# Order of the Stick General Discussion Thread (Open Spoilers and Speculation) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 2, 2009, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096 "2009-02-02T07:39:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 102
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2021 "2009-07-24T16:52:59Z")
Okay, O-Chul’s perfection is starting to get on _my_ nerves now. Also, eee, badass Elven team. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2022 "2009-07-24T17:26:09Z")
Let me make sure I got this straight- elves are coming to help the resistance in Azure City? ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2023 "2009-07-24T17:35:12Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Okay, O-Chul’s perfection is starting to get on _my_ nerves now. I dunno – I thought the line “One saving throw at a time.” was rather poignant. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2024 "2009-07-24T17:39:12Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > I dunno – I thought the line “One saving throw at a time.” was rather poignant. Absolutely. But that he could have the presence of mind to construct such a thorough, if not exhaustive, list of spells _while_ fighting Xykon and Redcloak? It’s starting to stretch belief. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2025 "2009-07-24T17:39:39Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > Let me make sure I got this straight- elves are coming to help the resistance in Azure City? Yes. Unsurprising, since the first Gate Xykon (okay, Redcloak) destroyed was Lirien’s that was located in an elven forest. And I thought that Shojo had implied the various gatekeepers surreptitiously kept in contact, or at least kept tabs on each other. ---
**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:** [July 24, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2026 "2009-07-24T17:41:46Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Absolutely. But that he could have the presence of mind to construct such a thorough, if not exhaustive, list of spells _while_ fighting Xykon and Redcloak? It’s starting to stretch belief. More likely, over the course of several months of confinement during which all three villains regularly used their spells and abilities to torture him. Also, being hit by a meteor swarm is the kind of thing that sticks in your memory. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2027 "2009-07-24T19:55:24Z")
Yeah. That was a _brutal_ line. I was also reading it as ‘well, he used this on me on Thursday when torturing me. Then he used this on me when he was bored with the gladiatorial combat on Friday…’ ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2028 "2009-07-24T20:19:05Z")
Is this O Chul’s exit (for the moment) strip? Presumably he’ll stay with Hinjo as the Order go off to the next Gate. ---
**Author:** ![robertliguori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@robertliguori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertliguori)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2029 "2009-07-24T21:12:59Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Absolutely. But that he could have the presence of mind to construct such a thorough, if not exhaustive, list of spells _while_ fighting Xykon and Redcloak? It’s starting to stretch belief. I think the implication was that Xykon had used all of those spells either on him, or in his presence. Optionally, he might have updated the list with the last few high-level or Epic spells right after being healed, since he did have some downtime. > [@Chronos](#): > > Ordinarily, such an order could be enforced by the police (and we’ve seen that Stickworld has modern-style police, too), but for Belkar specifically, the problem is that there are no police in the world powerful enough to enforce anything against him. This is more or less my point. What means the rule of law when there exist individuals who simply aren’t threatened by government reprisal? And if not, whose government do you listen to? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2030 "2009-07-24T21:42:10Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Is this O Chul’s exit (for the moment) strip? Presumably he’ll stay with Hinjo as the Order go off to the next Gate. Almost certainly. That’s kind of the wrap up for his arc with the only dangling thread being a confrontation with Roy or Vaarsuvius about a certain elf using demonic powers and that’s not even necessary. Oh, and I totally called the comedic misunderstanding of Elan and the Ninja getting undercut. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2031 "2009-07-24T22:12:55Z")
I wonder just how much Haley told Elan? IE does he now know stuff that we, the audience, do not? ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2032 "2009-07-25T00:59:40Z")
I think Elan’s part in this strip shows how much he and Haley have matured as characters. It’s rather sweet, actually, to see Haley, who had hid her true feelings from him for so long, exposing herself and telling him all her secrets instead of letting her fear guide her actions. ---
**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:** [July 25, 2009, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2033 "2009-07-25T02:14:42Z")
I think it’s just another example of Burlew defying conventional narrative expectations. The cliche (as Elan recognized) would have been to save Therkla’s death for some shocking revelation scene. And we’ve already seen the build-up over Haley’s secrets so another shocking revelation could have fit in there. Instead we have them sharing their secrets offscreen with no major drama involved. The real plot point, as shantih pointed out, is that Elan and Haley have matured. ---
**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:** [July 25, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2034 "2009-07-25T02:16:23Z")
> [@](#): > > This is more or less my point. What means the rule of law when there exist individuals who simply aren’t threatened by government reprisal? And if not, whose government do you listen to? There are such people in this world, too. Nobody argues that the rule of law is rendered meaningless by the existence of people like Al Capone or Osama bin Laden. ---
**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 30, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2035 "2009-07-30T02:53:24Z")
And a new strip is up [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0671.html](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0671.html) ---
**Author:** ![Bacon\_Salt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@Bacon\_Salt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bacon_Salt)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2036 "2009-07-30T03:05:44Z")
Dude, I checked like, a minute before you posted and it wasn’t there. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2037 "2009-07-30T04:28:50Z")
“I need you to dismiss me”, ha ! ---
**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:** [July 30, 2009, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2038 "2009-07-30T07:22:12Z")
I’m happy to see that after all the months they’ve spend together and all the adventures they’ve shared, Haley still can’t stand that annoying twit. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2039 "2009-07-30T12:22:46Z")
Uh-oh. Haley wasn’t the one who summoned her. Or at the very least it wasn’t Haley’s magic. Of course I doubt that will actually amount to anything since Vaarsuvius or Durkon could use a spell to dismiss her back to her plane. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2009, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/2040 "2009-07-30T12:28:40Z")
> [@Just\_Some\_Guy](#): > > Uh-oh. Haley wasn’t the one who summoned her. [Sure it was](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0528.html). It may not have been her magic, but she was the summoner. Anyway, the amulet is a DM invention. It’s his rules. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096.md?page=101) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096.md?page=103)