Utterly Dwarfed

The Order of the Stick: Utterly Dwarfed is the sixth volume of the Order of the Stick, and includes their adventures from #947-1189, with the first comic being dated in 31 March 2014.

The Order travels to the Dwarven Lands, attempting to reach Kraagor's Gate to stop Xykon, but instead gets pulled into the Godsmoot by the vampire Durkon and forced to make a detour to Firmament to stop Hel from destroying the world.

For the list of comics in this book and their pages, please click here.

Plot[]

Note: The High Priest of Hel will be referred to as HPoH or "Durkon". The High Priestess of Hel will be referred to in her full title.

To Tinkertown

Upon the Mechane, the High Priest of Hel controlling Durkon's body forces the latter to relive memories of his one-armed mother; specifically, her saving a dwarf from falling to his death and going to Hel for dying dishonorably. The vampire spirit mentions that he can absorb Durkon's memories by force to further assimilate his personality.

Meanwhile, an enormous storm strikes at the Mechane -- Roy and Bandana realize that Thor is attempting to strike the ship down, to which Belkar claims as evidence that vampire Durkon truly isn't Durkon. The HPoH manages to subdue the weather. Not convinced, Belkar tells the HPoH outright of his suspicion and attacks him, to no avail.

The HPoH complains about Durkon's constant memories of Sigdi's weekly dinners with the same five dwarves. Durkon continues to struggle against the vampire spirit's attempts to take his memories; however, he realizes that the HPoH cannot recognize the relationship between one memory and another.

Crystal Golem Fight

The Mechane arrives at Tinkertown, a steampunk city mostly populated by gnomes, for mechanical repairs. The Order splits into groups to finish up on tasks; Vaarsuvius and Blackwing go to search for a teleportation orb, Roy and the HPoH seek to find a Resurrection spell, Belkar purchases a magical clasp that protects against Domination (but also hurts Evil beings), and Haley, Elan, and Bandana buy wands and supplies.

A flesh-golem Crystal attacks the three, knocking Elan out in the process. Haley and Bandana attempt to outrun her. It is revealed that Bozzok is watching close by with Hieronymus Grubwiggler, having paid the latter (after Raising him) to transform a dead Crystal into a golem for a more useful purpose. Haley and Bandana attempt to fly back to the Mechane, but Crystal kills several civilian gnomes, making them return to the ground. After being inadverdently zapped up by the gnomes' security team, Crystal furiously attacks Haley and insists she is living in a torturous state of pain.

Haley draws Crystal away from Bandana and the gnomes by using her Boots of Speed. She points out to her archenemy that Bozzok had created her into this instead of normally Raising her, making Crystal realize she is nothing more than a tool to him. Crystal turns her fury onto Bozzok and attacks him. Grubwiggler calmly points out the drawbacks of having a flesh golem self-aware, before teleporting. Bozzok continues to deride Crystal as stupid and incapable, to which Crystal kills him.

Haley asks a calmed-down Crystal what she will do next. Crystal expresses glee over staying in TInkertown and killing more gnomes. Realizing the depth of Crystal's evil, Haley lures her over a lava pit and lets her fall in.

Godsmoot Preparation

Unable to find a cleric capable of Resurrection, Roy and the HPoH continue to wander about the temples. Much to Roy's shock, the HPoH (still masquerading as Durkon) angrily presses a blind priest of Hodor for information about any passing clerics. One of the acolytes of Hodor mentions a pilgrim staying at a nearby inn.

There, Roy and the HPoH meet Veldrina, an elven Favored Soul and representative of the Western Pantheon, along with her bodyguard Wrecan and pet tiger Little Whiskers. Veldrina informs Roy that she is unable to Resurrect Durkon, and that she and Wrecan are headed to a convention of High Priests at Zenith Peak for a Godsmoot; however, the teleport orb they sought for had been purchased by Vaarsuvius. Roy offers them passage to Zenith Peak in exchange for its location, citing that now he is able to find a group of clerics powerful enough to restore Durkon back to life. In his mind the HPoH reveals he was after the Godsmoot's location and knew it all along, but needed a conceivable reason for Roy to take him there.

