Seeing as how I'm bored and it will be a few more hours till I can go to sleep, I decided to write a post about The Bard, aka Gildward III. Besides it might distract Daryl from the potential danger Gildward is in long enough to keep her from strangling poor Webby before he can finish the current story line. Also various thoughts on the current story line at the end.

The first appearance of The Bard was in this strip:
http://www.fuzzyfur.net/DSOS/adv/sarch.cgi?25

Simply entitled "Bard" it is shortly after Drecker joins. In it the Bard introduces him self as "a bard" and it establishes his negative defense stat as The Bard collapses when Drecker pokes him.

The next appearance of The Bard is here:
http://www.fuzzyfur.net/DSOS/adv/sarch.cgi?34

Entitled "The Bard Returns", The Bard shows up and offers to battle a low-exp monster for them. Naturally he gets mauled, though apparently his level has improved since he didn't collapse where he stood.

The third appearance of The Bard is located here:
http://www.fuzzyfur.net/DSOS/adv/sarch.cgi?49

The strip is entitled "Nooooooo!". In the last two panels The Bard gets hauled off by a monster only to return fine later.

The fourth appearance:
http://www.fuzzyfur.net/DSOS/adv/sarch.cgi?109

The strip is "Bard's Tale". In it The Bard tries to talk Karn into letting him join. He exaggerates a "little" but the strip ends for the first time without him getting mauled.

Fifth appearance:
http://www.fuzzyfur.net/DSOS/adv/sarch.cgi?135

The strip is "Music Attack" and is after Karashi has joined. In it The Bard is hanging around the party playing his harp. Karashi asks if he is always this bad. Karn answers "'course he is! How else could he damage enemies?" Again He does not get mauled.

Sixth appearance:
http://www.fuzzyfur.net/DSOS/adv/sarch.cgi?178

The strip is part of the Eternion Saga, subtitled "Melody of Finite". Bard comes across the battle between Eternity and Khrima as Eternity is about to win. The Bard's playing causes harm to Eternity.

Seventh time Bard is in a strip:
http://www.fuzzyfur.net/DSOS/adv/sarch.cgi?179

Strip is "Hammer Time", Eternity prepares to destroy the Bard to stop the effects of the Melody of Finite (Did the bard even know he was playing this?) Bard realizes the danger to himself and hightails it. Meanwhile Khrima breaks out the Overly Large Mallet of Extreme Pain.

Bard is referenced in:
http://www.fuzzyfur.net/DSOS/adv/sarch.cgi?181
http://www.fuzzyfur.net/DSOS/adv/sarch.cgi?182

These are the wrap up of the Eternion Saga. Not much said, Bard is given credit for being useful for the first time. Notice the new trend of the Bard not getting mauled?

The next time The Bard appears is in the current story line, strips:
http://www.fuzzyfur.net/DSOS/adv/sarch.cgi?229
http://www.fuzzyfur.net/DSOS/adv/sarch.cgi?230
http://www.fuzzyfur.net/DSOS/adv/sarch.cgi?231
http://www.fuzzyfur.net/DSOS/adv/sarch.cgi?232

Karashi receives a love letter from Gildward. Seeing as how the Bard never joined the party, he hasn't had a name till now so they don't realize its him. Gildward shows up for the same reason as Karashi: to let the other down. They don't get very far in doing so before they realize they've been tricked. Shadowy figure sings/plays the Song of Sleep, Karashi and Gildward head off to dream land while shadowy figure laughs. And so we come to the present.

A few other comments.

Gildward is definitely not an NPC:
http://www.fuzzyfur.net/DSOS/adv/sarch.cgi?162

NPC's fair far better than he has.

A shop is selling harp strings:
http://www.fuzzyfur.net/DSOS/adv/sarch.cgi?223

Karn worries that the gun's being sold indicates a missing character. He doesn't comment on the harps or robot attachments because of the Bard and KEDS5K.

The party has a piano they aren't using:
http://www.fuzzyfur.net/DSOS/adv/sarch.cgi?128

Perhaps Gildward can play the piano better than the harp?

Also, Gildward has not gotten beat up recently. He's made himself useful. He is apparently a bit quicker on the uptake than Karn is.

Now for my commentary on the current storyline.

First, I believe it is Eternion in the background. The outline fits him, and he would have reason to want Gildward out cold. Besides, Webby said that he had another Eternion storyline coming up. For those of you who wonder where/when he said this, you really should visit the chat more often.

Second, for Beh who says that the Bard is not named Gildward, Web is lazy. He doesn't come up with names for characters for as long as he can. He has admitted this on several occasions. Webby simply finally got around to making up a name for the Bard. Maybe that means that the Gildward will officially be joining the party this storyline?

