We’re seeing what he’s like when things aren’t going all his own way.
I feel that’s the most likely result if Tarquin dies. Now if the Order had attacked Tarquin, then I’d expect them to feel it necessary to destroy the Order to “make an example of them”; but the two we’ve seen have made it clear they think Tarquin is being foolish.
One bit of wild speculation that just occurred to me, given how Tarquin seems to be losing it. Things go badly and Laurin takes Tarquin with her in retreat without his orders. He’s furious and out-of-control enough that he attacks her for doing so. Then either she obliterates him, or he kills her and the rest of the group kills him later in retaliation. Either way he doesn’t get the ending he wanted.
I don’t think it’s anything more obscure than “In his youth, Julio would have hand-over-handed up a five-hundred-foot rope and not needed to be hauled in”.
I thought the implication was that Julio was sleeping with Bandana now, but when her father was flying the ship, Julio had to - ahem - butter his own bread.
One wildcard nobody has mentioned yet is Sabine showing up to avenge Nale.
I think a caster fight is too obvious. Rich drops hints, this is slight of hand misdirection. (And a chance for blackwing to get in a punchline.)
I get the feeling that Laurins heart isn’t in this fight. If Tarqdaddy gets nuked, she’s writing him off as going on a foolish side tangent that has nothing to do with her long term goals of becoming rich and powerful to give her daughter a better non violent, safe life.
Now Laurin being taken out for a round or two because of a banana peel cantrip cast by V would be haliarious…
I think Sabine is most assuredly not yet out of the story, but don’t forget that she’s been banished to the nether realms for 24 hours because of Durkon’s Holy Word. As much as has happened since then, it isn’t even night of the same day.
While Laurin’s heart might not be in the fight, specifically, I expect that she feels a great deal of loyalty and kinship with Tarquin, especially given her reaction to Malack’s death. As long as Tarquin is fighting and at risk of being killed, she’s not going to beat feet. Although…I suppose it’s possible she might forcibly evict herself and Tarq from the airship at some point…
Reviewing the past umpteen strips, V’s cast more spells than I think people give him credit for.
From #836 (when they set off for Windy Canyon) onward:
(836) Fly (x4) on V, Belkar, Durkon & (whatever the dominated kobold was named)
(837) Fly on V (presumably the same casting)
(839) Greater Dispel Magic
(857) Passwall, Expeditious Retreat (Quickened)
(896) Bigby’s [Hand]
(919) Stoneskin, Fireball, Wall of Fire, Protection From Arrows (V doesn’t explicitly cast Fly so I assume he’s still under the one from 836)
(920) Lightning Bolt
(921) Fly, Chain Lightning
(923) Magic Missile, Lightning Bolt
(925) Hold Monster
(927) Prismatic Spray
(928) Disintegrate
(932) Bigby’s [Hand] (assuming it’s the same hand handing Roy the sword as the one carrying him to ship)
(934) (I’m assuming this is the same Hand as 932 since it’s minutes later)
I’m not posting this to prove anything or argue with anyone. Just the I myself kept thinking “well, he’s cast like five spells” but but you’re actually looking at 20+ spells cast since they started through Windy Canyon. I don’t know how many V gets but he hasn’t been holding them back.
Laurin’s minimum PP total is what? 330? And that could be as high as 400-430 depending on just what Burlew decides her character build is. I think ultimately it’s a waste of time to try to determine who will come out on top beforehand. Laurin is a competent psion. Her portalling onto the ship says to me that whatever her PP total is, she’s confident she will not find herself running out soon. Likewise, V has grown and the fact that she appears to be gearing up for battle tells me she is not expecting to run out any time soon.
I think the main danger is that Roy and Belkar will be back in a round or two ready to fuck shit up, Julio’s coming back and Laurin and Tarquin are smack in the middle of a bunch of people whose loyalties presumably lie with Julio.
I’m not trying to, especially since I know jack-all about psionics in this edition. Just started looking and found it interesting how many spells V has cast, even missing out on the previous battle(s) with Tarquin.
The Fly spell may be a Mass Fly, so 7th level, the levels on those are 1x 1st, 1x 2nd, 3x or 7x 3rd, 2x 4th 3x 5th level, 4x 6th level, and 1x or 2x 7th level spells.
So he’s cast 4 6th level spells, which is all he’s allowed (3 from class and 1 from putative Int bonus) and 1 or 2 7th level spells. So he’s way down on his big gun spells, and cannot cast Disintegrate again unless he’s used a higher level spell slot.