The Order groups back at the Mechane; Roy expresses his doubts to Vaarsuvius over Durkon's authenicity. Durkon relieves a memory of his honorary uncle Thirden telling a young Durkon how his father died -- by sacrificing himself against a troll while Sigdi watched in helplessness.

Welcome to the Godsmoot

Electing himself and Belkar as "Durkon"'s bodyguards, they follow Veldrina and Wrecan to the Godsmoot temple newly built by the Creed of the Stone -- led by Gontor Hammerfell. Wrecan explains that no clerics can attack another representative of a god, nor can a bodyguard attack another representative. The HPoH secretly informs Gontor of his true status, to which the latter personally escorts him inside the temple. The HPoH confirms that Gontor is not a representative and also low on spells before attacking the Exarch and draining him of his blood, killing him. Belkar, having followed him, tries to escape to warn Roy but is thrown out of the window by a warg-transformed HPoH.

Roy, Wrecan, and the other bodyguards wait at the balcony, overlooking all the Northern High Priests at the nave below. Realizing Belkar has snuck off, Roy goes to find him -- but is shocked into place when the High Priestess of Odin announces that the Godsmoot vote between the Northern Pantheon will determine if the world will be destroyed or not, due to four of the five Gates being shattered and the Snarl's ever-present threat. Through their representatives, the Southern Pantheon votes no, while the Western Pantheon votes yes. The Northern High Priests summon their Gods through proxy, ending up as 9-8 in favor of preserving the world.

However, the HPoH enters the scene and reminds the Priests that Hel has yet to cast her vote. He summons her via proxy, and Hel gloats over the possibility of all the dishonored dwarven souls powering her realm, before voting yes. Shocked and enraged, Roy realizes what "Durkon" has done to his own people. He (and Wrecan) realize there are no rules forbading a bodyguard from attacking his own priest. Roy leaps off the balcony, ready to commence battle with the High Priest of Hel.

Fight at Godsmoot

Roy pleads with "Durkon" to stop his plans, still believing it is his friend simply turned evil. The High Priests are unwilling to intervene or support Roy, due to their respective gods' decisions. At one point Roy successfully uses the Spellsplinter Maneuver, but the HPoH continues to have the edge using his vampiric powers. Within his head, Durkon tries to tell Roy of the vampire's true nature, but the HPoH states that he was born from Durkon's darkest memory. He then shows to Durkon a memory of him being thrown out by Hurak without being able to tell his mother. A heartbroken Durken angrily curses his people to the realm of Hel. Durkon, shocked, withdraws into silence.

Even with passive assistance from Wrecan, Roy struggles to turn the tide of the fight against the HPoH. In an effort to Dominate him, the HPoH cruelly taunts Roy over his failure to save Durkon and the people Belkar had killed, and his own brother. Realizing that the HPoH was never Durkon, Roy activates the Greenhilt Sword and batters the HPoH into submission.

Due to the tiebreaker, the Northern Demigods' representatives are called in to vote, while the HPoH holds off Roy with an Anti-Life shell. One of the demigods, Thrym, is notably suspicious about his reasons for voting yes, while another one -- who previously had agreed to vote whatever Hel voted -- changes their mind and votes against, resulting in another tie. The last vote hinges on the dwarf demigod Dvalin, who tells the other Gods he has sworn only to make a decision from the will of the Council of Clans. Roy expresses relief at the delay, but the HPoH reveals his backup plan.

Aboard the Mechane, a vampirized Gontor Hammerfell mistforms his way into Vaarsuvius' room to steal the teleport orb. Blackwing, Mr. Scruffy, Bloodfeast, and Little Whiskers are unable to prevent him from taking it, and the former three are soon overwhelmed by a summoned rat swarm. Blackwing manages to mishandle a scroll to blow up the rats, and Vaarsuvius arrives, taking a blood-drained Little Whiskers to the temple.

