Haley settles things with Crystal before leaving.
Cast
- Haley Starshine ◀ ▶
- Elan ◀ ▶
- Belkar Bitterleaf ◀ ▶
- Vaarsuvius (Soul Spliced) ◀ ▶
- Mr. Scruffy ◀ ▶
- Celia ◀ ▶
- Crystal ◀ ▶
- Ganonron ◀ ▶
- Jephton the Unholy ◀ ▶
- Jenny ◀ ▶
Transcript
- Panel 1
Elan: OK, so it started at Daigo and Kazumi's wedding.
Haley: Kaigo and Dazumi? Who the heck are they?
Vaarsuvius: No. No! As tedious as it was to live though many of these events, I shall not suffer a recounting of them.
- Panel 2
Elan: Hey, just because YOU don't care about something doesn't mean that no one else does.
Vaarsuvius: The period during which I can teleport is limited, so unless you would like to swim to the Western Continent, I suggest we table your reiteration.
Ganonron: Put a sock in it.
Jephton: Tell her off-panel!
- Panel 3
Haley: Wait, we're teleporting out? Right now? Hold on, I need to get something really important.
Belkar: Yeah, me too!
Vaarsuvius: What—my boundless magical proficiency is not a taxi, to be left idling while—
Ganonron: Take your time.
Jephton: Meter's running.
- Panel 4
Belkar is in Jenny's room.
Belkar: Mr. Scruffy! Mr. Scruffy, come on, we're leaving this dump.
Jenny: Belkie? You're leaving? Just like that?
Belkar: Just like that. Don't get clingy, OK?
Mr. Scruffy: Meow!
- Panel 5
Jenny: Hey—if you're ever back in town, will you look me up?
Belkar: Well, I would, but I don't remember your name now.
- Panel 6
Crystal has just gotten out of the shower to answer persistent knocking at her door, "knock knock! knock knock! knock knock!"
Crystal: OK, OK, hold on! I'm coming!
Crystal: I hope you're not too attached to the body part you're using to knock, though.
- Panel 7
The person knocks again, "knock knock!"
Crystal: Who's there?
Haley: Roland.
Crystal: Roland who?
- Panel 8
Haley shoots Crystal four times in the chest as she opens the door, "fft! fft! fft! fft!"
Haley: Roland 'Itiative, and his four friends Sneak Attack, Sneak Attack, Sneak Attack, and Sneak Attack.
- Panel 9
Haley picks up a piece of jewelry from Crystal's dresser.
Haley: Under the heading of "Bad Ideas": telling everyone that you'll be in the shower—and thus without your protective magic jewelry.
Haley: Don't worry, though. I'm sure the ones that I can't use will get a good home at the next magic shop we pass.
- Panel 10
Crystal: You double-crossing whore, when Bozzok raises me—
Haley: IF Bozzok raises you, tell him the deal is off. I'm not paying him one copper piece ever again. NOT ONE.
Haley takes Crystal's knife and raises it over her head.
Haley: And I'll kill anyone he sends after me.
- Panel 11
Haley kills Crystal, "SCHLARTCH!"
Haley: Especially you.
- Panel 12
Haley returns to the group carrying Crystal's knife.
Haley: OK, all ready!
Celia: Hey, isn't that Crystal's knife?
Haley: Yeah, she said I could borrow it when we came back from fighting golems. I guess we really bonded.
Celia: Aww, that's nice. Now you'll think of her every time you use it.
Haley: Yup, that's the idea.
D&D Context
- Initiative is rolled at the start of combat to determine the order in which characters act. Since Haley wins initiative, Crystal is flat-footed and is open to her rogue's Sneak Attack class feature for extra damage. Since she was not aware of Haley at the start of combat, Haley gets a Surprise Round, which is why she gets a total of four attacks.
- Weapons with the Frost enchantment do an additional 1d6 cold damage on a successful attack (as noted in the strip's title). Haley's bow that she picked up from Old Blind Pete in #615 has an icy burst enchantment, which includes frost effects.
Trivia
- The title plays on the proverb "revenge is a dish best served cold", and weapon enchantments in D&D. The origin of the idea may begin the Charles Maurice de Tallyrand-Périgord who has been credited with a similar phrase in French. It has been in English usage since at least 1846.
- The title of this strip is played on further in #835, A Dish Best Served Warm, After All.
- Elan's attitude towards Varasuvius in Panel 2 indicates he's still upset about their callous execution of Kubota in #595.
- The lines in Panel 7 and 8 play out as a "knock knock" joke, which goes along the lines of:
"Knock knock"
"Who's there?"
"[Set up name]"
"[Set up name] who?"
"[Set up name] [punch line]."
In this case, the set up name is "Roland" and the punchline is "itiative", which makes "Roland Itiative," or "roll initiative." - In commentary released with Don't Split the Party, Rich Burlew noted that he regretted cutting the arc with retrieving the golem, as it caused Haley's actions to come across as far more malicious and cruel than they would be with the context of the retrieval: in that story, Crystal makes multiple death threats to Haley and states her intention of killing her as soon as she can, as well as killing Grubwiggler for no reason. With that context, Haley's actions come off as a preemptive strike, rather than the outright murder they end up reading as here. Future comics would try to clarify the issue, as well as point out that, as there are people capable of raising Crystal, death means only a level loss and a warning for her.