Chapter 3: Page 48
Teen Hardin! Goodness knows we’ve waited a long time to see this specific flashback, which continues the story Dakkan started back in Chapter 2. We heard that story about as far as Dakkan could tell it, but obviously Hardin has some more insight into the situation… having been there and all that.
I don’t have too much else to expound upon this week, though! So I guess I’ll segue right into the guest art. This is a fun piece from Veigue’s ongoing fan-game that is based on a variation of the Western Deep world where humans and magic exist! This bit of menu UI shows off some fun little bits of info, along with character portraits:
There are a bunch of things I love about this piece — it definitely reminds me of the info-heavy menu screens from games like Final Fantasy or Chrono Trigger (Squaresoft loved their menu screens!) but the thing I think I dig the most is that there’s a listing of every currency in the Four Kingdoms on the right! No idea how you’d balance that appropriately, but it’s a fun little bit of detail I liked.
Those character HP/MP values might need a bit of tweaking though :)
Thanks, Veigue! I love seeing your game-related artworks! It makes me want to get back to the Western Deep adventure game… though that’s certainly a story for another time.
See you all next week, and happy November!
OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW!!!!!!!!!
by the gods, Hardin! you *do* have a heart!!
You’re right! He’s robbed many Ermehn and Canid of theirs, but apparently he’s managed to hold onto his own over the years.
Ah! I knew we’d get a flashback of sorts and it finally unveils a few cracks behind Hardin’s wall. It’s funny how both Kenosh and Dakkan seem to always look the same when it comes to being under capture, but obviously that little detail makes sense X).
Honestly, I’m more surprised that you guys really decide to show that piece of mine haha! That picture It’s so out of left field that it would be a bother, but I’m happy you decided to share anyway so thank you! I’ll make a more English concrete revision of it later.
The game page looks great. But why would i play as a human, when i could play as a squirrel?
Yah. It’s diffucult to turn down that +2 racial agility bonus.
Hardin must have taken serious care of that knife over the years. My work knife is a mess and it’s barely two and a half years old.
Different tattoos though. I suppose he had to hide his tribal identity from the Canid or something.
It doesn’t have to be the same knife. That’s probably just a standard-issue Ermehn “Kali Ma” knife.
He probably did have to hide his identity. But I doubt it would have been too hard. I’ve hypothesized for a while now that the Ermehn would have to reapply their tattoos periodically because they’d get shed out of their fur.
BUT WHYYYYYYY?!
You’re all wondering too. Admit it.
“Teen Hardin” sounds like the name of a new show on the Disney Channel.
The bandaged Ermehn in the background of panel 2 reminds me of that one-eyed Ermehn from the assault on Deltrada garrison: a cameo I think so! I do love seeing more of the Ermehn side of things: next to the Vulpin they are my favorite species.
Also quick question. On the last page, in Alex’s ghost story, we learned that Deltrada is an Ermehn built fortress and that the Canid are just “borrowing” it for the time being. I was curious to know if the tribes in the wastes can still build anything out of stone?
This is not really a pressing question, as it applies only to the Dunia Chronicles side comic (the comic version of the Fire Emblem BTWD game I mentioned long ago) that I have on the back burner. Since its main story centers around an Ermehn tribe trying to save some of their history before the canid can destroy it. Its mostly planed out, just need to make all the thumb nails to make sure it flows well.
I have been mostly going of all of Rachel’s sketches from early on in the comic that relate to Ermehn building design, if that’s okay. Just want to be as accurate as possible. Anyway, I won’t be working on this concept until I finish act one of my own comic, so that I can get some experience and build up my shoddy art, and writing skills.
END WALL OF TEXT.
Now this is either going to end with Kenosh taking this chance to kill Oran (seems unlikely with him and Hardin being friends) or Oran attacking Hardin and Kenosh defending him.
Is there a site or more info abou this fan game, looks interesting.
Kenosh already killed Oran. The flashback takes place right after that; that’s why Hardin was supposed to execute Kenosh. Did you mean Ashtor?
I really don’t think it’s likely that Kenosh will attack Ashtor. I don’t think he has any reason to, but even if he did, he knows better than to try: It would destroy any goodwill between him and Hardin, and provoke retaliation from the younger and more capable fighters who surround him.
As for Ashtor attacking Hardin and Kenosh defending him, that already happened over the last few pages. I wouldn’t call it an attack, exactly, though. It’s more coming to blows over an argument (Ashtor’s sick of Hardin stringing him along without giving him complete information) and Kenosh breaking it up.
Still, tensions are high, and while I’m having trouble following Ashtor’s train of thought, it looks like both Hardin and Kenosh are on his naughty list right now. I don’t expect another physical altercation, but I won’t be surprised if he at least has some more harsh words for one or both of them.
I more mean in the flashback, last page Hardin said Kenosh killed Oran, I’m just curious what caused it.
OK, that makes more sense. Still, I don’t think we’re going to see that since this flashback started after it happened.
Of course, it’s not impossible that we’re about to cut back to the present and then to an earlier flashback. But the page layout gives me the impression that the current flashback is going to last at least into the next page. (There’s a segue into flashback in panel 1 but no segue back out.) That doesn’t prove much, I admit.
Anyway, I figure it’s likely we’ll see that confrontation at some point, even if not right now, because how the heck does an enemy get all the way to the leader of your uprising without killing anyone else first? Or was Oran a “lead from the front” type of guy? Guess that would explain Hardin’s willingness to use cannon fodder. Either way, it seems like there’s still more to that moment than what’s been said, so I’m sure we’ll be coming back to it sooner or later.
I’m interested to see where this goes. It seems rather unlike Hardin, at least at first blush. This is the guy who had no problem killing one of his own people (for certain values of “his own people”) as a negotiating tactic, essentially forcing the rest of his victim’s tribe to join the war effort and become cannon fodder. So why would he spare an enemy, especially one who’d just killed his father?
Did something change between then and now? Or does Hardin reckon those more recent incidents as acceptable losses in the name of his goal, but draw the line at (or somewhere will in advance of) killing people just for the sake of his own feelings? I guess we’ll find out in the coming pages.
I also wonder if there’s a connection between sparing Kenosh and winding up with different markings as an adult. Did Hardin’s tribe reject him for this decision? Did something happen that caused him, unlike Bevan, to eschew his former clan’s markings? Again, I’m very interested to see where all this goes.
Seems like Hardin is a nice guy who had to harden (huehue) his heart, in order to do what is necessary to stop the fighting. I assume that his father, Oran, was very displeased with his son’s decision to save Kenosh, and probably tried to kill his own son. Kenosh would’ve then killed Oran to save the one who spared his life.
It’s a complete mirror image or reversal of what Kenosh did to save Hardin in the present. Hardin was sentenced to his death by Clovis, and Kenosh killed Clovis not only because Hardin is an ally, but because he has sentimental feelings towards Hardin. Doing for Hardin that which was done for him.
This scenario would explain why Kenosh and Hardin are on such good terms, even though Kenosh killed his father. Hardin hates his father, how can you love someone who wanted to kill you?
I can’t imagine another scenario that would still make sense. :0
Kenosh was taken prisoner because he killed Oran during the rebellion ;)
Looks like Hardin already hated his father lol. Hardin’s family life must have been miserable, non-existent.
whooooo amazing! but why???
Ah, so that’s why they captured him! They just wanted to give him an extra special death for killing their leader.
I honestly expected it to be more convoluted than that. XD
I love those fiery eyes. Like father like son :v