The Exarch returns to the HPoH with the orb. Roy points out that if the HPoH leaves the temple, Hel's vote will be forfeit, to which HPoH reveals he and the Exarch have vampirized the Creed. The HPoH randomly chooses a vampire to be the next High Priest. The other priests and bodyguards realize they are free to attack the remaining vampires; Roy desperately tells them to stop the former HPoH from teleporting, but he manages to escape with the Exarch and two other vampires to the Firmament, where the Council of Clans will be held.

With the battle over, Roy snaps the HPoH's staff, which had allowed for the accelerated vampirization, and tells Veldrina to contact him if the gods' vote changes. Rubyrock, the High Priestess of Thor, gives him a stone that will allow him to enter Firmament, and tells him that Durkon's exile is over. Before Roy leaves, Wrecan gives him a book dealing about the Weapons of Legacy, and wishes him luck.

Belkar is revealed to have survived his fall by purchasing a Feather Fall ring at Tinkertown. Before he can defeat a vampire, Roy intervenes and tells him he was right about the HPoH the entire time. The Order regroups back on the Mechane and head towards their new destination.

Paladins at the North Pole

O-Chul and Lien trudge through the snowy lands of the North Pole, remarking on the remnants of the Azurites, when a masked bugbear atop a yrthak attacks them. The paladins manage to escape underwater using Lien's Ring of Underwater Breathing. The bugbear returns to her hut, revealed to be the home base for Team Evil. Xykon and Redcloak have recruited Oona (the masked bugbear) and her village to assist in delving into Kraagor's Gate. Kraagor's Gate is behind one of the hundreds of doors within his tomb. So far Team Evil has been unsuccessful in locating the Gate, and the Monster in the Darkness has crossed out uncompleted doors as well, trying to delay their search. Observing from afar, O-Chul is pleased by the Monster's change of heart and prepares to wait with Lien on their ledge for the Order to arrive.

To Firmament

Eugene visits Roy at night, stating he was unable to warn him of Xykon's departure from Azure City due to Roy being knocked out in Girard's illusions. Roy continues to practice with his sword to active the powers of a Legacy Weapon.

During a trip through Passage Pass, the Mechane is attacked by a group of Frost Giants. A mutiny breaks out among the crew, with Andi contesting Bandana's leadership from a childhood grudge and then assuming control. Vaarsuvius, Belkar, and Haley attack the giants on the ground, while Roy and Elan stave off the ones that leapt upon the ship. Roy loses his sword overboard in the process. As the ship begins to sink from leaked air, Bandana convinces the crew to untie her and takes back control from Andi, revealing that the ship can lesson weight by releasing the ballistae.

Back on track, Roy anguishes over losing his sword, but discovers he can summon it back to hand. The Order suspects the Frost Giant encounter was a trap laid by Hel, and Roy wonders what could have binded Thrym -- the demigod of Frost Giants -- to Hel's service.

Discussions in Hel

It turns out Thrym is in Hel's service to become her consort. Hel reveals to him the details of the bet between her and Thor; Loki had tricked her into a contest with Thor over who could get the most souls, with Hel getting all the dwarves by default (save for those who died honorably) while giving up her ability to create clerics, and Thor continuing to have the same god setup. Enraged at the fact that Thor simply told the dwarves of the bet, Hel is eager to have the world destroyed and to have all the dwarves' souls enter her dominion, as they would have died dishonorably.

Battle at Firmament

The HPoH contacts Hel and informs her that he and his vampires have arrived at Firmament. Unable to enter the temple, Durkon gives the vampire a memory of the banquet hall as an alternate battlefield, as well as several life lessons that the vampirie spirit is unable to understand.

The Order arrives at Firmament, and are briefly attacked by several acolyte priests (including Minrah) before clearing up the mistake. Firuk overhears Roy discussing Durkon, and tells him of Odin's prophecy: that Durkon will return home to cause "death and destruction," which was why Hurak had exiled Durkon in the first place. The Order, joined by Minrah, enter into the tunnels -- they aree ambushed by vampire dwarves (previously Firmament defenders), as the HPoH had been studying the accelerated-vampirization spell instead of the Protection from Daylight.

