Chapter 2: Page 76
This week, our flashback draws to a close, and we get to see a little bit more insight into Caldus and Quinlan’s relationship. Preparing your successor for a lifetime of potential danger and strife is no small effort, and despite all that work, one wrong move at that most important moment could render it all worthless.
We have some awesome guest art this week from a newcomer to the Western Deep artist fold! Nauno was kind enough to send over this piece of Quinlan in super-awesome-action-mode, getting down to business when somebody sets a forest fire in Terria.
I don’t know who or what he’s aiming at, but I probably wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that arrow either way! Thanks so much for your artwork, Nauno! We love it!
And in another unexpected but totally welcomed move, the flashback continues! //SMUG TINY CRIM I CANT That stretching pose he’s in is perfect.
Probably a safe bet that Quinlan’s parents are already out of the picture. They could still be around, but I don’t think they are, due to the “preparing your successor” comment. Caldus you really started young, and that puts Quinlan going into the Scouting Legion a lot more dramatic weight.
It also makes me wonder how young Dakkan started. Kenosh didn’t seem to be captain when he was snatched, or when Quinlan and Dakkan met, so when this things change? I’m sure this will be dealt with, but it’s an interesting thing to muse on.
It’s nice to get a bit more background on Quinlan and Caldus, and Quinlan and Crim, vague as that is. Oh Caldus, he never hated you. So much interplay/rich body language here. Beautiful work, both of you.
Caldus doesn’t have the white shirt, and actually, now that I think about it, he didn’t have it in the flashback when he tipped the sword rack. Nice to see outfits change with time! (Obviously, it is Caldus’ arms that Dakkan aspires to imitate)
I love how the tear on Beeby Quinlan’s face is echoed by the rain dripping down his face in the next panel. The contrast with Beeby Quinlan in the last panel is heart wrenching- he looks so much older, and that’s mainly due to the Thousand-Yard Stare. I love that last panel- the lighting of another lightning strike and the water dripping from his chin. A lovely page.
(also, Quinlan, as nice as the flashbacks are, you might want to snap out of reminiscing because there’s still two more Ermehn to deal with and then the rest of the tribe after that. You can angst later. [And I mean that in a very caring way] :I)
I’m even more curious as to what happened to Quinlan’s parents but I know we’re not going to get any straight answers out of Alex and Rachel because of their “All will be revealed in-comic” philosophy and I understand why that rule exists and I even agree with it but OH MY GOD IT CAN BE REALLY ANNOYING SOMETIMES.
I’m going with treewalkers and/or plague. and eheh they probably thrive off our frustration.
In a surprise twist they’re still alive and just really, really irresponsible.
Wow. Who knew Prince Roopert had a son?
I can practically feel Quin’s angst radiating off my screen oh my gosh this is so sad. This short page gave Caldus so much development. We see how much he cares about Quinlan and how strict he was raising him. Oh boy this great. Purely awesome.
Also CUTE BABY QUIN and jerkface Crim
My angst meter broke. Only one way this could get worse and I’m not going to jinx it. (someone getting injured and or dying, coughcoughnoonesawthis)
U mean “cute baby jerkface Crim”
Such … square … jaws …
So much lovely about this page, most of it already covered in Shield’s post. Love Little Crim too – most precious.
Caldus’s lack of white shirt might simply be a difference between summer garb and that worn in other seasons.
So, wonder what Quin’s gonna do with that one remaining arrow of his? For a while earlier in this sequence, when Feyn was biting him, I’d almost been hoping he’d pull it out and jab his opponent in the eye with it – thus reducing One-Eye to No-Eye. However, I couldn’t picture Quin doing such a thing; heroes are supposed to be more upstanding than to employ such tactics, and I’m sure he’d have been violating some Hero Code of Ethics somewhere if he’d done so. Ah well.
Pretty sure it’s summer/spring right now, if the landscape of the Western Deep in Chapter One was anything to go by.
it’s Chekov’s Arrow. And remember waaaaaayyy back when Alex said that Quinlan is supposed to be good at archery and that it was plot relevant? (Out of context, but that was the basic statement) Because I do, and I’m pretty sure it’s coming soon (to a webcomic near YOU)
Frankly, I’d rather fight dirty than be dead. And Caldus would probably agree with me. Quinlan might get to that point eventually but right now he’s too much of a sweet cinnamon roll. Dakkan, on the other hand… well, he’s also a cinnamon roll, but I can easily see him going pragmatic in a fight if he had to. Just as long as there’s no gushing blood involved because, ya know, incapacitating yourself defeats the point of winning the fight.
