After the destruction of Girard's Gate, the Order encounters Team Evil. Xykon, who characteristically doesn't remember Roy, is convinced by the Monster in the Darkness, over Redcloak's objections, to move on to the next gate. Redcloak leaves a parting gift.
Cast
Transcript
- Panel 1, Page 1
The party stands next to the rift at the bottom of the crater that was Girard's pyramid.
Haley: Crap! It's Redcloak!!
Elan: Maybe it's just another illusion?
Belkar: Nah, That would mean we weren't totally boned.
Roy: Everyone! Spread out and take cover! Keep the Rift between you and them for as long as you can.
Roy: We need them close if we're going to have a chance.
- Panel 2, Page 1
Cut to the rim of the crater, where Team evil looks down on them.
Xykon: Ah, there it is! Now, what's going on?
Redcloak: Greenhilt is here.
Xykon: Who?
Monster in the Darkness: Flopsy! He's friends with Mr. Stiffly!!
Xykon: Who?
Demon-Roach: Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Book
- Panel 3, Page 1
Redcloak: The human adventurer. He threw you into Dorukon's gate, but then you killed him in Azure City.
Xykon is attempting to reattach his pelvis.
Xykon: Is that on right? I can never remember which way it goes.
MitD: Oh, I wonder if he knows where O-chul is?
- Panel 4, Page 1
Redcloak: Sir, He's clearly working against us at this point.
Redcloak: His presence here—and at the last two Gates—is far too great a coincidence to ignore.
Redcloak: Even for you.
- Panel 5, Page 1
Xykon: So, what are we doing? Are we killing him again?
Redcloak: I would think so, yes.
Xykon: OK, cool.
- Panel 6, Page 1
MitD: NO!
MitD: You can't! They're O-Chul's friends!
Xykon: Howzat, again?
MitD: I mean... uh... it's a trick!
- Panel 7, Page 1
MitD: Remember When I captured the paladin? Those people there tried to rescue him. I think that they're all working together!
Redcloak: All the more reason to eliminate them when we have the chance.
MitD: Yeah, but...uh... Where's the paladin? Huh? Where's the Elf wizard who stole Xykon's soul-hidey-place?
MitD: They must be on their way to the next dungeon already!
- Panel 8, Page 1
Xykon: Oh, I get it. the B-Team here keeps us busy while the real deal gets a head start.
MitD: Right! Exactly!
- Panel 9, Page 1
MitD: Think about it. Which of these sounds like the hero you need to worry about:
MitD: The last paladin of conquered city, beaten but never broken, sworn to stop the evil lich who wiped out his holy order—
MitD: —or some random fighter guy you already snuffed once?
- Panel 10, Page 1
Redcloak: Yeah, but you're forgetting that Greenhilt has some...
Redcloak: ...thing...
Redcloak: ...about his father, I think?
Redcloak: Crap.
- Panel 1, Page 2
Xykon: Weird as it is, I think the dim bulb has a point. We should've split Bluetown the moment the loopy beige chick broke the gem.
Redcloak: Sir, I really think we should take the time to—
Xykon: No. No way I'm letting you set up another goblin colony here to smoke out some third-stringers.
- Panel 2, Page 2
Redcloak: That's not at all what I'm suggesting we do. I you would just listen for one—
Xykon: Zip it. We're leaving, now.
Redcloak: What?!??
Xykon: You heard me. Since you still have two ears.
- Panel 3, Page 2
Redcloak: ...Yes, Lord Xykon.
Xykon: Everyone huddle up, I'm teleporting us right to the final dungeon's front porch.
Xykon: I'll grow some new leg bones when we get there.
- Panel 4, Page 2
MitD: Hooray! I saved the day!
- Panel 5, Page 2
MitD: ...in that I prevented us from making a costly tactical error.
MitD: Go us!
- Panel 6, Page 2
Cut back to the Order down in the crater.
Haley: They're leaving? Why?
Roy: Who cares? We're in no shape to fight them, anyway.
Roy: I just hope Kraagor's Tomb can hold them off long enough for us to regroup.
- Panel 7, Page 2
Cut back to Team Evil.
Redcloak: Actually, sir, if you'd permit me one single spell before we go?
Xykon: Fine, fine, just so you stop whining. But hurry up.
- Panel 8, Page 2
Redcloak: Summon Monster IX.
Redcloak: Kill everyone. Starting with the human with the greatsword.
- Panel 9, Page 2
Team Evil teleports away with a "pop!". A giant Silicon Elemental appears in the crater. The periodic table entry on its chest reads: "14 Si 28.0855".
D&D Context
- Summon Monster IX is a 9th level (maximum level) spell which allows the caster to summon a very powerful creature and command them for 1 round/level. In the case of an Elemental, it would be of the Elder variety, which is the largest and most powerful type of elemental.
- The elemental summoned is a Silicon Elemental, a non-standard elemental type, but part of the running gag where Redcloak summons elementals not from the four classical elements, but from the modern Periodic Table of the Elements. In this case he summons a Silicon Elemental. Elemental silicon is actually a metalloid, but silica or silicon dioxide, is the most common component of sand. Thus the elemental appears to be a giant sand creature.
- The 5th level Teleport spell requires any willing targets of the spell to be touching the spellcaster, thus Xykon requires everyone to "huddle up" before they transport to the North Pole.
Trivia
- MitD's behavior in this strip is rather interesting. It seeks to protect O-Chul's friends, showing it has divided loyalties between Team Evil and the Order of the Stick. And when Xykon questions this, it proposes a new motivation for why they shouldn't attack, showing high intelligence. Both of these things provide clues to the monster's identity.
- "Sir Not-appearing-in-this-book" is a joke originally used by the British comedy troupe Monty Python in their 1975 classic film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where they introduce the character of "Sir Not-Appearing-in-this-Film".
- This is the first appearance of the Silicon Elemental. This is the fourth elemental Redcloak has summoned from the periodic table. The others were Titanium, Chlorine, and Osmium. Redcloak also summoned a Magnesium Elemental in a No Cure for the Paladin Blues bonus strip when clearing Xykon's tower.