An unknown speaker walks in upon the dwarves, giving enough distraction for the Order to battle and kill several vampires. The speaker herself manages to Turn some, and is revealed to be Hilgya Firehelm, carrying her and Durkon's son Kudzu in a baby harness. She is looking to murder Durkon for turning her away in the Dungeon of Dorukan.

Hilgya agrees to assist the Order in defeating the HPoH. Being able to scry on the HPoH's traps, the Order, Minrah, and Hilgya prepare themselves for battle. Overwhelmed, the HPoH and his vampires resort to Dominating almost all of the Order and Hilgya, making them turn against each other and taking Kudzu hostage.

Bonus Content[]

The book, published in print and digital editions, includes bonus strips and commentary additional to the strips published online.

Commentary[]

Preface by Haley Starshine
Introduction by Rich Burlew
- Where Have All the Stick Figures Gone: A look at how and why the art has changed in Order of the Stick over the years.
- High on Art: comments on what motivates the author to write and draw the comic.
Dwarfception: on the dynamics of Durkon's inner life during his undeath.
Thieves' Guilt: on Haley and what she did to Crystal.
Set-Up Slowdown: motivations for Tinkertown and the Godsmoot setup.
Moot Points: on the motivations of the gods and "Durkon".
White Knights in Snowstorm: discussion of the situation at the North Pole, and the addition of Oona to Team Evil.
O Captain, Her Captain: on the crew of the Mechane and the mutiny.
A Growing Dwarf: on shaping the narrative of Durkon's childhood and relationship with his mother.
Head Cannon: using Durkon's memories to show his back story and as the essential tool to resolve the plot.
Cosmic Background Exposition: a look at the Afterlife scenes and the real story of the Snarl.
Moxie!: on Minrah.
Rock the Vote: on the Council of Clans.
Mommy Fiercest: on Hilgya and the impact of the decision to have her return with a baby.
Wrapping Up: on the denouement.
The Light at the End of the Comic: discussion of the final installment of Order of the Stick.

Bonus Strips[]

#960a: "Previously on Cliché's Anatomy…"
#966a: "The Hug Life Chose Me"
#967a: "Ghost Sound Drobs the Beat"
#967b: "Wound Up"
#989a: "The Sewed Not Taken"
#993a: "Point, Counterpoint"
#1051b: "Path of Most Resistance" — 5 panels added to the online version
#1052a: "Trick or Threat"
#1169a: "Slash, Slash, Fizz, Fizz"
#1170c: "A Dim Lantern in the Darkness"
#1182a: "Dearly Departed"
#1185a: "'Cause You've Been Standing Here for 20 Minutes"

Additional Content[]

Map of the Northern Continent

Locations[]

Cast[]

The Order of the Stick[]

Pets and Familiars[]

Team Evil[]

Mechane[]

Durkon's Family[]

Vampires[]

Dwarves of Firmament[]

Gods[]

Thor
Hel
Loki
Odin
Thrym
Other Deities and Demigods of the Northern Pantheon
Tiamat
Marduk
Ishtar
Other Gods of the Western Pantheon, Southern Pantheon, and Eastern Pantheon
The Dark One

Azurites[]

O-Chul
Lien
Hinjo (flashback)
Shojo (flashback)

Greysky City Thieves' Guild[]

Other Characters[]

References[]

OOTS Books
Main Series: Dungeon Crawlin' Fools · No Cure for the Paladin Blues · War and XPs · Don't Split the Party · Blood Runs in the Family · Utterly Dwarfed
Prequel Comics: On the Origin of PCs · Start of Darkness · Good Deeds Gone Unpunished
Kickstarter Comics: Uncivil Servant · Haleo & Julelan · Spoiler Alert · How the Paladin Got His Scar
Other Books: Snips, Snails, and Dragon Tales · Order of the Stick Coloring Book