# 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:** 41
**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:** [May 12, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/801 "2010-05-12T19:30:35Z")
> [@](#): > > I dunno. I’m as intrigued as anyone else about the man behind the big helmet, but I don’t see Haley’s father knocking her out of a high tower window. What can I say. A lot of people in this strip have troubled family backgrounds. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/802 "2010-05-12T20:42:10Z")
Maybe it is Haley’s father but he doesn’t recognize her. How many years has it been? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/803 "2010-05-12T20:54:24Z")
Well, Haley’s father is a prisoner. That’s why Haley is so greedy for treasure. She’s trying to pay her father’s ransom. So I can’t see that guy as her father. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/804 "2010-05-12T22:04:43Z")
Haley received a letter saying that here dad was a prisoner. She has no evidence to support this. Maybe daddy was running a scam. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/805 "2010-05-12T22:06:21Z")
Was a prisoner, but the nation that was holding him prisoner doesn’t exist any more, so who knows? The more relevant factor is that we’re all pretty much in agreement that the General is lawful evil, while Haley’s dad seems to be chaotic good. Which are only, you know, exactly opposite. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/806 "2010-05-12T22:24:05Z")
> [@](#): > > How many years has it been? It depends. He was kidnapped only two years ago but we don’t know if they were in contact at the time. The most recently we’ve seen them together was this [flashback](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0093.html) when Haley was fifteen. > [@](#): > > Haley received a letter saying that here dad was a prisoner. She has no evidence to support this. > > Maybe daddy was running a scam. No, he really was kidnapped. Bozzak, the head of the Thief’s Guild, set him up because he was becoming too popular. ---
**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:** [May 13, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/807 "2010-05-13T02:20:23Z")
Helm of opposite alignment? ---
**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:** [May 13, 2010, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/808 "2010-05-13T03:35:05Z")
I think we’re reading an awful lot about this guy’s alignment on very little evidence. Look at Shojo - he was a chaotic good character and he loved to manipulate everyone around him. The guy in the mask knew that Vaarsuvius had one Feather Fall spell ready so throwing Haley out the window didn’t put her in real danger but did serve to subdue all three of them. ---
**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:** [May 13, 2010, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/809 "2010-05-13T09:02:45Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > It depends. He was kidnapped only two years ago but we don’t know if they were in contact at the time. The most recently we’ve seen them together was this [flashback](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0093.html) when Haley was fifteen. Actually, no. There are two later (much later) strips that show Haley and her dad together, and one of them is of a period in time when Haley was older than 15: [608 Mean Girls - Giant in the Playground Games](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0608.html) (here, in the flashback, Haley is 19). [681 All in the Family - Giant in the Playground Games](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0681.html) (here, in the flashback, Haley looks like 6 or 7). I get the feeling, from these flashbacks, that Haley’s dad definitely cares for her (in his way 😛 ) … (well, yes, he ended up unintentionally introducing Haley to her big-time nemesis, but he didn’t do that on purpose). ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/810 "2010-05-13T12:45:42Z")
[New strip up.](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0723.html) ---
**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:** [May 13, 2010, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/811 "2010-05-13T12:47:21Z")
YAY! Like father, like son… XD I never imagined that a ruthless general of an unstoppable army could have such… Elan-ness within him XD ---
**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:** [May 13, 2010, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/812 "2010-05-13T12:52:05Z")
A cruel mistress indeed… ---
**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:** [May 13, 2010, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/813 "2010-05-13T12:53:09Z")
And **Miller** calls the reveal. ---
**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:** [May 13, 2010, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/814 "2010-05-13T13:00:48Z")
AND I totally called his reasoning! Amazing how rich can make two stick figures look related. ---
**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:** [May 13, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/815 "2010-05-13T13:22:11Z")
To be fair, all he did was draw Elan with the colors faded. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/816 "2010-05-13T13:32:07Z")
Fucking Miller for the WIN! Golf clap, buddy. Golf clap. ---
**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:** [May 13, 2010, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/817 "2010-05-13T13:41:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Actually, no. There are two later (much later) strips that show Haley and her dad together, and one of them is of a period in time when Haley was older than 15: I remembered the 681 flashback but it went further back than the 93 flashback. I’ll admit I missed the 608 flashback. I guess it’s a moot point now. Unless Tarquin is also Ian Starshine, in which case Burlew is taking the Darth Vader reference a step too far. ---
**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:** [May 13, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/818 "2010-05-13T15:43:52Z")
No, Ian Starshine is a redhead, like his daughter. ---
**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:** [May 13, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/819 "2010-05-13T17:17:48Z")
There’s a point I think everyone is missing, here: Contrary to widespread and long-held belief, it turns out that Elan and Nale’s dad is _not_ Tyrinnar (the dude who imprisoned Ian Starshine). And that is, indeed, pretty cool armor for a midwife. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/820 "2010-05-13T18:19:35Z")
You’re also missing the fact that Elan’s (and Nale’s) father is badass enough to put out a bounty on his own son. That’s cold, dad. Cold. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=40) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=42)