Chapter 1: Page 48
This week, we are finally introduced to Hardin and his close-knit group of Ermehn warriors. Hardin has been a mainstay of the story arc since the very earliest brainstorms, and his storyline has always been an important one to weave alongside the Quinlan/Dakkan/Kenosh/Janik storyline. Hardin’s journeys run parallel to Quinlan’s, and what happens when the two cross paths may very well shape the destiny of the Four Kingdoms!
The group observing Hardin with perhaps a bit less fervor than the rabble around them are his fellow warriors – to say more about them would undoubtedly spoil many perfectly good surprises in store, but these five Ermehn have been through much with Hardin – enough for most of them to stop worrying when he’s in a life-or-death knife fight and just enjoy the show.
As the story progresses and we start to learn more about these five Ermehn, I’ll be sure to post some more about them. We also have plans to update the Cast page soon with some new art and text to include Hardin’s tribe of five along with the rest of the story mainstays.
Observant followers of the project going back to its pre-2010 days may remember some of these characters, though a lot has changed about them in the intervening years. It’s been a lot of fun to finally see them enter the comic proper and Rachel and I both have great plans for them.
This week, we are also graced by some great fan-art from Ben B. – a loyal reader who decided to draw protagonist Quinlan! He seems to be expressing a little concern (or maybe it’s tired relief?) that he’s no longer the main focus of the storyline as Hardin takes center stage for the remainder of Chapter One. Knowing Quin’s personality as I do, I’m going to guess that it’s the tired relief!
Thanks for the great art, Ben! Rachel and I love it!
Hardin is the one with the cape, I’m guessing.
So we finally reach the Ermehn! Yeees! I have to say, I’m loving all the tattoo designs for the tribe, particularly the special designs each individual beast has under their eyes, and I can’t wait to see where Hardin and his band of five are heading.
KILTS!!! The Scottish in me leapt with joy a little bit. Culturally the Ermehn seem to resemble the Picts of northern Caledonia (Scotland) with their love of tattoos, knives, and disdain for clothing (unless particularly cold). Did I hit the inspiration on the nail, or am I fishing too deep?
You’ve hit it pretty well. Earlier in development the Ermehn were more evenly split between Scottish and Polynesian, but the latter has become less obvious over time, I think.
Hmmm, my dad has a kilt….though I couldn’t get him to wear it for anything….perhaps next time I go to the Irish center…
This has bothered me for a while; is Hardin pronounced “harden” or “hardeen”?
More like “harden,” yes. Short i. c:
Another great page and, like most recently, well worth the one-week wait!
So, do I see some females mixed in with the males in those panels? If so, it’s a testament to Rachel’s skill that I can actually pick out the various genders in the unnamed background characters. Please let me know if I’m right, or if it’s just too late at night here!
Yes, there is one lady among the cheering crowd, and two in Hardin’s crew. c:
I agree with what Highwing says. I can actually distinguish between the genders by their facial structures (probably something hard to do for anthro animals). And even better is the idea of fierce female warriors within the Ermehn tribe. I can’t wait until I learn more about them.
Also, I notice that each Ermehn has a different set of tattoos. I guess it’s a lot like tiger stripes then? So how do they come about these tattoos? I mean, are they like scout badges where they add a little more as they accomplish more or do they just get them all at once? Do they distinguish things like castes, jobs, family ties, etc.?
Actually, all the Ermehn except for Hardin and his band have the same tattoo patterns! (I think a couple have one set of shoulder stripes instead of two, but aside from that)
Dang, that first panel has so much movement to it.
(And yeah, I thought “Picts” too. :D )
Oh, and I meant to ask — how to tattoos work on fur? Is it permanent dye? Tattoos on skin that show through? Some combination of the two?
Right first time – it’s permanent dye that has to be refreshed periodically as natural shedding cycles out the dyed hairs.
Aha! I’m going to hazard a guess that different tattoos denote various tribes and such? In which case Hardin and his band are likely prior members of separate tribes who have struck out on their own for one reason or another, and now they’ve banded together for safety or such. Or something.
Yay~Hardin! I’ve for some reason attached myself to him even though he’s just been introduced….
And so we finally get to see Hardin himself in action! It was well worth the wait!
The others here have already pointed out most of the great things with this page, particularly how you manage to distinguish the females from the males, even among the background characters. I can also distinguish, at the far right, an Ermehn child I hadn’t noticed on prior readings. More on that sad thing later…
There is an incredible amount of life and vibrancy to this page, how each of the cheering spectators looks so distinct, even though they’re dressed similarly and have similar tattoos and fur patterns. Great job, Rachel! My only complaint is the posture of Hardin and his opponent – for some reason it looks a bit awkward, like they’re frozen in time rather than truly engaging in a life or death struggle. Maybe if his opponent had his foot on the ground, or there where those action lines to show us how their limbs are moving?
And we also get a quick introduction to Hardin’s band of followers. While we don’t know the names of them or their backstory yet, they already seem so intriguing. We can even get some insight into their personalities just from the way the react to the battle, the old one and the female on the far right looking sad and concerned, while the big burly one (Rathik) the other female and the one with the hood just enjoying the show. For some reason, the ecstatic expression on the Ermehn to the left in the foreground just cracks me up! ^_^
There’s also the matter of how the females have cloths covering their chests. I know there were some author’s notes on one of the upcoming sketches that goes into this a bit, but I still have a few things to say about it later.
Sheesh, this is Bevan’s first appearance and already we see him wearing his hood, with a smirk on his face. His character is plain already.