Me neither. So I guess we’ll see what side Durkon comes up on. Surely Nale thought of that as well.
People, I think we’re all just a little bit guilty of underestimating Nale.
Well. That was unexpected.
Looks like I’ll have to abandon several of my past predictions.
Nale’s obviously been thinking. Unless he plans on taking over control of Durkon himself, he’s going to have to kill him. It doesn’t matter if Durkon is still loyal to Malack or is now free to go back to his original allegiance - either way, he’s Nale’s enemy.
So what is Durkon going to experience now, with Malack’s thrall-ship gone? Malack said he’d find it… confusing. I assume that meant “distressing” on the level of “OH GOD! I’M A VAMPIRE HOLY SHIT” or somesuch.
Malack also mentioned that Durkon would be vulnerable until he made his own coffin to flee to at need. I assume Nale is about to take advantage of that weakness.
So what did Malack do to nine-year-old Nale that pissed him off that much? Was it something serious or a trivial slight that Nale never forgave?
My guess is Nale just thought he was an asshole. Nale is eeevil after all.
And we actually have a coffin (granted with a broken lid) at hand. Does that possibly help Durkon survive whatever is coming?
I don’t think Tarquin’s going to be happy about this.
Tarquin’s reaction might be more along the lines of “strike him down and take your place at my side, young Jedi.”
Not necessarily. Tarquin’s pretty pragmatic. With Malack dead, he may decide he no longer needs to sacrifice Nale for a revenge that Malack wanted.
Daaaaaaaaaaamn. Just … damn. I don’t think anyone’s brought it up yet, but I did not see that coming.
What is the blue potion that Nale drinks? I thought at first it was a healing potion, but noticed that he has the same scratches and marks on him after the potion as before. Is it the elixir of Negative Energy Protection that he refers to a bit later? Well, of course it is. Never mind.
Durkon has plot protection – he needs to return to the Dwarven Homelands posthumously and bring disaster with him – but will his thralldom end with Malack? Will he be Evil Durkon or Durkon with overwhelming impulses towards evil that are at war with his good personality?
I’m impressed with the update rate lately! We’re surely close to the end of the book and Rich’s next and well-earned hiatus.
Agreed.
Rich, you magnificent bastard. You did it again! :::applause:::
I mean, not that I didn’t expect this; it was inevitable, considering. I just didn’t expect it any time soon!
For want of a level one (two?) Darkness spell…
Does sunlight kill-kill Malack or does he return to his coffin to reconstitute? I’m assuming it’s a final death but I’m not up on my vampire rules.
According to the Giant in the OOTS forums, Malack is dead, dead, dead.
Yeah, I was just reading the wiki for them. Sunlight “utterly destroys” them after a round. Also, even in gaseous form they can only travel up to nine miles to reach a coffin and I doubt Malack has one that close by.
Edit: ninja’d
In sum, yes, he’s really quite sincerely dead.
Okay, so Durkon is now a free-willed vampire, right? He’s still Eeevil, I assume, but that doesn’t keep him from having loyalties and friendships. (See any number of OOTS characters).
If true, then he may be inclined to go and try to help his old pals, and I’m certain that he’ll want to nail Nale.
Gotta say, Z looks pretty happy to be casting that Greater Dispel Magic. They never show him showing much emotion about anything or being particularly buddy-buddy with Nale so it stands out. Maybe he’s thinking about the experience points.
I’m wondering why Z went aloft in panel 9, and still is in the final panel.