The Order meets the Oracle of the Sunken Valley, and learns why he is not what they remembered.
Cast
- The Order of the Stick
- The Oracle of the Sunken Valley ▶
- Doc of the Dead ◀
Transcript
- Panel 1
The party has entered the Oracle's tower, still talking with the undead doctor. Elan holds a lollipop.
Doc of the Dead: ...so the Oracle says to him, "You're going to have a heart attack right after I finish telling you you're going to have a heart attack."
Elan: I was good!
Undead: Sure enough, the guy croaks and the Oracle gets sued by his family members for millions.
Undead: Hence, the Test of the Heart.
Roy: That's fascinating—really, it is—but now that you've fulfilled your story purpose, I find I have no interest in speaking to you any longer.
- Panel 2
Roy: OK,gang, we've passed the three pointless tests...
Roy: ...let's head upstairs and see the—
- Panel 3
The oracle holds a loofah on a stick and a rubber duck and has a shower cap on his head.
Roy: —Oracle?!?
Oracle: Geez, I can peer into the murky depths of the future, and yet I always seem to get interrupted during bath time.
- Panel 4
Belkar: A kobold?? The all-seeing Oracle of the Sunken Valley is a friggin' KOBOLD??
Oracle: A kobold who was about to enjoy a good soak until YOU interrupted, thank you very much.
- Panel 5
Belkar: Listen, you scaly little—
Roy: Wait, hold on. Durkon and I have been here before, but we don't remember any kobold.
- Panel 6
Oracle: Well, duh. We cast a memory charm over the whole valley. It makes people forget the details of their visit here.
Oracle: You'll each be allowed one question. Everything else about this trip will fade from your memory.
- Panel 7
Roy: Uh...why?
Oracle: Because I have an unfortunate tendency to ramble on a bit, and if I happen to slip that, say, the halfling shouldn't bother funding his IRA, I don't want it to influence anything.
- Panel 8
Roy: Did...did you just imply that Belkar isn't going to live to see old age???
Oracle: Well, I'm just thinking he should savor his next birthday cake. 'Nuff said.
- Panel 9
Belkar: That's it!
Roy: But wait, I distinctly remember getting answers to 3 questions last time, and there were only two of us.
Oracle: Yeah, I remember you...
Oracle: You were...persuasive.
- Panel 10
In a flashback, Roy dangles the Oracle out of a window.
Oracle: OK! OK! You can have a third question!
- Panel 11
Belkar: So, you're saying threats of physical violence will yield additional information?
Belkar: Someone take notes, he's about to dictate the Encyclopedia Belkarrica!
Oracle: Hurt me if you must, but let the duckie go.
D&D Context
- The "memory charm" appears to have essentially the same effects as a Modify Memory spell.
- Kobolds are a diminutive reptilian race in D&D. The Linear Guild has featured several kobold members.
Trivia
- This is the first appearance of the all-seeing Oracle of Sunken Valley.
- The Oracle makes an as-yet unfulfilled prophesy that Belkar will only have one more birthday. This strip occurs just after the Southern New Year (which is a few months after the Norther New Year) of the in-universe year of 1184. Without knowing the date of Belkar's birthday, that puts his certain death sometime prior to this same date in 1186. See the Timeline of OOTS events.