Tabletop RPG Community
If you’ve noticed any missing comments, just know that it’s because of a recent server reset we had to do that caused us to lose a few pages. We’re back on track now, and we’re sorry for the week or so of downtime! 🙂
Piotr is the favorite character in my webcomic … and I would never do anything bad to him. Right?
Also, I just want to take a moment to appreciate what Mharz and Snowdon have done here with the line art and colors. Wow. Definitely my favorite page of action thus far. 🙂
First Previous Archives Next NewestWe end here the scene on an ominous note and move back to our beleaguered hunchback, Piotr, on the docks of Korsova! I have to sing the praises of Mharz and Snowdon here again — this is the first time we’ve shown this much of Vanion’s magic, and they captured in a dark, unique, compelling way. It’s definitely scenes like this that make me love writing collaborative stories in the comic medium!
We’re going on a short hiatus between scenes while we catch up on our buffer. But if you’re enjoying the webcomic, I’m also doing a couple of story-telling podcasts with EncounterRoleplay! If you have a minute and want to listen to something new, check them out at the links below and leave us a review on iTunes. Reviews are really helpful! 🙂
Tomes & Tentacles: our horror podcast about the world’s worst theatre troupe whose ill-fated production of The King in Yellow draws the attention of otherworldly forces. The mid-season finale releases this Tuesday, and it’s something else!
Dice Tribe: our high fantasy D&D podcast about adventures in exotic realms. And dinosaurs. There’s definitely a lot of hungry dinosaurs. I play a stone guardian named Purpose (a very violent Pinocchio), and I audio engineer and produce the show too!
I’m a sucker for a good splash page, and this one really shows off just awesome Mharz and Snowdon are! Mharz’s line art and brush work for the special effects for the magic here was uniquely dark, and Snowdon knocked it out of the park with some chaotic colors to really sell the page.
This is the first time we’re seeing current day Vanion show off some of his more advanced sorcery … and his material components for the spell are the ashes of the daughter he murdered just days prior — and the head of a human spy stuffed with a rare gem. If that’s not hardcore Necromancy, I dunno what is!
Not a lot to say about this page, except that, with its dramatic reveal and strangeness, it’s one of my very favorites! We’ve got a string of fantastic pages coming up that really show off just how great Snowdon and Mharz are when the story lets them go a little wild. 🙂
If you’re enjoying the webcomic, please share it with a friend — or check out our Patreon where you can get a ton of extra goodies and help support our indie dark fantasy story! A little bit of love goes a long way.
-Don
First Previous Archives Next NewestWhen I write characters, I start much the same way I would if I were playing a character (whether on stage or in an RPG). I define their perspectives on the world around them, their goals, how much they need those goals. From there, I go back and define their personal history, and work my way back to the present: their goals, their needs, their perspectives — and finally, their relationships to other characters. It’s one of the most fun parts of my process as a creator.
And that’s why I love writing scenes like this, even if they are partly expository. Each character’s the hero of their own story, and the more specific I can make their actions and perspectives, the more dynamic a scene like this is. This page exists to tell the reader that an attack on Korsova could mean the humans declare war on all elves in retaliation, to suggest that Vanion’s as power-hungry as he is a would-be freedom-fighter, to suggest that he believes he can prove his claims of a human weapon of mass destruction … but that’s all information dumping if I can’t find a way to frame it through the characters’ perspectives, their voices, their own goals, obstacles and quirks.
Hopefully it’s something that I pull off and all of the characters seem distinct, with hints and hooks for the reader. I at least try, and have a blast doing it. 🙂 And that’s my bit of a rant on writing scenes like this. Thanks for reading!
-Don
First Previous Archives Next NewestFor more on Vanion’s vicious plan and what’s in the urn … well, you can go read the first two chapters of the original webcomic in the Archives, or check out these three old pages that sum it up pretty nicely! [Chapter 1, Pages 24-26]
We are now starting to see Vanion bring all of the elements of his plan together here — but how will the elvish chiefs respond? And what other cards is Vanion holding up his sleeve?
Let me know your thoughts below! 🙂
-Don
First Previous Archives Next NewestWe’re back with the next scene of our grim tale! It’s been a busy month — putting the final touches on The Blood Plague‘s manuscript, dealing with the usual obstacles life throws at you, working on podcasts, getting ready to move in a few weeks. But I’m very excited to have new story to share with you!
We’re back to Vanion and the visiting elvish chiefs in Lu’Ghul Castle. We’re going to finally see Vanion unveil his plans in what is inevitably going to be … a heated debate.
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think of chapter three and the story so far in the comment section. 🙂
-Don
And so our scene comes to a close, with Piotr and Lord Poe on the docks of Korsova, mourning the loss of Mischaelna. I love how the pacing of this scene (pages 6-14) came together — it’s maybe my favorite of the entire series so far! Let me know your thoughts and theories down in the comments section.
We’ll be on a short hiatus before jumping into the next scene. Meanwhile, my attention is fully on finishing The Blood Plague for EncounterRP! We’re in the closing stretch, and I’m very excited to share that D&D book with you folks. While we’re on hiatus, though, please check out my Patreon campaign! If you support me with a buck (or a handful of bucks) a month, you’re helping me create more stories, and you can get super early access to new scenes of I, Necromancer, my print graphic novel Rewind, my D&D actual play podcast Dice Tribe, and more. 🙂
-Don
