Chapter 2: Page 94
And just like that (albeit late: sorry about that ~Rachel), Kenosh, Hardin, and the surviving Sratha-din escape into the wilderness, leaving a wounded Quinlan and Dakkan behind. Chapter 2 is fast coming to a close, but the true story, it seems, is just getting started!
This week, some relevant artwork from Clare at ClareNecessities! As I’ve said to many when I explain the story of Western Deep, everyone is the hero of their own story. One of the defining elements of Western Deep is that we try to tell the story from both the typical “good guy” and “bad guy” perspectives, letting the readers make their own decisions about who is right. For a lot of readers, Clare included, Hardin is their “hero” of choice — so perhaps a new website header is appropriate?
I have a soft spot for Hardin guest art, and absolutely love this alternate take on the logo image! If Hardin was telling this story, you can bet the spotlight would be pretty much exclusively centered on himself :)
Thanks so much for letting us post this up, Clare! We love it!
Kenosh: “Yes I can, pumpkin. Toodles!”
Haha Rathik looks so self-satisfied in this. He’s one smug weasel!
Pfff, Rathik, Rathik – I ask where is our poor knock out Bevan ? :p XD
Ah, I’m sorry XD – I see Bevan now XD Sorry ;)
So, everything was planned just to kill Clovis?
Everyone here ask yourself that question what purpose this was today’s carnage in canid garnison – or just to kill and punish war criminal – General Clovis, or show that “we are not afraid you bastards and we will fight with you”, or show other tribe Ermehn to join to fight “for our freedom and yours freedom” – all that was also beautifully and nicely, if not disrespectful behavior and hasty Hardrin decisions that needlessly cost the life of his brothers and sisters… :p
(And welcome on Salmon Party :) Nice to meet you :) )
(Damn enter key)
That will be Dakkan next page, roughly the same time that the Canid entourage reaches Quin and Dak. What happens next is anyone’s guess.
Thoughts?
Five bucks says they’re going to imprison Dakkan but let Quinlan go (since he’s an official envoy). Quin goes home, mopes for a while, then sets out to free Dakkan either all alone or with the surprise ally Crim!
It seems to me that either Canid can incarcerate Dakkan and Quinlan to get their bloodied paws Kenosh, or adopt both to their garnison and get patched up Quin wound, or crashes their both from the garrison and make us drop with flagella for Lutra and Susngrove to war with dirty bandits and barbarians Ermehn
I think that the Canid will probably detain (see: “torture and interrogate”) Quin and Dak for a while, maybe with Tosch getting involved, but it will become rather painfully obvious that the two had no idea what was going on. So the Canid will let them go. But rather than returning to Sunsgrove, they’re probably going to go after Kenosh as soon as Quinlan’s shoulder permits. Speaking of, that injury is going to put a serious damper on his archery.
Also- despite the seriousness of this page, you gotta love Bevan’s expression. I’ll bet he has quite the headache.
Hmm I’m gonna bet we’re going to switch over to Janik at the beginning of chapter 3, maybe with this unresolved situation as a sort of cliffhanger. I also think the canid lady, having seen Quin and Dak fight off those ermehn, might help them out.
On a second look and a more serious note, I like how switching the places of the first two panels improve the page considerably. Now the negative space between Dakkan and Kenosh, and Dakkan reaching out with his hand but failing to grasp Kenosh’s make for strong symbolism. (Compared to the the sketch stage where Kenosh’s rightward motion into the next panel made him bump into Dakkan’s back, making the sequence flow less smoothly). It’s the attention to small details like that that elevate this comic well above the competition!
Well, it is true that I was expecting the next page in Sunday, but it’s ok – thanks Alex and Rachel for a great wake up with a small heart attack and feeling like someone poured a bucket of cold water on me (in the sense of a great “Wow :D ” and great surprise – after all, is Wednesday XD! :D )
But I’m happy to see that, however, is new page :D :)
Well, what can I say – finaly it happened – Kenosh already had to leave surprised, sad, hurt mentally (and needing therapy) Dakkan and wounded Quinlan (now I’m rather convinced that he alive, no longer I’m afraid that he would die – nof course actually he is in shock and unconscious from the pain)
Very nice and good drawn page as always, elegantly drawn ;) :)
But now one thing upsets me now from the point of view of the politics of Lutra and Sunsgrove, and (I hope that Dak has his think and understand the decision of his father) from the point of Dakkan view mindset shaped with Lutra and Canid propaganda controlled by Canid; Captain Kenosh became a traitor of Luther and “friends” Canid, and is no longer captain. And now I suppose that automatically Dakkan will be a new capitan after his “traitor” father? – Capitan Dakkan… Is it not so?
I actually feel that this story is just the beginning of great events and great new mess in 4 Kingdoms … I hope not so that they will brutally again erupt and kill without mercy each other, not only on battlefields, but also innocent and defenseless civilians… :p
But I’m glad that you say, that this is just the beginning of this great story :D ; So the next couple of years I have ensured that there will be party Salmon and BW D :D ^^ Hura :D ^^
Brb gunna go hang out with mah Ermehn peeps!
Gotta say, It’s really amazing how fast these roller coaster of events happened. Like everyone else, I’m wondering whats going to happen next. However I cant ignore Rathik’s constant smuginess throughout the whole thing; what a sweet little murderer. I’m also surprised at how Bevan was able to recover from such a whack too. Even though it isn’t colored, I love everything about this page!
I also agree at the whole change in perspectives with this narrative. Again like I stated before, this whole story is giving me a major FFVI story telling feel with it’s constant change of point of views. While Quinlan is the labeled protagonist, I really like how the others get some more screen time and Clare’s interpretation of that is nothing short of clever and awesome!