Dakkan’s more of an apple fritter. His apples go well with Quin’s cinnamon, but his nonstandard style is reflected by the apple fritter’s rebellious decision to be the only breakfast pastry that keeps its fruit both on the outside and in whole chunks (*gasp*).
His father, the apple pie, is very disappointed by his wayward son.
….that’s fitting both in the crack pastry universe and out. :I (LIES there will be a lot of crying at the end of this comic.)
Cake, and Grief Counseling, will be available to you at the end of this test.
Great page! Great page. I especially appreciate how the flashback is put in naturally and gets its point across without being overly long. If I had to wait any longer to see how the battle of Deltrada is playing out, I think I’d lose it.
So tense! SO TENSE!! Seriously, the stress is going to shave a few days off of my lifespan, but it’s a good stress.
To another week!
Well, hey, that’s a refreshingly different kind of flashback! Short, sweet, and to the point!
Really like the rain in these pages, by the way.
Ohoho yesss. I love this page. Baby Quinlan, smug baby Crim, and literally the most angst since the page about baby Dakkan’s backstory. Everything here is great–and poor Quinlan.
Yay! character development! I’m happy how straight to the point Quinlan’s reminiscence was. I really feel bad for seeing Quin cry like that, but I’m glad that he’s realizing that Caldus wasn’t being such a blowhard for nothing.
And wow that’s such an intense scene Nauno depicted here. It’s awesome!…er…I’m hoping nothing of the sort will happen to Terria in the future.
Don’t worry, it’s reasonably difficult to set fire to a deciduous forest in a temperate latitude.
Yes that’s right, hide your feet with your tail Quinlan for you have failed! Defeat is shameful and you are right to feel deep and abiding shame that will no doubt linger even into adulthood!
AH HA HA HA HA HA HAAAA!
What are you laughing at, trees? You are the ones getting set on fire in that fan art!
OOOH….. *BURN*
I suppose one could say that Trees has been . . . flamed.
*We interrupt this regularly scheduled Webcomic with an Important Announcement:*
Dust: an Elysian Tail, is three dollars in the humble store.
https://www.humblebundle.com/store/p/dust_anelysiantail_storefront
Alex co-wrote it, and it has beautiful art. Seriously, check it out.
There aren’t that many new fans since the last time you informed us of a discount.
Cause the players gonna play play play play play
And the haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate
An’ I’m just gonna play play play play play
(It again! It again!)
Nice quick flashback
The flashback is quick and to the point, delivering its payload of character development in an efficient manner. Very nice!
Plot twist: Quinlan still hates his grandfather
“No, Quinlan… I am your father.”
“And Janik is your sister, so for decency’s sake, please have your romantic subplot with SOMEBODY ELSE.”
Romance in a non-human story? Nope! Nope! Nope!
I would argue this is a very human story. If they characters looked human, would you have a problem with romance in this story? Is it merely a human form that gives us our humanity? Or is humanity something unseen but shared in common by all humans? The ability to love, unconditionally and not necessarily romantically? The ability to distinguish between good and evil, or at least to comprehend the complexity of such a topic? Or something spiritual, even if one does not believe in or align themselves with the spiritual?
If any combination of the latter is the case, than yes, romance in a non human story. My only hesitation on the concept of romance is that I’m sick of being forcefed poorly written love triangles and superficial romances that aren’t based on emotional depth and feature two static characters that obscure what should be an interesting plot.
That said, I highly doubt that’s going to be a problem here. I trust Alex. At least, I trust him to write this story well. I don’t trust him to leave our hearts intact at the end of this story.
I agree with Shieldmaiden, I’m expecting at least a love quadrangle from Alex!
I’d just like to chip in that well-written romances are rare enough in literature these days that those who seek well-written romance can’t really afford to be picky as to whether or not the lovers are both human.
But most romance novels have an all-human cast, not counting the animal and plantlife extras.
Also, I think I offended Shieldmaiden.
Nah, if you’d offended me I’d have said so. I just don’t think the concept of “humanity” is limited to having a human-shaped body. You //are// a soul, not your body.
