# 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:** 39
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/762 "2021-02-10T08:19:49Z")
So where did the tree in panel 4 come from? Shouldn’t we be seeing a beanbag? ---
**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:** [February 10, 2021, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/763 "2021-02-10T08:40:45Z")
That’s supposed to be the view from the Paladin’s side of the room, I reckon (although not from their height). It’s not just the tree, there’s also different furniture. I think he just got lazy with C&Ping, the smaller figure looks identical to the larger, exact same folds and everything. > [@Alessan](#): > > Whoever the captors are, it seems pretty obvious that they’re working with, or for, the Snarl. What makes you say it’s pretty obvious? All the plants are making me think druid of some sort. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/764 "2021-02-10T09:35:50Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > What makes you say it’s pretty obvious? “_Sigh_. I guess we’re finally doing this, huh? Fun while it lasted, right?” “What was, boss?” “Existing.” Whoever the kidnappers are, they know that the world is about to end, and they aren’t doing anything to stop it. That says to me that they have something to do with the Snarl. Also, consider the fact that the Snarl is the only major player in this book whose side of the story we don’t yet know, and seeing as I don’t expect much conversation from a ball of cosmic destruction (although I may be wrong), my guess that we’re going to see its case argued by proxy. ---
**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:** [February 10, 2021, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/765 "2021-02-10T09:49:56Z")
Right, I can see that interpretation. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/766 "2021-02-10T16:31:54Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Whoever the kidnappers are, they know that the world is about to end, and they aren’t doing anything to stop it. That says to me that they have something to do with the Snarl But it could be something to do with the Three Fiends, since they seem to want the gates destroyed. Admittedly, their specific objective in this whole shootin’ match is obscure, so maybe they don’t want the last gate destroyed. They don’t seem to be working toward that, though. Anyway, I’m leaning toward the possibility that Cloakie is one of the Fiends’ minions, perhaps even a certain succubus. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/767 "2021-02-10T17:49:30Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > …Anyway, I’m leaning toward the possibility that Cloakie is one of the Fiends’ minions, perhaps even a certain succubus. Sabine wishes she was half this competent. Though I am looking forward to her reappearance, I think she’d be more busy with getting vengeance on Tarquin, and you all have convinced me we’re unlikely to see him again, except as a brief message in passing. We need some character to tell us the full truth about the Snarl, the World in the Rift, and the disintegration of the Scribble. Serini’s all that’s left, absent freeing Dorukan and Lirian from the Soul Bind. Ergo, I think Cloakie is her. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/768 "2021-02-10T20:50:14Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > We need some character to tell us the full truth about the Snarl, the World in the Rift, and the disintegration of the Scribble. Serini’s all that’s left, absent freeing Dorukan and Lirian from the Soul Bind. Ergo, I think Cloakie is her. I still think that Minrah might somehow be Serini, but your theory is also good, and honestly more likely to be correct. If you’re right, then maybe Serini stared a big too long into the abyss on the other side of her gate, until the abyss stared back and won her over to its side (the abyss in this case being the Snarl). ---
**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:** [February 10, 2021, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/769 "2021-02-10T21:47:04Z")
Was it ever clearly established how long ago the Scribblers fought the Snarl and created the Gates? Durokan and Lirian were still alive until fairly recently. But they were a wizard and an elf. It was long enough ago that the current successors of Soon and Girard were a generation or two past the time the gates were created. So do halflings live long enough that Serini would still reasonably be around? All I know about is the lifespan of hobbits, who are a completely unrelated race for legal reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/770 "2021-02-10T22:23:59Z")
According to the 3.5 Player’s Handbook, _A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of her second century_. So, maybe? ---
**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:** [February 11, 2021, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/771 "2021-02-11T00:10:42Z")
Wizards don’t generally live any longer than any other member of their race. They might peak later, because they’re less impacted by deterioration of physical ability, and benefit from increasing mental ability, but they still die at the same age as mundanes (barring misadventure). There is magic that can extend lifespan, but it’s exceedingly rare, and usually evil, so Dorukan probably wasn’t using such. And halflings live significantly longer than humans, even if not as much so as dwarves or elves, so if Dorukan was alive recently, then it’s perfectly plausible that Serini is still alive. ---
**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:** [February 11, 2021, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/772 "2021-02-11T00:28:36Z")
It’s probable that she isn’t dead of old age. However: 1. Xykon managed to get hold of her diary. It’s unlikely that she would have survived encountering him. 2. She was very close to Girard. Maybe she had a child with him. In which case she didn’t survive familicide. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2021, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/773 "2021-02-11T03:11:32Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Was it ever clearly established how long ago the Scribblers fought the Snarl and created the Gates? > > Durokan and Lirian were still alive until fairly recently. But they were a wizard and an elf. > > It was long enough ago that the current successors of Soon and Girard were a generation or two past the time the gates were created. > > So do halflings live long enough that Serini would still reasonably be around? All I know about is the lifespan of hobbits, who are a completely unrelated race for legal reasons. Do you age, sitting in a Soul Bind gem? If they were to be Rezzd back to life, would they be the chronological age they were when Xykon killed them? Or the age they would be if he hadn’t killed them? I guess one of them could fill us in. We’ll see, and pretty soon, comic strip number wise I guess. How long it takes Burlew to publish those next two or three strips is, as always, another question. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2021, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/774 "2021-02-12T01:37:44Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > _ **Was it ever clearly established how long ago the Scribblers fought the Snarl and created the Gates?** _ [Sixty-six years prior to the events in Azure City, if the narrative in the first panel is to be believed.](https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0276.html) ---
**Author:** ![blue\_infinity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_infinity/32/2817_2.png) [@blue\_infinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_infinity)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/775 "2021-02-19T13:20:54Z")
New strip: [1226 - Half Expected](https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1226.html) ---
**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:** [February 19, 2021, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/776 "2021-02-19T13:24:51Z")
You beat me to it! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/777 "2021-02-19T13:50:28Z")
_Dun dun DUUUUUNNNNNNN!!!_ Although I suppose I shouldn’t have been that surprised, given this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/778 "2021-02-19T14:01:07Z")
So, what do we think? Cyborg Serini was not something I would’ve guessed. Does explain how he got her diary though. And I dig the Terminator-like face. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/779 "2021-02-19T14:35:08Z")
At least it’s someone who cares about saving the gate. I wonder if she’s been actively screwing with Team Evils’ efforts. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/780 "2021-02-19T14:36:30Z")
Maybe that’s why she lost the hand and foot. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/781 "2021-02-19T14:56:13Z")
Gives new meaning to the expression, “Yeah it was expensive. It cost me an arm and a leg…” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438.md?page=38) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438.md?page=40)