Elan and Haley get caught passing notes in battle.
Cast
- Haley Starshine ◀ ▶
- Elan ◀ ▶
- Durkon Thundershield ◀ ▶
- Hinjo ◀ ▶
- Argent ◀ ▶
- An Azure City Swordsman
- Seven Hobgoblin Soldiers
- Eight Azure City Soldiers
Transcript
- Panel 1
Swordsman: How is your wizard doing? Are they holding the breach?
Elan: I don't know, V is, like, super-powerful. I'm more worried about how I'm doing! I'm running out of puns!
- Panel 2
Elan: Uh... fangs for the memories?
Elan's attack fails to penetrate the hobgoblin's armor, "dink!"
Hobgoblin soldier #1: Dude, you used that joke three rounds ago.
Hobgoblin soldier #2: And it was a stretch then.
- Panel 3
Hobgoblin soldier #1: You should have said, "I don't like those new-fangled swords you hobgoblins are using."
Hobgoblin soldier #2: Or, "If we do not fang together, we shall surely fang apart."
- Panel 4
Elan: Ooooo, that's good! Do you mind if I use that in another battle?
Hobgoblin soldier #2: Considering that would imply you live through this one, yeah, I mind.
- Panel 5
Elan: Eeep!
The hobgoblins advance.
- Panel 6
The hobgoblins are struck in the back with arrow, "fthunk! fthunk!", killing them both.
- Panel 7
One of the arrows sticking out of the back of a hobgoblin has a note taped to it with tape. The note has a heart with an arrow through it with the name "Elan" in cursive in it surrounded by stars and a smiley face.
- Panel 8
At the far end of the wall, a dozen hobgoblins and Azurite soldiers interposed, Haley is smiling and waving.
- Panel 9
Elan reads the note.
- Panel 10
Hinjo: Is that a note?
Elan: Uh, no, sir!
- Panel 11
Hinjo: What did I tell you and Miss Starshine about passing notes in my battle?
Elan: That we should be paying attention to who we're fighting.
Hinjo: That's right.
- Panel 12
Hinjo: Now hand it over.
Elan: Awwww....
- Panel 13
Hinjo: You can get it back when I see you after the battle in my office.
Hinjo: I mean, throne room.
Swordsman: Ooooo, you are SO gonna get detention!
Elan: I hope he doesn't notify Roy...
D&D Context
- Elan needs to use puns in order to use his Charisma bonus for attacks instead of Strength, as per the rules of the Dashing Swordsman.
Trivia
- The title is a play on the common mnemonic for spelling the words "principal" and "principle": the school administrator, the principal, is your "pal". In this strip Lord Hinjo plays the part of the principal catching his students passing notes in class.
- It is arguable that the soldier with Elan in this strip is identical with Shlubbo Noname-zaki from #435 as well as Daigo Da-, though he is not counted as such.
- One of the hobgoblins’ suggestions is a pun of the Benjamin Franklin quote, “ We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”