03/11/05 "Going to die"

BBlalock · Post by **BBlalock** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 4:00 pm

The LOX spell won't be much help without a lot of fuel. It didn't kill all the wraiths back in the house.

The questions are, how close does a wraith have to be to a candle flame to kill it and how many candles does Quentyn have?

The answers to those questions establish the diameter of the circle of safety Quentyn can establish with candles set on the floor.

Depending on how wind resistant the candles are Quentyn could establish a larger area by tying a candle to a length of rope and swinging it in a circle around him. This would probably be his safest way to move around the room.

If there's a breeze bringing fresh air into the chamber he may want to set fire to some of the lab equipment. Stay clear of the other dormant beasies though, unless there's one marked "In case of rat-king break glass." Of course if it's capable of killing the rat-king it's likely to be more dangerous than the rat-king.

Now that Quentyn is again truly fearful of his life his sword is coming for certain, even if it has to drag that test fixture through a structural wall. Enough offensive lux will kill a wraith, if the sword can kill *all* the wraiths that are present then none will be left to consume the leftover lux.

I'm guessing that the sword does do what is required for the situation, the one time when Quentyn needed it to perform it cut all three gragum in half exactly as was needed. The sword didn't need to do any specific thing when Quentyn was testing it, thus he got random effects.

The sword also recharges itself unnaturally fast, it may even be able to soak up the extra lux before any wraith stragglers can consume it.

Tbolt · Post by **Tbolt** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 4:06 pm

R H has definitely given us a classic "Oh Crap" moment. From the way I see it Quentyn can flambee all the rat wight s he wants, but the king will just generate more. I think Quentyn's primary target is not the king itself, but the large crystal. I wonder how accurately we could whip that sword if he cannot figure out a way to close in to melee distance.

Well, that's my comment anyway.

Hey, Starfury, I'm right there with you on popular culture, I'm lucky I could name five hollywood stars by looking at them.

Mad Mike · Post by **Mad Mike** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 4:11 pm

Tbolt wrote:R H has definitely given us a classic "Oh Crap" moment. From the way I see it Quentyn can flambee all the rat wight s he wants, but the king will just generate more. I think Quentyn's primary target is not the king itself, but the large crystal.

Bingo - take out the crystal, and the Rat King runs out of juice to make more. THEN torch the shadow-rats, clearing a path to the Rat King. Finally, pull out the sword and make like a food-processor.

BBlalock · Post by **BBlalock** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 4:15 pm

That could work. The rat-king is right underneath the crystal, and if the crystal fell it could injure/kill the rat-king.

Quentyn's first priority is staying alive.

If the wights are under the direct control of the rat-king they'll probably charge Quentyn even through his barrier of candles and there are plenty of wights around to recycle the lux released as the first wave of wights dies. If the gaps in his barrier are too wide Quentyn has a problem.

Jamestox · Post by **Jamestox** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 5:21 pm

You want a REAL "OH, Crap" thought? There's also this little gem of info that nobody's brought up yet: what if the rat-king learned from the pseudo-wight's previous encounter with Quentyn? After all, Q has already stated that the rat-king's intelligence is NOT to be underestimated. There's a good chance that if the king's behind initiating the attacks, it may also have some "feedback" from the wights...which also means it's onto Squidge's trick, too. Rat-king may try a frontal assault, but don't make bets that things'll be THAT simple for our young, frightened hero.

All together now......

OH CRAP....

DracoDei · Post by **DracoDei** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 5:47 pm

Dalak Lutra wrote:Well if you did... then you wouldn't be here reading this comic strip...Because you'd be dead....

(Who's Jerry Rice?)

Well, one could possibly have been mistaken at such a time...

Generic Avatar · Post by **Generic Avatar** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 7:53 pm

We've already seen that the rat wights are easily snuffed by flames. Since Quentin's torch is still burning, he can rapidly thin the ranks by swinging his torch around just outside his ring of protective fire.

There is another solution. The Rat King is right under a large, heavy, pointy crystal. Break the crystal, and it falls down to impale the Rat King. How Quentin would break the crystal is not obvious. Use the "flame thrower" spell to melt the metal bracket holding the crystal to the cieling?

Kerry Skydancer · Post by **Kerry Skydancer** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 8:16 pm

Not the flamethrower variant, but if it's iron-based, just accelerate the rusting. A suddenly rusted-through bracket ought to be just about right for messing it up.

Sharuuk · Post by **Sharuuk** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 8:46 pm

starfury wrote:Thank you for reminding me of my socally repressed and culturally irrelevent childhood. I will now offer many offerings and thanks to you. Like sandwhiches. Do you like knuckles with them?

For the record:
1) I have not read any comic books (with the sole exception being the one about Captain America vs. a bunch of guys infecting people with asthma. I got that at the doctors. Guess why I was at the doctors.).
2) Only this year have I really cared for any form of sports. I like the Braves, and the Patriots. I hate the Yankees and Cowboys. Anything else, I don't care.
3) Never seen Buffy, American Idol, Friends, Cheers, Sienfeild, or a whole host of other "Good" shows. I like Babylon 5 (Where I got my handle) Most of the StarTrek stuff, and Seaquest DSV. And West Wing.
4) Not much for horror, and based on the name and CasVeg's comment, it sounds like a horror movie.
5) It was a week ago today when I first heard Maddonna's "Material Girl." As sung by a fifty-ish year old College West Civ Prof. God help me. Please.

