Murphy's Law 5: To Comic 100...And Beyond!

[Symmys]

Janine, Janine, whatever are we going to do with you?

[Silverraptor]

I wonder of Serrin would be so fond of Tia if she knew what the girl was capable of. I wonder especially what would happen if Serrin met Deirdre...

NO!
Just... No.
(cuddles Serrin protectively)

Okay, Tia I know about vaguely. But who is Deirdre? By Lix's reaction, it must be someone bad.

[Lix Lorn]

Tia after the most impressive Break The Cutie ever.

[Eleanor_Rigby]

Had to read through that world related fact a few times before I got it.
I can't seem to remember where Runite is particularly though: is it a state, a country or a town? I'm pretty sure Radic comes from there seeing as her dad does but otherwise I'm lost. Maybe I'd remember it better if somebody drew a map (I'd volonteer but geography is not something I'm good at and I suspect cartography isn't either!)
Would I be right in assuming that the upper and lower sections of the government both have a finite number of seats? Do you know what that number is yet?
Also, I finished another page of the cover comic. This is page three of five I'm pretty sure so I've passed the half way mark anyway. Not sure that this section really needed its own page but, hey, it made sense to me during the planning stages.

Spoiler

Show

Fullsize here: http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/...rtfirsttry.jpg

Critiques are welcomed if anybody's interested by the way, assuming that's not off topic, which I suppose it sort of is, but not very far off

PS: SilverRaptor: Assuming that you're a tropey person, the oneiroi series has a tvtropes page which probably summarises who Deirdre is reasonably well. The stories she features in are not forum appropriate so no links.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Had to read through that world related fact a few times before I got it.
I can't seem to remember where Runite is particularly though: is it a state, a country or a town? I'm pretty sure Radic comes from there seeing as her dad does but otherwise I'm lost. Maybe I'd remember it better if somebody drew a map (I'd volonteer but geography is not something I'm good at and I suspect cartography isn't either!)
Would I be right in assuming that the upper and lower sections of the government both have a finite number of seats? Do you know what that number is yet?
Also, I finished another page of the cover comic. This is page three of five I'm pretty sure so I've passed the half way mark anyway. Not sure that this section really needed its own page but, hey, it made sense to me during the planning stages.

Spoiler

Show

Fullsize here: http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/...rtfirsttry.jpg

Critiques are welcomed if anybody's interested by the way, assuming that's not off topic, which I suppose it sort of is, but not very far off

PS: SilverRaptor: Assuming that you're a tropey person, the oneiroi series has a tvtropes page which probably summarises who Deirdre is reasonably well. The stories she features in are not forum appropriate so no links.

Runite is a large mercantile city-state on the southern bit of the Kyarian Federation. It's known as the Gateway To The Southern Islands, and is a large, prosperous port city with a vibrant economy and healthy middle class. Also, Runite is one of the most tolerant places around (Relatively speaking; the Plavaan still suffer discrimination but not the the extent of other places). Geographically, it's next to the ocean and surrounded by swamps, marshes, and wetlands. Yes, there are canals in parts of Runite, but not all of Runite is crossed by canals. Basically, in this semi-medieval time period think Amsterdam at its peak in the location and climate of New Orleans. Why did I choose Amsterdam?

The picture's nice, Elanor_Rigby, but I don't really like how Janine and Lloyd look. It's the nose, mouth, and chin. (For one thing, Lloyd should have a broader chin)

Random fact: Lloyd is supposed to have Asian features, but there are slight differences among Asian nations. I see him looking more Korean. Also, even if Lloyd's hair is a bit on the long side, he keeps it very neat.

[Marnath]

Random fact: Lloyd is supposed to have Asian features, but there are slight differences among Asian nations. I see him looking more Korean. Also, even if Lloyd's hair is a bit on the long side, he keeps it very neat.

Oh? It's not like we can tell that from the stick figure. I didn't know that.
As to his hair being neat.. It sure looks unkempt to me, the way it sticks up every which way.

[Lord Raziere]

And then they send thirty paladins to hunt you down for causing so much damage. Doesn't matter that it was their own rabid intolerance, or that they actually did the damage.

aaaah, don't you just love trickery? people in armor aren't really good at getting up, I heard that paladins have low reflex saves, spread a few bananas around, all fall, doodle some faces on them, then go on your merry way to steal a horse, get a flag, paint it, then ride full speed through every town you see with the words "PLAVAAN FREEDOM!" flapping in the wind for all to see while you blow a horn that alerts all to your presence while laughing at the top of your voice at peoples dumbstruck expressions or their masks of rage. man some people take life way too seriously! maybe I should paint graffiti on the king's castle next, like a kobold and human lovers kissing to a romantic sunset!

huh? morality? what does morality have to do with this? I'm having WAY too much fun!

