# Order of the Stick book 7 discussion thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-strips\ **Created:** [February 3, 2020, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438 "2020-02-03T17:48:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 102
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2024 "2024-06-04T15:26:24Z")
Calder’s hate for Serini may be understandable but only in the sense that a criminal hates the cop who arrested him and stopped him from committing crimes. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2025 "2024-06-04T15:44:20Z")
Can’t be arsed to look it up now but the last panel reminds me of the “epic mage battle” years back where the two stood there casting spells at each other that were blocked until one of them ran out and dropped. Someone commented what a strain on the SFX budget it was. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2026 "2024-06-04T15:51:24Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Calder’s hate for Serini may be understandable but only in the sense that a criminal hates the cop who arrested him and stopped him from committing crimes. …right? I mean, that’s pretty understandable. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2027 "2024-06-04T15:56:51Z")
Well, yes - that’s why it’s understandable but _not_ sympathetic. ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2028 "2024-06-04T15:56:52Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Can’t be arsed to look it up now but the last panel reminds me of the “epic mage battle” years back where the two stood there casting spells at each other that were blocked until one of them ran out and dropped. Someone commented what a strain on the SFX budget it was. The thing it reminded me of was a "Casey and Andy " strip where Quantum crook and Quantum cop were second guessing each other 's inventions where one would come up with an X, the other would come up with an X detector, the next would realise it needed an x detector deflector, then the other one would need an x detector deflector destructer etc., buti I’m not going to search through the C&A strip archive to find it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2029 "2024-06-04T16:21:41Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Can’t be arsed to look it up now but the last panel reminds me of the “epic mage battle” years back where the two stood there casting spells at each other that were blocked until one of them ran out and dropped. Someone commented what a strain on the SFX budget it was. [https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0456.html](https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0456.html) That was different, though. It was just luck, not countermeasures. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2030 "2024-06-04T19:40:12Z")
Magic or no, getting Calder grounded just seems like good sense for group dragon stabbin’. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2031 "2024-06-04T22:19:03Z")
Why are they objecting to the dragon withdrawing? They are using spells and losing hit points fighting him. Let him run away. He’s not the main enemy. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2032 "2024-06-04T22:23:35Z")
If they let him go now, there’s a good chance\* he’ll show up again at the most inconvenient time possible. \*Elan would say it’s a 100% chance. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2033 "2024-06-04T23:12:20Z")
And Elan would be right! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2034 "2024-06-05T11:34:37Z")
Right, if he has some way of popping out of the dungeon, then he presumably has some way of popping back in, too. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2035 "2024-06-05T17:48:23Z")
Dibble makes a very good distinction but I still don’t want Calder to die and remain entertained by his royal pretensions. That makes Calder a _somewhat_ sympathetic character. I say this reluctantly. I’m also puzzled: I generally don’t get overly attached to villains. I was entertained by Thog, but wasn’t disappointed when he was presumably squashed by falling debris. I understand and respond to Tarquin’s charm, but feel no particular inclination to see more of him. The only thing going for Calder is the botched sentencing and his red dragon dignity (consistent with strategic retreat). So yeah, Calder is more understandable than sympathetic, but still a little sympathetic I conclude. Doesn’t imply that Calder doesn’t have to be defeated. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2036 "2024-06-05T17:54:29Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > So yeah, Calder is more understandable than sympathetic, but still a little sympathetic I conclude. Doesn’t imply that Calder doesn’t have to be defeated. I might pity him, but also want him to die die die. If I understand properly, he was held in a prison where he could do nothing, but he was conscious, for centuries. That’s a horrific, torturous punishment, and I can’t blame him for feeling [jaunty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jaunt) at the end of it. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2037 "2024-06-05T18:19:24Z")
I’m fine if Calder dies. He’s not especially interesting to me – basic pompous dragon – which isn’t a slight on Burlew but rather he feels like he’s here to deliver some action and his story says more about Sereni and the other original bunch than it creates a compelling story for the dragon. The Order should be trying to kill him because he’s literally saying “Hey, gonna scoot and raise up evil cults and murder a bunch of halflings, kk~~bbl” ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2038 "2024-06-05T19:46:56Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > If I understand properly, he was held in a prison where he could do nothing, but he was conscious, for centuries. Not that long. Something like 60 years. It no doubt _felt_ like centuries. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2039 "2024-06-05T20:04:18Z")
Eh, it probably wasn’t that hard on him. Sure, a human would be driven mad by that, but dragons live for thousands of years, and they spend most of that time alone and asleep. Sixty years trapped in a warding circle certainly was an insult to his dignity, but in terms of mental hardship/damage, it’s probably about the equivalent to spending your afternoon in line at the DMV. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2040 "2024-06-05T20:45:54Z")
The horror… ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2041 "2024-07-09T15:52:26Z")
5 weeks since the last strip. Oddly, Burlew a couple of weeks ago appended an angry face to his post announcing said most recent strip, whose implied meaning remains unclear (I do know complaining on the forums there about delays is a possible warning or banning offense). ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2042 "2024-07-09T17:19:06Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Oddly, Burlew a couple of weeks ago appended an angry face to his post announcing said most recent strip, whose implied meaning remains unclear He attached a random smilie to every one of those posts. Often but not always the smilie relates to what is happening in the comic. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2024, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2043 "2024-07-10T08:54:51Z")
Is this the longest ever gap between updates? Excepting the two occasions where he injured his hand. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438.md?page=101) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438.md?page=103)