We learn that the flying carpet Tarquin loaned the Order has a tracking device rune on its underside. Tarquin re-assembles the Linear Guild by adding himself (as the fighter) and Malack (as the divine caster) to Nale, Sabine, and Zz'dtri, although the warlord is forced to assure Sabine that he won't take over and to tell Malack to fall in line for the sake of "business" and the greater evil. But the Guild roster still seems incomplete somehow... until Kilkil flies in to deliver Ian's prisoner file.
Cast
- The Linear Guild
- A Soldier of the Empire of Blood
Transcript
- Panel 1
Tarquin: The flying carpet I gave your brother has a tiny rune stitched on the underside. With the right spell, it should be child’s play to track Elan.
Tarquin: The Linear Guild will follow Elan. Once he has control of the Gate, they will seize it from him before signaling my forces to secure the area.
Nale: Yeah, one problem: The Linear Guild is just me and Sabine now.
- Panel 2
A soldier leads Zz'dtri in, bound and gagged.
Tarquin: Is it, now?
Sabine: Zz’dtri??
Nale: Then do we have Thog, too?
Tarquin: Sorry, no. I don’t work with loose cannons like that. Too erratic.
Tarquin: I still haven’t figured out how he managed to flood the
palace with lemon pudding that time…
- Panel 3
Nale: Well, we’re not going to get very far against the Order of the Stick without a front-line fighter.
Tarquin: How fortunate for you, then, that you sprung from the loins of the finest warrior of his generation.
- Panel 4
Nale: YOU?? You’re going to join the Linear Guild??
Sabine: No way!! This is NALE’S team!
Tarquin: Of course! I wouldn’t dream of usurping command. If
anything, I look forward to seeing how you handle this operation.
Tarquin: You’ve managed to impress me, hiding under my nose for months.
- Panel 5
Tarquin: I’ll just be along for the ride…and the chance to fight that Greenhilt fellow.
Tarquin: It’s been a long time since I saw a strategist worth battling, and I’m eager to get my hands dirty for a change.
Tarquin: I may even get my axe out of storage for this occasion.
- Panel 6
Tarquin: Which just leaves us needing a divine spellcaster.
Malack: NO. No, I will not work with that villain. He murdered my—
- Panel 7
Tarquin: Stop it.
Tarquin: Your kids are gone: have been for years. Man up. I’m tired of hearing about it.
Tarquin: This is business, Malack. Business.
- Panel 8
Malack: …I alone shall handle the dwarf. He deserves that honor, regardless of his minor deception.
Tarquin: Fine, fine. I have no problem with that.
- Panel 9
Tarquin: There! Now how’s that for a new Linear Guild, son?
Nale: I don’t know…it seems pretty strong, but something’s…missing.
Kilkil: General, I have the file you asked for on that prisoner. His name is—
- Panel 10
The group turns to Kilkil.
Kilkil: …
Kilkil: Why are you all looking at me like that.
Trivia
- The title, "Line Quality", is a term in visual art, especially in the electronic medium, referring to the attributes of a line, mostly the weight or thickness of the line. Here it is playing on the name of Nale's party, the Linear Guild.
- Once again, the status of Thog as living or dead is left ambiguous.
- Tarquin's axe, Soul-Muncher, is intelligent. It first appears in #50.
- All of the incarnations of the Linear Guild have featured a kobold as the "evil opposite" of Belkar: Yikyik, Yokyok, Yukyuk, and now Kilkil.