[Strife Warzeal]

Asta predicted Lloyd's sexuality, apparently, as per his pairing listed on the front page.

Stuff by Asta Kask

Spoiler

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Lloyd looked at the other warrior. He was everything Lloyd admired in a man - self-confident, experienced, tough... yet there was a touch of sadness around him. A feeling that things weren't the way they were supposed to be.

"So, you've been adventuring with these for how long?"

"Oh, we're just starting out. We're looking for a dragon."

The other warrior nodded. He asked a few more questions, and without really knowing how it happened Lloyd suddenly realized he had told the other warrior much more than he intended. Even about Janine...

"I mean, it's like all she wants is sex. Yeah, that's important, but I want something more than that. I want a relationship, and it feels like she'll just go off in search of the next conquest five minutes after she's had me."

"Yes," said the other warrior. "I understand. But let me tell you something - I'm in a relationship with a sylph right now. She's a great girl, but being away from her for so long... you get the itch, y'know. Like this..."

The other warrior leaned over and kissed Lloyd softly on the mouth. Lloyd tensed up at first, then relaxed. He had never dreamt that being kissed by a man could be so wonderful. A whirlpool of emotions welled up inside him and drowned all thoughts of the quests, all thoughts of Janine, all thoughts...

[HalfTangible]

Asta predicted Lloyd's sexuality, apparently, as per his pairing listed on the front page.

You're accepting a fanfiction as credible.

I don't think you've read a lot of fanfics i'm pretty sure there's a Belkar/Roy's Sword pairing somewhere.

[Raging Gene Ray]

Asta predicted Lloyd's sexuality, apparently, as per his pairing listed on the front page.

Well, you know what they say about monkeys and typewriters.

[HalfTangible]

Well, you know what they say about monkeys and typewriters.

They argue better than 90% of internet shouting matches?

[Strife Warzeal]

I don't think you've read a lot of fanfics i'm pretty sure there's a Belkar/Roy's Sword pairing somewhere.

Hey! I like that one. I've read most of the pairings that were made here.

[Raging Gene Ray]

not stealth. not force. not diplomacy.

just going outside, saying "hi everyone!"

then giving them the wildest most outrageous chase ever as they demolish everything in the way trying to get to you, all the while remaining juuuuust out of reach, keeping up the chase until its at the end of the day, they are all tired and had destroyed most of the town by themselves while you haven't done anything. you smile, then walk out of town, making the mob feel silly.

And how do you think they'll vent their frustration? Either on you when you next show up (unless you were leaving town altogether) or on a few random Plavaan who had nothing to do with you. There might even be more backlash against you from your fellow Plavaan.

You just HAD to ruin it for the rest of us! Now we have to stay inside all year!

maybe I should paint graffiti on the king's castle next, like a kobold and human lovers kissing to a romantic sunset!

And a Plavaan extremist who hates humans co-opts your cause and adds a mural of Rockwell standing triumphantly on the corpse of Salblaze while spitting on a weeping Astrid. Or maybe an arms dealer who sees fanning the flames as profitable would do that.

Then again, maybe I'm just pessimistic. If I were a Plavaan in that game, I'd probably be that depressed old guy who refuses to upset the natural order not because he likes it but because bad things happen when you try to force change. I'd probably be a balding, anemic drow who alternates between staring at my shoes and into the sun.

They argue better than 90% of internet shouting matches?

No, that if you put a thousand monkeys at a thousand typewriters, one will eventually get his skinny little chum-chum wedged painfully in between the keys and another monkey will write a crack-pairing about it.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Look, let's compare the situation for the plavaan between Kago and Laria.

In Kago they've been kicked around, and lately they've been kicked out of the country and their homelands and killed if they don't leave.

In Laria they're allowed to live in relative peace and earn a living as long as they a) endure the occasional taunts and jeers of their neighbor Astridians, b) pay an annual Plavaan tax, c) live in the Plavaan section of the city (essentially a ghetto) and get back there at night, and d) stay indoors during the Day of Ascent, for their own safety versus everything else.

But they won't be kicked out or killed. You see why they don't want to rock the boat?