This comic gets better and more heartbreaking the longer it goes on. Which is a wonderful thing. Sorry for the brief commment!
And off he go.
It’s no secret that these last few pages have been killing me. This one almost takes the cake.
I really don’t know how much more I can gush about Rachel’s skill with expressions without sounding like a reptitive, loony parrot but this page has some excellent examples. Dakkan’s face in that first panel and Kenosh’s in the penultimate panel really stand out. Dakkan and Quinlan need to get moving stat- the Canid aren’t happy at this last turn of events and the remnants of the Sunsgrovian envoy make the perfect scapegoats. I have to wonder how well Dakkan’s going to staunch Quinlan’s bleeding wound considering his phobia. This is going to suck for the Sunsgrovians.
Someone else already pointed this out, but I love the framing in the top half of the page- Kenosh turning away and Dakkan reaching for nothing but empty air. And in the third panel, we can see that poor Quinlan has barely moved.
Kenosh and Hardin definitely won’t get along for long, especially given the way things went. Excellent page.
(also hello, Bevan. Nice to see you somewhat in one piece. I’m very interested to see Ashtor and Kenosh’s upcoming encounter- whether it’s a first-time meeting or a long-delayed reunion.)
Since we don’t have anything better to do, let’s all take a guess as to how many pages are left until Chapter 2 ends.
I vote four, for no particular reason.
I vote one or two, beacuse we must be sure, if Quinlan alive, or not :p ;)
That’s fair.
My projection for the next pages, now that I’ve had some more time to think about it:
1. Dakkan turns back around, we get a good shot of wounded Quin and Lady Canid and company.
2-3. Some words are had between Dakkan and LC, and the groundwork for the next chapter are laid.
4. Conclusion page, Quin and Dak are whisked away for questioning, or perhaps it just ends the chapter with them sitting there, Dakkan’s arm around Quinlan comfortingly.
I say just one, you don’t need any more to wrap this chapter up. The camera pans out showing the closing Canid soldiers, Quin and Dakkan slumped on the ground alone and abandoned, Dakkan mutters something about roe hitting the fan, que end credits.
And if I can – I vote that option 1 and 2 are the most likely, I think…
I’m going to guess six for an even one hundred.
I’ll pick 5, just because.
Oh, one more thing! How do you think Kenosh is referring to when muttering about waiting, Hardin or Dakkan? Maybe both?
I think that Kenosh is angry more on Hardrin, Dakkan and Quin had to flee from there before Ermehn warriors who are don’t information, that they can’t kill them.
By the way, too, I’d be a little annoyed on my important mate, if for example.: I set up with him that I will pick him up from the plane on certain specified field and time, and he will pop up before 2 kilometres from this place from the plane (because it’s more convenient/closer), but took a broken parachute… And the whole elaborate plan went in pizdu… :p
And I can tell the same about Hardin… :p
Bevan is doing facepalm or feel a pain? XD
I think that hurt him head after this knock out… ;)
(And welcome on Salmon Party :D Nice to meet you :D )
He’s just rubbing away a headache while muttering to himself, “Ah, that Lutren squirt had better not have marred my face. My beautiful, fangirl-attracting face. If he has, he will pay . . .”
Naturally, Bevan will stop to look into the first clear puddle or lake they pass to check.
Haha :D Ah, Fourth I love your coments :D
I knew that Bevan likes to splurge and flirt with the girls, but I also did not know that he so worried about his looks and face… XD
Is anyone else wondering if the Canid don’t actually know that Kenosh did the deed? I mean, it looks like everyone who witnessed it firsthand is either out the gate, dead, or Quin and Dak. Granted, Lady Canid and the rest can probably see Kenosh prancing away with the enemy, but maybe they’re too distracted by their dead general to notice?
My guess is that Quin and Dak are held for questioning and treatment (because hey, the Canid aren’t heartless!), and Clovis’ brother returns and interrogates them and we get to see how diplomatically sinister he is, calm and cool and collected compared to Clovis.
Also, I predict a black eye for Dak in the future due to Intense Questioning.
The only thing what I recently wondered about, it just a matter of whether there will be a hearing (which probably you may end up with a few bruises and maybe break some bones, then what will justify that “unfortunately he fell down the stairs during the fight”), or disposes from garrison to Sunsgrove …
In the event of a hearing (something with the beating) for him to recommend good old stratagem, and either would have pretended to be an idiot, or use another difficult language as a unlucky soldier Franek Dolas as Grzegorz Brzęczyszczykiewicz ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlOoSsfU6cM
That is generally impede on all kinds of ways of investigation ;)
I was wondering this too. It seems like a pretty reasonable way for things to go.
I have question – next page will be tommorow or
when else (My BWD clock is unstrung XD :p )
Unstrung Clock would be a good band name.
XD Hehe :D But our weekly meeting there, is called “Salmon party” :p XD
(But if you mean about something music band, of course that would be nic name :D But to what music genre, Hmmm…)
When you’re reading this one update a week it’s easy to lose track of how quickly everything is happening in the story. Like the last 15 or so weeks of updates add up to a few, very intense minutes of plot.
So… In this moment began to torment me thinks that something wrong happened… Not only that, my BWD clock is completely Unstrung and I do not know what is going on there – No information from anyone – until a terrifying silence in the ether ;-; . then I begin to have a bad feeling about, and hopefully those were just unfounded hunches
Hi Jakub (and everyone)! My sincerest apologies for the extended silence — we’ve been extraordinarily busy recently, and thusly the schedule got a little skewompus (to perpetuate a term Rachel made up).
The next page WILL be going up this Saturday, in some form or another :)
Ufff…. :D I am very happy that everything is okay, and that you are Alex again, and that nothing bad has happened ;) (a stone fell from my heart ;) ) – so I set my BWD clock on Saturday ;)