He’s been reluctant to say what his health problems are (and it’s none of our business, really) but they are supposedly non-life-threatening. Nor are they going to leave him permanently unable to draw. So there may be occasional periods of a month or two without updates, but you can expect the story to be completed.
I doubt it. I expect the gladiators to take minimum of 5 strips, probably more. Speaking to Tarquin after the show to find out about Girard another strip. Roy and Belkar’s escape from jail, two strips minimum. Travelling to Girard’s hideout, at least another strip. I’d say at least 10 strips before we see Girard, and more likely 25.
Elan takes after his Chaotic Good mother; Nale takes after his Lawful evil father.
Although it’s funny that Elan should be chaotic since he deliberately conforms to the rules of dramatic convention so avidly.
Girard’s an illusionist. Maybe we’re going to find out he’s been present all along.
As for Xykon, a cutaway is probable but I don’t think we’ve reached the point yet where he’ll be directly appearing with the Order.
The rules of dramatic convention are like natural laws, I think. Chaotic and Lawful don’t mean a whole lot in relation to them because it’s not really an option to NOT follow them. Not even anarchists in the real world can refuse to follow the law of gravity. Elan’s relationship to them is really one of someone who KNOWS what those rules of dramatic convention are and therefore how to prepare for the inevitable.
Those were my thoughts precisely.
I don’t know… it’s been so long since we’ve seen him, that I’m starting to suspect that Burlew is preparing to spring something big on us. Remember, Xykon hasn’t actually *done *anything this entire “book”.
Xykon went to the Oracle (presumably to ask about his phylactery). It’s been even longer since we’ve seen Nale, though, and this seems like a good time for the final confrontation with the Linear Guild.
My take on it is that Stickworld has a Cha-based “Genre Savvy” skill. Elan’s maxed out his ranks in it, and has a Charisma that’s as high as is humanly possible, so he has a very good score in it. Likewise, probably, for his dad. Xykon has little or no training in it, but his Cha is as high as inhumanly possible, which is enough for a good score all by itself.
My guess is that he asked the Oracle for the location of the next gate, instead. Which is how he’ll appear suddenly out of the blue and throw a wrench in everyone’s plans.
Nale is a second-string villain, who isn’t crucial to the plot; Xykon is the Big Bad. We haven’t seen the lich for over 100 strips, which means I expect him to show up when we least expect him.
In that case my prediction is that Xykon is going to show up, murder Tarquin and inspire Elan to quote Inigo Montoya.
“Where we did we put that wheelbarrow the albino had”?
I have my doubts. Keep in mind that they are the pawns of the Three Fiends, whose true end goals we don’t even know yet (except that they are, duh, fiendish). They don’t want a final confrontation on any side, they explicitly want conflict between all sides. The Linear Guild might show up, but rather than a final confrontation I’d expect them to produce chaos (regardless of what Nale intends to happen, as he’s an unknowing puppet).
The Oracle avoided Xykon, though. I’m darned if I can find the strip, but we once saw Xykon standing frustrated at the Oracle’s door looking at a note on it that said the Oracle was out.
I agree with ultrafilter – the last we saw of Nale, he and Sabine and Thog were flying off in search of a Gate to control. It’s clear that the next Gate that Xykon will be near is Girard’s, so I think Nale will have taken control of Serini’s Gate and that will be the next major challenge for the OotS. I wouldn’t be surprised if Tarquin had a big part in it; perhaps Nale kills him? In any case, I see Gerard’s Gate as the final showdown of the whole epic story, since the finale must necessarily involve Xykon and that is the Gate he will approach next.
But the rules of the narrative demand that the also-rans be disposed of before the final confrontation with the Big Bad. Second-string or not, Nale’s fate will be dealt with before or concomitant with Xyklon’s, not after.
There’s no reason why the next confrontation with Xykon has to be the *last *one.
The way I see it, the story hinges around the gates; its climax has to be at the last surviving gate. There are two gates left, which means one more must be destroyed before the story ends. Now, Xykon has been present at the destruction of the first three dates, which means odds are, he’ll be involved in the destruction of the next one. Since - unless this story takes a very unexpected turn - the next gate they’ll find is Girard’s Gate, they’ll have to face him there. As the rules of narrative dictate that the destruction of the gate will probably be at the end of a “book”, and this book is rapidly approaching its end, I’m pretty sure Xykon will be showing up soon.
I wouldn’t put it past The Giant to confound expectations, kill off Xykon and make Nale the main villain.
That’s why I think an appearance in the story by Xykon is probable. But I don’t think it’ll involve the Order. It’ll be a cutaway showing what Xykon and Redcloak have been doing. Burlew will move the story forward but not have to show another confrontation between the main villains and main heroes.
I won’t say it’s impossible but I would be amazed if Burlew tried something like this at this point. We’re past the halfway point in the story and this would be a huge change of direction.
It could happen. For a while there, Miko was arguably the main villain (as in, she had had more appearances than Xykon or Nale*).