So, when you make some kind of cultural reference, chances are it will fly over my head.

P.S. I hate the Goonies, Princess Bride was yucky, and Men In Tights was just plain in bad taste.

I now leave the soapbox and grab my flame resistant shield. Fire away.

Other than the fact that I used to have a massive comic book collection, hate most ALL "ball" sports, LOVE motorcycle racing (Bike Week here at Daytona Beach Fla right now) and the shooting sports, and enjoy decently gory horror, plus, I get most of the cultural refs.....we actually have quite a bit in common.

So far, I like you......need an extra shield and a hand?

Shaaruuk

Starfury · Post by **Starfury** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 9:35 pm

Sure, but what would I do with three hands?

Generic Avatar · Post by **Generic Avatar** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 10:12 pm

Kerry Skydancer wrote:Not the flamethrower variant, but if it's iron-based, just accelerate the rusting. A suddenly rusted-through bracket ought to be just about right for messing it up.

Quentin is not so hot as a magic user. Even if the Rac'conan understand that rusting is really just metal slowly "burning" and succeptable to the fast burning spell, the metal bracket holding the crystal may not appreciably rust. After all, it's been in a presumably humid environment for some 3 centuries now.

Besides, would the lux from a spell reach the metal bracket before the rat wight horde ate it?

I guess we'll have to wait and see what goodies Quentin has stowed away in his back pack. Presumably there's a hammer of some sort...

Sharuuk · Post by **Sharuuk** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 10:59 pm

I think Capt. John Sheridan (Babylon 5) stated it best to Kosh about his dying if he went to Za'ha Doom.

"Then I will die. But I will not die easily, and I will not die alone!"

I believe this mindset is what allows some warriors to survive incredible odds in battle.

"I stand before you bloodied but not bowed.....never bowed."

*Iron Fist to "The August Personage in Jade"*

Shaaruuk

Kerry Skydancer · Post by **Kerry Skydancer** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 10:59 pm

Or not. Gah, how do you do it, Ralph? Five cliffhangers in a row!

Genius... sheer genius. And yet we know he survives, 'cause he's the narrator at some point in the indeterminate future. I'm wondering if we'll eventually find out how old he is as narrator... I'm picturing him chatting with his great-grandkits, explaining all the trophies on his wall.

Tbolt · Post by **Tbolt** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 11:16 pm

Sharuuk wrote:

I believe this mindset is what allows some warriors to survive incredible odds in battle.

That reminds me: WWII, Gen. McAuliffe to the german commander demanding his surrender at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge:

Nuts!

I believe Gen. Patton's reply was something to the tune of:

There's a man worth saving!

He then followed this up by plowing through some rather horrible weather and a more than a few German divisions.

SolidusRaccoon · Post by **SolidusRaccoon** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 9:17 am

Kerry Skydancer wrote:Or not. Gah, how do you do it, Ralph? Five cliffhangers in a row!

Genius... sheer genius. And yet we know he survives, 'cause he's the narrator at some point in the indeterminate future. I'm wondering if we'll eventually find out how old he is as narrator... I'm picturing him chatting with his great-grandkits, explaining all the trophies on his wall.

Oh the suspense is killing us.

Dalak Lutra · Post by **Dalak Lutra** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 11:16 am

Oooooo Another thought...Squidge comes back and helps Quentyn fight off the "shadow rats"(as Quentyn calls them in the latest comic strip). You know Quentyn didn't give squidge his promissed shinny object. Also I don't think Squidge would just run off as Quentyn told him to, after he knows that what ever was behind the door was pure evil and Quentyn planned on marching right in. What kind of a person would leave a friend right in their dire time of need?

Sharuuk · Post by **Sharuuk** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 12:11 pm

I think that Squidge is basically a coward even with the success of the scare in the earlier tunnels.

Shaaruuk

UncleMonty · Post by **UncleMonty** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 2:31 pm

I hope Squidge went back to the Millfolk's home just as fast as he could scurry!

If Squidge gets back with the information Quentyn gave him, then the Millfolks, the guard, the Artificers, and the lux-mages will know where Quentyn is and what he is doing (minus the rat-king). That could make this a "Then the cavalry came to the rescue" storyline. There's one ending that'd fit the scenario, anyway: Quentyn manages to destroy the Rat King, and then the troops arrive to clean up the mess and pull his chewed-up self out of there... I can't begin to guess whether the shadow rats stay around when their king is dead...

Up to now, Quentyn's had to do everything pretty much by himself, with a few gadgets. He could use a little backup just about now.
Each trial he's put through seems to show another stage of personal growth.
Hmmm...

Dapple · Post by **Dapple** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 3:02 pm

O man

Time to prove what he is made of.

BBlalock · Post by **BBlalock** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 4:32 pm

UncleMonty wrote:---snip---
Up to now, Quentyn's had to do everything pretty much by himself, with a few gadgets. He could use a little backup just about now.
Each trial he's put through seems to show another stage of personal growth.
Hmmm...

Backup is on the way. His sword is gonna get there if it has to drag the test fixture through a structural wall.

Quentyn probably has something in mind to use lux for, and his sword might just be able to provide a bit.

It could also do a good job of showing that wagon full of mages where he is.