The Azurites defend the walls against hobgoblin scaling ladders.
Cast
- Elan ◀ ▶
- Belkar Bitterleaf ◀ ▶
- Hinjo ◀ ▶
- Argent ▶
- Grand Larceny Prisoner ◀ ▶
- Azurite Chef ◀
- Five Azure City Soldiers
- Four Hobgoblin Soldiers
Transcript
- Panel 1
Azurite archers shoot down on the attackers as scaling ladders are swayed up to the wall. A cook holds a rope tied to a great cauldron.
- Panel 2
Azurite soldier: Here they come!
Soldier: Dump the oil!
The cook dumps the oil from the cauldron with a "blorblorblorp!"
- Panel 3
Soldier: Wait—was that oil hot?
Cook: No. Was it supposed to be?
- Panel 4
Soldier: Why would you pour room-temperature oil down on our attackers?
Cook: Are you kidding? That was coconut oil!
Soldier: So?
- Panel 5
Hobgoblin soldier #1: Coconut oil???
Hobgoblin soldier #2: Oh man, that stuff is like 90% saturated fat!
Hobgoblin soldier #3: By my doctor has me on a low cholesterol diet!
Hobgoblin soldier #4: And heart disease runs in my family!
- Panel 6
The hobgoblins flee.
- Panel 7
Elan: I can't believe that worked.
Hinjo: They'll be back once their leaders remind them that a diet high in soluble fiber—such as oatmeal—can reduce their cholesterol.
- Panel 8
Hinjo: That's why we need to get over there and reinforce them.
Hinjo: Elan, Belkar, and...guy I let out of prison to fight. You're with me.
- Panel 9
Hinjo: Argent, I choose you!
Hinjo tosses a Pokeball.
- Panel 10
Argent pops into existence with an audible "chu!"
- Panel 11
Hinjo rides off on Argent, leaving Belkar dumbstruck.
- Panel 12
Belkar: So HE gets to unleash the fury, and I get a friggn' wiener dog???
Grand Larceny Prisoner: Dude, there's no justice in the world.
D&D Context
- The paladin's mount has a special bond with the paladin. Like Vaarsuvius' familiar, in this strip, it pops into existence when required. In this case, using the non-D&D mechanism of a Pokemon. Unlike familiars, paladin mounts in D&D do pop in and out of existence in the canonical rules. They are summoned from the Celestial realms when needed, returning there to rest and heal.
Trivia
- The title is a reference to William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, act III, scene i, line 273.
- Belkar's comment refers to comic #140 where instead of a war dog to ride he receives a dachshund. Prior to learning the dog's nature, he agrees to the mount, hoping to "unleash the fury." Belkar will eventually ride a Hellhound in #868, Unleash the Fury.
- The prisoner who has been freed pointing out the lack of justice is somewhat ironic.
- This is the first appearance of Argent, Hinjo's paladin mount. Hinjo continues the Pokemon gag for summoning his mount begun by Miko Miyazaki in #373.
- This is the final appearance of the Azurite Chef. He first appeared in #279, No Soup for You.