[Asta Kask]

Well, you know what they say about monkeys and typewriters.

Are you calling me a typewriter?

[Lord Raziere]

And how do you think they'll vent their frustration? Either on you when you next show up (unless you were leaving town altogether) or on a few random Plavaan who had nothing to do with you. There might even be more backlash against you from your fellow Plavaan.

You just HAD to ruin it for the rest of us! Now we have to stay inside all year!

so? what does this have to do with morality, I just said that was my reaction, not what I would do to overthrow racism. You guys think way too black and white, I'm over here being turquoise.

[Mina Kobold]

so? what does this have to do with morality, I just said that was my reaction, not what I would do to overthrow racism. You guys think way too black and white, I'm over here being turquoise.

I think in the colours of the magical Abbey rainbow! Weeeee!

Seriously speaking (Weee!) the point is that even if you survive the trip itself both the Astridians and the Plavaans will dislike you very much, unless they support a war (in which case they will just kill you to start it )

That, and we like Plavaan, they're cuddly :3, so we don't want more hate crimes sent their way

[leakingpen]

Are you calling me a typewriter?

That depends. DO you have monkey pounding on you?


To the author, just found this by misunderstanding the name of the post in the , most recently updated, part of the forum. ME LIKEE! Even though the art style is derivative of OOTS, you should really think about putting it up on a website.

[Marnath]

That depends. DO you have monkey pounding on you?


To the author, just found this by misunderstanding the name of the post in the , most recently updated, part of the forum. ME LIKEE! Even though the art style is derivative of OOTS, you should really think about putting it up on a website.

It's been suggested, but as a soon-to-be college student, she hasn't got time or money to use on a site that will probably get less traffic than this one anyway.

[CoffeeIncluded]

That depends. DO you have monkey pounding on you?


To the author, just found this by misunderstanding the name of the post in the , most recently updated, part of the forum. ME LIKEE! Even though the art style is derivative of OOTS, you should really think about putting it up on a website.

Thank you, Leakingpen! Although yeah, Marnath explained pretty well why I can't do that right now.

You know, I thought you'd have something more to say about the political structures and situations in Nordica right now...

[Eleanor_Rigby]

The picture's nice, Eleanor_Rigby, but I don't really like how Janine and Lloyd look. It's the nose, mouth, and chin. (For one thing, Lloyd should have a broader chin)

Random fact: Lloyd is supposed to have Asian features, but there are slight differences among Asian nations. I see him looking more Korean. Also, even if Lloyd's hair is a bit on the long side, he keeps it very neat.

So it's a good effort except I got more than 50% of both characters' faces wrong Oh well, Remus didn't inspire comments which hopefully means he was about there. I was going to give him some orange on his face but that seemed to disappear after the first few strips he was in and was gone by #24 so I figured I ought to leave him brown.
As far as the mouths go, nobody's going to have the right sort of mouth for a while yet in my drawings because mouths are something I still haven't got the hang of. Perhaps it will work out with some practice.
On the information you've given me I don't think I could really 'correct' Lloyd or Janine since for Janine all I know is she doesn't look as you imagine her and to be honest 'Korean' doesn't narrow things down for Lloyd much more than 'Asian' does for me (not because all Asians look the same but because I don't know of any particular features that are unique to any one particular nation). Are there any famous faces that you can think of that share some of Lloyd's and Janine's features? I could maybe come up with a new look for Lloyd based on what you've said but Janine's a completely blank canvas beyond black female with dark (presumably curly) hair. Was Janine's hair ok? I'm hoping since you didn't mention her hair actually looked different you were implying it wasn't part of what bothered you. My issues with the Janine close-up were more to do with the shading and the inexplicable tinyness of her eyes...

Anyhow. I notice the website issue's come up again. Personally I'd look into a WordPress blog with ComicPress added in. There are some pretty nice webcomics that use it and I know WordPress is free and am assuming ComicPress is too It would still mean more faff and presumably a bit less traffic and I'm not sure if you can add forums to the blogs or not really. People could still comment on all your posts though and you could start up a thread in the webcomics forum here, or I *think* just keep a discussion thread here perhaps since it's OotS style and 'obviously a fan-comic' but I may have misread the rules there...

(Sorry if I sound stand-offish when I'm talking about the art I posted, that's not what I'm aiming for )

[RdMarquis]

You know, I thought you'd have something more to say about the political structures and situations in Nordica right now...

