# 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:** 400
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7982 "2013-11-13T22:32:11Z")
Unfortunately this means the death of Julio, as was foretold. ---
**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:** [November 13, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7983 "2013-11-13T22:58:43Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Unfortunately this means the death of Julio, as was foretold. See, I actually don’t think it will, as it’s just what everyone is expecting, and Burlew really doesn’t do that. It will, however, delay things enough for the Order to beat feet. Team Tarq doesn’t have any aerial assets nearby that could stop the airship, unless Laurin wormholes directly onto the deck. So, she’s going to have to be addressed, by being killed (and making her favor of Tarquin moot) or by being convinced not to attack the Order anymore or help Tarq to do it. Whether that happens through learning about Team Evil’s plot, a tactical retreat a la Miron’s contingency, or something else, I don’t know. On the Star Wars allusion count, I got this from the forums I said I shouldn’t be reading anymore: Note the colors of Tarquin’s magic carpet vs Julio’s. Compare them to the weapons of a certain old Jedi Master and his now ex-Jedi former pupil… Aside, how did Elan know where to tell Julio to find them? Is it just a case of Julio being able to see the Kraackooom! and going from there? Did Julio just follow the trail of dust that a running Pistachios was kicking up? ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7984 "2013-11-13T23:11:35Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > Aside, how did Elan know where to tell Julio to find them? Is it just a case of Julio being able to see the Kraackooom! and going from there? Did Julio just follow the trail of dust that a running Pistachios was kicking up? Maybe high-level Dashing Swordsmen just have an inate ability to know how to head towards any magnificent round perky eyes in the region. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7985 "2013-11-13T23:17:40Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Unfortunately this means the death of Julio, as was foretold. If he dies, he will be dying such a magnificently dramatic death that any death that Tarquin could hope to die will be . . . overshadowed. ---
**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:** [November 13, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7986 "2013-11-13T23:17:57Z")
He is basically a Plot Jedi. He probably just headed to the desert, and assumed dramatic necessity would contrive that he’d arrive at exactly the right time. ---
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7987 "2013-11-14T00:21:17Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Maybe high-level Dashing Swordsmen just have an inate ability to know how to head towards any magnificent round perky eyes in the region. That would seem to be the case, according to [comic #392](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0392.html). Quoting from that comic, second page, panels 7 & 8 (Elan wants to go save Haley from Nale ASAP): Julio Scoundrél: “Where to?” Elan: “Uh… I don’t know! They could be anywhere!” Julio Scoundrél: “Relax… Trust your dramatic instincts, Elan. The scene calls out to you, asking you to arrive in the nick of time”. (And Elan does, via gloriously dramatic entrance through a window!) So it seems that, indeed, Dashing Swordsmen definitely can “find the scene” by instinct and make it so that they arrive in the nick of time. Awesome foreshadowing and hint that was given 538 (!!) strips ago… ---
**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:** [November 14, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7988 "2013-11-14T00:44:21Z")
Wow, I wonder where and when Julio and Tarquin had met previously? ---
**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:** [November 14, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7989 "2013-11-14T00:49:44Z")
I’m sure there will be a flashback within the next couple of strips. Drama demands it! ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7990 "2013-11-14T00:50:35Z")
Apparently if you have enough levels in Dashing Swordsman, you can arrive at a dramatic scene with complete surprise, even if your means of travel is huge, slow, and incredibly obvious. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2013, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7991 "2013-11-14T01:03:01Z")
> [@](#): > > Wow, I wonder where and when Julio and Tarquin had met previously? I don’t know, but there was foreshadowing, in that Tarquin had had previous experience with pun-dueling. ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7992 "2013-11-14T01:46:34Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Wow, I wonder where and when Julio and Tarquin had met previously? From the link above: Julio - This +3 keen rapier was mine when I was your level. I fenced the **Devil-King of Dynosaur Island** with it… ---
**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 14, 2013, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7993 "2013-11-14T03:19:25Z")
Love it. It was a complete surprise (at least as far as I’m concerned) but it’s a great idea. ---
**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 14, 2013, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7994 "2013-11-14T03:24:54Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > He is basically a Plot Jedi. He probably just headed to the desert, and assumed dramatic necessity would contrive that he’d arrive at exactly the right time. That’s presumably also how he arrived so quickly. It’s easy to forget with the passage of all this real world time but in the strip time, Elan only sent his message a few hours ago. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7995 "2013-11-14T03:33:20Z")
> [@thinksnow](#): > > From the link above: > Julio - This +3 keen rapier was mine when I was your level. I fenced the **Devil-King of Dynosaur Island** with it… What, that was Tarquin? Really? ---
**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:** [November 14, 2013, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7996 "2013-11-14T03:43:32Z")
Well, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Garula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@Garula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garula)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7997 "2013-11-14T06:07:23Z")
This is kind of a mind-bending deus ex machina. On the one hand, it is pitch perfect in the nick of time intervention. On the other hand, it’s been specifically established that a Dashing Swordsman has the ability to do so, no different from any other class feature. Julio arriving at this moment should be no different than V having a familiar or Durkon being able to turn undead. So, does it still count as a deus ex machina? I honestly don’t know. I’m excited. Julio, Tarquin, and Elan are by far the most genre savvy characters in the strip and they all have a ton of material to work with here. It’s like a three way wizard duel. I’m afraid for Julio, though. He knows his death has to be the most likely outcome of this conflict, probably going down to buy time for everyone else to get to safety. Sure, Rich might subvert the trope by letting him get out alive, but he might also subvert our expectations by going through with it. It’s really anyone’s guess how this will shake out. Though Julio may well be genre savvy enough to realize only his APPARENT death is needed… Anyways, this is a delightful turn of events and I am very excited to see what will happen next. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2013, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7998 "2013-11-14T09:25:35Z")
On the one hand, I am utterly flabbergasted by this turn of events. On the other, I love how Rich tells the readers-by-proxy that while this is indeed a startling turn of events he’s been laying down the clues for years now and it’s not his fault if we missed them. Foreshadowed deus ex machina - that takes a bit of work to get my head around. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2013, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7999 "2013-11-14T09:31:48Z")
What’s interesting is that since Julio and Tarquin know each other, and Tarquin looks exactly like Elan, then that means that Julio knew who Elan was right away, long before Elan himself did. Sheds some new light on their relationship, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8000 "2013-11-14T14:15:17Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > That’s presumably also how he arrived so quickly. It’s easy to forget with the passage of all this real world time but in the strip time, Elan only sent his message a few hours ago. When did Elan send his message? ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8001 "2013-11-14T14:22:55Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > When did Elan send his message? [In #837](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0837.html), Elan and Durkon return from somewhere doing something. Seems like forever ago. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=399) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=401)