# 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:** 381
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7602 "2013-10-01T19:20:58Z")
> [@Strassia](#): > > [Allosaurus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allosaurus#Description) > > [Velociraptor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velociraptor#Description) > > Even the [Deinonychus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinonychus#Description) (the closest real dino to the velociraptors shown in Jurassic Park) was too small to hold a human. The smaller allosaurus types are probably the best fit. Keep in mind, Tarquin has brontosaurs in his army, [despite acknowledging that there is no such animal.](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0814.html) These are fantasy dinosaurs. Any resemblance to actual dinosaurs is largely coincidental, at best. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7603 "2013-10-01T19:25:47Z")
They’re probably megaraptors - they’re big enough to ride according to the SRD. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7604 "2013-10-01T19:47:48Z")
The [previous appearance](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0784.html) of that dinosaur, where Kilkil specifically calls it “the allosaurus”. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7605 "2013-10-01T21:09:58Z")
Maybe it’s a dire allosaurus. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7606 "2013-10-01T22:06:02Z")
Go go sexy shoeless god of war go! I see it as Belky has a new toy. This could be the way the gang escapes, certainly a force multiplier. I had to read it twice, at first when he refered to worm I saw them riding out like the spice worms from Dune. Not the meaning here, but it could work… Love the art with the chomp marks around Roy’s waist in the last panel. So simple what you can do with a dotted line. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7607 "2013-10-02T01:56:04Z")
Despite his worry about it when he was kicking up sand, I think Belkar’s rep is safely intact now. ---
**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:** [October 2, 2013, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7608 "2013-10-02T03:03:57Z")
I was thinking about this last night and I’m now more than half convinced the Order will go through the rift (flying on pterodactyls to avoid the drowning issue). We have to be on the verge on the final strip of this book. And I feel Burlew is ratcheting up too much drama to end it on a quiet scene. I think he’ll go for a dramatic cliff-hanger. And what can he do for a big finale at this point? We’ve already had Xykon make an appearance. We’ve already had several dramatic deaths. We’ve already had Vaarsuvius get possessed by the fiends. We’ve already blown up the gate. We’ve even had the villain give the order to kill all the heroes. So the only big dramatic possibility left is for them to jump through the rift. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7609 "2013-10-02T03:35:52Z")
Man, I want a “Belkar, Allosaur Warrior” poster now. The final panel of this strip minus the inset comment from Roy. Epic. ---
**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:** [October 2, 2013, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7610 "2013-10-02T07:39:59Z")
> [@Strassia](#): > > [Allosaurus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allosaurus#Description) > > [Velociraptor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velociraptor#Description) > > Even the [Deinonychus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinonychus#Description) (the closest real dino to the velociraptors shown in Jurassic Park) was too small to hold a human. The smaller allosaurus types are probably the best fit. You forgot [Utahraptor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utahraptor). ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7611 "2013-10-02T15:10:47Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > You forgot [Utahraptor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utahraptor). Also [Achillobator](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achillobator) and [Yurgovuchia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yurgovuchia). ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7612 "2013-10-02T15:44:46Z")
> [@Reno\_Nevada](#): > > So the actual statements from the Oracle regarding Belkar… > > …the halfling shouldn’t bother funding his IRA… > …he should savor his next birthday cake… > …isn’t long for this world… > Belkar will draw his last breath–ever–before the end of this year. > 2 and 4 would definitely be met if Belkar becomes a vampire. “I never eat…cake.” I don’t know about 1 and 3, though. Do vampires need an IRA? I wonder how these prophesies match up if Belkar goes into the rift. Can the oracle prophesy things that happen on another plane? Say, Belkar goes into the rift, the Oracle gets a 404 trying to peer into his future and figures he’s dead. But in reality, he decides to kick back and relax on rift-world, maybe being the guy that seals the rift from that side. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7613 "2013-10-02T20:15:40Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > I wonder how these prophesies match up if Belkar goes into the rift. Can the oracle prophesy things that happen on another plane? Say, Belkar goes into the rift, the Oracle gets a 404 trying to peer into his future and figures he’s dead. But in reality, he decides to kick back and relax on rift-world, maybe being the guy that seals the rift from that side. I think it’s pretty certain that the Oracle can see things that happen on other planes. Some of the lower level divination spells may be blocked by other planes, but the Oracle is a one-of-a-kind divine conduit. He gets his prophecies directly from Tiamat, who already lives on a different plane, and has no problem perceiving future event on the mortal plane. However, the snarl-world could very well be a special case, due to the nature of its creation by, essentially, an anti-deity. That being said, I’d think that the Oracle could tell the difference between, “He has no future because he’s about to die,” and “He has no future because I’m somehow prevented from seeing his future.” That’s kind of a crap Oracle, otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7614 "2013-10-02T23:35:48Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > That’s kind of a crap Oracle, otherwise. Maybe he’s an Oracle of Jeff, the god of biscuits, or Simon, god of hairdos? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7615 "2013-10-02T23:38:09Z")
Man, don’t knock Jeff! Jeff’s a good dude! ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7616 "2013-10-03T05:40:09Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > That being said, I’d think that the Oracle could tell the difference between, “He has no future because he’s about to die,” and “He has no future because I’m somehow prevented from seeing his future.” That’s kind of a crap Oracle, otherwise. “He’s apparently dead because I lose the signal just as he jumps into the God Mangler 5000” is not an unreasonable assumption. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7617 "2013-10-03T05:56:26Z")
Incidentally, has anybody ever watched a movie for 90 seconds, turned it off, and speculated what happens next? And then repeated that for the rest of the flick? I’m guessing that our predictive power would be a heck of a lot better than it is with Oots. Hilariously, such a cinematic exercise seems bizarre. Yet this thread is fairly awesome. Go Giant Go! ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7618 "2013-10-03T07:12:29Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > “He’s apparently dead because I lose the signal just as he jumps into the God Mangler 5000” is not an unreasonable assumption. Fair point. But then, if they all go through the rift, wouldn’t he assume that everyone in the Order dies? ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7619 "2013-10-03T07:24:06Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Fair point. But then, if they all go through the rift, wouldn’t he assume that everyone in the Order dies? Not if the rest of the OOTS comes back through the rift to their home plane at some point so they would be “visible” to the Oracle’s sight again. It would be a crazy character growth if Belkar stays behind in Snarl World to help keep the rifts closed. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7620 "2013-10-03T07:40:49Z")
Maybe the Rift is a \*time \*rift? If the Order gets sent a thousand years to the past, Belkar can live a long and happy life and still technically be dead by the end of the year. ---
**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:** [October 3, 2013, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7621 "2013-10-03T07:50:37Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Maybe the Rift is a \*time \*rift? If the Order gets sent a thousand years to the past, Belkar can live a long and happy life and still technically be dead by the end of the year. So the world in the rift is the original pre-Snarl world, in the past before the Snarl destroyed it? Interesting thought. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=380) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=382)