Well, I am hoping the party will become entangled in some political intrigue soon. If this were an actual campaign I could think of a couple plot hooks from what you've told us so far.

Maybe Kylie could tell them about someone with more liberal views toward the Plavaan who is a member of, or trying to join a parliament house. Their goal would be to protect him from people trying to kill him for his political leanings.

Or, as a variation on that, as Radic is the daughter of a man who holds a lot of power in this area, maybe the party would have to help her escape from kidnappers trying to keep her father in check.

[Lord Raziere]

I think in the colours of the magical Abbey rainbow! Weeeee!

Seriously speaking (Weee!) the point is that even if you survive the trip itself both the Astridians and the Plavaans will dislike you very much, unless they support a war (in which case they will just kill you to start it )

That, and we like Plavaan, they're cuddly :3, so we don't want more hate crimes sent their way

so what? I'm Chaotic Turquoise and I want to blow up a mountain just to prove that I'm that crazy, without harming a single insect or bird.

if I wanted to destroy racism, I'd gather all the Plavaans up, march them all to the capital, thousands upon thousand strong....and stand, filling up the entire city of the capital and start singing. but I'd rather have fun with blowing up mountains without harming anything, it sounds like a perfectly impossible challenge for a crazy man of my caliber.

[leakingpen]

Really? I tend towards angry hungry. Although today, I'm Chaotic Hungry.

[Marnath]

Well, I am hoping the party will become entangled in some political intrigue soon. If this were an actual campaign I could think of a couple plot hooks from what you've told us so far.

Maybe Kylie could tell them about someone with more liberal views toward the Plavaan who is a member of, or trying to join a parliament house. Their goal would be to protect him from people trying to kill him for his political leanings.

Or, as a variation on that, as Radic is the daughter of a man who holds a lot of power in this area, maybe the party would have to help her escape from kidnappers trying to keep her father in check.

I'm all for something like that as long as it ties back to whatever it is they actually came here to do, you know? If things get any more complex right at the moment, I'll be totally lost.

[Eleanor_Rigby]

You know, I thought you'd have something more to say about the political structures and situations in Nordica right now...

I did mean to ask if the upper and lower houses had a set number of seats available, the inferrence I got was that they do but I couldn't tell for sure. It's an interesting set up with a fair bit of detail. It's also quasi-reasonable. I suppose one benefit of only selecting governors with a large income is that since they don't have to work to support themselves they can concentrate more fully on the task at hand (which would be governing). Only the members who gained their influence by working their way up the ranks of their guilds/ starting their own businesses from scratch or otherwise actually worked to get where they are today would really have much 'real life' experience to add to the table though. I'm not saying that every person who is really rich through inherited wealth is going to be thick and slightly evil or anything but I question how much a person who has never worked a day in their life is really going to identify with their constituents' situations. Personally, I'm not wild about the idea of people who jump straight into big league politics after finishing a course on the subject without having done a couple of rounds in some other field first. I guess people can learn a lot simply through observation and common sense and simple morality are factors in this sort of thing too though. In any event, I imagine you were fully aware of its classist implications when you came up with Runite's system of government.

As far as the Plavaan situation goes though I've not got a lot to say at this point: Laria's obviously unpleasant but Kago's obviously much worse. When you and your loved ones are under the constant threat of violence most people are going to just do their best to keep their heads down and get on with things if that's what they think's most likely to keep them safe and there's nowhere better to run to. I suppose one question I might have is why there aren't more non-plavaan citizens who can see that what's happening isn't right and, given that they don't benefit from the abuse of the plavaan themselves, do something to change the situation. I guess part of it is that some fear that if the situation was reversed it would be detrimental to their current state of living, which overpowers any sympathy they might have for their plavaan neighbours. Helping others is good, but people aren't always so enthusiastic if they'll end up worse off than they were before they helped out. Another thing that should be considered is that in Laria it might be that the majority of people are plavaan sympathists, but it only takes a handful of foul speciests to cause a specific group to have to live their lives in fear...

[CoffeeIncluded]

I did mean to ask if the upper and lower houses had a set number of seats available, the inferrence I got was that they do but I couldn't tell for sure. It's an interesting set up with a fair bit of detail. It's also quasi-reasonable. I suppose one benefit of only selecting governors with a large income is that since they don't have to work to support themselves they can concentrate more fully on the task at hand (which would be governing). Only the members who gained their influence by working their way up the ranks of their guilds/ starting their own businesses from scratch or otherwise actually worked to get where they are today would really have much 'real life' experience to add to the table though. I'm not saying that every person who is really rich through inherited wealth is going to be thick and slightly evil or anything but I question how much a person who has never worked a day in their life is really going to identify with their constituents' situations. Personally, I'm not wild about the idea of people who jump straight into big league politics after finishing a course on the subject without having done a couple of rounds in some other field first. I guess people can learn a lot simply through observation and common sense and simple morality are factors in this sort of thing too though. In any event, I imagine you were fully aware of its classist implications when you came up with Runite's system of government.

