22 August 2019 GAP on the attack

[Tofu]

Is it my imagination, or did Kore break his own arm to get out of the immobilisation grasp of the Gollem last page, and now is only an one armed combatant right now?

[Inspired]

I don't know, it looked quite evident to me that those panels described Thac0 and his son bluffing and going the other way around. My reasoning was that they were the "goblin warcamp warriors" and the only rule they seemed to have was fight dirty and live to see another day (being a low level encounter monster race, alignments and whatnot). They have been doing that for a while now, even their story itself starts with their fighting scene too. Personally, I like watching them in combat because they are always the underdogs and the situations require quick thinking and creativity (personal favourite is the weapon stand slam, back in the guardhouse). But yeah I'm rambling here, sorry. Back on topic.

Thac0 forseeing Kore's moves because of the ninja-veil did not occour to me, thanks for reminding on that! Question is, did he see those movements BEFORE announcing the bluff (effectively telling Complains what to do), or did announcing the tactic made Kore act in a forseeable manner? Not sure if my question is understandable.

Also did not know about the "Kore's head is a hellgate" thing. Makes things more interesting. Does this make him necessary to unleash the demon from the prison-axe (being the half of a two-component spell / portal), or does this make him a potential lock (BE somehow using him to send the axe to hell)? Maybe both, depending on the usage?

And lastly, can't wait to see what shenanigans Fumbles is up to. Pretty sure it will be hilarious and stupid (actually clever) at the same time...

[JustRight]

The split in Kore's head looks like just the right place for the Axe of Prissan to fit...just sayin'...

[Furmanda]

Yes. But portals to hell has been established and are (currently) ubiquitous. The Butler having a gun in a Poirot story could be a spoiler. Schwartzenegger having a gun is not much of a spoiler, even if that gun comes into heavy use.

Anyways. Spoilers are in the eye of the beholder and I will not try to tell anyone they are wrong in this regard.

On a current page related note: Complains hand is growing at an alarming rate I think.

Yeah, but Kore is a special thing in the story so it would be quite natural to eventually use him for this. Not necessarily in his current form, he could get much worse before.

Also, your note about Complains, I wonder if his becoming a demon could play a role too. Sacrificing himself to bring the axe into hell?

[Generic]

The split in Kore's head looks like just the right place for the Axe of Prissan to fit...just sayin'...

I would like that. Ears showing up in a few pages to shove the axe into Kores face. Once Fumbles has done his levitation thing. It beats cutting his ears off. The world starts tumbling, they fall into hell and gets to talk with a glowing tormented sliver of Kore's soul trapped there. "Ears, what have you done?" Kore makes a bit of a redemption when he sacrifies himself to let the goblins go deeper into hell.
Ears murders Satan. On the way back Complains lingers "no, go on without me. I belong here". Everyone is sad. Thaco in particular.

Minmax has a plot thread with Kin. He asks the Goblins once they are back where his crown of a squillion charisma is. And where his nemesis went.

That would be nice.

[TripsTraps]

Its not really all that related to the current comic, but since there was some discussion of delivering the Axe of Prissan to hell here, it reminded me of some speculation I had.

The thing that I've been noticing is that the protags has been accumulating items and attributes that could result in a successful quest into hell. Demon-Complains is the most obvious example of a party member that could potentially survive hell, but I think Klik-Forgath (along with other kliks) and someone (Ears, probably?) donning the Pain Cloak could also potentially survive. That's a party of three right there.

As for means of transportation, they have the Ring of Holding, which has already been established as something like a pocket dimension. As long as there is a bearer, a whole group could pile into the ring and be dropped into a portal of hell and survive the fall without issue. Furthermore, Fumbles has the means of return: a Levitation Potion/item.

This is all before any presumed help from the Goblin God. And this is all predicated on getting everyone together, since Minmax holds the ring and Forgath is obviously separated as well. I'm not sure what, if anything, the Dies Horribly party could help with however.

[Bapuvitttssf]

The split in Kore's head looks like just the right place for the Axe of Prissan to fit...just sayin'...

I would like that. Ears showing up in a few pages to shove the axe into Kores face. (...)

But because Kore is a paladin, the axe will not affect him. How would that work?

[Generic]

The split in Kore's head looks like just the right place for the Axe of Prissan to fit...just sayin'...

I would like that. Ears showing up in a few pages to shove the axe into Kores face. (...)

But because Kore is a paladin, the axe will not affect him. How would that work?

Is the hell portal a paladin?

[HiddenSanity]

So, who wants to play pin the Mustache on the dwarf?

[Bapuvitttssf]

But because Kore is a paladin, the axe will not affect him. How would that work?

Is the hell portal a paladin?

Is the armor a paladin? That axe went through it the same way it went through Kore.

[Generic]

But because Kore is a paladin, the axe will not affect him. How would that work?

Is the hell portal a paladin?

Is the armor a paladin? That axe went through it the same way it went through Kore.

If the subject is to damage the gate, sure. The axe should go through it though. Not cause it harm.
Anyway. You are probably right.

[Inspired]

Generic's question is still valid, I think. Can you stick things into the portal in Kore's head to deliver those to hell? Is that the way portals commonly work? Or does Kore have to willingly allow it to pass? And most importantly, do you have to know that it is indeed a portal, or is it enough trying to stick things there?

