The battle between Durkon and Malack continues. Malack is forced to withdraw using his gaseous form after absorbing a Heal spell. Durkon uses the respite to Remove Paralysis on Belkar, only to find Belkar has been Dominated by Malack's Vampire Gaze. He spends more precious spell slots re-establishing the paralysis and healing himself.
Cast[]
- Belkar Bitterleaf (also charmed) ◀ ▶
- Durkon Thundershield ◀ ▶
- Mr. Scruffy ◀ ▶
- Malack (dominating, gaseous, and as vampire) ◀ ▶
- Thor ◀ ▶
- Hel ◀ ▶
- A Dwarf's Soul
Transcript[]
- Panel 1
Durkon: Surrender, Malack.
Malack: So you can destroy me?
Durkon: So I can Resurrect ye. I'm sure tha livin' Malack would—
- Panel 2
Malack takes gaseous form.
Malack: I had a different name when I was alive—200 years ago.
Malack: I was the ignorant barbarian shaman of a tribe that no longer exists.
- Panel 3
Malack: Bringing me back to life is just a complicated way of annihilating the person I am today.
Malack: Save your diamond dust and stake me instead.
- Panel 4
Durkon: If'n ye get back here, I can arrange tha fer ye!
Durkon: ...
Durkon: Malack? Crud.
- Panel 5
Durkon runs to Belkar
Durkkon E's either gone ta heal his wounds, or ta fetch tha rest o' the Guild.
Durkon: We gotta get back ta Roy either way.
- Panel 6
Durkon casts on Belkar while Malack can be seen hanging from the ceiling in the shadows down a corridor.
Durkon: Remove Paralysis.
- Panel 7
Belkars eyes are red spirals. He stabs Durkon with both his daggers, "SHTHUNK! SHTHUNK!"
- Panel 8
Durkon: Hold Person!!
Belkar is once again paralyzed.
- Panel 9
Malack: You don't spend time with a general of Tarquin's calibre without learning a few things about attrition.
Durkon (off-panel): Cure Critical Wounds.
Malack: Your three spells spent to my vampiric gaze—
Malack: —which is unlimited, even if it only works on the weak-willed.
Malack: (Harm.)
- Panel 10
Durkon: Weak-willed…Och, tha describes half tha party.
Durkon: I dinnae suppose ye can fetch just Roy fer me, kitty?
Mr. Scruffy: Meow?
- Panel 11
Durkon: Nay…I cannae risk any o'em gettin' dominated or vamped.
Durkon: Cure Moderate Wounds.
Durkon: Thor, if'n ye have any ideas on how ta beat this vampire by meself witout losin' any o' me friends, I'm listenin'.
Durkon: …Thor?
- Panel 12
Cut away to Hell, where Hel and Thor argue over the fate of a dwarf in the afterlife.
Hel: Infection! She's mine!
Thor: From a splinter that she got bravely fighting an elm!
Hel: Trees are inanimate plants, you buffoon!
Thor: Bravery knows no limits!!
D&D Context[]
- Transforming into gaseous form is a special ability of vampires.
- Diamond dust is a material component of the Resurrection spell.
- Malack pointing out that he died and was vampirized 200 years ago is relevant in that Resurrection has a limit of ten years per caster level. Only a level 20 or higher caster would have even a chance of bringing back Malack as he once was.
- Remove Paralysis is a 2nd level spell that works as advertised.
- Hold Person is a 2nd level spell that paralyzes its target for up to 1 round/level.
- Cure Critical Wounds is a 4th level spell that heals 4d8+1/level hp.
- Harm does 10 points/level (120 hp for Malack) damage, or for undead like Malack, heals them the same amount.
- Cure Moderate Wounds is a 2nd level spell that heals 2d8+1/level hp.
Trivia[]
- Thor and Hel arguing over whether a dwarf died with honor or not (and thus ends up in Valhalla or Hell) is a running gag from #737, as well as the running gag about Thor not hearing Durkon, and the running gag about dwarves being afraid of trees.
- As is revealed in Utterly Dwarfed, Malack's assertion that killing him and raising him would just be killing who he is now is not mere pontificating but the straight truth due to how Vamipres work in Order of the Stick. The truth of this assertion was a only revealed later.[1]
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ Comic #982, "Respirate in Peace"