The Order of the Stick Megathread

[Aerozord]

yea that plan might be needlessly complicated, but you have to be smart to think of it. I mean Elan most likely doesn'teven know what a prime number is

[Nuklear Waste]

I would say they all have above-average intelligence (Tarquin's gambit with V; Nale and his mother's plans seem to indicate high Int but low Wis), with Elan's potential being forever lost due to brain damage.

[tacticslion]

Originally Posted by Nuklear Waste

I would say they all have above-average intelligence (Tarquin's gambit with V; Nale and his mother's plans seem to indicate high Int but low Wis), with Elan's potential being forever lost due to brain damage.

I'm not entirely certain of the accuracy of that flash-back, as we see Nale there with chin-hair... in daipers. Not impossible, maybe... but suspect. I'm thinking that was their imagination rather than literal recall. Perhaps even just Elan's or just Nale's.

[Nuklear Waste]

Originally Posted by tacticslion

I'm not entirely certain of the accuracy of that flash-back, as we see Nale there with chin-hair... in daipers.

But Nale had a goatee as a toddler as well, as seen in the latest strip.

[tacticslion]

Originally Posted by Nuklear Waste

But Nale had a goatee as a toddler as well, as seen in the latest strip.

I suppose you're right. Again, it could just be Elan imagining what he hears, but... I'm one to admit defeat when I see it! It does indeed seem that Elan suffered brain damage from Nale's slaps as toddlers. Which begs the question... where did Nale's (seemingly overwhelming) cruelty streak come from? The General doesn't seem cruel, the mother doesn't seem cruel, but Nale seems to have inherited the general's "villainy" (alignment) and the mother's "intelligence", but neither of those point toward the apparent "cruel" streak that he seems to have evinced since birth.

[Jagos]

That's probably more to do with Elan's environment.

And if we ever get Sabine's backstory, I'm sure it'll point to him already being apt for it.

[tacticslion]

Originally Posted by Jagos

That's probably more to do with Elan's environment.

And if we ever get Sabine's backstory, I'm sure it'll point to him already being apt for it.

Well, that's kind of what I mean: where the cruelty, specifically? If Sabine affected Nale, why was he (the implication is repeatedly) slapping his brother in the head when they were little? Why was Nale - before most environmental factors could influence him that heavily - so sadistic? I suppose it could just be the General's apparent overly high arrogance mixed with the intelligence to realize his own capability, but I'm not certain that would fully explain it. Of course, it could just be a non-parental character trait. Those do happen... (or do they...?!*)

*Yes, yes they do.*Or do they?!*They totally do, although not so often in comics.

[Si Civa]

Nale is the evil twin! It's storytelling gene which just happens to run in their family.

'Cause it's not that hard people.

[Nuklear Waste]

Panel 5 of #725, to me, suggests that Nale, much like Xykon, has simply chosen to be cruel and petty from the get-go. No genetics, no tragic backstory. Just a jerk, plain and simple.

[Meister]

New episode.

Wish there was more to say about it but it's really just a new episode. With boob jokes.