Third, for Bob, I doubt Khrima is that good of a singer. Eternion on the other hand, has had ages to learn such a basic song. Or maybe it is an unknown bard.

Wow, I just wrote a huge post entirely on the Bard out of sheer boredom and lack of sleepyness. I guess Daryl is starting to rub off on me. Hmm come to think of it, maybe reminding Daryl of past harm done to Gildward was a bad idea for how to distract her from plotting against Webby should he harm Gildward.

Hmm, I think it is a forum rule that the longest posts rarely have much to do with the original post for long.

What's with the sudden influx of newbie posters? Did someone link the sight or did the current storyline inspire them to post? Oh well, Hello and welcome all newbies!

I'm just rambling at this point, I think I'll hit post now...

Krono
"Sleep deprived is relative."

My guess is people aren't as driven away from the forum by the crazy battlers.

The Rabbit! ITS THE RABBIT I TELL YA! Their Evil! EVIL! The Only Bad Guy Smart Enough To Set Up Karashi Has To Be That Evil Rabbit! How Else Do You Think He Could Have Beaten Khrima In The Polls Without Even Running? Because He's PURE EVIL! BAD EVIL RABBIT! BAD BAD BAD RABBIT!

=Liquid-X=
"THE RABBIT! ITS THE RABBIT!!!"

SYE: "Silence, you fool!"

SYE: "But I just realized if the shadowy figure in the background is Eternion (and the hair looks the part) and this same shadowy figure is playing a song, Eternion must be a ba--"

SYE shoots SYE

SYE: "Thank spoony I stopped him in tim--*thud*"

the mystery bard wasnt speaking in Coppertone Bold font, eternion's tradmark.

Again it's a theory. Maybe a younger, useless brother who can sing and play music? Or just some guy he met once.


One has to wonder where they get lackeys from.

Ever since Lackeys-for-hire went broke due to competition from the Union-of-baddies things haven't been the same

Todays quotes:

I'm not afraid of dreams.
and
You are too dangerous. You must be eliminated!
and
I shall terminate your program.

My bet is that somehow Daryl infiltrated the comic strip and set this all up so she can abduct (rescue?) the bard from the rest of the Adventurers! gang.

Look at it and it all makes sense. The music that can put out both a trained bard and a skilled ninja. Plus, who else besides Eternion really has a reason to bring the bard there.

It's been established that he's a horrible bard, and he just happened to know the melody of finite instead of studying to learn it and what it does.

...wouldn't something like the Melody of Finite be very advanced? It's quite possible to be a trained bard and still not know it.

And my proof that he is a trained bard is that he has the mythical harp Muscaliper. I doubt that an untrained bard would be able to find it, let alone wield it.

So, not Eternion, at least not directly. Unknown bard Dirlend. Bard is named Gildward. And Gildward gets an actual past. Daryl is going to be happy, a bardic villian...

Krono
"Sanity is relative."

Bwaha

AN EVIL BARD!! WAI WAI WAI WAI!!!!!!!!!

Daryl dances the night awaaaaaayyyyyyyy

--Darylohki the dancin' bardic demi-goddess! "I'm GETTIN SOME NEW ACOLYTES!!"

Come off it, Daryl. Geez, this entire comic has been barded up beyond belief . . .

Lord Valen of Dischord, Last of the Bard Hunters

Okey, Gildwart's name parodies Gilbert/Edward, but what about Dirlend?
Is that just a made-up name or is there a gap in my wide RPG knowledge?

Yeah, I'd say there's a gap in you RPG knowledge. Darland is almost exactly like Garland. First boss of FF1 and a character in FF9, the game of 1000 named NPCs (Disclaimer: FF9 may or may not have 1000 named NPCs, but it certainly does have many more than normal)

But the Bard's name is Dirlend.

Now uh... is it just me, or are Gilward and Karashi chained up in Construction Paper manacles?

"See how I have my arms?"

Btw noticed how this bard's pretty heroic... youd think he woulndt be when he's so weak

The brave die young?

Just getting into perspective here.

Todays quotes:

I'm not afraid of dreams.
and
You are too dangerous. You must be eliminated!
and
I shall terminate your program.

The bard is the least used of the regular charictors. And the most made fun of. how is that barded up?

Well, actually, the robot is used a lot less - he hasn't gotten his own story arc yet

And Valen seems to be somewhat paranoid in regards to bards. Hey, I made something rhyme, sorta! :P

KILL
DESTROY

Maim, destroy, kill, crush


In that order :-p

Todays quotes:

I'm not afraid of dreams.
and
You are too dangerous. You must be eliminated!
and
I shall terminate your program.