In other words: If your only aim is to deliver the axe to hell without any will to harm Kore, shouldn't it work?

I don't think our protagonists know that it is a portal, they only know Kore is related to the whole fiasco (since the demon spilled it). Can they accidentally end up in hell, or figure it out by logic & observation?

[Generic]

Generic's question is still valid, I think. Can you stick things into the portal in Kore's head to deliver those to hell? Is that the way portals commonly work? Or does Kore have to willingly allow it to pass? And most importantly, do you have to know that it is indeed a portal, or is it enough trying to stick things there?

In other words: If your only aim is to deliver the axe to hell without any will to harm Kore, shouldn't it work?

I don't think our protagonists know that it is a portal, they only know Kore is related to the whole fiasco (since the demon spilled it). Can they accidentally end up in hell, or figure it out by logic & observation?

MinMax figured out "you win now". I am certain the best teller ever, a Paladin and wielder of the Prissan, a part demon with implanted hell knowledge and a wize old monk can figure this out. They even seen other portals, like MinMaxs sword... hole.

I don't think "will to harm" is a requirement of the axe clipping through paladins. Ears spooked people out in Brassmoon by phasing it through his own head. I doubt there was much will to harm there. Nor when he fell on it by accident.

[WearsHats]

The way Elli explained it, as I recall, is that there are layers to reality. Breaking the Axe began the process of turning Thuntonia into outermost layer of Hell. The weaker demons like the tooth demon are coming from the next layer down. But to save Thuntonia, they'd have to take the Axe further down.

[Generic]

The way Elli explained it, as I recall, is that there are layers to reality. Breaking the Axe began the process of turning Thuntonia into outermost layer of Hell. The weaker demons like the tooth demon are coming from the next layer down. But to save Thuntonia, they'd have to take the Axe further down.

Is it not already? This world is the home for things like Mr Fingers, Junior and Kore.

[Glemp]

Those things are:

• Confined to dungeons that are buried under half a mountain;
• The product of an accident caused by a bad reaction to a particular type of magic;
• The product of a Reality breach.

[Generic]

Those things are:

• Confined to dungeons that are buried under half a mountain;
• The product of an accident caused by a bad reaction to a particular type of magic;
• The product of a Reality breach.

Thank you for clarifying.

[WearsHats]

It's a D&D world. There are going to be monsters, summoned extraplanar creatures, etc. scattered about the countryside. Kliks aren't demons. They're from a different reality. And warped Kliks are a variant of the species caused by an improper implantation.

That's entirely different from literally living in Hell, where demons are the dominant species, the atmosphere is not breathable by humanoids, there's fire everywhere, etc.

Demons are a specific thing from a specific plane of reality. The only creatures in the comic (to the best of my recollection) that have anything to do with Hell are Not Walter (mid-level demon temporarily summoned to this plane), the flea demon (low-level demon who came through the breach opened by the breaking of the Axe of Prissan), and Kore.

Kore is not himself a demon. He's from the same plane of reality as the GAP. But he's the last surviving dwarven paladin of the Greyhill order. Many generations ago, a very powerful demon breached into this reality. It was was so powerful that it could not be killed or stopped by a gathering of the most powerful paladins in the world. As a last-ditch effort, they sacrificed their lives to create the Axe of Prissan as basically a band-aid on the breach, sealing away the demon and holding closed the portal until the Axe broke.

We don't know how Kore survived or whether he was somehow cursed in the process. He still has the powers of a paladin (such as Lay On Hands) which means he is definitely not a demon and somehow still Lawful Good alignment. But he's been somehow altered by his apparent participation in that ancient battle at the mouth of Hell.

[Krulle]

For discussions suitable might be the background of the AoP:
http://www.goblinscomic.org/comic/08122007/

Here, we can read a short story of when, how and why, and by whom the Axe was crafted.

[Glemp]

For discussions suitable might be the background of the AoP:
http://www.goblinscomic.org/comic/08122007/

Here, we can read a short story of when, how and why, and by whom the Axe was crafted.

I think it's been shown by now that that story has a few holes in it, and may have been entirely made up to con Paladins into carrying a portable Demon Pokeball around.

EDIT: Yep, totally made up.

[Krulle]

So, however many Paladins have been in contact with the blade all failed their Sense Motive and Bluff checks?

I wonder if Kore knows this, seeing how high-level he is, and if that's the reason he's hunting the Axe of Prissan? (or whether he's hunting it because he's cursed?)

[Generic]

It seems more likely that the Flea demon was full of shit and Big Ears extrapolated like crazy to convince himself he was worthy.

[Changes_everything]

The split in Kore's head looks like just the right place for the Axe of Prissan to fit...just sayin'...

The Axe cannot hurt Kore since he's a Paladin.

[Generic]

The split in Kore's head looks like just the right place for the Axe of Prissan to fit...just sayin'...

The Axe cannot hurt Kore since he's a Paladin.

I still don't think it's about harming Kore but using the hellgate.

[Bapuvitttssf]

But can the goblins know it is a hell gate? We only know about it because of that old Thunt's spoiler.