: Losing four Gates probably put a lot of strain on the last one.
Elan: They're so...
Elan: ...pretty...

Panel 5

The panel shifts back to a side view to show Serini leaping up and bonking Elan on the head with her staff.
Serini: Don't touch!
Elan: Oww! Why not?
Serini: I don't know!

Panel 6

The panel shows Elan having turned around to face Serini, with his left hand at the back of his head.
Serini: Dori and Liri both told me separately that they were extremely dangerous and to never, ever touch them, so I never have.
Elan: Dangerous for the toucher or like dangerous for the world?
Serini: I don't know that, either! Maybe both!

Panel 7

The panel expands to show Sunny, Haley, Lien, Roy, Belkar, Serini, Elan, and Mr. Scruffy standing in a row before the Threads.
Haley: So we just need to shimmy through the gaps without touching the sides, huh?
Lien: Easy for you to say. Some of us are built more like an oak than a willow.
Roy: Yeah, I don't love my chances of squeezing through,
Belkar: Finally everyone agrees that you Lawful types are way too rigid!
Serini: They'll fade in an hour or two. Or...I guess we can back up to the last intersection and take another route.
Roy: Let's do that. If they're further out than ever before, they may also last longer.

Panel 8

The panel shows Serini, Roy, Elan, Belkar, Mr. Scruffy, and Bloodfeast having turned around and walking to the left.
Belkar: Man, it's always a new thing, isn't it?
Roy: Nah, this is perfect.
Belkar: Come again?
Roy: We won't even need to set up an ambush now because Xykon won't be be able to resist touching the weird purple-ish threads, and that'll end up killing him for us.

Panel 9

Roy smiles at Elan and Belkar, with the latter two looking back at him concerned, with Mr. Scruffy behind Belkar.

Panel 10

Roy: I'm joking. Obviously, if we touch them we'll be instantly liquified-
Roy: -but if the bad guys touch them, they'll all get free ice cream cones or whatever.
Belkar: Oh yeah, that checks out.

Panel 11

Roy, Elan, and Belkar continue to talk as they walk to the left, with Mr. Scruffy following them.
Roy: Come on, let's keep moving and try not to think too much about the stuff we have no control over.
Elan: Wait, can Xykon not taste ice cream? That's so sad!
Belkar: Don't be dumb. What would be the point of sticking around forever, then?
Elan: Yeah, I guess so.

D&D Context[]

Trivia[]

Xykon being unable to taste ice-cream (which Elan and Belkar consider a sad fate even for him, not worth immortality) is a callback to the fact that Xykon actually complains in Start of Darkness of being unable to taste coffee any more, and even wonders (briefly) if lichdom was worth THAT sacrifice.
Lien was disguised as a tree (using a Veil spell cast by Vaarsuvius) in strips #582-584. Lien’s comment in panel 7 may be a reference to this.

Threadbare

Contents

Cast[]

Transcript[]

D&D Context[]

Trivia[]

External Links[]