Also, most romance novels are trash with 2-d cardboard characters and absolutely no redeeming value beyond their purpose: fanservice. Those characters can hardly be called ‘human’ in any sense of the word- they have no agency and exist only to serve as stand-ins for the fantasies of the reader.
Looking at it as Quinlan and Janik are two squirrels in love is the improper view. Quinlan and Janik are two people in love, for do they not have all the hopes, dreams and aspirations of humans? The true strength of Beyond the Western Deep is it’s well fleshed out, human characters. They look like animals, but they have the souls of humans.
Sooooo, you are saying that they were born with the soul of another species, like that dovahkiin dude from Skyrim, right?
A soul is a soul no matter the species. The point is, they have souls and emotional complexity like humans. I mean, last time I checked, the squirrels don’t actually engage in archery and otters don’t have boats and stoats don’t plan to overthrow their wolf oppressors. This is a //fantasy story//, and it’s not Quinlan the squirrel we care about, but Quinlan the person. Quinlan who doesn’t want to be involved in this fight, Quinlan who just wants the simple life of a scout instead of the stress and responsibilities of the Captain. Quinlan who iddn’t ask for any of this. A squirrel wouldn’t care or know anything about that. A person, who in our world are exclusively human, does. In the world of fantasy, people can be human- or not.
Wait, now I’m confused! We were talking about the “humakiin” first, but now you say that Quinlan didn’t ask for any of this, like in that other video game where the protagonist keeps saying that phrase.
Which game are they based on?! I don’t understand!!!!11eleven
I see now you were joking. Apologies.
Long before we began speaking!
Hey, is there a difference between Khajiit and Felis, or are they the same species…race… thing.
If they were, they’d worship the moons and also come in quadrupedal or nearly-elven flavors. ;)
And be addicted to moonsugar!
So……. do they?
A love bucky ball?
Holy jeez, Crim is LIMBER. That is an incredibly stretching stretch he has going on there. Tamian physiology, eh?
“Quinlan, are you okay?”
“Yes, you should see the other guy!”
*Crim smugly walks away successfully hiding the painful fact that he has just dislocated his shoulder and proceeds to seek medical attention*
Im Speechless!
Hi Speechless, I’m Shieldmaiden.
Hi Speechless, Hi Shieldmaiden, I’m ApeSalad.
Hi Speechless, hi Shieldmaiden, hi ApeSalad, I’m tronn.
Hi Speechless, hi Shieldmaiden, hi Apesalad, hi tronn; there are some who call me… Tim.
Hi, Im Silly Zealot, and I have a problem…. with comments.
“Do you see t-the claws, a-and the teeth!?”
*gestures wildly*
“Look at the bones!!”
Wow, wicked feels in this page. The combination of colors from the warm glows of the past into the dark, damp, dreary present – with that thousand yard stare- portrays Quin’s conflict of his own morals and of his grandfathers perfectly. With some bitter resentment, Quin’s probably admitting to himself that Caldus was right.
I’m ready to see how Dak is doing at this moment however, last we saw of him he was fighting off two Ermehn with his hittin’ stick.
Don’t u diss the stick, that’s Kenosh’s job.
snort
But seriously speaking Kenosh doesn’t seem to mind Dakkan’s staff use. The boy’s good with it so he’s content to go with whatever works, right?
You’re forgetting that, like Caldus did for Quinlan, Kenosh has a very specific idea of what he wants Dakkan to be. A staff’s not a weapon typically used by the Lutren Military, and it’s a weapon chosen specifically to accommodate Dakkan’s phobia. Whether or not Kenosh knows about the phobia, I doubt that Kenosh thinks it’s fitting for a simple staff to be his son’s/Captain-to-be’s primary weapon. A sword is a status symbol, a staff is a peasant weapon, and a not very lethal one at that unless in the hands of an extremely skilled master. Kenosh hasn’t said anything in-comic, but then it’s hardly had a chance to come up.
Kenosh gazes upon his son’s choice of weapon, musters his best Indiana Jones impression, and declares:
“Dakkan’s staff is too long.”
But think of the puns, when he’s a general and has staff of his own!
I promise Shieldmaiden, I do not diss the stick; I see it as a badge of honor, for pride… And the joy of hittin’ things with sticks!
That would be my Reference for the day!
A good pi day to all!
If Quinlan is a cinnamon roll and Dakkan is an apple fritter, that makes Kenosh apple pi. Made with exactly 3.14 apples.