At the end of War and XPs, we take a look at where all the characters are.
Cast
- The Order of the Stick
- Roy Greenhilt (also as a spirit) ◀ ▶
- Haley Starshine ◀ ▶
- Elan ◀ ▶
- Belkar Bitterleaf ◀ ▶
- Durkon Thundershield ◀ ▶
- Vaarsuvius ◀ ▶
- Eugene Greenhilt ◀ ▶
- Team Evil
- Hinjo ◀ ▶
- O-Chul ◀ ▶
- Lien ◀ ▶
- Daigo Da- ◀ ▶
- Kazumi Kato ◀ ▶
- Qarr ▶
- Therkla ▶
- Daimyo Kubota ◀ ▶
Transcript
The first two panels take an entire page each, and are divided into sub panels showing where everybody is. They show the boats leaving the hobgoblin controlled Azure City.
- Panel 1, Page 1
- Hinjo's Junk
Hinjo, Lien, Kazumi and Daigo.
Lien: The fleet... sir, we didn't have time to get many supplies onto each ship...
Hinjo: I know. We'll need to find a place they can settle while we plan our assault to take back the city—or we'll starve.
- Kubota's Ship
Kubota and Therkla.
Kubota: Shojo's brat survived, somehow.
Therkla: The Northerners must have protected him—he's no match for two of my ninjas alone.
Qarr (off panel): Then the "Order of the Stick" will die first, followed by the paladin. And when you are Lord, our plans shall proceed.
- Elsewhere on Hinjo's Junk
Vaarsuvius, Durkon and Elan.
Vaarsuvius: I go to rest, so that I might replenish my magic sooner.
Durkon: Aye, me too. Try ta get some rest, lad. No sense worryin' yerself sick, right?
Elan: ...
- Panel 1, Page 2
- By the shore at Azure City
Redcloak and a hobgoblin cleric.
Redcloak: Damn it! I'm so stupid. I should have captured that paladin instead of killing him! Now where am I going to find someone who knows how the other gates are protected?
- Somewhere in Azure City
The Monster in the Darkness whistles while dragging O-Chul.
MitD: ♪
- Elsewhere in Azure City
Belkar and Haley, with Roy´s corpse laying on ground, and hiding from an army of hobgoblins.
Belkar: Wait, hold on: your saying the boat ACTUALLY left us behind?!?
Haley (whispering): Keep your voice down!
Haley (whispering): Durkon knows the plan. He'll contact us magically—and Vaarsuvius too—as soon as he's able.
- Near Azure City Castle
Tsukiko and Xykon wearing a Dorukan's headband
Tsukiko: Oooo, what's that, Lord Xykon, a headband?
Xykon: Just a little toy I found one morning in my Wheaties®.
Xykon: Cloister!
- Panel 1, Page 3
Azure City is surrounded by a yellow aura ,"hummmmmmmm!"
- Panel 2, Page 3
Xykon (from somewhere inside Azure City): Ladies and gentlemen, Azure City is officially off the grid.
- Panel 3, Page 3
Smoke rises from Azure City.
- Panel 4, Page 3
The panel rises with the smoke, showing only the top of Azure City Castle, the smoke, and sky.
- Panel 5, Page 3
The smoke reaches clouds high in the sky above Azure City, which is no longer shown.
- Panel 6, Page 3
Roy and Eugene Greenhilt stand on the cloud above the smoke.
- Panel 7, Page 3
They look down.
- Panel 8, Page 3
Eugene: Gosh, son, thanks so much for destroying Xykon for me. My spirit will rest easy now.
Roy: Shut up, Dad.
- Panel 1, Page 4
The Order of the Stick
will return September 17th.
D&D Context
- In the second page in his close-up cutout, Xykon casts Cloister, a home-brewed Epic Level Spell developed by Dorukan to protect his castle and the Gate in the dungeons beneath it. When Xykon killed Dorukan he took the headband which is integral to casting the spell. Epic level spells are essentially 10th level spells which can only be cast by characters above level 20. Cloister prevents most kinds of divination and transportation in and out of the protected area, which is the size of the entire city.
Trivia
- This is the first appearance of Roy's spirit in the afterlife.
- This is the first appearance Eugene since #293, a gap of almost 200 strips.
- This is the last comic where the entire Order appears, for nearly 140 comics. The next comic in which they all appear is #646, ...And It Feels So Good.
- This is the first appearance of the as-yet-unnamed Therkla, and the as-yet-unnamed and as-yet-unseen Qarr.
- This is the final appearance of the Dockside Hobgoblin Cleric.
- This is the last strip in the third book, War and XPs.