Tarquin expects to outbluff Elan and manage to keep doing his things and be loved by Elan. He nearly managed.
Cast[]
Transcript[]
- Panel 1, Page 1
Elan: Tyrinaria?? Did you just say, "Tyrinaria"??
Tarquin: Hmm? Oh, yeah, I worked that one with Miron. We switch partners every once in a while, just to keep things fresh.
- Panel 2, Page 1
Flashback to Tarquin and Miron with Lord Tyrinar the Bloody
Elan (inset): Then...Lord Tyrinar the Bloody was—
Tarquin (inset): —a whiny little toad who never stopped complaining.
Tyrinar: No, I'm just saying, if I'm the king here, shouldn't I have some say in what happens?
Tyrinar: Also, couldn't we change my epithet to something more like, "Lord Tyrinar the Responsible?"
Tyrinar: Have we considered a more democratic form of government?
- Panel 3, Page 1
Tarquin: I mean, you'd think he'd be more grateful, we made him king for 11 months.
Tarquin: Though I will say that seeing the look on his face when the Empress ate him made it all worthwhile.
- Panel 4, Page 1
Elan: Dad, do you...Do you ever ransom prisoners? For money?
Tarquin: Sure, sometimes. If they're no fun in the arena and we think they have family that can afford it.
Tarquin: Why do you ask?
- Panel 5, Page 1
Elan: I think you may be holding Haley's—
Tarquin: Oh! Hold that thought, Son, I think your surprise is almost ready!
- Panel 6, Page 1
Elan: —dad. Dad! Please listen, this is important. Wherever Tyrinaria used to be, there may be a prisoner—
Tarquin: This was Tyrinaria, Elan. Bleedingham was named "Terrorburg" and was the capital of Tyrinaria.
Tarquin: But I don't see how that's important right now.
- Panel 7, Page 1
Elan: No, Dad, listen to me! I know that you're trying to do what you think is right, but this conquest scheme is a terrible idea.
Elan: You need to stop. There are better ways to make peace than by forcing all people to live in the same mushed-up country together.
- Panel 8, Page 1
Elan: I know all about trying to help and then accidentally making things worse.
Elan: I had this friend, and she worked for a bad man, and I tried really hard to help her. And in the end, I kinda think I got her killed.
Elan: And once, I blew up this gate that turns out I shouldn't have.
Elan: And I almost got a friend sacrificed to a hand puppet one time.
- Panel 9, Page 1
Elan: So I guess the point is, I really understand how hard it is to judge what the best—
Tarquin: Look! Look, Elan! Out there!
Tarquin: There it is!
- Panel 10, Page 1
30 yellow lights on a mountain form "Elan"
Tarquin: That's your surprise! Welcome home, Son.
- Panel 1, Page 2
Elan: Wow, Dad... that is pretty cool.
Tarquin: I did that for you, Elan.
- Panel 2, Page 2
Tarquin: The whole parade, everything I do now is for you. I love you, Son.
Tarquin: I should never have left you behind. All I can do is try to make it up to you.
Tarquin: I know you need to complete your little quest, but I hope that when you return, you'll stay for good. I have such plans for us.
- Panel 3, Page 2
Elan: Dad...I... I love you, too, Dad.
Elan: But this war thing that you're doing, it's—
Tarquin: Shhhhh. We can talk about politics later. Give your old man a hug.
- Panel 4, Page 2
Elan and Tarquin hug
- Panel 5, Page 2
Elan and Tarquin stand next to each other, happy
- Panel 6, Page 2
Tarquin: I can't believe they pulled it off, you know.
Elan: The light show?
Tarquin: Yeah.
- Panel 7, Page 2
Tarquin: I mean, the prefects only informed me about the escaped palace slaves around dusk.
Tarquin: My men had to get out to the mountains, recapture them, nail them into position, and then get the oil out there in time to light the rebellious little pricks on fire in unison.
- Panel 8, Page 2
Tarquin: It's really pretty impressive, logistics-wise, when you think about it.
- Panel 9, Page 2
Elan looks stunned
- Panel 10, Page 2
Flashback to drunken Haley from #747.
Haley: What the heck is it going to take for you to see that your dad is bad news?
Haley: Do you need, like 200-foot-tall flaming letters or something?
- Panel 11, Page 2
Elan is horrified
Trivia[]
- In the first panel, Tarquin reveals that one of the members of his party, the Vector Legion, is Miron Shewdanker. Miron was the Chancellor of Tyrinaria and sent Haley a ransom note demanding 200,000 gold pieces for the release of Ian Starshine, Haley's father, in #131, Money Makes the World Go Round.
- In page 1, panel 8, Elan refers to several times when he believes he failed:
- Therkla was killed by Kubota after having a change of heart and helping Elan in #593.
- Elan activated the self-destruct rune which destroyed Dorukan's Gate in #118
- Elan almost allows Lien to be sacrificed on the altar of Banjo the Clown in #557.
- The thirty slaves crucified and burned at the stake on the mountain to form Elan's name are most likely the same slaves freed by Haley and Vaarsuvius earlier that same day in #750.
- The title answers Haley's question from the flashback to #747 in page 2, panel 10.
- This is the only appearance of Tyrinar, Lord of Tyrinaria.