The title of 276 is “The Crayons of Time: The Order of the Scribble”.
I just thought of something; Roy was already walking off and we see Elan and Haley start to run just as the explosion goes off, but what about Vaarsuvius and Darkwing? Were they still at ground zero? Does this provide an opportunity for at least one of the fiends to step in?
Wait. What gate?
It’s an old principle of reading fiction. You have to remember the characters don’t do or say or feel anything. It’s all done by the invisible hand of the author. It’s pointless to ask why Hamlet did something because the answer is always “because Shakespeare wrote it that way”. The question is why did Shakespeare write Hamlet that way.
And that’s the same issue here. The gates weren’t divided up because the Order of the Scribble (thanks Der Trihs) hated each other. The gates were divided (and the Order hated each other) because Rich Burlew decided to write the story that way. And I think Burlew wrote them acting this way is to contrast it to the different way the Order of the Stick acts (which is also because Burlew wrote them that way).
When the normal-sized illusory entire-body of Girard Draketooth* says “This spell is set to notify both her and us that you couldn’t leave well enough alone,” who is the “us” he is referring to? Is it foreshadowing that he’s not alone at his gate, or is there some other reason he’s saying “her and us”?
*I wonder if anybody will understand this or if I only think it’s funny because I’m exhausted.
Spoilers for stuff that’s discussed in the commentary in book 4 (you really should order the books): We’re meeting one of the unknown “nine sides” in the near future so presumably Gerard has his own group of followers just as Soon did.
I have all the books. Good point about Girard, I hadn’t thought to apply that comment to him. Hmm… so basically the answer is “We don’t know yet, it’s probably foreshadowing.”
Foreshadowing, your key to quality literature.
And in the case of serialized literature, the key to driving fans nuts.
I just got my copy of ‘Don’t Split the Party!’ I’ve had my hands full with the cookie baking and tree procuring today, but the moment the kids are in bed, whammo! Me in New OotS Book heaven!
Wait - when did Elan meet ghost-Soon?
And shouldn’t a bard have better spelling?
They talk and sing, not write I thought. It reads OK if you ignore the spelling. Then again, he could be doing it that way because according to dramatic conventions the team goofball is supposed to get the spelling wrong.
A cute detail; the stick he uses to write in the sand is identical to the Order’s “coat of arms”.
Heh heh … you know what I love? That Elan slipped a 1 into all those exclamation points.
Also, I think Hinjo or maybe O-Chul probably told the Order of the Stick (if not Elan directly) about the whole ghost-martyr thing. Perhaps as early as when we first saw Soon’s ghost, as Hinjo was in the process of telling Durkon that the mid-level Sapphire Guard paladins they put in the throne room “are there as reinforcements.”
Oh, good catches, Der Trihs and chorpler! I like the fact that only Elan doesn’t change expression in the last three panels. And he looks so happy and proud standing by his message – he loves being useful!
Aww. No more explosive runes?
Are they really going to fall for this message? It’s not even a real illusion, just a recorded message saying, “It’s not here.” Gee, it’s not like an illusionist would deceive them or anything.
New strip is up! 697 Stuck in the Sand Trap - Giant in the Playground Games
So they are thinking about reverse psychology and reverse-reverse pyschology. I have to say, their reasoning seems pretty sound.