I dunno. Tarquin is Lawful Evil and certainly doesn’t seem like the “Needs of the many…” type as part of any grand ethos.
No, Belkar knows he’s not Good (although he’s beginning to do Good things without being fully aware of it).
Eugene thinks he’s doing Good - he’s just a poor judge of what Good is (he’s like Miko in this regard). On occasions when he recognizes something is an issue of Good vs Evil, he chooses Good (like staying with his family after he lost interest with having a family or like acknowledging the enslavement of the entire dwarf race would be wrong). Eugene’s problems are the numerous times when he doesn’t notice he’s facing a moral test (like not seeing he should try to be a better husband and father or that killing the entire dwarf race is not a good choice even if it resolves the enslavement problem).
If daddy was knocking on whatever version of the LN outer plane his universe has (Mechanus?), they’d let him right in the door. But he isn’t Good.
Nice try, Roy. But Julia can’t get those visitations unless she’s got the Greenhilt sword.
Y’know, since the energy in the sword is especially tuned against undead, it’d be very useful to have an undead creature around to practice against. Like, say, a ghost.
Three disappointing updates in a row. As far as I can see, the last 3 pages have served no purpose at all in story terms. They weren’t particularly funny, either.
I think it’s clear these last three strips have had the purpose of providing some exposition. It may not be as fun as a fight scene or something slapstick but it’s really more important to the story structure.
I also think it’s an interesting commentary on Eugene’s worldview. He thinks that Roy should be obligated to engage him in conversation for no other reason than he’s feeling bored. But he’s never had the slightest interest in taking any action because of how other people feel.
The last panel, where he finds the shortcut to the right emotional tone to call up the green field, would be worth all three pages. Didn’t find them boring, though. Roy’s learning to deal with his dad as a confident adult.
The main thing we find out from these three strips is that Eugene is going to be no help at all in any coming battles. Not that I was expecting him to be.
I do wonder about what Eugene says in the first panel: “My scrying perch packs a punch, but it can’t see something a goddess doesn’t want seen.” Which goddess? Hel? Is she blocking scrying to keep anyone from seeing what Durkula & Co. are doing? Or is there some other possibility I’m not thinking of?
What exposition? I was expecting some, I was waiting for it, but then none came. They even say that Eugene has no useful information to give.
I’m actually going to count the last four (1045-1048) as they’re continuous. We learned:
- The power of the Greenhilt sword is triggered by emotion.
- Roy is studying how it works.
- Roy can trigger the sword’s power to some extent but is not in full control of it.
- The sword does not have a ranged attack.
- Eugene can only appear to Roy when he’s alone or asleep.
- Roy now knows Eugene tried to save him from Girard’s illusion.
- Eugene doesn’t know how the sword works.
- Vaarsuvius still misses Inkyrius.
- Letting the Gods destroy the world is not an unthinkable possibility but there are reasons why it shouldn’t happen.
- Roy doesn’t know some aspects of dwarven theology.
- Eugene’s scrying magic doesn’t work in the current situation.
- All of the other spirits on the cloud have departed and the other beings are shunning Eugene.
Some of these may just be clearing up issues readers have wondered about. Others may be introducing apparently minor details that will significant later in the plot. Some may, in fact, be trivia.
Most of that list is either stuff we were fairly sure about or is fairly minor. But this:
we did not learn. All we know is that if it has one, Roy hasn’t it figured out. Personally, I think it has one, but Roy won’t find out how to use it until some time in the middle of battle.
Well, I’m not. I said the last three, and I meant the last three. I certainly think that Roy’s experiments with his sword are plot relevant. It’s the three pages of bickering with his father that were pointless.
Most of your list is not in those three pages, so therefore doesn’t count. Those that are in the three pages are mostly trivial. Only
- Eugene can only appear to Roy when he’s alone or asleep.
- Eugene’s scrying magic doesn’t work in the current situation.
*might *be an important plot detail, and I don’t think either of them are likely.
- While Eugene is clearly a jerk and a poor parent, he isn’t incapable of empathy or moral intelligence.
SoD was partly about different paths of evil. Whatever Eugene and V’s ultimate alignment, their stories are about N/S neutrality.
N/S neutrality?
Neutrality on the north/south axis: good and evil.
(What’s the preferred term?)
ETA: While I’m here, I’m not saying that Eugene and V’s stories are only about that.
If nothing else, those details will cut down on griping from the cheap seats about why Eugene doesn’t give the Order some intel. Not sure they needed three pages, but we also have Roy showing some more control over the sword.
I’ve seen it referred to as the Ethical Axis (Lawful-Neutral-Chaotic) and the Moral Axis (Good-Neutral-Evil).