All those loose ends may not be tied up before this book ends. The Order could move on with the council still suspended, waiting for a new table, and thus the Godsmoot not finished. And they don’t really need to catch the last vampire, either. The cousin’s fiancee can be rescued off-screen.
The surprise revelation may be a shift to Team Evil, perhaps finally finding the last gate. That wouldn’t be terribly surprising, so expect something else.
I think someone in the other forum figured (based on I’m not sure what) it was about a dozen more strips, but that was a couple-three strips ago, so 9 or 10 now. I don’t know what the deadline is for pre-Christmas publication, but at three work days/strip it’s going to be tight.
I’m voting for table not fixed, and therefore Godsmoot not finished, which holds a bunch of very high level priests out of the denouement at the last Gate for the next couple of days. Their calendar is similar to ours, with the solstice and end of the year timing. Belkar dies at the end of the year or earlier, the solstice was only a day or two ago, and therefore Burlew can wrap all this up in 6-7 days of comic time in the final book with Belkar dying at the climax or near it.
I’m really interested how they’re going to fix the Hilgya situation. I also am not sure the Mechane is how they’re going to get to the last Gate. Fiancee rescue seems like bonus strip material.
Burlew’s going to have to get on it, for the book to be in the printer’s hands by, what? end of October? In order for it to be in stores ~Xmas? Great pace so far though.
On reflection, I’ll revise that. Last strip, the confrontation between Loki and Thor, is about the same place in the book as when Tarquin was left behind in the desert. The wrap up from there took 10 updates and 11 pages.
I expect the wrap up in this book will take about the same. Current strip is the first page of wrap-up. Maybe 9-12 to go.
I doubt most of these items will be wrapped up in this book. Some will be resolved off camera and some will be put on a back burner for resolution much later in the story. It’s like the Tarquin storyline; once it stops advancing the main plot, Burlew feels no need to stick around and tidy up the details.
The hippies singing is a nice counterpoint with their very Lawful society, akin to Elan’s cornpone ‘God, Guns and Guts’ singing, when he’s as Chaotic as they come. Fine bit of mirrored irony by Burlew.
I haven’t really liked this book, but I’ve really liked parts within it.
I don’t expect either catching the vampire (as that’s a part of what’s keeping Hel alive) nor the fixing of the table (as people had already voted). I mostly just expect the setting up of the next book. Get them started moving so that we can join them in the next actual conflict. Maybe actually have something happen that leaves a proper cliffhanger.
For no apparent reason, I’m now envisioning the Team America: World Police versions of Martin Sheen and Tim Robbins sitting around going “We’re bards.” “Barrrrrrrrrds.”
To be clear, I don’t expect it to play a part at all but seeing Hel’s new high priest sulking in the corner of the Godsmoot while the rest plan their summoned meals made me wonder how often vampires need to feed. A quick Google found me this response on Reddit:
Again, I don’t think the story will end with Hel’s hunger-crazed high priest attacking people in a lust for blood but, you know, gotta talk about somethin’.
For those unfamiliar with it (as I was before reading the other forum), the Treeslayer panel is a parody of Trollslayer. Note that the mounts are beaver and woodpecker, two animals that also attack trees.
It’s not a parody of that book, specifically, it’s a parody of the dwarf Slayers in Warhammerin general. The punk mohawk look seals the deal, it’s their defining feature (although traditionally orange).
You get Giant Slayers, Demon Slayers and Dragon Slayers in addition to Troll Slayers. For OOTS Dwarfs, Tree Slayers are completely on-brand.