Christ, Tarquin’s undoubtedly put a D&D 3.5 GPS tracker on Haley’s father, and will be ready to intercept Roy when the OOTS shows up. I’d say we’re a ways from the end of this book.
I really don’t believe Tarquin has the move to accomplish that, now that Laurin has withdrawn.
Tarquin is done. He’s not just physicallly stranded - he’s narratively stranded. He doesn’t know how the story goes.
Elan does. He’s defeated his father and gained mastery. And he’s clear: Tarquin is sequel fodder.
Nope, we’re definitely in denouement territory. But that doesn’t mean Tarquin doesn’t have a tracker on Ian who, if he does join the OotS, will then be the means by which Tarquin makes a dramatic re-entrance some time in the future.
Burlew said two strips ago :
*And since everyone will begin speculating immediately…
No, this is not the last page in the book. It is pretty close, though.
*
I’d guess there’s maybe one or two updates left in this book. Haley meeting her father will be resolved at the start of the next.
Squee! Guess who got his OotS books today? 
Did Rich just get around to sending you yours, or did you order them separately from the Kickstarter campaign?
[QUOTE=Jonathan Chance]
Well, every man is the star of HIS story.
Just not all stories are the biggest story.
[/QUOTE]
I found it interesting that Julio not only calls Tarquinthe b-list villain, but says, “…one of my b-list villains.” (emphasis mine).
He is implying that he, himself, has at least one greater villain that is central to his story, and that there are other, equal-in-caliber-to-Tarquin, villains he deals with, too.
…Not that this means anything to the OotS, I guess, since T and X are pretty much their only villains, but it’s interesting to think about other Big Bad’s out there.
There was a brief span there where, arguably, the primary villain of the strip was neither Xykon nor Tarquin, but Miko. At one point, she was actually #7 on the list of number of appearances, after only the Order themselves.
The Order have also had among their antagonists the Linear Guild sans Tarquin, the black dragons (juvenile and ancient), the Greysky thieves’ guild, and Daimyo Kubota.
I want to see Xykon and Redcloak get killed in the next book and have Burlew reveal that the real central villain of the story is the Snail.
I ordered them separately - I missed out on the Kickstarter.
“Mockery is one of the things I hold dear! And he’s making a mockery of it!”
Belkar = hipster tool.
Love it!
Seems a little too easy. I don’t know if vampires are prone to losing control and overdoing it or a creeping alignment shift that would drive Durkon to killing/vamping a teammate or what.
Isn’t Durkon going to need a coffin at some point?
Brilliant!
Actually, I wonder if they’re missing a simpler solution: have Durkon cast ‘Create Food & Drink’ every night. It should create food suitable for a vampire - blood.
I think the problem with Create Food and Water is that it explicity provides food for 3 humans, not for three characters, so as a vampire, it wouldn’t provide food for Durkferatu.
That is extremely selfless of Roy to offer his blood for Durkon’s nourishment, even if he’s getting restoration cast right after. I have a feeling this will come back to bite him in the ass (pun intended).
Oh, sure… food for three humans or one horse. But no elves, dwarves, halflings, orcs, etc 
Do vampires need living blood or can Durkon exsanguinate a freshly killed humanoid? Malack had his bloodwart tea but I don’t know if that provided nourishment or just setting.
Could Durkon feed on an animal? Could the OOTS keep a goat or something for that purpose?