# 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:** 218
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4342 "2012-06-22T09:20:14Z")
I wonder if Tarquin is overreaching himself here. He had a really good scam going before OOTS and the Linear Guild turned up. He and his team were comfortably in power, and in no danger of usurpation. Now he’s on a madcap chase through the desert, with allies he can barely trust, in pursuit of… what? Even OOTS don’t know everything about the Gate; all Tarquin knows about the Gate is what Nale chose to tell him, which makes it third-hand info at best. He’s smart, and adaptable, and genre-savvy - but he’s now playing a game he doesn’t really understand and it might well be the end of him. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4343 "2012-06-22T09:28:51Z")
But he’s having fun, which is the important bit. And what he knows about the Gates is enough to convince him that they pose a threat to his set-up. So he goes along to make sure that the heroes remove the threat and then he can remove the heroes (and Nale) before they become a threat to him. And maybe he finds something along the way to these immensely powerful objects that he can use. And he won’t want to delegate any of that to an underling. Also: fun. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4344 "2012-06-22T11:01:48Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > T can’t seriously think that Nale has the chops to run things, can he? He still seems to think _Elan_ runs the Order, so who knows? His sons seem to be one area where his judgment is off, not too surprisingly. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4345 "2012-06-22T12:39:02Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > T can’t seriously think that Nale has the chops to run things, can he? Of course Tarquin thinks that; Tarquin likewise thinks the Empress has the chops to run things despite her incredible stupidity, sure as he also thought Tyrinar had the chops to run things despite being a whiny little toad who never stopped complaining. Tarquin’s strong suit is being the power behind the throne; that’s explicitly why he prefers to have someone like the Weeping King _ **on** _ the throne, since it makes for such a thin line between “advise” and “manipulate”. _“Kings come and go around here, so it throws most people off the trail.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4346 "2012-06-22T16:49:57Z")
> [@](#): > > But he’s having fun, which is the important bit. And he’s doing it with style. One might even say, with elan. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4347 "2012-06-22T17:34:32Z")
The people on the GitP forum had some nasty ideas about where this was going; someone suggested that one or more of the mummies were going to fall into the trap with V. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4348 "2012-06-22T18:10:27Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > And he’s doing it with style. One might even say, with elan. Good lord - you know, I’d never made the association between Elan and _élan_ before :smack: ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4349 "2012-06-22T19:05:42Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > The people on the GitP forum had some nasty ideas about where this was going; someone suggested that one or more of the mummies were going to fall into the trap with V. I don’t follow… is V scared of undead? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4350 "2012-06-22T19:16:38Z")
How would you feel if the undead corpse of someone you just realized you directly killed for no good reason showed up in an enclosed space with you desirous of your death? ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4351 "2012-06-22T19:19:47Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > How would you feel if the undead corpse of someone you just realized you directly killed for no good reason showed up in an enclosed space with you desirous of your death? Pretty much the same as if I woke up in an enclosed space next to any other unfriendly undead that I don’t have any connection to. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4352 "2012-06-22T19:46:25Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > Pretty much the same as if I woke up in an enclosed space next to any other unfriendly undead that I don’t have any connection to. I dunno, I think you’re underestimating the impact of guilt and adding it to the mix of an already traumatic situation. It’s fairly clear that V feels guilty over the actions taken while V was wearing the figurative black hat as Superpowered Evil V, though we haven’t seen V confront the Familicide spell or seen its ultimate ramifications. Just before V fell into the trap, V _did_: not only did the spell kill human-dragonkind, they were kids (that’s a classroom, right?) and they were the very people who might have been able to help the PCs save the world. Also, being Undead is considered a pretty awful thing by good guys (or even former neutrals who are trying to lean back from the abyss of evil). So a combo platter of this realization, thrust in V’s face, in a deadly manner besides… yeah, that’s juicy stuff. Remember, V’s guilt over not being powerful enough and failing to save the Azurites, as well as the subsequent failure to locate Haley, led V to near-insanity and, coupled with the threat to Kyrie and the kids, made V ripe for performing the horrible crime that led to these mummies. I can’t wait to see where this leads V now. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4353 "2012-06-22T21:54:23Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > The people on the GitP forum had some nasty ideas about where this was going; someone suggested that one or more of the mummies were going to fall into the trap with V. Related to that, I like the theory that one of them had: the entrance to get to the Gate is in the bottom of a pit like the one V’s in. Hence the accident and Gate the mummies say in the second frame featuring them. Nice callback to Tomb of Horrors. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4354 "2012-06-26T03:16:51Z")
[Update.](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0857.html) Hilarious. Whoever at the GIDP forums predicted the mummies falling in the trap on V wins 9000 Internets. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4355 "2012-06-26T03:23:02Z")
Nice touch on the mummy’s dialogue. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4356 "2012-06-26T03:45:54Z")
Ouch. Just, ouch. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4357 "2012-06-26T04:32:55Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > The people on the GitP forum had some nasty ideas about where this was going; someone suggested that one or more of the mummies were going to fall into the trap with V. Please congratulate said poster on his or her perspicacity. > [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > How would you feel if the undead corpse of someone you just realized you directly killed for no good reason showed up in an enclosed space with you desirous of your death? Fortunately, it looks like this encounter, rather than involving a desire for revenge, merely involves echolalia. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4358 "2012-06-26T05:29:49Z")
Which is probably worse for V (emotionally, at least). ---
**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:** [June 30, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4359 "2012-06-30T19:37:46Z")
Well, my Kickstarter package has arrived in the mail (sorry if you saw this at the top of the list and immediately went off to giantip). I got “On the Original of the PCs” plus the magnet, stickers, notepad, and coloring book. All very cool! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4360 "2012-06-30T19:46:51Z")
Right on. That means my stuff should be arriving shortly as well. I have sorta the same package (different book, though). ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4361 "2012-07-02T15:04:39Z")
I got my stuff on Thursday. I got stuff I didn’t order (stickers, coloring book). Should I return the extra stuff? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=217) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=219)