Nale is discovered by Belkar.
Cast
Transcript
- Panel 1
Nale: Ah, Nale, you handsome beast, this will be the evil frosting on a very wicked cake.
Nale: You'll wine her and dine her and then, right when she's ready to let you have her way with her, you'll kill her instead.
- Panel 2
Nale: I'm sure it will be difficult to describe in words the exact mixture of shock and betrayal when "Elan" runs her through with a dagger on the cusp of the consumation[sic] of her wildest romantic fantasy—
Nale: —but maybe after this whole gate thing is resolved, I'll pop on over to my brother's jail cell and do my best to do it justice.
- Panel 3
Nale: Whew, OK. Hopefully that got my natural urge to digress into a complete explanation of my evil plan out of my system.
Nale: I don't want to go all "Bond villain" and forget to finish the job.
- Panel 4
Belkar: Hey Elan, you won't believe the game of Parcheesi we just—
- Panel 5
beat
- Panel 6
Belkar: You frickin' bastard!!
Nale: GAH!!
- Panel 7
Belkar: Nale, you spineless piece of weasel crap, I'm gonna cut your—
Nale: Charm Person!
- Panel 8
Belkar: —hair for you, if you'd like. It sure could use a trim.
Nale: Wow, that was close.
- Panel 9
Nale: Close the door and put the daggers away.
Nale: How did you suddenly figure out it was me and not my brother?
Belkar: You smell different.
Nale: Ah... I've been wearing Elan's clothes for days, but upon bathing for my "date", my own scent must have reasserted itself...
- Panel 10
Nale: Well, I can't risk you telling anyone, but I can't risk your body being found either. Let's kill two PCs with one spell, then.
Nale: If you see any of your allies before I get back, kill them and bring me their magic items.
Belkar: What?? Never!!
- Panel 11
Nale: Ah, that's right... the spell will not compel the subject to do anything to which they will vehemently object.
Nale: I will need to choose my commands carefully to make them seem more reasonable.
- Panel 12
Nale: If you see any of your allies, kill them and keep their magic items for yourself.
Belkar: You got it, boss.
Nale: While singing the complete score to "Meet Me in St. Louis."
Belkar: ♪"Meet me in ♪St. Louis, Louis, ♪meet me at the fair..."♪
Nale: I love being evil.
D&D Context
- Nale accurately explains the limits of the Charm Person spell. The spell causes the target to view the caster in an incredibly favorable light, but generally only allows them to be given orders within the limitations of what they would do for a close friend.
Trivia
- As the title points out, when Belkar is commanded to sing the score of Meet Me in St. Louis he is able to comply because he already knows it.
- Meet Me in St. Louis was a musical film released in 1944 starring Judy Garland. Belkar is singing the opening number, "Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis".
- Bond villains are known for explaining their plans to Bond before leaving him to die but not actually staying to make sure it takes place. Goldfinger is a prime example of this.