Thank you for the detailed response! I was actually reading Aristotle's Politics when I came up with this.

And yes, I was fully aware of the implications. Runite's social structure and class divisions are almost entirely wealth-based, unlike other societies. This allows for greater egalitarianism and social mobility, but also some...More unsavory things. But as I said before, if you're looking for real-world parallels or models to refer to or draw upon for this...I'm not a history expert but I've done some basic research, and I think that one of the closest models would be the Netherlands during the Dutch Golden Age, particularly Amsterdam, but set in the geographic and climate equivalent of where New Orleans is.

And remember how I said I've got big plans for the world of Aequar and how I'm planning to take it all the way into the modern age? Runite's got big things coming for it, and as for what it's going to be? I'm sure we all know of a great city in the modern era that was once known as New Amsterdam...

As far as the Plavaan situation goes though I've not got a lot to say at this point: Laria's obviously unpleasant but Kago's obviously much worse. When you and your loved ones are under the constant threat of violence most people are going to just do their best to keep their heads down and get on with things if that's what they think's most likely to keep them safe and there's nowhere better to run to. I suppose one question I might have is why there aren't more non-plavaan citizens who can see that what's happening isn't right and, given that they don't benefit from the abuse of the plavaan themselves, do something to change the situation. I guess part of it is that some fear that if the situation was reversed it would be detrimental to their current state of living, which overpowers any sympathy they might have for their plavaan neighbours. Helping others is good, but people aren't always so enthusiastic if they'll end up worse off than they were before they helped out. Another thing that should be considered is that in Laria it might be that the majority of people are plavaan sympathists, but it only takes a handful of foul speciests to cause a specific group to have to live their lives in fear...

Actually, a lot of people are casual racists (Speciesists) or worse right now. (About Matt-level.) Even Radic's slightly prejudiced, though it really isn't that apparent. And for more on why nobody's doing anything, I would look at that, and possibly some books on the history of intolerance...

Update in a few hours.

[Eleanor_Rigby]

Actually, a lot of people are casual racists (Speciesists) or worse right now. (About Matt-level.) Even Radic's slightly prejudiced, though it really isn't that apparent.

Oh don't get me wrong, I expected that the vast majority of the population of Laria were racist on some level, but racism, like so many other things, is on a spectrum, and as with most spectrums, there's only a small percentage of people at the very edge of either end. Most people are somewhere closer to the middle. There would be a fair number of non-plavaans willing to help and protect the plavaans in various small ways. Radic and Matt are prejudiced, but when Matt shot that hobgoblin child Radic was furious and I think a lot of people more prejudiced than Radic, including Matt if he had been the witness and not the attacker, would have been similarly angry to see that happen. Radic and Matt both agreed to help get the bandits to safety and it really didn't take much to convince Matt he'd been in the wrong in this case. At the same time, however, Radic forgave Matt about the whole issue pretty quickly. That could have been a sign that in some small way she agreed with his thinking and could almost have seen herself doing the same - which, seeing as she seems to at least try to be a good person in general, would probably have only made her more angry initially. But it could also have meant that she simply didn't think bearing a grudge against a team mate who obviously regretted his actions wouldn't be very constructive or particularly healthy. Very little about racism is straight forward.

And for more on why nobody's doing anything, I would look at that, and possibly some books on the history of intolerance...

I may be called oversensitive for saying this, but I found this part of your post mildly patronising: I can't really see anything in my post that warranted a response that reads as a suggestion to go off and educate myself. It might just be a case of poor word choice but it seems like a slightly disrespectful turn to take in a friendly debate. I can't really see what you were trying to say there. In-comic I know Tinder pointed only in the last strip that some people are trying to help the plavaan, but otherwise this statement just isn't very clear to me.

[HypoSoc]

I am surprised nobody this posted this yet...

[Eleanor_Rigby]

I am surprised nobody this posted this yet...

I was going to reference it actually but I was too busy announcing to the world that my feelings had been hurt