Since I don’t own copies of the Dragonlance or Spelljammer comics, this entry marks the end of my 1990s D&D comics. While there were other D&D comics over the years, it would take two full editions of the game before a licensed comic struck my fancy as much as the gang at Selûne’s Smile and the crew of the Realms Master did.

So let’s dive into one final adventure with our intrepid crew and see how the story ends for Dwalimor Omen and his faithful companions.

A Party and a Funeral

We begin the story with Agrivar hiding in a tree.

I like to see a return to normalcy in the Agrivar/Ishi relationship. Also, it’s a very minor thing, but I enjoy the way the crew changes clothes and hair styles here and there. It makes them feel more organic rather than having a uniform of sorts that they need to keep on for marketing purposes.

We also have Tashira, one of the militant elven followers of Labelas from our last adventure, with the group.

The crew is performing a funeral of sorts for the now-destroyed Realms Master, mourning it while also celebrating their survival. Dwalimor performs the honors by lighting a model of the ship ablaze with a pyrotechnics spell. However, a certain uninvited guest intrudes…

Yes, Labelas Enoreth has escaped the Demiplane of Fear and returned to pester Vartan once again. However, he seeks to make amends…will the crew accept his apology?

A God’s Penance

Labelas freezes time so he can speak directly with Vartan. He explains his behavior during the Avatar Crisis as a fit of madness caused by the stripping of his divinity.

Labelas offers Vartan a wish of his choice to make up for the problems he caused. But the god hasn’t changed all that much; when Vartan asks what he’ll do for his companions, Labelas answers, “They are not elves, Vartan. Let them petition their own gods for all the good it will do.”

That’s the wrong answer. Vartan, who began this series looking down upon all non-elves, has changed even if Labelas hasn’t.

So the god’s task is before him. To earn the faith of his chosen again, he needs to grant the wishes of Vartan’s friends.

In Search of Wishes

Labelas begins his quest for penance with Agrivar, seeking to undo the alcoholism that he re-inflicted upon the struggling paladin.

Agrivar, however, is not willing to have his troubles undone with a wave of a god’s hand.

This is the type of stuff I love from paladins. I’m not big on the preachy gospel-warrior types, but it feels very satisfying when a paladin has to put their integrity to the test and passes. For Agrivar to be the man he aspires to be, he has to beat his alcoholism on his own.

Slightly crestfallen, Labelas turns to someone else: Foxy. After all, the halfling surely wouldn’t turn down a gift, would he?

Unfortunately, Labelas lets slip that Agrivar turned him down.

I love that Foxy recognizes his own foolishness and uses Agrivar as a guide even though the halfling had to bail the paladin out in their last adventure.

Labelas practically begs Vartan not to hold him to their agreement when it comes to Minder, as she is a dwarven spirit, but Vartan insists. And, predictably, the god strikes out again.

But Minder does make one request from the god: help Dwalimor. Although the interaction takes place within Minder’s mind, Omen is sitting at a table nearby because he is never far from Minder’s thoughts and prayers.

Omen’s Wish

Dwalimor is in a dark place. After years of fighting the inevitable, he has finally chosen to accept death and asks Labelas if he can send him along his way. This is something the god can’t do, because it would violate his oath to cause no harm to the mortals.

Labelas brings Dwalimor to Halruaa and finds his old love Gabriella is keeping vigil over the badly wounded Alistair Grimwald, whom Captain Omen defeated back in “Triangles.” Gabriella lashes out with her spells, and the two former lovers duel with their magic. It seems harsh to solve problems with lightning bolts and conjured elementals, but that’s just how the realm of Halruaa works. The place is ruled by powerful wizards who hold absolute dominion over their land, so they don’t think in small (or practical) terms.

Dwalimor, though, is out of shape after the rigors he’s been through. He collapses midway through the duel, causing Gabriella to panic.

With closure at last, Dwalimor asks Labelas to take him home. This perplexes Labelas, who considered Halruaa the wizard’s home. But, as Dwalimor says, “Home is where my friends are, and that is back at that little inn, watching the fireworks.” Thus he rescinds his wish, and Labelas’ bargain remains unfilled.

A Lesson Learned

Labelas has one last companion to serve: Ishi, whom he previously threatened to sexually assault. The shame is enough to keep the god from even approaching her. More importantly, though, he sees that he doesn’t have anything to offer her; she’s the most obviously happy of the crew in that moment.

And that, the one panel with Agrivar’s arm around Ishi’s shoulders, is the culmination of the long romantic arc between the two warriors. It’s just beautiful–simple and clear, with the two sharing a moment of affection after all they’ve been through. Chas Truog on pencils and Dave Simons on inks really nail her expression, too. She looks so very content and loved.

Labelas feels that he’s failed, but Vartan correct shim.

Labelas offers Vartan to return as his chosen, but the elf declines. He doesn’t hate his god anymore, but he also doesn’t fully trust him. That road, like the vices and failings that the Realms Master crew must overcome, is long but worth it.

Labelas returns to his domain, hoping to one day fully redeem himself by earning back Vartan’s faith. The crew gets a good night’s sleep, and our story–and series–ends on a touching note.

This tale is just so, so good. While I also liked the ending of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons comic, this one gets a 10 out of 10 for sticking the landing. It delves into the hearts of each of our heroes and shows how they’ve changed over the stories we’ve read. All the changes feel organic, and the happy ending was truly earned.

Overall, I’m sad that DC Comics’ run with the D&D license came to such an abrupt ending, but I’m very happy that they put so much care and love into our final scenes with these characters.

_{Images: DC Comics}