Redcloak convinces the rest of the team that Tsukiko was using the ritulal to force Xykon to love her. The only person who is upset about Tsukiko's death is the Monster, who comments that she just wanted to be loved. Redcloak, the Monster, and Xykon set out for Windy Canyon. Before going though, Xykon sets out to hide the (fake) phylactery in a fortress he had been working on in the Astral Plane, a location that the Monster's oddly familiar with. They leave Jirix in charge of the city. Upon their departure, Jirix takes an oppurtunity to brutally squish one of the Demon-Roaches.
Cast[]
Transcript[]
- Panel 1, Page 1
Jirix: WHAT?? But she’s—she was—
Redcloak: She broke into my personal study while I was out getting the phylactery, looking for something and ranting like a lunatic.
Redcloak: So I fed her to her own wights. I didn’t think it was a big
deal.
Demon-Roach #1: Guess they were hungry.
Demon-Roach #2: They had theurge for a snack!
- Panel 2, Page 1
Xykon: You don’t say.
Redcloak: And she kept waiving around this copy of your half of the Gate Ritual. Seemed excited about it.
Redcloak: You don’t know anything about how she got her hands on it, do you?
- Panel 3, Page 1
Xykon: …
Xykon: No.
Redcloak: Huh, Weird.
- Panel 4, Page 1
Jirix: Wait—Tsukiko could cast both arcane and divine spells, right? If she stole Xykon’s ritual…you don’t think she was looking for the divine half in your study?
Jirix: You know, so she could cast the whole thing by herself?
Xykon: A coup? I didn’t think the little minx had it in her…
Redcloak: Now that you mention it…she did say something about having finally found a way to force Xykon to love her.
- Panel 5, Page 1
Redcloak: In fact, she was very explicit about what she would make him do to her, starting with—
Xykon: OK, OK! Enough! Take it to the fanfiction sites!
- Panel 6, Page 1
Xykon: If you had to smoke her, you had to smoke her. Hell knows I’ve had occasion to off an uppity minion in my day.
Xykon: Cost of doing business.
Xykon: We travel light, then. You, me, and the thing in the shadows.
Monster in the Darkness:*sigh*
Demon-Roach #1: What’s your problem?
Monster in the Darkness: Dunno, I’m just really sad now, thinking about Tsukiko. She just wanted to be loved.
- Panel 7, Page 1
Demon-Roach #1: So what? Who cares?
Monster in the Darkness: Exactly. That’s why I’m sad.
- Panel 8, Page 1
Redcloak: To the Windy Canyon, then. Jirix, we’ll contact you when—
Xykon: Not so fast, Cyclops. We need to make a pit stop on the Astral Plane first.
Redcloak: Huh? Why?
- Panel 1, Page 2
Flashback to Xykon in the Astral Plane flying towards a spherical fortress with towers projecting in all directions.
Xykon (inset): I built a fortress-tomb-thingie there. Where do you think I’ve been these last few weeks?
Xykon (inset): Now that I’ve got my phylactery back, I’m gonna hide it in there behind an hundred spells and traps and whatever.
Xykon (inset): Not only will no one be able to find it or gain
entrance, but it’ll alert me magically if anyone tries. It’s a totally
sweet set-up.
- Panel 2, Page 2
Xykon grabs the phylactery box with a "snatch!"
Xykon: You didn’t think I was going to let YOU keep carrying it, did you?
Redcloak: No.
Redcloak: No, I definitely did not.
- Panel 3, Page 2
Xykon: Alright then. I’ve got a bunch of scrolls to fire off, and then a list of cleric spells I’m going to need you to prepare and cast on the joint.
Redcloak: Gate.
Xykon: When those are done, it’s Desert Ahoy.
Monster in the Darkness: Really? Can I have a fudge—
Xykon: DESERT. With ONE “s”.
- Panel 4, Page 2
The Team, except Jirix and one of the cockroaches proceed towards the gate to the Astral Plane that Redcloak opened.
Demon-Roach #1: Remember to dress warmly!
Demon-Roach #2: We’ll write every day!
Jirix: We should have no trouble now that the rebels have been eliminated.
Redcloak: As I was saying before, I’ll contact you when we’ve established control of Girard’s Gate.
Jirix: Good luck, Supreme Leader.
Redcloak: To you as well.
Monster in the Darkness: Oooo! I love the Astral Plane! It’s so silvery and weightless!
Xykon: When the hell were YOU ever on the Astral Plane?
Monster in the Darkness: …I don’t remember. Maybe I wasn’t?
- Panel 5, Page 2
Demon-Roach #1: This must be great for you!
Demon-Roach #1: At last, a chance to really whip this place into shape without all of the…
The gate to the Astral Plane closes.
- Panel 6, Page 2
Jirix looks down at the demon cockroach in anger.
Demon-Roach #1: …distractions.
- Panel 7, Page 2
Jirix steps on the demon cockroach with a "SQLLCKQTH!"
D&D Context[]
- The Astral Plane is one of the Outer Planes, and connects the Outer Planes to the Prime Material Plane. In it, people are weightless and move by the power of thought. Few creatures are native to the Astral plane.
- Gate is a 9th level spell which creates an interdimensional connection between two planes of existence.
Trivia[]
- The fact that the MitD may have been to the Astral Plane is a clue to what type of monster he is.
- This is the second to last appearance of Jirix in the comics thus far, and the last in real life. His only later appearance is in Roy's dream phantasm in #887.
- Gods are aware of the existence of Xykon's secret astral fortress as confirmed by Thor in #1137.