Nale and Sabine both evade Durkon's blast of Thor's Lightning. Nale zaps D again with the Wand of Enervation while Sabine grapples the dwarf to prevent casting. Durkon's response, oddly, is a smile. Nale debates whether to give the dwarf the satisfaction of asking why but finally gives in, just as he hears the sound of a shocked Malack dropping the morning teaware behind him.
Cast
Transcript
- Panel 1
Durkon: Thor's Lightning!
Sabine: Double evasion!
Sabine: HA!!
The lightning bolt crackles between Sabine and Nale. Nale falls adroitly towards the ground.
- Panel 2
Nale: Quickly, Sabine—grapple him before he casts again!
Nale drains Durkon again, and Sabine swoops in to grab him.
- Panel 3
Elan: Suck a bus, Sabine!
Elan: Stupid rapier, why aren't you cold iron? Or cool iron? Or at least tepid iron!!
Elan pokes Sabine with his rapier, "poke!", to no effect.
- Panel 4
Elan continues to poke Sabine with his rapier to no effect, "poke! poke!"
Nale: Well, I honestly didn't think this ambush was going to bear fruit, since I pretty much threw it together at the last moment.
Nale: But here we are. My brother, drained and impotent. The girl, petrified. The cleric, captured and—
- Panel 5
Nale: —smiling? Why are you smiling? The Linear Guild has finally triumphed!
Durkon: 'Cause I know somethin' ye dinnae know: Why I were waitin' out 'ere in on the balcony inna first place.
- Panel 6
Nale: Oh please. Do you think I don't know exactly what you're trying to pull here?
Nale: You expect me to ask why you were waiting—
Nale: —so you can give me a cryptic but ominous-sounding pronouncement before something turns the tables.
- Panel 7
Nale: Well it's not going to happen.
Durkon: Suit yerself.
Nale: You can take that to your grave.
Durkon: Aye, suppose I will.
- Panel 8
beat
- Panel 9
Nale: Though since I obviously expect that something is about to happen, I'm in a far better position to counter it.
Nale: Indeed, it would be tactically better to flush out whatever plan you have now, when I'm prepared.
Nale: So...?
- Panel 10
Durkon: I'm on tha balcony 'cause it be tea time.
- Panel 11
Sabine: *gasp!* NALE!
Nale: What? "Tea time?" What does that even mean? And what kind of lame dwarf drinks—
A "keeyssh!" sound is heard off-panel
- Panel 12
Malack stands behind Nale, tea tray in hand, the shattered tea service at his feet.
Nale: —tea?
D&D Context
- Thor's Lightning is Durkon's special version of Lightning Bolt as a cleric of Thor.
- Nale's wand casts Enervation, a 4th level spell which drains 1d4 levels on a successful hit.
- Succubi like Sabine have a natural Energy Drain attack, also draining levels from the subject.
- Since both Sabine and Nale have levels in Rogue, they both have the Evasion feature, allowing them to save for no damage against the lightning bolt.
- Elan uses puns to engage his Dashing Swordsman ability to use Charisma for combat rolls. The advantage is useless in this case, as Sabine, a succubus, has a damage reduction which is apparently larger than the damage Elan is capable of dealing with his rapier. Succubi's damage reduction does not work against cold iron.
Trivia
- The title answers Nale's question from the last two panels.
- It is revealed that Nale killed three of Malack's children in #724.