# Order of the Stick - Book 5 Discussion Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 31, 2009, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323 "2009-08-31T04:09:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/281 "2009-11-12T05:51:24Z")
Belkar _is_ reading Dune, then! ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/282 "2009-11-12T09:12:20Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > … y’all realize it’s a Purple Worm, right? [Purple Worm :: d20srd.org](http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/purpleWorm.htm) > Will save of +4, yep. That seems to be a point of contention on the Giant in the Playground forums. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/283 "2009-11-12T11:04:55Z")
… It’s big and purple and in the System Reference Document. What else could it be? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/284 "2009-11-12T13:36:17Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > … It’s big and purple and in the System Reference Document. What else could it be? A phallic symbol? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/285 "2009-11-12T13:37:30Z")
Sometimes a giant worm is just a giant worm. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/286 "2009-11-12T14:02:51Z")
Or a Phroid’s Phanciful Phallusy spell… ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/287 "2009-11-12T14:33:11Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Belkar _is_ reading Dune, then! Also, note who he’s rooting for. ---
**Author:** ![Reno\_Nevada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Reno\_Nevada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reno_Nevada)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/288 "2009-11-12T15:52:08Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > I liked the Dune reference. And that Belkar is cheering for the bad guy. I just wanted to mention that the reference completely whooshed me. Until **Hypno-Toad** ’s posting. All Hail **Hypno-Toad**! ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/289 "2009-11-12T17:57:22Z")
> [@Reno\_Nevada](#): > > I just wanted to mention that the reference completely whooshed me. Until **Hypno-Toad** ’s posting. All Hail **Hypno-Toad**! Oh my thick head, I just want to mention that the reference completely whooshed me TWICE. The first two times I read the comic, I thought Belkar was 1) reading the Monster Manual and was telling V not to move him closer to the worm’s mouth because of what he’d just learned about it and then 2) reading _Dune_ and was telling V not to move him closer to the worm’s mouth because of what he’d just read about it. It took this post for me to get an Aha! moment. All hail **Hypno-Toad** and **Reno Nevada**! ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/290 "2009-11-12T19:01:01Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > … It’s big and purple and in the System Reference Document. What else could it be? The contention is over whether it’s actually a purple worm, or some homebrew Dune-sandworm creature. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/291 "2009-11-13T08:59:41Z")
> [@shantih](#): > > Oh my thick head, I just want to mention that the reference completely whooshed me TWICE. The first two times I read the comic, I thought Belkar was 1) reading the Monster Manual and was telling V not to move him closer to the worm’s mouth because of what he’d just learned about it and then 2) reading _Dune_ and was telling V not to move him closer to the worm’s mouth because of what he’d just read about it. > > It took this post for me to get an Aha! moment. All hail **Hypno-Toad** and **Reno Nevada**! If someone wants to clue me in, I’d appreciate it. My memories of Dune are very vague. ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/292 "2009-11-13T12:30:44Z")
> [@](#): > > If someone wants to clue me in, I’d appreciate it. My memories of Dune are very vague. IIRC, early in the _Dune_ book, the main antagonist is nearly killed by an assassin whose tooth contains a small canister of poison gas.It’s more complicated than that, but that should suffice to get the joke. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/293 "2009-11-13T14:12:40Z")
As you said, it was more complicated then that.[spoiler]To briefly recap the first book, there were two noble families, the Atreides (the heroes) and the Harkonnens (the villains). Both were portrayed in very black and white terms - Lincoln vs Hitler. Paul Atreides was the book’s main hero and Leto was his father. The Atreides had a doctor in their service named Yueh but the Harkonnens had kidnapped Yueh’s wife and used that to make Yueh betray the Atreides. Yueh suspected that the Harkonnens were not going to return his wife so as a fallback revenge plan he implanted a hollow tooth filled with poison gas in Leto. With Yueh’s help, the Harkonnens captured Leto and then, sure enough, told Yueh they had killed his wife and were now going to kill him. Yueh told Leto about the tooth and told him that Baron Harkonnen would personally gloat over Leto and to use the tooth then. Baron Harkonnen did show up to gloat as predicted and Leto tried to gas him but Harkonnen got lucky and escaped. So the person Belkar is “warning” is the villainous Baron Harkonnen who is mocking the vanquished hero. And all this was a minor plotline involving secondary characters. _Dune_ was one complex story. Which was followed by eight more books which made things much more complicated.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/294 "2009-11-13T14:15:53Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > As you said, it was more complicated then that.And all this was a minor plotline involving secondary characters. _Dune_ was one complex story. Which was followed by eight more books which made things much more complicated. Eight? I count 6: Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God-Emperor of Dune, Chapterhouse: Dune and Heretics of Dune. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/295 "2009-11-13T15:21:05Z")
Ah, suddenly it all becomes clear. I thought that Belkar was telling V not to lean in because the worm has a poison tooth. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/296 "2009-11-13T17:33:24Z")
> [@](#): > > Eight? I count 6: Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God-Emperor of Dune, Chapterhouse: Dune and Heretics of Dune. I don’t think a list of the titles needs to be spoilered. I was counting the Brian Herbert/Kevin Anderson books, which I realize some people want to pretend don’t exist. Personally, I’ve only read the first three books. But I did miscount. There are actually at least thirteen books that followed Dune (although some are chronologically prequels). The Frank Herbert books: _Dune_ (1965) _Dune Messiah_ (1969) _Children of Dune_ (1976) _God Emperor of Dune_ (1981) _Heretics of Dune_ (1984) _Chapterhouse Dune_ (1985) The Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson books: _Dune: House Atreides_ (1999) _Dune: House Harkonnen_ (2000) _Dune: House Corrino_ (2001) _Dune: The Butlerian Jihad_ (2002) _Dune: The Machine Crusade_ (2003) _Dune: The Battle of Corrin_ (2004) _Hunters of Dune_ (2006) _Sandworms of Dune_ (2007) Plus there’s _The Dune Encyclopedia_ by Willis E. McNelly (1984), which is not considered “canon” and doesn’t match the events of later published works, and _The Road to Dune_ (2005), a collection of shorter works by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. And _National Lampoon’s Doon_ (1984), a parody by Ellis Weiner, which as I recall had something to do with giant pretzels. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/297 "2009-11-13T17:41:13Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I don’t think a list of the titles needs to be spoilered. I was counting the Brian Herbert/Kevin Anderson books, which I realize some people want to pretend don’t exist. Personally, I’ve only read the first three books. Oh. Those. > [@](#): > > Plus there’s _The Dune Encyclopedia_ by Willis E. McNelly (1984), which is not considered “canon” and doesn’t match the events of later published works It WAS considered canon until The Son and his pet Hack started making shit up. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/298 "2009-11-13T17:57:46Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > It WAS considered canon until The Son and his pet Hack started making shit up. I treasure my volume of the encyclopedia. I guess they’re sort of scarce. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/299 "2009-11-13T19:06:40Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I treasure my volume of the encyclopedia. I guess they’re sort of scarce. I actually went online to find a copy a few months ago. I’d had one way back in the very early 90s and I lost track of it somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/300 "2009-11-13T19:32:52Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I actually went online to find a copy a few months ago. I’d had one way back in the very early 90s and I lost track of it somehow. Did you find one? What did it run? Oh, yeah. I’m enjoying the sandworm appearance in OOTS, too! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=16)